Wheel of Fortune Air Date

For those interested, the taping I did last week is scheduled to air on March 12th.

I had a lot of fun, but it was also a very exhausting experience. I know many of you are interested in how things turned out, but as I said, I'm not allowed to tell anyone so DON'T ASK! You'll just have to wait until it airs. :o)

Happy Birthday, Ronnie!

Sorry the blog is late, but it's been a hectic few weeks...

Our little animal, Ronnie, turned 2 on Friday! James and I went to the store and picked out a gift to give him on his birthday, and then we had a party for him on Saturday. He totally scored on toys and clothes, and he was so excited to see everyone.

It's crazy - I just can't believe our little guy is 2! But, let's be honest, he's been acting two for several months now... ;op

Ronnie in his birthday suit (3 mos.)

One of his many faces (6 mos.)

Smile! (9 mos.)

Such a CUTIE!!! (1 yr.)

And yet so handsome! (2 yrs.)

Happy Birthday, Ronnie! We love you and are so happy to be your Daddy and Mommy!

Christmas Pictures of the Kids

We decided we would try to get pictures taken of the kids this year for Christmas. This is probably one of the most frustrating events we ever have to do, because we can never get all three of them to look at the camera and smile at the same time... either Haydee will crawl off or Ronnie will get up, or when we finally get the two young ones doing what they are supposed to do, James isn't paying attention... but we did get a few good ones. :o)

James (6), Ronnie (23 mos), & Haydee (9 mos)
James "Big Bro" Hayden
Ronnie the Ladies Man
Haydee Lady

Wheel of Fortune taping!

So, I got a call on Monday from Wheel, and they want me to fly to L.A. for the taping next Thursday, December 10th! They will be taping 6 shows that day ("America's Game Week" and "Taste of Europe Week"). Depending on which show I get drawn to do, the tapings will air on March 5th (America's Game) or March 8th-12th (Europe Week).

Thanks to the Fox's, I am working on securing some discounted flights so hopefully my friends Erin & Laura will be able to come with me. I am planning to leave on Wednesday, and hopefully come back Thursday night. Please be praying for a smooth process for this, as the flights are still not a done-deal.

So, for those who will be aching to find out how the show went, DON'T ASK ME (or Erin 0r Laura) because I can't tell you anything until it airs. Our lips are sealed.

So stay tuned... and tune in to watch Wheel in early March. :o)

The hectic life of a 23-month old...

Ronnie is playing with a remote control motorcycle...

Mommy: "Ronnie, come eat please."

Ronnie: "Just a min'te. I busy."

Hello Pat!

Yep. I got the letter today letting me know I was selected to appear on Wheel of Fortune sometime within the next 18 months. They will contact me to set up my appearance time and place soon! Woohoo!

Wheel of Fortune audition

Hey all!

So, for those of you that didn't know, I went to a Wheelmobile event with a friend about a month ago at the beach. I didn't get my name drawn to participate there, but they said they take all the leftover applications and put them in for a drawing for final auditions. I kinda figured: well, I have horrible luck, I didn't get drawn in a room of 200, definitely not in a drawing with 20,000.

So, my name was drawn... and I got an email last week telling me my audition was on the 29th. Yay!

There were about 70 people at the audition last night. First, they made a seating chart and called people's names and did really quick (and intense) puzzles as fast as possible by calling out names of people in the room. If you didn't have a letter ready, they buzzed you out. During that time, I solved one puzzle and won a shirt. :o)

From there, we were given a written test where there were incomplete words with categories, and we had 5 minutes to write as many answers in as we could. I started trucking through it, and solved 13 of the 16 puzzles (I think) before time ran out. We got a break while they corrected our tests, and the crew announcement the finalists - and I was one of the 14 finalists.

So, they took polaroids of each of us and for the final round, we went up front in groups of 5 and pretended to spin the wheel and solve puzzles as if it were the actual game. In my group, I strategically took the 3rd spot in line, and it was a good thing because I had the opportunity to solve 2 of the 3 puzzles for my group. Then they did the little interview that Pat usually does at the beginning of the show to get a good idea about what our personalities were like, and told us we would get a letter in 2 weeks if selected.

If I get a letter, I will get to be on the show within the year somewhere here in the northwest, or I will fly down to L.A. for a taping.

So that's it. Just watching the mail. :o)

James' 1st Trip to the Barber...

...not to be confused with "the salon" because...

James: "...Salons are for girls!"

Here's James' first High & Tight haircut. We decided instead of the 45-minute battle we usually have with a 'home-buzz' I would just take him to the barber and get his hair cut by someone who would only take 5 minutes. :o)

James loved it: "When my hair grows again, we need to go get me a new high and tight. Ok, Mommy?"

Student of the Week

This morning at chapel, James received a Student of the Week award. It was given to him in recognition of his reading ability. Upon receiving his award, James said: "I read a book about a hero."

We are so proud of your hard work at school, James. We love you very much!!!

James standing next to his friend, Caden.

Patiently waiting for his award.

We love our James Hayden!

Thou Shalt Not Covet...

Ronnie is always wanting other people's food. Even if he just ate - if he sees someone else with food, he always wants it. So when I was nursing Haydee, he stood by watching until he finally spoke up...

Ronnie (22 mos.): "Bite p'ease!"

Analyzing Dreams

We were in the car driving, when Jesse skipped a song on the CD.

James: "Daddy, why did you change the song?"
Jesse: "I don't like that one."
James: "Does it give you nightmares?"

An Auntie's Influence...

Ronnie (21 mos.): "Auntie Anna fav'rite auntie."

The Pot & the Kettle

During a commercial break during the Giants/Cowboys game...

James (6): "Hmm. There is a wheat kind of Bud Light."
Ronnie (21 mos): "Yeah." (...his usual response.)
James: *sigh*... "Oh Ronnie. You don't even know what you're talking about."

An awesome birthday gift...

We celebrated James' 6th birthday this weekend with some family and friends. James received a giftcard from Papa & Mima...as he is pulling it out of its sleeve...

Mommy: "James, what is it?"
James: "All right! A CREDIT CARD!"

The Punisher...

...Mommy said "NO!"...

20 seconds later... plotting his revenge...

Why Kindergarten is better than Preschool...

James' reaction after his first day of school...

James: "Hey Mommy! Have you ever heard of RECESS?!"

...although I know he had recess in preschool, it was just called something different...

A Father's Influence...

James: "Mommy, the Vi-queens' and Cow-girls' game is on TV."

No Pets Allowed

James saw a sign (similar to this) while we were walking around P.C. High School's track last Saturday.

James: "Are all the football players allergic to dogs?"

Storytime with Daddy

Ronnie watching intently as Jesse is reading the Three Little Pigs...

Jesse: "...the first little piggy was lazy and built his house out of straw. The wolf huffed and puffed and blew his little house down. The moron piggy tried to run away but the wolf made bacon out of him and ate him up..."

Moral: Bad things happen when you are lazy.

Making Daddy Proud

James & I drove to Jesse's parents' house to pick up Tasha (Jesse's sister) who will be staying with us for several days. When we got there, Two and a Half Men was on TV. After a few minutes, James got the remote and asked if he could change the channel. Grandma said 'sure', and James changed the channel...

Not Cartoon Network. Not Nickelodeon. Not Disney.

Channel two-one-two-enter. NFL Network.

After a few minutes, Grandma notices the station...

Grandma: "What is this we are watching?"
James: "It's football. I like to watch football news."

Drawing Up Plays

James, Jesse, & I are watching Green Bay schooling Buffalo (21-0 and not even half time yet). James has his own ideas of what The Pack should be doing...


...yes, folks, those are x's and o's, and the "end zone" he drew says Green Bay.

Here's a picture of James proud of his great ideas:

Did I say that?

Jesse was talking to me about football (yeah, big surprise I know) and James was sitting playing with Haydee and passively listening to our conversation. Apparently, not passively enough...

James: "So Daddy... why were you pissed off?"

Being Polite

Ronnie burps.
Ronnie: " 'scuse you."

Shoe du jour

Auntie Anna is watching the two little ones today, and happened upon Ronnie (20 mos.) being creative with his PB&J sandwich.

...'yes' that's his Croc with his sandwich stuffed inside... and 'no', it was not fun to clean the PB out of the little holes. :o/


...and he still looks so cute and innocent. :o)

But it's too darn cute... BAH!

Ronnie (19 mos.) is enjoying whispering now... but...

Ronnie: (whispering)... "F'ankie..."
Mommy: "MOMMY!"
Ronnie: *smile*

Car Wash

James, Ronnie, and I were driving home from swim lessons...
James: "Mommy... we need to get a car wash. We have two poops."

So easy... Out with the old, in with the new...

Yesterday, James went to the dentist for the 2nd time, and happened to get the same hygienist (see James' 1st Trip To The Dentist). He didn't have any cavities, he has 2 loose teeth, and a molar coming in.

We had to take Jesse's sister, Tasha, home after she stayed a few days to help me out while Jesse was at football camp. Since I had an errand to run, I was driving in a separate car in front of them and was going to meet them there. After I had turned off, James eventually noticed that my car was no longer in front of him.

James: "Where'd Mommy go?"
Daddy: "She must have been abducted by aliens."

...James sat and looked around for a bit...

Daddy: "It looks like I'll have to find you a new mommy."

...James continues looking around, thinking and a little confused...

Daddy: "Maybe the girl at the dentist office can be your mommy."

... still thinking...

James: "...only if I can't have the mommy I have now."

Contagious

I heard James yelling for Ronnie to get away, and Ronnie running around laughing. As I go to see what the commotion is about, I discover that Ronnie has hiccups, and James "doesn't want to catch them", but Ronnie thinks James wants to be chased. :o)

You like try sample?... or two?... or ten??

We went to the mall on Saturday to do some picture re-takes, and decided to introduce the kids to Cinnabon. James (5 yrs) is a kid that is skiddish about trying new things, so I handed him a piece from the sample tray and placed our order.

I paid and put my money away, which took about 1 minute. When I looked over at him, James had 6 toothpicks in his hand and was gobbling down more!

From now on, I think it's safe to say that James has replaced 'the pretzel' when we visit the mall.

And here are a few pictures from the photo shoot:

Haydee's 4-month pictures

We took all the kids in earlier this week and got group pictures, but we wanted to make sure Haydee got her own camera time. Here are a few, but there were soooo many good ones!



Afterward, we were walking through the mall and saw a Piercing Pagoda, so we decided we should pierce her ears. She is so pretty!

The Food Critic

I was giving the boys their dinner last night, when Ronnie formulated another wonderful sentence.

Mommy: "Here's your fork, now eat your green beans."
...Ronnie looks at it...

Ronnie: "Ew... that g'oss!"

Kodak Kids

To mark Haydee's 3-month & Ronnie's 18-month milestones, we decided to go get pictures taken of the kids. Here are a few. They are pretty cute kids! ... yeah, I know... Understatement of the century. :o)

James (5), Ronnie (18mos.), & Haydee (3mos.)

Handsome James Hayden

Cutie Pie Ronnie Howard

Precious little Haydee Mahal

Much Better!

When Ronnie woke up from his nap, I went up and, as usual, opened the blinds before getting him out of bed (so he doesn't break them by pulling on them).

As I opened the blinds, Ronnie said: "It's sunny!"

This is much better than his first sentence of "I broke it." :o)

Welcome Precious Taylor Mary-Ann Waters

Bryan & Lacey (Jesse's sister) did a wonderful job bringing Taylor into this world on June 17, 2009 at 6:51 am. She was a few weeks early, but weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs. 4 oz. and measured 19" tall.
Thanks to Taylor, it's even again, with 3 grandsons & 3 granddaughters for the Everett grandparents. She is such a cute little lady and we love her & her parents so much. Congratulations Bryan & Lacey, and welcome to the world Sweet T!

He speaks!

Ronnie (18 mos.) constructed his first full sentence on Sunday!! Normally this is a good thing, but the sentence was:

"I broke it." :o/

Here's a video of Ronnie explaining (...excusing...) what he did, and then finally 'fessing up to it.

UFC/MMA fans will appreciate this...

Jesse & Ronnie (18 mos.) were wrestling around on the floor last night, when Jesse wrapped his legs around Ronnie's waist.

Ronnie: "...Triangle."

I wonder where he learned these words...

"XBOX"

"game"

"butt cheeks"

:o/

Growing Like Weeds

Here are some recent pics of the kids...

All three kiddos posing for the camera.

Haydee (2 mos.) was in the 95th percentile for weight and 75th for height at her check up this month.

Ronnie (17 mos.) looking oh-so-cute with his big eyes and long eyelashes.

James (5 1/2) takes a break from playing with his action figure to pose with his "Haydee-Bug".

A new word for my kid-tionary...

I went upstairs to put away laundry while the boys were playing, and noticed Ronnie had something hanging from his face. My first thought was: "Uh-oh, what did he eat?" because it was hanging off his chin.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed it was actually a long strand of snot resulting from a sneeze. Apparently, Ronnie has inherited my allergies.

Mommy: "Oh, Ronnie! Gross!"

James: "Ronnie has a 'snot-sicle'!"
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Rhetorical Answer?

Keeping in mind Ronnie's 17-month-old-limited vocabulary, he usually answers 'yeah' to every question... apparently James hasn't figured this out yet...

James: "Owww! Don't shut the door when someone is walking through. Do you like it when someone does that to you? Huh?"

Ronnie: "Yeah."

James: "No... it's not nice & it hurts people."

...and along with the recent words of "gate" and "don't touch", Ronnie has also learned "uh-oh" and "be nice"... he hears that one a lot. :o)
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Reading...

So, James has been reading really well in Preschool, and he likes to show off his new skill. In the bathroom last night, he continued to show off...

James: "Mommy, that says 'baby bath'... that says 'shampoo'... that says 'Act mint'... that says 'Tampax'...

And, of course... Ronnie's vocabulary is also growing. He says "doggy", "puppy", "truck", "tu'tle" (turtle), "ki'y" (kitty), "cow".... "gate" and "don't touch". :o)
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Prayer Request

My Aunt Geri has been in the hospital since last Thursday night after being taken to ER by ambulance during a doctor's appointment because she was unable to breathe. She has been having a lot of trouble breathing for several months and was treated for pneumonia recently.

Since she's been in the hospital. many tests have been run to rule out possibilities and diagnose what is causing her breathing problems. After more than one diagnoses over the last several days the doctor's have determined she has pulmonary fibrosis. They are currently working on a treatment plan and waiting for additional blood cultures to come in before she will be able to return home.

Please keep her and Uncle Ken in your prayers.
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Visit from Grandma

My mom took some vacation time and stayed with us all last week. It really was a great visit, and the kids had a lot of fun with her. Ronnie followed her around like he was her shadow...every time she left the room, he would stand at the gate and wait for her, or just yell until she came and got him. We had a few nice days, so Mom cleaned up the backyard so Ronnie could play outside, and even got on the trampoline with the kids.

James coerced her into sleeping with him in his room every night, and she even had the opportunity to go to Grandparent's Day at preschool with him on Friday. They had so much fun - the kids sang songs, introduced their grandparent, and made crafts together. Haydee also got spoiled because her Grandma loved to hold her and carry her around. I'll admit, even Jesse & I got spoiled because Mom stayed home with the kids so we could do Easter shopping.

If anyone knows my mom, they know that she can't sit down for 5 seconds without finding something to do to keep busy. Thus, by the time she left, all the laundry was done, the furniture was rearranged, the carpet got shampooed, and she even cleaned the food splatters off the kitchen ceiling (don't ask! ;op).

I'm really thankful to have spent this time with my mom - hopefully we will get more opportunities in the future.
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Back in Touch!

I was so surprised last night when Jesse yelled for me to come in the office. I checked to see what was going on, and my brother, Rick, had messaged me through Facebook! We were united with Rick about 6 years ago - my dad had not seen him for over 30 years when Rick was an infant. In 2002, we met him, his wonderful wife Teresa and their 6 kids.

After losing touch over the last 5-6 years, we are back in contact again. Yay!

We love you, Rick, Teresa & family!
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Prayer Request

We found out last night that a friend of ours died in a climbing accident. Bobby & Laura Silva have been good friends of ours as we have gotten to know them through married student activities and general life on Multnomah's campus.

While they were rockclimbing in the gorge, Laura & Bobby's brother fell from a climbing pitch. TC (Bobby's brother) died at the scene, and Laura was life-flighted out but died from her injuries later. You can read the article at http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_040509_news_rock_climbing_death.a7601d67.html.

Bobby & Laura were very special people. You could always see them outside their apartment hanging out with other people, BBQing and having a good time. They are both avid sportsmen, so much so that Bobby bought Laura a gun for a wedding gift when they got married!

I can only imagine what Bobby is going through right now, so please pray for him as he mourns the loss of his wife and his brother. Please also keep their families in your prayers, as TC has a wife and two small boys. May God give them great comfort and peace in this difficult time.
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Getting to know you...

James & Ronnie are enjoying getting to know their baby sister Haydee... and she kinda likes them too, although they can get pretty loud.





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James' 1st time shooting

James got to go shooting with his Dad and Papa on Friday at a shooting range in Dundee. He got to shoot a .40 and a 410. He had a lot of fun except he said the guns pushed him back. Here are a few pictures.



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Haydee Mahal Everett

Welcome Haydee Mahal! Born March 9th (on her daddy's birthday) at 9:32 pm. 8 lbs. 3 oz., 19" tall, bright-eyed and alert with beautiful dark hair and eyes.

James & Ronnie were so excited to meet their new little sister, and the whole family is well! Thank you for your prayers and support. God bless!
Some people wonder where the name came from... Haydee is a character in The Count of Monte Cristo (book, not movie) who symbolizes the epitomy of love and God's grace. In fact, her unconditional and devoted affection for him is ultimately a source of Dantes' salvation, which I will not detail so the book is not spoiled too much for you. We also discovered that Haydee (spelled Haidee) was a character used by Lord Byron (one of Jesse's favorite poets) in his poem Don Juan - also a picture of a devoted and loving woman. Her middle name "Mahal" means "love" in Tagolog - a main Philippine language. It was a name that we both liked, but we also wanted to convey a sense of Frankie's family heritage.

Baby Update

Well, I'm still pregnant...

We went to the doctor yesterday, and I am at 3 cm and 60%. If I don't go into labor naturally by the end of the week, I am scheduled to be induced on Monday, March 9th - which makes Jesse absolutely ecstatic since that's his birthday.

So, stay tuned via Blogger, Facebook, or Myspace.
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Today's Lesson: Patience

God gave me a lesson on patience today. I went to the post office (Lesson #1), and hit traffic due to construction on 102nd Avenue (Lesson #2)... just to follow a student driver all the way back to campus (Lesson #3).

Funny how God knows what we need when we need it. Thankfully, His lesson also opened up a good parking spot when I got back to work.

God is so good!
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The Gospel According to James: Attention Everyone!

...at least that was the way this announcement was made by James over lunch yesterday. We went to lunch with the Neil Family - although we scheduled the lunch a month ago, it ended up being a celebration for Jon's new job which he just found out about a few days earlier.

Part way through the meal & good conversation, James put his hand (with one index finger extended) in the air, and said:

"Just remember... (long, dramatic silence)... Jesus is not a sinner."

Well, there you have it folks. The Gospel according to James.
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Courtesy

I was in the bathroom this morning getting ready for work when...

(knock, knock, knock)
Frankie: "Yes?"
James: "Are you decent?"
Frankie: "Yes. Come in."
James: "Thank you. Just making sure."

...and in other news, Ronnie is expanding his vocabulary (outside of "tuh-duh" = touchdown). We now hear words like "baby", "puppy", and "stinky". Ronnie loves to lift my shirt up, poke my belly button and say "baby". If he only knew what is to come in the next month...
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...because He is Good.

James & I watched Prince of Egypt today. Afterwards, James sat for a minute.

James: "Mommy, guess what character on the movie I like the best?"
Frankie: "Who?" thinking Moses since he is the hero.
James: "God. Because He is good."

Proud parent moment. *sigh*
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The Married-To-An-Everett Support Group

All of the members (Mary, Marty, and Me) were in Portland on Saturday morning, so we called a Married-To-An-Everett Support Group Meeting on Saturday morning at the airport's Coffee People - since we are all coffee lovers and Coffee People has the best coffee. James was awake and got invited to come with us.

We sat, visited, and enjoyed each others' company for about an hour, then decided it was about time to head back to our Everett spouses. On the way home, James had a thoughtful expression.

James: "Why can't I be in the Everett support group, Mommy?"
Uncle Marty: "YOU can't be, but your wife will get to join us someday."

James didn't like this answer, but he enjoyed his hot cocoa none-the-less. Someday he'll understand... and hopefully, he won't have the need for any support groups. :o)
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James' 1st Trip to the Dentist

We decided James was probably ready to go to the dentist for the first time. I was a little nervous about it, but after watching an episode of Sid the Science Kid about going to the dentist, James was pretty stoked.

Jesse took him to the dentist... this is his reflection of it:

"Today I brought James to his first dentist appointment. He was excited and I was a bit nervous because he can be a bit squeamish about new experiences, and if he began to be afraid and some unwise dentist treated him wrong I would have to send the dentist to another dentist to have some teeth replaced. Nevertheless, we went back to the exam area and a cute little hygienist worked with James, cleaned his teeth and had him all ready for the dentist. She walked out of the room for a minute and James leaned toward me and quietly said, "She's cute, daddy." I had to have him repeat it to make sure I had heard correctly. I just smiled and nodded at him, not exactly sure what response was appropriate."

That's not all from our little Ladies Man: The doctor gave him a few coins for being so good, and he could use them in the gumball-prize machines in the lobby. James got a little ninja figure and a girls' pink ring. When he got home, I asked him how it went.

James: "The lady was cute, Mommy. You are cute too though."

He showed me his prizes, and said: "This ring is for girls. I'm going to give it to Ali. If I give it to Ali, she will like me more."

Apparently, James has gotten women all figured out by the age of 5.
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Brainwashing Courtesy of Disney...

James: "Mommy, girls talk too much."

Frankie: "Really? Why do you say that?"

James: "You talk too much sometimes too."

Frankie: "Where did you hear that, James? Did Daddy say it or something?"

James: "Peter Pan said it to Wendy."

...so not only does Peter Pan teach children that all adults are bad pirates, but girls talk too much too! ;op
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Ronnie's New Interest

Other than getting into everything within reach, we have discovered that Ronnie really enjoys watching football. Last night we were watching Florida and Oklahoma play in the Orange Bowl. As we were eating dinner, the referee threw his hands into the air to signal a touchdown...

...Thus Ronnie did the same. Hands straight up in the air saying: "Tuh - Duh!"

Jesse is very, very proud!
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Jesse's Christmas Present to Ronnie

A haircut on Christmas Eve...

Awe! He is so handsome, and he did such a good job sitting and eating chocolate - despite the fact that it was way past his naptime! Here are some pics:

Unfortunately, Papa took him out in the snow a few minutes before we started and his hair was wet and hard to cut at first.

Still doing a good job and not crying...

No more hair!

The final product! Now, it's time for that nap...
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