Chinese New Year!

Yes, I am a little late on this post.   This is the first year we did not participate in our local FCC Chinese New Year celebration.   We wanted too, but the weather was supposed to be bitter cold with snow and since I am still looking for a job it was going to be kind of a hardship to buy the tickets and drive to the Kansas City area to attend.   I decided to use the last of my Christmas money to have photos take of the girls in their Chinese dresses.   As fast as they are growing, I wanted to have photos of them in these dresses while they still fit in them!   I seem to have many clothes in the closet that I have purchased over the years that were meant for the girls for a certain time of the year and then when that time of the year arrived the clothes were either too big or too small and I would leave them in the closet hoping that the next time that season came around they would fit one of the girls.  Seems my buying out of season like that just never worked!   I have some nice clothes that I need to get listed on Ebay!!

So I contacted Belinda and asked if she had a date open to have the girls' photos taken.   She had an opening on the next Sunday just two days away!   I am not sure how I managed to buy four black dresses and only two white ones.   I don't remember for sure but that may have been all Michael had and I love these cotton blend dresses with the zipper down the back.   The frog closures are just pretty on the front of the dresses and not something that we have to get to stay closed or try to close.  I would have wanted some more dresses like these in other colors but all they had was the black and white ones.  Maybe someday I can return and will find other colors.

Belinda does such a great job of taking the photos.   The girls listen to her and keep their poses as she tells them.   It is almost relaxing to have her take the girls' photos.   I said...ALMOST!   They were arguing why do I have to stand beside so and so  and why can't I wear the white or why do I have to wear black?  You know, just regular sibling fun!   As we were running out the door to go to Belinda's I thought about and grabbed the umbrellas.   I really love the umbrellas!   Pretty colors and designs.
I think that the photos turned out great!   Of course, the girls moan and groan about "I" don't look good, my eyes are closed or half shut, I don't like the way I smile, or she was making me laugh.   As long as Mom likes the photos then everyone is happy :)

So Happy New Year, the Year of the Horse.   ZoraLin and Jordis are both horses.   We sure love these girls and their culture.

Super bowl....my girls had so much more to do!!

They did enjoy our traditional half-time break but other than that the girls could care less about the super bowl.   I heard lots of giggles coming from our bedroom.   I finally had to see what they were up to.    Here is Tessa and Kendalan in their mustache sunglasses and their no heat curls.

Gosh I love these girls!!

Happy Chinese New Year....The year of the Horse!

We decided to go out the day before Chinese New Year to celebrate as RaeAnne was going to be at her friend's house for the weekend.    We really like the Hunan Chinese Restaurant that is at 29th and Fairlawn.    The older lady that runs the restaurant always wants to know how the girls are and tells them that they need to be good to their Mom and Dad as we went so far to get them.

We stopped on our way home from Taekwondo Thursday night.  A day early for Chinese New Year but technically it was already the next day in China!!

Happy New Year!!   We have two who were born under the sign of the horse...Jordis and ZoraLin!!

New Year antics

I have been thinking that I needed to update family and friends on the going on's at our house.   We have been pretty busy doing lots of different things, but at the same time we haven't been as busy as I think we have.   I am seriously looking for a job.   And I would like to get my job back at my same hospital.  Since I have worked there for over 6 years and was vested after 5 years I hate to lose that.   Plus, I really like most of the people that I work with!   I have been applying and to date have applied for over 10 different positions there.   I am hoping that the recruitment staff gets tired of all my applications and eventually will call me in for an interview.   In the mean time we have had to switch over to Cobra insurance and of course after the first of the year the rates went up :(   So now we have been filing for Obama care and so far it looks like it will save us some money and hopefully it will be good insurance.

I have also filed for unemployment.    Since it seems that it will take a while to get my job back it was only a good idea to file for unemployment.   I need some income here!   I have my phone interview with them on the 4th.

Okay on to what has been going on around here with the girls.   New Years Eve the girls wanted to stay up and watch the ball drop.   I kind of figured that half of them would get tired and go to bed early, but I was wrong!   We had a toast of Sparkling Grape Juice for them and I had water.   The Dad couldn't hang with us girls and was sound asleep before 11:30 p.m.  

Kendalan participated in the 3rd and 4th grade Spelling Bee.   She did fantastic and we are really proud of her.   She won third place which is the alternate position.   So if one of the other two who won would be ill, Kendalan would fill in for that person.   She was broken hearted that she spelled her word wrong.   As soon as she spelled it she knew it was wrong.   The word was bassoon and she spelled it with only one O.  There were a lot of tears but she made it through.  And there is always next year.

The girls participated in their first Taekwondo tournament in Abilene a couple of weeks ago.   They were in the novice division as this was their first ever tournament.   They were a little nervous, but they all did great.   Kendalan was the first to battle.   She took first place in her form and sparring. Next Tessa, ZoraLin and Jordis were all in the 9 to 11 division.   Jordis and Tessa sparred each other and Jordis received first place in sparring, Tessa came in second and Zora was third.   Tessa received first for her forms, Jordis second and ZoraLin third.

RaeAnne participated in the 12 to 14 level.   She was the only novice in her group.  So she took first for sparring and her form.   All the girls were pretty excited to have gotten so many awards.  I think they may have the fever and we have another tourny coming up in Springfield, Missouri in February that we may go to.   Their Dad and I was super proud of the girls.   Mr. McCollum has said that RaeAnne turns into a whole different person when she puts on her sparring gear.  She becomes aggressive and really goes after her opponent.