Florida

Shawn had to leave for some training down in Florida...so we decided to crash his trip! Thought even though he was busy with training that the kids and I could get some good beach time in....even though it was cool and windy! We got good sand time in and had fun exploring. We're hoping to make another beach trip in a couple of months when it warms up! Can't wait!

Great Wolf Lodge

This past weekend we decided to drive down to Charlotte and take the kids to Great Wolf Lodge. I strongly recommend this place to anyone with kids! Tregan had a blast and Taylor warmed up to it! It was so fun to see Shawn run around with Tregan like a little kid. It was one of the best spur of the moment trip we've taken. And just to see Tregan's reaction to things was priceless.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend.

way too long!

It has been MONTHS since I've blogged...I know, I know...terrible! I'm going to try to get better though. Since I've written last there have been a few things that have been going on. The kids and I had a nice and cozy Thanksgiving with just the three of us. The middle of December we had an amazing homecoming with Shawn. That was one of the best gifts ever given! With him home we had a great Christmas. And for the first time EVER we actually spent a Christmas in our own house with no company. It was amazing to witness our kids run into the livingroom so excited and experience Christmas. I hope for many more of those kinds of memories. Now with January almost done, we're waiting to hear what Shawn's job will be and when the next deployment will happen....we are expecting that to happen the end of summer. So until my next blog, and who knows how long that will be, here are just a few of my favorite pics from the last few months!

halloween!

I don't have much to say...just wanted to share with you how cute my kids are! Tregan had so much fun on Halloween and is SO excited with all the candy he got. we literally have a shoe box full...dont' know what i'm gonna do with it all since daddy isn't here to take it all to work!

I should have known better...

I wouldn't say I'm an expert at deployments seeing that its only our second. We have however seen our fair share of time apart, OBC, Ranger school, Airborne school, Korea, etc. But after Afghanistan I promised myself I wouldn't get my heart set on a "time frame" for when he was due home. Main reason for that is druing deployment #1 the time frame for him to come home changed like a zillion times. It got so bad we stopped talking about it. So when this deployment came I was optimistic that the 6 months wouldn't change much since he is in a different branch. Well, 6 months has now turned into 8 months...and we're hoping it will stop there. We have our fingers (and toes!!!) crossed that he'll make it in time for Christmas. And not really for me, but for him and the kids. He has missed so much with them already I hate for more memories to be missed. And yes, of course, I count my lucky stars that it is still a "short" deployment to a "not so bad place" but time away is still time away. This too shall pass and we will get through it and many more like it to come.

my brave little man!

Tregan had his first dentist appointment yesterday. I knew he would do pretty well because I always took him to mine to see what the dentist was all about but I didn't know how well he would do. So we were in the waiting room waiting to be called and he was sitting there so patiently. Let me tell you he got so excited when his name was called. I thought he'd be a bit shy going back but before i knew it he had followed the nurse back to the room before i had gotten taylor and all of our stuff ready to go! When I got to the room he had already hopped up in the chair and was happily tapping his feet! I won't bore you with all the details, but he thought being at the dentist like a big kid was the coolest thing on earth...and to top it off when he found out that he got a new diego toothbrush and a prize at the end he was just in heaven! Turns out he has great teeth...and hopefully they will continue to be so!
We've been gone a bit traveling to see grandparents so here are a few pics from the month!

halfway done...i love the sound of that!

I know I am a TERRIBLE blogger. I'm lucky to try to get one post a month. I'm working on it. We really haven't had too much excitment here...just doing some fun summer stuff...pool, library, water gun fights, you get the picture. Anything to make our days fun and go quickly. It is such a double-edged sword to wish for the time to go fast. On the one hand we want it to scoot along so Shawn will be home. On the other I blink and these kids just grow and grow and grow. I just can't wait to watch them grow...with Shawn home! So unless the Army pulls some hokey stuff, which they have proven they can & will, we're halfway done with this deployment. And hopefully the 2nd half will fly by faster then the first!
Here are a couple of pictures of the kiddos. And the one with Taylor, don't be alarmed, she isn't drinking the beer....just likes to lick the bottle!