Sweet Faces (most of them furry)

Long day for my babies

An exhausted Anna has a nap

Daisy's helping Katie with her homework.

My little Chi-Chi's

Katie the vegetarian supplementing Mom's cooking

Coco and Bella

Coco Chanel

Bennyfoo

Doesn't seem like we have too many calm days around here. Today we got a call from Flanagan High School-Anna was running the mile during Personal fitness and she passed out. We needed to meet the ambulance at the ER. Anna is athletic but she is our "baby" we were hoping to get there before they put an IV into her, but she braved it alone. By the time I got there she was feeling much better. They did blood tests, EKG's, chest x-rays but she is fine.

Pics today--a few of the girls, but we have a gazillion cute shots of the animals, so I'm going to post them too.

Aggggghhhhhhhh The Jonas Brothers are coming!

For all of you that do not have a young teenager living in your home there are 2 things going on right now. The Beatle-like phenomenon of The Jonas Brothers (the paint on my wall will never be the same from the sticky-tac used for all the posters.) If you are not a Jonas Brothers fan, the other big thing is the Twilight book series.

Well lucky us, we have one of each. Katie goes to Barnes & Noble at midnight for each new release of the Twilight books (and this week the DVD came out, so I wonder how many times we'll be seeing that)

This post however is about Drew, Lesa, the Broward County School System, 4 or 5 of our closest adult friends, AT&T and a HUGE panic. Here is the story:

Anna is beyond crazy over the Jonas Brothers. They are coming to town. She made arrangements to go and told 4 of her friends not to worry she would order the tickets and they could pay her later (at $100 a ticket...did I mention to you that Anna's last name is Trump?). Now here is where the story gets interesting. Tickets went on sale yesterday (Monday) at 10:00 a.m. 2 days before midterms at Flanagan High School. So Anna decides to rely on Drew to buy the tickets.

At 9:45 a.m. I get a frantic call from Drew, not only is the server down at his school, but he has called a bunch of our friends at other schools and the entire Broward School Board is "down". So I run into Anna's room (a place I usually try to stay far, far away from) log on to the computer and guess what----AT &T is down!!!!!!!

Now we have visions of 5 girls with their hopes and dreams totally crushed as all of their other friends go to the concert and leave them at home to listen to the CD-and of course it would be all Drew's fault. Sooooo, Drew goes "old school" picks up the phone and starts dialing, over and over. FINALLY at 10:40 Drew gets a real live person on the phone and the tickets are purchased! Whew!!!!!!!! A quick text message to Anna and 5 girls are very happy, Now we just have to get our money back.....

A Little More Soccer...

Many of you are probably tired of our endless soccer pictures, but this is what we do. I have such admiration for Anna's dedication to seemingly endless practices and games with the full schedule she has at school. I also admire Drew for tirelessly coaching big girls, little girls, year after year. (The soccer bug has also bit our little Jia). Katie is a trooper, because we all know she would rather be home reading a book, but she always comes too. This tight family bond is something I always dreamed I would have. So please....check out more soccer pictures, for me.

Josephine Updegrove Knowles

My Grandfather was from a fairly large family. He had 1 brother and 3 sisters. All of the sisters were very beautiful and they married well. My Great-Aunt Jo (Josephine) was very eccentric, she owned a hat shop, lived in a huge house on a hill and married --twice. Aunt Jo never had any children and my father was one of her favorite nephews. My Dad died in 1985, but I sent my Aunt Jo Christmas cards every year and she would answer back with tales of birds and her beautiful flower garden. About 5 years ago my Christmas card was returned. I sadly surmised that my Aunt Jo had passed away.

Lately things have been hard for me. I have been ill and hospitalized and have had to take a leave until the end of the school year. We have been extremely worried about finances as summers are rough anyway.

What do these two things have to do with each other?

Thursday, in the mail I received a letter from a law firm in Pennsylvania--the last will and testament of Josephine Updegrove Knowles, who died in January 2009. I was mentioned in her will-and this is such a bittersweet thing, she left me the exact amount of money we will need to make it through the summer the way we always do.

Such mixed emotions, a long lost Aunt who always intrigued me and whom I loved and lost. Guilt for not knowing she was still alive, more guilt for being relieved about the money. A tie to a family gone all too soon...and absolute proof that God is watching and taking care...

LOOK AT THE BIRDS. THEY DON'T PLANT OR HARVEST OR STORE FOOD IN BARNS, FOR YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDS THEM. AND AREN'T YOU FAR MORE VALUABLE TO HIM THAN THEY ARE? CAN ALL YOUR WORRIES ADD A SINGLE MOMENT TO YOUR LIFE? -MATTHEW 6:26-27

Our Author Anna

Anna-ready to conquer the world!

Our Irish Rose

The Parnham Girls plot world domination!

Anna came home from school yesterday very excited. Anna is the only 9th grader in her Yearbook class. They don't usually let 9th graders participate, but with a glowing recommendation (not to mention an award winning 8th grade yearbook) from her middle school Journalism teacher, they took Anna.
Yearbook quickly became Anna's favorite class and she has been very dedicated to the huge undertaking of creating a yearbook for a school that has 3000+ students. Yesterday Anna's yearbook advisor announced that they were going to choose a new company to produce next year's book. She chose 3 students to go to the presentations and interview the companies that are trying to get the contract. One of those 3 people is our amazing Anna!!!!!!!!!! (The other 2 girls are next year's Editors.) What an honor (well deserved in my opinion) for our hard working girl!

Life With the "G"

Jia making bookmarks

Josette showing Katie some love

Coco likes to sleep under the warm laptop

Snow skiing South Florida style

I don't like it, but a lot of times in our household the beautiful name of Jia-Li is shortened to Jia and now to just "G". When she wants to, she will tell you her name is Jia-Li Parnham or one of her other aliases which include Jia-li Parnham Cinderella Butterfly, Jia-Li Supergirl-Spiderman or Dr. House (watches too much grown up tv).

Anyway, due to our new circumstances, I am the one who is now taking the "G" to school AND picking her up.

I am the most anti-morning person you are ever going to meet, and now that I am no longer drinking coffee or redbull it is a million times worse.

Jia on the other hand is very perky in the morning and slow as a snail...

This is NOT a good combo.

Here are some of our conversations:

Jia put your pants on"

"I not Jia, I Doctor"

OK

"Ma, call me Dr."

"DR. put your pants on"

"You not Mom, you Ms. Lesa Parnham, Teacher"

"OK, put your pants on"

(finally I put Jia's pants on and we go downstairs)

"Jia, do you want cereal, waffles, poptarts, muffins, nutribar, or pancakes

"no, I pick"

10 minutes later she settles for waffles....

In the car...

"Mom, where Dad?"

At school.

Katie, Anna at school?

Yes.

Why?

To learn,

why?

to be smart.

why?

Look Jia there are some ducks!

My name not Jia, its Dentist....

Luckily the ride is only 5 minutes, but God please forgive my sigh of relief when I receive a sticky waffle kiss and a "bye Mama, I lova you"

YAWN......

Through Our Eyes...

Jia's Office

Getting ready for the game...

My nighttime shots are not so great, but this one is ok.

This is how Katie survives the soccer games.

Jia's new outfit, it is very sparkly and has plastic sunglasses on the kitty

Bike riding

I have lots of pictures today, but I also have an interesting story. Today I walked Jia to school for the very first time. We were a little late so we had to check in to the office. No big deal. The secretary told me to wait a minute as someone would have to come ane walk Jia to her room. Then she asked me "Are you the Mother?"

I thought this question was a little odd, but didn't really think about it until I was on my way home. That secretary saw a Caucasian woman bringing a little Asian girl to school and questioned it.

This is so foreign to our family that we don't even think we are all different colors, it is always surprising when someone else thinks differently...

Nona & Grandpa are the best!!!

A very excited Jia

Jia opening her "many things"

Jia is thrilled! She took her wallet and fan to school today to show her teacher

Hurry Up Daddy

Katie and her pen, says it writes really pretty

Anna put her new pj's right on!

Anna's way cool Jonas Brother 3-d glasses

Jia and HER way cool Jonas Brothers 3-D glasses

Anna and Jia going on their date to the Jonas Brothers movie. They both have their tickets and their Jonas brothers t-shirts on

Katie baked red velvet cupcakes, Jia ate red velvet cupcakes

Many thanks from the girls to their Nona and Grandpa for the big box of goodies! Jia was so excited and she had to wait awhile to open it because Mom wasn't home yet.

The other pictures are of Anna and Jia. There was a Jonas Brothers concert movie that Anna was very excited to see. She was going to go with her best friend but decided she would rather go with her little sister instead. What a great sister moment!