Where are we, exactly?

We've been treated in the last week to some true winter weather . . . making me believe that perhaps we suddenly got teleported back to Minnesota or something! We woke up last Wednesday to steely gray skies and the threat of snow. It began to rain/sleet later in the afternoon and continued overnight, so that we woke up to a magically transformed winter wonderland on Thursday. SNOW DAY! The snow was supposed to keep on falling so we decided to cancel our day's regular activities and stay home, cuddle up in jammies and blankets, and drink hot drinks. This was only the third accumulating snowfall that has come to this city in the six years that we've lived here! Truly a rare occurance. We enjoyed it for all its worth! The girls and John went out to play and were joined by some other friends in the neighborhood; they had a great time making a snowman, throwing snowballs, and of course came in soaking wet with bright red cheeks. FUN times! I don't think I realized how much I miss the Minnesota snows until we experienced a bit of it this week!

But the pictures I wanted to share today came from a few weeks ago, when we were also wondering if we were still in a large, populous country in Asia. As a part of the national games, we went to see a baseball game. Yes, baseball. Largely unknown in this country, we were almost the only fans at the game, the others present were either volunteers or security people. The teams were very unequal; the capital city's team was playing the second string team of a much smaller province. The score reflected it--the capital city won in 6 innings, 15-1. (There must have been a mercy rule.) But we enjoyed our outing to a baseball game, despite feeling a little silly cheering loudly when no one else was saying a word. At one point, while we were cheering (for the underdog, of course!), the security guy next to me said (literally translated): "I see but I can't understand." I was going to try to explain the rules of baseball to him but didn't think I could manage the specialized vocabulary!

Here's the park, on an unusually beautiful, clear-sky fall day! We so rarely see this kind of clarity--smog is a constant issue where we live. But that makes us enjoy the clear days all the more!
Batter up!

Enjoying some Jelly Belly's (left over from our Hong Kong trip) while watching the game. Let's face it, my girls enjoyed the snacks much more than the game!

Chloe and I take a moment for a picture.

After a delicious lunch at a hole in the wall restaurant, we made our way to an equestrian event that afternoon. I don't know anything about this sport! But after watching about 20 horses compete, we learned! This was a hush-hush event, they even requested that everyone stay seated while the horses were competing. The event was called "horse dancing" and the riders led their horses through a series of paces that included a special kicking up of the heels that looked like the horse was dancing. It was interesting, and the horses were so beautiful! My girls were fascinated at first, but then, let's face it, it was the snacks that got them through!

Again, very few specatators. But the surrounding scenery was amazing! This arena was set up in the mountains and with the sky so clear, we could see for miles! Beautiful! Just got a little chilly, though, as the afternoon advanced and the wind picked up.

What a great experience, so very unlike anything we've ever done before in this country! It made us wonder a bit if we were really still here . . .but indeed, after a long day out, home was waiting for us just 30 minutes away by taxi. It was a fun and interesting day!

The Tables are Turned

I am sure that I've mentioned before (probably only about a thousand times) how we tend to get photographed wherever we go, living in this country of Asians, since we travel with three blue-eyed blondes who look to our national friends like "foriegn baby dolls." This photography comes in several forms:

• The surreptitious photographer. This is when the person slyly sneaks out his cell phone or digital camera and takes the picture without you knowing, not bothering you in the least.
• The sweet and eager photographer. This is the person who is so genuinely excited to "take a photo" and so sweet about asking that you consent, even though it's late and you meant to be going by now and your kids are not exactly cooperating.
• The bold photographer. This person walks up, poses next to you while enlisting a friend to take a picture, and it's over before you could even say, "no thank you."
• The cutesy photographer. These people want to pose. They want to flash the peace sign, put their arms around you, get your kids to hug or kiss them, etc etc. I'm sorry to say that these are the most annoying. They frequently are not satisfied with the first photo and insist on a second, or third.
• The too-late photographer. This is the person who wants to snap a photo, but gets ready too slowly and my kids have already dashed off somewhere else.

You may disbelieve my list there, but truly, we've lived here long enough and have had all manner of these encounters. Some days I handle it well, other days it really, really bugs me. On the positive side, it's sweet that people think my children are beautiful and want to take pictures of them. On the negative side, no one (except people who know us) realizes that every person that we saw that day also wanted to take a picture of us, and that the moment we stop for one photo in a crowd, immediately twenty more cameras come out. It's really an amazing pheonomena. I guess that perhaps being a famous person is a little like this.

Anyway, on this particular day in early October, we (including Grandma Ann) were playing frisbee and letting the girls ride their bikes outside, when along came these twins. My MIL got so excited, she thought they were SO CUTE! She wanted to take a picture, and though the mother of the twins looked a bit uncomfortable, she gave permission and so John snapped this photo. Ann just kept gushing about how cute these little tykes were! I'm sure the mother had some of the same feelings we have when people ask to take pictures of our kids! Interestingly enough, the tables were turned.

They ARE cute, though, aren't they? And aren't you glad my MIL insisted on a picture so you could see them, just as my children's pictures are probably sent to friends and relations all over this country? Ahhh, the price of popularity!

An Outing to the Lake

There is a lake in the center of our city that underwent an extensive improvement project in preparation for "sprucing up" the city for the national games. They actually made the lake larger, adding a whole new section with bridges, a sandy play area, paths, beautiful landscaping, and lots of traditional architecture (pagodas). It was a lovely place to spend a morning. Priceless smiles in the flower garden!

A restaurant within the gates to the lake park, with lake views. Ann enjoyed seeing the traditional painted wood designs.

We spent most of our time on a boat ride, tooling around the lake and trying to take the boat through the new passageways. Most of them, unfortunately, did not allow boats, so we stayed in the main part of the lake. The girls enjoyed pretending to be the captain of the ship! Ahoy! Pagoda ahead!

A beautiful bridge, so inviting . . . and the security guard off to the left, motioning to us "You shall not pass!"

Wherever we went, people along the shore would start whipping out their cameras to take pictures of the "foreign baby dolls." Finally we just encouraged the girls to wave to their adoring fans.

The main gate to the park (seen from the inside, of course), with a bed of lotus growing in the foreground. The lotus flower is the city flower.

Taking a few moments to be silly is always fun!

Daddy and Clara sharing a moment. Clara loves to feel his whiskers!

Refreshed and relaxed after our time on the water. By the time we left, we were a bit chilly and were happy to go home and drink something hot to warm up. But it was a lovely morning at the "Big Moon Lake."

But we love Grandma Ann MORE!

[See previous post about loving Friday's. They can't hold a candle to Grandma Ann!]

We love Grandma Ann. She dances with us . . . Talks to us . . .

Entertains us . . .

Plays "chopstick people" with us . . .

And loves us right back.

Whoops! Maybe there's a little too much love going around!

Nah, couldn't be. This is why she came, after all!

How sweet to be able to love on her in person!

We love our Grandma Ann!

Give me FIVE, Grandma Ann!

I know I can do it . . . Yep, that's the way!

Give me five, Grandma!

Yeah!

We love friday's.

We love TGI Friday's. I have to admit, in the States Friday's would be pretty low on my "where-I-would-go-out-to-eat-if-I-could" list. The Pizza Ranch (hometown favorite, great pizza and broasted chicken), Qdoba (love their burritos and queso and chips), Chili's (it's all good here, and some molten chocolate cake wouldn't hurt either!), Culver's (frozen custard and butterburgers, anyone?), and of course Starbucks (though that doesn't really count as food, wait...maybe it does!) are much higher on the preferred chain restaurant list.

But, in Asia, Friday's is (almost) like home. The menu is the same, the prices are decent, the service is good, and even the decor makes it feel like you're suddenly stepping back into America. This is probably a phenomena you don't understand until you've lived overseas. Suddenly the familiar can be a wonderful thing. We try to hit Friday's every time we get to the capital city, and enjoy a little Americana. Several times now we have been seated at this round table for five in the corner, with Rocky Balboa breathing down our necks. See? The girls love Friday's too. Why? 1. Balloons. 2. Crayons and a coloring sheet! 3. Chicken Fingers with mandarin oranges on the side!

Christin was having fun.

Chloe gave us her best smile. Say "Macaroni and Cheese!"

Clara Anne being silly.

Christin caught the silly bug, and I caught it on camera!

Working hard. This was after the meal, by the way. No getting up and going for us! There's still lots left to color!

I think Daddy caught the silly bug too! Striking a contemplative pose. . . he must be thinking, hmm, is life really all about the weekend, the premise of TGI Friday's? . . . I don't think so! It was fun for lunchtime, though. See you next time, Friday's!

Opening Ceremonies!

Here's a brief look at the opening ceremonies of this country's national games, which John, my mother-in-law, Ann, Clara Anne and I attended near the beginning of October. We bought the tickets for the nicer seats, but discovered later that "nicer" in this context meant "closest to the President" who was also attending the ceremony. So we found ourselves with a truly bird's-eye view in the top-most row of a very large stadium! Take a look!
We enjoyed strolling through the huge plaza on our way to the stadium. We arrived early enough that some of the performers were outside taking pictures and milling around. Of course, we were asked to pose!

The festivities started with fireworks, speeches, the national anthem, and the like, and then of course the entrance of the flags and the athletes. After all that came the artistic performances; here's a glimpse.

This was a huge group doing tai ji, an ancient form of exercise/fighting, I am sorry to say I know very little about it. Yes, each one of those white specks is a person! Notice the white (mechanized) doves, lit up and "flying" towards the center of the stadium, in the corner of the picture. They added an amazing, unexpected touch!

This performance involved men on bicycles with megasized sparklers shooting off their bikes as they cycled around in perfect unison! The large screen in the middle was used to various affect throughout the evening--projecting images, forming different shapes--it was quite interesting.

Clara Anne, on John's shoulders, got into the spirit! Working towards the finale with most of the performers on the floor--including a huge contigent of flag wavers, and cheerleaders lining the edges. . .

One of the final moments. All of the points of light in the stands were because we were each given a gift bag upon arriving with a small, powerful flashlight in it. There were volunteers at the bottom of each section of the stadium showing us how to bob our flashlights in time with the music. It was a wonderful effect!

The finale. Lots of fireworks were shooting off outside, and all the performers were on the floor. The white doves flew towards the center again, and those rings had people inside them, lit up and posing in the various positions of the various sports. It was quite the sight!

We really enjoyed being able to be present at the stadium for this fun event--what a memory maker! The performers did a beautiful job and it was a really spectacular show. And, it was fun to hear those famous words: Let the games begin!

Bits and Pieces

It's been awhile since I've blogged, and thus I face the dilemma of mommy bloggers everywhere: so many things have happened, do I try to cover them all? Only post stories that have corresponding pictures? Just choose a few highlights?

Well, I haven't decided yet! But for tonight (in the 15 minutes before I go to bed), here's a few bits and pieces of news to share. . .

My mother-in-law has arrived safely back in the States, but not until after being delayed for thirty-six hours in the capital city! There was a cold rain which turned to snow the morning that she left, and when John brought her to the airport it seemed like maybe she would get out ahead of the weather. Alas, no. She boarded the plane and they sat on the runway for nine hours! Finally they were allowed to deplane, given supper and a hotel for the night, and then the next day began the nightmare task of rescheduling everybody's flights. She finally arrived back in Minneapolis after stopping in two extra cities, a day and a half later than planned! We were thankful that she was able to contact us a few times throughout and it seemed the Lord was helping her to feel at peace despite the circumstances. I felt so badly that we couldn't help her more--that's no fun! But she did great and found her way and arrived home safely, PTL!

Just before she left, John and I were able to get away for an evening at a new hotel in our city, just to have some time together. We considered it a sort of "marriage retreat" and enjoyed the uninterrupted time to talk. We made some significant plans for the next five months, which was really helpful as well. We're headed back to the States in March of next year, so we want to use these next months to the full! The retreat was great--we were only gone from home about 24 hours but what a blessing it was!

Some of the changes we discussed we've already put in place. For one, Chloe started attending local kindergarten this week! (More like preschool, just structured playtime.) She has gone two days now and is doing quite well, adapting pretty quickly. She cried the first day but then the teacher suggested that Clara Anne come to join Chloe and help her get acclimated. So we've done that for two days now and I think tomorrow it won't be necessary. Already today Chloe was speaking the local language, interacting with the other kids, eating her lunch and drinking hot water just like the other kids. PTL! It seems like she's doing well.

Another big change is that we have begun bed-training Christin. She is now staying up to be part of family devotions in the evening and then goes to bed with the big girls. She will share with Clara Anne for now on the bottom bunk. So far, so good--the first night she sat up once but didn't get out of bed, and tonight she was bothering Clara Anne but after I spoke to her once, she went to sleep. Let's hope that continues!

Now that Christin is in a big-girl bed, we are transforming her room into the school room. When we were in the capital city last weekend, bringing my MIL to the airport, we spent some time at IKEA and got some furniture to outfit that room. Even now, John is putting chairs and a table together! We moved the girls' bookshelf from their room into that room, and also have a comfy armchair set up for read aloud time. I'm excited about it! In a day or two we should be settled in there, so I'm looking forward to continuing the reading lessons with Clara Anne that went on hiatus when Grandma was here.

On not-such-a-fun note, in doing some switching of seasonal clothing I discovered that not only did some clothes smell musty from being stored in our (especially this summer) damp basement, but some things were actually growing mold. The only choice was to pull it all out, wash it and dry it thoroughly. In doing that, it was time to go through my crates of baby clothes and give most of them away. So I've been doing laundry, laundry, laundry this week to get all of those clothes clean again! I must have missed spring cleaning this year, since we're doing it in the fall!

Another part of our new schedule is a re-committment to a firm bedtime and early wake-up, in order to help the rest of life go smoothly. And 6 am comes pretty early for this mama! So I'll sign off for tonight, but look for some pictures soon! We sent my MIL home with more than 400 pictures from her 3 weeks here; there are some real gems in that bunch so I'll try to get a few of them uploaded soon. But for now, good night!

In the Midst

We are in the midst of a wonderful visit from my mother-in-law! So wonderful, in fact, that we've been really busy and I haven't taken any time to blog! So here is a VERY brief update of what we've been up to . . .

One big highlight of this visit is being a part of this country's national games. They are being hosted, for the first time, in our city, and the excitement level around town has been high, with pictures, posters, and enormous screens set up around town with live coverage of sporting events. So far we've attended the opening ceremonies (quite the experience, I have some great pictures to share!), a baseball game, an equestrian event (the first time I've ever been to a sporting event where you have to be sh-h-h-h-h quiet!) and a morning of track and field which included the men's and women's 800, the men's shotput, and the conclusion of the 50 kilometer walk. Wowza!

We've also been making the rounds to some of our local parks and have seen some beautiful sights, as well as getting our pictures taken by about 1,749 people. Argh. That's a story for another time.

The girls have really enjoyed having Grandma around, she loves to read books to them and they love it too! Dr. Seuss is a real favorite!

And then there's pictures! There are already 300 "keeper" picture's from Ann's trip and just last night, John finished going through our personal pictures of the last few years, selecting the good ones to print for Ann. That group numbers in the 700s! So she will not have any shortage of photo documentation of our family from the last few years! We've had fun with our camera, getting some great shots as we've been out and about. Pictures are such a fun way to remember her visit and cement the memories in the girls' minds!

Then there's been shopping. Ann had quite the list of gifts she wanted to bring back home and so we've had some big shopping trips to find souvenirs. We've found some fun things!

And on the days John has gone to work, we've been going out for walks, drinking coffee, and doing other "girlie" things like foot massages, chocolate cake, getting our nails done, and watching Pride and Prejudice. It's been really fun!

So, I have lots and lots of pictures to share, and more stories too, but for now, we're off to have some more fun together! We have to make the most of our time since we leave on Saturday to go back to the capital city and then my mother-in-law will leave early Sunday morning. Only a few days left . . . the three week visit is flying by!

THIS is what you say

Tonight I want to share with you something that my mom wrote to me after my recent miscarriage. After a loss like that, many people are not sure what to say, and sometimes, afraid to offend, don't say anything. But I can testify that after experiencing the loss of my brother to cancer, and then the loss of this baby, it truly IS comforting when people say something as simple as "I'm so sorry for your loss."

And thankfully, many people expressed their support and love for me and our family through words like that. I received notes of encouragement, offers of childcare, prayers on my behalf, and lots of expressions of support that all helped me to process things and think through my grief in a healthy way. But I want to highlight this note from my mom because it ministered to me so deeply and encouraged me so greatly and, well, it's from my mom, who loves me and understands me and labored to give birth to (11 pound, 1 ounce) me. (yikes!)

I had written to my parents and told them what was happening, and that I was doing ok, but "sad." Here is what my mom wrote in response:

"Dear Rachel and family,
We are sad, too, but know that God's plan is perfect, although beyond our understanding, and we know that He will always care for us and even our tiny babies. I hope that the weekend's activities can go on without you, for you will certainly need to rest and have some quiet time alone. We will pray for your health and that you will not need to go back to the doctor. . . Some of my friends are praying for you all, too. God is always good, and He will carry you through this time. (Easier for me to say, since I have never experienced what you are going through . . . but still, I believe.) You can find joy in loving the precious girls you have birthed and who are so special in every way. We wish we could be there with you, but know John and your very good friends will lift you up. Take some time for extra hugs! Until later, Love, Mom."

In those few short lines, my mom affirmed her love for me, her faith in God, and encouraged my faith in Him too. The Lord used her words to comfort me again and again, so much so that I just had to share them with you.

May I encourage you to share some gospel-affirming, life-giving words to someone hurting today? Is there someone in your life struggling with something you empathize with, but don't quite understand? Ask the Lord for his wisdom and then step out to share. Don't be intimidated by another's difficulty and "not knowing what to say." The Lord will guide you, and your hearer will be blessed by your care and concern, even if you feel your words are not profound. Let His spirit help you choose gracious, caring words to bring comfort to someone else's soul today.

Counting my blessings

It's a sunny, clear, crisp Saturday in October. What could be better? How about . . .

Having my mother-in-law here and seeing the girls love and enjoy her . . .

Hearing my girls sing to themselves about Jesus as they color princess pictures . . .

Wearing lovely new pearls (freshwater) that my husband sweetly gave me as a completely unnecessary, absolutely unneeded but dearly adored gift . . .

Fresh cinnamon raisin bagels for breakfast with strong, hot coffee . . .

Being able to attend the opening ceremonies of this country's National Games last night, quite the spectacle of lights, music, fireworks, acrobatics, and artistry . . .

Lovely, delicate "Dianna" roses for the center of my dining room table that only cost about $3 . . .

Christin taking a three hour nap . . .

Leftovers for supper (no cooking needed!) with a delicious spice cake to follow . . .

A quiet Saturday to reflect on His grace, read more of His word, and enjoy more of His presence.

Thank you, Lord!

As Requested (almost forgot)

I almost forgot to post the request for the cream soup substitute! Here it is--it works wonderfully.

2 cups non-fat dry milk
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup low sodium chicken bouillon granules
2 Tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

To use, mix 1/3 cup of the powdered mixture with 1 1/4 cups water. This equals one can of soup. I love this blend because it is more deeply seasoned than the canned stuff, with less salt too. If you are concerned about consistency, you can also heat the 1 1/4 cups water in a small saucepan, add the powder and cook until thickened. But in most recipes you can just add the powder with the other dry ingredients and the water with the other wet ingredients, cooking it together later.

Enjoy!

A Very Special Guest

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we will travel to the capital city to pick up my mother-in-law, who is coming for a visit! We are so excited!

It seems like the plans for this trip have been in the works for ages, but suddenly, the time has arrived! We are so thankful that Ann was willing to travel by herself across the ocean in order to see us. (Ann has been widowed since 1994). The girls are super excited for Grandma Ann to be here, and have been busy coloring pictures and choosing books for Grandma's bedside table. We are moving Christin in with the big girls for the duration of the visit so that Ann can have her own room.

I am so thankful that none of the standard mother-in-law jokes apply to me. I have always appreciated my mother-in-law, Ann, and I feel like we have an open and enjoyable relationship. She has been an encouragement to me on many occasions and I know is faithful in prayer for our family. Shortly after John and I were married, she even lived with us for about a year! We got along wonderfully then (of course it helped that when I would come home from a long day of school/work she would have the house tidy and some supper ready, who wouldn't love that!) and so I am really looking forward to spending these three weeks with her.

Most of all, I am looking forward to giving her time to interact with the girls and love on them. One of the hardest things about living here is keeping my children away from their grandparents. We try to keep in touch through phone calls, emails, webcam, etc, but Ann has had some trouble with the technological side of things so our contact with her has been more limited than with my parents. So I hope this visit will go a long ways to establishing some great relationships with the girls and making lots of memories.

We have some fun things planned, including the opening ceremonies of this country's national games, which are being held in our city with other events around the province. For several years now, we've noticed serious efforts at giving our city a "face lift"--improving the looks of existing buildings, tearing down old buildings, putting up newer, nicer cosmetic touches--it's a fine time for Ann to be visiting! The lake in the center of the city has a newly-opened, expanded section which makes the lake park almost double in size. It's lovely! All of this was ostensibly for the national games, but hopefully we'll be able to appreciate the benefits for the years to come.

The national games have their opening ceremony on the 17th, and we managed to get some tickets! That will be an experience! We hope to attend a few of the sporting events as well. Though, strangely enough, some of the events are already complete--before the games have officially started! Gymnastics is one of them, too bad. We hope to see a baseball game and maybe some equestrian events.

So, our very special guest will be leaving in a few hours from America. She has said that she was a bit nervous about flying alone--getting to where she needs to be, not getting lost or late or on the wrong plane. We offered our reassurances but I think she was still a bit nervous. We'll be praying her over! Welcome, Grandma Ann! We're excited that you're coming to visit!

Creamy Italian Chicken

Tonight for supper we enjoyed the leftovers from a meal I had served to guests last week. It is a recipe from my friend Amy, whose husband absolutely loves Italian dressing in any form. This meal is so easy, so yummy, and so wonderful--you should try it tonight! The only downside is that is uses some imported ingredients, so I save it for guests or special occasions. Made in the crockpot, it is easy to serve and stays hot so that your guests can enjoy seconds as well.

Creamy Italian Chicken
1 packet dry Italian seasoning
1/4 cup water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
8 oz cream cheese, softened
Sliced fresh mushrooms or diced red bell pepper, optional

Place chicken breasts in your crock-pot. Combine the Italian dressing mix and water, pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. Then, beat together the cream cheese and cream soup. Pour it over the chicken and cook on high for one more hour. Add mushrooms or chopped bell pepper for the last hour of cooking, if desired.

Serve over rice with broccoli or another green vegetable and you've got supper! Enjoy!

[For my other living-in-Asia friends, I use a homemade mixture to substitute for the canned cream soup--it uses dry milk, cornstarch, chicken bouillon and some other spices. Leave a comment if you'd like me to post that recipe as well! It makes this recipe a little less extravagant in the use of imported ingredients.]

High Stylin' Girl

Have I ever mentioned that I have a bunch of girly girls?

The littlest girl is no exception. Christin is particularly fascinated with shoes of any kind, wanting to try them on and clunk around the house. Usually this gets her in trouble as most of our shoes are "outside" shoes and we don't wear in the house. Trust me, the streets of this enormous city are DIRTY. They may be free of trash (or not), they may even have pretty flowers along the sides, but they are dirty with many no-need-to-mention substances, so we change our shoes upon coming in the house. Plus, it's just more comfortable and cozy to slip out of shoes and put on slippers, Mr. Roger's style.

However, happily for Christin, there is another category of shoes. . . the dress-up shoe. The girls have several pairs of "glass slippers" (actually cheap "jelly" shoes that have come back in from when I was a kid!) and also this one pair of highly coveted high heeled beauties. Just take a look. Can you see them? Let's look a little closer.

And closer still . . . (don't you love her tights? Adorable!)

Ah, yes, there they are. A gift to Chloe from her friend Samantha, these shoes are worn by some child every day for a period of time in our house. At first I thought Christin, still really a toddler, wouldn't be able to master them, but her love for shoes has overcome the slight difficulty of balancing on high heels. She walks like a pro in them! Clunk, clunk, clunk on the hardwood floors. Check out those heels, they're even clear like real glass slippers!

There's a tough decision--to pick up the toy or the shoes? The shoes of course!

A few days later we had come in from playing outside and I took Christin's outfit off because it had gotten dirty. That didn't stop her from finding her favorite shoes and modeling them for us, oh so stylishly, with her diaper, though! Silly girl!

Hey, is somebody in there? (Knocking on the front bathroom door.) Come and look at my shoes!

Niiiiice, Christin. Real niiice. That diaper sag goes so well with the heels!

What can we say, she's a high stylin' girl!