Hello, Phoenix!

     We've been in Phoenix for almost three weeks.  Our house is looking more and more like a home and less like a warehouse, but we are far from "settled".  The blessings are that we have a home, our "stuff" made it to our home, we are slowly unpacking, and we are taking time to enjoy each other every day.  The weather here has been perfect outside weather.  So, Audrey rides her bike, Claire rides in the stroller, and we go exploring.  We've found so many new play grounds, it's almost overwhelming!  We also got our Christmas tree up and decorated, and we found the Little People nativity.  Audrey and Claire have fun moving around the nativity characters.  Audrey re-enacts the birth of Christ while Claire takes baby Jesus and puts him in the bath tub (or in the kids' kitchen fridge)!  I snapped a few photos of our house two weeks ago.  As you can see, we were surrounded by boxes.  I'm SO happy to report that the boxes in our living room/kitchen are completely gone, and we only have a few (containing pictures to hang) left in our dining area!

 I'm so glad our great room no longer looks like this... I thought I was going to go insane for a few days.

 All of these boxes are gone now, and our Christmas tree is in the far right corner.

 Isn't moving just the best?!?!

 But, this is the view from our front door... Yup.  Grass. And a park.  In Phoenix!  I love it.

 Our cute little home.

 This backyard pool is going to be fantastic this summer!

And Audrey loves that we inherited a play set for our yard, too.

Goodbye Sumter...

          Thirty-six hours after flying back to South Carolina from our trip to South Dakota, we officially said goodbye to Sumter.  I am not going to lie.  It was much harder for me than I anticipated.  Our time in South Carolina was so special to me.  I am so thankful God put us at Shaw for this past assignment and brought so many wonderful friends and families into our lives.  It was not an easy 2 1/2 years... Matt was gone for over half of our total time living in South Carolina.  But, God provided such a support network for our family.  We had a great church, life long friends in our squadron and on base, a truly solid bible study, and some of the best baby-sitters EVER!! (You know who you are!)  Claire joined our family while we were in South Carolina, and we saw our extended family often since our parents lived within driving distance of us.    All of this is to say that, while we are excited about our next adventure in Arizona, my heart is sad about those we said goodbye to when we left South Carolina.
          Audrey also felt the sting of a move for the first time.  As she was only 18 months old when we left Korea to move to South Carolina, she did not really "miss" her friends and playmates in Korea.  As a four year old, though, she had much stronger ties to our community.  I watched her tell her best friends, her baby-sitters, her teachers, and her adult friends goodbye.  Each time, she would either hug and kiss them until I had to pull her away, or she would attempt to "go home to live with" whomever we were telling goodbye.  She still talks about many of her friends, and she prays for them each night!
          So, I must thank all of you in South Carolina (past and present residents, as many of our military friends have already moved on themselves) who poured yourselves in to our family's lives. Thank you for your friendship.  Thank you for your encouragement.  Thank you for making our time in Sumter so rich and full.  God bless you all until we meet again!

          We took these two photos as we were headed out of town...

 Ms. Stephanie, Camryn, Audrey, and Ms. Mary Beth

(Audrey's teachers at day school and her best friend from school)

Timothy and Audrey

(Audrey's other best friend)

Belated Thanksgiving Pics

So, I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and look at pictures...

I'm putting up a slideshow of our Thanksgiving adventures in Gregory, South Dakota.  Matt, the girls, and I flew out and spent Thanksgiving with Poppy, Grammy, Uncle Jordan and Aunt Heather, and two families that are great friends of the Russell family.  Every year, some people from each of these three families meet in Gregory to pheasant hunt.  We haven't had a chance to go to South Dakota since we were first married, so Matt was super-excited to get back and spend time with family and friends.

I was a bit apprehensive at first, since we were taking the girls with us, but we had such a great time.  Audrey and Claire loved exploring the lodge.  The great room had a juke box, and we had dance parties almost every day!

In the slideshow, you'll see pictures taken mostly inside Stukel's - the lodge where we stayed.  The lodge is really nice, but it is filled with an abundance of animals.  It's a bit of a shock (for me, at least), and that is why I had to snap a few photos of our "friends".  The animals didn't seem to bother the girls at all, and they were particularly fond of the bears!

Audrey also got to go out with the hunters and field walkers one day and help them hunt for pheasant.  Matt said she was quite a trooper, happily yelling "Up birds! Up birds!" in order to send the pheasants flying.  I think she rode on Matt's shoulders a lot, but it still wore her out.  She fell asleep in the van in between fields!

Thanksgiving in South Dakota turned out to be a nice break for us in the midst of our move!

Happy, Happy!

     We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in South Dakota with Matt's dad, step-mom, step-siblings, and family friends.  I did take tons of photos, but I do not have time to post them - yet.  It might be a few weeks, but I will get to them eventually.  Why am I not posting photos yet?  Well, we're in the midst of a move.  We actually leave tomorrow to start our drive from South Carolina to Phoenix.  Two adults, two girls, two dogs, two cars, two thousand miles... You can do the math!  We are keeping kids and dogs in one vehicle just so there is a "Sanity Car" always available for one adult.  Now hopefully Matt and I won't fight over who gets to drive the sanity car!!  So, we're praying for a smooth drive across the country.  It will be an adventure, if nothing else!
     In tribute to Thanksgiving, though, I do have a little something of Audrey's to share.  At her day school, she was asked a series of Thanksgiving-themed questions and she gave her answers.  I stumbled across them today as I was sorting, and I just have to share them:

From Audrey:

One thing I am thankful for is my baby sister.

My favorite food for Thanksgiving is cake.

I like to spend Thanksgiving Day with Aunt Courtney.

I like Thanksgiving because I get to spend time with my uncles.*

(*And for Audrey, "uncles" is a collective term she uses for all of her aunts and uncles!)

     We hope all of you had a fantastic Thanksgiving.  Stay tuned... After our Thanksgiving pics, we'll post pictures of our trip across the country!  (That is if we have the energy to actually take pictures on our drive).

Teeth Brushin' Time

     My little Claire thinks she is much older than she is.  She loves to follow Audrey around and she attempts to imitate her often.  Claire is also quite the climber.  She'll try to climb ladders, chairs, steps, or anything else she can reach.  She loves to climb up Audrey's footstool in the bathroom.  Today, I walked in to find Claire standing on the footstool with Audrey's toothbrush in her mouth!  She was singing and talking to herself while she brushed.  I laughed out loud and managed to snap a couple pictures...

Claire's 1st Birthday!

     I can hardly believe that I am typing an entry about Claire's 1st birthday... The time has passed so quickly, and I feel as if the year has sped by in a blink.  Claire is a walking, talking, laughing one year old, though, and she is such a delight!  Her little personality is blossoming daily, and she constantly brings joy to our days.
     For her birthday this year, we opted for a small family celebration.  Nana B (Matt's mom) was in town, so we were happy to have her celebrate with us.  Nana B and Audrey made cupcakes for Claire, and we set Claire's presents before her.  I was hoping she would tear into her gifts, but she really had no interest.  Luckily, her older sister was MORE than happy to help her open her gifts.  Claire did love playing with her presents.  A few of her favorite gifts were a princess riding toy from Gram and Pa, a little baby from us, and a book from Aunt Meg and Uncle Garrett.  Audrey also loved Claire's presents, so we've had ample opportunities to practice sharing over the past few days!  As for the cupcakes, Claire had no interest.  She picked off a sprinkle, tasted the tiniest bit of icing, and pushed the cupcake away from her.  Oh well.  Maybe next year... Happy First Birthday, Claire!

Halloween Weekend

     Halloween weekend was a great time for our family.  Uncle Brad (Matt's brother) drove in for the weekend, and the girls loved spending time with him.  We played outside daily, enjoying the beautiful South Carolina weather.  Claire is walking everywhere now, and she gets in to everything.  In the slideshow, you'll see her digging wet clay out of our chiminea!  Audrey showed Daddy the "scary face" she wanted to carve on her pumpkin.  This was actually a big deal - I kid you not, she took over 15 minutes deciding the right face for the pumpkin.  She even had Matt draw out a sketch on paper before she would agree to it (in the pictures, you'll see her attempting to demonstrate the look she was going for).  The jack-o-lantern was finally created, and it lit up our front porch nicely.
     On Halloween, Audrey and Claire wore beautiful costumes that my mom made.  Audrey was a princess and Claire was a flower fairy, complete with wings!  Claire wasn't so sure about the costume at first (it was almost her bedtime when we walked out the door to start trick-or-treating), but she did enjoy riding around the neighborhood in her stroller.  Audrey collected a pumpkin full of candy before returning to our house to help pass out treats to other kids!

Happy 4th Birthday, Audrey!

     What?  No way!  Yes, Audrey celebrated her 4th birthday on October 26th.  I am having a hard time believing that it's true, but it is. And days before her 4th birthday, we learned that we are moving back to the city where she was born -- Phoenix, Arizona!  Matt got his next Air Force assignment, and our new adventure begins (VERY soon).  We will be packing up and moving to Phoenix this month so that Matt can begin his new job as an F-16 instructor at Luke AFB.
     Because of our crazy short PCS timeline, we opted to have a quiet, family birthday party at our house this year.  We had cupcakes, played, and Audrey opened all of her presents.  Her aunts and uncles and grandparents called to wish her well, and we even had some skype time with Aunt Courtney and Uncle Stuart!  (Matt took a photo of the skype conversation to remember it, I guess).  Audrey is quite the little lady, and she is full of words, ideas, and most importantly, LIFE.  Not a day goes by that she doesn't make me smile.  Happy birthday to my little princess!

Playing Catch Up

     So, I'm back tracking a bit to post about our trip to Willard Farms.  The week Matt returned, we took an afternoon to go explore a local farm.  Willard Farms not only had a little store that sold it's produce, it also had some family fun packages!  We took a hay ride to a corn maze, meandered through the corn, came out of the maze at a pumpkin patch, picked our little pumpkins, and walked back to an outdoor play land.  Our two favorite features of the play land were the huge air bouncy "blob" in the ground (you'll see it in my pictures - fun for even the grown ups!) and the tunnel slides.  After picking out our little pumpkins, we brought them home and painted them.  I love the fall!

The Disney Cruise Continues (Day 3 & 4)

     Day three on our Disney adventure at sea brought us to Disney's private island in the Bahamas.  Yes, Disney has their own island that they use specifically for entertaining the guests aboard their cruises.  Nice.  And it is.  We disembarked at Castaway Cay and walked along the coastline, taking in the views of the emerald waters.  The island is as you would expect from Disney - filled with magical sights and more activities than you could enjoy in a week.  We kept it simple with our little ones - a stroll along the boardwalk to the far end of the island, beach chairs, and some time in the sand and water.  We splashed, dug in the sand, watched a hermit crab make its way to the sea, snacked on fresh fruit and ice cream, and enjoyed some beach drinks (for the grown ups).  Claire took a nap on mom and dad, too.  At the end of the day, we stopped at a splash park for Claire and Audrey before making our way back to the ship.
     That evening, Matt and I took advantage of Audrey's kids' club and Claire's nursery time to have a date night.  We explored the many areas of the ship just for grown ups and enjoyed some time at the piano bar before picking up the kids.  We took Audrey and Claire up to the top deck to watch the end of Disney's Pirates Party - the finale was a pretty impressive fireworks show (apparently, Disney is the only cruise line with permission to shoot off fireworks over the open ocean).  Needless to say, all of us slept really well after our day of adventures.
     Our last full day on the ship was a "day at sea".  Matt and I took advantage of one more morning of adult time, opting to spend a few hours in the spa's "Rainforest Room".  Relaxation, relaxation, relaxation!!  In the afternoon, we had a blast playing at the pool and splash pad with the girls.  Our final dinner on the cruise ended with a birthday cake for Audrey!  By then, though, she was so full from her three course meal that she simply licked some of the icing.
     The final evening included another spectacular live show (oh, I wish you could have seen Audrey's eyes as the princesses sang and danced their way across the stage) and a farewell from all of the cast and characters.  We put our luggage outside our stateroom, and after breakfast the next morning, we found it waiting for us in the terminal!
     I can honestly say that this cruise was AMAZING for our family.  I didn't know what to expect, cruising with an almost four year old and an almost one year old, but Disney makes it fun AND easy.  It was a great way to enjoy some quality time together after our separation!  Now, when's our next vacation?!

A Disney Cruise!! (Day 1 & 2)

     Yes, we did go on a Disney Cruise!  Matt returned from his deployment, and we booked a last-minute, four day cruise on the Disney Wonder.

     On Sunday, Oct. 17, we drove to Cocoa Beach, spent an hour at Ron Jon's Surf Shop, then drove over to Port Canaveral to board our cruise ship.  We surprised Audrey with the cruise - she knew we were going to the beach, but she had no idea that a big ship was taking us to the beach!  So, we got to watch her eyes get bigger and bigger as we pointed out the cruise ship, told her we'd sleep on it, and told her that it would take us to some different beaches.  The excitement built as she saw Donald Duck hanging from the front of the ship.  Hmmm... Why would Donald Duck be on the front of the ship?  Who else might be on this boat with us?  Imagine her delight when she learned this ship would also carry the Disney characters!

     Well, Disney does it right, and their cruise ship is no exception.  Our interior state room had more than enough space for us, and it was already set up with a pack-n-play for Claire!  Every meal was delicious and the staff (our wait staff was the same for every dinner) went above and beyond to make life easier for us - including cutting up Audrey's food and pouring her ketchup in the shape of Mickey!  The first evening, we explored the ship, ate dinner, and saw a great live show in the Disney Theater.  We also snapped a few photos with Mickey and Minnie.

     When we woke up the next morning, we were docked at Nassau (in the Bahamas).  We met some princesses on the way to breakfast, ate, and left the ship for a fantastic beach day at the Atlantis Resort.  We spent our day with friends we randomly met on the ship.  Matt ran into some fellow Air Force Academy grads (now married with 2 kids of their own) our first night on the ship.  Amy, Jay, and their beautiful kids (Haylie and Matthew) spent the day with us in Atlantis.  Audrey and Claire loved having some company, and it was a blast exploring the resort with them.  In addition to some beach time, we also got to see Atlantis's amazing aquariums.  The kids LOVED watching sharks, rays, and other beautiful fish swim right by them!

     After our day out on the beach, we returned to the ship for a late dinner.  Audrey asked to go to the kid's club.  Disney has amazing programs for the little ones, and Audrey was constantly asking to go play in her kid's club.  This particular night, Audrey got to meet Cinderella and have a Royal Ball (dressed as a princess herself).  Over the course of her time in Kid's club, she also got to meet Snow White, Captain Hook, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy.  While Audrey was in Kid's Club, Claire fell asleep in my Ergo Baby Carrier.  So, Matt and I went to see a movie!

     Enjoy the slideshow of photos from our first two days on the ship!

Daddy's Home!

          Praise God, the deployment is over!  Matt made it home on October 7th, and we have been enjoying every minute with him!  Matt flew a jet home, so we met him on the flight line at his jet.  He climbed down (after a ten hour flight across the Atlantic) and Audrey immediately ran into his arms.  As we were waiting for Matt to shut the jet down, Audrey was actually shaking with excitement.  As soon as Matt was on the ground, she shouted "Daddy!" and ran to him.  Claire had been watching every thing, but when she heard Matt's voice, her face broke in to an immediate smile.  I walked to Matt with Claire in my arms and almost burst into tears!  It was so good to hug him and give him a kiss!  Matt has had a few weeks off of work since his return, and we have been soaking up as much family time as possible.  Welcome home, baby!

Sea World!

          At the end of September, the girls and I had a chance to spend some time at Grammy and Poppy's place in Florida.  Poppy flew up to South Carolina JUST to help me make the drive with Audrey, Claire and the dogs!  We drove to Florida and spent some fun-filled days playing on the lake and in the woods.  We also went to Sea World for one day (thanks to Sea World and Busch Gardens for honoring the military and their families and making our visit possible).  Audrey and Claire loved watching the shows and seeing all of the amazing sea creatures.  In fact, since our trip to Sea World, Audrey tells me that some day she would like to be "an acrobat at Sea World".  Claire actually enjoyed Sea World so much that she got tired and fell asleep sitting up in her stroller!  At the end of our time in Florida, Popply drove with us back to South Carolina.  What a blessing for us!

Birds for Jesus

          Audrey says a lot of funny things.  Sadly, I'm often too busy to take the time to write them down.  When a really good "Audrey-ism" comes along, though, I just can't resist...
          This weekend, I had the privilege of singing with our worship team at church.  In preparation, I would listen to the songs in the car while the girls and I were out and about.  Yesterday while we were driving, Audrey asked me if I was listening to songs about God.  I told her I was, and she immediately asked her favorite question:  "Why?"  So, I briefly explained that Mommy was listening to the songs that I would be singing at church.  She decided to listen, too, so she could "help me".  One of the songs is called "At the Foot of the Cross", and there is a line that says, "I lay every burden down at the foot of the cross".  As soon as the lyric played, Audrey said,
          "Mommy, Jesus likes birds so that lady is putting birds at Jesus' feet."
          My response was simply, "What?"
          She rephrased, as a question this time:  "Why is she putting birds at Jesus' feet?  It must be because he likes birds so much."  Now, I'm still a bit confused because Audrey has been known to pull a completely random story or comment out of thin air, and I have to try to find it's context as quickly as I can.  Thankfully, the chorus was repeating itself as I was trying to figure out how to respond and I realized that Audrey heard the line "I lay every BURDEN down at the FOOT of the cross" and thought the singer was singing about birds for Jesus!  I had a much-needed laugh, told Audrey that Jesus does love birds, and then tried to explain what the song had really said!

Claire on the Move

          No, she is not walking on her own.  Yet.  She is, however, getting closer every day.  I recently got out Audrey's baby stroller (because Audrey has discovered a new interest in caring for her baby dolls).  Claire thought this stroller was the greatest thing ever.  She stood up, grabbed the handles, and took off.  She had a few tumbles, but she was quickly running as she attempted to turn the stroller around our living room.  This girl is going to stand up and run one of these days...

Crafts

          Audrey still loves craft time, and I wish I were better about including it daily in our routine.  We did, however, break out the paints the other day.  She painted flowers and apples (using a real apple as her template).  She asked if we could have an apple tree in our house to hold all of our apples, and I thought it was a great idea!  We now have a beautiful apple tree growing right in our kitchen.  In some of the photos, you'll see that Claire thinks she is a big girl now - she climbed right up and sat down at the table with Audrey.  But, that was short lived as she decided that she would keep climbing - right on top of the table!

The Girls!

          Audrey and Claire spent a little time cuddling on the couch together after breakfast this morning.  They sure do love each other.  Audrey has also been letting me practice my french braiding skills, and she has been very patient with me!

Dog Days

          Buddy is recovering from surgery.  After a summer of limping and near-lameness on his back left leg, he is finally on the mend.  We had several vet visits and a referral before learning that Buddy tore his cruciate ligament.  He is a week post-op, and he is doing so much better.  In fact, I think he's walking better now than he was prior to surgery.  He'll go in next week to remove the staples in his leg, and then he'll still have about a month of restricted movement before he'll be back to "normal".  I'm impressed with the improvement so far, though.  Buddy is still wearing the "cone of shame" (e-collar), and he isn't quite used to it yet.  He'll ram the cone into furniture, plants, people, you name it, but he is much better than he was his first day home after the surgery!  The cone stays on until the staples are removed, so we have one more week of dodging Buddy and his e-collar.  He's a good dog, though, and he puts up with the meds, the physical therapy, and the e-collar without a complaint.  Hopefully, he'll be as good as new soon.

My 10 Month Old

          Is it possible?  Claire is ten months old?  Yes, she celebrated her 10th month yesterday.  This little one is changing daily.  Her curiosity continues to grow, and she is just as adventurous as her older sister.  Claire is standing up alone and has even taken a few short steps by herself!  She is mostly content furniture surfing or holding my hands and walking where she wants to go.  I will say that she is a climber, and she can climb furniture faster than I expected.  I have watched her climb the step stool in the bathroom to reach the sink, the child's rocking chair in her room, and the cushion chair in our living room.  When we're outside, she'll try to climb up on top of the kid's picnic table.
          Claire is also babbling more each day.  When I open my laptop, she immediately starts saying, "Dada, dada, dada" over and over again, crawling toward the laptop as quickly as she can.  This, of course, is a product of our time talking and seeing Daddy via skype on my computer.  I think she thinks Matt lives in my laptop!  (Thankfully for all of us, it won't be too much longer until she can hug her daddy in person.)  Claire will also call for Audrey if she can't find her.  It's really cute to watch Claire "hunt" for her sister.  Then the girls will often start an impromptu game of peek-a-boo or hide and seek.  Claire loves to play with Audrey, and Audrey is still a sweet and loving big sister (often offering to babysit Claire if I need to run errands - no, I don't take her up on her offer!)

Simply Beautiful

          We are now back in South Carolina, and we are in the process of settling.  I am now unpacked, but the cleaning is a never-ending process when I can only truly clean during nap time or after the girls are in bed.  Oh well.  Slowly but surely, I am making progress.

          Before we left Missouri, we did our best to say goodbye to our friends and family.  The day before we left town, Kim ( my sis-in-law, Courtney's, mom) stopped by to see us one more time.  She and Chuck had just returned from a spectacular vacation in Mexico.  While on their trip, they were thoughtful enough to buy beautiful dresses, one for Audrey and one Claire.  Audrey, who loves dresses, immediately put on her dress.  Claire will be able to wear hers by this next spring, and I have no doubt she'll love it, too.  Thank you, Chuck and Kim, for thinking of my girls while on your vacation!

Around Town

          I have lost track of the days and missed several posting opportunities.  Oh well.  What can I say?  Most nights, after getting the girls in to bed, I'm ready to go to bed myself!  So, in order to save some time, I've lumped some of our recent adventures into a slideshow below.  Some of our fun in town includes:

A trip to Homecomers' (our local carnival) where Audrey rode tons of rides by herself!

A doggie birthday party (a first-ever for our dogs - they have Audrey to thank) where Audrey and I made a doggie birthday cake.  The dogs loved it, and I think our beagle gained an immediate five pounds from her piece of cake!

Swimming with Mommy and Pa at the neighbors' pool, complete with Audrey wearing Pa's goggles and jumping off the diving board.

Audrey makes her own bracelets and creates new artistic poses for the camera (to send to Daddy, of course).

Audrey dresses all of her doggies in skirts, dresses, and accessories for a special event.

Mommy practices her first-ever french braid and Audrey keeps the braid in her hair!

Claire continues to grow, explore, and chase after her sister!

Audrey dresses up in Gram's scarf and uses Gram's jewelry and purse.

The girls hug Pa after he gets home from work!

So Stylish!

          While we've been in Missouri this summer, my parents have gone above and beyond to not only welcome us into their home and their lives, but to also help me with the girls and my dogs day in and day out while continuing to work full time.  As usual, I am amazed by their sacrifice and unconditional love.  In addition to all that is already going on, my mom has somehow managed to find time to sew.  She has made Audrey a beautiful summer dress and a skirt (with plans for a matching dress and skirt for Claire).  Audrey has been involved in the process from the start, helping us pick out the fabric my mom used to make both outfits.  Just before my mom finished the skirt, I found a shirt on sale at Target that matched it perfectly.
          So, just a few days ago, when Audrey woke up from her nap, we presented her with her new skirt and top.  She immediately put it on and twirled around the house!  A little later in the afternoon, she strolled up to my mom, put her hand on her hip, cocked her blonde little head to one side and said,
          "Gram, I'm going to be wearing this outfit a lot because it's just so stylish!"  Ah, if only a blog could capture intonation and attitude...
          And wear the outfit she did.  For the rest of that day, even when Aunt Courtney came by and took her out to see a baby donkey at Courtney's grandma's house, and then to church the next morning (after we washed it the night prior).  After sopping up some syrup from a delicious pancake breakfast, the outfit is once again clean and ready to wear.  So, thanks to Gram for keeping our 3 1/2 year old "so stylish"!

Audrey and Aunt Courtney

Mommy and Claire

Happy Anniversary!

       Seven years ago today, I married my best friend.  We have been blessed.  So blessed, in fact, that I dare not even type it out here because it would most likely overwhelm me.  As I type this, Matt and I are separated by oceans and continents.  He is sleeping (hopefully) and I am listening to my 3 year old yell my name as she is trying to get me to return to her bedroom (even though it is way past her bedtime).  Despite the separation, I am more in love with Matt than ever.  He is my best friend, my partner, my companion, my comfort.  I love sharing life with him, and I thank God for bringing us together in this world.  For those of you who don't know Matt (or don't know him well), you're missing out.  He's the best!  (Maybe I am biased a bit, but he really is).  And so, today has been hard for me.  It was definitely harder than I expected it to be.  I missed Matt more intensely today.  I realized that this is the first anniversary we have spent apart.  We've missed birthdays and major holidays, but somehow the Air Force has not separated us on one of our previous anniversaries.  So, I am thankful.  I am thankful that this is the first time in our seven years of marriage where we've been separated on our anniversary.  I am thankful for the man I get to share life with...for the man I call my husband.  I am thankful that we are over half way through this deployment.  I am thankful that we can celebrate another year of each other!  I miss you, Matt, and I love you.

          From our dating years...

The Girls!

          The past few weeks have flown by, and as I was looking through our pictures, I realized how much Claire has changed this past month.  She will be nine months old by the end of this week!  Audrey and Claire have really started enjoying each other's company.   Some of my favorite moments of the day are watching the girls play and interact together.

          Audrey and Claire play peek-a-boo (see the pictures in the slideshow where Claire is pulling the scarf off of our faces), Claire laughs at almost anything Audrey does (especially Audrey's dances), and Claire's new favorite time of day is bath time when both of them take their bath together.  Audrey gives Claire a hug and kiss before each of Claire's naps, and she willingly shares her stuffed animals with her baby sister.  No matter how long some of our days may feel, I am so thankful for these sweet sister moments where I can simply enjoy watching the girls spend time together.

The Magic House!

          In the past two weeks, I have been to the St. Louis Magic House two times!  You might laugh, but I think I loved it more than Audrey did (which is saying a lot).  I grew up going to the Magic House with my grandparents, so it holds special memories for me.  On top of that, the Magic House (a magnificent children's museum) has expanded, adding an unbelievable array of exhibits and sights for the kids.  My mom, Audrey, Claire and I made the trip on a Monday afternoon, and we had a fantastic time.  Even Claire had her own special area to explore!  Later in the week, Audrey and I made a special trip back to St. Louis to meet one of my best friends, Becky, for lunch and an afternoon at the Magic House.  Becky was passing through St. Louis on her way home, and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her! (Claire was sick, otherwise she would have joined in the fun again with us).  The Magic House is so large that we really didn't see the same things on our two separate trips.  I should have taken more pictures, especially when Becky joined us, but we were honestly just having too much fun.  If you're ever in St. Louis with children, this museum is a "must see"!

Down Time in the Heat

          Summer!  I love it, but recently, we've had such hot days that playing outside has been a chore rather than a treat.  If we brave the outdoors, we rarely last more than a few minutes unless water is involved.  I am not currently at my own house, so my usual indoor methods of play and distraction are unavailable.  Thankfully, over the course of the summer, we've amassed quite a collection of crafts and toys to use here at Gram and Pa's house.  Audrey loves craft time and will happily paint with water colors or glitter paint for some time before gearing up for the next adventure.  Most of our indoor games, though, are much more active.  Audrey's timing is impeccable, and she's always up for a game of tag or chase after one of my Saturday long runs!  Ouch for mommy!
          Claire is an easy baby to entertain.  She'll happily sit on the floor and play with her toys, crawl around and explore, or practice furniture surfing as she improves her balance and walking skills.  Lately, she's thrilled with a good game of peek-a-boo or chase.  Yup.  At 8 1/2 months old, she'll crawl as fast as she can in the opposite direction of me if I say, "I'm gonna get you."  Then she'll quick turn and start crawling after me.  Did I mention that she and Audrey like to wrestle?  Well, that's what Audrey calls it.  Claire will crawl on top of Audrey and laugh.  So far, we've only had one Claire face-plant, but I'm sure more are on their way.

Audrey glitter painting at craft time.

Audrey and I making blueberry crumb cake (yum!)

Soccer Camp

          As a surprise addition to our summer fun, Audrey and I went to soccer camp!  Well, I coached the pre-K and K division of Jackson's soccer camp.  Audrey got to come along and be a camper for the week.  For one hour each morning, I worked with 12 four and five year olds (plus Audrey), perfecting their mad soccer skills.  Ok, so we played a ton of games that helped the girls learn better dribbling and ball handling skills, but it was still a lot of fun.  It was also really hot, and I was so proud that all of the girls stayed on the field with me for the entire hour.  As added motivation, Coach Walton (running the camp) brought popsicles for the girls at the end of each day!
          I was not sure if Audrey would want to participate (or stick with it), but she loved every minute.  She worked really hard and did great, especially considering that Mommy was her coach.  Our biggest obstacle was actually the fact that she is so competitive that she did not want to lose any of the games.  When our week of camp was over, Audrey asked if we could have our own soccer camp in the back yard.  In the language of a three year old, I think that means she loved camp!

Preparing for a new game

Audrey doing the foundation (basic footwork skill)

Red light, Green light!

Lucky Us!!

          Can you believe that the girls, my parents, and I spent a second week in Montana?  It still seems like a dream to me, but we did it.  Mom and Dad had planned a second week exploring different areas of Montana, and they graciously (and bravely) invited my little family (sans Matt) to join them.  So, after dropping off the rest of our extended family at the airport on July 3rd, we began our week long road trip around Western Montana.
           We spent our first day and night in the capitol city of Helena.  The drive from Bozeman to Helena was filled with wide valleys and fertile fields.  We checked in to our hotel, which was located in the heart of downtown Helena, and began walking around the city center to explore.  We saw a cathedral, the capitol building, and a small city park before dinner started calling our names.  We ate at a great pizza place we saw often in the cities of Montana (MacKenzie Pizza Co.).  
         The next morning, we began our drive to Kalispell.  We made a stop at a fishing access point along the Blackfoot River, and I could have stayed there all day.  The river was beyond description!  We sat enjoying the view and watching rafts of fishermen and floaters putting in for a day on the river.  Our drive continued through tiny little communities (like Ovando) that were getting ready to have their 4th of July parades or festivals.  We headed north past Seeley Lake and Swan Lake before skirting the northern border of Flathead Lake.  Once we checked in to our hotel, we explored the area, including the quaint town of Whitefish (just to the north of Kalispell). By the early evening, the girls were exhausted, so we called it a day.  No fireworks for us this year, since the local show didn't start until 11 p.m.!
        The next morning, we continued our exploration and drove to Missoula.  We spent two days and nights in Missoula, taking in the sights of town and the surrounding areas.  My favorite day was driving south through the Bitterroot Valley to the town of Hamilton.  We ate at a local diner and then spent an amazing afternoon at Hamilton's river park (along the Bitterroot River).  Dad got in a few hours of fishing.  We played, went on a "Moose Hunt" (no luck), and practiced our rock throwing skills on the banks of the Bitterroot.  The hotel in Missoula also had an indoor water park, so after an afternoon nap, Audrey, Pa, and I spent a good hour or two splashing and sliding!
        We drove back to Bozeman for our final two days and nights.  Who can resist Bozeman?  We spent some quality time getting a feel for the community and just enjoying ourselves (and the mountains and cool breezes) before catching our flight back to Missouri.
        The week went by much too fast, and my girls traveled like champs!  It was a great two weeks and I'm already missing the mountains and mountain air.  In fact, as we flew back and drove to Gram and Pa's house, Audrey asked three or four times, "Where are the mountains, Mommy?"  That's what I want to know, too.

One More Yellowstone Day

          On Friday, July 2, we loaded up the vans and trekked into Yellowstone again.  Since the park is just so massive, it was easy to explore areas we had not seen on our trip earlier in the week.  We stayed on the north side of the park, visiting the breathtaking Lamar Valley, and avoiding the overcrowded geyser basin (no Old Faithful for us on this trip).
          Lamar Valley is most well-known for its wolf packs, so we kept our eyes open.  I mean, you never know, right?  Stuart did see what he thought might be a wolf, but retrospectively, he's pretty sure it was just a massive coyote!  The buffalo herds were meandering through the valley as well.  We found a great picnic spot for lunch, sitting along side Soda Butte Creek.  We ate lunch, spread a blanket by the river, and relaxed while part of our group did some fly fishing.  Audrey enjoyed seeing the ground squirrels running around (begging for food).  We also were fortunate enough to see a black bear.  He was across the river near a tree, and another traveler let each of us look through his viewing scope for a closer look.  One of my favorite moments, though, was watching Audrey play with her aunts and uncles on the blanket near the river.  I saw her enjoying special moments with Aunt Meg and Uncle Garrett (and Beckett).  She also had story and cuddle time with Aunt Lara.  After fishing, Aunt Courtney, Uncle Stuart, and Uncle Spencer also spent some time playing with Audrey.  It may sound cliche, but I really am more and more thankful for the love that all of our family lavishes upon my children!  
          The afternoon crept on and it was soon time to head back to our house.  This was our last full day together in Paradise Valley, so once we returned to our house, we enjoyed a big meal and began the process of packing.  On Saturday, July 3, my siblings left for their homes.  The girls and I stayed in Montana with my parents for a great week of exploration!  (I'll post about our second week in Montana in my next entry).  I must say the week in Paradise Valley was incredible!  Thanks to my parents for making it ALL happen, and I'm so glad my siblings and their families made the trek west for the fun!!  If only Matt could have joined us...

A Bozeman Afternoon

          After two days of fly fishing, our family decided to have a down day at the house.  Thursday was a day to relax together and enjoy a day with no plans.  In the morning, Stuart, Courtney, Spencer, and Lara went on a drive to explore Paradise Valley.  The group saw a beautiful creek teeming with wildlife.  The kiddos played around the house and got in a few morning naps.  After lunch, our family drove into Bozeman.  Half of our group went downtown to explore the shops.  Gram, Pa, Audrey, Claire, and I went to the Museum of the Rockies to visit the kids' exhibit of Yellowstone and see the dinosaurs!  The museum was very impressive.  I could have spent a lot more time reading about the different eras represented, but my 3 year old has only so much tolerance for museum exhibits.  She did love the children's exhibit, the working historical farm, and the dinosaurs, though.  When we finished at the museum, we joined the rest of our family downtown for ice cream!

Storms in Paradise Valley

          During our stay in Montana, I was constantly inspired by the raw beauty of our surroundings.  On a few different afternoons, storms would build over the Gallatin Mountain Range then move across Paradise Valley.  While pictures cannot begin to convey the beauty of these storms, Garrett and Meg were able to capture some breathtaking images as the clouds built and billowed around our house in Montana.  I loved the pictures so much that I am going to share them here on my blog.

Fishing the Madison

          Fly fishing.  I love it.  I really do.  I only wish I had more time to devote to it!  I think I'm in love with the rhythmic, dynamic nature of fly fishing, not to mention the fact that I'm usually fishing along a beautiful stream, creek, or river.  There is nothing stagnant about fly fishing, either.  The scenery is always changing, as is the nature of the fishing itself.
          I knew that on this particular Montana vacation, I would not fish as much as I normally would.  I was ok with this knowledge because I really wanted to focus on hanging out with my family and introducing my kids to all of the beauty of Montana and Yellowstone.  That being said, I was more than thrilled when I learned that Dad had set up a full day of guided fly fishing on the Madison River for our family!  I couldn't wait.  My siblings had graciously agreed to help watch my girls, so I was able to go fishing for an entire day.
          Mom fished with me, and we floated in a boat down the Madison with a very experienced guide.  Brad, our guide, worked hard to make the day enjoyable for us.  He directed the boat, kept our poles rigged, helped us net the fish, and directed our attention to local wildlife and scenery as often as he saw them.  For example, in addition to the trout we caught, we also saw a bald eagle, a golden eagle, an osprey, and beautiful storms building over the Montana mountains (before racing down upon us!).  I also had a spectacular day on the river.  Once I got into a rhythm, I started catching trout. Most of the trout were average sized rainbows or browns, but I was able to catch four good sized browns (18-19 inches, for those of you who care).  They were not massive by Montana standards, but they were the largest fish I've caught to date.  In fact, Brad had to teach me how to actually bring in a bigger trout while fishing from a boat in a river since I'd never experienced that before!  The truth is, I'd have loved the day even if I had caught no fish at all.  The fish were a bonus, but I was definitely excited about those big trout!  I'd bring one in, snap a picture if it was photo worthy, then we'd let it go (catch and release on the Madison).
          As we got to the final 2 miles of our float, a massive storm barreled down upon us.  Brad rowed as hard as he could to try to get us to our take out point before the storm hit.  Just as he neared the shore, the skies opened up and hail pelted us!  He sent us out of the boat and up to the truck to try to avoid the hail as much as possible.  Dad and Garrett were behind us with their guide, Ryan, so they endured the hail for much longer than we had.  We got drenched, but it was part of the adventure.  Thankfully, the first wave of the storm didn't last long and we were able to get the boats out of the water and make our way back to Bozeman.

Playing at the House

          On Tuesday and Wednesday, our family was either fly fishing on the Madison River or hanging out at the house.  We had two days of guided float fishing on the Madison River.  Spencer, Lara, Stuart and Courtney fished on Tuesday while the rest of our crew spent the day enjoying our surroundings at the house.  We picnicked on the front lawn, played games with the kiddos, and enjoyed the fresh air.  My parents sent Garrett, Meg, and I into Bozeman a few hours before we were picking up the fishermen so that we could enjoy some kid-free time in downtown Bozeman.  I had an amazing coffee and just enjoyed the chance to walk up and down the street and in and out of stores without having to say "Audrey stop," every minute or so!
          We picked up the fishermen and enjoyed an incredible meal at Montana Ale Works.  On Wednesday morning, Garrett, Mom, Dad, and I left for our fishing adventure (more on that in the next post) while my girls got to spend a fun-filled day with their aunts and uncles.  Thanks to Spencer, Lara, Stuart, Courtney, and Meg for entertaining them for the day!  I know it's no easy task, even with that many grown ups on hand!  Audrey got to enjoy outside games of tag and dodge ball, and she made some wonderful crafts when they were inside.  I treasured every second on the River...

Yellowstone!

          Our house in Montana was only a forty minute drive from the north entrance to Yellowstone National Park.  Having been there before, I knew I wanted to return.  Thankfully, the rest of my family felt the same way.  On Monday, we loaded up the vans and began our drive through the upper Yellowstone basin.
          After a quick stop at the visitors' center (for fishing licenses) and Mammoth Springs, we meandered down to a valley just south of Norris where we could eat a picnic lunch and do some fly fishing.  On our drive, we passed a Bull Elk, several deer, and a buffalo just walking along the side of the road.  We stopped for lunch next to a beautiful valley.  The Gibbons River flowed gently through the valley.  We ate lunch, and half of our group went out for some fly fishing.  The girls, Gram, Aunt Lara, baby Beckett, and Aunt Courtney and I took a walk down to the river and enjoyed the afternoon.  We watched the fishermen catch a few Brook Trout, we looked at animal tracks, we counted wildflowers, and we dipped our toes in the Gibbons.  Pa fished for awhile, then he returned to take Audrey fly fishing.  Audrey caught her first trout!  It was a little Brook Trout, and she was so excited!  She got to help bring it in, touch it, and then release it again.  She's quite the little fly fisherman.
          After fishing and picnicking, we drove over to the Upper and Lower Falls (on the Yellowstone River).  This is probably one of my favorite spots in the Park.  The crowds were a bit much this time, but the waterfalls are just so impressive.  The views are almost too beautiful to be real, and I felt like I was standing in the middle of a movie set.  After leaving the Falls, we began our drive back through Yellowstone to our house.  We passed more buffalo and a herd of Elk on our way out of the Park.  The Elk had their babies with them, and Audrey loved seeing them move together as a herd.  We returned to our house for a meal and a well-earned night's rest.

Pine Creek Falls Hike - Montana

          On our first full day in Montana, we set out to explore a nearby mountain.  My Dad read about a great family hike up to the Pine Creek Falls.  One mile to the falls and one mile back.  A manageable distance for nine adults, one toddler, and 2 babies.
          The hike did not disappoint.  From the trees to the mountains to the creek, it was all amazing.  I carried Claire comfortably on my back.  After trying a few different methods, Beckett settled in with my Dad in the Bjorn, and Audrey did very little walking.  The rest of the hike, she was content to be toted by her aunts and uncles.  She rode on the shoulders of Garrett, Spencer, and Stuart, and she even convinced Meg, Courtney, and Lara to carry her from time to time!  We were all more than impressed by the falls, especially since sometimes you read about a hike to a "waterfall" only to find a drip when you arrive.  On the hike down, both babies AND Audrey fell asleep.  Sweet Audrey nearly fell asleep on Uncle Garrett's shoulders, and she did sleep as soon as he transferred to his arms.  I think he got in quite a workout carrying her down the mountain!

Montana

         Our vacation odyssey this summer took us to Montana.  Oh how I love Montana... Our last trip to Montana was in 2005, so I was thrilled at the prospect of spending some quality time back in the state.  This trip was quite different, seeing as how Matt is deployed and we now have two little ones.  Nonetheless, it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  My parents organized and set up the vacation (words are not enough...thank you), finding a great home for our entire family to use.  It sat on the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley.  This aptly named valley is a short drive east of Bozeman, MT.  Our entire crew arrived on Saturday, June 26th.  After watching the remainder of the U.S. World Cup game at the Bozeman airport, we loaded up the vans and made our way to the valley.  Our afternoon and evenings were spent enjoying each other and the views.  I got to meet my nephew, Beckett, for the first time, too!
          Because this trip was jammed with awesomeness, I'm going to split our trip into multiple posts.  It'll be easier to chronicle the trip that way, and it allows me to post all of the great pics I have.  I have to thank Garrett and Meg for sharing a lot of their photos with me.  The best pics are probably theirs!  So, let's begin with day one...

Where in the World Cup was I?

          Every four years, I enjoy a month of soccer... as many games as I can manage to watch.  The best teams in the world are playing some of the best games the world will see.  World Cup time is glorious for me.

          When I finally sat down last night, I thought of the great games I'd seen during the day.  USA beat Algeria.  England beat Slovenia.  Germany beat Ghana.  Australia beat Slovenia.  The USA will face Ghana on Saturday, but I'll miss most, if not all, of the game!  We'll be on an airplane on the way to Montana.  My brothers should arrive in Montana in time to cozy up to a television (either in the airport or at a nearby establishment) and catch the game.  The thought of finding a way to watch the game even while on vacation reminded me of watching a Cup game in downtown Santa Fe, NM back in 1998.  And then I realized that I have very distinct memories from World Cup Tournaments for the past 16 years - dating back to 1994!  So, where was I?


1994:  The World Cup happened on U.S. soil!  I was 16 years old, and my Dad managed to get our entire family tickets to two games at Soldier Field in Chicago.  While I only have vague memories of the teams we watched, I'll never forget the atmosphere in that stadium during those games.  Simply spectacular!  I also remember that my dad recorded almost every single game on VHS tape!  I think he used them later to show our club teams (or at least my brothers and me) how effective diving headers are in games!  (Dad loves those diving headers).

1998:  I had finished my sophomore year at Mizzou.  Our family was taking a vacation to New Mexico before dropping Garrett off at the Air Force Academy for his Beast summer.  I remember finding a bar and grill in downtown Santa Fe to watch the U.S. games.  From New Mexico, I flew to Missouri where I spent the rest of the summer working at Kanakuk Kamps.  Kanakuk set up a big screen so the soccer fanatics could watch the semi-final and final match!

2002:  I had finished my first year of law school and was taking a full load at summer school (Evidence and Tax law).  I remember how challenging it was to fit in games in between all of the reading and studying I had to do, but I somehow made it work.  (Yes, I passed my summer school classes).

2006:  Matt and I had been married for 3 years, and I was pregnant with Audrey!  We're in Phoenix while Matt completed the F-16 B Course (training).  I'd watch games while resting on the couch in our house.  I also remember going to the Fox and Hound Pub to watch the USA play Italy.  We tied that game.  It was a great game.

2010:  Audrey is 3 1/2, Claire is 7 months old, we're spending the summer in Missouri with my parents while Matt is deployed.  We'll be in Montana during 2 weeks of the tournament!

          I love the distinctness of my World Cup memories.  I love thinking about the journey my life has taken over the course of the last 16 years.  Where will the next four years take us?  Only time will tell...

Hanging Out

          June is rushing by!  The girls and I are hanging out, trying to stay cool, and staying busy.  Audrey loves gymnastics and her swim lessons.  We spend time at the city pool and in our own little backyard pools.  Claire and Audrey can now share bath time, which helps me out immensely.  I watch as many World Cup games as I can, squeezed in and around my parenting responsibilities, of course!  Even Claire and Audrey have watched portions of the games with me.  And just today... Claire pulled herself up to standing on her own.  She likes to practice her new skill on the entertainment center.  I walked to the kitchen to get my water glass and returned to find her standing on her own!  Throughout the day, she was able to pull up on her own high chair and on another chair in the living room.  She just wants to chase after Audrey!

Family Time

          A few weekends ago, my mom, the girls, and I drove up to St. Louis to spend the day with my cousins and aunts and uncles.  Jen and Eric graciously hosted all of us in their home - let us play, eat, and relax.  I loved catching up with family, and we missed those that could not join us.  Audrey loved playing with my cousins' kids.  (Are they her second cousins or cousins once removed?  I always mess that up!)  She even got her first make-over, complete with hair braids and eye shadow!  We snapped a few photos, and Jen sent a few my way.  Her pictures are far superior to my own because she is just that talented!  It was a fun day for all of us.

Audrey, Sara and Anna enjoying dinner

Claire loves tickle games

Kate and Claire (Kate also gave Audrey her beautiful make-over...)

Claire spends some time with Kirk and his precious baby boy, Alex.  

Claire loves Eric!