The Anthonys

Pregnancy So Far

2011-05-07T16:22:00.001-07:00

I am officially in my third trimester at about 30 weeks. I know that I haven't posted much throughout the pregnancy but there isn't really much to say. My doctor tells me that I am having the perfect pregnancy (knock on wood). Everything is going great! Since my first trimester I have had no morning sickness, no stretchmarks, and passed the glucose test. Sorry about not posting pictures either (I have been taking pictures of my growing belly) but I cannot find the connector cord for the computer. So as soon as I find it I will post some pictures.
Joseph and I recently took our child birthing classes and boy was that very informative. We went in knowing a lot about labor and delivery but those videos that they show were gross! If you know me then you know that I don't do so well with blood, pain and needles; so as soon as they started showing the baby crowning and coming out I closed my eyes. I know how it works in theory so I don't feel that I need to see it. We also went to a car seat safety class which we really enjoyed. It was very informative and very very useful! After the class we both felt very confident that we knew how to properly install the car seat and buckle baby into it safely.
One of the things that I have enjoyed about being pregnant and working with kids are the things they say or how they react to me being pregnant. They always crack me up! My first pregnancy comment for a kid came during my second trimester after I had "popped". This first grader said, "Mrs. Anthony, your tummy looks big and it never looks big." I replied, "That's because I'm having a baby." He looked shocked and said, "You're pregnant!" I told him that I was and he went inside the classroom where he was telling all the other students in our reading class. Another funny comment from another first grader came this last week. He came up to me and started staring at my tummy and circling me. He said, "Why is your tummy so big?" I said, "There's a baby in there." He kept circling me and said, "But why is your tummy so big?" I repeated, "Because there is a baby in there." He kept circling and said, "You're married?" I replied, "Yes I am." Then he stopped and left. These two boys were just too funny.
In the next two months and a half months there are things to look forward to: baby showers, getting baby gear and clothes and maternity pictures. More to come!

It is no longer a mystery

2011-03-06T09:16:00.000-08:00

This last week has been crazy! Joseph and I went in for an ultrasound on Wednesday to learn the sex of the baby but also to take all those measurements that the doctor makes to make sure the baby is growing and everything is developing. Well when it finally came time to tell us the sex our baby was asleep with its legs crossed. Not what we wanted. The ultrasound technician was just like, "Oh well." I asked her if there was anything we could do to move the baby like jump around or drink more water. Anything to make the baby move. She simply said, "No, the baby will move if it wants to move." So we left feeling very disappointed that baby would not cooperate. So after a couple of days Joseph and I decided that we would go pay for another ultrasound at a place where some of our friends had been to find out the sex of their babies. So yesterday was the big day. I drank so much sugary drinks so that the baby would not be asleep. This time baby was still asleep but it was in the perfect position for the ultrasound technician to see what the sex was.

IT'S A GIRL!

We are very excited to be welcoming in a little girl! Now it is time to pull out the pink and the frilly outfits and accessories!

In case you haven't heard...

2011-01-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

I'm pregnant!

Joseph and I are very excited to be announcing that we are expecting our first bundle of joy July 20, 2011. It's been a little hard to wrap our heads around the fact that we are going to be parents. I am now about 16 weeks and I am feeling great.

15 weeks

I have finally gotten over the morning sickness stage and life is going great. We are excited to find out the sex of the baby in a couple of weeks. Joseph wants a boy, of course, and I would really be happy with which ever I got. I have been busy looking up old wives tales and the Chinese gender chart. Here is what I have come up with...

Chinese Gender Chart: Boy

Heart Beat is 162: Girl

Carrying Baby Low: Boy

Mother's Age and Conception Date is Even: Boy

Craving Sweets: Girl

Rest on the Left Side: Boy

Those are just a few I have been reading and hearing about a lot. On the Shinoda side all the grandchildren who have had kids so far were the opposite sex of the grandchild; so all the boy grandchildren had girls and all the girl grandchildren had boys as their first child. So going along with the pattern I should have a boy. But whatever it is we will be happy to have it. I put a poll in the right column for our friends and family to vote and predict what we are having. I will be 20 weeks the second week of March so that is when the closing date is. Start voting! We are interested in seeing what everyone thinks we are having.

GRADUATION!

2010-05-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well I finally did it. I graduated last weekend with my Master's in Teaching with an emphasis in Elementary Education. It was really fun and the weather was perfect. It was overcast but still a little warm. The sun stayed away for the whole time. My parents came along with some family. My siblings (Erin and Markie) were not able to make it since they are in Utah. Joseph and my dad took all the pictures. Don't they look great?! Here are some pictures from the day.

Uncle Tom and I

Sitting at graduation

My parents and I

Joseph and I

My friends (Left to right: Ivy, Cindy, Michelle and Jessica) minus Jen

Shinoda Family Pictures

2009-12-30T18:28:00.001-08:00

Japanese John Wayne

2009-09-29T19:44:00.001-07:00

So this a week ago today my Grandpa Jimmy Shinoda passed away. It was a very sad time for my family but I feel so lucky that I was able to say my goodbyes before he passed unlike some of my other cousins and sibling. Between the time he passed and the funeral I was in charge of creating two poster boards. One board was a timeline of his life through pictures and the other poster had everyone's memories of grandpa Jimmy. I would like to take a moment to share some of the memories people shared.

The first one is mine...
One of the things I loved about Grandpa was his sense of humor and his creativity. Every Christmas and birthday Grandpa would come up with awesome gift wrapping ideas. He never used the typical wrapping paper, ribbon or even scotch tape. Instead he used super glue, packing tape, bubble wrap, warehouse boxes or other miscellaneous things he found. It was always an adventure trying to open up our gifts. I could tell that Grandpa always got a kick out of watching us try as hard as we could to get our presents out of the mess he called wrapping. One of his most memorable gift wrapping ideas was when he put a fifty dollar bill and some change into a little cookie tin and super glued the top on. I think that was his best because I remember trying to open up this small tin for 20 minutes so I could get my money. It wasn't until my dad got out some pliers that we were able to open it. I'm sure that in Grandpa's mind he thought that I had cheated because I didn't technically open the tin by myself.
After many years of Grandpa's gift wrapping I thought that it would be funny if I came up with my own creative wrapping for Grandpa's birthday present. I had bought Grandpa a pair of Rainbow sandals (since he tried on mine and loved them) and thought it would be hilarious to put them in a grocery bag and then put bubble wrap around that. Then for the final touch I wrapped packing tape around the whole thing. I was very proud of myself and I gave Grandpa his present thinking it was soooo funny. But Grandpa showed me that I shouldn't mess with the master because he whipped out his pocket knife and cut a big slit in the side and pulled out the sandals. I'm sure that at that point he was laughing on the inside at me and thinking, "Nice try." This one thing that I loved about Grandpa will definitely be something that I will try to incorporate into my gift giving at Christmas.

The next memory is from my cousin's fiancee Chris...
For the first day in a long time, the world is without Grandpa Jimmy Shinoda, aka Catherine’s Grandfather, James Shinoda.
And that is a damn shame.
So I thought I’d share a story about Grandpa Jimmy that will probably almost make me cry (EDIT: did. That’s twice in one year now) while writing and in subsequent readings of it. It’s not a sad story at all. It’s actually pretty awesome. But usually it’s the awesome stories that make you the saddest, because they remind you of how awesome something was that will never be again.
In 2006, I took my first trip out to meet Catherine’s family in California. I had never been to California, I was totally in to Catherine, and I was about to meet all the people that were important in her life. Needless to say, this was a big trip for me. We had also decided to tie-in a trip to the World Series of Poker so that I could play in a $1000 tournament. I get nervous for that tournament approximately 12 months in advance, so you know, no biggie.
Then I discovered that Catherine’s grandfather would be meeting us in Las Vegas. At this time, I barely knew Catherine’s mom, dad, sister, etc. let alone her grandfather. However, I did know that Grandpa was a big deal, and, like the godfather, if he thought I was cool, others would think that. Or at least that’s how I pictured it in my head.
I was really into this mohawk that I had at the time (photo not found), and the only thing I could think about when I arrived in Vegas was how I was going to make the final table of my tournament, I was going to get on TV, and I was going to have a mohawk while doing. How cool was I going to be?
I totally forgot that Grandpa Jimmy would be showing up at the tournament to meet Catherine, and that by meeting Catherine, I would be meeting him. Shortly after that, I realized that I had a mohawk, I was fairly shabbily dressed, I was playing in a poker tournament with a bunch of really really classy people who alternate between hurling things and obscenities, and I was playing with some of Catherine’s money since she had decided to help back such a classy guy like myself. I was also, of course, wearing shorts so that my tattoos were visible.
If I were Grandpa Jimmy, I probably would have punched me and rescued Catherine.
But he didn’t. He shook my hand and asked if we wanted to get something to eat. I was so wowed by this. Either Catherine had brought a slew of bad boyfriends before Grandpa Jimmy, and he was willing to accept whatever was put in front of him, or he was willing to judge me when he actually knew me.
As it turned out, I really hit the jackpot by meeting Grandpa Jimmy. I told Catherine later that I thought he was like John Wayne, if John Wayne were Japanese. He used to play poker in Vegas before every kid like me thought it was cool. He told me about playing 5 card draw in some of the casinos. Five card draw? Like, with six shooters too or just regular?
He said very little that night, but when he did, I was on the edge of my seat. And he had this walk. I can’t even explain it. I mean, he was John Wayne. That’s all I can say. In my mind, from that day on, I knew John Wayne, and he actually lived in Santa Ana, California, and he was Catherine’s grandfather. This is good.
Luckily for me, I got the chance to go back to Grandpa Jimmy’s house many times. In subsequent meetings, I learned that John Wayne liked to crack jokes, talked more than John Wayne and lots of other people do, and definitely enjoyed playing Spider Solitaire, almost as much as he loved being around his family. And even though Catherine thought my John Wayne assessment was way off, his house was the hub of activity for the whole family. I was definitely not the only one who thought Grandpa was cool.
I only knew Grandpa Jimmy for a few years, so I can imagine what the people who were close to him for a lifetime are feeling right now. I can only say that I have some sliver of understanding as to why you feel the way you do right now. I wish I could have known him longer.
Two things are certain. First, I will never cruise the strip in Vegas without thinking about him and that memorable first meeting. It’s hardly a bad thing to think of John Wayne when you’re in Vegas. And second, I’ll always remember to try to think like Grandpa Jimmy when my daughter or granddaughter brings a boy up for inspection.
I’m so glad he did that for me.

I love Chris' Japanese John Wayne reference! The last memory I wanted to put up was one of Joseph's...

Grandpa ate everything except for duck feet because it was too chewy. One night while on a business trip in Dallas Debbie, Bambi, Grandpa and I were eating at a Chinese restaurant with the family from Lin's. I am not a fan of seafood and with my luck I was not in control of my meal choices. For dinner we would be eating family style and one person decided what we were going to eat, which was mostly seafood. I turned down many dishes that were passed to me and I felt bad because I was a guest. One of the last dishes brought out was duck feet boiled and dipped in a very light almost tasteless vinegar sauce. I was offered one and I saw Grandpa take one so I said to myself, "If Grandpa has one then it is probably somewhat edible." So I took one.
Shortly after I took a duck foot Grandpa said that he couldn't eat it because it was too chewy so I was running solo in the game of Fear Factor. I was amoured with only chopsticks so I knew that I couldn't cut it into little pieces. The only way to eat it was to put the whole thing in my mouth. I was able to eat other gross things or 2 years in the Philippines but this was the worst thing I have ever eaten. There was no taste but the texture was so bad that just writing this still makes my stomach churn. As I broke down the cartilage broke but was incased by strong rubbery skin and I was forced to swallow it whole. As I chewed my eyes watered and I looked over at Grandpa. He was watching me with great enjoyment while I was about to puke. After dinner I asked him why he didn't eat the duck feet and he said, "I would never eat duck feet. It's gross." I was puking up all that night. I was sharing a room with Grandpa and he would wake up, eat a piece of hard candy and watch me go back and forth to the bathroom. Everytime he would look at me for the next couple of days he would smile and start chuckling. That was the last time I tried matching his food consumption.

Diamond Club

2009-08-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

On Friday night it was Mormon Night at the Angel's game and so of course we went with our friends Scott and Melinda. We were orignially going to sit with the season ticket holders in the outfield which are really good seats. Then when we were on our way to the game a couple who use to be in our ward called and said that they had four extra tickets to the game that night. Once we figured out where their tickets were somewhere along the bottom of the stadium we accepted the tickets. When we were coming in we realized that our friends were sitting the Diamond Club which is this exclusive area behind home plate on the bottom of the stadium. We were super excited to get to go there. It was a bad game but it was really fun to get to sit down there. They had a fancy restaruant and in-seat service. There were waiters to come and take your order and bring you food and drinks. But of course everything was super expensive. The whole experience was fun and a once-in-a-lifetime thing.

Wild Animal Park

2009-08-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

Last Monday Joseph, Jesse (Joseph's brother), Heather (Jesse's wife), Aprilon and I went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Joseph and I both have not been to the Wild Animal Park since we were like 5 years old. So we were really excited to go. If you haven't been to the Wild Animal Park I suggest you go because it is really awesome to get to see a bunch of animals roaming around together in one huge place in the park.
When we went we got there when it opened and headed straight for the tram which is the main attraction there. We were on the first tram of the day and it was very cool. All the animals were out because it was still cool outside. We saw so many animals like antelope, giraffes, cheetahs, wildebeests, zebras, tigers, condors, rhinos and many more! On the tram ride we saw baby animals being nursed by their mothers which was really cool. Everyone had a lot of fun even though it was like 100 degrees out there. Here is a great picture of Aprilon...he's holding a lorikeet.

13 hours at the beach

2009-07-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

So Joseph and I spent 13 hours at the beach last Saturday. Some of you may be asking yourselves why and here is the answer....

Joseph and I thought it would be fun to have a bonfire and cook hotdogs and s'mores. So we invited some of our friends to join us. In California this is an extremely popular thing to do during the summer so if you want a beach pit then you better be at the beach before 9am. So we did. Joseph and I spent the whole day at the beach together. It was a great day! It was sunny and warm with a slight breeze. The water was cool and refreshing. Around dinner time all our friends showed up for s'mores and a bonfire. By the time Joseph and I left we had been at the beach for 13 hours. Joseph was burnt in many places one his back where he could not reach to reapply his sunbock. I didn't get burnt at all! It was amazing!

Here are some pictures we took of the kids...

There's Lizzie (our niece) and Don (Joseph's older brother) playing in the waves. Here's Bella (niece) finding shells in the sand.

Here's Donny (nephew) and I hanging out on the blanket.Here's Donny (obviously a different Donny) eating a blueberry. He's so adorable.

And here is the teepee that Joseph build from broken down pallets (compliments of Shinoda's).

Honorary Citzens

2009-07-20T22:50:00.001-07:00

Joseph's friend from the Philippines is here! Aprilon is from the Philippines but has been living in Hawaii for the past three years. He has just finished his Bachelor's at BYU Hawaii and is trying to stay here for an extra year to work and gain experience in his field. Joseph decided to take him to Disneyland last Thursday. So we bought his ticket online which was great because then they didn't have to go to the box office. So I dropped them off at 8am when Disneyland opens on my way to work. Then later I met up with them at 6pm. Joseph ran Aprilon all over Disneyland and California Adventure. They had practically done everything by the time I got there. I went on Big Thunder Mountain with them but that's pretty much the only ride I went on. When I got there Joseph and I decided that we needed to get Aprilon a button that said 1st Visit. So we went to City Hall and got Aprilon a button but then the cast memeber asked if Joseph and I were showing him around and we replied, "Yes." After that response the cast member said that we needed special buttons too and our buttons said Honorary Citzen. Joseph and I felt very cool sporting our buttons. Later we watched the fireworks while we ate dinner and we were very disappointed when Tinkerbell and Dumbo did not come out during the fireworks due to a strong wind. Joseph and I had talked up Tinkerbell and Dumbo flying across the sky on this little wire and then they never showed up during the firework show. Then right after the fireworks we went straight to the lake for Fantasmic which was great because Joseph and I have not seen that show since we were like 7 years-old. On our way home we all came to the conclusion that we had a very successful day, we were all extremely tired and ready for bed.

24 Hours

2009-07-20T09:36:00.001-07:00

So last Tuesday I was up for almost 24 hours. It was not a great day. I woke up at 5:30am because I had Jury Duty in Santa Ana. This was my second time being summoned but my first time having to go to the courthouse. So after orientation they called people up for the trials that will take like 2-3 months. But right after that they called up the first group to the courtroom which I was in. When you are inside the courtroom you CANNOT do ANYTHING! No texting, reading, or computer. You just have to sit there and listen. I sat there all day until 5pm. I was never called up to the jury box or anything! I even had a bunch of stories and excuses to say so I wouldn't be put onto the jury. Well at least they cannot summon me for another 12 months.

Later I went to sit in line for Harry Potter with Erin and our friend Michelle. First of all I didn't really want to go see Harry Potter at midnight because I had Jury Duty but Erin convinced me to go with her. Go thing she did because after waiting in line for 6 hours Erin and I found out that our friends, Leola and Michelle, had tickets to the 12:05am showing and not the 12:01am showing like us. We were so bummed when we found this out. Overall though sitting in line with Michelle and Erin was fun. We played Harry Potter clue, spoke with English accents and read aloud Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Here is Michelle and I playing Harry Potter clue. It's a nice alternative to regular clue.

Here is Erin reading aloud in line.

Sister Picture

Overall the movie was good. There were some disappointing parts but it was funny and it got the main points of the series across.

Sunday Picnic

2009-07-13T20:26:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday our friends Scott and Melinda invited us to go on a picnic in Dana Point. So right after church we got our sandwiches, chips, drinks and potato salad ready and headed off to Dana Point Harbor. We ate lunch and then we played some croquet and bocce ball.

Here is Joseph and Melinda playing croquet

Here I am trying to hit my ball towards a hoop.

Can you believe this guy?!

2009-07-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

In case no one has been watching this season of the Bachelorette this guy is a jerk! He came on the show to promote his country singing career and he had a girlfriend! I cannot believe that he stayed on the show until the final four! There were many other guys who were more worthy of the Bachelorette's time then him. He is the new scum of the Earth!

I went to Utah and came home with this...

2009-06-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

Cellulitus

which is an infection with severe inflammation in your skin. It itches like crazy and it hurts when I stand or walk a lot. I went to the doctors today and he gave me some antibiotics...so that should make the inflammation go away in a couple of days but it supposedly takes several weeks for it to completely heal. In my pictures you will see a circle that I drew...that is just so I can see if it is getting worse. But you can see how it is really red in my circle and a little reddish around my ankle which is a little swollen.

Porsche out, Volvo in

2009-05-19T21:10:00.001-07:00

We sold this

And got this

No I am not pregnant. Joseph just wanted a Volvo because our friend, Seth, is a mechanic at a Volvo dealership. So that means if we need to replace something then we can get it done for less money.

Anthony Imports

2009-05-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

Joseph has started a buisness. He is selling these hand crafted wooden stautes from the Philippines. If you want to buy one then you can go to ebay and he has a store online. Here are the products he sells...these pictures don't really do the statues justice.

Captin Moroni with the Title of Liberty

Abinadi chained (most commonly shown standing in front of King Noah)

These are book ends that are pretty cool. It's Moroni burying the plates on the left side and Joseph Smith unburying them on the right side.

The Angel Moroni

These statues would make great birthday or Christmas gifts. They are very unique because they are each hand crafted by a member in the Philippines. All he has is a chivel to sculpt these great statues.

This Weekend

2009-05-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

For the weekend we watched her...

On Saturday we went here for samples and movie tickets...We saw this...

Then we saw this...

Easter

2009-04-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

The Easter weekend was great! On Saturday Joseph and I had brunch with the Anthony family. It was delicious! Then later that night we went to my Auntie Deb's house to a triple birthday party for Grandpa Jimmy, Allyson, and Ryder. It was also delicious! On Sunday Joseph and I went to church to teach our cute primary kids. Then we went to my Great-Auntie Helen's house for a huge Shinoda family get together. It was a lot of fun! Everyone got to do the Easter egg hunt because all the cousins and grandchildren are older now. Almost everyone is in college so if there was an age limit then there wouldn't be an Easter egg hunt. Erin found the corner of the fifty dollar bill so she won fifty dollars. After the egg hunt Joseph, Erin, Uncle Tom and I sat at a table where the desserts just happened to come to us. We sat by the desserts and were helping everyone get pies, cake, chocolate covered strawberries and spoons. While we were sitting there my dad came up and asked who left a bunch of yokes on a plate at our table. Erin blurted out that it was Uncle Tom. For the rest of the day Uncle Tom was making fun of how Erin threw Uncle Tom under the bus.

Everyone Else's Spring Break

2009-04-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone always comes to visit us during spring break. The problem is that Joseph and I always have work or school during everyone else's spring break. During Markie's spring break he and Tiffany came to visit. While they were here the whole family, except Erin, went to Universal Studios. We were able to do everything there in like five hours. It was pretty fun. Here's Tiffany, Markie, Joseph and I in front of the Universal Studios sign. Markie and I left a gap for imaginary Erin. She was way fun!

During my cousin Allyson's spring break she decided that she wanted to go to Six Flags Magic Mountain. James (Ally's dad) went but he only went on two rides. So pretty much Joseph, Erin and I showed Ally and her friend the best rides. Joseph and I hadn't been since high school so it was a real treat that we were able to go with them to Six Flags. Here Joseph, Erin, Ally, Ally's friend and I are waiting in line for Tatsu which was the only ride that Joseph and I were actually a little scared on.

House Hunting

2009-04-05T16:07:00.001-07:00

So since the house market has been going down Joseph and I have been having fun going around the area looking at open houses for fun. We first started doing this when our friend Keith was looking for a house to buy and we just started going to open houses again since our friends Scott and Melinda are looking for a house for Melinda's parents to fix up. Melinda's parents seem pretty cool because they are letting Scott and Melinda find a good house to fix up in the Tustin area and then Scott and Melinda will live there and fix up the house for her parents.
So last weekend we went with Scott and Melinda to look for open houses. We decided to go up into the hills to look around for fun and to see how much they were going for since we had seen a bunch on realtor.com. So we went to a street where there were two open houses. The first one we went to was great. The property was really nice and the house was really cool. Then we walked down the street to the other open house.
The house we walked to was obviosuly currently not being lived in. So Melinda and I were ahead of the boys and we walk up to the front door and it is all boarded up with a paper on it. By that time the boys caught up we were walking to the garage because there was a door open. We looked inside and there were a bunch of big empty flower bed looking things. Scott walked in first and we heard voices talking so we went inside. We walked inside and found the realtor and another man inside talking. Scott said hi and asked about the flower beds. The realtor said that there were a lot of those throughout the house. Joseph immediatedly said, "They were growing some pot in here." I started laughing and how blunt Joseph was and we walked around the house. We walked by the front door and we could see that the police had banged it in when they raided the house. we walked upstairs and saw all the foil that the owners had put up to heat a room. We found water damage in rooms where they probably watered the plants. It was so crazy! Who would have thought that in a nice affluent neighborhood that someone would be growing pot. Crazy!

Two Years

2009-02-16T08:43:00.001-08:00

We have been married two years today! It is safe to say that we are still very much in love and our adventures just keep getting better. I honestly don't know what we would do without each other. It has been such a wonderful day. Joseph and I decided that in order to save money we wouldn't get each other gifts but just go out for a wonderful lunch. So we went to my favorite place, Maggiano's. It is this awesome italian resturant that I love. We had a nice relaxing day going to the gym and hanging out watching movies at home. I know it sounds kind of boring but it was great because with our busy schedules we never really get to just hang out during the day with each other. It was overall a perfect day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

2009-02-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a moment out of Superbowl Sunday to wish my mom a Happy Birthday! She is someone who is always there for me when I have a problem and she lets me borrow her car when mine is being stupid. Thanks for being such an awesome mom!

It's Just Not My Month

2009-01-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

This month has been no good for me. Everything has been breaking. First my computer broke down and then this past weekend my car decided to be stupid. My poor car, Steve, (yes I named my car but only because on the license plate it looks like it spells out Steve.) had a comouter problem. On Friday night Joseph and I were driving home and half way home the "Check Engine" light came on and then suddenly my car would not accelerate normally. My car would slowly accelerate and only get up to 30 MPH. On Saturday our friend, Seth, who is a mechanic looked at my car and found that something was wrong but there was nothing he could do about it. Then magically my car was working fine all day Saturday. Then on Sunday Joseph and I didn't drive it at all. Then today (Monday) I was driving home and my car started acting up again. So later in the afternoon Joseph took it to the dealership and they found th problem. The computer in my car that regulates how much gas and oxygen goes into the engine. So luckily the dealship fixed the computer and it was under warranty so we didn't have to pay for it. Thank goodness. Hopefully next month will be better.

Family Portraits

2009-01-13T19:13:00.000-08:00

So during winter break when all of Joseph's brothers were in town his parents decided to do family portraits. So we hired the same photographer who took our wedding pictures. And I think that they turned out great.

Joseph and I took some pictures

Here is one of the whole Anthony family

I'm here with my mother-in-law and fellow sister-in-laws

Joseph with his dad and brothers

Holiday Wrap Up

2009-01-11T19:56:00.001-08:00

***CAUTION***

This blog is really ridiculously long!

Okay so here is a hopefully sort of quick update about our holidays. We will begin with Christmas Eve...

On Christmas Eve we went over to my parent's house. They had some friends over and my mom made her special curry! (She makes it from scratch and it is awesome!) So after we ate some yummy curry we went into the living room and played some Christmas songs with the hand bells accomplanied by the guitar. It was great! I love doing this on Christmas Eve. Of course Joseph wasn't into it but I told him that when we have a family this is definitely going to be a tradition and then he will HAVE to participate. But for now he gets to pass on it.

CHRISTMAS

For the winter break all of Joseph's brothers came to town (Joseph has four brothers which makes five boys in his family.) This was the first year in abotu eight years that they have all been together (There is two years in between each sibling and almost all of them served missions.) So it was a pretty big deal. It was a lot of fun having almost everyone under the same roof at my in-laws'. So Christmas morning we woke up and went downstairs to open presents with everyone at my in-laws'. Joseph and I were pretty dang excited because this year we made our niece, Lizzie, a WALL-E costume. Right now she loves WALL-E so we thought that she would ove it! We also bought her these WALL-E arms that are sort of like those extended claws. So we worked really hard on her costume and we pull it out on Christmas morning for her and she says that she hates it. For a little girl who is only 4 years old she really hurt Joseph and mine's feelings. She we left to go to my aunt's house all sad. I think that Lizzie actually felt really bad about it because when we were at my aunt's house she called Joseph's cell and apologized and later when we went back home she came running up to us with pictures and presents that she made. So it made me feel a little bit better that she felt bad for what she said. Finally a couple days later she did put on her WALL-E costume and she loves it now.

When we were at my aunt's house we got together with the whole Shinoda clan and hung out opening presents and talking and eating. Then later we decided to go see a movie. So we all decided that we would go see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I really liked that movie but it was a little long (3hours!) I only wish that I knew it was going to be that long so I could prepare myself and Joseph.

Blasting forward to New Year's Eve...

So for New Year's Eve we ate dinner with Joseph's family and his aunt and uncle came over with their family. We had a delicious Mexican dinner and we got to do out crackers. FYI those are these tube things that you can buy at Costco. It is some kind on English tradition where you have this tube that is sort of shaped like a tootsie roll and you have someone hold one side and you both pull on it. Then a little prize and a paper crown pop out. So we did that and played some games.

Later we went to a party at our church building for young married couples. It was a lot of fun because we rented a blow up boxing ring and everyone brought game systems, board games and snacks. Joseph and I were some of the first to get into the boxing ring. We decided to box each other; you know spouse on spouse. It was a major hit because later everyone started boxing their spouses. We are such trend setters. I found it a very healthy way to get all my anger and fustration out on Joseph. Then when it got closer to midnight everyone stopped playing games and we got out the Martinelli's to countdown. Before we ended our countdown one of the husbands made a friendly reminder that you can only kiss your spouse. It was pretty funny.

On New Year's Day I was a mochi making machine. It is Japanese tradition to make mochi on New Year's Day and eat it. So that is what the Shinoda family did. It was fun. we got the whole family together again and we hung out at my grandpa's all day.

On the 2nd Joseph, Tim (Joe's bro), Erin (my sis), Catherine (cousin), Chris (Cat's bf) and I went to Knott's. We had it a lot of fun. It was not crowded at all so we pretty much got done with the park in 1 1/2 hours. But we decided to stay almost the whole day so we could ride everything twice. I think that one reason that it was probably not so crowded was that it was super cold and overcast. Who would want to go on a bunch of rollercoasters when it is freezing outside? We did. Then we took a little break and went to eat at this great fried chicken place which is well known at the park. It helped up get out of the cold for a bit. That day was pretty fun.

Computer Problems

2009-01-01T20:50:00.000-08:00

This past week I have had major computer problems. It is safe to say that I hated technology for a few days. My laptop decided that it didn't want to load Microsoft onto my computer anymore. So when I turned on my computer it was not loading completely and I would be left with a blank screen. So of course I call the HP technicians and they were no help at all. I got this lady with a really heavy accent who mumbled. Then to make matters worse when she told me do press a button and I told her nothing was happening she would get upset with me like I did something wrong. It was so crazy. It was by far the worse experience I have had with a computer technician.
*Hopefully soon I will have pictures from the holidays.

Welcome!

2008-12-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

On Friday morning at 8:25 Joseph and I became an uncle and aunt for the third time. We have a new nephew named Donald Craig Anthony III. hahaha he's a third and he the third one our neices and newphew. He is so adorable! My sister-in-law Kimberly is a superstar. She pretty much had Donny and then was all nonchalant when we went to visit her in the hospital like nothing major happened. I was thinking, "HELLO! You just gave birth and you are walking around all fine and normal?!" But this is after all her third child...no biggie. So anyways...WELCOME TO EARTH DONNY! We are so glad that you are finally here!

It Is Here!

2008-11-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

TWILIGHT! Finally after all this time Twilight is finally in theaters today! I went with Erin to the midnight showing last night and it was great! We had a lot of fun standing in line and seeing the movie. My mom even went with some of her friends from the ward to the 12:10am showing. We saw a bunch of people from church there with their family and friends. Everyone who goes and sees it will love it. But FYI I still like the book better. Here are some pictures from last night.

Erin and I watching the all the Twilight trailers while waiting outside in the line.

Here is the front of our shirts

Here is the back of our shirts.

Protesting Hypocrites

2008-11-09T20:36:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard there have been many people protesting Proposition 8. I feel that they are all hypocrites! They talk about people hating them and stuff and then they say things like, "Mormons go to hell!" or "We should burn down all their churches and temples!" Why do they insist on being like that? I just pray to Heavenly Father to keep us safe and to stop this maddness. Heavenly Father must of known that we were all strong enough to live in this time and age when Satan has such a grasp of some of our heavenly brothers and sisters. I am so thankful that we have this gospel and it is what helps me fight through all these ridiculous accusations about the church from these hardhearted people.

California has spoken!

2008-11-06T08:15:00.001-08:00

I am so relieved that everyone's hard work since the summer were not in vain. I am glad to announce that Prop 8 which bans same sex marriages has PASSED! For the second time in California the voters have spoken and stood up for traditional marriage between a man and a woman. I think that the picture says it all!

Murder Mystery Party

2008-10-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

Every year my friend, Leola, hosts a Murder Mystery Party. It is always so much fun! It's always the same group of people and we get together and have dinner and dress up like our character. In the past some of the stories have been pretty crazy but this year was good. Joseph was Eddie "Socks" who was a golfer. I was an awesome journalist named Malissa "Scoop". I am glad to say though that I was not the killer. Erin (my sister) was. HA! Here are pictures of everyone...

The killers!

Half of the group eating dinner

Joseph and I

The Girls

The Whole Group

Halloween Time at Disney

2008-10-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

So during the Halloween season Disneyland is decorated with fall leaves and pumpkins. Well for the whole month of October they also have special events that you can attend. Well my best friend, Leola, and I went on a special tour called, "Happiest Haunt Tour". It was fun but only a one time thing. Our tour group was on a hunt for ghosts at the park. So the Disney worker gave us these headsets that we wore so we could hear ghosts. During our tour our Ghostbuster tour guide disappeared and our ghost tour guide came. It was a very cute idea. We got to go on 4 rides; Tower of Terror, Snow White's Adventure, Big Thunder, and the Haunted Mansion. Here are some pictures from the tour.

Here are our headsets so we could hear ghosts...

Every year Leola and I have a Sister's Night. This is when we go to Disneyland with our little sisters Michelle and Erin and no boys are allowed! So we went to Disneyland for another special event called, "Mickey's Trick or Treat". It's when California Adventure closes early it's opened for this special event. Everyone who goes can where a costume and they have candy stations where you kind of trick or treat and all of the rides and resturants are open. It's a lot of fun! So this year we went again and dressed up of course. So here are the pictures...

On the tram...

Sisters

Wright Family Reunion

2008-10-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

So last weekend was the Wright (my mom's side) family reunion. So my mom, Joseph and I drove up to Utah to represent. Erin couldn't go because it was her last chance to take the SAT before college applications were due and my dad had to stay behind to watch her and to work since he couldn't get off which is so typical.
So Thursday afternoon we left for St. George and we made it there in 6 hours. Then Friday morning we woke up and had breakfast with Michelle and Ray (my aunt and uncle) and then we decided to hit to road for Provo. I decided to be nice and drive this part for my mom and we made it there in 3 1/2 hours. While we were driving my Grandpa Bill called my mom and asked if we had left St. George yet because he left something there and we told him we had. He then asked where we were and we found a mile plaque that said mile 94 on it and he told us he was at mile 74. Hahaha we totally passed him and we didn't even notice. When we got to Provo we went straight to Markie and Tiffany's apartment and went to lunch and to BYU to look around. Afterwards we went to Christina and Jeremy's house in Orem to hangout and get ready for the dinner party at Uncle Jim and Aunite Robin's House.
On Saturday we were suppose to go up to Sundance and hike but low and behold it was pouring rain all day! So we didn't meet everyone until lunch time. So in the morning we ate breakfast and mark and tiffany took us to the mall so we could shop. Then it was time for lunch but we decided to first go up to sundance and look around. When we got up there it was still pouring but I was determined to get a picture of the beautiful scenery. So I went out in the rain and Joseph took a picture of me from inside the car. Then we went to my aunt and uncle's church building to have lunch and play some volleyball. My team ultimately won which was awesome since we only had two guys on our team. The other team had all boys and only two girls...only one played through the whole game. So I was pretty happy because of that and Joseph was on the losing team...hahaha. Ultimately that weekend was very fun because I got to spend time with most of my cousins who I never really get to see.

Here are some pictures of the trip...

The Winners

The Losers

Our SWEET Ride

2008-09-17T22:07:00.000-07:00

I totally have forgotten to put up pictures of our new car. Joseph use to have a really really old Mercedes Diesel car that he converted to run on vegetable oil. The car was okay but it always smelled like french fries. Well anways about a month ago Joseph decided to sell it and we actually made a little bit of a profit off of it. But then Joseph decided that he wanted this 1957 Porsche Speedster. At first I was very skeptical about it but I have learned to love it. I look very cute driving around in it. hahaha. Oh by the way it's a replica.

The Bleachers Attacked Me!

2008-09-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

So today at work at lunch time I was running to tell one of my co-workers about something that kid did that was funny and I fell. I was hoping up onto the bleachers and I had one foot on the first row and as I was hoping to the next seat I slipped on the bleachers and my shins scrapped on the beachers. It was NOT pretty! My shins are all scrapped up and bruised now. And they really really hurt! It is horrible! Well here are my pictures I just took of my shins.

Here are my shins...

Here is my right shin...it is the least damaged just a big bump and bruise down by my foot.

Here is my left shin...its the worst! I have bumps and bruises and little scrapped and one big gash.

Yep just another hard day at work for me.

My Birthday

2008-08-31T21:50:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was my birthday and Joseph and I went to Disneyland. It was crowded of course but it was a lot of fun. We went on a couple of rides and we went to the Mission Tortilla Factory and got my free Birthday Tortillas and they were awesome! While there I had my Disneyland Birthday Pin on and tons of people wished me a happy birthday. That was fun! Later on that day a couple of our friends came and join our little group. For dinner my in-laws had my parents and Erin over and we had a little BBQ. Then today my parents had the big family BBQ at my grandpa's house. But overall it was a great birthday. I got a lot of new toys like a bluetooth speaker for my car since in California we have a new Hands Free law which means that people can no longer be holding the cell phones while driving which is pretty inconvient but it is definitely safer. My parents got my a Wii Fit which I love to play. Erin got me a hard case cover for my ipod touch so now when I drop it it will be safer. My sister-in-law, Kimberly gave me an audio version of Twilight which I now can listen to while driving and I am currently using it to spead the Twilight love to Erin and my other cousins. Hahaha I am totally addicted to it. And then everyone else gave me money which is always good. Sio that was my birthday weekend. The end.

I GOT IN!

2008-08-27T07:31:00.001-07:00

So I got into Chapman University for Grad School. Of course they took their time accepting me but I was finally accepted the Friday before school started. So this week has been my first week at Chapman and I feel like a freshmen! This is a new campus for me and I have no clue where anything is! There was no orientation so I have had to figure out how to get everything like a student I.D. and a parking permit. It is a whole new experience. But I have survived my first week of Grad School! YAY! Oh in case you didn't know I am going to Grad school for my Mulitple-Subject teaching credential and for my Masters in Education with an emphasis in Reading Education. So hopefully when I am done with this I will be teaching and I can also be a Reading Specialist.

2444 Pages in 4 Days

2008-08-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

So I had this week off of work and I have been really bored. So I decided that I would read Twilight since I have been wanting to read it for a while. So I started it on Tuesday and I finished it that night. It was so captivating. I could not put it down! Then I moved on to the next book, New Moon. That night I went to bed sobing! Joseph got worried and thought I was hurt until I told him about the book. So since I was sobbing I definitely could not get to sleep so I went to keep reading until like 3am when I got to the part where Edward returned! The next two books I read really fast. This series is AWESOME! I love the love story in this book between Edward and Bella! When the movie comes out you can expect me seeing it at midnight and having a "TEAM EDWARD" shirt on. If you have read this series then we will definitely have to discuss it! I'm dieing right now just thinking about it. I can't wait to talk to my cowork (who have read all of them) about it. And now I think I am going to read Twilight again since that was my absolutely favor book out of the saga.

Jesse and Heather's Visit

2008-08-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

So this last weekend Jesse (Joseph's older brother) and his wife Heather came for the weekend from Provo. On Thursday they went to Disneyland for the day. Joseph and his dad went in the morning with them and then later Joseph and I met up with them again. By the time I got there they were about ready to leave so we just quickly went on Space Mountain before we left.

On Friday they went to the Getty Villa while I was at work. Then on Saturday they decided that they wanted to go and make s'mores at the beach. So Joseph and I assumed that we would go in the morning because everyone knows that if you want a beach pit on a Saturday during the summer you have to go at like 7am. But Jesse and Heather did not wanted to go early so we went in the late afternoon to try and get one (which we knew we wouldn't). Suprise surprise! we did not get one. So we stayed for two hours and then decided to make our own s'mores in the BBQ at home. And of course our s'mores rocked at home because we could make them outside and then go inside and eat them while watching the Olympics. You can't do that at the beach! HA!

Summer Camp Reflections

2008-08-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

So this week is the last week of summer camp at Fairmont. It is quite sad because all my little Korean kids who have been here all summer long left last Friday to go back home to Korea. But although they are all going home I have some really fun pictures of them. Here are some from our field trips. I had a lot of fun lifeguarding and I also got a lot of fun pictures of the boys and girls swimming. This is the only picture of some of the older boys that I have. These boys were excellent dodgeball players. It was always fun playing against them at lunch time. They were always cracking me up. This next picture are of my two favorite little Korean girls, Heeju (on the left) and Jiwon (on the right). These two girls were so shy at the beginning of the summer but by the end they would come up to me and shout, "BOO!" and then run away and giggle. They were absolutely adorable.

The last picture is of two of the older Korean girls Seojin (on the left) and Cindy (on the right). These girls were so cute! Seojin asked for my email address and then the very next night she started emailing me. She is too adorable. In her email she asked if I remembered who she was and I was thinking, "Of course silly! You only left yesterday!" Her emails are so sweet and she talks about how much she misses me and my coworkers.
I will definitely miss all my Korean kids from this summer and all the other kids who do not come for the school year.

Earthquake!

2008-07-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

So yesterday there was a earthquake here in Southern California. It originated in Chino Hills and it was a 5.4. So during this earthquake I was in my car at the drive thru at Taco Bell ording food. Then my rear view mirror started shaking and I thought that it was the big truck's bass behind me. Then my whole car started shaking a little and then it gradually grew more violent and all the cars parked by me where shaking and I knew it was an earthquake. After the earthquake ended the lady taking my order said very normally, "So was that with a Dr. Pepper?" I said, "Yeah." but I was thinking, "HELLO! There was just an earthquake lady!"

Long Beach Aquarium

2008-07-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today I went with Fairmont to the Long Beach Aquarium and it was so much fun! I had the younger kids (they are all going into 1st grade). They are super cute! I took a group picture of them for you guys to see.

Here are my kids walking through an underwater tunnel looking at all the fish with the other counselor, Erika.

This is one of my favorite Korean kids here for the summer. Heeju is so cute! She might even stay for the school year her mom said! yay!

One of the last exhibits we went into was the Lorikeet Forest. What you do is go into a big bird cage and there are all these birds flying around and they are super friendly! they will just land on you or if you put your hand down on a bar the birds will just walk onto your arms. Well one of the older kids from another campus didn't want the bird anymore and just got really close to me and the bird hopped onto my arm.

Everything was fine until the bird decided to keep climbing up my arm and onto my backpack.
Overall it was a fun day at the Long Beach Aquarium! I love my job! Oh and just some funny things that have happened this summer...
1. At Knott's Berry Farm a lady said that I was a brave women taking charge of 20 4th-5th grade kids.
2. It's been fun lifeguarding the kids because I can push them into the pool and then tell them that they cannot do the same to me.
3. While lifeguarding I have built up a very nice tan.
4. I have met my match when it comes to ping pong.
5. While teaching science I get to act all smart and use big words to impress the kids.

Swim Time!

2008-07-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

On the Fourth of July we went swimming with our nieces, Elizabeth and Isabella. They were so cute! I was so impressed with Elizabeth! She is a little fish! Joseph and I had so much fun just taking pictures of Elizabeth and Isabella swimming. We love our underwater camera. It has definitely been a great camera to have especially during the spring and summer months. I defintely suggest that everyone get one because it is so awesome! I am going to upload a lot of pictures of Lizzie swimming because she is just so gosh darn cute!

Firework Day!

2008-07-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

On the Fourth of July we were extremely busy. In the morning in the neighborhood that we live in they have an annual Fourth of July Parade. So of course we watched that with the rest of the Anthony family. Here are a couple of pictures with our nieces, Elizabeth and Isabella sitting with us during the parade. During the parade everyone in the parade throw candy to those watching and of course our nieces were excited to go and collect a lot of candy. This one kid threw candy at us and it hit me in the head. It really hurt!

Later after the parade we had a little BBQ at the Anthony home and afterwards Isabella had to take a bath in the sink and Joseph gave her a mohawk made out of bubbles. It was so adorable!

At night we went to shoot off fireworks. So here are a couple of pictures of that fabulous hour!

Here is Elizabeth playing with Sparklers for the first time and here I am lighting off one of my BIG fireworks. Overall our fourth of July was very busy and extremely fun!

Our Canadian Visit

2008-06-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

This last weekend one of Joseph's mission companions and his wife came to California to visit. They are obviously from Canada if you didn't catch the title of this post. Well this weekend was awesome but it wasn't very relaxing. David and Taren arrived on Friday morning and straight from the airport Joseph dropped them off at the beach. Later after work Joseph and I went to pick them up and they were burnt! Like two red lobsters! Then we went to the Newport Beach Temple and took some pictures. Here is a group picture of us at the temple.

On Saturday we went to Disneyland! It was a lot of fun! We got there right when it opened and we were finished with all the major rides but 2pm. Then after that we went and saw some shows, the parade and the Innovations building and rode the Segway. Which by the way is super

awesome! It is definitely the way of the future! Then we left the happiest place on earth at 6pm and went to Panda Express for dinner. Then we came home and relaxed and watched a movie. It was nice to lay down at relax.

On Sunday we slept in and then they packed their things for Palm Springs. Joseph wanted to show David all the Philippino stores in Cerritos. So we drove up there and went to three different resturants and markets and bought some Philippino food. One of the resturants that we went to is called Jolly Bee's and they had a big bee there so of course David and Joseph had to take a picture with it. Then after our Philippino tour we headed down to Palm Springs where David and Taren were staying until Wednesday. So on the way to Palm Springs we stopped at Cabazon so we could shop. It was extremely hot and a long day once we got to Palm Springs. After we dropped them off Joseph was of course sad because he missed his bud, David. But overall we had a great visit with them and we cannot wait to see them again!

We finally have one!

2008-06-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well we finally have a blog and I am definitely going to try to keep it updated for everyone to see what we are up to. Well for those who we can't always talk to Joseph and I have moved in with his parents. We have been living here since April and it's going good. We are trying to save money to buy a condo here in Southern California so it was very nice of his parents to let us live with them for FREE! We live upstairs and have two bedrooms and a bathroom...did i mention this was all FREE!? We will have enough money saved to afford a down payment on a condo by January. I love my in-laws for letting us stay with them but I cannot wait to get back to living on our own.

Next, I have finally graduated with my Bachelor's in Liberal Studies. I cannot believe that it only took my four years. Now I am applying to Chapman University to work on my teaching credential and my Masters in Education with an emphasis in reading. My ultimate goal after teaching is to be a reading specialist. I think that Joseph and I are so lucky because my parents have offered to pay for my Graduate work. They say it's my "graduation present". So that is very exciting. I'm still working at Fairmont and this summer I am the lifeguard at the school pool. Just let me tell you that getting certified for being a lifeguard is exhausting especially if you never were in waterpolo or swimming in high school. But I made it through. Yay!

Joseph recently started working for my family at Shinoda's in January. It is extremely nice to have him working there instead of the air freshener company he was working for before. Plus Joseph is enjoying this job way more then his last one. And he is learning a lot about running a business which is what he ultimately wants to do. So hopefully this will inspire him to take his college education more seriously.

Well that is what we have been up to this year so keep looking for more updates.