Christmas pictures

Oh Christmas pictures.  Oh Christmas pictures you are so difficult.  All 5 in the same shot awesome!  Our joyous Emma is being her independent self.  

All 5 in the same shot again!  Yes! Except they are all trying to get away.  Classic.

The rest are winners.  Pardon Oh Holy Robert in the background of this next one.  He is just our shining star.  

Emma loved playing peek-a-boo through out the shoot.  

Gabe and his new hair.  Everyone was getting Corban and Gabe confused, and now no one can recognize Gabe,  

Halloween with a couple of bonuses

Oh Halloween.  This year I didn't want to dress up.  My neighbors talked about and said they were.  Dressing up ranges from wearing a cowboy hat to full on costume.  This year they all dressed up but me and Robert.  Ouch.  So we quickly threw on some costumes and looked ridiculous.  The boys were Spider Man and Captain America.  And what was sweet little Emma you ask? Pretty much nothing.  Our little lady who loves jewelry, shoes and her tutu like skirt REFUSED to put on a costume of any kind.  Our neighbor gave us princess costumes and Emma would scream, shake back and forth and run away.  My dad came over one day and got her into Tinkerbell.  About 30-40 minutes later she realized and yanked it right off.  So Emma joined the official "ghetto Watson costume club" of finding something in her clothing drawer to wear as a costume.  So needless to say she went as Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch because she looked just like her shirt.   

Bonus- Corban giving pigs as presents.  

Just a bonus- Mia.  Best costume!

My trick costume for Emma.  

All 3 in one picture and facing the same direction.  Score!

Why is Captain America making a kissing facing?  I don't know.  He is a lady's man.  

Emma stole my hat and would only wear it like this.  You can kind or see her looking through the holes.  

Corban above and Gabriel below painting pumpkins.  Only problem was the paint was not washable.  Bye bye cute button down shirt.  

School days

This is way overdue.  Both boys are in school this year!  Gabe is in pre-k 5 days a week from 9-1 and Corban is in preschool 2 days a week from 9-1.  They love it soooo much.  Corban is doing so well in his class.  He loves to learn.  They sing songs a lot and now Corban does too.  He makes up a song for everything.  It's pretty cute.  His lastest "you have to go to school.  and when you go to school you have to bring your backpack and your fruit snacks."  (choose your own tempo and melody to sing that.)  Gabe loves getting older.  He loves that he gets to go 5 days a week as well as help his brother in the morning play on the playground with their friends.  

Yes- I cried.. the first couple days. Small sets of tears.   I did really well the first day until Robert looked at me and said  "hey you are doing really well." sob sob sob sob. Thanks buddy.  I was a little nervous for Corban on the first day because the playground is big and when the bell rings they have to line up at their classroom number.  I showed him and walked him over to his sign and explained everything.  I even told Gabe to help him.  Well long behold, he was the only kid in his class that lined up there.  So proud.  Emma has been so good when the boys are gone.  We went out to lunch with a friend and she sat so nice.  Ah, it has been good. 

Gabe's 1st day of pre-k at Sun Valley Learning Center.

Corban's 1st day of preschool at Sun Valley Learning Center.

Emma's 1st day ALONE!

Gabe rocking the bike. Both boys are doing so well riding.  

Corban and his bike.  No picture of Emma but she runs along side them. 

They really do love each other.  

Boys just being silly.  

1/2 Olympian & the Olympians

Fianlly!! I did it!!  I complete a sprint triathlon!  This has a funny back story.  Last year, Robert and Chris did this same exact race.  Jihae, Barb and myself came to see them compete.  I enjoyed being a spectator.  Robert asked "Would you ever consider doing one of these?"  

I laughed out loud.  "No.  I will come watch all of your races but this just looks crazy.  Have fun!"

And look at that.  I competed in the race I said no way to.  I actually participated in 3 races in 2012.  I have never been on a sports team, never ran a mile (except in elementary school when they make you) never been an athlete.  So this year was quite the year for me.  My motivation- well there's 2-- "why not?" and I've been on the sidelines of life for a while.  I support Robert in all his endeavors; work, mission trips around the world, races, etc.  And with the kids, I support them being the continual feeding, bathing, coaching, playing, etc.  So why not do something for myself.  

Anywho, back to the race.  A sprint triathlon is 750 meter swim, 12.32 mile bike and 3.1 mile run.  I completed it 1:55.  

The race was at Tempe Town Lake.  The swim was actually in the lake.  That was not as gross as I thought it would be but much "scarier" when I had my eyes open in the water and all I could see is up to six inches of murky green water in every direction.  No visual of any of the other participants or even my own stroke for that matter.  I did not start well on the swim but was proud to say I finished well.  The stress of not seeing, people running into me every 10 seconds made it super difficult to get a decent rhythm of a stroke.  

I am somewhere in the crowd with a purple swim cap on.  

All lined up. 

Basically drowning... in front of my friends.... and I'm humbled from any such pride I was carrying.  Did the old back stoke to survive for a while. 

Once I was out of the water I enjoyed the bike.  Just cruising.  People passed me but I didn't care.  I enjoyed the ride.  

The run. Surprisingly my legs were not jello as I expected them to be.  I ran the majority of the 3.1 miles, only walking about 3-5 times.  No head phones were allowed on the race course so I just had my music on speaker.  The other runners enjoyed it too!  

I love seeing the finish line!! It's my favorite!

Overall it was a great race.  Jihae and the kids along with Shannon came out to watch.  Brad and Jenny were there as well showing their support for a friend of their's and me.  Thank you!  Barb & Jerry watched our monkeys.  Thank you.  And of course Robert and Chris supported me and competed in the Olympic event.

My lovely husband jumping in at the end with me.  Thanks Babe!

******

Now for Robert and Chris' story.  They decided to do a Olympic relay of the race.  The Olympic is 1500 meter swim, 26.64 mile bike and 6.2 mile run.  Robert had the swim, Chris the bike and Todd- their cousin the run.  Well the night before the race Todd got a bad stomach bug and was throwing up all night.  He came to our house at 5am and said there was no way he could run.  Understandable.  No replacement could be found.  So Robert did his portion of the race- the swim, rested while Chris rode, and then ran 6.2 miles WITH NO TRAINING!  He is quite an athlete to do that.  My congrats go to he and Chris for being Olympians of their own! 

Sorry for the lack of pictures.  Maybe I will attain more from Jihae.  

New York

Ah, New York was so fun.  Robert surprised me for my birthday with a weekend to New York.  Ummm awesome!!  Our friend is a pilot and hooked us up with some buddy passes and Robert arranged childcare.  We took a red eye on Thursday and got in at 7am eastern and just hit the ground running.  We went to the top of the Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial, Off Broadway show- Stomp, got lost, saw lots of interesting people- group of drag queens- which Robert got his picture taken with, a man in his underwear playing guitar in Time Sqaure, a lady in her late 60's wearing the same thing playing her guitar (not together), a what we thought was a dead guy on the sidewalk (he ended up being alive) and the ominous person talking to them self.  We saw rats coming out of the sewer onto the street.  Eew gross.  And steam coming out of the sewers.  We were so surprised on how much Hollywood got right.  That was all just day one.

Day two was just as exciting.  We woke up at 10:45 am!!  Woohoo.  We took a 6-8 mile bike ride through Central Park, got pooped on by a bird ( it was bound to happen), went to Battery Park and saw Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty from afar, Sphere statue with eternal flame (from World Trade Center), walked to the Brooklyn Bridge, got caught in the rain, went to the wrong subway, got caught in even harder rain (it was kinda awesome), walked to Chinatown and Little Italy, tried to see a movie in Time Square but because I am "special" I told Robert the wrong time and ate hot dogs from street carts and real NY pizza.

Day three my extra fitness loving husband wanted to go running through Manhattan.... and we did.  We got up and ran through the city, into Central Park, to Rockefeller Center through Time Square for a total of 4 or so miles.  I had symphony music playing ( I got the idea from the breakfast place we ate at) and it was incredible.  Dodging pedestrians, cars, etc with all the noise, smells and what not, it was relaxing to listen to the symphony.  Note- I don't think this will work at the gym.  Anyway, we later ate brunch on a back patio of some small restaurant, watched football at a local Boston- lovers bar, people watched as we walked to the Hudson River and then headed to the airport on the subway.

It was a spectacular trip.  Robert was a terrific navigator of the subway system and we truly had the best time.  It is amazing how much you can do in one day without kids.  Thank you Robert for this very special birthday present. Thank you bless-ed Mom for watching teething Emma, Barb for being school bus to the boys and spoiling Gabe for the weekend and lovely Jihae for allowing Corban to eat 4 bowls of rice in one sitting while entertaining your folks at the same time.  Thank you all!!!!!

Top of Empire State Building. 

9/11 Memorial.  It was beautiful. 

"Survivor tree" It was pulled from the wreckage and was still alive! 

Museum being built.  Cool reflection of the buildings.

Infamous bird poop.

Cental Park

Us trying to get the Statue of Liberty in our hands.  

A statue that survived the crash.  It was in front of the WTC.

Brooklyn Bridge (and Manhattan Bridge behind it).  A crazy guy talking to himself was a bench behind us.  I look over and he was staring at us.  I got scared and told Robert we had to get out of here.  Nothing happened. 

One of the new WTC's.  Trying selling office space in that!

Pouring.  I am soaked!!!

Robert is by LIVE seafood in buckets in Chinatown.  We had a humane talk the next day about it. 

Little Italy

Last night in Time Square.

Two men on the subway entertaining everyone.  It was funny.