Hello Kitty 5th Birthday Bash!

This beautiful, sweet, sassy, brown eyed girl is officially Five!

 

Seriously, could she be any cuter?

 

This year, Delainey wanted a Hello Kitty party at the park and it turned out to be quite a fun time. The hours leading up to it were a little touch and go at times and I wondered more than once if I had bitten off more then I could chew... but thankfully, it all went off without a hitch!

 

*Just hours before the party, I was attempting to make cake pops and jalapeno poppers, neither of which I have ever made before, all while trying to entertain and supervise the newly crawling eight month old and answering the never ending questions of the newly minted five year old! To make a long story short, the jalapeno poppers should be cooked on a cookie sheet WITH sides. Unfortunately, I found that out the hard way and the bacon grease dripped down into the bottom of the oven, which caused the oven to smoke like crazy, which in turn set off the fire alarms, which incidentally can only be turned off by the fire department!

 

Oy Vey! Three fire trucks roll up, firefighters jump out in full gear and race up to the apartment to survey the scene. Luke and all the kids are out on the porch trying to breathe in some fresh air while I am in the kitchen frantically still rolling cake balls! Talk about craziness! Luckily, no one was harmed, the fire fighters were very nice and the jalapeno poppers were quite the hit!

 

Thankfully, Delainey seemed completely unfazed by the whole incident and was only concerned about what Hello Kitty shirt she should wear! The weather was absolutely perfect for a day at the park and all her little friends were able to make it. They were all very generous to her and she is now very well stocked up on all things Hello Kitty!

 

 Birthday parties are definitely different here in Korea as there isn't as much variety and options as there is in the States. Unless you plan way ahead, which we all know is not my specialty. I did make those snazzy table cloths on the table though and they are now hanging in Delainey's room as curtains...how crafty is that!

 



 

Delainey insisted on having a pinata at her party, preferably a Hello Kitty one.  As luck would have it, we couldn't find a Hello Kitty pinata anywhere here in Korea so we had to make do with a star shaped one that Delainey stuck some Hello Kitty stickers on.

We also played Pin the Bow on Hello Kitty, which was a huge hit with the girls!

 

 

Delainey had the best time ever! She was so excited to turn five and spend the day with all her friends. Even with all the stress and craziness of the day, it turned out to be a fabulous day with amazing friends, celebrating the birth of our sweet baby girl and those days are always precious to me!

 

 

 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward.

Psalm 127:3

 

Fields of Flowers!

A friend and I happened to stumble upon this beautiful field of flowers last weekend on a different adventure and just knew we had to come back for some photos! 

 

 

It has always been a dream of mine to wander through a field of flowers!  

It was just as awesome and beautiful as I had imagined it would be. Delainey was definitely more into taking pictures than the boys were.

Oddly enough, we were not prepared for the amount of bees that would be buzzing around. Hundreds of thousands of bees were swarming all around the flowers.

 

Luckily, just as we got situated to take some pictures, it started to rain and most of the bees flew away.

  

 

Thank goodness, because these pictures are priceless!

 

Ashie wasn't worried about the bees one bit. He was much more concerned with eating all the flowers within his reach! 

 

 

Kid Approved Cafe!

  Out for another adventure!       

(Geez, these kids are getting so big!)

 

 As we are getting out and exploring more here in South Korea, we are discovering lots of new fun places to take the kids to play. (Most days, I feel like just leaving the house and making it to the intended destination is an adventure.) Since, last week was spring break and we had ample hours to fill and there is only so much entertaining that can be done in an apartment, the kids and I adventured out to Star Kids Café in Pyeongtaek. The kids and I were fans immediately!

 

 

The concept is genius! It's an indoor play land for kids and a coffee shop for moms! In fact, the cost of your coffee is included in the entrance fee. Brilliant!  Kid cafes are very popular over here and I can see why! The room is sectioned off into various cubicles with various themes and there are toys for all ages. There was a ball pit, a fishing pond, a dress up corner, reading nook, a grocery store, a movie room and a train table, just to name a few. We met up with some ladies from my prayer group and their kids for a play date and had an absolute blast! The kids really enjoyed running around, dressing up and making new friends.  Delainey of course loved the dress up booth and wore a princess gown the entire time we were there!

 

(My sweet little princess fishing)

Even little Asher was quite entertained. They had bumbo seats and lots of baby toys for little guys like him. I think as he gets bigger this place will get even more exciting for him (and me). For now I will just enjoy the fact that he isn't very mobile just yet!

 

 (Ashie Mo trying to figure out the ins and outs of the puzzle)

Each little cubicle had a different theme. This one was all girl! It was full of baby dolls, strollers, baby bottles, Barbies and anything and everything girly!

 

 

Isaac really enjoyed the instrument section. Here he is rocking out and entertaining us all! I think he was singing Sweet Home Alabama, but since we live in SK now, we usually change the words to Sweet Home South Korea!

 

On the way out, for 100 won, (I think it's the equivalent of a dime) you can ride the carousel. Even baby Asher got to ride. I think he had a good time!

(My handsome boys!)

 

Delainey of course loved it! Check out that gorgeous grin.

 

We will definitely be frequenting Star Kids Café more in the future. The kids loved it and this momma gives it two thumbs up. The coffee was superb!

Our Handsome Dude is a 3rd Grader!

First Day of School!

Today was Isaac's first day of 3rd grade...and yes, I totally cried! We could blame it on the pregnancy hormones, but lets face it. I have cried every year on the first day of school since he started preschool! It really doesn't get any easier. I swear, I probably lose more sleep and have more anxiety then he does the night before his first day. He wasn't exactly thrilled about going back. In fact, his exact words when I dropped him off were, "well, lets get this over with." Ha!

He looked adorable and it has become even more blatantly clear to me that he is growing up...and at warp speed no less. This kid, my first born, the one who made me a momma...my handsome little man who makes me smile, who makes me laugh and who fills my heart with joy is already in the third grade! I thought about him all day. I prayed he would have some friends in his class, that he would like his teacher, that he would have a great first day. His only words about how it went, "it was ok." Ha!


As you can see, he excitedly jumped out of bed, barely able to contain his excitement when I told him it was time to get up!

His lunch box and back pack all ready to go!

It was definitely much quieter around the house today without him. Delainey barely knew what to do with her self withour her big brother around. She was not real happy to learn that she still has to wait another two weeks to start Pre-K. She is anxious to board that bus, with her brand new back pack and come home with her own stories about her adventures at school! If I am struggling with Isaac in school, you can just imagine how I feel about Delainey heading off to Pre-K this year! But, until she starts, we get to spend some quality time together and I am so blessed to spend these last precious days with her before the new little one arrives!

 

...for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Sidewalk Chalk!

We recently made homemade sidewalk chalk paint and the kids loved it! Its super simple to make and pretty cheap too. All you need is 1/4 cup cold water, 1/4 cup cornstarch and a few drops of whatever food coloring you like. One box of cornstarch made 4 different colors of paint twice and the kids spend hours out there painting the driveway with all kinds of fabulous artwork!

Here is Isaac painting his masterpiece...

Can you tell, he painted me!

Delainey was especially excited to paint the driveway!

Some folks said to be cautious of how much food coloring you use but we didn't seem to have a problem with that. Our artwork only stayed about a week due to the late afternoon thunderstorms that we have been having down here in lower Alabama. I highly recommend making up a batch of sidewalk chalk paint and letting your kids go nuts in the driveway one of these endless summer days. It was the perfect treat for this pregnant momma to watch the kids enjoy themselves while I got to sit on the porch sipping my ice tea!

Christmas 2011

I cannot believe that it has already been a month since Christmas and I still haven't gotten around to blogging about all the fun we had! We spent Christmas here in Alabama with Nana and Cheez and then headed on down to Florida to spend time with lots more family!

The Hairston crew drove in from Maryland and we got to spend time with them doing lots of fun stuff. I love how no matter how long these kids are apart, they always fall right back into being the best of friends...or "brother cousins" as Isaac would say. We had a great time at the Jacksonville Zoo. We got to ride the train, feed sting rays, and ride the merry-go-round. The weather was absolutely perfect and everyone had a great time, I don't even think we had one melt down or tantrum the whole day.

After the zoo, we headed over to Neptune Beach, Florida to dine at the fabulous Mezza Luna Pizza Parlor where the kids got to make their very own pizzas. Uncle Charlie's good friend worked their and showed us a fabulous time...he even picked up the tab which was totally unexpected and very nice! The kids had a blast. The fella helping them was awesome and even showed them how to toss it in the air and catch it. Delainey was a little apprehensive at first but ended up being a pro!

The food was absolutely delicious and the kids loved eating their very own creations. Isaac made a cheese and pepperoni pizza, while Delainey made hers with cheese and mushrooms. I really didn't think she would eat it with the mushrooms on it, but apparently a long day at the zoo makes her want to eat!

We even got to spend some time with Aunt Kerry, who drove out to meet us for dinner. I may or may not have pinched Marcy right after this picture was taken....

After spending time with Kerry and the Hairston crew we went back to Nana's house for a few days for some rest and relaxation. It is insane how busy and crazy the Christmas season can be. It was great to just have a few down days to lay around the house, watch mindnumbing TV (think kid shows!) and feast on Nana's home cooking! After we were good and relaxed, we decided to jump right back into the madness with a family trip to Sea World. It was insane! Apparently, everyone and their mother had the same idea.

We literally raced from one show to the next in order to get a seat. I have never seen Sea World that crowded in all my life. Apparently, the day before New Year's Eve is NOT the day to go! Luckily, we didn't pay to get in (thank you military discount) and we still had a blast despite the large crowds. We even got to meet Elmo, well Delainey and I did anyways...Isaac politely declined!

After Sea World, we headed on over to spend some time with Luke's side of the family for a few days. We spent the night at Uncle Matt's house and enjoyed an awesome breakfast the next morning made by our nephew James. After we said our goodbyes, we headed down to Rockledge to spend the day with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Bart's family. We had planned to go to the Brevard zoo but it had closed early due to New Year's Eve festivities so we decided to try out a new local restaurant instead. The food was so good. It just happens to be owned by Luke's little league coach, Ernie, so it was really neat going back and getting to visit with him. Plus, did I mention the food was awesome!

After we stuffed ourselves silly  I mean ate, we went to the park to run off some calories and let the children play. Sweet little Gabby is almost two and Delainey had a great time mothering her and getting dirty! We had such a great time just hanging out and spending time together.

After we visited with Grandma and Grandpa for a bit, we headed back to Nana's house for the night and so we could spend some time with Uncle Rye and Aunt Jenn. They drove in a few days early just so they could see us! We had a great time in the very short time we were together and unfortunately didnt get any pictures. We then had to say goodbye to our time in Florida and get back to normal life here in Alabama. What a blessing it was to get to see all our family this year. We left Florida with happy hearts and a desire to visit again soon!

SURPRISE!

Today, we celebrated Luke's 34th birthday. Isaac really wanted to give him a surprise party so we tried our best to pull it off without Luke finding out. Which is totally impossible with a 3 year old girl who spills everything to her daddy the night before..."Daddy, we got you a big box (stand up tool box) and a book (a fancy new leather bible) and there is going to be a big party, for you daddy!" Luckily, Luke played along in good fun and didn't let on to Isaac that he knew anything!

Luke has been wanting a large, stand up tool box for years but they are so expensive and his birthday is so close to Christmas that it just never works out. This year though, I figured we might as well go for it since we have tools all over the garage and the tool box would be a great way to get everything organized and off the floor. Plus, his reaction was totally worth the jaw dropping price tag...even if we will be eating Ramen noodles for the next 3 months!

I know it sounds cheesy but this party was one of those memories I always want to hold near and dear to my heart. The kids were so excited to plan a party for Daddy. Delainey choose Phineas and Ferb napkins and blue plates...she said those were Daddy's favorite. We hunted for just the right ice cream cake, cookies and cream, also one of Luke's favorites. We blew up balloons and hung up a banner, all things Luke could careless about but that the kids thought were important for his party. Isaac made sure we had party poppers to use for when Daddy walked in the room to add to the element of surprise. Luke smiled the entire time so I think our party was a huge success!

Happy Birthday Luke, we love you so much and are so thankful to have you in our lives!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving this year down in Florida with Luke's family. We had such an amazing time hanging out with family and spending time with all of the cousins. My kids have the best cousins! It never seems to matter how long in between visits, when they are together, its like they see each other all the time! Delainey was super excited to see her "friend" Madison and finally have some girls to hang with while down in Florida...thank you Uncle Bart!

Isaac got to spend the night with his cousins and Delainey got to have several slumbers with Madison in the most girly, pink princess room she had ever seen. I seriously thought her head might explode...the girl has a five story Barbie mansion! Delainey was in heaven!

Even Isaac found something fun to do in a house full of girls!

We also got to check out the Orlando Science Center with our boy cousins. What a neat place. We even got tickets to an IMAX movie but I didn't get to see it because SOMEOnE had to pee as soon as we sat down, even though she swore she didn't have to go before we got into the theater! It worked out OK though, because we got to wander through the interactive play area which was probably a better idea for her than a movie about underwater sea creatures. We even got to try out a wind tunnel...I think there was about six of us in here...can you see Delainey all the way on the bottom!

A big huge thanks to Jannacy and Matt for putting on such an amazing spread for Thanksgiving at the last minute. Everything was delicious and I loved that there was chocolate cake! Thanks to Bart and Jackie for allowing us to take over your home. We had a blast getting to know your girls! And a big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa McDowell for being flexible with us and changing their plans so we could all be together for the holiday!

PLUS, the biggest and best part...just a few short days later, Matt and Jannacy found out that after three boys, they are with out a doubt...expecting a baby girl! Yay! so excited for them all! God is good!

Just Beachy!

Last month, we were blessed to spend a week at the beach with my parents. It was an amazing week full of laughter, relaxation, fishing and fun! It was absolutely awesome to wake up in the morning and walk along the shoreline. Hear the waves crashing outside our window. Watch the kids' faces full of excitement while they tried to out chase the waves! I read an entire book that week, something I haven't done in a very long time. I sat and watched my children splash and play for hours on end. I even got hours of uninterrupted time to visit with Luke (thanks Mom and Dad!)while he fished from sun up to sun down. It was a glorious time and we all felt incredibly blessed to have had the time together, to just be together without any stress, deadlines, appointments or obligations.

Luke caught a lot of fish that week. Mostly catfish but he did get a trout that we fried up and ate (it wasn't awful) and a couple of reef sharks. He even got to teach Ise how to fish...something he has been wanting to do for a long time!

The best part, Isaac's first catch was a reef shark!

Luckily Luke isn't easily phased and did all the shark handling. Delainey refused to even come within a mile of it and Ise stood just close enough so I could get a picture of him near the shark!

After Isaac caught the shark the kids really didn't want to go back into the water right away so they had fun building sandcastles, digging giant holes and collecting seashells.

Luke totally didn't seem to mind though and continued on throwing his net and wading out to waist deep water to fish. I have never seen the man happier then fishing on that beach!

Even Cheez got in on the fishing. I think he caught two or three catfish as well!

Every morning, my parents, Delainey and I would take the dogs for a walk on the beach. Major thought he was in absolute heaven getting to run along the beach unleashed and greeting folks from all over. I swear if that dog was human, he would be a Wal-mart greeter!

Delainey loved to walk with my mom and pick up the seashells. She fell in love with the small, beautifully colored clam shells that when abandoned by its occupant would looked just like butterflies. I was fascinated by the thousands of living clams that would appear when the waves came in and then would bury themselves back into the sand once the wave passed. I had never seen anything like it before, all the beautiful colors and the way they would appear and then just disappear. Truly amazing!

We even saw dolphins late in the afternoon some days. They came so close the shore that the kids had a front row seat to watch them jump and dive into the water.

There is just something about the ocean that makes everything in the world seem better, more beautiful and really helps me put my life into perspective. You can't help but feel the power and strength of the hands of God when you sit on the sand and watch those waves crashing onto shore and the sun setting somewhere out there over the great beyond. Oh beach vacation why did you have to end! I seriously hope and pray we get to retire someday somewhere near a beach. Until then, I can't wait to do it again next year!