CELEBRATING!

BIRTHDAYS

GOTCHA'S

VALENTINE'S DAY

&

ASIAN NEW YEAR

We spent the day at DOWNTOWN DISNEY and had a great time. Even though it was FREEZING!! brrrrrr it was 45 in Orlando today. Too cold for this South Florida family, that's for sure.

So, we drove up, shopped till we dropped, and ate at the the Rain Forest Cafe'. mmm mmm good! They all ate everything!

My birthday bunch had a good time, my Chinese New Year and TET crew enjoyed themselves, we spent lots of $$, and we had fun.

And let me tell you a little secret...there is no Depression or Recession in DISNEY! The Marketplace was packed at 11:45 AM, not a parking slot to be had, (and don't forget the buses), and the stores were jammed. You should have seen the lines at the LEGO store...50 deep!! Yes, I said 50, it might have been 60 and there were 2 lines of them and 5 or 6 cashiers at each one. Yes, I was the unlucky one standing in one of those lines for LEGOS I could have bought much cheaper at TARGET, but it was Ryan's Birthday gifts and he was just so excited to buy Legos at the LEGO STORE! And the Rain Forest was packed too. And you should have seen all the glittery little princesses walking around. No, there is no Recession or Depression when it come to MICKEY'S HOUSE!

OYE! That's a lot of driving in one day. I can't wait to rest tomorrow, doing laundry, homework, cleaning, grocery shopping. What a treat that will be. At least I wont be driving for 6 hours! Next time, Mike comes along and we stay a week!

I know I have double pics posted, but I have no idea how to delete it, so it stays.

One more thing, I don't want to take a stroller with me again to Disney. What a pain in the A$$. {{sigh}} Like THAT'S going to happen :(

ha ha , I just thought of something...Mike and I should GO ALONE! What a concept...we could actually look at things in the shops, not have to count heads every 5 seconds, and have a drink or two... sounds good doesn't it? OOPS, too late, we have a PokoPack and they like Mickey's House just as much as I do.

After a 3 hours sleep in the car, they're all wide away watching Olympic reruns! I'm off to bed...

It's been a LONG week and it's gona to be an even LONGER weekend...
Somethin's cummin, I mean goin'! We HOPE and PRAY

FT. LAUDERDALE BEACH~ BETTER THAN SNOW....ANYDAY!

Thursday morning we had some business to take care of in Ft. Lauderdale so we took the little girls to the beach when we were done. It was windy and there were Man-o-War everywhere, but they had fun finding shells. The water was too cold for us Floridians but the Northerners thought it was wonderful.

The saga of the Ducky Eggs

The ducks lay about a dozen eggs in the pot in our front yard every 6 months. The kids love to see the eggs in the pot and feed the mommy duck when she decides it's time to sit on the eggs. Before that time, the kids count the eggs everyday, always surprised to find more and more eggs filling the pot. The last time though, someones dog, which should have been leashed (that's the law here in our city) got into the eggs and ate them. We found all the poor little half developed duckies all over our yard...but I digress...

We haven't has eggs in awhile. Last week as we pulled into the driveway from picking up Ryan after school, Paisley said " come see the eggs mommy" I said, "Paisley, there are no eggs" and she said " Yes there are! Come see them!" So, being the good mommy I am, I took her hand and she walked me around the truck to the "duck pot" as we call it. And low and behold there were 2 VERY WHITE eggs in there ( Ducky eggs are more cream color and bigger than the ones I was looking at). I asked her where the eggs came from and Miss Paisley, as proud as could be said "I put them there, we want baby ducks" I asked her where she got those eggs and when did she put them in there? She told me she got them from the fridge and Amy let her out the front door to put them in the poi so they would have baby ducks! So, we had a nice little talk about where baby duck eggs really come from, NOT THE FRIDGE, and how we NEVER go outside without mommy or daddy, and AMY got a nice talking too also about taking the chain off the front door! I have no idea where I was when the 2 little imps got out the door. I left the eggs in the pot for Mike to see, it was really cute...you had to be there I guess...

But the next day, as we were coming home from picking up Ryan after school I noticed broken eggs! Yep, she had gotten out again and this time she had broken the eggs to get the baby ducks out!! I guess my talk about the difference between fridge eggs and duck eggs didn't sink in because she was really expecting to see some baby ducks in those eggs.

And yes, I know we need to re landscape..that's on the Honey~Do list .

This is one of the ways Paisley spends her day

She gets on all by herself, I wasn't that smart at 3

Oh, that's right

they didn't have computers when I was 3

And yes, I have cleaned off my desk since I took that pic.

Don't ask for pictures of Paisley's hair....She' ll be wearing ponytails for at least a year. Call me crazy, but I refuse to cut off her hair just because one side is to her shoulder and the rest is down her back! At least the bottom layer is still there and if she wears it down, isn't too noticeable, unless you touch it.

I'M JEALOUS

Or GREEN with envy.

My good friend Lisa, from Indiana, is going to visit MICKEY in a few weeks. We wanted to meet her family there but we can't go! Our passes have expired and it seems our finances have been rerouted to another upcoming event. Nothing I would change for the world, but I still would like to visit Lisa when she's at DISNEY. We're going to miss seeing her and the kids for the second year. Maybe we'll drive up and visit with her one evening if she is free. What's a 6 hour drive for a friend right?? OK, let's see, where can I find several thousand dollars in a month??? Ummmm---NO WHERE!
It's all in the timing...We'll be back to visit MICKEY in the summer. I can't wait to get our passes renewed and get back ontrack to do DISNEY at all the major holidays again. Christmas in Disney, sounds like a plan this year.

{{ THUD }}

BOTH sides are gone!

AND

she has bangs again!

(only wispy, I think)

My sister said I had to remove my Christmas music.

She said she was sick of hearing it.

So Pat, this is for YOU!

My new fav Christmas song has been moved to the end of the list,

waiting for next year

Although it will be obsolete by then :)

SCISSORS!

How do you spell that word anyways? I had to use spellcheck.

( oh, I spelled it correctly, it only took me 5 tries)

Anyhow.

THERE WILL BE NO MORE SCISSORS IN MY HOUSE.

I found a pound of Paisley's hair on the familyroom floor tonight!!!!!

I'm sick now! I put her to bed. I'm scared to brush her hair in the AM.

I think I'll pass out if the entire side is gone!

Paisley's growing up WAY TOO FAST!

HAPPY 13th BIRTHDAY

MEGAN NOEL' MENG YAN

xoxo

Mom & Dad

The entire crew at the Rustic Inn

for Megan's Birthday tonight.

We had a great time.

Thank you Kim & Roger

Meg at her party friday night

23 kids! Oye Vey!

LID

1/8/2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We had our

1st Annual

New year's Eve

Block Party

tonight

Lots of fun

the girls wore shorts

and hung out with their friends

It was 79 @ Midnight

the kids had a bounce house

big screen TV to watch the ball drop

Good food and drink

Champagne Toast at Midnight

we met lots of neighbors

We had lots to celebrate tonight

12/30/2009

DTC Baby!

RYAN UPDATE

MY BRAVE LITTLE MAN

I'm home for the night. Mike took over the night shift for me. That's how he is celebrating his birthday tonight. 3 years ago he celebrated the big 60 on a plane from Vietnam to USA with Austin while I stayed behind in Vietnam with Paisley.
Well, that just popped into my head so let me get back to Mr. Poko's update.
Ryan is miserable! And staying another night. The good thing is the IV was discontinued just as I left tonight because he is finally drinking. Mike took him to the playroom and it was closing! Poor little guy can't catch a break. But they allowed him to bring a toy back to his bed.
I have to tell you, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital is the greatest! They are so accommodating to parents, they have showers and massage chairs in the parent's lounge, free continental breakfast and lunch for parents served by volunteers, and are just the nicest staff. They are so well staffed in the PICU, at least 13 nurses per shift and an MD and PA on the floor at all times. The PICU staff MD examined Ryan today...and found he has a HEART MURMUR! To say I was shocked would be an understatement! HOW has that been missed for 4 years? I'll be calling a cardiologist Monday morning!
My big girls took care of the littles while Mike and I have been with Ryan for the last 2 days, and I can tell you my house was immaculate when I walked in the door tonight. I have great girls!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY

XOXO

Your Poko Pack

Quick update. I'm here in the PICU at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital with Ryan. He had a P-flap surgery done yesterday. It turned out great but he is miserable as you can imagine. Poor baby has been through so much. He's a real trooper! If he drinks more we may get out tonight.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

from

Our House

to

Yours

HAPPY 19th BIRTHDAY

Courtney Johanna

xoxo

Grandma & grandpap

by the way~~~~~

Are you all done with your shopping? Our tree just got decorated last night. I still need to finish that project :(
I haven't done my shopping yet either....
Like I said in my previous post, we are unbelievably busy. Now with all this rain, when will I ever get my shopping done? Goodness, we can't even find the Christmas Stockings!
Parties, Shopping, Baking, Groceries, Christmas Dinner to prepare...there is NO WAY I can get all this done in time. And no sleep. Why don't 3 year olds sleep anymore? Paisley is up all hours of the night.
A LIST! that's what I'm missing. I was always a list maker, I had a list for my lists. I think a nice cup of Tea is what I need right now and make some lists...then off to pick up Amy from VPK. That's another thing, I am ALWAYS running somewhere to cart someone someplace or pick them up. How can you accomplish anything when you never have more than 90 minutes at a time to do anything?
Now, where are those pens I bought for MYSELF and told the big girls not to touch?............

It's been so long since I've posted to my BLOG.

To say we've been busy would be an understatement.

So many things have been going on here.

So many blessings.

God is blessing us many times over.

2009 has been unbelievable

and

2010 promises to be the icing on the cake.

Our life & family will be changing

and

we are looking forward with excitement

to experience

this new chapter in our lives

provided by

The One and Only,

GOD.

This Picture is Worth
1000 Million Words (minimum!) . .

We truly take a lot for granted.

Forget the football 'heroes' and movie 'stars'.
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and a Soldier
One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hope all our

Family & Friends

had a wonderful

THANKSGIVING

We had extra special reasons

to give thanks this year