It's Over

At noon yesterday we heard a "knock, knock" on the door. I was in the back room and then I heard, "daddy, daddy, daddy". The kids were all over him, he couldn't even come in passed the hall. It was a super day. Sophie didn't really understand what was going on. Maybe because her dad was in all his gear, but after a minute she realized who he was.

The Squirrel

Billy came in and asked me today if I could go get what sounded like the pillow. I had him tell me a million times what he was trying to say but I just didn't understand him. 

I asked him if it was in the back yard and he said yes. So I named every toy back there.

Then I told him to go get it so I could see what he was talking about.

So I let him out back in the rain with no shoes and he carefully tip toed up to the squirrel 

that lives in our back yard. Then he came running back when it scampered away.

I realized he was saying "squirrel" not "pillow"!

I had to explain that I couldn't catch the squirrel and put him in the house because he was an animal.

He didn't like my answer and started crying and whining because I wouldn't go catch the squirrel

for him. It was quite cute.

One More Week

While I am enjoying this...

Jason is enjoying this...

Jason loves Taco Bell. Too bad he's stuck eating crickets and grasshoppers for 5 days!

Photos taken courtesy of Sydney Read.

The Cockroaches vs. Me

So last night I walked into use the bathroom before bed and I freaked when I saw a 

gigantinormous cockroach lurking on the toilet seat.  I looked at him and said, "You little devil!"

I told him it was war and I was sure I would win with the roach spray. I told him I was going to go

get it. When I tried to spray him he booked it behind the seat to where I couldn't see him unless I got down on my knees and he was hiding in the back of the toilet, but I could see those long antennas moving around just taunting me. I tried to spray him again and I heard him drop making a sound that makes me shiver every time I think about it.  He scurried along the wall and granted he's got the speed, but I had the spray! So I sprayed him again and then he started straight for me so I ran out, shut the door and decided not to use the bathroom all night.

So the war continues; Me vs. Them!

The Pumpkin Patch

We found a pumpkin patch here and it was so beautiful. We went with our neighbors to pick pumpkins and sunflowers. The kids (especially Billy) enjoyed the tractor ride to the fields. We missed daddy.

Sierra kept asking me if we could carve the pumpkins when we got home and I told her we were going to wait for daddy to come home to help us. So she asks me if I know how to carve a pumpkin and I said yes.

She then asked me if I like to help people. I told her that I loved helping people. Then she asks me why I don't want to help her carve the pumpkin when we got home.

Billy's Many Faces

Billy is the clown of the family. Usually our dinner lasts all night because he is making these kinds of faces and the girls are just cracking up at him. He has made up his own language and when you try to ask him a question and he's in this clown around mood he just starts talking jibberish. Army Strong!

Sierra's Dream Comes True

Sierra is always telling us that she wants us to build a ranch so she can get a horse.

We found a teacher to give her riding lessons and Sierra is in heaven.

The horse that she rides is named Majik and Sierra calls him a "lovely horse".

Special Talents

Billy likes to line up all his cars and then count them,

"1, 2, 3, 6, 4, 5, 3, 3, 3, 3"

"How many do you have?"

"All of them!"

Sophia's special talent is climbing up on everything. 

I found her chillin' drinking her cup.

Welcome to Ft. Rucker

Just a few things we see here everyday at Ft. Rucker.

1. The main gate where we have to stop and show ID every time we come in.

2. Just passed the main gate is this helicopter on a post. I think it's a Huey.

3. Ted E. Bear, who fashions the latest outerwear. Every so often he'll be wearing something new. This week was "Fire Prevention Week" so he's dressed like a fireman.

4. The speed limit sign. It doesn't seem natural to drive for so long only going 20mph. Jason is always reminding me to slow down. There are some places where it's 25 and 30 and 40mph. But from the gate to our house we mostly can only travel 25mph.

5. The radar! As you can see it's flashing police colors. If it clocks you going over 20mph these red and blue lights go off to let you know you are being unsafe.

These 5 things are in order as we see them driving to our home. So we pass them once or twice a day.

Dear Dad, while you were out...

Sophia turned 1! We had a little party for her at home. She enjoyed making a mess with her cake.

The Garden Grew

Dear Dad, while you were out...

your garden grew. One day this watermelon just appeared.

It was hiding outside of the garden fence under a tree.

It looked ripe so we picked it. The kids were amazed.

But it wasn't completely ripe.

The zucchini were bigger than the kids. I heard somewhere

those things grow like half an inch a day.

Good job on the garden dad!

Day 5

Dear Dad, while you were out...

Billy made a train track with the toy buckets.

Billy really, and honestly fell asleep on his bed like this.

The Swim Lessons

Dear dad, while you were out...

the girls swam and swam, and swam. We are amazed that Sydney even got into the water, and Sierra's feat was jumping into the pool.

You go girls!

The Writing on the Wall

Dear Dad, while you were out...your son took a green marker and drew all over the wall. Now I know what you are thinking...why weren't you watching him? But in my defense, he was under the care of Tutu for this one. So ha, ha. Our kids still get into trouble even when I am supposedly "not supervising them enough". I think he was trying to write, "Dad, why have you left me, come back!"

Here's The Scoop

There is so much to catch you up on. But first may I pat myself on the back

for figuring out this blogging thing. Nevermind that it took days on end.

Thanks to my friend Candace for giving me a push. I've wanted to do it for a while

and since Jason is gone for training for 3 weeks I thought it would be a good time to

figure it out.

Some of you know that Jason was gone for 6 weeks for officer training. There are a few things I need to post that happened while he was gone. This is mostly for him, but I know you will find them amusing also. I made each one into a separate post.