Christmas Video

I forgot to add this to the previous blog. This is for all those that wanted to be here, but couldn't. We love you all!!!

So I've kind of been an anti-computer person lately. I just spent the last 15 minutes deleting over 1000 email in my inbox that I never read and I realize I haven't updated my blog since Halloween. I just get so worried that if I spend too much time on the computer I won't get anything else done, and then I realized I don't get much done anyways so I might as well blog and check my emails once and a while. Sorry to all those that emailed me last month and never got a response. I'm such a Moron. Enough venting, it's time for the Christmas blog.

I think Christmas was a wonderful success. Mylee is at the age when Santa is a big deal and she understands that if she wants something all she has to say is "You tell Santa to bring this me Mom" I just got in the habit of saying "sure" and then brushed it off. You know they can't remember from one day to the next what the asked for. The one thing Mylee was very persistent on though, was a "purple fishy". She saw them at Walmart once and every time we asked her what she wanted for Christmas she would say "a purple fishy". Of coarse Santa delivered and Mylee was very excited to see a purple fishy waiting for her on the Kitchen counter.

"Which one should I open next"

Christmas Morning

Somebody's totally not excited for Christmas

There are good and bad things about being away from family at Christmas. I'm not going to lie, as fun as it is being around family it can get pretty stressful when they only live a mile apart. You're constantly being shuffled form here to there and trying to make everyone happy, but on the other hand it can get a little too relaxing when it's just our little family and you almost crave the hustle and bustle of being around lots of family. All in all, we decided to make every effort to spend next Christmas with all our family because we just plain miss em and Mylee is always asking when she can go see Grandma and and all her aunts and uncles.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and we wish everyone the Happiest of New Years!!

My little Fairy Girl

We had a great Halloween this year. It's so much fun when your kids get old enough to really understand and enjoy the holidays. Mylee was the cutes Tinkerbell ever and she loved getting all dressed up. It really wasn't any different than any other day for her.

She dresses up everyday.

Trick or treating was a little cold, but that didn't stop Mylee from filling her bag to the top. She literally ran from door step to door step. I think after a while she was getting tired because she started to say "Merry Christmas" instead of "Trick or Treat" when they would open the door. Austin and I were party poopers this year and didn't dress up,

but next year I think we're going to go all out.

Now it is officially time to get ready for the Holidays so I'm going to get started.

Family Fun!

So, I'm being lazy today and choosing to blog instead of laundry. Sometimes you just need a break. But anyways, Mylee got a special visit from Grandpa and Grandma Muranaka last week and I have yet to blog it. Here's just a few pix. I think they had a pretty good time even though the weather was just awful. Mylee is still talking about how she went swimming with Grandma and picked pumpkins with Grandma.

We took Grandpa and Grandma to the Children's Museum and I think

they had as much fun as Mylee.

Look at my beautiful Butterfly.

Finally the sun came out for one day and while the boys went

golfing the girls went to a pumpkin patch and had a blast.

Here are our lovely contributions to the pagan gods of Halloween.

Austin carved the dog. Isn't it the best ever!!!

Have a spooky cooky Halloween !!!

Fall has arrived!

Let's see, it's been so long since my last blog that I don't even know where to begin. I find myself only writing on my blog when I have nothing better to do and that's just sad. Usually I'm taking a nap instead of blogging. But it's time to catch up on past events in the life of a Muranaka.

We celebrated Austin's birthday last month. Since I'm terrible at making cute cakes so I talked Austin into letting me make him pie for his birthday instead. I don't know about you but I would take a pie over cake any day, especially apple pie. It was sure yummy and we invited friends over to share it, but due to the latest flu pandemic only a few could come.

A new fun Indiana tradition is the Fall Food Festival. It is a carnival/food fiasco where every type of weird thing you could eat is delivered up to you on a paper plate. We're talking Cow brain burgers, chocolate covered crickets and deep fried anything. It was quite the experience, and the food wasn't so bad either.

Then, last week Mylee and I accompanied Austin to a conference in Indianapolis where he was giving a presentation. It was only for a couple of days, but we still had a blast. It actually worked out nice because the hospital actually pays him to go to stuff like this, so it's like a free mini vacation. While Austin snored his way through meetings Mylee and I were racing through four levels of fun fun fun at the Children's Museum. We just played all day. The rest of the weekend was spend eating at nice restaurants we would never usually eat at and shopping at the mall. By the way, I'm no coupon fanantic, but when it comes to clothes I know how to get a deal. The other day at Banana Republic I bought a pair of pants for $2. Regularly $50. That's the only way I get new cloths, but I'm not complaining.

So that's what's up with us, now it's time for carving pumpkins, enjoying the crisp fall air and jumping in piles of red, yellow and orange leaves.

I must say that our summer here in Indiana has just gotten away from us. Between hanging out at the zoo or going to the races we have really enjoyed the more simple life here in the midwest.

Mylee went to here first parade the other day in a little town outside of Evansville. Talk about redneck! It was a grand showcase of the finest ATVS and old cars this side of the Mississippi. Blond mullet beauties showered us with candy and the local deputies gave us a grand ole' wave. Mylee didn't know what to do with all the candy that seemed to keep falling from the sky. This is why I love living here, because things like this are still a big deal and the excitement is contagious. I wonder what they do when deer season starts?

Life in Residency

So far we've been in Indiana for about 2 and half months and the realities of life are settling in. You assume that once you get to residency you're home free and it's a breeze from here on, but that's a major misconception. It's just as hard or harder then school, the only difference is you actually get paid to work hard but not as much as you really deserve. I have to give my husband a lot of credit. I don't think I could work 16 hour days and still be in such a good mood. The difference now is that he's doing what he loves and that's all that matters. It makes it a lot easier for me as his wife to be supportive and understanding.

Funny Mylee story: So I think Mylee is getting ready for potty training but I'm not quite ready to make that kind of commitment, so she has officially appointed Skipper our dog to teach her. Twice now I've caught her outside with her diaper off in the grass squatting just like Skipper "going potty". I guess I better step in before it's too late or I'll have to clean up two sets of poop off my lawn.

Congrats Tara & Travis

I am officially not the only married child in my family thanks to my little sis Tara aka Aunt Nellie. Tara and here new hubby Travis got married last friday in Utah and the wedding was simply gorgeous thanks to the brilliance and talent of my amazing mother and friends. My mom did all the flower arrangements, made dresses, decorated, and planed everything. I don't know if I can ever live up to all that. Hopefully she's still around when Mylee gets married so she can do her wedding. I did actually learn how to do flower arrangements and I must say it wasn't so bad. It was a really fun week. A lot of work but even more fun. Mylee loved hanging out with family again too. It was hard to leave not know when we might get to see them again, but we enjoyed coming home to our little house in Indiana. Maybe Channing will get married soon and give us another reason to go home.

Mylee could not get enough of the live band. She would have danced all night long.

Showin' some moves to Grandpa

Here's the lucky couple

We love you Travis and Tara!!! Good luck!!!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

This was our first holiday here in Indiana and it was so much fun!!

Indiana fireworks put all those years of Utah fireworks to shame because there is no such thing as an illegal firework here. We were shooting off major fireworks right off the driveway and no one cares because they are all doing the same thing.  You can basically look out your window and watch huge firework displays in every direction.  It actually got pretty stormy  on  the 4th so we had a mock BBQ with  friends up at the church. The kids still had plenty of room to run and play so they didn't mind. 

Mylee and Skipper in their 4th of July attire

Thank you to all those who make it possible for us to celebrate our freedom. 

New Home!!!!

We are FINALLY settled.  I forgot how absolutely wonderful it is to have a home. I am never ever going to take it for granted again.  We arrived about 2 weeks ago and I'm still unpacking, not because we lots of stuff but because we had no furniture to store our stuff in.  We got rid of all our furniture in Phoenix so we had to start from scratch. Luckily we found some really good deals and now I have couches, beds, a dining table, and bookcases.  Slowly but surely we'll make this house a home.  Austin let me paint too and I have to say it does look pretty good. I can't wait to actually put stuff on the wall. 

Mylee is loving her new room, and she even has some toys in there now.  She can finally have a semi normal life now.  We've made some awesome friends and they've made us feel so welcome.   Well here are some graduation pictures  I'm finally posting. It's sooooooo nice to be done with school and we are all so proud of Austin and all his hard work these last 4 years.  

Doctor in the House!!!

Bloggin' in the Bahamas

So I was just killin time on the beach in the Bahamas when I thought " Gee, I should probably update my blog since it's been like forever !!"  So that's what I'm doing.   It's been pretty crazy these last few weeks so I'll just do a photo montage of our last crazy month.

First, we had to leave all our wonderful new friends in Texas and head home to Utah

( I love you girls!!!)

Then Mylee was finally reunited with her one and only cousin Andrew. 

They've had so much fun getting to know each other.

These are pix from our Family Reunion. This is why I went home early in the first place, so I could lend a helping hand to my mother who was in charge of it this year. 

Oh, and did I mention my little sis is engaged,  this is her man coloring with Mylee.

Of coarse with all the family home we had to take a few family pix.

As soon as Austin got home from Texas we left on a much needed getaway to Florida and the Bahamas, just the two of us!!!

We did the whole Disney and Universal thing and then took a four day trip to the Bahamas.

This was my first time snorkeling, swimming with the fishees.

I got my Bahamas sun burn, so I'm ready to get back home to my baby girl. 

I'm so glad we got to do this though. It's probably going to be the last vacation for a while. 

Preemie Prima-Donna

The other day I just had to laugh at my little "prima-dona".  She was just too cute with her little pooch purse and her other purse and her "attitude" walk.  I just hope this isn't a foreshadow of  her teen years. 

Late Easter Post

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We woke up to a beautiful Easter Sunday. We planned an Easter Picnic that afternoon with our friends and Mylee went on her first official Easter Egg Hunt all by herself.  She loved finding the eggs hidden in the grass and flowers. It's family moments like this that remind me how grateful I am to have  a loving Heavenly Father who created a plan that allows me to be with my family for all eternity, and I know that this would not have been possible without the atonement and resurrection of His son, Jesus Christ. And that's what Easter is really about. 

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