So much to blog about...so little time!

Jia's Kindness Award

Jia actually directed the next couple of pictures, we have come a long way!

My Asian Princess

Jia and Mom

Okay, due to circumstances beyond my control I am about to become a blogging machine! So if you like to follow our journey through life, keep on scrolling....

It's Friday, here is the plan: We withdrew Jia from Lakeside Elementary and enrolled her in Silver Palms Elementary (the school that Katie and Anna went to which is right behind our house) Why? a multitude of reasons but the bottom line was Jia was not getting her needs met. Some of my pictures are of Jia holding up an award that she got before she left Lakeside. Broward County does something called "Kids of Character" and there are different character traits highlighted each month. Jia won the award this month for "Kindness."

Also tonight is little Jia's first soccer game, so eventually there will be pictures of that (although it is kind of rainy.

Katie and Anna are off to one of their friends Mothers wedding (did you get that? ) I have some beautiful pictures of them on the way out the door. Amazingly, when we went dress shopping they decided to buy the same one and dress as twins. Teenagers! I have been with them in one way or another for 23 years and I swear I can't figure them out.

Anyway, I am going to post some pictures now, and then more later on when Anna comes home to help me out with the camera and the computer...

Back on my Soapbox....

I know you'll understand that because of the upcoming Inauguration I have to jump back up on my soapbox for a while...

I am very, very proud to be a United States citizen. However, for the last 8 years under the regime of George W. Bush our country has taken a beating on so many different levels...our economy is in a shambles, what was done (or rather not done) in the magical city of New Orleans was a crime, other countries around the world no longer respect the United States AND we are fighting a meaningless and WRONG war. Everyday brave young Americans are being killed senselessly. What if one of these fine young men or women were your child? My heart aches for each and every one of those parents and I cry for the lost potential of those who so bravely gave their lives....

God Bless America!

January 20, 2009:
It's a beautiful day
-U2

Soccer, soccer, soccer...

A rare moment-an actual picture of Lesa & Drew
TOGETHER!

Jia LOVES her own room and so does Bennyfoo

Anna's last high school game of the year

Jia insisted on wearing her soccer uniform to Anna's game

A picture of me that I don't absolutely hate

The girls at the game

Some of Anna's teammates

Just some random pictures, most of them are from Anna's last Flanagan soccer game. Now she will be playing for West Pines Optimist. Soccer never ends around here. It's a beautiful Sunday and I am procrastinating because I have at least a trillion papers to grade.

JIA'S SOCCER DEBUT

Coach Anna and her star player ready to go!

Anna and Jia love each other so much!

Jia, ready to play!

After practice Coach Dad helps Jia try on her uniform

Jia's Team: The Dragonflys

So Happy!

It is impossible to describe how excited Jia was to finally have her first "soccerball" practice. She has practices on Tuesday's from 6:30 to 7:30. Drew is Jia's coach and Anna is her assistant coach (this gives her community service). The little girls were sooooo cute, and of course we thought Jia was the cutest of them all. Jia could not stand still, and I made a video but we are having a hard time getting it on the blog, so hopefully sometime this weekend we will get it up and running...

I wanted to share with you how wonderful our Anna is. On the day of Jia's practice, Anna went to Flanagan High practice from 3:30 to 5:30, Jia's practice from 6:30 to 7:30 and then her own rec practice from 8:45 to 10:15. In between her sports schedule she also finished all her homework. It makes me tired just thinking about it!

Have to get a few words in about the Gator game before I close. WhoooooHooooo! What a game! We were so nervous, first quarter didn't look so great, but it went uphill and our team won! Anna was outside honking the car horn at midnight. AND, how about that Tim Tebow? Maybe you noticed his Bible verses under his eyes changed to John 3:16 for this game. If you watched the game you heard about all his mission trips and his unfaltering faith in God. What a leader for the team!

Loved the headlines in the Miami Herald this morning "Now It Is Truly A Gator Nation" There will be no debate over who is #1 in college football this year.

IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE A FLORIDA GATOR

Our Lucky Albert

Our Front Yard--looks awesome in the dark.

Win or Lose (and we will WIN!!!!) What a team to be proud of! Here are pictures of our Gator yard and our lucky Albert!

Happy 2009!

Happy 2009 from the Parnham Girls!

Beautiful Jia waiting to party.

Anna Banana

Hmmmm...when are we leaving?
(no, Jia does not wear glasses, she just wants to look like Katie)

Katie-showing off our living room that is in transition.

We are ready for 2009! A year of soccer, family, love and peace.

LOVE THESE FACES!

Katie's goal was to see how many sparklers she could get going at the same time.

Jia definitely had sparklers in her background, she is an old pro at handling them

Sisterly bonding

So Happy!

Striking a pose.

Kung Fu demonstration

What I hope for? A move towards peace in our world, health and happiness for my family, a fresh new start for our government, success for my daughters in whatever they choose to pursue, renewed efforts in helping to instill a love of learning in my students, help with my ongoing struggles with agoraphobia, Drew's love and continued patience and support. Oh yeah, and no hurricanes bearing down on South Florida, no teenage angst, a 20-30 pound weight loss and a huge win for the Gators in the BCS bowl....that's all.

As for resolutions... yep I write them every year but I am not going to share as we all know most of them are never achieved.

We had a really nice New Years Eve after we explained to Jia that Santa Claus was NOT coming again and the best thing that was going to happen was some pyrotechnics in the backyard.

We had a great seafood dinner at Bahama Breeze. (The chocolate pinnapple cake was worth 3 pounds of weight gain.) Then we came home and played with sparklers and "snaps" for a while. Jia then decided it was time to hit her big girl bed, so she did not make it to see 2009 begin. The rest of us watched the ball drop, drank sparking cider and champagne and that was it! Nothing better than spending time with the best people in the world!

Happy New Year!

Changes in Latitudes

Jia is thrilled with her new room (even though there is still major wall work to be done)

Thank goodness the long awaited Jonas Brothers Fan Club package has arrived, this has caused much strife and worry in our home.

Movin' on out!

Katie and Bennyfoo provide moral support in the moving process

Well, Drew was not happy just having household projects that involved 10 hour days for himself, he felt we all needed to get in on the action. As a result our house is upside down and no one is relaxed. Are we having fun yet?

Here is the plan: Anna is moving downstairs into the room that used to be my office, Jia is moving into Anna's room and my stuff...who knows????

Anna was thrilled to get the much bigger room with the pool view, but she is a little nervous downstairs alone at night.

Jia is even more thrilled. She hopped in her new bed the first night, came down the next morning for a box of cheese crackers and we didn't see her again till noon.

The ugly parts: finding spots for all my things, moving Anna's HUGE amount of stuff downstairs, painting Anna's formerly blood red room pastel pink and blue...but before that, the room needs to have the jungle border paper pulled off and sanded down. In between all of this we need to take all the Christmas stuff down before school starts on Monday....this is my husband's idea of a relaxing vacation (just as long as he can watch a bowl game each evening) The rest of us however had visions of sitting on the couch with a good book, shopping and going to the movies. I guess we will relax when we get back to school.