A letter to the low lifes...

To the horrible awful Thieves out there somewhere,

I just want to say that I am completely disgusted at your audacity to come into a peaceful neighborhood and strip car parts off my husbands truck. I am so mad at you and although I know you won't see this letter, I need to write it anyway. You may think the people you rob are covered by their insurance, and that you are really not doing very much harm, but you are wrong. While we have insurance it still is going to cost us $500. To put that into perspective for you that is more than ONE YEAR worth of diapers for our one year old little boy! It is more than one months worth of groceries you took out of our cupboards! The $500 we just saved ourselves by paying off a credit card early is gone! It is not only the material things you took from us, you also robbed us of feeling comfortable in our own home. I don't like knowing you were right in front of our house. Why don't you do what my husband does and EARN your money, instead of taking it from others who have to actually work hard for it?! No, instead you have the arrogance to steal car parts from every day people and melt the parts down for any gold and platinum they contain. I'm scared to even replace the parts for fear that you'll return next month and just take the new parts. Just so you know we contacted the police, they know you drive a Ford Explorer, and maybe next time they'll catch you. You are absolutely worthless and I wish you didn't exist!

Your victims,
The Shong family

Earth Hour is TONIGHT!!

Just wanted to share

This is taken from the website www.earthhour.org :

"On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. This massive collective effort reduced Sydney's energy consumption by 10.2% for one hour, which is the equivalent effect of taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year.

With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off, and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement."

TONIGHT we'll be turning off all our lights, we'll be reading books by candle light and playing flashlight tag from 8-9! Be a tree hugger and join us, you know you want to :)

Oh, Arizona...

Easter was a wonderful time complete with egg dyeing, Easter baskets, egg hunts, church, and a nice family dinner. We miss Arizona so much. We got back and the cool breezy weather was less than refreshing, we miss the sunny 80 degree weather we enjoyed for four days. Of course the end of March and into April is the prime time to be in Arizona. I'm sure if we had been roasting in Arizona in the middle of July for 4 days the bay area weather would be very refreshing. But more than the weather of course we miss "Pa", my grandpa and my kids great grandpa. We miss him insisting on us eating just one more pancake. We miss his voice. When he says your name you're sure you are just the most important grandchild he has. I'm sure each of his 20 grandchildren feel this way and I'm no different. And of course we miss his excitement over the tiniest pleasure, like ice cream cones. We also got to enjoy time with my Uncle Mike. He's so willing to help and love sharing his knowledge of space. We were treated to an excellent view of the stars when he got out his 6 foot tall telescope!
On Monday we packed in a lot of activities. We started out by visiting my grandmothers grave. It was the first time I got to see her headstone and I was reminded of how long she's been gone. None of my kids got to meet her. I know Pa misses her a lot too. After that we took a turn for fun and went to the community pool. Mia had a blast and did some pretty creative jumps off the diving board. Kai wasn't feeling well, but he still was able to enjoy himself. He's so much better in the water since he started swim lessons. It was great splashing around and soaking up some warm sun. When the pool "visitor hours" were over, we headed home for lunch. It wasn't long until Aaron and I headed out again and were off for a few hours much needed hours at a day spa. Can I just say pure BLISS! No kids, quiet, relaxing, someone massaging all our cares away. It was awesome. Three hours later we walked out and it was still warm and sunny and we strolled around before heading home for dinner. It was hard walking through the door knowing all the energy that was behind it, but time away always makes you appreciate your kids a little more even if it is just a few hours.
It was great having Aaron around for a few solid days and he looked much more relaxed by the time it was time to go. Another positive not was that the kids were GREAT on the airplane both ways.

Happy Easter!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter! We are meeting up with my parents in Arizona to visit my 90 year old grandpa. He is such a dear sweet man and we are hoping this trip will provide lasting memories of him, especially for Mia. We wish we could see him more, but are so grateful to have this opportunity to spend time with him and my parents. So wish us luck on the plane, we really hoping to not be "that family" with the screaming kids. Again Happy Easter to all! 1Corinthians 15:22

Spotlight

So I was realizing that many of you have no idea who Aaron is. I talk constantly about myself and the kids, and thought it was time to talk about the guy behind the Shong name. Aaron is a wonderful, hard working guy. He has a great sense of humor and can get along with just about everyone he runs into. He does have a stubborn streak, although, it usually only comes out at me, his parents or his day job boss.
Aaron was born and raised in San Mateo. He became a big brother when he was just 13 months old (Irish twins), and I thought my boys with an 18 month gap was close! His parents and sister live just 3 miles away from us. He also has a lot of cousins in the area. His mom was also born and raised in San Mateo. His dad is from Fresno and gives Aaron his cool ethnic backround of Mexican, Korean and Hawaiian I must say our kids tan beautifully thanks to him! Noah looks so much like Aaron when he was a baby it's scary.

Growing up Aaron suffered from severe asthma and allergies. As a result he missed lots of school and was always sick during the holidays.
Aaron was brought up Catholic. He went to St. Matthew's Elementary and was also an alter boy there. He stopped attending after high school just getting caught up with college and friends. Although to this day it's a tradition for him to go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. It is a really beautiful service.

Despite asthma, Aaron was pretty athletic. He played soccer, baseball and basketball through middle school. He also began water skiing in middle school on family boat trips. In high school he ran track and field and cross country and was really good. He was asked to be on the College of San Mateo cross country team, which made his mom happy because that meant he wasn't going far away to college. Aaron also loves watching "his" 49ers and Warriors, he's a fan through thick and thin baby!


Before his high school graduation he was in what should have been a fatal car accident and it really altered his outlook on life. He was riding in the front seat of his friend's car with no seat
belt because it was broken. They were clipped by a merging car which sent them spinning into the divider wall. Aaron went through the windshield and was pushed back into the car by the inertia of it all. They were hit again and this time his head went through the passenger window. So if he seems a little kooky at times, he has a really good excuse. No, but honestly he was tested for drugs and alcohol because the doctors couldn't believe his neck wouldn't have broken without being drunk or high-he wasn't. His jaw had to be wired shut and his mom fed him through a turkey baster for weeks. If you look closely you can see scars from his forehead down to his chin. Surprisingly he has a really good memory of the whole ordeal, but sometimes I think he wishes he had just blacked out. Anyway, it made him become a seatbelt advocate. No excuse you give him regarding not wearing a seatbelt is acceptable. This is the Shong family circa 1995.


Something else that greatly shaped his life are his friends. He has had the same friends since kindergarten. His mom has a picture of them graduating kindergarten and a picture of them in the same line up graduating high school and he still talks to every single one of them today. They are a really good group of guys and I'm happy to call them my friends now as well. Here they are at our house a couple Christmases ago. There are two guys missing, but it's as good as we could get since they are now spread out all over the US. They are the type of guys I hope and pray my boys will fall into friendships with.

Aaron has a deep love of nature and the outdoors. He grew up camping and boating so it was his dream come true when he was hired to work in Yosemite as part of the bus maintenance crew for the '96 summer season. He went back in the summer of '97, but left early when a job opened up in the Parks & Recreation Dept. for the City of San Mateo. Recreation was going to be his major so he went for it. In the fall of '97 someone new was also hired at the same recreation center, yep, me. Little did we know we would wind up married 3 years later, especially since both of our first impressions of each other were "not my type". After a lot of harmless flirting, we began dating in the winter of '98 and haven't looked back since. This is a picture of us at the recreation center BEFORE we were dating.

When we got engaged he started realizing that a college degree was not the route he wanted to take and took a job as a heavy machinery mechanic with the City of San Mateo Public Works Dept. There he works with his dad every day who is one of the Sr. mechanics. They work on stuff like boilers, pumps, engines, and I don't know what else, I usually start nodding off as soon as he starts talking about it. How supportive am I?! We were married in Sept. of 2000 at a beautiful park in northern California surrounded by friends and family. He joined the church that I was brought up in, in February 2001. He was really drawn to the plan of salvation (families and marriage can be forever) and the fact that the church doesn't believe you are condemned to hell if you aren't baptized in this life. Some of Aaron's greatest qualities are his genuine heart, his deep devotion to his family and friends and his hard work ethic. Many of you know he works two full time jobs to provide for our family. Not only is he a mechanic by day, but by night he is a ramp supervisor at SFO. It didn't start out as a full time gig, but he was promoted through the ranks quickly. It was more pay, but more hours as well, I preferred the less pay, less hours option, but the "man" in him couldn't turn the promotions down. How he gets by on the sleep he gets is beyond me. Aaron loves being a dad, and does it all for his three rascals. Honestly each time I've gotten pregnant, he's been more excited than me-maybe because he's the one who's not pregnant :) It's his laid back, happy, go lucky attitude that balances us out as a couple so well. I feel very fortunate that our paths crossed and that they are now forever intertwined. HMMM, I wonder if he feels the same?!

Best gift ever!

Okay, so today was a pretty good day. As a gift to myself I didn't clean up anything around the house except for when Kai dumped the box of Better Cheddars out. I let everything lay where it fell and boy do I have a mess to clean up tomorrow! I can't believe I'm going to put these up, but I took pictures of my house and how it looks when I don't go around and pick up all the little messes. I didn't even believe how much picking up I do throughout the day until I starting taking these pictures.

Even though it was nice to not pick up all day long, it wasn't the best gift ever I was eluding to in the title. No, the best gift came from my little 5 3/4 year old daughter. She completely picked it out on her own when Aaron took her to the mall. He actually said she agonized over it, going back and forth. When I opened it and saw what she had given me, I wanted to burst out laughing, but then I realized how wonderful this gift must have seemed to a nearly six year old girl. I could just see the excitement in her eyes as I unwrapped each bauble. Everything was very fancy and if I'm going to a prom anytime soon, I'm set!



I know some of you will appreciate this more than others (Rebecca), but can you just picture this sweet little girl picking out all this fascinating jewelry for her mom? When I think about that it's so hard to consider taking it back, but really when am I going to wear any of it. So I'll probably keep two things and take the rest back. So what should I keep?

Thanks mom!

Just had to say thanks to the lady that made me possible. Yep, I turn 29 today and wish it was 30, everyone tells me those are the best years and I'M READY for that!


A more exciting post is coming. Just had to do a birthday dance for myself.