Yes . . . I have switched over to the Dark Side

Okay, I have been super busy this summer with a trip back east, family gatherings, a wedding, a few birthdays, canoeing and now at home with 4 exchange students. Things have been crazy and hectic but I'm totally enjoying it all. I can't wait to start posting about all of our wild adventures.

But, the real reason for this post is to tell all my faithful viewers that I have succumbed to the pier pressure and am now on MySpace. Which is what has really been sucking up all my time. I am addicted! I love that I can find a lot of my family members and many of my friends (new and old) on this handy little site. I am loving it! So, from now on I will primarily be using MySpace for all of my posts but will also try to continue this blog as much as I can for those of you who are still not enlightened. Thank you all for reading up on our family adventures. It means a lot to me to know you care enough to take time out of your day to see how we are doing.

If you do have a MySpace account or want to create one (it's free) please send me an e-mail or comment on here that you would like to find me on MySpace. If you try to find me yourself you may have some trouble. I am using a fake last name and have set my home zip code to look as though I live in The British Virgin Islands. So, please give me a shout if you'd like too hook up on MySpace with me. Thanks all! Love and Huggs!

Happy Birthday Emily

This post is long overdue but couldn't be passed over. Last month we celebrated my adorable niece Emily's 8th birthday. She is getting to be such a little young lady. When I met her she was less than 18 months old. Time sure does fly when you're having fun. This is what she looked like as a toddler. She was just like a little cupie doll.


We had the privilege of celebrating two times with her. Once on her actual birthday and again over the next weekend. We had a wonderful time celebrating our special nieces very special day. Her party's were of course fabulous and she was a perfect little princess. My parents even got to join in the celebration all the way out from Jersey. Here are the pictures we took. Hope you enjoy!


Happy Birthday Emily! Hope it was a good one. We Love You!

There’s a thin line between dreams and reality

Somewhere in between that grey line lies the spirit world. Which if you start to contemplate weather that in itself is either dream or reality is even more boggling. If you are a loyal reader than you already know that I do believe in angels. I believe they talk to us in subtle ways everyday. I also believe that they have the power to visit us in our dreams. This is where I’m not quite sure it constitutes a dream or an actual visit from beyond and what really is the difference?

Those of you who know me know I had a dear Aunt, named Lynnie, who lost her battle with breast cancer last November. The last time Pete and I got to visit her was in April of 04 and we didn’t know she was sick then. It all happened so fast. Once we found out she was sick about a year or more later I tried to call her as much as I could. I wanted to stay in touch and sometimes the phone is a difficult way to communicate with a baby crying in your ear. I decided then that I wanted to make a blog for her and for all my family to keep in touch with them. I wanted to create a place where they could go to read about my life and enjoy current pictures too. This blog was essentially born for Lynnie. Unfortunately by the time I pieced it all together it was too late for her to enjoy. I hope all of the rest of my family can enjoy it now.


I had a difficult time knowing she was sick and there was nothing I could do for her. I wanted to visit her so bad but life got in the way. We are more than 3,000 miles apart. So many times I was tempted to jump on a plane even if it was just to see her for an hour to hug her. I received several sad calls from my mother updating me on Lynnie’s weakening condition. There were times when I fell apart crying to Pete. As the calls kept coming I started to become numb and remove myself from the pain of this harsh reality. I knew one way or another I would make it out to see her one last time or at least be able to see her family and help consol them. I just kept telling myself to keep it together until then. When she did pass away it become impossible for me to get out to her funeral. I never cried, I held it together, I remained numb.

So back onto the subject of dreams, I had one the other night, or was it a visiting? All I know is I had no recollection of it until the next afternoon when it hit me like a ton of bricks. Pete and I were driving out to the mountains and Nadia was passed out in the back car seat. We were talking about my family and about the people he would love to hang out with. He started spouting off names, “Uncle Johnny, Aunt Dottie, Aunt Lynnie, . . .etc.” Only I didn’t hear the etc. part because my brain was stuck on Aunt Lynnie. And then the light bulb went off! I remembered I had a dream about her the night before that I had not remembered until that very second. Before I even spoke he just looked at me and said, “I don’t know why I said her name but something just told me I had to say it at that instant.” Freaky stuff!

I proceeded to tell him “I had a dream last night about Aunt Lynnie. We were lying in her bed. It was Lynnie, Me, and then my mom all lying next to each other cuddling. My viewpoint in this dream was positioned looking down onto the bed at all of us. Aunt Dottie stood at the foot of the bed looking at us and my view was behind her. I never saw Aunt Dottie’s face I just assumed it was her. I was lying next to Lynnie hugging her and rubbing her arm and laughing with her and I kept telling her, “I love you, I love you so much!” The next frame in my dream she was gone and all was holding onto was her pillow and I was sobbing, “I miss you!”

As I told this to Pete I began sobbing and a wave of emotions came over me. I had to just sob. Was this a dream? I tend to think not. I believe I was visited by her for a very specific reason. Now that I am looking back on the dream I am thinking that the woman I was standing behind was not my Aunt Dottie but my Grandmother(Liz). I think she was her guardian angel guiding her on her journey.


Sometimes being separated by so many miles makes it difficult to grasp certain concepts especially if you have been removed by distance for so many years.
Sometimes I feel numb to evens that happen in life that are so far away from me even when they mean so much. Sometimes it takes a few more miles to travel before reality sets in. Thanks for coming all this way to see me. Thanks for letting me say my goodbye even though I couldn’t be there when it happened. Thanks for letting me know that you are still here watching over us all.

I love you Aunt Lynnie and miss you so much!

Much More to Come . . .

I apologize for getting so far behind on my updates. We have been very busy lately and I have lots to report. For now I am pretty tired and ready for bed but I couldn't resist showing you all this one. My parents were in town for a visit this passed week and we had a blast. More on that later though. Here is a cute little sketch we had done of our 3 generations . . .


Please tune in for much more soon.

Dear Mom,

When I was young I thought to myself, “I could do it better!” I thought I would be a better mom. I would never yell, scold, or punish. I would never say “NO!” I would let my kids stay out as late as they wanted and hang out in cars with older kids. I would let my kids make their own plans and eat whatever they wanted even if it made them sick. I remember thinking I was gonna be a “cool mom” and be my kids “best friend.” I thought I knew it all. I had it all figured out. One thing was for certain, I was NEVER going to turn into my mother!

That was until, of course, I had a child of my own . . .

That’s when it all came together. Nothing meant more to me in this world than making sure my daughter was healthy and safe at all times. Everything I do now, all my decisions, all my plans are made with her best interest in mind. When I say “NO” it is for her benefit, for her safety, or for her future health. Any time she may think I’m mean or horrible for making a decision for her it is always done out of love.

Now I realize how difficult it is to be a mom and a friend. But luckily I had the best teacher! The greatest gift my mom gave me was life and love and the ability to pass it on to my children. My wish for my daughter is to have a child of her own one day, when she is much much older of course. I think being a grandmother is probably the greatest trophy of all. Once your child lives what you lived and truly understands all the sacrifices you made for the love of a child then you are truly rich.

I must admit I realized none of this until I had a child of my own. Now I am so very proud to say, “Yes, I am turning into my mother!” Honestly, there is probably no better compliment in the world. So to all you grandmothers, mothers, and children out there, especially mine, I hope you all turn out to be just like your mom! Because a mother is LOVE in it’s purist form.

Happy Mother's Day!

Angels Really Do Exist . . .

And they talk to me through my two year old daughter.


I’m not sure if any of you are familiar with the phenomenon of child clairvoyance? It is something only small children experience because they have not developed control over their five senses. Some children have past life experiences and others simply channel multiple “spirits.” At either rate they can recall things out of the ordinary that no other person could know besides the deceased. It’s pretty freaky!

So, here’s the story, the other day Nadia and I went out to lunch at one of my favorite places, Kealani's, a Hawaiian Barbeque restaurant. We are eating our spare ribs and rice and along comes an adorable older couple and sits at the table next to us. The woman starts exclaiming how amazing Nadia is and implying that she is and old soul. She said that she will be someone very important in life she could tell.

Nadia is very sweet to sweet people and she is just listing to this woman go on about her. She starts mumbling a little in very quiet voice. Then she get’s a little louder looks straight at me and says, “Jennifer, that’s my Jennifer!” I almost fell off my seat and started balling. Luckily I was having a conversation with the older couple and I held myself together.

I explained to them that no one calls me Jennifer. No one but my Grandfather that is. And he passed away while I was pregnant with Nadia. His favorite line to me was, “Jennifer, that’s my Jennifer!” When Nadia said it she even said it in the same sweet nasaly tone that he did. I just felt like his Angel was sitting right beside her whispering in her ear letting me know he is still a part of our lives.


How amazing, thanks Granpa!


We'll never forget you!!!

Meet Hitomi

This is our last student from Osaka, Japan. She was only here for one week but she’s left an impact that will last a lifetime. Hitomi, who's name translates to eye (specifically the pupil), is a traditional Japanese Dancer by trade. It is called Nihon (meaning Japan) Buyou (meaning dance). She has been to several destinations around the world performing her dance. Her stage name is Satotsuya and is listed here in kanji on her business card.


We have done so much and she has taught us so much in one short week. We have seen a DVD of her dancing at a festival in Japan. We shared a wonderful beach bonfire together for Rich’s birthday. She taught us several games and songs including a game named "janken" (or stone-scissors-paper) and a song called, "Konpira Fune Fune" which goes along with various games. You have to see this video.


She also showed us how to make Okonomiyaki it is kind of like the Japanese version of Italian pizza meets German potato pancake meets American pot pie. It’s kind of hard to describe but once you’ve had it you’ll never forget it. This food is delicious or as the Japanese say, “oishii” and is native to Osaka. It’s so good that I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. This is one variation of many just like our Pizza in the states. Hitomi and her friend Yumiko were gracious enough to show us the art of making these wonderful little niblets.



OKONOMIYAKI
"Okonomi" means "as you like". This refers to the ingredients.



INGREDIANTS
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup Water or Chicken Broth
½ Head Green Cabbage
1 Egg + 1 for each pie
1 lbs Chopped Pork + 1 lbs thin patty Pork
Cooking Spray or Vegetable Oil


1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and mix in a large bowl. Gradually add a cup or more of water or chicken broth as needed until the dough is fairly wet. Mix until smooth.
2. Cut cabbage into thin slices and chop pork into small bite sized pieces.
3. Add egg, meat, and cabbage to batter and mix.
4. Heat oil in a pan or spray cooking spray on a skillet. Fry a couple pieces of pork on both sides. Spoon batter over pork and spread circular and flat. After one side is browned flip over and cook other side. Once fully browned crack an egg on skillet and place pie on top. Let cook until egg is done. Brush with sauce of choice or serve on the side.


SAUCES
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Barbeque Sauce
Tonkatsu Sauce (Asian Pork Sauce)
You can mix any of these sauces for a different flare. My personal favorite is Tonkatsu Sauce and Mayonnaise. The beauty of this dish is you can be as creative as you like and add whatever suits your taste buds.


Enjoy!!!