Don't Blink...

Well today was the first day of Kindergarten for my sweet boy. I seriously can't believe we are here and that he is going to school. The song "Don't Blink" comes to mind so often because it is just like they were babies and now we are entering a whole new phase of life. James decided he wanted to ride the school bus so even on his day to test they wanted the students to ride the bus. The night before he came to me and said he was kinda scared and I saw tears well up in his eyes. So I swallowed extra hard to remove the lump from my throat and to fight back the tears. I explained to him that we all are scared to do new things. Then came the questions about what if he gets lost or if his teacher isn't there to get him off the bus etc. I reassured him that someone would be there and to not worry....but inside my head I was thinking "crap it could happen". So we said our prayers and he went to sleep. The next morning he woke up at 6:30 and came into my room fully dressed and said he is ready to ride the "yellow dog" aka the bus. Thank Shawn for that nickname :). My brave boy was going to do this and with such confidence.  I could hear him on the bus as the doors shut saying "This is great".
The time came for us to walk him to the bus stop and I have to admit my stomach was in knots. He was so excited so we focused on that and before we knew it the bus was pulling up. He got on the bus without looking back. All day I wondered if he made it off ok and how his day was going. FINALLY the time came for him to come home and it seems I couldn't walk fast enough to get to the bus stop. He bounced off the bus eager to tell me about his entire day to include what they had for lunch and how he got to sit in the big cafeteria. He survived...well I guess I should say I survived his first day of Kindergarten.
James is always eager to learn and does well at school. His only complaint is that he doesn't get to watch TV very long at night and that he doesn't like homework. WOW....this early...we got a looong road ahead of homework buddy :).
I am so proud of him.  Despite the moves we make due to the Army he always seems to acclimate so well. He often is my strength to adjust faster to places and get moving. I pray that he gets to enjoy being a child and that other kids don't teach him "stuff" that he doesn't need to know. I pray that he isn't afraid to be himself and to be kind to other kids. Sending your baby out into this cruel world is so difficult. Thumbs up James to a great school year! Go Barkers Mill Bobcats!!!

I was very fortunate to find a Mother's Morning Out program that is 5 minutes up the road for Ethan. Of course he was excited too because big brother was going to school and now so was he. He kept asking whent he bus would come for him and I had to explain that's only for kindergarten. He was a bit disappointed but he was ok. He was so excited at his Jake and the Neverland Pirates bookbag and lunch box. We got to his school and he kissed me and went straight to his seat. I was so relieved because with Ethan he doesn't always adjust as well as James to new situations. After school he was so excited to tell me about his day and that he ate all his lunch like a big boy. He said he pottied 3 times....we are finally potty trained and he wears big boy undies now  :).  His teacher seems so great and I am so glad we found such  a great place for him to enjoy learning and learning aboug God.


Both boys have started AWANA's program here. Ethan started his first year of Cubbies and James is in Sparks now. I love how they both get so excited to go learn about God's word and the memory verses they learn. Definitely something we missed in Kansas. It's such a blessing to find a good church who loves your children!!

Home Sweet Home

Well after having orders for 4 different duty stations we finally got one that stuck. Welcome to Fort Campbell, Kentucky home of the 101st Airborne division. We were very excited and knew God was taking care of us when we got stationed here. It is only 3 hours from home and with issues going on with family it was perfect timing. The boys and I initially went to Clarksville, TN to look at rentals but after discussing things we felt it was a good time to buy. The interests rates were at all time low and new builds were cheaper than renting. I looked at 4 homes total during our time house hunting. When I saw the last home I just felt it was perfect for us. I fell in love with the kitchen and the dark floors. The biggest selling point was all bedrooms were upstairs and we had no backyard neighbors....just a cornfield that was in Kentucky. Yup, our front yard is Tennesee and backyard is Kentucky :).

We love our house and are slowly getting it put together. I was very lucky to be able to leave the boys with Shawn's mom while I unpacked the majority of things especially their rooms. Our neighbors are awesome and James has made a buddy already with their 4 year old little boy. Shawn loves it because we are about 45 minutes from Paris Landing which is great for fishing. We have spent several days on the lake there as well as the new marina here in Clarksville.

We had our first house guests last weekend. Bart (aka Bromance), Misty and Major Brimhall came to visit before they trekked south to Troy, AL for grad school. Bart and Shawn spent their days fishing. One afternoon we took the boys to go out on the boat with them. James water skiied and did such an awesome job!! He stayed up forever. He is such an athletic little boy!

I think we are going to like this area just fine. Shawn is happy to be back with an Active Army unit after being in school almost 4 years for the Army. He will be working with 101 HQ in the G6 shop.

Can it be that Ethan is THREE?

Well as of July 30, 2012 we have a three year old little boy. It still doesn't seem like he should be this age and I ask myself where has the time gone. I must say with a second child things seem to go much faster.  Ethan has celebrated each of his three birthdays in three different states (Alabama, Kansas, Tennessee) which is kind of neat. This year since we were close to family we decided to do an impromptu family meal at Rainforest Cafe in Nashville, TN.  All of Shawn's family came as well as my sister and her boyfriend. We were extra blessed with having Bart and Misty with us since they were visiting before heading to their new home in Troy. Although any planning is stressful things went over very well. Ethan chose the theme Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Let me tell ya finding Jake is like finding Waldo...very difficult :). But in the end we pulled it off and he had a wonderful party with his cousins.

Ethan  has learned to right his bike really well over the past couple of months. He knows his alphabet, numbers, and colors very well. He loves to play with his trucks and boats and will line them all up in the hallway. He loves to glue, cut and make pictures. I am so proud of how smart he is and his willingness to try new things. We recently moved him into his race car bed which was bittersweet for me. It truly meant my baby was a big boy...but he reassures me often he will always be my little boy. I refer to him as my little biggie boy :).

Ethan,
I can't believe that you are 3 and that in just a few weeks you will be starting preschool a couple days a week. The first 1 1/2 years I was wondering if we would survive but with God's guidance and your daddy's patience we did :). You were just testing me :)You are talking so much now and crack us up with your facial expressions and one liners. You are quite spunky and tackle your big brother like you are 10 feet tall. I love how just randomly you will say "mommy I just love you". It melts my heart like no other. You are such a caring, brave boy who has adapted to moving well. Anytime you are faced with a new place or challenge you look at me and say "I brave boy mommy", kiss me and then go in without hesitation. I am so proud of you.  You have completed us as a family and are the missing piece that our family lacked. I know that the future holds great things for you and that you will chase your dreams. I will be your biggest cheerleader while you do so. I pray that you find and accept Jesus and live your life in a way that is pleasing to Him. I pray that you treat people from all backgrounds with respect and kindness. I love you baby boy and am so blessed to be your mommy.

Christmas 2011

Wow! It's hard to believe Christmas is upon us. Even harder to belive that we have only about 5 more months in Kansas before we move again!
We started our Christmas festivities with Gingerbread houses followed by James and Shawn watching the Nativity movie on DVD.  James was very intrigued by it all but we were thrown for a loop when he asked where babies come from and why Mary was screaming. I thought the video was a bit much but let Shawn and James bond over it while Ethan and I did other things. Then on Christmas Eve we made cookies for Santa. James really enjoyed this (as well as Shawn hehe) and took his time to make sure the cookies were perfect for Santa. Ethan enjoyed licking the frosting off the knife..glad we were the only ones eating them :). Then it was time to put the cookies out for Santa and for the boys to get to bed. But not before having the talk with James that he is to wake us up first before going into the living room to ensure that it wasn't too early.  Thankfully they zonked out very quickly allowing Santa to make an early arrival. :).  I have to admit I think I went a little overboard this year and ahve decided in years to come I will tone it down.

I think James came into our room around 3 a.m. and tried to get us to get up. I told him it was way too early so I agreed to lay with him in his bed. That did the trick until about 7:30 which was great. Aunt Andrea and Maw-Maw were able to join us via Skype as the boys opened their presents. This was the first year Aunt Andrea hadn't been at our house on Christmas. The boys tore into their stockings and presents and enjoyed each one. Both boys go the remote control Kevin Van Dam bass boat they wanted along with leappad, tag jr, basketball goals (over the door), fishing pole amongst other goodies. While they played with their toys I was going to attempt to make breakfast consisting of monkey bread and hashbrown casserole. Thanks to my sister in law, Susan I felt confident in doing this. Shawn grew up having a large breakfast on Christmas morning so I thought that would be a fun tradition too. After the monkey bread finished we put candles in it and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. Both boys were so sweet and sincere about it. I must admit the breakfast was pretty good. Of course the casserole needs a little fine tuning but overall tasty. 

Shawn and I had the bright idea of leaving on Christmas day to drive to Alabama. Well after unsuccessful napping on adults part we left out on the LONG drive home. Shawn was determined to drive the 12 hour (NOT including stops) through its entirety that night. About 3 hours in we decided we needed to stop for dinner before going any further and before the boys went to bed..in the car.  I had done some research and found that IHOP and Denny's would be open on Christmas day. So that was our plan to use one of those for our stop. Well low and behold none were open. The only thing open nearby was Hooters, yes you read it right. I do love the food there but I was in a sweatsuit but we went in anyways. It was kinda humourous because the only people in there were families with small kids and older adults. I guess when it's the only joint open for miles you sacrifice. Then back on the road we went. I am not one who can sleep in the car so when 12-1 a.m. rolled around I was getting quite ill ans begging Shawn to get a hotel room but he declined. We pulled into his mom's house around 5:00 a.m. and the boys slept until 7 or 8. I can't recall the whole trip is a blur. But we ushered them out to Gran and slept a few more minutes...well I did and then Shawn came rolling out about 11ish. Ethan complained about his tummy but he says it quite often so I thought nothing of it. Then Shawn gets a little shower of vomit on him while in the media room. Yup the stomach bug invaded Ethan for about 6 hours that day off and on. That ws the night we had planned to do Christmas dinner with Shawn's dad. I was torn what to do because I wanted to see the family but didn't want to leave my baby. After much thought I decided to leave Ethan with Gran for some one on one time. He was fine the entire night and didn't get sick at all. We all ate at Tokyo (Japanese restaurant) with Papa D and then went back to Aunt Chresta's to open presents.  The cousins had a good time and I enjoyed just playing around with them.
The next day we were suppose to have dinner at Grans with all the cousins. Notice key word "suppose to".  Then Shawn gets hit with the stomach bug. I hear him come in our room hurling. Not a great wake up call.  Shawn was sick pretty much the entire day which called for cancelling dinner at Gran's :(. This was the first year that we had not done Christmas with his entire family. Aunt Susan couldn't make Tokyo so we woulnd't get to see them. We couldn't reschedule because of peoples schedules and Gran was headed out of town. Quite odd for sure. The recoup time from the stomach bug for Shawn lasted for about 3 days. He was just very worn down from driving and being sick.  However we were able to do a small Christmas with my side of the family the following day. It was nice to see all the cousins playing football and climbing the tree at Maw-Maw's. But what I was looking forward to the most was a night out with my besties, Kristin and Courtney! We all met up and went to BWW which is our normal place it seems to meet. It was such a fun time filled with laughs galore. They wanted to see a 9:00 p.m. movie but for some reason I was EXTREMELY tired and decided not to go. I was bummed but I could barely hold my eyes open.
Well the next morning would give me my answer...yup I got the stomach bug!! All I gotta say is I am glad my mommy was there with some pheregan! I don't care how old I get when I am sick or hurting I still want my mommy!! Shawn took the boys out so I could sleep that afternoon which was nice. Then they surprised me by bringing me a zebra coffee mug with my initials on it. Such sweet kids (and hubby of course).

Once we all ran the course of the stomach bug it was time to head home to KS. Although I enjoyed seeing family and friends and Alabama will always be a place we love it just didn't feel like Christmas this year. I got to thinking this is the first time since James has been born that we made the trip home together as a family where it took that long to drive so soon after Christmas. Other than the years Shawn was deployed we were close enough to make day trips back and forth between our home and families. The strain of the drive, sickness and jsut the exhaustion between families definitely has us rethinking how we will do Christmas in years to come. We want to enjoy the holiday as a family of 4 without added stress or exhaustion.  We always said that our boys would wake up in their house on Christmas morning which we feel is important. We hope to start/continue traditions for our family of 4 for many years to come. Time is too precious!! I still can't believe I have a 5 year old!!!!

Branson, MO 2011

We started our Christmas celebration a few days before Christmas by going to Branson, MO. The show capitol of the world...or so we heard. I must admit that what really drew us was the Big Cedar Lodge that is always pictured in the Bass Pro Shops. However to stay there was $160 a night which was way out of our budget. So Shawn went to Bass Pro Shop and signed up for one of the travel agencies to score a nearly free trip in return for a 2 hour spill trying to sell us a cabin. Well I was in because it was super affordable and allowed us to hit a show or two while we were there.
I was in charge of James Christmas party at his preschool so after I was done with that we headed to Branson the next day, Wednesday.  The drive wasn't too bad and the boys enjoyed it. Ethan loves hotels so he was thrilled with knowing we would be staying at a hotel. We didn't stay at the Big Cedar Lodge but at a Radisson hotel in the heard of the city. That night we drove through a large Christmas Light display and Ethan ooh and ahhed over it. He was so funny with Christmas lights. He would beg me to ride around the neighborhood and at each house get so excited and say "pwetty Christmas lights mommy". It made me smile to see him enjoy the simple things in life. Ok back to Branson.

Upon check in we were told the "sales pitch" tour would be at 8:45 a.m. Oh yeah! The first night we just kinda drove around to see what there was to do. We also hit an all you can eat buffett which I normally am not a fan of but hey it's the holidays and I LOVE sweets. After filling our bellies we went back to the hotel where I ordered Dixie Stampede tickets for the following night. Then we all snuggled into bed so we could get up for our super early tour.  James woke up and told us that his head hurt and his belly felt funny. I figured it was from the sugar overload the night before and gave him time to take care of business in the bathroom.  Well then the vomitting began.  Shawn went to see about just him and Ethan going on the tour but by law because he is married I had to accompany him. I asked James if he felt ok to go and he told me he did. So we loaded up in the van and rushed to the Big Cedar Lodge tour. In the elevator the puking began. Oh sheesh was I embarrassed. Luckily we were the only ones in there so we just tried to pretend it wasn't us...but James being James and the honest boy is he felt the need to tell EVERYONE who got on or off the elevator he just threw up in there. And James ran up to me and said "mommy i'm sorry i lied to you, I wasn't feeling better".  I took him in my arms and told him it's ok but always tell mommy the truth. He was pitiful.  To make matters worse the agent they sent us was undergoing chemo so couldn't be exposed to any viruses. That really made me feel awful. I know that these people thought we were awful for draggin our 5 year old around while puking but I honestly thought he was ok, he NEVER gets sick.  Well we got a new agent and toured and let her give us the spill about time shares blah blah blah.  James made it to the bathroom one more time and then we went back to the hotel for a long nap. He woke up feeling like nothing happened. Boy was I thrilled because our Dixie Stampede tickets were for that night and they weren't cheap.

We got to the preshow and the boys loved it. They both loved the juggling act and were quite entertained. Then it was time for the real deal. I wasn't sure if I was more excited or the kids. This was a show I had always seen advertised and it was always a desire of mine to go. This particular show was a Christmas one whic made it even better!! The food was A LOT and you ate it all with your hands which was kinda neat. The boys were in such awe of the show they didn't eat much at all. The show was AMAZING!!! I was so bummed that no cameras were allowed in there because i missed some great shots. Both boys talked about how awesome it was. It made me so happy that they enjoyed it too!!

Because of James sickness we didn't get to check out much more before we had to head home to bake cookies for Santa's arrival the next night!

Fun to be Five

It is hard to believe that we are celebrating James FIFTH birthday. I remember finding out that we were expecting and then the culmination of his birth like it was yesterday. I always dreamed of being a mommy but never knew how wonderful it truly would be. James was the best baby and was always so beautiful in my eyes. I loved his chubby little self and his sweet demeanor.

I tried to entice James by offering a family celebration at Great Wolf Lodge here in KS. I was totally shocked when he asked if he could go to Chuck E Cheese with his friends at school. I guess I was in the mind set that we just wouldn't have friends that would want to celebrate with us but of course my social butterfly already has his best buddy this year, Japheth. I went back and forth and even solicited advice from FB :)...then I decided with our lifestyle it is important for James to have good memories with the friends he meets during our travels. I have no doubt that GWL will see us soon. :). Jame 3 best buds at Pre-K were able to join us and it was so fun. Since it was a weekday morning it was very pleasent. On the actual day of his birthday we made Hotwheels cupcakes to share with his class. That night he wanted cheese fries so off we went to oblige this birthday boy. I think his favorite part was when the restaurant sang happy birthday to him!

James has brought such laughter and joy to our lives. He has the best personality and can always make us laugh. James never meets a stranger and is always so kind to people...well for the most part.  He adjusts so well to the moves that we make due the Army Life. James is so smart and wise beyond his young years. He loves to learn and picks up on things so fast. He has such a bright future ahead regardless what he chooses to do.

James is in his 3rd year of AWANA's and he loves it. He always learns his verses so quickly and comes home with such happiness on his face. Our one wish as parents is that he knows and accepts Jesus on his own one day. We know that each child comes to terms on his own.

James has begun a Pre-K program in Leavenworth, KS. He goes in the afternoon for 3 days a week. It has been more of an adjustment for me than for him. He LOVES it and has met his best buddy Japheth Nowlin. I love that James always finds new friends wherever we go. James has learned to spell his last name and has my phone number memorized. He will begin wrestling in December and I am so nervous. But I know he will succeed and give it his all.

Just within the last 2 weeks James has conquered the task of riding a bike without training wheels. He nailed it on his first try and I am so proud. Shawn actually worked with him one day I was out running errands. He couldn't wait to show me. I was one proud mommy!!

James,
You have brought so much joy to my life. I never knew that I could love someone as much as I loved you even before you were born. Labor with you wasn't the easiest...from start to finish was about 27 hours. :)You were always such a happy baby which helped with your daddy serving our country in Afghanistan.  The past five years have seemed to fly by and I can't believe you will be in school this time next year. It is so bittersweet to watch you grow, but I am so proud of you. You are so kindhearted yet you are ALL boy. Over the past five years you have brought so many giggles to our family. I couldn't be prouder of you than I am now. I pray that you continue to love to learn about God and will devote your life to Him. I feel if you do that than everything else will fall into place for you.  I love your hugs and kisses more than anything in this world. I pray I am the mother that you deserve each day. You make me want to be the best person I can be. I love you big boy and you will ALWAYS be my baby no matter how old you get. I thank God daily for giving you to me. You are such a wonderful boy with a bright future. I can't wait to see what it holds for you,know whatever it is I will be there cheering you along!!
"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
My baby you'll be!!"
p.s. yes I will climb your window and rock you even when you are bigger than me :)

Just Kick It

James played  his first city league sports league this year in Lansing, KS.  He played for the Dolphins in the 4-5 year old league.  He of course was the superstar in our eyes. After playing in a Christian league I was a bit anxious about how playing in a city league where we knew nobody would go. Thankfully we got a great coach and teammates. There were 12 kids on the team but they split them into 2 seperate fields on game day so that the kids would get more play time. James would be on the field alot and was quite competitive. Sometimes I wanted to crawl under my chair because he was soooo competitive. Everyone would get a kick out of his facial expressions when he missed a goal or if someone got in his way. Luckily he only pushed into another player in an unsportsman like way. :)..whew.  I was very thankful for such a good season. Oh yeah, I am 'that' mom on the sidelines yelling for my baby! It was also so cute watching Ethan kick his little soccer ball into the goal during half time. He is going to follow in big brother's footsteps I do believe.

The season ended at the end of October with a parents vs. kids game. It was quite humorous to watch because some parents were really getting into it and keeping the kids from scoring. I am thinking some of these men were quite sore the next day.  In the end the kids beat the parents with 1 score. Now on to wrestling season...I am a nervous wreck!!!