Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is Joe's birthday... the half century mark! What did he do to celebrate his birthday... watched Nascar with Daniel, watched Holly and Joey play basketball, cooked steaks for dinner, watched Australian Idol... and had cake!

Holly and Abby made a beautiful chocolate cake with the faintest smoky flavor... yes it was a bit burned! :) Remember ~ we are Americans trying to figure out the oven that is in Celsius and not Fahrenheit! Guess we still have to work on that one! But it was a big hit anyway with a loud rendition of happy birthday... an even rowdier version of Pangjang Umurnya (Indonesian Happy Birthday) and some earth shaking "Hip Hip Hoorays" (Australian touch)! We all decided that by this time next year, we will also be singing the traditional Chinese version of Happy Birthday!

He also received an email from Lilli sending her love and wishing her daddy a special day!!! How awesome is that.... thank you so much Sandy!!!!!

Presents.... you ask.... what were the presents? Well, Joe has never been a present guy! We have always found something small and fun to give him but this year, Joe is still deciding what he wants for his birthday... I am hoping he picks a big flat screen tv for our bedroom as we are both getting old and can't see the small one anymore!!!

Joe shares his birthday with my niece ~ Lacey! I want to add a special happy birthday to her! Lacey ~ I hope you have a wonderful day today! Hugs and Kisses from all of us!!!

Don't call me tonight... I won't answer the phone...

Because... tonight is IDOL night! .... I know, I know... American Idol is done and dusted for this year ~ but, Australian Idol has just begun! Amazingly enough, in a country that has roughly the same population of the great state of Texas, there is a vast array of talented musicians... and I mean musicians. Unlike American Idol and my other favorite, Indonesian Idol, Australian Idol encourages contestants to show up with instruments ~ guitars, ukeleles, pianos, drums... you name it they show up with it! The contestants are also encouraged to audition with original music and lyrics which is really cool.

Don't worry, they still have the odd guy dressed up as a bananna that will do anything for his 15 minutes of fame... and the young woman whose entire "entourage" has convinced her that she is the best singer on earth... even in comparison to the likes of Whitney Houston! ... then when she opens her mouth, the judges (all four of them in Australia) sphew water or coke or some other sort of beverage .... and then tell her that she must be Pink's younger sister... Stink!!!

Anyway, if you call tonight or any other Sunday and Monday night from 7:30 until 8:30 and I don't answer the phone.... now you will understand why! I admit it... I am an Idol addict!

My Advice to the LT Governor of Hawaii

Just wanted to post a note that I wrote to the LT Governor of Hawaii in light of the fact that some of my adoption paperwork had to sit on his desk for over a week while he was on vacation:

Dear Sir,

Recently, on your desk was a piece of paperwork that I needed authenticated by the State of Hawaii to complete my Dossier for an International Adoption from China. This piece of paper had been "vacationing" (meaning it was lost for a few weeks) in Hawaii ~ but was received by your office toward the end of July. Your assistant (very nice lady I might add) was gracious enough to take my Federal Express information and have it ready once the document was signed. Unfortunately you were away on vacation and my document had to wait... which directly translates to my daughter waiting in China.

I do not take issue with your vacation ~ by all means, take as much vacation as you have to enjoy your family! My issue is the fact that you do not delegate the task of signing Authentications while you are away.
You are the only State Official that my lawyer has come across that does not delegate this duty while away. She has been working with families and adoption for nearly 18 years.

I would ask that you consider in the future, that the papers that wait on your desk are very important to so many people and should be taken care of as quickly as possible. Please consider delegating this task when you are away in the future. It might mean that a family and their child are together just a few days sooner!

Respectfully,

Rebel Judge

Flashback Friday... My Beautiful Holly Girl!

What can I say about my Holly Girl... She will do great things! Her eyes have always had that sparkle... just take a look at these photos! People stopped me constantly to comment on her eyes... they were big and blue and full of spunk! ... and they still are!

I should have gotten the Flu vaccine....

I am sick! Yuck! I hate being sick... but I guess, I caught what Abby had. Vernie (my maternal grandmother and all around wise lady) would have said that I "drank the water"! Thank goodness for Panadol Cold and Flu Max... and a heap of helpful children! The number one saying in the Judge house the last couple of days has been, "What can I do for you now mom?" Thank you Joey, Holly, Daniel, and Abby!

Joe comes home in the morning so that will make all things better! He has been in Sydney for a military conference for over a week ~ enough!~ the generals don't need him as much as we do!

He has been able to catch up with Joe and Kevin ~ the couple that "replaced" us in Indonesia. That is pretty cool and if I had not been sick, I would have been in Sydney in a second to see them as they are a great couple! But they eat at my favorite spot in Jakarta and are rubbing it in to Joe... so maybe I don't like them afterall! Just kidding ~ I just miss the head chef and manager at Cassis! It will forever be one of my favorites ever! They even sent Joe and I a Happy Anniversay email! They are so lovely! And the food.... pretty much the best! If you are ever in Jakarta ~ go to Cassis, ask for Danny, and tell him Joe and Rebel sent you!!! You won't regret it!!!

I did get to spend the evening with Paul and Celeste on Tuesday night. They are from Canada and live in Jakarta. Joe and Paul held the same jobs at their repective embassies ~ US and Canadian. They are such a fun and laid back couple! As my daughter said when I was walking out the door, "Mom, they must be special because you are not social". Thanks Holly for pointing out my Shrek "stay out of my swamp" ness! Your mother is not unsocial... just shy! Thank you!

I did get some cheering up yesterday... in the form of new photos of Lilli! YEAH! Thanks to all the families in China that took their time and effort to snap a few pictures of our beautiful chubby cheeked cherub! If you would like to see all the new pictures go o Lilli's blog at http://www.tolovelilli.com passwordd: lillian ~ I promise you won't be disapointed!

Also, my dad is doing much better after his surgery! He was in serious pain for almost a week and a half and now it is tolerable so he has turned the corner! Hopefully in a few weeks he will be pain free!

OK... enough of Judge life for now!

It is Saturday Morning at the Judge House which means Biscuits and Basketball... and throw in Bob the Builder!

. Saturday morning at the Judge home and all are stuffed... with buscuits! Joey, who returned with the secret "Grandma Judge" buscuit recipe less than a month ago, has caused a flour shortage in the country of Australia...as he has prepared so many buscuits for our enjoyment! We are NOT complaining!

Today, our buscuits came in normal round and special shapes ~ including puppies (Abby called the two dog shaped ones Taz and Java and appologized to them as she scarfed them down!!! She did let them nibble on a little honey... check out the pictures) dog bones, and even a kitty cat. We also had a few special ones sprinkled with cinammon! I will need to venture to the grocery store today to replinish our supply of flour... sure hope my pj pants are acceptable attire for the market, becasue after eating so many yummy buscuits with loads of butter ~ that is all that fits! HA!

The good thing is that we have lots of energy for all of our basketball games today!

Now... as for Bob the Builder... Joe and I went to a trivia night at the Embassy armed with a bit of confidence knowing between us we have years and years of education ~ primary, secondary, university, post graduate... we were going to be the stars of our 8 man team. Out of 77 questions, our team scored 45... I won't even tell you that our score included double points for one round... but anyway, I was quite impressed with Joe answering a history question, a music question, and a science question... then there is me! I am happy to report that one point of the 45 was mine and mine alone... and the only point I contributed for the night. You would think that this one point would be in the History category... but no... general knowledge. And now with a drum roll... everyone on the edge of their seats yet?... the question that I answered correctly for my team was - The name of Bob the Builder's cement mixer is Dizzy! Are you all impressed with my brilliance?

Friday Flashback... Before I was born...

There was a nice young man in the Air Force and a pretty young lady waiting for him at home in Louisiana... They had known each other forever, but one day, they fell in love! They were married in 1962... and the rest is history!

What a foundation these two built! I can't imagine a better childhood than I had... and I can only hope that Joe and I provide the same solid base to our children!

Thanks mom and dad! I love you very much!

Mail Call....

We received mail from the US today... new shoes for the girls! Abby picked out shoes for her and Lilli too!!!

I am sure Abby will be delighted when she wakes up in the morning to find her new sparkly pink princess shoes next to her bed!!!

Lilli will be treated to Dora the Explorer shoes ... Daniel was my model tonight... he is such a ham!!!

The animals crossing the street....

You know... I was thinking this afternoon, as my boys told me that seeing Kangaroos on the side of the road was no longer a big deal, that each country we have lived in or traveled to has had (or has) very unique critters that you have to watch for "crossing the road"!

I remember moving to Thailand ~ boy was I young and naive ~ and seeing my first elephant walking down the main highway. I was by myself, but oh how I wished I would have had someone in the car to share my amazement and excitement with... I was on an 8 lane highway with an Elephant!!! Can you imagine ~ that would be like driving down the main highway in Atlanta, heading north at 5pm, rush hour traffic... you look to your left and you see Dumbo! This was normal! For 3 years, I enjoyed seeing the occasional elephant in the lane next to my car. I have to admit there was excitement each time!

In Australia, not only do we see Kangaroos on a daily basis ~ hence the boys scolding me for my ever so enthusiatic pointing out of the now common creatures ~ we have to watch for wombats and emus... and they have street signs to remind us of the necessity of looking out for these ~ should we forget for a minute that we live in the Bush Capital!!! Wombats and Emus... not too long ago I would have thougt these to be creatures from a Harry Potter novel ~ not something that could damage my car if I forgot to carefully watch for them crossing the road.

In Indonesia, it was a water buffalo here and there... and a monkey or two in Bali.. and late at night a creature called a musong.

The most interesting by far would have to be the Highway from New Delhi to Agra ~ India. In a three hour drive, not only did I see a bear... in a tutu, I might add... I saw dozens of camels... riders on top of them like this was normal... riding a camel down a major highway!

And just think... when I go home to Louisiana, I am still thrilled to see the ocasional deer or rabbit run across the road!