YEY! The countdown to our reunion with Josh is officially on! We are so excited to have him back. I am mentally going through his travel itinerary as the day goes on. He should be leaving for the airport in a half hour or so. But....knowing Josh, he probably won't leave for a while after that.
He is due in at 7pm Friday night, but that includes an 8 hour layover in Detroit! Josh loves the free refills on Vernors ginger ale at the Quizno's in the Detroit airport, but there's only so much ginger ale even Josh can handle in an 8-hour shift. So we're hoping he can get on the earlier flight that the girls and I were on a month ago. Either way, we've mapped out the nearest Chipotle for the trip home from the airport.
The girls are so excited to see Josh again. Today Bella was throwing a little fit while I was on the phone with Josh. He asked to talk to her so I held the phone up to her ear. She went from screaming and crying to a big smile and a, "Oh, it's Daddy!" Mackenzie can't wait to show him around--the playroom, her bike, Dunkin' Donuts, the beach, her church, etc. The other day, we were driving somewhere and she shrieked, "Oh! Daddy will LOVE this place!" I looked at what she was pointing at. It was a furniture store....I don't know, maybe he will love it.
Anyway, please keep Josh's safety and smooth travel in your prayers over the next day and a half!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
"...the one my heart loves."
Josh and I are 4 and 2 now. That is, four anniversaries apart and two together. Not the best record, but we couldn't be happier with our six years of wedded bliss. I'm watching the Titanic go down right now and to be honest, I don't think that given their chance, Jack and Rose could've found more happiness than us.
When we got home from church, I was greeted at the door with these!!!! It brought tears to my eyes, and Mackenzie exclaimed, "Awwwww...that's so sweet!" Right on, Kenz.
Happy Anniversary, Josh! I miss you and love you so much. Your girls (and boy!) are counting down the days and minutes!!
When we got home from church, I was greeted at the door with these!!!! It brought tears to my eyes, and Mackenzie exclaimed, "Awwwww...that's so sweet!" Right on, Kenz.
Happy Anniversary, Josh! I miss you and love you so much. Your girls (and boy!) are counting down the days and minutes!!
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Mother Load
The title of this post has multiple applications. The first would be the load that is quickly occupying more and more of this mother's tummy.
Can you guess this week's culinary comparison?
Yep. It's a jicama! Is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? There's no need to decide. All we need to know is that it weighs almost 4 lbs. One thing that Deacon and I have in common this week is our accumulation of adorable baby fat. His is for survival outside the womb. Mine is so that I have something to work on during all the spare time that I'll have with 3 kiddos.
The other application of the title is the garage sale we hit today. First of all, it was in a ritzy neighborhood = top of the line loot. Second, for sale was everything baby, including maternity clothes. Third, the garage saleswoman kept everything in mint condition. Seriously, everything looked brand new.
Anyway, Josh and I were going to use all of our baby shower money to buy a brand new travel system. However, this wonderfully immaculate mother was selling a brand new-looking system for a fraction of its retail price! I'm so excited because now we can use the rest of the $$$ to buy a nice pack 'n play. (yey!)
I also got a stack of Carters newborn clothes for the little man in my life, as well as some great maternity clothes. My mom bought a little toddler bike so Bella can ride outside with Mackenzie, as well as a bouncer for little Deacon and some other toys for the grandkids. I talked myself out of buying a fantastic Exersaucer because it's going to be hard enough to get all of this to KS. However, when my dad suggested shipping all of it, my mom and I decided to head back to the garage sale tomorrow and see if it's still available.
The big-ticket item (in Bella's mind) is the gargantuan Elmo we got for $2. She saw it and screamed "LA-LA" for, well, the rest of the day. The girls both love him. It's so cute watching Bella carry him around the house because he's as big as she is.
Can you guess this week's culinary comparison?
Yep. It's a jicama! Is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? There's no need to decide. All we need to know is that it weighs almost 4 lbs. One thing that Deacon and I have in common this week is our accumulation of adorable baby fat. His is for survival outside the womb. Mine is so that I have something to work on during all the spare time that I'll have with 3 kiddos.
The other application of the title is the garage sale we hit today. First of all, it was in a ritzy neighborhood = top of the line loot. Second, for sale was everything baby, including maternity clothes. Third, the garage saleswoman kept everything in mint condition. Seriously, everything looked brand new.
Anyway, Josh and I were going to use all of our baby shower money to buy a brand new travel system. However, this wonderfully immaculate mother was selling a brand new-looking system for a fraction of its retail price! I'm so excited because now we can use the rest of the $$$ to buy a nice pack 'n play. (yey!)
I also got a stack of Carters newborn clothes for the little man in my life, as well as some great maternity clothes. My mom bought a little toddler bike so Bella can ride outside with Mackenzie, as well as a bouncer for little Deacon and some other toys for the grandkids. I talked myself out of buying a fantastic Exersaucer because it's going to be hard enough to get all of this to KS. However, when my dad suggested shipping all of it, my mom and I decided to head back to the garage sale tomorrow and see if it's still available.
The big-ticket item (in Bella's mind) is the gargantuan Elmo we got for $2. She saw it and screamed "LA-LA" for, well, the rest of the day. The girls both love him. It's so cute watching Bella carry him around the house because he's as big as she is.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Summer rocks!
Well, there is a "heat wave" coming to NJ, or as we call it in the Philippines, 7:00 am.
Anyway, I put the girls in their new swimsuits and we headed out to the backyard where Grandma was gardening and had the sprinkler on. It's a pretty powerful sprinkler, so both girls were a little hesitant to run through it. But after a few yelping run-throughs, Mackenzie loved it.
Bella never really got comfortable with the attack of the sprinkler. My mom would walk her into its path, and Bella would stand there until it came near her. When she realized she was in its path, she would toddle to me as fast as her chubby little legs would carry her, with a look of terror on her face.
So she decided to go play with the rocks in the other part of the "back yard." See her there, in the bottom right corner of the picture? I was too comfortable (and too lazy) sitting in the grass to get up and take a closer-up picture of her.
Have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying our beautiful "summer home?"
While the girls played, I went and put together a picnic lunch for us to eat under a tree. It's so fun being outside on a beautiful day!!
After our lunch, Mackenzie headed back to the sprinkler and Bella headed back to the rocks. She got a little jolt when Kenz dumped a bucket of water over her head, but just for a second. She was much happier watching Mackenzie dump the bucket of water over her OWN head.
WE HEART SUMMER!
Anyway, I put the girls in their new swimsuits and we headed out to the backyard where Grandma was gardening and had the sprinkler on. It's a pretty powerful sprinkler, so both girls were a little hesitant to run through it. But after a few yelping run-throughs, Mackenzie loved it.
Bella never really got comfortable with the attack of the sprinkler. My mom would walk her into its path, and Bella would stand there until it came near her. When she realized she was in its path, she would toddle to me as fast as her chubby little legs would carry her, with a look of terror on her face.
So she decided to go play with the rocks in the other part of the "back yard." See her there, in the bottom right corner of the picture? I was too comfortable (and too lazy) sitting in the grass to get up and take a closer-up picture of her.
Have I mentioned how much I'm enjoying our beautiful "summer home?"
While the girls played, I went and put together a picnic lunch for us to eat under a tree. It's so fun being outside on a beautiful day!!
After our lunch, Mackenzie headed back to the sprinkler and Bella headed back to the rocks. She got a little jolt when Kenz dumped a bucket of water over her head, but just for a second. She was much happier watching Mackenzie dump the bucket of water over her OWN head.
WE HEART SUMMER!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
"Heather and Val's Day of Fun!"
My sister is still visiting, so while the girls napped on Monday afternoon, Heather and I got coffee and donuts and headed out to the beach. It was a beautifully overcast day and the beach was mostly empty except for some surfers.
Heather quickly wrote this in the sand before the surf wiped it away. It says, "Val and Heather's Day o' fun." She and I are both FRIENDS fans, so re-read that with Janice's voice. (As in, "Joey and Janice's Day of Fun!")
I loved my $3 aviators that I got in the Philippines. Alas, I dropped them and one lens shattered. Did that stop me from wearing them?
Yes, it did. But not before we took a picture.
We went and looked at Sunglass Hut for more. The ones that looked just like my RayBan knockoffs were $130.
At the beach, Heather had the sudden urge to run off all the sea gulls. She did a great job!
We stood in the surf for a little while and let the COLD water splash over our toes....and shins...and knees. We had our jeans rolled up, but some rogue waves overtook us. Here are the 10 tootsies that I am quickly losing visibility of.
In the evening, Mom and Dad took Kenz to their monthly missionary meeting (fyi: she loved it). Heather and I stayed at home and Heather gave Bella pony rides. The girls absolutely LOVE having their aunt here!
Heather quickly wrote this in the sand before the surf wiped it away. It says, "Val and Heather's Day o' fun." She and I are both FRIENDS fans, so re-read that with Janice's voice. (As in, "Joey and Janice's Day of Fun!")
I loved my $3 aviators that I got in the Philippines. Alas, I dropped them and one lens shattered. Did that stop me from wearing them?
Yes, it did. But not before we took a picture.
We went and looked at Sunglass Hut for more. The ones that looked just like my RayBan knockoffs were $130.
At the beach, Heather had the sudden urge to run off all the sea gulls. She did a great job!
We stood in the surf for a little while and let the COLD water splash over our toes....and shins...and knees. We had our jeans rolled up, but some rogue waves overtook us. Here are the 10 tootsies that I am quickly losing visibility of.
In the evening, Mom and Dad took Kenz to their monthly missionary meeting (fyi: she loved it). Heather and I stayed at home and Heather gave Bella pony rides. The girls absolutely LOVE having their aunt here!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Big Birthday Weekend
The most exciting part of this years' birthday celebration is that my big sister, Heather, is here visiting! With Heather comes awesome kitchen/cooking skills. On Saturday night, she fired up a salmon fillet with mango salsa. It was amazing!
Mom put together some of my favorite side dishes, and I made a fudge truffle cheesecake. It was my first go at a cheesecake, and I, as well as the little guy in my tummy, loved it!
Mom set the table in the dining room with her finest china and goldware.
Unfortunately, my Dad isn't a fish fan, so he wore his "Hi! My name is Phil, and I like to grill" apron, and sizzled up some steak for himself. He hiked up and down three (mansion-sized) floors to grill his NY strip to perfection.
Here's a little peek at the yummy meal.
After dinner and before cheesecake, we decided to head down to the beach and walk on the boardwalk. Kenz is still pumping tropical climate blood and was chilly.
Bella loved the sand as much as she ever did. Kenz is still a smidge hesitant about the sand. We decided she's just picky. This sand is beautiful, but a little coarser than our powder white beaches in the Philippines.
Of course, Grandma and Grandpa loved the beach-time.
Kenz got to ride on Grandpa's shoulders since there were miniscule grains of sand still in her shoe.
The next day, my actual birthday, we headed out to church and then to a steakhouse for a birthday lunch. I decided to save steak for when we get to KS, and ordered lobster cakes. They were scrumptious! After dinner, they did the whole birthday/singing/dessert deal. I liked it, the girls loved it. Kenz helped me blow out my candle.
Mom put together some of my favorite side dishes, and I made a fudge truffle cheesecake. It was my first go at a cheesecake, and I, as well as the little guy in my tummy, loved it!
Mom set the table in the dining room with her finest china and goldware.
Unfortunately, my Dad isn't a fish fan, so he wore his "Hi! My name is Phil, and I like to grill" apron, and sizzled up some steak for himself. He hiked up and down three (mansion-sized) floors to grill his NY strip to perfection.
Here's a little peek at the yummy meal.
After dinner and before cheesecake, we decided to head down to the beach and walk on the boardwalk. Kenz is still pumping tropical climate blood and was chilly.
Bella loved the sand as much as she ever did. Kenz is still a smidge hesitant about the sand. We decided she's just picky. This sand is beautiful, but a little coarser than our powder white beaches in the Philippines.
Of course, Grandma and Grandpa loved the beach-time.
Kenz got to ride on Grandpa's shoulders since there were miniscule grains of sand still in her shoe.
The next day, my actual birthday, we headed out to church and then to a steakhouse for a birthday lunch. I decided to save steak for when we get to KS, and ordered lobster cakes. They were scrumptious! After dinner, they did the whole birthday/singing/dessert deal. I liked it, the girls loved it. Kenz helped me blow out my candle.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
VBS night
Well, Mackenzie thoroughly loved every minute of VBS. They put on a wonderful program here and she learned some verses, heard some Bible lessons, had great projects and activities, and of course, the snacks were a hit. Her favorite activity was the stepping stone she made to go in Grandma's garden.
Tonight, we had the closing ceremonies. Is that the right term, or is my mind in Beijing? We got a glimpse of everything they have been doing this week. Here is Mackenzie sitting with her best pal here, Mallory.
Bella spent the better part of the program on Grandpa's shoulders, a place she loves to be.
They called Kenzie's group up to the front to recite one of their verses. This isn't the best photo, but it shows how Kenz marched right up to the mike. I was thrilled to see a bit of stage presence in her. That is, until she figured out what they were up there for and made a beeline for the back row. I was so proud of her for learning all three verses this week!
They had some really cute songs, and Mackenzie sings them around the house non-stop. They all have fun choreography that she loved.
One of those songs featured the Chicken Dance music/choreography. I had to video her shaking her little booty. Anyone in the market for a flower girl who will rock the dance floor? Mackenzie's your gal.
I'm blaming it on pregnancy hormones, but if I get choked up every time my children perform or get so excited about what they're doing, I'm in for an emotional and hysterical future.
Tonight, we had the closing ceremonies. Is that the right term, or is my mind in Beijing? We got a glimpse of everything they have been doing this week. Here is Mackenzie sitting with her best pal here, Mallory.
Bella spent the better part of the program on Grandpa's shoulders, a place she loves to be.
They called Kenzie's group up to the front to recite one of their verses. This isn't the best photo, but it shows how Kenz marched right up to the mike. I was thrilled to see a bit of stage presence in her. That is, until she figured out what they were up there for and made a beeline for the back row. I was so proud of her for learning all three verses this week!
They had some really cute songs, and Mackenzie sings them around the house non-stop. They all have fun choreography that she loved.
One of those songs featured the Chicken Dance music/choreography. I had to video her shaking her little booty. Anyone in the market for a flower girl who will rock the dance floor? Mackenzie's your gal.
I'm blaming it on pregnancy hormones, but if I get choked up every time my children perform or get so excited about what they're doing, I'm in for an emotional and hysterical future.
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