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Monday, November 24, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

In front of Jonathan Borofsky's "Hammering Man"
Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, TX

Before I got married, I imagined holidays would be about continuing family traditions. However, the most important thing I have learned over the past four years is that all families are unique and rather than try to recreate my own childhood, maybe it's time to let traditions come alive in new forms, perhaps creating some new ones. After all, our family was formed in a "non-traditional" way, so why should we stick to convention?

Thanksgiving is one of those times what creating tradition becomes especially important. Since we don't have any family in the area, we usually wait until the last minute to make plans, usually in the form of getting ourselves invited to someone's house or hosting an impromptu Thanksgiving feast for other Thanksgiving "orphans." Even though I don't very much care for this holiday, Thanksgiving is one of those times of the year where we can mark milestones and think about how much we have changed and grown during the past year. This realization, along with my weakness for craft foam, inspired me to make the cheesy, yet cute, Family Turkey:




Yes, I know it doesn't look like much now. But the plan is to add the kid's hands every year to mark how much they have grown. And since Veronica can write her own name now, it's especially meaningful to have her write it on her hand this year.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your turkey, football, and any other traditions that you have. And if you're so inclined, start another one.


Wednesday, November 12, 2008

I Signed The Petition for Preemies!


Quick update

I took at hiatus from blogging, but after some friendly nudging from a couple of friends, I came back. Truth is, the longer you wait between blog posts, the harder it is to come back. So much went on and it was hard for me to summarize it in one post.

So here's the gist:
  • We are all doing well.
  • Over the summer, D.J. finally got his citizenship papers, marking an end to a very long journey. All the legal work regarding the adoption is over and we can finally breathe.
  • We took a road trip this summer and drove through Oklahoma, Tenesee, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. I got a speeding ticket in Illinois.
  • Erek continues his job with the Federal government. I now teach two anthropology classes.
  • Veronica celebrated her 4th birthday in style (see slideshow)
  • Kids still attend the same preschool: Veronica 5 days, D.J. 3 days.
  • Veronica loves soccer, dance, and gymnastics. She also says she wants to play the violin.
  • D.J. started gymnastics as well. His favorite things are swinging on the bar and jumping in the foam pit.

I will try and continue the updates. Now that I think about it, I miss blogging.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Summer's Here!!

As you many have noticed, I am addicted to making Photobucket slideshows. I especially like making remixes so I can add cheesy music and cool transitions. Below is my latest creation - in honor of the beginning of summer, I have created a slideshow that celebrates having fun at the pool. Enjoy!

Summer Fun Slideshow

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Happy Mother's Day!

Erek and the kids really made this past Sunday wonderful! It started with Veronica and D.J. "cooking" me a tasty breakfast of cereal and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was the best breakfast ever! We then spent the morning at the the church nursery, as it was our week to watch the little ones while their parents were at mass. It was a little chaotic, but we managed to get most of the kids to color Mother's Day cards.

We then headed to Dinosaur Valley State Park, which is home to "some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world." We spent most of the time splashing in the Paluxy River. Even Maggie, who usually avoids bodies of water, seemed to enjoy it when Erek threw her in.

Check out our slideshow below!

Mother's Day at Dinosaur Valley State Park