An Outing to a Korean Restaurant for a Princess

We recently took our youngest Princess to a local Korean restaurant. We arrived before 6 pm and we were the only ones in the place but not for long. After picking out a table near the fish tank, we ordered our food of 2 orders of mandu, one order of dolsot bibimbahp, one order of Tang Soo Yuk, and one order of Dahk Goo Yee. This was on top of the soup and the mung bean sprouts, spicy cucumber slices, and kimchi.

The children didn't want the bibimbahp but had the mandu, Tang Soo Yuk and Dahk Goo Yee. When we mentioned that we were out celebrating our princess' birthday, the owner came back with a scoop of ice cream with a lit candle and umbrella in it. The other two children are planning their birthday dinner outings after the good food that we had.

~Jen

Happy Merry Share Day!!!

Did you hear about Happy Merry Share Day?? Ryan created it last Thursday and we have been celebrating it since. It's when you share your stuff with others who don't have enough. Can you share your time to help others in need? Can you share those homebaked cookies, pies, etc with your neighbors? Can you share your toys with other children in need?

Think how much better this world would be if we all learned to share and give of ourselves...my children know the meaning of Christmas. It's not to receive gifts from others but to give them TO others. Those gifts may be the gift of time, the gift of knowing how to read, the gift of giving toys, clothes and food to others in need, and more. And my children are 5, 4 and 2 years old.

So Happy Merry Share Day to you and I hope that you celebrate it by helping others in need each and every day of the year and not just during the upcoming holiday season.

~Jen

Our 2 Year Old

Bella is now officially two. Her birthday party went off wonderfully. We had invited family and friends over to celebrate it with us.

Jeff and I cooked for nearly a day and a half preparing for this while watching the kids. We made her 2 cakes (one was a flower-shaped orange flavored cake with orange buttercream frosting and the other were applesauce cupcakes for the birthday girl and one of her friends who both have food allergies). We made chicken bulgogi, seasoned mung bean sprouts, carrot cole slaw, and oven roasted broccoli (all requested by the 3 kids). We served up kimchi. My mom made Penne Vodka and my dad made bread especially for the birthday girl and one of her friends.

Bella had 3 helpings of food for lunch until she realized that she had presents to open up. All of a sudden she was done and wanted to open up her presents immediately. She had 2 helpers (her brother and one of his friends) to get rid of the wrapping paper. We oooed and ahhed at the various presents she received from others.

Here are some pictures of the birthday girl from more formal pictures that we took of them to the pictures of the birthday party....Enjoy!!!!




She had to take a picture with one of her Hello Kitties and her Panda bear.




The gang



1st outfit change




2nd outfit change...this outfit used to be mine!!! Yes I had fun doing the outfit changes.

Both of my girls have worn this outfit.







Bella's special heart shaped cupcakes!!









Bella with her Papa





Yeah!!!! We found the puzzle piece that was missing!!! 2 of the adults had a head to head puzzle making tournament game going on with 25 piece puzzles to see who could complete theirs the fastest. One of the beat out the other by 1 second. I am not reporting who was involved or who won...sorry folks!!!

~Jen