tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57236303401284398462024-03-05T00:36:45.884-08:00The Three TangsMy husband, Josh, and I have been married since June 2005. We have 1 very active daughter. Welcome to the blog!Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-32597765241945989692013-05-23T15:13:00.000-07:002013-05-23T15:13:10.826-07:00I need a new blog name... :-)Well, it's been quite a few months. A LOT has happened. You ready!? It may sound a 'bit' jumbled.<br />
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We finished all of our adoption paperwork & home studies at the end of October and took off the next day for a trip to Hawaii - just me and Josh. Our thought process was 'Who knows when baby #2 will come, so we might as well get away now just in case.' We had a very relaxing time in Kauai - mostly hanging out by the pool. When we got home we realized that it was time to put our cat to sleep. She was refusing to eat/drink since before we left for Kauai and there's not a whole lot you can do for a cat who won't eat/drink (unless you want to shell out tons of $$ to find get tests done that may or may not tell you anything.) Sushi cat has been missed, but we think she is much happier now that she's not suffering. November: Shortly after that I found a rash on one side of my body and it freaked me out. Did I have shingles again!?? Dr said yes. What, am I 80 or something!? So, I was bummed, Josh was bummed and gearing up for a business trip and Natalie was just excited to have us home. Went back to a different dr for a second opinion - she says 'not shingles'. Well, that was a fun roller coaster of emotions... Josh heads off to Charleston for a few days and has a bit of a rough time getting back home. He finally makes it home around midnight and we get to spend the weekend together. Ahhh, time to settle in again. <br />
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Monday morning Josh leaves for work. Just a regular day for us. Natalie and I were doing some sort of project together, being lazy in our pj's and I get a call from Josh (who had only been gone for 30 min or so.) The conversation went a bit like this: S-'Hi. What's up?' J-'Well...are you sitting down?' S-'No. Why?' J-'You should sit down.' S-'What? Why, what's wrong?' J- 'Just sit down. Trust me.' S-'Ok I'm sitting.' J- 'I just got a call from (our social worker). She said there's a little boy that was born on Friday...and we have 30 min to decide yes or no.' S- 'Wait. What? Are you serious?' J- 'Yep. And we would need to get to the hospital as soon as possible.' (It is around a 6 hr drive.) We go for it! Just like that. One min we're hanging out at home in our pj's and settling in to work on a Monday - the next we're throwing clothes in a bag and driving to pick up our new baby boy! My parents take Natalie for a few days and we start driving. Our conversation went a bit like this: 'What is happening!? I guess we need a name! We don't have any boy clothes. What is happening? This is so bizarre. Um, we have a baby boy!' <We had been warned that it could take a long time..but it could also happen really fast. We were told not to set up the crib and dresser because it would be really hard to walk by it every day - especially if the process took a long time. So, basically we had nothing ready.> <Oh and Thanksgiving was supposed to be at our house this year - just a few days away.> We get to the hospital, meet up with the social worker and she walks us in to meet our little boy. It was all surreal. Amazing and surreal. Here are a few details:<br />
-We named him Gavin.<br />
-We were able to meet with his birth mom and I think it was essential for all of us. I have nothing but love and respect for her. She carried little Gavin for 9 months and without her I wouldn't have a son.<br />
-We were discharged from the hospital the day before Thanksgiving -aka the busiest travel day in the US. Our 6 hour drive took 10 hours! G was a phenomenal traveler. Only cried 10 min the whole drive.<br />
-Natalie was the first person we told about G. She was so excited to be a big sister and cleared out her bottom drawer so that he could have space for his clothes. :-) She was very ready to meet 'her baby'.<br />
-Thanksgiving was still at our house, but we didn't have to cook a thing. Friends and family took charge and cooked everything! We got to spend time loving on and getting to new this new little guy of ours. It was amazing!<br />
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I know I'm leaving a whole lot out, but I'm sure I'll get to all that later. For now just know that we now have a 6 month old little guy who is loved by friends and family. We should get a court date soon and then we will legally be his parents! We are VERY excited. Josh, Natalie and I all feel that our family is now complete. :-)<br />
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Thanks for all the prayers and support over the last year! (From the beginning of the process to when we met Gavin was 6 months. That is just unheard of!!) I'm not sure if I'm aloud to post pics of him yet, so for now I will add pics where you can't see his face.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMWIJVvmhfuEiZQwdraYLgmjifHPMIcqBCs3sZPrMzNLDyNWAQQd3fLp9mUC8x0W1VKhOL964jhVGEgGvCbgtMbU3Q2czi-NMrwLFRqy_RLy1JxTytrDBmLFUMK_z22KBvyM5jc0_i8ll/s1600/IMG_0927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMWIJVvmhfuEiZQwdraYLgmjifHPMIcqBCs3sZPrMzNLDyNWAQQd3fLp9mUC8x0W1VKhOL964jhVGEgGvCbgtMbU3Q2czi-NMrwLFRqy_RLy1JxTytrDBmLFUMK_z22KBvyM5jc0_i8ll/s320/IMG_0927.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our two munchkins.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PPpuduaBOwjWqdrqjsQCsywpuH19uq25Ab5uqq2s0rMab6mDLWKxyj85DR4xclRgkFiOt8oCUqeCwfGSwXPZv8qM9O6ouGJjhyGCslYzc_gbfOlUFc84_8JKeP5VCvKOt0BJJamuPA9w/s1600/IMG_0741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1PPpuduaBOwjWqdrqjsQCsywpuH19uq25Ab5uqq2s0rMab6mDLWKxyj85DR4xclRgkFiOt8oCUqeCwfGSwXPZv8qM9O6ouGJjhyGCslYzc_gbfOlUFc84_8JKeP5VCvKOt0BJJamuPA9w/s320/IMG_0741.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho07OcRdvRmEIu7Gc0Kyi85zhNJh1ulVIFs2P6gNi5chVd3wras58QqO7L6vBbg8XNZZ6AEcMMf1D4vxl3Ib-tXLXwJuT-1VWbXvlHqen5rf2viGs_EQR_4GLmZ8FkT45aDCY-lgNeBhvh/s1600/IMG_0942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho07OcRdvRmEIu7Gc0Kyi85zhNJh1ulVIFs2P6gNi5chVd3wras58QqO7L6vBbg8XNZZ6AEcMMf1D4vxl3Ib-tXLXwJuT-1VWbXvlHqen5rf2viGs_EQR_4GLmZ8FkT45aDCY-lgNeBhvh/s320/IMG_0942.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping daddy feed Gavin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboQqXneYIk2mbGkYCGukzvNmbI0sb2lwmbLl2ZNuOahNkkUoykIYQlIhSSwMl9pukiyl7rau27_5XTUc6EwAiUR-vA12Uud2tHQ9UTv3uHI9MT2x2uCy_-cnC5mY8DqXDa60VZkAiY_EF/s1600/IMG_1614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboQqXneYIk2mbGkYCGukzvNmbI0sb2lwmbLl2ZNuOahNkkUoykIYQlIhSSwMl9pukiyl7rau27_5XTUc6EwAiUR-vA12Uud2tHQ9UTv3uHI9MT2x2uCy_-cnC5mY8DqXDa60VZkAiY_EF/s320/IMG_1614.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to figure out where sister went. He LOVES his big sister!</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_2104583712"></span><span id="goog_2104583713"></span><br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-80452822523810427472012-09-20T10:03:00.000-07:002012-09-20T10:03:21.181-07:00A post that has been sitting in my draft folder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The summer is over. It was busy, busy, busy - with lots of weekends out of town, lack of consistency and a ton of adoption prep. Josh went on a camping trip/river float with friends and another long weekend went house boating. I was able to get away on my first ever sister's weekend (there will be more!!). My sis and I headed to SF, stayed in a hoity-toity hotel, didn't keep track of time and got to talk a LOT! It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! </div>
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A lot has been changing. </div>
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*Natalie is now enjoying preschool a few mornings a week! </div>
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*The reality of adoption is starting to sink in. How hard it is for a woman to choose to give her child to another family. The loss and brokenness of it all. Yet the joy of welcoming a new one into our lives. I find myself thinking of the birthmother quite often (whoever she may be). As hard as this process is for me - I cannot fathom how difficult it is for her. </div>
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*Just when I thought that it was 'smooth sailing' with all my meds and no changes would have to be made....I find out that my dr has been overmedicating, not warning me of possible serious side effects, and giving me false information for the last year+. I felt so defeated. Medication is such a process - finding what works, what doesn't work. It takes months and months and months to get it 'right'. I was also angry. How could this person - who I trusted to take care of me - fail me so miserably? Good news is that my old dr (from when I was a teen) agreed to see me again and is doing a fantastic job getting me where I need to be. </div>
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*Wow. This is turning into quite a downer of a post....</div>
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Anyway, life is good. In the midst of my stress I have to remind myself that I have an amazing life - amazingly supportive husband, loving & energetic daughter, and a beautiful town to live in. </div>
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Here are a few recent pics:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ6O7-Eb3O4wctZz45QVkQoCax2S3yt0yjUcgxk977_x3dnXLaaH8TMeGda9PWmoZ0e4ffFNbDDBJunFXfMsq-lheceYMXwazaGyHr03ctLvoi16eVduc2T4AdVwvyitkHJ_PX8eMBA1O/s1600/Carousel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPQ6O7-Eb3O4wctZz45QVkQoCax2S3yt0yjUcgxk977_x3dnXLaaH8TMeGda9PWmoZ0e4ffFNbDDBJunFXfMsq-lheceYMXwazaGyHr03ctLvoi16eVduc2T4AdVwvyitkHJ_PX8eMBA1O/s320/Carousel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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First Carousel Ride</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrdqS_cJA1xGG0jQMXo4jHBho7ZuJoxSXuA9piTuEKzgE_l7BENxg9GXQvWvlNHblyzkK49HpHnwovOUJ6rVqAgxi4Nr2OhnoEljNRKL8xByDZiSLwTwFOmxP2p4m8VK9PiG42JlFhM-9/s1600/J&SChinatown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrdqS_cJA1xGG0jQMXo4jHBho7ZuJoxSXuA9piTuEKzgE_l7BENxg9GXQvWvlNHblyzkK49HpHnwovOUJ6rVqAgxi4Nr2OhnoEljNRKL8xByDZiSLwTwFOmxP2p4m8VK9PiG42JlFhM-9/s320/J&SChinatown.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Jennie and me in SF</div>
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(this is the standard photo pose with the tourists) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5XRDup84SY1qIv-lC1WP07BnnaGt7y6JPrK4YbC2DW8ShCIqFh-_3nxXtlT97DaHTv_-4DeF0tSiYCZH5BB24tRJAXyF3cGzS5wBp81UO64B1kjcsTkcZ0s4gAPbShMeBi7JrmfoT80m/s1600/Josh&Natalie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5XRDup84SY1qIv-lC1WP07BnnaGt7y6JPrK4YbC2DW8ShCIqFh-_3nxXtlT97DaHTv_-4DeF0tSiYCZH5BB24tRJAXyF3cGzS5wBp81UO64B1kjcsTkcZ0s4gAPbShMeBi7JrmfoT80m/s320/Josh&Natalie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Josh and Natalie played hard while I was in SF</div>
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Hiking, paddle boating, playing with friends :-)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuH-qbjLmvVmUWgInDSkWz7Foi9AsoKa93GNPgNQStQzRmtMayb246OF7q_yx6e189o8B5f2sWnD8NmHpe7XHABCiuiO05ATvI5qddyIiy1OIfcxIhuQ-plJ5bzszfWrF8v11ne38uYB6/s1600/N&Crab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuH-qbjLmvVmUWgInDSkWz7Foi9AsoKa93GNPgNQStQzRmtMayb246OF7q_yx6e189o8B5f2sWnD8NmHpe7XHABCiuiO05ATvI5qddyIiy1OIfcxIhuQ-plJ5bzszfWrF8v11ne38uYB6/s320/N&Crab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When Josh's dad was in town we went to the nearby beach that you can drive on. (Pretty sure I haven't been on that beach since Josh and I were dating. Crazy!) </div>
Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-67704422762680073402012-09-20T09:57:00.002-07:002012-09-20T09:57:41.653-07:00Parental ramblingsSo many thoughts rushing through my brain right now. Not even sure it will make sense...<br />
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Miss N started preschool a few days a week. I thought everything would be fine - no respect or obedience issues. Sure - she has respect and disobedience issues at home, but at school she would listen to her teacher. Not so. <br />
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You see, all of the things I complained about as a Preschool Teacher I am now facing as a parent. As a teacher I would hear parents say "But Bobby doesn't do that at home.", "My child is really rough with other kids. Can you work on that?", "I've tried this and this and this at home with Bobby and nothing is working. Please help!" -And I would think (to myself) "Seriously people!?? These are YOUR children. I am here to provide a loving, caring environment where your child can grow socially and mentally. I am not here to be the substitute parent. Why can't you take care of your child's issues yourself?"<br />
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Sounds harsh, I know. <br />
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But now...A lightbulb is starting to flicker in my brain. Oh.My.Word. I am "That Parent". And I think I'm realizing (yet again) that I have no idea what I'm doing as a parent. No one does. (Hope that doesn't offend anyone...) And I think that's a good thing to keep in mind - at least for me. I get so caught up in 'Why are Betty's kids so well behaved?' 'How can they have three kids and handle everything with ease, while I have one and struggle to keep things balanced!?' 'I shouldn't be so frustrated with N right now, but I'm going batty with all the pretending!' ...to name a few.<br />
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Bottom line: I need to get over it. Asking for help is ok. Admitting you don't always know what you're doing is ok. Talking to other moms about how tough motherhood can be is good. I think it helps us realize that we are not alone. I LOVE my daughter and I look forward to another baby someday. I think I just need to take a deep breath, pray for patience and guidance and give myself some grace when I feel completely out of my element. Cause parenting is new for any parent - whether they have 1 or 5. Dynamics change, personalities are different. <br />
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So, in summary: I don't have all the answers. I need help and encouragement. And ultimately, little Miss N will turn out exactly how God wanted her to be. And...what you said years ago can come back to bite you in the butt.<br />
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ADOPTION UPDATE:<br />
All of our paperwork, fingerprinting, self-studies, references, training hours, etc. are FINISHED!! Looks like we will start our Home Study in early October!!! Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-32159285838680129002012-07-23T16:59:00.002-07:002012-07-23T16:59:26.520-07:00This, That & SeaWorld<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
First - an adoption update: We have decided to only pursue domestic adoption (infant relinquishments). We are plugging away at the paperwork and training and hope to be able to start our home study in the early fall. It is definitely a nerve-wracking process. I have found myself doubting if we should continue. The emotional risks, the financial risks, possible heartbreak. (But there are risks & uncertainties in everything...) Fortunately this doubt is shorted lived. Yes, there are risks. Plenty. So, I can either admit defeat and give up because I'm too scared OR I can trust that God is in control of the entire situation. Even if we remain a family of 3, at least we will have tried. All that to say - we are excited, overwhelmed by information and trying not to look too far ahead. :-)</div>
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After the 4th of July we decided to go down to San Diego for a few days. We took Natalie to SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo. Sea World is my happy place. This was the first time Natalie had been to any type of amusement park - and I must say - I think it was the perfect place to start! She loved watching the shows, being so close to all the animals, and there are even a few rides (think Dumbo & the Tea Cups at Disneyland) and a huge play area. And the lines for the rides were only 10 minutes long!! SCORE!! (Although those 10 minutes were filled with 'Is it our turn now? Can we go on?' every minute.) It was perfect. We went to the Zoo the next day - and we were sorely disappointed (and exhausted). After a whole day of performing animals and play areas the zoo was a bit dull - especially since most of the animals were in hiding that day. Oh well. All in all we had an amazing time in San Diego.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiys_cqGay5HTS5008i2BxXMjSKs27GsAg6ybU0obDeP5nnjOwvti2ky57ME3e4VIKmGag1JPzDnhc7u-bzVT_oN3_rijqkpeCfpNKjmES6agZekIgQJty1YqEyFT0P62l0Vyg6wbkopxgl/s1600/photo+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiys_cqGay5HTS5008i2BxXMjSKs27GsAg6ybU0obDeP5nnjOwvti2ky57ME3e4VIKmGag1JPzDnhc7u-bzVT_oN3_rijqkpeCfpNKjmES6agZekIgQJty1YqEyFT0P62l0Vyg6wbkopxgl/s320/photo+(6).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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...Because nothing says SeaWorld quite like Sesame Street?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_zfG04Zb5QCQzL02wZQYZmJAUfDLUgtJgz8Q1D61YZ_keajjRKCw1wB900Ee3tultC_Sdr0pktA-py83AQ6WsjEoRJMVoIOZdtMatdTQbXCwOc_41zW8IqZNNkJanZ7U6FXI1OULa1K5/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_zfG04Zb5QCQzL02wZQYZmJAUfDLUgtJgz8Q1D61YZ_keajjRKCw1wB900Ee3tultC_Sdr0pktA-py83AQ6WsjEoRJMVoIOZdtMatdTQbXCwOc_41zW8IqZNNkJanZ7U6FXI1OULa1K5/s320/photo+(7).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Probably her favorite animal at SeaWorld</div>
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And a few random things:</div>
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*Natalie has some imaginary friends named Hello Cat & Emily. They live with us. And go in the car with us. Actually, if we do it - they are with us. Their mom (also named Stephanie) lives with us too...and yet I'm always the one taking care of them. Slacker.</div>
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*Sushi - who was once our beloved cat - is now a full time outdoor cat. And I am LOVING it!!</div>
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*Josh was gone for the majority of last week. I am beyond thrilled to have him home. But, it was nice to go up to my sister's house and see 'the neighbors' on the way back home. Natalie LOVED her cousin time. If it wasn't for that 5 hour drive, we would see them every day. :-)</div>
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Hopefully my next post will be less than 2 months from now. No promises.</div>
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And here is Miss N gettin' her groove on at the 'Dance Club' at SeaWorld. She is a dancin' fool. <3</div>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-12665768850055485172012-05-25T08:10:00.001-07:002012-05-25T08:10:41.634-07:00Rollercoaster of emotions - the beginning<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3c4NdkGwSkXTGtPJ0elwNKgkAhRCmRvDuiGA0GbcWybEZgd0E1_x4KJs076P0971gzPKhkfebLtD-WHCDQuqHDcjg2yFF8_3s82aXRfrsNql0GXMUbyuq1HOQNMlKQGHUnCOhhbGU4gyA/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3c4NdkGwSkXTGtPJ0elwNKgkAhRCmRvDuiGA0GbcWybEZgd0E1_x4KJs076P0971gzPKhkfebLtD-WHCDQuqHDcjg2yFF8_3s82aXRfrsNql0GXMUbyuq1HOQNMlKQGHUnCOhhbGU4gyA/s320/photo+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got some dishes at an antique store and had a little<br />'Tea Party'. Chocolate Milk for her, Starbucks for me. :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGwY4Fn1VWWNR3qsDLHK6wj6W0-nxM5dXiGnU4dvDAFL98cHjCe3nZ5KVGFWn41qULKutnYoOf5D8bsd3H9McTuIR0PPfR6puTV6VFKUo0fUfmvV4lnL49PXKJXi0gSBX-vUlq3NWsCVn/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGwY4Fn1VWWNR3qsDLHK6wj6W0-nxM5dXiGnU4dvDAFL98cHjCe3nZ5KVGFWn41qULKutnYoOf5D8bsd3H9McTuIR0PPfR6puTV6VFKUo0fUfmvV4lnL49PXKJXi0gSBX-vUlq3NWsCVn/s320/photo+(2).JPG" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time getting our nails done together at a salon! We<br />had matching toes. </td></tr>
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Where to start? It's been so long. </div>
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I guess the big news is that we are hoping to go from The Three Tangs to The Four (or more?) Tangs. We have decided that adoption is the best way to expand our family. It was not an easy decision - at least for me. You see - I kept telling myself that *once I lost weight I could get pregnant again* and *once my meds were in order we could try for another*, but in the back of my mind I knew it wasn't a good idea. I've dealt with depression/anxiety for a long time now. It's nothing new - I guess I'm just learning how to handle it better now. So how did I make the switch from birth to adoption? The hubs. Naturally. He told me what I needed to hear. What I knew to be true, but didn't want to admit. Switching meds, getting pregnant, being </div>
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emotional on top of my regular emotional self, dealing with post pardum depresssion - it just wasn't the right decision. During a road trip he gently said 'I've been thinking about this for a while now, but I didn't want to tell you because I knew it would be hard for you....but I really don't think you should get pregnant again.' It was the *painful* kick in the pants I needed. Yes - I could go through all that again, but it would be purely for selfish reasons. Maybe pride? That's what woman are supposed to do. Why couldn't my body handle it!? But somehow in that moment I KNEW he was right. I finally admitted to myself what I had known for a while. And I had waves of emotion. *Relief - knowing that my body wouldn't have to go through all that again. </div>
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*Grief - coming to grips with the fact that I will never birth another child. </div>
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*Joy - we're going to be bringing another child into our family!</div>
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*Fear - what if adoption agencies don't accept me </div>
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because of my depression/anxiety. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBxHi_Ve9H33KHz7aq4pKNKJVL98y35m7G-R86zBuXq-Jz0Jzsap0tsBRt3AkudFuZ4MDDV4U8Fggggi6F-QqBRzlkgV4zrPjxzsfRdNs-0LPDauSFTg1xmGH10LKIQ6Ws8uwNKd0L9Gl/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBxHi_Ve9H33KHz7aq4pKNKJVL98y35m7G-R86zBuXq-Jz0Jzsap0tsBRt3AkudFuZ4MDDV4U8Fggggi6F-QqBRzlkgV4zrPjxzsfRdNs-0LPDauSFTg1xmGH10LKIQ6Ws8uwNKd0L9Gl/s320/photo+(4).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This girl can even have fun at the DMV!</td></tr>
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We are excited (and overwhelmed by all the paperwork) to start this journey. I am still working through the reality of not giving birth to another child - but we are excited for this next step. Natalie is so excited to have a little brother or sister!! At first she said she wanted a 'Baby brother. But one that doesn't cry. Except if he's hurt.' (That's a tall order!) But now she just wants someone to play with. :-)<br />
A few basics about our adoption:<br />
*we are set up with a local agency and are simultaneously pursing fos-adopt and domestic (relinquishments). we shall see what presents its self first.<br />
*we are open to boy or girl<br />
*we are open to siblings (2)<br />
*our preference is a child younger than Natalie<br />
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This is just the beginning of a long and emotional process. Please pray for peace, perseverance and faith that whatever is supposed to happen will happen.<br />
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</div>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-1594822098039286492012-02-19T21:31:00.000-08:002012-02-19T22:08:57.961-08:00Miss N<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3Ps1Ux8mAoJq6qHPlCkoKhK9qdz_7AURlFK2gPTTl-JIXZAFezgEbu89cPVASx2y2lkxWN2s_fmTNCS-ZDxyUqonEj3esYHYvGtUXpmQd3Vt7_4ousPL37Bd0mlgOpVFy3QHOTSovscV/s1600/PA271522.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3Ps1Ux8mAoJq6qHPlCkoKhK9qdz_7AURlFK2gPTTl-JIXZAFezgEbu89cPVASx2y2lkxWN2s_fmTNCS-ZDxyUqonEj3esYHYvGtUXpmQd3Vt7_4ousPL37Bd0mlgOpVFy3QHOTSovscV/s320/PA271522.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711093754976885890" border="0" /></a><br />*Where in the world did my daughter's strange obsession with Sponge Bob come from?? She hasn't even seen it. Josh and I are really confused. If you ask Natalie who she watched Sponge Bob with she'll say Mommy - don't believe her.<br /><br />*Natalie is currently planning her birthday party...and has been kind enough to invite me & Josh to the shindig. Thanks kid. So far her plans include 1) Having Grandma attend the party 2) a pinata 3) a green car cake - made by me 4) yellow balloons.<br /><br />*Being a stay at home mom is not always easy. Lately I have been impatient with her - so I kept thinking 'She must think I hate what I do.' And I want her to know that staying home with her is what I've always wanted to do. I want her to know that I love being able to take care of her and Daddy. And yet - I have days when I feel like I'm not an amazing mommy. But last week Natalie gave me a glimpse into how she sees me. We had the following conversation in the car (the answer I was looking for was Kelsey - our babysitter, but I like hers better.)<br /><br />Me: Do you know who's going to come over to play with you tomorrow night while mommy and daddy go out to dinner? N: Grandma. Me: No. N: Uncle Nathan. Me: No. It's someone who plays with you and takes you out to do fun things. N: Mommy!<br /><br />...and that's when my heart melted. It was so encouraging to see myself through her eyes. To her, I am someone who likes to play with her and go on fun little adventures. And I'm really glad those things outweigh the grumpy/impatient/'I'm too busy cleaning' days. :-)Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-41737962526281105062012-02-01T15:06:00.000-08:002012-02-01T15:21:37.671-08:00Eavesdropping at Starbucks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Starbucks_Corporation_Logo_2011.svg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d3/Starbucks_Corporation_Logo_2011.svg" /></a></div>
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<b>Confused looking customer</b>: I think I want a grande. That's large, right? <b>Barista</b>: No, grande is medium. <b>Customer</b>: So, tall is large? <b>Barista</b>: No, tall is small. Venti is large. <br />
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2 thoughts ran through my head:<br />
*This guy has <b>NEVER</b> been to Starbucks before? I didn't know that was possible!<br />
and<br />
*Starbucks has a really confusing naming system!<br />
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This helps explain the reasoning behind the names: <br />
<a href="http://hotword.dictionary.com/starbucks-trenta/">http://hotword.dictionary.com/starbucks-trenta/</a><br />
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There are also some really funny articles from angry people who despise the Starbucks naming system. <br />
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And did you hear that Starbucks will soon be serving wine & beer? Weird.<br />
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Wow. A whole post on Starbucks. Also weird.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-18377542251081170082012-01-30T16:20:00.000-08:002012-01-30T16:20:16.836-08:00Train of thought<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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*This morning was GORGEOUS! On our way to the park I said 'Wow! It is so nice out today. It feels like summer, but it's winter.' To which Natalie replied 'Where's the snow?' ;-) Just one of the perks of living on the central coast. If I'm in the snow - it's because I'm on vacation and I WANT to be in the snow (...but I rarely WANT to be in the snow.)<br />
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*I started making calls today about the splash/water park... Umm, this is not going to be easy. I have to convince city counsel members that a new park is a good idea and worth the $$ it would take & get people to sign a petition saying that they want this as well. I was informed that I might want to meet with each counsel member individually so it could be brought to the attention of each one, plus they could give me tips re: how to proceed. I feel extremely unqualified. And overwhelmed. What the heck am I doing? :-/<br />
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*I have 4 loads of laundry to fold. Do you know what that means? It means that I've waited too long to fold laundry. And if I've waited too long to fold laundry - then I'm sure there's another load of laundry ready to be washed. What a vicious cycle. Laundry & dishes. Both vicious. I should probably fold the clean clothes so hubby doesn't have to ask me 'Do I have any clean shirts downstairs?' every day. <br />
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*We've been watching <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1358522/">White Collar</a>. It's a modern day crime show with a bit of an Ocean's 11 feel. I love it. Only red flag - Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Thiessen) is in it. But, I have to admit, she's actually pretty good. And the blatant advertising for Ford is quite hysterical. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIFySyLynAk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIFySyLynAk</a><br />
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Happy Monday!Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-37427500878528557782012-01-27T17:33:00.000-08:002012-01-27T20:19:07.865-08:00Can I do it?In August while we were visiting Josh's dad, we went to Central Park near his house in the Bay Area. It was awesome. I actually remember coming to Central Park when I was little and I LOVED it. Lots of shallow water to play in, streams to walk in. As I sat there watching Miss N playing in the water I thought 'I wonder how hard it would be to get something like this built in our town?' We live in a perfect place for this kind of park. Good weather, lots of young families, and not many free outdoor activities provided (and lets face it - people with money to burn...) So I started mulling it over with Josh. It is something the families here would love! However, I know it would be a long and vvveeerrryyy drawn out process with lots of red tape. Do I want to spend a ton of time going to city meetings, looking for people to fund the project, trying to convince a bunch of people in suits that it would be an amazing thing for the kids in this town (when I know they would rather spend it on yet another parking garage...)? I think it's worth it. I do. But this kind of thing could take years. YEARS! Am I dedicated enough for that? I don't even know where to start. It's actually a <b><i>bit </i></b>daunting. But, how awesome would it be to have a free place where your kid(s)s (no, this is not a pregnancy announcement) were ALLOWED & ENCOURAGED to play in the water?! True - we do have the beach a mere 15 min from us...but I don't always feel like dealing with sand everywhere (and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one...)<br />
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Anyone have thoughts or tips on how to get this kind of thing started?<br />
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Oh - and I would LOVE to add one of those areas that have water randomly squirting out of the ground...purely for the kids, of course. ;-)<br />
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Here are a few pictures of Central Park - San Ramon. The pics don't do it justice. And do you see the shade!!?? How glorious would it be to be able to sit in the shade and watch your kid play? Not sure why the parks here are anti-shade. But you can be sure that IF this whole 'water park' actually happens, there WILL be shade. Priorities people. Priorities.<br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-61834183804694513042012-01-25T21:47:00.000-08:002012-01-25T21:47:08.980-08:00Dentists are evil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had to send hubby to Seattle for a few days. We're all a bit bummed. (Who's the genius that thought business trips would be a good idea?) Without any prompting Natalie said 'I'm going to miss you so much Daddy.' Poor guy held it together, but I'm pretty sure it broke his heart. It's amazing what a little girl can do to her daddy's heart. I said I was going to miss him so much too...but I don't think it had the same impact. :-) As we were driving to the airport Josh said 'I used to like going on business trips...' Oh, how things have changed.</div>
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N and I have been keeping busy - making forts, painting, hanging out at the dollar section at Target (the girl could spend all.day.long there!!), avoiding naps & dealing with a 'few' time outs. And tomorrow we are heading up to see <a href="http://lettners.blogspot.com/">'the neighbors'</a>!! (Pretty sure Miss N is going to be extremely confused about what a neighbor is...) We are so excited about tomorrow!!<br />
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But today was rough. I lost my wallet. And I had to go to the dentist. I LOATHE the dentist. (Plus it kinda sucks when you go to a new dentist with no wallet - no money, no insurance card.) I have avoided the dentist for 2 years. I actually <i><b><span style="color: black;">fear</span></b></i> the dentist. Let me put it this way: I would rather have my 'lady appointment' every.single.day. for a year, than go to a dentist ONCE a year. Yeah. It's that bad. The last time I went to the dentist I got nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and it was AWESOME!! So, when I was looking for a new dentist I made sure they did sedation. Well, turns out this guy doesn't do laughing gas...and he couldn't sedate me cause I need to take the drugs on an empty stomach. <b><i>Seriously?? Just club me over the head!! I don't care how I'm knocked out. I just don't want to hear or feel anything!! </i></b>So today...I cried (more like quietly weeping as tears streamed down my face.) In front of the dental hygienist. And then in front of the dentist. So awkward. And I totally understand if you just lost all respect for me. Needless to say - I'll be going back when I can be blissfully unaware of my situation. Oh, how I miss you nitrous oxide... So, yeah. I'm a wuss.<br />
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On a positive note: some awesome Target employee found my wallet!! <br />
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So, in summary: we miss our man. i'm a sissy when it comes to dental work. and Target is amazing.<br />
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<br />Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-63879179924054678792012-01-17T15:43:00.000-08:002012-01-17T15:50:22.425-08:00DATE NIGHT!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtffjJiZ0-WNSwEdpNphHwL-ligy53HmBGzMjwB7CFWFsyG6tUOBFjiW5zWAhHZT64HrwhkNCLtbx7L1jGiu8O7q04mRJ2KD25gDrI6N_XQPK8f9vUMFznetUs-V2L8loqyrOj8eu4ZZSI/s1600/100_0944.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtffjJiZ0-WNSwEdpNphHwL-ligy53HmBGzMjwB7CFWFsyG6tUOBFjiW5zWAhHZT64HrwhkNCLtbx7L1jGiu8O7q04mRJ2KD25gDrI6N_XQPK8f9vUMFznetUs-V2L8loqyrOj8eu4ZZSI/s320/100_0944.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698751089157557778" border="0" /></a>Tonight I get to go on a date with this handsome devil. It's been a while - what with the plague going on in our house & all...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlPcmVWSPGm1AEqSyTFrL3U_FT87P47nEDxX-kGHmud8P8IR3JXh97QyHD_n6rVg9YqDA1xLlVOpYDGPFfhZNaPqDMWDG4cy7h3P8KD5A4Kvp9tgrFHh4LfRH0shu6ukQ9kGnAWPDbXdI/s1600/100_0946.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlPcmVWSPGm1AEqSyTFrL3U_FT87P47nEDxX-kGHmud8P8IR3JXh97QyHD_n6rVg9YqDA1xLlVOpYDGPFfhZNaPqDMWDG4cy7h3P8KD5A4Kvp9tgrFHh4LfRH0shu6ukQ9kGnAWPDbXdI/s320/100_0946.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698751086589163154" border="0" /></a>I'm back on my WW points (it is the ONLY thing that works for me!) so I think we'll be going out for some Thai food. :-)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lvuHkqjzbDBJk2OQtHtKtB2rWO0ZaQYoR2eS49W_LMRiVnQ0Ma5dpsyA28C7mdg6G_u7ZItq8kRUSgLUbp_RXpRggN7URK6aVbbU_ZqD7d9rOu1rF04RPlsaAqjGlDDRwSDdMB1AqC4u/s1600/100_0947.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-lvuHkqjzbDBJk2OQtHtKtB2rWO0ZaQYoR2eS49W_LMRiVnQ0Ma5dpsyA28C7mdg6G_u7ZItq8kRUSgLUbp_RXpRggN7URK6aVbbU_ZqD7d9rOu1rF04RPlsaAqjGlDDRwSDdMB1AqC4u/s320/100_0947.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698751114919642354" border="0" /></a>*these pics were taken about a month before we got married. can you tell how much he LOVES taking pictures? ;-)Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-33470170701361333252012-01-14T13:03:00.000-08:002012-01-14T14:28:05.208-08:00Contentment & Health - A bit of reality<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6E9d1hCPUZqT5ZGcY6wRwGpDwFs53YwY6tPIinaJbsvH_WuH7AFQvOPkUAu_lmVH_-gCPq7qPVgouXrYhLhiFrI8ecTgnqN4BkRoviuVx6q46VRmzuBSi2dEEyWlp42244y-Mm0uuiqnN/s1600/DSC00507.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6E9d1hCPUZqT5ZGcY6wRwGpDwFs53YwY6tPIinaJbsvH_WuH7AFQvOPkUAu_lmVH_-gCPq7qPVgouXrYhLhiFrI8ecTgnqN4BkRoviuVx6q46VRmzuBSi2dEEyWlp42244y-Mm0uuiqnN/s320/DSC00507.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697617274254669506" border="0" /></a>About a years worth of thoughts....in one blog post. Here it goes:<br /><br />About a year ago I was hit hard with anxiety & panic attacks. I had dealt with anxiety & depression when I was a teen and again after N was born, but I thought everything was under control. When I'm depressed & anxious - I eat. And eat. And eat. What can I say? I'm an emotional eater. 2011 was a rough year. I had been gaining weight for a while, but 2011 pushed me over the edge. I was angry for letting myself get to this point. I kept thinking that once I lost a certain number of lbs then I would be happy with myself again. I thought all of this discontent with my body was a fairly new thing - until Josh asked me one day 'Do you really think you'll be happier if you lose weight? You weren't happy with yourself when we were dating or before Natalie was born... I don't care if you lose weight or gain weight. I just want you to be happy with YOU.' Wow. I hadn't realized just how long I had been critical of myself. I look back at wedding pictures and think 'Oh, if only I looked like that again!' And to know that, when I looked like I did 6 years ago, I wasn't happy with my image - I cringe<br /><br />I keep going back to Josh's question. Will I really be happier when I weigh less? No. I don't think I will. At least not for that reason. Will I be healthier? Absolutely.<br /><br />I need to stop believing the lies that I tell myself. Josh DOES love me no matter what I weigh. And I need to trust him when he says that. When I doubt him - I hurt both of us. (And I guess the same goes for God. If He loves me and MADE ME - then why should I be critical of his work?) I CAN accomplish the goals I have for myself. But most of all, I need to be content with myself. Right now. Not later.<br /><br />I'm going to have to 'reprogram' my thinking - how I see food, what I see when I look in the mirror, how I think others view me. <br /><br />So, my goals this year are contentment and health. Not exactly easy.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-57759757494898330572012-01-06T16:57:00.000-08:002012-01-06T18:35:17.951-08:00My white blood cells are on vacation - so I'm on the couch.I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a leaper. November brought bronchitis and a sinus infection. December brought the same. January decided to mix it up a bit with Shingles. I'm starting to think I should take bets for February's illness.<br /><br />I'm having a hard time. I know that sounds silly because people are going through much worse, but it is so frustrating. I want so badly to be able to take care of my family. That's my job - and I can't do it properly right now. Poor hubby has to work all day, then take care of everything when he gets home. I know it's hard on Natalie too. I desperately want to get back to our routine. I guess I'm just learning that I don't have control (although I'm ready to say 'Ok Lord. I get it. I'm not in control. Now can I get better?' ...is that horrible?) So, if you're the praying type, I'd love some prayer for a quick recovery. :-)<br /><br />On a more positive note - here are some random things I've learned over the past few months while being sick:<br />*I am incredibly grateful for family that is nearby and ready to help out...a lot!<br />*Stoned Wheat Thins are quite delicious.<br />*I would much rather have bronchitis than shingles.<br />*My kiddo loves me! I guess I don't really see it that much when I'm healthy 'cause I'm always around her, but when I'm sick she runs to see me after being away all day and cuddles with me on the couch. Apparently absence makes her heart grow fonder. :-)<br />*My husband is amazing - works all day, comes home to a disheveled house & no dinner, plays with the kiddo, puts her to bed, cleans up and finally collapses on the couch. The man definitely deserves some time off when I am 100% again!<br />*<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1BOGmBKeAc&feature=relmfu">Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution</a> is awesome! If you haven't seen it, you need to. It's on Hulu.<br />*You can go through Gone with the Wind pretty quick when you're sick.<br />*I enjoy the British mini-series. Who knew? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4LcTFUuWYs">Daniel Deronda</a> & <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0E6YQnd3AE">North & South</a>. Loved them both.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-57495210953816312932011-12-29T14:27:00.000-08:002011-12-29T15:21:02.266-08:00Facebook & Santa Cruz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8_cZFWaP7FzhVqJIXg-jm7hkFs0yun1Gog7Lu8H0B0deYZVD83Trs4UJF0LJI2wayg3ZgPX-gtq88hBa_qjEbR2DX2zXybkMb6r0Vjb5Ejx0oBGnLXx-OgTntbfXgTOZe_99yHDU90J6/s1600/PC251940.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 218px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8_cZFWaP7FzhVqJIXg-jm7hkFs0yun1Gog7Lu8H0B0deYZVD83Trs4UJF0LJI2wayg3ZgPX-gtq88hBa_qjEbR2DX2zXybkMb6r0Vjb5Ejx0oBGnLXx-OgTntbfXgTOZe_99yHDU90J6/s320/PC251940.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691684114053905954" border="0" /></a>It's been awhile since my last post, but since I'm just sitting here on the couch attempting to be a good patient while I recover from bronchitis AGAIN, I figured I had the time. <br /><br />Are you ready for lots of rambling? If not, then just skip to the pictures. ;-) Here is goes: Facebook. It's crazy how addicted I am to it. I get on the computer to look up a recipe or check email and I automatically go straight to FB. I've never had (done?) crack, but I assume that FB is like crack for non drug users...but I digress. I waste so much of my time with it. I actually find (and my husband has pointed out) that I am much happier when I haven't been on FB in a while. I get so caught up in the drama & details of everyone else and I even let it affect my mood. 'Why in the world are they saying that!? It's not even true!' or 'Look what they get to do. Wish I could do that.' It's sad, really. I could be spending time playing with my daughter (the cutie on the trampoline!) or having a conversation with my hubby that DOESN'T revolve around someone else's status update. I'm not saying FB is a bad thing, it's just not a healthy thing for me at the moment. I hesitate to say that I'm calling it quits with FB because I don't know if I have the willpower to stay away...but I know that if it has that strong of a hold on me it probably (definitely) isn't good for me. I think my daughter, my husband, the house and my mood would greatly benefit from me saying Good-bye to FB. <br />Are there things I'll miss? I'm not sure. The people I have real, honest relationships with will continue to stay in touch - and there's always e-mail or phone (eeek, that means I'm going to have to start being a phone person. i hate the phone.) And all the others?? Let's be honest. If you were to run into every 'friend' you have on FB - you would probably only talk to 15%. Or maybe that's just me. All that to say - I think I'll be happier and more content without FB. I'm tired of comparing myself to others.<br /><br />On a lighter note: We went up to Santa Cruz for a few days before Christmas. It.was.glorious! Lots of time with the neighbors (and yet, still not enough time) and I had a very relaxing walk by the harbor & lighthouse. The camera is still pretty new to me, so it was fun to play with the different settings. I got to people watch, watch the sunset & spend time alone. It was glorious! Thanks Josh for urging me to get out of the house. :-) Here are a few pics.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYo279DGkOuYbC9Co41WwUYDu0OJXrcvfY6B5HrDg9TZfjykx91nIl4oN8OHoQRflInE0kvDEQk6FyoYZkIqbyWq3Bv8Rb7_Voxd0ZnPVxliwrL_Ej5d9YdlYWg2G6zRNTPDVrlwyUxfYp/s1600/PC221770.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYo279DGkOuYbC9Co41WwUYDu0OJXrcvfY6B5HrDg9TZfjykx91nIl4oN8OHoQRflInE0kvDEQk6FyoYZkIqbyWq3Bv8Rb7_Voxd0ZnPVxliwrL_Ej5d9YdlYWg2G6zRNTPDVrlwyUxfYp/s320/PC221770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691683878282155762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgblG2SnbTQrZmXz-XRlQlTDzY9nvUaypzowaczIES2EyyNvqJs9n2Vn3VbuYqkn2RY5wcHA5WnR8YM6WQPdzyRDxY7ctn_pcaRk3YYQ37PuRwDcEIU0iiRCcaxnzjWiewzae2Ar-tl1x/s1600/PC221876.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 204px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKgblG2SnbTQrZmXz-XRlQlTDzY9nvUaypzowaczIES2EyyNvqJs9n2Vn3VbuYqkn2RY5wcHA5WnR8YM6WQPdzyRDxY7ctn_pcaRk3YYQ37PuRwDcEIU0iiRCcaxnzjWiewzae2Ar-tl1x/s320/PC221876.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691683905201133794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXLAVDBiM7Ib5G266ZVORFARcHyv_8i33IExQAABytn0WeWEjdXoaF4vc8-Fr5V7Gs6D9IoRXd0MIVXeoB6LPFYWQWEL8o2rcaKTw0xkMI1nuI0WcpFv5WMeIOPCrGlsiAx_PI1Wiczu1/s1600/PC221767.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTXLAVDBiM7Ib5G266ZVORFARcHyv_8i33IExQAABytn0WeWEjdXoaF4vc8-Fr5V7Gs6D9IoRXd0MIVXeoB6LPFYWQWEL8o2rcaKTw0xkMI1nuI0WcpFv5WMeIOPCrGlsiAx_PI1Wiczu1/s320/PC221767.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691682941989631266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLvRvu-y_XkV_nPYxZCvWN7YZen0CKAWVmLKYbwKaik3JU6JC2NVLH903EUHnS7mTOrZiiC-YVTBczV2Rmf4P2fqHEDQ9MvnSYlVxWT38oA_g2Lr_yinAbqF1nVgQv0dMwEF6QS3PT14F/s1600/PC221823.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLvRvu-y_XkV_nPYxZCvWN7YZen0CKAWVmLKYbwKaik3JU6JC2NVLH903EUHnS7mTOrZiiC-YVTBczV2Rmf4P2fqHEDQ9MvnSYlVxWT38oA_g2Lr_yinAbqF1nVgQv0dMwEF6QS3PT14F/s320/PC221823.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691682959536059970" border="0" /></a>Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-44748610688774462522011-09-14T17:02:00.001-07:002011-09-14T17:07:12.663-07:00The Awesomeness that is goop<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzDGI-7Jh_j7Dpuhqh-KhhnsBQZB2tbUrRAjrgWio0hoy0paq2AKZbxps2ipRyTDkYVvm12ifdFFGR1MrI3Tx_JRwZqpmeQBpjNZPqlB7P4AiYDCpV1UcVXJTS0bOMZA25Apxe2PgvpA0/s1600/P8031069.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzDGI-7Jh_j7Dpuhqh-KhhnsBQZB2tbUrRAjrgWio0hoy0paq2AKZbxps2ipRyTDkYVvm12ifdFFGR1MrI3Tx_JRwZqpmeQBpjNZPqlB7P4AiYDCpV1UcVXJTS0bOMZA25Apxe2PgvpA0/s320/P8031069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652370242265628082" border="0" /></a>Before we had Natalie - I was a preschool teacher. Math and science were (ARE) like foreign languages to me, but preschool I can understand! Glue, paper, stringing noodles together, playing with playdough, only having to count to 10 - 20 tops! Now that Natalie is preschool aged I started to pull out all the craft supplies and idea notecards and it has been SO fun! The other day we made 'goop' with cornstarch, water & a bit of food coloring. I love goop because it's a sensory activity, you can get messy, and it's easy to clean up. This is one of our outside activities - all you have to do to clean up is spray everything down with water. :-)<br /><br />I made a list of activities at home & activities in our community and it has saved me many, many times! If I don't have something down on paper I will NOT remember! So, whenever we're looking for something to do I just pull out the list. :-) I can get a little particular when doing projects...and then I have to remember that Natalie is 2. (But seriously, why do you need to color on MY awesome stick figure/tree/flower picture when you have one of your own?? I'm making a masterpiece!) Natalie and I went to the Dollar Store and picked up a few things to keep in our craft drawer: more stickers (they go fast!!), cotton balls, coffee scoops for the sensory table and shaving cream (for when I'm REALLY brave)! Today is a crayon & sticker day...I'm not feeling particularly adventurous.Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16957520036005792569noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-39185368011661881452011-09-13T15:07:00.000-07:002011-09-13T15:54:09.931-07:00...and I'm back.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuIWWJi0MwiWSlOhnR6sSd4lf13YjNyScz_t4Nj7snl9_c8dCo4kGyeRJm28BWfqqPC2A925Bq7XnA5nohKvoP2vRVZigXFlCTNNneQ7D0kcH_VvFx23I6GtjRvbkxZb_2YN7nQNDp1H-/s1600/P7180949.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnuIWWJi0MwiWSlOhnR6sSd4lf13YjNyScz_t4Nj7snl9_c8dCo4kGyeRJm28BWfqqPC2A925Bq7XnA5nohKvoP2vRVZigXFlCTNNneQ7D0kcH_VvFx23I6GtjRvbkxZb_2YN7nQNDp1H-/s320/P7180949.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651981070270380130" border="0" /></a><br />After almost 2 years - I'm back. We'll see how long it lasts. ;-) This blog won't always be sunshine and roses, but I am going to do my best to be honest and real.<br /><br />Moving on...Miss N is almost 2 1/2 now and we're back living in the town where we got married. We greatly miss our amazing neighbors!! It was awesome having people around us that could make me laugh, be there when I needed to cry, and be brutally honest with me - not to mention all of the playmates Natalie had. However it's great to be 'home'. I didn't realize how much I missed this place until we moved back. Slower pace, no traffic, so many familiar faces. :-)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTGbOWAUZ3KLggHNGgx2f6daVd25UT79R-MhNC0qnAqCCYIoWJLUohvBjGuNSRLrLjNbXyvqK3liam_3Cw9yqaIEIyLi_svSs3c3Kjy9QG-itfFy02FjUP_xt41NBn-Njvr3AGDUE3R4O/s1600/P6250847.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTGbOWAUZ3KLggHNGgx2f6daVd25UT79R-MhNC0qnAqCCYIoWJLUohvBjGuNSRLrLjNbXyvqK3liam_3Cw9yqaIEIyLi_svSs3c3Kjy9QG-itfFy02FjUP_xt41NBn-Njvr3AGDUE3R4O/s320/P6250847.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651977722224823890" border="0" /></a>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-38870832104268978352009-11-19T14:56:00.001-08:002009-11-19T15:13:32.281-08:00Things that make me happy right now...<div style="text-align: center;">*Whenever I see Josh with the Snuggie on.....CRACKS.ME.UP!! </div><div style="text-align: center;">I love this guy!!</div><div style="text-align: center;">(I got it to wear as my Halloween costume, but chickened out...)</div><div><div style="text-align: center; ">Here he is demonstrating how easy it is to talk on the </div><div style="text-align: center; ">phone and stay warm and cozy at the same time!</div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2_ZQnhk2qd96Ft-iPciKR-qZbxfoNkql-ZfZzCoLj0VZStqCrFIPn4_PJZKc-FqwpeOvhyoIIGnMwhOTaFG2JBNmREZ3MOG_hcTMPjBLkbKfIrNR3OulURsrcsm4TZ2oUbpZ-JRahH8w/s1600/DSC04744.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn2_ZQnhk2qd96Ft-iPciKR-qZbxfoNkql-ZfZzCoLj0VZStqCrFIPn4_PJZKc-FqwpeOvhyoIIGnMwhOTaFG2JBNmREZ3MOG_hcTMPjBLkbKfIrNR3OulURsrcsm4TZ2oUbpZ-JRahH8w/s320/DSC04744.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405953703155972450" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">*Natalie's smiles!!! She smiles A LOT. Especially at</div><div style="text-align: center;">daddy when he comes home, whoever gets her out of her crib, </div><div style="text-align: center;">Grandma and Papa when she sees them on skype, and </div><div style="text-align: center;">anyone who will look at her when we're out and about...</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFwM1Nk4q2FkPqfgsluUu-gd-Jc6JEHb_UvjjTY1PyKDJig4rBeTxecczp9EDAwjkMltfgPWMVA-SGkUrmpScXTSU42qSg0Zr92PXHJ1iD-eDT9pKlPDGz26vaZiEBJhbtIom2QocpfsN/s1600/DSC04750.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKFwM1Nk4q2FkPqfgsluUu-gd-Jc6JEHb_UvjjTY1PyKDJig4rBeTxecczp9EDAwjkMltfgPWMVA-SGkUrmpScXTSU42qSg0Zr92PXHJ1iD-eDT9pKlPDGz26vaZiEBJhbtIom2QocpfsN/s320/DSC04750.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405953698197566434" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJQu-S6Ai-KtsSH-dHQVgokqSBiR-KXzAVMLw_EW3M6kMks9jVmg0QJsGgdm56wFZK1mC1oro3jY8BhUAQ0NTsO6MEmGlqCIOmfAgBGr0zsKjuhs68CeYZ-nzKzH_ZB3h8iJUU1SxR-cL/s1600/DSC04758.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJQu-S6Ai-KtsSH-dHQVgokqSBiR-KXzAVMLw_EW3M6kMks9jVmg0QJsGgdm56wFZK1mC1oro3jY8BhUAQ0NTsO6MEmGlqCIOmfAgBGr0zsKjuhs68CeYZ-nzKzH_ZB3h8iJUU1SxR-cL/s320/DSC04758.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405953689618925250" /></a><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;">*And seeing these two together!! I love it! =-)</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4aW4Pmw9FeABf8AnEVt0H9OX5ZS3FwMbDccOxhbBlPe6N8IInAzb7Hsx6BJXJF5X_QdFsrD3he11Med31g8DxQqO7rsHVZbVI3wt90OzaEHaUehtxsPZQdC_Qy00IYTPfJUawMZxXZ9c/s1600/DSC04844.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4aW4Pmw9FeABf8AnEVt0H9OX5ZS3FwMbDccOxhbBlPe6N8IInAzb7Hsx6BJXJF5X_QdFsrD3he11Med31g8DxQqO7rsHVZbVI3wt90OzaEHaUehtxsPZQdC_Qy00IYTPfJUawMZxXZ9c/s320/DSC04844.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405953687210437138" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Also on the list:</div><div style="text-align: center;">*my slippers (even though Josh says they look like grandma slippers)</div><div style="text-align: center;">*Trader Joe's chocolate (always on the list)</div><div style="text-align: center;">*watching Natalie copy something we do (so cute!)</div><div style="text-align: center;">*looking forward to seeing everyone at Thanksgiving =-)</div></div>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-30386693744788737582009-10-15T15:40:00.000-07:002009-10-15T15:53:00.266-07:00Thursday's Recipe Rodeo<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I found this recipe through Yahoo recipes and it is a favorite in our house!! For more wonderful recipes visit my friend <a href="http://lettners.blogspot.com">Nini</a>'s blog every Thursday. This week's Tortilla Soup is particularly delicious!! </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>Marinated Tomatoes with Linguine</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>1 lb linguine (or other long pasta)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>6-8 small tomatoes</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>1 clove garlic (chopped or crushed)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>1 T chopped basil</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>6 oz grated fresh mozzarella</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>olive oil to cover</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>salt and pepper</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>Bring a small pot of water to boil and submerge tomatoes for 30 seconds, then remove. Slit the skins with a knife; they should slip off easily. Halve the tomatoes and remove the pulp and the seeds. Chop the tomato flesh.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>In a large serving bowl add the tomatoes, basil, garlic, and olive oil, salt, pepper to taste. Allow to marinate for at least 30 min, longer if possible.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b>Cook the pasta until al dente in salty water. Drain and add to the tomato mixture along with the grated mozzarella. Toss well and serve immediately. Serves 4.</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-36199689349231282812009-10-09T21:41:00.000-07:002009-10-09T21:44:00.959-07:00Blog help please!I just realized that the last post has an error and I can't figure out how to go back and fix it. Any help would be appreciated!<div><br /></div><div>Oh, and the chicken recipe that I posted last time needs to be changed...the first ingredient should be GREEN ONIONS, not green beans. Must have had green beans on the brain. =-)</div>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-59375945868703201212009-10-08T16:34:00.000-07:002009-10-08T16:44:54.525-07:00Thursday's Recipe RodeoMy friend <a href="http://lettners.blogspot.com">Nini</a> posts a new recipe every Thurday and has encouraged others to join in - so here we go! Make sure to check out <a href="http://lettners.blogspot.com">Nini</a>'s blog for some amazing ideas (and pictures of her adorable children!!) and think about joining in the recipe sharing! Let me know what recipe's you've been enjoying.<div><br /></div><div>I got the following recipe from a Weight Watchers Cookbook and changed it just a bit. I love it served with a bit of rice and some garlic sauted green beans. Yum!!<br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Grilled Szechuan Chicken</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1/2 cup chopped green beans</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium)</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2 teaspoons lemon juice</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1 teaspoon garlic</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2 teaspoons brown sugar</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1 teaspoon sesame oil</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1 teaspoon fresh ginger</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>4 (6 oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Combine first 8 ingredients into a large ziplock bag. Add chicken; seal. Marinate in fridge 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Grill approx. 5 min on each side or until done.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Serves 4</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Enjoy!</b></div></div>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-89629093115923607922009-09-30T15:00:00.000-07:002009-09-30T15:22:49.612-07:00Job DescriptionI was just joking with Josh about something that was in my "job description" and he told me that should be my next blog post. So here you go.....<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Job Description: Mother and Wife</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Must know how to:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">*cook (at least better than your husband)...and not just cook, but plan out meals and grocery shop as well!!</div><div style="text-align: left;">*clean</div><div style="text-align: left;">*separate, wash and fold laundry (preferably before husband casually asks "are there any clean clothes?"</div><div style="text-align: left;">*multitask (this is a must if you want to get ANYTHING done!)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*sucessfully pull off the carseat to crib transfer (I finally pulled this one off today!)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*differentiate between "I desperately need your help" crying and "I'm exhausted and need to go to sleep" crying (<i>actually, this is also in the job description for husbands. it is essential in dealing with a woman!) </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>*</i>improvise!!</div><div style="text-align: left;">*shake off "helpful suggestions" from random people in public</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Must not be embarrassed to:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">*change a baby's diaper WHEREVER necessary</div><div style="text-align: left;">*talk like a complete idiot in order to keep baby happy</div><div style="text-align: left;">*walk out of the house with slobber/spit up/drool on your clothes (because lets face it, if it's not on your clothes already, it will be soon)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*know the entire 26 min of Baby Bach (and be able to hum along...)</div><div style="text-align: left;">*refer to yourself as "mommy", even when the child is not present</div><div style="text-align: left;">*accidentally refer to your cat with your child's name or vice versa (NO, I've never done this. Why do you ask!?)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What am I forgetting?? =-)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-64342468155185498192009-09-30T14:56:00.000-07:002009-09-30T15:00:30.345-07:00Look who's coming to visit!<div>"Auntie" Julie is coming to visit this weekend and we can't wait to see her! </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFbgy3OEz3uafMv8hzB2I3tSKWVqFDH3ba7jnBuh07j2zP3usbkqjEviR7YufXzmYLwnuMnsYJB0QXFVKlwuEFfTquWuvy0LyLU23zjtpen-HjCTkilMylC8ErWkdtM1RNt1sis3vgOPZ/s1600-h/Photo+175.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFbgy3OEz3uafMv8hzB2I3tSKWVqFDH3ba7jnBuh07j2zP3usbkqjEviR7YufXzmYLwnuMnsYJB0QXFVKlwuEFfTquWuvy0LyLU23zjtpen-HjCTkilMylC8ErWkdtM1RNt1sis3vgOPZ/s320/Photo+175.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387383344042271250" /></a>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-82414580623231040812009-09-29T13:57:00.000-07:002009-09-29T14:17:43.027-07:00O'Neill Catamaran<div style="text-align: left;">Josh and I were able to spend to Saturday afternoon on the O'Neill Catamaran with Josh's coworkers. The weather was PERFECT! I mainly relaxed on the net/mesh area on the front of the catamaran that is directly over the water. It was so relaxing and the views were amazing!! I hope to get the chance to do it again someday. A BIG thank you to my sister for taking such good care of Natalie for us! Enjoy the pictures. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzEYtlLZgii2utqhw8b71N4fYpgdC4C-KbMp5zkxMaIRWJ_7yt1jhl79aaFzyaYKEnoZvEftF0jSQQsXetpkxqYp42pJStZh1QAcu53S1d3y3PVrNGUdSUnSdjUo4umQqeOImKWUQf1Nn/s1600-h/DSC04596.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzEYtlLZgii2utqhw8b71N4fYpgdC4C-KbMp5zkxMaIRWJ_7yt1jhl79aaFzyaYKEnoZvEftF0jSQQsXetpkxqYp42pJStZh1QAcu53S1d3y3PVrNGUdSUnSdjUo4umQqeOImKWUQf1Nn/s320/DSC04596.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386998451266787570" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Hanging out on the front of the catamaran</div><div style="text-align: center;">(You can see the netting behind us)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpRdhd6qvT1J3PBnAvjLd2SJGeiUlqzO7WKHszX2cLR_34p_yhzRQxwnqWd40fjEW26ujuw10Dcv-ZdfvLxFKtwLh0ZL4ZIFZy69hWn6HIcuTQ8nJBtFnqV07Vhx1G5Ke4idJgNOqEwwM/s1600-h/DSC04600.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpRdhd6qvT1J3PBnAvjLd2SJGeiUlqzO7WKHszX2cLR_34p_yhzRQxwnqWd40fjEW26ujuw10Dcv-ZdfvLxFKtwLh0ZL4ZIFZy69hWn6HIcuTQ8nJBtFnqV07Vhx1G5Ke4idJgNOqEwwM/s320/DSC04600.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386998440590723026" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpXq0Y0ky-ZqMqCNTpEc0xKoXslq4DxE2Is3UbkqOw-1noA-lmNPKZ5y8sEpGNCxtRwhe4NMGLt9BosiKdC4KSdIh8ZEPLz_3SBTZUgJZOEmI7jSqtN9MgsNX0Lz4ZSqOzoW6l2ybgHMl/s1600-h/DSC04594.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFpXq0Y0ky-ZqMqCNTpEc0xKoXslq4DxE2Is3UbkqOw-1noA-lmNPKZ5y8sEpGNCxtRwhe4NMGLt9BosiKdC4KSdIh8ZEPLz_3SBTZUgJZOEmI7jSqtN9MgsNX0Lz4ZSqOzoW6l2ybgHMl/s320/DSC04594.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386998433505170706" /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;">You can see a ton of birds diving into the water in this picture...</div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">must have been some yummy fish in the area</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCsk0jMZXAFZzdYYijQ8NL0TuR4Weisy5BW-WSCqexxzB9aHTTC3X55OsRoQ5x9pOVvg9_gQM6V70FBlTMoHoQFrtUvWDghJeefF5qdT2UVx5KvBaXID8dsDV1vqsIKXzSChXrJ8o1Dno/s1600-h/DSC04606.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCsk0jMZXAFZzdYYijQ8NL0TuR4Weisy5BW-WSCqexxzB9aHTTC3X55OsRoQ5x9pOVvg9_gQM6V70FBlTMoHoQFrtUvWDghJeefF5qdT2UVx5KvBaXID8dsDV1vqsIKXzSChXrJ8o1Dno/s320/DSC04606.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386997388506774946" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Beautiful setting sun</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZbDWC5IXXA4ykAhZRtddl6B4rVJcQZckWt0eJcS-enqiy3wqgehuR79zuPIn62O6VUD6ZopPaTIFl-o87eCtbN9cm4kQ4ODGSGIwbWJlfMewozV9ewgiadDxIAFfbc_KMn9cdu7q7uNd/s1600-h/DSC04614.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 95px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZbDWC5IXXA4ykAhZRtddl6B4rVJcQZckWt0eJcS-enqiy3wqgehuR79zuPIn62O6VUD6ZopPaTIFl-o87eCtbN9cm4kQ4ODGSGIwbWJlfMewozV9ewgiadDxIAFfbc_KMn9cdu7q7uNd/s320/DSC04614.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386997379437062818" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">We went directly past the Boardwalk. It was </div><div style="text-align: center;">so fun to see the whole thing from the water!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJ2x6jpRgLpdZM2JKxPY1cG2C2iPME2WHj7q6w14iqet-PXX2BNupylm1bnv1Pi09TCK4-vozzQPn4HXQAXzCuy8Qq_X_sWRlGkupn8Q0Cq0Lkbs1jUlKcTVKdRFY6CWQNMaOFL6qv8Il/s1600-h/DSC04619.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJ2x6jpRgLpdZM2JKxPY1cG2C2iPME2WHj7q6w14iqet-PXX2BNupylm1bnv1Pi09TCK4-vozzQPn4HXQAXzCuy8Qq_X_sWRlGkupn8Q0Cq0Lkbs1jUlKcTVKdRFY6CWQNMaOFL6qv8Il/s320/DSC04619.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386997371597286594" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The lighthouse as we were coming back into the docks.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkJCHUBqjeAeg7n3rnducdW60yb1K37-LOs82yiWFhbtTzoQahZj8bFNWM3YWLktJ5BP1Z2PXR3MNkmAaD2qjE0YwD5ZWlcA9-iufkAB37K301o92q4z2ijRbPVR1xTAl4pwpVOHtywIP/s1600-h/DSC04622.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfkJCHUBqjeAeg7n3rnducdW60yb1K37-LOs82yiWFhbtTzoQahZj8bFNWM3YWLktJ5BP1Z2PXR3MNkmAaD2qjE0YwD5ZWlcA9-iufkAB37K301o92q4z2ijRbPVR1xTAl4pwpVOHtywIP/s320/DSC04622.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386997361801648466" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9267B8iZZk1HTaHC0YnkATrUd_RSPHvg-ZtTwQnF9oxQ7IClUOJcZllGwzG9oX2JGsY8TDrfUXBTa08sUGohWV7cSYGm0XSd0tm7FStyy0vMqQE3xAPeYJcg7s7MX9IXApb8fQRRncYk/s1600-h/DSC04626.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9267B8iZZk1HTaHC0YnkATrUd_RSPHvg-ZtTwQnF9oxQ7IClUOJcZllGwzG9oX2JGsY8TDrfUXBTa08sUGohWV7cSYGm0XSd0tm7FStyy0vMqQE3xAPeYJcg7s7MX9IXApb8fQRRncYk/s320/DSC04626.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386997354469584482" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The usual self-portrait!</div></div>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-37364944183610657232009-09-25T14:26:00.001-07:002009-09-25T14:49:37.838-07:00Talk like a pirate day<div style="text-align: left;">So, last Saturday was "Talk like a pirate" day - yes, it's a real day!! Josh's brother was in town, so we got a babysitter and headed over to a pirate themed mini-golf place! (Oh yes, and we also saw "The Informant" with Matt Damon - a personal favorite of mine. The movie was AWESOME!!)</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwZsRqXwbak87JQVxDALvLyPBso89c2Lk0I4CVBfYcW7DmVpGFpM8M5lWNQOeA3f0mEbdUCZI_shbkOjwBHrCoxHrSXSaxD8-n5xr-CfOrbOdrh3pX-zUMcwSNhwL40t56D7tLO_JVaBt/s1600-h/DSC04565.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwZsRqXwbak87JQVxDALvLyPBso89c2Lk0I4CVBfYcW7DmVpGFpM8M5lWNQOeA3f0mEbdUCZI_shbkOjwBHrCoxHrSXSaxD8-n5xr-CfOrbOdrh3pX-zUMcwSNhwL40t56D7tLO_JVaBt/s320/DSC04565.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385520903585198162" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The duel</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-iCVwm26Id0CA-Jvkc-XiBld1UmpOPaDlB2wOJ1lPYRR2ojyPAG8SUODqqTDKMqCMbQTJr2qNvWUsbodZLFhI277VWg74-Km8xzngagoYs9-E-qvqu7kwrjm9EKBN9zqN9g7ILpHBNnA/s1600-h/DSC04564.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-iCVwm26Id0CA-Jvkc-XiBld1UmpOPaDlB2wOJ1lPYRR2ojyPAG8SUODqqTDKMqCMbQTJr2qNvWUsbodZLFhI277VWg74-Km8xzngagoYs9-E-qvqu7kwrjm9EKBN9zqN9g7ILpHBNnA/s320/DSC04564.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385520306292666402" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Shark attack!!</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYRUeht-iFEeQgDcUH3Au5W5TVmKx15aTF-uA3RBwrf5T7r-GLFJ5hyphenhyphen8JsqE5BEVTZFVXatB0Tfwbxf6s0Wvq4LJbfNqtZFUoD8IMMmufFrHq1izFSXPR1mGsKJMnniIa0tW7tCt3EstR/s1600-h/DSC04563.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJYRUeht-iFEeQgDcUH3Au5W5TVmKx15aTF-uA3RBwrf5T7r-GLFJ5hyphenhyphen8JsqE5BEVTZFVXatB0Tfwbxf6s0Wvq4LJbfNqtZFUoD8IMMmufFrHq1izFSXPR1mGsKJMnniIa0tW7tCt3EstR/s320/DSC04563.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385520293362402770" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Climbing up to see the pretty starfish</div><div style="text-align: center;">(aka looking ridiculous)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcHido5gebP1Ik7ycSWmZhJTbl9nBCUtEl-yFPCo7WXnqiQ_J9k_tRt2zPE5maBgZvIkMYpvx4UGfSC8zoJsZ-nrHXKfcAhWftM3ytjBBvdKjCAodlnU2OurJ6Mw0m9nmY8SCofSeYHaq/s1600-h/DSC04562.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcHido5gebP1Ik7ycSWmZhJTbl9nBCUtEl-yFPCo7WXnqiQ_J9k_tRt2zPE5maBgZvIkMYpvx4UGfSC8zoJsZ-nrHXKfcAhWftM3ytjBBvdKjCAodlnU2OurJ6Mw0m9nmY8SCofSeYHaq/s320/DSC04562.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385520285998075234" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Turtle and Fish</div><div style="text-align: center;">as interpreted by Josh and Nathan</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnW3850UKicXyafmJY8OMMrb7nOVytpsutab2GMIFMmSYEsRRzR-nHXhbHdPIgPl_AfvuM2fvfy6yKAKccP7FBuuK08bJOSWUkMnBPG-8jP3TKA1Kd1iYEoqenJQeQ7rJPcBIu1kXjBs3k/s1600-h/DSC04561.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnW3850UKicXyafmJY8OMMrb7nOVytpsutab2GMIFMmSYEsRRzR-nHXhbHdPIgPl_AfvuM2fvfy6yKAKccP7FBuuK08bJOSWUkMnBPG-8jP3TKA1Kd1iYEoqenJQeQ7rJPcBIu1kXjBs3k/s320/DSC04561.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385520277165184930" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">"Hey! Take your hands off of the booty!!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PZ_rlWT5x7Z2PAT6UbAPPPGCi8PRwmfM8-gR6iKhzw7Y6-KUfDhJdyE_FuZEiWgF8egkBCy_E3UBWJTpdX9PU7sF-gjvd4TpcTQqNF_10QTWEvzaMUwXBlHFOQxkxEvrAWszcG2vKufR/s1600-h/DSC04552.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PZ_rlWT5x7Z2PAT6UbAPPPGCi8PRwmfM8-gR6iKhzw7Y6-KUfDhJdyE_FuZEiWgF8egkBCy_E3UBWJTpdX9PU7sF-gjvd4TpcTQqNF_10QTWEvzaMUwXBlHFOQxkxEvrAWszcG2vKufR/s320/DSC04552.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385520266461412322" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I was the big loser of the game =-(</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Did you do anything special on "Talk like a pirate" day? =-)</div></div>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5723630340128439846.post-10813810248910344252009-09-21T15:04:00.000-07:002009-09-21T15:18:09.837-07:00Beautiful day at the park<div>This morning Natalie and I headed to a local park to play and explore. We had a great time hanging out on the sand (on a towel...I'm not ready to deal with sand in the mouth...), playing on the swings and walking around. I even got a quick video of Natalie laughing on the swings! And to top it off - we got to meet up with Josh for lunch! It's been a great Monday!</div><div><br /></div><div>Tonight I'm attempting to make fresh Vietnamese spring rolls. (I'm cheating just a bit though - since I bought the dipping sauce from a local restaurant.) We'll see how it goes. =-)</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYofTLQ-vte6Jf_hNFdjC7KN9kbGYvEy5OcH-J8YZn3o9BoW8a9fcGrJlFzOQDxLq0SfWpBPP1dOzRFbd85_i_eBWERDlmprEGy3Z04H6bytIGSAMWgatwPti8jWAvyb5Wfg96wCD90vn/s1600-h/DSC04581.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYofTLQ-vte6Jf_hNFdjC7KN9kbGYvEy5OcH-J8YZn3o9BoW8a9fcGrJlFzOQDxLq0SfWpBPP1dOzRFbd85_i_eBWERDlmprEGy3Z04H6bytIGSAMWgatwPti8jWAvyb5Wfg96wCD90vn/s320/DSC04581.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384046946559566162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Q0sx5em1FQvL1wSMXvMDvH1qTQOUCHmP3J3NugnesrijUkkuxFIdqp1zmKUmkeB8jHjcB1SVP-KElnkE5YYfqIVDYKmXavP3HPVaRLptlBVu6WDgaHobSg_sXcSv4puEjO6MiS-Ngx-Y/s1600-h/DSC04577.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Q0sx5em1FQvL1wSMXvMDvH1qTQOUCHmP3J3NugnesrijUkkuxFIdqp1zmKUmkeB8jHjcB1SVP-KElnkE5YYfqIVDYKmXavP3HPVaRLptlBVu6WDgaHobSg_sXcSv4puEjO6MiS-Ngx-Y/s320/DSC04577.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384046936823421394" /></a><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzgP3qqJ2lTC6f5b4Z4c5ySTXdcGveWFxHz7-7l-KQ0IaI2wlp_BpxjjzHNNnOKYFdcfX2Zanv9InYChsXL' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stephanie Tanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05339019853975360055noreply@blogger.com5