Hey Ruth!

I'm an Esme, too! Go figure!

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!
You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be
sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and
appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Calling the Computer Literate

Okay, usually if I tinker around long enough on the computer I can figure stuff out. But this whole "HTML" stuff has really got me baffled! I'm trying to add a blog header on my site, but nothing is working! I've tried to upload it from under "Layout" directly from my computer as well as uploading it to Photobucket and getting a code formed. But, nothing seems to work. Tips anyone????

Movie Star Crush

The Three Musketeers movie came on today and I remembered something I hadn't thought about in a LONG time......

Once upon a time, there was a little 14 year-old teenager, whoes heart skipped a beat when she saw this......

Chris O'Donnell was my very first movie star crush. Baby face, long curly locks and beautiful blue eyes? Who couldn't resist that??? I even remember taking a picture from a teen magazine of him to Girls Camp with me one year. I was so embarrassed when my friends, in jest, brought out the picture when our Bishop came up for dinner and testimony meeting. Ahhh. The little things that would make me blush! Okay. I've shared mine; so here's a blog challange for you....who was your first movie star crush? (My second movie star crush would have been Jared Leto....back in his "My So Called Life" days......his picture graced the cover of my school notebooks!)

And here's some pictures of our own little Picasso......


.....we went on base today with every intention to go to the Air Show. We drove by the flight line, saw all of the people and I quickly decided maybe I'm not ready to attempt such a feat with two kids by myself yet. So, Kami settled for lunch at Subway and a trip to the BX to pick up some paints! Drew...she DOES sing: "Painting the sun, painting the sun, bright yellow. Bright yellow. Painting the bright yellow sun." while she paints! SO CUTE!!!

YW Lesson 38 "Good Health Habits"

Okay! Last Sunday was my first week back to church and my first YW's lesson in a month!!! I missed the YW in our little branch SO MUCH while I was gone. More than they'll ever know. When I was discouraged, bummed out and emotional while waiting for AJ to come, I tried my best to think of happy things and thinking of the amazing girls in our branch always put a smile on my face.

We did have a lot of fun with this lesson. I took an idea that Angela had in a similar lesson she gave last year and brought in some foods and measured out the sugar content in each of those foods. The girls were amazed and made us all really think about what we're putting into our bodies. Anyway. It was just a pretty casual lesson about the things we eat and how to incorporate the Word of Wisdom into our lives. Okay. I taught this lesson on a Fast Sunday, too. Kind of mean. But, on the other hand, maybe it gave the girls an opportunity to end their fast right. It was just so good to be back teaching again!

AND while I was gone.....I finally got a 1st Counselor again! Wahoo! I am so excited! Katie is a fantastic person with the energy and spunk I wish I had! I'm so glad she accepted the calling!

Babies and More!

I was talking to my sister on the phone the other day and she said I needed to update my blog with more pictures. So Rachel, here you are! Here's some pictures of my babies that I have taken over the last couple of days!

Today AJ is officially 3 weeks old! Wow! I know he's still so new, but I can't believe it's been 3 weeks already! I've hardly noticed the time going by with all of the diaper changes, clothing changes (the kids and mine!), feedings, etc. I must say though, I LOVE being a mom! And I LOVE the way I'm feeling this time around! I had such a hard time my first time around with Postpartum Depression and it's such a huge difference right now! I can actually sit back, watch my kids and think, "Wow! This is fantastic!" Anyway, I'm doing great! AJ is such a fun baby to have around. He nurses super well and sleeps a lot (at least right now he does anyway!). He gets a little fussy at night, but nothing the baby swing won't settle. And Kami absolutely adores him! It's been so much fun to see her as the big sister. She is such a huge help!

Okay. Totally off topic. But, I've got a funny story that I've been laughing at all day long. So, this morning I get the kids ready and out the door to go to our Breastfeeding Support Group Meeting (I was actually early! Woohoo!) at my friend Anna's house on base. I stop at the gate and hand my ID card to the guard, who says to me, "Wow! It smells really good in there!" A little taken off guard, I'm thinking quickly at what on earth he could be smelling. I did take a shower that morning and did actually remember to put my deodorant on. Still thinking quickly, I think of the kids in the back seat. They are clean, but I didn't think they were particularly overfull (is that a word? well, it is now.). I did make cookies last night to bring to BFSG, but they were in an air-tight container, so it couldn't be that. So the guard finishes scanning my ID card and I'm about to drive away and I couldn't resist asking. "Um. What does my car smell like?" He paused for a minute to think and then satisfied with his conclusion he says, "It smells like....laundry detergent." AAAAAHHH! One advantage of keeping laundry detergent in the back of your car (we take our laundry on base every week). Anyway, that was so random, I thought is was pretty funny.

Alright. I'm off to get Miss No-Nap Kami to bed!

Attention Scrapbookers!

http://www.scrapbookfactorystore.com/

So, the super cool scrapbook store that I used to work at now has kits online! Wahoo! I am so excited about this!!! These kits are put together by a group of uber-talented ladies - I miss them all so much!!!! Anyway, go on over and check out their new store! The kits are sold unassembled with everything you need to complete a 2-page layout. You can use the designers idea exactly as the pictures shown, or add your own little flair here and there! Yay! Congratulations Scrapbook Factory on your "dot com" expansion! :^)

Storks Nest Review

Whew! Finally a post! I've seriously been trying to work on this for a couple days now! Nothing too recent here, just a review of our 18 days in Seoul!

In all its glory...here's a picture of the little house that became a home away from home.

During our stay we took advantage of visiting some local museums....this one is the Children's Museum inside the National Museum. Very cool and super fun for the kiddos!

Drew came up one weekend and we walked over to the Korean War Memorial. We've been there before, but it was fun to take Mindy and Emily.

Some days were spent just playing outside!

A couple of days before AJ's arrival.
Playing at the Toy Store.
And finally! Here's here! YAY!

Introducing....

Andrew Jerome (AJ)!

Hey Everyone! Just a quicky update on baby AJ! After being 5 days overdue, AJ was born yesterday morning after a super quick 4 hour labor!!! Whew! Everything went so fast there was no time for any pain medication of any kind. So. Wow. That was something I never expected or planned to do. But....now that I've done it, it's almost empowering! AND I feel great! We're all doing well. We're at home now, thanks to the fantastic doctors at the hospital on Yongsan Army Post in Seoul. They must have had pitty on us since we hadn't been home in over two weeks (with the exception of our quick escape!).

Anyway....AJ weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. (a whole pound bigger than Kami) and 20.5 inches. He is a GREAT baby! We all feel so blessed to have him as a part of our family! Thanks to everyone for all of your support and prayers on our behalf!

Home For The Day

Hmmmmm. No AJ yet! I had a doctors appointment today and it looks like I'll be yet another week (my guess). Drew was up in Seoul this weekend and for a couple of days this week for work meetings. So, we decided since it didn't look like anything was going to happen tonight, we'd come back down to Osan and sleep in our own bed! It is so nice to be home!!! I do have to head back up tomorrow, however, since this weekend it the Korean Thanksgiving holiday. The roads are really, really bad during this time and nearly impossible to actually get into Seoul.

We've been trying to keep somewhat busy while we've been in Seoul. We went to the Children's Museum next to the Army base one day and to the Korean War Memorial Museum another. We also went to story hour at the library, gone to a few movies (Osan Friends....did you know it free admission up there?!? What the heck????) and have done tons and tons of walking! :^)

Today the first thing we did upon coming back to Osan was B-line it straight to the fabric store! I think my sister must have been their favorite customer of the day because he kept giving her free fabric as we were leaving! LOL! Ahhhh. I think we'll be back there soon! :^) Other than that, I've just really been enjoying being at home! There's no place like it! I'll let you all know as soon as we're back here with baby in hand! :^) Miss you all!

To the Blog Watchers!

Okay. For all of you who keep checking up on my blog to see any baby news, this one's for you! :^)

So, no baby yet. But I did make my way up to Seoul where I'll be staying on the Army Post until AJ comes! Entourage in tow (Kami, my sister and two nieces), we rode the bus up from Osan yesterday. After grabbing some lunch and a quick trip to the PX (Post Exchange) we made our way by Taxi over to the hospital to check into the Storks Nest (free lodging for expectant mothers who have to travel to be in Seoul to have their babies). Taxi's here have been a rare sight around this base this summer with strikes and contract issues, etc. So, it's a welcome sight to see taxi's actually running on a regular basis now. Just in time! :^) Anyway, the accomadations are....humble....but, hey, it's FREE! And it's within walking distance to the hospital. So, no complaints here! :^) I am actually surprised though that we are the only ones in the little "house". There are three rooms with their own bathrooms and a shared kitchen. But, no sign of others coming from the other two rooms. Of course that can change at any time around here! But, I was hoping to see some prego friends from Osan up here, too! Not that I'd really like to stick around until they DO come up! Any time this little guy wants to show his face is just fine with me!

At lunch time yesterday, we also discovered that the foodcourt offers free wireless internet! So, what's where I'm at right now! So glad I brought my computer!

Anyway, we're all doing well! Just chilling out waiting to go home with a new bundle any day now! Pictures of my temporary 'digs' coming soon! :^) Anyway, enough rambling! I just wanted you all to know that I'm still here! I'll update more soon!

Ooooooh! Touche!

.....now this election just got really interesting!.....

An Oldie, But A Goodie

This was a picture of Kami from September of last year, but I love it so much that I wanted to scrapbook it. Fall in Korea is probably one of my favorite seasons. The weather is perfect, the rice fields are green and ready to harvest, everything is green and lush. I love it! And of course, my then one-year old is as beautiful as ever! I can't believe how much she's grown. And to think in just a few short weeks she's going to be the best big sister ever! :^)

Baby Shower

Yeesh! Sorry, it's been a while since my last post! For those of you wondering, nope, no baby AJ yet! Although, he's quickly running out of room, so I can't imagine it'll be too, too long! I've been to two doctors appointments up in Seoul already and am getting ready for my stay up there beginning next week. Meanwhile, I thought you'd all enjoy some baby shower pictures, curtesy of my friend, Bernie! She did a fantastic job! I'll keep you all posted on the stork drop!

Joy To Me

YW Lesson 30 "Scripture Study"

Yesterday on my way home from church I realized that this will be my last Sunday lesson I teach until October! The next Sunday I would have taught is the day when Elder Bednar will be in Seoul for a Youth Fireside and so our branch is holding a two hour block that Sunday to give families travel time (traffic can get crazy here!). The week after that, I'm headed up to Seoul as well until our new little addition to our family decides to make his world debut! Wow! I can't believe how quickly time is flying by! So, happy teaching to all of you YW teachers out there! I'll see you in October! :^) Jess

Story
“Some years ago the president of the Sweden Mission related an experience when he was on a boat going out through a number of small islands toward Finland. As he watched the boat plow out into the sea, he noticed the meandering course of the pilot among the various islands. He wondered, Why doesn’t he take us to that more interesting island over there instead of this dismal place over here?
“He said, ‘As I sat there watching and wondering, I noticed what appeared to be broomsticks bobbing up and down in the water ahead. I then realized that someone had mapped out the safest course in these waters and had put out these guidelines to guide us safely.’
“Then he brought out this lesson: ‘Just so, God’s engineers have charted the safest way to us, and that safe way is written in the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as unmistakably as our ship was guided through those dangerous seas out into the safety beyond” (“Find the Answers in the Scriptures,” President Harold B. Les, Ensign, Dec. 1972, p. 3).

Question/Discussion
1. In what ways can the scriptures guide our lives?
2. Do you have a favorite scripture that has helped you meet challanges in your life, or just a favorite scripture in general that you'd like to share?

Case Studies
One way we can look for specific answers to questions in the scriptures is by using the Topical Gude and Index. Presented are some young women who need to find specific answers to their questions. Let's take a few minutes (I gave them about 7-10 minutes) and help these YW find the answers they're looking for.
Shauna was struggling with her faith in the power of prayer. She felt that she was not receiving answers when she prayed, and she was beginning to doubt the faith and beliefs of her childhood. Her Young Women adviser asked her to compile a notebook on prayer using only what she found in the scriptures. Find some scriptures that you think would help her regain her faith in prayer.

Marie was aware that Layne, her fourteen-year-old brother, was lying more and more frequently to her parents about where he was going and what he was doing. Marie had tried to talk to him about it, but that only made him angry. He insisted that his little lies weren’t doing any harm. He just wanted to spend more time with his friends. Marie’s father assigned her to give the lesson in family home evening the following Monday. She decided to give it on the importance of being honest. Find some scriptures that might help Marie teach Layne about the value of honesty.

Sarah’s mother had just died of cancer. Sarah was brokenhearted. Why had the Lord let this happen to her beautiful mother? She was so good and so young. The family had prayed fervently that she would be healed, and the bishop had helped her father administer to her mother. Using the key words of death and resurrection, what scriptures can you find to comfort Sarah?

Quote
“I fear that many of us rush about from day to day taking for granted the holy scriptures. We scramble to honor appointments with physicians, lawyers, and businessmen. Yet we think nothing of postponing interviews with Deity—postponing scripture study. Little wonder we develop anemic souls and lose our direction in living. How much better it would be if we planned and held sacred fifteen or twenty minutes a day for reading the scriptures. Such interviews with Deity would help us recognize his voice and enable us to receive guidance in all of our affairs. We must look to God through the scriptures” (Carlos E. Asay, in Conference Report, Oct. 1978, p. 79; or Ensign, Nov. 1978, pp. 53–54).

Question
1. How can we make Scripture Study more meaningful in our lives?

Quote Sheet
1. Schedule
2. Pray
3. Search
4. Ponder
5. Relate
6. Apply
Because We Have Them Before Our Eyes, by Elder David A. Bednar, New Era, April 2006
Search the Scriptures , by Elder L. Lionel Kendrick, Ensign, May 1993

Poem

More Digi Playing!

Okay....here's another page I created! This time I broke down and bought PhotoShop Elements! And....I'm having a lot of fun! Anyway, here's my latest creation!

Ummm....Oops!

So, tonight, as every night, I started Kami's bedtime routine with a bathtub. So, I put Kami in the tub and while it filled up, I though, I'd find some stickers that would go well with a scrapbook page I was working on. Found the stickers and then thought, well, I'll go ahead and just finish up this page. So, I finished up the page and I started thinking about some emails that I needed to write. So, I sat down on the computer here and wrote a couple emails. Then.....I hear Kami from the bathroom, "Uh-oh! My bathtub broken! Uh-oh! My bathtub broken!" I assumed she meant her little Elmo bathtub that has suction cups on it that she's always getting frustrated with. So, I did a few more things on the computer and she kept saying, "Uh-oh! My bathtub broken!" After a minute, I wobbled (because that's about all I do these days) to the bathroom to find that.....oops! I forgot to go back in and turn off her water! My brain cells are seriously zapping out by the second! This AJ better be one smart kid, because he's taking just about all of the brains I've got! :^)
Aaaaand, here's a cute picture of Kami that I forgot (surprise, surprise) that I had taken!
On a totally seperate note......Sunday I get a call from friend Bernie, she was at the BX and what book to they have on their shelves??? Yep. You guessed it! So, she picked up a copy for me and Kami and I went to her house that night to pick it up from her. After putting Kami to bed, I stayed up until about 1AM reading. The next morning I got up about 5:30AM to keep reading. Kami woke up at 7AM and I got her ready for the day....then I kept reading and reading and reading and reading. Only stopping to switch out DVD's from Dora, to Elmo to Hi-5 for Kami as well as other necessities we needed to do that day. Tuesday I woke up early again and read through the AM finishing the book! Whew! 700+ pages in that amount of time....I think I just set a new record for me! Because so many of you are still reading, I won't say much more other than....I LOVED IT! Happy reading everyone! :^)

Envy

Okay. So, the counter on the right side of the page counting down to when the release date for the new Twilight books comes out was pretty anti-climatic for me, seeing as I'm all the way over in Korea, where to AAFES (Army Air Force Exchage Service, aka: our Target/Walmart/Dept. Store) "Breaking Dawn" is just another item to put out on the shelf...maybe....when they get around to it...IF they ordered it. So, while AAFES takes their sweet time, my back-up copy is sitting in an Amazon.com warehouse somewhere waiting to be shipped out *hopefully* on Monday. Thankfully, 95% of the time, Amazon orders are pretty quick to ship here, but every once in a while, a box gets stuck on the "slow boat" and it takes up to 6 weeks for orders to arrive. Anyway. I lament. I type this blog with the greenest of envy oozing out of my fingertips for those in the states who wandered into a local bookstore today and picked up their copy. And of course will nothing other than sit and read the story we've all been on the edge of our seats for months, waiting just to see how it ends. BUT, don't you dare write me and tell me what happens! I may be seriously wishing I was reading it right now, but I do have enough dignity to wait until *hopefully* next week when I can read it myself! :^) Happy reading everyone!

Attention Twilight Fans!

Okay, for those of us who (like myself) have ants in their pants waiting for the 4th and final book in the Twilight Series to come out in _____________ days/hrs/mins/secs/(see sidebar for how much longer!), you have got to check out this blog ! Holy smokes! This guy is so funny! I was trying not to laugh as hard as I wanted to because Id've woken up Kami in the next room! So, for our reading enjoyment while we wait, here's one guys take on what'll happen in the upcoming book! Enjoy! :^)

Beautiful Kami!

Just some pictures of Kami that I took this morning before church. I was taking pictures of my lesson handouts and Kami saw the "chocolate tree" (her term she picked up from Dora....meaning anything chocolate!) and wanted some. She was looking so cute and I wanted to get her picture, so I bribed her and told her she could have some "chocolate tree" if she let me take her picture! The second picture, she's actually looking down at the Snickers Candy Bar that was over on the floor! Good grief! I have no idea where she got her sweet tooth from! ;^)

(I know, I know, Mom. I'll add these pictures to that picture CD that I still need to burn and send you!)