The Park

          On Friday, the weather was absolutely perfect for a morning outside.  The humidity was minimal and we had such a nice breeze.  I decided it was a perfect day for the park.
          And I love the park in my hometown.  I have always loved it.  It's a sprawling expanse of grass, trees, a lake, and many play grounds.  There are baseball and softball fields, a band shell, a pool, and tennis courts.  I began playing soccer in this park when I was four years old.  I used to feed the ducks that visit the pond.  I waded in the low creek that meanders around one of it's borders.  We watched fireworks as a family in the park every Fourth of July.  When I was older, I learned to play tennis on the courts in this park.  I worked as a lifeguard at the pool and taught swim lessons during the summer.  I ran my hometown cross country meets here.  I played mud volleyball with friends in the Fourth of July tournament.  So many memories...
          I thought of these memories as I was sitting with my precious girls in the same park.  While we were sitting on our blanket watching robins dance in the grass, I pointed to the field and said, "This is where Mommy learned to play soccer."  At that same moment, I saw one of my Jr. High teachers jog by, running the same route she's been running since I was a student in her class.  The familiarity was warm and comforting for me, and I smiled as I watched Audrey chase a robin into the field while Claire practiced crawling on our blanket.

An Afternoon at Grant's Farm

          We are in Missouri!  With the help of my wonderful father, the girls, dogs, and I made the drive from South Carolina to Missouri and are now settled in for a summer with my parents.  Audrey and Claire love the extra attention from their grandparents, and I am truly thankful for the company.  In addition, I am amazed at how many things we have to do here in Missouri!  It is such a blessing to be able to choose from so many fun activities to do as a family this summer.

          Our first big adventure of the summer took us to Grant's Farm in St. Louis.  My grandparents took me there as a small child, but I really do not remember it.  My mom had a doctor's appointment in St. Louis, so we drove up, she went for her check up, and then we played at Grant's Farm.  The afternoon was filled with sunshine and laughter.  After riding a tram through the deer park (where we saw deer, elk, buffalo, and longhorn cattle), we arrived at an area filled with small animal exhibits.  Audrey rode the carousel (a reward for being such a good listener), and then we went to feed the goats.

          Feeding the goats had to be the funniest part of our day.  I took Claire out of her stroller and wore her in my bjorn.  My mom held the two bottles of milk for the goats and helped Audrey feed those rascals.  As you can imagine, the goats immediately surrounded us.  I thought Audrey might be overwhelmed or scared, but as soon as my mom and I started laughing at the goats' antics, Audrey laughed with us.  The goats were impatiently trying to get to the milk, and if they could not reach the bottles, they nibbled on whatever they could reach.  The goats started chewing on Audrey's dress, my mom's pants, my skirt, the baby bjorn straps, and one even took a taste of Claire's little toe!  (It probably looked like a bottle to the goat).  Audrey frantically tried to save her precious butterfly dress from the mouths of the goats, lifting it high above her head.  One goat moved right in and nibbled on her panties instead!  My skirt had goat teeth marks on it for the rest of the day.  I did capture some of this madness on video, so I'll try to post it in the next few days.

          After our adventure with the goats, we treated ourselves to a snow cone.  As we started walking around Grant's Farm again, we saw beautiful horses, eagles, camels, elephants, lemurs, turtles, capybaras, and parrots.  At the end of our stroll, we discovered a path covered by water misters.  Audrey happily danced her way through the mist.  It looked like so much fun that I joined her for a few passes.  Claire joined us one time, but she really wasn't convinced that the mist was fun!  As we ended our time at Grant's Farm, we visited the famous Anheuser Bush Clydesdale horses.  They are just massive animals!  All of us enjoyed our afternoon, and as we were driving back to my parents' house,  Audrey said her favorite part of the day was seeing all of those horses.

Go Claire, Go!

Claire is so close to crawling. I'll actually say she did crawl a few times today, although it was slow progress. I got it on video since Matt is not here to see it for himself. She pulls her little body up on all fours and pushes forward. I loved watching her practice her new skill. She spent most of her awake time today attempting to crawl. Of course, Audrey snuck out of her room (it was her rest time) and saw me filming Claire. She sweetly asks to say something to Daddy on video. I'm sucked in to her ploy and let her... You'll see for yourself if you watch the video. That girl. Anyway, it looks like I'll be chasing two kiddos around before I know it.

Ready to Go!

          In a few days, the girls and I are going to take a little trip (well, it's actually long since the drive takes 12 hours) to Gram and Pa's house.  We're going to spend most of our summer in Missouri!  Audrey is beyond excited to see more family.  This morning, I told Audrey that after nap she could help pick out a few toys to take with us to Missouri.  "Nap" was really just time in her room today. She did not sleep.  She did decide to pack, though.  When she came out of her room at the end of her rest time, she told me she had packed a few things for Gram and Pa's house.
          I was busy taking care of Claire, so I did not immediately look in Audrey's room.  A few hours later, I walk in to her room and initially think Audrey has made a huge mess.  When I look closer, though, I realize that I'm looking directly at the product of her packing.  It's actually not bad.  She has filled her little pink bag with clothes.  (I peek in her drawers and see that she's picked EVERYTHING from every drawer except her pajamas!)  She has a neat stack of books next to all her ponies (which are lined up).  She has piled her stuffed animals next to her clothes.  Blankets sit by the animals.  Her shoes are stacked next to her bag, too.  I was most impressed that she actually chose certain items to stay and certain items to go.  For example, several stuffed animals didn't make the cut - they were still piled in her basket at the foot of her bed.  (She has way too many stuffed animals). She also picked out a half dozen books from her shelves filled with stories!  One book she chose is a compilation with tons of stories.  She also picked her bible and a few of her current favorites.
          Obviously, I'll have to finish up her packing job, but her efforts actually helped me!  I was touched by her effort and amazed at what a big girl I now have on my hands.  I just love my girls.

Audrey's packing effort

Audrey shows off the hat she made at school!

That's right...

What a Dog!

          We have navigated our way through the roughest days of this separation.  Well, these first days are always emotionally the roughest for me.  Who am I kidding, though?  We anticipate other rough days, but they'll probably be rough for other reasons (like mommy is too tired or kids aren't listening).  I feel like I've been dropped to the depths and carried back out again, and it is so good to be able to breathe.
         Audrey and Claire continue to adjust, too.  The best part for me?  They are still sleeping at night!  The last time Matt left for his five week TDY, both girls woke up multiple times throughout the night for the entirety of his trip.  I think I got one or two nights of uninterrupted sleep.  Needless to say, I was a bit worried about that this time.  God hears our prayers, though, and the girls are sleeping great.  Audrey has talked to Matt several times on the phone or via skype, she looks at her book of photos (Daddy book) and listens to her CD of Daddy reading stories, and she talks to me about what Daddy is doing and when he'll be home.

          We've made this week fun, too.  Hanging out with friends, playing at the park, and playing in our own back yard keeps us all distracted.  I had to laugh today, though.  At nap time, both of our dogs came in to Audrey's room while I was reading to her.  Audrey really wanted the dogs to stay with her so, in her words, she wouldn't be lonely.  I agreed to let her try nap time with Buddy (our lab) in her room.  He is great with her and wouldn't mind as much if she did decide to give him a check-up using her dr's kit.  After 15 minutes or so, I hear her talking to Buddy and decide to peek in to make sure he's not begging to leave.  What do I see?  Buddy has a pillow on his front paws and a small blanket across his back.  Audrey has also given him one of her stuffed animals to keep him comfortable!  I asked Audrey about it, and she told me that Buddy was cold and needed a blanket.  He just stared at me for a second and put his head on the pillow!  That dog has quite a life.

When I Miss Him...

...I can just watch this and smile. You will, too. Matt is so much fun! We love you, babe, and I hope this will make you smile, too.

Claire is Six Months Old!

          Seriously, where does the time go? I feel like Claire was just born, but she is now six months old.

This little one is truly a blessing to our family. Claire is still laid back and easy going, unless she gets too hungry or too tired! She sleeps so well, and it's very easy to tell when she's ready for her nap or for bedtime.  While she's still mainly drinking milk, over the past month and a half Claire's been trying a few different baby foods.  She's partial to sweet potatoes and peas. No kidding. Those yukky, mushy green peas.  I've tried oatmeal, rice cereal, and even a couple of fruits, but she prefers the peas. I think she'd prefer to eat what the rest of us eat, but she has no teeth, so she'll have to stick with the mushy stuff for a bit longer.

          Claire is also developing a little personality. She is very curious and reaches out to grab anything in front of her. Audrey likes to build with her blocks while Claire plays on the floor, and Claire is constantly reaching out for those blocks. Audrey figured out that she could distract Claire by sharing a block or two, but I'm afraid it won't be long until Claire can crawl right up and reach the blocks herself. Just last week, Claire started moving around a lot more while playing on the floor. She uses a variety of methods - rolls, reaching, and the occasional scoot. Over the past few days, she's gotten more proficient with her scooting. She wants to move, so we'll see how long it takes her to scoot (or crawl) her way around a room!
          Finally, I thought that maybe Claire looked a bit more like me than Audrey did at this age.  When I was looking through old baby photos, though, I found one of Matt that blew me away.  Below Claire's slide show, I'll post a picture of Matt and one of me when we were infants.  You can decide for yourself!

Matt as an infant...

Erika as an infant...

A Bedtime Story for Daddy

We miss you, Daddy. Audrey wants you to be able to listen to her read Tanka Tanka Skunk whenever you want, so this video is for you! (For every one else, this is one of Audrey's current favorite story. She has it memorized and likes to "read" it to us all the time).

I'll Be Right Back...

          Those words brought me to tears yesterday afternoon as I read them in a card Matt left for me.  We had to say goodbye yesterday morning as Matt left for yet another Air Force adventure.  This one is of the deployment variety and carries him far away for many months.  For me, the hardest days are the day prior to his departure and the day of his departure.  I let myself cry when I needed to cry (as long as I could sneak away and cry without Audrey seeing me), and Matt hugged me as much as he could leading up to his goodbye.
          After he left, we were able to have a pity party with a few other ladies whose husbands had left, and Audrey played with her friends.  When we returned to our empty house, my heart felt empty.  I hate saying goodbye, especially to my best friend.  Our entire house is just a bit hollow when he first leaves, and I'm not afraid to admit that our day to day lives are just more fun when Matt is around.  I put on a brave face for Audrey and fixed us lunch.  For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to read the card Matt left me while sitting with Audrey for lunch.  She was looking at her sweet card from Daddy (where Matt gave her a hug she could always keep with her).  I read Matt's words of comfort, love, and encouragement, and when I got to the end, I saw that he had signed it, "I'll be right back."  I literally jumped up from the table, told Audrey I had to use the bathroom, and ran into my room.  I burst into tears, cried for less than a minute, wiped my eyes, and forced myself back into the kitchen to finish lunch with my sweet girl.  Whew!
          The truth is, I know that Matt is right.  This time will pass quickly.  Or at least it will feel that way when we near the end of our separation.  At this moment, though, it seems so long.  And every ounce of me WANTS him to be right back, to walk in the door and yell "surprise!" and give us all his amazing hugs.  Sigh...
          The girls are doing better than I expected, and I thank God for all of the prayers people have whispered for our family.  I know they work.  Audrey has been happily listening to her CD of Daddy reading her books.  She looks at the map that we use to "see" where Daddy is in relation to where we live.  And last night she got to talk to Daddy on the phone before she went to sleep.  She chatted happily like a little teenager and didn't want to get off the phone.  It was a sweet, sweet moment.  She went to bed happy (and only woke up once in the middle of the night).  Claire smiles and laughs every time she hears her Daddy's voice, whether it is from her Daddy Doll or his voice on the CD.  I will make sure she doesn't forget his voice while he's gone.
          Today when I woke up, I felt like I could breathe.  The second day is so much better, and I know each prayer and passing day will lessen the tightness I feel in my chest.  We miss you, Matt, and we're praying for your safety and your protection.  Thank you for your love.  Thank you for serving our country.

Audrey is showing us her special light that Daddy gave her while standing in front of her map.

Claire enjoys bouncing.  She is six months old today!!

Mother's Day Weekend

          My Mother's Day kicked off at Audrey's day school on Friday.  Her class had Muffins with Mom (or Mom's Muffins or something along those lines), and it was so sweet.  They had decorated the room with flowers, had muffins and juice, and gave us little gifts.  The kids sang a sweet little Mommy song for us ("Mommy, mommy, we love you...") before giving us our gifts.  Each child had answered questions about their moms (ahem, for clarity, I am NOT older than Matt AND I do not sit around eating doughnuts all day long) and gave us a little handprint and poem.  It was such a sweet experience for me and for Audrey.
          Saturday, we packed up for a day trip to the Charleston area.  After learning that the College of Charleston was holding graduation on Saturday, we decided to explore other regions in the area - mainly, Mt. Pleasant and the Isle of Palms.  We had a picnic at the Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park before playing on the playground and walking on the pier (I have this amazing video of Matt getting dizzy in the dizzy cups on the playground that I'll post in the next day or two).  We made our way to the Isle of Palms and spent a few pleasant hours on the beach.  After dipping her toes in the Atlantic, Claire enjoyed watching the surf from the shade of her Bob Jogging Stroller.  Daddy and Audrey tried to fly a kite (a bit too windy), and we all watched kite surfers tack their way through the surf.  We finished our day trip with a great dinner at a local marina roof top grill, watching the boats sail in from their day's adventure.
         On Sunday, I got to sleep in while Audrey and Matt made pancakes.  When I got up, I was treated to coffee, strawberry pancakes, and an uninterrupted shower!  We had a beautiful morning at church, lunch at Chili's, and an afternoon playing together as a family.  We grilled for dinner and watched the sunset sitting in our front yard. I truly felt honored and blessed, thanks to my loving and wonderful family!

  

Rest in North Carolina

          A few weeks ago, Matt was able to take a few days off of work so that we could spend time together as a family in the North Carolina mountains.  I found a fantastic cabin nestled in the mountains near Bryson City.  We happily settled in to our mountain retreat with the girls and our dogs, and we completely unplugged.  No TV, no internet, and barely any cell phone service...it was spectacular!
          On our first full day in the mountains, we explored the Deep Creek area of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.  The Deep Creek area is well maintained, and it has plenty of gentle, easy hikes, which is perfect for our little family.  We let Audrey walk as much as she wanted, but we also had our Kelty pack when she got a bit tired.  Matt carried Audrey in her pack, and I'm pretty sure Matt enjoyed it more than Audrey did!  They looked for an escaped monkey in the forest, ran through creeks, and took plenty of breaks to play in the water.  I carried Claire in the Moby Wrap.  She happily looked around for about a half mile then she fell asleep.  The mountains are beautiful this time of year, full of blooming flowers and budding trees.  We passed a pair of amateur botanists on the trail who happily told Audrey that they were looking for a flower called the "Stinky Willy" flower.  She thought that was the silliest thing she'd ever heard.  She spent the rest of our hike trying to find the Stinky Willy flower.
          We drove down to the Nantahala Outdoor Center on our second day in the mountains.  We had a little picnic by the river and watched through-hikers on the Appalachian Trail stop for some lunch (and maybe a shower and rest).  We talked to a hiker who had started the Trail in Georgia 15 days prior.  He was planning to hike the entire 2, 178 miles of the Trail, or as far as he could go by September!
          The weather was beautiful until our last full day.  Storms started rolling in as we managed to finish another short hike along a river in the Smokey Mountain National Park.  We must have looked quite a site as we walked along - Matt had Audrey in the Kelty, I was wearing Claire, Matt was walking Buddy (our lab), and I was walking Sydney (our beagle).  We just managed to finish our hike and load up in the car when the down pour began.  We got back to the cabin in time for naps, and Matt went out for a few solitary hours of fly fishing.  The weather precluded him from catching any trout, but he enjoyed the fishing nonetheless.
          We were loading up to return home before we were really ready to leave, but the time was so precious to us.  It was a great way to spend some quality time together before Matt leaves for his deployment.
        

Disney on Ice

          We did it.  We bought tickets and took our girls to see Disney on Ice.  I wasn't really sure what to expect.  We were going to an 11 a.m. show, I had no idea how close our seats would be to the ice, and I wasn't even sure if Audrey would really enjoy it.  We didn't tell Audrey what show we were going to see until we found our seats, and she actually loved the surprise.  (She guessed that it had something to do with Disney once we walked into the arena and saw vendors selling every imaginable Disney souvenir.)  The show was actually good, too.  (Even Matt and I enjoyed ourselves).  We could easily see the ice, and each skating segment was just long enough for her to enjoy without losing focus.  She was only scared at a few points (like when Gaston tries to kill the Beast), but a quick hug from Mommy or Daddy was all she needed.   Claire slept through most of the first act, but when she was awake, she was completely captivated by the music and the lights.  And after the show, we all enjoyed a late lunch at Mellow Mushroom Pizza!  It was actually a great way to spend a Saturday.

Princess Face

While eating, Audrey told me she wanted to show me something. The video is a "replay" of what she initially wanted me to see! Her "princess face" is her creation, and I was so amused that I asked if I could video her. She agreed (and actually asked to be filmed multiple times). She makes me laugh!

If I could slow the clock...

          I'm not really one for wishing to stop time.  But, there are definitely times in my life where I'd like for it to slow down.
          This is one of those times.
          Over the past month, we've been having a blast together as a family.  I've got some great photos to post over the next few days that will give visual to our adventures.  Now, though, we're in count down mode.  Matt is packed to leave for his second deployment.  This is not only his second deployment, it is the second deployment he's done during our time here in South Carolina.  As we get closer to his departure date, I wish I could just hit a "pause" button.  I know I don't need to explain why.
          We do have a few more days before he leaves, and I'm focusing on the time we have.  I definitely have what I like to call my "weepy" moments.  I tear up a bit sometimes when I see him playing with the girls, when I'm hugging him, when he is wrestling with the dogs...  It's all those little things that I'm going to miss so much.  Matt is my best friend, and everything is brighter and more fun when he is here.  I'll cry when he leaves, too.  Make no mistake about it.  I've always been a crier, and this warrants a good cry!
          I am so blessed, though, to have God's comfort, the support of a great group of Air Force and community friends, and a family that loves me.
          Be warned - over the next several months, there should be an increase in the number of posts.  I'm going to try to post more pictures and some videos so that Matt can also read our family's blog while he's overseas.  That's my goal, anyway.

Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp

          I have never posted about food that I've made, but this Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp was so delicious that I have to share.  I have loved every recipe I've tried from the Pioneer Woman's website, and this is no exception.  It was definitely spicy, though, so if you're not so keen on spicy stuff, I would significantly reduce the cheyenne pepper.  In order to make it our main meal, I cooked some vermicelli (thin spaghetti) and added it to the shrimp at the end.  It was perfect - the orange garlic mixture lightly coated the spaghetti.  Add a salad (and some bread), and you're set!

In case you don't have time to scroll down through the PW's blog entry, here is the recipe:

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 24 pieces (26-30 Per Pound) Deveined Shrimp
• 2 cloves (to 4 Cloves) Garlic
• ¾ cups Orange Juice
• ½ teaspoons Ground Cayenne Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 3 Tablespoons Salted Butter

Preparation Instructions

Thaw and peel the shrimp. Thaw them by running them under cold water for a few minutes. Dry the peeled shrimp by draining them on a paper towel or two.

Thinly slice your garlic cloves. Add the garlic to ¾ cup of orange juice. Use a nice high quality orange juice. Measure out and add all of the spices to the orange juice as well.

In a large skillet over high heat melt 2 tablespoons butter. Once butter has melted add your shrimp. Cook them for about 30-60 seconds and begin flipping them over starting with the ones you placed in the pan first so they don’t get overdone. Cook for another 30-60 seconds. Remove the cooked shrimp from the pan, leaving the heat on high.

Once the butter and drippings begin to smoke ever so slightly add the spicy orange garlic mixture to the pan and give it a good stir. Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce and after a few minutes of cooking and occasional stirring your sauce should be slightly thicker.

Return the shrimp to the pan and give them a nice toss to coat them in the sauce. Allow an intermingling of souls to take place for just a few seconds and then it’s time for the fireworks.