Top 10 Photo Recap 2/21-2/28!

Top Ten Photo Recap from 2/21-2/28.  Linked up to ohamanda! 


Spent the morning at the beach!  Braylon found lots of beautiful shells and played football with dad.

 Paxtyn and daddy taking in the views.

 It was finally time to say goodbye to Braylon's 8 year old highchair.  Very bittersweet...it lasted us through 4 children!  Here is Pax in his chair attachment:)

 Enjoying the beautiful weather during dinner at Mimi and Pa's!

 Monkey playdate with friends!

 Sandbox in the middle of the street ;) Check out their new balance bikes!

 Organized my Freezer Stock  :)

 First time buying Turkey Meat.  I purchased 20lbs from Sam's :)

 School Project is COMPLETE!

 Best Friends at gymnastics!



Beautiful Weather!

This past week in Florida we had the weather that makes the rest of the nation a little jealous. Low-mid 70's, cool breeze, and not a cloud in the sky.  ahhhhh  

This is why we live in Florida.

Therefore, the meal plans went out the window.  I think the only meal I actually cooked was chicken tacos on Wednesday.  Chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and pizza wre the impromptu meal choices for the week!  I refused to spend a single minute more indoors than I needed!

Monday I attended my local MOPS meeting and the kids spent the afternoon playing outside with the neighbors.
Tuesday, after dropping Bray off at school, I high tailed it South to meet up with my longtime friend and her two daughters.  We went to the local aquarium and had and AWESOME time looking at the dolphins,the manatees, sharks, turtles and fish.  We had picnic lunch in the beeeUUUtiful weather!
Wednesday daddy took Pey to gymnastics since Kyan was having a rough morning.
Thursday was a BEAUTIFUL day packed with roller coasters, animals and lots of laughter as we hit Busch Gardens!
Friday I watched my girlfriends daughter for the day (the sweeeeetest little girl!) and we attended a MOMS Club play date.

Kyan showing off his "Pirate Booty!" 

 Not a cloud in the sky!

 We visited Mote Aquarium with my longtime friend C. and her 2 (soon to be 3) daughters!  Sooo much fun!

 Looking at the sea creatures!

 Kyan, Peyton , Little A. and C! Oh, and the MASSIVE shark in the background. :)

 Daddy and Pax!

 {Insert melting heart}

 At Busch Gardens!

 Hanging out with a sleeping baby:)

Their independence is growing

 The rope walkways!

 Having a stare off.

 My sweet drooly baby boy!

 "Kyan! It's nap time. Look! Chameleon beds!"

 Playing with the neighborhood kiddos!

 Timing the sprinkler in order not to bed sprayed!

 He had a rough ride but insisted on carrying the scooter home.  It amazes me that he's only 2.

 One of Peyton's best friends spent the day with us!  :)

 Took the girls for a play date at a friends...  big girl Z reading :)

 Ecstatic to ride the horse!

 Peyton and P investigating the goods

 Paxtyn's first time using a walker!

 The baby was worn out!

 Newest Koala member, baby C!  We luv her ;)

Tet, Chinese/Vietnamese New Year 2011 Celebration!

We went to my in-laws home on February 4th to celebrate Tet, The Vietnamese New Year (we often interchange the terms Chinese and Vietnamese New Year).  We had a lovely time and our three youngest children dressed in traditional Vietnamese attire (Pax wore an outfit my mother-in-law made).  Next year I will buy outfits for our oldest son and myself, too.  I pasted a snip it about Tet for anyone interested in learning a little more about this celebration. 

We always have a wonderful time and are greeted with enthusiasm, sweet smiles and delicious food!  We exchange red envelopes filled with "lucky money" and say "I hope you have a year filled with health and happiness," bow and say prayers at the Buddhist Shrine which always includes a table full of homecooked food, fresh Flowers, incense, fruit and photos of ancestors, and eat "3 days worth" of food.  We celebrate the years the children were born:  Braylon, The Year of the Ram.  Peyton, The Year of the Pig.  Kyan, The Year of the Rat.  Paxtyn, The Year of the Tiger, and listen to music and watch home videos.

I learn more and more every year about my husband's family and their journey to America from Saigon.  It truly is a remarkable story and I hope to one day share it :)

Peyton's forced smile and Kyan looking as charming as ever!

 Attempting to get Paxtyn in the mix (we then picked Braylon up from school and hightailed it over!  Sad I didn't get a photo of all 4 children together)

 Bowing and praying to Ancestors.

 Exchanging lucky money with Baco.

 He loves his great grandma!  She turned 100 last month!

 Braylon snapped a photo.  I can't believe how long my hair has got!

 Pax was a hit!  He was all over the place!

 Ong Noi spending time with sweet Paxtyn.

 Such a good eater!



Background on Tet, Vietnamese New Year:

Vietnam is a country in the Eastern Hemisphere that was influenced by China for many years. Therefore, the Chinese New Year and Tet, the Vietnamese New Year have many similarities. Tet is the abbreviation of Tet Nguyen Dan which means the first morning of the first day of the new period. Tet marks the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar, and the beginning of Spring. Vietnamese are constantly aware of the phases of the moon. All events are planned by the lunar calendar. The New Year begins on the first night of the first moon after the sun enters Aquarius. This is sometime between January 21 and February 19 on the solar calendar.


Tet is a huge celebration lasting three days. Families save money, store food, and plan far in advance for Tet, major holiday in Vietnam. The Vietnamese take extreme care to start the New Year out right. They buy new clothes, paint and clean their homes, cook three days worth of food, pay off all debts and make amends to rid themselves of all bad feelings. Cleaning is frowned on during Tet because one would not want to sweep out any good luck. Digging and drawing water is also not allowed so the ground and water can enjoy the holiday.
The marketplace is very busy the week before Tet, as people buy food, trinkets, firecrackers, flowers, and other items in anticipation of the holiday. At four o'clock in the afternoon on Tet eve all the markets close down so the people can go home and prepare for midnight when Tet begins. Before 1995 firecrackers would explode scaring off all evil spirits and welcoming the New Year. In 1995, because of the huge waste of money and the injury rate, (71 people killed in 1994), the government banned the use of firecrackers resulting in a very quiet Tet.


The atmosphere is very festive. Incense is burned in the homes. The color Red, symbolizing good luck and happiness is seen everywhere. Games of gambling are in the streets, homes and in cars. If a gambler wins then he is said to have good luck gambling in the new year. If a gambler loses, he is said to have good luck in other affairs. There are dragon dances at night. Food is plentiful, homes are decorated, parks are full of crowds of people dressed in their best new clothes, and for three days the people have an ultimate celebration.


Tet is a time for visits from family and friends. The first visitor to a home is very important. If the first visitor is rich, prestigious, or happy then the family will have good fortune that year. Usually this visitor is a relative, but sometimes the family will invite a special guest that they feel will bring them good luck. The first day of Tet is reserved for visiting family and relatives. The second day is set aside for special guests and close friends to visit, and the third day is for teachers and business associates to make a visit. Negative talk, and arguments are taboo. Visitors end their visit with a farewell wish for the family such as, "I wish that money will flow into your house like water, and out like a turtle."


The Vietnamese believe that their deceased ancestors will visit the family for the holiday. Alters are decorated in the homes with incense, flowers, and photographs of deceased relatives. A tray full of fruit, coins, and a tall vase of blossoms are placed in front of the alter symbolizing good luck and prosperity. The third day is also a day to visit the graves of deceased relatives. The graves are decorated with incense, flowers, and candles. Many Buddhists go to their favorite Pagoda to pray for a good year. The Catholics go to a pre-midnight mass.


Not only is Tet the beginning of a New Year, it is also everyone's birthday. The Vietnamese do not know or acknowledge the exact day they were born. A baby turns one on Tet no matter when he/she was born that year. Children say they were born in the year of the symbol of the lunar calendar for that year. On the first morning of Tet, adults congratulate children on becoming a year older by presenting them with red envelopes that contain "Lucky Money," or li xi. These envelopes are given to the children by parents, siblings, relatives and close friends.


Families choose a Tet tree, or tac, which is a cone shaped fruit tree with miniature oranges just ripening. The more fruit on the tree, the luckier the family. Greeting cards and good luck symbols are hung from the Tet trees. Each family also has a branch of the Mai tree in their homes, a symbol of spring, which bear lucky little yellow flowers.


Food plays a major role in the Tet celebration. Tet is a time of excess, one does not enjoy Tet, one "eats" Tet. The first day a feast of boiled male virgin chicken, sticky rice, a special soup made with clear vermicelli and bamboo shoots, boiled pork, and 3 or 5 duck eggs is offered to ancestors who have returned to their homes. Sticky rice and salt are also offered in the streets to any hungry ghosts who might be wandering in the neighborhood. A traditional food is Earth cake, a square cake made with rice beans and pork. When a watermelon is cut they believe that the redder the watermelon the more luck for the family. Several different desserts and dishes are made with coconut. On the third day another feast of virgin chicken is served to say farewell to ancestors returning to their ethereal abodes.


In the United States large populations of Vietnamese celebrate Tet. In Orange County, California, Vietnamese children do not attend school that day. Ladies wear red and yellow, the colors of the Vietnamese flag, and the men wear all black. They go to church, eat earth cake, and have games, carnival rides, food booths and contests that are set up at a local college. The red envelopes are passed with "lucky money" in it. In the evening red firecrackers explode and dragon dances begin.

January 2011 Grocery Budget!

This past month I worked VERY hard to reduce our grocery bill!  Below is a photo taken after my second grocery trip of the month {$146.22 spent}.  And please don't bother to state the obvious...I am fully aware of how nerdy it is to take a picture of groceries.  However, it was incredibly encouraging to see the success of my hard work!

I crunched January's Grocery Budget for a family of 6, and the results were very encouraging:

Total spent on groceries = $378.92 (142.71, 146.22, 89.99),

Total saved by couponing = $248.97 (89.70, 89.35, 69.92),

Total percentage saved = 39.7%!!! SUweeeeet!!!!

**this does not include diapers, and we also had company the first week of January so we had numerous take out and fast foods**

My monthly goal for February is to spend no more than $400.  I have budgeted to spend $50 per week (yes, week) at Publix on milk, produce, and a few other sales.  The remaining $200 I plan to spend at Sam's Club on 15lbs of ground beef, other meats, paper products and 25 loaves of bread.  I have worked hard the past 8 months to build up pantry stock pile and am now planning to rotate BOGO Sales/couponing with bulk buying.  So, this month is my meat/paper goods/bread bulk purchases which will {hopefully} last us 8 weeks, and March I will be replinishing my stock pile {including canned goods, frozen foods, ect}.

I'm stoked and will keep you updated!  :)