Valentine's Day 2011

First off let me say that I think Valentine's Day is a highly overrated holiday. However it is nice to take that day to really go out of your way for those that you love because let's face it, we all get consumed in everyday tasks and KIDS :). I am determined to make any Holiday fun and hopefully it is the little traditions that they will remember and cherish.

I started the morning off by making heart shape strawberry cheesecake muffins and bacon. Of course Ethan and I were the first to get out of bed which made for making anything difficult. Between stirring, spraying and pouring I was pulling my monkey off tables, stools, chairs, etc. James slept late today which is odd but as soon as he woke up he kissed me and told me I was his Valentine. I love that kid...last night he held his hands up in the shape of  a heart and told me "Mommy, you are my Valentine". Seriously this kid is a smooth operator!! Once I got breakfast on the table (on none other than heart shape plates) I let the little boys open their gifts. Of course Shawn got his favorite candy and a card (Shawn's "real" gift isn't suitable to share; :). Nothing big but just little fun stuff and CANDY that my boys love. Shawn made the day great by telling me to go run because he knows I enjoy that few minutes to myself. The weather was gorgeous so I took him up on it for sure!! Then he surprised me with yellow roses and a card which was so sweet. Then all my Valentines went to Zaxby's for a delicious salad.

To top the night off my best friend, Courtney, and her family joined us for making heart shaped pizzas. Each child got to make their own and then we quickly baked them. It was so fun and the kids enjoyed playing together. It is the little times like this that I really enjoy being home. To make memories with my best friend and her family is priceless. Although I don't mind military life, those that never have to leave their friends just don't understand how precious this time is for me. I couldn't have asked for a more pefect day!!!

I love my husband so much and am so proud of him. He is an excellent provider in every aspect. It's hard to believe we have been together almost 10 years! I love my little boys so much and am so blessed that God chose Shawn and I to be their parents. They both have very different personalities but that makes them unique. Ethan is my wild, "tiny destroyer" while James is my sweet boy who knows just what to say and when to say it :). I love all of my boys beyond measure!!

Ethan-18 months

Ethan is 18 months, going on 19 months this month. He is FINALLY a sweet,loving, cute baby who sleeps thru the night. I swear I thought we would never get to this point based on the first 12 months of his life. He was so fussy, clingy and just was determined to love his mommy to DEATH :). I knew he would quickly outgrow this but I just wasn't sure when. We would joke and say he was a terrorist in training with the whole sleep deprivity and crying :). He still loves to be held but is also becoming quite independent. He enjoys playing with choo-choo's (Thomas the Train), cars and balls of any type. Yup he is definitely all boy! He is happy most of the time but has a little attitude on him. I can remember James going thru this around this age though. Ethan will get mad and hit a wall or chair which results in him getting time out or a pop on the leg. He gladly sits in time out which is odd. He is still quite a finicky eater and mainly grazes not eating many real meals. But he is growing and seems content so that is all that matters. Ethan is much smaller than James at this age so he seems so small to me. Ethan loves to give kisses and hugs and adores his older brother. Ethan is my "tiny destroyer" because any room he is in he makes sure to leave his mark that he was there by leaving everything in the floor. Ethan sleeps through the night but he still has his bumper pads in the crip because he snuggles up to them at night! It is so cute...he has always had the  need to feel snuggled since he was born so I guess those soft pads do the trick still. He will bury his head in them and just snooze away.

Ethan is saying some words. Of course I am usually the only one who can interpret. He says a lot of "B" words...ball, buzz, banana, boat. He can also say da-da and ma-ma (when he wants to) as well as his version of James. He will stand outside James door and yell "Ames" or something similar. He can say choo choo, cachow, that, chip,and toodles...of course some are not always clear but he will point to "lightning mcqueen" and say ca-chow. And yes he has learned "pug".....the name for his manhood. He is fascinated with this little part on his body, he will constantly touch, pull, put things on it while changing and just laugh! I guess they start young!  He is also very smart and a good clean up helper. He will put things back where they belong in the living room, he helps put dishes up (and in the right place).

Ethan loves the outdoors and swinging. He enjoys climbing up the playgrounds so he can shoot down the slides. He really has  no fear. He is still not the best traveler but he is better than he was for sure (not sure if he could get any worse!!). Ethan also loves to dip his food....ketchup, cheese dip, crackers into soup, veggie dip, it doesn't matter he always wants to dip something :).

He is such a sweet baby boy and his smile will honestly melt your heart. His big blue eyes and chubby cheeks lure you in so fast.  I am so thankful for my 2 healthy, happy boys and the blessing to stay home with them and watch them grow!

A MAJOR Deal!

On February 4 we had Shawn's Major promotion ceremony at UNA. This was such a special day for us to be able to pin him Major at the same place we pinned him as a fresh 2nd LT entering the Army back in August 2002. The day was made complete when COL Atencio arrived home safely and in time from Afghanistan to read Shawn his Oath of Office.  COL Atencio has been such a huge support to us and our family through this journey called Army Life. James has really grown to love him and prayed for him nightly while he was gone. Then when he found out he was home he thanked God every night for his safe return.

Ok..back to Shawn :). We were so excited that our family and friends could share in this special day with us. I was overwhelmed with how many people were in attendance to be honest! It was a special day for all of us for sure. We decided before hand that James would pin the Major rank on him. It was so precious and although James might not understand the significance of it he will one day and I am sure he will be so proud. During the entire ceremony James would not leave Shawn's side. He clung to his leg and just stood there.

Shawn has worked so hard to get to this point. After our struggle with CPT promotion this was such a wonderful blessing to be promoted so quickly to Major. It definitly shows his hard work while he was deployed as well as stateside. To have the lives of hundreds of men on your shoulders has got to be such a overwhelming experience. To lead them into battle, to see them wounded and even lose a comrade is a wonder that they continue to do the job so few can truly do. Shawn is truly an American Hero.  When he found out he was getting promoted he was like a kid on Christmas morning. I have never seen him so happy and so proud.

Army life isn't always easy especially deployments. I dread our next deployment so much especially with 2 boys who adore their daddy. Ethan already yells for Da-da when he isn't around or if he gone for the weekend fishing. James enjoys fishing with Shawn as well. In 4 shorts months we will be preparing to move to Ft. Leavenworth, KS for Shawn's ILE school.  This will probably be one of the toughest moves for me because living near friends and family again has been nice. My best friend recently moved back to the Shoals which has been awesome as well as me growing close to another Army Wife here. The debate of whether I should stay or should I go is definitely weighing on us. I know that I will not have the option of sending James and Ethan to MMO program there which truly will mean full time SAHM. Shawn's school will occupy his time a lot as it did in Ft. Gordon. We love the doctors here as well as James making friends at church and at school. However, I also know that we  need to be together as a family as long as we can before he deploys. Just hard to make that leap from here after coming back "home" for 2 years to Alabama. I know regardless where the Army sends us that we will make any house a home for our family. At the end of the day, that is what is most important!

Alabama Blizzard

Yup, this is the most snow I think I have ever seen (or at least I remember). The weathermen kept saying that we were going to get a massive amount of snow. But because anytime they predict it it never happens I didn't get my hopes up. But to be safe I went grocery shopping for the necessities..chips, cokes, etc b/c we already had bread and milk.  We all went to bed and woke up to a big surprise...10 inches to be exact!! So after eating breakfast we bundled up and went outside. James LOVED it but Ethan wasn't too fond of it b/c his gloves are not waterproof so his hands were freezing. We built a snowman and James made the biggest snowball I had ever seen just by rolling it around on the ground. It was so pretty and lasted a couple of days. Schools were cancelled, gyms closed which made it a long few days for me. But we made the best of it! We have had some very odd weather here lately with all the snow and cold temps. We just found out that Kansas had about 26 inches of snow! Time to invest in some winter wear for sure!!