The drinks (OK, it's just a chocolate milk, but it looked awesome!):
The relaxation:
The pools:
The ocean:
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Mexico photo montage
The slide:
The drinks (OK, it's just a chocolate milk, but it looked awesome!):
The relaxation:
The pools:
The ocean:
(photo credit to Mom and Dad D for lots of the photos seen here!)
The drinks (OK, it's just a chocolate milk, but it looked awesome!):
The relaxation:
The pools:
The ocean:
Monday, February 27, 2012
Mexico!
Nothing takes a mind off of sad circumstances like a vacation. If that vacation involves margaritas (for the adults) and swimming pools, lazy rivers, and water slides then all the better!
Yep, we visited Puerto Vallarta with Grammy and Grampy AND Grandma and Paw-paw AND Phil's brother Sam! It was so nice to have an entire week to just hang out with our parents and Sam and enjoy a nice, relaxing trip.
Our days pretty much went like this:
Wake up, drink coffee on the patio
Send two representatives from our party to put towels/book on enough lounge chairs at the pool of our choice to save them
Eat breakfast, meet down at the pool
Order adult beverages from the pool bar whenever it's happy hour and the drinks are two-for-one
Eat lunch together in one of our rooms
Go back to the pools
Order more drinks, if desired
Get cleaned up
Drink margaritas
Go out to eat dinner (with margaritas or cerveza, if desired)
Doesn't that sound awesome? That's cuz' it was.
And here's a big montage of beautiful Mexico pics from Uncle Sam:
Yep, we visited Puerto Vallarta with Grammy and Grampy AND Grandma and Paw-paw AND Phil's brother Sam! It was so nice to have an entire week to just hang out with our parents and Sam and enjoy a nice, relaxing trip.
Our days pretty much went like this:
Send two representatives from our party to put towels/book on enough lounge chairs at the pool of our choice to save them
Eat breakfast, meet down at the pool
Order adult beverages from the pool bar whenever it's happy hour and the drinks are two-for-one
Eat lunch together in one of our rooms
Go back to the pools
Order more drinks, if desired
Get cleaned up
Drink margaritas
Go out to eat dinner (with margaritas or cerveza, if desired)
Thanks, Sam, for the super-awesome photos seen in this post!
Doesn't that sound awesome? That's cuz' it was.
And here's a big montage of beautiful Mexico pics from Uncle Sam:
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Catching up
It's been a loooong time since I last blogged! I'm going to catch this place up on our happenings, but the format for posting blogs has changed. This is bad for my catching-up process because I've definitely reached the age at which I fear technological changes, and I confront them with both skepticism and contempt. But I suppose I'm going to have to figure this out. Bear with me!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Goodbye to our friend, Bailey
Today we said goodbye to our dear friend, Bailey. He was a good dog and I truly believe he's happier now, as his recent weeks/months were not healthy ones. It was really hard to let him go, though, and still a bit difficult to believe he's not here.
There are still paw prints on my hardwood floors.
No need to get bundled up tonight to take him outside.
The hallway looks weirdly empty without him in his poofball bed.
I got him when I found out I was going to grad school at the end of my senior year in college. He's been around for my entire adult life and our whole married life. Our family, minus Bailey, is going to take some getting used to. On his last morning it was just the two of us. It seemed appropriate, since that's how we started out 15 years ago.
I found the following prayer online, and thought it was beautiful. I said it with Bailey in his last moments here and we said it again before we laid him to rest:
In the name of God the Father,
who created you and all the animals,
in the name of Jesus the Son,
who spoke of you in parables and stories,
in the name of the Holy Spirit,
in whom every creature lives, moves, and has their being,
go now in peace, dear friend.
May you find rest near refreshing waters,
may you lie in cool, green pastures,
and may you warm yourself under the sun that never sets.
You have been my constant companion,
my shadow and confidante,
my comfort and playmate.
You filled my days with life and brought me endless joy.
For this I give thanks to God who gave you to me.
Now return to your Maker who eagerly waits for you
as you waited for me at the end of each day.
In the Father’s arms, let there be no more pain.
Let there be no more suffering.
Let there be only light as it was on the day God created you.
For our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever. Amen.
All dogs go to Heaven, right? He was preceded in death by several of his good buddies (Missy, Moki...), so it's comforting to think of him wrestling and playing again with them. We sure do miss him, and hope he's feeling better now. We love you, Pupper-dog!
There are still paw prints on my hardwood floors.
No need to get bundled up tonight to take him outside.
The hallway looks weirdly empty without him in his poofball bed.
I got him when I found out I was going to grad school at the end of my senior year in college. He's been around for my entire adult life and our whole married life. Our family, minus Bailey, is going to take some getting used to. On his last morning it was just the two of us. It seemed appropriate, since that's how we started out 15 years ago.
I found the following prayer online, and thought it was beautiful. I said it with Bailey in his last moments here and we said it again before we laid him to rest:
In the name of God the Father,
who created you and all the animals,
in the name of Jesus the Son,
who spoke of you in parables and stories,
in the name of the Holy Spirit,
in whom every creature lives, moves, and has their being,
go now in peace, dear friend.
May you find rest near refreshing waters,
may you lie in cool, green pastures,
and may you warm yourself under the sun that never sets.
You have been my constant companion,
my shadow and confidante,
my comfort and playmate.
You filled my days with life and brought me endless joy.
For this I give thanks to God who gave you to me.
Now return to your Maker who eagerly waits for you
as you waited for me at the end of each day.
In the Father’s arms, let there be no more pain.
Let there be no more suffering.
Let there be only light as it was on the day God created you.
For our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever. Amen.
All dogs go to Heaven, right? He was preceded in death by several of his good buddies (Missy, Moki...), so it's comforting to think of him wrestling and playing again with them. We sure do miss him, and hope he's feeling better now. We love you, Pupper-dog!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Valentines
Let me just say that my kids have always had store-bought Valentines to hand out to their friends at school. They cost barely $3, they're full of their favorite princess characters, and they require very little effort. We've all been reasonably happy with this set-up.
Then I started looking around on Pinterest. (What's pinterest, you ask? Oh, only the second biggest time-flush ever to have been invented -- after Facebook)
Theridiculously superbly talented ladies on Pinterest come up with all kinds of fun and creative things to do in all of your spare time. Like making homemade laundry detergent. Or melting down your old crayons into cute heart-shaped new ones. Or one can find any recipe imaginable. Like snickerdoodle bread or sweet potato cauliflower soup.
It's crazy and incredibly addictive. Who knew there were so many things I could do? Never mind that I will never do 99.9% of those cool things. It's nice to dream.
Anyway, whilst dreaming on Pinterest I came across these really cute Valentines. So I actually got off of my duff and did them for the kiddos. I think they turned out pretty cute! The girls really liked making them and are pretty proud of themselves.
Maybe I'm not wasting my time on the computer. I'm finding awesome ideas to make me a better mom! Yep, that's what I'm going with.
Then I started looking around on Pinterest. (What's pinterest, you ask? Oh, only the second biggest time-flush ever to have been invented -- after Facebook)
The
It's crazy and incredibly addictive. Who knew there were so many things I could do? Never mind that I will never do 99.9% of those cool things. It's nice to dream.
Anyway, whilst dreaming on Pinterest I came across these really cute Valentines. So I actually got off of my duff and did them for the kiddos. I think they turned out pretty cute! The girls really liked making them and are pretty proud of themselves.
Maybe I'm not wasting my time on the computer. I'm finding awesome ideas to make me a better mom! Yep, that's what I'm going with.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Bailey boy
Our little Bailey boy turned 15 years old on New Year's Eve. His health has definitely been declining lately, and I've been reminiscing about his younger days. He has seen a lot of things in his lifetime! Let's look at a brief history of his life over the years:
December 31, 1996 Born in Illinois
May 1997 Moved to Terre Haute, IN (lived in two different apartments there)
May 1999 Moved to Indianapolis, IN
August 2000 Moved to San Antonio, TX (Del Rio on the weekends)
January 2002 Back to Illinois to stay with my mom and dad for three months while we went to Scott AFB
March 2002 Moved to Germany (he also visited Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and France during this time)
September 2003 Back to Illinois with my folks for a couple of months again
December 2003 Moved to Olympia, Washington (drove halfway across the country)
December 2007 Moved to Altus, OK (drove back across the country)
May 2010 Moved to Columbus, NJ (drove the rest of the way across the country)
July 2011 Moved to Virginia/DC
He has lived in 7 US states and one foreign country. He's called 12 different places "home". He's seen 6 foreign countries (and peed in each of 'em!) and has been through more US states than I care to count. How many dogs can say that?
OK, he can't really say it either, but he's lived it.
When we started out, our little family was just me and Bailey. Then we added Phil. Then we gradually added three kiddos! Now Claire gives Bailey much of his well-deserved petting and attention. Maddie and Colin feed him every night. He doesn't play anymore, but the kiddos love him.
He's not the adventurous dog of his youth, though. Lately Phil and I have been trying to decide if Bailey is miserable or if he's just slowed WAY down. We think he may have some dementia . He doesn't see much and he can't hear much, either. And I admit he doesn't smell too great. He often has accidents in the house (Shhh! Don't tell our landlords! I clean it up right away and he always does it on the solid-surface floors.).
We're all a little hesitant to let him go, but it's going to be his time soon. Please keep him (and us) in your thoughts and prayers as we guide him through his final chapters in life. It's tough to say goodbye to an old friend.
December 31, 1996 Born in Illinois
May 1999 Moved to Indianapolis, IN
August 2000 Moved to San Antonio, TX (Del Rio on the weekends)
March 2002 Moved to Germany (he also visited Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, and France during this time)
September 2003 Back to Illinois with my folks for a couple of months again
December 2003 Moved to Olympia, Washington (drove halfway across the country)
December 2007 Moved to Altus, OK (drove back across the country)
May 2010 Moved to Columbus, NJ (drove the rest of the way across the country)
July 2011 Moved to Virginia/DC
OK, he can't really say it either, but he's lived it.
When we started out, our little family was just me and Bailey. Then we added Phil. Then we gradually added three kiddos! Now Claire gives Bailey much of his well-deserved petting and attention. Maddie and Colin feed him every night. He doesn't play anymore, but the kiddos love him.
He's not the adventurous dog of his youth, though. Lately Phil and I have been trying to decide if Bailey is miserable or if he's just slowed WAY down. We think he may have some dementia . He doesn't see much and he can't hear much, either. And I admit he doesn't smell too great. He often has accidents in the house (Shhh! Don't tell our landlords! I clean it up right away and he always does it on the solid-surface floors.).
We're all a little hesitant to let him go, but it's going to be his time soon. Please keep him (and us) in your thoughts and prayers as we guide him through his final chapters in life. It's tough to say goodbye to an old friend.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Saturday, December 24, 2011
2011 - Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! We hope your home is filled with the joy of family and friends this holiday season. 'Tis time again for our annual wrap-up and year-end greetings to all! Don't forget to click on the links!
2011 continued the adventures with the kiddos and us. We moved (again!) and find ourselves in the Washington, DC area as we write. The friends we made and the experiences we had during our year in New Jersey were wonderful and we will miss them. Hopefully we will stay here for longer than our past two assignments and remain a bit more "settled" than in prior years. Before our move, we took time for a trip back home and enjoyed seeing family and the sights of Illinois--it had been quite some time since we'd all been back!
It was a big year of events -- we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, and Katie's folks celebrated their 40th (with a nice reaffirmation of vows!).
Claire, now 7, started full-time 1st grade school and still rides a bus to school. She's been losing her teeth, and hopes for two new front-ones for Christmas this year!
Madeline is 5 and enjoys pre-kindergarten with her best friend, Paige, and the occasional play-date with her "boyfriend," Drew. She's so big--no more thumb sucking and goes by a nice mature "Madeline" at school. The girls also had a beautiful dance recital before we departed new Jersey (they continue their studies here in Virginia, too).
Colin has been working on potty training! It may not be a done-deal in 2011, but it is a big event for him and Katie, so it's making the letter! Seriously, he continues to grow by leaps and bounds into an exciting little boy--there is a distinct difference between boys and girls and he lets the whole family know about not liking "girl" things. It's trucks, trains, dinosaurs, and airplanes for him--no Fairy movies, thank you very much!
Phil completed school and is "working" for a living again, getting used to the DC commuting-lifestyle and working at the Pentagon--along five other officers from his class last year and the other 20,000+ workers in the building every day! Being so close to friends from last year (and friends from other assignments as they all come to DC) has been a blessing and made the transition here so much easier. We even took a nice autumn trip with some of those friends to West Virginia to soak up the fall colors.
It seems with every move we have multiple grandparent visits (thank God!) to help out with the kids and to see our new digs. Katie's folks had the luck to experience some of the "unexpected" disasters of living here: an earthquake and hurricane in the space of 7 days! Phil's folks were kind enough to visit and also watch the kids allowing us to get away for a quick trip to Nashville. It was our first time leaving the kiddos behind since we've had the bunch! They did great and we're taking it as a foundation for future getaways!
Katie added another skill to her repertoire: bird trapper! She caught one in the backyard and of course it needed a friend. As a result, we now have two new pet parakeets. Bailey, the dog, continues to soldier on...or at least sleep his days away. He turns 15 this New Year's Eve.
With the sights and events in the area, we find ourselves tremendously busy with kiddo activities and experiencing the culture and things to do here. We can find something new to do nearly every weekend (so stay tuned here!), and hope to take full advantage of our time. We hope the season is happy and joyous for you and your family.
2011 continued the adventures with the kiddos and us. We moved (again!) and find ourselves in the Washington, DC area as we write. The friends we made and the experiences we had during our year in New Jersey were wonderful and we will miss them. Hopefully we will stay here for longer than our past two assignments and remain a bit more "settled" than in prior years. Before our move, we took time for a trip back home and enjoyed seeing family and the sights of Illinois--it had been quite some time since we'd all been back!
It was a big year of events -- we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, and Katie's folks celebrated their 40th (with a nice reaffirmation of vows!).
Claire, now 7, started full-time 1st grade school and still rides a bus to school. She's been losing her teeth, and hopes for two new front-ones for Christmas this year!
Phil completed school and is "working" for a living again, getting used to the DC commuting-lifestyle and working at the Pentagon--along five other officers from his class last year and the other 20,000+ workers in the building every day! Being so close to friends from last year (and friends from other assignments as they all come to DC) has been a blessing and made the transition here so much easier. We even took a nice autumn trip with some of those friends to West Virginia to soak up the fall colors.
It seems with every move we have multiple grandparent visits (thank God!) to help out with the kids and to see our new digs. Katie's folks had the luck to experience some of the "unexpected" disasters of living here: an earthquake and hurricane in the space of 7 days! Phil's folks were kind enough to visit and also watch the kids allowing us to get away for a quick trip to Nashville. It was our first time leaving the kiddos behind since we've had the bunch! They did great and we're taking it as a foundation for future getaways!
Katie added another skill to her repertoire: bird trapper! She caught one in the backyard and of course it needed a friend. As a result, we now have two new pet parakeets. Bailey, the dog, continues to soldier on...or at least sleep his days away. He turns 15 this New Year's Eve.
With the sights and events in the area, we find ourselves tremendously busy with kiddo activities and experiencing the culture and things to do here. We can find something new to do nearly every weekend (so stay tuned here!), and hope to take full advantage of our time. We hope the season is happy and joyous for you and your family.
Merry Christmas, and many blessings in 2012!
Friday, December 23, 2011
US Botanic Garden
We procrastinated on Christmas shopping last weekend by hitting the US Botanic Gardens for a visit. They were decorated for Christmas with a train exhibit, imaginative houses and fairies made out of plant materials, and even the Capitol Mall and presidential homes made out of plant materials.
There are so many interesting things to see and do here!
There are so many interesting things to see and do here!
Deck the halls
The house is decorated.
The cookies have been baked (and eaten, so then we baked some more...).
Santa breakfast is complete.
Madeline's Christmas program at school: check.
Christmas is almost here!
I should probably wrap the presents...
Santa breakfast is complete.
Madeline's Christmas program at school: check.
Christmas is almost here!
I should probably wrap the presents...
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