Released from Bondage!

It's amazing how changing one's appearance can liberate one's soul.  It's been about two weeks since I cut 14+ inches of hair off my head and I feel amazing.  It also helps that I was able to fit into a skirt I haven't fit into in over a year and a half yesterday. 

 I think a body goes along comfortable in a set routine and forgets what it is to take pride in one 's appearance.  Enough with complacency, as Marina said to me on Saturday, "You need some refreshing!"  I definitely feel refreshed after not only shedding the weight of all that hair but in donning a new do and embracing change.

Passed With Flying Colors!

Charm, elegance and poise, that's what I had hoped to get out of my ballet class this semester.  Unfortunately I ended up with a broken foot.  I guess that shows my degree of determination to get good marks in a class I felt ill equipped to take.  It paid off too, because I got an A- out of the class even though I broke my foot halfway through the semester. 

In many ways I needed to take that class, as well as the other classes I have taken over the last two semesters coming back to school.  Ballet taught me to value my own efforts.  I learned that hard work does pay off even and especially if you don't have the best body alignment, or are the most graceful to begin with.  It changed the way I look at myself.  Even though I felt myself to be the most clumsy, awkward and uncoordinated female in a class of about 29 females and three males I learned I was still okay.  I was able to work on my own weaknesses and help others with the things I am good at.  Ballet helped me to acknowledge and like myself better.

Here's to straight A's in all my classes!

~ Fraise

Happy Birthday to a Little Lady

Yesterday, Miss gabby turned two.  It's hard to believe it's already been a year since they left for Croatia last year.  It's amazing to see how much this little girl has changed since then.  Kids grow way too fast.

It was a nice party at home with all her closest family and friends.  We sang Happy Birthday first in English and then in Croatian, because Gabby asked her mom to.

We had Brazilian, Togolais, and Croatian food, with some good old fashioned sugar cookies by yours truly.  To top it off we had a strawberry and chocolate cake just for the birthday girl.

Happy Birthday Gabby from all of those that love you!

~ Fraise

Crunch Time!!!

So I'm sure most of the world knows that school has started for most universities, colleges, high schools, etc.  Work was hectic for the first few weeks of school but fortunately it has calmed down some.  Just in time too since I myself am finally going back to school, this time hell bent on actually finishing.  So yeah it's a re-balancing act now as I figure out school, work, homework, family life and some kind of minor social life.  Pretty hard core.  Now I know why most people try to get their schooling done before they get married, and start families, etc.  It's a roller coaster ride without all the extra stuff, and now I'm finding a better appreciation for those moms who manage to balance their lives with everything they do.

So yes, onto English, Astronomy, Pre-Algebra, and Anthropology.  I have finally gotten my schedule worked out and things are now stable, so full steam ahead!  Here are some fun photos of Marina and the girls I've taken on my shortened visits in between work and class.

Yes that's a goat on a doghouse staring at Gabby.

Taken with camera phone.

Marina decided to get braided hair extensions for fun.

Gabby just started pushing Mirna in the little car.  It was so funny to see them going around the backyard like that.

It is hard to get good picture of this little girl.  She just won't stay still long enough.

We were having a picnic in the backyard.

It's rare to get good photos of these two together.

Giving Gifts

Has anyone ever noticed how the gifts we give for weddings, babies, birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas have all become so commercial and assembly line.  I know that gone are the time when a young woman spent most of her youthful man hours amassing linens and making blankets and quilts as part of the dowry she would bring to her marriage to help her setup a home for her new family.  True that with weddings and bridal showers the couple is trying to acquire what they need to set up their own home, and the gifts tend to roll with the times, and technology.  It's surprising however how less and less people are considering handmade gifts as suitable for young couples.  Less so for babies or birthday gifts, but it seems like everything has to be based on a monetary amount or value.

I think making gifts means a lot more, considering not only the money spent, but the time spent in making the gift.  I'm not sure what it means to others, but I think that a handmade gift shows a lot lot more thought and feeling towards the receiver that had that person just gone to the store and purchased the gift.  besides it's fun for the giver as well, in the planning and execution of the crafting of the gift.

Yesterday I went to a cousin's baby shower, representing my mother as well, who had a prior engagement she couldn't get out of and bearing the gift that we were jointly giving to my cousin.  Now before I get into what we gave her, it needs to be understood, that neither of us has much spare cash.  Due to the economy, and my father's line of work my parents have fallen on somewhat harder times, and likewise, as is the current trend, my husband and I due to school and other things are attempting to dig ourselves out of debt.  Now my sweet cousin like many brides had the forethought to register before hand to make it easy for her guests to know what exactly she and her soon-to-be husband needed to establish their home.  Unfortunately like many brides, a lot of the things were a little out of my mother's and my price range.  We thought instead of buying one or two cooking utensil's each, we might try to think of something she might need that she or I could make.

So I called my aunt and asked what colors her kitchen and bath were and then headed over to the Walmart craft section to buy some peaches and cream cotton yarn.  As many of you have witnessed due to prior posts, I like to knit and crochet, and I thought I could knit my cousin some nice soft washcloths for her bathroom, using a basket weave pattern.  Fortunately for me Walmart had just the right colors.

I'm very proud of us.  I'm proud of what we accomplished with the little that we had, and I hope that my cousin loves the gifts we came up with as much as the fun we had making them.

Hope you have a lovely Sunday.

~Fraise

Rio Tinto Family Night

 We all look forward to this every year, a fun night to go with the girls and play games and eat lots of free food.  In the past they have held it at the soccer stadium and put up soccer stations or obstacle courses, had live music and balloon artists.  They would open up all of the stadium concessions and we could pretty much eat all our hearts desired.

This year, however Rio Tinto rented out Utah Hogle Zoo for an entire two days!  We decided to go on Friday with some friends and we had a blast!

Admittedly we didn't see tons of animals, but like Marina, the friends that came have a little girl of two, so we mostly rode on the train and carousel, ate free concessions, and played with the water spraying dinosaurs.

We got to see a really funny family of spider monkeys though, the baby kept climbing the fence and jumping on the adults.

A lonesome looking silver-back gorilla.

Multiple birds, like grouse, turkeys, peacocks, and some other tropical birds, like a talking cockatoo who whistled and then waved his wing and said good-bye when a little boy waved at him.

Gabby really liked looking at the bald eagles.  We were fortunate enough that the nocturnal tigers in the Asian Highlands section of the park were out.

The little girls kept getting side tracked whenever we would pass a shop.  It was pretty funny, especially when Mirna found a pink plastic explorer hat and tried it on.

We had a good time, even if we only got there at 4 pm.  One of Mirna's favorite things was the water misting fans.  She kept playing in front of them and wanted to be up high so she could get a full blast from them.

 

Little kids and water, .....never a dull moment.

Well I hope that where ever you are in the world, you get the opportunity to go to your local zoo before summer is out.  As well as some other fun and interesting summer activities.

Anyway happy Monday everyone!

~ Fraise