New Member of Our Family, Buddy

Couple of weeks ago we had to say bye to our beloved dog, Coco. Since then we have been overcome with so much grief... I know we'll never be able to replace him, but we found and adopted another dog. Lizzy researched day and night on-line for another dog. She wanted a Yorkie... I don't know why, but that's what she wanted. I found a Yorkie mix on Craigslist.

Buddy is a 5 year old Yorkie mix. His past owner says he's Yorkshire Terrier & Jack Russel Terrier mix... I don't know. I don't see the Jack Russel in him... What do you think? One of our friend thinks he has some Maltese in him. I've seen some pictures of Yorketts (Yorkie & ShihTzu), Morkies (Maltese & Yorkie), and Yorkie-Poos (Yorkie & Poodle). I can't tell... they all look alike. He's about 10 pounds, and very inquisitive. He's been adjusting great! He's even won over Eddie & Chris! Eddie is a BIG dog person... he thinks little dogs are too "sissy". And Chris didn't even want a dog... either one of them... but Buddy likes to just sit on his lap and look up at him, with that irresistible look. He is a cutie!

Here's Buddy...

Lizzy with Buddy...
She was extremely distraught after we lost Coco.
She's in love again.

My brother sent this video clip. Gotta admit... it's amazing! Enjoy!

Thank you for watching over us...

Over the last 36 hours I have been holding my breathe and praying continuously. As most people know Southern California is notorious for their "fire season", especially when Santa Ana winds pick up. Well, I had a frantic phone conversation with my mom on Monday morning as she was packing up for evacuation from her house... Yes! Her neighborhood was being evacuated because of the fire in the San Diego County. She couldn't think straight... didn't know what she needed to pack. After gathering few important documents and pictures she headed up North towards my sister's house in Temecula. Dad had to stop by post office and was supposed to meet up with her. On her way to my sister's house they closed the freeway... Fallbrook was also in flames! She got off the freeway along with all the other evacuees, and attempted to call my dad... but she couldn't reach him. She was panicking! She didn't know what to do. After some time she was able to reach him and met up with him again. They had to turn around and go up another route. After maneuvering through some back roads they arrived at my sister's house... 4 hour later! At least they had somewhere they could evacuate to. Many San Diego residents were homeless...

Then just before midnight I got another phone call. They were driving away from my sister's house. Hills around her house was now on fire! They didn't even get to grab change of clothes... they just got in the car and drove down the hill. They were fortunate, again, that they had another place to go to... my brother-in-law's office in Temecula. This is where they have been until this evening... They were fortunate enough to have a safe place to stay. There they stayed all day, waiting for some news.

God must've heard all of our prayers. My sister's family was allowed to return back to her home tonight. All the hills around their house have burned down, but their house was not touched! They are okay. My parents have also heard that they can return back to their home. They will leave in the morning. Apparently their house was also spared. Many neighbors in both my sisters' and parents' home have burned down. We are thankful and feel blessed!

Goodbye Coco

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to Coco.

Our kids have wanted to have a dog for many years... and after giving excuses after excuses we finally gave in. We adopted Coco from the shelter in June of 2006 because Lizzy wanted to rescue an unwanted dog, to give him love and care that they deserved. After negotiating a bit (Eddie wanted a "manly" dog, and I wanted a small dog) we compromised on a medium sized dog... Black Border Collie Mix puppy they had at the shelter. I was hesitant to have a dog at all... after all I already had 4 kids to take care of.

Coco, soon after we brought him home

Coco with the five of us... Eddie's behind the camera

We took him to puppy obedience school, took him with us when we traveled to Southern California to visit our family... he was a good dog. He didn't bark, was house broken, went into his crate when it was time for him to go to bed... but over the last couple of months he started showing some aggression towards kids... at first it was just a playful jumping on Rachel (he never jumped on anyone else). He would growl at strangers, but we expected that. Then unthinkable happened. He bit our neighbor girl. It was a light bite, but nevertheless it was a bite. Little by little I think we saw that he was showing more aggression towards children... but we fooled ourselves into thinking we could keep it under control. This past Sunday while our friends were visiting he did it again... he bit a child.

It was the most heart-wrenching thing I had to do... to take him back and surrender him. Until yesterday I did not realize how much Coco had become part of my life. Such mixture of emotion... from feeling guilty for not being a better master, for not training him better... he was always next to me while I cooked, played piano... or sitting by my feet while I watched T.V. or folding laundry. Over time he's become such a part of our family. He was always so happy to be with us. He was only 1-1/2 years old! We had him since he was just few weeks old... I'm so sorry Coco. We Love You and Miss You!

Homecoming 2007
Rio Americano High School

Just this past Saturday night our oldest son Christopher attended his first Homecoming Dance. He finally decided to ask one of his classmate, Alex, the week of the dance... Not only did she say yes, but asked if Susana could come along too. So on Saturday night, Chris had two date for his first High School Dance. All three of them went to Jr. High School together, so they knew they would have a blast.

Alex, Chris & Suzanna in front of Buca di Beppo. There they met up with several other friends for dinner before the dance.

After dinner when I went to pick them up to take them to the dance, Chris managed to offer few more ladies ride. Smooth Chris... hmmm.. I wonder where he gets that from?

Here's Chris with all of the ladies... (from left to right) Allison, Samantha, Alex, Chris, Suzanna and Carman. They are all Rio students except for Suzanna who attends Loretto High School. They danced from 9pm to midnight... he was dropped off by Alex & Suzanna... boy, you should've seen the grin on his face...

Eddie's New Toy ...
'69 VW Transporter Bus

What do men do when they have spare time and money? They buy toys! Most men will buy something fast and flashy, but not my guy. Eddie likes old and classy... old cars, old music, and yes, older woman... So why should I have been surprised at this purchase? Well, he's been looking at old VW's for a while, but I didn't think he'd really do it. I mean, why? His reply..."why not?" So while grabbing a bite to eat at Rubio's last weekend, he saw a guy pull into the parking lot with the "For Sale" sign on this bus. Both Eddie & Chris went out to check it out... talk to the guy... write down the info... they both LOVED it. Eddie plans on fixing it up... retro style... repaint the exterior... interior is all stripped and ready to be worked on. Yes, it runs... slow, but it runs. I will post the "after" photos once it is completed. We have an appointment next week with the VW specialist.

The previous owner had already started working on the car's exterior... you can see that he has smooth out the body... although we are going to have to repaint it. peach/black matte color just isn't doing it for me.

You can see that we need much more work done inside. However, we were told that it's much easier and cheaper to work on it than we first thought! Eddie works with couple of Old VW aficionado! That's one of the reason why Eddie felt comfortable purchasing this project. They both told Eddie that they would help him. Now visualize a retro, L shaped bench... with a removable table... think "diner"!

For now it sit on our driveway... waiting for its EXTREME MAKEOVER. We'll definitely keep you posted!

AMATEUR TRANSPLANTS: Anaesthetists Hymn LIVE

Too Funny! We got a kick out of it, especially about crosswords puzzle and sudoku because Eddie has been known to take the Sunday paper to work... and finish ALL puzzles!

Lunch with OT x 3

Today we had lunch at Lemon Grass Grill... was supposed to be girls lunch, but the boys decided to join us. I guess they felt left out! It was fine... they are fun to be with. I met up with Tayler (& Dave), Lisa (Danny & Ava), and Tina (Ben is deployed). It's just funny... because all three girls are OT's! I had lunch with three OT's!

This is Dave & Tayler... they just moved up to Sacramento at the end of July. They are proud parents of three beautiful children; Allison, Andrew & Ava.

This is Lisa, Danny & Ava (yes, same name as Tayler's daughter). They just moved up in August. Danny is originally from Canada.

This is Tina Goo... her husband, Ben Park, is currently deployed and could not join us. I met her through her sister, Julie Goo. Julie was Eddie's classmate from LLUSM. Tina is also from Canada.

I really enjoy spending time with these girls. They are fun to be with, and makes me feel much younger and alive. Thank you girls! We MUST do it again, SOON!

Rachel, the Gymnast?

As you know, I make sure my kids stay very physical active (could it be over-compensation for their mom?). We have tried many different kind of activities, each in efforts to find the perfect activity for that child without extending myself out too much. Rachel has always been a bundle of energy. In fact she has many nicknames... energizer bunny, hurricane Rachel, you name it... she has THAT much energy. She can't even sit still for her meals... always fidgeting, moving around... on top of that she's one STRONG girl. She can lift up her brothers & sister. She's just 8 years old, not even 4 ft. tall, and under 50 pounds and she can lift up Chris who is 5'7" and almost 120 pounds! She's strong! Plus she's always climbing things... when she was just 1-1/2 years old I found her on the TOP of the piano! an upright grand piano! Yikes!

As a toddler I used to take Rachel & Lizzy to our neighborhood community center for their tap/ballet class... she enjoyed it, but it wasn't enough for her, but she managed to keep herself busy... after all she has 3 older siblings! But last year after a repeated request from me to stop tumbling in our family room (our WHOLE house is hardwood floor) I decided that it may be safer for her to learn to tumble in a safer environment... and she would also learn to do it properly. So one day in January 2007 I took both girls in for their "free session". Rachel LOVED it! Lizzy wasn't too sure it was for her, besides she was already in TONS of extracurricular activities.

Rachel has been going to Pozsar's Gymnastics since February of this year (once a week). She loves going to gymnastics. It's an old, converted market... with high ceilings, etc. I didn't know it at the time, but Geza Pozsar, the owner of the gym, is a famous coach. Pozsar defected to the United states with Bela Karolyi in 1980 during the Nadia Commaneci exhibition tour. He was the team choreographer for the gold medal-winning women's Olympic team. Geza participated in four Olympics and eight World Championships as a member of the coaching staff for Romanian and American teams. And to think that Rachel is training in his gym... how cool is that!

Today she was just promoted to level 3... that's the highest level for recreational gymnastic program here. Starting level 4 it's at a competitive level... I'm not sure about that. We'll see. For now she's enjoying gymnastics and I like the fact that she eats so well afterwards. So will you see her in the future Olympics? Only time will tell...

Happy 10th Birthday Lizzy!

Our third child, Elizabeth Sarah Choi, was born on September 25th, 1997 in Loma Linda University Medical Center via C-section. She was our first girl and was a petite 6 lb. 12 oz. baby. She, like her brothers before her, went into preterm labor but with the help of drugs & bedrest was delivered full-term (39 weeks). From the moment she was born, she was different... she looked a lot like her brother, Jeffrey, but more feminine and delicate. It's hard to imagine that it's been 10 years! She's double-digits! Wow! Anyhow, we celebrated her birthday over the weekend at our local bowling alley (Country Club Lanes). We had a blast playing glo-bowling, eating pizza & soda lunch followed by cake & ice-cream, and playing arcade games. It was a blast! Friends from both school and church came to celebrate with her.

Here's Lizzy... make a wish!

Beautiful cake

Alright... let the games begin!

Here's Lizzy rolling her first ball

Lizzy with her friends Brynne & Courtney

I think the ball is too heavy for Rachel

Erin, Rachel and Courtney waiting for Miranda to bowl
(she's on the left side of the frame)

In one other lane, Chris & Jeff bowled with Joanne, Jane & Esther

Chris, Joanne & Jane... I think they had fun too!

Aly getting ready to bowl

Group photo...

Birthday girl, Lizzy!

Our neighbors... Miranda, Aly & Erin

After lunch all the kids got a handful of tokens and headed into the Arcade... how fun!

Happy 10th Birthday Lizzy!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

That basically describes my life. Yes, I'm glad that all the kids are back at school and I have a moment to myself, but those hours seem to disappear in a blink of an eye! I don't know how? One minute I drop them off, a cup of coffee and few e-mails later it's already noon! Then couple of errands later I'm already picking them all up! It's when they are done with school that life become chaotic again. This is pretty much how my day looks like...

• 6:40am... get up... start packing lunch for kids
• 6:50am... Jeffrey gets up... feed the dog... gets ready for school
• 7:00am... Chris gets up... gets ready for school
• 7:10am... Chris & Jeff eats breakfast
• 7:20am... Jeffrey leaves for school (he carpools with our neighbor... whew!)
• 7:30am... Girls get up and start getting ready while I take Chris to school
• 8:00am... Girls eat breakfast
• 8:20am... drive girls to school
• 8:35am... I'm back home... I FINALLY get to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water, and maybe some breakfast... take care of some bills... take care of some soccer stuff (I manage a soccer team)... make some business calls... check e-mails... read papers kids brought home the night before... you get the picture... do a load of wash... load up the dishwasher... maybe grocery shop, or buy supplies kids need for school... on a rare occasion maybe lunch with other moms...
• 2:40pm... Jeffrey out of school... rides home with neighbor (whew, again!)
• 3:00pm... pick up girls along with our neighbor. Once a week Lizzy stays after school for Band, in which case I will be back in 40 minutes to pick her up.
  
• 3:30pm... after a brief break, kids start on their homework. depending on the day Chris is either practicing soccer after school or playing a game against another school... Once a week all the kids will have to go to piano lesson (on two separate days)
• 6:00pm... Jeff, Lizzy & Rachel goes to soccer practices on Monday & Wednesday... Rachel goes to Gymnastics on Thursday...
• 7:00 - 7:30pm... everyone is FINALLY home... takes a shower
• 8:00pm... we finally get our dinner... then kids finish up their homework and whatever else they may need to do... did I forget piano practice? or flute? or oboe?
  
• 9:00 - 10:00pm... everyone to bed...
  

After 10pm... I try to get some laundry done, clean up the house, veg out in front of the t.v., trying to catch up on some news... check the e-mail again...Well, that's my life in a nutshell. So if I haven't been particularly good about updating my blog, now you know why.

Yea! Another School Year Has Begun!

Yes, it has FINALLY come. School year has just begun... and I get a break! Getting up early this morning was made even more difficult because we just drove back home yesterday from Grandma Song's Birthday Party in Southern California. It was just one of four time we drove down to San Diego area this summer alone! Anyhow, with some nudging I was able to get all four of them off the school on-time (no small task may I add). This year, however, was made easier because Christopher chose to go to the High School closer to our house. Also even though our kids go to three different schools it's not as crazy as it looks. We are very fortunate to have a wonderful neighbor, Barr family, who we carpool with. They do Arden MS and I do Mariemont. It works out BEAUTIFULLY!

Yes! Christopher is now in High School. Can you believe it? He started 9th grade today at Rio Americano High School. Most of his old buddies from Churchill Middle School is going to another High School, Mira Loma High School, but he chose not to continue with IB program.

Jeffrey is continuing at his current school, Arden Middle School, as an 8th grader. He is enrolled in the HA (High Achiever) program. I am excited for him, and I know he'll do well

Girls are also continuing at their current school, Mariemont Elementary School. Lizzy is starting 5th grade with Mr. Violette and Rachel is starting 3rd grade with Mrs. Carson. I think that they have a great year ahead for them this year. I'm very excited for them all, and look forward to all the learning and growing they will do.

Happy 70th Birthday

Grandma Song

August 18, 2007

This past Saturday was my mother's 70th Birthday. We all drove down to Temecula (Eddie flew down later) to spend the Sabbath/Birthday with them. It all started out with the Sabbath Worship at Temecula Korean SDA Church, followed by a luncheon at my sister's house. Eddie thinks that we easily had about 120 people there, if not more. Many of mom's friends came to celebrate with her.

Mom & Dad Cutting The Birthday Cake

This is our massive Cho Clan

Mom with some of her old friends


Mom with her High School Classmates

Helen, Mom & Me with Mom's old High School Classmate
(Sam Oh's Mom)

Helen & Me with Mrs. Cho
(Wife of Our Dad's BFF & Mom of Sue, Sam & Josh Cho)

Helen & Me with Mrs. Bae
(Our Mom's High School Classmate's Wife and
Mother of our friends Richard, Scott & Steve Bae)

Dad with his partner in Crime...

Mr. Sang-Moon Cho
They have been best friends since childhood...
He's the father of Sue, Sam & Joshua Cho

Brief word & prayer before lunch

Lunch Buffet Line


Second Table of Food

Ladies in the kitchen... trying to look busy... hehe

From left to right...
Auntie Myung-Ja, Grace, Mom, Lauren, Helen & Auntie Seung-Ja

Some of Temecula Church Members

Mom's friends from LA Area

Three Sisters...
Auntie Seung-Ja, Mom, and Auntie Myung-Ja

And Two Brothers...
Uncle Kwan-Ku & Uncle Sung-Ku

Uncle Kwan-Ku with his grandson, Justin

Cousin Kevin on the Drum Set
(He's Justin's Dad)

Auntie Cho (Uncle Sung-Ku's wife),
Catherine & Baby Kayla

Cousins... from left to right
Janie, Lauren, Minju & Bernard

Cousin Dylan with his girlfriend Aileen

Mom with my brother Curtis (He took all these pictures!)

Last but not least... all the grand kids

(from left to right)
(back row) Taylin, Christopher
(front row) Jeffrey, Matthew, Elizabeth, Kayla & Rachel