Christmas Cheer and Fun

We all went to Callaway Gardens to see the Christmas Lights in the Gardens. It was fun and exciting for the kids. It was quite cold so we decided not to ride the trolly but to drive our own van through the Gardens to see the lights.

Here's a few pictures of what we saw, we hope you enjoy. I'll try and blog again near Christmas. Lots of Love

Debra

Brownies, Christmas Dinner and Holiday Fun!

This week has been a fun filled week. Hannah graduated from Daisies to Brownies this week. She was so excited. She has to do 3 good deeds to be able to turn her Brownie pin right side up. Everyone that eats Girl Scout Cookies needs to think of Hannah and order. Oh my, the Girls Scouts are really serious about their cookies. I had to sign my life away in order for Hannah to sell them. The only reason is because in the past some parents took advantage of the cookie money and did not turn it in. Therefore, Girl Scouts wants to be able to recoup their money. Hannah's leader Linda told us that a Mom from her other troop did not turn in $900. I could not imagine someone doing that. Anyway....think Cookies....Call Hannah.

We also went to Hannah's Christmas dinner at her school. We had a good time visiting with Hannah and her classmates with some of their family members. Here's a picture of Hannah and Andrew that I think is adorable and another of Hannah being silly. Andrew says Sissy is Rudolph. Here's a video of Andrew having fun swinging around the pole waiting to eat lunch with sissy.

Matt got bit by the creative bug again and made some yard ornaments with the kids. They are very cute and we absolutely love them...especially the candy canes on the house.

Mom...hope you are feeling better and healing fast.
Lots of Love to all!
Debra

Weekly Update

I have finally felt a bit better with my back.
Hannah came home today feeling really good. She got an E on her spelling test which means she spelled all her words correctly. She is very proud of that large red E on her paper and we are proud of her!
Andrew is being a difficult one to potty train. He verbally tells you he does not want to wear underwear he wants his diapers. I am just not going to buy them anymore and he is going to have to learn to go on the potty. I don't know any other way to go accept cold turkey.
Matt is doing a side job for a Doctors office. He's filling up some holes in their dry wall and repainting. It allows him to get out of the house and a break from the kids. Especially since I have been working so much.
Well the holidays are almost over and then I am working just as hard getting ready for Inventory. My break will be in February.
Everyone have a great week and know that we all love you and pray for each of you daily.
Just a little bit of Andrew to brighten your day.
Love,
Debra

OK OK....Sorry it took so long!

Well, I finally had a day off yesterday. I was excited to spend the whole day with Andrew. We went on errands, got our hair cut, and then picked up Hannah at school. I got my hair dyed a chestnut brown and some chunks of auburn. Everyone said they liked it. I picked up Andrew and hurt my back so I went to the doctor. He thinks I have the onset of arthritis in my ankles and back. Well, what the years have brought along with the pounds.

Here's a picture of Hannah on Halloween and a picture of Hannah and Andrew the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The family ended up spending Thanksgiving at home. We went to Sandy's for dinner (Thank you so much Sandy...we truly enjoyed Dinner).

Work has been quite hectic. Much of the same stuff just a different day. I am actively looking for a new job. I don't believe that I can physically or mentally continue down these same streets. Found out my GM is leaving. He is being transferred to Germany Wiesbadden (not sure if that is spelled correctly). He said he will be neighbors with my Mom and Dad. Now you will have someone to talk to AAFES about. He is going to be the GM.

Well, gotta run....need to get to bed. Early call in the morning have to be at work at 6am.

Lots of Love to all.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all! The kids will have so much fun. I will post their pictures tomorrow or the next day. I am working nights while we are going through our mini renovation. They are doing carpet installs this week. First night was rather difficult. But all ended well for the night until my boss came in and had to call me at 6:15 this morning. I did not get all the pallets in the store as they needed for the fixtures to be built this morning. Well....all is well with everyone else. Hannah wanted to be Cleopatra for Halloween and Andrew, of course wants to be Buzz. I will help get them ready before I leave for work.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween to all!

A Blast with Thomas the Train!

Saturday was a fun filled day out with Thomas the Train. Andrew was so mesmorized by the site of Thomas and Sir Topham Hat. He was just wanting to run everywhere and see everything. He was so excited when we finally got on the train. It was so fun to watch. Of course, Matt and I both forgot our digital camera, so I had to buy a disposable one there at the event. Yes, you are right it cost me a pretty penny. Hannah was a good sport and tagged along everywhere her brother wanted to go. They touched an 8ft long python (yuck), jumped in the bouncee castles, received Thomas, James, and Percy tatoos, road the train, took time out for story time, and just had a great day.

I have to run....Off to work....Have a Great Week everyone!

Happy 42nd Anniversary Mom and Dad. Hope you all have a good time celebrating when you get the chance. (I know, I am a day late). 42 years WOW!

All is well here at the OBrien homefront. Maureen is in town and will be spending the night with us tonight before she leaves to go back to Reno tomorrow.

Have to run to work, so I can get off on time tonight!

Fun Day Out with the Family

We went to Mossy Creek yesterday and to a pumpkin patch. Hannah and Andrew had a wonderful time. Same old stuff at Mossy Creek, a few new booths, but mostly the same stuff. Sandy and Nicole really need to get invited next year. Andrew wanted to ride the horse and said it was Bullseye but when we got up there for him to ride with Hannah, he clung to my neck so hard and wouldn't ride. He decided later that he would ride with his Dad. I don't know what it was about that horse ride, but he became a little more adventureous, knowing that Mom and Dad would not let him do anything that would hurt him. So, he had a really good time playing in the hay and running about the festival. They even got their faces painted where we ran into a friend of ours Pam and her daughter Autumn.

We left there and went to a pumpkin patch. They had a wonderful time playing in a maze and picking out pumpkins. We took pictures and they all have a fun time.

I will, I turn 37 today! YEAH! Happy Birthday to Me...I get to go to work. FUN FUN! :)

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE!

My Funny Little Guy

Andrew has turned into a funny little guy. All he does is want to have everyone laugh and have fun. Like in this picture, he enjoys doing stuff to make everyone smile. He's turning into his own and starting to get really sassy and test the waters on how far he can go. He told me the other day "No mommy, you no tell me what to do, I tell you what to do". I said really you think so. Most of the time he is good little boy but he does have his times just like all of us. He is ALL boy..plays in the dirt, crashes cars.

It was a rough week at work. One of my supervisors was out taking care of her Mom and my stockroom manager and I had to pull six days to cover. It was long and enduring. We are also getting a visit from our new Area Manager next week. Need to make sure that all is good for the new AM as it will be his first impression of us.

Matt is doing some side job work with a doctors office down the road. He is liking getting out of the house and making a bit of pocket money for himself.

Hanah received her report card. She received all S's. She was a bit disappointed that she did not receive an E in anything. She says next time she will. She was proud of the fact that she did not miss one day of school or receive one tardy. She is very studious. I hope she keeps it up.

That's my update for this week. Sorry, it was so long but until the visit is over, I will get on when I can.

Have a GREAT week. :)

Hannah's 1st Grade School picture just came in. Thought I would share it with all. She is loving school and doing very well according to her teacher Ms. Osborne. It's Columbus Day today and Hannah is out of school for FALL Break. She is out until next Tuesday. Not much planned for the week.

Off to get ready for work tomorrow.

Have a GREAT week.!

I've been tagged for the first time! Thanks Sis!

Happy Wednesday!
Hope all have had a wonderful day!

ok...onto the 7 things...
1. I graduated from Kubasaki High School in Okinawa Japan
2. Like my sister I am a big procrastinator.
3. I LOVE SWEETS - Anything with sugar is fine.
4. I met my husband of 12 years in Hawaii
5. I graduated from University of Memphis.
6. I also love to travel; Japan, Korea, England France and Germany!
7. I am the baby of the family :)

This was hard. But thanks for making me do it.
Lots of Love
Deb

Saturday Night!

Oh What fun we had with 5 kids on Saturday night. We had an 8 year old, 6 year old, 3 year old, 2 year old and 1 year old. It was not that bad. I had half expected me to be pulling my hair out by the time my in-laws returned but the kids were well behaved. Nolan my 1 year old nephew had a cold, so he became very fussy about 1.5 hours into being with us. We had dinner and then we watched a movie for our Saturday Movie Night. It was quite fun. To end the night, we baked halloween cookies.
To say the least we had a great time and look forward to the cousins getting together soon to have fun and play with each other.

Brave Tears and Fun School Times

Today is actually Camo's birthday...So, Happy Birthday Camo. We know you had a great day.

Today, Andrew had to go for a wellness visit. Matt had to take him since I had to go to PACT (Parent and Child Time) at Hannah's class. We were not expecting for him to get shots...but he ended up having to get two. He was not a happy camper. Of course, Matt had to call me several times during the visit especially right after the shots to let me hear Andrew scream. When I finally saw him he was fine...said they didn't hurt and he had two bandaids. Dr. said that Andrew is border-line anemic. Needs to eat more beans and red meat. Not something that he is fond of at all. He told the doctor all he wanted to eat was his trees. (broccoli). Quite funny.

I had a great time at Hannah's class, Perry Primary School Bears. They had a little test to see what they knew and she kept looking over at me to see if her answer was right...I finally had to turn my head so she could not see my face. She did answer two of them wrong but when I saw most of the class struggling, I felt good she only missed two. I guess we will be working on what a sentence is and verbs. She is a smart little cookie and likes school (which is

definitely not from me). She then had to go to her Math center. They had these cool dice called double dice. It is a die clear with another miniture die inside it. They have to add the two numbers together and write in on a sheet of paper. Hannah is getting good with her Math Skills. I had to go shortly after that so she was bit sad but knew that she had to stay at school. Thought you would like this picture of her playing an arabian princess like Jasmine. She put her crown upside down on her face and put her princess blanket over her head. She is definitely the drama queen.

Andrew and Matt picked me up at school because the explorer was in the shop getting new brakes. We then went on a couple of errands and went home. Andrew wanted to watch Teletubbies and Barney, and Matt mowed the lawn. Then of course it was by then time to pick up Hannah from School. The days off just seem to go by so quickly.

Hope all have a great day.

Happy Birthday Cameron!

Happy Birthday to my Nephew.

I know it is not the best picture...Hannah had this one of all her cousins in her pillow and it has gotten a bit wrinkled. I can't believe that you are four. We hope you have a GREAT Birthday

Today was my last day for this week. And boy was it a long long week. Tonight, Survivor....Leslies' Tribe won immunity again. Another week down for her. That's good. I will continue to watch and see how she does. It would be great for a Kubasakian to win the Sole Survivor award. We all survived Okinawa when we never thought we would (ha ha).

This weekend, we are going to watch my niece Lana and my two nephews Niklaus & Nolan on Saturday. Matt's brother Pat and his wife Sonia will be celebrating their anniversary and we have volunteered to watch the kiddos for them as they have done for us.

I am getting better at this blogging thing...Maybe I will just have to keep it up. Thanks Grandma. I love you!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND!

Shout out to a Friend on SURVIVOR!

Yes...you heard me right. A girl I went to High School and Church with in Okinawa Japan, Leslie "Shade" Nease finally got her dream to be on Survivor. I am so proud of her for not giving up and persuing her dream. ....She's an amazing person and I just am proud to know her. On the first episode of Survivor China she was faced with a difficult decision. They were at a buddhist temple, which Jeff Probst said was only going to be a welcome ceremony, however, it felt more like a religious ceremony and all she saw were buddah's all over the alters and she did not feel comfortable staying in the temple so walked out (very discreetly I might add). She professed her faith in Jesus Christ and stated that he was the only Lord and Saviour she would have in her heart (don't quote me, I am paraphasing what I remember). However, I feel like she took a stand where she felt she needed and I am proud of her for doing so.

Here's her BIO from CBS:

Leslie
Age:
38
Home Town:
Tega Cay, SC
Occupation:
Christian Radio Talk Show Host
Bio Favorites
Leslie Nease's stepfather was a United States Marine, so she traveled with her family all over the world. She attended and graduated from Kubasaki High School in Okinawa, Japan. Moving back to the United States, Nease attended two years of college at Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.Nease currently works as a Christian host for a midmorning radio show. She is on the air from 9 am until noon, and then spends the rest of her day being mom to her four kids, Stephanie, Tommy, Kennedy and Peyton. She also teaches fitness classes three nights a week (step, kickboxing, sculpt and cycle) and has her own speaking ministry where she encourages others in their faith. She has written a book about fitness & spirituality called Body Builders. She has previously worked as a personal trainer and waitress.Nease's hobbies include reading and studying scripture, writing poetry, yard sales and camping with her family. Her favorite sport is volleyball. She describes herself as energetic, passionate and overwhelming. Her favorite topics are what she considers to be her "Four Fs": Faith, Family, Friends and Fitness. She was Mrs. North Carolina in the Mrs. USA pageant in Las Vegas in August 2001. In March 2003, she was the first New York finalist in the Regis & Kelly co-host search when Kelly went on maternity leave. In April 2006, she went on a mission trip to La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where they spent most of their time outdoors in the Andes Mountains visiting Compassion International-sponsored children in underdeveloped areas.Nease has auditioned for SURVIVOR every season for the past five years. She always wanted to experience SURVIVOR for herself and decided she wasn't giving up. She never let the rejection get her down, but instead allowed it to fuel her passion for the adventure. Finally, after 11 audition tapes, her dream is coming true.Nease currently resides in Tega Cay, South Carolina with her husband of 18 years, Rod. They have one dog, Buddy.

She was a Cheerleader for the Kubasaki Dragons, so here's my way of cheering Leslie on:

Here's to hoping and PRAYING that Leslie is the Winner of SURVIVOR CHINA!

GO LESLIE GO!

Boy Did I need a Band-Aid for my HEART!

I have tripped and skinned my knee today...(not literally)...but I felt like it. I know he would of offered me his favorite bandaid characters if he thought it would help....but here's what happened.

My sweet little Andrew was very upset that Mommy was going to work today. Matt and Andrew were taking me to work because our Explorer is waiting to go into the shop. Andrew cried non-stop all the way to my work saying NO MOMMY NO WORK(which is 30 minutes away).

I tried to soothe him by talking to him but he would have none of it. He wanted his Mommy to stay home and any other answer was not good enough. When we arrived at my work, I took him out of his seat and tried to hold him, he made his body very limp. He told me he wanted to get back in his seat and I asked him for a kiss and he turned his head. I was so upset however, could not cry because I was fixing to go into work. I have to say though, I was screaming and crying on the inside. My heart was broken for him because I could not accomodate his request of me staying home. I have to say that when they picked me up this evening, he was all smiles and gave me a big hug and kiss.

I love both of my children very much and cherish all the times I get to spend with them. I have a senior management position at my job and can't just work an 8 hour shift and call it a day when there are projects that have to be accomplished, visits to prepare for, and 4th Qtr sales that are coming quicker than we'd like them too. Christmas is just around the corner, and I feel like summer vacation for Hannah just ended. This is how I think Santa should look right now...not getting ready for Christmas.

Just thoughts on my recent trip and fall that has me still feeling the burn.

As I promised my grandmother, I would start my weekly blog. I did not make it to weight watchers yesterday. I will go next friday and update my progress then. I have lost 32lbs to date. I was at 40 but I kind of back slid a bit. Isn't that the way it goes on our trips to weightloss or any other behavior change we would like to make. Sometimes, that cake in the bakery aisle just speaks a lot louder than the vegetables in produce. This is me the day I started weight watchers at a whopping 312 lbs.

Hannah has started going to daisy/brownies. She's a daisy now, but in December she will become a Brownie. She's excited that she won't miss out on selling cookies (OH YEAH!). We are going to attend a Mom and Daughter Movie and Pajama party in October. She can't wait. She had to learn the girl scout pledge. It changed a bit from when I was brownie; instead of On my honor I will try to serve God and my country and mankind and to live by the Girl Scout law. It is now On my honor I will try to serve God and My Country, To help people at all times and to live by the Girl Scout Law. Anyway, she's doing great, especially in school. Her teacher Ms. Osborne really likes her and told me that she wished she had 10 of Hannah. I am just glad that she loves school and does not disrupt (like I did) while learning in her class.

Andrew has found new friends. Buzz, Woody, Jessie and Bullseye from Toy Story and Toy

Story2. He talks about them often and incorporates them with his love for Thomas the Train. Andrew loves for you to read to him and allows his sister to practice her reading on him (especially since he can't correct her if she reads it wrong). We all know that day will come. He talks a lot and really does have his own personality just blazing through.

Matt is doing good. He's looking for a job now but has not been lucky enough to find one. We want him to find a job that he is going to like but that will also work around my crazy schedule. Especially going into the 4th quarter....Thanksgiving/Christmas. I am still looking for jobs within my company and outside too. I pray every day for the answer.