New Chair Volunteer Position

I have always wanted to be a leader in the community. Almost like one of those dreams you have when you are a kid. (Like being the first female president. Yup, had that dream.) I always thought I would serve on the school board someday and maybe even be a city council member.

Well, I am getting a taste of this aspiration. And I am not even sure I want it anymore!!! I am now the Local Area Affilliate Chair for the Orange County Affliate of Resolve. (I offered to help after the former chair resigned, not knowing my offer would land me this position.) Ahhh!!! What did I volunteer myself for??? At least 4 hours of volunteer work a week (sometimes at up to 8 hours), a new email address just for Resolve and many challenges.

I am excited to work with all of the volunteers, though, and really believe in what Resolve stands for. I want to help other families who struggle building their own families. I hope I can do a good job. They can't fire me because it is a volunteer position. What a relief, right?

Peek-a-Boo

We are trying mighy hard to train Sofi to NOT beg while we are eating at the dinner table. Our lessons are not well received so Sofi spends most meal times locked up in "time-out." We can't help but laugh at her naughtiness sometimes, however. Here is some evidence of our little beggar. (Note: The first picture is of Sofi peeking through Lance's arm as he eats his lunch. She tries to be sneaky, by poking her nose through our arms at first. After that, she decides to be bold, and jumps up in plain view.)

Bringing Romance Back

Valentine's Day went by quietly for us this year. We did use a coupon at a local steak house and received a fairly decent meal after a long, long wait. Lance surprised me with roses a few days before Valentine's Day and I bought him candy after Valentine's Day (gotta love the 50% off deals!). Before you think romance has left our marriage, let me reassure you it hasn't! Romance just waits for the weekend now.


We went a very mini-retreat to Pismo Beach, a city north of Santa Barbara, and took advantage of my President's Day holiday. The drive up the coast was delightful and the central vineyards refreshing to my eyes. California is a geographic wonder - you can delight in beach, mountains, farmland, forests and lakes, all in the same state.




Our hotel came with complimentary fuzzy bathrobes, a living room and a balcony overlooking the ocean.

We had a late night dinner at The Cracked Crab and dined on the the famous Bucket-O-Crabs. The watress dumbed two kinds of crab legs and shrimp, potatoes, corn and cajun sausage on our butcher paper covered table. No plates or silverware. Only special crab cracking tools and bare hands allowed. Melted butter and crab legs. Yum.

Here is a view of the ocean from out hotel room.

Family Visits

February and March are going to be busy months here at the Hotel Smemoe. Below is a list of all of the current/upcoming visits.

• My brother Tom came to visit this past week for a few days. We visited the San Diego Zoo, ate at the Fish Market on the San Diego Bay, went for a walk on Point Loma, toured the Mission at San Juan Capistrano and ate at President Nixon's favorite Mexican Restaurant in San Juan Capistrano.
• Luke and his girlfriend Jamie will be here for a week at the beginning of March. I will be taking a day or two off of work to show them around. We will be hitting lots of amusement parks and spending a lot of time on the ocean during their stay. Sofi can't wait for some love from Lukie.
• The Loren Smemoe Family and Chris Smemoe Family will be here for a weekend. Right after Luke leaves, Loren, Kara, Arianna, Lincoln and Chris arrive for a quick weekend visit. Walt Disney looks forward to our patronage that week.

We hope to have more and more visitors over the years. I am hoping my brother David will come with his family soon.

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.