i think too much

2010-05-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Had to move the crib rail up. My little guy started pulling himself up.

2010-04-25T14:34:00.000-07:00

My Grady Grady is trying to get ready for crawling.

Headache

2010-04-20T12:09:00.001-07:00

So, I've been having some health issues, mostly thyroid related. Today I had a follow-up appointment. I've had a tender, swollen gland in my neck for awhile. The Dr. thinks its infected and put me on antibiotics. I've discussed with the doctor that I'm breastfeeding,but my mother's intuition told me to double check with the pharmacist if the antibiotic I was prescribed is safe for the baby. Turns out it wasn't. A very rude pharmicist told me I'll just have to not breastfeed for 6 days. I tried to nicely explain that is a very difficult request. Grady has never taken formula before and its not like I can just turn my milk on and off. I'd have to pump several times a day for 6 days to keep up my supply for Grady. As some of you moms might know, this is not an easy task while trying to take care of small children. This woman in the pharmacy was soooo mean to me. Like I was ruining her whole day. Finally, a nice young active duty lady helped me and called my doctor and changed my medication. I'm praying for that nice girl, because she has to work with that mean lady. Some people!

2010-04-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday was a very happy Easter day! I made a big breakfast with home made yogurt biscuits and gravy, eggs, hash browns, and fresh cantaloupe. It was yummmmmy. Then we went to church. The kids looked so adorable dressed up for Easter. I even wore a dress. I don't normally wear dresses. On the way to church, I remembered why. I'm so uncomfortable in them. I always feel like I forgot to put my pants on when I wear a dress. Not to mention I hate the feeling of my thighs touching. AHHHH! Can't stand it. Then, I also don't know dress fashion. Do I need to wear a slip? Do I wear boots or sandals? Do I wear nylons or go bare legged? Are nylons in? Or is that old lady fashion? Can you wear nylons with sandals? So frustrating. I ended up wearing sandals with no nylons, But I felt naked, because I didn't have material between my thighs. I got over my whole dress issue though, and enjoyed the church service, followed by a fried chicken potluck and egg hunt for the kids. When we got home, Colleen and I made a mint oreo pie(one of Rory's favorites) for dessert. By then we were all wiped out, so we were lazy and watched Mary Poppins. After a good rest, I made dinner. Parmesan baked pork, potatoes, stuffing, cheesy croissants, and veggies of course.
We had an excellent Easter.

2010-03-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

We had pictures done of the kids yesterday. Here are just a few of the poses.

Random Thoughts I Had Today

2010-03-09T14:16:00.001-08:00

"I had to pick the shopping cart with the wobbly wheel"

"Why do some people in bigger vehicles always think they have the right of way"

"The pie I had after lunch wasn't really worth the calories"

"I think it is road trip time"

"I wonder if people I came in contact with today could smell the baby spit up on my shirt"

"my kids are funny"

"I really should be cleaning instead of on the computer"

"I really should file my taxes sometime"

"I wonder if the people across the street know that they leave their porch lights on all day, every day"

"Can antibiotics affect a child's behavior?"

Wow

2010-03-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

My little man is 6 months old tomorrow. Before I know it he will be crawling and talking. Time sure does fly.

2010-02-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

My kids have the longest eye lashes.

2010-02-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday nights I teach a toddler class at the chapel. I have been out for a few weeks and was so excited last night to be back. I had my story board prepared and fun games and crafts ready for them. But shortly after class started things just went insane. 17 two and three year old children sugared up on doughnuts can not sit still. And the most awful thing was that my sweet little Nolan was a little monster last night. I don't know what happened to him. He made 3 little boys cry. He's usually so sweet and listens. He is banned from having doughnuts. Who ever thought of putting doughnuts out before class needs a talking to.

2010-02-19T11:19:00.000-08:00

Nolan has started using this "I don't know how" technique when he doesn't want to do something. Here are some of our conversations:

Mommy: "Nolan, come up stairs, dinner is ready"
Nolan: " I don't remember how to climb up the stairs"

Mommmy: "Nolan, you need to pick up your hockey guys, so mommy doesn't step on them"
Nolan: "I don't remember how to pick them up"

Mommy: "Nolan, put your milk in the fridge if you are done with it"
Nolan: "I don't remember how to pick up my milk cup"

Mommy: "Nolan, time to go potty before your nap"
Nolan: As he falls to the floor "I don't remember how to walk"

I hope this phase is a short lived one.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

Colleen loves loves loves Valentine's Day. Friday night, Rory took her to a daddy/daughter Valentine's dance. She was so excited, she picked out her clothes she was going to wear a week before. This morning she woke up extra early to make sure she wished everybody in the house a happy valentine's day. She dressed from head to toe in pink and even talked me into helping her make a special valentine's cake with a heart on it for everybody in the family. I love how she can make an ordinary day extra special.

2010-02-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

When you hear your 2 year old say "uh oh" and then he takes off running, there must be trouble.

What can happen in one minute?

2010-01-08T14:02:00.000-08:00

It is amazing the things that can happen during the 60 seconds that I am in the bathroom. Today it was Nolan decided to decorate our dining room table with pen. It is lovely art work, but on a solid wood table it leaves much to be desired. So now my task is to find out what will remove it. I've read online mayonnaise or the magic eraser made by the company with that bald guy. What I really need, is that bald guy to come use his muscles and get it out with good old elbow grease. I guess my last option is to sand it and re stain the whole piece. Unless somebody knows any other tricks.

Reflecting on 2009

2010-01-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

So, today I finally realized it is a new year. 2010! It got me thinking about everything in 2009. A year ago I really wouldn't have guessed that we would have a new baby, a new home, my whole family now living in the west(can't wait for more visits), and Nolan Potty trained!!! That was my project this summer while Rory was deployed. I was watching a video of Nolan from March and it is amazing how much he grew up this summer. Children grow so fast. It blows my mind that before next Christmas Grady will be running around. I am excited to see what God has in store for us this year.

2010-01-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

Another long gap in my blogging. I just can't seem to keep up. Can't find the time really. By the time the kids are in bed, I am exhausted. I think it is winter time hibernation setting in. I just want to sleep, but I can't. Grady still wakes up a few times a night to eat, so I guess there is some sleep I am loosing there. Not to mention, Nolan always seems to hear Rory up before 6 am and then we are all up for the day very early. Some mornings, I get up telling myself over and over "there will be a day I will get a full nights sleep. There will be a day I will get 8 hours, or even 6, or even 5 hours of sleep without any wakings. There will be a day." I am totally dependent on my morning cup of coffee to get me going in the morning. This summer Sara sent me the greatest invention ever made, a toddy brewing system. Love it!!! It is a cold brew system and I love it, because it lasts me a little over 2 weeks. I don't have to wait for coffee to brew in the morning. I just add hot water to a shot of toddy and it is delicious. I don't think I will ever go back to brewing coffee. This is my sleepy morning thought.

Grady Grady

2009-11-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

My little guy is growing so fast. I can't believe he's 2 months old already. He is such a good baby. Sleeps good. He's the best sleeper of my 3. He was pretty much born with a schedule. He only wakes up at night to eat. Colleen and Nolan wanted to party during the night when they were babies. Grady was different in the womb though. I never felt him moving after 9:00 at night.
The first several weeks he had his usual fussy time in the evening, but now if he is awake, he is so happy and smiling. He just lights up when Colleen and Nolan talk to him. This morning he was interacting with Nolan in the cutest way. Nolan would try to stick the pacifier in Grady's mouth and Grady would then spit it out and laugh. This went on for about 5 minutes with them both laughing. It was too cute.

My Little Goalie

2009-10-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

Progress

2009-10-21T07:45:00.001-07:00

colleen in the kitchen

basement family room

New House

2009-10-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the house we are purchasing. It should be done by mid-November. We are sooo excited to finally own our own home. The last house we tried to buy didn't work out, which was a real downer, but everything happens for a reason and we are really happy with the current home that is being built. Although, I do get anxiety with big purchases and this is the most money I've ever spent on one thing. We are going to have a guest room, so whoever wants to come visit, we would love company.

Can't Decide

2009-10-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a poll. I can't decide if I want my hair long or short. Positives to being long, is I can put it up in a pony tail, I think it is pretty long, and it is very low maintenance. If its short, it takes more maintenance, but it dries a lot quicker, which means I'm not as cold in the winter when I get out of the shower.
I need help deciding. Rory likes it better short, but I can't make up my mind. I go back and forth. Every time I cut it short I end up growing it back out. What to do?

She told me

2009-09-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

I got a lecture tonight from Colleen about how she has too much work to do, so there will be no more babies. She said she already has Nolan, Grady, and two dogs to look after and another baby would be too much work for her. I got about a 5 minute talking to. It was rather entertaining.

2009-09-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time since I blogged. Last month we were so excited when Rory surprised us and came home a few weeks early from his deployment. I'm so glad he did, because it took him a week to get over jet leg and build back up his endurance to keep up with the kids. Especially Nolan, he is a ball of energy, but so much fun.
On September 6th little Grady Shane was born. I was so glad Rory made it home in time. If he didn't come home early, he would have missed the wonderful experience. Yes, he is our 3rd, but giving birth in a civilian hospital is luxurious compared to the army hospital Colleen and Nolan were born in and it was great to experience that together.
The kids are doing great with Grady. I'm enjoying him being so little and don't want to miss a moment, because they grow up too fast. I'm also looking forward to the fun family times we will have when the kids are a little older. Its just amazing to me that a year ago we moved to Washington with no clue what was in store for us. This past year has been amazing with the gift of such a beautiful baby boy. Now in less than 3 weeks we will officially own our own home. So exciting.

Yay God!

2009-08-06T20:57:00.000-07:00

This morning I had accomplished some errands and on the drive back home I was completely enjoying a blended latte from Jacob's. I was feeling good. All of a sudden from the back seat I hear Nolan's little one year old voice yell "Yay God!" So precious.

2009-07-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

"AHHHH, the paparazzi always shows up when I'm least expecting."

Why does buying a house have to be so difficult?

2009-07-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

So, I put in an offer on a house. Super excited, but it might take up to 45 days to know, because it is a short sale. I'm just praying that if it is the right house for us that it will work out. It was a big decision on my own. Rory said he trusts my judgment and is behind me 100% picking a house for us to purchase. Still a lot of pressure though. Hope I do ok.

2009-07-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

After my doctor appointment today, we stopped at Manito park to enjoy the cool, sunny weather. The rose garden was just beautiful today. It was such a nice walk and i really enjoyed the fresh air. There were over 165 varieties of roses. So beautiful. Notice in the picture how big my baby belly is getting. I still have 8 weeks or so left. I"M HUGE!

Hot 4th

2009-07-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

We had a good 4th. In the morning we went up to Green Bluff and picked strawberries and enjoyed lunch outside in the shade. In the afternoon it was way too hot to do anything but to run through the sprinkler out back. The kids had a blast. After a yummy bbq dinner, the kids decorated the wagon and went for a patriotic ride around the block. It was too cute. Then we enjoyed some delicious strawberry short cake with the strawberries we picked and home made whipped cream that Andrew and Colleen made. It was a good day. The highlight of the day though was when we were eating lunch on the farm and a couple chickens started fighting. One jumped up on our table, knocking our food and drinks everywhere. Colleen jumped so high. I have never seen a little girl so frightened. The whole bluff probably heard her scream. All we've heard since then is how much she hates chickens. It was pretty funny.

Kids are so much fun

2009-06-26T20:36:00.000-07:00

My kids make me laugh so much. I love them. A million times a day they say something or do something so silly. My days are never boring for sure.

Still Recovering

2009-06-24T15:29:00.001-07:00

We've been home since Sunday, but I am still recovering from our trip. Trying to catch up on laundry and unpacking and sleep. Nolan came down with a minor cold when we got home, so he has been a little cranky the past few days. We had a lot of fun seeing family and friends though. We always have a good time in Montana and Idaho. I'm really looking forward to next summer. Hopefully Rory will be home all summer and we can go on a family vacation. Even though we had a lot of fun, I really missed sharing the trip with him. The kids were such good travelers. I was so proud of them.

Big new today: Nolan went on the potty!!! Such a big boy. It took a lot of sitting on it and reading, but he did it!! He was so happy about it too. Colleen really helped. She sat in there and talked to him and read to him until he went. It was so cute. She is so proud that she is potty training her little brother. So sweet.

Georgetown Lake

2009-06-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

The other day we spent a little time out at the lake. The kids had a lot of fun. It was Colleen's first time fishing. She loved the fact that she was using marshmallows as bait. She had a lot of fun eating them while she watched her line. Of course we just gave Nolan his hockey stick and he had a blast playing rock hockey. His hockey stick always keeps him busy. Later today we are heading on to Idaho for two days. The kids are really excited to stay in a hotel with a pool. Should be a good time.

Happy Anniversary Rory!!!

2009-06-12T06:13:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary! The past 10 years have been amazing!!! I love you and miss you!!!

Nolan's first haircut

2009-06-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Poor Cat

2009-06-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, most everybody who knows me know that I am not a big cat fan. I'm a dog person. I haven't had many good experiences with cats. My neighbors have two cats that just roam around. Most the time they irritate me, but one of them has had a cone on his head since February. Every morning I wake up, he is curled up under my tree looking up so sad at me. I actually feel bad for the little thing. Mostly on cold mornings. Makes me want to steal him and find a family that would love him.

2009-06-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

We cut a strawberry and it had a perfect heart in it. How sweet.

Colleen's Beauty Shop

2009-05-26T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I made a trip to Colleen's Beauty Shop. Even she couldn't help me. My hair is hopeless.

2009-05-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

Is it the weekend yet? Man, weeks are long with Rory gone. Today was pretty good though. We spent a lot of time outside, because the weather was perfect. Sunny and almost 70. It felt amazing. I was loving swinging on my swing and playing with the kids. If it weren't for the little boy next door spitting a mouth full of water in my poor little Nolan's face, it would have been a perfect afternoon outside. Nothing irritates me more than parents who fill their yards with toys and just stick their kids out unsupervised to play. These kids are only four and two. I just wonder what some parents are thinking. Oh, you better believe I went over and had a talk with them after my baby got a face full of water and spit. You don't mess with a pregnant woman's little boy. My hormones were raging.

Flat Daddy

2009-05-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

The AFRC on base has a program for kids of deployed personnel. They make a flat daddy or flat mommy for them. At first I thought it seemed silly, but now I'm glad I had it done, because the kids are in love with their flat daddy. We put it on a little shelf on the wall and every time we come home they say hi to their flat daddy and talk to him a lot. I still think it is kind of funny, but it means a lot to the kids.
Rory has only been gone 2 weeks, but it seems like forever. My mom has been here helping out a lot and that has been making the time go by faster, but when your pregnant and uncomfortable there is no replacement for a husband who should be rubbing your swollen feet and aching back. I'm hoping to hear from him today. Its been almost a week.

Blah

2009-05-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

I hate going days and days without any contact from Rory. This sucks.

Mother's Day

2009-05-13T07:38:00.001-07:00

I had a nice Mother's Day with my mom. Its was a beautiful day here and we had a nice relaxing afternoon outside on my swing. We took a picture on Mother's Day on our way out to church. My belly is getting huge!!! I'm already getting pretty uncomfortable too. With my other two pregnancies I loved being pregnant. It was great. This time, I wish I could fast forward a few months and have my beautiful baby and my body back. I'm carrying this baby lower, so it is hard to bend over and pick up toys or put my shoes on. It is also causing my back a lot of pain. Thank goodness my mom is here. She's been carrying my loads of laundry downstairs for me and giving the kids baths. It has been great. I'm trying not to overdo it, because I want Rory to get home before this baby is born. I don't know when we'll find out what day he comes home.

2009-05-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

Look at those cute little legs

My early Mother's day present Rory and the kids gave me last week

Montana

2009-04-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend in Montana. Sara met us there. We didn't do a whole lot, but it was just so nice to spend the weekend relaxing. The kids had a great time. Colleen didn't want to come home. Nolan's favorite thing was feeding the ducks. He loved the duck pond, but Colleen was so afraid Nolan was going to get eaten by a goose. She told me she never wanted to go back to the duck pond. I thought it was sweet the concern she showed for her little brother. We stayed with my Aunt and Uncle. They were so kind to let us and the dogs invade their home. Colleen really took to them. She said if the baby is a boy we are going to name him Uncle John and if it is a girl, Aunt Ree.

Nolan loves basketball

2009-04-05T14:59:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from St. Patrick's Day. The kids and I made cut out cookies. I forgot how time consuming those are. I was pooped after making those. Nolan was afraid of the teddy bear cookies. For some reason he found them frightening. He just kept running away when I would try to give him one and say "roar roar."

2009-03-16T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Nolan and I am having fun on planet Earth.

Weekend

2009-03-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

What do you do on a cold March weekend? You put up the pool.

Here is the News...

2009-02-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't have a clue by my last blog, I am prego. I just suffered two months of terrible nausea and morning/all day sickness. Not fun! I'm in my second trimester now and that is starting to fade away. I'm still tired all the time and sick sometimes, but not constantly like before. Now I'm starting to hit the cravings. Pickles is my afternoon craving. I also have been craving a Pork Chop Johns sandwich from Montana. Sara is going to save me though and bring me some when she comes up next month for our birthday! We had been planning a huge trip or destination celebration for our 30th, but things have change with my pregnancy since I haven't been feeling well. I still hope Sara has fun just coming here. My parents and Andrew and Jenn are also coming out, so the whole fam will be here. I can't wait!

Snack of the Day

2009-02-21T14:53:00.000-08:00

Today's snack of the day is baked sour cream and cheddar lays and pickles.

Kids say the darndest things

2009-02-16T20:15:00.000-08:00

This winter I have been a little itchy because of dry skin. After all, it is my first dry winter after spending 8 years in very humid weather. Yesterday, I was relaxing on my bed with Colleen while she was watching a movie. I had an itch on the side of my head that I scratched. immediately, Colleen looked over at me with a very serious look and said "Mommy, if you don't stop scratching you're going to have to wear a cone." She cracks me up.

Imagination

2009-02-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

Colleen has quite the imagination. I've been Auntie Sara for 2 days now. Yesterday Colleen and her little brother came to live with me, because her mom and dad moved to Mexico. They can't come get Colleen and Nolan, because the mud is too deep for anybody to drive. They can't fly to get them, because the fog is too thick for anything to fly and apparently the fog and mud situation is going to last forever. Luckily, I'm a great aunt and embrace the challenge of raising my niece and nephew alone.

vacuum time

2009-01-15T19:43:00.000-08:00

Nolan loves when I vacuum. He has a blast chasing it and then pretending the vacuum is chasing him and running away. It is pretty cute. Sometimes he'll stop and challenge the vacuum with a look and his tongue out, but then he takes off screaming. He's loved this game ever since he started walking. I didn't realize how much he loved it until the other day I said "lets pick up the floor, so mommy can vacuum." He immediately ran to the closet and excitedly repeated "vrrrmmmm" until I opened the door and got the vacuum out. As soon as it was out of the closet, he ran to it and gave the vacuum a big hug like it was a long lost friend. I've never seen anyone so excited about the vacuum before. I know what his chore is going to be when he gets older.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T18:51:00.000-08:00

So, here we are in 2009. I had a great last few days of 2008 and start to 2009. Sara and Fawn came on Tuesday. New Year's Eve we just hung around the house while Fawn and Sara made noise makers with Colleen. We had a great party that night with yummy food, played a couple games with the kids, danced, and rang in the new year east coast time with the kids. It was fun. Once the kids were asleep about 9:30, I had huge doubts that I would make it until midnight, I was pooped. But, thanks to a Dog the Bounty Hunter marathon Sara, Fawn, and I made it until midnight. Hooray for the extremely interesting Chapman family entertaining us into the new year!!!
New Year's Day we went on a holiday light cruise that was a lot of fun. I'm glad we went. Although, I think Nolan had a little gas on the way home. He cried and cried and the only thing that would stop his crying was singing Down by the Bay the rest of the way home. Sara and Fawn must have thought that was fun.
Friday morning we went sledding. Sledding is always fun. Friday afternoon, Rory stayed home with Nolan and us girls went down to Riverfront park for some ice skating. We also took in a carousel ride and a ride over the falls. It is so pretty in the winter. After, a chilly afternoon we were looking forward to coming home and eating some warm noodles that Rory was preparing. Unfortunately, he had an incident with a dull knife and I ended up taking him to the ER for some stitches in his finger. Poor guy. Sara and I were able to make the noodles though and they were delish.

It is Almost the New Year!

2008-12-29T06:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas went by so fast. We missed having Christmas with my parents and Sara,but this year we were able to spend it with Andrew and Jenn. We had a lot of fun. They were only here a couple days and had to leave Christmas day. We did a lot though, we went sledding, ice skating, built a snow fort, made homemade ornaments, and more. IT was a lot of fun to have fresh snow to play in. The kids had a blast. Andrew made homemade pumpkin cinnamon rolls for us to eat while we opened presents. That was a treat.

Sara and Fawn might come tomorrow if the weather cooperates. Colleen is praying and praying that they can come. She can't wait to see them and their dogs. We are planning on going snow tubing and ice skating while they are here, so hopefully the weather is nice. We've also got tickets to take holiday lights cruise. Sounds fun if the weather is nice.

Colleen is planning a New Year's party. She loves to party. I think we'll let her ring in the New Year with my parents on east coast time, so that she can make noise. She would never make it until midnight.

Peeping Tomcat

2008-12-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

Several times I've caught our neighbor's cat sitting on our porch just staring in the window by our front door. Sometimes at night, he makes me jump. What does he want? His owners need to let him in his own house. Is he looking in thinking "What a happy family, I wish I could be apart of such a warm, joyous household." Or is he thinking "Maybe if I stare in the window long enough, they'll feed me." I bet he's probably thinking "Man, I wish I could live here. Look at the counter space I can walk across with my filthy litter box paws. Oh, and look at that couch I can scratch at and destroy with my claws. Ooooh, ooooh, that Christmas tree looks like a blast to climb and destroy. I love it when the vents are on the floor like that, they are perfect for peeing in. I could be the perfect cat for them." STOP STARING IN MY WINDOW STUPID CAT!

Night glow

2008-12-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night with a sudden thought to make sure I turned the oven off. I knew I turned it off, but my mind always forces me to question myself. I inherited this paranoia from my mom. Whenever we went anywhere growing up, we would all pile in the car and start down the driveway when we were always then stopped so that mom could make sure either the coffee pot was off or the door was locked.
So, I got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. As I approached the stove, a bright glow out my kitchen window caught my attention. I looked out the window and found myself unable to look away. I stood there for about five minutes in awe of the beauty. The way the snow reflected the moon's glow made it so bright out and this feeling of calmness came over me. It was so peaceful. It has been so long since I've seen the moon shine off the snow like that. I'm so glad to be back where I can enjoy winter. After watching out the window, I went back to bed and quickly drifted back off to sleep with a warm fuzzy feeling.

SNOW!!!

2008-12-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Friday Night

2008-12-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

It is 8:30 on a Friday night and I'm in my Pajamas paying bills. What a great way to start the weekend.
Actually, earlier I had a lot of fun with Colleen. We had a snow party. We cut out a ton of paper snowflakes and hung them around the house while we ate warm cinnamon rolls. We are hoping that we'll have a white Christmas. Come on Snow!!! Where are you???
Nolan had fun at our snow party. He is going through a phase where he likes to throw things in the trash. I have found shoes, toys, sippy cups and his pajama pants in the trash. So, tonight he had a lot of fun throwing our paper scraps in the trash. It was a game to him. He had a blast running back and forth to the trash can and I didn't have to clean up. What a good deal.

Santa

2008-12-04T07:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I took the kids to a tree lighting ceremony on base. Colleen wanted to stand in line to see Santa. I wasn't too sure it would happen though, because she has always been afraid of Santa. Last year she made Rory sleep on the couch Christmas Eve to make sure Santa didn't go down the hall to the bedrooms. Anyways, so we stood in line and she was very nervous. I told her she didn't have to go talk to him if she didn't want to. Finally, it was her turn and she got up on his lap. I was surprised, because she was so nervous. He asked her what she wanted for Christmas and she said "I can't remember, because my list is so long." It was cute. I took a picture on my cell phone. Nolan cried as soon as he saw what we were waiting in line for. He didn't want to get near Santa. That has also been Colleen's usual reaction, but I guess she is growing up.

Great Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T13:58:00.002-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving at Andrew and Jenn's with Sara. It was a lot of fun. Rainy, but fun. Here are some pics of the kids having a great time.

campfire

2008-11-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from a campfire and hayride we took the kids on. Colleen was more excited than I've ever seen her about the campfire. I can't wait until we can take her camping. She's going to love it!

Poor Nolan

2008-11-13T20:04:00.001-08:00

Today I took Nolan into the doctor for a follow up on an eczema type rash he's had for over a month now on his forehead. They've prescribed him cream in the past, but it doesn't do much and it is strange how it flares up, so today he had blood drawn to see if he has any allergies causing it. Poor kid. He has been in the clinic recently twice for several shots(I chose to split them up between two visits) and he also had to have blood work done for his 1 year old well baby check up a couple weeks ago. As soon as we walked in the clinic he started crying like he knew what was coming. Poor guy. He has also been a little needy and cranky lately, but I didn't think much of it. I just thought it was because of the several teeth he has coming in now, including a couple molars. He hasn't had a fever or anything, but found out today he has an ear infection. Colleen didn't have her first ear infection until the summer before she turned three. So that was my fun day. It is so hard to get anything done with a sick baby. He wants to be held constantly, but he doesn't want to just sit down. Hopefully he'll sleep good and wake up feeling much better.
Colleen must have seen something on a cartoon, because all of a sudden she is scared to death that there is a lion in the house. No matter how much I tell her there is no lion and that she is safe, she will not go into a room by herself. When she has to use the bathroom she will not go by herself. I have to carry fussy Nolan in there and wait until she is done, because there is a dinosaur in there. Dinosaur in the bathroom and a lion running around the rest of the house. The lion in the basement is super scary. She was down there with Rory yesterday shooting hockey pucks, but that only lasted 2 minutes, because the lion was down there. Even with Rory she didn't want to be in the basement. I really hope this is a short phase. Oh, did I mention the dinosaur also sits outside her bedroom window at night? Yep, she goes to bed fine and sleeps fine, but in the morning she will not get our of bed. She calls me until I come, because the dinosaur is right outside her window. Kids' imaginations are so funny. I remember when I was younger I thought there was a tornado waiting outside my house. I always took Sara with me to the bathroom when it was stormy out. I thought the tornado was waiting for me to go into a room by myself and BAM!!! it would hit the house.

First snow

2008-11-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

Nolan saw his first snow ever yesterday. It only snowed for a little over an hour and then turned into rain. I let the kids go outside and run around and catch snowflakes on their tongues. They had so much fun. I can't wait until it really snows and sticks. They are going to love it!

Fun Day

2008-10-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Monday Sara was able to spend the day with us. It was fun. We went down to Riverfront park and had a picnic and fed the ducks. Some onlookers got a good laugh over the geese bullying us for some bread. Colleen was scared and screamed a lot.
Colleen was really excited to take Sara out to dinner to her favorite restaurant. Nolan gave us a good laugh every time the waitress came. He continuously tried to flirt with her by giving her pieces if his cereal and grabbing her tush. He's such a little lady's man. I'm going to be in trouble when he is older. I've never seen a 1 year old put on the moves like he did.
Today the poor little guy got shots. Colleen got some too. They both will be going back next week for more. I choose to space their shots out. Colleen was such a trooper. After watching two older boys scream and cry while getting 1 flu shot, she sat there and quietly got stuck 3 times. Not a peep out of her. Girls are tough!!

Fireman in a can

2008-10-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

The other day while I was cooking, I noticed two cans on the underside of my stove hood. they are attached to the vents on the hood. I was curious what they were, because I've never seen such a thing. The cans read "Fireman in a can." Supposedly, if you have a stove top fire, you just pull the tabs on the can and two hot firemen pop out to fight the blaze. At least that is what I was picturing. If only!

Two years ago, Sara gave Colleen a little pink guitar for Christmas. On occasion Colleen will get in a music making mode, pull out the guitar and just play and sing. Sometimes the songs are super funny with catastrophic endings. So Mary Catherine Gallaghar. Really funny. This morning though, she was singing a song that went a little something like this: "ohhhh, shake in your beautiful day. yeah, dance in your beautiful day. Shake, shake, shake, in your beautiful day, because its such a beautiful day." It just made me happy all day long. Such a cheery song.

Today I drove the van through a much needed car wash without much thought. Poor little Nolan was scared to death as the soap covered all the windows and the high pressure wash blasted the van. Poor guy. I feel terrible as I could do nothing, but watch him scream and cry in terror. I did remember a bag of fruit snacks I had in my purse. He stopped crying long enough to take bites of gummy goodness.

MICE

2008-10-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Colleen's favorite cartoon is the classic Tom and Jerry cartoons. If I need her to sit down and be quiet for awhile, I just plug in Tom and Jerry. Its amazing. For awhile now she has been asking for a real mouse of her own. She also continuously asks me to write santa for her and ask for a real mouse. I was thinking that she had the idea that mice are like cute little Jerry. So, yesterday while we were shopping we popped into PetSmart to show her what a real mouse looks like. She really enjoyed seeing the mice, hamsters, and parakeets. She wanted to take one of everything home. My plan didn't work out the way I expected, she still thinks mice are cute. We compromised on getting a new fish once we unpack her fish tank though. She hasn't asked for a mouse since, but it has only been 1 day.
Last night I had a terrible nightmare. I got up during the night to use the bathroom and heard a noise in the kitchen. I peeked around the corner and didn't see anything at first, but then I saw a little mouse pop out of our toaster and run across the counter. I tried to scream, but couldn't, so I ran and got Rory out of bed. He turned on the kitchen light and there were HUNDREDS of mice all over our kitchen. The floor and counters were covered with little white mice and little brown droppings everywhere. Rory grabbed the broom and the mice started making a run for it. They all scampered off to the fridge and ran up inside the refrigerator. Rory threw the fridge out the back door and we found mouse nests by the dozen. It was a terrible dream. That was just from looking at a mouse at PetSmart. I don't think I will ever be buying Colleen a mouse. I wouldn't be able to sleep. My dad keeps trying to convince me that she should have a Guinea Pig. He had one growing up and I guess they were buddies. I think bandit would probably kill any rodent pets that come into our house. He thinks he's a hunting beagle. He sleeps all day, but if he sees a rabbit outside, he turns into a hunting hound. The stupid dog killed a baby rabbit at my mom's house. He was so proud of himself. I was so disgusted, I told him he was bad and put him inside. He just had this stupid look on his face like "I did it!! I'm a hunting machine. Bad to the bone beagle with skills." Dumb dog.

Pumpkin Time

2008-10-12T20:57:00.001-07:00

Today we went and picked our pumpkins. My kids are so much fun!

All Moved In

2008-10-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

Andrew came on Friday and helped us move in Saturday. It was great to have his help. After we got the truck unloaded and some things unpacked and put together, we decided to go get some fresh Washington air. We went up to a few farms and picked apples, blackberries, tomatoes, and squash. It was a lot of fun. Andrew and Rory got to shoot a corn cannon and we watched a guy shoot off his homemade pumpkin cannon. It was crazy. I can't believe how high and far that pumpkin went. I was thinking that if an animal such as a deer was in the wrong spot at the wrong time, the pumpkin would probably kill it on impact. It was a lot of fun hanging out with my brother. I can't wait until Thanksgiving, when we go visit him and Jenn. He is a great cook. He makes Everything from scratch. We will definitely have a delicious Thanksgiving and best of all, I don't have to cook. That is still over a month away, but I am really looking forward to it.

Confession

2008-10-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

Today........glup... I drank a soda. Yes, I did. I can't call myself a non-soda drinker anymore. I was in desperate need of some caffeine and the only close place was Burger King. My stomach can only handle their coffee on a really good day. Anyways, so I drank a medium Dr. Pepper. I did enjoy it. It did make me feel better. But that doesn't make it right!!! Something is terribly wrong with me since I've arrived at Washington. The other day I had a cheeseburger from McDonalds. For those of you who don't know, I don't eat red meat. I really enjoyed that cheeseburger. It tasted soo good with pickles and onions. MMMMMMM. But that evening I really regretted eating that cheeseburger. I felt so sick to my stomach with terrible indigestion. I will never eat a cheeseburger again. I will still be a non-cheeseburger eater. My body can't handle digesting red meat. Now, for the soda drinking thing, I haven't decided yet. In desperation I may drink a high calorie, carbonated soda. I've already ruined my no soda streak. Oh well.

This evening the moving truck was dropped at the house. This weekend we will be moving in. Tomorrow night my brother is coming to help us out. We took a couple things off the truck tonight. Colleen was excited about seeing her scooter. She talked to the little boy next door through the fence. He was in a super man costume and very high energy. Their cats kept coming in our yard to spy on us. I can't wait to let my dogs chase those felines out of our yard. BEWARE OF DOG YOU CATS!!!

Happy Birthday To Nolan

2008-09-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

My little boy turned 1 today. I tried uploading the cutest video of him eating cake, but blogger has problems sometimes. We went to the park today and had a picnic and fed the ducks. It was fun. The weather was perfect today. Nolan had fun this evening opening presents and having cupcakes. We are still in TLQs, which makes it hard to bake. We had to settle for cupcakes from the Walmart bakery. Nolan didn't seem to mind. He loved it. Every bite he took was followed by a big grin and "MMMMMMM" It was so funny.

Spokane Fun

2008-09-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

We didn't get the house. Its ok though, Rory and I decided to move on base and look to buy in the spring. This weekend is such a beautiful weekend. I love the weather here so far. This past week was not so much fun. Colleen, Nolan, and I all had colds. Yuk! Colleen's birthday was on Thursday. We had a nice little family party. Thanks to everyone that called. She had fun getting all the phone calls. Made her day special. Nolan's birthday is tomorrow. We're going to go have a picnic at Riverfront park. It is supposed to be a nice day tomorrow. I can't believe Nolan will turn 1 tomorrow. My how time flies. And Colleen is 4!!!! Just yesterday she was so little. You blink and you miss them growing up.
One thing I love about living in Washington is that there is coffee everywhere!! I can always find coffee. No matter where I am. There is one coffee hut outside the base that I didn't notice until the other day. Its a little camouflage hut. I wonder if they get much business. I didn't notice them for a whole week. I don't think the camo paint is helping business.
Colleen loves the pine trees in Washington. We always have a new collection of pine cones when we return from walks. I might have to turn them into an art project for her. Make a Thanksgiving wreath or something.
We love Washington.

decisions

2008-09-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

We arrived here in Spokane almost a week ago. We already love it here. We've spent a week house hunting. Rory and I had to make the decision to either move on base or take the chances of buying our own home off base. Yesterday, we put in an offer on a home. I'm not going to get excited and wait to see what happens. If we don't get this home, there is still the opportunity to move on base at the end of the month. This house is the best we've seen, so we are hoping it will be ours. House hunting is crazy stuff. The kids are exhausted from being in the car so much and looking at so many homes. Both their birthdays are next week. I want to try and make then special, even though we are still in a hotel. I can't believe Nolan will be 1 next week and Colleen 4. Where has the time gone? They are growing too fast.

2008-09-13T08:54:00.001-07:00

I love Montana!

We're packing up!

2008-09-05T11:02:00.001-07:00

Today we are getting the cars packed up and tomorrow morning we are on our way to Washington. I'm so excited!!! I love road trips.

Good Bye North Carolina

2008-08-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

Friday we left North Carolina for good. It was a weird feeling to know that we weren't going back. Even though it hasn't been my favorite place, It has been our home for the past seven and a half years. Colleen and Nolan were born there. That makes it special to me. We are in Maryland right now. Saturday we will be leaving on our journey across country. I'm really excited. I love road trips. I know it will be hard on the kids to be in the car day after day, but I hope to make it fun for them so that they will enjoy road trips also.

Colleen is currently watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. I love Mr. Rogers. A Lot of cartoons now are too energetic. Mr. Rogers is so calming and it helps her to lay down for an hour and just be quiet and relax.

I was thinking that today is the last day of August. I get really excited in September. I enjoy the feeling of fall approaching. It is still warm, but the breeze is nice and leaves are beginning to change. I know that soon the air will be cool and crisp and I love it!!! I love autumn. It makes me happy. I'm going to really enjoy spending the coming fall in Washington.

My dad bought marshmallow cream for Colleen to eat on her peanut butter sandwiches. My mom bought her a bouncing ball that she bounces all over the house on. It must be fun to be a grandparent. They can feed them sugar and buy them toys that wind them up and just enjoy watching them bounce off the walls. Gotta love grandparents.

Last Day

2008-08-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is our last day in North Carolina. Tomorrow we are leaving for good. Our truck is still being loaded and we have yet to clean the house. We could have never done this move without the help of my parents. They are pros at packing and moving. I can't believe we have less than 18 hours left here. I'm so excited!!! Hoooooray!!!!

The Beach

2008-08-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today we drove down to the beaches of North Carolina. It was a relaxing day. Even though it was rainy on and off, we had a blast on the beach. We also walked out on the oldest fishing pier in the Atlantic Ocean. Colleen got to see her first pelican up close. She had such a fun day. We ended our beach trip by eating fish at a little local restaurant. It was a great last trip to the beach before we move. We were happy that we got to share the day with my parents.

Get On The Bus

2008-08-24T04:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-21T17:28:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday Rory!!! We love you!!

Where has the time gone?

2008-08-20T04:20:00.001-07:00

This time next week we will be loading the moving truck. AHHHHHHH!

11 days!!!

2008-08-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

The kids and I have 11 days left here!!! It is so hard to believe. I can't wait!!! I can hardly contain myself. Everybody I come by, I say "we're moving." I want to yell it from the mountain tops. "WE ARE LEAVING!!!" There are a few things I will miss. Day trips to the beach were always nice. Even though I have never been fond of this town, I do have a place in my heart for it, because both my children were born here. I am really excited about our new adventure out west though. 11 days!!!

The Next Bobby Flay

2008-08-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Breakdown

2008-08-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

I saw The Man Taxi broke down on the side of the road today. I still think that is a funny name for a taxi. I'll miss driving around town and seeing The Man Taxi. Not really. I also saw a home inspector truck that made me laugh. He called himself "Home inspector from hell" and on his truck it said "if its not good enough for my daughter, it is not good enough for you." I would hire him. Another car that made me laugh had a bumper sticker that said "We're screwed 08" I'm not discussing politics on my blog, but I thought it was a funny sticker.

Barking Dogs!!!

2008-08-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

So, we have new neighbors right behind us. They have 2 dogs that they just leave out to bark all hours. So annoying. Especially when they wake Nolan up continuously throughout the night. Last night Colleen couldn't fall asleep. She told me she was putting in pretend ear plugs. They even sleep with sound machines to drown out noises. All the planes taking off and landing from the flight line don't even wake them up, but those darn dogs do. It is so irritating and its not the dogs' fault. Its the owners. It is the owners having no respect for everyone else living around them. One of the dogs is some kind of chow mix. It is really cute. The other is a black lab. I do not trust that dog. It has a look in his eye and I get bad vibes from him. I've told Colleen to stay away from him. I'm a dog lover and I've never had such a strong feeling of distrust towards any dog in my life. I won't let Colleen play in the back yard, because I'm afraid he'll jump the fence. I just have a really bad feeling about that dog. I'm going to listen to my instincts on that one. At least we only have a few weeks left here. We'll just play out front until then. Owners that just let their dogs bark constantly really irritate me though.

27 days

2008-07-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

We load the moving truck in 27 days. My parents came down with the kids and I on Sunday. They spent 2 days working so hard helping us pack. My mom has my kitchen packed. She only left out a few essentials for cooking and eating. They have us pretty much packed with the exception of some clothes, furniture, and a few items like pictures and books. I have the absolute best parents in the world. They have always worked so hard to help us with moving, the kids, and traveling. They go way out of their way to help us out. I nominate them parents of the decade.
The other day I took the dogs to the vet for their shots and check up before we move. They were concerned about Patch, because he's so old and has hip displacia, but his blood work came back fine. Bandit's blood work came back with his white blood cell count way off. The vet is suspecting something with his liver or cushings disease. Cushings disease has something to do with the adrenal gland. I won't go into detail. You can google it if you are curious. So, now I have to collect a urine sample from him and take it down to the vet, which is a 20 minute drive. Normally this wouldn't be a hard task, but with a baby and 3 year old it makes it challenging to get it done by myself. I know my neighbors are going to be wondering what I'm doing following my beagle around with a pan to catch his pee. The things we do for our dogs. For anyone wanting a dog, they are wonderful companions, but expensive.
I am so ready to get off this base. They are running exercises this week. The siren and loud speaker have been going off constantly for days. Nolan is always waking up with it. His naps have been short and it has been waking him up at night. Its crazy. I'm going to lose my mind.

Who's Growing Up Too Fast?

2008-07-25T05:15:00.001-07:00

Nolan is trying to walk already. I can't believe it. Last summer he was still nice and cozy in my belly. Kids grow up way too fast. The kids and I have been enjoying our time in Maryland. We only have a couple more days left until we go home and get ready for our move. Last night Colleen and I played putt putt with Rory's family, Tonya, and Kyle. Colleen had a blast. Kyle is her only cousin and she loves doing things with him. I think it is so sweet how excited she gets when she spends time with him. We're going to miss hanging out with everybody and there is a lot to do up here, but its time to go home. We miss daddy! Be home soon daddy!!! I hope you are sleeping in while we are gone, because it'll be early mornings again when we get home.

2008-07-21T03:27:00.000-07:00

The sky last night was amazing after a storm. We had a full rainbow. The whole sky looked like a painting. It looked so much more beautiful in person. My camera doesn't take very good scenic pictures. I really enjoyed watching the sky change last night. Mom mom has a good view from her house. It was relaxing.

Sara left

2008-07-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

Sara left yesterday. We were all bummed. Colleen has a special bond with her and she really misses her. Sara was the only one she wanted to take her quiet time with and she actually napped a few times with Sara. Colleen never naps, I was so surprised when I peaked in those few times and she was snuggled up with Sara's arm and sound asleep. Colleen is doing good though, because she knows that soon we will be moving closer to Sara. Another member of the family that was devastated by Sara's leaving was chance. Poor dog was so sad watching her drive away. He loves Sara. We had a fun trip together though. We always do. The day Sara left we didn't realize it right away, but Sara and I were wearing the same shirt. Its the twin thing I guess. Great minds think alike.

Monday

2008-07-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

We've been here in Maryland for one week now. I have no clue where the time went. This past week has gone by so fast. Rory left on Sunday to go back home. I stayed up with the kids to spend more time with the parents and Sara. Yesterday evening, us girls had a splendid tea party. Colleen really knows how to throw a tea party. Today we ate a yummy lunch at Chic Fila and had an afternoon of shopping at the outlet mall. It was only in the 80s and so nice to be outside and spend time with my mom and Sara. We always have a grand time together. I bought a cool tent thing from the outlet mall and tonight we are going to have a pajama/slumber party. Colleen is so excited. Her first slumber party. We made pie and bought a ton of junk food and snacks. I can't wait until we move closer to Sara. I will miss being a days drive from my parents though. Our family always has such a good time together. We all have hopes that my dad will get a job out west in the near future so that we can all be close.

Coffee

2008-07-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

Grandad is teaching Colleen how to make coffee in the french press.

My Little Man

2008-07-03T03:56:00.000-07:00

Nolan is 9 months old now. Babies grow so fast. He crawls all over the house now. He's my little monkey, if there is something for him to climb on, he climbs on it. He is always happy and hates to sleep. He doesn't want to miss out on anything. He loves to laugh. If anybody starts laughing, he joins right in. He's also a ham. Yesterday at his 9 month appointment, he had all the nurses laughing really hard. He kept putting his blanket over his head and making the silliest face when he pulled it off. That is one of his favorite games. He's also my old lady magnet. Everywhere we go little old ladies stop to talk to us. He loves to quack like a duck. He crawls around the house quacking like a duck and every time he sees a picture of a duck he gets excited and quacks. He loves food. If he sees the bag of baby cookies, he gets so excited. He likes to dance. Its so cute when babies dance. He's a very early riser, but is so happy morning. He is interested in everything he can't have, such as cords, outlets, remotes, cell phones. He loves his big sister. He loves to tug on her hair, she thinks its funny. He is such a fun baby, I just know he's going to grow up to be an easy going person.

counting down

2008-07-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

58 days until I leave North Carolina for good and 20 of those days I will be in Maryland. So, I have a grand total of 38 days to spend in North Carolina. I'm so excited!

1 WEEK

2008-06-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

Colleen can't wait to hang out with Auntie Sara and wake her up at 630 in the morning by throwing stuffed animals at her.

weekend

2008-06-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend Rory's folks came down to celebrate his dad's birthday with us. Colleen threw him a splendid party. She's my little party planner. I think her Pop Pop really enjoyed having a party thrown by a 3 year old. Brings the kid out in everyone.

2 weeks!

2008-06-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

Sara will be here in 2 weeks!!!

I'm loving today

2008-06-18T06:46:00.000-07:00

I just walked outside not too long ago to let the dogs out and much to my surprise it is very pleasant out. Not humid and warm, but not too hot. Its only supposed to reach upper 80s today. Doesn't feel like a typical North Carolina summer day. I love it! I'm going to love getting out of the muggy weather. I'll have to adjust to having a winter again. It has been 7 years since I've had a winter. 50s, 60s, and sometimes 70s is what I've been experiencing. Some days I got used to it, taking the kids to the park and just enjoying outside in the middle of January. I'm going to love having snow again though!!! Colleen will love it. We'll all learn and relearn winter sports. Fun! I read that Spokane has one of the best outdoor ice skating rinks in the nation. Colleen will love that. She absolutely loves ice skating. We try and take her every week or two here. One thing I would like to do before we leave is go to the beach one last time. We just have 2 months to get it done though.

I am so irritated with my cable company. Our cable has been freezing up lately, so I decided to just cancel it for the last couple months we are here. Yesterday I called and called. Took me all day to get an actual person on the phone. The stupid automated system for some reason kept saying over and over, "I can not hear you, please repeat your answer." So, I finally get through and I was informed that to cancel my cable, I first have to return the equipment to a certain location. Once I return it, then they will cancel it. Soooo Irritating!!! They will come and deliver it and install it, but they won't pick it up when I'm done with it. Do they know how challenging it is to Lug all the equipment to this location with a baby and 3 year old? The cable company is not my friend!

17 Days!

2008-06-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sara will be here in 17 days. We all can't wait. We have a lot of fun with Sara! Colleen loves Auntie Sara. She can't wait to wake her up at 6am by throwing stuffed animals at her. I wonder what Nolan will think of Sara now that he is a little older. He's a little ham, so I know they'll get a long great.

Happy Anniversary!

2008-06-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

So, today was our 9th wedding anniversary. It was a good day. We took the kids swimming and then went out to dinner as a family. Colleen was so cute. She told us each happy anniversary about 50 times today. She put on a dress and put on her jewelry to go out to our special dinner. It was so sweet. Then we had a special dessert. Colleen picked out a cupcake for her with lots of icing and she picked out a giant whoopie pie for rory and I to share. It was yummy. Colleen took pictures for us. I think she's a pretty good photographer.

AHHHHH!

2008-06-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

I hate to have this be my third post in a row complaining about heat, but I'M MELTING! It has been sooo hot this past week. Today, I have a heat headache and no appetite. Heat makes me not want to eat. I feel awful. My body wasn't made to handle this weather. Its supposed to break tomorrow and only be in the 90s. Thats going to be a cool down. I don't know how much longer I could take this heat. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. God is sending us out of this heat to the great state of Washington!!! I'm so excited. Can't wait. Can't wait. Can't wait!!!! We are leaving less than 3 months. Current temp here 100 degrees. Current temp in Washington 42 degrees with this weeks highs in the 60s and 70s. I'm going to be be in heaven!!! I'm the happiest girl on the planet.

HOT!!!

2008-06-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

The current heat index is 104. Tomorrow's temp is supposed to be 102 with high heat index and 104 on Sunday. Oh, and 102 on Monday. Somebody rescue me!!! I think I should have a bubble that blows cold air on me, kinda like the bubble boy. I hope this heat wave ends soon. My flowers aren't happy when it is this hot. Colleen calls the flowers her "little cuties" She gets sad when her little cuties are looking wilted.

It is going to be gross today

2008-05-31T03:52:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the summer that it is forecasted to be very hot and very muggy. yuck! That means even deodorant won't work. I promised Colleen we'll go to the park this morning. I better take her early before it hits in the 90s. For those of you who don't know, I hate muggy weather. Colleen would tell me not to say "hate." She's right in most cases, but I have a very strong dislike for muggy weather. Makes me sweaty, stinky, and lethargic. Just sucks the life right out of me. It can make me really crabby, even though I try not to let it. ugh. Rory is optimistic that this will be our last summer here though. Glad one of us is. I lost that optimism several years ago. This is our 8th summer here.

Ok, to bring this depressing blog to a happy state, Nolan is crawling!!! He started earlier in the week. For months he's been rolling around or pulling himself like an army crawl, but now he is really crawling. He is into everything he's not supposed to be in now, but it is so cute to watch him crawl. He gets such a proud look on his face. His favorite thing to try and get away with is crawling to the dog water and splashing in it. The other day I left the room for 60 seconds to get a glass of water and I came back to find him splashing around in the slimy dog water. He splashed it all over his face.

Colleen is doing better this week. Last week she had a respiratory infection. We had 3 nights of no sleep and she had a really high fever. She was miserable. We all were, because we went 3 days with no sleep. Nolan was up those same nights also with his teeth bothering him. We had to take her into the doctor a couple times before they finally took us seriously. The first time, Rory took her in they just took her temp. and listened to her chest and prescribed us cough meds. I don't like giving kids cough meds. They never seem to help. Warm water with honey seems to work better. Cough medicines make Colleen a little crazy. I think it does that to a lot of kids.

Tomorrow is June. Wow.

2008-05-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord. -Psalm 127:3