Back on a schedule because...

Paige told me the other day...

"Mama, I cold.  I have bug bites."

It was just too cute for me to correct her!

My new buddy: Mr. Clean

We haven’t even moved into the house yet and we already had our first dance show.  Yesterday.  Amazingly the girls waited two days after getting the keys to perform for us.  The yard is rather large – enormous compared to the one at our old house, so the girls have lots of room to run, play, do cart-wheels and dance.  They are so excited to have the outdoor space.  Although you would think that would stop them from fighting, but noooo.  Oh, I can only dream of that day!

The last three days have been filled with bottles of Mr. Clean, Lysol, and Windex, armed with long yellow gloves, buckets and a humongous pile of rags.  Let’s just say it’s been a ton of fun.

As of Wednesday morning, the previous owners were still at the house and I was anxiously waiting for them to make their exit.  They had lots of family drama go on over the weekend, which delayed their departure, not to mention their inability (or desire) to pack.  So finally by Wednesday mid-day, I was “Just leave.  Leave now.  Leave all of your junk.  Leave the dirty house.  Leave the garbage.  Just please exit as I really want to get in and get started on making it MY home now.” 

OK, so I really didn’t say these things to them, but nicely said something similar.  It was a bit of a difficult situation because they had been my parent’s neighbor for the last 32 years and I knew there were family dynamics playing a part in what they were dealing with and why everything seemed to be such a struggle.  But by delaying the inevitable and “trying” to clean wasn’t going to help anything or anyone.

Little did I know how dirty the house actually was - I had a feeling, but it's nice to wish for more than what you think reality is going to be.  And by me saying “dirty”, I’m being VERY nice right there.  I almost took a picture of my mom’s face as we were scrubbing down one of the rooms yesterday…I asked her if her facial expression was of “ugh, this is hard work and I’m really tired right now” or “OMG, this is so disgusting.  I need a good shower now!”  Obviously, my wish didn't come true.

The house needs a lot of work, but nothing that we are not capable of doing and nothing that we haven’t done before.  The end goal is what I keep remembering and staying focused on.  The long term potential is exciting for me to think about.

The girls are very excited to get settled in and already know which rooms are theirs.  Katelyn has already measured her room and furniture and had decided on the layout for everything.  She’s ready to move in now!  Vanessa has just been enjoying the fact that she can do cart-wheel after cart-wheel and not run out of room in the backyard.  Paige just loves the fact that the house is empty so she can twirl until her heart is content.  We have lots of work ahead of us and soon it will become our home where we’ll enjoy an evening sitting in the backyard while the girls play on the grass.

Going Home...Finally!

An adventure that changed my life forever

The finish line...60 miles later!

In November 2011, my dad and I participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk, helping raise awareness and funds to help find a cure for breast cancer.  This was not something that I had before, never having participating in anything more adventurous than my own family outings.  Seriously, what was I thinking by agreeing to walk 60 miles and raise $2,300? And since I didn’t decide to do this until the end of August, I only had about two and a half months to train…and let me tell you, by no means was I in poor health, but was my body prepared to handle the strain of all of those miles?  Probably not.  So I got myself a new pair of shoes and walked over 150 miles from my first training walk to my last just days before the start of the event. 

I was overwhelmed at the outpouring of support and love shown to me as I prepared to walk 60 miles. I thought my emotional journey would end once I had reached my financial goal and the physical journey would begin. However, I was completely surprised to realize that my emotional journey was only just beginning.

It was pouring rain as we completed the last few miles and throughout the closing ceremonies, but we were all smiles!

I've been asked how difficult it was to walk 60 miles, how tired was I, how did I prepare my body for the adventure, why would I participate in something like this. The answer...just like on any other journey in life, you put one foot in front of the other and keep on going. There was no quitting option for me, not even a desire too. Was I tired? Yes. But I got up the next day and did it again, and then again. Why?

I knew when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2011 that I could not just sit back and feel hopeless while she fights. I had gone through those feelings before when I watched my sister-in-law Jennifer fight and finally loose her battle to melanoma. Currently, my Aunt is fighting against breast cancer. She, too, received this terrible news recently and has undergone surgery to remove the cancer. She is healing from her invasive surgery and then will begin aggressive radiation. We are praying for her full recovery.

So many women, and men, have battled this horrible disease. Some have won, like my mom and mother-in-law (who fought and won 20 years ago). Some haven't been so lucky. Like the wife of an elderly man I met during my walk in November. He just happened to be at the same intersection that we were and we started talking to him. Once he realized what we were doing, he was overwhelmed with emotion as he told us about his wife that he had recently lost to breast cancer and the fight that she went through.

As my dad and I walked up and down throughout San Diego (who knew it’s such a hilly city?!), we came across a group surrounding a wheel chair being pushed by a frail-looking lady, wearing a cap covering her bare head. Yes, she too was on this adventure while she was fighting in her own personal journey. We crossed a bridge lined with survivors cheering us on, as we knew the fight that each one had taken. We walked behind a father and his two children all wearing shirts honoring the angel they have lost to this horrible disease, their wife/mother.

So why walk? Why, not? I do, because others can no longer.

And because I have three young daughters who will hopefully never have to endure this fight. And for my friends, their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts who are currently in the fight or perhaps have lost their battle...I walk in their honor.

In just 9 weeks, I’ll be walking again.  This year, I'll be walking in San Francisco; again I’ve chosen another hilly city!  Perhaps next year I’ll choose a location in the flatter part of the country!  I’ve been slightly overwhelmed with our housing situation that I haven’t really even begun to train.  However, I am much more aware of my activity level, my eating habits, and my lifestyle and, having participated once in this event, I feel more confident in my ability.

I’ve decided that while I can and am able too, that meaningful charity work needs to be a part of my life.  Giving to others who cannot provide for themselves, raising awareness for a respectable cause, doing random acts of kindness…all of those wonderful things that we hear someone else doing and always think how fabulous it would be to do something like that our self.  Those are the things that I want to do and the example that I want to set for my children.  We are not entitled to the life we have (whoa, entitlement…now there’s a topic for another lengthy discussion!), but have been blessed and, someday when I leave Earth, I want to leave it feeling good about what I’ve contributed to society. 

If you'd like more information on the walk, visit: www.the3day.org

Dance Recital 2012

Our dancers had their dance recital this past Sunday and they performed their little hearts out!  It takes such inner strength to stand up on stage in front of a thousand strangers, complete with the lights, props, costumes, hair and make-up.  They have practiced every week and were very excited for this day.  I know that at certain points throughout the year, when I am very tired driving them all over the place for their activities, I always wonder if it is worth it...if they are really getting anything out of it, what benefit will come from the weekly class, will they have any fun with it?  Looking at these pictures, I don't know how I ever thought about not driving them or supporting them in their activities.  Participating in a dance class, or any activity, is a part of their journey and will shape them into the ladies they are becoming.  I am so proud of them and what they have accomplished!  

Katelyn took a beginner hip-hop class, but it turned out to be a more advanced class than what we were expecting.  We were hoping that she would get some basic movements down, learn the beat and rhythm of the music.  Her teacher was very advanced and Katelyn would often get frustrated at the speed at which her teacher would move, especially considering most of these kids were beginners.  But she stuck it out, stayed in the class and smiled throughout the show.  I am so proud that she believed in herself and knew she could do it.  The recital's theme was Monopoly and Katelyn's dance was "Money".



  



Vanessa took a hip-hop acro class.  She loved it, as it combines her two favorite activities - dancing and gymnastics, but she was actually too advanced for it.  She needed something a bit more challenging, which is part of the reason why we'll be switching studios this Fall.  Her dance was "B&O Railroad".

It's Summer!

Summer is here!  I love summer because it gives us the opportunity to be outdoors, enjoy our beautiful Earth that God has created for us, spend time together as a family, try new things and go on adventures. 

The girls' last day of school, a few weeks back, were filled with mixed emotions.  I love their school, the staff, and the way they teach to the entire child.  However, come mid-May, I'm ready, as much as the girls are, for a break.  Thank goodness for summer!  We always make a list of activities and/or adventures that we'd like to try to accomplish over the summer.  We don't always get everything crossed off the list, but we have fun trying. 

Last day of Second Grade

Last day of Kindergarten

We recently took in our first game of the season.  The girls love attending and getting into the spirit of it, dressing in the team's colors, wearing their team's gear, and cheering/screaming loud when the stadium goes crazy.

All three girls have been taking swimming lessons daily too.  Both Katelyn and Vanessa already know how to swim, but it is not always pretty, so I was looking for them to get some stroke refinement and breathing techniques.  Paige thinks she can swim, but her brain hasn't told her body that she isn't water safe yet.  But at the rate that she is learning the skills, she'll be swimming on her on within the next year.

We visited some sea life at the Academy during our visit with Uncle Barry and Hannah.  I hear so often from others that Paige is no longer considered a baby or a toddler given that she is now (as of just a few weeks back) three years old (so why is she using a sippy, having toddler snacks, so very curious about the world...the likes of comments I am told!!).  However, look at her cute fingers and how can you not call those the fingers of a toddler?   

Check off of our Summer To-Do List...Visit the beach...

She's as happy as a clam living in the waters behind her!

She REALLY wanted to go run, roll, and play in the sand, but I made her stop and pose for this picture.  That must have been the longest 2 1/2 seconds of her life!  Just look at all of those grains of sand and gallons of water calling her name to come play with.

Ever wonder what they're thinking?

First they were just running away from the waves....

Then it became fun to stand in the deeper part of the wave without actually getting taken down by the wave.  No, we didn't go home dry. 

Summer is a time when many of our friends are in camps week and week.  Camps are a wonderful way to keep your kids busy, as well as to expose them to new things.  However, historically, we may do one or two camps, but then take the rest of the summer as unstructured and unplanned time.  It allows the girls time to just be kids.  We may stay home, hang out at The Lake, and go on picnics or on other fun day adventures.  I have never forced them to take a camp.  We talk about it, but ultimately it is up to them. I don't want to burn them out at such a young age in something that they really don't have any interest in.  This year, both girls participated in Vacation Bible Camp (at our Church) right after school was dismissed, but I don't have any really good photos during that time.  It's a lot of fun, like one big play-date every day, and the girls enjoy it tremendously.  

Last week, Katelyn participated in a soccer camp and Vanessa in a dance camp.  Katelyn had a wonderful time and made some good connections with her coaches.  She said she learned some new skills and refined some she already knew.  She made a strong bond with one of her coaches, which made attending every day fun and exciting for her. 

While Katelyn was on the soccer field, Vanessa was in the dance studio learning all kinds of crazy dance moves.  This was at a new studio for us and, so far, we are really impressed with it - the staff/instructors, the dances that they can teach the kids in just a few days, and the excitement for dance that they recognized within Vanessa and gave her an opportunity to express it.  I loved watching her passion develop over the week...this is a kid who sings, dances and does gymnastic moves from the moment she wakes up until five minutes after she is in bed for the night!

All the dancers in this dance, Kids, had some kind of kid-related prop, hence Vanessa's attached teddy bear.

And it's only June...we have so many wonderful adventures awaiting us in the coming summer days!

An amazing sunset captured the final moments of our fantastic visit

We had the wonderful opportunity to visit with Bill's Uncle Barry and Cousin Hannah recently and what an awesome visit it was!  Bill grew up not having much of a relationship with his extended family, something that was completely opposite to how I was raised.  Both of my parents have large families, I have many cousins and second cousins, and one grandmother still holding strong.  Family gatherings were the norm growing up.  Every holiday meant a house full of people, lots of talking and lots of wine.  Amazingly, we all (my immediate extended family) still live in the same state and, except for one cousin, all live within a few hours drive of each other.  We don't get together as often as we did when I was a child, mostly because we all have our own families now, but family reunions still happen occasionally.

Bill's dad was an only child, so there were never any large family gatherings on that side.  There could perhaps be distant relatives in that family line, but I've never heard about them.  Bill's mom is one of three and her mother is still living.  I've been a part of Bill's family for 14 years now, having only met his Grandmother once and his Aunt once, maybe twice.  I had never had the privilege of meeting his Uncle until just last week.  I'm so happy that I did get the chance to meet him and his granddaughter, Hannah, and it was an amazing feeling to be able to introduce my children to their extended family. 

To me, family is family regardless.  Yes, everyone has drama and challenges, but all families have drama because that is what happens when you bring people together.  But they are still family.  To me, family doesn't have to be blood related.  The relationship could be made via marriage, but it could also just be a spiritual bond.  We have several "family members" that aren't in our blood line, but I would not consider them any less of a family member than my own blood siblings. 

Fortunately, Barry viewed family that same way I do.  We only had one day to visit, and it definitely wasn't enough, but from what I can tell, Barry is a very loving grandpa and a really nice gentleman.  My girls thoroughly enjoyed their visit with their cousin Hannah.  Hannah is one year older than Katelyn, so fit well into the mix of our gaggle of girls.

Bill said, the day after our visit, that he was really sad that he never had much of a relationship with his Uncle growing up.  I reminded him that its never to late to start, so why not start now and why let another year pass.  I am looking forward to watching my husband build a relationship with his extended family.  I'm looking forward to watching my girls learn about their cousins and how life is so similar, yet so different, than the ones they lead (unfortunately, we don't own a horse, live on a ranch or own cattle).

Hannah, Katelyn and Vanessa.  Paige had just woken up from a nap, was grumpy, and refused to be in the picture.

We decided to head down to the beach after dinner to dip our toes in the water.  It ended up being a spectacular sunset and we were there until it was long gone.

She looks so small in comparison to the vast ocean.

It was only a matter of time before they jumped into the water.  Can you guess who fell first?

 

And yes, we came home with a bucket load of sand from off of their clothes.

I have a feeling that we'll be taking a trip out of state within the next year and I'm eager to make it happen.

Part two of our adventure

The next few days of our adventure at Disneyland were filled with lots of ride, junk food, sunscreen, and people.  There were a fair amount of rides that Paige was able to go on and she enjoyed every single one!  The trip was a memorable one and we are looking forward to the next time we get to return to the most magical and happiest place on Earth.  We were blessed that family was able to join us, making the trip even more special. 

While Katelyn and Vanessa were riding Space Mountain, Paige and Daddy road the rockets.

Paige thinking that she can drive.  My whip-lash proved otherwise!

Thank God Walt Disney used all white horses on his carousal in Disneyland (unlike that at California Adventure), because it makes it a lot easier for the girls to get on the ride quicker.  As it is, they still have to debate between which color saddle they want to ride.  The biggest challenge was getting them to stay in the same area of the ride, and not on opposite sides, so that we could keep an eye on them.

Malissa's Mini-Me!  Paige (and the rest of us) were very happy that Malissa and Eric joined us on our adventure.  It was a lot of fun hanging out with them and loads of entertainment watching the girls interact with their Aunt.

Disneyland does an AMAZING firework display.  It truly captures that magical feeling and reassures in you why you are there.

Can you tell who that is flying above the castle during the fireworks show?  It's Tinker Bell!  I was holding a kid up, standing in a very crowded area and only had my small point-and-shoot camera, so I wasn't able to get the shots that I really would have liked to have taken.  But, you can see it's her, even if she is not in focused and really small. 

But wait!  There's more to the fireworks show.  Dumbo flew over the castle too!  I've never seen him fly before in this type of show and it was awesome.  The entire show is timed with music, and it absolutely just blows my mind that someone gets to have so much fun using their creative juices to arrange these shows.

The closest shot I was able to get of Dumbo.

The fireworks painted the sky!

Minnie Mouse was Paige's second most requested person to visit on this trip.  Mickey was first.  But when we saw Minnie, she was so excited to give her a hug and kiss.  It just makes my heart melt at how sweet and innocent she is!

What was Paige's favorite ride, you ask?  The roller coaster!  In Toontown, there is one made for little ones (Gadget Go Coaster) and Paige rode it with her hands in the air the entire time and a huge smile on her face!

Our last birthday celebration at the Blue Bayou.  Remember, by this point, Paige had gotten pretty good at telling people it was her birthday and getting a free dessert (usually to be eaten by her sisters, as she usually was only interested in the attention, but not in actually eating the dessert).

Meeting Mickey Mouse!

Paige could not contain her excitement when she met Mickey.  She covered her mouth, almost in disbelief, that she was actually meeting her favorite character.

Meeting Daisy was a crazy scene.  We were in Toontown and usually when a character comes out to meet people, there is a worker there to do crowd control.  Apparently Daisy decided to take a walk out on her own, which just created a huge crowd with adults pushing in front of small children to get their picture taken, no order or line, just poor Daisy trying to make the kids happy.  So what did Daisy do?  She took control herself!  Seriously, this is one smart duck (remember, they cannot talk, just hand and head movements)!  She started telling people to wait their turn and for others to come up when it was theirs.

We caught Donald as we were leaving the park to head to the airport.  We were all really tired by this point, but still had it in us for one last picture.

Our fun adventure took us to...

DISNEYLAND!                                                                                               (Part One)

The girls and I, along with Papa and Grandma, flew in on Saturday morning and took the Disneyland Express shuttle, which was covered in Ariel!!!, to the Disneyland Hotel where we stayed for the next few nights.  Bill had been in Brazil for the prior two weeks and flew in that morning too and met us at the hotel.  After such a long trip that he had been on, it was wonderful to see him, but even more magical that it was at Disneyland!  We were lucky enough to have Aunt Malissa and Eric join us for a few days and help us celebrate.

Saturday was a relaxing day, with lunch at the Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney, followed by a spa appointment for myself (hey, without me, there would be no Paige, so why not treat myself in honor of my daughter's birthday!) and Grandma, while swimming was planned for the girls and everyone else.

Yes, Bill looks REALLY tired here, but given that he had just flown in from Brazil (around a 14 hour flight, plus time zone differences), we were happy to have him with us in the vertical form!

We had dinner at Goofy's Kitchen, which is a character buffet restaurant.  We had lots of friendly visitors from so many of the Disney stories, most of whom Paige had no idea who they were!  But that didn't matter.  She would run and get her autograph book, go up to them with her book in hand, and give hugs and kisses like they were old friends. 

The gang with Pluto at Goofy's Kitchen.  Apparently Goofy was on a break, so Pluto was covering for him.  Kind of odd, if you ask me!  All night we kept an eye out looking for Goofy, since after all, it was his restaurant, we should get a picture with him!

With the White Rabbit.

Hugs for Chip.

One of Paige's Favorite, Minnie Mouse!

Alice was especially sweet with Paige, especially when she noticed her wearing her birthday shirt.  Yes, night #2 of Paige's birthday celebration and she had the hang of taking full advantage of it.

With Dale

With Aladdin

Impressive blue lips and tongue!  I don't even want to know what her insides looked like after eating this cupcake...yes, these beautiful colorful additions all came from the frosting of a cupcake!

And as we were leaving the restaurant (almost three hours later!), who did we finally happen to see?  Goofy!

Paige loves all of the excitement of her birthday, except for when she realizes that everyone is staring at her.  Notice how she leans towards me when she realizes this?

 They told everyone to get up and dance, so why not?!?!

 
Part Two...posted tomorrow!