Shoes... Can you blame her.

So, it was about 10:30 tonight and something just felt off, so I peeked in on Audrey and shockingly, she was not in her bed. All of a sudden this little head pops up on the far side of her bed. She was on the floor and I asked "what are you doing, why are you not in bed", stearnly. She then says" nothing mommy, nothing". She quickly flew back into the bed. I noticed as she franticly tried to stuff her feet under the covers that she was wearing her new shoes we had just bought. Now how can I be mad, that my daughter has snuck out of bed to try on her new shoes? I mean seriously, I would have been doing the same thing :D

Wordless Wednesday #19

Wordless Wednesday #18

HAPPY 22nd BIRTHDAY BLISTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holiday Traditions

Blog party day 2!

Today at http://www.momdot.com/ they are asking us to share our favorite family traditions and maybe some we would like to begin! Today's question is sponsored by LaPlates and Lets Go Strolling and Natitys Design.

Well, our family is different. My husband is born and bred German and I'm born and bred American. Living overseas I only get to celebrate with my family every other year because we are obligated to visit his family on the off years... one of the very few downfalls of marriage is having to share holidays. My husband's family are not believers and that makes Christmas there really difficult for me because I feel like the meaning of Christmas is being ignored and forgotten! Not to mention theydon't even put up a Christmas tree, it's a Christmas bush so to speak... So, I will just talk about my side of the family,otherwise I'll get depressed and I'll depress y'all which doesn't make for much of a party ... hahaha. Have you guessed whose year it is for Christmas yet .... lol. So, here's what I'll be missing this year. Actually, I'm going home next week so I will at least get turkey day with my folks :D On Thanksgiving, it is tradition that we watch the macy's thanksgiving day parade (my favorite is always the rockets, and whatever broadway show's they are showcasing), as soon as the parade is finished, Turkey is served . After Turkey begins the Christmas movie marathon! Then midnight madness at the outlets (this will be a new tradition for us this year :D), and Friday morning isreservedfor best buy. Friday AFternoon we get the tree, decorate and this year we'll celebrate Christmas. When I'm with my side of the family for Christmas there are lots of traditions and I love them all! Beginning with Thanksgiving we watch a Christmas movie everynight until New year's day! We decorate really big, you'll notice the gigantic Christmas tree (complete with train, mini village and fake snow blanket) and huge nutcracker in the photo from my day 1 party post. We also always sing with our Church choir at Epcot's candlelight processional! It is an amazing experience, and if you are going to the parks this year I definitely recommend this concert/reading of the Christmas story for getting in the Christmas spirit. On Christmas Eve we attend the fantastic musical Christmas eve service at our church, we all sing in the choir, then go home bake cookies and watch the musical version of scrooge with Albert Finney. It's my dad's favorite. At the end of the movie, my dad gets up sings one more verse of "thank you very much" while jigging and clicking his heels like scrooge and we set out the cookies and milk for Santa complete with carrot for Rudolph. My parents always told me that as long as I "believed" in Santa there would be presents from Santa. So I'm a 26 year old believer in Santa Clause :D hehe. Then Christmas morning we all get up have a pancake breakast made by daddy, and the present opening marathon begins. We take turns unwrapping because we all really like to see each other's reactions to our gifts, especially when we've put a lot of thought into it. If Christmas falls on a Sunday then we have pancakes, then church, and then present unwrapping. Mom makes an awesome roast for Christmas dinner which we eat at lunch. The rest of Christmas day is spent hanging with the family watching Christmas movies and playing with Christmas presents! Oh and we are big on Carols. My family is very musical and we randomly burst into song at anytime during the holiday season with our favorite Christmas carols. Everyone has their own part and everything! Sometimes we even go caroling to the neighbors houses! So that's it, that's what my family does traditionally for the holidays!

Christmas and my family!

Hi everyone! I can't tell you how excited I am about the momdot.com Christmas blog party! I've never participated in a blog party before so I'm really looking forward to this! So, today I'm supposed to tell you and show you about my family. This is a photo of us last Christmas at mom and dad's!

From Left to right: (me, audrey, timothy, mom, dad, and my blister "aka" Victoria)

Today's blog party question is sponsored by: La belle Toile http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6259021 and This and That by Randi http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6083668

Wordless Wednesday #17

I wanna win!

Ok, so the lovely ladies at momdot.com are offering up a fantastic play mat from onestepahead.com and I really want it. To enter you have to post a picture of the child you are entering for. So here is my photo that I was going to save for Wordless Wednesday but now I'm having to put it up for this contest! Enjoy and please pick me!

Wordless Wednesday #16

For more wordless wednesday go to www.momdot.com and www.5minutesformom.com

My sister as Sarah Palin on Halloween...

halloween 2008

So, Halloween totally rocked! I planned a trunk or treat at Audrey's school as a fundraiser and it was a success! Cyprus doesn't celebrate Halloween so the expat community was very happy to have a halloween event for the kids! I know next year's event will be even better! Here are a few photos of my little princess as tinkerbell. When we put on the wings she was really excited because she thought she was going to be able to fly ... lol. And, she's still wearing the shoes. She refuses to wear anything else. We all had a great time and for 2 hours I felt at home :D

Help me choose a baby carrier!

So, I'm preggers again! In case you missed my earlier announcement ... lol! And, this time around we are not as financially challenged, thank the good LORD! He's been amazing to us. So, there are products out there that I want to have this time because we just couldn't afford them last time. I definitely want to try the baby wearing thing. I'm turning to the mommy blogging community for help, because I just don't know what is the best product to get. Last time we had that cheap little $29 evenflo front carrier. My husband who is 6'5" was never able to wear it comfortably and Audrey being such a large child out grew it very quickly. I'm really interested in the slings that I've been seeing in the online mommy boutiques but I have lots of questions! I like that they look pretty and they seem to grow with baby from infancy to toddler. But, are they really safe? I mean it just seems like only a ring is holding the thing together. Also, will it be a good fit for me and my husband? he's huge and I'm only 5'4". Are the slings comfortable to wear? Is the baby comfortable in it? How difficult are they to tie all the different ways? Should we opt for something else? Are the slings really worth what seems to me to be an outrageous price tag for some cloth and a metal ring? Should we just go with the baby bjorn? Should I get one carrier for my husband and one for me? What do you, my trusty bloggy moms recommend?

Momdot Christmas of Dreams

The lovely ladies at momdot are have a fabulous Christmas blog party culminating in the end draw for the Christmas of Dreams. For more info go here http://www.momdot.com/big-massive-blog-partyinformation/ and here http://www.momdot.com/christmas-of-dreams-blog-partyinfo/ They are giving away some amazing prizes and are still looking for VIP sponsors. Go check it out, you'll be sorry if you don't.

Wordless Wednesday #15

Last Weekend!!!!!

For More wordless wednesday checkout momdot.com and 5minutesformom.com

Oh my poor neglected blog!

My poor blog, so neglected and lonely! It has been one insane month! I've become very involved at Audrey's school, in the fundraising department... I've had visitors and still have visitors, timothy has been traveling like a mad man and on top of it all, I'm PREGNANT!!! I'm so nauseas and exhausted! And, not just in the morning, it's around the clock!!!! So, please forgive me bloggy buddies for having left you so alone ... for so long, hopefully it will not happen again! But, Yay, I'm Pregnant!!!!

Wordless Wednesday #14

What do you think?

What do you think of my makeover? Shannon over at eightcrazy designs did an amazing job! I'm so excited and I just love it! Thanks Momdot and Shannon for pimping my blog! You have no idea how over the moon I am about this :D

carving out your place!

I'm really excited because Thursday will bring the startup of my American ladies meetings again! It's so nice to have a place where I can talk with women that come from the same place as me, with most of the same traditions and have the same accent as me and want to have the same conversations! I miss those meetings over the summer breaks! However, with the meetings always brings a stark contrast between the two types of women that live here. I am so dreading having to listen to those few of our group whine about how much they hate it here, and turning every positive into a negative. Moving abroad away from your country, culture, and family is not easy! These ladies knew that before they came here and I just don't understand how they can be so miserable and ridiculous. If you hate it that much, go home, otherwise put your big girl panties on and enjoy your unique experiences. It's your life and you still have control. You can't move to a new country and expect people to find you! You must be realistic and rational about what you are getting into. You have to go meet the people! I made friends in Cyprus before I even got here! I used my brain (what's left of it after pregnancy) and my internet. I googled my interests online and found groups here on the island that would foster those interests. If you moved to a new state you wouldn't just sit at home waiting for the community to find you, you have to introduce yourself to the community. Well moving abroad is no different it's just more complicated. You have to consider the new culture and what is acceptable to them. Guess what? They are going to be different, and you have to embrace that! Moving abroad will grow you as an individual and make you a better person. You have to open your mind and your heart (not so far that your brains fall out like my grandma would say) but still be true to yourself. Survival of the fittest they say, well nothing will make you survive like being thrown into a completely different pond where you are different little fish with no school of your own. The same things that make you happy now will be those same things that make you happy anywhere in the world. Moving abroad should be embraced and enjoyed, not feared and hated. My husband loves me and my daughter is amazing! These two people are an integral part of my happiness, but it can't be dependent on them, that's not fair and it's too insular. They have their bad days too! I'm not just a wife and mother, I'm Rebekah. Part of being Rebekah is being a wife and mother but that's not all there is to me, I love to sing, I love to perform, I will die without shopping, I need to laugh at things only other women will understand no matter how metrosexual my husband tries to be for me. I have to be near the water, I love going to the beach, I have to be able to see the water. I love tanning and playing in the sea! My life is not perfect, no one's is! But, my life is happy and I can live day to day enjoying the blessings that have been so mercifully and undeservedly bestowed upon me. Almost all of the things that make me happy(and the previous was just a short list) can be found anywhere in the world. So, why be miserable? What really makes you happy, what can't you live without? Make a list, I'll bet you can find those things almost anywhere! Enjoy your life to the fullest by enjoying yourself and loving yourself to the fullest! You and your family will fleurish for it

Martha Stewart blogs

Seriously, what doesn't Martha do? I wish there was a Martha boot camp, I'd so beg for a scholarship to that one :D Anyway, I digress, Martha cares about bloggers and wants to help a few bloggers out with their traffic. So, ifyou want your blog featured on Martha's blog go check her out here http://www.themarthablog.com/2008/09/how-to-create-your-own-blog-let-us-show-you.html#comment-20980 Also, feel free to give a shout out to me, (if you feel my blog is significant enough ...lol) or momdot.com like I did to let Martha know that you want her to feature these fantastic mommy blogs :D Oh, and Martha if you did in fact stop by my blog, please leave me a comment so I'll know and feel really really special :D

Papa Papa, where are you ....

It's 3:40 a.m. here and I've just gotten Audrey back to sleep. She's fighting a sinus infection and tonight is the 3rd night in a row she has woken up crying and in hysterics. It's also the 3rd time she's been screaming for papa and I just don't know what to do. I was very tempted to call my hubby and have him talk to her but she was more in a half awake half sleep state and calmed down fairly quickly. I feel terrible that she misses her papa so much. What are we to do? Travel is part of his job and we miss him like crazy. I know he feels bad being away so much so I don't want to make him feel worse butI think he needs to know how it is affecting his daughter .... I know as she gets older she'll understand but right now, right this minute, which is all that counts in toddlerville is that she wants her papa more than anything in the world... and I can't blame her, I miss him too... What would you do? Is there anything that can be done?

I'm behind!

Boy am I ever behind on my blog! Audrey started school, ballet and restarted her swim lessons all in the same week. We also had the desert winds from Egypt bring over all their extra dust particles which have made us all sick! There was so much dirt blowing around it was "foggy" outside but no precipitation! And, on top of all that I've just been made head organizer of our American group here and Timothy is out of town. I planned two baby showers, and our first club meeting in the last two weeks too! So, my poor blog has suffered! Audrey has been doing fairly well with starting school. Actually, she loves everything about it except the part where I leave! she didn'treally seem to care at first and the she realized this was a permanet situation and all heck broke loose. She's such a little actress and sometimes just too smart for her own good. She pitches an all out screaming violent fit until about 30 seconds after I leave, then I peek in and she's laughing and painting. On her third full day this week on the way to school she pulled off her button on her uniform, she actually thought I'd take her home to fix it. Seriously, what kid does that? Devious little booger, isn't she? Here are some photos of our first day at school! Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday #13

Update on my sister!

Thank you all so much for your kind wishes and prayers. My sister's elbow is in three pieces but still aligned. The specialist has casted it for 10 days and will then take the cast of re-xray and if the pieces have not moved cast it again. If the pieces do move outof alignment then she will require surgery with pins. He told her this kind of break that develops arthritis and she may never get back her full range of motion. At this point, we are praying that the pieces won't move so that she won't require surgery. She's in a lot of pain and very emotionally upset because of all the things she's having to back out of due to the lack of use of her arm. My sister is in her senior year of music and education. She has had to cancel two jobs now because she will not be able to play the piano for her students. Which as many of you know, college is expensive and losing income while you are trying to pay for school, is difficult at best.

On a brighter note, I finally won a contest!!!!!! I won a blog makeover at Momdot.com from eightcrazy designs! Keep checking back and let me know how you like my new look!

Hugs,
Rebekah

Wordless Wednesday #12

Today's edition is not so wordless. for those of you that Pray I'm asking for prayer for my sister! She was in a freak accident last night and has badly, really really badly broken her Right Elbow. Please pray that she won't require surgery. For those of you that have read my blog in the past you know my sister and I are super close and that she has had a very tough year. First we Lost our Grandmother, then my sister was almost killed one week later as her dorm at union University collapsed on her during the horrible tornados that swept through Tennessee in February. There have been other not so great events as well, but I won't go into that here. Anyway, please pray for her, as she sees the bone specialist in a few hours. Please pray that she won't require surgery, suffer nerve damage, or even loss of her arm. I hope you won't find this an inappropriate plea for prayer, but this is all I can do because I'm so far away. I have to feel like I can do something. In Christ, Rebekah

PURSES

I love purses! As far as materialistic things that really get me excited, purses and stillettos are top of the list! The lovely ladies of momdot.com understand my infatuation ... or addiction! They are giving away a beautiful Elliott Lucca clutch! Me Likey and Me Want! When I was a broke high school and college student, my handbags were nothing so fantastic, whatever pretty little tote I could fish out of the clearance bin at the department store. Well, then I got married and my husband, beautiful fashion conscious European that he is, understands and feeds my passion! The first bag he ever bought me was my Louis Vuitton marakame speedy! I love that purse, and I love the way other women turn green with envy when I carry it! Then when I became pregnant I discovered the most beautiful, most wonderful diaper bag ever fashioned, the Juicy couture Heaven on Earth Diaper bag! I love it! I have carried it everyday for two and a half years and it still looks fabulous and I still get compliments when I carry it! I have several guess bags for everyday and for my birthday I got a beautiful new Juicy bag! I just went on a fantastic shopping spree in the states while I was home and grabbed all kinds of fantastic bags on sale. I mostly carry Juicy couture, BeBe and guess bags because I really like the styles that these particular brands fashion! The lines, the leather, and the shape get me every time, they truly are an everyday work of art! I love handbags and love how great I feel carrying them! So, I in no way need this purse, but I would definitely enjoy it and give it a wonderful home. If you are as addicted as I am go here http://www.momdot.com/?p=1091#comment-31668 and enter for your chance to win the beautiful raspberry clutch on display over at momdot!

Wordless Wednesday #11

MGM 2008

Birthday party help! Please!

Ok, so planning a childs birthday is not the easiest task at hand, well, you should try doing it over seas! There are 3 venues to hold a childs party total in my town, two of them are disgusting and out of the question and the third is booked by every kid in town, ridiculously expensive, and just boring after the 10th time you've been there for a party. There is no walmart, target, party city, etc ... So, even though my child's party isn't until February, I have to start planning now. First, I need to find a venue that is not already booked! Second, I need to know exactly what I've got to buy while I'm in the states over Christmas to bring back with me! So, my tentative theme is a pirate/princess party. I chose a double theme if you will because Audrey's school requires that if you invite one child in the class you invite them all, meaning no all girl parties! I think it's a stupid rule, but what can I do? Plus most of my friends have boys for some reason, we only have one other little girl in our playgroup, the rest are boys! So I'm looking at about 30-40 kids total plus both parents (in cyprus you don't just invite the kid you invite the whole family including brothers and sisters)! I was thinking about having the kids come dressed as princesses and pirates but I don't want people to not come because they don't have a costume, so maybe i'll just make princess crowns, and find some pirate hats while i'm in the states for the kids to wear instaed of the traditional birthday cone hat. What do you think? I was also trying to think about what to put inside a pinata? I don't want any candy or anything bad for the kids, so I thought about stickers/tattoos, crayons but what else could I put in there? I was also trying to come up with games and entertainment. So far I've got a treasure hunt, where they can find their "goodie bags" and the pinata (I'm thinking a pull string since they are so young). I think I need at least one other game if not two. Or I could get a facepainter and clown/magician ...The age range will be mostly between 3 and 4. What you y'all think? What should I do? Should I pick a different theme?

I got a web award!

This is unbelievable, I actually got a web award and she called me delightful!!!! I'm so grateful to Michelle http://eatsleepcreate-michelle.blogspot.com/2008/08/2-blog-awards-what-honor.html You made my day and made me feel so special! Thanks so much.

She gave me this award:


And now I'm supposed to pass it on to seven other people.
I'm really new to blogging but these are the 7 blogs I read the most!

Kelly @ http://busymamas.com/

Kim @ http://accidentalmommies.com/

Jessie @ http://mutheringheights.blogspot.com/

sara @ http://saralifeinwords.blogspot.com/

Renee @ http://babystam.blogspot.com/

Lisa @ http://crazyadventuresinparenting.blogspot.com/

Tiff @ http://www.three-peas.com/

Travel, Travel, Travel!

Well, the summer is almost over for us here and I was thinking back to all the travel we did this season! We started in Hamburg, Germany then on to Copenhagen Denmark, back to Hamburg and then on to the states! There were many highlights this summer, but I'll just give you a few of the quick highlights dealing with kids! If you are in Hamburg, Germany you absolutely must take your children to the Hagenbeck Tierpark, AKA the Hamburg zoo. This was an amazing experience! A must see is the ringtail lemur exhibit, because you will be part of the scenery! That's right you open this sliding warehouse type door and bam there are lemurs bouncing off thewalls, you, and your bags! It was awesome! Audrey thought that it was hysterical! The botanical gardens with their hugemongous childrens play area is also a must for the children!

She also loved feeding the elephants and the giraffes!
In Copenhagen, Audrey and I did the walking tour (me, by myself with a map walking and pushing the stroller) while Timothy was in conference. It was awesome! We were able to see all the "main" sites including the palaces with changing of the guard, the little mermaid statue, and the King's gardens. And, Audrey had a great time helping mommy read the map.

Finally, we made it stateside for two weeks with my parents at Sanibel Island, one of the most awesome family beach vacation spots in the U.S. It's secluded so the beaches are quiet and uncrowded! We went fishing, bike riding and shelling. After the break with my parents we drove to Atlanta to see my grandparents, where Audrey enjoyed a private tour of the aquarium. We then headed up to Tennessee to watch my sister compete for over 12k in Scholarship monies! She didn't win but she looked beauiful,performed awesome, and came home with $2700 for school! Then back to Florida for another 4 weeks of hanging with my mom and my sister, where we took Audrey for a special girls day only at MGM! She totally flipped for the new playhouse disney area!

For travel with a young child, this is my must have list ...

Ask for the baby cot on the plane if your child is under 12kilos. This is an arm saver even if the baby doesn't sleep! You still have a place to lay/sit the baby down for 2 seconds and give you two free hands to do whatever!

If you have to buy a seat for your 2+ child take an FAA approved carseat! This was awesome! Audrey was able to sleep comfortably and for a longer period of time than she had previously when she outgrew the cot and wasn't old enough for a seat.

Portable DVD player - This will keep the little one entertained for whatever part of the trip they are not sleeping!

A pacifier, - if your child does not use a pacifier than have some juice, water, a bottle, or succer or whatever handy for when the plane is taking off, landing, or experiencing turbulence. Audrey has never ever had a problem with her ears on a plane because I have always been ready with her pacifier or bottle. If this fails, remember that yawning is contagious, make sure your child is looking dead at you and give a nice big convincing fake yawn, this works I have used it several times!

A blanket, -the planes get cold and nothing is more comforting to your child than a familier "blankie" from home.

Rely on the cabin crew. You paid to be on the flight and for their services, many of them are mothers and will understand or empathisize with your situation. If you really really need to use the toilet and the baby is asleep, more than likely, they will sit in your seat while you relieve yourself and watch your child. Don't be afraid to ask for help, Don't be afraid to take your tray to the cabin crew when you are immediately finished eating. A few bad news stories still mean that 90+% of the cabin crew are friendly and willing to help!

Enjoy your trips and travel!

Stop the muffin madness

The crazy mommy bloggers over at MomDot blog, is hosting a contest to make the world a better place and to fight muffintop. Please come over and enter to win an amazing giveaway from Blush, where you can keep or pass along an awesome topless undershirt. They need 200 entries to get more shirts to give away, so come enter this worthwhile fashion cause. And while you are there, dont forget about the other awesome giveaways and new chat room.

Wordless Wednesday #10

What we did this weekend!