Two Years Ago

Two years ago, I saw this face for the first time and fell in love.

And I've been loving this girl ever since.

 

 

 

 

Happy Referral Day!

First Day

No first day of school would be complete without our annual picture taken on our front steps.

Not only did Austin grow a few inches this past summer, but you can also tell he's grown up by the absence of a character backpack. His days of Thomas the Train, Star Wars, Pokemon and Bakugan backpacks are over. Although I've never been a huge fan of character merchandising, except for Hello Kitty of course :), it's sad to say goodbye to that part of his childhood.

But, I have a fourth grader now, and it's time to move on to bigger and better things.

I was happy to see many of his friends from last year in his class again. He has a very experienced and wonderful teacher whom I know from my days of teaching at the school. I know it will be a challenging year, but I'm confident it will be a great one. 

After school, Bethany and I had a little something waiting for him in the car. It's something I've always done for Austin on the first and last days of school since Pre-K, and I'm looking forward to doing the same with Bethany. :)

I don't know what Bethany was more happy about - having big brother back home, or the balloons. :)

Growing Up

I'm long overdue for an update on my kiddos, so here's a quick one.

This little cutie will be 2 1/2 years old in October, and as of today, has been home with us for a year and a half. Wow!

With the exception of her tiny little feet (she's still in 6-12 months shoes), Bethany is growing up quickly, and making steady progress with her speech. She still has quite a bit of catching up to do compared to most of her peers, but considering she had her tongue tie surgery not too long ago, both her speech therapist and I are very pleased with her progress. Despite her limited vocabulary, she has no problems communicating her needs to us, and often bosses the entire family around, especially her big brother.

She has already discovered a love for television, but will only watch "Yo Gabba Gabba" and "Fresh Beat Band". I love to watch her sing along and copy all the dance moves. She is especially good at the breakdancing sequence in "Fresh Beat Band". :)
 
In recent months her appetite has decreased, which basically means she's now eating like a normal two year old. She still loves her food, and is quite skilled at feeding herself. Watching her enjoy a good meal is one of my favorite things to do. Recently, she's been giving two thumbs up for extra yummy things. I guess the ja-jang myun hit the spot.

Bethany has a very fun and adventurous spirit, and her crazy antics often have Austin rolling on the floor laughing. The amount of laughter in our house has doubled since she's joined our family, and I'll likely have the wrinkles to prove it in a few years.

Our sweet Bethany also has a mischievous streak that can require a lot of attention and correction. Sometimes it's pretty serious, and sometimes I'm running for the camera and trying to hold in my laughter. I try not to let it happen too often, but there are times I let things slide because she's just so cute!

Case in point. You've heard the phrase "getting caught with your hands in the cookie jar"? Well, in this case it was Bethany with her hands caught in the Gummy Vites bottle. I don't know how many she ate, but the bottle is looking quite empty. Observe how she doesn't seem to mind one bit that she's been caught, and observe that this is one of those times where I ran to get the camera. :)

(yes, i know she is passed the blue line. and yes, we should just peel it off already!)

Now onto this little guy who has gone from a pint size cutie,

(first day of pre-K)

to this handsome fella who I like to refer to as my little buddy.

Austin will be starting the 4th grade in September, and will be turning 9 in November. He can finally fit into size 7 pants (with the elastic shortened around his waist of course), and this summer he grew enough to ride on a certain water slide he's been waiting to get on for years.

Some of his favorite foods are Chicken Tikka Masala, Garlic Roasted Chicken pizza at CPK, and miso soup with rice. Milk is still his drink of choice, and Bethany is looking like she'll be the same way. He loves to swim, ride his bike, read, and of course use one of the many modes of technology we have in our house (t.v., wii, ds, xbox). What can I say? His Daddy is a techie and a gamer, and apparently Austin is too.

Austin has been reading a lot of new books this summer, but his favorite ones have been the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series. He loves to read them, but they also make him quite nervous as he stresses over which page to turn to. Reminds me of myself as a kid.

He's the funniest and goofiest kid I know, and there's never a dull moment when I'm with him. On the flip side, sometimes having a conversation with him is like talking to an adult, and I often have to remind myself that he's only 8 years old. As our conversations become deeper, I find myself needing a lot more wisdom and prayer. Austin is also one of the sweetest and tender hearted boys I know, and I'm pretty sure his future wife will appreciate those things about him.

After having been an only child for so long, it's been such a joy to see Austin as a big brother. He is great with Bethany, and it's obvious she adores him. He is so proud to be Bethany's big brother, and will often ask to wear their matching shirts (even though it's getting a tad small).
 

Sure they argue over Nerf swords and the battery operated chihahau from time to time, but most of the time they get along great, and I get to take lots of pictures like this.

And if I'm really lucky, I get to capture moments like this on video. :)

She learned to massage like this because this is what Daddy does when Mommy has a migraine.
(please excuse the repetitive "good job/good girl". i was using an extra dose of positive reinforcement so she'd keep going)

Family Camping

After the 4th of July, we packed our bags and headed for Carpenteria State Beach for the second year in a row.  

Not only did we stay an extra day, but we actually had another family join us, and had special visitors who swung by for the day. Our goal is to have one more family come with us next year. You know who you are!

For a mere family of four, we sure had A LOT of stuff. Thank goodness we had the mini-van this time!

The kids were in play date heaven, spending all of their waking hours together.

There were also afternoon naps in the stroller,

fishing,

and smiles all around.

Each family took turns preparing food, and every meal was delicious. We had breakfasts complete with pancakes, hash browns, bacon, and sausage. There were tacos, fajitas, sloppy joes, banana splits, smores, birthday cake, and even some good ol' Korean food. 

Our most memorable meal by far was made by the kids. They all pitched in and did a great job. We parents are hoping they will take over all meals in the near future. :)

Here are some of the little chefs asking us which veggies we want with our chicken. So cute!

We had so much fun with all our friends and are already looking forward to next year! :)

*** one thing worth mentioning - at last year's camping trip, bethany had not yet learned to walk. thanks to her new found skill, she had a lot more fun this time around. ***

Happy 10 Years!

"I Jenny, take you Sam, to be my wedded husband. And I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful wife. In plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and health, as long as we both shall live."
- July 14, 2001 - 

10 years ago, Sam and I exchanged our wedding vows.

I'd like to think we're still just as young (at least on the inside) as we used to be, and just as committed (if not more) to our love for each other.

God has blessed us in so many ways; and though our marriage hasn't always been a "piece of cake", I sure have loved sharing every last bite with my best friend. Thank you Sam for loving me so unconditionally and sacrificially, and showing me what it means to die to one's self. I am blessed to be your partner in this life, and pray God would grant us many more wonderful years together. I love you!

One things for sure, after 10 years of marriage, our lives are 10x better now.
How could it not be when we're surrounded by so much love?

Mommy Approved!

Bethany got her first "Mommy Approved" haircut today.

Some of you may remember how very upset I was when my mom cut Bethany's hair last year without my approval. Both times (yes, she did this twice), I had gone out to do errands, only to come home to find a little less hair on my baby girl's head.

Exhibit A - August 2010

Fast forward to this afternoon.

I love Bethany's long hair, but with summer having just begun, and the days getting so hot, it was finally time for a haircut. I enlisted my mom's help, and needless to say, she was thrilled!

"Grandma, I sure hope you know what you're doing."

Before

After

Introducing little Miss Bethany with her new mommy approved haircut. :)