I got "Mom of the Year"!

I can't believe it. I did it. I didn't think I would win. But yay! (Total joke, but funny)

CLICK FOR VIDEO

Heartbreaking...

Today, Connor came home from preschool and was very excited to show me something. I was outside tending to my roses so he kept asking me to go inside. I finally went in and he reached under the pillows on the couch.

C: Mommy, I'm so excited. I have a gift for you!
M: a gift?
C: For Mother's Day!

Out he pulls a beautiful card he made for me with a gift bag attached to it. In the bag was a lovely key chain that said "MOM" that he decorated w/ puffy paint and a lovely ribbon. I was so surprised. It's such a lovely gift! (Ofcourse, I attached it to my keys right away.)

Later on that day, we were supposed to go to Bible Study but we were all too exhausted and the kids were just DONE. I didn't want to cook dinner so I took Connor with me to get some food. But before we got our food, I went to get gas and as I'm pumping the gas, I looked at the back of the key chain and noticed that his name was spelled wrong.

My mistake...I mentioned it to him, knowing that he personally didn't write it.

M: Oh no Connor, I think someone spelled your name wrong on the keychain ("Conner")

(C breaks down crying....covers his eyes with his hands and everything!)

C: I knew you weren't going to like your gift!
M: Oh Connor, I LOVE it. I know you didn't spell your name wrong. Someone else did.

(He continues to cry and is sobbing at this point...just BREAKS MY HEART...so I end up breaking down too)

M: I'm so sorry Connor. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I know YOU didn't spell your name wrong. I LOVE IT. I love everything you make for me. Really...

(At this point, I'm pleading with him telling him just how much I appreciate everything he does for me and I just love the gift...etc)

C: They were supposed to copy my name and they didn't do it right. Hmph.
M: That's OK, we can fix it if you want.
C: Ooooh, I have a good idea! We can just make a new one.

Anyway, I was sooooooooooooo sad to see that I hurt my son's feelings. Granted, he was tired as hell and he becomes really sensitive & emotional when he's overtired. But still, that just broke my heart. I really need to pay more attention to the things I say. I'm just so afraid I'm not raising my kids right. :( I forget that kids take everything literally and they take things to heart so easily (well as a matter of a fact, adults do too sometimes).

I just wanted to say I'm sorry Connor for "criticizing" your lovely gift. It's perfect the way it is. I love you!

I want to win!

I spent some time today reading some blogs and there's a lot of giveaways this week. I get extra entries for blogging about them so here goes!

1) I recently just found this blog SavingWithSteph and I've found some awesome deals here. She has a $20 Walgreens GC giveaway this week and I wanna win! Walgreens has some awesome deals when you pair up coupons with Easy Saver Rebates. Just last week, I got 3 rebates for $13 total and so I used the rebates for Midol and StrapPerfect.

2) On DealSeekingMom, there's currently a giveaway for a set of Wonder Bumpers. I wanna win this for my sister-in-law!

3) On PennyPinchingParent, they're having a RC John Deere XUV Gator giveaway and I'd love to win one for the kiddos.

Spring Cleaning Party

So I've been trying so hard to clean my house, one room at a time. The areas I clean stays clean for about an hour before it becomes a wreck again (I love my kids, but man oh man!). I went through a deep-clean stage of my spring cleaning 2 weeks ago and then we went away for a few days on a mini vaca and it was sooooooooooo nice to come to a nice, clean & organized home. Now I'm back to where I started and it's just so exhausting.

I've managed to clean 1-2 rooms a day and mind you, we only have less than 1200 sq ft of space. But with 2 kids running amuck, it feels like it's 3000 sq ft filled with crap! So, I'm joining SimpleMom's "Spring Cleaning Party" (SCP) next week and I'm hoping this will help me declutter my home. I've actually gotten pretty good about getting rid of a TON of stuff (I can be such a pack rat sometimes).

But since we're having a yard sale in a couple weeks, I want to get rid of as much stuff as possible. I'm already in the process of selling stuff on Craigslist so I'm feeling good about getting my spring cleaning started (ok, I must admit, I started in late Feb!). Plus I actually got the kids room AND the office organized (moved a huge oak bunk bed, bookcases, and a tall dresser all by myself and everything!) a couple weeks ago so that was a great jump start to all this.

The only downside about this SCP is that I had to buy a book. But it's only $7 and I consider it an investment. SimpleMom has been pretty right on with everything she's blogged about so I trust her methods will work (or else I'm gonna be slightly disappointed with having to spend that $7!).

So here's the schedule...
Here’s the Spring Cleaning Party schedule:

* Monday, May 4 - a clean sweep
* Tuesday, May 5 - the living room, part one
* Wednesday, May 6 - the living room, part two
* Thursday, May 7 - the kitchen, part one
* Friday, May 8 - the kitchen, part two
* Monday, May 11 - the bathrooms
* Tuesday, May 12 - the kids’ rooms, part one
* Wednesday, May 13 - the kids’ rooms, part two
* Thursday, May 14 - the master bedroom
* Friday, May 15 - the front entry

I am looking forward to getting started on Monday. I love lists and this just adds to my OCD need of list-making so I'm happy. I know, I'm weird like that...

Mini Vacations...

are awesome but exhausting. A vacation is rarely ever a "vacation" since you spend so much of your time eating out, doing activities and checking out everything that's available. It's all fun until you come home and realize you actually have to cook meals again, do laundry, pay bills, etc. But yes, it's all worth it in the end.

We are lucky enough that my hubby works only 3-4 days a week. Therefore, he gets 3-4 days off a week as well. Though he works 12 long hours per day on the days he works, it enables us to spend more time together and go on mini vacations whenever we can.

In the last 6 months alone, we've taken at least one 4-5 day mini vacation each month. Here are the photos from each one:

TO BE POSTED SOON

Fun-filled Easter weekend!

We definitely had one fun-filled weekend this Easter. Lots of egg-hunting activities, moments of chocolate bliss and fun with family & friends. It was a lot of fun but mommy is TIRED! :)

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS!

Happy Easter!

We celebrated Easter at Aunt Carol's this weekend. During our Easter dinner, Maren & Adam (cousins) wouldn't eat their food and started telling Knock-Knock jokes like the night prior...

Aunt Carol: No Knock-Knock jokes until after dinner. Eat your food first.

Maren: But I don't want to eat.

Aunt Carol: Well you should. Easter is about eating.

Connor: And...Easter is about eggs!

Everyone: Yes Connor, you're right.

Connor: But really, Easter is about Jesus!

I was very proud of my little son...for bringing up a very important fact. Easter (like Christmas) gets lost in today's society, being marketed as a holiday about eggs and bunnies. When in fact, it truly is about Jesus. The fact that He died on the cross to save us from our sins and He is risen! That is the true meaning of Easter. Amen.

Note: Here is a great link to teach bible verses about Easter: http://ministry-to-children.com/bible-verses-about-easter/

REVIEW: Yanni Voices

REVIEW FOR ONE2ONE NETWORK

Yanni + Voices = Good music!

Back in the 90's, my very 1st boyfriend introduced me to the world of Yanni. I thought he was weird at first, considering he was a punk rock kind of guy and didn't expect that he would ever like music like Yanni's. But surprisingly enough, I fell in love with Yanni's music.

I like the mixture of vocals with Yanni's orchestration, as it mixes the two worlds of the young and the old. (Not that I'm saying that symphonic music is only meant only for the old!) The melodies are wonderful and incredibly relaxing. The voices of these young artists definitely work well with the beautiful instrumental music.

I like "Set me Free", sounds like something you would hear on mainstream radio (similar to Dido's music). "Before the Night Ends", "The Keeper", "Never Leave the Sun" and "Kill me With your Love" are really good songs too. I can see "Our Days" being picked for a soundtrack for a movie, maybe the upcoming "New Moon" movie from the Twilight series?? "Moments Without Time" is a classic Yanni song that will relax you and helps create a serene environment. All the other songs are alright, not really my kind of music, but a great mix of different types of music overall.

Spring is in the air!

Every year, we visit the wildflowers over at Shell Creek Road off of Hwy 58. There is an overabundance of wildflowers there usually around this time of year and sure enough, there was lots of them this year! Even though there were only a few varieties of flowers, it was still a beautiful sight and we enjoyed our time there (like we usually do).

We also checked out Soda Lake, which is basically a dried up lake with calcium deposits left over. So it looks like it's white sand from far away but it's basically white mud. The kids enjoyed getting caked all over with this mud, which was not something we had planned for and definitely something I can live without, but it was so well worth seeing their smiling faces! Needless to say, it was one messy ride home. :)

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS!

Probably the worst birthday ever…

I was really hoping I would feel better by the time Friday the 13th rolled around, but apparently not.  I’ve had the worst flu all week long (so much for the flu shot huh?) and it progressively got even worse.  With the flu, a tooth ache, headache, and stomach problems all day long, I just couldn’t enjoy it.  To top it all off, everyone else is sick too and Jeramy almost threw his back out and has been pretty much out of commission today too.  So yeah …it’s officially the worst birthday ever. 

BUT I got to spend time with my wonderful family.  That’s all that matters, right?

Happy Anniversary honey!

Today, Jeramy and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary. It was such an uneventful day due to the family being sick but at least we got to spend 2 days together beforehand. On Thursday, we headed down to Pismo and ate at Spy Glass Inn for lunch (used B1G1 coupon). What a great view, even though it was raining the whole time. Then after we headed over to Centaur Resort & Spa in Arroyo Grande, which Jeramy thought was a joke at first since the spa is located at someone's house (well a bed & breakfast really). I won a $200 Spafinder.com gift certificate from a contest not too long ago so we used that for a couple's 60-minute massage plus a 30-min facial for each of us. It was really nice. We even got to sit in a steam room for 30 mins after all was said and done. Diane (co-owner) is a super nice lady and she really made us feel comfortable. It was really neat to hear thunderstorms and rain pattering on the roof during our session. It just made it that much more memorable.

We finally checked into our hotel at San Luis Bay Inn in Avila (thanks to my loving inlaws for their present!) at 6 pm and took a much needed nap. We didn't sleep much the night before since the kids kept us up with their sickies. :( Finally at 8 pm, we headed over to Old Vienna Restaurant in Shell Beach, a really unique German restaurant that was surprisingly really nice inside with its indoor waterfall and international flags hanging from the ceilings. We were the only ones there but we didn't mind it at all since we appreciated the quiet surroundings. Being with a 4 and 2 year old all day, makes you appreciate the silence, that's for sure.

The food and service was AWESOME. I honestly can list this is one of my top 10 favorite restaurants on the Central Coast. The prices were reasonable as well which we didn't even pay full price since we had a Restaurant.com gift certificate. (We're all about saving money!)

The next morning we headed over to Zorro's Cafe in Shell Beach and had breakfast. It's a little itty bitty place, but the food was great. And ofcourse, we also had a coupon for that place so we had to try it out. It's worth trying when you have a B1G1 free coupon!

Then ofcourse we included a little shopping towards the end of our mini vaca and headed home to receive grumpy and really sick kids from Grandpa and Grandma. Boy, were they CRANKY! I'm glad we got to spend a little bit of time alone together. We are truly blessed to be able to get away at least once every week or every other week to bond. I love our time together. The best part is that we actually really enjoy each other's company and look forward to all the times we get to spend together.

I love you Jeramy! Here's to 5 years of marriage and many, many, many more years to come!

Hooked on phonics...

Well not really. But I have been hooked on reading again. I just started reading "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and it's good so far. It's funny how I can relate so much to the main character, Rebecca. I remember once upon a time when I was just as careless with money and just didn't accept my responsibilities. Like what, really, I have to pay credit cards back? haha.

I'm not saying that I'm no longer a shopaholic, but I am more aware of bargains and sales and all in between. I don't throw money around like I used to and definitely don't spend much on myself these days. But like everyone else, I still want nice things for the house, comfortable clothes for the family, delicious food on the table, so I am just much smarter with the money I do spend.

Anyway, back to the book. It's set in England so there are a lot of terms you have to get used to (like loo for restroom, bloody for damn, etc) but it's a pretty easy read. I am trying to get to the end so I can go see the movie in a couple of weeks. I am betting Isla Fisher will make a good Rebecca. She's so darn cute.

Bath time is fun!

The kids still take baths together and it's so cool seeing them play together and having fun. Some nights they end up fighting a lot more than playing but they are just as cute. They have their own spots in the bath tub (Connor's closest to the faucet) but now that they are older, they lie down together and "float" (which they think is swimming). It's really cute listening to them talk out loud when their ears are under water. How I wish this could last forever...

DO'S AND DON'TS FOR 2009

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
5. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, and prayer.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2008.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day..
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk every day. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake..
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your resent happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Share this with everyone you care about.

Look what's happening for my birthday!

Ugh, back to reality...

So today I woke up and realized we were back in school again. The kids and I take a Mommy and Me class on Monday mornings and we were about to miss it, if I hadn't remembered like 20 mins before class started (at 9 am). I hate having to wake up, get ready and actually be somewhere before 10 am. I might be a stay at home, but I still enjoy vacation.

Now I'm gonna start working on organizing the house. It's fun being able to do whatever I please to our home. It is just so time-consuming and I'd much rather hop on the computer and rampage through the web. But blah, back to reality. Back to waking up and actually having to be somewhere on time. Yuck.

Addicted to Twilight series...

Oh my gosh. It's been a long time since I've been addicted to reading any book series. I mean, I just couldn't put them down! I just read Twilight and New Moon within 3 1/2 days. Now I'm eagerly awaiting for the arrival of Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Stephenie Meyer is a great writer and I thank her for my new addiction! The books are super easy to read and the characters are so easy to get attached to. I seriously have gotten lost in their world for a couple days and I haven't felt like this in ages. I love it.

Thanks Corinne for the books. Now I understand what all the obsession is all about. My sister Charmaine has seen the movie 3x (or maybe even more by now) and was so anxiously awaiting for my other sister Christine to finish the other two books. Now I know what you guys were talking about. I am hooked!

Can't wait to see the movie on Thursday with you Corinne!

Goals for the New Year...

I usually make New Year's resolutions but who am I fooling by saying that I stick with them by the time March comes around? I usually work better with short-term goals so I will start marking dates off on my calendar. As for general goals, I thought it'd be easier for me to attain these goals by visualizing them on-screen. I vowed to start up a new journal again this year as I am really missing writing. Typing is just too much work and plus, I have great penmanship. LOL. So I bought a pretty purple journal to begin writing again...but I have also vowed to keep up with this blog. I must post something at least once a week! Now on to more important goals!

Beginning January 4th...

HEALTH & WELLNESS

- Every year, I manage to lose weight but gain it right back after a few months of hard work due to some "special" day. I must admit, I don't mind that process. I love to eat so I can't NOT indulge when good food is present. So I'm not gonna fool myself and say yes, I will eat healthy food 100% of the time. That's just stupid, as I know I will fail on every birthday, holiday, party that exists. So my goal is to eat healthy every normal day of the week and mildly splurge on days that are considered "special". The rule is to not make up days as being "special" but only consider those that everyone else will consider special (such as birthdays, anniversaries, holidays). I will continue to follow the South Beach Diet (SBD) plan as I have, since August of '08. It is the only lifestyle I know I can lose belly fat within days. I followed Phase 1 to the T for 2 weeks (without exercising, just to test the theory of losing the belly fat) and it really works! I was doomed ofcourse when we went on our 7-day cruise to Mexico at the end of September but it's so easy to get right back on the bandwagon on the SBD. I am honestly thankful I found this healthy lifestyle as I was at my wits end after trying several diets that didn't do much to my waistline, even after working out 5x a week. So SBD...you rock!

- Starting this week, I will be heading to the gym 3-5x a week and work on getting fit again. It's been weeks since I've worked out and my body shows. It's amazing how quickly your body can turn into flab in like 3 days with no workouts at my age. I've never quite had that problem before until after Isabella was born. But luckily, my muscle memory comes right back after just a few days of working out. Plus, I need to incorporate more walks with Jer and more outdoor activities for the kids. I WILL get my butt in gear again.

Short-term goals:
Jan-March: Run a 5K in March
Bi-Weekly: Go on a hike at least once every 2 weeks
April-August: Be absolutely tone by the time we go to Hawaii (probably in August)

FAMILY & FRIENDS

- I would love to be able to spend more time with family and friends. God has blessed us with Jer's work schedule so that we are able to spend 3-4 days each week together (though that leaves me like a single mom for the days that he is working). So the goal is to spend more QUALITY time together, like going on dates at least once every 2 weeks with Jer and take the kids out on a special outing every month (Chuck E Cheese, museums, zoo, etc).

- I would like to build on the relationships I already have and plan to spend more time with them. I have offered my idea of game night once per month to our circle of friends so hopefully that will become a new tradition this year. I am determined to bring all my friends together, in hopes that we can all hang out together all the time as it's proven to be very difficult to split time with different sets of friends. I guess it was a blessing in disguise then when I lost a handful of friends this past year. Just kidding!!!!

- I plan on spending more time with my mom, dad, sisters and brother this year. The past year has been a difficult one for my parents & siblings and I would like to offer my love and support to them as much as I can after all that has happened. Just being with them makes me happy so I will make more of an effort to spend time with them as much as I can. The only thing that sucks about it is that everyone is spread out throughout Cali (Sacramento, Thousand Oaks, Valencia, Orange County and San Diego).

- I plan to return phone calls as soon as possible. This proves to be my most difficult challenge every year as there never seems to be the best time to talk on the phone, especially with 2 crazy banshees playing in the background. So let's try this one AGAIN. Oh yeah, I'll add emails to that too. I love reading them but writing back is a whole another issue. I'll work on that.

MONEY

- The holidays are over and there really isn't any more excuses to waste money hastily. I am a true shopper at heart and though you can say I am quite addicted to shopping, I am not addicted to feeling financially strapped. With the economy's loom over the horizon, I really need to be more careful with my spending! I don't like stressing out my husband so I will retreat from my impulsive behaviors and start tomorrow. It's too late for the last 2 days already. (insert half-hearted laugh here)

- Coupons, coupons, coupons! I still have to buy food and household junk to maintain the home so I plan to buy things only when on a significant sale and especially when coupons are available. I started the grocerygame.com a few weeks ago and I'm addicted to saving money whenever possible. It definitely fulfills the aching need to shop and it feels great being able to spend much less than what I normally would spend for the things I need. I highly recommend this system. Please use me as your reference when signing up (megaland@yahoo.com). It's so wonderful to hear the check-out ladies say "Wow, you've saved 80% on your groceries today. That's amazing!" It truly is.

- Eating out is probably the best leisurely activity we participate in each week. I realized how much money we spend on food each month and it just makes me sick to my stomach (literally). The goal is to NOT eat out every week, maybe twice a month at the most. I love to cook anyway so I can try more recipes out this way.

- We need to lower our monthly bills somehow. I will work on finding ways to do that this very week.

PERSONAL TIME

- I need to get in bed by midnight every single night. As I get older, I realize how badly my brain and body needs my beauty sleep. It's important to have a keen mind when dealing with a 4 and 2 year old on a daily basis. Tonight however is an exception as it obviously is past midnight.

- Less time on the computer! I love my computer. I love internet access. However, I love myself and family/friends more. I waste waaaaaayyyy to much time on my PC and will vow to turn it off every night before getting into bed as it's too tempting to keep it on for the next morning. 3 hours max. That's the goal. Yikes, that seems so little of a number but I must focus on other projects...like cleaning! LOL.

- I need to start working on little projects around the house. Our home seems complete but it's time to start moving the kids in their own bedrooms and transitioning the garage to our new office. Each room is also starting to pile with up with CRAP (mostly my fault) and I need to start condensing the never-ending collections of I don't even know what anymore. I admit I'm a pack rat...must must must get rid of stuff!

- Start my own little garden this spring!!! I'm researching on what varieties I will include in my garden. I will definitely include green onions, tomatoes, herbs, and squash. I've been wanting to do this for years, so I'll be elated once it's all done.

- Read a new book series every 2 months. I just started the new Twilight series and I am hooked!!!! I miss getting lost in the world of books. I've been reading several books at a time, but all of them were informational, based on personal well-being, true stories or plain ole magazines. I plan to start reading the Shopaholic series and Nicholas Sparks books this year. I also am gonna start paying attention to the Oprah Book Club and see if anything sparks my interest there.

I've got soooooo much more to add to my list. But I will have to bid farewell for now as the bed is calling my name...

Happy New Year!

Wow...it's 2009. It seems like yesterday that I was hearing "Party like it's 1999" over and over again on the radio. And look at us now, 10 years later. It's super crazy how fast time really flies.

2009 is going to be a busy year. We'll be traveling a lot like usual and hopefully we will be able to continue this for years to come. Our 1st trip will be to the snow (hopefully next week). It will be the first time we're bringing the kids, so they will be very excited. I already bought all their snow gear (oh wait, that reminds me, I need to get them gloves). Next will be a special trip to somewhere (don't know where yet) in February for our 5-year anniversary, my 32nd birthday and for Valentine's. February is a really full month for my poor hubby. :) In early March, I will be going away for a weekend with my sisters to celebrate birthdays and just being together. It will officially be our 1st "just us" trip together. It should be amazing. Then as soon as I come back, I think Jer is gonna take Connor to San Fran for their annual trip to visit friends and go to the Zoo. Isabella and I will surely find something to do while they're gone. Then at the end of March, Jer and I will be traveling with his sister and her hubby to Palm Springs for 5 days while the kids stay with Grandpa and Grandma. Phew, to think, that's only the first 3 months of traveling! We're still trying to figure out when we're going to Hawaii...but we are definitely intending to go. It will be our first time going together! I am so looking forward to that! So this month, my goal is to start planning out our trips from April til the holidays...

There are just so many great things happening this year. Jer's sister will be having her baby in June, Connor will be attending kindergarten (yikes!), I might be heading back to work (or school...undecided still), Jer will be working a new position, the kids will be starting new activities, and so much more. I am actually really excited about the New Year, as I can begin "fresh" again with my goals and will work hard to attain them. I think I've pretty much reached all my goals in 2008 so I HOPE that 2009 will just be as great, if not, I will MAKE it great no matter what.

Anyhow, I wish everyone a wonderful new year and hope & pray that 2009 only brings great peace and joy!

Reflection Questions for 2008

I got this from SimpleMom.net. I haven't really given a lot of what's happened in the past year much thought so it will be interesting to try to answer these questions. Why don't you try them yourself?

Reflection Questions for 2008

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
We bought our 1st house! It's such a pretty little 3BR/2BA house with a great backyard for the kids to run around in. I love where we live and look forward to all the wonderful memories we will make in our new home!

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
Working 50+ hrs per week as an Event Coordinator for the Zoo (while taking care of the kids at the same time) for less money than what I expected.

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
The Mexican Riviera cruise my in-laws took us on in September!

4. What was an unexpected obstacle?
Having to pay for my dental implants ($5,000) at the last-minute due to an emergency.

5. Pick three words to describe 2008.
Fun, adventurous, and stressful.

6. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe your 2008 (don’t ask them; guess based on how you think your spouse sees you).
Stressed, confused, and happy.

7. Pick three words your spouse would use to describe their 2008 (again, without asking).
Fun, adventurous, and stressful.

8. What were the best books you read this year?
Crazy Love by Chan (the most recent one I read) was by far the most thought-provoking and life-changing book I've read in the past year. I honestly don't remember the others after reading that one.

9. With whom were your most valuable relationships?
Jeramy, my kids, my sisters, my inlaws, and my girls (Corinne, Ling, Sammie, the Jen(n)s, and Jess).

10. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
I became a true stay-at-home mom in May. I was always working (ie, volunteering) on small projects on the side and focused on those things rather than just spending time with my kids.

11. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally?
I usually talk about everything else, but never about what really bothers ME. I have had enough breakdowns this year to realize that it's OK to cry, to let it out and not internalize everything.

12. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
I have become more spiritual in a sense that I am trying to build a more intimate relationship with God.

13. In what way(s) did you grow physically?
I gained 10 lbs last holiday season and weighed 162 lbs at the beginning of 2008, fasted for 5 days and lost quite a few lbs then gained a few back. But in August, I discovered the South Beach Diet and have managed to keep my weight around 140-145 lbs. It has been REALLY challenging, considering the cruise and all the traveling we've done in the last few months but I intend to stick with this lifestyle for good.

14. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?
I have lost some friends this year which was a really painful process. However, I have learned a valuable lesson...to never take things for granted. I've also given every person I've met the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are good from the get-go, but over time, I find that I am wrong. I need to listen to my instincts from the very beginning and try to build better relationships with people who are worth my time and effort. Fortunately, we have created our own little "Sex in the City" group and I have gotten closer with these girls this past year and am looking forward to becoming even better friends with them in 2009.

15. What was the most enjoyable area of managing your home?
Believe it or not, it's the kids/guest bathroom. I managed to keep that bathroom clean almost every day since we've moved in! I don't know if it was exactly "enjoyable" but I enjoyed the fact that it was the one room in the house that was clean the majority of the time.

16. What was your most challenging area of home management?
The kitchen. I hate washing dishes, cleaning the counters, throwing out the trash, etc. But I like cooking and eating, so go figure.

17. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year?
Working for the Zoo.

18. What was the best way you used your time this past year?
Traveled and spent a lot of time with family/friends! We went to LA in Feb for our 4th anniversary, enjoyed the concerts and festivities at the Fair in the summer, went to San Clemente in June for my brother's graduation, had family/friends come visit in August for our housewarming, went on the cruise with J's parents in Sept, had Lefse reunion in Phoenix & early Thanksgiving with my mom & bro in Laguna Niguel in November, and celebrated early Christmas at my sister Charmaine's new house (which she purchased a month after we bought ours) in San Diego in December.

19. What was biggest thing you learned this past year?
That friends come and go and that I'm old enough now to pick & choose who my friends are. We are ADULTS, so let's act like it. We're not in high school anymore!

20. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2008 for you.
Whoo-rah!