Highlights From This Week

#1  Saturday morning chores with the girls... in matching outfits.  Derek got up with the girls and thought it'd be funny to dress them up in similar outfits.  It was pretty comical for us because lately every time we take them out, someone asks if they're twins.   Just this past Tuesday we went to a park and a lady came up to me and with a surprised look said, "Oh.. you have two girls." She had just realized that Karis and Makena were not the same child.  She thought they were one child and I had changed her clothes.    

#2  Family walks around the block after dinner. 

# 3  The girls playing well together.  The other morning, they emptied both bins and all the drawers... but I thought to myself, at least they're playing well together.  They have also been really into books so we spend a good part of the day reading and looking at books.

#4  Karis got her first ice cream truck treat -- a Dora ice cream bar.   Karis woke up from her nap the other day and heard the ice cream truck.  When she asked about it, I explained to her that the sound was coming from a truck that had ice cream.  She then of course wanted ice cream, so I grabbed my wallet and we ran out the front door.  It was fun standing out in the street and picking an ice cream bar from the pictures on the side of the truck. Ah, the memories!  

# 5 We watched a friend's daughter on Thursday.  I watched her about a month and a half ago and the girls were extremely jealous when I held her.  But this time the girls loved playing with her and didn't mind when I was taking care of her.  It was really cute watching them so into the baby.  I guess they're ready for a little sibling...  =)

#6  We went to a Christian bookstore on Saturday morning.  Bob and Larry from the Veggie Tales were there to promote their new video.  Makena was terrified of them but Karis was excited to see them (she just recently started watching Veggie Tales) and she loved giving them high-5s!

 

#7  Later in the day, we went to The Little Gym for an open house.  It was Makena's first time in a gym and she loved climbing and exploring.  Karis did her usual thing and by the end of our time there a couple people were referring to her as the "crazy girl" and "fearless." Yup, that's Karis.

Afterwards, we ate dinner and played by the water fountain.

A Little Bit of Labor on Labor Day

We spent Labor Day at the Lee family's home. My cousin and her kids also came and spent the day with us. We hung out, took naps and had a great Korean dinner.

It was a relaxing day for us, but Derek put our nephews to work. We drove up the Mazda which we rarely drive and it sits on the street most of the week. The car was looking more brownish gray than yellow, so Derek asked the older boys if they would want to make a few bucks in exchange for washing the car. They willingly obliged. $5 a piece was $10 well spent for Derek. And now the car looks great!

Sophie, Karis and I stood in the shade and watched. I fielded all kinds of questions from the little 5 year old about babies. Where does she sleep? Where does she go to the bathroom? Does she get in trouble? Why does she spit so much? The innocence of all of her questions were great!

Look How Pretty My Husband Is

Derek doesn't look half bad in a white dress! We had to create a wedding dress out of toilet paper at our friends' wedding shower.

This is what I created for my husband:

Here he is trying to look like a pretty bride while not moving lest the dress would fall apart:

We won first prize!

Let's Do Lunch

My mornings typically get off to a slow start. I try to get Karis to sleep in with me as close to 10 am as possible -- with some success, but not always. We'll then make our way to the couch to eat and watch some TV. The things I want to get done that day doesn't usually happen until early afternoon (especially if it's a day after I've been in the office).

On Tuesday, I was planted on the couch watching the season finale of The Bachelor from the night before. Derek called and told me that the Kerrs and Galarzas were meeting at SuperMex for lunch and wanted to know if I could go. My first thoughts were, "I'm not done watching the show," "Karis needs a bath," "I'm not dressed," and "I only have about an hour to get ready." But what came out was, "Sure! I'll be there."

My great skill of multi-tasking went into full gear and I got Karis fed, one of us bathed, both of us dressed and out the door -- all while fast forwarding through The Bachelor (I knew there would be discussions of the finale at the table). How could I pass up an opportunity to get the whole gang together? Here's what it looked like:

Karis and her posse hanging out outside SuperMex.

Blessed By Friends

Derek and I typically don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. We agreed that it feels a little forced and way too Hallmark-y. We typically find ways to serve others on that day. This year was different. Our friends around us know how crazy life has gotten since we became a family of three, and moreso in the month of February.

In the beginning of February, I went back to work part-time. I am working 30 hours a week this month. It wouldn’t be so bad if I was getting more than 2 hours of sleep at a time! I’ve been doing three 10-hour days. Any day without at least one 20-minute nap is pretty tough! 

Since we couldn’t find daycare for Karis this month, Derek and my sister have been watching her while I'm at work. Derek has been working four long work days so that he can get an extra day off.  He watches Karis two days a week while my sister from LA comes to watch her the third day.  

Derek also started his seminary class. His classes go well into the evening on Tuesdays and it’s crazy how many assignments, tests/quizzes, and papers are required of him.

All that said, it was such a blessing when our friends offered to watch Karis so we could go out. How could we say no? On Friday night, we went out for late night appetizers and desserts. We got a chance to spend some uninterrupted time together and talk about more than just “How was your day?” and “Quick, get me a burp cloth. She spit up.” On Saturday, another couple watched Karis while we went to see a movie and grabbed lunch. It was great! Thank you friends! We appreciate you! 

A Labor Day Celebration

We just got back from our friends' wedding. The service was worshipful, fun and touching. Derek got to know the bride and groom, Nicole and Steve, during his internship at Saddleback. Derek served in the Singles Ministry with Nicole. I started getting to know Steve when he became the MC for our wedding reception (he did a great job!). Nicole has been my hairdresser for more than two years. I always love a good haircut, but moreso spending that one hour with her in fellowship. We went to Steve's house for dinner one night when they first started dating. It was neat to hear what he was going through when he first became interested in her to now celebrating with them at their wedding.

For me, I enjoy weddings not only as a time to celebrate with friends, but also because they're a reminder of the vows we took and the biblical view of marriage. I loved how Pastor Rick prayed at the reception not only for the bride and groom, but for all the married couples in attendance.

With 500+ people, the reception was an opportunity for us to hang out with people we hadn't seen in awhile. We had a great time and I think the couple did a fabulous job creating a really nice and personal wedding. I had the pleasure of making them their wedding cake. It kept me busy all weekend, but I enjoyed making it for them. Here are a few pics from the evening:

Pastor Rick giving Steve a high-5 after seeing Nicole come down the aisle.


One of the many funny moments.


Mr. & Mrs. Steve Komanapalli


The wedding cake


Some friends from the Singles Ministry we haven't seen in awhile


Derek and I

A Day At The Rodeo

Ever been to a rodeo? People are always surprised when they find out I like to watch bullriding (though I don't really give out this information). It's quite entertaining. When you watch it on TV, you learn about the rider -- his skills, past performance, etc. You also learn about the bull, which way it tends to turn and its past performance. Put them together and it's unpredictable. It's exciting when they make it to the coveted 8 seconds. It's stressful when they fall off in the bull's path or when one of their limbs gets stuck on the bull. Maybe my fascination is in part due to wondering why on earth anyone would want to ride on such a massive and untamed animal.

The rodeo came to Rancho Mission Viejo which is not far from where we live. When we stepped onto the fair ground, it no longer felt like Orange County. Almost everyone was in a cowboy hat and boots -- including Derek (no hat, just the boots). We watched the bucking broncos, steer wrestling (the least favorite of mine), and of course, the bullriding.

Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. ;)








- Lena

a day at the oc fair

The pictures say it all!