Army Wife and Mom of Tots

way behind

2011-06-22T20:50:00.000-04:00

Now that school is over for both the kids and I for the summer, I have decided one project I wish to accomplish will be blogs and photos. I have not printed or created photo albums since December of 2009!! I am a little behind. So here is the start of what hopefully will be many many blog pictures. So may just be pictures as I start to sort thru the summer photos.

Emma has short hair

2011-02-18T16:07:00.004-05:00

Emma decided to have her hair cut off this time and she loves it. It curls under in the back a little and looks adorable. Emma's hair is so baby soft and she does not like to have it up in a pony tail so this seems to be the easiest thing to do now.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T15:57:00.004-05:00

The kids had a Great Valentine's Day. They woke up and found Wonka Heart boxes full of chocolate!! Emma had a party at school that day while Logan went to day care for a few hours. The evening ended with 2 kids that had had wayyyy toooo much candy and ended up in bed a little early!!

Valentine's from Great Grandparents Baker

2011-02-13T16:03:00.001-05:00

Emma and Logan get so excited when they receive mail. Logan was so excited to see his treat for a Valentine gift. When I asked Emma if she would like to go to the store she said that she is saving it. Logan; on the other hand, wanted to leave right away!!

Bingo Night at Emma's School

2011-01-28T15:51:00.004-05:00

Emma's school did a Bingo Night/Chick Fil A fundraiser and we had a blast!! The kids enjoyed playing with friends while we tried to hear the Bingo numbers being called. Emma even won 10 tickets for Pickles and Popcorn. (That is the PTO's weekly treat sale). It was a nice family night that we ended with ice cream.

Star Student of the Month

2011-01-27T15:43:00.003-05:00

Our little girl received Star Student of the month for Self-less acts. We are so proud of her!! They did a little ceremony for all the children and then gave them a few little gifts.

Busy Busy Busy

2011-01-26T08:58:00.001-05:00

I am still around and still trying to get this couponing thing down. Because we have put ourselves on a strict grocery budget I am really trying to make good decisions in regards to coupons and the need for the product. I have found my best deals at Publix. Every week they offer Buy 1 get one free deals and you only have to buy 1 to get the product 1/2 off. And then pair that will a manufacturers or a store coupon and it may be next to free. Most Publix take Target coupons as well. So one deal the other day was Mayo for $1.99 with a $1.00 target coupon and a .75 cent manufacturers coupon made the Mayo .24 cents!! Like I said I am really trying to decide what we need. I have also set limits on what I will spend per item. But, like the deal above it is hard to pass up buying something when the deal is so good!!

The kids are well. We are so lucky to live in a neighborhood with lots of kids. There is a set of 5 year old twins that love to play with Emma and Logan. Emma will quickly finish her homework after school so she can play outside.

We are also looking forward to hosting my mom and dad in a short 4 weeks!! I am very anxious to have a chance to visit and connect with my mom again. It has been so long since we have had a chance to just veg out and talk. We are hoping to sneak a quick over night trip to Savannah and maybe try out the Paula Dean and Son's restaurant.

Well, I have spent way too much time on coupons and not enough time on homework this AM. Must get myself motivated:)

Publix Weekly Couponing Deals

2011-01-14T17:04:00.003-05:00

Every week one of our local grocery stores; Publix, has great deals they put out. I have been search in the ads and online coupons to find the best deals. Today I saved $36.43 and this is how I did it!!!!

2 packages of Uncle Ben's Rice total spent $1.99

Buy 1 Get 1 Free

2 cans of Del Monte French Style Beans total spent $1.29

buy 1 get 1 free

2 packages Ronzoni Pasta total spent $1.39

4 cartons of beef/chicken broth total spent $5.20

buy 1 get one free (2) times

2 Welch's grape juice total spent 1.25

buy 1 get 1 free

(2) $1.00 coupons

3 packages Jello pudding snacks (6 pack refrigerated ones) total spent $4.30

3 for $6.00

$1.00 2 packages

.35 cents off 1 package and than doubled

1 bottle of fat free vanilla coffee mate total spent .50 cents

$1.00 off coupon

2 packages of Thomas English muffins total spent $3.69

buy 1 get 1 free

2 boxes of Cheerios total spent $3.29

buy 1 get 1 free

$1.00 coupons

2 boxes Aunt Jemina Waffles total spent $1.29

buy 1 get 1 free

$1.00 coupon

2 jars of smuckers jams total spent $2.29

buy1 get 1 free

$1.00 coupon

All for $28.47

Couponing

2011-01-13T14:23:00.003-05:00

I have decided to start couponing. I have always tried too but was never very good. So one of my many New Years Resolutions is to cut back on my grocery bill. I am also going into this with a mind set of "Do I need this item" I have made some pretty good deals so far.

Today I went to the Winn-Dixie and got:

3 boxes of special K

1 box of Special K snack bars

gallon of milk

2 yogurts

1 cranberry juice

20 yoplaits

banana's

2 Ronzoni pasta's

4 cans of Progresso soup

2 bags of Caribou coffee

all for less that $30. That is a savings of $42 dollars!!!

My next trip was to the CVS to figure out the "Drugstore Game" The game is to find and buy items that will give you "extra care bucks". To start this I bought 1 thing of Recesses dots and a Snickers for $2.59. I got $2.59 cents in Extra care bugs that I can use on my next CVS trip. (these are printed on the receipt so be sure to save receipts)

Since I am just started I have not been to Walreens or Rite Aid yet, but they have the same kind of deals. Stay tuned to for more......savings!!!

Emma's last Gymnastics class (for now)

2011-01-13T14:19:00.002-05:00

Emma has decided she would like to try dance again. So we finished gymnastics and will wait for the next Jazz/Tap class here on Post. Hopefully a opening will open soon!!

Go Ducks

2011-01-13T14:17:00.003-05:00

Red Nose 1/2 Marathon

2011-01-08T14:10:00.002-05:00

I ran the Red Nose 1/2 Marathon!! This was my 2nd half-marathon and it was pretty crappy. I had been doing my long runs but nothing else. I felt prepared but not where I wanted to be. The run was super cold but I did it. I ran 13.1 miles with my family meeting me twice along the way. Matt was so great to drive over early and wait until I passed and then drove up to the next stopping point. I think I am ready for some shorter runs:)

Special Day with old and new friends.

2011-01-02T14:06:00.003-05:00

Matt has a good friend, Gil that he knew in high school. We have kept in touch over the years but never got together. We were so excited to be able to drive to Fort Rucker to met Gil and his family. They have a daughter; Bella, who is 5 years old. The kids had a great time playing!!

New Years Day

2011-01-01T14:01:00.003-05:00

Michelle planned a special New Years Day Celebration for the kids. She hosted us from 11 Am to 1 PM for pizza and lots of desserts. The kids played a few games and enjoyed lots of food. My favorite was the sparkler dessert. It was layered cupcakes with strawberries and whip cream with a sparkler on top!!

New Years Eve

2010-12-31T13:49:00.001-05:00

We hosted a impromptu New Years Eve bash this year. We invited all the neighbors and my bestie; Michelle. We had 12 adults and 8 kids and 1 dog over. We had a great time. We started the evening playing Xbox Kinect Dance Central. This was a great ice breaker. It got us all laughing and opened up conversations. The night was warm and the kids were being GREAT!!! We spent most of the evening sitting around a fire while the kids played video games inside. The night ended shortly after midnight. All the kids made it to 12. Even Logan, who did go to bed at 11:00 PM heard the kids getting wild about 5 till and came down just in time to bring in 2011!!!

Christmas Day with Michelle's family

2010-12-25T13:39:00.002-05:00

Michelle and her family invited us to spend Christmas with them. We really enjoyed this special day with "family", Michelle's Mom; Jeri, and step father; Brian, prepared a big prime rib dinner and the fixins. The kids enjoyed the company of Tyler and Michelle's family. After all the presents were open and our bellies were full we saw that the snow had started to fall. So we got a fire started and put coats on the kids to play in the snow. It was a wonderful way to end the day.

Christmas Part 2

2010-12-25T11:49:00.002-05:00

The kids are now playing so well. An hour with Lego's and now upstairs in their rooms playing together!! Merry Christmas to all!!

Merry Christmas Part One.

2010-12-25T11:34:00.002-05:00

The kids have a had a blast this morning. Santa brought them each 3 presents. Both kids think the Pillow Pets are the best gift ever!! They had a ton of presents to open from all the family.

Great Grandma Sandy got Emma Pj's and a Disney Company game fore 1st graders. And Logan received a music CD with his name mixed in the songs and new Pj's.

Great Grandma Barbara got Emma a lap desk and a Jewelry Box. Logan got a lap desk and a Thomas the train set.

Great Grandpa Baker and Great Grandma Baker got Logan a Lego set and 2 pairs of Disney Pajama's. Emma got new footed Pajama's and the new "CUPS" game. And we also got the new Despicable Me as a family gift.

Thank you to all our grandparents!!

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T11:15:00.002-05:00

We had a great Christmas Eve. We enjoyed a nice day at home with a long walk and fun with the neighbors before we got ourselves all dressed up for the candlelight service at church. After church we went to our friends and enjoy watching the kids decorate more cookies and make reindeer food. We then headed home to get ready for Santa. While Matt read A Christmas Story the kids played with the nativity scene. And then we watched our Santa videos from The Portable North Pole. After reading The Night Before Christmas the kids made sure the cookies and milk were placed perfectly and sprinkled their reindeer food for the Reindeer.

My favorite kind of nights.

2010-12-23T20:24:00.003-05:00

My favorite holiday season nights are the nights we are able to all cuddle up and watch movies. We have enjoyed quite a few. Tonight, Matt headed out to a hockey game so I let the kids stay up to watch Miracle of 34th street. When I noticed Logan had fallen asleep I decided to let my beautiful little girl to stay up a little later.

My favorite childhood tradition: Christmas cookies

2010-12-23T20:12:00.004-05:00

The smile below says it all. And as I sit here with tears in my eyes I am so thankful for family. Even with all the cookies and treats in the house I could not not do cookie cut-outs and sprinkles. So, yesterday Emma and I made our cookie dough and today Matt, Logan, Emma, and I cut out Christmas cookies and decorated them. Emma had a great time!! Logan, had fun eating all the sprinkles that did not land on the cookies:)

Absent here

2010-12-23T19:08:00.003-05:00

I am not sure where the time as gone or why I have been so horrible at updating this. I am going to post as many posts as I can to fit on this page and will post more in a couple of days.

I feel so blessed to have such a great family and so many caring friends. We have really enjoyed our time in Georgia. I completed my first term back at school a few weeks ago with 2 B+'s. I will start again January 10th for one more term at Columbus Technical and than transfer to Columbus State University to continue working on my pre-req's for the nursing program.

Logan and I have stayed very busy this last few weeks. He has enjoyed his 2 day a week pre-school but we have decided to with drawl him from this and put him back into hourly care. There are a few reasons for this. One of the biggest is I need a bit more time. I volunteer every Tuesday and Thursday in Emma's class for 2 hours helping the children with reading. I love doing this and do not want to give it up BUT I need a little more quite time to study. So, if I put Logan back into hourly I can keep him there through the lunch hour and get a extra hour 2 days a week to myself.

Emma has enjoyed her busy days. She had a fun successful choir Christmas concert in December. She has enjoyed girl scouts but we are going to per sue Juliette's the rest of the year. This will be a small group of girls on their own working through badges and awards. Emma loves gymnastics but wants to try ballet, we will see how this goes!!

Matt is really enjoying his time as a Instructor for the Army Captains Course. It defiantly keeps him busy but also gets him home by 6 in the evenings. After a few unsuccessful outings Matt nailed himself a Buck a few weeks ago. I am excited to start cooking with Venison.

Well, I am sorry again for my lack of posts. I have always taken pride in keeping our families upto date on our comings and goings. This will definitely be one of my new year's resolutions.

Annual Candy Cane Cookies

2010-12-16T20:08:00.004-05:00

This year when I went to make my normal Candy Cane Cookies I had the best helper(s) The kids helped me make the dough, and then the next day Emma helped me make them. The cookies turned out the best they have ever been. and I had a TON of fun with my big little girl.

Matt's first Buck

2010-12-12T20:01:00.002-05:00

I am so excited that Matt got his first Buck. Matt has went out quite a few times and saw nothing here in Georgia. When he phoned you could hear the excitement in his voice. Thankfully, the processing place is open late. Matt was able to come home to change and have a bit of stew before he got that thing out of the truck!!!

Seeing Santa 2010

2010-12-10T19:56:00.003-05:00

This year we had a extra special treat when we went to see Santa. We planned our evening so we could stop by a place that was offering Free horse drawn carriage rides. It was a quick ride thru the parking lot but that was okay with me:) We also got to see Santa and hear a beautiful Christian band sing Christmas Carols. And then we headed out to do another one of my favorite things; look at Christmas lights. We went to 3 different locations and 2 of them were synced to music on the radio, sooo fun!!! Emma even started to point out different streets she wanted Matt to pull down. (does that sound familiar mom?)

The Elves Empersonator Christmas program

2010-12-07T19:52:00.002-05:00

I regret that I did not get a video of Emma singing her Christmas carols. BUT, if you would like to hear her, just leave a comment or email me and I will have her call you. The little girl is still practicing all her carols, she LOVES to sing. Michelle and Tyler came and watched with us. Emma was surprised to see her best boyfriend hand her some flowers and she walked out with her class after the program.

Our trip to the Tree farm

2010-12-05T19:45:00.002-05:00

I could hardly wait for our tree farm trip this year. It was sooo fun!!! We went to a place that you had to take a hay ride to the farm. Then we walked the fields looking for the perfect tree. Unfortunately, this Fort Drum girl is not prepared for the HOT Georgia COLD!!! We did not have good jackets or hats and gloves. So we quickly picked out a tree and hoped on the next wagon back to the Truck:)

Daddy Daughter Ball 2010

2010-12-03T19:41:00.001-05:00

We were so excited to hear Fort Benning was having a Daddy Daughter Ball this year. I enjoyed taking Emma to find a dress, and finding the perfect purse and hair band to surprise her with. Matt and Emma had a good time that included a buffet dinner, pictures, and lots of dancing. She is already talking about next year.

Our beautiful but not real Christmas Tree

2010-11-27T19:35:00.002-05:00

We are very lucky to have 2 Christmas tree's this year. (Well 3) 2 years ago we purchased Emma a 4 foot tree that we put in our TV/play area upstairs. And we also purchased a fake tree for me to use when Matt is not around to do the heavy lifting of a real tree. Since Matt is home this year and we have a huge dining room I requested we set the fake one up with all the extra bulbs we never use. I love having a tree so close to my kitchen. I have really enjoyed the lights.

Emma is a bike rider

2010-11-27T19:31:00.001-05:00

Emma is now a bike rider. After a little encouragement she got it. We are so proud of her

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T19:24:00.002-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving we are very Blessed to be back with our Georgia family. It really felt great to be part of a family gathering. We started the night before Thanksgiving seeing Michelle's brother, JR. We all went out to a big Mexican dinner. This family means so much to me and it was so much fun to be included with Michelle and her family. On Thanksgiving we started early with 10 AM Mimosa's and appetizer's before we indulged in a 12noon deep fried turkey and ham lunch. It was another great afternoon that ended with Matt and I enjoying great conversation with JR and his wife. The weekend did not end there, the last of the festivities included a little football celebration that of course, included lots of FOOD:)

While we always miss our West coast families, I feel so lucky to have Michelle in my life. She has always included me with her family. Being away from our family is so hard!!

Emma's bedroom furniture

2010-11-20T19:12:00.002-05:00

The furniture shopping began with Emma's room. Emma picked out a full size bed with a trundle and a dresser with a vanity. I love it. When then headed to Target and she picked out the adorable yet bright pink comforter and zebra sheets! She loves her new room and is enjoying all the space of her bed.

The benefit to this is we not have room for company!!

Logan's new bed room furniture

2010-11-20T19:08:00.002-05:00

We were able to get Logan new bedroom furniture and were very excited when we found this bunk bed set that had everything we wanted. On one side there is a desk and on the other side is shelves. We have not put a mattress on top yet but will soon enough. Logan really does like his new bed and is very comfortable in it at night.

Thanksgiving Crafts

2010-11-20T18:54:00.003-05:00

Today we enjoyed doing a few Thanksgiving crafts. The first craft we did the kids took foam shaped leaves and wrote things they were thankful for and than I glued them to the foam tree. Emma than decorated a corn cob foam shape with buttons and we placed in in the dinner room. Logan made a place mat. If you look closely all the people have pumpkins on their faces. His reasoning for this was all the people wanted to eat pumpkins and then they were hiding:) Emma finished the last craft with stickers of a turkey.

Thanksgiving with the 3 year old part 1

2010-11-20T18:48:00.002-05:00

Logan's 3 year old Pre-School class put on a Thanksgiving program and dinner. Below is a picture of Logan with his teacher, Ina. The kids decorated shirts and sang 2 songs for us, it was all too cute. Than we had a huge feast a turkey, ham, and all the fixings.

Thanksgiving with a 3 year old Part 2

2010-11-18T18:40:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving with the 3 year old part 3

2010-11-18T18:35:00.002-05:00

Inagural Soldier Marathon

2010-11-13T20:42:00.003-05:00

This year Fort Benning and Columbus Georgia organized the first ever Soldier Marathon that ran through Fort Benning and along the beautiful River Walk. Matt jumped all over the chance to participate in the first ever Marathon and I was very anxious to accomplish my first half marathon. The event was great. It was not only organized well but we both completed within our goals and had a relatively good time. I finished in 2 hour 17 minutes and Matt finished 26.1 in 3 hours 53 minutes.

(Now a day later--- we are a little sore and tired BUT we are already looking forward to the INAUGURAL Darby Ranger Run in February)

Rainy Day Gear

2010-11-02T20:29:00.003-04:00

Here in Georgia we have many rainy dreary morning that usually don't last long. We were quick to put the kids in their new rain gear to jump in puddles one early morning before school.

Fall Festival at Church

2010-10-31T20:21:00.004-04:00

On Halloween this year our church hosted a fall festival. We enjoyed having Emma in church with us this year and then after a family party. The kids had a TON of fun on the bouncy house, wagon ride, and cake walk. It was a great way to end a family filled Birthday weekend for Logan.

Halloween On Post

2010-10-30T20:14:00.002-04:00

On post this year we celebrated Halloween on Saturday. The kids had a blast for the 45 minutes it took them to fill their pumpkins full of treats. Matt took the kids out while I stayed at home passing out candy and margarita's to the mama's!!!

Happy Birthday Logan 2

2010-10-30T20:07:00.002-04:00

Since Logan choose to ignore his presents on his birthday I was very excited for him to finally open them all. Logan is enjoying his Phineas and Ferb Walkie Talkies, his cars, his Mud Jeep, and he really loves his new rain jacket and boots!!

Halloween Party at Tyler's School

2010-10-29T19:58:00.003-04:00

Our first Halloween Party was at Tyler's school. The PTO there put on a HUGE event with bouncy houses and fun fair type events and all the candy in the world!! The kids had a blast in the bouncy houses and all the activities. They hardly noticed the candy until the end of each event when someone would invite them to take a piece out of a bucket and they were taking huge handful's. I am pretty sure Logan fully enjoyed his 3rd birthday!!!

Emma's Fall Party at School

2010-10-29T19:50:00.002-04:00

Emma's 1st grade class planned a special fall party at school this year. They began by inviting all the parents into the class to sing a few special songs for the parents and then headed into the multipurpose room to make a pumpkin craft and gather their fall goodies!!

Happy Birthday Logan

2010-10-29T19:44:00.002-04:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Logan Daniel!!

For Logan's 3rd Birthday Logan and I started the day by making cupcakes and having some easy time around the house. Logan's birthday fell on a Friday this year which included many school Halloween festivities. Soooo, we gave Logan the choose between staying home and opening presents with Pizza and a Movie or going out to eat and to a costume party at a local school. Logan was all too excited to dress up and get candy candy candy!!!

Character Parade at 3 year old Pre-School

2010-10-28T19:35:00.002-04:00

Logan's Pre-school class put on a adorable character parade to show off their Halloween Costumes. They were so cute all dressed up with fun instruments and songs. They paraded around the building and outside before coming inside to sing and dance for us. Logan was very cute in his transformer (spider-man) costume:)

Fun time with Grandma Terri

2010-10-26T13:28:00.004-04:00

We were so excited to have Grandma Terri fly out and watch the kids for the weekend. The kids had a great time. They made play dough, played at the playground, made cookies, helped cook, Emma prepared a church service for them, and enjoyed a few movies and popcorn. Thank you Grandma Terri!!

Army Ten-Miler

2010-10-24T13:17:00.002-04:00

Matt and I were able to enjoy a trip to Washington DC to run in the Army 10-miler. We enjoyed a few days to ourselves while Grandma Terri was at home with the kids. Race morning was a tad cold and a bit rushed. Matt did great finishing the race with a unofficial time of 69:56 and I finished with a unofficial time of 1 hour 38 minutes. After the run we enjoyed a few hours with friends before we quickly grabbed our bags and caught a flight back home.

Seeing The Pifer's

2010-10-23T13:25:00.001-04:00

While we were in Washington we had a chance to drive over to Virginia and meet up with some old friends from Germany. Matt and Ryan had deployed together to Iraq in 2003. We also were finally able to meet their two little boys. It was so nice to spend a few hours with old friends.

Diva Drive Halloween Party

2010-10-15T13:08:00.002-04:00

We live in a great neighborhood and really enjoy the families. This year we helped organize a Adult Halloween Party that we hosted at our house with the help of a neighbor.. Matt and I a ton of fun decorating and creating yummy drinks for the festivities.

Logan's 1st field trip

2010-10-14T13:03:00.000-04:00

Logan had his first field trip with "school" today. He was sooo excited to ride on the school bus:) The class went to the pumpkin patch. We went on a hay ride and then picked out pumpkins before snack time. While Logan enjoyed the school bus he did not care for the seat belts, so he choose to ride home with me:)

Carving Pumpkins

2010-10-10T12:59:00.002-04:00

We carved our pumpkins a little early this year. Matt pulled up a couple traces online and let the kids pick. The pumpkins turned out GREAT. Unfortunately; I forgot to take pictures and because of the heat they only lasted about 7 days. We know now, to wait until the day before Halloween next year.

Aaron Reynolds 10K Run

2010-10-09T12:53:00.001-04:00

This AM Matt and I got up early and headed to a beautiful part of Columbus that was hilly hilly hilly. We had a good 10 K (6.2 miles)!! Matt finished in and took 5th place overall. I finished in 1 hour 43 seconds. What a great way to start a weekend.

More fair pics

2010-09-22T14:31:00.003-04:00

Columbus Fair

2010-09-22T14:18:00.001-04:00

We took a chance and headed to the fair one Friday Night. We had a incredible blast. Logan suprized us and was able to enjoy many rides. Emma enjoyed all the rides and the yummy snacks. WE did nto get home until 12:00 that night, it was definately a great way to start the weekend!!

More OR vs TN

2010-09-18T13:57:00.000-04:00

OR vs TN

2010-09-11T13:43:00.002-04:00

We started game day in one of the many tailgating parking lots about 8 hours before the game. It was really kind of rainy already but we were told to get there early in hopes to find a place to tailgate. We were one of the first to arrive and you can imagine we really stuck out like a sore thumb with our Oregon Gazebo. (no body wanted to be in the spot next to us until they had no other choice) In the end we had a ton of fun with our Tennessee tailgating neighbors and enjoyed sharing our drinks and food with them.

Once we arrived at the game it became clear pretty quickly in the first quarter that it was going to storm. All of a sudden he players ran off the field and it was announced that we could take shelter if we choose to. Matt and I being the Georgians we think we are were thinking they were crazy!!! Well, we did not leave because it was unsafe to even go near the stairs as everyone was trying to jam themselves down. SOOO we ended up sharing ponchos. Matt and I under one and Ricky and Holly under one. We were soaked to the bone and a little miserable for a few hours. When the game took a turn before half we were starting to warm up (a little) and enjoyed ourselves.

More Fun

2010-09-10T13:28:00.002-04:00

Evening before the OR vs TN game with Holly

2010-09-10T13:13:00.002-04:00

We had been anxiously a waiting a chance to meet up with Holly and Ricky and enjoy a Ducks game. The day finally came!! Matt and I made the 6 hour drive to Tennessee to meet up with Holly and Ricky just in time for dinner. We choose to go to the cute little sports bar for dinner and drinks. And than headed to play pool and enjoy ourselves in the next room. The Tennessee fans were so nice. And as the only 4 fully ducked out duck fans in the establishments you can imagine how much attention was drawn towards us")

More Labor Day Camping

2010-09-07T12:57:00.002-04:00

On our final evening at Camp our neighbors loaned us their boat to tow the kids in the float. They had such a blast. And then the next day we all went out on the boat and the jet skies and enjoyed our final summer day in the water!!

"O"

Here Matt is getting ready to use the rope swing at the sand bar.

Labor Day Weekend Camping

2010-09-06T12:48:00.003-04:00

For Labor day this weekend we had our last camping trip for this year. We had a great time swimming, fishing, and relaxing. Matt borrowed a canoe from a friend and was able to take the kids out fishing in the morning, they got a real kick out of that!!

Happy Birthday Emma

2010-09-02T22:41:00.002-04:00

Emma had a good 6th Birthday. We started the celebration at school at lunch time. I brought cupcakes in for the class and she enjoyed having me sit by here as her friends enjoyed a little treat.

When she got home from school she was greated with a arm load of presents. We waited to open the gifts from Nana and Papa. She got new barbies, clip ear rings, and a pair of rain boots. From Matt and I she got Zhu Zhu Pet babies and the course for the big Zhu Zhu Pet. (These were the hot item last Christmas) She also got a new twin size air mattress for camping and a new big girl pink fishing poll. She is so excited to try it out tomorrow!!

Emma's Birthday Party 2

2010-08-31T22:35:00.001-04:00

So Thankful for these 2!!

Emma's Birthday Party

2010-08-31T22:26:00.002-04:00

Emma had a very busy and fun circus game themed birthday party. We invited all of Emma's 1st grade class and our close neighbors and friends. I really was not expecting 18 kids to show up. BUT, thankfully my good friends were here to rescue me when I looked up and was so overwhelmed I did not know what to do. We started the afternoon with cupcakes first. (I was not thinking about the sugar high and than low that would soon happen) And then we passed out the goody pencil box holders and explained the games out back. Things continued to be a little hectic as the kids made it through all 5 circus games and then planned numerous party games. We ended the party with gift opening and more playing as we waited for the parents. All in all many lessons learned but Emma had a GREAT time.

Washing the Jeep with daddy

2010-08-27T21:59:00.002-04:00

Matt was so kind to come home one day and start washing the Jeep. Logan of course, jumped at the chance of playing in water and "helping".

A little gardening

2010-08-23T17:37:00.000-04:00

After many months Matt and I finally found a little time to buy some flowers and weed the front yard a little. I picked out a few new planters and flowers and when Emma got home from school she was so good to help me plant them and arrange them in the front. It feels so nice to have a little more color in the front now:)

Pine Mountain hike

2010-08-23T17:33:00.003-04:00

Matt planned a beautiful hike and picnic for us today. We set out to explore Pine Mountain and see what we could come across in the form of a hike. In my mind I had 10 miles while Matt only had a 4 mile hike in mind. We ended up doing 7.8 and really enjoyed it. Along the way we talked about hiking into a campground just the 2 of us. I for see many long kid free weekends ahead of us while we camp and hike.

New Truck and Bowling

2010-08-14T17:02:00.002-04:00

After much thinking and hardships with only one vehicle we made the decision to buy Matt a new truck. He was so tickled to drive off the lot in his new 2010 Dodge Ram.

Of course, like any new vehicle purchase you spend HOURS at the dealership. And we spent 4 hours there with the kids. And they did great, so we decided to treat them and us to 2 games of bowling with friends. The kids had a blast and we always enjoy our time with our Michelle and Paul and Tyler.

Motorcyle Fun

2010-08-11T16:54:00.003-04:00

Matt and I took a chance to get out on his bike. We enjoyed a nice ride to my friends house and than back onto post before Emma got out of school. I gotta say, I am enjoying this biking thing:)

First Day of 1st Grade

2010-08-11T16:46:00.002-04:00

Today was Emma's first day of school. She was so excited to get to school and meet her new teacher and friends. What she really did not realize was that she was 3 days late. So, when we went into the classroom she was a little intimidated but quickly jumped right in. The teacher wasted no time and with a big smile said, "We have been waiting for you, I have so many goodies for you". Emma did great and rode the long ( 30 minute) bus home even.

Final day in Oregon

2010-08-09T16:37:00.002-04:00

Our final day was filled with many memories. We spent a few last minutes with Great Grandpa Jerry. Emma was able to spend the night at his house with Gramie a couple of times and really enjoyed the bond she now has. (She is a card shark too)

We than headed to the cemetery Baby Daniel Thom is buried at. Uncle Patrick choose a perfect Eagle project, which was 2 benches and aisle markers there. Way to Go Patrick!!!

We rounded off our visit with a grilled dinner and a movie and popcorn with Gramie. Again, the day and evening went by too fast:(

Emma and Great Grandpa Jerry

Logan and Great Grandpa Jerry

Us with Uncle Patrick sitting on the new benches at the cemetery baby Daniel is at(his Eagle project)

Time with Gramie & Grampie

2010-08-08T16:18:00.003-04:00

Today we finally were able to see Grandpa David and Patrick, and we had most of the day and evening to enjoy them. Grampie, Gramie, and Uncle Patrick put together a little early birthday celebration. The kids had a blast being spoiled and enjoyed the cake and ice cream too. The time went by way too fast!!

Gramie helping Emma try on her new dress
Grampie took out one of the kids many favorite things to do

Uncle Patricks and Logan with his new cars

Emma and her new Barbie clothes

Happy early Birthday!!

Day with Nana, Papa, Aunt Sara, Aunt Holly, and Uncle Ricky

2010-08-07T09:51:00.003-04:00

We had a fun filled day with the entire side of the Cowan family. We started at my brothers for bagels. The girls put on a cute dance show for us. We then headed over to Holly's for lots of fun and fun with Nana and Papa. It is so fun to be around family and enjoy the love and laughter.

Play date with cousing and dinner out with the Cowan side

2010-08-06T09:40:00.001-04:00

The kids have been very excited to play with their cousins Kayla and Morgan. After a quick trip to the park and a picnic we went back to the house to run through the sprinkler, eat ice cream, and play barbies.

A little later the adult children met up with my parents and enjoyed a meal before we hit the town to play some pool and take a walk along the Boardwalk.

Visit with Great Grandma Sandy

2010-08-05T09:34:00.002-04:00

We next headed out to Malala to enjoy some time with Great Grandma Sandy and Matt's cousin from Alaska. The kids enjoyed playing in Grandma's huge backyard while she made us her special meatballs. We enjoyed getting to know Matt's cousin and visiting with Grandma Sandy.

visit with Great Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jen's family

2010-08-04T09:26:00.002-04:00

Our next visit was with Grandma Barbara and Aunt Jen and the girls. We had a great time visiting and eating pizza while the kids played nicely with the girls. And then Alexis took out the Wii and it was on!! First Alexis played Me (Jennifer) in Tennis and then Uncle Matt, Alexis, and Adina played tennis and bowling. And the last game of the night was with Adina and Emma playing bowling. We had a blast and really enjoyed the short few hours we had.

final day on the ranch and first day in Portland

2010-08-03T09:17:00.002-04:00

Before we left for the airport we stopped by Great Grandpa Treend for pictures. The kids loved his cowboy hat.

One tradition with Lori and the kids is Olive Garden immediately following the airport. We were very excited to share this with Great Grandpa Liebertz and Daddy.

A day on the Coeur d' Alene Lake

2010-08-02T09:09:00.001-04:00

We had a chance to get out and get a little sun while in Idaho. Uncle Dan and Roy took us out on their yacht. The kids were a little uneasy going fast on the water but once we got in the water they had a blast. And they even had a chance to drive the boat in circles before we headed back to the club.

Church, Starbucks, and a movie

2010-08-01T09:03:00.002-04:00

This morning we enjoyed a beautiful service with the family and then stopped for a mid morning snack and coffee. While the boys headed out to play golf Terri and I took the kids to Despicable Me. (Super Cute) Then the kids enjoyed helping Grandma feed the horses.

1st Day at Grandma Terri's and Grandpa Kevin's

2010-07-31T08:53:00.002-04:00

We had a really nice first day back on the west coast at Matt's Mom's house. Grandma wasted no time getting out all of Matt's old match box cars and the crafts for Emma. Terri prepared a huge turkey feast for us and we enjoyed getting caught up with Uncle Derek too.

House Pics

2010-07-26T16:16:00.004-04:00

It took awhile but I finally snapped some pictures. We have been here for 2 months and I still feel like we are getting settled. The garage still has boxes in the center but it is slowly coming along. My next big project will be Emma's room. I would like to buy her a trundle bed and new bedding. And then Logan a bunk bed with the cool desk and dresser under it. We will probably wait until we get to Kansas for that.

The dinning room is HUGE and our table looks TINY. We would love to upgrade to a nice large table but feel it would be best to wait until our next real duty station in 3 years. The moves are hard on furniture and I would LOVE to buy a nice fancy oak table.

Master Bedroom

Logan's Room

Emma's loft Room

TV nook in between the staircase and Emma's Room

Living Room

Dining Room

The Kitchen

Our final day in Florida

2010-07-20T11:12:00.003-04:00

Our final day in Florida was spent at the resort in the pool. We started the morning around 9:30 and I did not want to leave!! The theme for the day was Pirates and they had a bunch of games for the kids to play. We ended the day with giant ice cream sundae's.

DownTown Disney

2010-07-18T10:58:00.003-04:00

We spent a afternoon at Downtown Disney. It was fun to go in and out of the Disney shops. Emma was so excited to go to the Princess Shop. She picked out a Minnie Mouse Nightgown and Minnie Mouse flip flops. The next store was Lego Land. Logan was so excited and picked out a cars lego set for his age group.

We ate at a fun restaurant called the Rain Forest Cafe. We sat right next to a electronic elephant that kept Logan on his toes. The kids enjoyed the fun atmosphere and we enjoyed the company of Michelle's Dad, Sister in Law, and Niece.

Lego Land

Princess Store

Emma in her Hannah Montana Glasses

Logan was a little scared at times

We had such a great time

Sea World

2010-07-18T10:37:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Here's to the Heroes we went to Sea World. It was way cool when they asked the service members and their families to stand up and Thanked up for the Service the Armed Forces give.

We really enjoyed Sea World. We attended the Sea Lion Show, The Dolphin Show, and we the Shamu Show. The Dolphin show was the best. After that the kids enjoyed a few rides in the kiddie area before we sat down for dinner. We then walked through a Artic exhibit and headed over to the Manta Roller Coaster. Matt, Michelle, and Paul anxiously awaited the 45 minutes for this ride and even road it in the dark. We finished the night watching the fireworks after the kids each picked out a giant Shamu and Dolphin Stuffed Animal.

The Manta

One of the little ones rides

The Shamu Show

The Dolphin Show

And the Sea Lion Show

Daytona Beach

2010-07-17T19:26:00.005-04:00

Matt in front of the Daytona Speedway

The kids enjoying their popsicles

Logan playing on his belly with the sand toys

The Sun felt INCREDIBLE:)

working on his tan

The LaQuinta that we stayed in friday night

Matt driving on the Beach

Matt, I, and the kids decided to start our Florida vacation 1 day early and headed to Daytona Beach. We arrived late Friday night and were able to jump in the pool and walk to Beach line before putting the kids to bed around 11:30PM. I am so happy we choose to do this because our first full day in Florida was awesome. We woke up around 8:30 AM and while the kids went down for breakfast I headed out on a very relaxing 3 mile run on the beach BAREFOOT. I have always wanted to experience this. Despite the 3 blisters on my toes I really enjoyed the run:

The rest of the afternoon was spent on the beach playing in the sand and warm Atlantic Water. The kids had a blast. Emma found a TON of mini shells and Logan really enjoyed planting his belly in the sand a playing with his boats and sand toys. I enjoyed about 100 pages of my book and I know Matt loved the chance to jump the waves:)

The beautiful Fountains in Orlando

2010-07-17T10:24:00.000-04:00

Our great friends invited us to go along with them on their first BlueGreen Resorts Vacation. We were so blessed to be included and had a chance to stay in their 2 bedroom villa. This resort had 2 beautifully landscaped pools, 4 restaurants, and 3 bars. I did not want to leave the poolside each day we were there.

Matt's Promotion to Major

2010-07-10T15:53:00.005-04:00

The day finally came that Matt was promoted to Major. We have been sooo excited and it is a tad surreal to see him wear the rank or hear him answer his office phone as Major Thom. I am so proud of his accomplishments.

Matt reflecting on his new rank

Major Thom

The Family

I was able to promote him!!

Matt's New Bike

2010-07-08T15:39:00.003-04:00

Matt finally got all the signatures and necessary paperwork completed to ride on Fort Drum. It was about 95 degrees at 7 PM when he headed out for his first 80 mile ride. He had a Blast!! I am very anxious to be his 1st passanger

More Camping Fun

2010-07-06T14:31:00.003-04:00

Adult time on the Island
Emma fishing with Daddies fishing pole

Daddy enjoying this special time

Logan was so good and wore his life jacket almost the entire weekend (literally never really wanted to take it off unless he changed out of his trunks)

2010-07-06T14:24:00.002-04:00

Matt went scuba diving to try and find Paul's sunglasses
Just floating along and enjoying the sun

On our second morning the kids made ham and cheese omelets in Mason Jars

Yummy dinner

Matt and Emma on the Tube

Camping Fun

2010-07-06T14:17:00.003-04:00

Matt and Paul getting the Sea Doo's in the water.

We had a extra camping site that we staged with the food and dining table.

Our new "Cabin" Tent and the kids shade/play tent.

The Caribbean Island to play on.

Our festive Americana Robots filled with goodies.

fishing fun

2010-07-04T13:45:00.003-04:00

The kids had a TON of fun fishing. Of course, we did not put any hooks on so they just practiced casting and reeling it in. The only problem we had was our Diego pole is a little too small for Emma and she wanted to use Tyler's the entire time and had a hard time when he wanted to use his own. So we have already told her we will pick out a new big girl pole before our next Labor Day Camping trip.

Tubing

2010-07-03T13:05:00.003-04:00

Our little girl is scared of nothing. She had so much fun on the tube with Daddy and a little later with her friend Sarah. So much FUN!!

The Rock Ranch Watermelon Canyon

2010-06-26T22:14:00.002-04:00

The Rock Ranch

2010-06-26T22:03:00.002-04:00

We were introduced to this AWESOME Christian Rock Ranch. Michelle took us there and we had a blast. We went on a very hot Georgia day so we took things kind of slow. We started with the little cow train for Logan and then went to a slide that used potatoe sacks to go down. From there we headed to the paddle carts and then onto this adorable tiny village that had about 12 houses decorated in different themes and were child like small. The best part was that adults could fit through the door and each "house" was air conditioned. The kids loved this and we had to pry them away to go watch the Watermelon Canon. (See next post) From there we headed to the Pony rides, Big wheel races, and finally the train ride. By this time we had been there for over 3 hours and it was 7 PM. So we quickly grabbed a chick fillet sandwich and headed to the Corn Kernels play area (giant pool of corn kernel's to play in) and back to the little houses before we headed to the pet zoo. The finale for the night was a awesome firework display and a very nice Christian Rock Band. It was a awesome day that I really really look forward to bring Matt and maybe even out of state guests. (The best time is Fall to go to the Rock Ranch

July's Family Fun Magazine

2010-06-26T21:54:00.003-04:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Family Fun Magazine. My parents have sent me their copy of the magazine a few times and after reading (pages are worn out from using July's so much) I had to get a subsciption.

This month we did quite a few of the crafts and recipes. For Father's Day we made Daddy home made Tape Measures and presented them with Father's day Cupcakes made to look like barbecue grills with candy food on them. And for the 4th of July we are doing many of the crafts. Michelle and I did the Patriotic Robot multipurpose Table Decorations ( We will put cookies in the large clear pail and silverware in the red pail on top). And I made so fun lawn darts using duct tape and sand that the kids will use while we are camping. We will also be doing some other fun mason jar recipes that are done over a campfire this next week. Stay tuned for more pics:)

Swim Lessons

2010-06-22T22:09:00.002-04:00

Emma started swimming lessons this year and has done a incredible job. She really learned how to put her head under water and dog paddle. She is even adventurous and will jump of the side of the pool without floaters on.

Vacation Bible School Vocals

2010-06-20T20:30:00.002-04:00

Last week at the conclusion of VBS Emma was telling me that she was going to sing on stage. And I just thought to myself of course you are, and all the other kids. Well, I did not realize she would be the only singing into a microphone on the next step up. I am so proud of her!!

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-20T20:25:00.002-04:00

This year we were super lucky to have Daddy home to celebrate with him. The kids made him home made "tape measures" and picked out fun special cards. After church we went to Mexican food and enjoyed a nice relaxing afternoon with the kids and Daddy at home!!

Yummy watermelon

2010-06-19T20:20:00.002-04:00

We enjoyed another beautiful sunny day at the lake. Michelle and Paul bought this giant island water toy that we all enjoyed. This will provide hours of relaxing at the lake while the kids can climb in and go down the slide on the back. We rounded the afternoon off with some yummy fresh watermelon:)