happy veteran's day.

{via}

thank you to all of the men & women
who chose to make the ultimate sacrifice

and fight for our nation's freedom.

thank you to the families of those brave

men & women

who have made sacrifices as well.

each & every one of us is forever

grateful & thankful

for all that you do.

---

i know i am especially thankful for my father

who served nearly 30 years in the u.s. navy.

and, if i could  hug my grandfather today {he passed away when i was four}, 

i would.

papaw was a paratrooper in the u.s. army during 

world war II.

---

take time to thank a vet.

not just today,

but each & every day.

{via}

the family that plays together...

are you the outdoors-y type? what about your hubby? the kids?

do you make time to get outside together as a family?

if not, you should. why? because it's fun. but, not just that, it's healthy, too.

it should come as no surprise that my family LOVES to be outdoors. no matter the season or the weather {okay, okay, i draw the line sometimes} we try to get outside as much as possible.

it helps that we live minutes from the beach. during the warm summer months, we are always packing up the truck and headed out for a day of fun in the sun. sometimes, we'll even camp at the beach! we especially love to camp on hatteras island in north carolina. not only is it relaxing, but it's so educational, too, for the kids. but, even in the winter you can still find us on the beach. there's no better time to search for shells than after a nor'easter!

we also love to cook out & host backyard get-togethers. the adults play cornhole & horseshoes while the kids run through the yard chasing each other & the dogs.

we garden. we are constantly doing yard work. we take the dogs for walks on the beach or we run with them in the backyard. honestly? we feel like we're wasting a perfectly good day if we're cooped up indoors.

our children especially love to be outside. they are outside riding their bikes, playing football or catch, jumping rope or just having a good time every. single. day. i'm not kidding. even now that school has started, they are outside from the moment they finish their homework until it is time to eat dinner. i love that they are burning off some extra energy while getting some exercise & enjoying time with their friends.

the kids especially love it when their father is outside playing, too. he loves to help our son learn a new skateboarding trick or race our daughter. the amount of giggling & the smiles on their faces is simply precious.

we don’t just play outside, but we like to participate in events outdoors, too. whether it’s a family-friendly concert, a festival or a walk for a cause we support, we enjoy being together as a family doing something that we love. not only is the time together important, but the time spent together outdoors just further instills the importance of family for our children. these are moments we’ll never get to relive again, so why not make the best of it and get outdoors, right?

what kinds of things do you enjoy doing outdoors with your family? share them with me & while you're at it, why don't you make a pledge to play outside:  http://clorox2play2day.com

the fine print:
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

because hurricanes require carbs & chocolate.

here in southeastern virginia we are bracing for irene's arrival. and, because it is hurricane eve, i figured the kids & i deserved a fun breakfast. yes, chocolate for breakfast.


my friend, lis, posted the recipe on her blog. i've made it many times {most recently for a girls brunch}. my kids love nutella crescents & you will, too. well, unless you don't like chocolate or nuts or carbs.

four ingredients:
refrigerated crescent rolls
nutella
sugar
sliced almonds*

*nuts are optional. you also don't have to use sliced almonds. i've made this using chopped pecans & it's just as yummy!

preheat your oven to 375 degrees {per the instructions on the crescent roll package}.

open the crescent roll package, break into individual triangles and coat one side in sugar {not pictured}.

then, arrange on a baking sheet {ungreased} and coat with nutella. careful: this is a messy job!

sprinkle with sliced almonds. or, you can leave them plain.

then, roll 'em up like you would when making regular crescent rolls.

bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

i have a gas oven and this seems to make for the perfect golden brown color without burning the bottom {remember, the outside will have a coating of sugar on it}.

transfer to a plate.

enjoy while warm.

be warned, they are scrumptious!!

---

hurricane eve.

irene arrives tomorrow. some of her clouds are already here.

our home is as prepared as it will ever be. i double checked the flood maps to make sure we were okay. {we didn't flood during isabel, but you never know.}

the evacuation notices are causing panic with my mother. she keeps hearing that all of virginia beach is being evacuated. no, it's not. never mind the fact that she's also worrying about my sister who lives in boston. they're supposed to feel the effects of irene later this weekend.

we are choosing to stay. foolish? perhaps. but, we're not the only people making this decision. this is also not the first hurricane we've been through nor will it be the last, i'm sure.

i'll do my best to keep you all updated on what is going on. the plan, as of now, is to leave the computer on for as long as we have power {because i don't want to run down the charge on my cell phone if i don't have to}. i have a blog post scheduled for tomorrow, but your best bet is to catch me on the twit. 

back to reality.

tonight, we become parents again.

well, i suppose we never stopped being parents. we've just been kid-free since the evening of june 19th. for the last {nearly} two weeks, our kiddos have been traveling in the northeast with my parents. 

the kids challenged my parents to games on the wii.

the kids helped my sister move {from fenway to jamaica plain}.

the kids attended a lacrosse game {my brother-in-law, james, is an awesome lax coach}.

the kids got to hang with their {2nd, my 1st} cousins, pat & mei.

the kids were spoiled by their auntie monica.

the kids got to see my mom's auntie...in toronto, canada.

the kids viewed the beauty & the exhilaration of standing near niagara falls.

i'm certain the kids have also whined, complained, cried & driven my parents crazy.

but, i'm certainly glad that my parents are able to spend time like this with their grandkids. and, i'm especially glad that my kids love going & making these memories with their grandparents.  

going kid-free is not an uncommon occurrence in our home. my kids are always with my parents. last summer {and the summer before that and the summer before that...you get the picture}, they were with my parents for a good portion of the summer.  this summer is different.  i'm not working.  i'm not in summer school. 

and, while i love how quiet & clean the house has been, i miss my kids. i can't wait to have them home. it's been too quiet & i do believe that my sanity feeds off of the dramatic chaos that seems to come along with a ten year old & an eight year old.

of course, ask me again next week, when i'm sure i'll be sick of the arguing, the pre-tween angst & the mess.

 {aidan & malia being goofy in an exhibit at aquarium of the bay, san francisco, may 2011} 

birthday boy.

this crazy guy turns eight today...

e i g h t

i want him to be two again.

i miss his blonde hair.

i miss his curls.

i miss that cheesy grin.

now he's halfway through elementary school.

he's dancing to justin bieber & singing zac brown band.

he eats just about anything.

his hair is no longer blonde.

but, he still has that cheesy grin {trust me}.

happy birthday, aidan!

bizarre food? yes. good eats? hell no.

last month we took a trip out to california {i know i owe y'all a recap plus pictures...one day, i promise}.  my cousin was getting married.  

so, what does any chinese family do when they get together for any type of 

celebration or for just no reason at all?  

they eat.  

and eat is what we did.  the welcome/rehearsal dinner the night before my cousin's big day was nothing short of amazing {never mind the fact that it was served just a few hours after the crazy, fabulous buffet-style welcome lunch}.  the dinner was ten courses {or was it twelve??} of quintessential chinese cuisine including this:

the dish we ate looked very similar to the one pictured above except the veg served with ours was a 

different type of chinese green.

{source}

that, my friends, is abalone with...wait for it...sea cucumber.  can you guess which is what?  the abalone is the stuff along the outside of the plate.  the sea cucumber is the slimy looking black crap in the middle of the dish.    

yes, you read right.  i said sea cucumber.  i also call it slimy looking black crap.  some may love it.  i sure as hell don't.  have you seen what a sea cucumber looks like? {think diseased sex organ...yeah, i went there}

coincidentally, the article i took this pic from was about two people dying from sea cucumber 

poisoning. oh, my. 

{source}

so, if you're still wondering, YES, i ate it.  well, not all of it, but a piece of it.  my sister & i decided to man up together and try a piece.  i've seen my mother eat it before & we've been to quite a few family functions where it was served but we have never, and i repeat NEVER, wanted to try it.  until last month. what in the eff were we thinking?  don't get me wrong, we've eaten some crazy stuff, but chowing on sea cucumber is not our thing.  andrew zimmern, we're not.

anyways...

fast forward to the day after the wedding.  we find ourselves in san francisco at fisherman's wharf. after walking around snapping up pictures of the sea lions & alcatraz, the kids asked to go to the aquarium.  i'm pretty sure my parents & my sister wanted a break from us*, so adam & i took them. aquarium of the bay is a neat little aquarium tucked into one side of fisherman's wharf.  i saw it the last time i was in san francisco, but i never thought to check it out.  i'm glad we did this time.  the kids had a blast.  

of course, no family vacay is ever complete until one child calls you out on someone. 

preferably a complete stranger.

while riding in the elevator in the aquarium, the tour guide was telling the kids about the touch tanks.  she said there were stingrays, a leopard shark, starfish, anemones, and even a couple of sea cucumbers.  cue my seven year old son, aidan...

"um, so we went to a wedding this weekend & we ate 

chinese food.  

did you know that my mom and dad ATE sea cucumber the other day?  

they did.  it was gross."

{sorry for the crummy pic quality...i was using my not so fancy point & shoot.}

the people in the elevator with us were mortified.  the tour guide looked at me.  she looked at adam.  then, she politely asked us to remember to touch, and not eat, the sea cucumbers in the touch tank.   

um, no problem, lady.  trust me.  there is a reason the sea cucumber looks the way it does because i honestly don't know what in the eff would possess someone or something to want to eat it.  unless you're at a fancy chinese dinner**.  i'm just sayin'...

* how did i know they wanted a break from us?  my dad was at the ticket counter with cash in hand buying the tickets for us before we even got up there.  yep.

** i can say that because i'm chinese.  well, only half chinese, but still.

mes chiens.

it's been a while since you had a pupdate.

buxton is just shy of six months.  he's still piddling in the house from time to time {on the puppy pad which has become our new doormat by the back door}.  he's a whiner & refuses to jump ONTO the couch, but he will not hesitate to jump OFF of he couch.  he still hoards toys.  he still annoys frisco.

we had a scare a couple weekends ago.  after his first trip to the beach, we noticed that his left eye was red & he was squinting.  after a trip to the emergency vet, two eye stains, a few photos {yes, the vet took pics of his cuteness!} & a prescription of drops, the diagnosis was conjunctivitis.  go figure.

 {buxton}

once upon a time, we were strictly a cat family.  now we have two dogs.  go figure.

 {can you see some of the red in frisco's coat?  his color is technically black & white although he looks a little seal - black coat with a red glimmer - to me every now & again!}

frisco is just weeks away from his second birthday.  i can't believe he's almost two already.  he's been doing well.  his eye isn't giving him any issues & the scar doesn't bother him.  {remember his blue eye? if so, then you understand why we were so paranoid about buxton's eye.}  frisco's eye may not be bothering him, but we HAVE dealt with some allergy issues.  last week, adam called me at work.  he was frantic.  frisco was covered in welts & his face was swollen.  after a phone call to the vet & two doses of benadryl {12 hours apart}, he was fine.  from what i understand, boston terriers are notorious for allergies, especially contact allergies.  go figure.

 {frisco}

as you know {or maybe you didn't}, frisco & buxton have the same father.  buxton looks more like their daddy {red bull}.  you would think that they would be similar in personality, right?  wrong.  buxton is a tap dancer.  he will prance & wiggle at your feet.  it's hilarious.  he can't wag his tail, but he can shake his rump. frisco, on the other hand, will jump on you, get in your face & find a way to violate you with his tongue.  

what do both dogs have in common?  they like to sleep.  preferably, on a king size bed.  go figure.

{buxton...how could you resist that face??}

life with two dogs is fun.

life with two boston terriers* is pure chaos.  but, we wouldn't trade it for the world.

go figure.

*not to start a debate {because i don't want to & will not entertain one}, but for the boston terrier purist, buxton doesn't really fit the bill because of his reddish coat.  but, as he grows, he's becoming more brindle.  for what it's worth, his momma is black & white. he looks all boston to me and we love him just the same.

beach bums {again}.

it's technically not summer, but, to us, it's close enough!
we took advantage of the weekend's warm {dare i say hot?} weather.
we packed a cooler, covered the kids in sunscreen & headed to sandbridge.

the water was freezing, but that didn't stop the kids from frolicking in the waves.
we got to the beach shortly after 9am & enjoyed some quiet family time before
other friends & their kids showed up.

we're so thankful that we live in an area that is so close to the ocean.
i don't think we could ever be land-locked. 

psst...

be on the lookout for a review & giveaway for a great beach product, sand-off, later on this week!

so berry much fun!

strawberries are at their peak here in southeastern virginia.  

{our area's annual strawberry festival is next weekend!}

over the weekend, we went berry picking.  

we drove by a few different "u-pick" fields before we reached our destination:  cullipher farms.

it was hot & we were still scorched from our day at the beach {post to come!}, but we were determined to fill our buckets with big, red, juicy strawberries!

while we were picking, we listened to the hum of the airshow that was taking place nearby.

i'm slightly ashamed to admit that this was the first time i have ever gone strawberry picking.
i've lived in virginia beach for nearly 23 years & live within minutes of MANY "u-pick" locations, so i don't really have an explanation as to why i've never gone picking before.

i'm not going to lie.  it's back breaking work.  you get dirty.  you get hot, sweaty & stinky.

and, you do see quite a few of these guys:

{aidan & i seemed quite popular with the teeny, weeny grasshoppers}

but, the payoff is so sweet {literally!}.

we came home with more strawberries than we knew what to do with.
now our freezer is stocked with bags of whole, frozen strawberries.

i also made strawberry coulis {to be enjoyed over vanilla ice cream} AND

i dove head first into canning by making four jars of homemade strawberry jam.

{photo credit goes to my seven year old son, aidan}

i'm already looking forward more picking, but next time we'll be on a mission for
blueberries, blackberries, peaches & scuppernongs. 

{semi} wordless wednesday: beach bums.

when the weather is nice, we love to take a stroll along the atlantic ocean.
the kids love to look for shells.

buxton isn't too keen of the sand just yet, but frisco {that handsome guy pictured above} loves the beach.  he splashes in the waves & he chases the shorebirds.  also, he may or may not have peed on a beach towel as we walked along the beach...
{but that happened last summer}

the beach is so peaceful this time of year.
crowds of vacationers haven't infiltrated the beach at sandbridge...just yet.

spending an hour at the beach.  just the four six of us.

it truly is heaven on earth.

her attitude helped me.

it's cliche, i know, but whenever i am asked about an influential woman in my life i immediately think of my mother.  she's not just the woman who gave me life, but she's the woman who taught me how to live my life.

she and i have a pretty typical mother-daughter relationship.  it's not a perfect relationship, but it's definitely a loving relationship.  she and i are so alike that it's scary {at least that is what my husband tells me}.  it seems that we get a little closer the older i get.  and, now that i am a mother, i am finally understanding the reasons why she was so hard on me & my sister as we were growing up.

i think the thing about my mother that has influenced me the most is her attitude about life...and death.  nearly five years ago my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  the news came as a shock.  she had already lost a sister to breast cancer.  the news of my mother's diagnosis certainly sent shock waves through the family.  but, she was fortunate because it was not only caught early enough, but my mother had a doctor who rallied for her and was just as stubborn and demanding as my mother.  my mother did not endure chemo or radiation, but she did choose a radical procedure {in my opinion} to battle the cancer:  she opted for a single mastectomy.

my mother said goodbye to her left breast three days after christmas in 2006.  what most men glorify as a sex object, my mother saw it as the enemy.  to her, losing her breast meant losing something that could have possibly killed her.  i cried and cried when i saw her scar for the first time.  it started in her armpit and ran down and across her chest where her breast used to be.  she did not understand why i was sad.  she said that losing a breast did not make her any less of a woman.

not once did my mother ever show me that she felt vulnerable.  i know that behind closed doors i'm certain she was scared, frustrated and nervous about what could happen.  but, she never stopped being a mother.  even though she was fighting a battle against breast cancer, she never stopped fighting for her family.  she remained positive, encouraging and nurturing.  she was strong.

even today she still has a great attitude about life in general.  she's not scared of dying.  she lives life each day with no regrets and she does all that she can not just for me and my family, but for my kids and for my sister and her husband as well.  she's truly an inspiration, not just to me, but to anyone who is feeling a bit uncertain about their life whether they are battling an illness or not.

---

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use the promo code CLEVERGIRLS to receive 15% off heart of haiti and rwanda path to peace products.  the coupon is valid from 5/3 to 5/8.

disclosure:  I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

snuggle buddies.

i feel like it's my job to share all of the cuteness that seems to be oozing from my home now that we have become a two dog family.

life with a new pup has been fun.  

throw rugs have been replaced with puppy pads.  

dog toys cover my living room floor.

frisco's 'super-sized' crate {a.k.a. his house} is, once again, in the bedroom.

so far, things have been a breeze.

frisco is very tolerant of the puppy.

aside from hosing down my dyson, frisco hasn't shown any signs of jealousy.

i love how both dogs tease each other.

i love watching them chase one another & fight over toys and sticks.

buxton is a good sleeper.  he's a good snuggler, too.

frisco is, too.
{must be a boston thang.}

we make every effort to have one-on-one time with frisco.

we constantly tell him how much we love him.

he's our big bubs.  now we've got a little bubs to love, too.

when we brought frisco home a year & a half ago, our breeder said we couldn't just love one boston terrier.

she was right.

i'm so glad we've become a two dog home.

a pup named buxton.

our newest addition.
he has the same papa as frisco.

he's red with a splash of brindle.

his eyes are so dreamy.  they will not be brown.

his personality is so different from frisco's personality.

he will be our lil' trouble maker.

gastronome.

my kids are not picky eaters.  well, unless you try to serve them frozen peas or brussel sprouts {this makes me sad}.  i take pride in the fact that my kids will try most anything once.  if they like it, they'll ask for it again.  in our home, you eat what is served to you or you go hungry.  but, i think a lot of what my kids eat is due to the fact that adam & i are not picky eaters ourselves.  in fact, we're very daring when it comes to food.  apparently, so are my kids.

here are just a few favorites that my kids - ages 7 & 9 - enjoy:

pho, more specifically chicken pho:

{via}

mochi with red bean paste: 

{via}

peking duck:

{via}

kimbap:

{via}

dan tat: 

{via}

okay, okay...everything pictured is some sort of asian treat and, yes, i grew up on all of this stuff so maybe that is why my kids like it, too, but here are some other things {in list form} that my kids love that might surprise you:

• greek yogurt
• blue crab {they can pick the hell out of some crabs}
• clams
• sauteed spinach {heavy on the garlic}
• blue cheese dressing
• prunes
• fish of any kind
• couscous

this certainly doesn't cover everything they love, but it does give you a good idea about how atypical their palates are compared to other 7 & 9 year olds.

do you have some quirky food favorites?  what about your kids {if you have any}?

psst...don't forget to enter my scentsy giveaway!

fricky frack.

because i'm slightly obsessed with, frisco, our boston terrier & i'm still trying to figure out my new camera:

{i used the flash for this picture.}

psst...don't forget to enter my scentsy giveaway!