Just say NO to hyenas!

Did you think this would be about Halloween?? Made ya look! :) (LOTS of pics to come soon!)

The 2008 Election is so important! All the propositions in all the different states about legalizing gay marriage MUST not go through. It has gotten to the point where there was a man in Massachusetts that went to jail because he took his child out of school because they were teaching that Gay marriage is okay. IT IS NOT OKAY! Gay Marriage is legal there, so they can promote it how they wish. Do you want it (even more) all over the TV? Newspaper? Schools? They are good people, but what they DO is wrong. Anyone who believes in the Bible knows this, but even if you recognize the nature of human existence you can know that this is WRONG. The answer is black and white. There is no middle ground here folks. Apostles from our Church held firesides (meetings) to the members of the Stakes (huge congregations) in CA and AZ to organize and get the word out that this is WRONG! (My sister-in-law, Ashley, is in one of these Stakes and she has been asked to help there in AZ. I also have a friend, Autumn, in CA who has received info to spread the word.) This is important!

I fear the worst with Obama. Even so much that if he gets elected, I feel like IF anything better than letting the terrorists walk into our country and start to rule over us (a scene of Scar from The Lion King with the Hyenas come to mind) and IF Brandon keeps his job, then it will be better than I thought. I am BAFFLED at how Barack Hussein Obama made it even this far... flattering words I tell you. Signs of the times. Government will hang by a thread! But I still have hope for the best. I want a sign that says, "Just say no to Hyenas!" I will sustain the president for what he stands for, freedom, but I don't have to agree with him.

I voted, how about you? Can you guess who I voted for?? :)

Upper Post w/ the Power of Chocolate

I take it from a few phone calls, emails, and blog comments people are worried about me. Sorry! I didn't mean to pass the buck and make you worry about me because I am worried about other people. :) I have great friends. I didn't mean to be a Debbie Downer poster, (it was supposed to be uplifting) so here's a definite "Upper" post.

My conversation with Haley at the breakfast table this morning:
Haley: So I think I know who I want to marry.
Mom: Really? Who?
Haley: Nicolas. (I know this boy and his parents. They were one of two social sponsors that we had. CUTE boy.) But he is nervous around girls.
Mom: Nervous? What makes you think that?
Haley: Because whenever Brianne, me, and Gabbi want to play with him, his eyes get big and he runs away.
Mom: You used to play with him all the time? What happened?
Haley: Mom, he is nervous because he likes me. And we are definitely getting married.

True Story: I hit a man with my car.
Let me explain. We get a call on Thursday that we could possibly receive our car that day, so I get really excited because I want to DRIVE to Haley's school to see her perform in the all-school assembly the next day instead of lugging two kids without car seats in a taxi, again. So he gives me a time it will be ready, but he wouldn't be able to deliver it until the next day because there wasn't anyone there that can drive Diplomatic plates legally.

"Can I come and get it?" I ask.

I get the green light, so I call a taxi and in my broken Hungarian get him to tell me all the roads that we were taking on the way. (Plus I grabbed Wendy, our British speaker on our GPS.) Anywho, I get there and have to sign tons of paperwork and blah blah blah he tells me things that he did (which I am VERY grateful because I didn't want to go and get the Emissions test, go get it registered, and put plates on it myself) and then tells me things I still should do -blah blah blah. JUST GIVE ME THE KEYS!!! KOSONEM SZAPEN! (Thanks so much) I haven't had a car for two months and I'm getting a little car crazy!

So FINALLY I get into our van. sigh. I love our van. I love the 8 seats, I love the room for carseats, I love the steering wheel that I get to turn and drive with all by myself, I love the feeling of driving so I don't get so carsick in the jumbled nonsence they call "road ways," but most of all I love not having anyone else in the car with me that I don't know and not having to depend on anyone else to get me to where I need to go. Then on goes Wendy, my LOUD GPS British lady who is supposed to get me home. And I look at the gas tank. Almost empty. We weren't allowed to have anything more than 1/8th of a gas tank to be shipped and they had to drive it all around town already to do all the "stuff," so gas was LOW. Gotta get some gas!

I drive out of the gates and listen to Wendy and compare with the notes that I got from being in the taxi and the notes from GSO who told me the "best way" to get home. I was quickly reminded of the things I don't like about driving. Traffic. It was rush hour in the capitol city of a COUNTRY. Think DC traffic at rush hour and then think two lane roads. Fun times, huh?

As I was sitting in traffic and praying that the gas light wouldn't go on... it went on. 20 minutes later I am still in traffic with no gas station in sight. I call B to tell him to be on high alert and to call Mobile Patrol if I run out of gas. (Mobile Patrol are embassy security with the Marines that patrol all the embassy sites, our compound, and all the other places where people who work for the Embassy live. They are like our very own "police" if you will. I guess we can also call them Military Police. MPs either way.) As I was talking to B (remember that I have a HUGE van compared to all the smartcars and European standard cars here) I notice a car door crack open to the right side of me as I am crawling at 5-10mph and as I try to move over to the left as far as I could (there is another lane FULL of cars to my left) I see a head pop up and hear a loud THUMP! My side view mirror collapsed to the side of my car (most cars have folding side view mirrors) and see a man holding his head in my rear view mirror. Isn't there a law that states you must watch oncoming traffic before exiting your car or is that just common sense?

I tell B in a non-stressed voice:
Me: "Um, I think I just hit someone."
B: "What? Is he hurt? What's that sound?"
All of a sudden the man comes running and starts banging on my window and yelling at me.
Me: "Well, there is a guy banging on my window and if he would just hold still, I can see if there is any blood." I was moving and bobbing my head back and forth to try to see the back of his head which he was sporatically holding with one hand and then waving the hand around frantically as if to tell me that I hit him. duh! He continues to throw his hands in the air and continues on and on to tell me how much he loves me.
B: "Do you want me to call Motor Patrol?"
Me: "I'm not out of gas yet."
B: "No, for the accident."
The man spits on my car and walks away throwing his hands in the air. (Remember this is 30 minutes after getting my car.)
Me: "Oh. I see the back of his head now. He's fine. Uh oh. I think the car is sputtering."
B: "Keep driving. Do you see a gas station yet?"
Me: (driving through an intersection) "I do! Uh oh. (car sputters) Gotta go. I'll call you if I need you." (I am praying my little heart out. Please don't let me run out of gas! I didn't really HURT that guy. He's fine!)

As I turn into the gas station, my car runs out of gas and I drift to a stop about a foot short of the gas pump. This nice Hungarian pump man, comes and helps me push my car one foot to fill up.

Did I mention that I LOVE driving in Hungary??!

As I was walking in to pay, I see these "Happy Cherries" gummy candy that remind me to be HAPPY. I buy them of course, along with a huge-amungus chocolate bar filled with almonds. With my hands shaking, I pay, say a few things in Hungarian and exit. I climb back into the car, open my chocolate bar, and don't even start the car until I am finished with it. After I calmed down a bit (The magical powers of chocolate!) I start the car and return to my trek home. As I slowly drive away from the pump, I notice a taxi drive in and yell at me for trying to pull back into traffic. The Hungarians I have met before this were super nice. Cars make people crazy!

Trusting in Wendy, I'm going along not recognizing my way but thinking that the taxi drivers must have just taken the long way home and I know that there is limited bus routes in Buda, so maybe the fastest way wasn't the way I am used to while going in a bus. I wasn't worried. Until Wendy directs me to a dirt path that dead ends. Great.

Lost. It's not a fun feeling. I redirect my route and then Wendy tells me to drive up the steepest, narrowest street I have ever seen. Nope. Not going to happen. So I keep driving and she takes me to a vacant lot. I was about to throw Wendy out the window as she is reminding me REALLY LOUDLY "arriving at destination" (I should have read the directions first) I look around me and two streets away, I see a store that I recognized. Aha! From there I find my way home and share my "Happy Cherries" with my family who is eating dinner without me.

You know. Joy in the Journey, right? Let's recap the happy parts:

1. I ate a HUGE bar of chocolate w/Almonds -my fav
2. I have my car.
3. I know the wrong way to go home
4. I got to see parts of Budapest that I've never seen before.
5. I regained my hope in humanity when the nice guy helped me. (I even tipped him. My hero, Feri!)
6. I didn't even cry
   
7. I may have maimed a guy AND ticked off half of Budapest because I stopped traffic AND tried to pull into traffic AND was a road hog with my beast, but I made it home.
8. I found out that Happy Cherries are super yummy
   
9. MOST of my prayers were answered. :)
10. Life is good.
    

**Update- We have successfully scraped the entire side of our van because we were trying to make room for an oncoming car on a narrow road with just a rocky ledge on either side. I also parked for the first time in front of our med unit in downtown Pest and it only took me 15 minutes to get my van to fit in a parking spot made for a car half my size with three people helping me (see, there are nice people all around us) with two sick kids in the car.

:) lol. You might think I am crazy, but these experiences are really funny to me! There will be more I am sure of it.... and I can't wait! Anyone want to come and visit? I'll drive you around! :)

Take care

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It never was between you and them anyway." ~Mother Teresa

This just spoke to me today. There are circumstances in life that you just can't dwell on for too long otherwise you get consumed in them. There are a few people in my life that I have been thinking (and worrying) about lately and for some reason I needed this right now. You can't choose how someone else will act, but you can choose how you react. There is someone dear to me that has had the short end of every sentence above and it truly makes me sad about how this person reacts to them all. Don't we all experience them at one time or the other?

I have people say to me lately, "take care!" So when people say, "take care" what do they mean? I have found when I dwell on people around me, they get taken care of and somehow I get taken care of too. I have found when I dwell on myself, I get taken care of, but not those around me. I have found that when I teach those around me to dwell on those around them, they all take care of each other. I have found when I dwell on God, everyone gets taken care of because I learn to live by his principles. His principles include "feed my sheep" and "love one another" and "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." So when people say, "take care" what do they mean? To me it means "take care of everyone around you and you will be taken care of."

Take care and know that this life is between you and our Heavenly Father. No one else. Don't let anything or anyone get in your way. He loves you and He wants you to be happy. There is so much sadness around us. Deal with it, but don't let it affect your true happiness. If you need more true happiness, He can help. Pray and read the scriptures. So basic. So wonderful. Turn to Him. Where do you turn when the turns in life are too much?

Busy Weekend!

This is the favorite picture of the weekend!
The only leaf picture with all three looking at the camera. phew. Smiling was optional.

Here is a list of things we did this 4-day weekend (thanks to a Hungarian Holiday) instead of going to Venice like we had planned.

1. B had to work
2. We found out that Maleia had an ear infection
3. We found out that Dylan had croup
4. We decided that we were definitely not going to Venice and canceled our reservations
5. I scrapbooked 8 layouts. I created 4 new and finished 4 old ones. These are only 3 of them. The top one is for Haley's Star of the Week poster for school.
6. Had my first Relief Society meeting at church. We only go to church for two hours because we are a Branch. Preisthood and RS were meeting together for months and we still like meeting together, but we are only going to meet together 2 weeks out of the month. We have an amazing Branch. We get new visitors every week. This week we had 4 different families come and visit. B stayed home with Dylan sicky baby.
   
7. Took a few pictures of fall trees around our home. Yes, my kitchen is BRIGHT red. :) And no I did not do it myself. We actually hired someone to do it after painting the kids rooms. It was worth it after going through trying to tend kids and paint at the same time.
8. Gave Maleia a hair cut. She now has bangs! Looking back at all the pictures of my from my childhood I often wondered why my mom never did my hair. I look at Maleia's pictures sometimes and wonder why her hair looks like that when I KNOW I did her hair. She is the sort of girl that just needs bangs. We are doomed to have those unending fly-aways that will be our curse in life girlfriend. For now, you will be my adorable little girl with bangs.
9. B went on a date . . . with two cute daughters to McDonald's
   
10. Dylan slept 18 out of 24 hours one day. :( sign of being REALLY sick.
    
11. Haley played a lot at friends' houses since siblings were no fun to play with. aka: sick.
    
12. I thought about working out, but ended up taking Haley to the park instead
    
13. Ended up going to Visegrad to tour a castle with friends. The Smiths were nice enough to let us tag along on their venture an hour away from home. The doc actually said that the cool air is good for Dylan, and we were tired of being cooped inside since Wednesday, so we took off on Saturday. We weren't there too long, but it was wonderful to see the countryside of Hungary.
14. Took pictures of the surrounding area
15. Played in the HUGE fall leavesI couldn't help but post this one with these cute little posers with the cute little Hungarian girl in the background that followed us, yet kept her distance. Those weird Americans.

Quote of the Weekend:

This is a conversation between Haley and little Brandon (the younger of the two little boys in this family that we went with.)

Haley: Let's play "ring around the rosies!"
Brandon: Okay! But then let's play ring around the Transformers!
Haley: (laughing) That is silly!
Brandon: Nu-uh. Not as silly as posies!
Haley: Posies are flowers
Brandon: Transformers are WAY cooler than flowers.

Amen brotha! I can't wait to get Dylan his first transformer! :)

Maleia's Birthday Party!!

Maleia sporting her birthday outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Chapman.

This is 9 of 10 girls that came. (One had to leave early.) Pink, Pink, and more Pink!

Maleia's pink flower cake with pink frosting and pink sprinkles.

Dylan LOVING the bouncy house on our back terrace!

During our "Light Pink, Hot Pink" game. Notice even some of the parents got into the spirit of "Pink."

Harmony, notice the tissue paper puff? We have to be creative here in Hungary. I only did two since the first three were disastrous and quite wretched. Notice the China Hutch in the background? We have two more packages of Corell dishes on it's way to fill it up. :) We are so high class.

BOUNCY HOUSE!!!

Her gifts. She already has so many great friends here.

Painting her princess picture with her new paints. We are still wondering if they are washable paints or not... hopefully we won't have to find out!

She got her friend "Happy Birthday Party" at last!

Party time!!! Okay, so since we didn't have our Household Goods yet, we decided that we would wait a month to have Maleia's friend birthday party, so we celebrated with 9 other little girls at our home on October 18th, exactly a month after her real birthday. The girls had a ball! Maleia wanted a "Pink Princess Piggy Party" at first, (say that ten times fast!) but we compromised with just a "Pink Party." It was well received by all girls attended and their moms.

All the little girls wore pink, (and even some moms) we let them frost their own pink cupcakes, they got to play "light pink, hot pink" (like hot and cold) to find their party favors which of course were pink jewelry, and "Red, Yellow, Blue, PINK!" (like duck, duck, goose), and they water colored their own pictures and got to take the watercolors home, then we borrowed a blow-up bouncy house from a neighbor. Let's be honest, everything is better with a bouncy house. Fairs, weddings, graduations, barmitzvas, funerals... okay, maybe not the funerals, but I even get giddy when I see a bouncy house.

Oh, the other activity that I had I didn't think through well enough was called "Kiss the Prince." I had BRIGHT pink lipstick that I put on their lips and they had to try to kiss the picture of Prince Charming on the lips. Fun and innocent right? Well, I thought it was until one of the girls (blindfolded) went in for the kill and was a little shorter than the rest... so we quickly moved the picture down so that they all landed somewhere only around the head area. oops. My bad. They all got their suger highs, their friend release, their presents, their party fix, and thier first kiss all on the same day. :) Super fun!

I still have "My baby is not old enough to play with Barbies" syndrome, but I am getting better. She now has two of them and I think we might ask Santa for another one or two. I was so against them growing up and who knew that I would have girls that whenever they go to friends houses, they go straight for them. Maleia knows EXACTLY which Barbie each of her friends have and aches to have a "real" one of her own. She only has a Cinderella-type Baribie and a mini one with hard plastic clothes. sigh. I now see that she NEEDS Barbies the same way I NEEDED to play with balls when I was little. So for all those who we are on their Christmas list, you know what Haley and Maleia want. As for Dylan, he loves any kind of ball and already throws better than his sisters. I will definitely try to learn to like playing Barbies, but if I have to put on one more shoe that falls off 5 min later, I swear I am tempted to feed them to Dylan. . . if he hasn't eaten them already.

And for all of you that thought that my "Kiss the Prince" idea was soo good when I told you about it. You are so in trouble. And I thought you were real friends. "Friends don't let friends have questionable Party Games." Monique Chapman.

Happy Birthday Maleia My Love! (For her birthday post on her actual birthday, go here.)

Haley was Tagged!

Hey Tiff, so you wanna come to Hungary and take our pics for us? We miss getting our kids pics taken.

Haley doing one of her poses while playing dress up and dancing to Ballet music.

We opted for the top photo since this one showed some belly, but I like her smile more in this one.

My sweet girl Haley with her bottom teeth now out.

She is such a babe! Um, the bottom one ended up on my camera anonymously, but I think the culprit is a little obvious. At least take a picture without yourself in it. :) She is a photographer in training.

Tag Tag Tag. Let me just get these out of my system. :) Now Haley was tagged. B, Maleia, and Dylan all had birthday's last month, and mine is next month, so she needs a little love. I am NOT tagging anyone, but it was fun to do this with her.

Name and meaning: Haley Renee Chapman. The Scandinavian name Haley means heroine.
Age: 5

Nicknames: Sweet pea, honney, cute girl, sweetie bug, missy, sweetheart, babe, baby, sis, my love, my sweet, and any variation of the above.

Favorite activities: Dance, painting, singing, crafts, swinging, and riding her bike.

Favorite foods: Quesadillas, tacos, stroganoff, homemade taquitos, chicken & rice

Least favorite foods: carrots, hot dogs, tomatoes

Favorite desserts: Oreos, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream with sprinkles, apple crisp (topping only)

Favorite Music: Ballet Music and Princess Music (whatever that means. probably music from the Barbie movies.)

Favorite Toys: Barbies, (though we only have one) Princess Polly Pockets, and dolls

Favorite Book: Disney Princess Treasury Book

Favorite item of clothing: Jean skirt from Courtney, black skirt from Granma Stephanie, and Ariel shirt from Disneyworld

What makes her happy: singing, dancing, learning something new, doing something without asking and surprising my parents, myself, my family, Jesus, tithing, and church. (wow, tithing?)

What makes her sad: Dogs (it's a phobia. poor thing.), when she wants to do something and I don't let her (what? what a mean mom I am for not letting her do EVERYTHING for her sister and EVERYTHING for Dylan. They need to learn too hon.) When my sister or friends are mean to me and Dylan pulls my hair. Oh, and when I go to timeout.

Her latest accomplishments: She is the only one in her Kindergarten class that can tie her shoes, she is one of two in her class that can read chapter books, she has lost her two bottom teeth already, her shoe size jumped from 9 to 11 1/2 in one year, she helped me paint her own room, she can do the entire nightly routine all by herself (and even helps out sister and brother) and makes Maleia's and her bed every morning.

Haley is a complete angel and though still a little bit of a drama queen and a bit bossy, she is sooo helpful and really enjoys helping others. I love her laughter and joy that she brings into our home and I don't know what I would do without her. Love you babe!

Ballet !

Haley and I had our second Mother-Daughter date at the Ballet. It was performed at the Opera House in Budapest, Hungary. Do we look ready for a three hour Ballet?

Look how beautiful the building is! The entire building seemed like a work of art, an endless canvass.

The "Head" ballerina. Whatever they call her. She was wonderful! Haley said, "Mom! She looks just like Jen! Wait a minute. Is that her?" From then on out, we were both convinced that she was Jen Harper. Her mannerisms, how graceful she was, how beautiful she looked, her facial expressions...I even think she has a green dress that looks like that! I wish I had a better close up to show you.

The cast of "Gone with the Wind." Or is it a company? Poor Haley has an uneducated mother about everything to do with Dance. Where is Jen, Jamie, Brooke, AnneMarie, and Melissa when I need them?

The other daughter that came with us. Mary is such a great example for Haley.

The four sistas out on a girl's night out at the Ballet.

Look how cool the ceiling is? And that chandelier?? Wow!

I have never been to a professional Ballet before, so when my friend called me and asked if I wanted to go, I jumped at the chance to go. Not only did I go, I took Haley with me despite knowing that it would end at 10pm on a school night. (You can judge me later.) It was sooo worth it and you can't teach a cultural experience like this one at school. Haley was mesmerized the entire 3 hours! (minus the last ten minutes that she fell asleep. Again, it was totally worth it and I even let Haley be late to school the next day to make up for the missed sleep. oh shush!) It was a Ballet called, "Gone With the Wind," so it was based on the American book/movie.

After arriving and getting our balcony seats (for $6!!!) I leaned over to the other ladies and whispered, "I have a confession. I've never read or even seen Gone With the Wind!" You should have seen their faces! I got the same reaction from my sister-in-laws when I told them I had never seen Pride and Prejudice. Disbelief? Disgust maybe? But definitely a look of bewilderment. (Dropped jaw) What the? How could you have not seen it!! (I got to see Pride and Prejudice at my-in-law's home, by the way, for the first time the summer we lived in their home just after Haley was born after their insisting.) Thanks girlies! Now I have a motivation to see this movie. The only thing I know about this movie is the notable last line...

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a ... darn." To my defense, while others were watching the classic girlie movies while growing up, I had a father who watched all the Clint Eastwood westerns, Indiana Jones movies, pus all the action/adventure beat em' up-shoot em' up movies that my brothers and dad used to love. Rocky, Terminator, War movies galore, etc. etc. Many giving me nightmares to this day and will probably never make it into our own movie collection, but there you go. Now you know why.

So the Ballet was that much cooler now that I have a daughter that is completely girlie and that I can see her joy in the show. She knows more about Ballet than I do. She was telling me all her moves. I told her that next time I will have to take Maleia and she cried thinking that she wouldn't be there too. Next time we'll just get a Matinee so the whole family can go. Right B? ... B? :) Have you ever seen Home Improvement? Jill tries so hard sooo many times for Tim to take her to the Ballet and he tries to avoid it like the plague and even brings in a portable TV to watch football instead of watching the Ballet when she finally finagles him into going. I can picture B doing this.

Okay, since I'm on a roll of confessions. I have yet another confession: I have never seen Steel Magnolias or Little Women! (gasp!!) :)

Thanks Haley for a great night. I love spending time with you and our great talks were so fun tonight. "Wow mom. It sure looks like they 'prasticed' a whole lot. Maybe even for years!" Thanks for teaching me some Ballet and I was glad to answer all your fun questions. "Is he really dead, or is he pretending? Will he stop dancing now, or will he come back as a different person?" "What is war?"

We will definitely have to go and see The Nuckracker Ballet that they show EVERY year during December.