JOYrevisited

Priceless

2011-12-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

After a long, hard day, I was awarded this moment:

They were huddled together on Abigail's bunk as I took this stealth photo courtesy of a telephoto lens.

I may or may not have fought back a few tears. :)

They were reading a Caillou book together, to assuage Alyssa's newfound obsession with the whiny, yet endearing character.

My helpers

2011-12-09T11:55:00.001-08:00

My daily sacred work involves a lot of repetition. Diaper changes, packing lunches, teaching the ABCs... laundry in, laundry out. Dishes in, dishes out. It's so easy to morph into a grump and forget just why I do what I do.

Well, thank goodness that the very little ones whose hands could single-handedly dismantle the homeschool room in mere seconds are starting to enjoy assisting me with the aforementioned duties. It's really fun to do things together.

Case in point: dishes!

After I remove knives and chopsticks, Alyssa slowly empties the utensil caddy in the dishwasher and hands the utensils to Abigail.

Little Alyssa gets a bit pushy at times, as if she's the one in charge.

"Ah dunnnnn (all done)," she declares.

While they're busy with the utensils, I quickly put everything else away. It keeps them occupied and focused, which equates to a good routine. They feel so empowered by this small thing too.

I'm glad they're so helpful - there will be a bit more to do once the baby comes!

The aroma of baking fills the air

2011-12-09T11:42:00.001-08:00

Sweet...

and savory!

My husband makes his apple pie without a recipe, so there isn't a recipe to refer you to, but the "Quick and Easy" breadsticks are definitely worthy of sharing - here is the recipe for it if you'd like. The breadsticks freeze well too, so make two batches! I used cheddar because that's all I had in the house. Be sure to be generous when sprinkling on the cheese and garlic spread.

Photo sessions aplenty

2011-12-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

It is true that one of the busiest times of the year for photographers is the fall season.

Take a peek at my latest on my photography blog:

My girls and me, 5K style

2011-11-27T22:05:00.001-08:00

Too much tomato pasta and I dropped off blogland. Actually, tryptophan-induced gluttony has gotten the best of me as of late, but that's another post. :)

One event my girls and I have not missed the last five years is the the nation's largest 5K for women. The first year was in 2007, with 4-year-old Amanda and a 7-month-old Abigail, and Amanda walked with me while I toted Abigail in a Bjorn. Read about our first foray here:

In 2008 - read about our second year here:

In 2009, I made the mistake of emptying out my memory card without fetching the 5K photos. What's worse is that I never wrote down the memories. Oh well....

In 2010, I was but 2-1/2 months postpartum when the girls and I walked again:

Again, I didn't write down the memories!

So here I am, a few months behind, making sure that blogland knows I've taken photos AND written the account down for year number five!

::2011 5K::

With three little ones and their items to keep track of, I made sure to lay out all of our uniforms the night prior.

The morning of, we were up at an ungodly hour to get going - see how dark it is still?

Here we are ready to go, all five of us (there's one nestled in my belly!):

We met up with our good friends, Julie and Brooke, and we happily bugged other 5Kers for a group photo:

Amanda sure had fun having a friend with her! Plus, I got smart (after several years of doing this) and signed up for the stroller wave, so my girls didn't have to endure looking at other ladies' backsides and legs for the opening ceremony.

Abby and Alyssa had the luxury of a stroller ride the entire time. Amanda was walking the entire thing at Abby's age!

It was a gorgeous day with no rain in sight. Julie and I had a lovely time chatting the whole way. It didn't feel like 5 kilometers at all! Even though this was Julie and Brooke's first 5K, you never would have known.

The finish line photo:

We all sat down and wolfed down our finish line breakfast!

Looking onward to next year's event! With four kids in tow....

Roasted tomato pasta

2011-09-05T22:03:00.000-07:00

If your garden's bounty has you knee deep in tomatoes, you can understand the challenge I face everyday.

It's a good problem, of course, with some good solutions too, I'm finding out. I was particularly inspired by Prudent Baby.

One such solution is this roasted tomato pasta. Yum factor is extremely high, and the smell-o-meter is off the charts grand. It was thrown together for an impromptu meal with a good friend.

Alas, my dark kitchen doesn't produce photos that do this dish justice, but you get the picture (I'm so punny).

The trick is to slow roast your tomatoes. I used beefsteak, roma, and pear tomatoes, because that's what I have. Each imparts a subtly different aura that harmonizes well.

Cut up the tomatoes so they're half inch cubes. I used enough tomatoes to fill a baking sheet, because I wanted to make enough for eight servings.

Add salt and pepper to taste, then add your desired amount of garlic. I used the garlic juice from this Costco monstrosity:

Drizzle a good amount of extra virgin olive oil on the tomatoes, and toss them to coat evenly.

In goes the baking sheet into an oven preheated at 225. Roasting time will be between 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours. Trust me, it is worth the time.

During the last 20 minutes of the roasting time, boil your linguine noodles, and lightly salt and drizzle some olive oil. They should finish right around the time the tomatoes are ready and they look like this:

Take a silcone spoon scraper and release all the good bits:

Set aside in a bowl.

Take your noodles and run them against the baking sheet so as to pick up every bit of the pan juices. Add more olive oil as needed. Then add the roasted tomatoes back into the noodles.

Top with basil and serve.

Heather's Roasted Tomato Pasta
Serves 8

-fresh tomatoes (I used three kinds: beefsteak, roma, and pear tomatoes)
-extra virgin olive oil
-minced garlic (I used garlic juice)
-sea salt and pepper to taste
-prepared linguine noodles

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
2. Wash and cut up tomatoes into half inch cubes. Transfer them onto a baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Drizzle liberally with extra virgin olive oil, giving a good toss to coat evenly.
4. Into the oven it goes for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours.
5. During the last 20 minutes of the roasting time, prepare the linguine noodles, timing it to finish with the tomatoes. Lightly salt and drizzle a bit of olive oil.
6. Pull out the roasted tomatoes and release the softened bits with a silicone spoon scraper. Set aside in a bowl.
7. Run the noodles against the baking sheet so as to pick up every bit of the pan juices. Add more olive oil as needed. Then add the roasted tomatoes back into the noodles.
8. Serve as is, or add basil and/or fresh mozzarella to kick it up a notch or two.

Enjoy!

Great reminder

2011-06-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

It's easy to lose the way sometimes... thinking that a parent's chief role is to get a child to the best college --> to get the best career --> to make lots of money. I am totally guilty of this myopia.

This dad in the following video remembered to shepherd his daughter's HEART.

I needed this - thank you.

Right now

2011-06-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

1) Older two girls in Vacation Bible School
2) Alyssa fills the room with her zzzzzz's - the girl can snore!
3) About to tackle the mountain of laundry
4) Wondering how in the world I can put #3 off longer, grin
5) Grateful to have gotten Mandy and Kevin's photo session blogged

(Click on image to view)

6) ~~Procrastinating~~ Strategizing about getting faux curtains up in the family room this week
7) Thinking about all the changes coming down the pike for our little family

8) Choosing peace over worry...

...and curiously enough, joy comes to surprise me!

Surprises in the mail

2011-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

A package arrived in the mail unexpectedly, and the contents spilled out to high-pitched squeals of delight... decibels only my girls can emit:

Hello Kitty goodies for Amanda!

And Pillow Pets for each of the girls? Wow!

Alyssa was too busy drooling on her favorite toy-of-the-moment to participate in the next photo, but she loves her hippo too:

Thanks to my Amanda's penpal, also named Amanda, for the love you sent us. Let your mom know that she rocks. :) Love you guys.

The fun thing about this whole penpal relationship is that the penpal's mom and I have been friends since 6th/7th grade, and we recently "found" each other again through my dear, dear friend Julianne. Both Amandas are half-Korean too. Eek, I can't wait to have the penpals meet!

Penpal Amanda, you have a letter coming soon -

What a find -

2011-03-29T22:20:00.001-07:00

Look at this vision of beauty I picked up a few weeks ago for my Alyssa:

Isn't it just the most angelic Easter dress for the sweet Lulish?

The details grabbed me instantly:

The color is most consistent with the details photos. I'd call it blush pink.

Get this: I got it for pennies on the dollar, literally. How? I shop at a children's clothing consignment store, and it was listed at $6.99. Be still my beating heart. I just paid for tax after I used my trade-in credit. Moral of the story - don't poo poo consignment stores, because there are some gems in there for rock bottom prices.

A similar dress is selling for $80 right now. {Doing the happy dance} My girls and I love our consignment store clothing. Especially when they're as cute as this blush pink dress.

What thrifty finds make your heart go pitter patter? :)

Oh no, she's snapping!

2011-03-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, snapping a shot with a camera, that is. :) At least that's what it was yesterday anyway, heh heh.

(click on image to see more)

I'm glad to be back at the helm again.

Busy with school

2011-03-11T06:34:00.000-08:00

We finally have a pretty good homeschooling schedule at the Lee household! Hurray! It only took, what, six months? {grin} Much of it had to do with the fact that homeschooling intersected with two major life events: the birth of Alyssa and the death of Ron's father. But some of it was due to the lack of a dedicated schooling area in the house. We've since fixed that issue. I'll share pics of that soon.

Here's a video that Amanda and her dear friend Emma made on water conservation. Call me biased, but I think they're so cute in it. {Make sure to play it on the highest resolution your internet connection can take, since it's a high-def video}

***

Pray for the Japanese....

Revisiting the joy

2011-01-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you, wherever you may be.

It was a powerful experience to recount the events of 2010 as I put together our annual card. Moments of strength, of weakness, of many tears and laughter. We are extremely grateful for each one.

I do have some resolutions tucked away in my heart for this year, but the most prominent of them is to "lessen". Lessen the clutter, lessen the commitments, lessen the stress, lessen the "hurry up!" that I tend to insert after each pointed directive at the kids. So that in 2011 I can feel, hear, touch, share life in deeper ways.

In joy, for joy, because of joy....

The little joys of life

2010-12-25T14:45:00.000-08:00

Every year at our church, the Sunday School kids perform a Christmas dance and bring the house down. Here's a clip of the joyous shakin' my girls and some of the crew did at a Christmas party - they're both standing in the front. Be sure to notice 1:39, where Abigail disappears... so classic Abby! She falls and shuts down, heh heh heh.

Merry Christmas, my dear family and friends.

Grateful for . . .

2010-11-25T22:51:00.000-08:00

- Mighty Wings under whose shadow I daily take refuge (this figurine atop my desk reminds me of this:)

- the ten years of "I do" we have spun into a warm family
- a beloved father/father-in-law/grandpa whose life was placed into the eternal arms of the Lord
- three pink and purple balls of energy we tuck into arms and hearts; their names are Amanda, Abigail, Alyssa
- homeschooling days both productive and trying (I'm finding out both are precious)
- a three-year-old's sweet little scrawls

- friends that refuse to let me sink into the hard days - get up and thrive, they say
- a cozy bed to tumble into at day's end, even if some wee stowaways find their way into it in the darkness (good thing it's large enough)
- a piping hot shower with my favorite peppermint body wash
- the talents of a great hairstylist that can do wonders for a gal with postpartum hair loss

My latest project - 9 months in the making

2010-07-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

Tap, tap, tap - anybody home?

I thought I'd show you the latest object of our affection:

Meet Alyssa!

We are in love. How did I ever live without her?

Don't let this photo fool you - I'm on a constant vigil near Alyssa to make sure that loving hugs and kisses from big sisters don't turn into full out mauling! If she can survive her sisters, she's going to be a tough little thing. :)

Life gave me lemons

2010-05-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

But not in the way you'd think.

Like in fresh-off-the-tree Meyer lemons from California. One of my dearest friends that I've known for 25+ years scoured the Bay Area to pacify this pregnant craving of mine. Picture it: She and her sweet husband get off the plane and almost immediately hand me this Ziploc bag full of sunshine. Oh, I could've cried. If you've never tried lemonade with fresh lemons... run, don't walk, to get your hands on them. Store bought lemons are not even comparable, actually. They have a vibrant, flowery undertone to them that's hard to embody in words. My hands smelled heavenly for hours after making the lemonade. And boy did I make my family ration it!

Yum. For the lemonade recipe (via allrecipes.com):

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice

Directions
1.In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
2.Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

Heather's revisions:
Since Meyer lemons have a sweeter, less tart flavor to them, I opted to go for 1-1/4 cups white sugar and a dollop of honey instead, and it was still a bit sweet for my taste. Next time, I'll try either raw sugar, or all honey.

Julianne, thank you from the depths of my heart! Perhaps you'll be back for a marathon or two, wink wink? At least to be lavished with compliments from a certain seven and three-year-old? To quote Abigail: "Suyon Emo (Aunt Julianne) wif the pwetty face gived me a pwesent."

Giver of strength

2010-05-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

::On strength::

I admit - I don't feel much strength these days lugging my heavy body around during this last trimester of Little Peanut's life in utero. Couple this fact with a pretty whopping sinus infection and there you have my current life in a nutshell.

Except, this set of circumstances is not how I will choose to define myself. On this beautiful Mother's Day, as I reflect on the love and strength my own mother poured into me all these years, I identify with this fact:

A mother is a giver of strength.

One encouraging look across the school yard, and my Amanda lights up, excited to tell me about her day's events.

One grasp of the hand, and Abigail can endure the gaggle of dogs coming toward us (she's deathly afraid of dogs and cats).

One "How was you day", and my husband's heavy day falls off his shoulders one word at a time. Calm takes over his demeanor.

I cherish my role and marvel at the power I have been granted. May I proceed with wisdom.

Thank you, family, for the sweet card and pancake breakfast. The air is perfumed with the lovely scents from your efforts - bacon, batter, maple syrup. Never mind that Amanda accidentally poured two cups of maple syrup onto my pancakes. How'd you know I wanted my stack sickeningly sweet? :)

::How to catch up?::

I've stepped away from the blogging world for so long, with so much to report. I'll save the details for another time... I have some wonderful guests in town with us - more on that later too.

Until then, here's a photo of a precious friend and her daughters:

I'll be posting the rest of the photos from the session soon, Brenda!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the World Wide Web!

JOY

2010-04-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

Last Easter, I participated in a very touching performance that I want to share with you. The lyrics still stir my heart deeply.

The following is a very low-res video of the original group's performance (definitely not us, heh heh):

Thank you for the cross, Lord
Thank you for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace

Thank you for this love, Lord
Thank you for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace

Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious

High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

Have a wonderful day -

7 blissful years as Amanda's mom

2010-03-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Amanda,

7 years ago, you and I were born - you, with the soft cry and puffy eyes... and me, a nervous wreck of a new mother. I felt like I waited my whole life for us to emerge, instantly in love.

(5-week-old Amanda with Momma, Apr '03)

As delightful as motherhood is in itself, it is you that has made the journey meaningful.

(15 months old, Jun '04)

You inspire me to conquer my fears, both silly and substantial, because when I see you, I want to protect, cherish, nurture, and inspire you.

(3 years old, Sept '06)

(smitten big sister Amanda, Feb '07)

(At her first 5K, Sept '07 - mad at Mom for making her do this. But she really ended up enjoying it! The second year she was ticked at me too)

How thankful I am that God granted you to me. This I don't take lightly.

(At the OMSI, Aug '09)

I can't wait to see which mountains you scale in your lifetime. Happy birthday, my dear eldest daughter.

Sale over tonight? Man.

2010-03-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite digi-land haunts, ScrapArtist, has been holding a massive 30% March Madness sale that I've been wanting to share with my nearest and dearest, but alas I let my crazy schedule get the best of me.

The sadder thing is that one of my favorite designers of all times, Laurie Ann of Heaven's Gate Designs, has an additional 10% off coupon posted on her blog to use on top of the March Madness sale. Bummer. I hope at least some of you get to capitalize on this. At the very least, check out her designs here.

Abigail's Little Einsteins Party

2010-03-08T12:12:00.000-08:00

It was a no-brainer to celebrate Abigail's third birthday Little Einsteins style, as she could probably do all-weekend marathons watching the show if we let her. I'm not much into brand-theme party kits, so I tried to incorporate the spirit of the show without the commercialized feel by DIYing as much as possible. This really makes the cost low too.

{Invites}

Front

Inside

Back

Envelope

I kept the design very simple, using extracted images from a coloring book for characters and logoes. Please keep in mind that these are all copyrighted images, so tread with caution; I just used it for a small kid's party. There is no Little Einsteins font out in Internet Land, so I found a font that reminded me of the logo font and put a thick blue stroke over the yellow. I sized the invitation to fit some envelopes I bought on extreme clearance last year.

{Brunch menu}
Freshly made whole wheat waffles, thanks to chef Daddy
Bistro bacon
Mini quiche, broccoli and cheese
Huge veggie and fruit tray
Orange and apple juices
Cupcakes

{Decorations}

photos taken a day before the party

Nothing too fancy here - the main banner is just a paper bunting I made from cardstock that I purchased eons ago. The "Happy Birthday Abby" was printed out on regular copy paper, cut out, then taped on with double stick tape. Child-sized Ikea silverware, plates, and bowls contribute to the colorful nature of the environment.

{Favors}

for Abby's small friends

I loved the way the crayons turned out! I'll be sharing the crayon box template tomorrow - be on the look out for that. The local Dollar store had 8-count crayons in sets of 3.

And markers for Abby's older friends, aka older siblings of the small friends

Markers were also a dollar a pack. I replaced the insert with a personalized design.

I wanted to teach Abby to send thank you cards for the partygoers, so I made one that she could "write out" on her own. See her shaky outlines? I used the free font Print Dashed.

{Activities}

Art made by the children

We opened up the party with art time. The kids were given markers to draw on foiled wrapped cardboard - this was a hit! I'm glad we had plenty of extra boards, because most kids did at least two or three. More on this tomorrow-

making rain sticks with the kids

I took cardboard rolls off some gift wrap I have and cut them to 9" or so. Then I used my Xyron machine to make regular copy paper into sticker paper, and had the little kids color the paper. Adults helped peel the backing and adhere the decorated paper onto the rolls, and the older kids helped the younger kids add rice into the rolls. Adults helped tape the ends together with colored Duck Tape.

We used these to play along with the Little Einsteins Theme song, a CD I borrowed from the library.

"Guess the instrument" was another game we played. I played various instruments behind a screen and had the children take stabs at which instrument they thought was being played. Once the game was done, I laid out the instruments to let the children experiment with them.

After the party, one of the moms told me that her daughter now wants to take music lessons. Yay!

I revised an idea I got off the web search for game ideas and came up with this simple outdoor activity:

a very happy little birthday girl

The older kids were given chalk to draw fluffy clouds, and once that was done, the little kids were given little hula hoops they used as "Rocket". As you can see from the video, it was a great way to get their wiggles out after the indoor part of the party.

Opening gifts on the front porch - plenty of help from friends and big sis

Perhaps my favorite image of the whole party was taken after all the guests were gone:

Post party, and Abby hits the food AGAIN!

For some reason, I hear, "It's my party and I'll eat if I want to" playing in my mind when I view the photo....

Running alongside her growth

2010-02-19T01:18:00.000-08:00

Today is my Abby's birthday. And for some reason, I keep choking back tears. She's getting so big.

I'm proud of the spunky little girl she is. Yesterday, we had a funny little conversation. It was initiated because I accidentally scratched her with my ring while helping her put on her coat.

Mom: "Oh, ouch! I'm sorry I did that. It was an accident."
Abby: "You weally should be cayfow (careful)."
Mom: "I know."
Abby: "Mommies need to be gentow (gentle) with widdle gohs (little girls)."
Mom: "Yes, ma'am."

While I sat down to make a layout reflecting my jumbled feelings (lots of joy mixed in with the tears), I realize that I just need to run alongside my kids the best I can.

No doubt the hormones are doing a number on me. :)

We've all been quite busy with the birthday party preparations - more on that later!

Happy birthday, Abs!

Seeing London and France

2010-02-15T21:13:00.001-08:00

I ended up taking Abigail with me to my last prenantal appointment. She particularly enjoyed the requirement that I visit the ladies' room to, ahem, collect a urine sample. Enjoyed it so much so that she broke out in a boisterous, head-thrown-back heartfelt song:

"I see Wondon
I see Fwance
I see Mama's undowpants"
(repeat 23 times)

I came out of the bathroom to many smiling people.

That Abby.

(Images by FindStuff2 and CarolineAMarie via Photobucket)

Emerging from the morning sickness abyss

2010-02-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

One ginger step in front of another, I am finally shaking off the green cobwebs of morning sickness and reentering L I F E. Of course it's not quite over yet, but it's finally relegated to the late evening. {hurray!} Little Peanut seems to be doing well; we should be discovering whether boy or girl next month.

It's a good thing we are expecting Little Peanut, because it is so hard to resist the urge to snatch all the cute little wee ones that surround me in public places. Just one little sniff of the baby cranium? Please?

One of our church friends recently had a precious little girl, so I mustered up all my energy to entertain my creative side to make a little gift, that creative side that had all but shriveled up during my incarceration that was Morning Sickness. :)

Here it is, the sweet little diaper cake:

Detail shots:

This project was a joint venture with both my daughters, as they helped me roll up the diapers, helped with the photos, and "supervised". Amanda especially feels proud of her contribution. She said to no one in particular, "You can't even buy this in the store." Yep, I think she's caught the bug.

We'll be delivering the diaper cake some time this week - I hope they like it!

The annual gingerbread house event

2009-12-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, our annual gingerbread house making hoedown happens the day after Thanksgiving in the Lee household. This year we purchased two kits - one for each child - to preserve world peace, and also to allow creative license. Can you tell which reason was more pressing?

Once Mom and Dad relaxed about the potential messes and stopped fussing with paper towels and wet wipes, you could actually hear a pin drop for over an hour. An HOUR!

Abigail did surprisingly well with all the candy - only five pieces went in her mouth, and the decapitated gingerbread boy was fixed with icing:

Love how she tucks her legs under herself.

Amanda went to town on this, as she is now the third-year veteran gingerbread house maker:

Is that an anatomically correct gingerbread boy, or his collar? Hmm.

Keepin' it real - behold, the kitchen:

All in all, a fun tradition for the kids!

{happy}

2009-12-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

Yes, you guessed correctly. I've never been so happy to be this ill. Amanda and Abigail eagerly await their new sibling, due to debut mid-2010. One would think that the third time around, it's all old hat. But when the little Peanut waved an arm at us and wriggled around during the first ultrasound, I was wiping tears from my eyes. S/he already has my heart. Now, to get through the grueling ~~morning~~ all-day sickness with some semblance of grace... if you saw me picking up Amanda from school, you'd think I had a shriveled up twin! :) {small price to pay for the great gift within me}

Hoping, praying to get back to being wife/mom at full capacity again.

I haven't been able to do much with photo sessions, but I have posted some more from a recent wedding - click on the photo if you'd like to see more:

And check out my gymnast Abigail. I know, she's totally going to the Olympics! Bwahahaha:

9 years together

2009-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago today, we held hands and exchanged words laden with hopes and dreams, promising to honor and better one another. Words cemented in our hearts, at times burning with joy, and other times dim with the vulnerability of it all.

How those promises turned into a home with 2.5 precious children buzzing in our happy lives, is really all a mystery I never could have envisioned to be so sweet.

So, my dear best friend. Thank you for you. For us.

(Note to self: more photos of us, okay?)

What started out as potty training

2009-10-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Frequenters of this family blog are well aware of my joys and frustrations parenting a very willful toddler. Combine said toddler with the event of potty training, and you have another story to read!

Except this story isn't about how spicy/stubborn/unrelenting/obnoxious she is; between rushed runs to the potty chair, I discovered my daughter Abigail. The delightful, eager to please, calm, careful, joyful, quick-witted, articulate child that has been there all along.

Thanks to the advice of a good friend, I engaged in the 3 Day Potty Training Method, intent on getting Abigail off diapers. One of the main tenets of this method is that the guiding parent is required to give all his/her attention on the child for three days, eschewing any other activity until the child is done. Simple enough, right?

I couldn't believe how distracted I was the first few hours. And what was revealed to me during the entire 72-hour potty training vigil was not Abigail's strong will, but my overarching lack of attention on Abigail. Just Abigail.

I don't consider myself a bad parent. It has sure helped that my college major was child and adolescent development, coupled with my experience as a teacher, director, and assessor in early childhood programs. Once Ron and I decided that I would stay at home with Amanda, Amanda got the very best of two doting parents' attention.

Abigail's world has largely orbited around her sister's nurturing. I carted Abigail to all of Amanda's lessons and gymnastics. Abigail spent a lot of time learning that her sister is talented in many directions, especially when we started homeschooling Amanda. EVERYTHING focused on Amanda, and Abigail took a backseat.

But what's even more foolish was that I started a side business AND participated in creative teams at the same time as the homeschooling. And Abigail was almost forgotten except for her tenacious screaming to be heard. And in my distracted mind, I started classifying her as "difficult".

While I know that Abigail is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination (don't you remember who her mom is?), I sense that my unwillingness to quiet my life enough to enjoy her may have created more friction for this little one than necessary.

How do you begin to say sorry to a two-year-old for the last year's transgressions?

I will start by enjoying her tiny grape toes cradling her Dora pantied bum, letting her linger on my lap just a while longer, and thanking my Creator for another chance to be a better steward of what I've been gifted.

Love you, Abbers Stombers.

I'm still here!

2009-10-25T22:31:00.001-07:00

How does a month glide by so fast? Family is doing well, all things considered. We have so many things to share that sometimes it's not a reality to cram them all into one little blog.

Amanda's a happy clam in second grade. One of her closest friends is in the same homeroom, and well, that just makes for a lot of merriment for a second grader. Mom's busily attempting to keep making nutritious, fun, and yummy lunches - a tall order at times. As promised, I'll share photos and ideas some day. ;) Mondays I spend volunteering at Amanda's school, and she seems to like running up to me at random times and wave a chicken wing at me, with a cheerful, "Hi Mommy!" I treasure that expression of love.

Abigail is talking a lot. So much, that it can be classified as too much, heh heh heh. Her ideas have now materialized into a deafening crescendo. At times very joyfully, but other times in a heap of mad all over the floor. She is a passionate child that emotes quite a bit. And if this mom can pick and choose the battles a bit better, I think she would have less going on in the tantrum department. Sigh. She is a happy-go-lucky and intelligent girl; I'm working on bringing these attributes out to the forefront more.

I haven't been able to scrapbook in a long time, but this one really tumbled out of me; therapy in artform:

(click for credits)

Since I've come back from a Bay Area business trip, I have had fun post-processing photos. There are new sessions up on my photo blog if you'd like to see what I've been up to:

(click image to be whisked away to the photo blog!)

Aww, look at the time! Get to bed, young lady! Okay, off I go... more later.

Abigail's debut performance :)

2009-09-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

With Amanda off to second grade, Abigail constantly asks me, "Where Unni go?" (Unni means "big sister" in Korean). "She at sool," she answers herself.

I'm looking forward to spending some one-on-one with Abigail. She's beginning to show interest in learning; I love that she's bouncing around and punching the air as she rattles off her letter sounds. {I love this girl}

New beginnings

2009-09-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

This woman has entrusted her wedding memories to me. {Insert wobbly legs here} I pray I can do justice. Click on the image to peek at a few of her bridal shots.

And, my sweet Amanda is off to school tomorrow.

.
.
.

Yes, time to embrace new beginnings.

Like mother, like daughters

2009-09-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

(click image to enlarge - credits here)

This is one thing I'm glad I passed down to my girls. :) If you haven't noticed in the first photo, Abigail has adopted little binoculars as her "camwah".

The beautiful culinary lunch box experience - Research & Development phase

2009-08-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

I admit that I am a fanatic about everything I do. I want Amanda to have a filling, nutritious, and aesthetically pleasing lunch. So naturally, I've been scouring the 'net with a vengeance, looking for some ideas. Since you may be interested in creating good lunches for yourself or your young ones, I thought I'd share some of the links!

::Websites::
Sneak in Some Veggies at the Parents Magazine website

10 Creative Ideas for Packed Lunches at iVillage Parenting

From the Kraft Foods website (just wade through the plugs for their brand): MVP Lunches, Budget Lunches, Lunchbox Ideas

Nutritious Lunch Ideas, brought to you by Laptop Lunches. Amanda will be using this bento box system along with a thermos for hot foods, so I'll fill you in about the box as soon as she starts school.

Family Fun Magazine's A+ Lunches and Snacks

About.com's Everyday Menus: Packable Lunch

Food Network's Easy, Kid-Approved Lunch Recipes

::Books/miscellany::
The cool My Lunch Box: 50 Recipes for Kids to Take to School! by Hilary Karmilowicz

Lunch Boxes and Snacks: Over 120 healthy recipes from delicious sandwiches and salads to hot soups and sweet treats by Annabel Karmel

The Sneaky Chef by Missy Chase Lapine

As evidenced by the title of this post, there will be an R&D phase, followed by an Implementation phase, and concluded with the Analysis phase. I will start sharing photos and successes/mishaps in the Implementation phase. (This whole experience is more intriguing with fancy titles, no?)

Back from vacation

2009-08-24T00:49:00.000-07:00

We had fun. The weather was wonderful. Tax-free shopping was glorious. Food was so good that I overate myself into a gluttonous stupor one afternoon. But oh, what a way to go down! :) I'll be pouring over two 8 gigs memory cards' worth of photos this week - I am eager to share my photos of early morning low tide on the beach with you.

Now that most of the laundry is done and our lives are unpacked and unleashed back into the daily grind, my next quest is to compile some great recipes and ideas for my Amanda's lunch box before she heads off to school.

One thing I had Amanda try was this insalata caprese (stacked style), since I have a wealth of basil and tomatoes in my garden:

I love it. But Amanda? Not so much. Though she loved the tomato-basil-olive oil-salt-pepper taste combo, she didn't care for the fresh mozzarella.

If you have some tried and true recipes or lunchbox ideas, will you share them with me? I want her to really love her lunches.

***

And happy birthday to two very special people in my life: my childhood friend Julianne, who is again celebrating her 21st birthday (ahem), and my beloved nephew Elias, who just blew out two candles.

The big three-five and other happy times

2009-08-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

What a lovely birthday I had! Ron came home from a weeklong business trip just in time to be with us three ladies on my day. I tell you, I don't function at full power without my dear husband around, and neither do the girls. The girls and I made these itty bitty cupcakes that turned out perfectly imperfect... too much batter in the wee cups, and most of them spilled over. But no matter, because the lavender colored frosting we made to top them matched the lavender plant that a sweet friend of mine surprised me with. All morning, my siblings and Mom called to wish me a happy birthday, and a few dear friends that I don't have frequent contact with e-mailed me out of the blue. And, my sister-in-law sent a wonderful card with new photos of my beloved nephew.

T H A N K Y O U ! Each of you that took the time, you really filled me up.

See the pretty lavender? I'm smitten. And I *heart* the new and improved blue walls - but note to self: Self, please don't embark on big projects when your husband is out of town. You and your kids suffer because of them.

Recently, Amanda borrowed this library book about Helen Keller:

She deemed it one of the "best books of the world" and read it at least five times over. I jumped on her enthusiasm and borrowed another book about Helen Keller's teacher, Annie Sullivan:

It took us a month to get through, as we read only at bedtime each night. This book really cemented in both our minds the incredible resolve that Helen and Annie showed to overcome whatever obstacles that each dealt with. It gave us the opportunity to talk about how we want to proceed with our own lives. Amanda is busy spelling everything out using the ASL alphabet after reading the books. And she really enjoyed The Miracle Worker, Disney's remake of the story. It makes a big difference when learning can be tackled in multiple ways - through reading, doing, and watching.

Do you have any recommendations on which inspiring biography to tackle next?

And other happiness inducers: Our chrysalises have all revealed their breathtaking butterflies - we are proud of our five painted lady butterfly visitors. {The metamorphosis was amazing to behold}

Bwahaha!

2009-08-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

My Abigail is almost 2-1/2 years old, yet she has no interest in saying goodbye to her diapers. I've decided not to sweat it too much - but boy do those diapers get more "fragant" by the day. She's okay with peeing in the toilet, but she likes to hide and do numero dos in the diaper. Total TMI, I know.

I wanted to share this video I found at the Yahoo! Korea Children's site on the subject - silly Koreans! (I can say this, because I happen to be a silly Korean myself)

야후 ! 꾸러기 동요

꾸꾸야야의 응가 송 혼자서 응가, 응가해요 응가해요하나 둘 셋 끙끙끙 하나 둘 셋 으쌰..

Click on the button to begin the video - it's in Korean, but you'll get the theme right away. It's too funny! Someday my Abby will be completely toilet learned, right? Please tell me it will be so. Otherwise I should look into buying stock in Depends adult "undergarments".

My friend Denise says this is disturbing. :D

What we've been up to

2009-08-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you may visit my blog because of my digital and hybrid scrapbooking activities, and you're wondering where they've gone lately. I've put them aside for a while to focus on being with my little ones. One of them will be scooting off to second grade in a few weeks, and we're in a busy frenzy making some final summer memories together before ushering in the new school year.

Amanda was a Cloverbud this year in a local 4-H chapter. No, she didn't do any projects that involved livestock or farming, but she did get to enter her needlepoint projects and a cooking project.

I've been to the fair for several years, but until you have a child personally involved, it doesn't really come alive! The entire event was extremely impressive. Some of the greatest talents exhibited the fruits of their labor. One of our favorite exhibits was the rabbits! Look how absolutely adorable this one is:

Whenever I think of the fair, I think of extreme heat. This fair was no different with 100 degree temperatures the whole week. Amanda ran through the sprinklers courtesy of the local fire department:

I heard from a friend of mine that it was so hot that some of the rabbits died during the fair exhibition. Apparently, their owners didn't do enough to keep them cool. How sad.

We've been enjoying our vegetable garden's bounty, taking our snow peas, green beans, and zucchini and making drool-inducing stir fries with them. While we were harvesting our veggies the other day, a little friend dropped by:

The girls got tired of working, so they tumbled into a tickle fest in the grass. Of course the crazy photog mom grabbed the camera.

And thanks to friends who've shared their overflow, we have canned our own apricot jam for the first time ever (which was surprisingly easy), as well as make fresh cherry cobbler.

All in all, wonderful days spent well. I hope I can get back to some of the deferred hobbies soon, but most times, I really don't miss them so much. I guess it's because my favorite hobby I continue to nurture through my photography business.
Take a peek at my Photo Artistry blog if you get a chance:

Meet my nephew

2009-07-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Remember this little one? I want to share some photos of him - click on the photo below to view them on my Photo Artistry blog:

Since those photos were taken, his father (my brother, aka my BOTHER) tells me he's become a hulking lad with quite the good-sized noggin. Meh, don't worry. You grew into your gargantuan head eventually, right Bother?

A happy Tuesday

2009-06-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a day filled with gymnastics, Caillou, post-processing of photos, and a warm summer breeze to cool us off. Later on, we'll be heading off to swim lessons. I love days like this.

Speaking of relaxing, my favorite scent of the moment is lavender. I am thinking of flanking our home with lavender bushes, after a photo session I had this past weekend. Click on the photo to be whisked away for a peek. ;)

And an extremely belated congrats to Amanda for participating in an art contest. You can see her entry on this screenshot:

So proud of you, Pancakes!

Sunshine aplenty

2009-06-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Amanda leaned over to me and said: "Mommy, I love you so much. So much that I could put my love in a container bigger than the Pacific Ocean." Ah, that Amanda. She's just a handful of sunshine. (Flattery will get you many places, my daughter)

Welcome summer

2009-06-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge)

By Amanda

Today

2009-06-22T01:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thankful for the calm I feel in my heart -

for the precious little hands that bring color and vibrance to my world -

for the surprising emergence of a hobby that constantly reminds me to release the lifesong that rises in my spirit -

for a partner who understands the cadence of my footsteps here on this Earth and willingly matches his to it, all the while remembering to dance with his two little "Cinderellas" -

Today, I am thankful.

Sculpey is the new black

2009-06-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last summer, Amanda and I had the pleasure of spending a few days with our good friends, Julie and Brooke and their family. Julie is an amazing woman (and an amazing friend) that has homeschooled her children for a number of years - in fact, she gave me the courage to homeschool this year... let's just say that I owe a debt of gratitude to her.

Well, they happened to have something called Sculpey lying around, so we started playing with it - glorified Play Doh, I thought initially. NO. This stuff is amazing. We had so much fun (I had more fun than the kids) that I promptly went to the store after we got home and bought a pack.

The other night, we attended a nearly three-hour school meeting that was open to both parents and children. But this meeting was not for children. It's a good thing that I schlepped the Sculpey pack into my purse at the last minute or Amanda would have been so bored. She made twelve little items that we brought home and baked.

This is one of the little flowers she created:

Try this at home with your kids, and take some photos and share them with me! This is a great open-ended creative arts endeavor. Hope you have fun!

It's a photographer's paradise

2009-06-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

Tap, tap, tap. Hi! We're back. The work reports are finally completed, we came back from a whirlwind visit to the Bay Area, and I have a gazillion photos to prove it. San Francisco was shrouded in its usual gray blanket of fog, but it didn't faze me. 6 days just flew by, and again, I didn't get a chance to touch base with everyone whom I intended to do so. Please forgive me!

Since I'm still in post-process phase with many of the photos, you can take a peek at a family session I did at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek, CA, in the meantime:

I am now based in the greater Boise area as well as the San Francisco Bay Area, so if you or someone you know is interested in portraiture in either areas, send them my way!

A reminder for romance

2009-05-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

I encountered this winsome couple a few evenings ago while photographing my girls in the front yard:

Just another little reminder to nurture my husband and our marriage. It's so easy to wholly focus on the children. Talk about them, talk through them.

"The most important thing
a mother can do
for her children
is love their father."

The above quote is an adaptation of Theodore Hesburgh's wise words:

"The most important thing
a father can do
for his children
is love their mother."

Brings me back to a layout I made some time ago:

Having such a tremendous person at my side to grow with is a true blessing.

Thank you for today's message, ladybug couple.

Class of 2009

2009-05-19T22:30:00.001-07:00

All of a sudden the 2009 in the title reminds me of the anxiety-ridden world as we all awaited 2YK... I went and bought a ton of bottled water and duct tape to prepare for the impending cataclysmic events.

Bwahahaha! (I ended up drinking all of the water, and said duct tape rolls still live in the dark recesses of my parents' home)

We made it through 2000 okay. We are now half way through 2009, ladies and gentlemen!

Take a peek at my photography blog to see some photos from the latest photo shoot - two members of the Class of 2009.

I graduated in 1993. Wow, I won't even go there.

Worthwhile

2009-05-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you for a wonderful year of homeschooling, Amanda. But who was the student, you or me?

How can such a little person make my heart swell with so much joy....

Amanda and Abigail

2009-05-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

Musings of a 6-year-old

Amanda: "Mom, I just love the way Abby's diapers smell like baby powder."
Me: "Me too. I'll miss the 'baby' smell once she's potty-trained."
(long pause, followed by a furrowed brow)
Amanda: "Were there diapers in the nineteens?"
Me: "Uh, you mean the 1900's when Mom and Dad were born?"
Amanda: "Yes, the nineteens."
Me: "Yes. There were diapers back in the dark ages."
Amanda: "Wow."

...

Abigail, the 2-year-old instigator

Abigail: "Momma, Manda hit me."
Amanda (with scrunched face): "She's lying! I did NOT!"
Abigail: "Oh sorry, Manda."
Amanda (unscrunches face): "Okay, turkey burger."
Abigail (with scrunched face): "I not tookey boogah! I Abby!"
Amanda (with mocking voice): "Oh sorry, Abby burger."
Abigail (replacing scrunch with smile): "Okay, Manda. Puhfect."

My kids - they are a hoot. They can't stand to be apart from one another, yet they can't stand to be together at times. :) At this moment, they are happily tucked into each other, blissful in dreamland:

Isn't Abigail's jowl the cutest?

Welcome to the world

2009-05-04T10:35:00.001-07:00

I am proud to introduce my new nephew, Lucas Joshua:

(provided by proud Daddy, via iPhone)

He joins my other beloved nieces and nephews Davina, Evelyn, Elias, and Brandon. Ah, life is good!

Can't wait to see the brood in a few weeks!

Happy {inter}National Scrapbooking Day - freebie

2009-05-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

(If you're not here for the blog train, you can scroll down to the next post, heh heh)

It's {inter}National Scrapbooking Day!

Welcome aboard the fun-filled ScrapMatters blog train! I'm stop #3, after Andrea and Britt.

We are boogyin' to the tropical groove, pretending that the breeze is warm here in my neck of the woods... which takes me to one of my favorite destinations, Hawaii! DH and I went there for one leg of our three-part honeymoon some eight years ago. We happily overdosed on Dole Whip, Matsumoto Shave Ice, Kua'aina Burger... and spent some calm, blissful moments overlooking the North Shore and climbing up Diamond Head. I would go back there in a heartbeart. Sweetie, pack your bags - we're going back to Hawaii! ;)

Here are a few layouts to share with you-

We took an insane amount of photos during our honeymoon. This is the condensed version:

Ron took this photo of me on the sly. I guess he knows that otherwise, my awkward camera smile would have overtaken my face (smart man, that hub unit of mine):

Here freebie, freebie, freebie!

Click on the preview to grab the coordinating quickpage freebie.

Take a gander at the incredible shopping to be had at ScrapMatters right now - cuh ray zee!

And to entice you even further, you'll be able to get the following kit for free with a $15 purchase. Yours truly designed a few of the elements in there, hee hee:

Thanks for hanging out with me - now onto my friend Denise's blog for some more goodies! Tell her I sent ya.

So where does one pick up?

2009-04-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

Do you know how many photos and life events happen in a span of three months? What to post, what to post.... :)

I guess the best place to start is with yesterday's stream of thought - I continue to purge and rearrange my list of priorities, and this layout was born out of my brain's spring cleaning:

(linked for credits)

The tiny journaling reads:
Will the girls know to stop and smell the flowers if I never do? Too many irons in the fire. There is no more of me to give to the people I yearn to love the most. NO MORE. My Mother's Day gift to myself is to act on this wake up call. Time to reorganize. Time to simplify.

Off to the girls' gymnastics classes - I love seeing the concentration on Amanda's face as she pushes her strength to its limits, and Abigail's unbounding joy tearing through the circuit. I just love these kids and am so glad they are mine.

April showers bring May flowers

2009-04-29T08:27:00.001-07:00

(Look what greets me in the front yard - my tulips are so breathtaking!!!)

As evidenced by the dust that has settled on this blog (not to mention the lone tumbleweeds and chirping crickets heightening the effect), life has been busy. Heather, everyone's busy, you say. Yes, I know. But the kind of BUSY I've had is the kind where you know you're not the one in control, but rather the commitments and deadlines pulling my strings. I've been a useless marionette... especially to my beloved husband, children, God.

The funny thing is, I volunteered for most of it. While they're all wonderful things to be involved in, all at once is just a heavy enslavement.

So the moral of my extended blogcation is this: He who is involved in the most activities LOSES. Live a simple but meaningful life.

Many of you out there are superwomen/men. I have found that I am not. Multi-tasking equates to multi-bungling for me.

I am in the process of shedding many, many, many commitments. Easy? It's extremely painful, actually. I despise quitting, and letting people down makes me want to throw up. But I'm feeling a freedom I haven't felt in a while.

Dear husband will be out of town all next week, and I'm eager to step up to the plate for my children.

Folks, I'm back.

(Another tulip photo from my front yard)

Indeed, life is altogether too fleeting, too precious.

Be strengthened -

2009-02-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

MercyMe - Bring The Rain

Bring the Rain
by Mercy Me

I can count a million times
People asking me how I can praise You
With all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on You, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer
through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty

My first wedding shoot

2009-02-07T23:02:00.000-08:00

The photos are finally in the possession of the couple, so now I can share a few of them. Take a peek on my photography blog.

It's a quickaroonie! And grab the freebie-

2009-02-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

Is that even a word? As promised, it's a quick post - take a peek at my blog post at ScrapArtist. You might even get a freebie there!

Have a good week-

t.g.i.f and Happy {Lunar} New Year! :freebie too:

2009-01-30T12:07:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness it's Friday. And Happy New Year - year of the Ox. My sister Gina was born in the year of the Ox. Moo.

Synopsis, my friends? Life is good. :)

-met up with some new friends at a local Chinese buffet for Lunar New Year
-Amanda's homeschooling is going swimmingly. It's exciting to see my little one grasping the concepts of fractions and geometry so readily. Amanda's latest interest is astronomy, as you will see in this drawing she made:

(do you need a translation? clockwise: Mars, Uranus, Moon, Pluto {she says is now a little dwarfy planet}, Daddy Planet, Abby Planet, Amanda Planet, Neptune, Sun, Mommy Planet, Saturn, and Venus)
-Abigail is now an adoring fan of the shows Caillou and Curious George
-made an astoundingly delicious balsamic vinegar reduction sauce the other day. It made for an even tastier chicken and veggie pasta! Ah, the wonderful internet is my favorite cookbook...
-finishing up post-processing on my first wedding shoot
-sore from yesterday's weight training class - it's aptly called "Chisel". Since I have shelved my goal of running the Race to Robie Creek because of my knees, I'm focusing on strengthening my knees and ankles. And core. And arms. Who am I kidding, everything. I've found a good 11-year-old running partner too. Jeremy, are you reading this?
-Ron set up the new 52" in our family room. TV has not been this fun in a long time! Abigail is able to unpause the Media Center (DVR) already - another nerd is in our midst!
-gearing up to paint the rest of my kitchen
-finishing up some projects for friends
-one of my projects was featured in a publication, The Daily Scrapper. You can snag this freebie there:

-some layouts from the past month or so:

-made a "feelings" notebook for Amanda, so she and I can communicate about things that are on her mind. The rule is that she can write in it whatever she wants when she's feeling a certain sentiment, whether she's angry with me over something or excited/nervous/happy with other things. Then I respond to her. Occasionally, I add entries too:

(created for the hybrid feature in ScrapMatters' January newsletter)

Whew, this is one loooooonnnnnnng post. You deserve a good weekend for plodding through my mind's mumbo jumbo~

Speed of light - (freebie alert)

2009-01-25T07:46:00.001-08:00

What a jam-packed month. My intention isn't to do this drive-by blogging every time I have a freeibe, but it will have to do for now. :) Most of you that frequent this blog are digi artists, so I hope you won't mind this. But those of you that tolerate the digi stuff because you're our friends and family - that's dedication. Thanks for that. I think I will have some gigantic posts in the future that actually have some personally meaningful content....

Here's the freebie!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Note to self (and a freebie for you)

2009-01-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

Grow - in faith, in gratitude, in joy. Grow abundantly.

If you'd like to make one of these, here's the template I created, available for 24 hours only:

- password: notetoself

(click image to download) ETA: no longer available - be on the look out for more freebies soon -

Read more about the album here.

I'm off to feed the voraciously hungry family - as Abigail would say, "I hongee!"

Only that which I can

2009-01-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

So much to blog about... too much in fact. But rather than sweating the small stuff, I'll happily report what I can when I can. Deal? Deal. :)

...

Amanda and I made some yummy sea salt caramel hard candies - it's a fabulous combination. Amanda was SO happy for this activity. She's our resident Food Network enthusiast, rattling off its celebrities and signature dishes:

Here they are, carefully packaged away to share:

And some photos from a typical day of homeschooling:

You see the piggy bank? That's there because she's learning how to count back money in Math, and we just finished up a lesson. She says she likes money {don't we all}. The stash of Multigrain Cheerios belongs to Abigail, her hush money when she is feeling squirrely before we're done with the activity at hand. Under the elephant card you can see Abigail's version of what Amanda's been doing - big sis' activities are very popular with the Abber-Stombers. (That's her nickname du jour)

Amanda's subject of choice, History, has us exploring the New World with Christopher Columbus:

(date stamp from Britt-ish Designs' Date Stamped Vol. 2)

They say the teacher learns more than the student. It's just been one grand adventure; we weather a few storms here and there to be rewarded with some amazing views of life.

Generosity from abroad

2008-12-24T13:57:00.001-08:00

This morning we returned from the gym to find some boxes at our door. Two we dutifully tucked under the tree for tomorrow's perusal. The other box was heavily beaten up, busted at the corners. This one was from South Korea - Auntie Gina! Apparently, Gina sent the box about a week ago, and it just reached us today. She included candies, stickers, trinkets, doll clothes, kids' books, even a flag that together represent a little bit of South Korea. She even sent some Minnie Mouse ears she got from the ~~Korean Disneyland, Lotte World~~ Korean equivalent of Wal-Mart, bwahahaha! (ETA: Auntie Gina just corrected me - and I thought she got it at Lotte World, {grin})

A huge thank you, Gina! We love and miss you!

Amanda has recently begun reading and writing Korean, thanks to Sunday mornings in our church Korean school. I've really seen this as a huge stepping stone in shaping her self-concept. "I'm Korean and Chinese and American," she says, careful to punctuate each culture she embodies with pursed lips and furrowed brow.

It's also helped tremendously that Amanda and I have been exploring world geography. She's definitely got an eye for maps and facts. She is quite fortunate, too, to have uncles and aunts that send her postcards from various corners of the world and supplement her schoolwork with real experiences and personal photos. We just completed a segment on South America, and she now desires to explore the Andes Mountains. {Let those dreams soar, Amanda! Someday my dear, someday.}

Oh, I can't tell you how much I love being a mom.

I've been busy with getting the business up and running - what a fun adventure it's been. I have some new card designs up on the photography blog if you're interested in a peek.

Stop #3 - ScrapMatters' Black Friday Freebie Blog Train

2008-11-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my part of the world, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! My family and I are actually out of town, visiting the grandparents to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Our hotel room view is just spectacular.

No amount of words truly embody the gratitude I feel as I contemplate all I've been blessed with. The material possessions are the least of the blessings... all the wonderful people that surround me in love, all the great experiences that I have under my belt... all I have in my life is exactly what I need. Thank you, Lord, for your blessings.

When we return home from this trip, my daughters and I will begin the exciting preparation of our home for Christmas. We love unraveling our {fake and pre-lit} tree and adorning it and the rest of the home. The girls have their own {lavender} tree they hang their handmade ornaments on. The advent calendar will be ready to unveil its goodies, and all throughout the house, you will be enveloped in Christmas music. I am unabashedly thankful for the true story of Christmas and will recount it nightly with my girls at bedtime. A frenzy of baking will scent the air of all things delectable!

I love this time of year.

To thank you for stopping by, I want to gift you this CD holder, made of our fabulous ScrapMatters collaboration kit, Comfort and Joy:

~~(Click image to download)~~ edited: no longer available - thanks!

I actually got to design a paper and an element for the jam-packed Comfort and Joy kit - needless to say, I'm thrilled to be in such good company. You know how great the designers are at ScrapMatters.

And here is a layout with paper I designed - the precious little girl pictured is the daughter of one of my good friends, Brenda:

My blog is stop #3 - you should have visited the following stops already:

ScrapMatters Team Blog
Andrea's blog
Britt's blog

Your next stop is at Australia, home to my friend, Sharon. Tell her I sent ya!

Have a great time picking up all the goodies on this blog train - they're quite spectacular, really!

I love this hobby!

2008-11-24T20:24:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite digi designers, Erica Zane, and I have teamed up to create this calendar that conveniently fits into a CD jewel case:

(click on image to go to the ScrapMatters store)

Here's a closer look:

Click on the image to see the calendar in its entirety:

One of my layouts was featured - it's funny how I can work on some layouts for days and they can be ho hum, but this one I whipped together in less than half an hour.

edited: layout was pulled for publication in the December edition of the Artisan Notebook - !!!

This hobby is so much fun and a good outlet for me in the midst of the crescendo of holiday busy-ness!

Freebie Friday - and some news

2008-11-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I'm at the plate for this week's It's in the Cards Challenge, and this is what you'll be making with me:

And that means I get to supply you with a fun freebie:

ETA: no longer available - thanks!

I hope you'll play along!

And in other news, one of my projects is now completed and up for sale at ScrapMatters. Drop in your own photos and it'll be a stocking stuffer for sure:

(click on image to go to the ScrapMatters store)

Both sets of grandparents are getting this.

It's a treat to work with Britt-ish Designs! Thanks, Britt. :)

Have a fabulous weekend, my friends.

A cool gift idea -

2008-11-06T15:56:00.000-08:00

I am the hybrid editor and contributor for the ScrapMatters Newsletter, and last month, I got a chance to share a project I think would make a great Christmas gift (or for any occasion, for that matter).

Andilynn Designs' Flora Brushes are so lovely - they screamed for something more than to be used on a normal digital layout. So, I decided to embellish this old turtleneck my daughter had in her closet:

You can actually embellish textile, really. On bags, blankets, you name it.

Here are some supplies you'll need:

Open an 8.5"x11" document in Photoshop and place an image of choice. I offset the brush to the right:

You'll be printing the above image on the paper side of freezer paper. The easiest way to do this is to cut a piece of freezer paper 8.5"x11" and adhere it to a regular piece of paper. Use double-sided tape on the WAXY side.

Once the design is printed on the freezer paper, you will cut it out using your Xacto knife. My design was very intricate, so it took me forever:

Don't forget to keep the negative space pieces. Because my pieces were tiny, I collected them in this cup and numbered each piece:

Now iron the freezer paper onto your garment. Do you see where I noted the placement of the negative pieces?

Place a piece of freezer paper under the place you will be painting, then lightly load your brush and stipple the area (If you add textile medium to your acrylic paint, I hear the design will last through many more wash cycles without fading):

Peel off the freezer paper design once the paint is dry:

And voila, you're done:

At the pumpkin patch

2008-11-02T14:10:00.001-08:00

A few LOs from our time at the pumpkin patch with our visitors, Auntie Betty and Uncle Josh:

credits: Cinnamon Designs' Happiness kit

credits: The Gypsy Chick's Gorgeous kit.

We miss you guys!

Photo session at the Train Depot

2008-11-02T07:19:00.001-08:00

These sweet girls and their parents spent a balmy afternoon with me hanging out for a photo session. Here is one of my favorite images:

It looks like a storybook painting to me. Please check out my JOYrevisited Photo Artistry blog to peek at their photos.

Knee deep in photos and projects

2008-10-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

What a good problem to have. :) Recently I had several photo shoots, and soon I'll have a ton of photos to share once I complete my edits. I did finish one family's - here's one of the photos:

Be sure to visit my JOYrevisited Photo Artistry blog to see more photos.

I'll be sure to share more later this week. Have a good day!

Amanda's love notes

2008-10-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Left on her Daddy's computer desk:

She drew a picture of me on the left, Abigail in the middle, and herself, sleeping in their bed.

Translation of note, entitled "Asleep":

Dear daddy,

I like to cook
and
Watch T.V.
with you,
and make apple
turnovers
with you.

Love, Amanda
...

I love to see her mind trying to grasp the grammatical information we're going over in her studies. She likes to spray commas all over her sentences, needed or not - it's so sweet. She regularly melts the hearts of her parents on a daily basis with such notes.

House creative... and a freebie

2008-10-17T09:05:00.001-07:00

Our home is constantly in artistic flux. Ron has someone's ailing computer and its minute parts splayed out on his tech bench, Amanda is making yet another "I really love you" note to her parents or friends, Abigail is scribbling on herself or the table, and well, there's me wrestling with pixels and paper.

I love it all.

I will have to do a "day in the life" to capture all of this some time. Until then, I just have some photos of some recent projects of mine:

another party hat-

Amanda's First Year badge album-

and a card made with a photo from this photo shoot-

~~Here's the card template freebie, if you're interested:~~

~~(Click image to download)~~ ETA: no longer available - thanks!

Have a great weekend!

Presenting my new business

2008-10-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

With much joy (and a good dose of fear and trembling in the middle), I present to you:

(click image to be taken to the new business blog)

It is newly hatched and not quite yet polished, but I hope you will share my journey on this new road.

Amanda the writer/composer

2008-10-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, we had bought a computer that didn't work out for our needs. So the plan was that we'd drive home after church and return the computer. We'd driven separate cars, so each parent took a child. Well, I thought Ron said we were to meet at the store, so I happily booked it down to the store and waited in the parking lot. Then I got a worried phone call from Amanda asking, "Mommy, where in the world are you?!?" {Hi, my name is Heather, and I have listening issues.} I went back home then.

That evening, Amanda breathlessly dropped this paper into my lap:

As you can see, it was borne out of our computer returning event. We laughed a lot when she sat at the piano and played her piece. I especially like "dooet".

A few days ago, she wrote this note to her friend Brooke, who's been out of town for a few months:

Translation - Dear Brooke, gymnastics isn't as fun without you. P.S. Emma is in class.

They're all buddies from her gymnastics class. Waving to Julie here - hi! Tell the kids we miss them! Hurry back soon.

...

Today I'm in an especially reflective mood... for those of you that didn't know, Amanda is being homeschooled this year. I'm thinking about some of the incredible highs we've had when things click, and some not-so-sharable lows when they don't. But overall, homeschooling has helped me fully own up to the fact that regardless of who is teaching my daughters, Ron and I will always be the first and last teachers in their lives. Pretty heavy stuff. The joy of learning is so sacred - is it possible we can do our girls justice?

Having been an educator of other people's children for over a decade, it's easy to get stuck in a mode, spouting off maxims and formulating education plans with relative ease. But when it's my own kids, WHOA. The stage fright is extreme. Here is where homeschooling has realigned my thinking again. When it comes down to it, children are created by God to learn, so long as their basic needs are met. And boy, has Amanda been teaching me that. The key is whether I am providing a nurturing environment that lets Amanda's God given gifts shine, OR if I'm forcing my will, my ideals, myself onto her. That isn't to say I shouldn't equip her with morals and standards... it's just easy to get in the way of something so natural.

Always hopeful that God fills in the gaps. :)

Stop #2 of the Freebie Blog Train

2008-10-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

Happy World Card Making Day! You've reached the beautiful Pacific Northwest at this stop. To thank you for coming, here is my gift to you:

(click image for download)

I rummaged my craft closet for a few supplies: jewels, white butterfly rub-ons, glue dots, and my trusty Xacto knife to cut out the pretty blossoms. The digital papers and blossoms are courtesy of Scrap'it Designs, her About a Girl kit.

Here are some close ups:

(back of the card)

You should have reached my blog from the ScrapMatters blog. Your next stop is at my friend Kari's blog. Tell her I sent ya!

October 4th is World Card Making Day

2008-10-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly: World Card Making Day! Any chance I get to celebrate life, I'm ready with my party hat and appetite. :) And how about some freebies to go with your hors d'oeuvres?

It will start on Saturday, October 4th, at 7am Pacific Time at the ScrapMatters blog.

(For those of you that aren't craft/scrapbooking enthusiasts, I really appreciate you chugging through all the crazy art lingo I throw at you - you must really love this family to do so!)

12 weeks until Christmas? Already?

2008-10-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Regardless of how much I vow not to let it happen, Christmas (and its crazy commercialized frenzy) sneaks up on me. So let it be known: 12 weeks left! When I have a chance to collect my thoughts, I can be purposeful about keeping the celebration focused on the true gifts.

Simple Mom is a blog I follow regularly, and she leads the way in organizing the 12 weeks so that mayhem doesn't grip the hearts, minds, and pocketbook of your family.

This year, one of my goals is to hand make gifts. I enjoy the thought of sending my loving touch through them, and want to teach my girls the value of true gift giving. Otherwise, do you know what happens to me? I wait until the last minute until I haphazardly spend beyond my budget just to appease my gift list, and spend extra on overnight air to deliver the packages. NO MORE.

One of the handmade gifts I'm undertaking is a project my hybrid team and I are heading at ScrapMatters, called It's in the Cards:

(Click on the image to see the thread at ScrapMatters)

Hope you can join me! It's a weekly venture, so the workload is spread out. It should be tons of fun. :)

ScrapMatters Birthday Blog Train - Stop 17 of 39

2008-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

(Rolling out the welcome mat) Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by my blog - you should have arrived here from Mary's blog (www.plumdumplingdesigns.blogspot.com). We are celebrating ScrapMatters' first birthday in the happiest way possible. Giving out freebies, of course!

In my family, the birthday star gets to choose a non-traditional birthday cake (usually a yummy Marie Callender's pie or other not-so-birthday-ish treat) and a restaurant for dinner. We make all our gifts, in true "hybrid" form. Hybrid scrapping, that is.

Okay, I'm giving out TWO freebies.

The first one:

(click on image to download)

The second will be revealed at noon - so come back here for more! It's a fantabulous party hat template.

See you again in a few hours or so -

Your next stop on the Birthday Blog Train is Tater's blog: www.taterscraps.blogspot.com

Have fun! Remember, there are 39 stops total, all loaded up with freebies galore. :)

::edit::

This freebie is no longer available - thanks!

sweet little Abigail not included:

~~(click image to download)~~

Make sure you bling it up! And happy, happy birthday ScrapMatters.

Another hat for me - {and a freebie}

2008-09-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Recently I was asked to be hybrid team leader for ScrapMatters. No brainer - of course I said yes. :) Today I got to unveil the new hybrid blog line up on the team blog - check it out. The freebie I'm offering is actually posted there, and it looks like this:

Amanda, Abigail and I participated in a kids stationery mail swap, and I made notepads with scratch, recycled paper for the pirate-loving boys:

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow to pick up all the freebies in our blog train - we're celebrating ScrapMatters' first birthday in style! Go to the ScrapMatters team blog in the morning!

5K

2008-09-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row, the girls and I participated in the nation's largest 5K for women. I hope to make this an annual event for the three of us.

::recap::

We awoke to a balmy 61 degree morning, so I was hopeful that it would be a nice, temperate day to do a 5K with my daughters. It WAS a nice day overall, but was I wrong about the weather! As soon as the bus dropped us off near the starting line, we were deluged. Rained cats and dogs. Immediately, Amanda entered foul mood mode. But who could blame her? Waiting around in pouring rain is not my idea of a fabulous time. And she was so short that all she could see were other ladies' legs and shoes. And I couldn't help her at all because I had Abigail in a Kelty backpack the whole time, all 25 pounds of her.

Here we are awaiting the start (the photos are pretty poor quality, but can't ask for much from a point and shoot in extreme humidity):

Isn't Amanda's pout just adorable?

Bird's eye view of Amanda's situation - looking at legs and shoes:

Here is Amanda shortly after the crack of the gun:

By this point, Amanda was inconsolable. She kept blurting out threats: "If this rain keeps up, I'm quitting. Right now. Quitting." But then, I had the idea of talking to her about hot cocoa; I told her to imagine holding a cup of hot cocoa in her hands, and asked her what kind of marshmallows she wanted. Instantly, she perked up. Thank goodness! She then started joking about swimming in the hot cocoa. Strangely, I felt warmer after that little conversation. Our focus turned to the beautiful scenery we were passing by, and Amanda started holding my hand again. Abigail was passed out on my back by this time. We kept getting comments about how cute their matching raincoats were. :) Wish I had one too.

Look how many women walked with us:

Happier, now that the end is in sight:

Finished in 1:07:30!

Ahh, accomplished:

This race gave us a good opportunity to talk about how all good things in life take hard work, determination and a steely resolve to achieve them. Amanda said that she was glad she didn't quit. (what a lesson!!!)

We loaded back onto the bus heading home, soaked, shivering, tired, and accomplished. We took a hot bath and had chicken noodle soup when we got home. And yes, Amanda got her hot cocoa.

A little rain won't keep these women warriors down. Fun was had in huge doses!

Trying week, but ended on a good note!

2008-09-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

Meet my sweet little neighbor, Miss A. She just turned 3:

And of course, little Abigail belongs to me:

In the midst of a pretty murky week between illnesses and arguments, I remembered to "see" with my camera again. Makes me appreciate the little things that make the big picture so beautiful - bright colors, expectant eyes, little curls of a smile.

And what happy news from the Bay Area! More to come on that later -

Signs

2008-08-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

::Little birdie::
I teach Sunday School to a charming group of children, grades K through 2nd. One of the concepts we've been going over is hearing and listening to God's voice. "God has a voice?" one of the little boys asked. Yes, He always speaks to us, I believe firmly, but we're too busy to notice. So their homework was three fold: Before drifting off to sleep, talk to God. Then instead of just stopping there, listen to Him. Engage in a dialogue, speaking and listening. The assignment was to be written down on paper in this manner: "When I listened to God, He told me... {fill in the blank}."

Teaching is a funny concept, because the teacher always learns more than the students. During the week, I spent time trying to fine tune my listening skills when I spent time talking to God. Admittedly, I was filled with many ADHD moments and struggled a bit during the week with my own homework. Then one moment captured the essence of my homework to a T... I was in the garden picking vegetables to cook, and as I knelt to harvest a large zucchini, I made eye contact with a baby bird sitting on a leaf!

How it got there, I don't know, because there are no trees near the area. At first my concern was that it would die... how would I save it? But then I noticed how clear its eyes were, fearlessly perched on the leaf. I felt its peace, and the peace permeated through my rushed day with a force so calming. Of course I grabbed my camera, and when I returned it was still there, sheltered in the shadow of the surrounding leaves. I carefully let go of the leaf and covered the bird up, intrigued by its presence.

One could say it was a fluke. I don't believe anything is happenstance but rather, carefully and lovingly crafted together. I am certain I have heard the voice of God. He spoke to me through this little bird's visit - He related to me in the manner I understand best: visually. And it serves as a reminder that I am hidden under the shadow of His wings, that my Father daily nurtures me. I am so humbled by the elegant message.

::The Camera::
Speaking of signs, your children are a mirror of yourself, aren't they? Earlier today, Amanda grabbed a roll of tape, several sheets of paper, and pens, and disappeared into the play room. An hour or so later, she emerged with this contraption:

She made a camera. Bwahahaha! Just like her camera-wielding Mom, Amanda walked around the house "taking" photos.

Look at the length of that lens! Must be expensive, heh heh:

And my sweet little shutterbug herself:

It goes to show you that youngsters really don't need expensive toys; actually, they hinder the creative process in so many ways. If you have young children in your life, I challenge you to cease the buying frenzy in their name. Play with them instead and model what it is to use the ole' noggin to have fun!

Now, to take my own advice...!

Taking time to reflect on the gifts of life today. Thanks for letting me share if you've read through the entire post. :)

Drive-by blogging :D - and another freebie

2008-08-26T08:57:00.000-07:00

Life is again burgeoning with many happy things! So much to tell you... I'll be back tonight with more.

Until then, I leave you with a template: (no longer available)

I'm hosting the Tuesday Template Challenge at ScrapMatters, so go check it out! ;)

It's a happy day... freebies for you

2008-08-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

{lots of photos here!}

::life::
Ahh, to be happily occupied with life. I must say it's been a great summer. Amanda passed two levels of swimming - a huge accomplishment for a child that used to be terrified of the water. That's my sweet Panda; slow-to-warm is her modus operandi. Abigail is so chatty these days. Her little words might not be so clear, but they are like beautiful music to my ears. When you ask her, "How are you doing?" she replies, "Guck." Her way of saying "good". So extremely precious. Abby will drag books to me all day long, so between both my girls' insatiable appetite for books, I'm one mom with hardly a voice left by day's end.

::layouts::
I'm long overdue in sharing these-

This is actually me, jumping in the air.

A hybrid accordian album-

A thank you card set for my sister's belated birthday gift (well, at least it was in time to send out for your post graduation notes, right?)

::happy birthday to me::
Since it's my birthday and the last day of the ScrapMatters Grand Re-opening celebration, I created some freebies to give to you:

Edited: Freebie is no longer available - thanks for looking!

I have a challenge and rolodex giveaway posted on the ScrapMatters team blog, so go check it out!

credits here and here

Round-the-World Scrap Matters Blog Tour - FREEBIE!

2008-08-08T16:00:00.001-07:00

**Edited: Download link 1 is fixed!**

Welcome to stop #20 in the Round-the-World Blog Tour! I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in the United States. Thanks for stopping by! I have not one, but two souvenirs for you!

>>>>Download Set One here<<<<
>>>>Download Set Two here<<<<

The next stop on your trip is to Krista's blog. Tell her I sent ya! ;)

There are 19 stops before mine, so if you missed it you might want to backtrack or pick up your goodies at the end. Sassy Pixi's blog was Stop #19.

Fun festivities at ScrapMatters

2008-08-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Scrap Matters is turning one! Join me and the rest of the Scrap Matters design and creative teams as we shake, boogie, and shimmy!!! Mark your calendar, because it will be a grand party, complete with freebies galore:

I will have some freebies posted here Friday morning - make sure to stop by for them!

It's almost August already?

2008-07-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

I recall wanting time to hurry when I was a little girl. My wish has steadily picked up speed over the years! Y2K seemed like such a monumental deal - now that was EIGHT years ago. And over half this year has gone by.

(Smoothing out my clothes and standing up a little taller) Enough of this reactive living! Sheesh. :) Hug those kids a little more. Their growth parallels this heightened velocity. Abigail's already asking to use the potty here and there, and Amanda is now swimming on her own. Sigh. My babies are growing up.

Some Amanda layouts to share:

Credits here

Have a wonderful day, and don't forget to say hi!

The biggest hurdle

2008-07-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

I hate to fail.

I know that's a funny statement - really, who enjoys failure? Yet this is an honest struggle I have. I hate to fail so much that I sometimes quit before something comes to fruition. This I have identified over the years. Sabotage is a weird mind game.

On the eve of a pretty remarkable project development, I am feeling that familiar "bail before you fail" tingling in my gut, stealing my precious sleep.

But this time, I think I will allow myself to see the joy in the journey.

Sure, there are huge hurdles ahead of me:

so what?

And I could get pierced by the barbs - the "you're not good enough", "why are you doing this", and "you'll fall flat on your face":

so what?

This I have confidence in: I sincerely strive to do what rings in my heart as God-led. I feel a peace in this. Success or failure is pretty miniscule now... the bigger picture is whether I follow His will.

With all my heart, I will.

Spotlight on two local artists

2008-07-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

The girls and I were perusing our local farmers' market last Saturday when we met one of our church friends there, at her booth! What a happy surprise. Anna and her friend Kori make beautiful aprons, oilcloth bags, stylish purses - all in fabric I drool over. Needless to say, I went shutter happy and clicked away (Anna had to tell the market personnel that she knows me so I wasn't hauled off by the scruff of my neck, heh heh):

{The artists, Kori and Anna}

{Their booth}

{Oh, the beautimous aprons!}

{Purses}

{Oilcloth bags}

Once they have more items up for sale at their Etsy site, be sure to grab yourself a thing or two!

More on purposeful parenting

2008-07-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to share this "Children See, Children Do" video on parenting for a long time. Each time I watch it, I am moved by just how much good (or bad) we can impart in our children. Take a look and let me know what you think. It's pretty raw, so here's a little disclaimer:

Thanks to Kathleen for unearthing this powerful video for me!

Big sister Amanda

2008-07-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

This is the "fortune" that Amanda received from our Friday night meal. It marks the first time we heard her read off the entire message without asking for help. In astonishment I looked up from scarfing down my own fortune cookie, studying her winsome eyes. The funny thing is, I don't think I've really stopped to see this sweet gem of a girl in her entirety in a long time.

Is this invisibility the unnecessary price a little girl pays when she is a big sister?

This sweet girl with the broad, earnest smile is a pretty terrific big sister.

She loves sitting in the wagon with Abigail, watching the world together...

and leads her to endless adventures.

The problem is, she is too good at being the big sister. She even likes to act the part of a personal assistant at times, and a part-time nanny. She wants to write out the shopping list, and reads off the prices of products while grocery shopping. And she loves almost all the things I love. To this stay-at-home mom that sometimes lacks adult company, she is often times a good girlfriend!

I myself am the oldest. Of four children. And yet I often forget the weight of being the oldest. She is only five years old, remember? Let her be a child.

Note to self: parent with PURPOSE. Don't let the teachable, nurturable moments slip through the fingers because of self-serving reasons. Don't forget how precious this job is. And don't forget how precious your sweet eldest daughter is.

My first freebie - for you

2008-07-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

::freebie::
I had the pleasure of hosting today's Tuesday Template Challenge at ScrapMatters, where I gave out a freebie. I wanted to offer it here too, in case you want to grab this template:

and a closer look at my layout:

Edited: Freebie is no longer available. Thanks!

::more layouts::

Here is one of Amy's party:

My two little ones:

And an introspective piece:

(As always, click images to enlarge)

"Happy birthday, America!"

2008-07-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

That's what Amanda greeted me with this morning. We decided to celebrate with a special Red, White & Blue drink, which we saw featured in Family Fun Magazine. Love that magazine, by the way.

::Happy Birthday America Drink::

Cast of characters:

-cranberry juice (I bought the no-sugar added kind)
-blue Powerade
-club soda (the original recipe calls for diet 7up, but I refuse to give my children diet anything - bad stuff)

-pretty glasses filled with ice (the taller the glass, the more dramatic the end result)

Directions:

1. Pour cranberry juice in the bottom of the glass.
2. Carefully and slowly pour the Powerade onto the ice - this will ensure that the colors will not mix.
3. Pour the club soda/diet 7up onto the ice until the glass is filled.

The end result:

The judge's verdict:

"I give it two thumbs up, America!"

Abigail's world is shaken

2008-07-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty strong wind storm blow through our area the other day. Everything outside was subjugated to a thrashing. When we went to inspect the damage, this is what we found:

Since this has happened several times before, and we've put the pieces back together with relative ease each time, everyone just shrugged their shoulders and prepared to work. But for Abigail, who spends each day in the playhouse, this was quite devastating to see.

This is her story.

....................................................................

"What? Something happened?"

"This could be pretty serious. I'd better go investigate. Could you please come with me?"

"Oh my. Oh my. My wonderful playhouse. What'll I do."

"I need to go help my big sister get it back to working order. I'm coming!"

"Why are you just standing there with that camera?"

"Really, we have work to do! It's a state of emergency!"

"We'll fix it. Together we can do anything...."

"Wait. Why is big sis sitting on her duff?"

"Where's she going?"

"Great, she's distracted with that gymnastics stuff."

"Can I get some help please? We have to get this playhouse back together!"

"Please help me - put that camera down."

"Who knows my pain? I guess I'll have to do it myself...."

Luckily, Abigail didn't overload because Daddy put the playhouse back together.

Our hero saves the day again!

Saying goodbye to friends, and a tutorial

2008-07-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

This month, we said goodbye to a family from our church that really touched our lives. We shall miss them, but know that they are only an email - or a few plane rides - away. I had the privilege of making a little address book for them as a going away gift.

Here's a little tutorial on how to create one of these address books in Photoshop. I happen to be a CS3 user.

1) I opened a new 12"x12" document, and divided it into nine 4" squares using the blue guide lines:

2) Then I opened a new 4"x4" document. This is where I created each of the 18 layouts, flattened them, then moved them onto the 12"x12" document. I had two 12"x12" documents when all was said and done:

3) Be sure to save a .jpeg form of these layouts at this point. I took them to Costco to be printed. Once I brought the two 12″x12″ pages home from Costco, I cut them down to 18 indvidual pages and set them aside. I took the cardboard insert included in my prints envelope and cut them down to 18 4″x4″ squares, and painted the edges with white acrylic paint to give them a finished look.

4) I then adhered the photos to cardboard pieces with double-sided tape to make each page hefty enough to be handled without creasing. If you are concerned about acidity, you can use the Make It Acid Free Spray on the cardboard to do just that.

5) Using my trusty Bind-it-all, I added the coil and bound all the pages together. Voila!

The finished result:

If you get a chance to follow this tutorial to make yourself a similar project, I'd love to see it!

Enjoying this moment

2008-06-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've graced this blog, hasn't it? While I like to wax poetic here with the goings on of our little family, summer activities keep us hoppin'. I have tons to catch you up on... little by little.

::Amanda::

So last night, we had some down time after church, so we played the Somebody Anatomy Game. (Thanks again for getting this for us, Julie!) Amanda had a blast and produced a zillion questions beyond my measly grasp of anatomy. So we went online and printed out some anatomy coloring sheets, which Amanda excitedly colored in bright strokes. Fast forward a few hours right before bath time. Amanda had a furrowed brow and the telltale look of anxiety. "What is it?" I probed. "Momma, could you please empty the bathroom trash?" she pleaded, holding onto my legs. I walked over to the bathroom to look into the trashcan - in it were the coloring sheets that she so painstakingly had colored. "They're scaring me."

The offending body parts:

Ron and I did our best to refrain from bursting out laughing as he walked the scary body parts out to the garage. But of course the camera had to record the event. {wink}

At this point, I don't think Amanda will be choosing medicine as her profession. But go figure, as Daddy is a bit squeamish of blood, especially his own. We'll see how her interests develop.

::Abigail::

Abby spent an hour in the Play Center at our local Rec Center while Mommy worked out. Upon returning to pick her up, the ladies that care for her and the other children commented that her true colors are showing. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Oh, she's been chasing other kids down, trying to take away binkies and terrorizing them." No hiding it now... she's definitely got some Korean blood in her.

I am having too much fun watching these girls grow. I don't know how much longer I can stifle these laughs. I just might burst.

Some layouts

2008-06-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

These have been sitting in my computer. My goal is to have the year's layouts printed in a book - otherwise, like photos, they just disappear into the CPU, never to be seen again. So here they are, proof that I've been doing something creative:

This one's of our trip to see the girls' paternal grandparents:

And Amanda was extracted out of the Hopscotch photo:

(credits here)

Thanks for visiting!

Amy's 30th

2008-06-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine, Amy, turned 30 yesterday, and a few of us got together to throw her a little party. Everyone pitched in, from Silvia's pizza to Kelly's salad. Just thought I'd share some of the photos:

Sarah made the vibrant colored cupcakes-

Brody's face cracks me up here... as if he's thinking, "OMG, the blaze!!!" -

The gang, minus some children and me -

Miss Rhiannon and her soulful eyes-

Brody's post-meal face -

The "sisters" -

This winsome smile courtesy of Eli -

Beautiful Ashlynn -

And my first attempt at chocolate covered strawberries -

I have more photos, but I have to go make dinner. Ciao, and happy birthday again, Amy!

(ribbon wrap by A. Heimann, from the Grateful4U collaboration kit)

My symphony

2008-05-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

A deliberate journey

"To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and
wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to
listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never. In a word, to
let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony." -- William Henry Channing

This life that I live, I have one chance to do it right. I want to leave a legacy, that my family and I lived well, loved much, enjoyed each other, tried our very best at all that was laid at our feet. That we strove to honor God in all that we set out to do. But I get waylaid at times... first by the need to "provide for my children", which is closely followed by the glitz of acquisition - more THINGS, more MONEY, bigger HOUSE, more expensive CAR. Ad nauseum. And of course, it's a vicious cycle, because one can never quench this bottomless thirst. How quickly I sink into the quicksand. Immobilized and out of control.

The aforementioned quote has been a touchstone. It reminds me that life should be a deliberate journey.

Let my life be a symphony to You, Lord.

A gift of words

I had a chance to make a hybrid album with this quote, and I sent it to my sister-in-law. I hope it uplifts you when your spirit needs a boost.

Photos of the album (I think she's received it by now):

A special day

2008-05-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Kodak moments
Having one more day to be languorous with your family is a great luxury - good company, good eats, a good time overall. We went camera crazy at the park, playing around with shutter speed to capture some action. Here are some of the 300 photos taken:

Look how comfortable Abigail is in the air!

Amanda the hopscotch adventuress

And of course, the action shots would not be complete without father jumping over daughter! Tsk tsk, crazy man.

Bill, the birthday boy
To a wonderful husband.father.brother-in-law.uncle.and much much more: Happy 29th birthday! :) Have a terrific year filled with adundant blessings.

A staple in our home

2008-05-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

Forget the no-carb craze. This family loves carbs - bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. Mmmm, my mouth is watering.

Amanda and I especially love Jojos. I bet you'll get a kick out of how easy it is to make:

Ron's Famous Jojo Potatoes

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Quarter potatoes lengthwise, then halve the pieces. Here I used Idaho potatoes, but any kind in your pantry will do. I'm going to try this with sweet potatoes some day.

2. Pull out the seasoning salt, extra virgin olive oil, and paprika. (The paprika has remnants of a previous flour fiasco)

3. Roll the potato wedges in the extra virgin olive oil.

4. Lightly cover the wedges with paprika and seasoning salt, then line them up in a glass casserole dish. Or on a cookie sheet lined with foil, which I have yet to try. Pop the dish in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how crispy you want the Jojos. My family likes them with some crunch.

5. Take out of the oven, let them cool for five minutes.

We have them with a healthy serving of our favorite ketchup, Heinz Organic (it is free of high fructose corn syrup and, yes, organic). I purposely did not specify how many potatoes to use, because you can make as much or as little as you want.

Enjoy!

Instead of counting sheep

2008-05-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Amanda is like me when it comes to sleep - she tosses and turns quite a bit. So we started a fun little tradition: we pretend we go on trips. She usually likes to "visit" her relatives in Seattle or the Bay Area. Amanda chose to go to her Grandparents' home. Our description went like this:

{both lying in bed with a squirrely Abigail crawling all over us}

Me: "Okay Amanda, pack your bags. And don't forget your favorite peacock dress."
Amanda: "I have all the bags in the trunk. Did you remember your keys? (She knows me too well)"
Me: "Yes. Can't wait to eat all the goodies we packed!"
Amanda: "The traffic's not bad today, Mom."
Me: "Let's turn off at this rest stop."
Amanda: "What does that sign say?"
Me: "Snake area - caution."
Amanda: "Let's get back in the car."
Me: "Here's Riggins. And that's the Salmon River."

I try to evoke as much imagery as possible, while working on vocabulary and pretend play. She really enjoys it, and relaxes enough to let her body wind down into sweet slumber.

The next day, Amanda decided to make a map of our "trip", so she sketched one in pen.

Once I picked up my jaw from the ground, I scanned it and we colorized it in Photoshop. Here is the resultant map:

Tonight, I get to choose the trip destination. And I think it will be the Greek Isles. :grin: Where will you go with your kids today?