New 'Do

I have been talking about chopping my hair off for a while. The hot, humid summers here with my long, thick hair were not a good combination. So I had a Saturday off and went to a salon to cut off about five inches, thin it out, and get it colored. Dan wanted me to try a lighter color, like strawberry blond, but I didn't want to bleach my hair. I went with a semi-permanent brown red so it wouldn't be as damaging to my hair and so it would fade out after a while in case I didn't like it. My hair is darker with a red sheen to it, and I am happy with the result. I think once you start getting strands of gray/silver cropping up it gives you more motivation to experiment with hair color.


This picture was taken before church last week. I liked the red bong-bongs (sent from Aunt Rachel in Japan) in Sophia's hair. They sang some pioneer songs in the chapel, and I could see that Nathan was singing along, but Sophia preferred to twirl around and beam a smile at her audience. I've got to get her in dance lessons. Nathan got to do "me in a bag" during primary, which meant he brought some items that mean a lot to him to share with the other children. He was very happy it was FINALLY his turn since Sophia had done it a few months ago. Nathan brought his blanket (aka bubba or puppy that he possibly loves more than his Mommy), a stuffed animal dog named Sam (or Nathan depending on the day), his Zhu Zhu pet Num-nums, Percy the train engine, his Nintendo DS, and a Nate the Great detective book. He had fun sharing his treasures in primary.


This is a common sight in our house, especially since Dan showed them how to sync up their DS's so they can play Mario Party or Kirby together. Sophia used to sit next to him watching him play, but now that they can play with each other, the fun level has bumped up to "pure blast." Dan got another DS on eBay, and I've played Mario Kart and Mario Party with them too. I thought Nathan would help me out on my first game, but he had no qualms about telling me to go the wrong way so I'd lose coins. He knows how to gain the advantage, that little rascal. I'm trying to teach him to be a good sport when I win, and he's getting better, but he REALLY likes to win.


Sophia continues to make art on the computer. Dan had her write her name on this artwork. She likes to write letters all over sheets of paper, and she gets excited when she sees the letters that are in her first name. She's looking forward to preschool this year. If I had to predict my kids' future professions at this stage in their lives, I'd say Nathan will be a professional video game player or computer programmer and Sophia will be an artist.

Nathan turns 7; fun Fourth at SeaWorld

We celebrated Nathan's birthday and the Fourth of July weekend in San Antonio with Grandma and Grandpa Rogers. Nathan proudly blew out all the candles on his cake in one breath. Since I've been working a lot, I made the cake and Dan did the frosting. It tasted great! Nathan and Sophia both got Zhu Zhu pet hamsters (Num Nums and Jilly) and a car for them to zoom around. Nate also got birthday money, a nice shirt, video games, and a trip to SeaWorld the following day. Nathan is a sweet boy, and I'm proud of his growth in the last few years as a big brother and a student.

Outside the park

We had a fantabulous time at SeaWorld. Nathan wanted to hit the kids' roller coaster first, and Grandma Rogers went with me and the kids while Dan taped it. Then we saw the Shamu show "Believe," and Nathan said the killer whales were "awesome." He wanted to sit in the Splash Zone, but Grandma didn't want to get wet, so she sat a few rows behind us. Sophia sat on my lap and Nathan sat next to Dan. We sat close by one of the platforms where they feed Shamu, and at the very end Shamu slammed his tail on the water to splash everyone. Nathan and Dan got soaked first, and then the whale changed the angle and Sophia and I got drenched too. Sophia started crying right away, and I felt so bad. I got out the towel to dry her off, and if I had realized how drenched we'd get, I would've had the two of us sit back by Grandma. Poor Phia!

Soaked by Shamu

It was quite hot and humid -- Texas in the summertime -- so after we saw the Shamu show, the Azul show (with a beluga whale and dolphins), and the sea lion Caper show, Nathan wanted to swim. The kids and Dan and I had fun in the lazy river that had impressive features such as water fountains and little rapids. I told Nathan we'd go to the wave pool next, and when we got to the pool during the countdown for the waves and they started rolling toward us, Nathan yelled out, "Sweet!" The kids also liked a water slide there. The Lagoon area was fun, and if we lived in San Antonio, I'd want an annual pass even for the water activities. I didn't get any pics there, but the kids loved it.


We went to the dolphin cove after we ate, but they had it fenced off. They still played in the water and were fun to watch. The kids liked the shark aquarium with the sting rays too. I wanted the kids to get to touch the dolphins and get up close, but we'll go to SeaWorld again. We went back to the sea lion area for another show. There were two baby seals that the kids watched for a while. Then Dan and I went on the Steel Eel roller coaster, and I just felt air as we plummeted down, and I thought I was going to die from the plunge. Neli sat that one out and took the kids to the penguin encounter. She said Nathan wanted to go on the moving walkway three times in a row. They had all kinds of penguins, and when Dan and I saw it, many were sleeping and some were swimming; they played Enya music and it was very peaceful.

Last but not least we had the fireworks show. A band rocked out to tunes such as "America the Beautiful" and then there was an electric guitar solo on "The Star-Spangled Banner." Grandma R. did not like the unconventional song. I wished they had someone there to sing it. Then the fireworks started, and they were bright, sparkly, and colorful -- Dan said he was impressed by even seeing orange and purple, and I thought the blue ones looked pretty good. They did a cool rainbow one at the end. They played some patriotic songs during the show, and the speakers blared the music, so Sophia -- who had been shielding one eye with her hand and looking at the spectacle from the safety of Daddy's shoulder -- finally spoke up in his ear, "I want to get out of this place!" Well, Nathan liked the fireworks at least, and after the show we got out of that place.

Nathan told me his favorite part was swimming at SeaWorld. He also liked the killer whales. Sophia liked the dolphins the best. I'm glad the Rogers gave Nathan that gift for his birthday. It's an experience he won't forget. It's always fun to visit San Antonio. Just remind me the next time I go to SeaWorld not to sit in the splash zone.

Red roses and roller coasters

Nathan made a nice Mother's Day gift in his first grade class. He decorated the outside of a can and potted a plant in it. Dan's parents came to visit for Mother's Day, and the men made us a delicious breakfast and we all had a nice dinner with pot roast, potatoes, and carrots. I also received lovely red roses from them. I'm glad I have Sundays off from work so I can enjoy the day with my kids.

Right before I took this picture of Sophia, the long stem broke off. I showed her how she could still hold it. Later she took the stem and poked around in the dirt by a bush near our home. A few days later I went outside to take Sophia to the playground. She paused and looked toward the stem she had stuck into the dirt. Then Phia said, "Mommy, it doesn't have a flower yet." She figured if she planted the broken stem into the earth, a new flower would grow. It made me smile; she is a sweet girl. (Nathan took the picture below when she was planting the stem; I was teaching him how to point and shoot.)


We were excited to get a package from my sister who spent the past year teaching elementary school in Japan. Nathan liked finding a Totoro, and the kids liked the fruit candy. The salty treats with seaweed weren't a hit though. Phia gobbled down the chocolate mushroom treats (not real mushrooms for those wondering -- just in the shape of mushrooms). Dan got some cool socks, I received a cute dress, and Sophia liked her red bong-bongs. The colorful chopsticks are fun; now we all need to learn how to eat with them.

The package arrived on a day when we needed something to cheer us up. Dan has been looking for a good job for about a year, and even though he has come close a few times, it hasn't worked out so far. It was nice to have a surprise that evening when I came home from the bank and to experience the flavor of life in Japan. Thanks Rachel! Now Sophia wants to relive the moment by giving me a "package" of crayons and toys when I come home from work.

Nathan started counting down the days left in school until summer break. "I have twelve days left! Then I'm in second grade!" We went to a Young Author's Tea Party at Nathan's school in May to read some stories he had written. He wrote one about video games with lots of pictures of blankets (bubbas), and he also had one about bumblebees and a story about a robot. We also looked at his journal entries, which ranged from how he likes playing with his sister to showing his huge interest in fighting zombies and drawing lots of bubbas. In the picture Nathan is holding a robot centerpiece he made for the event. He said in the story the robot named Tyler (the name of his best friend in kindergarten) cleans his room, does chores, and plays with him. What a cool robot! I'd like to order one.


Phia drew this picture of an elephant near the end of May. She drew it soon after we found her stuffed animal elephant, Peanuts, in one of the boxes. She was so happy to be reunited with her favorite stuffed animal. She told me this picture is Peanuts. She sleeps with the elephant, the polar bears, dogs, dolls, and sometimes even the rocking horse in her bed. Oh, and the rocking horse has to be under the covers.


Sophia likes to use the Microsoft Paint program. I really like this one she did.


Dan and I went to Six Flags over Memorial Weekend. I was sick last month during our anniversary, so it was nice to do something fun together. Dan told me that Space Mountain didn't qualify as a roller coaster experience (the only one I've been on besides the small coasters at the Vegas casinos New York New York and Circus Circus). The idea of flying through the air at insane speeds has always terrified me, so I wasn't so sure about this idea. I decided it would be a good exercise in trust (like a trust fall except instead of relying on Dan to catch me I had to trust that the ride wouldn't fling me into the air). Dan thought it was funny because I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to traveling and experiencing new things, but I told him artificial adventure scares me.

As we walked toward the Goliath, I told Dan it made me as nervous as when I was about to go into labor and I might throw up. There was almost no line so I didn't even have time to talk Dan out of it. We sat down, they told us to "sit back and relax," and I told Dan, "How can I relax?" I did like how the roller coaster had the over-the-shoulder restraints plus I was buckled in. Dan reassured me that these secondary measures are how there are so few injuries resulting from these rides. I screamed a lot, but it was exciting despite my fear, and I was in one piece at the end of it all. Dan took this pic after we walked out. I asked Dan, "Don't you feel nervous as we're slowly angled up before we take the plunge?" Dan smiled and said, "I've lost that feeling a long time ago." He's so smug. Then we tried the Superman ride, and I read a sign that said to keep your head back against the headrest. I did that and enjoyed that ride more. After I tried all the other rides, I decided it was my favorite roller coaster at Six Flags. Then we tried the Tony Hawk spin ride, which doesn't look as scary but is fun because you don't know which way you'll spin. It was all right but not the best ride. We tried the Poltergeist ride that caught us off guard because it shoots you out at a crazy speed, and it's a wild ride till it's over. I asked an employee how fast it goes, and he said it jumps to 60 mph in 3 seconds using magnets. I liked that ride too; what a rush! Then we went on the huge ferris wheel to relax. We also went on the Scooby Doo ride, which was fun because you shoot all these spooky targets with a laser gun. After Dan had his fun hearing me scream, we watched a laser fireworks show that featured the history of Texas and some patriotic songs.

We came to Fiesta Texas a couple of years ago, but that time I went on all the kid rides with Nathan and Sophia. The one ride I repeated from that time was the Bugs White Water Rapids. I wanted to go on the wooden roller coaster to see how it would be different, but they closed it down early because of the fireworks show. I'm actually glad we went because I can say I've actually been on really big roller coasters, and now that I've done it, I'd do it again. I overcame my fear!


We passed a candy store on our way out of town before, and I told the kids we'd go there and get some candy after school was out. We all went on a Saturday, and the kids picked out some treats. Nathan is holding up some raspberry flavored rock candy, aka sugar cubes. He liked the pixy sticks and sour watermelons. Sophia finished off her gummy worms while we were in the car, and she liked the chocolate balls with cookie dough inside too. The place was too pricey and didn't have enough small, cheap wrapped items. I guess I was looking for a place like how Judd's was when I was in sixth grade. I could get a 10 cent pack of lemonheads, cherry clan, or a charleston chew, and there was so much to choose from. All of the sixth-graders in St. George went there on lunch hour (well, boys one day and girls the next so it wouldn't be overcrowded). Now that there isn't a sixth grade center there, the store sells less candy and more soup and breadsticks. Look at me getting all nostalgic. I'm totally going to be one of those Grandmas that says, "Back in my day ..."

Grateful moment

When your spouse is out of work, there are good days and bad days. It was hard to make a move just for the sake of saving money while wondering where we will eventually end up. We get our hopes up with every interview and wonder each time if this will be the key to unlocking our future and dispelling our current worries. Even if it doesn't work out, we're grateful for the opportunities when they come. Some days I feel like I'm stranded in an airport, waiting for a flight with an indefinite departure time. I'm in limbo and can't do anything about it. On other days I try to focus on happy thoughts -- my wonderful children, my funny husband, my health, my freedom, my working nose (I had a bad cold for almost the whole month of April).

A speaker in church last month said it does no good to ask "why me" in times of personal challenges. I read a book that phrased it differently: "Why not me?" I like that attitude better. Why not go through a time of trial and testing? I've had it pretty easy most of my life, and there is more opportunity to grow during hard times. I'm not saying I want this to last a long time -- I really want Dan to get a job -- but this shift in attitude helps me to not let it bother me so much. Good things are in store for us, I know it, and all in all I have a blessed life.

Easter and Children's Day at Fort Bend Museum

The kids and I "tie-dyed" our Easter Eggs with a kit. It worked with plastic tubes that you use to extract the color, and then you put it on the egg and place it in a plastic bag and rub it around and then add another color. The kids liked choosing multiple colors for the eggs. I read about a game where two people hold their eggs pointy side out and smash them together. The egg that gets cracked loses. However, Sophia didn't want to do it, and it was too traumatic for Nathan when my egg beat his. Nathan wanted to keep the eggs forever, but I told him they would go rotten unless he ate them, and he definitely did not want to do that!

The kids liked the treats and book they got from Grandma and Grandpa Drake.

We had fun at an Easter egg hunt in our neighborhood with friends from church.

The kids loved these gigantic bunnies from Grandma and Grandpa Rogers.

We went to the Fort Bend County Museum for Children's Day a few weeks ago because they had some fun kids activities planned and because it was free. Sophia is sitting in front of a historical home where they offer tours. We mainly did the activities outside, and Sophia and I went into the museum building near the home and saw the original well for the home that drops down over 100 feet.


They had volunteers from Brazos Bend State Park at the event, and Nathan was brave enough to touch a baby alligator. The state park is known for having alligators that will even come out of the water. There are many trails there, and we plan on exploring there when I have a day off of work and Nathan's out of school.

Nathan didn't mind touching the snake either, but Sophia did not want to go near it. This is a corn snake that constricts its prey before eating it.

Sophia liked getting a cat painted on her hand. This girl thinks she is a cat; when I call her name she tells me, "I'm a kitty cat."
Nathan wanted a car in his favorite color. They also played in a bounce house, dug in dirt to be "archaeologists," and decorated some sugar cookies.

Sophia is holding a corn husk doll I made for her at one of the stations.

We're moving from our home into a temporary home while Dan continues his job search and studies for the patent bar. I'll continue to work. We'll miss some things about the home we've stayed in, but we didn't plan to stay there long anyway. I'm glad our kids are happy no matter what as long as we're together.

Rodeo

If you're in the Houston area in March, make plans to experience the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. You know how they say everything is bigger in Texas? Well, this is the biggest rodeo ever. My friend took me to the rodeo the night Keith Urban performed. It was awesome! I liked the bull riding, the chuck wagon races, and the mutton bustin', when 5-year-old kids held on to sheep for as long as they could till they fell off.

Howdy neighbor: This friendly sheep licked my arm as we posed at the Fun on the Farm.

Two days after I went with my friend, Dan and I took the kids to see the animals and to go on a few rides at the carnival. We started off at Fun on the Farm, and the kids absolutely loved it. They started off with buckets and had to feed fake chickens, then gather a wooden egg, then milk a cow to get a little milk carton, then plant a veggie and take the pretend pepper and the piece of wool from a sheep and "sell" everything at market in exchange for play money. Then they got some crackers for their money. Nathan and Sophia ate it up and seemed to enjoy themselves as much as if they were at Disneyland.


I took the kids into the petting zoo, and Nathan liked it all right. There were deer and cute baby goats and llamas and chickens and pigs. Sophia didn't want anything to do with it. She had me carry her right away and finally howled, "I want to go out!" I went back in with Nathan later.

When we approached the Capital One Agventure where they house the animals, Nathan said, "Mom, look, Capital One!" He knows I work for Capital One and was proud to point it out. They had all kinds of cattle and sheep, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, and even bees. The kids liked watching the baby chicks. They even had an area for chicks pecking out of the eggs. I liked the birthing area where there were cows who looked ready to burst from the calf inside and sows with a litter of pigs eating and sleeping away. My favorite were the sheep with newly born lambs. One sheep had two male lambs that had been born three days before and were already jumping and walking around. What an amazing development.

The kids liked riding (sitting) high on this big, green tractor.

I had to take a shot of this gigantic armadillo plonked on top of a rock outside of a restaurant.
We saw it on the way to the rodeo, and I thought, "Only in Texas."

I'm glad my friend took me to the rodeo and concert. We had a fun time watching the events and the concert was a blast. Keith Urban and Tim McGraw are my favorite male country singers. We sat in the first section on one side of the stadium, and the stage rotated to help everyone get a good view, and Keith even came out into the crowd to get everyone into it.


When Keith Urban sang "Better Life," it really struck a chord with me. Dan has been looking for work for a long time, and we have had to switch roles. I noticed a sign by the bees at the Agventure that said Texas beekeepers on average make $10 million, and I thought, "Wow, Dan's in the wrong line of work." The words to the song spoke to me, and I told Dan this is our theme song during this time in our lives.

Better Life

Friday night and the moon is high,
I'm wide awake just watchin' you sleep
And I promise you you're gonna have,
More than just the things that you need
We ain't got much now, we're just starting out
But I know somehow paradise is coming.

Chorus :
Someday baby,
You and I are gonna be the ones, good luck's gonna shine
Someday baby,
You and I are gonna be the ones, so hold on, we're headed for a better life.

Oh now theres a place for you and me,
Where we can dream as big as the sky.
I know its hard to see it now,
But baby someday we're gonna fly,
This road we're on, you know it might be long,
But my faith is strong, its all that really matters.

It was great to hear Keith Urban sing this hopeful song, and it made me feel better. I really do think "we're headed for a better life," and we really do need faith to get through it.

Grateful moment

I'm thankful for that part of us -- call it hope or perseverance -- that allows us to get back up after we've been knocked down, just like the cowboys who get thrown hard from the bucking bull but do it all over again the next day.

Firsts

Nathan is our firstborn child, and we have enjoyed celebrating all of his milestones. He has had many "firsts" -- his first smile, his first step, his first day at school. On February 21, Nathan lost his first tooth. We went to San Antonio for the weekend, and we were sitting in church with Grandma and Grandpa Rogers for a stake conference (Elder Bednar spoke at the meeting). Nathan was happily chomping on Cheetos before the meeting began when he suddenly exclaimed, "My tooth came out!" It was really loose the day before, but he didn't want me to pull it out. I had to fish his tooth out of the container, and we wrapped it up in a napkin and told Nathan he'd get a visit from the tooth fairy that night back at our home.

We read from a tooth book and put the tooth in a golden tooth-shaped pillow we got from Grandma Rogers. Nathan told me he hoped he'd get gum and some money. He asked me how the tooth fairy can come so quickly and why she comes when he's sleeping. I said she has wings and doesn't want to disturb him. Nathan got some gum and quarters and a golden dollar coin I had bought from the bank where I work. He really liked the gold coin and put all of it in his piggy bank to get candy in the future. What a great saver! Nate likes the new gap in his teeth.


Nathan wears glasses at school now. Sometimes he'll wear them at home too when his eyes are bothering him. I call them his Harry Potter specs.


Instead of the typical sugar cookies for Valentine's Day, we made Jell-O hearts (and stars and other shapes). We had strawberry, which was perfect, but Nathan insisted on green Jell-O too, and I had a package of lime gelatin, so we did two colors the kids love. Then we ate them with Cool Whip on top. I thought the lime actually tasted better. The kids played with them more than they ate them, but it was fun (and Nathan tried it too -- woohoo!).


I'm glad our kids play together so well considering that they're three years apart and Nathan repeatedly says that boys are better than girls. Nathan encourages Sophia to go down a slide or to build Legos with him, and Sophia will invite him to watch "Curious George" with her or ask him to help her play Nick Jr. games. They both try to be the funniest one in the room, and they like to copy each other. They sometimes wrestle for fun and other times for real, but they make up quickly. They're cute comrades.