Abhau Family

Good morning!

2009-12-02T15:43:00.004-05:00

One of the best parts of my mornings (and everyone knows how much I loooove mornings...) is waking Jon up. He has the craziest bed head! For example:

Monster Mashup

2009-11-13T16:10:00.000-05:00

http://www.monstermashup.com/d66fd2

I DID THIS ALL BY MYSELF

-JON

That's Jazz!

2009-10-23T16:20:00.002-04:00

Jon just learned this new song a couple of weeks ago. He is still working out the kinks and he wants to enter a piano competition with this one. He loves that jazzy feel. What do you think?

update

2009-07-20T20:08:00.000-04:00

We have not posted in 2 months, and just for the record, we are still alive. We want to personally assure everyone that we did not die in a burning house, fatal car accident, or any sort of freak tea party incident.
We will be in touch soon, we promise.
Jake & Meg

Jon's first piano recital!!!

2009-06-08T20:16:00.003-04:00

Jon had his first piano recital ever last week and he did great! He is really taking off with the piano. He loves it and plays every day. I love to have music in our home on a daily basis!!! He was quite nervous on his first song which was "Hedwig's Theme" from the Harry Potter soundtrack. His second song, and by far his favorite, is "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven. He loves the classics. I hope you enjoy! Go Jon!!!

Mommy will you teach me how to sew?

2009-05-28T16:53:00.005-04:00

You betcha! So, Jon wanted to learn to sew. He actually did a great job! His first sewing project was a pillow he then gave to his favorite teacher's son Blake. We love Ms. Tillery!!!

P.S.-I had no idea I was uploading that picture of Jake on this post and I don't know how to get rid of it. I try... It is kind of funny though.

Happy Mother's Day to the Grandmas!

2009-05-10T21:03:00.007-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to those of you who raised us to raise a great kid! We love you all! Thank you for all of your love and support moms.

Who's the better Batman?

2009-04-21T23:10:00.005-04:00

Tribute of Our Trip

2009-04-17T11:32:00.007-04:00

I hope you enjoy the video we made of Mary's present she got for Kendall's next 5 birthdays, father's
days, and Christmas'.

Trip To Detroit

2009-04-17T10:54:00.017-04:00

We went to Detroit this weekend so Jake could watch UNC win a national championship. Here are some of the photos...

Jake and Vince Carter's back

Bray? Aren't you a little young for that?

Linds, you are looking a little too old!

George Lynch and Jake

100 feet from the court! (thanks Milo)

~BAD SISTER AWARDS~

2009-04-01T17:28:00.009-04:00

Welcome to the ~BAD SISTER AWARDS~! To qualify for this prestigious award, you must answer yes to at least 3 of the following:

1. Have you ever forgotten to call you sister on her birthday?

2. Have you ever told your sister her hair looks GREAT after she chops it just to spare her feeling?

3. Have you ever stolen you sister's clothes, shoes, hair products, boyfriends because you secretly want to be just like her?

4. Have you ever faked an illness to get out of a shopping trip?

5. Have you ever let her buy dinner because she is older and it is kind of her duty?

6. Have you ever cried on your sister's shoulder because you think you had it pretty tough that day?

If you answered yes to at least 3 of these, you are qualified to earn your prize! You have a choice! That's right, it just gets better and better!

You can:

A-Offer you sister a lifetime of servitude.

B-Clean said sister's house.

C-Giver her a REALLY REALLY good apology.

I AM SO SORRY I FORGOT TO CALL ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!

TOP 10 REASON WHY I LOVE MY SISTER NESSA:

1. She is a great cook and she will make my favorites every time I come in town!

2. She is so good at giving compliments.

3. She makes great nieces and nephew for me!

4. She is a rock star volley ball player and will play with me even though she is superior.

5. She may still believe in flying horses. (this one is my personal favorite)

6. She is not full of herself and compliments last her a long time.

7. She CAN keep a secret if you ask her to, otherwise, our mom is the next to know. ;)

8. She keeps up with all the family stuff and makes sure no one is left out.

9. She loves my Jake and Jon. This is a BIG one for me.

10. **DRUM ROLL PLEASE** She is forgiving and I am sorry I missed your big day.

********I LOVE YOU NESSA*************

Don't Mess WIth Dad!

2009-03-02T15:41:00.005-05:00

Please enjoy a short film on a snowy March day in North Carolina.

Pinewood Derby

2009-01-24T21:06:00.003-05:00

Jon had his Pinewood Derby at church tonight and had a blast! We won't talk too much about how fast his car was, but we sure can talk about his first place award for "originality (two years running)." Here are a few pics from the event...

SNOW in North Carolina!

2009-01-20T10:37:00.004-05:00

On the day of the inauguration, we got snow! I am sure it is a sign of change.
We have had so much fun this morning playing in the snow.
So much for global warming...

My version of our Christmas adventure! by Meg

2009-01-14T19:43:00.005-05:00

Jake so graciously posted about our Christmas fun. He did great, but I thought some things were missing. Plus, Kendall and Mary might appreciate a normal picture put up of them. I am not as clever as Jake, so I will just put a bunch of pics up. Enjoy!

A Christmas Story

2009-01-05T10:57:00.011-05:00

What a great holiday season! So many wonderful things happened this year that there is just not enough room on this Al Gore created information sharing system to fit it all. So, we have decided to narrow it down to our very own Twelve Days of "favorite things that happened over" Christmas! Here you go! Please enjoy:

1. We got to put up Christmas Lights

2. We got to participate in a live nativity

3. We got to have 4 of our favorites with us for Christmas.

4. We got to put up with a cripple who decided it would be a good idea to cut open his ankle on Christmas Eve.

5. We got to go to a fun museum where all were able to build and play.

6. We got to be destructive at said museum.

7. We got to spend time with this gorgeous being!

8. We got to open up the most wonderful Christmas present.

9. She got to open up the most wonderful Christmas present.
10. We got to pretend that we love the Longhorns!

11. We got to do things that could get stuck that way forever.

12. We got to ----- who is that?

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope your new year is great!

In case anyone does not recognize 2 of the above mentioned people, here are 2 pics of our brother and sister (in-law) who were with us. These are the ONLY pictures we took of them while they were here. We have 400 of their kids:

Interesting, in our only pictures of them, they are holding one of their boys. Does that mean that the boys are their favorites, or are they the most troublesome? Only time will tell.

First Dusting in NC

2008-11-25T08:38:00.003-05:00

Jon woke up at 4am with a sore throat. We had some medicine, watched some TV, only to look outside at 5am and see that it had started to snow!
Meg was out of town in Utah. She was actually watching Twilight while the snow was falling here.
I had gotten home from the movie just 1 hour before Jon woke up. OK, I will admit, the movie was pretty good, but definitely not worth getting only 1 hour of sleep that night.

My Favorite...

2008-11-11T10:40:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite things that Jake and Jon do together (so many to choose from!) is when we are done with prayers and hugs and kisses. Jake announces, "Train's Leaving!" Jon, in a panic that he will miss the train to bed, leaps from the couch or chair or ground, whatever, onto Jakes back. Then, off the train goes to Jon's room where he will fight sleep for a few hours before finally sucumbing. I think/hope this will be one of the things Jon will remember when he is grown. Also, how long can Jake's back hold up? Will Jon still want to do this when he is a... dum dum dum... TEENAGER!? Well, I treasure these moments while they last. I just love my boys! meg

The First Frost

2008-10-30T08:15:00.003-04:00

Today, October 30th, we received our first frozen morning. Even though the pictures don't show it, we thought, for a moment, that it was snow!
Jon was very excited, as you can see by the following pictures...

Halloween Party No. 2 and 3

2008-10-25T13:10:00.009-04:00

Friday, we had our annual "Trunk or Treat" at the church. Jon was Lego Mr. Freeze (from Batman).
Lego Mr. Freeze!

Meg and Angie Turner (Jayson Stark's Assistant)
A thirsty Cullen, indeed...

Later, we went to our friend's, the Colliers for an adult Halloween party where we found multiple Sarah Palins, Wolverine, Frankenstein, and several rednecks...

Thanks to Lori and Dave for putting on a great party! We are so sorry to hear about your friend, Myra. I am glad that someone found her remains... At least, now you have closure.

A Dart, Adrian (Rocky), and Troll DollBrothers?

Who does your hair?
Meet Joe Dirt meets Splash
Sarah doing what she does best, wears appropriate pins on her lapel. Great Costume, Kimmy!
A "not" thirsty Edward (click on photo to enlarge) and his Trollphy Wife!
Troll or Fish, you decide. And yes...that is her real hair.

Jon

2008-10-19T14:34:00.003-04:00

So Meg was playing a song she learned from her childhood and Jon heard it and said, "ooo, oo, I want to learn that!" So, he stood up and watched Meg play for about 6 seconds, kicked her off the bench and never looked back...
Here it is...

I Think I'm Turning Japanese, I really Think So!!!!

2008-10-15T14:05:00.010-04:00

The Breischaft's
The Chapman's
On Saturday, we went to the Japanese Restaurant, Kanki, with several friends and their families. We had a great time! Yes, this is the kind where the chef cooks in front of you. I wish I could say that our camera broke and we could not take any more pictures and that's why we don't have an pics of the onion volcano, brain on drugs, and fancy shrimp flipping.... But, I can't, the food and entertainment was so good, we just forgot to take pictures of him in action...
Here are the kids out front of the restaurant.

Two of the three beautiful people in our family. Wait, I mean, this is ALL of the beautiful people in our family... Our fish is also beautiful and part of our family, he is just considered "people."
I had a terrible time.

1 Potato, 2 potato, 3 potato......
Kids are so lucky that my wife exists....
This was after ice cream at Goodberry's!!!

MUSE-ic

2008-10-02T18:59:00.002-04:00

As none of you know, but will after reading this, my family is WAY into music. Our very most favorite band indisputably is MUSE! Well, I was thinking to myself one night as I was listening to what can only make other music jealous, I thought, I wonder if everyone knows about them. Hailing from England, MUSE is set to take over the Rock Universe. In the beginning they were said to be a Radiohead look-alike. Tsk tsk. I am a fan of Radiohead, don’t get me wrong, but seriously, MUSE is so superior there can be no comparison. You may have noticed this most awesome band all over my blog? You may even wonder about my musical interests? I have heard, “How can sweet little Meg be interested in this kind of music?” Well, I have been a fan of rock for as long as I can remember. My favorite song at age 9 was “Pour some sugar on me”. What? Inappropriate? Absolutely! But, hey, where else am I going to find complicated melodies and songs about tortured love. I find that WAY more interesting than singing about some girl you met in a club. M’kay. It seems as if Matt Bellamy (lead singer, song writer, guitarist, piano genius extraordinaire) has an extra set of hands while laying those melodies out on the piano. I mean, c’mon! This is out of this world. Interestingly enough, I think he is singing about some sort of apocalyptic end near Mars. Weird, yea. Brilliant, absolutley. I get the most pleasure out of it when he plays the organ with reckless abandon. The ORGAN! My personal favorite is “Time is running out”. However, if you are more of take it slow kind of a person, check out “Falling away with you” or “Endlessly”. Either way, you are in for a treat. Don’t believe me? Check out this killer review online. Careful of the swear word. You have been warned. http://www.nme.com/reviews/7970 Still reading? You must really love me Nessa. Well, I love Stephanie Meyer for the introduction to this uber superior band as well as Twilight of course. I am forever grateful. So, check out the album Absolution (well, any album really) by MUSE and you will not be disappointed. Much love-MEG

Thank you!

2008-10-01T21:00:00.002-04:00

This was left on our front porch secretively for Jake's birthday and we have no idea Quinton who did it Quinton. It is nice to know Jake has such great friends Quinton. If only we Quinton knew who Quinton did it. We could Quinton thank him or her Quinton properly. Jake especially loved the Ben-gay! He is getting up there in age and it is nice to have friends Quinton to remind you of that. THANK YOU anonymous Quinton Chapman gift giver!

Happy Birhtday Jake!!! 35 GASP!!

2008-09-28T19:51:00.010-04:00

Ok, so this is suuper gushy and not at all Jake style, but I wanted to prove that I could make a video (with way too much help from Jon) all on my own. Also, I am totally smitten with my husband and I wanted to pay tribute to this most amazing man on his special day! Jake, you make life better. WE LOVE YOU!! *meg*jon* ***side note:Please pause our playlist before playing this video.***

Marshmallow Night

2008-09-26T07:54:00.006-04:00

It has been in the 90's and 100's up until this week, when, suddenly, it has dropped into the low 70's for highs. Tropical Storm Kyle has caused much rain and a drop in temperature that we decided to make the most of it.

We even made smores in front of our fire and had a great time!

I love my friends!

2008-09-22T13:40:00.003-04:00

I just thought it would be a good time for me to shout out to my girls here in NC. I am so!! thankful for great friends. Kristy, I owe you one for having beautiful babies and sharing them with me. Lisa, for just about everything, but mostly for dragging my lazy behind to the gym every once in a while. You guys are priceless to me! All of my friends are, I just wanted to spotlight these two cuties for now. ;)

Jon's new do!

2008-09-13T19:51:00.003-04:00

Jake cut Jon's hair recently and I really love it! I just thought you guys would want to see. Do you like all the angles? Me too.

Happpy Birthday, Jon!

2008-08-24T09:52:00.008-04:00

Today is Jon's birthday,
Shout Hip Hip Hooray!

We've got us a good one,

A great guy, we say.

He grows up way too fast,

He is NINE! *gasp*

With great love of music,

The piano he plays.

We think he'll be a great master

Of music someday.

We love him so dearly-

From here to Timbucktoo,
So shout it from rooftops...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Super Hero Fans? Anyone?

2008-08-22T20:56:00.003-04:00

Jon is into comic books now. *ahem* Mom's influence. Anyway, I sent Jake in to turn off Jon's lights and make sure he was indeed asleep. (he seldom ever is) Well, this is what Jake found. Jon cracks us up. Also, Jon has started piano. He is so excited. He loves music and he has a great teacher. Life is fun!

Hanging Rock Camping Trip

2008-08-18T15:17:00.007-04:00

We had a great time with our good friends the Garff family at Hanging Rock State Park, NC. Needless to say, I was terrified of the million foot drop cliff with 4 kids and a dog. whew... Jon had so much fun with Brandon, Sydney, Ruby and Ace! Thanks for a great time Garff family!

Meg's surprise 30th birthday party!

2008-08-05T21:11:00.005-04:00

Angie, Meg, Melanie, Suzanne at dinner.

Meg got heart attacked by Jon and his cousins...

I asked Meg what her favorite ice cream was and she said, "I don't like ice cream."
So, of course, she got an ice cream cake!

"Holy crap! This is Blue Bell Ice Cream? Why didn't you say so? I love Ice Cream!"

You can only get it at Outback Steakhouse around here...
I can't imagine it was good. I drove it home from Outback for 45 minutes in rush hour traffic in 97 degree heat! Then, I refroze it. Yum!

THIRTY THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT MEG!

1) Her unbelievable good looks!
2) Her wonderful singing voice, especially this one song on Rock Band where she sounds so hot!
3) That she either still thinks I am funny, or at least, she makes me think that she still thinks I am funny.
4) Her great hair (in all it's wonderful colors).
5) Her breath-taking blue eyes.
6) Her love for Jon.
7) Her love for everyone, specifically the people that are the hardest to love.
8) That she hates LOST, but won't miss an episode, just to watch it with me.
9) I love that she makes me buy stuff for myself, and keeps me from living in the 90's still.
10) Her ability to forgive.
11) Her love for nature, trees, clouds, sunsets (I guess one of us should appreciate that crap).
12) I love that she gets me (even if she is the only one).
13) Her great big family that comes with her. They are all great. Well, except for Kendall (what a weirdo)
14) All 187 pairs of her shoes.
15) All 96 of her bags.
16 ) I love that she knows who she is and who she wants to be.
17) I love her as a mother.
18) I love that she doesn't care if I watch SportsCenter EVERY DAY!
19) She is a GREAT cook (well, I'm sure she knows a great cook)!
20) I love that she doesn't call me Jacob; I think he is dumb and immature (she calls me the other one).
21) That she let's me build stuff, even though she knows that I will never complete it (ask her about the RC race track; someday, it will be my greatest accomplishment).
22) How great she looks in a pair of jeans... just a pair of jeans.
23)Her love for animals. She won't even let me kill a spider that has been hunting her for 3 weeks (I smushed it last week, don't tell her).
24) That she is a nomad, just like me...
25) Her devotion to her church responsibilities.
26) That she likes to be a girly girl sometimes (what does that even mean, really).
27) Her outstanding smile! She is always cheerful and upbeat and keeps things positive!
28) She loves being surprised! Or, she knows that I like surprising her and she actually hates being surprised, but not as much as she knows that I love surprising her so she let's me do it time and time again. Oh crap, what if she hates surprises and she is just letting me think that she loves them. Great, now I don't know what to do..... Meg, tell me the truth!
29) I love that she is a "fun" mom!

30) I love that she chose me!

Happy Birthday Meg!
May the next 30 years be as kind to you as the first. In other words, don't get old, gray, and hairy in places you shouldn't have hair. That would be just, well... OLD.

I love you!
Jake

Is your sister as clever as mine?

2008-08-04T12:51:00.002-04:00

My sister Anissa is AMAZING!! She gave me the coolest present for my 30th birthday. Check out her blog to see what she did... http://rashetas.blogspot.com/

THANK YOUUUUU!!!!

Alternate Ending to Joey Murder Mystery --- 100% by JON!

2008-08-02T10:12:00.005-04:00

So, I come home from work on Friday and Jon meets me at the door and says, "Dad, I just made a home movie!"
I assumed that he found the camera and filmed something. Boy, was I wrong!
I was not even aware that he knew where to find our movie making software, much less how to use it! Meg certainly does not.
He said he was searching around the computer, found it, and started playing around with it. This is pretty amazing, if you ask me.
The only thing that I helped him with was spelling...
You will have to watch the first 3 Joey murder mystery movies, here on our blog to understand it, but, here you go!

Jon's first movie:

Summer Slumber Party

2008-07-31T19:02:00.003-04:00

Summer fun!

2008-07-31T18:40:00.004-04:00

Now that Jon is tracked in, we would like to reflect on all the fun he had this track out. We could not have had more fun in AZ with the family. We oficially got hooked on Rock Band, went rock climbing, (side note:Jon did not want to go the whole way up and mean mom got on that wall and made him go to the top. He was so proud of himself and glad he did it. Persistence pays off.) Kara gave us all Yoga lessons, we saw a movie at a cinica-pre (the world's largest movie screen), Celebrated Sagie's birthday, and ate the best food I have had in a long time. whew

Then we went to Adventure Landing with Jon's good friend Toni, and had a super fun sleep over with all the Abhau kids under one roof. FUN!!! Now Jon is a 3rd grader, and we are so proud of him. If only we could figure out how to make him grow up slower. Time flies when you are having fun!

A Murder Mystery --- EPISODE III

2008-07-30T20:42:00.004-04:00

This is installment three of the three part feature.

A Murder Mystery --- EPISODE II

2008-07-01T01:01:00.002-04:00

This is installment two of the three part feature.

A Murder Mystery --- EPISODE I

2008-06-30T23:53:00.008-04:00

This is the first of three videos unravelling the mystery of who killed Joey Abhau. Stay tuned for the next installment.

We've been tagged!

2008-06-24T14:26:00.017-04:00

8 Things to do before I die:
*Have Grandchildren (jake - I don't know who meg is having her grandchildren with, but I will have no part of that)
*Go to London (jake - help the English fix their teeth)
*Typical (skydive) (jake - I second that)
*Visit Jerusalem (jake - own a piece of the middle east)
*Learn a new language (jake - learn english way gooder)
*Go on a mission (jake - meet some missionaries)
*Run a non-profit organization (jake - make lots of money off our future non-profit organization)
*Swim with dolphins somewhere tropical (jake- swim with my wife in a tropical place)

8 Things I am passionate about:
*My family (jake - my son's mom)
*My religion (jake - meg's religious views)
*Politics (jake - I hope McCain dies and Romney still has a shot)
*Child safety (jake - there are too many kids in this world)
*Music (jake - no country)
*My friends (jake - yes, I like my friend)
*My callings (jake - I once called my brother a bad name)
*Trees and brand new babies (jake - is there any other kind of baby?)

8 common phrases heard in my home:
*Love you bunches
*Look at my eyes (mom says to Jon when he acts up)
*I like pie (jake - this is the best phrase)
*I can build that (Jake says this a lot)
*Never is a very long time (this quote courtesy of my mother)
*123 Families are forever
*Can't never could (again thanks mom)
*Please please please brush your teeth and go to bed

8 Recently read books
*The Host (jake - The Host)
*Twilight (jake - Twilight uh...)
*New Moon (jake - New Moon, I see a trend forming)
*Eclipse (jake - Eclipse,wow, this is scary)
*The Other Boleyn Girl (jake - wow, I am pretty sure that I am gay.)
*The Constant Princess (jake - uh... Rambo)
*I am a Mother (jake - Home Improvement 1-2-3)
*Pride and Prejudice (jake - You are a Man, no matter what anyone says)

8 songs on my IPOD
*Newborn (Muse) (jake - Newborn - Muse)
*Apologize (One Republic) (jake - Green Day)
*Bubbly (Colbie Caillat) (jake - Coldplay)
*Blackbird (Sarah McLachlan) (jake - Lenny Kravitz)
*Home (Michael Buble) (jake - A dude whose name is Bubble is just not right)
*Who Knew (Pink) (jake - I know everything.. seriously)
*The Fear you Won't Fall (Joshua Radin) (jake - shouldn't i fear falling, not "not falling")
*Unpretty (TLC) (jake - meg is so pretty )

8 random things about me
*I don't care for feet and this is a HUGE understatement (jake - My feet would make ANYONE vomit)
*I have no obvious talents, but my mom says I am a good friend :D (jake - believe me, Meg has talents)
*I LOVE to dance and I don't care what anyone says about it! (jake - I think Meg watches a dance show)
*I love to rock climb (jake - yeah, you should see the Wake Forest mountains, truly breathtaking)
*I am Nanny's girl (jake - ok, all you Hendrix', what does that phrase mean, anyway?)
*I am easily amused (really really) (jake - uh.. I guess I only THINK I am funny)
*I am OBSESSED with Twilight and secretly want to be Stephenie Meyer's new BFF (jake - BFF, really Meg, what am I supposed to say to that?)
*I get physically ill when I see kids or animals being abused (jake - me too, actually, except for badgers, KILL ALL THE BADGERS!)

2008-06-23T23:04:00.003-04:00

Even in North Carolina, where most people still live on tobacco farms and consider a full set of teeth as a luxury, we managed to find a swimming hole for Jon.

He absoluetly loved it (and for now, he still has most of his teeth)!

Thanks for the pics, Christy...

2008-06-23T22:56:00.008-04:00

As many of you have heard by now, Jon is going to be on Letterman for his "human trick!" He was discovered last time he and Meg went to the pool when a casting agent saw him doing this.

When Jon plugs his nose and blows as hard as he can, water shoots, like a fountain, out of his head(sadly though, he, then, bleeds from his eyes for 20 minutes, but we are working on his control).

Either way, this trick ought to make him millions, or at least pay for some new teeth...

The Nintendo Movie: A comedy for the whole family!

2008-06-22T01:27:00.005-04:00

If you think Jon is greater than sliced bread, this is for you...

2008-06-02T01:27:00.001-04:00

the "cold ones"

2008-05-27T13:43:00.002-04:00

Twilight fans, anyone?

2008-05-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

For our TEN year anniversary, we took a surprise trip to Forks, WA. This is the setting of the popular series by Stephenie Meyer, known as the Twilight series. It began with a Stephenie Meyer book signing in Portland for her new book, The Host, where Jake got a picture with the actor playing Sam Uley in her upcoming movie.

The journey continued to Port Angeles, WA, a 6 hour drive from Portland. We stayed in Kalaloch Lodge, about 30 minutes south of Forks and, on the Washington Coast in the Hoh Rain Forest.

Check out the slide show for photos of the trip.

Mormons in Forks?

2008-05-26T20:45:00.000-04:00

No, it is just the The Portland Temple, taken from I-5. We met old friends of ours (Mike and Amy Jo Halliday) here for a few hours. This is one of the most beautiful temples in Oregon!

2008-03-30T20:19:00.000-04:00

10 years in May!

2008-03-30T17:35:00.000-04:00

Over Christmas, we went to the Biltmore with Kelton and Sarah. Jon was such a trooper! His favorite part was tasting the blackberry lemonade made from the blackberries grown on the estate's property.

This is taken on the back balcony of the Biltmore Mansion overlooking some of the property.