You're Hired!

I got the job! I am now the new Operations Manager of the Humanities Instructional Resource Center. Whoohoo!!!!!!

A Change Will Do You Good

Well, I have decided that my life is in a rut and instead of feeling sorry for myself, I am going to do something about it. Call it New Years resolutions. Call it a bee in my bonnet. Call it whatever you like. The point is 2007 will be full of new adventures and initiatives. Lance is 100% supportive. Below are the following things that I have either done or in the process of doing to take advantage of the time given me:

• Full Time Work - I have decided that I really need to get a full time job that is meaningful and will help me achieve my professional goals. I have an interview this week for an educational technology position at UCI. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this will work out.
• Grad School - I am applying to both Pepperdine and Cal State Fullerton for their Instructional Design/Educational Technology programs. Both programs are online and would allow me to work while I am going to school. I am praying really hard that one of these schools will accept me.
• Resolve Volunteer - I am the current Public Education Coordinator for Resolve. This iniative really was a moment of inspiration. I decided I need to 1. Become more involved with this group for my own sanity and 2. Needed to volunteer outside of church. What does this mean, you may ask? I basically plan the monthly infertility educational meetings for all of Orange County. I get to help decide on topics (Such as Mind and Body, Adoption, Invitro, etc.), find professionals willing to speak and take care of all the details for annoucing it to the public and Resolve members.

More updates to come on our lives. I hope I will have good news!

Cheez-Louise

This has to be the funniest sight we have seen in 2007. Sofi snatched a box of Cheez-its from the table while we were watching E.T. We heard a persistant "crunch-crunch-chomp" coming from the bedroom floor. When we peaked over the side of the bed, we saw this. Our creative little gal had figured out how to get as many crackers as she wanted by thrusting her whole head into the box.

Yup, our dog is a glutton. Humorous, cute most of the time, but a glutton nonetheless.

Paljon Onnea

I (Kristi Ann) celebrated my 28th birthday last Sunday. Those of you who know me know I LOVE to celebrate anything so my birth-day turned into a birth-extended weekend. Saturday I spent the day scrapbooking at my friend Becky's house. Scrapping without my Hufnagle gals and buddy Amber isn't the same. . .I especially missed the roses. :( However, I did get a gift certificate from my neighbor and enjoyed the company of my new California friends.

Sunday we had our friends the Williamsons and Nelsons over for a steak dinner, a friendly game of Balderdash (which I lost), and homemade Finnish Birthday cake (taytekakku as the Finns would say) topped with whipped cream and strawberries. Lance did the dishes. Best birthday gift ever! In fact, he seems to give me this gift every day practically.

Monday night was our "date" birthday celebration and we dined at my favorite restaurant, The Melting Pot. I never grow tired of having fondue. After we rushed home to take Sofi for her late night potty break, we headed to the dollar theater to see "Stranger Than Fiction." My review? two thumbs up. Enjoyable for both sexes and the right mix of comedy, tradgedy, life lessons and happy endings.

Overall, a very good birthday. Thanks to all of those who offered their well wishes and provided gifts.

Hoping for a Better 2007

We started our New Years taking it easy. We watched all 12 hours of the extended version of the Lord of the Rings over the course of New Years Eve and New Years Day (LKSmemoe family tradition.) Something can be said for watching an epic consequetively. Things make much more sense and one seems to get more emotionally involved with the story.

Lance has been working long hours at the firm, catching up from what he missed over Christmas break. He even worked a 8 a.m. - 6 a.m. shift last Friday. (No, that wasn't a typo. He worked 22 hours straight.) I bought him a computer game for Christmas and he spends the free time he has trying to beat it.

I have returned to my old routine and am working on getting the what few Christmas decorations I put up, down. We have a tradition of leaving our Christmas tree up in honor of the 1. Orthadox Christmas 2. "Wisemen Day" 3. Our procrastinating tendacies. I say it is because of the first two, but secretly I believe it is because of the third.

I feel that change is brewing. Let's see what 2007 holds for our tiny family.

Christmas in Review

We had an enjoyable Christmas in the frozen north. I was still recovering from my surgery when we left so the holidays in MN were not as we expected. Here are some pictures chronicling our holidays.

Goodbye Sofrina! We left Sofi in CA for ten days at the PetSmart Hotel. She posed so adorablelike before we left (literally hugging her stuffed beagle as she dozed off on the carpet.), we almost could not leave her. But, we did, and happily since I was too sore after surgery to chase after her.

The Earl Inn: We stayed with Tom, my brother, Tera, my niece, and her toddler, Adrianna. Tera relinquished her bed for sickie ol' me & Bubba and I can't thank her enough. Adrianna loved having two extra playmates and we spent many a late night playing games and snacking on treats. Adrianna so graciously introduced us to the Teletubbies and Lance and I are still singing the song. (Not sure what a hangover is like, but I am sure having this song stuck in your head is just as bad!) Here she plays video games with Uncle Lance. The picture is so cute it almost convinces me that video games are not evil and good for bonding with children. Notice I said ALMOST.

New Duds: Here is my new Christmas dress, courtesey of Hanna Andersson and Lance. I love this outfit.

Eve of Christmas: I was still feeling very poorly when Christmas Eve rolled around but was able to make a semi-homemade ham dinner with Tera's, Vicki's and Lance's help. While we were doing "women's work," the men did their work. You guessed it - watched a football game.

Smemoe Monopoly: Late Christmas Eve we broke out the Disney Monopoly game so we could honor the Smemoe family tradition. Lance was pretty disappointed because no one in my family is a big monopoly fan and we were pretty lenient with trading.

Our Christmas Miracles: We went to my Dad's for Christmas brunch. Their house was miraculously clean and beautifully decorated. It was almost as though my mom was still there running the Christmas festivities. Jeremy and my dad worked really hard to make a nice Christmas for us. Notice my Grandma Hufnagle's sweater (which I have worn every Christmas day since I was 11 years old) with Lance for our Christmas shot.

Our second miracle was I finally started to feel better Christmas. Sometime let me tell you about my trip on Christmas day to Walgreens and the wonder tonic I had to purchase. Embarrassing tale.

Aunt Titty Tat: Here I am with Baby Alex, David and Vicki's little guy. Can you believe I had invasive surgery not a week before this picture? David and Vicki started calling me Aunt Titty Tat (Gone with the Wind fans will understand) and Lexie Luu sure loved his Auntie. The feeling's mutual, Kid.

Cousin Love: Everyone seemed to love Alex, especially Adrianna. She would rock him in his car seat, pat his head when he cried and her favorite word was "Baybee." Here she tries to burb the baby with David's help.

Friends Again. . . Family Forever: I still wasn't 100% after Christmas and we weren't able to go visit Lance's sister Lisa in Canada. We did manage to visit a few friends and family between my naps and days of rest. We took our Heule friends to the Build-a-Bear Workshop. Lanceypoo is still Tatiana's favorite. (Tatianna is perched on Lance's shoulders in case you couldn't guess which one she was.)

My "girls" - cousins Helen, Sheryl, aunt Ruthann, and friend Amber went with me to enjoy lunch at Biaggi's. Four words: White Chocolate Bread Pudding. I love my cousins (Amber is an adoptive cousin as well) and my aunt. They were the medicine I needed.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog: And then it was over. We returned the day before New Years Eve, picked up Sofi, and took a LONG nap to recover from our travels. Over all, Christmas was a success even though I wasn't feeling well for most of it.