Welcome Back and Thank You

We have a friend who returned last night from a 6-month deployment to Afghanistan. It was wonderful to see him at church this morning. I have been able to work closely with his son throughout my time in the Young Mens program and now as the seminary teacher, and have seen him grow tremendously while his dad was away. I know that his family missed him tremendously and even struggled in his absence, but I admire the strength of his wife and kids. They persevered through his time away and continued to be a strength to others in need. The whole family sat together at church today and could not wipe the smiles off their faces. It was exciting to me to see how happy they all were to be together as a family again. It gave me a glimpse of what it may be like when we are all united again as eternal families. Being a member of the military, I know how hard it is to be away from family for long periods of time, and I especially admire the strength displayed by the families of the deployed troops. I would like to extend my gratitude to these families and let them all know that they are in mine and many others thoughts and prayers.

Halloween

The kids were so excited for Halloween this year. C really wanted to be a vampire. Not sure where he came up with the idea, but he had a very specific image in his mind of what he needed to look like. He needed to have a cape, white shirt, black pants, white face, fangs and black hair. Not too hard really. K really wanted to be Sleeping Beauty. This has never been her favorite princess, so I was a little surprised that she never changed her mind. I made her dress. It was nothing fancy, but it looked like Sleeping Beauty and it kept her warmer than anything I could have bought. The kids were going to meet some friends of ours at their house. They live about a 5 minute walk from ours. When they got there, and had been there for about 10 minutes, before they even started Trick or Treating, I got a call from Drew. I stayed home with E to hand out candy. Somehow, K had walked out of the house without shoes on. Since her dress was so long, no one really noticed until a while later. She was halfway across the neighborhood by then. Later in the evening, C came rushing into the front door. He apparently lost Drew and everyone else, and decided to come home. Again, about 10 minutes away, and he ran the whole way home. I called Drew on the cell, and he was frantic "I lost C" Don't worry, he's here with me. ABout 20 minutes later he was able to swing back by and pick him up. Needless to say, I am very proud of C for being aware enough that 1) he was lost and 2) to come to a safe place and 3) to be aware of hes surroundings to know where home is. You can't always be sure when they are so young, so I am grateful that he was safe that evening.

5K

I ran my very first race! I have never been fond of running. In fact, I have pretty much hated it my whole life. But, I thought I could do it. So, I started working toward being able to run a 5K. Several of the ladies from church were going to run the Ghost and Goblin 5K through downtown on the Tuesday night before Halloween. So, I started working about 5 weeks before hand, and worked my way up to the 3 miles.

I have to admit. It wasn't as bad as I thought. And, running is a whole lot different when you have a goal that you are working toward. I am proud of myself for setting the goal and going through with it to the end. I am proud of myself for running in the rain. I am proud of myself for running a 10 minute mile (I know, its not fast, but for me, it is). And, I am proud of my family for coming out in the dark and rain to cheer me on. Thanks guys.

Who knows, maybe I'll run another race sometime. We'll have to see.

Trunk or Treat

I know, I am still a little behind, but here's to catching up.

Every year our ward (church congregation) hosts a Trunk or Treat. It is really ideal for both parents and kids. The kids don't have to walk as far, as it is from car trunk to car trunk, and the parents get to sit at the back of their cars, close to other adults conversing and enjoying themselves. This year was no different. Other than E feeling a little under the weather, the night was fabulous. It was warmer than usual for this time of year, so no coats were necessary. The kids got to get dressed up in their costumes and had a wonderful time. Not to mention, they got to get and then eat a lot of candy.

(That's E dressed up as Superman - this is the only time he dressed up for Halloween)

Earlier in the day, K had her Halloween party for school. All of the kids dressed up for the day and they got to visit the Trick or Treat house. They had a great time. One funny thing from that morning. K, after putting on her dress said to me, "Mom, do you think that Princesses have breakfast?"

"Yes, K, I think they do."

"Well, which ones?"

"Does this princess want breakfast?"

"Yes. Do you think princesses have Pop Tarts?"

"Is that what you want?"

"uh-huh"

"Then that is what this Princess will get for Breakfast this morning."


I love the fact that she really thought when she put that dress on that she was a real princess.

Half Marathon

playing catch up from September 2009
One of Drew's goals has always been to run a half marathon. So, knowing that this would probably be the last September we are here, he decided to run the Air Force Half Marathon. He convinced me to run it with him (which was a feat in and of itself) Back in June, while running, my foot started hurting. After a trip to the Dr. and Physical Therapist, I found out I had tendonitis in 3 tendons in my ankle. So, no more running for me.

But, Drew kept at it. He kept training and running, and running and training. And, in the middle of September, on a chilly Saturday morning, he was standing at the starting line.

He ran the half marathon. 13.1 miles. It took him all over the base and halfway around the city.

We are so proud of him. He worked really hard for this goal and reached, even beating his best time by about 20 minutes!

After the race, waiting for a friend, who ran the full marathon.

K cheering on her daddy! She was doing so good cheering for everyone that was running.

Finally finished!

Daddy with his biggest supporters!

Congratulations Drew!

Random Pics of the Kids

Kids were being really quiet one day... Walked into the other room and found this...
sitting in the dog crate enjoying reading a few books, the dogs sitting on the outside of the crate watching. CLASSIC!

Pumpkin Patch

I think we picked the coldest day of the month to go to the Pumpkin Patch this year. It was the only day we could do it, so we bundled up and headed out. The temperature was highs in the 40s, and the wind was blowing so hard. But, was had a fabulous time.

The kids love to play on the wooden train in front of the barn.

Out in the patch, most of the pumpkins were still on the vine. The ones we picked, I had to tear off the vine. A pocket knife would have come in handy.

C's favorite thing is the straw maze. Its small and dark, and located in a greenhouse, so typically warmer than anything else. He kept begging to go.

K loved the animals. No feeding them this year, but she was not afraid to talk to , pet, or touch all of them.
E hung out in the backpack with Dad the whole time. He was a real trooper and only got upset on the hayride. I think it was because the wind was blowing in his face (Dad had been blocking it for him before that).

I love this picture. Its on the hay ride back after getting our pumpkins. The kids were ecstatic to be able to pick some really great ones this year.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

I still have more catching up to do, and even more things have happened since then, but I wanted to write these few things down before I forgot.

This morning, before putting C on the bus, we were talking about some of the things he is doing at school. He told me they were working on their letters, and they should be doing their last one today. He asked me what I thought would be on the Z paper (there is usually some sort of dot to dot or picture for them to draw on each letter paper). I thought about it for a second and said "zoo, or maybe zebra, or even zipper" His response, "What about Zepplin?" I asked him what it was, and he proceeded to tell me that it was the thing that flies of the football games with GoodYear on the side. I told him that was a blimp. Then we looked up Zepplin. (the whole time I was thinking of the band, Led Zepplin, as was Drew. That was his response when asked what Zepplin was) Sure enough, my 5 year old was right. Zepplin is kind of like a blimp. It's official, my 5 year old is smarter than me. There is no way I could homeschool this kid.

Yesterday was the day they celebrated Halloween at K's school. She was able to wear her costume (which this year happens to be Sleeping Beauty) and they did some fun activities (more on that later.)
When she woke up and got dressed, she came and asked me:
"Mommy, do Princesses eat breakfast?"
Me: "Yes, K, they do."
K:"Which pincesses eat breakfast?"
Me:"I'm pretty sure they all eat breakfast."
K: "What do they eat for breakfast?"
Me: "What does this princess want for breakfast?"
K : "A Poptart, I am hungry."
So, the Princess got a Poptart for Breakfast before heading to school for the Halloween Festivities.

Birthday Party

Playing Catch up from September 2009
Every other year, we let the kids have a birthday party. This was the year for both C and K to have theirs. So, when I asked K what type of party she wanted, she instantly said that she wanted a Princess Party. OK, no problem. Who would you like to invite? Carter, Tyler, Avery, Nathan...all boys. Not so sure that a Princess Party would go over so well. So, I tried to make it a Prince and Princess party. Still not sure, since there were only 2 girls she wanted to invite. So, we went a different route. We went with a garden theme. We had flowers and butterfly and ladybugs for the girls, and caterpillars and worms and frogs for the boys. It was a beautiful day so we ended up doing most of the games and activities outside. We painted flower pots and planted flowers in them, played "pin the petal on the flower", decorated goody bags with lots of flowers and bugs, went on a bug hunt, ate dirt cake with worms, and overall had a wonderful time. We are so blessed to have so many friends that were willing and wanting to come and celebrate K's birthday with us. The kids had a wonderful time, and because it was mostly outside, it wasn't too difficult to put together.

The kids painting their flower pots
K and Emma laughing at the results from Pin the Petal on the flower.

Singing Happy Birthday with dirt cake.

Eating dirt cake outside. Good thing, someone sat in it, and it ended up being way messier than I had anticipated.

Of course, everyone had to help open the gifts!

K's Birthday

Playing Catch up from September 2009
K turned 4 at the beginning of September. On her actual birthday, she wanted to go to Chick-Fil-A for dinner. What better place to have chicken nuggets (her favorite) and a place to play? But, we had to make sure we had enough time to play. So, we got there early so she and C could play before dinner. After dinner there was ice cream and the we headed home for presents. Since she was having a party over the weekend, we let her open all of her presents from family on her birthday. She was thrilled with each one. It still amazes me how excited she can get over the smallest things.

K with all of her presents before she started to open.
I think this one was by far a favorite. A jewelry box with jewelry inside!

C helps K look at some of her new toys.

All in all, it was a wonderful day. We are so grateful for K and the light she brings to our home. We love her dearly. Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

Reds Game

Playing catch up from August 2009
We had a chance to go down to Cincinnati for a Reds game. The kids have never been to a major league ball game. In fact, I don't think they have ever been to a minor league game. We learned that baseball is definitely more exciting to adults than to a three and five year old. And, had we had a better view of the scoreboard, there would have been a little more entertainment for them. I think we would do some things differently next time, but it was worth the trip down and the memories that we made. I don't think the kids will ever forget it, they still talk about it. And, to top it all off, K almost got hit by a HR ball. She was sitting in the end chair of the row, and the ball hit the pole in the middle of the aisle right next to her and bounced off. Lucky girl that it didn't hit her.

Me, Drew and E at the game. C lent E his hat. Notice the other two in the background, not watching the game, having more fun with each other!
Drew, C and K

Trip to Texas

Playing catch up from August 2009
As mentioned earlier, we were able to take a trip to Texas during the month of August. The kids and I left a few days early and drove down to the Lone Star State so we could spend a few extra days with family. The kids LOVE spending time with Grandma and Grandpa and their cousins. And Jody is so gracious enough to let us crash at her place when we come. We had a wonderful time our entire visit. After two days in the car, and more fast food than we could handle, we arrived in Frisco to stay with Aunt Jody, Uncle Golden and Reese and Ryan. We were able to go to IKEA for a little bit of shopping, eat out again, go swimming at the neighborhood pool, go swimming at Grandma and Grandpas house, celebrate Ryan’s birthday, go to church, and have a huge dinner with all of the extended family. Grandma and Grandpa’s house seems awfully small with 14 adults and 11 kids all trying to find a place to sit and eat, especially because its too hot to eat outside. On Monday we went to pick up Drew from the airport and were able to spend a few days together as a family. Drew went golfing with Golden, Jeff, and John (the groom at the wedding). We spent time swimming some more, at the mall, and then swimming some more. (It was about 100 degrees outside, way hotter than we are used to.) We even had a chance to go to a great little place called Jump Town. It wore the kids out faster than anything I've seen.

C getting off one of the slides at JumpTown

E, Reese, K, Ryan, C watching TV one morning

E playing at the playland at the mall

Aunt Jaime swimming with Brynna and K in the background

E helping Grandma in the cupboard

We had a great time and can't wait until the next time we get to go back!

Jenn's Wedding

Playing Catch up from August 2009
In August we had a chance to go to Texas to see my wonderful little sister get married. We had a fabulous time (more on that to come later) but the highlight of the trip was definitely being able to see my sister sitting in the temple with her sweetheart. She was a beautiful bride. I know that Jennifer and Jon will be so happy together. We are so excited to have Jon as part of the family (even though he took Jenn so far away). Hey, I can't really complain, I don't live all that close myself. Here are just a few of the pictures from the wedding.

Jon and Jenn at the Dallas, TX Temple

Reese, C and K enjoying the lake before the reception.

Me, Jody (my sister), Johanna (my sister-in-law) and the kids enjoying a bite to eat. Hey, what happened to the guys?

Jennifer, Dad and Me

Grandpa and K dancing

Another Project...

...or two. I loved the last bag I made, but it wasn't quite big enough for my use. So, I found another pattern, and gave it a try. This is what I came up with.

I loved this pattern, but it wasn't quite deep enough. So, after a few adjustments, I made yet another one. As you can tell from these pictures, this one fits all of my junk and I love it.

It's whats for dinner.

Before dinner conversation:

K: Mom, what are we having for dinner?

Me: Chicken.

K: What kind of chicken?

Me: Chicken.

K: Oh, must be roast beef chicken.

Seriously, I don't make this stuff up.

What I did today

I have a hundred other things to post, but I am so excited about this, I wanted you to see. This is what I did today....

I found a great pattern online last week and decided that I wanted to give it a try. I think it turned out pretty good.

Four.

I can't believe it. My little girl turned 4 yesterday. She is a constant bundle of energy, from the time she wakes up to the time her head hits the pillow. She loves her little brother and cannot get enough of entertaining him. She is finally starting to think things for herself (as opposed to following big brothers lead). She loves to play with her dolls and doll house. She can easily entertain herself for hours at a time. Recently she has started to love to look at books. She is starting to pick out letters and even ask what words spell. She loves to listen to music and is always asking to have the radio turned up. She still loves pink and purple and the Disney Princesses, but has a few new favorites too. She loves to read Fancy Nancy, and will sing along with anything by Taylor Swift. Her constant grin is a source of true joy for me and everyone around her. She is easy to cry if she has been hurt, but mostly emotional hurt. She is as tough as nails when it comes to physical activity. She loves to be outside and is working on crossing the monkey bars in the backyard.

She grows up more and more everyday, especially now that she is home with me and E most days. She has taken on new responsibilities around the house and I couldn't be more proud of the person she is becoming. Happy birthday K! We are love you so much and are so glad that you are a part of our family.

Ten!

1 pet

2 career changes

3 adorable, lovable kids

4 AF assignments in 4 states

5 vehicles

6 different beds

7 refrigerators

8 million hugs and kisses

9 anniversaries

10 wonderful years!

I can't wait for the next 10 and what they bring. I love you Babe!

Let's find C

As mentioned earlier, C started riding the bus to and from school last week. He is loving it every time he gets to get on. His bus stop was originally at the other end of the street. (Some of you may or may not know, we live on the corner of our street.) Our street is about 1/4 mile long. So, after the first day, I asked the bus driver if they could put a stop at the other end of the street for C. She had no problem with this, and the next day he started getting off at the corner where our house it. Yay! Easier for me because I typically have 2 other kids napping at drop off time. Last week, I think on Thursday, I was sitting on the porch waiting for the bus. The bus came down the street, and proceeded to yield at the sign, and turn and keep going. No stopping to let a Kindergartner off. Luckily, our neighbor was right behind the bus, and he followed the bus until he could let the bus driver know. Drew had also come home early that day, do he jumped in the car and tried to figure out which way the bis went. Craig (our neighbor) caught her first, and let her know that C was still there. She turned around and brought him back to drop him off. She apologized profusely about forgetting that stop. Since its new, she isn't used to it yet. Not a big deal right?
Well, it gets better. Yesterday, Tuesday, it happened again. Except this time, I was home alone (with 2 sleeping kids) and Craig wasn't behind the bus. So, I called Drew at work, wondering if C was smart enough to say something. We figured he was, and I would wait for the bus to turn around and bring him back. Ten minutes later, still no C. So I had Drew call the transportation office and let them know. They radioed to the bus driver and she told them that she would be bringing him back in a few minutes. 40 minutes after his scheduled drop-off time, C was finally the last one off the bus for the day. The driver once again apologized and let me know that she has been doing the same exact route for 6 years and has never had a stop at that corner, so she is still getting used to it. I can understand that.
And, apparently, C did say something, but, even sitting in the seat behind the driver, is still not loud enough to be heard.
He was thrilled to get to ride the bus longer than normal. Let hope that me flagging her down from the corner helps and we don't have to play the game of "Lets find C" again.

Early

This morning, at 6:45 when I went to wake C up for the day, this is what I heard. Mind you, this was before I could open my mouth to say a word to him.

"Does it have to be this early?"

Yes, it has to be this early, and especially if you want to ride the bus. He did realize that there were other busses that were coming by our house before he could even get dressed, and he was grateful he didn't have to ride one of those busses.

He made it to the second day, and the enthusiasm is starting to drift a little. Of course, right after this comment he was up and out of bed because he got to ride the bus today. He was more than thrilled to sit on the bus for all of the stops it had to make (he thinks there were at least 30)

First Day of School for C

Today was C's first day of Kindergarten. He is going to an all day kindergarten, which suits him really well. He had a few hesitations last night before going to bed. Of course, he was concerned about what would happen to recess if it was raining, and what day they were going to get to go to the library. But, I guess that's my son for you. He was so excited this morning he literally jumped out of bed. Let's just hope his enthusiasm continues into the winter when 6:45 is awfully dark and awfully cold.

I can't believe how much these two look alike. And its pictures like this that remind me.

Drew took him into the class today while I sat in the van with the other two kiddos. That's what C wanted, so that's what we did. Drew said he had no problems walking right in, finding his desk and cubby and sitting down. He was right at home. Strangely, he has looked forward to this day since the last day of school in the spring.

C had a wonderful day. He loved going to art and getting to color. He loved listening to stories and taking a tour of the school. He loved eating his very own lunch packed in his very own bag. He loved having recess, even though it was inside because of bad weather. I guess the list could go on and on. Basically, he can't wait to go back on Monday. Yes, that's right, Monday. For some odd reason, they only started half of the kindergartners today. The other half have their first day tomorrow. Then they all come together on Monday.

I'm going to be honest. I missed having him home. I did enjoy the lack of screaming, arguing, picking, etc that has happened in this house over the last few months though. It seems that K and C have had a hard time this summer. I didn't realize how bad it was until I saw K playing with E and by herself and then saw how she and C interacted after he got home. Don't get me wrong, its not always fighting, but there is definitely some sibling rivalry there.

I also think I am going to have a hard time getting used to the new schedule. I am no morning person. And with Drew teaching seminary this next year, we are all going to have to be up earlier than we have been in the past. Things are going to be different from now on...

Now if I could just get my kids to go to sleep earlier so they weren't so cranky come 4 o'clock.

I'll work on that.

T-Ball

Because he had a broken arm and couldn't play spring soccer, we signed C up for T-Ball. He has loved every minute of it. He is not the most athletically inclined kid, but with T-ball, unlike soccer, he is really trying. He is running faster than he ever has, he is hitting the ball. In general, he is improving with every practice and every game. They haven't had too many games because of rain cancellations, but the few they have had, he has loved. These are pictures from his first game. It was about 60 degrees out and windy, so everyone is wearing long sleeves and pants. Yes, it was July, but that is the kind of weather we have been having lately.

Nice stop. Now, if we could get him to throw the ball harder, he might have a future in baseball...and being left-handed and all, it might just help out in the retirement area...We'll keep working on that one.