Team Kliewer!

A New Boy in Town!

2010-11-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends Erin, Greg, and big brother Reed Nassir welcomed their 2nd son into the world on November 1. Here is sweet Blake Weaver Nassir. Congratulations Nassir family!

I think AJ is excited for another boy in the group!

Is Greg a proud daddy or what?

Mommy and Me Classes!

2010-11-06T22:08:00.000-07:00

Alexa Joy and I attend a Mommy and Me class at a local church each Thursday from 9-11am. It's so much fun. There are 8 other mommies and 8 little ones all within 6 months of each other. We sing, talk about a relative topic to parenthood, eat snacks, chat, and enjoy time together. What a blessing it is.

AJ and Paul

Miss AJ is a very attentive student.

When Mommy is at class...

2010-11-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a great class at our church called Codependent No More. I'm learning a lot and very thankful. Jeff and I continue to work hard on dealing with our own "issues" so we don't unnecessarily pass them onto Miss Alexa Joy. We want to be the best parents we can for her (doesn't every parent?) and on our list of things we want to teach her are how to deal with loss, conflict resolution, be self aware, feel her feelings and make healthy choices in response to them, how to be a responsible individual and addition to society, etc. Wow, what a huge task we have in store for us....and thank goodness for God's grace.

So I'm gone each Wednesday night from 6:40-9pm. Miss AJ has a great babysitter (in my opinion)....it's Daddy O! I know she is in great hands and well taken care of which is a gift because then I can be present in my class without wondering about her.

These are two photos I received during class....proof that all is well in the Kliewer home when mommy steps out for a short time.

Happy Orange & Candy Holiday!

2010-11-01T00:18:00.001-07:00

I enjoy Halloween for many reasons.....all the orange (my favorite color), the candy, the pumpkin farms, the fall weather, and dressing up. Jeff was surprised when he saw me looking at Halloween costumes online in August. I told him that of course I was thinking about these things at that time. I'm one of those people that needs time to process and get creative. My mom made our Halloween costumes as kids for as long as I can remember. One of my dear memories of my dad and favorite photos is of him putting on my make-up when my sister and I were Raggedy Ann and Andy. We still have the costumes, maybe Ezra and Alexa Joy can wear them one day. I wanted to make Alexa Joy's first costume and I knew it would have to be simple since my sewing has a lot to be desired. I love candy and we call her Sugar so I thought a little pice of candy would be a great way to start. My mom made me a M&M costume one year so we used that pattern, red fabric paint, and some tulle and wa la.....

a peppermint!

I was out shopping and popped into Children's Place and just couldn't pass up this ballerina outfit (tights and all) for $7.00. She wore this outfit to church today and to a pumpkin farm with friends.

We had a fun first Halloween with lots of candy and smiles! Yeah for firsts.

We're Back!

2010-10-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

We're back on the blog and have lots to catch up on. Here we go...

She sure is sweet to hold when she's sleeping!
Fin nail polish from dear Jamie!

4th of July!

2010-07-08T00:13:00.000-07:00

A Yerkey family tradition is to eat Cracker Jacks on the 4th of July!
A new way of watching fireworks!
Stars and stripes (thanks Emily for the adorable outfit).
Mommy and Alexa Joy!
Team Kliewer!

Thank you Jesus for our country!!!

Nicknames....Sugar P!

2010-07-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

We have a very classy/ G rated video of Alexa Joy being born (thanks for Linda our doula) and it's so sweet (no pun intended) because right as soon as she is born, you hear Jeff's voice saying, "Hey Sugar!" And it stuck, Miss Alexa Joy is also known as Sugar, Sugar P (short for Sugar Plum), or Sugar P Pod. We had her photos professionally taken so of course we needed some sugar photos.

Our new lifestyle....taking even more photos!!!

2010-06-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

We thought we took a lot of photos before, we've out done ourselves that's for sure!!! Thank goodness for digital photos!

Our Special K has arrived!

2010-06-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's a GIRL!!! We sure love our Alexa Joy (Protector of Joy) Yerkey Kliewer.

She was born on May 31, 2010 at 1:04pm weighing 10 lbs, 4 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long. She has captured our hearts!!! Thank you Jesus for sweet Alexa Joy!

Dinner with Friends!

2010-05-22T16:03:00.001-07:00

Yeah for ice cream...and being determined!

Yummy dinner!

The extra bonus of having a "shelf" to rest your arms on.

"The salad....I think Jeff ate more than I did."
Articles proving that the salad works!

We enjoyed a yummy Italian dinner at Caioti's Restaurant last night with our friends who happen to also be expecting babies in the next couple months. Greg & Annette White will be welcoming their 2nd child in July and Matt & Rachel Northrop are anticipating their 1st child in June. What a joy it is to share this exciting time with others in the same stage of life. We chose that restaurant because they serve "The Salad" which supposedly encourages labor. Considering my due date is today we thought it would a fun thing to do the night before.

One of the funniest parts was that mid way through dinner I got a craving for chocolate soft serve ice cream from either Foster Freezes, Dairy Queen, or Wendy's. So the adventure began and Mr. Wonderful and our friends were very good sports to go along with the madness. We drove 10 minutes to find the first Dairy Queen closed, kept driving to discover that Wendy's is a fast food restaurant and also a beauty supply store, and then ended up at El Pollo Loco in Pasadena which also serve Foster Freezes, but not chocolate ice cream. Initially they said that they weren't serving ice cream anymore however the drive thru was. When Jeff pulled up to order, the woman said they were cleaning the machines. He drove up to the window and within minutes they were able to serve us all our ice cream. We continue to learn that it never hurts to ask more than once. So I settled for vanilla with a Reeses mix-in. Oh the fun memories we are making. These are the ones our children will hear for years :>. Thank you friends for a very memorable evening, we are grateful for you!

May 22, 2010- Due Date!!!

2010-05-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Breakfast at Marston's Restaurant!

Jazz hands trying to decrease the numbness and tingling!

We woke up today wondering if today is "The day!" It's surreal and so exciting. We'll see and know the baby may not come for 2 more weeks. In the meantime we have enjoyed sleeping in (I woke up at noon....literally), Jeff woke up around 8am and got up at 9am, shared a yummy breakfast at Marstons, walked around Old Town Pasadena, are now relaxing at home, and plan to head to the beach to catch the sunset. I told Jeff that I would love to stay in tonight, sit on the couch, and watch a movie....maybe I will go into labor or something, because that's definitely not me :>. We will keep you posted. Thank you to all who are calling, texting, and e-mailing to check in. We LOVE IT, and feel so loved and thought of!!! And don't feel like you are bothering or annoying us at all, keep 'em coming and we'll do the same.

1st Day on Maternity Leave!

2010-05-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

I can definitely get used to this lifestyle. I had a very busy day :>....

Got out of bed at 10:45am

Lounged around the house until 1:00pm

Walk to the mall, went shopping

Visited Jeff at work....and got to see 2 girlfriends who work there too.

Pedicure (I had to get a baby bottle and some flowers. Even the doctor noticed my nails :>).

Doctor's appt. (baby is doing great and our doctor will be out of town next Mon, Tues, & Wed) so we aren't planning on having the baby until he's back :>.

Ice cream because I lost 4 pounds since last week (I think it's because I didn't have my heavy shoes on!)

Now just relaxing for the evening.

And tomorrow I'll be spending the day at the spa. Pretty fun!

Traditions!

2010-05-05T23:50:00.001-07:00

I love traditions and really look forward to continuing ones we've started and adding new ones to our family. We took maternity photos in Santa Barbara because we got engaged there, took a wedding photo there, went to college there, and just plain love it.

We have these 3 photos framed in the baby's room, all from the Biltmore wall. The next photo we take there will be with the baby in our arms, now that's fun to anticipate!

The Latest Stats.

2010-05-05T23:35:00.000-07:00

17 days until the due date

7 lbs. 3 oz= The weight of Baby Kliewer

5 lbs.= the weight Jeff has gained

40 lbs.=the weight Jenn has gained

2 days left of work for Jenn until maternity leave

2 more house projects before we are ready for the baby

2 very swollen feet

8 baby showers (3 were surprises!)

300 photos taken last weekend in Santa Barbara

1 family bassinet (from the 80's, love it) ready to hold a sweet, sleeping bundle of joy!

and

2 very excited "parents-to-be" who are grateful for this sweet blessing on the way!

April Fools Day!

2010-04-20T18:28:00.001-07:00

Of course I had to play a trick on Jeff. Here's the short version of a 10 minutes story.

We have both been surprised that I haven't had any late night cravings. Granted I still have 4 1/2 weeks left of pregnancy.

So as Jeff was getting ready for bed the conversation started...

Jenn: Honey I'm really hungry and nothing in the house sounds good. Can you get me a burger and fries well well (that means extra crunchy) from In N Out?

Jeff: What? You aren't serious, it's time for bed (It was 10pm).

Jenn: Come on Honey, I'm really hungry. Please, well well!

Jeff: I just got ready for bed. That food isn't good for you especially this late at night.

Jenn: You know I've eaten so well during my whole pregnancy, please... well well!

You could get yourself a milkshake (he loves half chocolate half strawberry)

Jeff: Ok now you are making me feel guilty.

Jenn: Oh no, don't feel guilty, I'll go.

Jeff: You are NOT going.

Jenn: You'll be back in 20 minutes and in bed by 10:30pm. Come on honey, Pleeeease honey, well well (with some whining! :>).

Jeff: Ok. (He put his shoes on and headed downstairs).

I let him get to the car and then called. He thought I was calling to add more items to my order but instead I said, "I'm calling to say April Fools!"

I got him....and he got me. He came right back up with a smile (he's a really good sport) and started tickling me. We had a lot of good laughs.

So guess what I got in my Easter basket (since I haven't been eating candy)? A gift card to In N Out for my "well well." We enjoyed In N Out together about a week later :>.

Dads!

2010-04-05T22:07:00.001-07:00

I sure love dads and have so much respect for them. Dads are so important and such a blessing to everyone in my opinion. My heart is especially sensitive to dads mainly because I was blessed with an incredible one, had a very limited yet very influential time with him, and know a lot of very incredible dads. It's hard to believe that today marks the 30th year that my dad passed away. I can remember so many details and memories about my dad. He loved my mom, was so proud of us, played with us, laughed with us, took us to church, celebrated with us, and just loved being our dad.....however loved Jesus the most and those were the last words he spoke, "Yes Lord."

So I thought and prayed a lot about the type of man I would marry (if God had that in His plans for me) and on my list were the characteristics above that my dad had, knowing that not only was I choosing a husband but also a potential father. So I must say that Jeff sure has all those qualities. One of the things I'm looking forward to the most about becoming a mom is knowing that Jeff with be our son or daughters dad. And I look forward to cherishing every moment that God gives us to be together here on earth.

I think Jeff is meant to be a dad :>!!!

Jeff and our nephew Ezra! The smiles are priceless!

Jeff and our second cousin Olivia.

I keep telling Jeff that we can only have 2 daughters because he only has 2 pinkies. Is he too cute with our friend Hannah or what?

Of course sweet Abbie is smiling, look who's holding her :>.

And I think one of the sweetest names Jeff has is "Uncle Time." His niece and nephews call him that because he'd spend so much time with them and when he'd walk into the house he'd say, "It's uncle time" like time to play with uncle. And they affectionately call him that by name.

Is Jeff going to be a great dad or what? 7 more weeks!!!

Hospital Tour!

2010-04-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

We went on the hospital tour of the maternity floor at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. It was nice to see where we'll be in just 8 weeks (or so). We walked in the room of about 30 pregnant women and their spouses/friends and Jeff says, "Is this the urology lecture?" He also had one question on the tour. Most people asked about discharge time, where the nursery is, when they can hold the baby. And Jeff asked, "Does the tv remote attached to the hospital bed reach all the way to the pull out bed that the dad sleeps on?" Of course everyone laughed.

He's so funny :>.

We've been capturing our little one in as many photos as possible.

We both grew up going out to ice cream after special evening events. We thought tonight was pretty special so we ended it with ice cream!

Weather Forecast: (Baby) Showers!!!

2010-03-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

It's luau time! The baby's room is a surfer theme so my friends thought it would be fun to have a luau. I loved it.

The wonderful hostesses (plus Hazel)

Now this is a way to tell that I'm getting pretty big....Aliza can barely give me and the baby a full hug! I can't wait to see Miss Aliza holding and hugging our little one (I think she is counting the days as well :>).

Nana Yerkey. My nephew has been working on saying Nana Banana, I think that's really cute!

Grammy and Auntie Jenni!

My friends know me well....lots of candy!

Thank you Jesus for our little one and for giving us a reason to celebrate!!!

Our Little Pumpkin!

2010-03-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

My friends hosted a "Little Pumpkin" theme shower for us. I love orange and there was a lot of orange :> What a treat it was to celebrate with friends. That's my favorite part....being with people and together thanking Jesus for his many blessings, especially Special K at this time!

What a gift each of these friends are to me. I am so blessed with wonderful women in my life, thank you Jesus.

My co-worker Sharon made a diaper cake. It's beautiful and the filling is made of onesies and burp cloths! Very cute.

Jeff gave me this Agape necklace. We are so grateful for God's love for us, our Special K, and the privilege of becoming a mom.

The name tags were socks and now our little one has a lot of socks with people names on them. What a fun reminder of who celebrated with us. And of course Jamie (one of the hostesses) thought of making one for daddy with the combining heart. Only she could think of something so creative!!!

All in all the shower was another wonderful, priceless memory! Thank you friends.

Beach party in San Pedro

2010-03-31T22:18:00.001-07:00

I work with a lot of wonderful people. They are great therapists and have become friends. My co-workers in San Pedro were so kind and thoughtful and planned a beach party theme baby shower. They know I love orange so of course there was lots of it. They showered the baby with very cute clothes, a beach theme grocery cart seat cover, and the baby Bjorn. They know I look forward to holding the baby and taking him/her with me on many adventures. Thank you for all the generous gifts. It was such a cheery and fun party. I'm so grateful for all the wonderful memories for me and our Special K...that's the priceless gift!

Michelle is one of the occupational therapist. She's one of those people who is positive and always sees the best in life and others. Now that's a treat to work with, I'm grateful to know you Michelle!

They all chipped in to make a homemade lunch. Eggplant parmesian, salad, garlic bread, Tiki punch, and lemon cupcakes (from scratch, lemon rinds and all :>). It was delicious to say the least!!!

All the fun decorations!

Phone Call!

2010-03-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

I received a very sweet voicemail last weekend. It was from our friend Aliza Neal (my best friend Kenon's almost 7 year old daughter). She was calling to find out how the baby was, how I have been, and how big the baby is now.....how cute is that! Aliza and her family are like family to us. I remember where Aliza was born and we've had many sleep overs and fun times together ever since. We got to tell her and her family about me being pregnant in person, they were visiting for the weekend. She was so interested in the whole thing. At dinner she asked if she could come to the baby shower. The next morning when I asked her how she slept she said, "Good except I woke up in the middle of the night because I was thinking about the baby." Too sweet.

And another thing that is so thoughtful is that Aliza gave me the blanket I made for her when she was born because she wants Baby Kliewer to enjoy it, what a generous little girl. So we can't wait to introduce our little baby to our dear friends Aliza (and her family) and watch Aliza hold him/her just like I held Aliza when she was a baby.

I'm looking forward to seeing Aliza at the baby shower this weekend :>.

Lots of Reading!

2010-03-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

We've really enjoyed reading different pregnancy and parenting books. Jeff's been reading The Expectant Father and will bring up different thoughts off and on (it's really cute). Also, he sure knew a lot in our Lamaze class, I could really tell that he had been reading. Actually some of my favorite books are ones about marriage and from what I hear one of the best things you can give your child is to have a healthy, wonderful marriage (if you are married of course).

I have been especially fascinated by the book I just read titled The Happiest Baby on the Block." One thing it talks a lot about is the importance of holding, swaddling, and carrying the baby around for the first 3 months. It makes sense, the baby is used to being carried for 24 hours/day for 9 months so to go from that to anything less is quite a shock. It was comparing it to working in a super busy office and then showing up one day an no one was around. So all to say we can't wait to hold and snuggle our little one as well as look forward to our family and friends holding him/her as well. We don't intent to spoil our child other than spoiling him/her with love (and good discipline :>)! We sure are grateful that God "spoils" everyone with His unconditional love.

Dreaming and Hoping!

2010-03-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

It's been fun to take the time to dream and hope for things for our little one. We were enjoying the beautiful scenery and talking while in Kauai. The conversation started out more serious and then got light. Of course we wonder what our little baby will look like. If we were to design our baby these are a couple details we came up with :>.

Jeff's thick hair, guns (strong arm muscles), buns, and cute little toe that overlaps the 4th toe on his right foot.

Jenn's teeth, smile, and nose.

And we think the baby may have blue eyes. We, Jeff's parents, and my dad (had) have blue eyes. However my mom has beautiful green eyes, so who knows maybe they will be green, that would be cool.

We just can't wait to see and love all the little features our bundle of joy has :>.

The Babymoon!

2010-03-10T17:54:00.001-08:00

We just returned from a wonderful "Babymoon" to Kauai. We love that island and were thrilled to have the opportunity to return one more time before the baby comes. We stayed on the south part of the island in Poi Pu. We spent 5 days lying on the lawn chairs reading, filling up on vitamin D, enjoying God's beautiful creation & one another's company. We were so relaxed that by the 4th day we both said, we are ready to go back home.

Our hotel is in the background.

We intentionally didn't do activities on this trip however we couldn't not go to the humane society :>. Doesn't everyone go to the humane society when they travel???

We both love golfing....Jeff golfs and I cheer for him and ride in the cart, it's a great sport for both of us :>. We enjoyed being in the north part of the island while Jeff golfed at Princeville.

The view from our hotel's balcony. That was a treat to wake up to in the morning and see throughout the day.

We admit we are addicted to shave ice. Choosing the flavors were some of the biggest decisions we made the whole time we were there. Jeff's usual is cherry, grape, and lime. I like the tropical flavors like pineapple, coconut, guava, and banana!

Thank you Jesus for more great memories and traveling mercies!!!

30 & 2

2010-03-01T23:19:00.000-08:00

Safety first! We believe in that and officially ended our Lamaze class with infant CPR. We could bring some guests so Jeff's parents joined us. I always appreciate the reminder: it's 2 breaths, 30 chest compressions and 5 cycles before calling 911 (if you alone). If others are around and the place is safe then someone calls 911 immediately. And I learned something new tonight, no need to assess for the pulse, you just go right to CPR if someone isn't breathing. Who knew. It's always good to get a refresher. We hope and pray that we won't even need to us it.

Disclaimer: We have full confidence in their ability to respond and act appropriately in an emergency. I think the photo could be a little misleading :>.

Mr. Wonderful in Action

2010-02-28T16:27:00.001-08:00

We had a very fun and special opportunity last night. While Jeff was busy "Doing his thing" as a fundraiser (working) we got to enjoy a wonderful evening at the Nokia Center for the Koufax and Torre interview with T.J. Simers. Yes, Jeff had to brief me on who these people are (other than Joe Torre), etc., etc.

The best part of the night for me was being by his side. I got to be of help a little bit but mainly stood next to him, smiled, and met lots of people (that in itself is a very fun evening for an extrovert like me). And I also really like introducing myself as Jenn, Jeff Kliewer's husband. Of course people commented on the baby on the way which is also exciting to talk about. My mom was visiting for the weekend and Jeff was able to extend the invitation to her, his parents, and friends. What a evening and neat opportunity to learn more about baseball history and how Mr. Torre and Mr. Koufax are a big part of it.

We are so grateful for both of our jobs and the opportunities they provide to serve God with the talents that he has entrusted to us, and also to share his love with those we come in contact with. And last night was one of those nights when work definitely didn't seem like work, rather a chance to naturally be who he is.....Mr. Wonderful!

I'm so proud of him.

I'm not sure my eyes could get more red (still trying to figure out the edit options :>).

Tea for 4!

2010-02-25T23:56:00.001-08:00

Jeff is just so thoughtful, hope it's ok to brag about him again. One of my Christmas presents each year is to do something fun with a girlfriend. He knows I love new experiences and also spending time with friends. So for Christmas he made arrangements for me and a friend to enjoy a morning of tea at the tea salon right up the street from our home. It's called Chassom Tea Salon and Diane is the owner. She is a pharmacist who has studied herbology and has opened up this wonderful team room that provides specialty teas homemade by her. This is Diane :>.

So my friend Annette and I (along with our babes inside) enjoyed 3 hours one Sunday morning sipping tea and catching up. She is also pregnant and will have baby #2 in July. Diane gave us these baskets with cute little teething toys attached filled with teas for morning sickness, to prepare for labor, for body aches, and a really yummy almond sweet tea. What a great memory, thank you Annette for joining me, thank you Diane for sharing your expertise with us, and thank you Honey for a wonderful gift.

Diane had us make our own tea, that was fun!

You Know You Are Getting BIG When......

2010-02-23T22:42:00.001-08:00

The maternity clothes are getting too small... :>

We Passed!

2010-02-23T22:18:00.001-08:00

That's right. We have a certificate to prove that we passed our Lamaze class at Arcadia Methodist Hospital. Maria was our teacher and along with Jeff really helped to make the classes fun. Here are a couple highlights:

*The birthing videos...we are both still in a bit of shock watching them (I think the whole class wanting to run out after the first video ended).

*Starting to write our birth plan: Here are our top 3 priorities:

1. Jeff won't pass out

2. Enjoy the free hospital food

3. Stay in the hospital as long as we can so we can enjoy the 24 hour nursing help (and hopefully get some sleep).

*Jeff's initial comment, "We're still trying to figure out how this all happened" after Maria asked if anyone had any questions after watching the first birthing video. Yep, that's my introverted husband making the whole class laugh.

We both agreed that the class was helpful and now we hope to retain the information for at least the next 3 months.

Of course we had to get a photo with our teacher!

Anticipating!!!

2010-02-19T23:48:00.000-08:00

Is Baby Kliewer a girl or a boy? Will we need board shorts or a hula skirt (We're doing a surfer theme in the baby's room :>)? Those are just 2 of the many questions that are swirling around in our mind. Jeff and I both love surprises so from the beginning we knew we wanted to wait until the baby is born to find out if we will be blessed with a son or a daughter. We are already so excited to hear the words from the doctor, "It's a _____!!!" I already feel patience growing inside of me (which I hear is a really great thing to have as a parent :>) because we are waiting for the news and lots of imagination. What will life be like with a son, a daughter? It's neat to pray God's truth for our little one and whether it's a boy or a girl we pray that he/she will be everything that God has in store. What an honor to be entrusted with encouraging and fostering that for one of God's children.

And whether it's a boy or a girl we know he/she can proudly wear this little outfit!

The Yogurt Mill

2010-02-18T23:29:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure I've come home without getting a yogurt. The Yogurt Mill is like "Cheers" for us except no one that works there knows our name. However sometimes I'll see a high school friend, tonight mom saw a friend from church. The place hasn't changed for years and neither has the yogurt. It's yummy and my usual is strawberry & chocolate with carob peanuts (Jeff's usual is Strawberry and something else and cookie dough topping). It's a huge portion and usually I can't finish the whole thing in one sitting but these days I can. My belly seems to be getting almost big enough to hold up the yogurt all by it's self.

Mum, Sandi Lundstrom, and I enjoyed yogurt together tonight and ended up talking for an hour and a half. It's always fun catching up. Sandi is a second mom to me. I was just saying tonight, I remember Sandi being there at our house the night my dad passed away, she tucked me into bed, and prayed with me when I said, "Thank you Jesus for healing my dad, I just wish it was here on earth." She and her husband Jeff came over to be with us and also to bring an Easter basket for me and my sister so we would have one, my dad died the day before Easter in 1980. That's just one of the thousand memories we have. Sandi is a memory making kind of person (which I love). She loves so many people and is loved by just as many if not more. She loves making life special and adding memories to the days. I'm already praying for a second mom (ie a Sandi) for our little one. I love the last photo with the surprised look on our faces. Right as soon as my mom took the photo the baby kicked and Sandi felt it on her arm :>, very cool! So there we were at Yogurt Mill tonight, making another memory.

A Big Family!

2010-02-18T00:05:00.000-08:00

I always wanted to have a big immediate family, like my mom did. She had 6 brothers, a sister, and 2 parents. Maybe it's the extravert in me, I just love lots of people around at all times and when I need a break, I retreat. That explains why I loved living with 23 college students in San Francisco, and also why I loved having my own room. Ironically I come from a rather small family, one sister and for most of my life one parent. However when I really think about it, I come from a pretty big family and that's because God has blessed us with dear friends who feel like family. You know people who act like family...they are there for you, love you for who you are, pray for you, desire to know and be involved in your life, celebrate with you, support you through the tough times, are present for the BIG moments in life, and are always just a phone call away. We have known the Nehrkorn's since Jill and I were in 1st grade. They are like family. We could talk for hours about "Remember when...."stories. So when I come "home" to San Diego, the trip isn't complete without a visit with the Nehrkorns. We enjoyed catching up with each other at dinner tonight. The Lundstroms are also family to us. We're scheduled to see them tomorrow :>. So I guess when I add everyone together I have 4 sisters, 2 brothers, and 5 parents....now that's a big family! Can't wait to introduce our little one to all these wonderful people. Jeff and I would love to have a big family, I wonder what God has in store.

Thank you Jesus for family!

Ecclesiastes 9:9

2010-02-16T00:12:00.000-08:00

"Enjoy life with the wife (and husband) you love all the days of your fleeting life."

I can't seem to brag enough about Jeff. He lives up to his nickname (Mr. Wonderful) each day. I remember telling a friend I know I want to marry Jeff because he's the kind of person I want to be like. He first love is Jesus, he's loving, sensitive, patient, kind, forgiving & asks for forgiveness, is a great listener, a giver to say the least, honest, trustworthy, funny, really really handsome, full of life, has a heart for the needy, loves adventure, etc. etc. We've grown a lot individually and together in our marriage these last 3 years and have a lot more ahead. Some of my favorite parenting books that I've read or am reading emphasize the importance of keeping your marriage first in your family and adding children to it, opposed to the other way around. I love that and have such a desire to learn and make choices that foster that. I've been praying about it, reading, and asking for advice (and certainly welcome yours). Logistically it seems like quite the balancing act...loving my husband/giving to our marriage, taking care of a child, keeping the house intact, giving to myself, exercising, staying in touch with family and friends, growing spiritually, professionally, emotionally, etc. I trust it's possible and only with God's help. And we sure desire to demonstrate God's love to our child not only by loving him/her directly but by modeling that love as Jeff and I love one another. Will you join us in praying for this?

We are ready for the baby to arrive!

2010-02-15T21:36:00.001-08:00

That's because I have officially finished making our wedding photo album! It's been 3 years and when we found out I was pregnant I said, "I have to make the wedding album before the baby arrives." I am so relieved and excited to have completed this so as far as I'm concerned we are now ready for the baby!

Granted, we don't have a place for the baby to sleep, baby clothes, diapers or wipes so on another note we aren't ready for the baby. However we do have a beautiful wedding album due to arrive on our doorstep this week and it may just have to find a special place to live in the baby's room :>.

And typical me, now I have a new list of things to finish before the baby comes....

1. Get my pilates certification

2. Scan all the photos from past photo albums

3. Clean out my stuff from my mom's house (ie school annuals, endless high school/college

t-shirts, and lots of other childhood memories)

4. Finish going through the piles that are currently decorating my side of our room

Feel free to ask me in May how my list is going :>.

Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T01:02:00.000-08:00

God is Love and that's why we know and get to love other. Our biggest hope for our little one is that he/she will love God with everything. Will you pray for that with us?

We had a fun Valentines day today. It started with one of my favorite things....mail. I stepped outside on our way to church and found a HUGE letter on the doorstep for me :>, it was from my Valentine. It's always a treat getting one of the things I love in life and for me on Valentines day that's a hand made valentine from my Valentine. And this year it even had a side profile of my belly (how creative is that :>). Thank you Honey!

Lots of Orange!

2010-02-15T00:57:00.001-08:00

I sure love orange. It's bright, cheery, warm, energizing, and just a fun color! My best friend Kenon knows orange is my favorite color so this is the cute shirt she got me for my birthday this year. And actually she got one size bigger because she knew it would be for me and the baby :>. I love wrapping our little one with bright, cheery, warm, energizing, and just a lot of fun stuff! Thanks again Kenon for the great shirt. And it's pretty clear that I'm (actually we're) getting bigger.

Friends on the journey!

2010-02-15T00:47:00.000-08:00

It's been such a blessing having friends to go through this process of being pregnant together (I have 5 friends who are due between April and August). And you know girls love to talk. Well put pregnant girls together and there is non-stop talking. Rachel and I are a month a part and are both first time moms. We are both so excited to be moms, have had lots of laughs, and even more questions. And she also works with children with disabilities as a physical therapist assistant so that's been neat to have someone who understands the questions, concerns, and fears of what can happen during the birthing process. So together we lay our concerns before Christ and trust in Him. We go to the same church and enjoy sitting next to each other with our husbands. And after church we've been enjoying lunch together catching up and talking baby stuff with our hubbies. It will be so neat to enjoy these moments together in just months when we both have babies in our arms. Thank you Jesus for friends to learn with and from during each stage of life.

Working out!

2010-02-15T00:41:00.000-08:00

So I've been trying to walk for exercise each day. So far the workout clothes still fit so I figure might as well wear them as long as I can. There are lots of mirrors at the gym, I don't normally look at myself from different views but thought it would be fun at the gym. From the front I look normal, the back normal, and then the side......wow, definitely pregnant! I guess that explains the interesting looks I get from people at the gym as soon as they see my side profile. I think our little one is taking after his/her parents, I feel non-stop movement. That's such a blessing!

Lots of Learning!

2010-02-15T00:21:00.000-08:00

This shirt says it all! These last 6 months have definitely been a training session for us. We've learned so much already from family, friends, books, stories, videos, etc. and know that there will always be much to learn. We do feel like we need to "Figure things out" before the baby comes and that can be overwhelming. Then we look at each other and say, wait a minute each day of life is an opportunity to learn and train. What a sense of relief that brings. And we desire to teach our little one that and are already praying that he or she will be a great learning and listener in life. So here's to learning each day and training to be all that God desires.

And isn't that a fun, purple shirt? I love mail and it popped up in my mailbox by surprise one afternoon. My sweet friend Kendra send it to me just because she said it reminded her of me. And actually it reminds me a lot of her. She was one of the students I got to live with when I worked on Westmont's urban program in San Francisco. She's a learner to say the least and also a teacher. I've learned so much from her and continue to. And now she is an occupational therapist. What a wonderful addition she is to the field of therapy. And she loves the elderly. I hope when I get old I will have the privilege of interacting with young, bright souls like Kendra. What a thoughtful gift, thanks again Kendra.

Pregnancy Photos!

2010-01-29T23:52:00.000-08:00

You know us, we love taking photos! So I've been doing some research and getting ideas for taking "Pregnancy" photos. I've seen some very classy shots and some very not so classy shots (if you know what I mean). I welcome your suggestions of different poses. Let's just say, this photo is fun, but this is also what we came up with on our own....so we need some help :>.

Beginning the "Lasts!"

2010-01-29T23:47:00.000-08:00

We find ourselves saying, "This is the last ______ just you and me!" On one hand it's hard to imagine a new little person in our family and then on the other hand we wait with much anticipation. So we are trying to enjoy, maximize, and make the most of each day while it's the 2 of us. The days are ticking away!

Registering!

2010-01-29T23:33:00.000-08:00

This photo makes me smile for many reasons but one is that my sis and I have many experiences where we show up somewhere dressed alike. When I walked downstairs that morning go figure we were wearing the same outfit. I think it's pretty neat!

Mom, Alison, and I enjoyed an afternoon of registering for the baby. We came, we saw, and we conquered (well a little bit) Babies R Us! My sis just had my nephew last year so she basically said, "Get this, don't get that" which was a life saver. Who knew there was so much stuff for such a little person. We haven't registered for a crib yet only because Jeff is still contemplating using one of the cardboard boxes we have at home. You know with some blankets, it could be a very cozy place to sleep.

Lil Chocolate Cub

2010-01-29T23:13:00.000-08:00

My dear friend from PT school (Tiff) suggested that we record the baby's heartbeat and put it in a little bear for the baby to have. She did that for both her boys and they love it. So we bought a little recorder from Build A Bear, brought it to the doctor's office, recorded the first time we heard the heart beat (what an amazing experience that is), re-recorded twice, and finally got what we wanted. Fortunately my doctor is very patient.
We headed to the mall to make the bear and on the way decided it would be more personal if we said, "We love you" at the beginning and then heard the heart beat. So we took the risk and pushed the record button and found out that once you do that it erases the whole thing (grrr), we then proceeded to get into an argument at the mall while shopping for other things so on one hand maybe it was better we didn't make the bear that night. Nothing like keeping life real (we decided not to post a photo of the argument!).
So the next month we re-recorded the heart beat (thank you Dr. Grady for putting up with us), went to the mall that weekend, and now we have a really cute little bear for our son or daughter with a recording that says, "We love you...da dah da dah da dah da dah."
The bear's name Lil Chocolate Cub and it's birth certificate states that it's for Baby Kliewer from Daddy and Mommy, pretty surreal!

Two people are growing!

2010-01-29T23:07:00.000-08:00

Jeff asked me, "Do you think you could actually pop?" Fortunately the answer is no, however somedays I feel like it could be yes! The baby is growing each day which means so am I. It's been so neat to for both of us to feel and see the baby move, what a miracle. Here's proof that we are busy growing!

The Next New Adventure!!!

2010-01-29T22:58:00.000-08:00

Baby Kliewer is due to arrive May 22, 2010. This is our next new adventure. However the ride has already started. We've been laughing, asking lots of questions, having fun conversations, and feeling overwhelmed all at the same time. We thought it would be neat to document these days to share them with others as well as look back and remember where we have been. So here we go on the upcoming "2 legged adventure!"

We all made it home safely...

2008-12-11T19:18:00.000-08:00

Thank you Jesus for such a wonderful experience!!! We are so grateful!

Fun with glow worms!

2008-12-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

We spent the last day of our trip in Waitomo admiring the glow worms, swimming in the caves, inner tubing in the cold, cold water, and climbing up waterfalls. It was adventurous to say the least and a great way to end the trip.

The only way to get to the water is to go down, down, down!

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

2008-12-05T15:58:00.000-08:00

We LOVE surprises and love planning surprises. We came home four days early from our trip (arrived in LA the morning of Dec. 1), enjoyed being reunited with Jeff's parents, sis/bro-in-law & their kids, and the family dogs for dinner; got my hair cut; took the train to San Diego excited to see my mum; and hopped on a plane to Washington to see the new mom & dad and baby Ezra!!!

We've been taking turns holding sweet little Ezra. Glad we learned about sharing early in life, it's come in handy :>.

Proud mom & dad, how super cute is the Faith family!!!

Grandmas for the 1st time....do they look happy or what?
We already love this little guy sooo much, now he's in our arms as well as our hearts!
We are thrilled to be home and continue to feel like 4 months of traveling was just the right amount of time.

More posts of New Zealand to come as well.

And of course we can't wait to have a "We missed our Family & Friends" party after the wonderful Christmas season.

Thank you Jesus for bringing us home safely!

Just like home...

2008-12-03T12:02:00.000-08:00

It's so easy to feel out of sorts when traveling so in addition to sight seeing we have been doing the same things we would do at home.

I got this great Billabong hat from the Queenstown thrift shop.....love it! Oh, it only cost $3, YAH!

Love It!

2008-12-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

Picton, New Zealand

2008-12-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

We drove 20 minutes north from Marlborough to a quaint little town called Picton. It was a priceless memory for multiple reasons:

Yummy fish & chips

Beautiful views of Mr. Wonderful :>, the little water, and the water.

We love the water!
The official Kiwi greeting...yes Jeff said it felt a little awkward. We met this guy and his friends at the Fish & Chips take-out. We ate dinner with them at Inspiration Point (with a great view) and had a wonderful conversation with some "locals." This was one of our favorite and memorable meals.

Wine Tasting in Marlborough, New Zealand.

2008-12-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed wine tasting in Marlborough (the northeast part of the south island). We bought some lovely wines and the bottle in this photo is one that will be ready to enjoy in 3 years....just in time for our 5 year wedding anniversary :>!

Jeff "in action" tasting the yummy wine.

We loved the free wine tasting!We stayed at a very homey bed and breakfast and when we pulled up in the dark late at night we were scared by a loud sound.....and this is who it was, the pet sheep.
So cute!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2008-11-29T10:03:00.001-08:00

BABY EZRA FAITH!!!!

Our new nephew was born on November 29th!

He's 6 lbs. and 8 oz. and has TONS of cuteness!

We can't wait to hold him.

Congratulations Alison & Dave (aka mom & dad :>)!

This has been/is our special prayer for the Faith family:

"He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." Isiah 40:11

(and it sure has been fun praying this while driving by the cute little lamb in the hills of New Zealand :>)

Thank you Jesus for Baby Ezra and his parents!

Natural Beauty!

2008-11-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

We sure have been seeing lots of God's beautiful creation as we explore New Zealand. Here are some of the views we enjoyed in Kaikoura....an east coast town in the south island.

There were rocks everywhere. We sat and listened to the waves come in and out. I think this is where that soothing ocean waves music is recorded!

Hugs all around!

2008-11-27T15:21:00.000-08:00

We have better internet access so here are some more photos.

Of course we had to see the animals when we were in Cairns so we went to the Cairns Tropical Zoo. Feeding the kangaroos was really fun and very fascinating to see them walk.

And our favorite part was HUGGING the koalas! We didn't want to let them go....and the rumor is true, they smell like eucalyptus. I guess when that's all you eat, you start smelling like it :>. I'm wondering if I will start smelling like candy!

Adventures.....Rain or Shine!

2008-11-27T15:14:00.000-08:00

We stopped at the pancake rocks and blow holes on our drive from Franz Josef to Queenstown. It's beautiful rain or shine. We got to see them with the rain, wind, and loved wearing our Vietnam raincoats again :>. And of course we were thrilled to get back in the dry car.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T01:42:00.000-08:00

You can take the guy thousands of miles away from home, but can't take the tradition out of him :>.

Jeff has made mashed potatoes for almost 20 years for Thanksgiving so why wouldn't he add another year in New Zealand? They tasted great with just the right amount of salt and butter.

We enjoyed a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving dinner with friends in New Zealand. It wasn't the same as home (and of course we miss being with our family & other friends), although we sure are thankful to be with Cheryl and Linda tonight and had such a fun (and yummy) chicken, mashed potatoes, beans & cream of mushroom, and stuffing dinner & apple pie with vanilla ice cream dessert.
Thank you Jesus for EVERYTHING you so graciously give us each day of life, especially your unconditional love. We are grateful!!!

Kiwi Bound!

2008-11-26T02:58:00.000-08:00

We have a lot of catching up to do but wanted to quickly say (because our internet time is limited) that we are having a BLAST with our friend Cheryl from home and her (and now our :>) friend Linda. We enjoyed the Shotover Boat thrill ride, played frisbee golf, and topped off the evening with a homemade meal. It was a day full of smiles, laughs, and beautiful scenery here in Queenstown, New Zealand!

Time Warp!

2008-11-21T05:55:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I felt like "The old couple" for a couple reasons the last couple days on the Great Barrier Reef cruise. First of all we wish we were 20 y/o and could respond to the this ad. The boat was filled with "students" who were just great. They were becoming dive masters with plans of traveling the world and getting paid to do it....quite smart. They seemed so confident, goal-oriented, focused yet having a blast, and full of that Australian love for life. It was awesome and we want to encourage anyone that's up for (regardless of age :>) to pursue your wildest dreams, and who knows maybe someone we know will respond to this ad :> (will you let us know if you do?).

Us on the glass bottom boat tour. Do 30 something y/o do this???

Adventures on the Great Barrier Reef!

2008-11-20T15:50:00.000-08:00

Our home in the Great Barrier Reef.

We LOVE snorkeling! And also branched out and did a "Try dive" which means we went scuba diving for about 30 minutes. And guess who we saw......Nemo (and his six identical cousins :>)!!!

It was awesome and we look forward to getting scuba certified when we get home.....and then traveling the world with the Nassirs :> (and other certified friends) to dive in tropical locations. Who's in???

Jeff drowning with amazement at how nice the accommodations are on the boat. Yeah for clean sheets!

The Great Barrier Reef!

2008-11-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

We signed up for an overnight cruise on the Great Barrier Reef with Reef Encounter. We thoroughly looked at the brochure, talked with a travel agent, looked up the organization on Trip Advisor, and decided to go ahead a book it. You never really know what you are going to get when you sign up with a tour group. We are the type of travelers that like the 1st class small group/individual travel.....but pay the 2nd class price :>.

We are pleased to say that we really enjoyed our time on this tour. The staff were friendly and so professional (most of them in their early 20's...quite impressive), the food was excellent, the accommodations were better than some of the other hotels we've stayed in on land, and the weather was just beautiful.

Yeah for another "We'd do it again!" experience.

I just had to take this photo because it said, "Great Barrier Reef." We kept saying to one another, "Can you believe we are here?"

The beautiful sunset over the reef.
My Mr. Wonderful :>!
We basically lived in our bathing suits for the say and a half we were there. Now that's light packing!

Unfortunately the photos don't show it, but you could see the coral reefs when looking out at the water, quite a sight!

It Was Hoppin'

2008-11-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

We have internet access and can download photos :>.

We had a great time worshipping at Hillsong Church last weekend. And as anticipated, the place was hopping (lots of jumping up and down during the worship songs :>). They have over 20 worship services throughout Sydney each weekend. What an inspiration to see people who love Jesus want to share Him with others.

Our Time Down Under!

2008-11-20T04:07:00.000-08:00

We really enjoyed our time in Australia and especially the last couple days on a boat in the Great Barrier Reef! Wow, what an amazing experience. We'll send photos soon and just wanted to encourage our family and friends to go if you haven't been before and return if you loved it the first time and...... please bring us with you :>.
It sure was fun literally seeing part of the world down under!
We are off to Auckland, New Zealand tomorrow!
Can't believe this is our last country before coming home!

A Very Happy....

2008-11-17T05:16:00.000-08:00

Mr. Wonderful! He's doing his thing eating popcorn and watching TV :>.

In the midst of sightseeing there needs to be "Remote time" aka "Male bonding with the TV remote."

Again, I'm always learning about my hubby (which I love).

Port Douglas!

2008-11-17T04:15:00.000-08:00

We headed north to Queensland and are enjoying a couple nights at Port Douglas. It is a beautiful beach town.

Here's Mr. Wonderful loving the beach.

Yes we swam within the netted area....no need to get close to jelly fish this trip!
We are staying in a one bedroom apartment/hotel which means we get another home cooked meal. Funny how the thought of going out to eat isn't the first on our list....when as a kid it was such a treat to get to go out to eat! We miss Mexican food so much so we made nachos for dinner and of course ice cream for dinner!
More sand for our sand collection :>.

Bondi Beach!

2008-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

We went to the world famous Bondi Beach and did the "local" thing....

Talked with the lifeguards....we have one very happy Flat Family!

Went surfing....Jeff's a great teacher and my surfing game has really improved. I'm now able to stand on the board for 2 seconds instead of 1 :>.
We ate burgers at Hungry Jacks after our day in the water.
The beautiful Bondi Beach!!! We intended on exploring to Bronte Beach but loved Bondi so much, we stayed all day!

Adventures at Manly Beach!

2008-11-16T04:15:00.000-08:00

We rode the ferry to Manly Beach and enjoyed the ride, walking along the beach, sunbathing, collecting sand, and watching a rescue from down under....literally!

This guy got caught in a riptide. We heard him yelling for help from the water and instantly a handful of us took action.....got a lifesaver (lifeguard in Australia :>)

My man at Manly :>.
The ferry ride from Sydney to Manly.
A chocolate shop recommended by friends Alan & Kristen....unfortunately we didn't eat anything there, it was soooo hot we decidede to get a......
Cola Slurpee instead :>!
The day wasn't complete until we had fish 'n chips!
Collecting sand...or rather crushed shells (very cool) from Shelly Beach....walking distance from Manly Beach!
We just had to take this photo....are these little friends so cute or what?
Public pool next to Manly, great idea!

A New Favorite City...Sydney!

2008-11-16T03:12:00.000-08:00

We just loved our time in Sydney. With 4 days we did as much enjoying, exploring, and taking it all in as possible

The first 2 nights we stayed in "The Rocks" area.....very cool, lively, and full of pubs area with amazing views of the Sydney bridge and the Opera House. We stayed at the Mercantile which is a hotel above a pub.....never done that before. We highly recommend it.

Jeff insisted (just kidding it was me) on doing an Opera House tour (thanks Alan & Kristen for the recommendation, we really enjoyed it). It was very fascinating to see a couple (of the 6) theaters that compose the architecturally amazing structure. Of course lots of performances take place there other than opera.....ballets being one of them.

We couldn't stop thinking of our family (especially the Powers and the Gilberts) and friends who I'm sure would have loved to have been on the tour with us.

Hannah, these pointe shoes were taken just for you :>.
Views from inside the Opera House.
Yummy pizza for lunch in The Rocks!
Jeff took this photo, is he a great photographer or what???
And by day! We have about 50 photos, we couldn't stop taking them.

Seeing the top of the Opera House!

2008-11-16T03:02:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I took the advice of a dear friend (thank you Andrea :>) and climbed the Sydney bridge. Wow, what a once in a lifetime experience.......AMAZING!!!

Our fancy suits. It's grey because the bridge is grey....so that no one can see people climbing it, unless you look closely of course :>.

The beautiful bridge at night.
We highly recommend doing it if you have the opportunity....especially if you are afraid of heights. You are strapped in so there really is no way you can get hurt!

Learning new vocabulary!

2008-11-16T02:49:00.000-08:00

These are the first signs we saw when we arrived in Sydney and have really enjoyed learning some new words. If your eyes are like mine, you will need to click on the photos to see the words.

Hearing the Australian accent just adds to the conversation. It's kind of funny saying, "What?" when someone is speaking English :>.

Month #3 update....a few days late!

2008-11-14T03:53:00.000-08:00

November 9th marked month #3 that we have been traveling. Here are some stats. of what we've done this month....
951 photos taken
12 hotels slept in
8 flights safely flown
3 houses visited that Jeff used to live in
4 new countries visited
1 sickness
0 injuries (thank you Jesus)
3 incredible hosts
6 bats flying inches from our faces (very scary!)
2 haircuts for Jeff
UNLIMITED wonderful memories!!!

Going back a country!

2008-11-14T03:21:00.000-08:00

Before Australia we had a great time in the country of SMILES...that's right The Philippines. I think everyone there (minus many of the people working at the airport, for some reason) smile all the time.
Jeff lived in The Philippines when he was in 3rd and 4th grade. We had the treat of staying with one of his family's friend who was so generous to us. We were treated like royalty and especially loved his company and the home cooking. We visited the house Jeff used to live in, the park he played at, the school he went to (Faith Academy), and drove down other memory lanes!
Our church has partnered with people here in The Philippines and we got to meet some of those people too.
All in all, the 4 days we were there were packed with wonderful memories....and lots of smiles!

How cute are these kids, and their smiles. They go to the church our home church is connected to.
My star in front of his 3rd grade class....that's still for 3rd graders.
We'll upload more photos when the connection is faster :>.

No red shoes and clicks needed...

2008-11-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

But we are in OZ! We are still trying to figure out why Australians call their home OZ (we've asked about 10 locals and no one really knows :>), if anyone knows share the info. Regardless, we are LOVING it here. We're in Sydney and are just amazed at how beautiful the harbor, opera house, bridge, and the city on a whole are.
Our internet access is a bit limited....we've gotten spoiled with the wifi around the world. Can't seem to find it here yet!
We'll upload photos as soon as we can. We've been here less than 24 hours and of course have already taken lots of shots!
We've off to Manly Beach.....ferry here we come!
G'day mates!

Jeff Loves Arthropods!

2008-11-10T21:15:00.000-08:00

Well these at least. I'm always learning wonderful new facts about my hubby :>!

He broke the high score and got to level 27!

Way to go Mr. Wonderful!!!

Beautiful Hong Kong!

2008-11-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

The pool on the roof of the Sheraton, how cool is that?

A walk down memory lane!

2008-11-10T21:04:00.000-08:00

Guess where we are kissing? In front of the apartment building Jeff and his family lived in in Hong Kong.

The address is 60 Cloud View Road.
Their apartment was 1 J right behind us. For those of you that saw our wedding video, there is a photo of him as a little guy standing on this patio. The video is still on Youtube under "Kliewer Yerkey Wedding." We watched it again when we got back to the Sheraton.
The same playground, different equipment, and a much bigger boy :>!

The Sheraton Life!

2008-11-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

We received the 1st class treatment while in Hong Kong and had the opportunity to stay at the Sheraton (thank you hotel points :>). And I was just about out of shampoo and guess what products they have here, L'Occitane (and Verbena bath products), my favorite.....YIPEE!!!

The beautiful harbor view from the lounge....which also was the place that provided free drinks and food, we loved it!
The view while eating breakfast. Some of the hardest decisions we made while in Hong Kong were whether we should eat pancakes, waffles, eggs benedict, or about 20 other options for breakfast. You guessed it, we tried pretty much all of them in the 3 days we were there.
The Sheraton latte...they thought of everything!

Did you know????

2008-11-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

Jeff is actually Asian-American? He was born in Hong Kong! We retraced the steps that his mom and dad took in 1970 and rode the Star Ferry from Hong Kong island to Kowloon

and went to the hospital where he was born. How fun is that?
We couldn't pass up the opportunity to shop in the markets.....it's like an outdoor Ross except you can negotiate the prices....yes, Jenn was in heaven :>.
Another metro. Yeah for public transportation!

YEAH we're finished!!!

2008-11-06T10:09:00.001-08:00

As of TODAY we are officially finished taking our anti-malaria medication (Doxycycline), yipee!!! We've been faithfully taking them once a day ever since we were in San Sebastian, Spain.

We sure are grateful for good health.

"Hanoi Hilton"

2008-11-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

On the day before the presidential elections, we had the privilege of visiting the "Hanoi Hilton," (Maison Centrale) the prison camp where American pilots (including John McCain for 5 1/2 years) were held and tortured during the Vietnam War. A majority of the prison has been destroyed to "keep up with the business development of Hanoi." Most of the current "museum" is dedicated to demonstrating how the Vietnamese were treated while Vietnam was occupied by the French. The area where the Americans were imprisoned no longer exists however there are two rooms with information describing their experience while they were in captivity.

Americans being "tortured" in the prison???
Is the reason why Sen. John McCain can't completely lift his arms because he spiked too much in the volleyball games?
I think this is a bit more accurate of the Americans' experiences. This is Sen. John McCain.
It was very interesting listening to our tour guide give us details about the American's experiences here. We asked which room had the photos of the Americans being tortured and she said that she didn't learn about that in her training. However, from her experience as a tour guide, she had noticed that every time the American pilots come back to the museum, they cried. She's starting to believe that more happened than she wasn't taught in school. Overall, it was quite a moving experience.

He's mixing things up again.....

2008-11-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

in the kitchen!!! That's right, Jeff endured another cooking class with smiles and ended up with yummy food.

The first stop was to the local market for ingredients. That was a fun little journey. We even saw a women eat a duck embryo out of the shell. It was disgusting (sorry if that's not being culturally sensitive). Even our tour guide, who's a local, refuses to eat it. Jeff's working on the video for Youtube....stay tuned for the proof (if you are interested :>).

There were other guys in the class this time, but of course this one won the "Cutest Chef" award!!!
We learned how to make rice paper from scratch (I can't wait to try it at home), a yummy Vietnamese salad, and also how to decorate the fruit and vegetables. Here's proof that we still need some practice.
Couldn't pass up the opportunity to kiss the chef!!!

Hoi An, we miss you already!!!

2008-11-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

We have come to a country that we just don't want to leave.....Vietnam! We're already wondering when we can return and who we can bring with us (let us know if you'd like to come :>). My friend Ann from work went on her honeymoon to Vietnam and Cambodia years ago and just raved about it. Thanks Ann for all your wonderful recommendations.....Hoi An was one of our FAVORITE cities!!!

There was so much to do and we only had 2 1/2 days to do it. Here's what we did!!!

Got clothes made. Wow, what a wonderful experience (and a bit overwhelming). You just pick out fabric (after negotiating for the price of course), pick a design, the seamstress takes measurements and wah lah....it's made. Absolutely Amazing!!! Here's Jeff picking out fabric for his new jacket. He also had dress shoes made (Jaime, we desperately needed you :>). I got a couple things too. What a fun time...

The locals use motorbikes so we did too. It was great, but not as great as the driver :>.
Beautiful Hoi An.
The busy little city.

One of the local restaurants!

Traveling over the water!

2008-11-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed the ride over the water to Vinpearl....the island across from our hotel in Nha Trang. The price of the ticket also included admission to their amusement park and the animal show in the next post. We immediately boarded the first ride in site (a large swinging boat that went back and forth high in the air) and about half way through Jeff started feeling sick. After resting for 30 min. he was fine. We'd love to have children and are wondering if we will need to add a "People who can take our kids on scary amusement park rides" list to our already "People who can take our kids camping" list :>.

We don't have any photos of the amusement park ride because it still makes Jeff a little nauseous thinking about it!!!

We need to call....

2008-11-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)...from our experiences on safari in Africa and at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Center in Thailand, these animals aren't being treated the way they should be. Yes, it makes money and provides some good entertainment (we couldn't help but laugh during the show), however not the best for these animals (in our opinion of course).

What do you think?

Nha Trang

2008-11-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

We splurged and spent 2 days in Nha Trang (thanks to some great photos from Sydney :> that we were inspired by) and stayed at a lovely hotel called the Sunrise Beach Resort. The selling point was the hot tub on the balcony!

Back to the horizontal lifestyle!

View from the hot tub....or rather cold tub, it's still quite humid here for us!
Beautiful Vietnam beaches!

Safety Net!

2008-10-31T11:02:00.001-07:00

We've backed up ALL our photos online just in case something happens to our computer.

Plus if there is anyone out there like me that enjoys seeing the whole photo album,

have at 'em :>.

Here's the link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/joybugg

Just click on the album to view and the photos will pop up. Click "My Album" to return to the main screen when you are finished (info. for our parents :>).

Twins for Happy "YEAH FOR CANDY" Day!!!

2008-10-31T10:20:00.001-07:00

I hear when you get married you start to become like one another. Makes sense really considering the amount of time spent together, living life together, becoming one, etc. etc. Actually that's what made it easy for me to know that I wanted to marry Jeff....I knew I wanted to be influenced by him the rest of my life.

And who knew this "becoming like one another" would provide this year's Halloween costume. With the few clothes that we brought on our trip, it's funny that we have the exact same outfit. So why wouldn't we continue the tradition of dressing up for Halloween and be "Tourist Twins" this year. We are loving our zip off pants and wanted to show them off. This marks my 34th year, Jeff's 9th (give or take a few) year, and our 3rd year together of dressing up. I especially love celebrating the Saints, the fall season, all the orange, and of course the candy.

There are many reasons why I call my hubby Mr. Wonderful...and the fact that he would dress up and take a photo in the hotel lobby are just two of the reasons!

Yeah for CELEBRATING! Life is just too short not to maximize the opportunities!

P.S. We'd love to know what you dressed up as for Halloween!!!

The Mekong River!

2008-10-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed the experience of seeing the floating markets and sailing down part of the Mekong River. It sure is fascinating seeing people live their daily lives....especially when it is so different than ours.

A gentleman fishing, we saw others who were neck high in the water.

We splurged and bought Vietnamese hats for $1 and were amazed at how much shade they provide.

First test....can we still kiss with these hats on?

Mid-day it rained (as usual). We learned from other tourists that you can buy these rain coats on the streets. It was fun to randomly be given these colors!
Our boat on the left & rice paper drying on the right. We learned how rice paper is made and saw a demonstration, very fascinating!
Mr. Wonderful enjoying the boat ride!
Floating down the Mekong River.

Population 5,000,000!!!

2008-10-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

That's right, 5,000,000 motorbikes live in Ho Chi Minh City and it sure felt like they were all "out and about" when we arrived. It was quite an AMAZING site.

We are now playing Super Frogger when crossing the street!!! Forget looking right and left, it's more like look right, left, right, left, left again, right, right, right.....GO!!!

Rain or shine, the motorbikes are out!
Can this really be???

Thank goodness there are 8.5 million people living in HCMC to take care of the motorbikes!

The Grand Closure!

2008-10-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

With our extra time in Bangkok we wanted to see some if it's sights. After applying for our Vietnam visa we explored the city and took a boat (instead of a bus, taxi, or our own 2 feet....so fun to have transportation options) to the Grand Palace. We arrived just in time to take a photo in front of it....before it closed 5 minutes later! Oops!!!

The fun boat ride!

Vitamin D!

2008-10-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

We are all for sun bathing and keeping our bodies full of Vitamin D, as long as we have our hats, polarized sunglasses, and sunscreen. Unfortunately we lost our big straw hats that we loved so much earlier this summer. I thought I found a replacement for mine at the Bangkok local market and of course the orange one looked so promising.

However once I put it on I realized the search is still on for a replacement hat!!!

I don't want to get a sunburn, but this is taking it too far!

Big $pender$!!!

2008-10-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

We are really enjoying Vietnam. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday and have been going non-stop. Among all our meals, taxis, and tours for two days we have already spent 510,000 (dong that is)......about $30. We love the costs of things here and are definitely sharpening our math skills ($1= approx. 17,000 dong)!!!

Voting!

2008-10-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Mr. Wonderful made all the arrangements for us to vote via fax this year since we had no idea what address (or what city) to have an absentee ballot mailed to....so he found out that we could vote by fax. After hours of learning about what the propositions really mean (wow, they sure can be confusing)....we voted. Now we can say that we voted for the president in room #501 of the Marriott Hotel in Bangkok!

We are so grateful for this freedom to vote and continue to pray for our country and its leaders.

It's not 21....but it is the 27th!

2008-10-27T10:37:00.001-07:00

Today marks our 1 year, 9 month wedding anniversary. If we were at home we would have celebrated by enjoying some yummy 21 Choices frozen yogurt (we sure miss it!).

Of course we had to celebrate with ice cream, and this sounded the best.

Yeah for marriage and Yeah for celebrating!!!

A Little Hitch in our Gitty-Up!!!

2008-10-25T12:25:00.001-07:00

We've had an unanticipated change of plans. This morning about 30 minutes before we were going to leave for the airport to fly from Bangkok to Vietnam Jeff was checking the internet for departure taxes and visas and said, "Honey, this says that we need a visa for Vietnam BEFORE we arrive." What??? I could have sworn that India was the only one we needed before. After opening the Lonely Planet book, I read, "You can't arrive in Vietnam without a visa." Oops. I take full responsibility for this mistake since researching visas was on my "to do" lit (however Jeff still doesn't agree and thinks it's both of us, he's a great teammate). After multiple calls, driving to the airport to change our flight, and making a new plan....our schedule has now changed to adding 4 more days in Bangkok. We are back at the Marriott hotel (because we loved it so much) and after visiting the embassy on Monday, we will head to Saigon on Tuesday.

So, why wouldn't we maximize our time in Bangkok? We spent the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel, working out at the hotel gym, walking around the city, getting Thai massages, and eating yummy food (sushi for dinner, yahoo)!

It's always an adventure......Sempre Gumby!!!

Koh Phi Phi

2008-10-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

We took a day trip boat ride to Phi Phi Island for some snorkeling. Wow, what a beautiful beach with white sand. This is where the movie "The Beach" was filmed. Nope we haven't seen it but it's on the list.

More sand for our sand collection.
This is what we saw the whole time....so beautiful!!!

Visits From Friends???

2008-10-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

We are loving this trip but of course miss our family and friends. It would be great to have everyone with us... or join us along the way.

We thought for a second Lisa Pileggi was still in Spain when we were on a walking tour in Madrid. Doesn't it look like she's studying something?

We could have sworn Billy Coats surprised us with a visit on the beach in Thailand...but the gal he was with definitely wasn't Janel so we knew it wasn't true.

For those that know Billy, could this be his twin or what?

There's still time left if anyone wants to join us in Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand.....or in Pasadena come December!

We thank Jesus each day for the blessing of such meaningful family and friend relationships, we are so grateful....and miss everyone!

Busy Days!

2008-10-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Who knew Mr. Wonderful could walk on water :>.

We used the resort bikes ($1/hr to rent) and rode into town, so cool!
Lunch on the beach at the little hut restaurant....authentic Thail food and coconuts.
Thai massages, great view (free) and great prices ($8/hr.)

The Ramada Life!!!

2008-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

We sure enjoyed our lifestyle at the Ramada Resort in Khao Lak! It was a treat to live at the beach....maybe one day we can permanently live at the beach. Here are some photos of our accomodations!

The beautiful ocean view restaurant!

Check out this cool bath tub...actually a bath barrel!
The view from our room. What a site to see each day!
The beautiful pool!
We swam in the ocean and then in the pool....and of course had to swim up to the pool bar in hopes of finding the Nassirs :>!
The view as you walk into the hotel.
We HIGHLY recommend the Ramada Resort to future travelers!

We love God's Creation!

2008-10-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some of our favorite views the last 5 days in Thailand.

By night...

By day...
More to come when the internet connection is a bit faster.

We are off to Vietnam tomorrow!!!