Pinewood Derby 2008/ First SPT

Chandler's pinewood derby was on Friday night - he called his car "The Darkest Night" - he did really well last year - came in 2nd - this year he also had a pretty fast car but as you will see below......
he lost in the semi-finals (he got 5th or 6th overall) to his BFF Greg - coincidentally last year's semifinals - he won over Greg! If you're gonna go out - it's a good way to go. The Cub committee did a great job, they had a great area set up for siblings with the movie Cars running and some hotwheels out for them to play with - it was very fun. I didn't know they only did this for three years and then move on....guess we better enjoy it! That is one calling I hope I don't get - Scouts.




This is my first SPT as well - okay, so it's only a semi SPT since the "self-portrait" part is being left out - I'm not feeling very photogenic these days - I'm feeling kinda old lady like - my allergies are really bad - I had a reaction to my allergy shots last night - stayed 2 hours! Had to have epinephrine and all kinds of jittery making drugs - my great neighbor went to the pharmacy for me to make sure I had an epi pen in the house! I found two more gray hairs and I'm tired.....

But onto my story - today's challenge - if there were 25 hours in the day - I would get to all my household projects - you see pictured are MY tools - that's right I'm Handy Holly around the house. I was going to keep it a surprise for my Hubby who hasn't seen it yet - but I changed the light fixture that broke in the hallway closet. I have a new toilet paper holder to install and caulk to fix in the shower - all the old men at church love me - they come talk to me about electrical & plumbing all the time....it's so cute!

My other project - or hobby is Stampin' Up - which I need to get my tail a-hoppin' - I have to create a bunch of stuff for a selection process for a stamp camp we're doing on March 8th - anyone want to come???!!

Oh by the way - I was finally released from the RS Presidency - I've been in the presidency for 3,5 years - but doing Homemake for 5 - yes ladies, not a typo - 5 years (with 3 different RS Presidents!) - at Tithing settlement I happened to mention to the bishop that I found a HFPE flyer in my computer dated 2002 - see it pays to go to Tithing Settlement.

But my new calling Christina - hold onto your hat - I still am in denial - Ward Choir Director - but here's the clinker - NO Pianist - hello!!??? How do you have a choir without a pianist?? Oh well - I'll just have the YW, YM, & the Primary go up every month!! I guess I'm going to try to hit up Fisher's mom to help me with Easter!!

What a loved man

I loved Gordon B. Hinckley - I was so sad to hear of his passing for so excited for him to join his wife in heaven - you could really tell he missed her these past 3 years. It will be so strange for me not to see him on TV at conference this year. I've only (gosh, I still say only!?) 17 years but he was the prophet for most of it and of course the only one my kids have known.

I loved how he softened tough subjects, how he made it seem so simple to do what is right and how happy he always seemed even when you knew he had many responsibilities or concerns for all of us. I always felt like he was talking just to me about things I wanted to know about. How fortunate we've been these last many years to have such a wonderful man teach us so many wonderful things.

Bon Anniversaire Tyler

I can't believe it - my sweet little girl is now 12!!!!! My how times flies. Tyler was my cute little Budha baby - she had rolls and rolls of fat all over and she was so heavy!! You wouldn't have known it by the size she was born, 7lbs 14 oz - but she was - of course once she figured out walking it all melted off....

Tyler is my best friend - I'm hoping we're foraging the kind of relationship where she can tell me anything. When my grandma died last week she was the first to comfort me. We have a shared journal - things we might want to talk about to each other but can't always do it verbally or just run out of time in the day - we write in it - put it on each other's pillow and take turns - well that night she wrote to me and left it on my pillow - she said she knew grandma was with Heavenly Father and that she was happy now.

She is so responsible and smart - she has lots of friends and tries to do what is right. We're so lucky because she has a core group of really nice girls - you can't always say that - with how catty girls can get - but all of these girls are just "nice"!

I can't do a day without her, Tyler helps me so much around the house and with the boys - she does more than her fair share around here for sure. I love having her as a daughter and am so lucky. Happy Birthday Tyler!!!

Happy Anniversary

Yikes - if you can believe it - it is my 15th anniversary today! Mike is so many things to me - we've been together since I was 20 years old - I met Mike on the steps of the apartment building we both lived at - he was in the apartment right below mine in college.

We had a marathon wedding - it was amazing - it was a week of the worst storms in ages - it rained hard night and day for a week, including the day before and the day AFTER our wedding, surprisingly it didn't rain during the whole day when we got married. We were sealed in the Oakland Temple - Mike's parents & many of their friends had come from Utah for it. We had a ring ceremony right after our sealing, then a regular open reception for our friends and church friends. Then that night we had a big Chinese reception - one with 8 courses in the meal - and dancing - we went to Mexico for our Honeymoon and flew First Class (Mike worked for the airline back then) that was the first time anyone had called me Mrs.

The next week we flew to SLC and had our 3rd reception there. It all seems like a blur now, but we still have many friends that say it was the best week worth of celebrating they've done!

I'm so fortunate - Mike is the nicest person you will ever meet. He's romantic, athletic, intelligent, and so generous. I am so lucky to have found him, he is my best friend and my support and I'm so lucky to have built a family with him. How lucky for me we are together for eternity!

Virginia Louie Chung Ho

Here are just a couple pictures of my grandma - actually her hair is a little longer than this now. I haven't posted until now or checked many blogs in the last few days as I've been a little caught up with things. Last Tuesday my grandma wanted to go home - so the hospital released her and set up Hospice for her at her home. My brother and I went out to visit her to see how she was settling in. Oh how I am glad we went. It was incredibly hard as I had 2 carpool duties and things to work out and Mike was working but as it ended up it was the last time I got to see my grandma. She passed last Thursday night at home. We thought we'd have a bit more time but I'm sure she is not in pain and she is with Heavenly Father right now.

My grandma was an incredible woman. She was widowed very young, as my grandfather died when he was 35. She raised 4 small children alone and didn't remarry until I was 8 years old. She worked in banking and finance for her whole life and even up until last year did taxes for other people. Her birthday was last Sunday - she turned 86. My grandma was extremely intelligent and I can't tell you how much I have looked up to her. She was a no-nonsense kind of lady so it didn't surprise me that she wanted to go home when she did - when she made a decision she always stuck to it.

I can kinda go on and on but what I want to say most is that I loved her and I'm so fortunate that I had so much time with her - I'm the eldest grandchild - and my kids were her only great-grandchildren. And my kids played bingo, mah jong and checkers and all kinds of things with her - I'm so lucky they have such good memories of her......

My parents are here now for a week - there isn't going to be a big funeral - she is going to be cremated and there is going to be just a small dinner banquet with the few remaining friends (she outlived most) and family. It will be a nice celebration of her life. Take care and kiss your loved ones and hold them tight or just send the ones farther away a sweet card or note - it makes all the difference.

Bunco!!!

I love going to Bunco - luckily I was invited to join my next door neighbor's group - she has great friends - and now they are my friends!! This is Pajama Bunco where you just come in your jammies and eat easy out of the package type foods and have F-U-N - I figure you'd spend more on going out to a movie (it's $11 here) and not talk to anyone else than the $10 it costs me to hang out with cool ladies - and hey, sometimes I win so I can pay the babysitter.

I brought my camera and took a quick pix at the end, it was funny they were saying, oh move the wine glass - yeah, let the mormon girl move the glass ha ha, that's why we're laughing so hard. Happy Day tomorrow is Friday!

Happy New Year!

I'm back! It seems like so long - so Happy New Year to everyone! We had a busy two weeks - I really thought I would have blogged way before now. Our Christmas was very nice, but also very somber - my grandma is still hanging in there, but I'm not sure how much longer. She will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow to go home, not because she is better though.

My grandma was stabilized Christmas day so we felt secure enough to go to Utah to visit Mike's family (sorry Brooke we ended up so busy to come visit your beautiful home!) we visited with Mike's old missionary companions, his HS girlfriend (or not, depends on the story) and his best friend in HS & Mike's Brothers. We were busy! I felt horrible though - the weather and the artificial heat are really really bad on my skin (lucky eczema girl) I looked like a zombie!!! (oh yeah, really good for seeing Mike's old friends) My eyes looked horrible, they were swollen and itchy - I felt like my skin was going to fall off!! It is so hard for me to go there in the winter.

But we did have a nice visit with his parents and friends - the kids got to sled most days and made a snowman in the backyard, we went to see Alvin & the Chipmunks, so fun, played Guitar Hero with Uncle Todd & Aunt Rachel, trips to the Gateway, Mike even went on a business trip in the middle of our trip! Centerville/Bountiful has this terrific new community center/gym - I wish we had one! They have everything there! Indoor/outdoor pools, classes, rock wall, running tracks, weights, cardio - so neat.

The airports were a nightmare - security is a joke and everything is so difficult! I hate the cattle call, so different when you fly international business class (for free)!

We spent New Year's Eve with Mike's parents and their friends (they call themselves the Six-pack) so fun - they are all lifelong friends and the 3 couples do things together all the time!

But we're back to the grind, it was so nice getting the kiddies off to school today but it is still pretty dampened now knowing my grandma is going home tomorrow - I'm not sure what is going to happen in the next two weeks but I am certainly happy and thankful for my family and friends.

PS - Melinda - Happy Belated Birthday! I have a little something in the mail to you - and thank you for mine!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

Last night we went to dinner for my Grandpa's 75th bday since everyone has come into town for Christmas. We had a yummy chinese dinner. My grandma (my mom's mom) is in the hospital again so it is slightly somber of a celebration. I am discouraged this by her prognosis and her spirit. She is tired of fighting so I'm not sure how much longer we will have with her.

We went to see her last night and then went to see the Temple Lights - it is so beautiful every year - we are so lucky to have a temple so close by.


The hand bell and my flute solo went off really well at Church and we had a wonderful sacrament - well actually we performed in two wards - so I got a double dose of Christmas testimonies and it was wonderful. This year I had our family draw names to hand make a gift for each other - I'm looking forward to it the most I think!!


I'm getting my house ready - we have our big Christmas Eve party with my dad's family tonight and tomorrow with my mom's so I have lots of things to do - Merry Christmas!!!!

Yummy!!!

Between today and tomorrow I will have participated in 3 cookie exchanges - can you hear my pants starting to split right now??? It is always so fun to go to - I never host them because I have two friends that LOVE to do it every year and they are both my neighbors - so since it's their tradition I just attend - nice - I can leave my house messy with flour and sugar and piping and sprinkles and just attend and eat - so nice. And since Ian is allergy to peanut I have to eat his share - the things I sacrifice for my kids.....

Here is a picture from last Friday night - we went to Christmas in the Park in San Jose - it brought back memories for us - Mike & I lived down there for a few years when going to school - actually I used to live in an old victorian house - that they've converted into a Polynesian Cafe - so you can eat Hawaiian Pancakes in my old bedroom! So funny. I should have taken a picture.

It was uber-crowded though and I had had a jam packed day so I was pretty tired but I was very positive and supportive, Mike had been talking about bringing the kids down there for the last 3 weeks. So after school I girl scouts and Chandler had Destination Imagination and I think that day LInda & I may have gone to the mall or something so it was go go go, but it was a fun family outing even though we didn't get down there until after 7 and hadn't eaten yet......but we are certainly getting into the Christmas Spirit!!!

Only a week left! Yikes!

Today is my girlfriend Gloselle's bday - I would post a picture but my scanner isn't working right - she is a great friend - actually we met in the dorms at good ol' SJSU - we are 5 days apart in age both asian and like white guys (wait this sounds familiar). We don't get to see each other often even though we only live about 30 mins away - life keeps us busy but what I love about Glos is that when we pick up the phone and talk - it's like no time has ever passed - we chat and laugh and it's like we just saw each other yesterday - she is one of my "lifer-friends". I was in her wedding - thoroughly honored - she's like a sister to me since I have none - I love her to death - she is a great mother & wife - how she met her wonderful husband is a story in itself - she is talented, creative and beautiful and a great friend.

Actually - it's Glos' doing that I'm a member of the church. Her HS sweetheart was a member and was debating about going on a mission - Glos' wanted to take the Missionary lessons our second year of college - and I had met Mike that year (when he was a missionary) he taught in a Vietnamese Branch so he referred us to the Single Adult missionaries - long story short - she wanted to take the discussions but didn't want to go alone - so being the supportive friend - I told her I'd listen to them with her but I wouldn't join the church - I knew a little bit because my grandma was a member and I used to go to primary with her (the seeds were planted) - well - lo and behold here I am 17 years later - yikes that sounds old - oh well

Hope all your Christmas preparations are going well! I'm off to eat a cookie and go to bed!

A Lesson on saying "NO"!

So last night was a busy night for us - Bell practice that went an hour longer, Bday party for Ian, Ward Party & a family party all at the same time - originally we weren't going to go to the Ward Party - obviously too many things to do - but the Activities Chairlady asked if we were going and if we'd be in the Nativity - so I thought about - okay we'd come - it would be at the end we'd figure it out....

This is my lesson - I shouldn't say yes to everything - I should ask more questions - I should stick to my orginial plans instead of cramming in new ones.

So we do the bday party drop off - then we get back to the ward party late (we're reserving our fun family party for the end as it will go longer anyway) they are doing their thing - when the end comes they call our name - so we go back there - and she says, "so do you want me to do the lights or curtains for you?" WHAT????????????????????????????????????????

I look at her incredulously! I said - as calmly as I could, "I think we had a misunderstanding here, I thought you wanted us to help be IN the Nativity, NOT PLAN the Nativity??!!?????" She didn't give me enough details before - duh.......I knew there were costumes in the hall stake closet, we figured how to open it but we had a bunch of little kids throw stuff on, Mike grabbed a bible and we tried to do it, just with kids, robes, no baby, no props - it was the worst thing EVER! And if you know me - you know I'm a super planner, down to the last detail - it had to be the worst experience - we decided we know why people go inactive or don't come to ward events - and at the safety of our friends fabulous family party after - we said if we were drinkers, we would have had a couple!!!!! I'm so glad we had something to do after - it was mortifying. Good thing the Church is true!!!

So I'm up early - had dreams of - 'we should have just sang Away In A Manger and have the kids come out' oh well - but I'm going to Welfare meeting, perhaps also to defend myself to the powers that be... ha ha - I think we've been in this ward long enough that people know we aren't flakes! Have a super Sunday!

UPDATE: Okay - I went to Welfare meeting - all the (men) people were saying, we didn't notice - it was so great your kids went up there - they did a great job - just reading the bible like you said was perfect! Whew, I don't have a black mark by our name!!! :) We have afternoon church though so we'll see what is REALLY said.... ha ha