An evening with friends.

Every Christmas I go all out and cook my traditional Prime Rib dinner with all the fixings...well, Greg works with a bunch of guys down at the ship yard and brags to them about how good this particular meal is...he convinced me to fix up the same meal for a few of his friends just two weeks after I finished doing it for Christmas. There's a reason I only do this once a year...it's a ton of work. We had a great time though and the food was fabulous especially with George's addition of Lobster-my favorite! He brought fresh lobster tails and gave me a quick lesson on an easy but scrumptious way of cooking them.

What lack of sleep can do...

Greg and our 17 month old were in the bathroom doing the laundry - where our washer & dryer are located. She was a little nervous about watching it spin around and I could hear Greg coaxing her to take a peek, as I turned the corner to encourage her that it was ok I noticed something bright, pink & shiny swirling around in the laundry....my cell phone! I panicked to open the door of the washer but to my dismay I had child locked it so I had to wait the "eternal" 3 seconds to stop the cycle and rescue my poor phone. It seems to be doing ok...shorts out every now and then but it just needs to hang in there until April 1, the magical day when our contracts are up. See what happens when you're just not fully awake.

Oh so Wicked...

Greg's Christmas present to me was taking me to see Wicked at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. We absolutely loved it! It is such a fun show and if you haven't had the chance to see it you must take the opportunity if you get a chance.

On her way to Miss America...

So, bear with me as I go back in time and start blogging from last month...I'm finally settling into the swing of things with two babies. I'm becoming a champ at major multitasking during nap time;-) A few weeks before Miss America, Melissa (our current Miss California America) spent some time with me to add some last minute wardrobe to her collection. I know how blessed I've been with so many people who have loaned/given and helped me on my way to pageants with all the items I needed...so it was a pleasure to be able to do the same for a wonderful girl like Melissa. If any of you saw the Miss America Reality Check on TLC you can see the transformation they did on her...super cute hair cut. I'm proud to report she made it to the final 6! Congratulations Melissa!

Welcome to infanthood....

So, I know what you're all thinking...I've completely fallen off the face of the planet never to blog again. I am alive and well and incredibly enough still standing on two feet. Here's an ever so quick update as I have two sleeping babies and watching precious moments of a nap time evade me ;-) On Feb 7th our two girls we were initially placed with were reunified with relatives. It was sad to see them go but we are happy they are with people who love them and will be able to give them the care they need. So, we thought we'd take a bit of a break before opening our home to another sibling set...after all we were only "planning" on taking one at a time. Well, so much for plans on Feb 12, just five days after we said our goodbyes, we said hello to two more sisters. This time they're itty bitty ones....the oldest is 17 months and the youngest, well, we picked her up from the hospital at four days old. It's been many sleepless nights, with lots of feedings, diaper changes and a cold to boot. But, I feel honored to be entrusted with two of God's precious little ones. Long Beach Grace Brethren put together a list of people who have been delivering us dinners and making sure we are able to transition as smoothly as possible. Again, I wish I could post pictures of them, but alas, not allowed....but we love visitors!!

Welcome to toddlerhood....

Well, it's official. Greg and I are parents. And not just with one...but two girls! We received our first foster placement last week....and as you've noticed no new postings since new years because we've had our hands full. The girls will be turning 2 and 3 years old in a few months so we've been dropped right in the middle of the wonders of toddler hood...and it's exhausting! I seriously can't remember ever being this tired and just falling into bed. But it's all worth it with the amazing smiles and hugs I get every morning and the giggles all day long (minus a tantrum here and there ;-) I guess it's all par for the course. Unfortunately, I won't be able to post any pictures of the girls due to confidentiality laws and privacy for their situation. Being that we are strictly fostering them at this point means there are certain guidelines we have to follow to be certain that they are protected...and since my blog is "public" I have to follow them here too. So, you'll just have to stop by if you're ever in the neighborhood to meet them in person. Keep us all in your prayers...and put in an extra request for some sleep ;-)

Happy New Year!!!

We arrived home from the wedding to find our dear friends Jay & Tre ready to ring in the new year with us...we knew they were going to be there and were prepared for several other people but alas the cold bug must have visited everyone else b/c they all ended up bowing out. One of our neighbors we just recently met came over and our small but mighty group rang in the new year with true style...ok we were in sweats and jeans but we had fun none the less.