fromsunny2brrr

A Very Special Day

2009-10-11T10:47:00.005-05:00

Today is a Special Day!!!

Alerina is turning 3 today!!!

It's amazing to see how she has grown. She's now a very, very girlie-girl . . . . . . who's into dressing up, playing kitchen, tea parties, and of course, bothering her brother :o)

Our Dear Alerina . . . . Brother, Daddy, and Mommy just wanted to say:

Happy 3rd. Birthday, Sweetie!!!

We LOVE you very, very much!!!

Enjoy your Special Day!!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=208335&id=1210394620&l=d14a21497a

Happy 5th. Birthday, Sebastian!

2009-09-20T14:33:00.003-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=205790&id=1210394620&l=65ff2e0abd

A Very Special Day

2009-09-11T17:52:00.011-05:00

Today is a Very Special Day!!

Why you asked??? Well . . . . . . Today
Sebastian turned 5 years old!!!

We can't believe it!!! It seems like it was yesterday when we brought him home from the hospital . . . . . all teeny-weenie and oh-so-tiny and NOW . . . . geesh-louise, he's heavy, tall, and growing up WAY too fast before our very eyes!!!!

To our dearest, Sebastian . . . . . Mom, Dad, and Alerina just wanted to say:

Today is Your Special Day!!!
We love You VERY, VERY much!!
Stay sweet and enjoy every minute
of your Special Day!!
Happy 5th. Birthday, Sebastian!!

We hit a New Milestone :o)

2009-08-19T11:33:00.009-05:00

Today is the First Day of School!

Sebastian started Kindergarten :o)

I was very nervous at the thought of him all on his own for such a looooooooong time (7.5 hours) but he WAS ready!!! He woke up early, ate ALL his breakfast quickly (which he rarely does), got dressed and was anxious to get on the bus!!!

Today he got to use his new shirt, shoes, and backpack!! The funny thing is that his backpack look more like a parachute on his back than a bag because it was sooooo HUGE on him!!!

When we were already we all walked to the bus stop. The bus stop was 2 houses down from our house - which is VERY, VERY nice!!! :o) Believe it or not, almost everybody here takes the school bus. What's even more surprising is that the school is only 3 miles away AND he still rides the bus . . . . how GREAT is that!?!?!?!?!?! So from now on, Sebastian will be picked up at 8:19 every morning and will be drop-off around 3:45 ish.

The bus was a little late today (first day and all) but it finally came! Sebastian totally surprised us because he was SOOOO excited when the bus came. He quickly said goodbye to me and wanted to get on the bus RIGHT THEN AND THERE!! I had to yell at him to say bye to Alerina and Bac. And before we knew it, he was getting on and in the bus and was gone :o(

Sadness came over me but I was Good . . . I didn't cry . . . teary-eyed but not crying! That counts right for not crying, right??????

The day was quiet without Sebastian. It was just the 3 of us. Today, we did our usual thing around the house and before we knew it was time to pick him up at the bus stop. It was almost 8 hours since I've seen him and surprisingly enough, it flew by!!!

When, Sebastian got off the bus, he was Happy :o). He seemed to enjoy his first day of Kindergarten (Thank goodness!!!) and he was actually looking forward to going back!!! Phewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww :o)

As sad as I am knowing that this IS the very first day of the start of my little boy growing up and being out there in the real world, out of my protective 24/7 bubble . . . . . . . I am happy because I know Sebastian will do just fine :o)

Check out more pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=201530&id=1210394620&l=788e2d8810

How many years?!?!?!?!

2009-04-27T23:55:00.001-05:00

On the 26th., Bac and I celebrated our Wedding Anniversary! Can't believe it's been 6 years already?!?!?!? Like I always say, "Geesh-Louise . . . . . Time Flies!!!"

For our anniversary, we had dinner at home WITHOUT the kids!! Our friends watched the kiddies for couple of hours while we enjoyed a quiet, no interruption dinner. We did all the prepping in the afternoon so after dropping the kids off (we walked 2 houses down) we started cooking/baking away.

We had a Caprese Salad to start off our dinner, followed by the Entree (pan-seared fish - forgot the name of the fish but it was yummy because it was not fishy, with grilled garlic asparagus, and garlic mashed potatoes), and to end the meal we had a Molten Lava Cake!

The food was GOOD . . . . . BUT . . . . the fact that we got to eat slowly and take our time, had dinner without one of the kids hanging from us or yelling for us, without the noisy background from the TV or the kids yelling at each other, just made the meal 100% BETTER!!!!

It was a nice little treat for us :o)

Happy 6th. Year Anniversary, Honey!
Love you much xoxo's

OH . . . they're SOOOO Yummie :o)

2009-04-27T22:48:00.009-05:00

Ever since living in Iowa, I have become a better baker and cook! When I was in LA, I hardly ever bake let alone cook! I think the fact that there's not alot of restraurants to choose from around here, I am forced to bake something or cook something when I'm craving it!

I have been introduced to a new blogger from a friend and I LOVE her!!!! She cooks all these great yummies that I can't wait to try. Last week while checking out the blog I came across some onion strings! I haven't had onion rings/strings in ages (almost a year now) so after reading the recipe over and over, I could not get my mind off the onion strings! I HAD to make them!!!

Boy, was I glad I did because . . . . . . . OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH man, they were SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!! They were good when they were hot and crispy and they were even good cold!! Bac and I ate them all up! The frying was a bit time consuming but boy-oh-boy, they were TOTALLY worth it!!!

All I can say is "YUMS!!!" Can't wait to try more of her recipes -- I'm getting hungry just thinking about them!!

Garage Sale Season Kickoff!

2009-04-27T22:22:00.000-05:00

Garage Sale Season has officially kicked off here in good ol' Cedar Rapids. It's been about 2 weeks now and the Penny Saver/Craiglist/local paper have more and more ads for garage sales going on. Last year, my neighbor hosted the very first neighborhood sale and we weren't able to join because we were still in the "unpacking" stage but this year . . . . we participated!!! I was SOOOOOOOO excited cuz' it my very first garage sale ever!!! I 've always wanted to do one in LA but never had the chance to.

So . . . with 2 weeks to prepare I searched and searched every single cabinet, corner, boxes, you name it . . I checked it out and cleared it out! I found TONS of toys that the kids have outgrown. I also found tons of clothes that I never, ever wear anymore, little knick-knacks around the house, and of course, kid's clothes that they've outgrown or worn-out. The first week I was busy hunting for stuff, the second week I was busy pricing, and helping my friend set up.

With 6 families joining in to participate, she had her 3-car garage jammed-pack full of stuff/junk. We did a 3-day garage sale, Thurs. (3-7) , Fri. (8-2) and Sat. (8-12). The day of, I started bringing my goods over to her place at 1:00 . . . thinking I had 2 hours to set up. But believe it or not, at 2:00 people started showing up. Well . . . let's back track a bit by 1 day, Wednesday afternoon, my friend had someone come to her house wanting to get an early preview . . . my friend couldn't say No so . . . $160 later she made her very first sale. The day of . . . while playing outside with the kiddies (noon time) . . . I saw a lady walking toward my friend's house, and guess what . . another person wanting a "preview" and $300 later another sale.

So . . back to the story . . . at 2:00 people started showing up and my friend (again) could not say No so . . . because 1 showed up and shop . . more and more came and before we knew it, it was in FULL swing with TONS of people shopping, rummaging through bins and bins and bags and bags of stuff not unpacked yet before our official start time which was suppose to be 3:00.

By 4:00 on our first day, I was already tired of cleaning up and setting up!

It's amazing how anxious and popular garage sales are around here!!! We had cars parked all over the block and people kept on coming and coming and shopping and shopping! The first day, of course, was the busiest. The second day, not as much, and by the third day, it was totally and utterly slow but overall, we did pretty good selling our stuff/goods/junk! It was FUN :oD . . . . I can't wait to have another garage sale!!!

Garage Sales are BIG around here because like the saying goes . . .
"One man's junk is another man's treasure!"

Check out more pictures from this link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=190088&id=1210394620&l=bbc78d0325

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tired!!!!

2009-04-17T19:44:00.004-05:00

With the weather being warmer and warmer . . . the kids have been playing outside every single day! Sebastian is out from lunch time till about 3:00 running around, playing baseball, tag, whatever the kids finds to do with the kiddies from around the block. Sebastian was SOOOOOOOOOO tired one day from playing that he was falling asleep while eating his dessert. After he ate his ice cream, he found a spot on the floor in our kitchen, sat down, and fell asleep. I was in the bathroom giving Alerina a bath so Bac was there to catch it on camera. Too funny :o)

"Mommy . . . . see Funny Face!"

2009-04-16T17:53:00.007-05:00

Alerina was introduced to a new kid's show that my friend's daughter totally LoVES and as you guess it . . . . Alerina LOVES watching it as well! The show is called Yo Gabba Gabba! Bac and I thinks it's a totally mindless show but she enjoys it so much that we couple of dvds now in our house for her to watch!

Well anyways, the show has a segment where the characters and all the kids are making funny faces at each other and Alerina has caught on to make these funny faces so . . . . . . from time to time she would say, "Mommy . . . . see Funny Face!" and she the faces she makes are just to die for!!! The funny faces change from time to time and of course, I never have the camera handy till now.

So . . . here are couple shots of her and her "funny face". She gets quiet the kick when she's done making the faces :o) Too funny, I tell you!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-16T17:30:00.004-05:00

The kiddies got to participate at a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt this year and it was very, very, EXCITING for us and the kids :o)

It is the kid's very first egg hunt ever!!! Last year it was still snowing when Easter came around so the neighborhood did it at a indoor play area. With this year being sooooo nice out and no sight of snow, it was at a local park 2 minutes away from our house.

There was TONS of kids, eggs, the Easter Bunny, and running around that morning! The kids had a good ol' time hunting for eggs. Afterwards we headed to the playground right next to the park to burn off more energy . . . . . he.. he.. he.. :oD

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=188690&id=1210394620&l=1a85ce0656

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T08:12:00.003-05:00

Spring is finally here :o)

2009-03-17T22:55:00.006-05:00

The snow has melted away. The sound of birds chirping fills the air. Kids are out playing. Most importantly . . . the weather is warm, warm, warm. NO MORE wearing snow pants, gloves, jackets, and hats!!

Today was 72 degrees!!! It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice!!! For the past 2 days (yesterday was 68 degrees) the kids have been out playing with all the other neighborhood kids! We haven't seen them since Thanksgiving so it was amazing to see how they've grown in the last 4 months of winter.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA :oD - We survived yet another winter here in good ol' Iowa. This winter was cold like our first winter but it was not as long (last year, it was still snowing in the month of April) as last winter . . . . everybody say "GOOD BYE, WINTER" and . . . . "HELLO SPRING :o)!!!!! YIPPIE-SKIPPIE :oD

A Special Birthday Shout Out . . . .

2009-03-16T16:34:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to you . . .

Happy Birthday dearest WESLEY . . .

Happy Birthday to you!!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Wesley!!!

We love you very much!

BackTrack #3 - December 2008

2009-03-10T20:11:00.001-05:00

I can't believe Christmas was 3 months ago . . . . geesh-louise . . . I'M SOOOOOOO BEHIND IN BLOGGING!!!!!!!

Have to get on track! Have to get on track! repeat . . . Have to get on track! Have to get on track! Can't waste anymore minutes/days/events!!!!!

OK . . . back to the month of December!!! That month we were busy trying to take family pictures, counting down days, baking, shopping, wrapping presents, prepping the house, cleaning the house, writing Christmas cards, and most importantly . . . . . HOSTING - HOSTING - HOSTING!!!

Hosting - Hosting - Hosting: We were BUSY counting down when we hit the month of December because we were expecting TONS of people visiting us for the holidays. Before we knew it, one by one each family member were coming in to join in the festivities. We had my parents that came in the 17th., Bac's sister and mom came on the 18th., my sister (who was suppose to come in on the 18th. but missed her flight) came on the 19th., another sister of Bac's along with Bac's dad and one cousin came on the 20th. I thought that was it but boy, was I in for a surprise . . . . the night my sister came in I wanted to go pick her up at the airport . . . as I was waiting for her . . . . I see a familiar face . . . my sister-in-law and my nephew! I did a double look and just stared and stared until I said . . . . "what are you doing here???" Of course, her visit was a surprise. Bac knew all this time. Apparently, she booked her flight back in Nov. and never told anybody about it cuz' she wanted it to be a surprise . . . . It was a NICE surprise! I'm glad she and Justin made it out :o)

Family: With everybody here for the holidays we were busy eating, shopping, staying up late snacking, watching movies, and non-stop playing for the kiddies. It was FUN having our family here with us . . . it made our first Christmas in Iowa extra special :o)

Baking: During the holidays we HAD to have goodies in the house so the kiddies got hands-on baking experience with making shaped-sugar cookies. Sebastian enjoyed rolling the dough, picking out the different cookie cutter to use, decorating the cookies with all the sprinkles, eating the sprinkles, and of course, eating the cookies. The only part Sebastian did not really enjoy was the waiting/baking time. He kept on looking in the oven and asking me . . . "Is it done now? Can we eat it now, Mom?" Alerina did not participate in the whole "making/baking" process but she did take part in eating the sprinkles . . . . . she REALLY enjoyed that!!!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=183959&id=1210394620&l=cb241

Fuzzy-Wuzzy :o)

2009-02-26T23:21:00.000-06:00

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a Bear

Fuzzy Wuzzy had no Hair

Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't Fuzzy

Was she?!?!?!

I was cleaning out Alerina's closet when I came upon this fuzzy coat she received for her 1st birthday. I tried it on her for the very first time tonight and it finally fits her now. I thought she would give me a hard time and want the coat off . . . . but to my surprise . . . . she would not take it off! So . . . you know what that means . . . . . Photo Time :o) I ran to get the camera and click-click-away . . . . never know when I'll get the chance to take another shot of her wearing the fuzzy wuzzy coat.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=184582&id=1210394620&l=16500

Back track #2 - November 2008

2009-01-17T00:26:00.002-06:00

At the end of the month, we were hit with our very first snowfall of the season. It was a beautiful site to see. As we woke up that morning, everything was just white!!! There was snow everywhere but it was not that cold . . . so . . . we got the kids all dressed up to play in the snow. They had fun making snowman, making snow angels, and running around in the snow :o)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=176480&l=0ad44&id=1210394620

Back in November, I was getting ready for the holidays. Usually, I don't get the house all decked out till after Thanksgiving but around here, everybody seems to be getting ready as early as early November. I guess, with the weather getting colder and colder as winter approaches has something to do with people getting the front of the house ready early. So . . . it was my very first time getting our christmas tree up, getting the outside, as well as, the inside of the house ready 2 weeks before Thanksgiving. It felt weird at first but seeing neighbors having their tree up and decked out house . . . I didn't feel as weird :o)

Anyways, to kick off the holiday spirit early . . . I decided to do a christmas photo shoot of the kids. It wasn't planned but they were cooperating/behaving so well that day that I took the chance and boy, am I glad, I did! They were sooooooooooooo good and most, importantly, some of the pictures came out great!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=175688&l=66633&id=1210394620

The month of November was also the month that Sebastian started playing Guitar Hero. He usually watch Bac plays and he rocks out with his Elmo guitar but one day, he wanted to try so I let him. To my surprise, he was good! He started out playing using the "training" mode but before I knew it, he was getting it and he was better than me!!

So . . . 2 months now since he's been playing and he is just GREAT at it! He's playing "Medium" level these days and has picked up playing the drums when we play Guitar Hero.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=175276&l=295ca&id=1210394620

Back track #1 - November 2008

2009-01-16T10:29:00.014-06:00

Back in November 2008 we had our first Thanksgiving in Iowa. We were invited to our neighbor's house who made the traditional Turkey meal with all the fixin' :o) They (our neighbor) too were newbies to Marion (moved to IA from Chicago 3 months before we did) so it was just their family (5 of the them with their mom), our family, and the B's (also newbies to Marion who moved from LA about couple of months before November).

Bac, of course, made his famous Egg Rolls for us to munch on before the BIG meal and I made the mac and cheese, green-bean casseroles, and desserts.

All the food was YUMMY :o) - the kids had FUN playing - and the adults had great time chit-chatting.

All in all it was a nice, cozy Thanksgiving with our family away from family here in IA.

Happy New Year - 2009!!

2009-01-08T16:43:00.005-06:00

Happy New Year to you and your family!!!
Here's to year full of Blessings, Surprises,
and Sweet Memories :o)

I'm Back . . . .

2009-01-08T16:31:00.006-06:00

Hello! Hello! Hello!

Sorry I've been MIA lately . . . . . . . I totally skipped November and December all together! I was introduced to Facebook and I have to admit . . . I am addicted to it!!! But have to get back to blogging cuz' I realize that the blog is my life/day-to-day story/events of the kids and what good ol' Cedar Rapids have to offer to us so . . . back to blogging I go!

Promise!!!

Anyways, I will back track a bit and blog and post some pictures of the events that happened back in November and December, OK?

Alrightie then . . . . here goes . . . . . .

Happy Halloween from our little Farmers :o)

2008-10-31T08:52:00.006-05:00

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Beauty and the Beast

2008-10-14T14:08:00.014-05:00

Beauty of Iowa as Fall approaches slowly . . . . . :o)

Beast of Iowa . . . . ewwwwww :oP - yucky!!!!

Alerina's "Mini" Birthday Party Pictures :o)

2008-10-14T09:31:00.010-05:00

A Special Birthday Shout Out . . . .

2008-10-11T15:14:00.008-05:00

Happy 2nd. Birthday,

Alerina!!!

We love you very, very much!!

Sebastian's "Mini" Birthday Party Pictures :o)

2008-09-22T22:15:00.010-05:00

Finally . . . my computer is back!!!!

2008-09-22T21:58:00.007-05:00

My computer was on "vacation" mode* last week so that's why I have not been blogging well . . . . . . . I finally have my computer back so . . . without further ado . . . back to blogging I go!

*Bac had the week off last week and needed my computer to play his Lineage game.

A Special Birthday Shout Out!!

2008-09-12T11:28:00.007-05:00

Happy 4th Birthday,
Sebastian!

We love you very, very much!

No more pig tails

2008-09-03T16:14:00.002-05:00

Alerina got a haircut this past Saturday. Of course she gave me a hard time while I was trying to cut her hair . . . . . she was crying, screaming, pushing my hands away, and saying, "No mommy! Please Mommy . . . . . . no bad boy!" while I try to trim away. I wanted to cut the back hair and her bangs but was only successful with the back part. Maybe next week she'll let me cut the bangs - he . . he . . he . . <:o)

Soccer School

2008-08-27T15:22:00.000-05:00

In the beginning of August, Sebastian started his Soccer Class. It was a 2 times a week for 2 weeks class . . . 4 sessions total. He really, really enjoyed the class. The first class meeting, he was sort of shy . . . he wanted me to hold his hands while he kicked the ball around or stand right next to him if I was not holding his hands. Thank goodness the rest of the 3 meetings he was fine - he was SO ready and excited going to the class that he was would be unbuckling his seat belt and wanting to run to the class as I try to park the car. It was cute to see him play soccer with all the kids because all the kids were his age and there was about 12 little kiddies for him to run around with and go crazy with :o)

Now the class is over but every now and then, Sebastian would say to me, "Mom, I need to go to soccer school! I like it alot! Can we go, please, Mommy?"

FULL House of Fun - Day 1

2008-08-26T18:37:00.011-05:00

After breakfast, we decided to ride our bikes around the block. The whole gang went . . . it was Fun but we didn't get too far. Someone was always stopping . . . it felt like they were taking turns on who stops and slows down the group next - silly kids, I tell you!

The kids before breakfast:

After lunch, we took the kids to play at the mall. Here is a picture of Sebastian and James after playing at the playground . . . they were a little tired!

James and Sebastian having a Wii Tennis Tournament before going to bed:

James and Sebastian calling it a day as they get ready for bed:

4 people + 6 people =

2008-08-18T17:11:00.016-05:00

4 people (2 adults, 2 kids) + 6 people (4 adults, 2 kids) =
a FULL House of FUN!!!

My parents, my in-laws, my nephew, and my niece came this past Sunday. So far it's been non-stop playing for the kids and chatting, eating, and drinking for the adults.

I will post more pictures and stories of the visits soon. Can't do it now . . . . . gotta go play :oD

Our Tragic Loss :o(

2008-08-05T15:00:00.011-05:00

To our Dearest Tante Amel . . . . . . You had a Heart of Gold and a Beautiful, Beautiful Soul that will Never be Forgotten!!! We loved You Dearly and You will be terribly Missed!!!

To our Dearest Om Ek, Victor, Desiree, Tante Wawa, Rika, and the rest of the Family . . . . . . No words can really help to ease the loss you all bear right now, just know that you all are very close in our thoughts and prayers!!

My BFF :o)

2008-08-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

Alerina LOOOOOOOVES her big brother!!! She idolizes him!!! She does EVERYTHING he does!! To Alerina, he is her BEST FRIEND, her WHOLE WORLD!!! It's SOOOO cute the way she follows him around the house and does EVERYTHING he does and says EVERYTHING he says . . . . . . Sebastian, at times, don't think it's cute . . . . . but on rare occasion when he does . . . . . it is just PRECIOUS!!

Our Special Visitor

2008-07-29T01:00:00.000-05:00

Grandma (aka Oma) came out to visit us and spend time with the kiddies. She stayed for a good month (June 18-July 19) and we enjoyed every minute of it!! It was GREAT to see her and spend time with her. We could tell the kids really enjoyed having Oma around because both kids slept in the same room with her, both kids wanted "horsie" rides from her, both kids walked hand-in-hand at the store with her, both kids fought for her attention . . . . . it was just cute to see the kids and Oma together.

The first 20 minutes or so of seeing Oma, Sebastian was a little shy but when he got home from the airport from picking her up it was more like "Oma this" and "Oma that". Alerina . . . on the other hand . . . . was clinging on to me the first 2 days but after that . . . . . it was pulling Oma here and pulling Oma there and wanting to see her books with Oma and wanting to play with Oma. WAY CUTE, I tell you!!!

This visit we had much more FUN than Oma's first visit. With the weather always warm and sunny, we got to do more stuff and see more things. We were out and about every single day . . . . . . . Oma got to see the kids play at the park, play water at the splash pads, have a little picnic at the park, go bike riding/take a walk around the blocks, visit the local garage sales, stroll around the stores, meet some of our neighborly neighbors, and see and experience the "lifestyle" here at good ol' Cedar Rapids.

The month came and was gone before we knew it! We hope you had a good time here, Oma . . . because we DEFINITELY had a good time with you. It was NICE having you here!! Come and visit us again real soon, OK?

Happy Birthday Oma!!!

2008-07-29T00:50:00.000-05:00

June 23rd was Oma's Birthday. We celebrated her birthday with presents and a special dinner. We had noodles, her favorite fried chicken, and a birthday cake for dessert.

With no yummy bakery that I know of around here I bake her a strawberry/blueberry cake to celebrate the day. The cake turned out good . . . . . . it was moist and the berries were fresh. The decorating turned out just OK . . . . I had issues putting the walnuts on the side - they would not stick to the frosting and the frosting . . . well . . . . . I whipped it too long so it was not as smooth as I like it to be but overall . . . it was not too bad of a cake. The birthday girl seemed to enjoyed it because she ate 2 slices that night and she ate a slice every single day after that till it was all gone :o)

Alerina was really into blowing the candles out while Sebastian, as usual, did not want to blow them out . . . he just wanted to see them lit not blown out. Below are some pictures of the special occasion:

4th of July

2008-07-29T00:45:00.002-05:00

It was our very 1st 4th of July here in Cedar Rapids and we wanted to celebrate it with watching some good ol' fireworks. All day long we kept talking about going to a place to see them but we didn't know where to go. Well, we ended up not going anywhere and we're glad stayed in because it was the best place to see fireworks. From our deck you could see them and literally there was fireworks everywhere!!! We look to our left, to our right, the front of us and the back of us . . . . . fireworks galore!! It was the houses around us that were lighting up the fireworks. We're not talking about small little ones but nice big ones . . . . like the ones you would see at park/beach.

Sebastian enjoyed the fireworks but Alerina . . . . not so much. She was squeezing my neck tightly every time a fireworks shoots up in the sky and after awhile she lost interest in them because she feel asleep :o) Maybe next year she'll find them interesting and fun to watch!

2nd Road Trip

2008-07-29T00:43:00.001-05:00

The weekend of July 11-13, we took a little road trip to Bloomington, Minnesota. We've been wanting to go there but we were waiting for some visitors to come and visit us so we can take them there as well. With Oma visiting us, we took the opportunity and decided to go there and check out the Mall of America. It was a short 4 hours drive - we drove 2 hours, took an hour break, then drove for another 2 hours and before we knew it . . . we were there!!!

As we were looking for our hotel, we passed by the BIG-BIG mall. It was EXCITING to see it!!! I couldn't wait to go inside and shop-shop-shop!

Our first day there, we decided to relax and check out the city. We ended up swimming at the hotel and having Thai food for dinner. It has been 6 whole months since I've had Thai food and boy, oh boy . . . . it was YUMMY!!!!

Our 2nd day, we woke up bright and early to have breakfast and head to the mall. We were there before any of the stores were opened. The place was HUGE!!! 4 stories full of stores, about 500+ stores, a movie theatre, an amusement park, a minituare golfing place, tons of restaurants, all the department stores you can think of and there's even a Marshall's, Nordstrom Rack, a wedding chapel, a post-office, a speedway racing place, and a underwater aquarium ! It was fun at first being there but as the day wore off . . . not as exciting and as fun . . . it was just way TOO many people!!! It was like Christmas rush-time, I tell you!!!

Anyways, Sebastian had a GOOD time playing at the Nicklelodeon Universe (the amusement park in the middle of the mall). We stayed at the mall for about 5 hours and left with not one single purchase. We ended back at the hotel to swim and rest. That night we had another good dinner. We ate at a Vietnamese restaurant and again, it was YUMMY!!!!

Our last day we decided to check out the Ikea nearby. We dropped off Sebastian at the Ikea play area so we can shop peacefully. We checked him in and had no problem dropping him off. Bac and I stroll from showrooms to showrooms and got some ideas while Oma and Alerina was playing in the kid's area. We ate lunch at the Ikea cafe and left to go home after that.

We had a GREAT time on our "mini" trip. Since Cedar Rapids lacks choices of "yummy" places to eat , we can't wait to go back to Bloomington, MN to eat-eat-eat and go to Ikea.

As I look outside our window . . . .

2008-06-30T02:14:00.001-05:00

. . . this what I saw during the storm.

Of all the rains I have experienced here in good ol' Cedar Rapids, nothing is like this one. The skies were dark and gray but were bright at the same time from all the ligthnings. It roared loudly from the thunder and the rain . . . . . the rain came down loud and hard. At one point, it was hailing and that too came loud and hard. Let me tell you, the experience of it was quiet scary!

Happy and Lucky to say . . . . after all the rain that day, we were not affected by the storm.

Oh, how I LOVE Pocky Stick Cookies!!!

2008-06-30T01:46:00.002-05:00

Alerina loves to snack! Her all time favorite things to snack on are these Pocky Stick Cookies.

Whenever she sees them when we're out shopping, she'll point to them and say "Yummmie!" and that's it . . . . . . it's over . . . . . . . I have to purchase them because if not . . . . . . . little missy will throw her little fit.

Anyways, one afternoon I sat her down to snack on them and within minutes she gobbled them down. It was way too cute, not a single peep came out of her . . . . . . all you hear are the rustling sounds of the wrapper as she grabbed for more and the sounds of her crunching away . . . . . . she was way too busy eating!!!! By the looks of the picture, you could tell someone sure enjoyed their little snack :o)

Something I would not do in LA . . . .

2008-06-25T01:05:00.000-05:00

. . . . MOW my own lawn!!!

Everybody here mows their own lawn. When I say everybody . . . . I mean, EVERYBODY!!! Everybody from teenage girls and boys to grandmas and grandpas. So . . . I needed to get into the action and see what it's all about!

To my surprise, I really enjoyed mowing the lawn. It was like vacuuming but much, much, much louder and you're outside. This is definitely something I would not be caught dead doing in good ol' LA :o)

Check out the pictures below . . . . Sebastian was my little tail the whole entire time I was mowing while Alerina was busy sweeping the grass away!

Mommy got a brand new toy!

2008-06-07T21:13:00.009-05:00

Bac surprised me with a special gift the day before Mother's Day. It was a "All-into-One" gift . . . meaning . . . an Anniversary/Mother's Day/Birthday gift. It was suppose to be delivered to the house on my birthday but it never came until Monday, June 2nd. I've always wanted a KitchenAid Mixer and now I have one!!!! I'm SOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!

Well, 5 days into having this wonderful mixer, I've already used it 3 times this week! I baked hummingbird cupcakes with cream cheese frostings, chocolate chip cookies, and cinnamon-walnut coffee cake.

I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE the mixer . . . . . . I can't wait to try new things to make!!

"I need to play baseball!"

2008-06-02T09:42:00.006-05:00

One day last week as we were driving home, we saw a bunch of kids playing baseball at the park. Sebastian excitedly ask me, "Mom. Mom. Mom. What's that?" I told him they're playing baseball. He then yelled out to me, "I need to play baseball!"

Ever since that day, he's been saying he "needs to play baseball". So, this past weekend, Bac bought him a baseball and a bat. He couldn't wait to get home to play.

The look on his face was priceless . . . . . keeping his eye on the ball and swinging at the ball. Sebastian did hit a couple of balls Bac pitched to him . . . . . he was very proud and excited when he did!

I Apoo* my Brother!

2008-06-01T22:27:00.008-05:00

Whatever Sebastian does, Alerina copies . . . .

Sebastian takes a rake, Alerina wants "something" so she can rake!
Sebastian sits down, Alerina sits down as well!
Sebastian sings, Alerina sings.
Sebastian screams, Alerina screams.
Sebastian runs, Alerina runs.
Like I said . . . whatever Sebastian does, Alerina does as well!

It's really cute to see them together :o)

*Definition of Apoo = Love (After a kiss on the lips, Alerina says Apoo to you)

The Start of Summer

2008-06-01T09:15:00.008-05:00

Saturday, May 31 was Cedar Rapid's official day that summer-swimming season starts. All the city park's pool opens to the public that day. It was a perfect 82 degrees that day so we celebrated the beginning of summer by taking the kids to one of the parks (there's 6 of them out here) to go swimming.

The place was AMAZING . . . . . . it's not like the public swimming pool parks in LA . . . . . . these parks are like a "mini-version" of a water park. Seriously, there are slides, there is a water playground thing, tons and tons of beach chair to lay on, there's a concession stand selling food, sand box to play in, the pool had a beach-like entry so it was great for the kids . . . . . . I'm telling you . . . "Mini Water Park!!!" and what's even greater is that it only cost $4 per person - can't complain about that :o)

Even though we stayed so only an hour, the kids had a GREAT time . . . . . . we can't wait to try out the other swimming pools !

Here are pictures of Alerina modeling with her new bikini before we left for the pool . . . .

Vacation Pictures

2008-05-29T10:46:00.008-05:00

Our First Road Trip

2008-05-29T10:43:00.003-05:00

2 weekends ago we took a road trip to Columbus, Ohio. We were there to go to James' birthday party and hang out with the family. It was a 3 nights/4 days type of trip. We left Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and got there a little before midnight. It took us 9 hours/15 minutes of driving, 2 rest stops, 3 states over, and a total of 12 hours of traveling all together for us to get there. Let me just say . . . . . it was a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong drive!! After all that time in the car, I've come to realize "I don't think I can ever drive across country . . . . I would go crazy!!"

Anyways, the kids were fairly good during our drive to Ohio. Alerina slept about 7 hours of the 9 hours of driving and Sebastian entertained himself by singing, talking to us, counting the cones/the bridges that we past by, or by just looking out the window. He did get a tad bit antsy at times but for the most part, he was fairly good :o)

James had a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese on Sunday and the kids had a good ol' time :o). The rest of the time we were there, we just hung out and played with the kids. It was a good trip but it was way too short . . . . before we knew it . . . it was time to drive back home.

On the way back, it took us 9 hours and 4 rest stops. One of the stops the kids had a GREAT time because it had a playground in it. We left Ohio about 10:30 a.m. and got home about 9 o'clock.

It's nice to go on vacation from time to time but it's always good to be home :o)

Thank you, Brother and Sister-in-Law for letting us stay with you and showing us around . . . we had a GREAT time ~ see you next time :o)

A Special Birthday Shout Out . . . .

2008-05-14T08:47:00.000-05:00

Happy 7th Birthday,

Koko James!

We hope you have a WONDERFUL Birthday!!
Hope it's a Birthday filled with LOTS
of Fun, Games, and Presents :o)

We love you very much!!!

Our anniversary

2008-05-11T00:09:00.013-05:00

My hubby and I celebrated our 5 year Wedding Anniversary 2 weeks ago. Can't believe it's been 5 whole years!?!?!? Where do the time go???

Well . . . since it was a special day, I baked him his favorite muffins for breakfast. 2 dozens muffins, 2 loafs, and 2 hours later, he enjoyed them with his coffee :o) After breakfast, we headed out to town with the kids and did some errands. We've been talking about what we wanted to do/where we wanted to eat and so forth for the special day . . . so our plan was to eat at this Italian restaurant, Biaggi's, for lunch. Well, ever since we've discussed it, I thought about the restaurant and I couldn't wait to eat there!

Anyways, the place had a Maggiano's feel to it and like I suspected . . . the food was excellent!!! We had the stuffed mushrooms for appetizer - YUMMO, Hubby had the Chilean Sea Bass with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach - EXCELLENT . . . the fish was crispy on the outside and tender, moist, and juicy on the inside and importantly, not fishy-like, I had rigatoni with Italian sausage, peppers, and tomato - YUM, and for dessert, we had this banana foster (banana wrapped in crepe with rum/caramel-like sauce with vanilla ice cream) thing - can you say YUM!!!! Well, to our surprise, both kids were super-super great at the restaurant which made the food taste even EXTRA-EXTRA YUMMO!!! This is definitely a restaurant worth coming back to!

Well, like I said earlier . . . . can't believe it's been 5 years!!!! Just wanted to say to my dear Hubby . . . . . "It's been a GREAT 5 years!! Can't wait to see what adventures lies ahead for us in the future ~ with you by my side, I'm ready for anything!! Happy 5th Wedding Anniversary, Honey! Love you very much!"

To all the Mothers out there . . . .

2008-05-10T23:48:00.005-05:00

Happy Mother's Day :o) - enjoy this special day!

A mother is a person who seeing there are only 4 pieces of pie for 5 people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.
~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

I love my mother as the trees love water and sunshine - she helps me grow, prosper, and reach great heights. ~Adabella Radici

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving

One good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters. ~George Herbert

There's nothing like a mama-hug. ~Adabella Radici

Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my field, since the payment is pure love. ~Mildred B. Vermont

The mother's heart is the child's school-room. ~Henry Ward Beecher

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother. ~Abraham Lincoln

[A] mother is one to whom you hurry when you are troubled. ~Emily Dickinson

Time to cool off . . .

2008-05-08T00:48:00.007-05:00

It got to a whopping 84 degrees the other day and the kids were hot-hot-hot. We were out and about and when we got back in our car . . . . it was so TOASTIE that we had to cool off with some treats when we got home.

It was Alerina's first ice cream cone and let me tell you . . . she REALLY enjoyed it!!! Of course as always, Sebastian enjoys a good ice cream cone no matter what the weather is like outside!

What???? On a weekday???

2008-05-08T00:32:00.010-05:00

It's strangely odd around here but people do not wait till the weekends to have a garage sale. Garage sale is huge out here!! Whether it's the middle of the week or the weekends, people do come and buy-buy-buy! I'm not just talking about 1 house having the garage sale, I'm talking about "Block-Party Garage Sale" in the middle of the week!!! How strange is that? I personally find it strange because I guess I'm used to LA weekend garage sales only . . . . . not running into a mad rush of cars and people buying goods while walking around the block on a Wednesday evening?!?!?!

Anyways, I've gone mad at trying to find where the next garage sales will be. I've been to 3 so far (2 on a weekday, 1 on a weekend) and I seem to find really-really-really exciting goods at them. Can't wait to see what I'll find at the next one :o)

Some of my "I'm super-excited" great finds . . . .

Sadness :o(

2008-05-01T21:09:00.010-05:00

For the past 3 years and 7 months Sebastian has been sleeping with us in the same room . . . whether it was on the same bed or on the mattress at the bottom of our bed. But yesterday, we had another milestone . . . Sebastian slept by himself in his very own room. To my surprise, I tucked him in, told him a story, said good night and that was that. He said, "Good Night, Mom" and said, "See you on Sunny Day". I'm really proud of him but very, very, very sad at the same time. I come to realize that my little boy is not so little boy anymore! So so Sad . . . they sure grow up fast . . . . . WAY TOO TOO Fast, I tell you!!!!

All you out there with little kiddies . . . enjoy every minute of every day with them!!

Memory lane of my little guy . . . .

Newborn

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

Current picture

Funny Faces :oP

2008-04-22T02:07:00.006-05:00

Strange day for pictures . . . . . . . . Sebastian would close his eyes shut everytime I tried to take a picture of him and Alerina would make fish-lips (moyong) faces at me when I try to take pictures of her - Silly Kids!

My little project

2008-04-22T00:52:00.008-05:00

When someone is a mother-to-be, I try to make their baby a blanket. This time around, I wanted to make something else. I search and search for a pattern that was easy enough for me to understand and did not take up too much time to do. Well, I came across a short, little cardigan for little girls. It only took me 1 ball of 3.5 ounces of yarn, which normally a blanket is at least, 16 ounces of yarn and it took me only 2 weeks to do!!! I'm soooo going to keep this pattern for future use . . . . . . . . . now . . . . if only I can find a pattern for little boys . . . . . . . . . . the search continues!!!

Here is the sample picture of the cardigan:

Here is the version I did:

Here is the one on my Model ;o)

Sebastian's New Toy :o)

2008-04-22T00:16:00.006-05:00

We have found a toy that Sebastian played with for hours and hours. I kid you not, this toy kept him entertain for a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong time!!! It was really cute to watch him play because the look on his face was just priceless . . . . . . it was a concentration/thinking look as he strategized which tunnel to use! He had FUN playing with it, as long as, sister did not touch it or pull the parts apart!

Spring is in the air!!

2008-04-22T00:14:00.000-05:00

Spring has finally arrived in good ol' Marion. It was 72 degrees this past Sunday! I have never seen sooo people out and about since I've been here . . . . everybody and I mean, EVERYBODY was out!! It was like a spring kick-off party because the streets were filled with people. You had kids out and having FUN and you had the adults, cleaning the garage and taking out the outdoor goods, and of course, every other house had someone working on the yard. We were one of those people because Bac was out doing yard work, I was cleaning the garage, and the kids, well . . . . playing on whatever they can get their hands on :o)

The people here sure was not kidding around when they say things grow pretty quickly around here. Just about 5 weeks ago, everything was brown . . . so not pretty after the snow melted away. But now . . . . everywhere you go, it's nice and green. The grass is green and the trees are starting to bloom. Definitely Spring-like!!

With the weather being so nice and warm, Alerina finally got to wear her new espadrilles.

We are Best of Friends :o)

2008-03-21T20:43:00.005-05:00

Cost of Glider/Stool: $150

Cost of raising a kid: $$$

Cost of your kid hanging/wrestling on you while you're watching TV: PRICELESS

Can you guess which one is the real Monchichi???

2008-03-21T11:35:00.003-05:00

Hee . . . Hee . . Heee :o)

As the snow melts away . . . .

2008-03-21T09:48:00.007-05:00

. . . . . . . we go out to play!!! It's been soooooooo nice and warm lately. The sun is out, the snow is starting to melt away, kids are out riding their bikes, people out walking, running, walking their dogs . . . . what a difference in the weather. We've had temperatures in the 50's lately and it's been GREAT!!! Love having the sun out . . . it makes going out much, much easier. Don't have to bundle up as much and we can stay out a little bit longer. Here are some pics of the kids out and about enjoying the warm weather!

Welcome Wesley Spencer Maradiaga!

2008-03-17T16:13:00.007-05:00

Information on the new baby boy:

Full Name : Wesley Spencer Maradiaga
DOB : March 16, 2008
Time of Birth: 2:25 PM
Birth weight : 6lbs. 6 oz.
Length : 19 inches

Congratulations, Sheila, David, and Kayleen on your new addition to the family!!! He's so CUTE!

Kids at play . . . . indoors, of course . . . it's too brrr outside!!

2008-02-28T07:10:00.006-06:00

Alerina got a brand new Do . . . .

2008-02-27T19:51:00.009-06:00

Alerina's hair was getting on the shaggy-side so we had to trim the bangs a tad bit. So, 2 days ago we decided to cut her hair. Bac did the cutting part, I did the holding-her-down and entertaining part. Everytime Bac tried to cut, her eyes would follow the scissors. As you can see, the result of her moving too much . . . . is . . . . . well . . . a crooked haircut.

But, don't worry, our sweet little Alerina, you're still cute in our eyes no matter how funny (or Baby-Spock-look-a-like . . . . "Live Long & Prosper") your hair looks!

Before the cut:

After the cut:

More pictures of the house

2008-02-24T06:56:00.008-06:00

CA = Fun in the Sun . . . IA= Fun in the Snow

2008-02-23T20:32:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was a fairly warm day (~30 degrees) so we got to play outside. It's funny for me to say "warm" when it was only 30 degrees out because back in CA when it's around 50 degrees I am cold and I would be all bundled up! But here, I was out in just a sweatshirt with my snow bib and I was fine. Don't get me wrong . . . it was still cold out but not as cold as in negative temperatures or in the single digit temperatures. So . . . . . once you're acclimated . . . . anything above 30 degrees is a good, warm, going out and playing day!!!

It's been sunny the past 3 days so some of the snow has started to melt . . . but that didn't stop us from sledding down the little hill and enjoying the "warm" weather. The kids had fun and Sebastian made 3 friends from the house behind ours. The kids just LOVE it when it's warm out :o)

Tons & Tons of Snow

2008-02-20T08:17:00.009-06:00

We got hit pretty bad this week with 2 snowstorm. On Wednesday, we got 11 inches of snow and on Sunday, we got 6 inches of snow. It was pretty to see the snow falling all day long but . . . . boy, oh boy, did Bac had FUN shoveling snow!! Thank goodness for neighborly-neighbors to help shovel the snow. Bac helped them out. They helped him out. It's soooo refreshing to have nice neighbors around.

While Bac shoveled snow, Alerina and I tried playing in the snow . . . . it was COLD-COLD-COLD but Alerina didn't seem to mind it very much. She was having too much FUN!!! Sebastian, on the other hand, was inside . . . where we should have been :o).

Normally, Cedar Rapid gets about 12 inches of snow per season. This season (our first snow season ever!!) is going on record as number 6 (55.9 inches so far) as being heavy snowstorm since the 1940's. We have about 6 more weeks of winter weather to go . . . . . . we'll see what number on the record scale we'll be by then. In the meantime, we're staying warm and cozy indoors!

Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-02-07T13:42:00.001-06:00

Wishing you and your family a Happy and Prosperous New Year of the Rat!

Family Reunion :o)

2008-01-30T20:02:00.000-06:00

It's been ages since my family all got together. The last time was when I was pregnant with Alerina. So . . . . . of course, we HAD to take an updated family picture when we all got together couple of weeks ago! It's amazing to see how the kids have grown!

Year - 2006:

Year - 2008:

Our New Home . . . .

2008-01-29T12:15:00.000-06:00

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

2008-01-26T17:54:00.000-06:00

We got to Cedar Rapids on the Thursday, January 3. My parents got to Cedar Rapids on Friday, January 4 at 3 o' clock. By the time they got to the apartment we were renting it was 3:30. We had an appointment to see a house at 4:00 so we rushed them to come with us to see the house. When we got to the house, my parent wondered why we wanted to see the house that was already sold. Well, we told them we wanted them to see the layout of the house. After an hour of walking around in the house, we finally told them our news . . . Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! It was us who bought the house!!! My parents had a no clue . . . even after an hour of chit-chatting with the agent . . . they still had no clue . . . they thought we were just trying to get informations and prices. They were shocked beyond shocked!!! Anyways, on January 7, we closed escrow on our very own house!!! It was an unbelievable day as we signed papers and got the key to the house!!!

The next day (Jan. 8) was an exciting/busy day because the movers came with our stuff that morning and that night we got to unpack stuff and slept in our house for the very first time.

Back to the Surprise . . . . . . . . still at this point no one knew we bought a house. On January 9, my sister and her boyfriend came to visit us and they found out as they were brought to a new house rather than an apartment. That night, my brother and his family came and again they found out then. It was exciting surprising them with our little surprise :o) - hee . . . hee . . . hee!

Anyways, it all started back in October when we visited Iowa, we looked at houses and fell in love with this particular house. In November, we made an offer and our offer was accepted. We were way beyond EXCITED!!!!! We wanted to spread the news but felt we should wait till we closed escrow to spread the good news.

To me, our house is our DREAM HOME! It's what I've always wanted in a home and more. It's a brand new house, it has 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 bath, a den/scrapbook room, a stainless steel kitchen with an island, a deck outside the kitchen, a walkout basement, my very own walk-in closet, a beautiful view all around the house, a 3 car garage, a kid's toy pantry, a 800 square foot of storage room/game room and just tons and tons of space. It's in newly developed quiet neighborhood and throughout the house, there are big, big windows where you can look out and enjoy the view! Let's just say . . . . I LOVE IT!!!!

2008-01-25T10:24:00.000-06:00

Hi there! First time blogger here. I never felt the need to blog till recently. I moved to Iowa from sunny California just under a month ago. My husband, my kids, and I moved here because of my husband's job.

Let's back up a little and let you know a little about myself before all of this . . . . . I was born in Germany but grew up in good ol' L.A. I went to elementary school, junior high, high school, and even college in the valley. I lived in the valley for 25 years of my life!!! I know the area, the roads, and the surroundings in the back of my head.

My husband and I were married back in 2003 and living with my mom and sister. We had our first son in 2004. Went to Ohio to visit my brother's family in 2005 and fell in love with the lifestyle they had. It was very, very different than L.A.'s lifestyle. Back in Ohio it was a family-oriented community . . . you felt safe to have your kid's out and about playing in the front yard . . . the people was genuinely nice . . . it was a slower pace of life . . . you get to focus on what's important in life, which to us was our son. After that trip, my husband and I knew that was the "perfect" lifestyle we wanted.

In 2006 my daughter was born. 3 years gone by since we've been married and still living with my mom and sister and still dreaming of that "perfect" lifestyle. While I was on maternity-leave with my daughter, I received news that my department was closing so . . . . I was laid-off from my job and my husband and I decided to use the opportunity for me to stay-at-home with the kids. In the summer of 2007, my husband came home from work and ask me what I thought of Iowa? Well, to be honest . . . I don't think of the state Iowa. I don't lose sleep over it and I really don't think of it. Let's just say after that question, I did think of it because my husband had an opportunity to transfer job there. The thought of moving to a state that we've never been to was beyond scary and crazy I thought. I did my research and was open-minded that it would be a great move for us, raise our family there, a slower-pace of lifestyle (crossing my fingers at that time!) . . . . just what we've always wanted. In October of 2007, the whole family visited Iowa for the very first time. We there for only 5 whole days and we fell in love with the place. It was like Ohio but quieter and much, much slooooooooooooooooower!!!

In the beginning of 2008, we left good ol' fast-paced, overly-crowded, always traffic, sunny-warm L.A. to start our new life in quiet, slower-paced, family-oriented, five-season Iowa.

At the present moment, we are playing indoors. Actually we are mostly indoors since we've moved here because it is COLD-COLD-COLD outside. It is heavily snowing at the moment with a temperature of 11 degrees out. See what I mean by . . . . . COLD-COLD-COLD!!!!

With being indoors alot, I'm hoping to get alot of unpacking done, catch up on my scrapbooking and maybe crochet here and there . . . but with the kid's it's sort of tough . . . . my days are pack with their daily routine schedule so hopefully when I get a moment or two in between of their naps :o) . . . . . I will blog some more . . . till then!