San Antonio

(First- a quick and obvious sidenote:  I am not very clever when it comes to titles for posts....)

Unlike many people, my roots are scattered and not firmly planted in one particular place.  I grew up an Army brat.  Part of me has always been envious of people who grew up in one place and had roots; a hometown.  Nonetheless, though not born and raised in California, I do consider California my home. I love this state and all the beauty it possesses; I am a California girl.  Lance, however, is 50 percent Texan. He may disagree with that statement as he is quick to disown California, but whether he likes it or not; he has California in him. He appreciates the beauty of California, but he has a distaste for California politics and regulations.   The only cities I have ever visited in Texas were El Paso and San Marcos of which neither left a lasting impression on me.   However, this past weekend, I saw a part of Texas that gave me a better understanding of Lance’s passion for the Lone Star State.  Lance and I decided to not exchange birthday gifts this year. Instead, we arranged a trip to San Antonio as birthday presents to each other. Initially, the trip was intended to be a romantic getaway for us, but a few months after I began planning it, I wanted the boys to accompany us on the trip.  When I suggested it to Lance, he loved the idea.  I feel so blessed to be married to him, because he loves his stepchildren.  You can tell the difference between someone who just tolerates stepchildren and someone who makes a concerted effort to be involved and inclusive. I know many men would have not welcomed the idea of bringing stepchildren on what was suppose to be a romantic trip, but not my Lance.

Our hotel in San Antonio was perfectly situated in the city.  It was within 5-10 mins walking distance from every major site. We explored the typical tourist attractions:  The Tower of Americas, the Alamo, Buckhorn Museum (Lance’s high school friend, Mike Tedford and his wife, met us for drinks and a tour) , and the Riverwalk.  We also did some fun activities like Ripley’s Believe it or Not (we got to see locks of George Washington’s and JFK’s hair and a part of the Berlin Wall), the wax museum, The Guinness Book of Worlds Records museum, the mirror and laser mazes, and a frightening haunted house! 

Before we entered the house of doom. Little did I know, Dylan would suffer no guilt in leaving me behind to save his own self.

An elevator shaft brought brave or stupid visitors to the top floor of the haunted house where you were chased through a dark maze complete with ghostly animatronics and live actors.  Dylan desperately clung to Lance while I made a simultaneous though futile effort to seek my husband’s protection.  During this trip, I learned something new about my eldest son.  Dylan is a coward and would, without hesitation, sacrifice me to save himself.  He selfishly pushed me away as he grabbed Lance for his sole protection.  We were both frantically and fearfully fighting over Lance, pulling violently at his clothes and literally almost pulling his pants off in the process.  It is true. Fear brings out the worst in man. 

Outside the Tower of Americas



View of the Alamodome on top of the Tower of Americas



The Tower of Americas is the second tallest tower in the United States (second to the Stratosphere in Vegas).  We had dinner at the elegant Chart House restaurant and were able to watch an amazing sunset with a spectacular view of San Antonio. 

We also took a riverboat tour and had several meals at the multitude of restaurants along the Riverwalk.  It was simply beautiful.

Visiting the Alamo was a very somber yet thought-provoking experience. 

Prior to our visit, we went to see an IMAX film about the Alamo so that Dylan and Brandon could understand the significance of what they were about to tour.  I felt myself getting teary-eyed as we entered the Alamo.  I think we often take for granted all the sacrifices that have been made for our country.  It was inspiring to learn the story of these very brave and patriotic men who sacrificed their lives for liberty; they knew their dismal fate, and yet they met it with such courage, strength, and conviction.   True American heroes.

Why did we visit San Antonio?  I learned that it is the most visited city in Texas and the 7th biggest city in the nation.  However, the main reason we travelled to San Antonio was to run the Rock and Roll Half Marathon. 



Showing off our medals



Showing off my race bib



One of the things I love about running is that it encourages us to see and do things we wouldn’t normally do.  On Sunday, November 11, Lance and I ran the San Antonio half marathon.  When I first met Lance, I was running a half marathon at 1:54 but my time has recently plummetted to an average of 2:25.  I am very eager to recondition myself back into shape.  It is a gradual and continual climb, but I was proudly able to complete the course at 2:15:17.  Lance had not run more than 6 miles consecutively so he was not adequately trained for the half marathon. However, he finished at 2:42.  I am proud of him.



Meeting Meb!!



What was an exceptional treat for me though was that I got to meet Meb Keflezighi at the expo on Saturday.  Anyone who has glanced through the pages of any running magazine will be very familiar with Meb.

He is the 2009 New York Marathon winner, 2004 Olympic silver medalist, and he placed 4^th in the marathon at the 2012 Olympics.  He runs a full marathon at an impressive 2:09.  

On Monday, it was with sadness that we left San Antonio.  I truly think San Antonio is one of the prettiest cities in the United States.  If Lance ever insisted on us relocating to Texas, he actually would have a chance of being successful in his argument if San Antonio was in the equation.  I can totally see myself living there.

On a side note, I turned 41 on Wednesday.  My birthday celebration was simple.  Lance took the kids and I to eat my favorite food, Vietnamese.  I only wanted one thing from him: a love letter that would make me gush.  Lance tries to conceal his romantic and emotional nature, which I can't quite comprehend as it is the reason I fell so hopelessly in love with him.  He did deliver and write me a beautiful letter which induced me to tears.  As much as he is romantic and emotional, he is also quite private too so I wont share the precise words in his letter, but instead…. a quote that he cited at the end of his letter, which, to me, sums it up. 

If I had to choose between loving you, and breathing. I would use my last breath to say I LOVE YOU.

I feel so blessed.  Happiness is the absence of desire.  For the first time in my life, I no longer want anything.  I have no desire or need. I feel so complete. I feel so satisfied.  There is an indescribable peace that comes with that.  I am  at peace…happy….grateful. Even if it took me 41 years to arrive at this point in my life, I'm there. I finally can understand what happiness truly is and what peace it brings.



The Boys in front of the historic Berlin Wall

 

In the Mirror Maze



Lance and I experiencing the 3D version of the mirror maze.



Brandon with a wolf at the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum



Lunch with the Tedfords at Buckhorn Saloon

Special Visitors and Fall Update

We had special visitors at our house yesterday evening.  President Barack Obama paid us visit!  Can you believe that?   He wanted to deliver a critical message to us …..how important it was for us to vote for Mitt Romney on election day!  In person, the President seemed much smaller in stature.  All of the stress of campaigning has also caused him to lose weight.  He looked exceptionally thin.  We did appreciate the President’s efforts to garner more votes for Romney, but we had already made up our mind that we were  voting for Romney.

President Obama

Strangely, during President Obama’s visit, we were also invaded by a swarm of bees.  I don’t know where they came from, but they somehow managed to find a way to infiltrate our house.  I must admit, these were not your normal bees; they were the best - looking bees I’ve ever seen!!  Fortunately, I don’t think anyone got stung. Whew! On second thought, I think Lance may have wanted to be stung by the Queen Bee . 

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!



As the sun fell and the air became crisp, we were visited by a dark creature of the night—a terrifying zombie from the grave!  Our initial reaction was to run, but instead, we chose to defend our home.  We soon learned that this was completely unnecessary because the zombie was actually very friendly.  Have you ever heard of Casper, the “friendly” ghost? Well, this was Brandon, the “friendly” zombie! 





Zombies from the grave.



With the President at our home, the  swarm of bees, and the zombie, it became a fun Halloween party.  We had a great time eating pizza, trick or treating, and snacking on candy!  We tried to get Dexter, America’s favorite serial killer, to stop by, but regrettably, he was a no-show.  Perhaps, he may visit us later when he has a night off from feeing his "dark passenger". I can only hope.  I have to convince Lance to disappear one night and have Dexter stop by.



The entire group (Mitt Romney, two kitty cats, two zombies, the President, and the bees)





The Queen Bee with what was suppose to be Dexter



Fall has been a very busy time for us; nothing ever seems to slow down.  With all the kids' activities and school, it just seems endless.  Lance continues to spend weekends on the boat.  He works 7-days a week.  It is ultimately going to catch up with him.   I was able to convince him to take a weekend off to attend the Rock and Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon with me last weekend.  We stayed at the historic Biltmore Hotel which served as the location for the Academy Awards in the 1930s.  It was a beautiful, elegant hotel.  We had dinner Saturday night at L.A. Live with several friends.  The weekend was supposed to be romantic, but things don’t always go as planned.  After dinner, we left L.A. Live and began to walk the mile distance back to hotel.  Unlike the typical woman, I am a very skilled navigator.  Give me a map, and I can find my way anywhere.  I am not exaggerating.  Lance relies heavily on my navigation skills.  I direct; he leads.  When we left the restaurant, I foolishly did not look at a map (my mistake) and just started walking to what I thought was back to the hotel. We walked about ¾ mile off track before I realized it.  I then glanced at the map (finally!) and began to navigate us back to the hotel. Lance seemed to think we were not in the best part of town.  However, I did not feel threatened because Lance always makes me feel safe.  Nonetheless, Lance was not a happy guy.  He was very stressed and concerned for our safety.  He began to show his frustration.  What made matters worse was that he was not feeling well.  With the map, I was able to easily direct us back to the hotel, and once we arrived, poor Lance had a fever, the runs, and uncontrollable vomiting.  He made the hotel room smell like a sewer. Because he was so sick, he felt guilty for not being able to support me the way he wanted to for the half marathon, but I have done many half marathons in my two-year running career so it was not a big deal.  I am slowly climbing the mountain back to my previous fit condition and completed the half in 2:17:09.



At the Los Angeles Convention Center to pick up my race bib for the Rock and Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon


Brandon is playing flag football with the Harvard Crimson.  He loves the game and is getting better as the season ends. At last week’s game, he helped the team gain several yards on the field. I don't quite understand the game, but we love spending Friday nights out on the field cheering him on!  Next week, Lance, Dylan, Brandon, and I will be traveling to San Antonio, Texas to run the Rock and Roll San Antonio Half Marathon.  Yes, two weeks later, I’m running another half.  It will be a mini vacation for us while Mia gets to have her daddy all to herself. 



Brandon makes a flag football tackle in a defensive move!



 



Brandon running with the football.

 

The Beginning

I have decided to copy my stepdaughters and create my first blog.  I am completely new at this so please be patient as I learn.  I consider this a new type of journaling that would enable family and friends to keep connected with us and most importantly, would give my children a written memoir of their childhood which is a priceless gift.  I've always been a writer.  Writing is therapy.  I started to journal when I was 13 years old and continued this habit until about 8 years ago.  Lately, I've been too distracted with the dutiful demands of life. I do want  to remember all I can but regrettably as we age, all the wonderful little intricate details of events fade, but with this blog, everything will be immortalized; another reason why I'm prompted to start this blog.

However, I do not know if I will have the dedication to routinely commit to updating this blog, but I will make a concerted effort.  My intention is to include regular updates on Dylan, Brandon, and Mia's activities; the obnoxious and yet adorable actions of Buddy and Bella; the restoration project of Tide the Knott; family vacations; my running career, and any other noteworthy changes or experiences in our lives.  This blog is not just about me even though I am narcisstic enough to talk incessantly about myself. I am, after all, quite interesting.  This blog is about Lance, me, Dylan, Brandon, Mia, Buddy, and Bella.  This blog is about us.  Additionally, I am a picture fanatic so rest assured, there will be plentiful pictures of us. This is The Beginning so let me introduce the stars of this blog:



Joseph Lance Wade



Joseph Lance Wade--He is 54 years old and a retired Navy Commander from Houston, Texas. He holds a Bachelors degree from Brigham Young University and  Masters from Florida State University (I think--may have gotten the University wrong).  He is a master of all trades. He is currently working on a restoration project; a 70-ft boat that we just purchased in San Diego appropriately named "Tide the Knott".  Lance is a genius.  He can do anything.  What I love about him is that he is extremely educated but he is also a man's man.  He knows how to fix or build anything. In fact, this is one of many restoration projects he has taken on in his lifetime. He previously restored a WWII aircraft that upon completion was purchased and is currently on display in a museum.  Lance is very family oriented. He has very traditional values.  He is a Republican and has very strong opinions about politics.  He can be very outspoken at times.  He is funny and makes me laugh uncontrollably.  He is also an extremely sensitive and loving man who is selfless and giving.  We were married in March 2011, and it has been an amazing year.  Prior to our marriage, Lance lived on a yacht in San Diego.  He relocated to Orange County.  Lance is very involved with the kids, and I could not have chosen a better man to be their stepfather.  Lance loves working on his boat; visiting friends in Texas; hunting; having a beer with friends; fixing, building, and restoring things; and watching movies.



Elizabeth Violet Fellows Wade.  I am 41 years old. I was born in Saigon, Vietnam, but moved all over the country due to my father's military career.  I am half Vietnames and am very proud of my heritage.  I have a Bachelor's degree in English from California State University, Fullerton.  My passion is my family.  There is NOTHING more important in my life than my family.  They give meaning to my life.  I am a very independent, open-minded, passionate, and sensitive person.  I enjoy running, taking pictures (of myself), and just spending time in the gym or with my family.  I also hope to resume my writing.  I have journal books in my closet.  I love old Hollywood and classic literature. My favorite novel is Jane Eyre and Losing Julia.  I am a deeply romantic person.  I am also a person full of contradictions.  I'm arrogant and insecure; gregarious and shy. I have a sailor's mouth at times, and I'm not very good at censoring my thoughts.  I speak what I think, and most people either like me or they find me offensive.  I am also a dog lover, and it sickens me the way animals are abused and mistreated. 



Dylan Roy Bivens



Dylan Roy Bivens.  Dylan is a typical 13-year old boy.  He is currently obsessed with basketball.  Everything is about basketball.  His favorite team is the Boston Celtics, and his bedroom  is Celtics themed.  Dylan has played basketball, baseball, and spent years studying jiu jitsu.  He has also participated in a chess club and is quite a worthy opponent.  Dylan is a sensitive boy, and he is the most caring, selfless person.  My mother once told me that Dylan had the best heart of anyone and when I'm older, he will be the one who is always there me.  I believe that.  Dylan is also into video games, but everything is secondary to basketball.  He is now in a Basketball Academy.  Dylan is also interested in cooking, and he has begun cooking several family meals.  He made salmon last night, and it was absolutely delicious. One huge accomplishment of Dylan's is that he completed his first half marathon (Disneyland Half Marathon ) at the age of 13.  He was the youngest person to complete the race in 2012. I am very proud of him.



Brandon Joaquin Bivens



Brandon Joaquin Bivens.  Brandon is 7 years old and he is a very strong-willed and extremely bright boy.  There is no question in my mind that he will be very successful in life. He is able to grasp concepts that are far advanced for his age. His mathematics calculations in every day life just leave me in awe.  He once asked me my annual income as well as Lance's and was able, within seconds, to calculate our annual combined income.  Moreover, I once told him if he drank two of the protein shakes daily, he would have consumed 500 calories.  Within a second, he corrected my estimated addition with the accurate amount of calories consumed. He plays baseball, flag football, and has also been doing jiu jitsu for years.  He is also in his second year of boy scouts.  Brandon is small for his age, but he is a fierce competitor.  He has that drive to win.  He has a leader type personality.  He constantly teases his sister all the time.  If there is an argument between the kids, it is always with Brandon in the middle.  Dylan and Mia seldom argue with each other.  Brandon is also into video games, but we are trying to divert his attention into less brain frying activities.  His nickname is Brandonio.

Mia Bronte Bivens

Mia Bronte Bivens. Mia is 5 years old and she is the Princess.  She is a complete girly girl. She has had an obsession with clothes, shoes, hair, accessories since she was 2 years old. In fact, she plays more with her clothes than she does with her dolls.  She loves the color pink.  She likes to have her nails painted and her hair done. She is very sweet and just worships her brother, Brandon. She is more into the social scene than academics at school. It takes her quite awhile to figure out the outfit of the day, and yes, she is only in kindergarten.  I once told her,"You are so photogenic, Mia. Do you know what that means?" She replied, "Yes. It means I am very pretty."  She loves dogs. She also loves to have her picture taken.  Mia has recently developed the hobby of competing in pageants.  She has done three and has a commanding stage presence. She is not shy on the stage. She is in her second season of cheerleading.  She loves to cuddle in bed with Mommy and watch movies.  She is a very affectionate girl.  I have nicknamed her "Bubble Butt" and "Mia Pachia" Notice I named Mia's middle name after the famous Bronte sisters?

BuddyYellow Pants Wade and Bella Baby Wade

Buddy Yellow Pants and Bella Baby Wade.  Buddy is a 4 1/2 year old 110 lbs Labrador retriever.  Bella is a 2 1/2 year old 70 lbs Labrador retriever.  They were both adopted by us from a rescue group that specializes in rescuing labs.  Buddy suffers from an ACL tear that has never healed properly. He was saved on the day he was going to be euthanized.  Bella was a stray found wandering the streets.  Buddy is the typical boy dog.  He has an obsession with all kinds of balls.  He loves to carry them in his mouth and he will play fetch continuously , disregarding how exhausted he is....he also has a very keen nose and can find anything.  It is incredible to watch.  Hide a ball and Buddy will find it!  Bella is our fat girl.  She has gained 10 - 15 lbs since we adopted her, and she will never stop eating.  She is also extremely sensitive and needy. She constantly needs reassurance that you love her and always wants to be petted.  She doesn't know how to play, but she is learning.  She also cannot stand loud noises, but she loves to hunt things.  She also tends to get extremely excited when going on an excursion much to the annoyance of everyone in the family.  These two dogs are spoiled, untrained, and obnoxious, but they are the most sweetest, loving, animals.  They both love the water and could swim endlessly.  They are also bed hogs.

Well, that is all of us.  I hope I can continue to provide updates.  Lance has expressed his preference that I create a blog instead of doing Facebook.  He dislikes the lack of privacy from Facebook, but a blog will only be for close friends and family.  I think this is going to be a fun, learning experience for me, and a good way of sharing "Our Story".



2011
Our Family Before We Adopted Buddy