The Usual Unusual

Bioware Ireland Inauguration

2011-09-28T11:14:00.002+01:00

This past Monday has been a culmination of all of Jason's hard work as they opened his building for Bioware Ireland! Up until now Jason and his staff were working in rented space as Jason and his coworkers fitted out the new place. I can personally testify that Jason has put so much work into this process! Looking at the new building its hard to imagine that last year at this time there were just maybe 4 people at Bioware Ireland, now they are pushing 100 on there way to 400- All with Jason at the helm! We are so very blessed that Jason has finally found a job that uses all of his talents- even the interior design ones! Here is a link to the EA announcement of the opening. Take a minute to view the tour video so you can see what we see. More pictures to come! (Spoiler Alert- we got to meet the Prime Minister of Ireland)

http://www.ea.com/news/ea-inaugurates-new-bioware-facility-in-ireland

One Room Anyway!

2011-09-20T16:45:00.002+01:00

Here is Alex's room. We've decide not to paint too much (I would have painted some walls grey) as this is a rental house. But I do love that his room is simple and neat and has a big floor space for him to play. Thanks Ikea!

My New Years Resolutions

2011-08-18T16:50:00.002+01:00

I definitely feel like making goals in January, but there is something about a new school year that makes me say: "Right, what are we going to get done now that the kids are in school and we are back to a routine?" Since for the first time in a really long time, I know we are going to live here in Galway for this next year, I am thinking that I want to hunker down. Sure we moved in, Jason did his thing and our house if beautiful, but I feel like our rooms are just unpacked not cozy. Hopefully some of you know what I'm talking about. Everything has a place, but it just doesn't seem on purpose, or cohesive. In Luxembourg we had a few places that we did up and I really loved those. Our first house we ever bought was also like that. I know, given our nomadic lifestyle and Jason's full-on career we aren't going to be investing on going all the way on the house. But I know there are a few ways we can turn it up. So here is my plan/goal: We have a big house with many rooms/spaces. I will take one of these room/spaces a day and clear the junk out, put things in order etc. This will take me 27 days. That seems like a really long time BUT its a pace I think I can realistically keep. I mean some days will just be a little bathroom. By starting with a clear palette, I will feel free to frame and hang up new pictures, paint a few walls, and re- arrange some furniture. Why am I telling you this? I will need a place to showcase my results when I am done!

It's easier knowing

2011-07-22T15:12:00.003+01:00

Hey gang. So as of last posting I was uber tired and trying to self diagnose and control my health. A lot of that had to do with money. Here you have to pay upfront for everything and you get reimbursed once a year, so I was going as long as I could to try to fix it. I was doing really good with lowering stress but physically my body was getting weaker. My legs and hips were especially restless so I was not getting any REM sleep. I had the foreboding that this was something more serious then a sinus infection gone awry. Because I have an aunt with rheumatoid arthritis I was sent to a rheumeatologist to get checked out. My blood work and joints checked out and so I was clear but he diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia.You can read about it here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001463/ My first reaction was that I was upset to have some weirdo disease. The doctor was very positive and said that I am young and motivated and that my body is in my hands. I can learn how to regulate it and improve my situation but its all on how motivated I am. So even though I was upset I was sure I could be positive about it and take control of it like I do with so many other things. He put me on Lyrica and another drug called amitripidine (I think). The medicine is to help me be pain free and sleeping so eventually I could get to the part where I can exercise and participate in my life again. Its working but I am still learning what the balance is. At first when I felt so much better I threw a BBQ for the 4th of July. I did way to much. It was really fun but for the next three days I was wiped out. I spoke with one of the nurses and she was really great in giving me a pep talk. She said I had to give myself time to learn to listen to my body. I don't have to figure it all out today. I am still learning and making mistakes. Our whole family is learning and changing some of the ways we have thought about our future. For instance Fibromyalgia is exasperated by cold and damp..... yeah I live in Ireland y'all. So maybe our future is not here. But for now I am taking it one day at a time and trying to remember to be grateful for all the diseases I DON'T have. I am blessed that we have a good situation, with an au pair that helps me, and a husband who gives good rubdowns :) . I am grateful for my faith that gets me through so much. I am grateful for my extended family that stays close even on the other side of the globe. Life is different, but still so good.

Just Plain Worn Out

2011-06-08T16:11:00.002+01:00

I think this has to be the quietest June of my life. June is usually my favorite month and every year I would count down the days until my birthday. It wasn't just my birthday but it was the magic of June itself. School was getting out, the nights would be soft and warm, vacation plans were on the horizon, everything became looser and lazier. So I think I am correct in saying this isn't my normal June. Over the past probably, 5 years, I have become this wound up person, always making lists and GETTING THINGS DONE. We have moved every year, 3 times internationally. I have wielded major jobs at church, I have been involved in a cause or a hobby, I have been a best best bestest friend, and I have always tried to make the culture of our family fun and exciting. I think all these things are good things. I kind of made it my thing to be that way. When I moved to Ireland this year I tried to transplant all of that here. Like a diseased body rejecting a new organ, my idea of who I am, did not take root here. I tried to force it for 6 months. At the 6 months in the past I was able to say "I am settled in my new place". Again Ireland was different. In the months following I have been on a mental journey (I HATE using the word journey- it sounds like I'm on a reality show) to figure out who I am, who I want to be, and what Ireland has in store for me. The conclusion I have come to is to let it go. Let it all go, and let whatever comes to me happen. (Usually I go get things, if that makes sense) I love to label and declare things. I have let that go. And just as I started to settle in to whatever this new me was going to be, I started to get sick. I have had a series of sinus infections since moving here and so I went to get my normal antibiotics as usual. A week later I was still tired and with more joint pain. So I tried steroids. A week later I have constant joint and leg pain and fatigue. My blood work is clear and a week later there is no change. So that is a total of 3 weeks and my beautiful June slipping away. The conclusion I am making right now is that I am just worn out. After all these years of intenseness I am just worn out. I know this sounds nieve but it is what I am going with for the next few weeks until school gets out. I have the opportunity that I have NEVER had of being sick and taking care of myself while the kids are at school. I have the help and time to do minimal things and let my body heal. When school gets out, and if I am not better, I am going to take the scary walk to the joint specialist. In the meantime I am doing what I can to become a calm person. I am sharing this with you because it is a new adventure for me- a quiet June, an unplanned summer- and I could use all the prayers and good vibes you got out there. But don't worry- I am not depressed, I am actually feeling very good and peaceful about all of these decisions, I just wanted you all to know what was going on. Thanks for listening.

The biggest news is no news-

2011-05-28T12:59:00.002+01:00

So yesterday we made the decision NOT to come home for the summer. It wasn't fun. I actually thought I wouldn't be able to do it. But now that we have pulled the trigger it feels right. I still have trepidations about entertaining the kids all summer but I think I can do it, if as usual I organize the crap out of it. Here is a copy of the letter we sent out to everyone on facebook, just in case you were ask WHY!?

"We are sorry to let you know that we won't be able to come home this summer. I know we made some great plans together when we saw you last, and we wish we could make everything happen and make everyone happy, but we've decided that it is best if we take this summer off. Over the years we have always come home no matter what, we think you know how much you mean to us that we have made that happen in the past. But now, its time for us to be practical for once. Jason has limits on his time in the States for tax reasons, and so for us to have more time as a family it is more realistic to spend our vacation days here. The good news is by doing that we will have more opportunities next summer, financially, and with tax days. We hope that you can support us. We would also like to encourage you to come to visit Ireland. Start today, put a few dollars in a jar, save a few vacation days. We want to share this with you. It is rare that you could visit a foreign country and have free room and board plus a tour guide who loves you! Please use missing us this summer as a catalyst to coming here! Anytime all year, we will have room for you."

Part of us just wants to break the cycle of always visiting people, and maybe give some motivation for someone coming this way. Maybe it could be you! We'll miss everyone really bad I'm sure. It's lonely here sometimes but maybe a slow summer is just what the doctor ordered!

I'm a bad bad blogger

2011-05-23T21:15:00.004+01:00

Hello my friends. I know I'm no good at this. I am doing interesting things and thinking deep thoughts, but I am just not great at getting on here to report it all. So here are a few things I've been thinking of or doing in April and May. I also want to say for the record that Blogger's interface sucks. I hate this tiny little window and how crappy it is to add pictures. Any tips??

Alex turned 6. Notice the awesome Yoda cake I made! I thought I would save a few bucks and have the party at home but having 8 6 year olds over was crazy! We played games but I also made the mistake of making it 3 hours. There is no game long enough. You are welcome parents- hope you enjoyed your afternoon!
We went to Austin Texas. Jason was traveling a ton in March and early April so we were excited to tag along with him as part of our Easter break. We made sure everyone got to see all of our friends and it was fun to see what dad does when he travels. He really does work the whole time. We also got to see the sun and swim everyday. It had been a LONG time since we had done that.
Then we went to Hawaii. We get home leave tickets to America every year and the company said anywhere in America so.......tada Hawaii! It was all kind of last minute cause the powers that be said if you are going to go, go now, the end of the year will be nuts. So we sold some stock to afford it and went. 10 days in Maui. It was pretty amazing. But the best part is that we were just our family for 10 whole days. The kids did GREAT with all the travel. The only hiccups we had were with a grumpy old dude that told the kids to shut up on the beach, and we missed our flight out of Hawaii. I am proud to say we handled both situations pretty well. My favorite part was the road to Hana. Google it, it's pretty cool.
Then it was our anniversary and Jason and I went to Scotland for the weekend. We went to Edinburgh. I had bought the tickets months ahead of time so they were dirt cheap. We didn't make any plans but Jason was able to use his points to stay at the Sheraton. We only had to pay for our rental car and food. We had so much fun wandering around and being alone! We pretended we were young and carefree and were able to relax and be our true selves. The good news is we still enjoy each others company. We also had the privilege of speaking to a group of young single adults about the joys of marriage. It was fun!
This past week Jason had all of his Texas team over and combined with his Ireland team they had a busy week of meetings and Irish fun- meaning castles, boats, and pubs. HE is doing really well at work and is still really enjoying it despite being at work a lot. He is getting ready to go to India next month!
Now things have calmed down and are pretty routine. I realize I haven't spoken of our routine very much, but it's all school music lessons play dates groceries church stuff and the occasional village occasion. For instance Kat's class just had their first communion and we all went to support them and then attended the parties afterwards. (She wore her baptism dress so that she could be honored too) I've also started to volunteer with Age Action- a group that supports seniors. I am tutoring them in computers.
Lastly I have just been thinking about life in general and how important it is to live it to the fullest and with the best attitude. One of my personal heroes, Lowell Wright, whom we met and worked with in Russia, is about to pass away. Last year we made sure we went to see him before we moved to Ireland. We had the most perfect goodbye. We attended the temple together and talked about Sacred things. The Wrights absolutely know how much we love them, and so I have no regrets about not being there right now in his last moments. His faith in meeting death is amazing and I hope I can face my trials that way.

So I hope that gives you just enough to not give up on me completely. I would like to say I will get better but I don't know. For now my priority is documenting our lives on Shutterfly in books so by the time I am done with that I am worn out from reporting! Forgive me and keep in touch!

Our Own March Madness

2011-03-21T16:41:00.003Z

Hey guys- There isn't one site that does everything I want, so I will write about what we have been up to here, but if you want to see pictures you have to go to the shutterfly site here.

I can't believe a forth of the year is over already. It was a year ago that we found out we were moving to Ireland, and here we are still trying to figure this place out.

We are having a lot of fun. Jason is working a lot but when he doesn't have to work, or when we are using one of his 22 vacation days, we find cool stuff to do.

One of the coolest things that went down recently is our support of our village Hurling team. Hurling is a Irish sport that is unique to this island. Our good friend Hugh Ford has two brothers and two cousins on the top team. This year they went all the way to the top and won the all Ireland Championships. The final was on St. Patrick's Day, in Dublin, at Croke Park. We drove the two hours there the night before and stayed a hotel. It was one of the few family rooms I've ever stayed in that was really for a family! It had three single beds and a king! The streets were croweded with all the Paddy's Day revelers but we were in our Maroon and White! We had a huge flag and we made our own parade as we walked to the stadium. It was so much fun waving at all the passing cars with other Clarinbridge flags, and also chanting at the cars with green and white (Kilkenny) flags. It was the first time since probably the Redskins in the 80's that I felt any Athletic pride. We've never followed sports as a family but this was personal. This was our tiny village, and our friends. We were the underdogs with odds of 200 to 1, but like a train gathering momentum the boys won 24 to 12. Afterwards everyone was in the streets cheering and making their way home to Clarinbridge. It seemed like the whole village was at the truck stop off the highway. Once home the bus with the players on it did a tour of the parish the came home to make speeches and start the party. It was a long weekend of cheering dancing and boozing. Jason and I went down Friday night to hang out. The band was really great and it was so fun to be part of it. We really felt like we belonged to the village. All weekend you could hear the celebrations. Last night everyone lit bonfires and the players did another tour. We had some of them sign Alex's hurl and we plan on hanging it up. This victory has never been achieved since Clarinbridge started playing- everyone said it is a once in a lifetime thing and that we are so lucky we moved to just the right village at just the right time. We feel the same way!

Some New Projects

2011-03-04T16:29:00.000Z

Hey Gang! So living in a new country and PAINFULLY Slowly making new friends I find myself with extra time. I have tried many new things and have gotten bored with many old things. One of the new things I am working on is a travel network for Mormons. Its kind of like couch surfing but for members of the church. In all of our travels we have been taken in by so many and have helped out also, so I have started helping other people with my new website www.hostmysheep.com Go on and have a look, and if you are inclined sign up! Also I have started a sister blog for all of our travels so that we can share what services we used or mistakes we made. That site is http://uutravel.blogspot.com . Hopefully as I start to feel more interesting I will be blogging about our normal life, our usual unusual life.

Better Pictures!

2011-01-09T22:45:00.000Z

Hey everybody! I have decided to use Shutterfly for all my photo needs since I was putting all there anyways. SO now you can look at my site http:theusualunusual.shutterfly.com to catch up visually on everything we are doing. It is undecided if I will be writing on here or not... we'll see. But anyways, check out the site to see what we got up to over the holidays. Click on Photos & Videos to see the albulm Ireland 2010. Thanks!

PS- you will need a password to see this site, so write me at sarahknows@gmail.com to get it!

Thanksgiving!

2010-12-07T11:49:00.000Z

This year my cousin Baeu and his family came over from England. It was the best Thanksgiving we have ever had overseas. Baeu and Sherrill brought the America specific essentials from the millitary base and then we spent an entire day cooking. But it was worth it! Look at our beautiful pies! Blueberry, Pecan, Pumpkin, and Apple. The apple one we decorated with shamrocks!
Kat was a great helper and even stuffed the turkey!
And was a different kind of helper. He wanted to dissect the neck and giblets. Gross yes, but we are proud of his mind.
After Thanksgiving we did some touristy stuff. The Neals saw the Cliffs of Moher and then we tried to go to the Christmas outdoor markets, but they weren't on yet. We did have success at Bunratty castle. Here is our little family on the roof!
Creepy Dungeon! Nice eyes!
Outside the castle. The castle is surrounded by a village and we got to see how the people used to live. We also met some Irish wolfhounds!
We also enjoyed being completely moved in and hosting family.
Here we all are- 12 people for dinner!

Please to enjoy Connemara

2010-11-29T20:11:00.000Z

One weekend we decided to see why people always talk about Connemara. We also stopped at the Connemara Heritage center and saw how the ancient Irish lived and then how the pre-potato famine generation lived. It was beautiful, inspirational and educational.

Walking in the Duke's Footstps

2010-10-20T14:00:00.001+01:00

Not too long ago we took a trip up to the Connemarra Area. We had to pull over when we saw the sign for the Quiet Man bridge.

Once Upon a Fabulous Time!

2010-10-03T22:42:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago we were sitting at the dinner table, and as usual we were talking about the best and worst part of our days. When it got to Jason's turn he announced that the best part of his day was that he gets to take mommy to a party in London! I thought he was making it up! But no it was true! One of the potential vendors for Jason's company was throwing a party to celebrate going public on the stock exchange. Did I mention these guys are Indian billionaires? Yeah...

So Friday at noon while the kids were in school we jumped on a plane from Galway to London. I haven't been to London since 1999. It felt so amazing to be there again, without kids again! It was like a time machine! A driver picked us up and took us to the iconic Grovernor House Hotel.

We got ready and I donned my Ted Baker dress that my new Irish friend Marie had helped me buy. Her husband is a famous chef and so she knew how to dress for a posh party. I couldn't believe I found a modest dress in my city! You can see it here since we didn't get any good pictures of me in it. (mine was minus the belt) The car picked us up and took us to London's Natural History museum. Yeah, they had rented it out. We had cocktails (water) dinner, two comedians, acrobats and dancers. All under the skeleton of a huge dinosaur!

We even danced! Jason and I also found out we are in love with small talk but we did meet some really interesting people, and I found out I need to find four inch heels that don't cripple me!
We got back to the hotel around 3 am and got to sleep in until 9. We had just enough time to walk around a but and get breakfast at Pret A Manger (one of our favorites). I do love London, but I also realized that while I love a taste of the "good life", it is not my future. If I ever have that much money it will be to serve others and provide for my family and of course travel to exotic locations, but that is only because it is educational ;) But seriously, having a family and people you love around you makes you wealthy, healthy, and wise.

Thanks Jason for an incredible EPIC date night!

The New Walk

2010-10-03T22:20:00.001+01:00

Now that we are settled in our new house I take a new walk. We only have one rental car (hopefully that will change this week), and so most of the time Jason has it and I am on foot. It is about a mile to the kids school. This is what I get to see:

There are bollards on the side of the road to make a sort of sidewalk for the kids to be safe on. Adam and all the other kids his age ride their bikes to school.
Like at our last place there are lots of blackberries to eat along the way!
This where you can see the Atlantic Ocean comes in to meet our village. The tide comes in and out so sometimes it's high sometimes low. You can see this from my bedroom. You can walk down this little lane anytime you want to see the water. BUT there is a man who lives on a houseboat that is permanently moored there. We have never seen him but there is a huge goose that guards the boat!
At the bottom of our road (which by the way has no name posted, but I am thinking is called the sea road) there is Kelly's. Kelly's is a little catch all shop including the post office. We send Adam here sometimes to get us sodas. You turn left here to head to school.
Here is a far away picture of the sidewalk we walk down. You can see there are a series of houses, three of them are pubs, one a cafe, a carpet shop, and a boutique. I think there are also some residences mixed in there.

As you walk past the pubs there is a bridge for which our town is named. It crosses the river Clarin. Thus it is Clarinbridge. After the bridge there is a little business complex that has the grocery, pharmacy, spa, hairplace, cafe, and art gallery. Pretty posh if you ask me. Finally after passing the abandoned convent you come to the school. I am sorry I am short on pictures but you can see and read about the school's history here.

As I walk nearly everyday, I have a lot of time to think and take in the scenery. I cannot explain how I feel about Ireland. The closest I can come is that I am in a relationship with it. I love it so much I am already afraid of the time when I will have to say goodbye. The scenery, the people, the cool weather, Jason's job, our neighborhood, it all feels like home. I hope you all come visit, cause I ain't leavin!

And Then We Moved to Ireland.

2010-09-05T00:01:00.000+01:00

In August we moved to Ireland. It was a very long day. The kids did great on the airplanes, but it was the in between and after the airplanes that was rough. But heaven knows it could be worse (and it has in the past) and I was just grateful to get it over with and grateful I don't have to do it again for a year .

Our rental house wasn't ready and so the company put us in a temporary place which is a holiday house on a golf course. The house was sufficient but far away from anything, and since we had to share one car, and I was terrified to drive, I found myself pretty housebound for 3 weeks. I would get the car about once a week and at nights, so I managed to go to the grocery store, movie rental place, and the public library. On most days we took advantage of the nearby park. When I say park I mean a huge expanse of land with fields, paths, woods, playground, and castles.

Since we are Americans it took us a while to get used to all this walking, but then it become routine. This is what our normal day was like:

We start at our cute rental house. It was very lived in, had little hot water, huge spiders, and mold. But other then that- it had comply duvets, cable tv, and a fully functioning kitchen. I am always grateful for dishwashers!

We walked down the road until there is a gap in the stone wall. There we entered the forest.

After about 5 minutes we emerged. There were a lot of blackberry bushes at the exit. We loved eating them everyday. Do you know there are no bears in Ireland? We had the berries to ourselves!

As we walked through the fields we could see the sea in the distance.

We walked about 5 minutes through the fields.

After the fields we came to a pond or boggy type place. There was water but it was covered by lily pads, catails, and something like bamboo. The funny thing is there is a life preserver station just in case someone is swimming in there. Weird.

We finally make it to the park. It has a stone wall around it and has lots of things to play on. The weather is about 65-70 F and the wind blows the clouds quickly along. Sometimes we have rain but it doesn't last long. We love Ireland.

July on the East Coast USA

2010-09-01T16:55:00.000+01:00

The best part of this summer was seeing all of our family. We had a great time at the beach this year and getting up to various shenanigans in the backyard.

I also got to see my favorite Centreville HS friends at our annual summit. I think we've been getting together for about 15 years. Crazy.
We got to hit the air and space museum as well. As Adam said "Space is my life!"
Airbender finally came to the theater and Alex got to make good on his hairdo. It was so good to see all of our loved ones before leaving the country. As usual we wished we could all live together but it is not meant to be. The summers are enough. I love my family.

Goodbye Austin!

2010-07-09T01:12:00.001+01:00

Saying goodbye is never fun but we do it anyway. I asked myself this past month if it is worth it to get to entrenched with people everywhere we move, and I came to the conclusion that it is. I have learned so much from everyone that I met in Austin, and I wouldn't trade that for the option of having an easier exit. Here are some of our pics of our final moments in Texas. Above is Heidi and I at the Eclipse premiere. It was literally the day before I flew out. Heidi was really there for me this year and taught me about asking for help. She also is the best person to shop with and try not to gossip with, unless it's about celebrities and hey that is what they signed up for! Throw in some spiritual conversations and some solid advice, I know we really picked eachother up this year. Best Friend Austin goes to Heidi!
Another thing we HAD to do before leaving was go to Rudy's. Rudy's is a BBQ joint that Jason waxes poetic about. He even leaves his phone in the car for Rudy's. He doesn't even do that for me! I admit it was good! We met most of our culinary goals in Texas but I still didn't get Tamales!

Here is Kat and HER best friend Lola. This was the first time my laziness didn't get the best of me and I scheduled enough times for them to get together and become close. Her folks are great and had Kat over all the time. We even managed to have Lola spend the night before we left (which is a big deal for us)
Here are my favorite ladies from Toastmasters, Kay and Faye. They were my friends and mentors. They were my biggest fans this year and gave me the courage to really turn a hobby into a passion. You never know how much positivity can transform you until you have friends like these! I will miss my cheerleaders!
Here some awesome ladies and I shared a birthday. Brae and Amy and I put together a night of Kareoke and dancing. We threw a great party! I loved seeing all my church friends one last time though I did miss Jason who was in Ireland. Some highlights were "singing" Bust a Move with Adrienne, and a great duet with Nick. The cake though was the best part of my evening! Nisa did an amazing job and I could taste all the love that went into that cake!

Looking back on all of our moves I give Austin a top 5 for sure. You can't beat the culture, lake, and people as far as America goes. I wouldn't be disappointed if we moved back one day! But who knows, only God, we stopped planning years ago!

2010-06-15T01:03:00.000+01:00

In preperation for our move overseas we took a week to go see "Fremily" (Friends that are family and family that are friends). We drove up to Utah which took two solid days. I am loving the kids ages. Everyone did great thanks to Nintendo DS and DVDs. There was a lot of driving so we didn't get to stop much, but when we saw this rest stop near Moab we couldn't resist!

Here is Kat stretching her legs!
Jason and Adam took a hike up and around the formations. Can you see them? On our first offical day in SLC we had to go out Tooele to run an errand. We took the time to re-enact when me and my siblings first saw the Great Salt Lake. It is stinky! The building to the left is the Salt Air. It was the buggest dance hall in the country back in the early 1900's then it burnedt down. Then they made it a amusment park, then THAT burnt down. Then they made it a water park, then THAT flooded. Now this much tamer version of the original is a venue. Bor-ring! We did get some Salt Lake Taffy and a bottle of salt from the Lake though. The most important and fabulous part of our trip was visiting Lowell and Elaine Wright. They are part of our family's history. The short story is that a long time ago we were part of some missionary work along with the other people in this picture. It was a life changing experience and set the stage for all of the other good things in our life. That is the VERY short story. We spent hours together rehashing old war stories and swapping updates on our favorite people. Our kids played together late into the night. It was the highlight of our trip. The next day we got to visit the Temple with the Wrights and Thompsons and it was a very special experience.

3 couples who met up in Russia- the Jeppsons, the Thompsons and the Livingstons. We all have three kids- It was SO fun to see them play together. We call them the Russian cousins. They don't know we are arranging marriages!

We also got down to see Jason's siblings Candice and Brian and their families. Kat LOVED being with her girl cousin Grace! We went to a pirate place that is like Chuck E Cheese. After that we hung out at Crispy Creme. It was so good, we started dreaming about moving back!
We also got to see my bro John. He introduced us to Sub-Zero Ice cream. You pick the cream and toppings and then they add liquid Nitrogen and voila! Ice Cream! We also stopped by and visited Jason's Grandpa. We love him so much! We even got him out of the house to eat at Olive Garden. We talked about genealogy and flying planes. I am so glad that we have such an amazing ancestry! We talked so much we didn't take a picture.

On our last day we got all the way up to Logan to see Jason's cousin Brody and his family. It was so great. We hadn't seen eachother in about 10 years but it was like not a day had past. On our way home we went out of the way to visit the four corners- DOH!
Then stupid Blogger wouldn't let me take off these extra pictures. BOOOOOO.

Also on the way home we stopped in Roswell to visit the UFO museum. I thought I was a believer before! When I was a kid I used to think that if I thought about aliens they would know I know and come for me. Reading about everyones close encounters made me antsy! Over all it was a great trip for such a short time. We have no regrets- just close family and friends we wish we could visit with more often!

An Announcement 6 months in the making.....

2010-05-26T13:31:00.000+01:00

I know I have been remiss in posting but that is because my life has been so busy with things I couldn't tell you! But finally I can! I'll let the senior VP of EA tell you:

So can you guess who is leading this project in Ireland? You guessed it! In a stunning plot twist Jason will be the CS director in Galway. To apreciate what a big deal is you need to think about where we were a year ago and what Jason thought he would be doing. When we left Luxembourg in 2008 it felt like we would never see Europe again. We were starting over and trying to figure things out. We tried starting a business with my brother James but after a year of struggling plus a hurricane it just didn't come together. So Jason went back to his resume and what he knows, which is customer service and call centers. EA knew they were getting a great CS a guy, but what they didn't know is how valuable Jason really is. As they started to look at the global needs of launching games in French German and English, Jason thought Ireland would be a great solutions for CS. Once they started looking into it they decided it would be smart to put all of CS there and asked us if we would be willing to live overseas. We said yes and then had to keep it under wraps as the company did its due diligence. Today it was finally announced publicly and you can find it on many international websites like Forbes, Marketwatch, and the Financial Post.

Last week we went over to check out Galway and get an idea of whether or not we could actually live there. I have dreamed of Ireland my whole life. Growing up a Keating I just always "felt" Irish. I thought going there would be like returning to the Motherland. Don't get me wrong its a beautiful place filled with beautiful people, but it will have it's challenges too. In 2008 I was really done with living overseas and if this opportunity would have been in any other country I would have said no, but I have made peace with the Nomadic life we accidentally lead and I know that, as always, our unexpected journey will bless us in ways we could not have imagined. The schools are very different, the Mormon population is very very small, but I do have this in common with the Irish: they love to talk, tell stories, play music, and laugh. Here are some pictures from our covert trip:

Now the announcement is finally made we can start to make our move. Our lease here in Austin runs out June 30th. During June we will be visiting Utah to see all the relatives and friends there, then in July I will be in Virginia with the kids to hit two family reunions, some annual dinners with HS friends, and doing a lot of genealogy. By the second week in August we should be in Galway. So if you are in America there are two options to see us before we go- if you are in Europe.... well I told you so! I told you we never say goodbye forever! There might be some out there saying Livingstons- you so crazy! But we have come to terms with who we are. We might not be ever able to give our kids a hometown, we may never be the richest family on the block, but we will always say yes to what God has in store for us. And we are ok with that.

Pinewood Derby!

2010-04-20T03:51:00.000+01:00

Adam Wins Third Place at the Pinewood Derby! Father and Son make an amazing Team!

Alex Video

2010-04-16T17:53:00.000+01:00

Spring!

2010-04-14T17:42:00.000+01:00

We got our official blue bonnet pics and I think they turned out great!

Alex is 5!

2010-04-14T17:26:00.000+01:00

Last weekend was Alex's birthday! We can't believe our baby is so old! It doesn't seem like too long ago we were in Luxembourg worried about his color and breathing. He was induced 3 weeks early (I couldn't take it anymore!) and was still 8 lbs. He did not want to come out, he was very unhappy to leave! His ears were still folded up and his body was incredibly hairy! He didn't make any sounds but a little moan every 5 minutes or so. He was kind of blue and it took awhile to warm him up. Even though he was the lowest scoring kid in the family (Apgar 4) I had the best recovery with him European style. I will always look back with fondness of that week spent in bed with my mother in law bringing me meals and the rest of the house taken care of. All I did was love my baby and eat cookies. Since then Alex has been all over the place and has continued to be such a joy in our family. He always has something funny to say or something crazy to do. We love you Alex!

Alex's cousin LeRoy was born 6 days before Alex and so traditionally we hold their birthdays together when we can. We have had 4 birthdays together now. They came up from Houston this weekend and we had a viking/treasure map birthday. Later in the day we hung out at the lake. It was great!

Blue Bonnets!

2010-04-07T21:44:00.000+01:00

We have been in Texas for two years and we have never taken Blue Bonnet pictures before. Maybe because I always accidentally call them Bluebells. (I have gotten into trouble for that) . So this year I was really hopeful we can score that Texas must have picture. Everyone was telling me where to drive to see the flowers. Turns out that on my very own road, what I thought were weeds were Blue Bonnets. Today after school we pulled over and had a photoshoot. We used my iphone with my new hipstamtic app that gives it a retro film feel. I think they turned out really great. Plus I have beautiful children!

Spring is Really Here!

2010-04-04T00:32:00.001+01:00

Spring is officially here and we have been soaking up the sunshine with our little family and friends!

That is Adam and friend on the little island. They swam all the way (with life jackets) and hade quite an adventure. It reminded me of the Hardy boys. When they weren't in the water they were on the beach. Jason and I were nearby playing volleyball with friends from the ward. We actually did really good considering we haven't played since we live in Russia!
We had a nice Easter Egg hunt at the church bright and early.
Here are our Easter pics. The family one was done with a tripod and timer. The wind was not cooperating. But the kids were. Look at those faces!!

YAY March!

2010-03-29T03:42:00.001+01:00

March FLEW by! After we got past the speaking contest I was able to relax and enjoy the coming of spring and with it SPRING BREAK! We decided to have a "Staycation" for two reasons. #1 Jason could save his vacation days, and #2 the tax return had not arrived yet. Spring break this year included daylight savings time and St. Patricks Day. We never adjusted our sleeping patterns to the new time cause we ended up staying up late all week and sleeping in. We celebrated St Partricks Day by throwing a party and of course the Leprocaun visited and brought chocolate coins. We also splurged and all got green shirts. We made quite the Irish pride parade at the grocery store that week. Kat also lost one of her front teeth that day!

After St. Patricks day we went to teh zoo with our favorite friends the Sainsburys. It was more of a rescue center but we did get to ride the train and see the baby lion cubs. We also go to meet up with a Houston friend, Parker, to see Diary of a Wimpy kid. It was a great reunion. Better then the movie in fact!

Other then that we had the kids camp out in the back yard and we found new beautiful parks to play at. Adam had another pack meeting and finally got all of his arrow points he earned while earning his wolf. Two gold and a silver. Other then that there was a lot of sleeping in, Jason snapped this picture where you can see we never know what we are going to wake up to.

We recently we decided to shave Alex's head for the upcoming hot weather. His hair grows so fast it is just a necessity. This picture was taken with a cool app on my iphone that makes it look like old fashioned film photographs. I love it! Today we took it one step further by making him look like a popular cartoon Avatar. He LOVES it. Don't worry it will grow in fast! Will all this fun for March who knows what April will bring!!

I won!

2010-03-24T21:01:00.000Z

This past Saturday I surprised everyone by winning the area speaking contest. I know move up in the ranks and compete at the next level. So far I have worn the same sweater for both wins. Should I keep wearing it?? My friend Kay McManus (lady on the left) also won for the Evaluation part of the contest. It felt so good for our club to sweep! I am just hoping I can learn to control my nerves and really have fun out there instead of being a nervous wreck leading up to it. Next level is April 10th!

2010-03-08T02:55:00.000Z

As many of my readers know I have been involved in the Toastmasters International program. Not everyone knows why. Growing up I was "good" at many things but I never had something I was great at. Nothing that was a title, or tangible. I could never say I was an artist, or an actress. I was happy to be an average student and I never liked competition because I didn't like to loose and I didn't like to do the hard work that was required to be a winner. As an adult I have gone from one hobby or obsession to another, discovering things I was interested in, but again never really excelling at anything. I have been a teacher, a poet, a musician, a baker, a salesman, and a mom, a true Jack of all Trades, Master of None. I had heard of Toastmasters in Luxembourg but never had the time to check it out. Here in Austin I had the time and when I went to see what it was all about I was impressed with the program. Not only is it a great place to practice public speaking, but their workbook, goals, and competitions, really give you skills for a lifetime. This January I made it my goal to participate in the international speech contest. It is a worldwide competition that starts at the club level. Last week I won our club level. It was nerve racking and at the last minute didn't want to do it, because I knew it would involve work and loosing graciously! But I kept on because of the great mentors I have met in my club. On March 20th I will compete at the next level on the road to global public speaking championship. I am very proud to present my first ever Trophy of my entire life!! Also here is the video of my speech. It isn't very good quality but you can still hear it!

Acting!!

2010-03-01T01:46:00.000Z

Our kids have been participating in a club called Destination Imagination since the beginning of the school year. It was right up our alley since it involves science art and theater! No sports!! Plus it was affordable and after school at the school. We have been really proud of both Adam and Kat who are both team captains in each of their groups. This Saturday was the final presentation. Each team performed their skit and song and did an instant challenge. The coolest part of DI is that the kids do it all on their own with no help from their coach or parents. It is hilarious to see what they come up with. Adam's skit involved the year 3000 and robots. Kat's was a news presentation where she was the reporter. The videos are too big to upload but I will be happy to email them too you if you really want to see our little stars! Adam's team ended up getting 8th out of 15, and Kat got very high amounts of smiley faces!

Valentines!

2010-02-15T18:01:00.000Z

This year we played it low key, (come to think of it that was a lot like last years broke Valentines Day) We made a nice dinner when the kids were in bed and ate it in the living room with a fire and good movie. We watched Couples Retreat and it was surprisingly great. The food was so good that we slept all night without waking once and I was still sleepy at church. It was really nice. For the kids we made a Valentine cake to eat for breakfast (recipe from my friend at the blog "Sweetest of All") then we snuck upstairs and gave them "heart attacks" and cupid kisses. It was pretty fun. I am not a day to day fun mom but for the holidays I can sure pull it out!

December Addendum

2010-02-11T16:56:00.001Z

Well I have managed to find a few pics from December- on three different devices! I still have to get a few off of Jason's phone, but enjoy these!Here is Adam about to learn about the Birds and the Bees. At this point he thinks he just go to go out to dinner with dad.
Going out with the Fam and trying Oysters for the first time. Not bad, but was NOT an afrodesiac! *sp??

My parents house at sunset. It will always be home.
Ready to enjoy the snow!
Playing Makeover will all the girl cousins
Building gingerbread houses
Yeah! A Chinese Buffet on Christmas Day!

100 Years of Boy Scouts!

2010-02-11T16:25:00.000Z

No I did not want to get up at 6:30 am on a Saturday BUT someday Adam will be able to say he marched in the parade to celebrate 100 years of scouts. Apparently every year the scouts from all over Texas report to the governor. SO we got out of bed and made our way downtown. Afterwards we appreciated the city by stopping at Crispy Creme Donuts. It was sooooo good. Here is some of the news coverage:

Parade Video

Later that night Jason and I enjoyed another Austin night by going to Mighty Fine Burger which rivals if not surpasses IN and Out Burger (yeah I said it) and then Comedy Sportz. It was a great night. We are really trying to take advantage of living in a great city.

January

2010-02-11T16:00:00.001Z

January is notorious for being sucky. Once you get over New Years and stop doing all of your resolutions all you have left is crappy weather. But we were lucky to have a few decent days and Uncle James stopped by to help us get up and get out. We went and explored Hamilton Pool and it was amazing and close! I can't believe we never went there in nice weather! It was a great day

Here we go 2010!

2010-01-07T20:28:00.000Z

Well I know I am a month behind but I was so busy living in the moment I didn't take enough pictures!!! December was such a whirlwind! We started off with a joint birthday party for Adam and Kat to simplify things this year. It worked out great cause we had pizza and cake all together then the boys went to see "Old Dogs" and the girls saw "The Princess and the Frog". Each child had a church friend and a school friend. All over in 3 hours. Not bad. I was already worn out because I had the church Christmas party that I was in charge of. It was a huge undertaking because we made it all about service this year. We had a lot of participation and I think it was really meaningful. I really felt the Spirit when we had our live nativity and sang Silent Night. After the party was done the rest of the month was the usual, baking treats and shopping. Word was all my siblings were going home for Christmas so we decided we would go too. Jason had 2 weeks off of work so we had our family Christmas early on the 19th so we could drive to VA later. It was kind of cool to do it early. On our Christmas day we actually got to go to a Chinese Buffet which has been my life long dream. We also got to return stuff and spend our Christmas money! I think everyone had a great time having a "fake Christmas" as Alex called it. On the 21st we took off and spent 24 hours driving to Virginia. We timed it just right. They had just got 2 feet of snow but the roads were fine by then. Its not fun to drive straight through but our kids are amazing travelers! We didn't have any problems going there or back. It gets so much better with every year!! Seeing everyone and all staying together at my parents house was awesome. Truly awesome. There were 9 adults and 12 kids. One of the highlights for me was going to the temple with my family and going out to a great seafood restaurant. We all tried oysters, a lot of us for the first time. I love trying new things but I can't say I have cravings for the slimy muscles. We also played a lot of dominoes and scrabble. I was honored to be on some winning teams. We also shared "Thoughts and Feelings" as mom has us do, and also started a family weight challenge. I love how my family has fun but learns and grows together too. I am waiting for more pictures from my mom, but I knew I had to get something up before I got two months behind!

My Speech #4 for Toastmasters Tonight

2009-12-07T21:48:00.001Z

Average Americans move every 5 years according to the General Population census of 2000. I have moved 17 times in 32 years. If you average that out it seems I have moved every 1.8 years of my life. Tonight I am not going to focus on why I can’t stay still, but instead share some of my views on making a move easier by Researching, Organizing, Preparing, and Adjusting.

First the Research! One of my favorite things to do when a new adventure presents itself is the research! This is especially helpful for moves that are months away. Research helps you feel in control of your move. It takes the mystery out of your new location and thus the fear that comes from the unknown. I always start with a Google search for people who are writing blogs in the new area. For instance when I was moving to Luxembourg I found that there was an American Association of Women that had a website and club in Luxembourg-ville. As part of their club they had a guide to living in Luxembourg as an expatriate. (An Expatriate or “Expat” is someone who chooses to live outside their mother country)This book became a treasure all the 5 years I lived there. The next research tool is to view real estate websites. Here you can get an idea of the cost of living, what the standard of living is and where you would like to live. With all of this background information you are ready to make a contact! By researching different clubs, churches, and sports activities you should be able to find an email address under the websites contact info. Before you know it you already have a friend in your new location! By researching those who already live there, the real estate market, and by making contact you already should start to feel in control of your own destiny!

The second step in making a move is to get organized! My husband and I have found a wonderful way to see the whole picture when planning a move. We call it the Master Plan. We take a dry erase marker and find a large window in a common area of the house, like the kitchen or living room. We start making lists of all the things we have to do to make the move happen. At first it may seem overwhelming to have all of those tasks before you, but then best part is crossing them off one by one. Being able to see those tasks checked off will assure you you are doing a good job and are actually getting things done. It’s like that old adage- how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Make sure you include a calendar within your master plan so your family can easily see deadlines for different tasks; make sure individual responsibility is assigned so it can be a team effort. Once you have your Master Plan in place start eating that Elephant!

Now you have researched and have become organized, it is time to prepare. Preparing your home for a move means making sure you are not moving junk from one house to the next. Get rid of all the trash, shred all the old documents. Give away all the non-fitting clothes. Make a pile for a yard sale. A move is a fresh slate! Plus by slimming down on what you have you will save money on your move. The less boxes you have the less the moving company charges. Next, prepare your new house. Call ahead and schedule utilities service for your new address. You will be happy you have cable and internet when you arrive! Now you are ready to prepare your household for living out of boxes for the first few weeks. Make sure all your important documents and move related information is accessible. I put mine into a binder that I keep with me. Prepare your family by having DVDs and toys in a suitcase that does not go on the truck. I also suggest having sleeping bags for everyone. It is so much easier than going through boxes in search of sheets that first night. Also of these things will make the transition so much nicer for your family.

Now you have arrived it is time to get adjusted to your new life. You already have an idea of what to expect because you have done your research, your move went smoothly because you were organized and prepared. Its time to start living your new life! It can be stressful to start all over and we all feel it in different ways. The trick is if you want to make new friends you have to be a friend. You can find opportunities to make friends by participating in clubs, church groups, volunteer organizations and by just opening your mouth to say hello. I have made friends in the grocery store! Don’t worry about finding your new best friend right away. I have found the in the beginning you make acquaintances that help fill that part of you that really misses your old friends, eventually you will click with someone. I have found that it is nearly impossible to have a new best friend in less than 6 months. Plan on it taking a good year to feel completely adjusted. But in the mean time embrace your new situation. Say yes, even to things you don’t normally do, stay in touch with your old friends but don’t hold on so tight you don’t have room for your new ones. Take this time to grow closer as a family, you can be eachothers friends. Explore your new town. When I moved to Lakeway we would unpack boxes in the morning and then just go an adventure in the afternoon. We found the playgrounds, the pools, the capitol building, the bats under the bridge, and the Chick Fil A.

Your life may have taken a new turn and it can be surprising, but you can minimalize your stress and awkwardness by Researching, Organizing, Preparing, and Adjusting. Take it from me, someone who has is continuously eating that Elephant called moving.

Christmas Newsletter

2009-12-03T17:31:00.001Z

Since most of our friends and family are online I wanted to post our Christmas Letter here to save a little ink and paper. (We can say I am being sensitive to the environment but lets face it I am cheap and lazy) Most of you still still be receiving a card though don't worry! Here you go!

Dear Family and friends, 2009

As always life is unpredictable and I find myself writing to you from yet another location. Someday I will have an album of just Christmas Letters and pictures with a big map to sort out where we were!

In January we thought we were headed one way but it wasn’t working out. So Jason decided to go back to his old career in Customer Service. For 6 weeks he diligently applied and interviewed full time. Eventually he was up for 6 different jobs. We got the first offer and then consulted the others. We really felt like the offer to work for EA Games in Austin was the best choice for us. The move was short and the kids got to finish the school year. Plus we were able to stay in America! It has been one of the best choices we have ever made. Jason LOVES his job and we love where we are living. The best part is that there is a lot of room to grow and they are already talking about future possibilities. By the summer we may have a dramatic change again but with the same company. We feel very blessed in this time of economic trial in our country. If you want to hear more about Jason’s job he is always willing to talk about it!

Beyond adjusting to a new area everyone in our household has grown by leaps and bounds.

Adam is doing so great. He made the honor roll, is his class’ student rep, is taking guitar lessons, boy scouts, and participates in a club called Destination Imagination. It’s amazing to watch him grow into a creative talented handsome young man!

Kat continues to be sunshine full of rainbows. She is taking ballet again and girl scouts. She also made the honor roll and soon will be starting Destination Imagination. She is the best at making people feel loved and easily made a lot of friends here.

Alex continues to hang out with me and make us laugh every day. He finally got potty trained and is super independent. So much so that he only does what he wants to do. The trick is to make everything sound like his idea. His favorite things are food and video games.

We also picked up another dog this year, a manly one for Jason. His name is Luke. He isn’t always perfect but he is one handsome boy!

I am busy as the ward activities chairman and taking part in the local chapter of Toastmasters International. I also took the kids on two extended road trips this year. It’s been fun updating Facebook and our blog with all the crazy things we have seen and visited.

Hopefully you have been part of those visits! Or would like to come visit us! Life is fleeting and relationships with family and friends are what make it so sweet. We hope this season finds you healthy and happy, and that if we haven’t talked in awhile we can find the time to do so.

With much love,

The Livingstons

November Re-cap

2009-12-03T02:35:00.000Z

OK, I don't know why Blogger is giving me a hard time but I am going to write everything out on here and then you all can look at the other post and try to figure out which pictures go with which!

This year we decided to drive to Phoenix for Thanksgiving. It turns out it is only 14 hours away. Not too bad if you do it in two days. Me and the kids drove alone so Jason could work some more and we had our usual adventures along the way.

First we stopped in Tayohville TX to see the worlds largest swimming pool. It is built on a natural hot springs so the water stays 75 degrees all year. Somehow it still felt cold when the weather was 65. The water was very clear and there were lots of friendly fish. Alex never got around to getting in but after 30 minutes Adam at least gave it a real go. I wish we could go there in the summer- it must be great!

We stopped for the night in Van Horn Texas at a cheapo hotel Nothing much to it but in the morning we had saw a little bat sleeping in the rafters of the porch. It was so sweet and fuzzy and close I wanted to pet it but if that thing had taken off we would have been screaming like little girls! It definatly got the adrenilin pumping to be so close!

When we got to AZ it was wonderful to relax and see family we hadn't seen in so long. Especially Jason's sisters family, and cousin's family. They had each added a baby. So we spent a lot of time cuddling our new niece McKenzli and getting caught up with favorite cousins. The food was great but the company was the best.

The coolest part of the trip was that we got to be there for the blessing of little McKenzli. Jason was part of the circle and it felt so good to participate in family moments. It feels like we miss so many!

Soon the week was over and started the drive back. On the first day we stopped at Rooster Culburns Ostrich farm. We got to feed deer, goats, ostriches, and donkeys. But hte wildrest part is the lorakeet inclosure. You go in there with a cup of necter and they go wild perching all over you. I was really proud of the boys because they loved it. Kat would not come in. I was a little freaked out but decided to go with it.

As we drive along we kept seeing billboards for "The Thing", as the exit got closer we just HAD to know what it was. So inside a gas station gift shop is a 25 cent tour. Some guy a long time ago collected weird things and now you can look at them. There is no theme. The actual thing turns out to be a mummy with no information on it. They like to keep "the Thing" a secret but I am just going to go ahead and tell you cause that collection was weird and mildly disturbing. Curse you billboards! You got me!

That night we drive to El Paso and stayed at a La Quinta. I love those. You can always count on a decent bed. But as we got there it had started to SNOW. THat\s right, in TEXAS it was SNOWING. The next day we froze our Arizona clad behinds off as we drove off into the white. It was 4 hours of white knuckled driving until I could get the cruise back at 80. I relied a lot on prayer in making my choices. I am glad I drove through though because the storm was moving towards Austin and I would have just been stuck. As we got closer to home the GPS took us on some small roads with flooding. Again the Spirit guided me in taking care of my little ones. We were lost with no service on our cell, and I am glad I decided to turn around in stead of fording the flooded road.

What should have been 8 hours was 12 but we made it home last night. Jason had the Christmas decorations up and the holiday music playing. It was so good to be home. But once my head hit the pillow everything I have to do for the kids birthdays, Christmas, and the ward activity started bouncing in my head. If I survive this Christmas Party I promise I will enjoy the season! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Seeya Thanksgiving! Hello Christmas!

2009-11-30T03:04:00.000Z

Mckenzli's blessing day

Jason and his cuz Stephanie and her new little one Sophie

Adam checking our Mckenzli

This is my cousin Crystal who I hadn't seen in about 9 years. Can you tell we are related? Turns out she lives by my in-laws. Thank you facebook for getting us together!

Cool trailer we had to take a picture of!

Awesome cookies a neighbor made- got to remember these for next year!

Touring the chocolate factory with cousins who won't look at the camera!

The big pool we saw

Random leg stretching at the rest stops

When did November get here?

2009-11-09T02:52:00.000Z

Hello Friends! I am having a lot of fun lately being super organized and busy! We have finally hit that streak where we are all moved in, the house is decorated, we have friends, are settled into schools, activities, and clubs.....the streak where we usually have to move! But no we are still planning on staying here! Jason is having enough adventure by himself and I am running the whole family thing. But no complaints, I said many times over the years I would give anything to see Jason happy and loving his job and that wish has finally been granted. Even though he is a little road weary he is really loving it. Since my last post he has been to Edmonton Canada, Fairfax Virginia, New Deli and Mumbai India, and Manila Philippines. He gets back from that last one Wednesday. So while he is gone I have tried to be a good mom and make good memories for the kids instead of lonely ones. Jason was home for Halloween though! I was in charge of the church Trunk or Treat and it went great if I do say so myself! Adam and Alex went as Napoleon and Kip Dynamite. Sadly I didn't get a picture of Kat who went as a Fairy, it was all very rush rush that day! Jason and I reprised Nacho and Encarnation and our family won the best family costume award. By the time actually Halloween rolled around we went to a freidns for a party and trick or treating. The kids had a blast but I was done by 9. The haul wasn't as big as last year but that is probably good since Jason and I are trying to watch what we eat. The dogs also got to dress up as Yoda and a witch. I think everyone agrees it was a good Halloween. But the next day Jason flew off to India. In the meantime I have been volenteering for my friend as a face paint model. Here I am in one of her posters for Halloween-I also discovered this little product that is so easy I could make and eat them every day! I am still doing my ToastMasters stuff and presented speech number 3. It didn't get as high praises but I still got my blue ribbon! The evaluator said I have natural skills they just have to be honed. Like I am a good storyteller but I need to develop other speaking methods. If only I could teach him a Sunday School Lesson! You all can judge for yourself- here is the speech I gave last week-

Looking at me today you would never guess I was raised by Hippies. Tonight I want to entertain you with a story about my heritage and hopefully inspire you to define one of your own.

Some people have a linage that is easy to see by the color of their skin or the religion they practice. Sometimes I get jealous that I am just a plain old white American. But when my mother rolls her eyes I am reminded of what a rich heritage she has given to me.

A long time ago in the 70’s my mother and her family moved to Virginia. She was in high school and her sisters were college age. Their names were Linda Lorene and Lori. My mother is Lori. She worked at the local mall, where she met my father. In fact that year all the sisters met their husbands, and they weren’t just anybody, their names where Tom, Dick and Harry.

Well these fellows became like brothers as they were initiated into my mother’s family. It came as no surprise that when the chips were down they decided to find a solution together. It was a recession, much like today, there was violence in the world and gas prices were high. My father who had a bachelor’s degree couldn’t find a good job. Everyone was trying to make ends meet. So they decided they had to take action. For a series of 6 months the men would meet together and send the women away for a weekend and try to find a plan to support our families and be self reliant.

Finally they found their answer; there was a job opportunity for Harry in Ohio. The plan was to buy some land together and live in common until everyone was back on their feet at which time we would subdivide the land and build our own houses. The plan was set in motion and we all moved to Ohio. Linda, Lorene, and Lori, Tom, Dick, and Harry, Grandma and Grandpa, and 5 grandkids.

For the next 5 years we grew our own vegetables, we had a dairy cow, we raised pigs and goats. We also grew in size often taking in others that needed a place to stay. At the peak there were 22 people living in a house with 4 bedrooms, one bathroom, and an extra toilet in the basement. olliho

And my favorite story from all the many, many, stories of this time is one where my uncles and father were set to paint the farmhouse. The cheapest paint at the store was pumpkin orange. The spent the day painting that ridiculous color on the tallest side of the house. And just as they were finishing a storm rolled in and washed all that paint away. Tom Dick and Harry sat down, I’m sure laughing and crying at the same time, picked up a guitar and wrote a song about our farm. That song is the same song we sing every year at our reunion. Now the posterity of my grandmother is around 100 people. We all know the song, we all know the story, we all know the lesson about how family comes first and when we are discouraged we sing about the harder times.

My family has a heritage of wanderers, and adventures. I wish it was a box I could check on a census form, but I carry it with me and I will pass it on to my children and it is my most valuable possession.

I apologize if I exaggerated anything!! I had to leave out the spiritual side that is a huge part of that heritage because of my audience but it still made a great story. As for the Heritage I am creating for my own kids, I love being in the States adn making traditions for every holiday. This year my brain told me to make a Thanksgiving tree. Now this is near treason beacause every November 1st since we have been married we have decorated for Christmas. (secretly that is, we don't brag about it) because Jason loves Chritmas above all other holidays. Even his own birthday! But when the cat is away Mommy is in charge! We went to Micheals Craft shop and they had all of their fall and Thanksgiving stuff at 80% off! So we got about 20 bucks worth and put our fake Christmas tree together and decorated it. Here it is: Then we made our own ornaments about what we are thankful for:
Alex didn't hesitate. He said he was grateful for Santa, Food, and Money. Amazing. Jason has seen the pictures and he is saying that he thinks it's great. I am counting on him being too tired from Jet Lag to take it down when he gets back! We have missed him but not so much as today when Luke, our dog, cut his leg and had to go to the Emergency Vet. It was just so hard to get the dog in the car with the kids, drive 40 minutes into town, drag him and the kids in and everything in the rain. All that while we were dressed for church, (it happened right before we were about to leave). We did make it to church half way through. The kids were mumbling but I told them how much I needed the Spiritual food to get through the week. I am so glad we went. Here is our sweetie now wearing his cone of shame: So that is November for now. Stay tuned though- we are driving to Arizona for Thanksgiving, I will be doing one more speech, Adam will be competing for Destination Imagination club at school, and I have another church activity to plan! Not a moment to spare and I love it!

2009-10-19T17:42:00.000+01:00

We are now officially in our favorite time of year; when we get snugly, wear sweaters, light the fireplace and start having a lot of fun! Here are some of the things we've been up to! I finally got a kitchen table! We sold our dining table in Houston back in May and I have been making do with a card table and the kids eating at the bar. We haven't had a family meal in ages. So after months of lurking on craigslist, and saving money we finally found this baby! I love how it fits our small space but seats 6. Also a dark wood. We initiated it with a fine Sunday dinner with friends and it has served us well since.
I also am spending a lot of time on the couch with my dogs and had to have Adam take a picture of this. They are so cute and I couldn't move since they were on my legs!
Since Alex is no longer in Preschool due to budget constraints, I am now spending a lot of my mornings playing under the covers like this:
OF course we had to have our pumpkin party and I am really impressed with how the kids really gutted their own pumpkins this year. Alex insisted on doing it himself and even though it took an hour got it done!

Jason is still really busy at work so I am keeping sane by expressing my talents. I had my first fashion night at my house last week and I think it was a sucess. I am also gearing up to present my second speech at toastmasters. The first one I did was memorized but this week I have typed it out! Enjoy!

When you were small did you have an obsession? Did you have a favorite food, color, or animal? When we are children we often describe ourselves by the things we love. As we get older these things are still a part of us but we tend to store them away as “childish things” I want to talk tonight about when childhood dreams come true.

When I was a child my favorite animal was a giraffe. It’s obvious why. I always felt a kinship with the giraffe, towering over everyone. The average 9 year old girl is 3 foot 9, by 4^th grade I was already 4 foot 7. By the time I was 14 I was 6 feet tall.

Everyone knew I loved the giraffe; I would pick it often for school projects. Did you know that most of giraffe sound cannot be heard by humans? And they babysit for each other in groups, while parents feed on the trees.

Loving the giraffe made it easy for people to give me gifts over the years. I have jewelry, pillows, and stuff animals.

One of my first poems at age 10 was also dedicated to the giraffe.

The Giraffe is tall and so am I

My heads in the clouds I can touch the sky

Sometimes it’s ok, Others a pain,

I’m the first one to feel the rain.

Everyone knows I love the giraffe.

In 2004 we were living in Luxembourg and the circus came to town. As I would drive past the square I could see that there were giraffes in a coral. I HAD to go to the circus. I checked on tickets and they were too expensive. 25 euro a person! But for 2 euros you could see the animals. I packed my little family up and bought our tickets. We made our way past the lions, seals, goats, elephants. And then finally, there he was. The giraffe. Being Europe and not the litigious United States, there was just a simple fence, about my height. It was a small enclosure, probably no more than 20 yards square. There were no signs posted, there were no guards. I saw the opportunity I had dreamed about. I climbed up the first rung of the fence; I know had the top half of my body over the rail. I started to call to the giraffe. Giraffe! Come Here! Come Here! He must have thought I had food because he started to approach me. In a few long strides he was there against the fence. I couldn’t lean back far enough to see his head so far up in the sky. He brought his head down to look at me. I was struck with how enormous his head was and what it really means to be 20 feet tall. It was dizzying to be that close. I did not hesitate. I wrapped my arms around the giraffe’s neck and I hugged him. In a spiritual moment I cannot describe my soul touched his soul and I said out loud I love you giraffe I love you.

As a child I loved the giraffe, and I would dream of how great it would be to meet one. I didn’t know that when I was 26 I would get the opportunity. Not at a zoo, not in Africa, but just living my everyday life. We can look inside ourselves and unlock some of those childhood dreams so that when the opportunity presents itself we do not shy away embarrassed but wholeheartedly embrace it! I love you giraffe. I love you!

Look Who's Turning One!

2009-10-13T01:48:00.000+01:00

We recently found out that Luke's birthday was October 11th and since the Livingston's know how to party we brought it! Lilo is about 6 months older but no one knows for sure so we decided to celebrate together. Neither of the attendees enjoyed their hats, though they did like their cake and new squeaky balls.

Fine Fine I'll Update!

2009-10-12T21:06:00.000+01:00

I think it was August when I last wrote about our lives here in Texas. But because enough of wrote to say I should keep it up here we are! The first bit of news is that we got another dog. After we lost Tuck, Jason was really missing having his little buddy and started to look around for a manly dog. I grew up with a weimaraner, so we were really lucky to find this guy on Craigslist from a really sweet family who couldn't take care of him. We named him Luke after Luke Sywalker. Him and Lilo are great friends. He just turned a year old and it is really nice having a true guard dog. Much to Jason's chagrin both dogs love on me at night: Other then adjusting to living in a small house with two dogs and five people, we have just been enjoying our surroundings. Jason is working so much getting ready to hire his first wave of employees. It will be nuts probably for a year. Me and the kids have kept busy seeing the sights and joining clubs. Here are some of the things we are doing:
We saw the famous bats that live under Congress bridge downtown. They say 1.2 million live there but they were hard to photograph because they only come out at dusk. I guess I just like saying I did it.
Adam has started taking Guitar and Kat is doing Ballet. They are both naturals and I am really proud of them. Me and Alex are still hanging out all day and doing our thing, but some days there are surprises and we find a wiener-mobile.
Jason and I went to see Wicked one weekend. I don't know if it was the show or the fact that we were out together doing something very cultured, but I loved it! It reminded me of when we lived in London and went and saw all the shows. Someone has to tell those performers that all that vibrato makes it hard to understand sometimes!! As for me, I am finding my stride. I was asked to be the Activities Chairman for our congregation at church. Its intimidating because the ward is so huge! But of course I have a million ideas and so now my only problem is making good on all my promises! I also joined the local chapter of Toastmasters International. I love it! Its a public speaking club and I am enjoying improving my skills and challenging myself. Along with that I am trying to get my own Fashion Consulting business going. You can read more about it on my other blog http://thescienceofsexybysarah.blogspot.com . Despite all of that fun I am still trying hard to be a good wife friend and mother. Here are some cookies I recently made. They were supposed to be fall leaves, but even if they look like fire footballs, they were delicious.

Jason also won a Flip video camera in a raffle so stay tuned for video too!

Question

2009-09-07T15:17:00.001+01:00

Is there anyone out there who reads my blog who I am not friends with on Facebook? Cause I'm kind of tired of keeping up both. Opinions?

Taking the time to say goodbye.....

2009-08-26T16:35:00.000+01:00

Wander in Peace Tuck
January 1999- June 2009

I know the posts have been scarce but now the school year has started we can get in a routine again. But today's post is a sad one but it's one that is way past due. Right before I left on my roadtrip our cat Tuck wandered away. We had kept inside our new house at night but one night around 8:30 he was waiting by the front door when Jason came home and out he went. He never came back. We were hopeful for the first few days but apparently we live in an area that has a lot of feral dogs and so the authorities and neighbors have told us not to keep our hopes up. So today I would like to Memorialize Tuck, a great cat that traveled the world with us for 10 years. Here are some of his last moments with us; riding in the car on the way to our new house.

Back in 1999 we were living in Russia and were walking down the old Arbat downtown. We stopped by a pet store to buy large food dishes for our Great Dane Io. In the store was a cardboard box with a little black kitten in it with a sign that said "Free with donation to the temple". HE was so small and alone, and even though I am allergic to cats I had to love him. Our Great Dane was alone all day while we were at work and we had heard a companion could be good for lonely animals. We brought him home and named him after our favorite place on earth- Currituck at the Outer Banks. Io and tuck had so much fun all night long that they would sleep all day. They became best friends and Io raised Tuck like her own puppy. She was so big she would pick him up in her mouth and we could only see his head and legs sticking out. Tuck kept to himself other then to play with Io. He traveled from Russia to Virginia to Oklahoma to Luxembourg to Utah to Luxembourg to Utah to Houston and to Austin. He often pooped on the tile next to his litter box and left us many mouse surprises, but he always was there. When Io died in December of 2006 he was very depressed but soon he was our number one pet. He was Jason's special buddy when I would travel and he still left us those mousy gifts. Then he met Lilo in 2008. Again he had a sparing partner. But the wilderness of Austin was too much of a temptation. He loved the sun and stalking prey. We like to think he just wandered away because he knew it was time to go. But we love you Tuck, and we miss you. We hope wherever you are you are having fun, whether it's with Io in heaven or somewhere in the wilds of Texas.

July- You can tell I'm home when I am not posting

2009-07-30T20:50:00.000+01:00

We made it to the beach and my parents house in VA so that is why I haven't been blogging. Hopefully most of you have kept up with the pictures on facebook that I have been posting from my iphone. This blogging thing is not going to improve sadly because Jason just flew back to Austin with my memory stick. BUT in a few weeks I will be regaling you with stories of the beach, old friends, Washington DC and beyond!

The 4th of July and beyond!

2009-07-16T00:27:00.001+01:00

This 4th of July felt kind of last minute 'cause we were still so busy unpacking the house. But since we are in Texas we managed to get a trunk full of fireworks. I did my part by making hotdogs, potato salad, and red white and blue jello. We got to enjoy our huge front yard while Daddy set off the fireworks in the driveway. We weren't the only ones, stuff was going off everywhere and we had a great view. We love our house!
Nice Grass 'Stash Kat!
Here is just a taste of what is like when Jason finishes a room of the house. Isn't Kat a lucky girl?
By the time we got to the 13th we (me and the kids) were excited to get in the car and start our trip. Here we are in Waco Texas at the Dr. Pepper museum. The best part is we got original recipe Dr. Pepper to share with our family. By Monday night we got to Oklahoma and got to see our old the Smiths. We hadn't seen them since we moved away in 2009. I feel like we have lived a lifetime since then but as soon as we sat down and started chatting it felt like we had never left. Except now we had 5 kids between us!
On Tuesday we drove to where we used to live. Here is the house Adam learned to walk in:

And the house Kat was a baby in right before we moved to Luxembourg:
The rest of the time we just hung out at Zack and Kasey's house, which is a beautiful place in the country. Here is Zack showing off his muscles and his chicken!
Kasey made pizza dough from scratch and here are the kids putting the toppings on. Her kids are Max and Corbin and they are 5 and nearly 3.
Wednesday morning we were off again and got to check out a few roadside attractions. Can you tell it's 100 degrees and the kids are less then enthusiastic?

This is the McDonalds that spans I-44. It used to be the biggest. Now it is just the hottest. There was no AC in there! We finally crossed over into Missouri and made it to Lebanon. We don't know anyone in this State so we just are crashing at a Super 8. Of course we had to hit the Waffle House! It is the kids favorite place to eat on the road. I don't know why, I feel like I had a glass of grease for dinner!
I can't wait to get to another normal house tomorrow- My cousins in Kentucky! Stay tuned!

On our way...

2009-07-10T18:06:00.000+01:00

Nothing much has been going on around here. I have a few pictures I can throw up but I am still getting used to this laptop.... So mostly I just wanted to let everyone know that we are about to embark on our annual roadtrip! Monday we leave and are stopping first in Oklahoma City. I will be updating my blog as much as I can but I also have an app on my iphone that will email postcards from our trip so you all can follow along. If any of you would like those just send me your email address!
Our itinerary is as follows:
Edmond Oklahoma - Monday and Tuesday
Driving through Mosourri and Indiana- Wednesday and Thursday
LaGrange Kentucky Thursday through Saturday for Grandma's 90th!
Saturday Night- driving through West Virginia and Virginia
Sunday- Arrive at the Outer Banks NC for a week!
July 26th- August 10th Hanging out in Virginia.
August 10th-12th Louisville KY
August 12th-15th Colliersville TN
August 15th until ?? driving to Austin.

If there is anyone out there within our route we would love to see you! Just send us an email. Thanks to my iphone we will be connected where ever there is coverage. Wish us Luck!

June Haps

2009-06-29T01:57:00.001+01:00

Guess what? It was my birthday! And my Bestest Texas buddies did not leave me hanging even though I had moved away! Everyone did an amazing job of keeping it secret including Jason who played dumb the whole time. When the big day arrived for me to go on my girls weekend he plugged an address into the GPS, gave me a new purse full of magazines and a bag of treats and I was off! The GPS took me to a beautiful spa and resort on Lake Conroe. And there they were! Waiting next to the valet!

Here is me very sleepy in a very posh place!
We went out, we ate, we got our nails done, but most of all we did this:

I love those guys and I miss them SOOOOO much! Thanks for making my birthday really special and for giving me a special goodbye memory!

When I got home everyone was very sweet and on my actual birthday the family took me to the Iguana Grill for dinner. The food was great and the view gorgeous!
Even though it is super hot and it is slow going on the house I still am really loving Austin. This weekend I took the kids swimming in Lake Travis. The water was nice and warm and the views were great but look no beach!
Turns out we are in a major drought! We were actually asked at church to pray for rain this coming week. It felt very old testament but it is great getting back to basics.

2009-06-19T01:25:00.000+01:00

What a recap I have to do! So in May we were still going back and forth to Austin to visit Jason and look at houses. While we were there we celebrated Mother's Day and I got my usual chocolate Strawberries for breakfast. This year Jason got even fancier! After more then a month living without us we felt time running out and we needed to make a decision on where we were going to live. We tried to get several houses close to town but they were snatched out from under us. Apparently the market isn't too bad in Austin! One day when I was out looking at houses by myself I drove out towards Lake Travis. My heart started to sing when I saw the beautiful landscape! It is hilly and green with water. Gorgeous! It was like Virginia and Colorado had a baby! I was in love. Eventually we found a house out there and when we were checking out the church we met a family who took us to a swimming hole for Memorial Day:

It was such a fun day! Since we had found a house things started ramping up in Houston. We had our house for sale or lease and the same weekend we found a rental in Austin, we found a renter in Houston. It was the first time we took care of a house before we moved out of it! The last week I was in Houston I had a chance to go out with my favorite girls to a Creperie and Kereoke place. It was perfect. Here I am with my BFF's . As usual I am the giant in the picture.
Finally it was time to go. The kids were out of school, the movers had finished and I had the place cleaned. Adam stayed behind to go to Scout camp and me Alex, Kat and the pets drove to Austin. Here is Lilo and Tuck, reunited in the car. They were so funny. They sat together watching the scenery for almost two hours.

The weekend after our arrival was Jason's birthday. I managed to find a babysitter and arrange for a sunset cruise on Lake Travis. He has always wanted to learn how to sail. Here he is asking a million questions.

I'm on a boat!

We didn't have any 3's so Jason had to be 55 for the day instead of 35. We started unpacking and have been working really hard. It's hot but we are having fun discovering things. Some things are discovering us! This is a scorpion in our sink hiding under dishes.

This little guy was the reason my garage wouldn't close. I have seen him a couple of times and I think he resents that we moved in! Jason likes to unpack together (so he can meticulously put things away perfectly as opposed to my tossing things willy nilly) so most of the days I just drive around with the kids looking for stuff to do. We found our lake access that comes with our house. It's about 10 minutes away, but we have a boat ramp and lots of rope swings. We also have found the pool, library, Hoppin' House (like Pump it up) and the movie theater. We are starting to make friends and I feel like this is going to be a great place for us. Even though the house is crazy and it will be MONTHS before we feel moved in, I am trying to count my blessings and tell myself: This sure beats being UNEMPLOYED!

We are still alive don't worry!

2009-06-19T00:22:00.000+01:00

I unpacked the desktop today so I will be posting pictures soon. So far we LOVE our new town right by lake Travis near Austin. The house is beautiful and if only the outside wasn't 100 degrees we would be really enjoying our country livin! Stay tuned!

Nothing to tell...

2009-05-20T02:26:00.000+01:00

I feel like I really don't have much to report! May is flying by! I really thought it would be long and dragged out since Jason is away, but somehow the days keeping rolling through and somehow we make it to another weekend. The last few weekends we have been in Austin house hunting and swimming at the apartment complex where Jason is staying. Turns out that the rental market is fierce in Austin and we have to make snap decisions and compromises everywhere. So even though we will not be living in our dream area or house for the next few years I am still confident we are doing the right thing by renting and saving money and aggravation. The plan is to save up and build something fabulous in the future. Maybe we can break the cycle of us making our home amazing so we can just move away. I feel like I have just been a moving zombie these past 6 weeks. I have cut out overthing in my life except Daisy Girl Scouts (and I would if I could). I miss the fun of my work with the Young Women, and the crazy girls nights with my friends. But I know I am no good to anyone cause all I want to talk about it my to-do lists. I tried to peak in on my girls Sunday but it was just too hard to see them and not be part of that group. I knew the torch had past and I didn't want to interfere with that. The one good thing that has happened recently is we had our 12 year wedding anniversary. Somehow this year I feel it's like a badge, like, "Congradulations you survived another year!" Maybe because marriage is such a crap shoot nowadays? Because I know all the work we put into making it work? I don't know but I do know I am proud of us. Especially because I know that this coming era, that we have worked SO HARD for is going to be one of peace and joy. I feel it. I am gratful that Jason found me, and that he kept me, and that we became something wonderful together. We were talking about it the other night. I realized that yes we did marry very young, but we have evolved together. We thought we had SOOOO much in common when we were dating. Then we got married and realized nope, we were two very different people. And then, as the years went by we developed intersts that were usinique to US. Like things we didn't do or enjoy before, but now together are "classic Livingston". It's hard to express. What I can express is I am proud of us and where we are. I love you Jason.

Engaged:
Just Married
My favorite picture so far this year:

Now a word about hair...

2009-05-06T02:09:00.001+01:00

For the people that have been my girlfriends or sisters you know that I have always coveted celebrity's hair. Their thick flowing manes with perfect barrel curls. I have even fooled myself into thinking a perm could create that effect once or twice. I have invested hundreds over the years in curling irons and rollers. But now I think I have finally found the right product. Evidently technology had to catch up. Here they are! They make look scary but once you get the hang of it it really works. I just towel dried my hair, put some styling mouse in it, put the curlers in, then did my housework.

After about an hour they were dry. Now of course this is ideal for people like me with thin hair. I don't know what my friends Kim or Jana would do.
Ok now about the kids- we went to Austin this weekend to visit Jason and it was nice to be together and funny to see his bachelor pad. We swam at the pool every day and I also took the kids to see the capitol
Next to the capitol is a beautiful building that is the visitor center. I think it used to be a law building? Anyways they had some cool Texas exhibits in it.
I love that we got to enjoy a little Texas history for free! The rest of the weekend we spent schlepping the kids from one rental house to the other. They loved them all and I think got tired of our indecision. But it is complicated! Look at what we are contending with!
But in the end I know we are supposed to be in Austin. Jason loves his job and we love the city. The area we found to live in is like Colorado and Virginia mixed together. It is hills like we call mountains in Virginia and so green! If I can just get that view I will be all set to let time just slip on by. I am really trying to settle down I swear! Stay tuned to see where we end up!

Catchin Up

2009-04-30T04:56:00.001+01:00

April has been such a busy month and I really haven't done it justice. First Jason started traveling around for his consulting gig. It was great to have him back in the game and using all his customer service super powers. Jason really is a professional and did an amazing job. In fact a few days ago he got a fruit basket telling him so. With him traveling we have made the most of the weekends. Here are some pictures from Alex's birthday that I missed on the last post.Leroy and Alex are only 6 days apart so we always have their party together if we can help it. As usual it was crazy and fun. The boys had a sponge bob themed cake, we played pin the tail on the donkey and had a pinata. The biggest surprises were having Mimi and Pappy in town and Uncle James' mustache! This is what Mimi does best!

Then here are my late Easter pics of the fam. It was so fun to be dressed up for easter. Am I wrong? Is that not a tradition? I remember as kids having hats! Sadly I did not find a dress for me but at least I matched the theme. For Kat's hair I actually had her sleep in "rags" a la Little House on the Prarie, to get her hair to hold a curl. It lasted a long time. You just take a strip of cloth, roll the hair in it at tie the ends together. She was so excited. I think you can tell in her humble curtsy!
and the last notable note was that in all of Jason's travels he has been able to stop in and see loved ones.
In Utah he got to see his siblings and grandpa, but he also had a miracle. Some wonderful friends from our days in Russia were all gathered together at a restaurant the night Jason flew in. They called him as he was getting off the plane and he went straight there. It was an amazing night to see all these special people 10 years later! We know it wasn't a coincidence!

In the meantime....

2009-04-13T15:35:00.000+01:00

Jason has started working and this week is finishing his consulting job. Next Monday he will be starting for Bioware. We are so excited but already sick of being apart. I guess we really got spoiled having him work from home this past year. I am crazy busy with church, scouts, and getting the house ready to sell. Not to mention the holidays that we have had and friends and family stopping by. I thought I would be bored with Jason away! Not a chance! I haven't even had time to scrapbook! Here are some of the highlights!

I didn't put up our St. Patty's Day pics so here are those. I was really feeling my Irish heritage this year and so we had an Irish meal and even had a leprechaun come to visit. Uncle James even made a Pot O' Gold punch with real rainbow!For Easter this year I really wanted the kids to feel connected to the Savior. So we kicked off the week by having a Family Home evening where we talked about what Jesus was doing the week before he died. We made "palm" leaf pictures and ate a meal from Jerusalem times. We had unleavened bread (pita) herbs (spinach leaves) olives, dates, apricots, fish, and cashew butter and honey. Then every night we talked about what Jesus did at that part of the week. I was surprised how much the kids really absorbed. They especially liked the parable of the talents because they have been earning their own money and I used them in the story. On Easter day we were all dressed up and color coordinated (pictures to be posted soon) and the Easter bunny came. He was tricky and left riddles for the kids to find their baskets. We had a great church service and then Jason had to fly to Virginia. But Uncle James and his family came for dinner. We had a great time enjoying the weather and playing rock band. Just a note on the weather- That morning there was a big thunderstorm and it was dark outside until the afternoon. And I told Jason I was surprised because I have never had an Easter Sunday where the weather wasn't spectacular. Well by dinner it was gorgeous. It really made me think about the crucifixion of our Savior and how the earth shook when he died, but how when he was resurrected it must have been beautiful. All in all I think I got what I wanted this year for Easter. It has been so great to live in America this year and make new traditions, I think it has been my favorite part. I also need to mention that leading up to Easter we had a lot of fun with my parents stopping by and a Easter party with the Jordys and Howes. Here are some highlights from that!

Alex actually turned 4 on Easter Sunday this year. He has been a funny kid to hang out with and he is growing up so fast. I am so proud of him that we made it- Potty trained by 4!! Since Daddy has a job now I have him going to preschool. It is great to run errands by myself and keep the house tidy all day but I have to admit I miss my buddy sometimes. This is one the interesting things Alex loves right now:
He loves to organize and sort all kinds of things. Leave him alone for a second and this is what happens. I have more to update everyone on but most of the pictures are on Jason's camera. Until then: make sure you tell your friends to buy our house!!

Finally there is news!

2009-03-31T17:04:00.000+01:00

For those of you who have not been following on Facebook, or who are confused because we are confusing people, here is the story about how Jason saved the day. Once upon a time we moved to Texas to start a business with my brother James. We put our heart and soul into it for a year. After a nasty hurricane and a lean Christmas, the family Livingston decided to let Uncle James continue his journey alone. And though it was sad to part both families were happy for eachother. Jason had received an email from an evil enchantress in a far away land who promised us much gold and a way to make all of our problem go away. All we had to do was wait for her plans to come true. We waited for 6 weeks and nothing happened. We found much comfort in prayer, services and the love and support of our friends and family. One day we knew we had to take our destiny in our own hands. Jason started to work full time at getting a new job back in the corporate world. He was diligent and spent 8 hours a day sending letters, resumes, and calls out into the mist. Slowly he began to have phone interviews, then face to face interview and then video conferences. Each week we slowly moved towards our future. I worked at a scrapbook store and our hero bravely did the dishes, made dinner and took the kids to the library all the while never loosing focus of his goal. February and nearly March had passed. Every day we would receive a letter saying "congratulations you have moved to the next level!" without an offer of employment. We stayed strong encouraging each other, becoming very philosophical and pensive about life. Until one day the call came. An offer! We whisked the children away to Austin to look at the fair city that could become our home. We loved the beautiful landscape and hills, the downtown and artistic mood of the city. We loved staying in a hotel with a pool and fine dining at Kobe's. The family rejoiced!
Our Prince Charming had indeed conquered the beast UNEMPLOYMENT on his own merits and with the help of a Loving Heavenly Father. Said Prince is now in Washington DC on a consulting assignment before he begins work in Austin April 20th. He will also be traveling to SLC next week. The windows of heaven have been opened to us. I, the fair maiden and the children will remain in Houston until the end of the school year. We will be putting our house on the market soon and getting ready for the next chapter! Again thank you to all who kept us in their prayers. It worked! If you need anymore details you can call Jason, he is happy to talk about his new company!

What's with all the camping??

2009-03-13T22:55:00.000Z

This week was spring break for the kids. Since Jason still is waiting for job offers I am still working, but I had two days off this week. So I decided for the sake of the children we could go camping. They have been bugging us for years to go. Not to mention that Walmart was having a sale on the ten man 3 room tent. Who can say no to that?? We figured out where we could camp for cheap and which of out two failing cars we could convince to go and we ended up in Huntsville about an hour away. The first day was great. We saw the huge Sam Houston statue, we set up our camp, swam in the lake, roasted marshmallows etc. The second day I told the fam we must hike! That is my favorite part about camping, being in the woods. I didn't know my kids were kind of wussies. Jason and I talked it over and realized that we were raised on Little House on the Prairie, the Boxcar kids, Louis L'Amour, and Goonies. I know I spent a lot of my youth hanging out in the woods imaging various survival scenerios. So anyways there was a lot of grumbling but I got my way anyways. After about 15 minutes there was a big gust of wind and the temperature dropped like 10 degrees. Then we heard the wind coming. But we were at the far end of our loop trail so we just kept on. By the time we made it back to the tent it was raining and around 50 degrees. We were so not prepared! But we managed (through a trip to Walmart and a space heater) to last another 24 hours. Thank goodness for huge duvet's and a puppy who was willing to sleep in my sleeping bag! I am proud of us, we survived! I can't say I loved it but the kids definitly did and that is worth it.

Valentine to My Best Friends

2009-03-02T04:09:00.000Z

Febuary Haps

2009-03-02T03:50:00.001Z

I think we crammed a lot into the years shortest month! I had lots of projects as usual but in the end I think we did alright! First I had a youth activity that my young women were in charge of. We decided to do it on Social skills and it went great. We used Napoleon Dynamite and made a DVD of what not to do. I also got to hearken back to my dating days and let them in on my 3 phase dating system. Valentines rolled around and it was pretty fun. I kicked it off with a little pancake luv for my kids: Then we went over to Uncle James' house for a V-day party. He went all out with the dry ice punch and strawberry shortcake.

Later that night we got together with our favorite couples the Howe;s and Jordy's to make our own Melting Pot restaurant. We ate great fondue and then had a chocolate fountain afterwards. Jason made a great love mix on the ipod and we played the newlywed game. The only thing we didn't do was take pictures!! Cortney made everything beautiful and we all surprised each other by giving gifts! I will post what I made the girls later.

The next week we had Thinking Day which is a girl scout holiday where we celebrate diversity. Our troop made a display for France. I had fun showing off speaking French and talking about chocolate.

Last but not least, this past weekend I went camping with the Young Women in the ward. I told myself it was just a big slumber party but it was exhausting. All the dramatic highs and lows were there! But my favorite thing was being able to share the young women with Jana and let her be a leader with me and Cortney. I also love all the girls I get to hang out with and pretend I am not a mom in my 30's. The weather went crazy and dropped twenty degrees during the night and we had major gusts of wind. the only thing keeping us our tent down was our bodies! I came home and had a looooonnnnnggggg shower and went to bed by 10. I can't believe March is here already. Even though these are crazy times for us and we have NO FREAKING IDEA what the future holds, I got to give props to the man upstairs for allowing us to have so much fun in the meantime!!

Mysterious Status'

2009-02-24T15:18:00.000Z

Ok so maybe not everyone we know is on Facebook, but as Livingston life changes everyday, and I always forget who I tell what to, I better put everything on here!

Back in December Jason started looking for new work. He has been applying all over the world and just recently he has had some success getting to the next level which is interviews. There has been lots of possibilities and we always run our mouths off so people all over the world are routing for different moves. Currently Jason is a candidate for two jobs in Luxembourg and two jobs in Texas. In the meantime I have been working full time at a local scrapbook store (Scrapbooking Memories on Stubner Airline Rd) while Jason is a stay at home dad who applies for jobs all day. It's pretty fun for me. I like coming home to dinner on the table! It's like being in a reality show where you swap places. I am only doing it for another week then moving to part time. Hopfully Jason will have some offers by then. But while I am at the store I would like to tell all my scrapbooking texas moms that the store is available for scrapbooking parties! I have the key and permission! Thanks to everyone who has been encouraging and praying for us. We have been blessed so much in this trial!

2009-02-20T01:17:00.000Z

Hello Internet! Thing are crazy over here. Jason is still looking for work and I started working at a scrapbook store to make our money stretch. So far I haven't bought anything but it has only been two days! I really like it but it is hard to work full time. But I do love seeing Jason do all the house stuff! He made a great dinner tonight and did all the laundry. It is a big eye opener to switch places but I love it! I wanted to tell you all something cool that happened today. You all know I love the book The Science of Sexy. (A fashion advice book) Well I wrote to the author last week and he wrote me back today! Here is our correspondence via facebook. I am off to write Oprah all about it!!

Dear Mr. Bradley Bayou,
My name is Sarah Livingston and your book the Science of Sexy changed my life. I am just another stay at home mom but I found your book at the public library and became a disciple. Once I bought the book I started to share it’s principles with my friends. I became so well known for these fashion “secrets” that word spread and I was asked to teach a class to my ladies society at church (about 200 women). I told them about you and your book and I feel confident that I have been responsible for at least 20 sales of your book. Well now I have some friends coming to me and asking me to do a “fashion audit” for them, and they want to pay me. I’m not anyone famous or especially educated, but I love teaching people about your book and how to feel confident and sexy right now! With the body they have right now! It is a message that is so important in today’s society. So my question is, will you allow me to use your book to help other people and myself? Like many my husband is unemployed and we are struggling. Doing something I love and getting paid for it would mean a lot to me. Even just to hear back from your lawyers saying I should cease and desist would be amazing! No matter what, I remain a loyal and fabulously dressed fan thanks to you.
Sincerely,
Sarah Livingston

dear Sarah..I got your email and was very impressed and humbled...It is wonderful that you can use my book's info to help your friends and yourself...I have sent your letter to my office and we will keep you in mind for any more that we can help you with...Please feel free to continue on with my book, and let me know how you're doing... sincerely....Bradley

Internet I just had to share!!

So much to catch up on!

2009-02-01T02:42:00.000Z

So I know it is WAY overdue- but Kat turned 6 in December. Her birthday is the 19th so it kind of gets swooped into everything. Plus this year was her turn to have a little party. So we just had her friend Anna over for pizza and then went roller skating. I didn't get any good pictured of Kat cause she was like a baby horse on the rink. Thank goodness we only stayed 30 minutes! I did have a few middle school flashbacks and had to race around the rink getting lost in the disco lights and Abba songs. Below is Jason pushing Alex along the only way he was able. Tuck and Roll!
The biggest event of course was Adam's baptism! It was such a big day for our family since he is the first grandson on both sides. There is something to be said about 3 generations of Livingstons being baptised and still committed to the Gospel. Jason baptised him and gave him the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Kat sang a solo I am a child of God and My parents and I sang with the guitar I need the every hour. I love to sing with them. Both of the grandpas spoke and cried! I think they were so touched that their legacy continues in our children. It was a very proud day all around. We were lucky to have some of Adam's school friends be there too. We had an open house after at home and it was monumental to have the Livingstons and Keatings sit down together. I didn't realized how much they have in common! The whole day was a blessing.

The newest pose for Church media. Aren't they inspirational??
I was so revved up to start 2009! December was so crazy with two birthdays Christmas and a baptism! One thing that was super-cool is that we found a creperie! It was so fun to go to a "french" place on a Saturday. They might as well been charging euros it's was so pricey but I think it was worth it. The kids were super happy. I guess you can take the kids out of Europe but not the Europe out of the kids!
Next we had Kat's investiture ceremony. She recited the Girl Scout pledge and law and got her vest and patches. I made these fabulous cookies courtesy of a cookie decorating class I took. (Hollah! Jana!!) I had to stand two steps down from the girls because I am so gigantic. But it was still a nice evening.
Our most recent news is that Adam had his Pinewood Derby this weekend. And he won! The whole thing!! It was unbelievable! We had been prepping him all day to loose (because the regatta was such a failure) but BAM his car came out of no where!! Jason was very involved and did a lot of research this week to perfect the car. It's hard to see but it has a space theme and was named "infinite wormhole" . We were so proud we had to get icecream after.
So January flew by. Today I taught at the Stake Enrichment. I had been planning it for almost 2 months and again I am glad it is over, but I loved it. I love teaching and I am so blessed to have a lot of opportunities here in Texas. I am now getting ready for two more projects coming down the pipeline! So got to run but I thought of you Internet- until next time!

Help Me Blogosphere!!

2009-01-23T16:18:00.000Z

Ok let's not worry about uploading pictures right now, I will get to that. Right now I have more pressing matters to discuss. I am grateful to be living in America where I can speak English everyday and use my talents a little easier then I have in past years. That said, I may be a little over extended at the moment. I have two assignments that I am working on that I could use help with.

1. I am teaching a class for the stake on Missionary Skills. It is 40. Minutes. Long. AND I have to teach it 3 times in a row. I have a lot of material but what I need is a way to get the class involved. Does anyone have any activities they would suggest? I have a few ideas but I want to hear what sounds interesting to you? Why would you be willing to take a 40 minute class on missionary skills?

Ok 2. In a couple of weeks my Young Women class is in charge of the combined activity (for the boys and girls) Our idea was to have a social skills night. We need to get everyone talking and breaking out of their comfort zones. Anyways part of that is for the older kids giving them some date ideas. Can you all give me some feedback on that? What were some of the best dates you ever went on? Not the most expensive, but the fun creative ones. I would appreciate anything you can share with me. I want to give the kids a list for reference. I worry that dating is just turning into hanging out and kids are so busy texting they don't have time to learn real face to face people skills. Help me on my quest!

Thanks Internet, I knew I could count on you!
Love,
Sarah

Just a thought...

2009-01-20T21:51:00.000Z

So I know I am way behind on my posts but I wanted to take some time to record my thoughts on today, the inaugural day of President Obama. When I was a kid I got to go to two inaugurations. One for George Bush senior, and the other for Bill Clinton. It's kind of a must do for those who row up in DC's shadow. So today I felt the excitement in the air even over here, though I just continued on with my day. I had a 11:15 Zumba class today and I took Alex with me. As we were driving I found an AM station that was covering it. I tuned in just in time to hear the prayer. I am so happy that that is still part of the ceremony. I think hearing it on the radio was best because I don't know what the guy looks like and wasn't distracted by the crowed. It was a pretty good prayer. Then I arrived at the gym and by the time I got Alex in the kids place I missed the VP swearing in. (didn't care anyways) But in the locker room there is sound on the tv's so I ended up in the lounge with two other ladies. We watched him take the oath and then listened to his speech. As we walked out after to our separate ways, one lady remarked that she will remember where she was when Pres. Obama took the oath and she will remember us always. Now she was a 45+ lady, and the other was a black girl about my age. We were not a typical gang, but that really touched me. I told her I didn't vote for him, but today was about America. And sitting there with those ladies and feeling the hope of something new meant something. I have some reservations about Barack Obama, but the things he said in his speech are true. If we can come together beyond our labels (black white Muslim Christian etc) and uphold honesty, integrity, curiosity,and service we can be a great nation again. I know at least that is true and I pledge my allegiance to the constitution and this country to do what I can to be the best American I can be, at home or abroad. Thanks Barack Obama. You gave us hope today.

Christmas!

2009-01-02T18:57:00.001Z

What a wonderful Christmas! My parents and brother flew in on Christmas day so we were able to celebrate with our own little family before the extended family Christmas started. Of course we had our traditional wrapping paper code. Growing up my mom would code the presents so we couldn't tell whose is whose. I do it too every year and reveal the code on Christmas morning. This year we had a advent calender that Jason's mom made for us. It is an exact replica of the one he grew up with. It is 70's fabulous and we adore it!
We made even more cookies because there were no more for Santa. I think these turned out cute- I know Santa thought they were tasty.

On Christmas eve we got our Christmas pajamas and opened one gift. In our family we all go to the mall and the boys buy for the girls and the girls buy for the boys. That is the gift we exchange Christmas eve. Everyone did really good this year!

We really forgot to take a lot of pictures but we had a lot of fun! It was a slimmer Christmas but having so much family over made it great. My sister surprized us by driving down from Oklahoma where she was visiting her in-laws. It was her husbands gift to her. It was so great to have everyone together. Here we all are hanging out and playing wiifit and watching fireworks on the street:
It was dark but there is my dad, Jason and me, Mom, my sister Erin, her hubby Dave, my bro James, his wife Sheri, and my little bro John. Can you tell we are a fun family? Here are all the grandkids on an outing to Burrough's park.
I still need to post pictures of Kat's birthday and we have Adam's baptism tomorrow, so stay tuned!

New Christmas Traditions!

2008-12-19T14:27:00.000Z

Last year our dear friend Bethanne got us an amazing gift. It was a gingerbread nativity set So this Christmas we finally got it out. Thanks to Pillsbury's ready made ginger bread dough it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. Afterwords we went caroling and stopped by a local church that was doing a live nativity scene. Sounds like new traditions to me!We also took our Christmas pictures and got the cards out. Also during December we have been busy with Scouting.Here is Kat getting her Daisy Pin. And the whole troop in which I am a co-leader. Can you tell I am two feel taller then everyone??
We had a big surprise one day when it started snowing! We are so mystified with Texas. It is cold one day and hot the next. I don't know how people deal with it. My hall tree has coats and jackets, the shorts and t-shirts are still in drawers. It's annoying! Lilo knows how to deal with it all! Ah to be a dog! We did not place her in there, she burrowed in! Soon my family will start to arrive and then Jason's parents will come in time for Adam's baptism. Didn't these turn out nice?
I think I have done everything I need to do to start the season. Today is Kat's birthday and we are going to the roller rink! I can't believe how big our kids are getting. 6 years ago today Jason was just 24 hours home from India and I went into labor after staying with my parents for 2 months. The time has gone by so quickly and we have been so many places since then! I am sure I will post birthday stuff soon, but until then: Merry Christmas everyone! And a Happy New Year!

December!!

2008-12-08T23:58:00.000Z

Every day of December feels like it is moving faster and faster! Of course we have two birthdays and Christmas, but this year we also are in America. And that means lots of family and friends and access to malls! So while I feel like I am hurling towards the new year I want to make sure I get on here and keep everyone up to date! Here is the latest!We had friends in the ward invite us for Thanksgiving. The food and company was so good! Thanks to the Humphreys and Oyllers! Adam had his birthday party the Saturday before he turned 8. He is growing up so much! We had a lot of fun playing games, having a disco, watching a DVD of Adams life so far, and hitting a pinata. His cake was a lego cake in the shape of an "A" in case you didn't get that.
This past weekend my mom flew us sisters to see our grandma in Kentucky. We also got to see our cousins the Neals. We had a girlie blast, even if it was only for 48 hours! Don't you love our matching PJs? I am so thankful I come from a fun family. We always know how to have a good time. My favorite was singing with my sisters and mom for Granny. We have a great heritage and it is so fun to see how bits of our ancestors are in us all.

Where did we go??

2008-11-24T00:20:00.000Z

I know I have been AWOL with my posts but it just means we have been busy! Here are a few highlights! Why do I type in exclamations?!Here is my son finding more mischief. Today's recipe- chocolate kool-aid! Yes that is a Christmas tree in the background. I won't tell you when we put it up!
I went to my first Young Women in Excellence activity since I was a kid. It was very different having a stake in the sucess. It was beautiful and fun. I was proud of the girls and the leaders!
Here is my favorite thing to do: Reading and eating. Don't you love the little doggie? Adam is doing Scouts now and had his first Regatta. He didn't win a race but he got most original for his silver Warrior Dragon boat.

Also I have to include some reviews of two movies I have recently seen:So first: I heart Zac Efron. I used my children as an excuse to go see it the first time, then I went with my girlfriends so I could giggle more and focus on his beautiful face. As for the movie itself, it was pretty good though I liked HSM2's music better. But I loved that it was higher budget and we had more scenes to work with. Sharpay was the worst ever and just a bigger cartoon then the others. I think the guy who plays Ryan is so talented but he needs a stylist! Dude those eyebrows! I miss the carefree days of HSM1 where Gabrielle actually wore jeans and Sharpay had her real nose. In conclusion, I will see anything with Zac Efron in it.

As for Twilight.....sigh... it is so hard to explain. Especially to my husband who just smirked at me and asked if I wanted him to pretend he was Edward. For the record no. I do not lust after Edward, but it was completely enjoyable to watch the book come to life. It's too bad that so much had to be crammed into the two hours. It should really be a miniseries! And it did have a B movie feel. I was expecting a bigger budget on par with Lord of the Rings- but lets hope it makes buckets of money so by the time we need CGI for werewolves and Volturi we are set. But that said, Bella and Edward were cast perfectly and the intensity and the trembling done by the actor who played Edward made the movie! That was the best part- hearing the audience giggle and swoon! I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to all the girls out there but not to any boys. No man should be subjected to that.

Tag!

2008-11-12T22:31:00.000Z

So my old buddy from Germany (sounds like an army buddy right?) Lindz tagged me on her blog. Usually I roll my eyes at these things but I loved hearing her "voice" as she typed out her answers, so for the love of Lindz I will comply. Here are the rules:
1. post the rules on your blog
2. write six random things about yourself
3. tag six people at the end of your post.

1. When I was a kid (like until I graduated high school) I played in the woods. I loved the creek and being with the trees and I often asked if there would be trees in heaven. But then again I also felt passionately about roller skating in heaven. Now that I am an adult I am confident there will be both.

2. I used to have an irrational fear that if I thought about aliens too much they would know I knew about them and come and take me away.

3. I can drive backwards better then forwards. My dad made me drive backwards around a parking lot until I could do it perfectly.

4. I have a deformed toe that is genetic. When I was little I thought it was crooked because I wore my jelly shoes too long.

5. I like to do the same things everyday and I love to make plans just as much as I hate when plans change. I get annoyed at my husbands compulsiveness just because it doesn't match my own.

6. I have about 9 best friends. It takes approximately 6 months to find and make one. :)

I tag Kacey, Jana, Angie, Candice, Shauna and Megan

The Houston Zoo

2008-11-05T01:54:00.000Z

My friend J got us passes to the zoo and so we had a great election day seeing the animals. It was the first time that me and my lady friends hung out with our kids all together. We were quite a gang but it worked! We are counting it as our workout for the day!

So Totally 80's!

2008-11-02T14:23:00.001Z

So I owe all my girls in Germany a big thank you for the inspirtion of all things Girls Night and especially 80's themes! But I think the Houston girls managed to rock it! I was completely astounded at the level of commitment! It was a great night. We played "Girl Talk" a game of truth or dare- and sang Happy Birthday to our dear C-note! I am still recovering from the laughing headache and the hairspray fumes! But it was totally worth it!

The Big Day!

2008-11-01T14:58:00.000Z

We were so excited for our first American Halloween! And in a big subdivision! Jason got into and dressed as the emperor and so we had quite a quartet going down the road. Me and Lilo had a great time waiting for kids to come by. There weren't too many since we are in the back of the neighborhood but it was still fun.
By about 9 my bother came around and said he knew where my family was so I jumped in the back and we went and picked them up. I can't believe how much candy they got. 6 bowls worth! That should last us until Christmas for sure! I am really glad I got them to eat a decent meal before they went out- Bloody Lungs and Maggots (chicken cachitore and small noodles) Monster Fingers (apple slices) and the rest of the Monster Snot. When they got home I let them pick out a small pile to eat then we watched the Simpson Halloween episodes we had recorded. Smells like tradition to me!

Halloweenies

2008-10-31T12:37:00.000Z

I finally got around to carving the pumpkins. I'm kind of a snob about it. I like being really creative, but this year the kids wanted to use the patterns that came with the carving kit. I did get them to at least clean the guts out themselves!
Of course Adam wanted the skull, and Kat wanted the cute Goblin. Alex just wanted his name in the side!
For dinner we I made a candlelight dinner. Thanks to Women's Day Magazine who suggested it!
And at school today the kids were supposed to dress up as characters from their favorite books. I think we did pretty well! Introducing Calvin & Hobbes and Laura Ingalls!

A little taste, in case you wish you were there!

2008-10-18T01:34:00.000+01:00

New Kids on the Block- The wait was worth it!

2008-10-17T17:17:00.000+01:00

Ok I am just too tired to post. My head is ringing my voice is shot and my legs hurt from jumping up and down too much! But here are the highlights:
1. Natasha Beddingfield opened for NKOTB and she signed autograpghs after. I got to meet here and was all like "I lived in Europe and have been a fan for years, thanks for everything!" I was totally starstruck and shaking afterwards. Also I know I sounded stupid.
2. Courtney and I screamed and jumped around like we were 13 and it was magnificent.
3. We rushed the barriers when they were in the crowed and totally got away with it for like 5 minutes. I swear Jonathan saw us and thought we were hot.
4. Jordan took off his shirt and looked amazing. That's all I have to say. No one missed the rat tail.
5. I could've stayed all night.

Where the Blonds are....

2008-10-15T01:12:00.000+01:00

So we all knew this day was coming. Adam was starting to complain that his neck was too hot and so we agreed to get his beautiful hair cut. I asked him who's hair he liked and he said Troy from High School Musical. So we went online and found this picture:
So we printed it out and took it to our local quick cuts. I hate that place cause they really boss me around but it is the only place that does it so fast for so cheap! So this is what we started with:Ans here he is now:

Not only is he incredibly handsome but he does look really grown up. She cut it too short but I know it is going to grow out great. She cut it with a razor. Adam was in charge of the whole thing and now puts pomade in his hair! Don't you love his curls?? 2016 watch out! Adam will have a drivers license and license to date!

Girlfriends!

2008-10-10T14:03:00.001+01:00

With Jason gone we are having a good time here at Party HQ! Here are some pics of a good ol' fashioned make-up party and glamour shots. Cosmo we are waiting for your call!

It's too late she has already gone feral

2008-10-07T02:43:00.000+01:00

Let's start off by saying I am very grateful for Jason's new gig with FEMA. It is such a blessing to us. He is currently in Baton Rouge and will most likely be headed up to Chicago to address the flooding there. So I have been bach-ing it for 5 days and it looks like we will have a brief Jason sighting tomorrow night and then it is so long for 3 weeks! But if the result of the separation is that our debts get paid off we shouldn't complain right? But the short term result is that I am morphing into my natural state. As my audience knows Jason likes to maintain his environment at a certain level and we have come to a treaty over the years. But I have to admit things are starting to slide.... Here is the nest where I now sleep:
And the sexy choice of evening wear (shut up it's vintage!):

And the juice that no one likes but me (yes it's juice)
And last of all my new bedroom companion:
Thank goodness for prime time and amazing girlfriends who are always up for a party! Here's to you J-dog and C-note!

Lilo!

2008-09-27T23:09:00.000+01:00

So some of you might have heard that Jason has gotten some work with FEMA. He is going to be doing inspections for them in hurricane effected areas. Since his business slowed way down after the hurricane the FEMA job has come as a real blessing. Well he has been approved to go and will be traveling a bunch the next little while. It made me sad cause I haven't really been in this house alone, but I am happy that we are going to earn a little extra cash. So anyways I made the big push for a dog. We found a dane online that we really wanted but the people fostering it said that it wasn't good with kids and cats so no go. I was feeling some urgency about it and so I went to the Petco adoption fair. I found a dog there that I fell in love with but she is no Great Dane. Here is Lilo:I don't know if the pictures do her justice but she looks like a Dr. Seuss dog to me. She is some kind of terrier.. she is short haired with long hair on her face and feet. I know we are big dog people but right now with all I have going on I wanted a low maintenance dog. And her temperament along with her size makes her perfect for us. It was so cool eating dinner with a dog in the room who wasn't under my armpit! And she can't even reach the toilet! It's a whole new dog experience! It's only been 5 hours but we haven't even heard a peep from her yet. As for her name- the rescue kennel was calling her peaches but the kids named her Lilo. We like the Hawaiian sound so Lilo it is!