Have NO Fear

I am so proud of Jared! Ever since his bike accident last year, he has feared his bike. He'd always pick his scooter over his bike. And there was NO way he was going to ride his bike EVER without training wheels! Well, maybe it was plain old growing up, or peer pressure or that his Dad made him, but the training wheels came off on Saturday!! Jared rode around "the loop" all on his own with his Dad jogging behind. We're now looking forward to some fun family bike rides! Way to go Jared!

Date Night. Part 1. Ciao!

Names have been changed to protect the innocent (from L to R):
Garbage Can Man, Am I Hot or Am I Cold, Julienne, Opera Ringtone, Rob and Andrea, Oh My Aching Back, and The Plain Guy

We had a fun night and enjoyable dinner at Carmello's with some friends last night. Our connection as friends: Three of the couples all met at church and the other couple was our fabulous realtor (and friend) and her husband. The food was fabulous and dessert was even better. For some reason we took pictures of all the desserts. I was originally thinking of Denise's dessert scrap booking layout contest, but it turned into lots of pictures--unfortunately, most of them turned out blurry. But they sure were good, maybe too good. Maybe that's why "Date Night. Part 3" was so fun much fun...

Thanks for the fun evening! I can't wait to "hang" out (upside down) when Bill and Catherine's pool is finished!

Date Night. Part 2. Compliment or Insult?

You decide. Just don't tell me what you think...

So, after dinner in Old Town we noticed that a lot of shops were still open. How odd? It seems like they always close so early--like at 5pm. What was going on?? Turns out there was an Arts Festival, so we popped into a few of the shops to see some of the locals art work.

Well, as we turned a corner we noticed a drawing of a woman sitting on a chair nude, with her back facing out (so it was very tasteful). This elderly man carrying a walking stick turned and looked at me straight in the eyes, and in a very flirtatious tone, asked, "Were you the model for this picture?"

All I could do was giggle and say "Thank you." Best pick-up line, ever! Rob was upset that he hadn't tried it!!

Date Night. Part 3. "Let's Bowl, Let's Bowl,...

Let's Rock and Roll!" Grease 2 fans out there??

We decided to head to Bowl America and soak up the tempting aroma of cigarette smoke. Neither of us had been bowling in maybe 8 years ( I was pregnant with Tyler) and our lack of practice was obvious, yet I was reminded of how much I LOVE BOWLING! From the awesome shoes to the brightly colored balls...it's something I really enjoy (Rob, we need to do this more often--the smoke wasn't that bad, right??).I had to buy some of their socks because there was no way I'd put my bare feet in those slimy shoes ($3. Yikes.). I thought I looked rather styling! Game 1 went to moi and game 2 was all Rob's--no need to reveal our scores, though! During the last game the lights were dimmed and the disco ball started spinning and the music was cranked up. And we (yes, even Rob) got a little crazy...Thanks for the fun night, Rob!

Little People, Big World

I love beautiful days and warm weather. I love watching my children play outdoors. I love that it takes only a steep hill, an open field and a school playground to please them (usually). I love that they can be kids. I wish I could freeze them and keep them just like this!

Those Games I Play

I really like playing games, as long as they're not too competitive. I don't even have to win every time! Some of my favorites are Sorry, Apples to Apples, Settlers of Catan (2 person card and board game), Catch Phrase (music edition), Clue and Quiddler.

I grew up playing games that were made up. Aunt Mary Jo's categories game (like Scategories), Don't Step in the Shark Infested Waters... We also played a lot of basketball and baseball as a family. My Dad would offer us $1.00 if we were the first one to spot a plaster truck, the temple, etc...I don't think we were too hard to please. And I love that my kids love these kinds of activities and games, too.

Yesterday, I played the Grocery Game for the first time. Totally not competitive, just simply fun. I signed up for 4 weeks for $1. I went through the lists of sale/coupon items for the local grocery stores, decided what I needed, printed out my list and went off to shop. It really did not take long to get ready. I bought $123 worth of groceries for $67!!! It felt sooooo good! So I guess the game is to see how much I can save. Love it.

After 4 weeks, it costs more to "play" this game, but I'm gonna keep giving it a shot. I know there are some of you shopping savvy people out there...what do you do to save money on groceries? I need some tips. I love saving money on groceries, I seriously think it is fun. Help feed my addiction!!!! Send your tips!

Weekend Update--Philly Style

Well, with Rob getting back late Saturday night and knowing he would be unhelpful the first few days home, I decide the kids and I needed an adventure! So, I kept them home from school on Friday and after lunch we packed up the car and road tripped our way up to Pennsylvania . Now, I must tell you that driving to PA with four kids and with my husband's help is not an easy task--driving it alone, without Rob and without a DVD player was... awesome! Yep, that's what I said--I couldn't have asked for a better ride up. We took "the back way" which adds another 30 minutes, but who wants to deal with Friday traffic and I95, right?! As we neared Harrisburg, I took the kids to Bruester's for some ice cream. Anna had her very first ice cream cone (free for kids under 40")! Four and a half hours later...we made it in one piece to my parents home! Here are some weekend highlights:

• The Outlets!!! Not so fun with four kids in tow, but we got Rob a "real" pair of Crocs, the kids some jibits, and Ty and Jared picked out their very first pair of Sketchers! "Now we'll be faster!" And our stop at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, was a messy hit.
• Cousins!! Hanging out with the cousins is always fun for the boys. Tyler and Jared didn't get to see Spence and RyGuy "enough" but when they did they ruled over MiMi and Happy's (Bapa as Evan calls him) yard and climbed all over Squiggly the tree. Here's a pic of the four cousins who will be in kindergarten together (2012) --check out the size difference!! Alex and Anna are only 5 months apart!
  

Alex, Boston, Noah and Anna

Anna and Alex's feet (are Anna's feet tiny or Alex's feet huge?? Both!)

• Ditching Church!! I knew Tyler and Jared would make it to primary and roaming the halls for three hours seemed a waste of time, so my brother Joel and I took off for the "twenty" (really 40) minute drive to see his new home. Evan and Anna were great in the car, but stinkers once we got back to church. I sometimes wonder why I even bother going, but in a few years it will all be a distant memory...right?? Back to the house...I can't wait to see all the fun projects they have planned--they are both so creative!

• Limerick!! That is what we affectionately call the nuclear power plant that graces the sky line. Evan was always looking for it "Power plant? Where's power plant?" I guess he wanted the 25 cents I promised to the first one who spotted it!
• Rainbow PlaySets!! You know that company that makes the circus looking tents for their playhouses?! They actually have a huge show room with all kinds of playsets for the kids to test out their equipment. The boys convinced their MiMi that it was a high time they put something in their HUGE backyard. Now, they didn't get the $40,000+ playset they dreamed about, but they weren't disappointed in the final purchase. And they had a blast at the awesome indoor park (I'm going to look up and see if we have one near us--play date anyone??) We can't wait to go back and play at the new park!
• Sunday Dinner!! Church may have sucked, but once I calmed my troubled nerves I had an enjoyable time with my family before having to head back home. Here's a pic with some of my siblings--Jeff and Ali are missing. Can you guess who are my "real" siblings? We're a Brady Bunch family...
  

Brad, Audrey, Joel, Andrea and Kyle

The trip was fun and although it wore me out, I'm happy we did it! We made it home in under three hours! Anna was a bit of a crank, but once I gave her some pretzels to munch on, she was fine and dandy. We're happy to be home. Happy to see Rob. Happy to sleep in. Happy we survived!

Japan

Andrea's been bugging me for a long time to post something, and I guess my Japanese comment didn't count, so here's a re-count of my trip to Japan this past week.
Monday Morning I left for the airport and I'm a freak when it comes to getting to the airport early. I arrived at 10:00 AM for a 12:20 PM flight and made it to the "red carpet club" by 10:30- plenty of time to work and eat before departure. (I used to wonder what the heck was in the red carpet club, now I know it's a hangout (with free snacks & drinks) for snobs like me!) I boarded at 12:20 on my favorite airline (ANA). Why are they my favorite? They have fully automated seats that lay flat and an integrated back massager. They have 20+ on demand movies, video games, and they serve steak and sushi. Here's a picture of some of the food we were served:





























After 14 hours of flight, we arrived at Tokyo, Japan where a Navy officer was standing outside customs holding up a sign with our name on it. He drove us from the airport to Yokosuka. Unfortunately, he pumped the gas NON-STOP the entire drive. Fortunately all of us have pretty tough stomach's- I don't think Andrea would have made it...

At Yokosuka, I stayed at an on-base hotel. But after our meetings ended, I ventured off-base into the town of Yokosuka with a co-worker. We split up and I went to dinner at a local restaurant. I had a big spicy bowl of rice, chicken, and a bunch of various sea-food that I didn't recognize and probably wouldn't have eaten if I'd known- it was very good. Next I ventured into the town to see the sites.

Japan is an amazing place. Nobody locks anything up and nothing gets stolen. All the bikes and mopeds are just sitting there. The people are very kind and the service is wonderful- at McDonalds they bring your food to you and check on you during your meal. I haven't had any desire to order the shrimp-burger, yet, though.
On my way back to the hotel I wandered over to the hotel where my team will be staying in a few months to check it out. On they way I was approached by a couple of local women who offered me a massage (pronounce mah-saw-gee). I smiled at their pronunciation and broke the bad news to them that I wasn't interested. I then headed back to my hotel and crashed.






On Wednesday, we departed Yokosuka (Tokyo) and flew to Hiroshima (yes, that Hiroshima). We then took a bus to a local town called Kure (in the Hiroshima Prefecture), that is famous as the home town for the largest battleship ever built, the Yamato. While I didn't get to see the Yamato museum, we did get to venture over to see one of the ship's we're working on, the Hibiki. An officer gave us a tour of the entire ship.




























Here's a picture of my co-workers, our Japanese site-support, as well as the officer from the ship. All I can say is this has been a very cool program to work on...

After concluding our meetings, one of the Japanese officers tooks us out to dinner at a local restaurant where where we enjoyed the local cuisine (and my co-workers enjoyed the local drinks). I then returned to my hotel. In my nightstand drawer I found a the Bible, the Tripitaka, and the Book of Mormon with a map to the local church and 6 abbreviated missionary lessons. The next morning I woke up early and headed out to take some pictures of the local town- see the slideshow below. After that, I started my 25.5 hour journey back to Manassas, VA. I took the subway (JR), transfered to the bullet train (shinkansen) and then transfered to the JR again before reaching the Kansai, Osaka Airport (KIX). We nearly took the wrong train on the last leg. When a train, in Japan, departs three minutes before your scheduled time it's probably not your train-it means the correct train will be there in 30 seconds and will depart at the scheduled time, because they are always on time. Fortunately a worker saw us get on and ran over to get us off- stupid Americans. The airport at Kansai is quite cool looking- it's an artificial island in the middle of the bay. Unfortunatley there are no restaurants there- I ate two microwaved pancakes during my 3 hour stay. From there I flew to San Francisco and then on to Washington-Dulles. I look forward to seeing Andrea and the kids when they get home from Philadelphia tonight. (It just doesn't feel like home when the only sound at the house is my typing on the keyboard.)

Are you happy?

If you're not having a good day, all you need is a dose of Evan to help you out.

Mom: Evan, why did you throw your food? (or hit your brother, or jump in the mud puddle, or run away from me,...)

Evan: Mom, you happy?

Mom: No, right now, I am not happy that you threw your food.

Evan then squishes my face between his hands and gives me a kiss. I, of course, immediately now have a grin on my face.

Evan: Mom, you happy!!!

Mom: Yes, Evan, I'm happy! (How could I not be now!)

Now, Evan does not only do this when I'm disappointed. If I giggle, smile, give him a kiss, play with him, let him have an extra snack, etc...his face will beam as he exclaims to everyone "Mommy's happy!" And luckily for me, I get to hear it a lot.

I love that it takes my three year old to help me realize how happy I really am.

Yes, I'm happy.

Going Green?

"I've tried to be responsible.

I've thought pro-green thoughts and occasionally even done pro-green things. I've run the dishwasher and washer-dryer only with full loads. I've recycled, as ordered, though like every New Yorker I've ever met, I suspect the system does more good for our feelings than for the environment...

I've been too busy to do much more, though, and too confused and overwhelmed by all the eco hype out there, and too inflexible to seriously change my lifestyle."

This quote from The New York Times by Andrew Postman expresses my thoughts exactly. Being more "eco-friendly" has been on my mind lately, but it all seems so very overwhelming, thus I don't do anything. We, as a family, do waste a lot and we're awful about recycling (the trash company hasn't been too helpful either with their obnoxious and confusing schedule). We have changed out all of our light bulbs to the nifty spiral kind, but we have plenty of room for change.

Tonight, for FHE we had a lesson on respecting our environment, in honor of Earth Day which is tomorrow (and also to sign off some cub scout requirements). We talked about respect and ways that we disrespect our earth and ways we can do better at respecting it. The boys and I remembered a trip to Marineland in Canada where we were able to feed some bears. The poor bears were swimming in mucky, trashy water. I remember feeling sad that they were living in these conditions. Two years later, they boys still remembered this. Having left an impression on them, Tyler and Jared were quite insightful and came up with a list of things that we can do to better our own efforts:

• Don't smoke!
• Ride our bike or walk to the store (realistically, this isn't that far fetched--it is only around the corner)
• Bring water bottles to school instead of juice boxes
• Reuse plastic spoons for lunches
• Make cloth napkins
• Turn lights off if we're not in the room
• Don't throw gum or any trash on the street
  
• Take our recycle bins out to the curb
• Use both sides of paper
• Bring snacks in plasticware rather than plastic bags
• Take re-usable bags to the store for some of our groceries
• Grow fruits and vegetables in a garden
  

Pretty much, we came to the conclusion that we can always do better and we can always do more. And I'm very proud of the boys for actually caring! So, Rob in Japan, don't forget to turn the lights off when you leave!

If you have any other ideas, please pass them on! Happy Earth Day!

Puddle Jumpin'

Anna will clearly be jumping in style with these cute rain boots that I scored for only $5 at the Children's Place! Now, I'm on the hunt for a fun pair for myself! Here are a few of my ideas, all for under $25!

I think the brown with polka dots are fun and I'm really digging these colorful striped ones. Which ones do you think scream "ANDREA" ???

No More Birthdays...Please!!

As much as I love making my kids their special birthday cakes and shopping for the perfect presents, this April has worn me out! We kept things simple this year, but 3 b-days in 8 days is a lot, even when it is simple! All in all, everyone had a good time (even me). Here are just a few pictures for those of you who can't be close to enjoy these times with us. We love you!

The Beauty of April 16, 2007

For many in the country, April 16, 2007 was a sad day. For us, it was not... I was really hoping that I would go into labor on my own this time, but because of the size of my children at birth, the doctor highly recommended that I be induced on the 16th. I wanted to hold off as long as I could. I wanted more time to adjust to our new environment. I wanted to get the nursery together. I just wasn't ready, yet. Just one more week. However, the doctor and Rob convinced me to set the 16th up as the day. I went home and madly painted Anna's room. Rob hung up the moldings and put the furniture together. We finished it all in a day! Now I was ready!

I drove myself to the hospital that morning because Rob got the kids off to school and to friends houses. The Dr. was annoyed that I was late and wanted to get the process going (PIT, water broken, epidural), ASAP. I was hesitant though. I knew that Rob wasn't going to be there for another hour +, so I said they could start the pit , but I wanted Rob to be there when my water was broken and when I got the epidural--you know, he's my man, I needed him there. And being dilated almost to a 5 already, I had a feeling the process would not take long.

The doctor wasn't happy because it meant that I had to wait until after someone had their scheduled c-section, but I was okay with that. Rob arrived around 9 am and by then I hadn't made much process. We just hung out. It was around this time that the news started reporting on the shootings that had happened on the campus of Virginia Tech. As the day progressed, we learned of all the horror, but right now, I was too busy to be sad.

My water was broken around 10am and then the nurses suggested that if I wanted an epidural now was the time to get it because I was progressing quickly. I wasn't in a lot of pain, but listened to their counsel--I knew that sometimes those guys take awhile to get there! They were right.

I have never had a problem getting an epidural. Yet, Rob has had problems with me getting one. At Jared's birth, the nurse had him sit down in the corner because he was turning white. With Evan, I think he just stepped out of the room. I was giving him a hard time about that and I think his pride stepped in the way. He insisted that he was fine. The anesthesiologist was very serious and straight faced--he would not crack a smile. I was very worried about Rob and I kept asking him if he was okay. You should have seen the dirty looks he was throwing me. As the needle was being inserted and Rob was holding me up, the nurse yells, "He's going down!" Rob quickly slipped out of my arms, fully passed out on the floor, white as a ghost! And I had to hold perfectly still. There was no reaction from the anesthesiologist and the nurse told me not to worry about Rob. They got him a pillow and I was in tears--no, I was not upset, I was laughing hysterically--all while trying my hardest not to move so grump-o who was inserting the epidural in me would move on his merry way. This was the best we could do for pictures (the camera was around Rob's neck).

Rob was banished to the chair for the rest of the delivery!

I didn't think this day could get any more exciting! Could having a baby daughter beat this? It sure did! Anna was born shortly later--at 11:58 AM, weighing 8 lbs. 6 oz, length was 20.5 inches. And of course, it was love at first sight! Brown hair, big brown eyes with long, long lashes, one dimple, long fingers, small forehead, and a squished up face!

Yes, it was sad that over 30 people were killed in the largest mass school shooting, but I couldn't be sad that day or the days to come. Sometimes I feel bad that I had no emotion towards that event. All I can say is that as some people grieve today, I rejoice in my sweet princess Anna.

Happy Birthday!

Simply Splashing

I remember summers in Detroit when it would get unbearably hot and they would block off the road, turn on the fire hydrants and let the children play in the water. It was so much fun!

Yesterday our neighbors were doing some work on their swimming pool and water started flowing down the streets. The kids splashed and jumped and got soaking wet. They didn't care that they were a bit cold and that the water was freezing. All they needed for some fun was each other, the water and some rocks to build dams and make waterfalls. I miss the days of simple pleasures!

My Dream Guy

Being that I was not at the birth of my hubby, I won't be documenting his "birth-day" story, but since it is his birthday tomorrow, I felt like I needed to do something!

Some things you may not know about Rob and some things I love about him...

Rob was a missionary in New York City, spending the entire time in Manhattan (primarily the Bronx and Harlem), speaking Spanish.

He loves to ski. As a youth, he was a lot less cautious then he is now. I've seen pictures of him flying off some crazy jumps. Scary!

Along the same lines of his scary jumps, he enjoys rock climbing and mountain biking. Rob has several scars to prove it! I wish he had more time to do some of these activities. Growing up sometimes sucks!

He loves to read non-fiction, historical books.

Rob has become quite the handy man. Being a home owner does wonders for that! Our garden is all ready to go and he is determined that we will have great grass this year! He takes pride in his home.

He's great with money--good thing, because his other half is not! It's because of him that we've been able to furnish our home and go on vacation and still manage to save and pay tithing.

He likes everyone. He doesn't enjoy gossip. He is fair. He can strike up a conversation with anyone and he does not judge. These are some of the qualities I admire most about him.

One of the reasons I fell in love with Rob was because of his silly, fun loving side. He tries to hide it now, but it's still there! Now it is mostly seen while playing with the kids and I know they love it just as much as I did!

Rob is comfortable with himself and confident. He sees what he needs to change and changes it. He is always trying to be better, whether it be at work, in his calling or as a father and husband.

He has an incredible knowledge of the gospel and has been my number one teacher. I have an example of it from this week...

I had a lesson this week that I was preparing for Young Womens which was a struggle for me. The subject matter was one that I had a hard time with so the thought of having to teach it to all the young women was overwhelming. Rob talked me through it. He helped me pin point why it was a struggle for me and how I should be looking at it. He opened my eyes to a new side. I got my lesson together and was excited that I actually was getting something out of it. Then I got sick (migraine) Sunday morning, so Rob ended up filling in for me at last minute (since he's in the bishopric and was going to do a small portion of the lesson, I felt justified in asking him). He didn't even hesitate and actually looked forward to doing it! I love that he would do this for me and that he takes the time to help me understand and grow.

So, to my husband, I wish a very happy 32nd birthday! With all my love.

A boring, but not typical day

Anna wears her adorable Japanese outfit from Daddy! And she pushes the trike around the front yard.

Evan had a very successful sit on the potty this morning! Afterwards, he decided to join Mom for some yoga--he set his area up all by himself and got into position all on his own!

After yoga, I left the room and Evan stayed behind to play Star Wars. When I came back, I said, "Evan, it's time to sit on the potty again." His face was beaming with pride and in his very recognizable words, "Look Mom, pee... mat!" Yep, that's right folks! Evan did indeed urinate all over my yoga mat! Oh, that little stinker!

In a galaxy far, far away...

I think this year was Evan's year to finally figure out what birthdays are all about! He loved the attention and all of the fun! A little birthday bonus for us--Evan finally used the potty! Oh yeah, and we had a surprise visit from Grandpa Happy!The cupcake thieves! Birthdays are all about MORE!

Happy Birthday to me! I am three!

Evan now has his very own "good guy" light saber. And he was okay with the purple one--he had requested blue.

Check out my new toys! Thanks, friends!

I really am a "good guy" with my blue and green light sabers!

Eating cupcakes with my friends!

Check out my collection! I even got two more by the end of my birthday!