Inspiration For Today

I got this in a forwarded e-mail from a friend today. I was touched. Click here to see how God changes lives: Cardboard Testimonies

Is It Laundry Day Again Already?

I tell ya, if I ever got the chance to design my own home, there would be some pretty specific plans. Sure I would have ideas about a Master Suite and a swimming pool for our little Phoebe fish. More importantly, I would include one very large laundry room...equipped with lots of shelves and dual washers and dryers. AND a huge walk-in-closet! The clothes we wear most could go straight from the dryer to the hanger. Brilliant, I know. Xee thinks we should also have a laundry shute. Heck, throw in a maid and I am all set!

So here I am doing our weekly loads and as usual, I had just finished putting away the clean clothes when the dirty piles snuck up on me again. And there are only three of us! Must be all of those beach towels...now you're really feeling sorry for me, huh?

By the way, doesn't this lady look so pleasant? What is her secret anyway? She must eat A LOT of chocolate!

Continued...

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We just like to be with each other. We can watch a movie at home, sit quietly and read together on our linai, or watch the sun go down at the beach. We have always enjoyed one another's company... everything in life is better when we share the experiece. Now that I think about it, and it is the coolest thing, I realize that we have tried lots of things for the first time, side by side. One thing that has always been a common interest is physical fitness. We like to take hikes or kyak, do Pilate's, etc. When we had more free time together (before starting a family) we went to the gym a lot. We mostly did our own thing, but I never grew tired of checking him out from across the room!


12. Do you have children? One very amazing Phoebe. We are hoping to have at least one more child, Lord willing.


13. Does he have hidden talents? He does some pretty impressive origami, and he is known to juggle from time to time. Some people don't know that he was a cheer leader in college...it was a way to meet girls at first, but he was really good! Also, he can recite just about every scene from Forest Gump.


14. How old is he? He just turned 34 on New Year's Day. Oh boy, I am not far behind him...we are rapidly approaching that hill.


15. Who said I love you first? Well, early on in our relationship I mouthed it to him after he fell asleep in my lap. I don't know if that counts, but I was falling so quickly in love with him, yet a little too overwhelmed to say it out loud. He was first to profess his love to me. I only remember this because he also later said, "Just remember who said it first." After eight years of marriage, we still say it every day and we have little symbolic ways of saying it too. It's a little silly, but whenever one of us puts toothpaste on the other's toothbrush...we know it translates, "I love you."


16. His favorite music? On our first date it was clear that this boy liked Country. He has a big heart and he loves those big-hearted Country folk. He also loves Praise and Worship music. His favorite instrument is the cello. And his all-time favorite band is Bon Jovi. Okay, his music taste is pretty varied. I love to listen to him sing in the shower.


17. What do you admire most about him? Hmmm. Him. I admire him. I love that he gets choked up over touching movies (and commercials), that he makes me laugh so hard I think I might pee, that he was the first true gentleman in my life. I love that he is the only other person on the planet who loves Phoebe as I do. I love knowing that the security I feel as his partner and friend is not just for a season, but for a lifetime. And when I get a case of the crazies, as we mommies do, he assures me that he loves me anyway. Ah...true love.


18. What is his favorite color? Blue


19. Will he read this? Yeah, he knows I am writing about him right now.


20. Who do you tag? A few of my friends who blog have already done this, but anyone who hasn't, you're IT!

He's MINE!

The Tea Party Place is playing a little game of tag and I'm it. So here is the scoop on Xee:

1. Where did you meet your husband? This will have to be a detailed answer. The summer before my Freshman year, my mom and I went to SPOP (Student Parent Orientation Program) at the dorms. I got paired in a dorm room with another student for the weekend. A couple months later when school started, I ran into her and we hung out quite a bit. Xee lived in her dorm building. We got introduced in passing...I never would have guessed he was going to be "the one". He and I were acquaintances for many years (five actually) before we fell in love. I'm no longer friends with that girl, but I guess I have her to thank for introducing me to my husband.

2. How long have you been married? It will be nine years July 16. We have always said that we would renew our vows for our ten year anniversary. I can't wait!

3. How long did you date? Almost two years by the time we could manage the wedding plans...but we knew right away that this was it. We talked about our future kids within weeks of dating. It was so crazy...and so amazing.

4. What does he do that surprises you? On the rare occasion that Xee pulls off a surprise, that is a surprise in itself. He's horrible at them. Poor guy tries, but often blurts it out along with something like, "I wanted to surprise you, but...." It drives me crazy, but it is also one of the most endearing qualities about him. He just can't keep it to himself. So while big surprises are rare, he often catches me off guard with love notes and other little things.

5. What is your favorite feature of his? Oooh. Well, I love his smile. He has great lips. But what really stopped me in my tracks were his legs-they're hot. And sadly, much of the time they are much smoother than mine!

6. What is his best quality? He has so many wonderful qualities. Xee is a man of integrity. He is kind and generous and true. I guess his best quality is that he is faithful. He follows through. Anyone who knows him would agree that he has an amazing work ethic. He shows up and gives it everything he has.

7. Does he have a nick name for you? We call each other by many. It is almost weird to hear my first name come out of his mouth...either he really needs my attention or I am in trouble. Anyway, I think my favorite nick name is Love.

8. What is his favorite food? Are chilies a food? The man will put chilies on anything. Or just dip them in salt and eat them by themselves. The first several years of our marriage, I often ate toast or cereal for dinner after taking one bite of something he had prepared. He would reply, "But I only used three this time." It's the quality Honey, not the quantity.

9. What is his favorite sport? He likes lots of sports and is very athletic. He plays basketball and flag football when he gets the chance and will watch just about any pro sport on TV. But the winner, hands-down, is Beach Volleyball.

10.When and where was your first kiss? The day after our first date we got together and stayed up all night talking. We ended up on a bench overlooking Corona Del Mar in Newport, CA. He was mid-sentence and I just couldn't take it anymore. I had to kiss him!

more to come...it's bedtime.

Down Comes the Tree

Today I finished taking down Christmas...yes, I know what today's date is! This is kind of typical for us. We like to let in linger...and linger. And now the house feels so simple. A little bare without it's festive attire. Funny. Christmas will be here once more before I know it. And the not so funny thing, is that I hadn't quite gotten around to organizing the boxes of decorations in the garage from last year when this year snuck up on me. At least I knew exactly where to find them! Maybe we will get around to the garage this year. Hmmm.....not so sure about that.

The Buzz of Our Busy Little Bee

Phoebe tries out her first pair of skates!!

(an activity that requires both parents to assist)

Phoebe and Kate...whom she totally wants to be "just like".
Slow down, would ya Phoebe? Don't turn eight just yet.

When her little legs just wouldn't go anymore.

Phoebe at The Discovery Center...plotting her next move.

"That will be $2.00 please..."



"Here is your change."


















"I doing my job Mama."



Gone Fishin'

We love the new "modern art" we chose for this wall. After I told my mom that I had framed some of Phoebe's artwork, she insisted I post it on the blog so she could take a peek...love how these frames give them a stream-lined gallery look. What do you think, Mom?

Tango for Three

The other day we were in the car heading to church. I was driving and Xee was in the back entertaining Phoebe. At one point she asked him if she could have his ring. As she tugged on his wedding band he said, "It is much too big for you."

"But I want it," she said. Daddy said ,"No. Sorry, you can't have it."

"Why you have this ring? Why?"

I interjected, "Because it shows that Daddy and Mommy are married."

"Oh, mawwied. Hmmm. Daddy dances with Mommy?......You dance wiff eachodder?

We both started to laugh. "Well...yeah, Phoebe. That is exactly right. This is a bit of a dance."

Funny...and insightful words from our two-year-old. And very true indeed.

Embracing the Chaos

A girlfriend recently asked my how I am liking motherhood. Well, I absolutely love it. If you read my blog you know how smitten I am with my daughter. She ROCKS my world...in many ways. The thing is, I would be lying if I said that mommyhood always brings out the best in me. There are many moments that I don't recognize myself. At times I am really tired of hearing the sound of my own voice...can anybody relate? And if I am being brutally honest, there are moments I don't really like me either.

When I got pregnant I had no idea just how much this gig was going to stretch me. So Laurel, to answer your question I will quote your eloquent words - "...motherhood is more like a symphony of chaos and low notes punctuated with highlights of brightness." It is not an occupation or a vocation. It is a calling. And one that humbles and challenges and uplifts and amuses me to the very core. There are feelings of conviction and frequent prayers. But I laugh more than ever and I am looking at life with fresh perspective...through the eyes of my child. It is an amazing journey.

At the end of the day, when there's a kiddy show theme song stuck in my head, and I smell kind of weird, toys have exploded throughout the house, and there is blue play dough under my nails, I wouldn't swap lives with anyone for the world. Sure, my laundry room resonates a locker room stench while that ring in the toilet continues to taunt me, and we are all having chicken dinosaur nuggets for dinner...but I just can't imagine being anywhere but here. Because my life is so darn wonderful. I am truly blessed and thankfully, there is an abundance of grace!

Sparkler Fun

It is not an exaggeration to say that people in Hawaii are totally obsessed with fireworks. Any excuse to set them off is welcome. In fact, we hear random explosions coming from a neighborhood a few blocks behind our community just about every other day. New Year's Eve here is like the Fourth of July. The legal, and not so legal lights in the sky start up just before sunset and last till after midnight. The air is so incredibly thick and smokey and it literally sounds like an old war film.

Phoebe was so enthralled (and somewhat frightened) and just had to join in the fun. She loves to do sparklers with her daddy. Here are a few highlights from her very exciting New Year's Eve celebration. For the first time in several years Xee and I both managed to last till midnight. We took turns popping over to a friend's to wish our neighbors well, since Phoebe was asleep by nine o'clock. Then we enjoyed a fantastic fireworks display at midnight in our jammies from our upstairs lanai, where we toasted some fine sparkling cider and then headed off to bed.

Happy New Year

Here's to a new year - May we all do better...be better...offer kindness to one another. May we learn to walk in love. Cheers!