Zongker Family Website

Doing Our Homework

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Just when you think you’ve got everything in place, it seems that there are a ton of items you missed… At least that’s how it feels when we’ve been working on an ongoing project for a while. It’s okay, though. We’re making good progress. We’ve picked out a lot of the materials for our next home; it’s just a matter of making sure that we can get everything that we want, without causing the price to skyrocket… Jeremy & I have been able to come to good decisions, easily & smoothly, because we tend to like the same look of certain things & we agree on the things that we feel are necessary & the ones that can be left out, or that we can compromise on. It’s just strange to us how the homebuilder we chose uses different vendors for almost every item that we have to pick out. We can understand the appliance & lighting vendors being separate from the rest. But, for most of the other materials, why not use someone who offers them all…? But, seriously, it’s fun deciding on different elements. We’re just amazed at how quickly time passes when we’re doing it! But, we’re getting there. Wish us luck on making “final” decisions!

For a Spell

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina’s just learning more & impressing us with every passing day! Of course, we knew she loved school, even prior to this year. But, it seems with first grade, you get to learn some new skills & one of her favorites this week has been spelling! She had a list of ten words that they brought home & we got to practice each evening. She loves playing the game of putting together cards with each of the letters on them to spell a word, especially. Even though she got them all correct during our “practice runs”, she missed one on the actual test they had on Friday. But, 9/10 isn’t bad for someone who’s just learning! She’s happy about it & excited to continue learning more. They have 10 more words this week – 2 which are from last week & the rest are new. We’re so proud of our eager little scholar!

Growing Pains

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa is just such a silly, happy little girl! It’s hard to get on to her when she does something she shouldn’t, but she’s beginning to learn more & more what those things are, and for the most part, how to listen to her Mommy & Daddy, when we tell her, “no”. She just keeps picking up different expressions & it’s fun to watch her personality develop. Recently, Jeremy & I both were awakened to a habit that we share, viewing it through Aly’s eyes, anyway. She has begun to grunt when she picks things up, even if they are not heavy at all! We realized that she started this the other day, after one of us leaned over to get something that was just out of reach. I don’t remember if it was Jeremy or I, but naturally, you tend to say, “Ugh”, or something of the sort, when doing that. I know I typically make some kind of grunt-like noise when I lift something heavy, so I imagine she’s seen/heard me do this recently, as well. In any case, it’s just so cute & funny to hear out of her little mouth, especially when all she’s picking up is a plastic toy that will fit in only one of her hands!

Run Ragged

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I’m just about as worn out as I can be, these days, although I don’t have a seriously good reason as to why. It’s partially due to the fact that we spent most of the week running around to different vendors who sell materials for home building (countertops, flooring, appliances, etc.). It seems like any “free” time I might’ve gotten was instead spent helping to decide what look/texture/etc. would be best for what room. I’m not complaining, because it has been fun, so far. I just wish I had the energy that my children have, at times… Another couple of things that have affected my mood recently are the weather, for one: it keeps raining here. In my locale, we don’t seem to get a little rain, here & there. We get a “rainy season” which is typically in-between summer & fall. I’ve known this for years, but it still seems to depress me, a little more each time. Not that we’ve just had downpours, or anything. We just keep having dark, cloudy days with no sunshine. Again, not trying to complain, because it has caused cooler temperatures to set in, which is a bit enjoyable, if it wasn’t for all the humidity, at least… What I *will* complain about, however is the second thing that is affecting my temperament dramatically & that’s my allergies. They are driving me crazy these days! The itchy eyes & runny nose that know no relief, especially! I can take a pill, but the help it provides doesn’t really last long enough to give me peace about them. All I can do is suffer through & try not to pass out asleep from my eyes being so dry & itchy that they are constantly wanting to shut… *sigh* Perhaps they will get better when fall finally settles in, for good. At least that’s what they’ve done in the past. Here’s looking forward to then…

Home Design

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We’re enjoying the planning of our next home. We began this adventure at the beginning of this summer. We are hoping to have the house all built & ready to move in to around the beginning of next summer. We have the floor plan all done & signed off on. Now, the next step is what our builder calls “the design phase”. We met with their design center rep. earlier today & had a nice appointment. We made a lot of decisions, but some are still up in the air. The nice thing is that Jeremy & I pretty much know what we want. The not-so-great thing is that most of it is not included “standard” & therefore, we are going to have to shop around at each of the vendors they use a bit more, in order to nail down our exact choices. The two of us have been very agreeable, when it comes to the colors, textures & things that we both would love to have in the home, so that makes it a bit easier, at least. We probably got about half of the decisions taken care of today. Now, begins our fun “homework” of picking out the rest, shop by shop, before we meet with the design center rep. again in a couple of weeks. Wish us luck! :)

Vision for the Future

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina had a regular check-up with her eye doctor this past Wednesday. She has grown accustomed to them over nearly the past 2 years. For those that may not know, she was diagnosed with a condition called Amblyopia, when she was 4½ years old. It is more commonly known as “lazy eye”. We took her to the eye doctor on the notion from her teacher at the time, who noticed that Kat would color slightly to one side of the shapes on the papers she was given & that she tended to look at things further to one side than they actually were when they were pointed at. Neither of her eyes ever actually “wandered”, so it was difficult to even notice, really. But, the eye doctor, after screening her vision, one eye at a time realized that the left one was seeing things extremely differently. At that first visit, her eyesight was 20/70. So, we began using a patch over the “good eye” (her right one), in order to make the vision in her left one stronger. She also got her first prescription for glasses at that time, as well. We have been back every couple of months & Kat has grown significantly & her eyesight has improved a great deal, since then. At this past appointment, we were pleasantly surprised to find that it is now at 20/25! Her prescription lenses were changed once more, but she is still wearing the original, cute, purple frames she picked out almost a couple of years ago, now. We feel blessed that she has shown so much improvement & continues to go on. She has such a great personality & attitude toward the whole thing, too. She has never had a negative comment about wearing glasses & she is very good about keeping them on, during her waking hours. Here’s keeping the faith that she will continue to progress toward 20/20 & that her next appointment, in 6 months will be even better! :)

Little Eyes

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Although Alyssa’s not even 2 years old yet, Katrina’s eye doctor wanted to go ahead & check her eyes & make sure that she does not share the same condition Kat has, because it can be hereditary. So, this past Wednesday, both girls had an appointment. Aly did surprisingly well, for someone her age, anyway. She sat still on her Mommy & Daddy’s laps, as the doctor looked in her eyeballs. The only part she didn’t like was having eye drops put in, so that her pupils could be dilated. She laid down on the table, but I had to hold her hands, hugged around her, so that she wouldn’t rub her eyes. She fussed a bit, but once they were done, I was able to hold & comfort her. She enjoyed the wait to see the doctor, since they have some good toys in the waiting room. It turns out that she might be slightly nearsighted, but there are no signs of Amblyopia, so we are remaining hopeful that her vision will stay that way, or even improve, with time. The doctor wants to see her again in a year. It will be easier to explain to her what’s going on by then, at least… :)

It's Official

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I’ve been back to clogging practice for a couple of months now & am really enjoying it, again! I’ve learned several new routines & have enjoyed dancing some of the “oldies but goodies” as well. So, just recently, our instructor asked if I would like a t-shirt, so that I can participate in exhibitions (shows) with the group. And, I just got it on Thursday night. It says “Turtle Creek Cloggers” & has a cute painting of a turtle in clogging shoes. It also has my name on the back, so I feel truly “official” now! I haven’t participated in an exhibition yet, due to some scheduling conflicts, but I plan to join them soon & I’m really looking forward to it! Yay for performing & sharing something that I love to do, once more!!! :)

Sunday Gathering

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We had a nice time on Sunday, the 4 of us. It had been a couple of months since we saw some of our friends that are in our small study group from our church, better known as the Bridge. But, the hosts gave us a meeting time & we all got together for about an hour & a half. It’s a nice group of people in their 20s & early 30s, many of whom are married & have young children. Katrina is the oldest kid in the group, but she still enjoys seeing & playing with the younger ones. Alyssa’s best friend is the hosts’ daughter & she is only 10 days younger than Aly. It was great for Jeremy & me, learning a new Bible-study technique & catching up with the adults. But it was also a special treat, seeing how much the kids are growing & meeting one of the couples’ newborn daughter for the first time! Those that weren’t able to make it were missed, of course. But we feel blessed to have such great friends & it’s a pleasure to know each of the members of our Bridge Journey Group (and their kiddos)!

Our Big Biker

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, Katrina’s been making more progress on becoming “mobile” this week! Her Dad took her to the schoolyard to ride her bike the other day. They had a great time! She was turning corners & going all over the place on that thing like a pro! So, we decided it was a good idea to go ahead & take her training wheels off. This was a much harder thing for us, than for her, it seems. She was all excited about it, we just weren’t sure if any of us were quite ready. So, we took her to a local park that has a little walking/biking trail around it. The whole thing I’d estimate is only about ¼ - ½ mile, or so. Jeremy & I took turns, helping her balance while riding. Whichever one of us was not helping Kat at the time was pushing Alyssa in the stroller. She got to pedaling rather well & got up to speed where her Dad & I had to jog to keep up, but the entire time, it felt like she was leaning one way or the other, rather then balancing on her own. We each let go a handful of times, but only for a second or two, before we felt the need to grab on & let her use us to lean on… She’s getting there, though. A couple more times & she’ll probably be going around on her own, with no training wheels. We’re proud of her for trying her best & for trusting us & not being apprehensive at all! It’s a great first step! :)

Too Big for Her Britches

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa just thinks she’s so big, it’s cute! She got in trouble a little, just recently for something she didn’t realize she was too young for, though… It’s kinda’ funny, so I thought I’d share… Katrina has a small, kid-size table that she typically sits at, to eat her meals & to do art projects, & things like that. Since Aly’s not quite old enough for that sort of thing, just yet, she still eats in her high chair. But, just a few days ago, when her Big Sis was in school, Alyssa decided she was going to climb into Kat’s chair & sit there for a minute. It was sooo sweet & funny, she didn’t really get into trouble then. It was the next day, when she decided she was going to get out her Sister’s markers, crayons & other art materials that she was told, “No-no!” about. Thankfully, she only dumped them out, onto the floor, rather than trying to use them, but still… I think we’re going to have to put them up, out of her reach, pretty soon, until she understands a bit better that those are Sissy’s things, not Aly’s. ;)

Taking on a Strange Shape

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ok, so I’ve recently come to a realization which I was hoping wasn’t true: I’m not as “in shape” as I thought I was! Ha-ha! My Mom & I went to a scrapbooking convention this past Friday & as much fun as it was, getting to spend some time with her & to just hang out & shop for crop stuff, I was truly worn out, when it was all said & done! We walked around, browsing & buying for about 6 hours, well, 5 hours, since we took a break for lunch, actually. I really didn’t buy much, but got some great ideas & enjoyed seeing all the cute items there were. Mom bought a few things & even a couple for me, which was sweet. It was a great day. Then, when we took Katrina to ride her bike without training wheels, I took turns with Jeremy, helping her balance. She got to pedaling so quickly that each of us needed to jog, in order to keep up with her & sadly, even though it was only about 1/8 mile, if that, each time we took a turn, he & I both got “winded”! I’m glad we at least had each other there, to take turns with! I can’t imagine just one of us doing it, on our own… It makes me wonder how I keep up with clogging for a couple of hours each week, though… Hmmm… Hopefully, getting that exercise in will help keep me active enough that I have the stamina to endure other activities w/our kids, in the near future!

Our Next Home

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, we’ve been making good progress on having our next home built. As you may already know, we plan on moving next summer, but we’re staying in town, only going a few miles from where we are now. Most of our home plans are custom, meaning that we got to choose the size, locations, etc. of the rooms, and they had to be drafted up, rather than us having chosen one of the pre-planned models that the homebuilder typically builds. It’s been a fun, exciting process, with many ups & downs, so far, but all toward the progress of a really great end-product, in our eyes! Just today, we signed the initial documents & put a down-payment on the building. We had a lot of reading to do, prior to that, to make sure everything was worded correctly & we were getting exactly what we wanted, but it was worth every minute! We met with our contact & after signing the papers, went out to dinner to celebrate. The home shouldn’t be entirely complete & ready to be moved into until sometime late next Spring/early next Summer, but we planned that schedule, as well. The next meeting will be to pick out materials/colors from their design showcase, which should be fun! We’re learning a lot in the process, and dealing well with all the decision-making, so far. Here’s hoping for the best, throughout!

Big First Grader

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina just loves first grade, so far! We are so proud of her, too! She is extremely responsible! Even though they’ve only been back in school for like, 5 days now, she already has “homework”. This week & next, she is supposed to wear something & bring something to show her class that is the “color of the day” & she’s doing really well, so far. On Friday, she made sure to tell us, “Mom & Dad, you need to read the note in my backpack about special color days.” So, yesterday was “red day” & today was orange. Tomorrow will be yellow, and so forth, until the 6 major rainbow colors are done, then there are a few more to fill in the other days. She is enjoying it, so far. She has even made little paper hearts & colored them & given them to her teacher & a few of her friends (this wasn’t something assigned, just something she wanted to do, out of her own creativity). We are so glad she is loving school & hope the trend continues for years to come!

Ready for Her Close-Up

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa’s getting to be such a little ham, lately! She cracks us up! But, it’s extremely cute, too. It doesn’t matter where we are, or what we are trying to take a picture of, she grins her best, looks at the camera & says, “Cheese”! And, of course when we giggle at her, it just causes her to do the same! We love that she is becoming such a bright, happy toddler & that she enjoys posing for pictures. Her Sister acted the same at that age (and still does, at times), so it must run in the family... ;) It will be especially fun at her Birthday party in a couple of months, to see & hear her, all ready for those action shots!

Conquering the Everyday Stuff

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I’ve really been getting a lot done, lately! It’s amazing what you can do when one of your children is at school and the other is napping! Ha-ha! But seriously, I’m enjoying at least the thought that I’m being more productive, here at home. Each day, I tackle a “little” project: typically something that has just been put off, or put on the back burner for way too long, as it is. And, surprisingly, I’m managing to keep up with the normal, “day-to-day” things, as well. I’ve had a couple of minor setbacks, due to having to meet with our homebuilders at the drop of a hat, but even that is probably going to change, really soon! I’m so grateful that God gives me the strength that I need to get through even the simplest of tasks! And, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming joy at the sense of accomplishment He’s given me, lately! :)

Whether the Weather

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Last week, I wrote about the crazy heat we’ve been having, because it was really hot outside, here in our town. Well, this week we got the relief that we needed, in the form of several rainstorms & thundershowers. They have been happening mostly during the night, which is nice because our family are all good sleepers & the rain helps lull us & keeps us in that blissful, dreamy state. The girls have been sleeping in longer in the morning & giving Jeremy & I little breaks from having to get up too early, which has been nice. The local temperatures have also dropped significantly, making it feel like fall is just around the corner – it’s been in the 70s & 80s for the past few days & we’ve really been enjoying it! Although the skies have been somewhat overcast, that doesn’t bring us down a bit! We hope it continues, although knowing the “normal” weather patterns here (if you can call them that), we are probably in for at least one more blast of summer heat, before things settle down & the leaves start changing…

Back to School

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina is sooo ready for school to start! Good thing her first day back is tomorrow! She went with me last week to Wal-Mart to finish fulfilling her supply list. We also got her a new backpack, new shoes & some new clothes. She picked out some new headbands for her hair, as well. All of this is really exciting to a 6-year-old, of course! While finishing our shopping trip up, we bought groceries together. This included “fun” things to put in her lunch pail, such as apple slices and Raspberry Zingers, too. This weekend, we went to get a booster seat for her, because she’s outgrowing the 5-point harness carseat she was sitting in. She got to pick it out & of course got a pink & purple one, with flowers all over it. She’s been enjoying riding in it & can strap herself in with the seatbelt really well, already. Today, we went to meet her new teacher & see where her first grade classroom is. We’re excited for her, of course, but we also see our little girl growing up before our eyes & wonder just where the time went… We look forward to the future adventures of our sweet first-grader, though!

Our Little Shadow

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our sweet baby girl is such a little copycat lately! Of course at this age, it’s to be expected, and it’s one of the best learning tools. Aly loves to repeat words, even though she may or may not use them again, on her own, later. She also enjoys mimicking our actions. She’s really developing her personality & we love watching her pick up on these skills, as well. She has been eating with a spoon for some time, but just recently, we’ve started giving her things that could potentially be really messy, such as cereal with milk & letting her eat them on her own. She does really well, it’s just funny the things that she has picked up on, having been fed by us – for example, when a piece of food falls on her tray, she now tries to pick it up & throw it back on the spoon or in the bowl she’s eating from really quickly, so that she doesn’t waste it! We’re proud of her for trying, though & can’t wait to see what new words & actions she will learn in the near future, as well!

Getting on Schedule

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It seems that I’m finally getting back to a “normal” schedule, now, since Katrina’s going back to school & things are coming together. There are certain things we like to do on particular days of the month (such as grocery shopping/paying bills/etc.) that I have just not been as “on top of” this summer as I’d like to be. Nothing’s delinquent, I just prefer to have things done on a more regular, patterned basis, typically. Well, now that we’ve got all the necessary items for Kat to start school, we’re beginning to get back into our “fall routine”, which for some reason lifts my spirits. I think it’s just because I like to feel that I know when things are going to happen, to a point… It’s strange to think that our summer vacation is coming to an end, already, but at the same time, I’m happy to be getting back to a regular schedule. I hope everyone else has enjoyed their summer break & is looking forward to the fall, too!

Heatwave

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We don’t know exactly how bad the heat has been for everyone around the world this summer, but we’ve been experiencing pretty high temperatures, lately. The past week or so, our local weather has been reporting highs of between 102 & 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Although it’s really hot, we thankfully haven’t been affected too badly – no droughts, or anything like that. We’ve just been staying indoors, for the most part; although our poor air conditioner has a hard time keeping up, sometimes, it’s still cooler than being out in the blistering sun! We hope everyone else is able to keep cool & enjoy the last few remaining weeks of summer & that we get all get a break from these hot days, soon.

Glory

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, the Music Camp that Katrina was attending at our church is over with, but she had such a great time & she learned a lot, too. We enjoyed watching her perform in the musical finale put on by all the kids, “The Slingshot Heard ‘Round the World”. It was a story about David & Goliath. It taught the kids how they can face giants in their own lives, through prayer. Not only did Kat learn a lot of songs that week, but she also brought home some wonderful Biblical knowledge. The day of the performance, I was telling her how proud I was that she had done such a good job practicing & I was encouraging her not to be nervous that evening. She promptly told me, “Mom, I know you’re proud of me, but you should be glad for God, because this is a show about Him & it’s all for His glory”. I told her I was & that I was happy she knew that, while holding back tears of joy. We’re so grateful not only that Katrina had a wonderful experience, learning & playing in music camp this year, but that she brought back some truly great life lessons that we hope will remain with her for years to come!

Big, Cool, Wow!

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa loves her little voice! It’s so cute & fun to hear her, too. For the most part, she will just babble, chattering on & on, incoherently, with a few choice words that she actually knows, thrown in the mix. She *does* have a good vocabulary for her age, but she doesn’t always choose to showcase it. However, the other day, she got into a little pattern of words that she knows, along with some babbling in between. She repeated the pattern quite a few times in the car & it really had us all giggling & grinning. It basically began with her babbling a little bit, then saying, “BIG”, rather loudly, followed by more incomprehensible chatter, then the word, “COOL”, again with the babbles, then the word, “Wow!” in an almost awestruck whisper – as though she was so amazed by herself! We like to think that in her own little way, she was saying something like, “I am just so BIG, and that’s really COOL; it makes me say, ‘Wow!’” over & over again. She really is getting to have such a fun, little personality!

Back to the Basics

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, this week has been one of catching up for me, it seems. Last week, when I was sick, I couldn’t get a lot done around here, because I basically just felt like getting tons of rest, which is thankfully what my family let me do. Now, I have my voice back, so I’ve been able to return phone calls & to just be up & about, in general. And, I don’t know why we don’t appreciate those abilities more, to be honest. I think that maybe it takes something like an illness to help us realize how much we can actually do, on a regular, day-to-day basis, once we’re feeling “normal” again. I’m grateful that I’m over that head cold & able to get on with the simple, great things in life! :)

Uneventful Weekend

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, our weekend was fairly uneventful, but it was a nice change of pace, since this summer has been pretty activity-filled for us. Saturday, we stayed home & just hung out together. The girls played with their toys. Jeremy & I got a little bit of work done (chores, etc.) & later on, we played our video game together for a bit. Sunday, I started getting sick, which was no good. We missed church & I rested a lot, but don’t think I actually napped, that day. That night, I had a hard time sleeping, though. Being sick makes everything more difficult, but I’m not complaining. Jeremy took good care of us girls & we had a nice, quiet, relaxing weekend at home. Sometimes I prefer being a “hermit” like that, even when I’m not ill… We enjoyed each others’ company & got some much needed relaxation in. :)

Musical Girl

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina has been excited for all the activities that she’s gotten to do this summer! The most recent one she’s begun is music camp each day this week at our church. It is for all elementary school aged children. She is having a blast, so far! They are going to do a musical production this Friday evening, for the finale. So, she received a special learning CD, to practice the songs she’s learning, at home. She loves doing this & will put on her Spongebob CD player (with headset) & “jam out” – singing the parts she knows & just dancing in place to the ones she hasn’t quite learned yet. It’s cool that she was interested in going, this year, because when we offered to let her attend last summer, she just said, “nah”. And, it’s even more of a joy, seeing that she is having such a great time, so far! We can’t wait to attend the performance at the end of the week!

Dancin' Machine

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa’s really becoming a little “tiny dancer” lately! It’s so cute! She has always loved music, especially being sung to, even when she was just a newborn. But, this week, she really just started “getting down”! She likes to twirl around in circles & say, “yay”! She will do this, even when there’s no music playing, though... She also likes to clap her hands & bob up & down (bending her knees) to the music. She especially loves it when her Big Sis starts dancing – she will try to follow her moves, smiling & giggling the entire time. We love watching our girls! They can be so entertaining! And, it’s sweet how they like to amuse each other, and us, as well! :)

No Fun Being Sick

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I’ve been sick the past couple of days & it’s no fun. I planned on taking Katrina to the Music Camp they have for elementary school aged children at our church each day this week, but yesterday, I had Jeremy take her, instead. I had only been able to get a couple of hours of sleep & was up sniffling & coughing most of the night. I woke up on time to help her get ready, but didn’t figure I should drive, being as drowsy as I was… Today was a bit better. I actually got some good rest last night & Jeremy’s been letting me nap in the afternoons, too, but this post nasal drip is really making my throat sore & I’ve got little of my voice left, as well. I hope this goes away soon. It is something that Jeremy actually had a few weeks ago, but since neither I nor the girls caught it back then, we figured we were “in the clear”. Thankfully, the girls still seem just fine. I’m the “lucky one” who caught it, after all this time, I guess you could say… I know it shouldn’t last for long, though. I hope & pray it’s over with, sooner than later, of course.

Family Trip

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, we went on a little “mini-vacation”, I guess you could say, just yesterday. It wasn’t even a weekend or long weekend, but a day-trip to a city which takes about an hour and a half to drive to from here. Katrina had been begging us to go to a science center, like the ones we typically see when we’re on vacation, out of town. Even though there’s one in our own locale, we’ve never been to it, because we’ve been told it is quite small & not as spectacular in comparison to ones in other cities. So, we planned the day to go to one we’d been to & enjoyed before. It was really a great day for it, too. It was one of the hottest days of the summer, so being indoors was a “perfect” plan. We all enjoyed it, especially Kat, who couldn’t get over all the things there were to see & do. There is a Planetarium, where we saw a brief show about the night’s sky, and we saw a show about explosions in their auditorium, as well. They had remodeled part of it, since we’d been there, last, adding some cool new play areas for the kids. Most of it was too big for Alyssa, just yet, but she enjoyed riding around in her stroller. She didn’t take but a really short nap during the day, inside the planetarium, when everything was dark. The rest of the time, we thought she’d get tired & “pass out” at any moment, but she was just so alert, not wanting to miss a thing! She especially loved seeing the “choo-choos” – a display of model trains, going around a little city. We all had a great time, though! It was a wonderful getaway & something fun to do as a family!

Favorite Summer Day

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina keeps having a “best day ever” it seems, at least once a week this summer. But recently, we went on a short day-trip & she told us that it was her favorite day of the summer. She had been asking us to go to a science center, like ones that we’ve been to when we go out of town. Our own locale has a small science center that we’ve never actually been to, because we’ve only heard of its meagerness & failure in comparison to other ones. But, only a short hour and a half drive away, there’s one that’s worth going to & spending all day at. So yesterday, we left around 10 a.m., got to our destination city around lunchtime & ate at McDonald’s – something Kat loves to do, anyway. The, we proceeded to go to the science center. We literally spent all day there & didn’t even get to see *everything*, but it was still a ton of fun. They had remodeled & added some cool new features for the kids, since Jeremy & I had been there last. Katrina especially liked playing & enjoying all the interactivity. We left as they were about to close & proceeded to find somewhere to eat for dinner. We wound up at an all-you-can-eat buffet, which had lots of Kat’s favorite foods. She just thought that was the best ending to an already “perfect” day. The entire trip home, we kept re-living the day’s events, through her wonderful tales of her favorite summer day.

Aly's Favorite Song

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Even though she’s not even 2 years old yet, Alyssa already has a favorite song. It makes her happy & calms her down when she’s fussy. When she’s not being held, she will dance to it & when she’s in someone’s arms, she’ll sing to it & applaud at the end. This is the Alphabet Song, or as some like to call it, the ABC’s. It’s cute, because she has always been very prone to soothing by being sung to. But, it doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing – the Alphabet song gets her calm & happy. She also knows & will sing along with many of the letters, especially the ending ones. She could be in an all-out fit, over something, and as soon as you begin, “A, B, C, D, E, F, G…” she will stop and listen and even contribute! It almost makes me wonder if I’m giving our baby some kind of strange “quirk” to where she *has* to be calmed down by it, ha-ha! But, I honestly think that at this young age, she’s just fine & whatever works is great!

Family Treasures

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Yesterday, it hit me. I’ve really been enjoying spending time with my family, lately. We went on a trip to a science center, which is something that we all like. But, it’s not only that, really... It’s just being able to enjoy the time together & have fun, bonding & experiencing things together – some new, some that we’ve done before, but that bring back wonderful memories. I love hearing my girls laugh & see their little joyful spirits burst into song or dance over the simplest of life’s pleasures. And, to share those moments with my husband makes them even more blissful, to me. God has truly blessed me & I plan to cherish all these precious moments! Watching the girls interact, both at home & away, seeing them develop new skills, like Katrina’s growing confidence while riding on her two-wheeler bike, or Alyssa’s expression when she realizes she’s learned a new word, these are just a few of them that Jeremy and I have had the pleasure of noticing & sharing this summer. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead for our little family!

Summer Fun!

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We have just been having so much fun, this summer! It’s kinda’ sad, in a way that Katrina has to go back to school, soon. Just looking back, it’s amazing to think of all the things we’ve done & what is still going on. Good progress has been made toward the planning of our next home. We are still working on drafting it up, but the meetings with the builders have been great & Jeremy & I have learned so much from them, so far. I began clogging again, which gives me such an awesome feeling – to enjoy a hobby I’ve always loved! Katrina has completed the library’s “Summer Reading Program” for the second year in a row, got to go to day camp for the first time ever, raised some caterpillars into butterflies & let them go, practiced bike riding, went roller skating for her first time, and enjoyed VBS. Alyssa continues to progress in her vocabulary, motor skills & other areas. She’s got a different personality from her sister, that’s for sure, but we are enjoying watching it develop, just as much as she grows & changes from baby to toddler. We’ve enjoyed family gatherings & time with friends, as well. Jeremy & I both hit level 70 on our World of Warcraft characters, and are now enjoying other aspects of the game that are reserved for those that reach that top-level. It’s really hard to believe that Kat’s school will be back in session in a matter of just under a month, now… Although, we’ve had a couple of spells of either Jeremy or I (or both of us) just getting entirely worn out here & there this summer, we’ve each been able to bounce back quickly & keep chuggin’ along! We still plan on squeezing some more great activities in, before it’s all over. We hope everyone is having as much fun as we are!

Girl on Wheels

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina has been practicing her balance a lot, lately! This past week, not only did we take her out for some bike-riding (she has a two-wheeler, but she still uses training wheels, right now), but she also got to go roller skating for the first time ever, just today! Luckily, she was not apprehensive about either one! The bike riding she’s done before; we just like to keep a good eye on her, because our sidewalk tilts to one side & it causes her to be a bit wobbly. But, she enjoyed the “practice”! Her Daddy mostly walked beside her, while her Li’l Sis & I hung out in the driveway, watching, pointing & applauding her success. At the skating rink, it was just Kat & I. We met some friends there, during Alyssa’s naptime, so Jeremy stayed home, not only to keep an eye on Aly, but to do some work, as well. At first, Katrina was just all over the place – her feet going in opposite directions, almost causing her to do the splits, on occasion, but I was able to pull her up by her arms & help her keep her balance a bit better. Once we got going, it was great! We stayed near the walls of the rink, so that she could lean if need be, but toward the end of the session (well, we were there for just nearly 2 hours of it), she was really getting “the hang” of it & even let go of me, a few times! Although still quite slow, she progressed so much during that little amount of time. She’s extremely excited to go back again & work on it some more! Of course, I am too, even though it made my arms, shoulders & back a bit sore – who knew that helping keep an almost-40-pound kid balanced would take so much out of ya’!? Hee-hee! But, we’re all just so proud of her & we keep enjoying helping her develop these new skills!

To Teach a Toddler

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa is typically not a well-tempered baby, when she doesn’t get exactly what she wants… But then again, what almost-2-year-old is, really? A cute thing happened this past week that made us realize that she is heading back in the right direction, though. She has some stacking rings (a common, plastic toy that babies like to play with) & for some reason, she likes to put 2 of them halfway on her feet & walk around on part of them, as though they are high-heeled shoes! This is adorable enough, in itself, of course… But, the other day, I needed to put her actual socks & shoes on her, while she was in the midst of playing this way, so that we could all go out somewhere. When I picked her up, she got mad, as she typically does & started fussing at me & kicking her feet, even though I handed her the rings that were previously on them – she just *had* to let me know that this was *not* what she wanted, at the moment, ha-ha! Anyway, while on her changing table, she began to calm down, when she realized that she could now put the rings on her arms, like bracelets. Being the small-armed child she is, they naturally fell down to her elbows, though & she didn’t like that idea, especially when one seemed to get “caught”, where she couldn’t pull it off of her own arm – hence the need to fuss at her Mommy again, which she began doing. At this point, although I was trying my best to get her socks & shoes on her feet quickly, to avoid any “toddler confrontation”, I decided to try an experiment: I smiled at her & gently, but sternly said, “Help? Do you need help? Say, ‘help, please’.” To my amazement, she completely stopped mid-fit to beam up at me & actually ask, “Hep?” I immediately helped her take the ring off of her arm & handed it back to her. She grinned & proceeded to put it back on – now, it was a game that Mama would continue to play with her, at least for a few minutes, while finishing up tying her shoes. Every few seconds, we went through the cycle of her getting one of the rings “stuck”, near the bend of her elbow & looking at me & saying, “hep?” or “hep, peas?”, then I would respond by helping & giving it back to her. Who said learning can’t be fun!?

Young at Heart

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Lately, I’ve just been enjoying all the activities going on – although I go through short periods of being worn out, from time to time, it’s like I’m a kid again, when it comes to some of the things I’ve been doing these past few weeks! For one, I started clogging again, which is something I learned when I was just a kid. Thankfully, it’s a skill that sticks with you & I was able to jump back in & pick up some of the steps once more. I’m enjoying learning the new routines & getting to hang out with my Mom-in-Law, Li’l Sis-in-Law & a few dear old friends that I’ve known since those days, too. Another thing that recently took me back to my childhood was how one night, when Katrina was at VBS at our church, Jeremy, Alyssa & I went to our local Academy Sports & Outdoor store. They had an aisle of toys like silly putty & other things that he & I got so much enjoyment out of, as kids! We stayed on that aisle for about half an hour, just playing & reminiscing! We actually bought a few things, since they were only 87 cents per item – we’re keeping them in a “grab bag”, to reward Kat for good things that we notice her do. We already gave her a whoopee cushion, to replace the one she had before that I had accidentally popped a whole in, ha-ha! I’m also enjoying all the “Kids’ Summer Movies” Katrina & I have been going to see. A few of our theaters around town offer 1 morning matinee feature per week for only $1 per ticket. They are typically things that were on the big screen the previous year & may now be seen on HBO, or even on DVD; for example, we saw “Alvin & the Chipmunks” last week, tomorrow, we’re looking forward to “Shrek the Third” & soon we’ll be seeing “Bee Movie”. I’m such a kid at heart when it comes to these things. And, earlier today I took Katrina roller skating for the very first time. She had a total blast! Of course, it reminded me of when I was her age, just learning how to skate… good times! I know that I’m a married housewife, and stay-at-home-Mom of 2, but I can’t help but to enjoy all these great things that seem to keep me young!

Happy 4th!

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We had a great 4th of July celebration! First, we went over to the girls’ Uncle Jason & Aunt Stephanie’s house for a cookout. Many other family members were there, also. Everyone brought something, so there was a lot of good food. We also got to swim while there. With Jeremy’s help, Katrina dunked her head underwater for the first time! Alyssa enjoyed splashing in her baby float & just playing in the water, in general. After that, we went to a local soccer field/park to watch the big fireworks display that’s put on by the city each year. Even though this has kind of become a family tradition over the years, it was even cooler, beforehand, this time around! Some military planes & helicopters flew over the field in various formations, before it got dark. It was really neat watching them – we were able to catch a few pictures, as well. This is the first time they have done this. We hope they keep it up, annually – it was a real treat! All the kids enjoyed themselves & thankfully the fireworks didn’t scare Aly one bit, as we thought they might. She pointed up in the sky at them & cooed & just seemed to have a good time, too. We are grateful to have grown up in a country with the wonderful freedoms we enjoy! We hope everyone had a great Independence Day this year, too!

The Best Day Ever

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina has just been having “the best day ever”, almost every day this past week! It’s really cute & funny! There’s an episode of Spongebob Squarepants that she took the words from & there’s even a little song that goes along with it. But, it seems like this summer, she’s just having such a great time that each day keeps topping the next! The 4th of July was one of them – she was just so excited to get to go to her cousins’ house & swim & to see the fireworks with everyone that evening. Then she had “the best day ever” on Monday when she got to go over to a friend’s house to play, and that evening, Vacation Bible School started at our church & her friend got to go with her to it. Of course, today has now been “the best day ever” because her Dad took her with him to get the oil changed on his car & they got to run through the car wash afterwards, *then* she got to go to VBS again this evening. Now, she’s telling me that tomorrow will be “the best day ever” because we get to go see kids’ morning matinee at our local movie theater & possibly have lunch with some more friends afterwards. She’s such a great kid with such a happy outlook on life!

Vocabulary

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa’s vocabulary has really been taking off, once more. It’s hard to count how many words she now knows, but she has been actually repeating many of what we tell her, coherently, lately. It’s really cool! Some of her new ones are, “open”, “Elmo”, “up”, “down”, she even knows & can say her own name! We even got her to say her Aunt Ashley’s name on the 4th of July, as well as saying “Nana”, but only one time for each word. She wasn’t up for performing much that day, I guess. Still, it’s really cool to watch her little mind work & pick up on things. She has been singing the ABC’s now, too, as well as she can. She gets a few of them right, although most of them are just mumbles, for the most part. She’s just a’growin’ & we couldn’t be happier!

Catchin' Up

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I’m really feeling good this week. I’ve been catching up on a lot of things around here, so I don’t feel nearly as stressed as I have been, in the recent past. It’s given me time to enjoy the activities we’ve shared with family & friends, and to appreciate them all the more, as well. I guess if I never had the times where I felt like I had too much to do, I might take for granted the times I do get to relax & have fun. I’m just grateful that things seem to be under control once more & the summer is really turning out to be a good one!

Celebrating with Family

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We celebrated a special family member’s Birthday just a few days ago. It was a nice time. The girls’ Great Aunt Sharon has been staying with their Grandma Linda & Grandpa Ken for a while. She just turned another decade older, I won’t say the number, because she doesn’t like to hear it, hee-hee! But, we had a nice little party over there for her. Ken grilled some hamburgers & hotdogs, Grandma Linda made the sides & we brought the cake & other decorations. We ate dinner, let her open presents, then had cake & ice cream. The girls even got to stay over for a couple of nights, per their Grandma’s request. ;) Great Aunt Sharon really seemed to enjoy it & we all had a nice time, too!

Creative One

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina’s a great little artist. She loves all things creative. She especially likes to draw, paint, cut & paste. While over at her Grandma Linda’s, she got to make a picture using some of Grandma’s scrapbooking supplies. This was really cool & fun for her & it turned out really pretty, too. I’m not sure exactly if this is when her most recent obsession started, or if she was doing it before, but lately, it seems like she is constantly asking us for paper to draw on. Then, she will draw, color or sometimes even paint a picture with her water colors & ask for her safety scissors. She then cuts out some shape or shapes & occasionally asks for her glue stick, to past things to it all. She has recently made all kinds of little objects for her stuffed ladybug that she got as a prize for completing our local library’s summer reading program. She made each item red & black, of course & described them all to us. They include a blanket, six tiny slippers and a nice little tent for the ladybug to sleep in. She also made some green grass, leaves & flowers out of paper for the ladybug to “eat”. We love to see her creativity blossom, don’t get me wrong, I just wonder when she’s going to realize that we don’t have room for all this & what a waste of paper it’s winding up to be… But, that’s our cute kiddo for ya’! ;)

Little Sneak

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa’s getting to be a little sneaky, these days. It’s kind of “bad”, in a way, but it’s so cute, it’s hard to be upset at her, sometimes. She typically spends a lot of time in the living room, playing with her Big Sis during the day. However, she does have a few toys in her own room, including the play kitchen that used to be Katrina’s. This is one of her favorite things to play with. So, the “barricade” that we use , since a baby gate won’t go across the opening from our living room to our hallway is one of those large, Rubbermaid bins, filled with other toys that both girls love to play with. In the past couple of weeks, however, Aly has figured out how to get around it – she does what any of us do – push it to one side & go through the opening. She doesn’t really do this very often, but if one of us needs to go to another room for a minute (the bathroom, for example), she will attempt to follow. But, we’ve recently discovered that she’s really not trying to go after us. Instead, she wants to be in her room, playing with her little kitchen. This is where she winds up, most of the time, when she does “escape” the living room. The other day, she wound up in there & her Daddy got on to her by saying, “Aly, no. You need to go back to the living room”. And, rather than just walking out of her room, she looked at him, looked at the bucket of plastic food that was sitting by her play kitchen, ran & picked it up, then made a “mad dash” (as quickly as her little legs could carry her) back out to the living room. It was so funny, Jeremy couldn’t help but just shrug & laugh, rather than getting on to her any more for it! Ah, toddlers… ;)

Feelin' Older...

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, the day that we went over to my Mom’s to celebrate my Aunt Sharon’s Birthday, I woke up with a strange pain in my right calf. It was really sore, especially when I was walking. There were no bruises or anything, just the aching that wouldn’t go away. I tried taking something for it, but that didn’t seem to help. Still, since Mom & Ken had offered to watch the girls, Jeremy & I decided to make the most of our time together. However, we couldn’t seem to figure out much to do, on our own. We wound up going to see “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”, which was really good. But, other than that, we mainly spent the time at home. We played pool, video games, watched T.V. vegged & just had some good ol’ quality time together, mostly. My calf kept bothering me, so we couldn’t really do much else that we enjoy: walking, rollerblading, golf, even riding our bikes was out of the question, sadly… Of course, the day we go to pick the girls up, the pain decides to subside. My calf is completely fine now. It was just one of those strange things… I guess I’m getting old! Ha-ha!

This Land is Made for You & Me

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As you may or may not have heard, we have recently been dealing with a dilemma. We found the “perfect” land on which to have our next home built upon – it’s a lot within a nice neighborhood, in the same suburban city we’re in now, just a few miles closer to the metropolitan one. It faces in directions where the views would be just gorgeous & the sun would never be shining directly in our eyes. The problem was that someone had put a “claim” on it, merely days before we did. When we tried to put a deposit down on it (which was thankfully fully refundable), the person who had claimed it first made the decision to buy & they had “first dibs”. So, we decided to look elsewhere. We looked all around our area, going 20 or more miles in all directions, but nothing compared to that specific lot we’d set our sights on, to begin with. Just when we were feeling like we were ready to give up, we received a call from the homebuilders we’d chosen, to let us know that the lot next door had opened up! There are actually 3 in a row on that corner of the street that have yet to be built upon. We were originally told that the other 2 surrounding “our lot” had been taken for quite a while. However, the sale fell through on one of them, so it is now ours! It’s so interesting to me how God works, sometimes! Jeremy believes things had to happen this way, in order for us to fully appreciate the great piece of land that we are getting & now, the people that got “our lot” will actually be our neighbors! It may sound kinda’ funny, but I think that is with good reason, as well. They must be “like-minded” to us, at least a little bit, if they had the foresight to call the land developer, merely days before, the same way that Jeremy did, to ask about that lot. I think we will all get along wonderfully! The house plan itself is coming together rather well, too. It’s going to be quite a process, but we’re sure the finished product will be totally worth it!

So Responsible

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina is just such a responsible kid. Not only did she just do a wonderful job raising 5 caterpillars into butterflies (with a little help from us, and thanks to the Bugville Butterfly house & instructions that she got for her Birthday, of course), but she is also very wise in day-to-day things. To elaborate, we had a “butterfly release ceremony”, where we let her butterflies go, out into the “wild” (our backyard) yesterday, and although we thought she might be a little sad to see them go, she completely understood that it was time & that they would be more happy, living freely out on there own, from now on. She enjoyed watching each one emerge from their enclosed habitat, almost as much as she loved seeing them come out of their chrysalides the week before. She also recently spent some of her allowance on a new toy fish that actually “swims” in water & a fairy puzzle – things that she picked out herself. After these purchases, she had a few dollars left. She already seems to comprehend the importance of saving a bit, for something else in the near future. We love how we can explain things & she “gets” them so well, nowadays. She’s getting to be such a “big kid”! :)

Just Like My Sis

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa loves to do what her Big Sister does, when she can, it’s so cute! We tell Katrina all the time that “she copies you because she wants to be just like you, because she loves you so much”! This makes both of them grin & giggle. It’s fun to watch them interact with each other, but it’s so funny how Aly just repeats every little thing that Kat does, too. She follows her around & just thinks she’s so big. Right now, we all enjoy the shadowing, of course. Katrina is a good influence on her Baby Sis & we’re proud of how well they get along. We know that may be subject to change in the future, but so far, things are going well. Some of Alyssa’s favorite things she’s recently picked up are using the use of a blanket when playing “peek-a-boo” & not only giving a “high five”, but also a “fist bump”, which also gets all of us laughing. It’s great! :)

Gettin' Better

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, things are getting better this week. Last week, I was feeling a bit down & drained, but now I’m feeling a bit more energetic & up for getting things done. After we got the good news on the land, it seems like a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders – although I wasn’t bearing it alone. Having the time to keep up with other activities has been a huge part of my joyfulness this week! I am so grateful that I have a wonderful family & supportive friends, as well. I feel truly blessed.

Zongker Father's Day

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Father’s Day was a nice holiday this year, for all of us. Not only did Jeremy get “spoiled” by a homemade pancake breakfast (which Katrina helped to make) that morning, but he also got a DVD series he had requested, as a gift from all of us. Our day was busy, yet enjoyable. After breakfast, I took a few pictures of him & the girls together & then, we all went to church. Afterwards, we took his Dad & Step-Mom out for a nice lunch. It was good catching up with them. When we got home, the girls gave Jeremy his gift & the cards we had bought & Kat had made. He watched a little bit of his DVDs & we rested up a little bit, as well, while Alyssa napped. That evening, we went out to his Grandpa Bob’s house. His Mom & Step-Dad had made barbecue food for dinner & we had a nice visit over there, with many of his side of the family, too. We took pictures of Grandpa Bob with all the kids (our girls & their 3 cousins), which was special, because they are all his great-grandchildren. It was very sweet & heartwarming to see them grouped around him like that. When we got home from their, it was the girls’ bedtime. It was a full day, but we all had a great time & we appreciate all the Dads in our lives!

Butterfly Girl

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina is a good caretaker. For about a week & a half now, we have been taking care of her new “pets” – some caterpillars that we sent off for, using the instructions that came with the Bugville Butterfly House she received as a Birthday gift from her Nana. It’s been an interesting experience so far & much simpler than I originally thought it would be. The baby caterpillars came live, in an enclosed cup, with everything they need to eat & grow each day & eventually make chrysalids on the inner side of the lid. We kept the cup in Kat’s room & told her not to disturb them, which she understood & was really good about. She’d look in on them every day, of course & would excitedly tell us how big they were getting & all. We would check them out, too. Once they all made their chrysalides, we followed the instructions & moved them into the butterfly habitat. It took a few more days, but they have almost all emerged as adult butterflies, now! Two came out yesterday, then two more today. There is only one left to emerge, which will more than likely happen tomorrow. Again, following the instructions given, we have been making “food” (a mixture of sugar & water) & placing it in the habitat for the butterflies the past 2 evenings. Katrina enjoys watching them get excited & fly down to eat. She has named them, using her own name, plus 4 of her Kindergarten classmates – assuming they are all female, of course. ;) It’s a great learning tool & we are proud of Kat for taking such good care of her little insect friends!

Little Mimic

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa’s latest skill that has really developed since she was a newborn is mimicry. She likes to pretend to do everything she sees, at least. Some of her most recent, cute gestures include folding her hands together when we say grace before meals & “giving kisses”, which is actually more like making the “muah” or “smacking” noise with her lips, into the air, while her face is next to yours. And, although we haven’t given her ketchup or other dipping sauces with her food, yet, because they are a bit messy for someone her age to maneuver, she likes to pretend, by “dipping” her fries (and other finger foods – doesn’t really matter if it’s something that you would typically dip into a sauce or not) in the air. She moves them up & down, against the tabletop, prior to eating them. It’s so cute! We love watching our sweet baby learn & develop!

Just Drained...

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, most of you know I hate to complain, but I have just been completely drained, lately! And, since I don’t have much news to report, I decided to write about that, this time around… There have been many things we have been doing to keep busy, although the only one that’s been particularly pressing is our search for land to build our next home upon. This has taken a lot of time & energy, but it’s something that Jeremy & I would both like to accomplish, sooner rather than later. I think I just feel like time is slipping away and I can’t seem to catch up with everything. But, I know that it will be better, soon. And, I enjoy all the activity – it keeps me going! I hope & pray that I may find a point of balance, and be able to constantly operate in it, although I also know that life isn’t always that way, either. But, whatever happens, I know that God is with us & He will continue to lead & guide us. He will help me find the rest I need & give me the strength & wisdom I need to finish my daily tasks, as well. I am so grateful that He has blessed me with such a wonderful family & friends for support, too. I’m sure that a new season is right around the corner, with summer on the way, now, also!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changin'

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Last week, 3 out of 4 of us had a change in appearance: we got our hair cut! Although Jeremy typically gets his done throughout the year, Katrina & I usually only have ours done once a year. This time around was a different experience, because we let Kat pick her own style. She went with a chin-length, all-around undercut with bangs! It really looks cute on her! It’s the shortest she has ever had her hair cut, but she absolutely loves it! Another plus is that she can brush & style it herself, now – we don’t have to pull it out of her face for her. It makes her feel like more of a “big kid” to be able to do that, as well. I personally got mine cut pretty short, for me, too. The front & sides are chin-length, tapering to the back, which is a bit shorter & layered, for volume. It wasn’t *exactly* what I wanted, but I’m not too disappointed with the outcome, either. I love the front & sides, just would rather have the back be all one length & undercut, instead of the choppy layering that it has now. But, hey, it’s hair & will grow back. When it does, I’ll get it fixed the way I wanted. I think Katrina wants to keep hers styled, too, so we’ll probably get hers cut again, when I get mine “repaired”. The really cool thing she & I were able to do, having so much hair cut off of our heads was to donate our ponytails (the initial length that they cut off from each of us) to Locks of Love, a charity that makes wigs & hairpieces for cancer patients that tend to lose their own hair from enduring chemotherapy. It felt good to do that, as I’d been wanting to for years & finally just decided to go ahead with it. That night, per his request, I also “buzzed” Jeremy’s hair, in his usual style, which is typical for us to do. Alyssa is too young & doesn’t really need her first haircut, just yet – we waited on getting Kat’s done until she was 3 years old & will probably do the same with Aly, depending on how long & fast it grows. It was just interesting, the rest of us getting ours done all in the same day. We all agree, it’s nice having it short for the upcoming summer – much more comfortable that way! I told Jeremy it’s time for a new family photo, which we haven’t taken, just yet, but if you’re keeping up with the site, you’ll probably notice the update, when we do!

Happy Camper

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, Katrina started Girl Scout day camp this week. She was excited, of course, but being a mother, I was anxious, because it’s something new & different, where she’s going to be gone all day. At least they don’t do overnights or longer, at her age, though! It’s like having her gone to school, except for the fact that they learn about other things (like camping) & for the most part, do outdoor activities. They have a “space theme” this year, and her unit (the incoming 1st graders) is called the “Pretty Pluto Princesses”. There are at least 2 other girls (maybe more) from her troop & one of them is carpooling with us: her mother takes them to camp in the morning & I pick both girls up in the afternoon. It’s a nice arrangement, because, well, those of you that know me understand – I’m *not* a “morning person”! Ha-ha! Anyway, today, they actually had a field trip to the Tulsa Air & Space Museum, with a picnic lunch at the park, just outside. Both girls were just gushing about how great it was & telling me all the neat facts that they learned! We’re excited to see what else they have planned – each day is something different. There will be a “water play” day & also a “cookout day” that I’m aware of. We’re glad our “big girl” is enjoying her first camp experience!

Pros & Cons

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa’s personality is definitely developing lately. We’re just not sure if we like the direction it’s going, sometimes… Her favorite phrase lately seems to actually be just one word: “No!” She can’t just say it, simply & gently, the way we say it to her, either. Instead, if we’re telling her to do something & she doesn’t want to at the time, she will *yell*, “No!” We know that this is pretty normal for any toddler her age – the “terrible twos” are right around the corner, but we had hoped she wouldn’t be showing early stages of them, now, of course… ;) Occasionally, we can’t help but laugh at her, because not only will she yell, “No!”, but she will put her little hand on her hip & give us this frustrated look, like she really means business! We understand that she’s not just trying to act out, but that she’s trying to take a stand & become more independent, so it’s not a huge deal. Now, if she throws a crying fit with it, then she gets sent to her crib for a few minutes, to calm down. This disciplinary measure is necessary *much* more rarely, though, because she seems to be beginning to understand how to communicate in nicer ways, for the most part. We love our “baby girl” & enjoy helping her learn to develop good habits, of course! :)

Dancin' Fool

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As I mentioned before, I decided to go back to clogging this week. It was so much fun! There were many people I remembered from the group that I danced with before! I even got to catch up with a nice lady whose son had danced on the same competition team I was on as a kid. She had been on the adult team, herself & even though she mentioned not having danced in quite some time, you could tell she still had the skills! Although they only did 1, or maybe 2 routines that I remembered completely, it was a lot like “riding a bicycle” – I picked up on the steps from several of the new routines fairly quickly & enjoyed myself, even when I made mistakes. I’m so thankful that my Mother-in-Law coaxed me back into it & that Jeremy is willing to watch the girls, so that I can have a social activity all my own, once again. It’s a great hobby, too, for the exercise that you get & as much as I remember, it’s still a challenge, because I have a lot of new routines to learn & different steps to get down, as well. I’m really excited to keep going back! If anyone else is interested in learning, let me know, because they have a beginner’s group as well & it would be great to have even more buddies there with me! :)

The Hunt is On...

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:03 GMT

Well, we officially started looking for a new house, in a way… We love where we’re at & hate to move, but having been in this home for about 9 years now, it seems as though we’ve filled it up with stuff & our family is just “outgrowing” it, if that makes sense… Of course, knowing how much room we need & being particular on where everything is, it’s proving difficult to find a new house that fits our needs. We figured we’d probably end up having our next one custom-built, but thought we’d begin looking at models & open homes, anyway. So, this weekend, while touring one, we ran into a builder who actually started a conversation with us about what we’re looking for & we shared why we feel like we should probably have our next home built. He agreed & offered to work with us on drawing up a plan. Of course, we know the entire process will take a while, which is why we decided it would be okay to go ahead & begin. Ideally, we won’t move until about this time (late spring/early summer) next year, after Katrina’s done with 1st grade. We’ve gotten different time estimates from different sources, but a year seems to be about average. Since speaking with that builder, we’ve also looked at a few open lots & gotten ideas from a couple of different builders in the area, as well. We don’t want to just “go with” the first thing that comes along – gotta do the research! So, please pray that things will go smoothly & wish us luck on the journey. It feels like an exciting, new adventure & chapter in our lives has just begun!

Eagerly Awaiting...

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:02 GMT

Katrina is excited! She gets to go to day camp all next week! It’s run by Girl Scouts & there are at least 3 other girls in her Daisy troop that will be attending. All the 1st graders are in the same camp group together, so that will be nice. We went to a special meeting just the other day, so we would know where it is, the drop-off/pick-up arrangements, and what to bring. They have different activities planned for each day. Since the theme this year is outer space, they are going on a field trip to our local air & space museum on one of the days. They also have a cookout day & a water day (for water play, like with squirt guns & inflatable water slides & things). She is more than ready; it’s just a matter of us being prepared to let her go. She is just getting so big, there’s no denying it!

Looking Up...

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:01 GMT

Alyssa just looks up to her sister so much! It’s cute how she follows her around the house, points at her & says, “Sissy”. She has begun really trying to play with her, too. Aly will initiate a game of “Got Ya’”, which is similar to tag, only more “gentle” – the girls will tag each other gently, touching one another’s hand, shoulder or tummy & say, “Got” or “Got Ya’”! This is usually done around the house, but they like to play it across the table, when we go out to eat sometimes, too. Alyssa also loves to babble at Katrina & to “snuggle” her, by nudging her head on her big sister’s shoulder, it’s so sweet. Sometimes, she will “tackle” Kat & giggle about it. Of course, Katrina’s big enough that she understands not to tackle Aly back. She just laughs & asks us for help in pulling Alyssa off of her, if need be… We’re glad they dote on each other so much & hope that their sweet sibling relationship will always remain a good one. :)

What Girls Do in Their Spare Time

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I had a nice day with a couple of other girls in my life, recently. My Mom, Aunt & daughters all went out together. “Grandma Linda” treated us to breakfast, and we each made a “new friend” at Build-a-Bear workshop, too! Well, my Aunt Sharon had already made one, so she brought her bear, Cubby with her, because he needed “surgery” – had some stitching that was coming apart. They fixed him right up! I made a cat, of course. Katrina made a sweet, cute pink bear with white hearts all over it. My Mom got us all some little outfits for our pets, too. Kat got an extra outfit, so she could change it whenever she likes… We weren’t sure what Alyssa would like, exactly. The only thing she showed interest in was a puppy, so we picked that for her. It was cute, though – once we got to the “sound station”, I got the “barking” button to put inside her puppy & started pressing it, to make sure it worked. Aly giggled & smiled, and that’s how I knew we’d made the right choice. It was so much fun creating our new, little “pets”. I felt like a kid in a candy store! I also felt kinda’ bad for my Mom at first, because it turned out they had discontinued selling the pink poodle that she originally wanted to make. Instead, with the girls’ help, “Grandma Linda” wound up making herself a bear for them to play with, when they come over to her house to visit. All the animals turned out really cute & it was a very nice “girls day out”!

Zongker Family Fun

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We had a nice time, yesterday, with the rest of the Zongkers, who live here, in our area. We were invited to swim & have a cookout with most of Jeremy’s side of the family. It was at his brother’s house, and he & our sister-in-law did most of the cooking. His Mom & Stepdad brought a wonderful, cheesecake-type dessert, and his Dad & Stepmom, as well as our little family of four provided chips, pop & cookies. We hung out for a bit, while the hamburgers & hotdogs were grilling, then after dinner, a few of us swam. It was a little bit chilly for some, but the 4 of us enjoyed the water for a little while, at least. Katrina is really getting the hang of kicking & moving her arms (learning to swim) – she wore her lifejacket the entire time, even though the pool is only 4 feet deep, all the way around. She’s getting there & we’re proud of her for not being anxious about getting in, this year! Alyssa absolutely loved splashing & playing in the water! We took turns holding her & also guiding her around in a little “baby float seat” thing that we had bought when Kat was a baby. Our nephews both seem like little fish – they just love, it, too! Of course, it *is* their pool, so they get a lot more practice… Oh, and even though she had to work, so she got their a little later than the rest of us, we were able to coax Jeremy’s sister into the water for a bit, as well. She & Aly had fun making faces at each other! ? After we all got out & dried off & changed & everything, I got to hold our newborn niece – well, she’s almost a month old, now... But, that made me smile, because I hadn’t got to see her since the day she was born, because I had caught a cold just after that & didn’t want to spread my germs around… ;) Plus, she was more alert & active than I’d ever seen her, so it was fun, just watching her itty-bitty gestures & such. We all hung out a bit longer, catching up on how things were going. We left as it was nearing the kids’ bedtime. It was a great day & a nice visit, as well!

Party Time

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Katrina attended her first ever slumber party at a friend’s house this week! It was exciting for her, but as parents, of course we were just slightly anxious. The next day, we were pleased to find out that all went well, though & that she was well-behaved. There were about 8 – 10 girls, including her best friend from school, whose Birthday they were celebrating. They ate pizza, played games, watched a movie & stayed up late. The next day, we got there to enjoy cake & ice cream, watch the Birthday girl open her presents & help the kids enjoy a water balloon fight in the backyard. Alyssa & I stayed under the covered patio, dry, but Jeremy got in on the fun, to the point that by the end, his clothes were soaking wet! And, we hadn’t brought a change for him, of course! Ha-ha! But, Kat had so much fun! On the way home, she asked if we could have a water balloon fight sometime, in our backyard! Once we got back, we put Alyssa down for a nap & Katrina actually fell asleep on our couch for about an hour, herself – passed out while watching Spongebob on T.V., that’s just how worn out she was! But, we’re glad she got to experience her first slumber party with friends around her age. It was a great time!

Mood Swings

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Alyssa has just been moody lately, which is sometimes a good thing, and more often than not, well, not such a good thing… We were able to take her to her Aunt’s graduation this week, where she did a nice job of staying quiet & being entertained, at least during the ceremony. Once it was over, though, she didn’t want much to do with anyone. She kept getting fussy, for no reason, other than the fact that it was past her bedtime, we’re pretty sure… The next day, we took her with us to Katrina’s best friend’s Birthday party, where she just fussed, practically the entire time we were there! Again, it was right around her usual naptime, so we’re pretty sure the “culprit” was once again sleepiness, especially since she was perfectly happy, once she woke up from her nap, later that same day. She has had her “extra happy” times, too, lately, which have been nice, though! We took her to swim at the girls’ Uncle, Aunt & cousins’ house yesterday & she absolutely *loved* that! Of course, it was *after* naptime that we all got together, so… lesson learned: you can’t take a sleepy baby anywhere (or, at least not an 18-month old, with a mind of her own)! ;)

Staying Active

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, Katrina officially finished Kindergarten – last Monday (the 19th) was her final day. And, I must say, this “summer break” has really been active, so far! That same night, I took her to her Nana’s (my Mom-in-Law’s) clogging class with me. Although I can’t remember every single event/activity we’ve done between then & now, I do know that there hasn’t been a day that we’ve stayed home the entire time, until today... Jeremy & I wound up cleaning out our entire garage on Thursday, while Kat was at a friend’s house playing & Alyssa was napping, which was difficult, but we are so thrilled that it’s done! This past weekend has been especially busy – on Friday night, we took Katrina to her best friend’s slumber party, while the rest of us attended Jeremy’s sister’s graduation. The next day, we all went over to get Kat, but we were also able to enjoy some of the party, including a water balloon fight for the kids. Sunday, we accidentally overslept & missed church, but later went out, just for fun, looking at houses in our area & wound up talking to a builder for quite some time. We have been going back & forth on whether we’d like to have our next home built from scratch, or just buy a larger one than what we’re in, but we haven’t come to a solid decision, yet. We don’t really want to move until at least next summer, once Katrina’s done with her next year of school, anyway… Yesterday, we enjoyed a cookout & some swimming with most of Jeremy’s side of the family. All the while, I’ve somehow managed to keep the house & the girls decently clean! And, I’ve somehow kept up with a lot of the entertaining things I like to enjoy on the computer, too, such as World of Warcraft. Jeremy & I even rented a movie one night this week (although they’ve all blurred together – I think it was last Tuesday, ha-ha)! In any case, I’m pretty worn out. I hope that things calm down, soon, but I don’t forsee that happening, for some time. At least we’re in for a “fun-filled” summer & I can’t complain of boredom! :)