The Ro Show

Tour of the House

2012-01-24T16:57:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Barbie's home. This is her family room.Her cute faux fur rug in her bedroom.
Here she is chilling in her room.
Cute mirror collage on her bedroom wall.
Hanging out in the family room waiting for her friends to come over. (Or waiting to go to her wedding???)

No-Sew Barbie Pillow Tutorial

2012-01-24T16:43:00.005-05:00

For Barbie's bed- I wanted to do a daybed. She needed pillows to go along the back of the daybed, so I decided that I wasn't in the mood to sew. (For the record... I CAN sew, I CHOSE not too...) I started with a piece of cardboard. I then found fabric scraps I had on hand and LOVE. Cut the fabric so it overlaps the cardboard. (You will hot-glue the fabric onto the cardboard back in a few steps...)
That's about how much I overlapped my fabric...
I had this on hand. Poly-Fil is awesome! Just pull some out for now.
I used about this much. Now- place the stuffing inside the fabric. Place the cardboard on top. You are making a sandwich of sorts. Wrap the fabric over the cardboard while stuffing the filling in.
It should get to this part. The filling is underneath the cardboard. The fabric is wrapped around. Hot glue the fabric in place.
Now- fold up the bottom and hot glue in place.
Finish by glueing the top piece of fabric. The back of the pillow looks horrendous. Who cares? Check out the front...
Yay! We made a cute pillow.
Here is Barbie's daybed with three pillows.

Kitchen Chair Tutorial

2012-01-24T16:37:00.002-05:00

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make a chair. I am using this chair for a kitchen chair. I purchased these decorative wood pieces at the dollhouse store. You can also probably get them at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. I hot-glued the legs onto a long strip of cardboard. I then folded the cardboard to make the base of the chair. I measured the chair back and cut off the remainder of the piece of cardboard.This is what my chair looked like at this point...
I measured Barbie in her chair to make sure the chair-back wasn't too big.
I covered the chair in fabric. (This particular fabric was an old shirt of Addi's that I cut up because I absolutely loved the fabric and she had stained and ripped the shirt. My kids are hard on clothes- what can I say...)
I hot-glued the fabric onto the cardboard. Voila! Here is a chair!

Barbie House continues...

2012-01-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

Here is Barbie's bathroom mirror. I hot glued little tiny mirror craft squares to a piece of cardboard. Then, I placed the mirror on the wall via hot glue. Barbie's sparkly bathroom wall-
Now, we are in the living room. Here is how I made a table for FREE. (It is not the prettiest thing I've ever made, but it serves it's purpose.)
This coffee table is just a rectangular piece of cardboard with a piece of scrapbook paper on top. The legs are just long strips of cardboard folded so it makes a square. I then hot-glued the "square" legs onto the table.
The couch was made very similarly. The only difference was the actual couch-part is a huge rectangle folded in half and covered with paper. The cushions are just paper cut out to look like cushions. The background wallpaper is my fave.

Barbie House

2012-01-23T20:51:00.002-05:00

Here is the shelf. I couldn't find a bookshelf that was cheap enough, so I made my own! (with Rob's help of course. I am HORRIBLE with power tools!!) We used Rubbermaid wooden shelves and L-brackets to create this shelf. Also- we used compressed cardboard/plywood material for the backing of the shelf to help stabilize it. Once the shelf is assembled, (Or you get one cheap enough without having to make it...) you can start to decorate. I used scrapbook paper with lots of texture. I also used Kraft Craft-Bond to help adhere it. This is the kitchen "wallpaper."This is the carpet I put in for the living/family room. It is actual dollhouse carpet. I went to a specialty store. I'm sure you can come up with alternatives. I was tired at this point and liked the way this looked. I wouldn't suggest using paper of any sort because it will not hold up well as floors.
This is the kitchen flooring I put in. It is "tiled" floors, again from a dollhouse store. I have seen others use peel and stick linoleum (that you would put in a real house) in their dollhouse. It works well. Again, I just decided to go with the easy way!!
Here is the shelf before I decorated it. Looks pretty good for a homemade bookshelf!!

Barbie House

2012-01-14T19:23:00.003-05:00

So- growing up, I was OBSESSED with playing Barbies. My BFF and I would play and play not only for hours, but days on end! Seriously... we played 3-4 days straight several times growing up. We didn't have all the coolest Barbie houses, so we had to use our imagination and make houses out of items that were laying around. We used pieces of 2x4's that were cut down as vanities. We used Dixie cups to hold up the vanity and they also doubled as stools. We made school books out of notebook paper. We used our pool table as their school. The pockets were their lockers. WE WERE CREATIVE. Looking back- I would NOT CHANGE A THING!!!

Now-a-days, the kids want to do EVERYTHING electronic. iPods, Kinect, Netflix, Moshi Monsters, iPad, etc. etc. etc.... I am hoping to instill the power of creativity in my girls. Now Addison is already 10-going-on-16, and Jenna is 8 1/2. We are truly in the thick of the Barbie-playing years. In a few years, my girls will start to outgrow Barbies. (Honestly, if I didn't step in now... they would outgrow these years in a matter of months.)

You see, I blame myself for their lack of desire when it comes to playing Barbies. When I found out I was blessed with two daughters, I quickly got all my old Barbies and all their belongings and gave them to my daughters. They were at the ripe old age of 3 and 4 years old. (Take it from me... that's too young to appreciate the value of ANYTHING.) Needless to say- those "keepsakes" were quickly ruined. We gave up Barbies before my oldest turned 5.

Once we were past chewing off Barbie's feet (a stage that Jenna was in for YEARS!), we slowly started re-introducing Barbies back into the girls lives. They would get one or two for a birthday or Christmas present. They would get a few extra changes of clothes. Nothing over the top. No furniture and not enough boy barbies for sure. (Seriously, can three Barbie's all be in love with the same Ken? I think not.) So the girls never really wanted to play Barbies. They were not equipped with all the fun gadgets, boy barbies, and clothes that I had as a child.

Which brings me to the reason for this post... For Jenna's birthday this year, I am going to MAKE her, (Yes... you read that correctly..) a Barbie House. I am super excited about this project. I went out today to get supplies. I hope this present is memorable for Jenna and means so much to her that she will want to pass it down to her daughters one day.

My grandparents made a dollhouse for Addison when she was a baby. I requested it, of course. My grandfather loved constructing dollhouses and my grandmother decorated them. Hand-painted rugs, walls, pictures, furniture, curtains, etc. I was so thrilled to receive this dollhouse. We do not use this house because it has too much meaning now. We used to display it in our finished basement, but now we just keep it in storage. (If a dollhouse is displayed, it is too hard not to play with it...) My grandfather passed away a few years ago and my grandmother took a turn for the worse. She is still with us, but is not the same spunky grandma she used to be after her many strokes and heart attacks. That dollhouse is so meaningful. It reminds me of them. I am so grateful that I will be able to pass that down to Addison one day.

How fair is that for Jenna though? So, that is why I decided to make my own dollhouse for her. I am making it super sturdy so she can play with it and make memories with it. Then, when she is older, she can share that love with her own daughter.

Stay tuned for updates on the dollhouse. I will be posting them here. Completely from scratch... completely from the bottom of my heart.

Christmas Vacation!!

2011-12-27T11:42:00.002-05:00

It was so much fun! We got back yesterday. We went from 80' to 50' in less than 7 hours. Boo!! (At least it isn't snowing here like it is supposed to in KY...) We took lots of pics on the cruise. I will post later. Right now, it is time to blog on my latest blog,

http://theroshowhomeschool.blogspot.com/

We are busy, busy, busy getting ready to start school. I am seriously excited.

Link to our new blog!!

2011-12-11T21:28:00.004-05:00

There are exciting changes at our house. To find out more, click here...

Also- I will be documenting our daily life over at the new link. I will only update this blog with big events... birthdays, vacations, etc. If you are interested in finding out more, leave a comment with your email. I am more than happy to chat!!

A Civil War Christmas

2011-12-08T15:48:00.005-05:00

Having moved to the South this year, I found an appropriate Christmas program offered through the parks department. It was at a historical farm from the Civil War Era. There were lots of buildings to visit and many actors re-inacting the Civil War times. The kids were able to do a craft from that era which was to make ornaments out of burrs that fall from the trees (gumdrop trees), and stringing popcorn and dried cranberries on a thread to hang on the Christmas tree. They also had hot chocolate and made dinner outdoors in the "kitchen" which consisted of cooking with a dutch oven over hot coals.

This was a blacksmith showing us how to make a decorative poker for the fire.

All the kids got a turn at the spinning wheel to see how it worked.

They had a "Father Christmas" figure there. Jenna only wanted to see him because he handed out candy canes. The kids thought it was funny that "Santa" was Korean!!

Only happy about the candy cane.

Hey.., I want a candy cane too!!

"Mom, this guy is creepy..."

My little Union soldiers.

This is what happens when you have an odd number of children.

The kids were running through the prarie. This experience made me want to own lots of land...

This would make a really cute Christmas card. (Nah, that takes A LOT of effort...)

Someone caught their daddy in the outhouse... (Just playing around.)

More running in the prairies. They did this for a LONG time.

So, we were the only people there that didn't homeschool. Some took this historical Christmas thing to extremes.

LOVE this pic of Jenna. I don't know why, but it captures her very essence.

What a cute little stinker!

The family farmhouse. It was done up with period furniture and was really fun to see.

The Yankees decided to invade on enemy turf...

"Go Home, Yankees!!"

Ooh... almost got 'em.

Look at those dead soldiers in the field!

Of course the Confederates won... we DO live in Georgia! Here are my cute rebels!

Three rebels ready to attack...

The "Ro Rebels" are coming for ya!!

Welcome to Our Georgia Home

2011-12-03T17:43:00.003-05:00

Since we moved in July, we have only had one set of friends from out of town visit us in our new home. Rob's parents and my parents came down to visit during the first two weeks after we moved. So- since that is not the majority of my readers, (if I still have readers anymore... Are you there? If so PLEASE REPLY so I know this isn't all just for naught...) I thought I would show you around our home as it is decorated for Christmas. We still have our pre-lit colorful tree, (which will hopefully be replaced next year with a beautiful white-light tree!!) and our wonderful creche from my mother-in-law which I collected through the years. While I still love seeing ornaments from our first year of marriage, it is nice to add new ornaments as well. This year we added picture-frame ornaments with pics of Addi, Jenna, Tae, and Rob and I together. They are so much fun!! I wish I had a tree of just picture-frame ornaments with pics of all our friends and family to hang on our tree. That would be super cute... Maybe I will hit Hobby Lobby after Christmas for some deeply discounted pic-frame ornaments!! Enjoy the pictures below. It doesn't seem like much, but believe it or not, it took all of three days to decorate around here. Much different than when we lived in the condo! I really love driving down the street staring at our beautiful Christmas lights though. It truly puts me in the Christmas Spirit. Hope your family has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year filled with blessings and challenges that will make you a stronger person, better friend, closer family,and reliant on the Lord to lift you up and pour blessings upon you!

Our Christmas Tree... all lit up!

Our wonderful Nativity given to me by my mother-in-law!

Cozy up to the fire in a Christmas blanket! Doesn't everything look better with a bow?

Our deer that Addi deems her "Best Christmas Friend." (I didn't say she wasn't a little bizarre...)

Another mini tree. Love these. They are great to take on vacation with us since we travel during Christmas!

This is a creche that Rob made when he was a little boy. My kids LOVE to play with this. Also- a pic of Jenna as a baby in a Santa hat. So sweet!

My stairs... don't mind the mess ON the stairs. "KIDS!!!"

Banister... This is what I see when I walk in the front door. Aahhh.

Our upstairs loft... This is lit up and GORGEOUS from the street... (There is a large window on the other side of the foyer which allows us to see this from the street.)

Who thinks ONE mini Christmas tree is enough? Not me...

My sweet Carolers that I collect. My mom gives them to me at Christmas. I simply adore them. Definitely a family heirloom...

Our foyer table complete with our angel and our Santa. Have the kids been naughty or nice? Hmmmm.... This could be a WHOLE other post... :)

Love my balcony view from the family room. All lit up at night, this is pure heaven.

My gorgeous fireplace. The picture above is the Nativity picture I bought at Hobby Lobby last year. It is my favorite Christmas picture I have ever seen. "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care..."

Jag-eun namu

2011-12-03T17:28:00.003-05:00

"Jag-eun-namu" in Korean means "little trees." This year for Christmas, I decided to get the kids their own individual tree to go in their bedrooms. They were allowed to decorate their tree with ornaments they had made that had seen better days along with some little ornaments we found at the craft store. This was such a fun tradition. It kept their interest and they love having their own piece of Christmas next to their beds to look at every night.

The kids each made a tree-topper out of construction paper. I was really impressed with Jenna's origami star. She just whipped it up and placed it atop her tree.

Our trip to KY

2011-12-03T16:54:00.003-05:00

We recently went to Kentucky to visit my family. When we were there, we saw a few friends. I didn't take pictures of everyone we visited, but we were able to snap a few. Here is Addison and Jenna with their long lost sister... I mean friend, Lisa. She looks like she fits right into our family. I had a grand old time catching up with my buddy, Shoko as well. Taesun was having a blast hanging out with his buddy, Sammy. (Again... I think they look like they could be related!!)
We also went to Florence Mall to meet up with Taesun's best friend from preschool, Jack. Tae and Jack were in preschool together for 2 1/2 years!! They became best buds and played together non-stop in Ms. Shannon's class, Ms. Katie's class, and Ms. Amy's class. Jack doesn't really come from a great home. His mom is not in his life. He just moved back in with his dad. They live in a trailor in the boonedocks close to Rabbit Hash and Jack doesn't have a whole lot of love at home. Jack is a sweet boy who is lucky to have a grandpa who is very active in his life. Jack's papaw is amazing. He picked up Jack from Kindergarten and drove him to the mall so he could play with Taesun. The boys acted like they hadn't spent any time apart. I am so glad Taesun and Jack have each other.

Pre-Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-07T18:13:00.003-05:00

So yesterday when Taesun starting feeling sick, I knew that I would be home all day with the little man. Plus-I had an appointment to get some water damaged wall fixed in our home. Of course the window of time was several hours. Because of all of this, I thought it would be fun to make a Thanksgiving Feast for our family's dinner tonight. I roasted a turkey, made green bean casserole, homemade mashed potatoes, rolls, stuffing, and of course, jello with mandarin oranges. Yummy! I was so excited to show Rob that I not only took Tae to the doctor and the pharmacy today and took care of a sick child, but also made a wonderful turkey dinner. Guess what?! Dinner was had by the kids and I. Rob got stuck in an office and wasn't able to make it home on time. Since the girls have soccer practice tonight, we had to start eating without him. I was super bummed!! No mom makes a fancy dinner for the kids. If that was the case- when the hubby is gone, the mom and kids wouldn't eat mac-n-cheese or hot dogs or Spaghettio's. Instead of getting me in the mood for Thanksgiving, it just created a massive clean up chore for me and a bad attitude about making dinner for the family for the remainder of the week. I think we will just stick with the actual Thanksgiving dinner for years to come. At least I am not making the turkey this year. We will be hanging with Rob's cousin, Keri and her husband, Josh and their three girls at their house. Should be fun!!

Amicalola Falls

2011-10-12T13:04:00.008-04:00

There was a state park closeby that had a 400 foot waterfall. It was a serious hike to get up to the top, but they also had a driving path that took you up. Whew. As we started hiking up, Taesun said his leg was hurting and began to limp. Without Rob there, I knew that I couldn't carry Taesun downhill very far, so we decided to drive up instead. It was a beautiful hike, (what little we did...) and gorgeous at the top. Here are some photos for all my friends who are not in Georgia to see...

Top of the falls. The tree line at the top of the photo is where the water drops off. Very impressive.

Jenna thinking about her every movement while crossing the creek.

Taesun always climbing...

Cute little boy... ,minus the hood.

Taesun loved the creek!

This was a lake at the bottom of the falls seperate from the falls. I love the reflection in this photo.

Addison- beautiful as always.

Love this pic... creek at the top of falls.

Here's the clan... Jenna, Kayla, Patrick, Brett, Addison, and Taesun

Kayla and Jenna.. Kayla could seriously pass for my daughter...

Somebody's monkeying around...

This pic makes Jenna look so old, I think...

Friends on a log...

Jenna's ice cream face. We have a pic of me as a kid eating a brownie. Thought I would follow tradition.

Taesun found a rock that was shaped like a heart. What a clever boy.

Big rock. Kids are drawn to it, obviously.

Whoops! A double..

Friendship rock... with Jenna and Kayla

Another cool pic of the creek.

So serene. I could spend a whole day there!

Aah!

Love this fall foliage. It is sparce here in Georgia right now.

All my trees at the house are green still. This was nice to see.

Beautiful colors... Love the fall!!!

Remember all those photos of kids walking across a fence? Whoops.

Jenna being all cute..

Creek

Still climbing...

Addison found a pretty leaf.

She wishes her friend could come to the falls and pumpkin patch, but it wasn't in the works. Maybe next year. Thanks for being my partner this day, Addi!!

Adventurous Columbus Day

2011-10-12T12:49:00.003-04:00

For Columbus Day this year, we joined another family from our neighborhood for a day of Fall Fun!! We went to a pumpkin patch called, "Burt's," and did a hayride where we met some talking pumpkins. Then we picked our own pumpkins and wheeled them to the car in a wheelbarrow. Such a neat time. I really enjoyed taking pictures of the pumpkins. These are the ones that adorn my front stoop now. Hope you enjoy...

The White Pumpkin...

The Heirloom Pumpkins

Kids showing off our new loot...

Love these!! The red one looks like a squished tomato!

The green pumpkin... (look at that stem...amazing!)

Our clan... minus the photographer (me)

The famous talking pumpkins... (fun for littles... not for mine)

Taesun loved the pumpkins with warts.

Addison inspecting the straw on the hayride.

Sadly, this is the only pic I have of all three kids at the patch. (It is a bit blurry)

Best friends...sometimes.

Gourds galore.

Burt's cabin full of pumpkin treats.

I just liked this pic. Subtle advertising, huh?

Overall, it was a magical day! The kids and I really needed this stress reliever before our crazy week began!

Hay Rides

2011-10-11T16:35:00.002-04:00

One of Jenna's friends, Kayla Kim, invited us to come with her family for a day of fun! The kids were off school for Columbus Day and we decided that the pumpkin patch was calling.... Here are pictures of the hayride we enjoyed.

Who's Tackier than Tacky?

2011-10-11T16:30:00.002-04:00

These people are!! The girls had a daddy/daughter dance for Activity Days this past week. As a collective group, the girls all came up with the theme of "tacky." (Personally, I thought it was bizarre...) Jenna is quite the drama queen and when she came up with her outfit, she drew "blood" on bandaids and placed them on her nose and throat. Tacky, she was..so I let her go dressed that way. What a weirdo!! The girls also dressed their dad. His lovely scrub top and tie were a huge hit with the dress shorts. Addison wore a swimsuit coverup on top of another long sleeved shirt with green leggings and her "ugg" boots. Her hair was by far the tackiest though. Yikes!!

School picture outfits... (Oh and new haircuts too!!)

2011-09-30T10:51:00.000-04:00

Rob's Birthday Dinner

2011-09-30T10:33:00.003-04:00

For Rob's birthday this year, we went to a local concert on the greens at our town center. Super nice area with lots of room to roam, dance, or just lounge back in your chairs. The kids chose to do the roaming and dancing and Rob and I sat back and relaxed. Since his birthday was on a Thursday and we went to that concert, we celebrated his birthday dinner on Saturday instead. (Friday nights are dedicated soccer nights in our house.) One of Rob's favorite meals is Italian sausage with bell peppers and sauteed onions. Doesn't that look good?! One of his favorite desserts is banana pudding which I had never made. Seriously, the recipe calls for me to make my own meringue and pudding!! WHAT?!?!? Who does that anymore? Well... I do for my husband's birthday. It turned out looking amazing and the taste was great too.
We also got Rob a Big Green Egg for his birthday which he got a bit early so we could use it for a Labor Day cookout with friends from church. We sure do LOVE that guy!!! (And his yummy BBQ!)

Just another reason....

2011-09-27T14:46:00.002-04:00

Doesn't this look AMAZING? We will be seeing this firsthand after soccer this Saturday. We'll get in around 4pm after two soccer games that morning. We are staying at the Hilton (right ON the beach!!!). My kids are going to DIE of excitement. Just another reason to LOVE living 4 1/2 hours from the coast...

I remember...

2011-09-12T09:02:00.002-04:00

To commemorate the passing of ten years since the tragic incident at the World Trade Center, I would like to share my experience. It was nothing compared to what others went through. It is merely what I remember. I would like to document this experience so I will NEVER forget.

I was at my best friend, Alanna's sister's house. Her name is Leila. She had a little boy under two years old and she was pregnant with her daughter Nora at the time. She was busy. I was willing to help out. I would go over every Tuesday morning for about a month or so and watch her son, Ari while she went to work out. I was giving Ari his morning bath when the door flew open. It was too early for Leila to come home. I was sure something was wrong. What I didn't know was that what she was about to tell me would change my life forever. She said, "It's bad. I was working out and I just saw the World Trade Center on fire. It is really bad. Help me find my television." We scrambled around and found an old TV in the back of her closet. (They didn't have a TV out in the open. They never really watched it.) We plugged the TV in and adjusted the rabbit ears. All of a sudden I saw the pictures. Within seconds we watched as the second plane crashed into the second tower.

I was 21 years old. I was newly married and pregnant with our first daughter. I knew what I was watching was bad, but didn't understand just how many people would die within minutes of the time I began to watch. The first building went down. I watched people fleeing away from the building... Going north as fast as they could. I watched people becoming engulfed in the debris. The smoke clouds billowing over their bodies as they ran... trying to escape. I watched as people jumped to their death from the second building. I watched the raw emotion of fear on bystanders' faces.

Leila and I sat there and cried. We hugged. Our immediate thoughts were with the people. Then we realized that her dad, the man I have always labeled as "my second father," was flying. He was on his way to Mexico...in fact he might have already been there. All we knew was that we couldn't get a hold of him.

The rest is foggy. I am not sure when we finally got word that he was safe. He was unable to come back into the United States for quite some time. It was eerie to see the sky without planes flying. I lived near a major hub for Delta and there were always planes overhead. Not anymore. That was probably the strangest way my little town was hit.

I worked at an apartment complex as a leasing agent. I would sit on the couch and watch TV until someone showed up to inquire about renting an apartment. On September 12, 2001, I watched for 8 hours. I watched the coverage. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I cried. I felt depressed. I wasn't sure I wanted to bring my sweet baby into a world that was this unstable. I was anxious.

When I first saw a plane in the sky after 9/11, I would cringe. Was it flying too low? Where was it headed? Was it on the right path? Who in their right mind would ever fly again? These feelings began to go away slowly. I have since boarded a plane with only mild anxiety. I have flown over the Pacific Ocean with my two babies and my whole family in tow.

As I watched some documentaries about the horrific events from 9/11 last night, I remembered the feelings that I felt. I remember how angry I was at the people who did these things to us. I remember feeling unsafe. I am eternally grateful for the people who sacrificed their lives for my safety and freedom. I am thankful for all those who serve in the military. I am proud to be an American and I am thankful for the opportunity to teach my three young children about what happened ten years ago. I teach them that you cannot take life for granted. I teach them that we are safe only because of what the military has done for us. I teach them to always say "I love you" before leaving each other.

As I said earlier... my experience is not anything grandiose. I did not know anyone who died in the towers or on the airplanes. I was, however, personally affected. My way of thinking was changed that day. My attitude towards war changed. My gratitude increased towards our military and our national leaders. I will never forget where I was or how I felt that warm September day.

What's Wrong with Georgia Water???

2011-09-07T17:15:00.002-04:00

Seriously, what's in the water here, folks? We moved into a ward where at least 10 people were pregnant. Half of those women have had their babies in the past two months since moving in. We have at least 5 others who are pregnant now. I just found out that another woman who moved in the same time as we did is pregnant now. What is going on???? I am staying away from the drinking fountains though.

It is a rather strange phenomenon though. There are several women who are young and have young kids. There are several women who are in their 40's with pre-teens. And then there are the ladies in their 50's and 60's with grown children. Where are all the 30 year old women? They are there at church. The thing is... they don't have kids. They are married without children. I am seriously the only one with all kids at school everyday and under 40. IT IS SO WEIRD!!

I hope to find my niche soon. I've met a couple of girls that I could see myself becoming friends with. One is married with no children but stays at home. That is a good match since I stay at home as well. Another is a bit younger, but she has two little kids. Hmmmm... Since our ward is so great at having people moving in- maybe someone like me will move in soon. And if she does, WATCH OUT!! I am snagging her. I am in serious need of some girl hang time.

Tomorrow is Rob's birthday. Better get going.... I need to pick up his presents still. :)

Frilly Friday!!

2011-09-03T20:35:00.002-04:00

For our ward this year, our Super Saturday is going to be a Frilly Friday. Here are some of the projects that we are going to be doing. I am excited to head this up this year. I have made some cute friends while planning for this activity and expect it to be a huge success. Because it is on Friday night, we are having a full-on pajama party with popcorn, pizza, root beer, and candy. I am adding a tutorial this year for all those who want to come, but don't sign up for the crafts ahead of time. We will be learning how to make old objects have a new purpose. I made cake stands out of candlesticks and plates, and candy jars using candlestick holders and glass jars with lids. Super cute and fun to change out the candy with each holiday. I am also going to be showing them how to take an old picture frame and turn it into a memo board. It is sure to be a fun night for all!!

Two Michaels

2011-08-30T18:44:00.002-04:00

Taesun relayed this story at dinner tonight.

"Hey Mom... Did you know there are two Michaels in my class at school? There is Michael H. who is really bad and then there is Michael Hollingsworth who is really fat."

I busted out laughing. I asked to make sure he said "fat" and sure enough... What a funny kid. Hmmm... I wonder how he describes me???

Enough thinking for now.

I've been working out and eating healthy lately. In fact, I am on week 3 of doing this. I exercise at least 4-5 times per week for an hour of cardio each day. I am also doing minor strength training at home. I did a metabolic test where I found out my resting metabolic rate was WAY low. This is probably due to my thyroid and lack of metabolism. Oh well- just another roadblock to overcome. I am allotted 1400 calories/day plus 50% of however many calories I burn through exercise. Typically I burn 460 calories which means I am supposed to eat 1630 calories/day so my body doesn't think I am starving myself. That is actually crazy hard to do when you eat healthy foods!! For instance, my breakfast is only 70 calories. I don't drink anything but water and Diet Mountain Dew, so no calories there. A typical lunch is between 300-400 calories. That leaves a whole lot of calories to eat for dinner and snacks.

I have found some new loves that I thought I would share on here... bottled water with a few frozen berries thrown in... and shaken up. (Makes a great flavored water without any fake sugar...) Also, a mango smoothie with light peach yogurt and a cup of frozen mango pieces. YUM!! Very refreshing!

On another note... my sweet husband has succumbed to my wishes and is taking me to a concert OF MY CHOICE on Thursday. I am soooo excited for the opening act. In all honesty- I could go without seeing the other two bands, but I'm sure they will be fun too. Here is who is playing in order... Matt Nathanson, Maroon 5, and Train. We have lawn seats in an outdoor amphitheater closeby. We also have a babysitter for the night starting at 4pm. Unfortunately for Rob, my Aunt Flo decided to visit today so for all his effort.... Sorry Rob.

Tellus Museum

2011-08-14T18:15:00.000-04:00

Our family decided to go to a nearby museum this past weekend. Rob wanted to do something special for the kids. We decided on a museum called "Tellus Museum" in northern Georgia. It was pretty neat. They had it broken up into several areas including, Gems and Minerals; Dinosaurs and Fossils; Planes, Autos, and Rockets;a hands-on experiment section; gem panning and fossil digging; solar house. We had lots of fun exploring and walked away with shark teeth, gems that we panned, and lots of education!!

Addison really liked the gems. She wouldn't surprise me if she became a geologist one day!

Addison being goofy in the astronaut suit.

Jenna was super excited about posing in this suit!!

Mission control: we have a problem... Jenna's in charge!!

Jenna's favorite gems/minerals were the quartz and pyrite.

Jenna kissing the astronaut!

I had no idea Taesun would be so interested in this place! He shocked me most of all. This museum actually held his attention!

Day Two.... Oh Boy!!!

2011-08-09T09:06:00.000-04:00

This email below was a correspondence from me to Taesun's teacher this morning. Oh Boy!!! I am in for it this year....

Ms. Hertel-

My son, Taesun apparently had a bad day yesterday when it came time to get on the bus. We are new to town and when looking at the transportation posters in the hall during open house, I must have not noticed that two buses stop on our street literally twenty feet from each other. I put down the wrong bus number on his necklace. When he found that his bus was indeed #8, he got scared and threw a tantrum. I'm sure his thinking was that he would be placed on the wrong bus and not get home. My daughter was called to ensure the correct bus number.

Fast forward to after school. When he got off the bus, he was extremely upset. I talked him down and figured out the above story. Although we talked about my mistake with the bus number and he seemed fine, it is evident that he was still angry about the situation. This morning, on our way to the bus stop, I noticed his necklace was missing from it's spot in Tae's room. When I looked at his backpack I noticed his tag was not on there anymore. I tried to get it out of him as to where he put it/what he did with it, but to no avail.

I have searched the house over and again...(including all garbage) and cannot find the necklace and bus tag. I explained to Taesun that it is necessary for him to leave it on his backpack and NEVER take it off. He swears he didn't do it.

You and I both know he did. I am trying to make Kindergarten a pleasant experience for him. Can you please provide a new necklace for Taesun? His address is 3157 Islesworth Trace. His bus is #8. I have contacted the front office and let them know of the situation. They will be sending down a new bus tag. Sorry for the inconvenience. Thanks for your help.

Let me know when you could use some help in the classroom. I am available any day. :)

Stacey Ro

I literally ripped the house apart looking for this bright yellow bus tag and necklace. That kid has duped me. A FIVE YEAR OLD HAS DUPED ME! What a stinker!!!

Back to School... ALREADY????

2011-08-08T09:23:00.000-04:00

Two little boogers... (so stinkin' cute!)

Somehow, I just can't believe the kids are already back in school!! They were SUPER EXCITED to head to school this year. Addison hasn't really made any friends yet, so she couldn't wait to meet some new friends in her class today. Jenna was super excited to be in her teacher's class. Her teacher is very young and was just married this past summer. Here's to hoping she doesn't end up pregnant during the school year!! Taesun couldn't get enough of KinderCamp this summer, (which was only two days,) and so he definitely wanted to start school today. He had drawn a map during camp of the school. He made sure his "school map" was in his backpack today "just in case he gets lost!!" Too funny. Also worth mentioning- Kindergarten is Full Day here!! You enjoy the pictures... I'll just enjoy the silence. Aaah...

Addison, Jenna, and Taesun

Look how CRAZY the bus stop is!! There were at least 15 kids there to get on the bus. Also- we walked about a city block to get to the bus stop. Hope we don't procrastinate getting out the door this year!

My baby going off to Kindergarten!!

My Darling Children

2011-08-02T11:59:00.000-04:00

These are definitely getting framed and hung up in my house. Love them!!!

Addison, age 9

Jenna, age 8

Taesun, age 5

Our Family Pics

2011-08-02T11:55:00.000-04:00

Rob was trying to set up the camera. What was I looking at?

Old-style Pic

The Ro's

Jenna in her cute outfit

My little girl...can't believe she's already 9!!

What a cutie!!

My helpers

Love this pic!

Tae thought he would try to blend in...

The Ro Kids

I think I look like my Aunt KK here.

Beautiful Jenna

Wind-blown look

Momma Ro

Ms. Addison

Enjoying the Pier

My handsome husband

The kids took this one!

And this one...

Pic by Jenna

Update

2011-08-02T11:19:00.000-04:00

They stopped welting and turned bright red.

Here is an update on the legs... (can you tell this was a HUGE part of our vacation???)

They got all over. This is her shin.

Back of the legs. Can you say, "OUCH!"

Back of left leg. Crazy painful!

The Crab Shack- Tybee Island

2011-08-02T11:16:00.000-04:00

We had to head out of town to get medicine for Addison's legs. On our way back into town, we decided to stop for lunch at "The Crab Shack." It was a very unique restaurant. There were tables with holes in the middle with a garbage can underneath. That way one could throw away their un-edible parts so no one had to look at them. (The kids were very thankful for that!!) After lunch, we stayed long enough to feed the live gators. The kids thought it was very cool that they had the chance to do that.

A shot I took at "The Crab Shack." This is totally unedited!!

Ms. Addi Patty

Ticey Bicey

Jenna Bo-Benna

The girls feeding the gators. Taesun had pooped out by this time!!

Look closely... the gator is about to get his snack.

She loved every minute of this!

Random smiling Rob pic

Isn't he so cute!! Love that little guy! (and the big one too!!)

Somebody woke up to feed the gators.

Aahh!! Don't eat the Daddy!

She looks pyscho here, but she is attempting to "tickle" the alligator.

Best friends... (sometimes)

The Jellyfish Incident

2011-08-02T11:04:00.000-04:00

This one deserves a post in and of itself. When we were at the beach, the tide was going VERY VERY FAR OUT. There was indeed a mile of sandbar that you could walk on only getting your ankles wet. I've never seen anything like it!! It was kind of fun since the kids found "an island" and dubbed it The Ro Island. We sat and played. We dug for crabs. We dug down into the water table and tried to see how long we could keep the hole going for. Once we got a bit sandy, I offered to go into the "deeper" water (which was about up to my knees) with the girls to rinse off the sand. We were there a whole whopping 15 seconds when Addison started screaming in pain and running around like a chicken with her head cut off. I had ZERO clue what I was supposed to do. Quickly I ran over to her and within seconds Rob was there to the rescue. It appears that she was attacked by about five jellyfish at once. We later learned that it is apparently mating season for the jellies right now. Hmmm... I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have swam out there knowing that!!! Here is what it looks like when you get attacked by mating jellyfish...

swollen yucky jellyfish stings

closeup of the redness and pain

my poor baby trying to be a big girl about it

We're lucky she didn't go into shock.

Natives of Tybee said that they had never seen such a bad set of stings before.
Everyone thought she might be allergic to it. She wasn't, but man was she in pain!!

More Pics...

2011-08-02T10:53:00.000-04:00

And finally, we get to the good stuff. Pics of the kids at the beach.... Hope you enjoy!

Addison... pre-incident

Goofy husband

T-Dog having fun

Ms. Jenna

A very serious boy

My three kiddos

Sandcastle Queen

Tybee Island Day II

2011-08-02T10:45:00.000-04:00

Before we left home, I started a photography online course with The Photography Institute. It is pretty intense and very fun. I am a beginner in every sense, so please don't judge the Institute by my works. Here are a couple of shots I took in hopes of becoming a better photographer.

I loved the fact that the sign warns danger of drowning and the mom was chasing after her son as I was taking this shot.
Sometimes you just can't plan things any better!!

The striations of the sand were just beautiful. The tide was going out fast and furious while we were there.

Our little setup at the beach. These are the chairs and umbrella I bought from Sams Club.

Tybee Island 2011

2011-08-02T10:38:00.000-04:00

For our end of summer vacation this year, we decided to go to a quaint beach town about 4 1/2 hours away from home. It is located 20 minutes from Savannah, Georgia and is named Tybee Island.

So, as we arrived we decided to hit a local restaurant named, "Sharky's." It was pretty good. The thing we realized is that an hour to an hour and a half wait is pretty normal at this beach town. Rob and I had fried seafood and were pleased with our choices. The kids chose not to partake of the yummy shrimp and scallops, and chose chicken fingers and cheeseburgers instead. BORING!!!

The beach house we stayed at was quite retro. It was original to the 1950's and had the matching tv, stereo system, windows, kitchen, and bathrooms to match. Even though I was not too happy with the accommodations upon arrival, they actually grew on me the longer we stayed there. Don't get me wrong though... I definitely think we'll chose a different place to stay next time.

And so was our first day at Tybee Island.

Off to the Beach....

2011-07-26T12:41:00.000-04:00

So, it's almost time. We've lived here for about a month now and are ready to finally go on a vacation. It is good timing since the kids start school here on August 8th! I am super excited to try a new vacation spot.... Tybee Island, GA. We are only four hours from there and if it is nice, I can just imagine it now...

The kids have a three day weekend? Rob has some time of work? My parents are coming to visit and want to go to the beach? I am sick of all the crap when it comes to moving?

Well then.... Let's Go To The Beach!!!

Sorry. I'm a bit excited if you couldn't tell. We bought these cute Nautica beach chairs for Rob and I and a matching beach umbrella at Sams Club at quite a good deal! They are sitting in my garage collecting dust as we speak. Time to dust those suckers off and drag them to Tybee!

{{{On a side note:}}} I have started taking classes at The Photography Institute online. I have already competed Module 1 and am working ahead of schedule. It feels great to be learning. I can't wait to practice what I've learned thus far at the beach this weekend. Maybe if you are lucky, I'll share some on here as well. Just depends on what they turn out like. I don't want to share the goods until they are perfected, ya know?!

{{{On another side note:}}} Can you believe that one season of soccer for three kids is costing me over $500?!?!?!? What has this world come to? Is everyone related to Donald Trump or Bill Gates? That's the only way I can understand why we haven't revolted as a community yet. Aye,yi, yi!! (That check actually hurt to write!)

Happy Trails and Until We Meet Again...

Babysitters Anywhere?

2011-07-22T11:18:00.000-04:00

Man, it is hard to find babysitters in Atlanta!! It seems that there are no young women in our ward that babysit. So, to the outskirts we go. In search of someone reliable to watch our precious children as we try to keep our relationship alive through dating...

The problem is that I'm so exhausted just with trying to find a babysitter that I am probably going to need a nap before I even leave the house tonight!! Moving can be sooo rough. Ugh!

Bug Control!!

2011-07-15T10:46:00.000-04:00

The exterminators came yesterday. We have lots of deep woods in our backyard, so bugs are inevitable. Also with the 90'+ weather we always have in the summer here, bugs are constantly trying to find a water source... which ends up in my home. Anyway- the exterminators were called for an ant problem in the kitchen. I have kept my kitchen (and rest of the house) immaculate, so no reason for the ants. Unfortunately they followed me to Georgia and tried to take root in my kitchen. Less than 24 hours after the bug man sprayed, I woke up to this lovely creature in my home. We just got ADT installed and up and running, so I was under the assumption that I was "safe" while Rob is out of town with his new job. Boy was I wrong. This guy looks dead, right? We sure thought so. I decided that there was no way in Haities that I was going to pick up this sucker with a napkin, so I thought the vacuum would do the trick. Well, I'll-be-darned if this ginormous monster started flipping over and trying to run towards me. There I was- armed with the vacuum in hand- and I was being "attacked" by this monster bug that was less than one foot from my bed! The girls were in my bathroom at the moment and I later had to apologize for the obscenities I began to scream as I attempted to decimate this creature. The vacuum was barely strong enough for this sucker. It took multiple strokes with the cleaner to suck him up. All I can say is... "Rob, please come home!!"

We've Moved!!!

2011-07-05T08:55:00.000-04:00

This past week we drove a total of 21 hours (two trips to Atlanta and back,)unloaded two truck-loads, bought a new piano, new minivan, new grill, new bedding for guests, and finally are excited to say....

WE LIVE IN ATLANTA!!!

We love it here so far. My parents came down with Lindsay on Friday afternoon. We have been busy sightseeing and getting to know our community. We went swimming at our own private club, went downtown to visit the World of Coca-Cola Museum (which meant taking the MARTA-our public rail system,) and went to the movies. Atlanta is HOT, but beautiful!! Everywhere you go there are the most beautiful crepe myrtles in full bloom, landscaping to die for, bermuda grass, friendly drivers, golf courses, Korean restaurants, and much more. The kids absolutely LOVE having their own rooms again and this time they each have their own bathroom as well. Frankly- I love the whole house, but have to say that taking a jacuzzi in the new bathtub was AMAZING! It is HUGE! The parents left just this morning and as soon as I said "Goodbye" to my mom, I bawled like a baby. I hate goodbyes!! The funniest part is that we will probably see them before the end of this year. Oh well... Like mother, like daughter.

Miami, Baby!!

2010-11-06T22:06:00.000-04:00

Rob asked the family today if we wanted to go up to Miami University where he went to school. We all agreed to go and were so glad we did! First thing we did was eat at Skippers Pub. Rob used to work there in college and the manager still remembered him by name. They have the yummiest honey mustard I've ever tasted!! Everyone was filled to the brim with delicious food so we decided to go to the University Bookstore and buy sweatshirts since it was sooo cold outside. Taesun fell in love with the hat too!!

We stopped by the Goggin Ice Arena where the Miami Redhawks Ice Hockey team plays. They had open skating and since none of my kids had ever been, we decided to go. Taesun was super scared when he got his shoes on. He was backing away from Rob and was honestly terrified. The girls were excited. I decided that I would go with the kids since it would be better for me to get hurt than for Rob to get hurt. (He is the major breadwinner, ya know?!) I was also petrified since I hadn't been on the ice in over 20 years! I did great and so did the kids. Once Tae saw that we could hold on to the walls, he was excited to get out there and try it. He did really well as long as he was holding onto the walls! Jenna ended up doing awesome and going out into the middle of the rink! She loved it! Addison was doing well, but had a couple BIG falls and was quite sore in the end. The thing I love about Addison is that when something doesn't come easy to her, she tries and tries again until she gets it!!

Here is Taesun's "Iron Man" face. He does it all the time. No really- ALL THE TIME! We were glad to get it on camera so we can show him these pics when he grows up!!

With all the beautiful scenery nearby, we got some great shots of the kids. Here is one of my favorites!!

We actually got to see the collegiate ice skating teams perform. They look great here, but in person...not so great. Pretty boring actually. Rob and I coaxed the kids to leave in the middle of the performance. They complied!!

We kept asking Addison if she wanted to go to Miami University when she grows up and she definitely does! We thought this picture looked like she was all grown up and ready for college. Sloooowww Dooowwnn, Addi!! We're not quite ready for this yet!

If you can see what I'm holding in my hand, it is quite possibly the largest leaf I've ever seen! Jenna found it and we wanted to document it. It was literally twice the size of Jenna's head. Insane!!!

Since we were still there at dinnertime, Rob asked if we wanted to eat at the dining hall he used to eat at in school. We all thought it would be a fun experience. It was!! The kids got a kick out of the chocolate milk machine with endless chocolate milk to drink. We topped the meal off with ice cream!! What a great end to a terrific Saturday as a family!

Great idea to go to Miami University today, Rob!! We really want to go back soon. We love you!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-06T21:47:00.000-04:00

This year for Halloween, the kids had a storybook character parade. Jenna went as Fancy Nancy and Addison went as a 'mom' from the book that she and two of her friends, Sarah and Amanda wrote last year in class. They looked super cute and thoroughly enjoyed their day!!

We bought vampire teeth for Tae and Jenna to wear around the house. In this picture, Jenna's hair was up in curlers for the night. Since Rob took the kids out to dinner we put the scarf around her head. Sometimes the kids really do love each other!!

On Halloween morning, the kids woke up early and made Rob and I breakfast in bed. They used candy they collected from the night before at the Trunk or Treat at our church to decorate the plate. The cute little guy in the middle is an Ego waffle with apple pieces cut up to look like a face. In the bowl are the remainding apple pieces to munch on. The peace sign and other decorations on here are made from play-dough. I just love how creative the kids are!!

For our church's annual "Trunk or Treat," we allowed our kids to bring some friends from school. Jenna decided to invite Midori and Minami, (her Japanese friends from school). Minami's brother, Keito wanted to come too.

Addison invited three friends. Elizabeth, Amanda, and Sarah came. They were so cute. Everyone had a super-fun time!!

Also- the kids ended up getting grounded from Trick or Treat this year. They went to the church activity the night before, so they didn't really care all too much. Hopefully they will realize that going Trick-or-Treating is a privilege and NOT something they are entitled to. Next year will definitely be better!! (We still had fun though..)

Stacey, lately...

2010-08-23T17:18:00.000-04:00

Well, we have big news at our house. I, (Stacey) have taken a job. It is full-time at the school by our house, Mann Elementary and I am working as a Paraeducator in the Preschool classroom. Our preschool is very special. You must qualify to attend. Children with developmental delays, multiple handicaps, and foster children are tested and if they qualify for services, they are placed in our classroom. We have an AM and a PM class. My son, Taesun has been in the preschool over at Erpenbeck for 1 1/2 years already and will continue to attend this year. He has wonderful teachers and paraeducators. We are quite pleased with Tae's progress with his speech delay. I am super excited to work with these children. They are truly special and deserve the best quality care. I am so blessed to be able to work with these students. I am learning so much. Above all, I can see the hand of God and His love in all of these children.

My family is adjusting well to this change. Tae is going to another preschool after his time at Erpenbeck and he is loving it!! After only three days at the new school, he learned how to write a lower and uppercase A and B. I was overjoyed!! I know that this is a great opportunity for Tae to play "catch-up" with his delay in speech. Hopefully he will be able to attend Kindergarten without an IEP!!!

Basically, my day consists of this schedule now:

6:45am- wake up/get ready
8:00am- load up car with kids
8:10am- drop off kids at school
8:30am- report to work
3:40pm- leave work
3:50pm- pick up Tae
4:00pm- meet kids at home
4-5pm- make dinner
5:00pm- eat dinner
6:00pm-soccer some nights/church other nights
8:00pm- kids in bed
9:00pm- mom in bed
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!

It sure does make for a crazy day, but I really enjoy being busy! Anyway- that is what is going on in the life of Stacey, lately.

From Drab to Fab!!

2010-08-21T17:55:00.000-04:00

We went to the world's longest yard sale a few weekends ago and Addison really wanted to find a cool lap desk since school was starting soon. Well- we happened upon this one, and it fit one of the criteria which was the fact that it is a lap desk, but cool- it was not!! So, I told Addison that I could help her make it look cool. I am not sure she believed that I could do it, but lo and behold....After a little Mod Podge and some scrapbooking supplies, we think it turned out well!! It is personalized with Addi's name on it and the best part is that it costs us $0.25!!!

When I looked on etsy to see if other people had done this before, I found a few lap desks that ranged from $25- $40!!! Wow- what a savings!!!

Soccer Season Starts Again!!

2010-08-21T17:45:00.000-04:00

Okay... so this is what we've been up to lately- SOCCER!!! In the following pictures, do you see a trend?We have been working with Tae to keep his hands out of his mouth and boy is it annoying!!! We just can't get him to stop. It was very evident when we saw the pictures from today that he isn't getting any better about it. Then- I got a very cool picture during the game. It had started to rain and I thought to snap a shot of Tae in front of the goal. I think it turned out great! Look how beautiful Kentucky is in the background. I just love it here!!

Firefighter Tae

2010-08-21T17:36:00.000-04:00

Here is my sweetie-peetie, T-dog. I found this cool firefighter outfit at HomeGoods and thought of Tae immediately! He really wants to be a fireman when he grows up.

First Day Back

2010-08-21T17:34:00.000-04:00

Here's how I found the kids on the morning of the first day of school... They had been awake since 6am and had gotten dressed in their school clothes all ready to walk out the door! They were watching Phinneas and Ferb on TV and waiting for Mommy and Daddy to wake up.Here are all four of us on our first day at school. Rob is taking the picture of course. I told everyone that since I started a new job working in the school as a preschool aide in a special needs room that it was technically my "first day at school" too!!

And of course- the three amigos... Aren't they super cute!!!

Group Picture

2010-08-09T11:17:00.002-04:00

One more from Colorado... from bottom to top, left to right.... Jenna, Addison, Taesun, John, Kayla.... Rob, Stacey, Tae, Linda, Chuck, Tracy. Kurt was already gone when we took these pics.

Ro Cousins

2010-08-05T19:22:00.001-04:00

Here are the cousins all together. Last time this happened previous to this year was when Taesun was a baby. So glad we got them together. They had an absolute blast!!

Jay- 3, Rob-0

2010-08-05T19:13:00.007-04:00

My Jenna-Benna and my dear hubby decided to go fly fishing. It was kinda a two-for-one deal where Rob could go alone for $45 or Jenna could go with him for $60 total. We decided that it was a good bonding time for Jay and Rob, so Jenna learned spin-fishing and Rob learned fly-fishing. Rob caught zero and Jay caught THREE!!! She was super excited!!! (And she rubbed it in Rob's face for awhile:) ) They had a blast.

Heaven or Colorado?

2010-08-05T19:01:00.002-04:00

This is the view from our cabin in Estes Park, CO this past week. Seriously, can it get any more heavenly than this? Check out how low the clouds are... Actually they are not that low- we were just that high up. 8000 ft above sea level to be exact.

July 4th

2010-07-13T09:48:00.003-04:00

So, this year we had Rob's parents here for the fourth of July. Hence- we didn't do our annual trip to Louisville for our old neighbor's party. Instead, we stayed home. We did go to the Union Celebrates America event on Friday night. It was amazing. Although, I don't have pics from it, the fireworks were an amazing professional show. There was an Army band named the "Dragoons" that played. They even had a few original songs that were great!! It set the mood for celebrating how great being an American is!!

Then- on Sunday... we were invited from some neighbor friends to watch their 'home firework show'. It was great. The kids ran around catching fireflies and watching the fireworks. They would scream, "Fire in the hole..." and run back to the garage to get as far away from the fireworks as they could. Super cute!! Then- as one firework went off, it went awry and a flame landed right on top of the other remaining fireworks which set them ALL off at once!! They were sitting on the chair until they all blew up. Here's what remained of the chair. I honestly was soooo afraid someone was going to get hurt...but no one did. THANK YOU GOD!!! It was fun overall...even though there were definitely some scary times.

200th post!!!

2010-07-13T09:38:00.003-04:00

Don't worry... I'm not going to post 200 things about me or 200 reasons you should read my blog...(although you should, of course!) Instead, I just want to encourage all of you bloggers to blog away and then, when the year is up, you can turn your blog into a book. This is like a journal to me and my family. I'm not the best at 'writing' everything down, but I am alright at blogging our fun times and memories. This IS our journal. My hope is that my kids can look back at these blog books and remember growing up in a fun way. So- with that being said.... enjoy looking at our blog and I want to welcome you into the crazy life of 'The Ro Show!'

Jenna is 7!!!

2010-06-19T20:53:00.002-04:00

Jenna had a party this year at Lazer Kraze. She invited tons of guests, but in summer's fashion, most of her friends were out of town. Her bestest friend, Midori, was even in Japan!! She loved being the center of attention for the day!!

She played three games of Lazer Tag, and loved every minute of it!

Here's the crowd after our first mission. Whew!! We were tired.

Blowing out the candles on her iCarly cake.

Seven reasons we love Jenna...

1) She is ALWAYS singing. Anyone with a song in their heart that much, must be a happy person!

2) She has the cutest snaggle-tooth smile right now! With her teeth growing in, I just can't help but smile when she does.

3) She LOVES weird TV shows like.... Man Vs. Wild, Ninja Warrior, and of course iCarly.

4) She is a cuddle bug. She loves to sit on your lap, give you kisses, and just be doted on.

5) She is a fashionista. She has been particular about her outfits since she was 2 yrs. old. She hates collared shirts, and can't stand her "Drop it Like It's Hot" tater tot t-shirt.

6) She is a great athlete. She has natural ability. We were surprised at how quickly she picked up soccer this year. She is also great at gymnastics, dance, and riding her bike.

7) She will always be our little girl. She was so hard as a baby, but so worth it! I LOVE YOU, JENNA!!!

New Dresses.... Homemade!

2010-06-19T20:50:00.003-04:00

These were by far... the easiest dresses to make!! The gathered fabric was already made and I just had to attach the bottom fabric to create the dress part. Then, I added quilt binding to the bottom of the dress and used the same binding as the straps on the dress. Of course, my girls will NOT be wearing these without a shirt underneath. Modesty is hot in our house!!!

Modeling pictures...

2010-06-19T20:45:00.003-04:00

Beautiful Addison Looking gorgeous...

Jenna posing for the camera...
What a cutie-pie!

They got a hold of the camera. Since we're posting modeling photos... here's as much of me as you'll see in my swimsuit!

Taesun before his haircut. Lots of hair to spike up... he did it himself!!

Piano Recital

2010-06-19T20:41:00.002-04:00

The girls have really enjoyed learning how to play the piano. A sister in our ward teaches them. A few other sisters in the ward also teach piano, so they got together and formed a recital held in the Relief Society room. Here are the girls holding up the programs. Addison playing three songs. She did awesome!!

Jenna playing two songs. She also rocked!! She has only been taking lessons since January. We are pleased with both of the girls' progress.

Preschool Days...

2010-06-19T20:33:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures from Tae's preschool program.

This is a little boy from the class who is deaf. He was technically in the class, but never really participated unless it was on a field trip. He was in a special class for the deaf at the school. Such a cute kid!! He broke his leg right before school ended.

Jack...

Austin...( a boy from the other class, Tae told me... whoops!)

Ms. Joan, Ms. Barb, and Ms. Shannon...(the actual teacher) Hopefully all three of these special ladies will still be in my little man's life next year.

My little Tae at his preschool graduation. He didn't graduate, but he performed with the other kids.

Aaarrgh, me matey!!!

2010-06-19T20:28:00.002-04:00

Pirate day at school for the first graders was quite a hoot!!! Jenna wore the "Harley Davidson" dress I made her as a sewing experiment. It did look pirate-like with the belt and all. Then, she borrowed Rob's pirate hat from his 80's outfit of the dude from "The Goonies." She is carrying a pirate toy we bought in St. Pete on our pirate cruise... it says, "Aargh, me matey. I bet I'm having more fun than you Aaaaargh!" Cute, huh?

Jenna told her teacher that she wanted to bring her cockatiel, "Cincy" to school to sit upon her shoulder. Her teacher didn't seem to think that was such a great idea. I wonder why?!

Chicago Trip

2010-06-19T20:15:00.003-04:00

You can tell we really liked our trip to "The American Girl Doll Store." Our kids in Chi-town....

Addi and Mommy- two peas in a pod!

Cheese, cheese, and more cheese!!!

Oh, how we love stringy cheese on our pizza!!

Jenna's mouth isn't quite big enough for this big slice!

Addison before eating the pizza... Look at that yummy cheese on the side.

This is truly Chicago-style pizza!! The slices were so big that you could only eat one piece...if that!!

Rob can never take a serious picture. Oh well... at least it's a pic of BOTH of US!!

My beautiful girls!!!

Busy little beavers!!

2010-06-19T20:11:00.002-04:00

This year at school, Addison and Jenna were awarded certificates for their participation in

Lego League and Odyssey of the Mind. They loved getting the recognition even though they didn't always enjoy going to their activities. They were so busy between Lego League, Odyssey, Soccer, Piano Lessons, and Church. Aaaahhhhh!!! This scares me that in a little over two months we'll be back to doing all this crud again... I guess we should REALLY enjoy the summer!!!

Soccer Update...

2010-06-19T20:07:00.002-04:00

Here is the girls' team for Spring Soccer 2010. Rob was assistant coach this year and will be head coach of Addison's team in the fall. Jenna will be on a U8 team, and Taesun on a U6 team, and Addison on a U10 team. Three kids...three teams.... two parents. You do the math. Come fall- I'll be busier than a one-armed orangutan!!! Addison was the goalie and Jenna was the littlest one on the team...(she played up in a higher league this past year... ) Fun times!!

One little, two little, three little monkeys!!!

2010-06-19T20:03:00.002-04:00

My kids are obsessed with climbing the trees in our neighborhood!!! Here they are at their best. Look closely... sometimes they are camoflauged!!!

Fun in the Sun

2010-06-19T19:55:00.002-04:00

Bike riding, duck feeding, walking around the lake, and taking crazy pictures. All in a day's work of being a mother!!!

Tis the season for Plays, plays, and more plays...

2010-06-19T19:50:00.002-04:00

This year, the kids were old enough to attend some of the many plays that our area schools perform before school ends for the summer. This play above is "Guys and Dolls" which I was told was appropriate for Kindergarteners. WRONG!!! I have never been more upset than I was to see high school kids "smoking", "drinking", and "gambling" as if it was actually being promoted as being cool. Never again!!! The other two plays we went to see were, "Bye Bye Birdie" which was amazing, and "The Wizard of Oz" which was equally as good!! The girls even got to see "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" at school. WOW!!! That's a lot of plays!

Is it Batman? Spiderman? Iron Man?

2010-06-19T19:44:00.002-04:00

No it's Taesun-man!!! Tae really wanted me to make him a Spiderman costume. I went a step further since Tae also likes Batman. The pattern I got had a mask like Batman and a cape like Batman, but I bought material based on Spiderman. Here's the final project...

He never wants to take it off! If it's in the wash, he is devasted!! If it gets dirty, he wants to still wear it. He is madly in love. Who am I to crush his super-hero dream and tell him that it is really neither Batman or Spiderman?! He's happy.... and so am I!!! Next up- Iron Man costume... maybe even in time for Halloween!!

Just like his daddy...

2010-06-19T19:41:00.002-04:00

My son, Tae really enjoys our new IPad. It is a great "toy" that we have. He just LOVES watching movies like "Iron Man" on the IPad. I went to see what Tae was up to one day, and this is how I found him. Going poop watching "Iron Man" on the IPad. Crazy boy!!! Gee- I wonder where he got that idea from?!

The Great Outdoors...of our condo!

2010-06-19T19:33:00.003-04:00

We are very fortunate to own a condo that has "it's own backyard." Of course, it's not really ours, but no one else uses it and we are the only ones who see it daily. We have several mulch beds which are nice for flowers and potted veggie plants. These are where I will plant one cherry tomato plant and one big boy tomato plant. Guess which condo is the Ro's!?!?! It just makes it easier for friends who meet us around back:)I had a brillant idea to do three different types of herbs in seperate pots this year. I was tired of having to smell everything to know what came up after I planted it!! This year we did basil, cilantro, and parsley. Yum!!!My black planters have beautiful impatients in them this year. So colorful and nice to see when out on the patio.

Home Sweet Summer Home

2010-06-19T19:27:00.002-04:00

Here are a few photos from my house to yours!! Our new welcome mat and a wreath I made using flip flops and a grapevine wreath. I didn't see this anywhere on the internet, I just came up with the idea on my own. I think it turned out cute!

My little man!

2010-06-16T09:40:00.004-04:00

Isn't my little man super adorable? Maybe I'm biased, but I sure do think so. These are from his four-year-old pics that a friend did for me. Since turning four, Taesun is way into super-heroes. Batman, Iron Man, and Spiderman are his favorites. He loves his super-hero costume that I made him complete with a cape and eyemask. He prefers to wear it everywhere- even to bed!! He is so much fun to have around. I really enjoy my "Taesun Time." Every Friday, we would have the day together during the school year. We would go out to lunch and play all day. I know he loved the time as much as I did. We are super blessed to have Taesun as part of our family!!

The Oyster Story

2010-06-16T09:34:00.002-04:00

Okay- so while at a seafood restaurant, Rob ordered oysters. They are raw and gross-looking. Rob challenged Addison that if she ate an oyster that he would give her a $200 shopping spree to Justice clothing store. He really thought that there was no way in the world Addison would eat a whole oyster!! He loaded it up with horseradish, cocktail sauce, and put it atop a cracker. Lo and behold- SHE DID IT!!! After we returned from Florida, we took her to Justice where she got to shop until her heart was content. We now know that we shouldn't 'test' our kids. They outsmart us more times than not!!

Some more beach pics!!

2010-06-16T09:29:00.002-04:00

Jellyfish Extravaganza!!

2010-06-16T09:23:00.003-04:00

At the beach- Jenna noticed some clear plastic looking stuff lying around in the sand. The tides were coming in so far that jellyfish were being washed up. They would of course die because they were out of water for so long. So- without the fear of being stung, I let the kids gather them up and bury them. Jenna especially took to this task. In fact, she'd rather be gathering up jellyfish than playing in the ocean!

"The Track" part deux

2010-04-22T09:58:00.002-04:00

Bumper boats were a huge hit. They had squirters on them. We were literally soaking each other left and right! It was a blast! Jenna rode with Mommy the first time around and Daddy the second time around. These carts had two steering wheels, (one dummy wheel for the kids and an operating wheel for the adults). Jenna and Taesun absolutely LOVED being able to "drive" the carts.

This was Addison's first experience with driving AT ALL!!! She was a complete rockstar though. No problems with the driving and she was loving every minute. Afterwards, she was complaining of her wrists hurting. We found out that she was gripping the steering wheel so hard that she was sore from it! Funny girl!

There were two lines at the go-karts. One for single drivers and the other for double go-kart drivers. Addison was in line by herself and the guy working the go-karts opened the gate and held his hand out to get her tickets. Addison didn't remember she had tickets to give to him and instead, gave him a high-five. We laughed hysterically. She will never live that one down. She seriously cracked us up.

The Track (part 1)

2010-04-22T09:32:00.002-04:00

We decided to take the kids to a family fun center called, "The Track." There was go-karts, mini-golf, little rides, bumper boats, and bumper cars there, (as well as an arcade which we didn't go near). Here are the kids before we started playing mini-golf. They are so cute posing with their clubs. While we were there, Taesun found the Batmobile. He insisted on us taking a picture of him riding where Batman may have sat. He did not, however, ask us for a quarter to ride on it. Hee hee!!!

This was the first thing the kids saw as we approached "The Track" and they just had to pile up for a picture!!

Fudpuckers and Gator Beach

2010-04-22T09:27:00.003-04:00

This was a fun restaurant named, "Fudpuckers." We went there for lunch one day. At this particular location, they had a free gator beach where you can see over 80 alligators including an albino alligator that they had for a short period of time until it tours elsewhere. This was supposed to be the reason we went to the restaurant to begin with, but after a full belly, Taesun decided that he needed a nap and passed out on us while eating his fries. We never made it to the gator beach, but we had so much fun at the regular beach that we didn't even miss it!!

Gulfarium Pictures

2010-04-21T15:11:00.000-04:00

Easter Egg Hunt 2010

2010-04-21T08:40:00.002-04:00

I know these posts are late, but we've been having a lot of fun around here! No time for blogging. I hope you enjoy these pictures of our Easter Egg Hunt 2010 at my parents' house. They always do the egg hunt on the deck outside. I guess that all started when the kids were little and we tried to make it easier on them. Now maybe next year we'll actually use the woods in their backyard and make it REALLY HARD.

New color

2010-03-29T22:08:00.002-04:00

My baby sister, Whitney came over today and gave me a much-needed hair color job. I needed to cover up the gray soooo bad. We did low-lights and highlights. It looks great. Definitely lighter for spring/summer.

Soccer Stars!

2010-03-29T21:53:00.003-04:00

Go Bulls!!! The season has started back up and we have a new player on our team- JENNA!! She was able to move onto Addison's team since one girl quit at the end of fall season. We are sooo excited to have both girls on the team and Rob is actually assistant coaching this season and coaching full-time in the fall. The Bulls were amazing on Saturday. With only one practice behind them, they ended up spanking the other team. With a score of a bizillion to nothing, we left happy campers. Jenna was hillarious as she guarded/danced against the opposite team. Addison played goalie for the first time ever and barely had to do anything since our teams' defense was so amazing. She enjoyed herself though and can't wait to play a more aggresive team later in the season.

Addison gained and Jenna lost...

2010-03-29T21:47:00.003-04:00

Addison gained something this week- a new bike!!! While she gained something, Jenna lost something... her front tooth!! Big week at the Ro house. Isn't she so cute with her new smile?

The Birthday Boy!!!

2010-03-29T21:42:00.003-04:00

Tae is now 4!! We had several birthday parties for him this year. He didn't want a party with friends, so instead we went to Chuck E. Cheese's to play games, had a great time shopping for presents, and then had a family birthday party for Tae and me. Our birthdays are only a day apart. We shared a Spiderman cake and had a great dinner from Mott. Happy birthday Tae!!! You're a sweet boy and a blessing to our lives!

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-29T21:40:00.001-04:00

Green eggs and ham!!! That's what was for dinner at our house on St. Patty's day. I made scrambled eggs, added green food coloring, and then added ham and cheddar cheese. It was delicious... just ask the kids,(since I didn't eat any of that crap!!)

Jump Zone and a not-so "Perfect Stranger"

2010-03-29T21:20:00.003-04:00

These pictures are literally horrible. The kid wouldn't stop moving for anything. After about 20 pictures, these are the best I could get!!

Do you remember the show, "Perfect Stangers" with Balki? I just loved that show. The actors were extremely quirky and the show made me laugh like crazy. They always did stupid things- especially the parts about where Balki was from- Mypos. LOVED that show. Anyway- my son Taesun made a friend throughout the year at school. His name is Luke. He goes by "Lukey." They were connected at the hip at the last field trip to Jump Zone. Tae loved this field trip. Even though he loved being with his friends- he still made sure that Mommy was closeby.

Addison and the Talent Show

2010-03-29T21:12:00.002-04:00

The Erpenbeck Elementary Talent Show was quite the hoot this year. They had a lot of Hannah Montana and Taylor Swift songs. The teachers did an opening number to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and the finale was with all the children in the talent show. They did a dance to "Forever" by Chris Brown (aka the Wedding dance). Addison played the piano to the famous song from the movie, "Titanic"- "My Heart Will Go On." This was the only shot I got. That's her little head behind that big ol' piano!

This is Addison and her friend, Alexa from her class at school.

Addison was one of two kids who played the piano. I was surprised that there weren't more children playing the piano! She did a wonderful job! Thanks to her awesome piano teacher for her help with this song!!!

Having fun with Daddy

2010-03-29T21:07:00.002-04:00

Rob fell asleep on Addi's bed one day after work. (Don't look at the mess below him... She's practically a teenager nowadays!) The girls decided to draw on Daddy's stomach to wake him up. You gotta love the close-up!! Good sport, Rob.

By the way- the little face with a goatee says, "I'm dumb!"

Birthday Time!!!

2010-03-15T21:20:00.002-04:00

Tae and I had our birthdays. Tae's is on the 14th and mine on the 15th. We celebrated in style this year!! I went shopping and am going to continue going shopping for the rest of the week as I try to pick up some of the basics that I am desperately in need of. Why is it that a mom always takes care of everyone else's needs before her own? I cannot believe that this once completely self-absorbed girl could change into this person who has owned the same pair of tennis shoes for six years and hasn't completely updated her wardrobe in over 8 years. Crazy how kids can change a person. Rob took the whole family out to my pick of a restaraunt tonight and we ended up at Outback Steakhouse. I just LOVE their cheese fries and I tried a new entree tonight which was sirloin marinated in teriyaki and then grilled and it had a teriyaki glaze on top. It was AMAZING. I am going to replicate that one for dinner at home one night next week. Also, Rob surprised me with a KitchenAid Food Processor today and boy am I excited!! Lately, I've been feeling kinda blah in the kitchen and not really wanting to cook, but a new appliance means that I'm all revved up for some chopping/shredding action! I am planning on making something with lots of chopped up veggies in it for dinner tomorrow. Happy birthday to us, Taesun.

Totally 80's!!

2010-03-13T09:30:00.003-05:00

My good friends, Ashley and Thu, decided to throw me a birthday party for my 30th birthday. It was an 80's themed party where lots of people dressed up. I searched and searched for 80s clothing, but unfortunately everything I found was in teeny people sizes. So- I ventured out to Goodwill and St. Vincent dePaul's and finally found a huge yellow frock of a dress which was hideous. I decided that I could do SOMETHING with the ugly dress, so I went to work. I really was going for the "party dress" look since the party was in honor of me. I quickly went to Hobby Lobby and tried to find some material for a huge belt-type-thingy and then found some mesh that was bright blue. Then I found some ribbon that was hot pink (same color as the belt) and blue with polka-dots. I thought, "Ok...I can do something with this!!"

You see the outcome. HIDEOUS!! I decided to wrap the blue mesh around the skirt part and then use the hot pink as the belt and bow. I also had a friend make the bow for the top part of the dress. Once I teased up the ol' bangs and added a charming hairbow, which I made... I think it turned out alright. Wish I could have been "cuter" for the pics, but let's face it...the 80's were NOT about being cute! Hope you enjoy the pics...

Have you ever felt like this?

2010-02-15T20:06:00.002-05:00

TOO MANY PROJECTS!! Yes... I actually admit that I am an avid "project junky." I promised Taesun that I would make him a Spiderman costume for his birthday that is only 13 days away. I am waiting for the pattern to go on sale before I can start. It should be on sale later this week. Then, I have two scrapbooks to do. One for our family vacay and one for Taesun's life. I am that mother. Third child = no scrapbook (YET!!) So- amid all these other projects, I started a quilt. That quilt is haunting me. My daughter, Addison constantly asks when I will finish her quilt. I am not sure. Life has been getting in the way.

Along those same lines- I have been doing some deep introspection. I have finally come to the realization that I am way to OVER-INVOLVED!! So- with deep dismay, I left my beloved Bunco group, gave up one child's room-mom position, and am committed to NOT doing PTA next year. Now- that may seem extreme, but I am still involved in a book club, relief society at church, my new church calling- YW's, and taking care of my family. I am striving to be the best stay-at-home mom I can be. Homemaker Extraordinaire!!! Now- back to cleaning the condo and making a menu for the week so the grocery shopping can get done without a certain 4 yr old tagging along...

If You Give A Mom A Toilet Wand...

2010-02-15T20:06:00.001-05:00

seriously...check this out. It is soooo funny and totally true. It is based on the series of children's books called, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie."

http://mormonmommyblogs.blogspot.com/2010/02/if-you-give-mom-toilet-wand.html

The Best Snowman Ever

2010-02-09T11:37:00.003-05:00

The kids woke up to another snow day. This time we ended up with some good packing snow. They seriously did this all by themselves!! I was enjoying the warm interior of our home while they were enjoying the exterior with all it's white goodness!! Seriously- check out how tall this snowman is. If you compare it to Addi who is over 4'... you can imagine. It is seriously the best snowman I've ever seen. Real carrot for the nose, true black buttons for the buttons and the face, a hat, scarf, and twigs for arms. I could not be a prouder (and warm and toasty) mom!!! Great job kids!!!

Robot Boy

2010-02-08T13:26:00.003-05:00

Tae came home from school today and really wanted to make a robot costume. I didn't really want to take a bunch of time out to do this... and we had paper, one marker, scissors, and tape around us. We came up with this cute little robot outfit. He loves it and is currently playing Lego Batman on XBOX360 with his Spiderman robe on and his robot costume. What a boy!!!

Scripture Power!!

2010-02-08T12:33:00.002-05:00

How do you teach an eight-year-old, six-year-old, and four-year-old how to memorize scriptures? Make a scripture dry-erase board. Don't want an ugly white board on your walls? You don't have to now. To make this cute scripture board, you need a picture frame with glass and a cardboard insert, some fabric that hopefully is light and lightly patterned if any pattern at all, packing tape, and a dry-erase marker. First, take out the cardboard insert from your new frame...(if you don't have one, make it! ) Next, cover the cardboard with fabric of your choice. If it is striped like mine, make sure it's lined up correctly. Next tape the fabric to the back of the cardboard to hold it in place. Then, put the cardboard back into the frame and then tape the back onto the frame using packing tape. (The fabric won't fit into the frame very easily.) Finally, write on the glass using a dry-erase marker. Voila!!! Sassy scripture board!!!

2010-02-06T14:49:00.002-05:00

When your backyard looks like this..... 3-4 inches of snow when you wake up... what do you want to do?

My kids wanted to go SWIMMING!!! So, on with the bathing suits and into the bathtub you go...

Sheer bliss, I tell ya!

The Power of a Green Thumb and Great Visiting Teachers

2010-02-06T14:42:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share my first experience of growing something from a bulb all by myself. I was strictly in charge of watering, giving sunlight to, and generally taking care of my plant. Believe it or not, it actually grew!!! My track record on plants is Plants-9, Stacey-0...until now. Now the record is: Plants-9, Stacey-1. I was super excited to watch it grow. I received this right before Christmas and didn't plant the bulbs until the second week in January. I already have a super tall plant with beautiful white paper-thin blooms on it. My sweet visiting teachers, Holly and Ashley, gave this to me for Christmas. They are soooo good to me. I am lucky to have such great visiting teachers who honestly care about me and my family, help us out when we need it, and who are such great friends that I get to spend time with. Tonight, we are actually going to see the musical, "CATS" at the Aronoff Theater. I know we'll have a terrific time and it will be a great bonding experience!! Do you like the vinyl lettering above the fireplace? I honestly don't like it, but it only costs.....$1. I found the entire set of lettering at the dollar store and thought, 'who cares if I don't like it...it's a dollar!!' It will come down when my large framed family portrait goes up. (another project that I haven't started...)

Drop It Like It's Hot

2010-02-06T14:26:00.002-05:00

Rob and I LOVE the Snoop Dogg song, "Drop it like it's hot..." so when we saw some shirts while shopping for the girls, we just HAD to buy them. Addison's says, "Shop It Like It's Hot" with some bling bling on it... and Jenna's says, "Drop it like it's Hot" with a tater tot in the middle and the "Ore Ida" logo on the bottom. Recently I promised Jenna, (who adamently hates this shirt) that if she wore it to school one more time, we would retire the shirt. She did wear it with a hoodie on top zipped all the way up until she began to get hot at school. She took off her hoodie and said that people were making fun of her at school. Rob and I asked, "How?" and her reply was that they would read her shirt and then laugh. Not pointing fingers and making fun of her type of laugh, but the 'Ha Ha!! That's funny' type of laugh. She couldn't quite distinguish between the two and as we tried to let her know that they were laughing at her shirt and not at her, she through a massive fit. So- I told her that if she let me take a picture of her, I would never make her wear it again- even at home. This is what I got. Crazy girl...

FHE...with extended family

2010-02-06T14:20:00.002-05:00

In January, my sister, Whitney quit her job which was paying next to nothing and she began her new search for a job doing hair in Dayton, Ohio. She is doing well and has several options. While she is jobless, she has been supplementing her income by coming down on Sundays and spending the night with my mom and dad and then working at the dry-cleaning plant on Mondays and Tuesdays. It works out well. I thought that I would take advantage of this situation and invite her and the rest of my family over for Family Home Evening one Monday night. I planned a lesson about being a "forever family" and had each member of the family help re-create the house above using our LEGOS. They did a fantastic job and when the house was finished, we read the sayings that I had taped to parts of the house. They said things like, "Kind Words", "Pray Together", and " Read scriptures." We talked about what we need to do to become a forever family. I think that even though she didn't gush over the lesson or the time spent together, she had a really good time. She had time to reflect over what she had been taught as a child. She was reminded that she, too is a daughter of God. It was a good experience overall and I crave for the next time we can get together like that.

No more nursery!!!

2010-02-06T14:14:00.002-05:00

So, although this is a month late- I went a little mommy-crazy when I realized that I was sending my baby to Primary for the first time. My little Tae is now officially a SUNBEAM!!! How did that happen? Well- he will be 4 in March...so I guess he is one of the oldest sunbeams I've had. I just remember when I brought him to church for the first time. I remember the first day of nursery. I remember dropping him off and him never crying... (well- almost never.) Here are some pics of his classmates in Sunbeams this year. From top to bottom: Meleah, Oran, Luke, Ford, and then Tae with his big sister escorting him into Primary for the first time!! (Yes, we made it a family affair. That is Rob and Addi in the background and I was the photographer.)

YAY- No Cancer!!!

2010-02-01T10:05:00.003-05:00

I got the results from the biopsies today and although they found definite inflammation, they also found NO CANCER!!! That is truly a blessing since my Grandfather died of esophagial cancer. I was seriously worried. Now to figure out why the inflammation and determine a way to heal my poor esophagus and stomach. Dr's appointment later this month... I'm sure all will be resolved. Now I can stop worrying so much and just be happy living life with the family. Phew!!!

Should I?

2010-01-29T21:46:00.003-05:00

Five books... that's the number I've read so far in 2010. I am happy with that number. The books that I've read were a mixture of genres. I track all my books on Goodreads.com and on my book blog which is http://followingfiction.blogspot.com. Check it out. It lists which books I've reviewed and rates them on a scale of 1-5 stars. If you do head over there, PLEASE leave a comment. I am trying to see what kind of traffic that blog is getting. I may end up closing up shop on that one if it doesn't get enough traffic. Personal downsizing of sorts, I guess you'd call it. So the question of the day is: Should I close down that website? Does it benefit anyone? What do you think?

We've Been Hacked!

2010-01-25T13:49:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe what I'm about to post.

My paypal account was hacked into. Until this happens to you, you have no idea how it will make you feel. It makes you feel violated, helpless, and crazy because you can't remember what you spent a significant amount of money on.

I did some research and found (after my bank account was extremely negative) that someone tried to use my paypal account to buy something from Dorado, Paris. Because of their actions, I have to now change ALL passwords and most usernames to EVERYTHING!! Also- paypal is sending out a free "security key" which will be activated by me and then will automatically change all settings in my computer such as passwords every 30 seconds. I am not quite sure how that all works, but will find out sooner than later when it arrives in the mail. I also have to contact my bank and see if they will reverse all sorts of late charges at $35/piece because my account was hacked. What a pain in the neck!! (That's kinda a funny saying these days...)

Let this be a warning to all of my loyal readers...whoever you are. Get LifeLock. We're going to as soon as we have funds available to do so. It's about $10/month and worth every penny since it is inevitable nowadays to NOT get your identity stolen.