Anniversary

Monday was our 7th anniversary but we were driving back in town from my family's house so we decided to go out Tuesday night and celebrate.  I can just say that we are SO thankful for grandparents who live close who always want to watch our kids!  We went out to dinner at Los Cabos and while we were there it dawned on me that 4 years ago before we moved overseas we went there for our anniversary. 

Our 1st anniversary (2005) we went to Port Aransas.  We stayed at a nice place off the cost and enjoyed being near the water even though it was too cold to get in the water. 

Next on our 2nd anniversary we had come to Tulsa for Spring Break since we were both teachers(2006).  I was pregnant with Ev and we stayed at the same hotel we did the night we got married.

Our 3rd anniversary(2007) we were living in Tulsa for a few months until we moved overseas.  The grandparents watched Evangelia and we went to dinner and a movie.  We went to Los Cabos on the Riverwalk and then onto the movie theaters there. 

In 2008 it was our first anniversary overseas.  At the time there was only one nice restaurant so we went there to celebrate.  I was very pregnant with Elijah so I couldn't eat very much.

                               I hid my belly/Elijah under the table :)

 We were really excited for a burger, until this time we didn't have any options in our city...

 

In 2009 by this time there were a couple of foreign run coffee shops open so we went to the same restaurant and then to the coffee shop. This was the first anniversary since our first that I could have caffeine so I was THRILLED to have a mocha. In May Todd's parents came and allowed us to get away for 3 days to another city as a late anniversary celebration. The best part was that it was all planned by Todd. :)
                                  

                          

For our 6th anniversary (2010) our friends watched the kids so we could go out but it was the same old go out to the nice restaurant and then onto a coffee shop.  Not too many options but we took our some computer that has our Sling box on it and watched an episode of some reality TV show at the coffee shop.

 
So now in 2011 we are looking forward to also spending a week in April in Hawaii.  I'm pretty excited about it.

Our Sweet Little Elijah

A few days ago Elijah and Ian collided and it broke off part of one of Elijah's front teeth.  I was a little worried to hear the "I'm really hurt cry" coming from him and the "I need attention and sympathy cry" from Ian.  Poor kid, I am glad Aunt Kara got family pictures of us.  She got some really nice up close pictures of Elijah pre broken tooth. 

Elijah has quite a track record - this accident marks the 3rd major event BEFORE 3.  I think Elijah was barely over 1 when he was running after Ev and fell and face planted and broke his nose.  Right before turning 2 he fell and cut his face open at the bottom of his eyebrow and got stitches and now right before turning 3 broke a good chuck of his front tooth off. 

I really need to pray more over his physical protection.  The nose was hard but then the stitches was traumatic and I guess the broken tooth means he will have a broken tooth for the next 3-4 yrs! Thankfully each time one of these accidents occurred we were able to get some medical attention.  The first time was done by us taking pictures of his nose and sending it to a doctor a few hours away.  The second time we were in a different city that has an international clinic with foreign doctors and with being in America for this last accident we were able to take him to the dentist the next day.  I know he is all boy so I am trying to be hopeful that he won't have any more injuries. 

Celebrating Weddings...

I love Lisa Leonard's custom jewelry I have 2 of her necklaces and LOVE them!  Over at Lisa's blog http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/2011/03/10/josh-karas-wedding/  this week she is posting about weddings.  Today she posted about Kara's wedding so go check it out - 2 of my precious little ones are in the first picture. 

While I've been enjoying Lisa's wedding posts it makes me remember our wedding day.  We'll be celebrating our 7th anniversary on Monday March 14th!  Too bad back then digital photography wasn't like it is now.  I think my photographer did some digital but most of my pictures weren't. 

Todd and I were teachers living in San Antonio and took off a few days early to drive to Tulsa to get married the start of Spring Break.  Since we didn't have good luck with our honeymoon during Spring Break back then we are celebrating our anniversary at the beginning of April by taking a trip to Hawaii for basically free.  Thank you frequent flyer miles, housing by a couple who gave us an unbelievable discount, and grandparents who are looking after our 3 little ones for a week! 

Some things I've been working on

I haven't posted in a while about my craft projects.  The last time we when to Kansas I was able to bring back my grandma's sewing machine.  I learned to sew on this machine and I am so happy to be able to use it now.  So before I had the sewing machine and while we were stuck inside during the 2 week blizzard I was able to buy a glue gun, felt, fabric and a few jewelry supplies. 

I made Ev some necklaces, head bands and a hair clip.  I also made a necklace for my mom and Kara but I made them and gave them away before I took any pictures.  Ev loves head bands so she asks me to make her new ones often.  We'll see what I create next.  Keeping up with a 4 yr old is hard work. :)

I Finally Did it!

About 2 years ago when Elijah was turning 1 I decided to let my hair grow out.  My hair hasn't been long since I was in high school -14 YEARS ago.  Todd wanted me to do and see what it would look like since he didn't know me when my hair was long.  So for the past 2 years my hair went from really short maybe my hair length was 6 inches long if that to 19 inches long as of a couple of days ago.  I didn't really like my hair long for most of the past 2 years but I kept thinking, well I have spent so much time getting it to be this long why not keep it this long for a while longer.  But then I had it and was done so I cut more than 2/3rds of my hair off.  Some of my hair is about 1 inch short and the longest is probably about 6 inches meaning I cut off 18-13 inches off.  It was drastic but I REALLY like it short.  I cut off my hair in several pony tales in hopes of sending it to an organization like Locks of Love who will take hair and make wigs from it. 

Ian

Ian has been working on using utensils at meal times.  He has done a really good job so far.  Every once and I while when we are not looking he tries to use his fingers to pick food up quicker but overall he has figured it out.  It also helps having big sister and brother use them and make him want to use them that much more. 

Ian is using words to communicate more of what he wants or needs.  Right now he can say up, down, off, help, more, baseball, apple, cracker, bible, mom, dad, Dora, back pack, night night, hold you, thank you, bye bye, and love you.  In Chinese he can say, xie xie (thank you), ma (horse) yu (fish), ge ge (older brother), jie jie (older sister), yao (want), zai jian (bye bye), mama (mom), baba (dad).
He is still understanding us really well in both English and Chinese. 

We took Ian to a Pediatric Cardiologist today.  He had an echo cardiogram and an EKG done.  His doctor looked at the medical records we were given from China and told us that his heart was always been normal.  What they had mentioned in his papers is something that everyone has and as the doctor in China when he got his physical there as well as our pediatrician all said he is a healthy little guy and for that we are more than thankful. 

After three months with us his personality is really coming out.  He giggles and makes funny noises while riding in the car, he knows when to be a ham and he knows how to push his brothers buttons.  Ian is definitely a different kid from when we first had him and it delights my heart to see him so comfortable and happy.  Overall his transition into our family and our transition to America for our stateside has gone really well we have a lot of be thankful for!

Baseball from start to finish

 This picture wasn't taken when the rest of them where but they all looked so cute in their Ranger's t-shirts and hats.

 Hobs watched daddy do this with his bat before he started hitting in the cages... somebody was watching!

Today when the kids woke up Elijah wanted me to read him one of his baseball books.  The night before Todd had bought them a new 10.5 oz. baseball bat and a new baseballs.  Hobs had gone to bed with his baseball bat, glove and baseball.  We read a few baseball books before sending Ev to preschool when I got back we decided to take the boys to watch daddy hit softballs at the batting cages.  Hobs was adorable holding onto the fence and cheering daddy one while he was hitting the baseballs.  Ian didn't know what to think of the loud noise the baseballs hitting the bat made but once he got use to it he stared at Todd the entire time.  We haven't found anything as of yet that will keep his attention that long. We've figured out that Hobs learns by watching.  He watched baseball movies and picks up almost everything he knows so I knew as he watched Todd his little mind was spinning. 
When Todd was finished we went outside to a baseball field on the complex and let Hobs hit from our tee and run the bases on a real field.  He was using the new bat and baseballs that are a lot heavier than what we had before but he was able to make contact.  Ian wasn't too interested he wanted to wander around the field and play in the dirt.  Once in a while he will want to hit off the tee or throw a ball.  When I put him in his baseball shirt he will tell me "baseball", it was one of his first words! 
After playing baseball we got some lunch and then went to look for baseball clothing for the boys and then after naptime we went out in the backyard to play more baseball.  It must have been a dream day for Hobs.