Have a Wonderful Wednesday

Jumping for joy is good exercise. ~Author Unknown

My Backyard

When we sold our house and moved into the "big city", one of my main concerns was not having enough room for 4 kids to play. I prayed and the Lord gave us the perfect backyard. It is huge for an in town yard, even with a pool. We spend a lot of time outside and really enjoy the room to move. We have several projects going on right now and hopefully I will be able to post the after pictures soon.

Here are a few pictures of our little haven.....

Side yard looking toward house.

One of the projects... the back door that needs some serious sprucing up.

Our nosey little dog that tries to get in every picture.

One of the flower bed projects.....I think I will fill with Day Lilies.

View of most of the back yard from the back door area.


Where Ginger spends most of her time. "There are squirrels in them there trees!"

Just because she is so pretty!

I am hoping to get our projects finished early spring. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE flowers!!!!! Last year, because of the move, I missed out on the all the beautiful seasonal plants. I plan to be ready this year!!!!!

It's ADDICTIVE

I just thought blogs were addictive, but I just hadn't met Facebook yet! I promise it is more addictive than anything I have been on yet! Thanks to my friend Emilie, I joined this past week! Now I have to find the time for blogging and connecting. I already have more friends than I really know what to do with and some of them I haven't connected with in years. So, with my new found addiction, I am VERY connected!

It really is a very small world!

It is FRIDAY & the Week in Review

I really do not think a Friday come around at a better time this week! It seems that LIFE has a way of sabotaging anything and everything that we call important! Sometimes I really enjoy these happy little breaks in a somewhat boring routine. Due to so many happy little breaks this week and trying to keep the routine going, I am glad that tomorrow is Saturday and we can take a break!

We have all been under the weather for the last few weeks, and on Tuesday I got a call from Toby that he was on the way to the dr. because he was SICK again. Ok, do not get me started on how he will not slow down and get better before taking on his never ending list of projects. He sees the dr. at the walk-in-clinic, because our regular GP was closed for the day. He had the start of strep and during it all he meets a very nice Pakistani/American Doctor that is a died- in-the-wool Republican. I asked Toby how that all came up and he said that he wasn't sure, but the conversation was quite one sided and you knew exactly where this man stood on every issue. HEEHEE, nothing like a shot and a good political discussion to cure what ales. Needless to say the dose of politics, the shot, the antibiotics that were prescribed, or God did the trick. I have a very strong feeling it was the later!

On Tuesday morning my dad came and picked up Ricky to help him split and haul some firewood. My mother had been helping (drove the truck and loaded some wood), but after a flat tire and breaking 4 fingernails, she refused to help anymore. My mom is so not the wood hauling type!!!! So, it was Ricky to the rescue. My dad taking him fishing didn't hurt either.

With Ricky gone the rest of us had a little more relaxed school time. We stayed on the our routine, but there just didn't seem to be as much to do! Next week should be back to the heavy schooling.

It's the weekend! Bring on the fun!!!!!!!!

Have a Wonderful, Wacky Wednesday

Santa in training!

Happy "Birfday"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy "BIRFDAY", Tiger!!!!!!!

Yeah!!! Yipeeeeeeee!!!!!

She tried and tried to blow out her candles and was having a hard time.

She took a really big breath and they were all out.

(the middle candle has her new age on it)

There is nothing like pink icing to get the party started!

Kensli has been waiting patiently on her "BIRFDAY" for quite a while! It seemed like everybody else had either a birthday or Gotcha day before her "BIRFDAY"!!!!! Well it was finally Kensli's turn and we spent the entire weekend celebrating. (Well, until Sunday when we were sick.)

On Saturday, Mam-ma, Pap-pa, and Granny drove down to see us and help celebrate. Kensli was so excited because they had kept their promise. I am not sure when they have never a kept a promise, but this seemed like a huge accomplishment for them to Kensli.

Kensli did tell me that since was getting to be such a big girl she would eat her vegetables now. That is so great to hear!!!! Wish my other 3 would realize this is what they are forgetting to do now that they are "big".

This weekend, in true Kensli fashion, she had the "best, worst, and dumbest BIRFDAY" ever!!!! Here's to many more wonderful "birfdays", Tiger.

Our Tet/Chinese New Year Celebration

First let me say............

HAPPY TET & CHINESE NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!

The Year of the OX!!!!!

May it be a happy and prosperous year for all our families!

I was a little unprepared for this year, but we did manage to do a little celebrating. We went to a great Asian steakhouse here in town that turned out to be a big hit. We had never been to the one here in town and it was absolutely fabulous. The kids loved that they cooked the meal right in front of us.

During our dinner, 0ur Asian waiter asked if Kaitlyn was a Chinese girl and totally ignored Kensli. Kaitlyn just rolled her eyes at him, and thankfully he did not seem to notice my daughter's outward frustration with him. It is a scenario that happens a lot (For some reason, Asian adults do not seem to even notice Kensli, until it is pointed out she is Chinese.), and it makes Kaitlyn so mad. We even have one Chinese restaurant here in town that every time we go there to eat we get, "Oh, 4 Chinese babies." I think it's kind of funny and do not even try to explain now ( I have in the past and is was just a waste of my time.), but Kaitlyn has no patience with an Asian that cannot tell she is Vietnamese. She is genuinely proud of her birth culture and wants the world to know that she was born in Vietnam. We have talked about this several times, but the minute someone makes the mistake of calling her Chinese she becomes outwardly frustrated. Guess we need to learn a lesson in not showing our feelings on our face.

My beautiful Vietnamese and Chinese daughters!

I could not find any red envelopes this year because I waited to late. I did find these cute little red and white "gift bags."

I put some money wrapped around a piece of candy in each. We did have oranges sitting around and we have gold and red streamers strung around the house. Kaitlyn really enjoyed decorating. I have to buy some lanterns for next year. I have been planning to buy some every year, but I haven't yet. Hopefully next year, I can be a little more prepared!

No one in the adoption group here did anything that I know about. Next year I think I may need to step up and try to plan something. Just wished BOTT, Nic's gotcha day, and Kensli's birthday didn't come around the same time of the year so I would have more energy to party!