It's Really Here...

Hi all! Good news...our stuff is here. SO, I am going to turn off the computer & start organizing. Unless I feel physically ill later tonight (from my computer withdrawal), I won't be back on until after it all gets delivered tomorrow! Yippee. Praise God!! :) Now we just need our house in IL to sell...

Bloggy love,

Girls' Day Out!

Well, the girls & I went off of base to explore with our friends Ms. Kristie & her daughter Alyssa. It was so much fun! We got the girls McDonald's & then we headed over to a place called Melissa's. The bread was absolutely delicious!! I got some to go with our linguine with clam sauce tonight. Mmmm. Anyway, we each got a bag! We splurged. I was looking for a wallet, but couldn't resist the purse & I got a *deal*. That's my story. :) Anyhow, here are a few pictures of our voyage. Next stop...fabric store!

Bloggy love,

Is there a fire?

I think that firemen eat cookies like policemen eat doughnuts, right? This one does! Abby went to playgroup to see the fire engine today. Anyone wanna guess how that went over? We went outside with everyone else; we were standing there and all of a sudden, water starts spraying us. Bad joke. Abby wanted NOTHING to do with it. She dug the hat & the ball, but no water for her. We went inside to play for a few minutes and she said, "Mommy, I don't really care for water." Scratch the swim lessons. Anyhow, she enjoyed the hat after we got home, so to me, it was worth it! Plus, the guys giving the H2O demonstration didn't see that a car had it's windows rolled down...good Mommy laughs there! :)

Bloggy love,

She's Brilliant

Do you see how well she stays in the lines these days? And the use of color...amazing! :) Yes, I am her mother...

Bloggy love,

Freaks R Us

Did you know that being a freak is very time consuming? Oh yes, and usually more expensive too! I can truly say that I have not been in my best form for months now. I am not a good pregnant person. This time around I was sick again and I gained over 70lbs; I've still got a good 40 to lose. Frightening. Anyway, I have managed to let myself go a little more over time--had something to do with showing our house every day back in the states, brand new baby, breastfeeding, traveling to CO, WY & back to IL, moving to Korea...I'm sure there's more. My mom (who wouldn't get out of the car at our local IGA grocery store to get donuts on Saturday morning, IF she didn't have her makeup on!) will tell you that I've never been overly concerned with having makeup on & going out in public in sweatpants. Well, I have gotten better (and so has my mom!), but whew, I am a sight these days. Back to the freak part...I am coloring my hair--right now. Oh no, not with any old box of color. It's with a box I had to special order online because of all the horrible things I have read about hair color. Ignorance is bliss. If I could go back, I would in a heartbeat. I don't even have time to go into all my freakiness right now. We'll just stick to the hair color. Have you been to the Skin Deep cosmetic database??? Go now. Right now. It will freak you out--especially the kids' section. Well, this hair color was one with the lower rankings of potentially harmful chemicals on the website. This is crazy though...here is what step number 6 says, "Apply medium/high heat around processing cap using blow dryer 3-5 times for 5 minutes each. Use more heat for stubborn gray. It is important to apply heat for the best deposition of color." Then step 7, "Hold for 30-40 minutes." SO, is that after the insane blow drying or is that all the same?? If you pay this much for a box of hair color, it better come with a video tutorial. I have no idea how stubborn my gray hair is...I'm going to guess, because it's mine, that it is pretty darn stubborn! :) I had my hair cut today AND I'm getting rid of the gray. Whew. Big beautifying day around here. What happened to the good old days & the good old chemicals--it was worth all the money to have someone else do this. :) Here's to hoping I don't look like a total weirdo after all of this! Off for more blow drying...

Bloggy love,

Random Pictures...

See, we can still get some tiny pigtails in...

The REAL Abby... :)
Daddy & Abby reading...looks like Daddy is sleeping! I think it's just Mommy's photo taking skills!
My personal favorite picture from the weekend. I got up to feed Rebekah on Sunday morning & could not figure out where Indy was sleeping. It took some searching, but here he is curled up on our down comforter and pillows in the closet!! Sneaky dog...see, it's a good thing he's cute!


No pictures of Bekah...bad Mommy! It's that 2nd child thing--I'll try harder!

Bloggy love,

Sugar, Sugar

Ah, honey, honey
You are my candy girl...
yada yada yada








We have been watching the Bee Movie...and watching...and watching. So, I can't get the music out of my head. My BIL Darik does this sometimes...hums or sings things to get it in your head. Can't think of what it is called & I'm being too lazy to look it up. Anyway, this is a future scrapbook page...

Bloggy love,

Recipe Organizations Tips?

Anyone? I am a collector of recipes, and I have way too many and no good storage plan. If you have any good solutions, please email me or leave a comment. If your plan includes lots of labor & is hard to upkeep, it's probably not the plan for me! I know my limits...
Thanks!

Bloggy love,

Bekah Boo

Here's our little baby girl...getting so big. She's sporting her BumGenius 3.0 blue cloth diaper that matches her eyes. Oh, she has also found her feet & LOVES them!

Bloggy love,

My New Jewelry

Yesterday, let's just say the afternoon was stressful. I was supposed to get my hair cut at 3:30, but the girls were not cooperating. SO, I just worked to keep everyone happy. With Bekah, that was a lost cause. We were supposed to meet friends & go play at the park, but instead, we rocked, walked, bouncied & otherwise entertained Bekah Boo. Poor baby. I tried to call everyone to let them know what was going on, but our skype microphone was acting up & the cell is busted (long story). Enter Daddy. A friend had asked if I wanted to go to a jewelry making class and I said I could if Brad got home in time. Well, he did. Unfortunately for him, Bekah was screaming. He still wanted me to go, so I ran before he changed his mind. Anyhow, this was my creation. The stretchy wire stuff (technical term) was pretty thick, so my original idea didn't work. I love the beads & think it turned out cute. The only problem is that we measured wrong & it doesn't fit over my hand too well. If you have a skinny hand & wrist, leave me a comment, you might find yourself with a brand new bracelet & earrings set. :) It was nice to have a couple of hours to myself & in turn, I made some pretty cute jewelry. Our friend Jen has some really cool stuff here, so I don't kid myself about my talent! LOVE her stuff! I could see how this could become addictive...

Bloggy love,

Addendum...

Just so those of you who read this don't worry, I mainly spend time on the computer during the girls' naps and after they go to bed at night. I definitely don't go to bed early. That is a mistake most days. It's not like I'm having Abby & Bekah (who doesn't watch TV I might add) **sounded like 'one of THOSE moms' for a minute** sit in front of the TV and eat ice cream while I'm doing this. Anyhow, as you can see, I have managed to clean & vacuum the living room/play room...I set the timer for 15 minutes & Abby helped. I bribed her with jumping on the bed afterward. Some days, I am not proud--okay most days. I really do think that if I start doing this every night with some cool music to dance & sing to, we'll have it all cleaned up in no time. After all, the girl makes her bed every day when she gets up; I do occasionally get things right!

Yes, this is our cool furniture for now. I added the sheet slipcover on the couch just a little bit ago. I am hoping this will keep the dog-hair-attracting-couch clean! I vacuumed it, so we'll keep our fingers crossed. Now, I am going to organize...I have to be ready. Our belongings have to get here someday, right?

Bloggy love,

ARGH

Okay, I am now having to walk over things to get to the computer. That is not a good development. I keep telling myself that it will be different once our household goods get here...we'll keep on thinking happy thoughts. There is nowhere to put all these toys. It's so frustrating. That, and the fact that the dog is so HAIRY. I am about ready to let Brad shave him. He talked to someone at work (Brad did, not the dog--I wish the dog had a job) & the guy shaves his golden retriever. I think Indy would look stupid. Right now, he's handsome and HOT. Not that kind of hot...temperature hot. Anyway, thank goodness for the borrowed vacuum--otherwise, we'd be living in the Old West with doggy hairballs rolling around. Now that would be a movie...

I haven't posted in a little while. Brad made some comment about me spending 6 hours a day on the computer. Okay, I will admit, I have some issues. The computer is one of them and coffee is the other...oh, and wine (since my other alcohol intake is monitored--hahaha!)...I also like fried food, but we're cutting down on my vices & that's the first to go. :) I do believe that everyone has their challenges. I'm optimistic that I will be able to channel some of my energy into scrapbooking & sewing once my belongings get here. I also like to keep the blog updated to feel like I'm in contact with family & friends back home. I don't watch much tv, so I only have this one time-sucker. Okay, I got that off my chest...gotta hurry with this post--must...read...blogs...

One kid story before I sign off. On Monday, Brad came back from getting the minivan & went to take the dog out & Abby went with him. Well, we had a sewage backup problem over the weekend & it ended up in our lobby...yes, I know it's gross & unsanitary & not a good mental picture. It had been cleaned up. Anyway, they got downstairs & they were getting off the elevator. Abby saw more water & freaked out. Well, she wouldn't get off the elevator & somehow, Daddy wasn't able to help her. SO, the door closed & the screaming/freaking/scarring for life began. Nice. So, who do you suppose is dealing with the aftermath & paranoia associated? The best part is that she knows full well to press '10' or 'E' & she will be okay...that's if she's not having a panic attack. Isn't parenting great? It's like each day you get to find new ways to scar them for life. I sure *heart* parent guilt. The best part is that she freaks out in random places when she starts thinking about it..."Mommy, you'll hold it, right? You won't let the door close, right? I don't want to walk; I want to ride in the stroller. That way, I won't get stuck again." Then I say, "Abby, it wasn't Mommy that let the door close on you, it was Daddy, remember?" HAHAHA. Well, it was...

Until next time...bloggy love,

Our Girls

Abby & Bekah have been jumping on the bed! It's so funny--Bekah LOVES it. Abby had to be bribed to have her picture taken. Why doesn't my big girl want her picture taken anymore?

Funny story...Abby hears people say she has big eyes quite a bit. Well, she told me the other day that she does not have big eyes. She just has normal *little* eyes & she doesn't want people to say they are big. I tried to explain that Mommy has big eyes and that someday she'll like the compliments about them. Abby told me that her eyes WERE NOT BIG and that she didn't like it! Age 3=SASSY!

Bloggy love,

Ramblings..

Well, we had a rainy day here. Brad was off because of a last minute down day, but we didn't see him much -- he went golfing (which he didn't end up doing b/c of the rain) & then he went to get our car. Our MINIVAN is the accurate term...Abby would be so upset to hear me say car. Anyway, it is interesting to have it here. I can't say that I've missed it much. Mainly, I am looking forward to having a vehicle to help carry the groceries home! Not that it isn't interesting to try & either fit it all into the stroller -- with Abby carrying some of it -- or taking a taxi. Yes, I said taxi. If I haven't mentioned it before, we have taxis all over the base here. It's nice if you walk somewhere and it starts to pour down rain and you don't have an umbrella and your kids don't have on the proper attire...not that this has EVER happened to me. It is weird though. You don't have car seats, so that is crazy to me. I'm used to strapping in the kids (rear facing them until all my relatives have made comments) & now Abby can hook her own seat belt and I hold Bekah. For those that know me, this is earth-shattering news. I HOLD my baby. Nice. Luckily, we usually ride for about 3 - 5 blocks...not that I'm saying the drivers aren't a little scary.

Other than the minivan arrival, there isn't much to report on; the weekend wasn't filled with trips or exciting adventures. Brad worked somewhere around 12 hours on Saturday, so we hung out at the house. Bekah was in a foul mood most of the weekend. Not sure what is up with her. I have gone through all the things it might be...but my books are on the way here, and I haven't checked the internet yet. Anyhow, she is cranky. It all started with the babysitter on Friday & carried through. We saw the poor girl tonight & she held Bekah. What did the baby do?? Yep. She cried & cried some more. Oh well, hopefully someday Bekah will cooperate & be snuggly and peaceful. :) Babies in our family tend to be a little MOODY! Sunday, we went to church & Abby had VBS. After that, we hung out and had some much needed family time.

I need to exercise. I'm saying this outloud so that maybe I will take it seriously this week! We walk all over, but I'm thinking I may actually need cardio. It'd be nice if the elliptical machine were here, but we're still waiting. I may have to break down & take the dog in the early morning or late night...we shall see.

I'm really rambling now...gotta go to bed. Not getting much sleep these days...
Bloggy love,

Snuggling...sort of!

Here are the girls -- they crack me up. It's amazing how fast they are growing & changing. Abby helps me cheer Bekah up quite a bit & it's very cute. We had a super babysitter come over tonight (Hannah Banana as Abby likes to sing!) & Bekah had a meltdown, so we may never see her again! Brad & I went to the Officers' Club for Membership Night = free meal. It was nice. Brad left to come back & help put Bekah to bed. We managed a few minutes by ourselves & it felt good to give it a try. We'll have to do it more often & get more adventurous! We came home to Abby learning how to blow bubbles --very fun! Babysitters are the best!

Bloggy love,

Weird...

Okay, I believe I have discussed my addiction to blogs. So after checking out some of my normal blogs (instead of cleaning my house!), I started clicking on various links on one of my 'regular' reads. Turns out, I found some REALLY good blogs. Not a great use of time, but hey, I don't have all my belongings yet, so I don't have THAT much stuff to clean. Well, I found a site that discusses (quite in depth & using explicit language, so be forewarned) problems nursing -- freakishly similar to those I had with Abby. The gal who writes on it is much wittier than I, so it was very interesting to read. If you combine her experiences with both her children...IT IS ME. I managed to go 6 months & felt horrid guilt when I had to start supplementing with formula. I had no bottles and no formula, so I had to literally leave the lactation gal's house & go to Wal-Mart with my hungry babe. It still makes me quite sad to think about it, but it also makes me grateful that Bekah is a wonderful eater. That prayer was answered & I am truly thankful. So if you care to take a look, it can be found here:

http://www.alittlepregnant.com/alittlepregnant/

The second blog was absolutely fun & I can't wait to buy something! :) I have no scrapbooking stuff here yet & my sewing machine is on it's way, so I'm just window shopping! Maybe I should go ahead & order, right? Who knows how long it will take to get here! Look at the colors...totally yummy!

www.heatherbaileystore.com & her blog at http://www.heatherbailey.typepad.com/

Doesn't she just inspire you to make something? I can't wait to get my things. I am planning a fabric trip tomorrow, so I'll let you know how that goes! :) Maybe it'll motivate me...I need to get the girls' curtains done. I thought I was so smart (because one of my friends is so smart, thanks KB!) & I put aluminum foil on Bekah's window. Well, Brad came home & informed me that it is a big NO NO! I guess that I NEED fabric now, right! Okay, gonna go clean the dog hairballs up. We have a babysitter coming & I don't want her to think we have 6 dogs! :)

Bloggy love,

Your Vote Can Make a Difference...it did!

Hello Devoted Blog Readers --
HAHAHA. Okay, all 3 of you that read this, please vote. :) I really do care about what you think...that doesn't mean I'll change it, but I'll take it into consideration! One of my devotees mentioned that the current background was not very easy to read (I did change the font & made it bold) & I wouldn't want anyone to miss a word of my intensely interesting posts. SO, the poll is over to the right -- let me know what you think. Finding a Korean themed background has proven quite challenging. If you become aware of one (even Asian themed would do), please send it my way. I only have so many hours in a day to waste away piddling on the computer...I know, I know, I really don't need sleep!

***I found one I love! Thanks for the votes, but the birdy is here to stay until I find something that I can't live without! :)

Bloggy love,

Bekah's Doctor Appointment...

Hi all!
Well, we had Bekah's big 4 month appointment today. As many of you know, I am a bit (YES, just a bit) paranoid about her getting enough to eat. It mainly stresses me out because at Abby's 4 month appointment, we found out she was not gaining any weight. I realize Abby's situation was unique, but I worry with Bekah nonetheless. Anyway, the appointment went well. She only weighs 13lbs 8oz., so that freaked me out. The pediatrician (yippee, we actually have one!) told me that she's in the 50th percentile on weight & the 90th on height. SO, I will not worry. Repeat, I will no longer worry. (Is anyone laughing here???) Oh, her length was 25" -- whew! I knew she was long, but that's crazy! I'm very happy & thankful that her gain was good & we seem to be trucking right along with the nursing.

Bloggy love,

Finally...a Bekah Video

Here are Bekah & Bitty Baby playing on the Baby Einstein mat! :)


Bloggy love,

Abby in Bekah's Clothes...

Skinny Mini! I let Abby pick out Bekah's clothes & she sure did! She also put them on!! It was so funny...we couldn't believe she could still get into 3-6 month clothes! I could've saved a lot of money! The dress IS a tad bit short, but at least the spankies fit! :)

Bloggy love,

Photography by Abby

I'm sure this could win awards...especially with the cute little foot in it! Abby snapped about 10 shots of Indy hair as Daddy was grooming him over the weekend. It is so hot; I feel bad for him most days. I don't think it would be much fun to be a big hairy dog in Korea!

Bloggy love,

Blog Changes...

I know many of you may not believe this...Brad is not really into this blogging thing. :) I asked him for some feedback tonight on what it should look like & he didn't give me much more than a shrug (okay, he WAS watching the Olympic men's soccer game, so it might not have been the best time to broach the subject!). Anyhow, I did get him to look over long enough for him to tell me that he thinks my themes have been very Hawaiian...that I should look for something more Korean themed. Hmmmm...I actually kind of like that idea. That should only take me another 3 night of my life to figure out! Off to search for the perfect blogskin or template or whatever you want to call it!

Bloggy love,

Our Icky News...

UGH! It has taken me a couple of days to wrap my mind around this. The sale of our house in the states fell through. I think we were in shock the first day or so. I won't go into the details, but let's just say that 2 days before we had this monkey off our back, we received the call from our realtor telling us that the buyer couldn't purchase our house right now. See, there was a contingency (= not good for us!) & she didn't fulfill her side of it...not because she didn't want to. The person buying her house in CA did not do what he was supposed to do (like deposit funds into her account!!) -- I guess that's who I should be upset with, right? I am reminding myself about every 10 minutes of something that my bestest pal Sarah told me...the sale isn't just going to bless us, God wants someone else to be blessed with our house. What do you mean...it's not all about me???? :) I told you I wasn't going to go into the details & here I am. Imagine that! Me rambling...hahaha. Anyhow, if you're reading this, please say a little prayer that our house will sell, and sell FAST! Patience is something I am working on...that's why God gave me a 3 year old!

Bloggy love,

Our Big Girl

Well, I am still a little in shock about what happened today. We went on our normal errands to the BX & to the Post Office. We walked by the beauty salon on the way to the BX & Abby made a comment about getting her hair cut. I thought she was kidding, but no, she was VERY serious. I have no idea what brought this on or where it came from. I thought if I took her shopping, she would not be interested in it, but she asked again if we could get her hair cut "right now." SO, I asked how she wanted to get it cut. She said she wanted it like Grandma's hair...oh my, that's SHORT. I told her we might want to leave it a little longer, so she decided to get it cut like mine. Hmmm...I wish my hair was as thin as hers. Anyway, we went to the salon & this is what you can get for $7.50...



That girl is cute...long hair or short! Yes, I am her mother, but it's cute. I really thought I might cry when I saw all that hair hit the ground. The funny thing is that I had just read an article on how you need to let your kids make some decisions for themselves. As a parent if you make them all now, it doesn't give them the experience in dealing with what happens after they make decisions...good or bad. ANYWAY, Brad asked if she is going to grow it back out and she said, "it's growing back right now, Daddy" in her really dramatic exasperated way! :) DUH.


Side view...Ms. Kim did a good job. It's not easy cutting a 3yo's hair! :)



Back view...

Truthfully, if I weren't still carrying around this extra baby weight, I would go & get the same haircut! :) She seems much happier. As I have said many times, "it's just hair." So, she made a big girl decision & seems okay with it. Who knows...maybe my next post will be with MY haircut. She wants me to do it tomorrow... :)

Bloggy love,

Happy 7th Anniversary!

...to us! We had an actual date night planned. It didn't happen. I guess at this point in my life, I should not be surprised! The babysitter who was supposed to watch the girls was tasked to go into Seoul to be trained on how to escort the President of the United States. The nerve! I mean really...what's truly important here?! HA! It really wasn't a big deal. We spent the night like we do any other Monday night...PIZZA NIGHT! There is a jumpy castle & Brad chooses our pizza toppings, so it's a win-win. The only small problem so far is that Bekah isn't overly fond of eating out right now. Oh well, can't have everything! She is a pretty good sport & luckily it's loud there. Okay...I digressed. Anyway, the flowers were a surprise & they are beautiful. They also smell delicious! Every time I walk into the kitchen I am greeted with a yummy reminder of our special day. The best part is the bonus gift of my new glass pitcher (that I have been wanting to buy!) & Brad bought me one. It's very cute & will make me happier than any crummy plastic pitcher b/c of my weird tendancies. We will still take a date night someday to go & eat by ourselves at a Thai restaurant. We have lots of time for that!

Bloggy love,

First Teeny Bikini

Only a baby smiles when you take their picture in a bathing suit! Here is Bekah all decked out for our trip to the pool. She was all smiles & enjoyed splashing in the pool for a little bit. Abby is taking swim lessons now & I put Bekah in her suit...just in case we have to pass the time in the baby pool. Abby is doing very well -- other than she was 'tired' within the first five minutes and was cold the whole time! WHEW. It's rough to be 3...

Bloggy love,