Home At Last!

I haven't updated my blog since Easter!! I don't even have an excuse. I just didn't have a whole lot to write about. Now I do! We are back in the U.S. of A. Thank God in the heavens above! Ava and I are here for good. My husband has to go back in a couple of weeks until mid August, so, that is kinda sad. I just want this whole China thing to just be over now. It was a good learning experience and all, but I would never go back and there really isn't much I will miss. It was so hard to be there away from everyone. It really was the biggest relief when we stepped off of that plane and knew we were home.
We are staying with my Amazing Aunt and Uncle who are just the best in every way. They are so supportive and have helped us in countless ways. Staying with them and their cute family has been so fun!
Ava is just loving every second of being back. She doesn't have people bothering her all of the time trying to take photos of her and touching her. She has friends and can communicate with everyone. She can just run around outside and be a little girl. I am just so happy that she is happy now b/c she really got lonely the last 6 months of our stay in China.
Joey and I have been eating WAY too much! but we can't help it! We have missed American food so bad that we just keep eating it all like it is going somewhere. We LOVE Wing Nutz and we ate there first when we got home, but we have eaten at 5 Guys and Fries, Chili's, Rubio's, Carl's Jr., Happy Sumo, Wendy's, Iggy's, Malawi's, JCW's, way too many Sonic drinks, and on top of all that food, we have been to a few BBQ's. I should get a gym pass real soon b/c in no way has my eating the last couple of weeks been healthy. Amazingly yummy though!
Is it normal that I have been to Target 5 times already since I have been home? I seriously LOVE that store! I missed it so much while I was gone! I always end up buying something that I don't need. I can't help it! Just way too many fun/cute things.
I think we have been playing a little too much since we got home. We have been to seven peaks, Cowabunga Bay, Lagoon, Family parties...It has been non stop fun! Ava had never been to Lagoon though so it really was a blast! She is pretty brave! She went on all the rides that she was tall enough for and some were even scary for me! I am a pretty big pansy though when it comes to that stuff.

This Ride I thought was the scariest! It's like a mini version of the Rocket!

Lagoon seriously has some of the best corn on the cob!

Here's all of us Lagooners, minus Joey who was taking the pic :)
I was so happy that we got back in time for the 4th of July! I just LOVE it! It is always so much fun. There are so many fun things going on and it is just a feel good holiday. We had a big family party that was filled with fun, food, and games. SO MUCH FUN ALL DANG DAY!

Ava loved the sparklers!
We have been having so much fun since we got home that I forgot that I will need to start working again. That's a bummer! I have been pretty spoiled with the whole "stay at home mom" thing the past year and a half, but it will be good for me to start working again and getting back onto a schedule and Ava will be starting Kindergarten in August! CRAZY!
Anyway, that is a brief little breakdown of what has been going on in our lifes since we have been home. Lot's of fun!!

Our Chinese Easter

Last Easter, we didn't do a darn thing. We were still trying to get used to our surroundings and Easter just isn't celebrated out here, so, like other holidays, we skipped it. Kinda just pretended it wasn't happening so that we weren't feeling sad about missing out on all of the fun back home. This year though, Ava is getting very anxious to go back home and just needs things to look forward to. So, we did the best that we could with bringing Easter to China.
I know that Easter isn't all about the Easter Bunny, Easter egg hunts, and getting candy. I know that the true meaning of Easter is about Christ and the sacrafice he made for us so that we could be forgiven for our sins and that this day symbolizes Christ's resurrection from the dead, but, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank the Lord for sending us his only begotten son. So, of course I kept Christ in my heart today even more so than any other day, but, we let Ava just have fun and be spoiled. Call me a bad parent, I don't care. The poor lil thing has been living here in China for over a year w/ no friends, and is bombarded with crazy Chinese people wanting to touch her, take pictures of her, and just bothering her everytime we step foot outside. She deserved to just have a fun day with the excitement and anticipation of the Easter Bunny.
Since they don't celebrate Easter out here, there obviously wasn't any plastic Easter eggs, Easter baskets, or Easter Egg dying kits, so, my husband looked online to find other ways to dye eggs. The methods were a little old school, but we really had no other options. We don't even know where to buy food coloring since we have never seen it out here! He found that you can actually use fruits and veggies to dye the eggs by boiling them. For example: red cabbage turns eggs purple. You boil the cabbage and add the vinegar and eggs, then let them sit. You can use Orange peels, bluberries, grapes...you get the idea. The thing is, is that this method doesn't work well with brown eggs and that is really all you can find out here in China. So, our eggs ended up looking kinda grayish. Not very pretty. So, we just let Ava get her water color paints out and go to town on them. She had a blast! And they looked a whole lot more colorful after she was done with them!
After the eggs were all painted, it was time to prepare Ava's Rapunzel hair for her Easter curls. I wrapped her hair all up in sponge curlers....what a task!! Her hair is down to her bum and my arms were actually achey after I was done rolling all of her hair!Look at that head of rollers!

When we all woke up Easter morning, I had to keep Ava in our bedroom so Joey could go set up the Easter Bunny's little surprises. I hurried and did her hair and got her into her cute lil Easter dress. Doesn't she look adorable?!
She has her purse substituting for an Easter basket :)
We opted to have her egg hunt inside the apartment b/c otherwise, people would just be bothering her while she was trying to find her eggs and if any other kids found any of them, they would just take them for themselves. They honestly will just come up and take things out of your hands if they are curious. So, we just did not want to deal with all of that.
The first surprise that she found when she went out to the living room was this fun lil pretend set which she just LOVED!
Then she started noticing the eggs that were hidden all around the apartment. She had a blast looking for all of them and Ginger even helped out :)
I think Ginger actually helped her find some that she might've had trouble finding herself.

Joey did good at hiding them in some sneaky places :)

She found all of her eggs!

The Easter Bunny also brought her "Rango" It was the closest thing we could find that resemled him! ha ha!
And of course the Easter Bunny didn't forget the candy!

Ava wanted to open her play set up ASAP and put the pretend make up on.
And she was loving the dress up shoes that came in the set.
After all the excitment from the Easter Bunny's visit, we all took a walk outside. The weather was PERFECT today. 74 degrees with a nice breeze! We walked down to a big grassy area that is fun for Ava and Ginger to play on.
They both had a blast! Ava blew bubbles while Ginger tried to eat them!
And Joey played ball with Ava. I think she had more fun trying to throw the ball at Joey's head though lol!
Ava even practiced walking in her new dress up shoes. She still needs some practice :)
On our walk, there were so many beautiful flowers in every color!
These ones were Ava's favorite.
And these are all just so bright and happy looking!
Lately, Ava has really been into taking pictures. She took this one of Joey and I today. She does pretty good!
On top of it being Easter, it was also our little Miss Ginger's 1 year old birthday!
Happy Birthday to our tough lil puppy! We love you!

We had an AMAZING Easter! It went as perfectly as it could have for being out here in China. Ava had a blast and hasn't been so excited since Christmas. Just watching her have so much fun made our day priceless! The only thing that could have made it better is if China had some of those Cadbury mini eggs! Those things are the Devil! but so dang good!
I hope all of our family, friends, and loved ones had a great Easter as well! Can't wait to be home with you all next year to celebrate such a special and meaningful holiday.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

So Close But So Far

62 more days until we leave China and make our LONG journey back home. I know 62 days doesn't sound like very many, and it really isn't, unless you are needing those 62 days to fly by. The days are not flying by. In fact, they are doing the exact oppisite. They are dragging! The universe is trying to punish me for something. I just haven't figured out what I have done that deserves this kind of punishment. Every morning I wake up, I look around and tell myself "Just get through this day." and I do. But my patience is running low and I am in desperate need of a Diet Coke with Lime from Sonic.
Poor lil Ava has had it too. At first, she was excited being in a new place and even enjoyed all of the attention she was getting from everyone. But now, the poor thing keeps asking "When are we getting out of Chinese?" And she hides when people want to take her picture. We are all just so tired of being bothered and feeling like a walking attraction. Of course it's flattering to have people always telling you how beautiful you are but, I have had 2 lifetimes full of compliments out here in a year and the only person I need now to tell me that I'm beautiful is my husband.
God, please keep giving me the strength and patience to make it through these next couple of months without having a mental breakdown and without punching anyone in the face. I really would rather not go to jail out her in China so, please bless me with self control and a peaceful heart as well. Amen.
Everyone else who reads this, you better start praying for me also cause I need all the help I can get to make it through these next 62 days cause they could get crazy! :)

Smelly Smells

For the past week, the little rectangular area in the parking garage of the our apartment building where you wait for the elevator has been "under construction". They have painted and re painted that little rectangle green. I don't undertsand Why. The entire basement garage is a non painted cement. Why are they painting this tiny little area? You are probably wondering why I even care, but believe it or not, this little “remodel” has caused way too many problems, the first and worst problem being the smell! I don’t know what kind of crazy paint they are using but it smells like no paint I have ever smelled before. It is SO STRONG and has made it’s way up into out apartment on the 18th floor. I have had a non stop headache for a week straight b/c of the smell. Even lightheaded at times. There is no way that it can be healthy. So, because of the smell, I have had to keep all of the windows open which is nice at times, but my entire apartment is all hardwood floors that are the perfect color for showing every little partticle dust. China is dusty outside, so, all of that comes inside and onto my floors and anything else with a resting area.
Another problem this paint job has caused is that b/c this area they have painted is the in and out entrance area for the elevator, you can no longer use the elevator to go down to the garage. Instead, you have to go to the first floor, walk outside and go down the stairs to the basement. Not a huge deal except when I need to take the dog out to the bathroom and it’s raining and my key won’t work to open the entrance door to our building so I'm just stuck outside waiting for someone to go in or out....it is not a fun time. I even prop the door open with a rock or something so I can get back in, but there is always some idiot who thinks they are the door police and they move the rock locking me outside again.
I guess I wouldn’t be so frustrated about this situation if there were no dangerous fumes coming up the stairwell and elevator shaft but there are and they are making me cranky. If I pass out and hit my head from these fumes, I will sue…or write a letter…or something scary! All of these unnecessary, frustrating situations for a green, painted, cement rectangle that these Chinese people have been taking their sweet ass time with finishing up. Any sort of renovations that they recieve, whether it be big or small, they will draaaaaag it out until it just drives you crazy! China! I have had enough of you! You have tested my patience over and over again and my departure day couldn’t come soon enough! Peace out China!

My Poor Head

So, I have had a constant headache for the past...well, forever. And I thought that most of the reason it was hurting was from the 2 car accidents I have been in. They really gave me some whip lash. But, the other day while my little girl was talking to me, I realized it was b/c of this lil munchkins booming voice! It doesn't matter if she is just talking to you, her voice level is SO LOUD all of the time!I don't know how many times a day I have to say "Please lower your voice", or "Not so loud". I could be a rich women if I got a penny for every time I ask her.
Obviously she doesn't realize she is talking/shouting all of the time. I'm sure it's probably annoying for her to have me asking so many times to keep it down. Maybe she needs to be a singer so she can belt her thoughts and feelings out in song. Or maybe her ears are plugged up and so it sounds to her like she needs to talk louder than she really does. Whatever the reason is, I hope I can help resolve it soon b/c you can only take so much Excedrin before it eats at your tummy's lining. Then you would still have a bad headache plus an ulcer. No good.
When we get back to America, she is getting her ears checked. If they look ok, then singing lessons here we come! I wonder if Christina Aguilera or Mariah Carey shout/ talked when they were younger...or even still do. Hmmm...
I Love my little Ava, I just need her to stop shout talking so my head can get a little rest. I'm sure all of you moms know what I'm talking about :)

Little Miss Ginger

I wanted to dedicate a post that was all about our little miss Ginger. No, we don't have a red headed child. Ginger is our crazy, sweet and smart 50 pound Golden Retriever puppy that we were blessed to find out here in China.

Who knew that this little ball of fun and cuteness would bring more happiness into our family's lives than any of us could have ever imagined.
Being out here in China with my husband gone at work all day and no friends for Ava and I, it gets lonely. We needed something to help us cope a little better and help pass the time. So, my husband and I talked about possibly getting a dog. I got online and did some research for different breed options. I was looking for dogs that were patient with kids, did good in apartments, and that were smart. I did not want a dog that could not learn how to come tell me that it needed to go potty. So, with all that in mind, I actaully found the perfect breed called Papillon. It was a smaller breed, had good characteristics, and was #8 for being one of the smartest breeds of dogs. So, we asked one of my husbands co workers to help us try to find one out here in China and after a couple weeks he found a "breeder" that said he had one for sale. That next weekend, we all got into the car to go look at the puppy.
Once we met up with the guy that was selling the papillon, he had us follow him into an alley that our car could barely fit through. Then, took us into a very old and run down apartment building. I wasn't really surprised since this was just how things were done out here and people just live in all sorts of places and buildings. So, we followed him into his apartment. As soon as he opened the front door, a wave of stench that smelled like urin and feces hit our noses and the high pitched whines and whimpers of puppies rang our ears. I stepped into the apartment and couldn't believe what I was seeing. Crates stacked on top of crates stuffed with puppies that were hungry, dirty, sick, and sad. We had walked right into a puppy mill and I was instantly sick to my stomach. Not because of the smell, but because I couldn't believe that any human being could think that this was okay. It wasn't just the guy that we followed into the aprtment either, there were 3 other people there that were just ignoring the whimpers and cries of all those precious puppies.
You would think that a little 4 year old would have been estatic to be in a room full of puppies, but even my little one could tell that this was not right. As soon as we entered the apartment, she wasnted to be held and would not look around. She was upset by the situation also. If my 4 year old knew it was wrong, how did these people feel ok with what they were doing?! We just needed to get out of there so, I had our friend ask the man where the papillon was. He said that it was at the vet and that they would get it back in a couple of days. I was furious! "Why didn't he tell you that on the phone?" I asked our friend. "We just drove an hour to get to this hell hole and they don't even have the dog that we came here for." I could tell that our friend was embarrassed but it wasn't his fault and I knew that. I was just mad that any of us, especially my little girl, had to have this experience and that these people were trying to jerk us around.
While our friend was talking with the man trying to figure out why this happened and when they would have the puppy, another one of the guys was trying to get us to buy a Yorkie. The poor thing looked too small to be away from it's mother and it's hair was all greasy. It occured to me as this man was trying to get me to hold this poor, sickly dog, that they probably never had a papillon. They knew that we were an American family wanting a dog so they thought they could lie to get us to their "buisness" and then try to get us to buy a different puppy. I was mad at these people and I refused to hold any of these puppies they were trying to get me to play with. I did not want to get an attatchments to any of these dogs because I knew that even if we did buy one and take it away from that awful place, it's chances of survival were slim to none and that was just something non of us wanted to go through.
We left there upset, let down, and disturbed. The saddest part may have been the realization that there was no one for us to call to report what we had just witnessed since there are no animal protection laws in China. We just had to try and put that place out of our minds.
Our friend continued to search for a papillon but it was a rare breed here in China. The places that claimed to breed them were all puppy mills and so I started my reserach again. This time, my only requirements were that the breed was good with kids and smart. Yes, we do live in an aprtment, but not for much longer so, I figured that it would be ok for a year as long as we played and walked the dog everyday.
During my search, the breed that always popped up was the Golden Retriever and I felt good about that because my grandparents always had Golden Retrievers. Stella was the dog they had when I was born and I remember loving her so much and would climb all over her. She would just let me. She never snapped at me even though I probably gave her plenty of reasons to do so.
When she passed away, my grandparents had her cremated and kept her ashes in a beautiful urn. Not too long after her passing, they got Amber. She was such a smart thing and she LOVED playing fetch in the water. My granparents lived right off of Lake Cresent and so my brother and I would spend hours on the dock throwing Amber's tennis balls and sticks into the water as we watched her dive into the lake, and somehow fit 2 tennis balls and 3 sticks into her mouth and then swim back to us just so she could do it all over again. I had nothing but good memories with Golden Retrievers and so, we approached our friend once again to have him help us out with our search. He was such a great sport, especially since he probably didn't quite understand what our obsession was with owning a dog. Out here, it just isn't very common to own a pet, and the people who do own dogs, are usually small, brown colored poodles or pomeranians.
If you are wondering the most common question about dogs out here and that is, "Don't they eat dogs in China?" Then I will answer you honestly. The answer is, yes. The poor eat dog if it is slim pickins for them, but it's not like stores or butchers sell dog meat and it's never on a resturant menu. If money is tight and they see a stray dod.... They will eat dog. It is sad but every country or religion has some animal that that they eat that other countries/religions think they are crazy for doing so. Like the Hindus think that the cow is sacred and worship it, while our food in America is mostly based around the cow. Just different cultural beliefs.
After a few more weeks of searching, our friend was able to find a nice couple who's parents Golden Retriever had puppies. They were helping sell the puppies for their parents and only had one left. The wife had wanted to keep her but was not able to so, My husband and friend went that night to go look at the pup. This time I did not go just in case it was some other upsetting situation.
Later that evening, I got a call from my husband letting me know he was coming home with a puppy! I was so excited for him to walk through the door and to see the look on Ava's face! It was indeed, priceless!

She was kind of in shock!

Ava and the family was in love with this little cutie pie! She was just so sweet and good natured. We felt so lucky to have her! She melted our hearts and we were attatched as soon as that ball of fur came through our door.
That first night was a blur! There was a whole lot of excitment going on and we needed to decide on a name. We tried out Lady, Goldie, Princess, and Beauty. We liked those names but none felt totally right. Then, Ginger popped into my head. We all liked it and it just sounded good! Poor thing was probably so confused since the name she had been called was Chinese. Piao liang which means beautiful. Actually, all of the commands that she had been learning thus far had all been in Chinese so, it was like she was starting from scratch again but she caught on fast!
A couple months after Ginger came into our family, the usual little ball of joy was beginning to act different. She was becoming lethargic, and seemed depressed. I was worried it was b/c she felt cooped up, but then, a day later, she began vomitting. We took her straight to the vet and they ran the Parvo virus test on her. It came back borderline so, we were instructed to watch her overnight and if she was still vomitting, then we needed to bring her back. Sure thing, our lil Ginger could not keep anything down and we took her back the very next day. They ran the test one more time and it came back positive for Parvo. The vet explained to us that it was a very serious virus and that there is no cure. Only support for the dogs immune system to help fight the virus off. He also explained that the treatment was very expensive and long. We told him we didn't care. We just wanted our pup to get all of the care and help that they could give here. A lot of people in China cannot afford the kind of treatment that our Ginger needed, so, I think it came as a surprise to him that the cost would not be a factor that we cared about. The vet then let us know that 50% of puppies that catch the Parvo Virus end up losing the battle. We were beyond scared for our lil cutie. We felt so helpless. All we could do is shower her with love and comfort her throughout this time. She was so sick and weak, my husband would have to carry her from place to place. And everyday for 14 days, we had to take her to the vet where she was put on an IV drip and recieved 6 different shots every visit. The poor lil thing was so sore from being poked so much that she would whimper if you touched her wrong. We couldn't even give her one drop of food or water for a whole week while her digestive system was repairing itself.
After a week of the treatment, we began to see some spunk come back to our puppy. She started to walk around a little more, wag that lil tail of hers, and even give us some playful nudges. Even though we were estatic to see these changes in her, we tried not to encourgae any play. We needed her to rest and recover. We continued the treatment and everyone at the vet's office began seeing the changes as well and kept commenting on how strong she was. After the 2 weeks, our Ginger could keep her food and water down and was getting stronger everyday. She had survived the Parvo Virus! What a trooper!

Since her battle with Parvo, Ginger has been nothing but a our crazy puppy! She loves to play! She is so smart as well! She knows how to "shake", give a "high five", "sit", "lay", "beg", and does pretty good with "staying".
Potty training her was fairly simple considering we live on the 18th story and didn't have a whole lot of control over how fast we could make it downatairs. Needless to say, she had a few accidents in the elevator that we had to hurry and clean up in the beginning. No accidents at all anymore though!
On top of being smart, fun, and affectionate, Ginger is very protective of our family. Not protective in the sense that she would bite or attck anyone b/c that is just not in their nature, but protective in the way that she always needs to know where everyone is at all times before she can relax. If one of us closes a door, she whines and paces, even scratches at the door that is closed. She will actually come get one of us to open the door for her if it stays closed for too long. And if we are all in seperate rooms, she has to come peek in and check on us and then position herself somewhere in the apartment where she is able to see all of us. It is so sweet but sometimes just taking a bathroom break can be a rushed situation b/c she is needing to know what is going on!
We can not wait to be able to bring Ginger home to the USA and have a yard and parks that she can go play in without people being scared to death of her. She is bigger than most dogs out here so people get very scared when they see her even though she has the sweetest face. We have people all of the time that will not get into the elevator if she is in it. We have also have had girls AND guys scream out when they see her. It is pretty weird and I can't help but laugh. Could you imagine if we would have gotten a a german shepard or a great dane?! ha ha!!
Well, now you know about the best thing that has happened to us out here in China. Ginger has helped keep our spirits up when we have been lonely and homesick and makes us laugh every single day. What would we have done without this 50 pound (soon to be 65 pound) hunk of love? Little Miss Ginger, thank you for your unconditional love you give us everyday and the smiles that you put on our faces! We love you!

Our Chinese V-Day

I know. I know. This post is late but my computer was down for a bit so, better late than never!
I'm sure that most of you know that here in China, they don't celebrate the same holidays that we do in America, so, it has been really hard to just kinda skip the 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and thank heavans we got to go home for Christmas because that is another one they don't celebrate!! So, as you have probably already guessed, Valentine's Day isn't on the calendar outhere. Last year we didn't even acknowledge the holiday since we had only been out here a month and were still adjusting. This year, I was wondering if we should just not stress about it again, but Joey and I have yet to celebrate a Valentine's together since we've been married. I wanted to at least do a little something extra for him on this day. So, the brain storming began. I wasn't realy sure what I could get for him that he wouldn't see me purchase since anywhere I go, he is with me. I was stumped and my brain actually started to hurt. Valentines Day was a week away and I needed to figure this out sooner than later. Then, it finally started coming to me. The idea of making him a love song playlist and secretly putting it on his iTouch seemed like an easy but cute one. And then writing him a poem seemed like a sweet and sentimental gift. Only problem was, was that I have never wrote a poem before and I only had a week to figure it out.
Writing a poem seems like it would be an easy task, and for many, it probably is, but it didn't come as easy for me. I would write something I thought sounded good and then when I would read it back, it sounded like my lil 5 year old had made it up. This poem was literally one of the more frustrating things I have done, but, after 5 days of writing and re writing, mixed with a little swearing and storming away from my computer, I finally finished it! I was pretty nervous about actually giving it to my husband though. What if it really sucked and I just thought it was sounding good? Getting a crappy love poem for your Valentines gift would be...well, crappy. So, I was really keeping my fingers crossed that I had a little Emily Dickinson talent somewhere in me!
The night before the big day, I waited until Joey was asleep and snuck his iTouch into the other room and added the Love song playlist onto it. I put it back on his nightstand with a little note attatched to it saying that he could only listen to the songs in that playlist for the rest of the day.
The Next thing to get ready was the poem. I wrote it all out on a blank piece of paper in red. Then, I got a lighter and burned the edges of the paper. And of course I burned the crap out of a few of my fingers! Then I rolled it up, and tied it with a red ribbon. I placed the rolled up poem in his computer bag so that he would get it when he got to work.
The next morning, I woke up to a very excited text message from my husband saying thank you and how much he loved the playlist and the poem! I was relieved but still had some insecurities that maybe he was just saying that he loved it so my feelings weren't hurt. He called me later on that day just to say thank you again and said how it was one of the sweetest things anyone had done for him. My insecurities went away after that :)
Here is the poem that I wrote to him:
The Story Of You and Me
Once upon a time, not very long ago,
there was a girl who felt so very lost and alone.
Everyday was a struggle just to make it through, while she tried to stay strong, there wasn't much she could do.
There was a piece of her heart that was missing you see, and the hole that was left brought her only pain and misery.
Where could it be? How could it be gone? Could this pain that she felt ever be gone?
Feeling hopeless and empty, she continued to push on, as life was whirling all around her, she began to sing a song.
A song about love, a song about sorrow, a song of how she hoped for a new tomorrow.
Then one night, as she put on her fake smile, she headed off to work and tried to forget about the pain for awhile.
She pretended to laugh, she tried not to cry, and when the night was over, a guy walked on by.
He was handsome and sweet, knew just what to say that made the girl's breath get taken away.
she pretended not to notice, pretended she did not care. But when he was not looking, she couldn't help but stare.
she loved being near him, loved when he came around, because for that small moment, she could let her guard come down.
Each day that she saw him, she never felt despair, only joy and excitment, her heart even began to repair!
Little by little, day by day, the hurt she carried inside her began to fade away.
Now today is a new day, and all the pain is gone. Not a drop of fear, or a hint of tears lies within her heart. Now there is only room for joy and love, because that guy had healed that girl's broken heart.
Now they are both together, and the story gets better you see, because they lived happily ever after, and the story is about you and me.By~Cassandra Lange
Maybe not the best poem in the world, be he liked it so, that's all that matters :)
I wanted to make the day a little more special for Ava as well, so that morning I made some heart shaped pancakes with chocolate.

Of course she loved them!! Anything with chocolate she will eat!
The rest of my day just went on as normal. Earlier in the week, Joey and I had talked about all of us going to dinner at a Korean resturant that we really like, so, that was all I was expecting. I got Ava and I all ready and when Joey got home, we headed out for our Valetine's dinner.
We walked inside the resturant and headed upstairs, and there was a table reserved that had a Huge bouquet of flowers, and a little bouquet of flowers on it! My sweet husband had gone over to the resturant earlier that day and got it all set up!

And here is the cute little bouquet he got for Ava.

She felt so special!!
As if flowers weren't enough, while we were waiting for out food, all of the sudden there was a Swarovski bag on the table! My heart skipped a beat because I always drag my poor hubby into that store and just "ooh" and "awe" over everything in there! But, it's a little pricey so, I never end up purchasing anything. Now, there was this dainty little bag waiting for me to open! and I did! When I popped open the box, my eyes were filled with sparkles and hearts! A Sparkly hearts necklace to be exact! My husband knows I'm a sucker for anything that sparkles, and this necklace was full of them! 4 hearts. 1 for me, 1 for him, 1 for Ava, and 1 for Ginger.

I had to wear it ASAP!

Isn't it beautiful?! I just LOVE it!
So, that was our fun little Chinese V-Day. It actually was the best I've had yet! Maybe because it really was up to us to have the holiday happen, and also because out here, we really rely on each other. Sometimes you forget how special the people that are in our daily lifes really are. Some people don't like Valentines day, but I think, why not take advantage of any oppurtunity to let our loved ones know how much we love them? I hope my family and friends know how much I love and care about them. And if not, let me take this oppurtunity to let you know right now that I love you! XOXO

Happy Belated Chinese New Year!

I haven't updated my blog for awhile because my computer had some sort of a virus on it. Thank goodness my husband is good at fixing EVERYTHING! Literally, he can fix anything that needs fixing. Lucky for me because unless it's me fixing dinner, hair, or make up, I am a complete moron! So, thank you babe for fixing my computer!!
Ok, so, the Chinese New Year is finally over...THANK THE LORD!! For an entire week, I hardly slept. Fireworks were going off non stop, all day and all night long. It sounded like a legit warzone outside for a week. I don't get it. I mean, I know the Chinese are proud of themselves for inventing fireworks or whatever but why light them off during the day? You can hardly even see them so it makes them not very swesome in my book. Like, who wakes up at 5 a.m. and is like "Hmmm...what should I do first today? Maybe eat a little breakfast? Maybe go for a morning jog? Wait! No! I got it! I should go light off a million fireworks and wake everyone and their kids up! It is going to be awesome!" To each their own I guess!
Not only are they loud, but we live on the 18th floor and the fireworks that are being lit off below us make their way right up to our story and the debris coming off from them is actually hitting our windows. It made hanging up the laundry a very jumpy chore for that week. I would be minding my own buisness and hanging the laundry out to dry, and then a firework would just explode right out in front of me! I may have peed a little on several occasions!
Chinese new year eve was definitely the craziest by far with the fireworks! It was just massive ammounts going off everywhere and as far as the eye could see. It really was amazing to witness. Here's a little video that shows just a fraction of the firework mayhem that was going on that night!

Pretty crazy, huh? And that went on pretty much all night long! Ava loved the fireworks for about 45 minutes and then she was getting irritated because she couldn't hear her movie that she was trying to watch. And our poor Ginger was so nervous with all the noise going on, but she eventually started to calm down. Anyway, besides all the fireworks, our week was very chillax. My husband had the week off of work so we went to the park a few times, went downt to the night markets, stopped at the mall, and relaxed at home and caught up on watching some movies. It was nice to just spend time together and not be bothered with no obligations. It is just so easy to be lazy! Aaaaahhh....That would be the life :) But, we have been back to reality now for a couple of weeks and are counting down the days until we come home!
Happy year of the Rabbit!!

Oh, How We Will Miss The Night Markets!

The night markets sound super sketchy, right? Well, they are in some ways. The night markets is a block that is filled with different booths that people have set up. There are all sorts of things to choose from! Shoes, purses, clothes, jewelry, watches, sunglasses,hats belts, scarfs, perfumes, fans, decorations, pictures, wallets, pearls, luggage, bed sheets, hair accessories, phone covers, electronics, and course, DVDS.
These night markets get a little crazy. There are so many people and a lot of times you can't even stop at certain booths b/c you are just getting pushed on by in the crowd. There are so many people and you have to barter for everything so, it can get overwhelming sometimes. If you stick with it though, you will be very happy with the amazing bargins that you leave with. For example: I have 3 pairs of Uggs that I purchased from the night markets, and guess how much I paid for each pair? 20 bucks!! Are they real? Well, I will admit that while some things say a brand name, a lot of times they are knockoffs, but, these uggs seem legit. The knockoffs actually say "UCG" on the back instead of "UGG". The ones that I bought have "UGG" on the back. They all came in "Ugg" boxes and had the "Ugg" care instructions with them, so, if they aren't real, no one could tell the difference b/c everything looks and feels great.
Another Example of an amzing bargin is my white Chanel watch with cubics all around the face. How much did I get it for? 17 bucks!! It took a whole lot of bartering on my husbands end to get this price but it was worth it!Everything about this watch also seems to be legit, but, like I said, who knows. It either is, or they did such a great job making it look real that no one would know the difference.
And of course, my other favorite things are the Juicy Coture purchases I have made there. Never paying over 20 dollars for any of it.
Besides clothes, shoes, and jewelry being my personal favorite things to buy at the markets, DVDS make the whole family happy. Being out here with only a few english TV channels, Hulu and pretty much any website that let's you watch American TV being banned out here, the DVDS at the night markets are our only way we can see new movies and buy english TV shows. It also give us some comfort when we are feeling that homesickness. They are beyond cheap as well. 75 cents per DVD! Can't beat that!
The newer movies that are out in thaters in America you can also buy on DVD. Some of the copies aren't always the best but who cares when you paid less than a dollar to watch it. Plus, for Ava, she doesn't care if the movie is in HD or not. She is just excited to watch some kids movies! We just bought her Tangled and Mega Mind the other night and she is in HEAVEN! We had to get her all Repunzeled out! Her outfit was Rapunzel, and we had her hair all down with a flower in it like Rapunzel. She was loving it!

I might have a little model on my hands b/c she loves posing!

Oh, night markets! We will sure miss you! Thanks you for all of the amazing deals and "legal" copies of DVDS! You have made our time here in China a little more enjoyable in many ways!

The Little Things In Life

There are times in life where it hits you just how blessed you really are. There are so many things on a daily basis that I take for granted. Things that I never even think about b/c they are just so natural like breathing, seeing, hearing, tasting,feeling, walking, talking, even the ability to type this right now. I have all my fingers and toes. I have good health. I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, clothes on my back, shoes on my feet. I have family and friends who love me and support me. I have gadgets to play with and movies to watch. My husband has a secure job and I am trained in 2 different fields so, I will (most likely), always have a job. On top of all of that, I have a beautiful daughter and a loving husband that also have their health, fingers, and toes, and a very sweet and loyal doggy :)
I can admit now, that it took moving out here to China to humble me and realize just how good I have it. I was so selfish, and still am in some ways. I didn't really realize what was important in life. Your loved ones can be taken away from you in a flash. Your health can change from good to bad. You could get into an accident and loose some of your abilities. And you could loose your job in this economy. I don't say these things to scare anyone, but it is reality and we all really need to take a step back and count our many blessings instead of counting the things that are bad in life. If you have a negative attitude all of the time, you will have a negative life and there is nothing "fun" about that. Let the little things slide and deal with the the real challenges that you face one by one head on.
It has been extremely hard for me to be out here and I catch myself feeling sorry for myself and playing the victim. I actually have to remind myself to take a step back and just breathe and say a little prayer in my heart to knock it the hell off. Then I feel so silly. How can I be depressed over such a minor issue? There are people who have no home. That don't have a closet full of clothes and shoes. Who don't have their health or food, that may not have a support system of family and friends, and may be missing a finger or two. Who gave me the right to feel bad for myself when I am beyond blessed in every way?
I might not have a lot of money, but I have enough to buy food, and pay the bills, and sometimes even have a little extra to go shopping or do something fun.
I might not have the prettiest face, but I have a husband who thinks that I am beautiful and who loves me for me.
I may not have the clearest skin, but I have the ability to purchase make up to help give me a better looking complexion.
I may not have the biggest house, but I have a place to call home and lay my head at night. A safe haven.
I have stretch marks, but I have a beautiful little girl b/c of them.
My nose may be on the larger side, but I have a petite figure that I am very thankful for.
I may not have all of my clothes name brand, but I have money to buy cute clothes and cheap jewelry :)
I'm not the most popular person in the world, but I have the most amazing family and amazing friends who i wouldn't trade for the world!!
I may live in China, but I get to go back home soon to America!
My list really could go on and on. I guess my point is, that if you find yourself down over the cons in life, don't forget about all of the pros that you have. Life is such a blessing and it gets rough for sure! but I know that b/c of some of the hard times I myself have been through, that I am now a better and stronger person b/c of them and I am actually grateful now for those experiences. I love my past. I love my present. I’m not ashamed of what I’ve had, and I’m not sad because I have it no longer. I just feel so very blessed in every way. My life is great and I thank God everyday for what he has blessed me with. I don't deserve it, but I will take it and try to contiue earning it :) The little things count and add up. Never overlook them and try to live life to it's fullest!

A Little Post Dedicated To Miss Britney Spears

If any of you know me, you know that (1) I have been in love with Johnny Depp since the first time I saw Edward Scissorhands when I was 8 years old. And (2) I have loved Miss Britney Spears since the day I heard "Hit Me Baby One More Time" when I was 14 years old. I rememer My mom buying me her album and surprising me with it at good ol' Taco Bell. Ha ha! Why Taco Bell? Because my mom was on some low calorie diet and Taco Bell had the 7 layer burrito that she turned into a 4 layer burrito. We ate there seriously everyday for a whole summer. My mom lost a ton of weight though.... ANYWAY! back on track. I was so dang excited to put Britney's album into my CD player and try and dance like she did! I would tuck my shirt up and under so that my midriff was showing and even asked my mom to try and help me find the same lipstick and lip liner that Britney was wearing in her "Hit Me Baby One More Time" music video. I was a girl OBSESSED! I had Britney fever! and if she would have ever come over to my house and knocked on my door, I would have been her slave and wore my panties over my pants in public! No question about it. Everyone loved Miss Spears! She was hot! She was sexy! Her music made you wanna dance! and man could she dance! She was on top of the world and everyone was cheering on her fame and success. We all wanted more Britney.

In 2007 though, things started to get rough for Britney, and what did her fans do? They turned their backs to their favorite pop princess that was in distress and started bashing and judging her! Well, how RUDE! I don't need to go into every little detail about how she shaved her head and started whacking a paparazzi's car with an umbrella. Or how she decided to stop wearing her tighty whities and get out of the car proving to the world that she was ,indeed, all girl down there. And I know I don't need to remind you all of her lackluster performance at the MTV VMAS because we all know about every little detail that went on during this troubelsome time for her thanks to the tabloid and paparazzi that made sure that they involved themselves in every aspect of this stressful time.
While people, in general,were saying hurtful and negative things about Britney, the poor thing was suffering and was obviously having some kind of inner self struggle where she needed all of the love and support from her family, friends, and fans and not from that "non Doctor", Dr. Phil. How was all of this bad publicity doing her any good? How can a person start healing when no one has any faith in you and is waiting for you to make another wrong turn?
The thing is, is that all of us have had some kind of break down in some way or another, and if you haven't yet, you will. The difference between us and Miss Spears is that we aren't famous. Our hurt isn't publicized for everyone and their dog to read about and to watch.
Britney has been a pop idol since the young age of 17, and even before that, she was part of the Mickey Mouse Club. Always touring, always performing and recording. She has always been in the spotlight of the public eye. She had an A-hole cheater for a husband and 2 little boys. Most of us wouldn't be strong enough to have that pressure on our shoulders. Being not only a mother but a pop idol, having our every move followed, photographed and judged. It really was only a matter of time before she had some sort of a breakdown.
Britney actually released an album "Blackout" in 2007 when she was still working through her "issues" which a lot of people (including myself) were surprised about but, she was able to sing about some of the troubles she was going through like her song "Piece Of Me" that obviously explained some reasons why she was having some of the issues she was having.

"Wanna Piece Of Me"
"I'm miss american dream
Since I was seventeen
Don't matter if I step on the scene
Or sneak away to the Philippines
They still gon' put pictures
Of my derriere in the magazines
You wanna piece of me?
I'm miss bad media karma
Another day another drama
Guess I can't see no harm in workin
And being a mama
And with a kid on my arm
I'm still an exceptional earner
You wanna piece of me?
I'm Misses lifestyles of the rich and famous.
I'm Misses oh my God that Britney's shameless
I'm Misses extra, extra this just in
I'm Misses she's too big now she's too thin
I'm Misses you wanna piece of me
Tryin'a pissin' me off
Well get in line with the paparazzi
Who's flippin me off
Hopin I'll resort to some havoc
End up settlin' in court
Now are you sure you wanna piece of me?
I'm Misses most likely to get on the TV
For strippin' on the streets
When gettin' the groceries
For real, are you kidding me?
No wonder there's panic in the industry
I mean please
Do you wanna piece of me?"

Then, in December 2008, she released another hit album "Circus" and went on tour. I was lucky enough to get to go see her in concert that April. It was seriously AMAZING! Everything that girl does is nothing short of amazing!
Some were saying that she wouldn't make a come back. Now those people are choking on their words. Not to brag or anything, but I knew she would be back! Sexier and hotter than ever! Now with her new single out "Hold It Against Me" at the top of the charts, Britney has us all back on our toes again waiting to see what she will do next and we can bet it will be something memorable just like the time her and Madonna frenched on live, national televison. And Britney, to answer your question; Yes. Yes I will hold it against you. It's Britney bitches! and she isn't going anywhere!

It's A Hard Knock Life, When You're A Girl

Is it just me, or do us girls have it rough? Rougher than the guys at least. What do guys do when they wake up in the morning? They roll out of bed, jump in the shower, maybe shave if they feel like it, run their fingers through their hair (unless they are still trying to pull off the Justin Bieber look) and throw on some clothes. 10 to 15 minutes and they're done! But us girls try to avoid our reflections as long as possible. It's a rats nest on top of our heads, the no make up thing really isn't working out for us, there are probably some new zits, and our eyes are puffy and have dark circles under them. So, our work begins. We shower with perfumed body washes, lather our hair with expensive shampoos and conditioners b/c the bottle says it will help mend our split ends and make our hair lustrous. If we aren't in a hurry (or too lazy), we shave our legs. Then we have all sorts of body lotions to choose from to make our skin feel soft and smell good. Some even help give us a little tan, and some to get rid of the wrinkles on our faces. We have more hair products than we know what to do with and end up making some kind of voodoo mixture with them that we put in our hair before and after we spend 10, 20, even 30 minutes styling it. Then comes the whole make up process. Our faces are like a canvas and we have to be the artists applying foundation, cover ups and powders to make our complexions look smooth and flawless. Eyeshadows, eyeliner, and mascara to make our eyes look anything from seductive to natural. Lip liner, lipsticks, and lipgloss for our pouts to look more plump and kissable. Blushes, bronzers, and highlighters to make it all blend and look natural.
Next we head over to our closets. Hmmmm....What to wear that won't make us look and feel like a cow but still let us be comfortable? Usually we sacrafice the "being comfortable" thing to look stylish and slimmer. We suffer through out the whole day trying to suck in our guts and still breathe normally.
Once the outfit is on, we have to find the right shoes. Thank the Lord that Uggs are in style and comfy! But a lot of times, we have to still wear uncomfortable heels and pumps b/c they look so much better with the outfit we picked out.
Not done getting ready yet! To top everything off, we need to accessarize ourselfs. That could include matching earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings,belts, scarfs, purses, and even a matching mani and pedi.
After we have spent, who knows how long getting ready, we are hungry! But do you think we can be like guys who seem to be able to get away with stuffing their faces with whatever they want and if they gain a few pounds, no one says anything or judges them? No. We can't. If a girl does that, it's a totally different story. Us girls have to think about the consequences that that yummy slice of pizza will have later. All the sudden we become mathematicians caculating what it would do to our caloric intake for the day. IF we choose to eat that slice of pizza, we either pretty much have to starve ourselves for the rest of the day or spend an extra 45 minutes on the tredmil. If we ever dare have dessert....well, that guilt stays with us the for the rest of the week. We have to go home and punish ourselves with a Jillian Michaels work out DVD and that lady is hardcore!
On top of all of our stresses and pressure to be thin and beautiful, we get to be the ones that grow the babies. Don't get me wrong, kids are great and I would go through my pregnancy all over again for my little lovebug but the war wounds they leave on our bodies are less than favorable. Stretch marks, love handles, muffin tops, and wider hips are not helpful when we are trying to keep our figures fit and sexy. The only OK thing that comes from being pregnant (besides the bundle of joy that we get at the end of the 9 months)is not having to surf the crimson tide every month. Yet another pain in the ass that guys don't have to deal with.
Being a girl is rough. There are beautiful airbrushed models and celebrites posted everywhere and guys comparing us to the impossible. We have a lot of competition! and No matter how many crunches or hours of cardio we do, it just will never be enough b/c this is real life. Our bodies can't be altered the way they can be on a computer. Even if you get plastic surgery, there will still be the scars.
Have I depressed you enough yet with this post? Well, the reason for me writing this post is not to depress you but to sypmathize with you and let you girls know that you aren't alone in the whole "feeling ugly" department. It just comes with our gender. But instead of giving up, I have decided that spending time on myself and my body makes me feel a whole lot prettier and more attractive than giving up and being depressed about what can not be helped. It is so hard not to get caught up in the fads and punishing ourselves for not looking a certain way but do you think celebrities wake up and look amazing? NO! They take at least 3 hours everyday to get glamorous and they have professionals getting them that way. We need to stop comparing ourselves to the things that are not realistic and be happy with who we are and if you want to loose a few pounds,change your look up, or even get plasric surgery, go for it! But make sure you do it for yourself and b/c YOU want to. Never do it for anyone else. We all have witnessed how that tragedy turned out with Heidi Montag! This is a reminder not only for all of you but for myself as well. I too am guilty of beating myself up over my weight and my looks. It does nothing but make me feel even worse and more unattractive.
Because we have so much that we deal with on a day to day basis, I always wonder why, on top of all our insecurities, are we so mean to each other? Why do us girls give each other dirty looks, and call each other names? Does it really make us feel better? It shouldn't. If we see a pretty girl, why do we try and make her feel ugly or bad about herself? We all know how bad that feels. So, then why do we do it? We should all try to be a little sweeter and stop bringing each other down. I know that when I get a compliment from a girl, it makes me feel 100 times better than if I get a compliment from a guy.
Is being a girl rough? Yes. It can get downright exhausting! But, I know that a lot of it is b/c of the beatings we give to ourselves. We really are our own worst enemies. What we should be doing is what we love. Eat what we love (in moderation of course). Be happy, be healthy, and love ourselves. Is that hard to do? Yes. I think especially the last part. Loving ourselves will always be a struggle, but once you find happiness in your life, it should get easier and easier. From the wise mouth of Miss Ke$ha' "We are who we are" So, let's all try loving being a girl and loving ourselves even though sometimes we envy how easy it seems to be a guy. I'm sure they have some rough times too :) Us girls are the more attractive gender. That is definitely something to be proud of:)

Our Little Vacay Within Our Vacay

We Recently just got back from a 2 week vacation visiting back home. It was so nice to see family and friends! I never thought that I would take a vacation back home! But we did and we loved it! We stayed at my parents house and my mom should run her own Inne b/c she took care of everything! Lover her! My hubby and I also went to Vegas while we were home. So much fun!
Living in China has made me appriciate everything 100x more like American food! Everything tasted sooo dang good! Our first night back, we booked it over to Wing Nutz with my mom, dad, and one of my brothers. It was AMAZING! The rest of the trip, we prioritized where we would eat and what places we would skip until next time. Ha ha! Never thought I would be doing that either! All of that good food has made me pay the price though. I have been working my butt off to remove the pounds that I put on while on vacation. Most of the calories came from when we went to Vegas. Too much good food there! It seriously was heaven! One of The best junk food places we went to was "Pinks". It was at Planet Hollywood where we were staying and sooo yummy!

K- don't even judge me! It was the best crappy food I have ever put into my mouth!

Then there are the buffets at Vegas! Sooo many to chose from, but my dad (who is like an un paid food critic) would always take us to The Rio's "Carnival" buffet when we were younger and would do day trips to Vegas quite frequently. It was a favorite and never dissapointed! So, that is where my husband and I went this trip. We stayed there for 2 1/2 hours!! We just kept piling our plates with crab legs and banana's foster!

And of course there are the MEGA size drinks at Vegas that always let you keep the way too big cup that would never fit in any of your luggage, but they are oh so good and as big as your head!

The next trip you take out to Vegas, make sure you go to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum if you haven't already. This was out seconf time going and they had changed and added things. It was a blast! Most of the figures are so real looking that it is kinda freaky.
My very, very favorite Wax figure is of Mr. Johnny Depp...*sigh* even in Wax he makes my heart skip a beat :)

Then there is Hugh. I had to poke him to make sure he wasn't real b/c he looks amazingly good! And I just love that he is on the "love" bed!

My husband's favorite wax figures were Cameron Diaz and Eva Longoria. I don't blame him. They are both hotties!

This picture I just had to put up cause it cracks me up everytime I look at it!

And then there is Lady Gaga who I love!

But my very favorite musician is Miss Britney Spears! I'm not going to lie, she makes my heart skip a beat also :)

And then there is my favorite Iconic celebrity. Marilyn Monroe. She is just beautiful in every way.

Before our trip out to Vegas, I had read that MGM had a CSI attraction where they have different crime scenes set up and you choose the one you want to solve. It was so fun and just such a different experience. I would recommended that to anyone who wanted to try something a little different.
We did a lot of things that we had never done/seen like the M&M factory. It was crazy that they made such a huge place based off of M&M murchandise. There was nothing I wanted to purchase there except Pink M&M's!

They also had a free 3D 10 minute M&M movie that we watched. It was actually kind of funny, but was even more funny was watching all of the little kids in the theatre try and touch the 3D figures that were in front of them!
We also went to the Coca cola store...hmmm...it was fun to just look around, but yeah, nothing I wanted to actually buy there.
Of course we went and saw the water show at the Bellagio and it was amazing as always!

So, this might be silly to some of you, but one of my favorite things that we did this Vegas trip was go to Fremont Street. I had never been before and it was really so much fun! It was like a mini Las Vegas only you are covered by a huge canopy that plays music and has a show going on up above you!

It was a blast! There were also a ton of people dressed up walking around that were working for tips so it was fun to go get your picture taken with them.

During our trip, we went into this store called "Sugar Factory" that has THE COOLEST suckers! The sticks are all blinged out and you can change the sucker flavor out whenever b/c they just screw down into the stick!
Anyway,I really wanted one but my husband was having a hard time justifying spending 25 bucks on a sucker plus another 12 bucks for 3 refills. I knew it was silly too but I really wanted one! So, at the end of our trip, my husband was the sweetest and let me go and pick a sucker and a pack of refills. What a sweetheart! I was so happy and they taste so good! It was worth it!

Our Vegas trip was so much fun and much deserved. Since we have moved to China, we had only 6 hours of alone time in a year! Two 3 hour dates that were rushed so it was so nice to to re connect and be in love again. Don't get me wrong, I am always in love with my husband, but to just be able to spend time alone togther with no worries or obligations was just what the doctor ordered! And Vegsa has such a variety of things to do that it was not only romantic but fun in every way! Thanks Vegas! You never dissapoint!