Total plagarism....

My friend Laura from Korea is super witty and well spoken (and has 2 of the cutest and hilarious children EVER)...so I am not ashamed to say that I copied this directly from her blog simply b/c I knew I could not come up with anything more entertaining...

Now we will see who my true blog followers are:)

Paying It Forward...One Debaucle At A Time
So, I was catching up on some blogs this afternoon, when I came across this interesting "request." It was a challenge from my friend Laura to comment on her blog, and she would send something homemade to the first five who commented. However, I thought I might try rising to the challenge, and see if any of my dear readers would be interested in the same offer. (BTW, I HAVE to make this offer, since I am contractually bound by the same laws of chain-mail. By commenting on her blog, I have to post this on my own. Yeah, it involves a bunch of lawyers and chain-mail voo-doo casters, so indulge me.)
Here are the rules, if you're silly enough to play my reindeer games:
The details are as follows, and if you want to play, copy the following onto your blog and leave me a post:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make. What you get is what you get.
2. What I create will be just for you, with love.
3. It’ll be done this year (2009).
4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world and not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying.
5. I reserve the right to do something strange.
6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.
7. Send your mailing address. (obviosly dont leave your mailing address as a comment...please email it to me at d10f16@yahoo.com)

I <3 the Beach!!!!

This is our second trip to San Diego. The first one was when Reese was about 5 months old and just sitting up. Apparently I was sooooo sleep deprived then that Ii didnt remember much of the island. I kept saying that things werent there before, but everyone remembered them but me:) Two toddlers isnt exactly the ideal setting for serinity...but the kids had soooo much fun hanging at the beach and just relaxing. I was so relaxed that I didnt even have my camera with me half of the time. So...no cute pics in the pool.

We pretty much bumed around for 4 days. We played on the beach, swam, ate, napped and then went out to dinner. Our only event was going to the aquarium next to LegoLand...which was a nice break from being beach bums:) In addition to a break from the heat and amazing scenery, the kids got to spend some quality time with their grandparents. And Kurt and I appreciated the help!!!

Most people know that my happy place is the beach...so getting to spend 2 weekends in a row (one with the ladies and one with the fam) was HEAVEN!!!! Note to self...next time make the girls only weekend the later!!!! (pics to follow soon)

I call this picture "Keegans Baywatch Pic"...Kurt calls it "Dont Hassle the Hoff"
Daddy and his baby girl!!!
Keegan and Boppa
This is the closest we got to a family pic this time around. Reese was "grouchy" and Keegan just wanted back in the ocean...or as Reese calls it..."the lotion"
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....a happy place



The view from the Hotel...looking out at Coronado Island and the big bridge

Reese flying her kite

Keegan doenst normally like getting messy (if you know us well, you know which parent this trait comes from!!!!) but he loved the wet sand. He was a disaster at the end of each day. This day we just went down to take pics...he went back to the hotel wearing grandpas tshirt

Building sand castles.

Keegan loved finding giant, nasty looking seaweeds. As he walked up from the water he almost tripped and dropped this on a sleeping/sunbathing woman.

School Days...

Here are some pics from Keegan's first day of preschool. He was soooo excited and did so well. He picked out his outfit, his shoes, loaded up his backpack with his neccesities (a few legos, a flashlight, and his little stuffed dog) and were were on our way. He walked right into the room, sat down and was playing. Daddy and Reese gave him a hig and kiss and he was still doing great. I gave him a hug and kiss and told him to have a great day and his bottom lip popped out and a few tears started to form. I was a little worried...but as soon as I told him that I would be
back soon he was OK. Apparently, he was concerned that I was going to be gone all day long.

When I came back to pick him up he had the biggest smile on his face. The whole way to our celebratory McDonalds lunch he told me about everything...what he ate, what he did, who he talked to. Sooooo cute and I couldnt have asked for a better first day.

It is still hard for me to imagine that my baby boy is a preschooler...but it is such an amazing this to see him grow an learn.

Here are a few pics...and I will tell you about Day #2 at the end;)

All smiles while waiting for the bell to ring:)
Keegan and his special backpack from Nana and Joe-pa

Putting his backpack in his cubby. He told me he knew which one was his b/c it said "K-E-E-G-A-N"

At an activity table with his friends Emily and Grace

So...Day #1 was a success. Day #2 started off a little rough though. Keegan was beyond excited to go back to school. When we got there he saw a table with 3 chairs and a craft set up. His friends Grace and Emily were sitting there and he wanted to sit with them. We have to wash hands right when we get into the room...so, by the time he was done the 3rd chair was taken. He was completely heart broken and just didnt understand that he needed to sit somewhere else. He was crying and I just couldnt calm him down. So the teachers assistant came over, grabbed him and told me he would be fine.

I went and dropped Reese off at the 2 year old room (she goes once a week for 3 hours so I can have a few hours to myself) and went and joined a few friends for breakfast and pedicures. I wasnt overly worried, but I was a little distracted and was hoping that Keegan ended up having a great day.

After lemon ricotta pancakes (just for you Ange) and newly painted toes I went back to get the kiddos (and sadly, after only 3 hours I kinds missed them!!!).

It only took a few minutes for Keegan to calm down and then he had a WONDERFUL day. He wanted me to tell everyone about it...so here is what told me.

He cried b/c he couldnt sit with Grace and Emily and do glitter glue...but then he colored a picture with his teacher and calmed down. Then they went outside and then came in for a snack. He had a fruit roll up, goldfish crackers and 2 waters. Then he build something with an orange stick, 2 blue circles and some eyeballs. Then Mrs Seabreeze called his name and told him it was his turn to make a sun out of glitter glue and he was really excited. Then they read a book about germs and played with stuffed animal germs and then learned a song about God (which he sand ALL day long!!!!)

I will try to get video of him singing the song. They learn new parts each week until they know a song about the Creation Story:)

While sitting down with Kurt last night we were talking about how things just somehow always work out. You think you know what you want and what is best for yourself and family...then everything gets flipped upside down and ends up rearranged even better than before. Keegan was supposed to go to a different preschool originally, then the plan changed last minute. After only 2 days we know that Keegan is in the place that is the best for him. He is soooo happy and has already learned soooo much.

As we sit here waiting to find out where we will be heading next I am trying to remind myself constantly that if you do your best to create the best opportunities for your family that you truly do end up where you are meant to be...someplace that allows you to grow and become a better person with more to offer to the world.

We are soooo settled into our life here in PXH. Kurt has a great job and he is home most of the time. We have AMAZING friends. Our children have a great routine and so many things available to them. And the materialistic part of me can not even fathom giving up our beauitiful home. This will be a VERY hard place to leave...yet we are excited to see where the next chapter in our lives leads us.

A weekend in Flagstaff...

Fun with friends, the kids and most importantly, it was 30 degrees cooler!!! I had to pack pants and sweatshirts for the kids. Luckily they still had some that fit since they havent worn them in months!!!!

The best part of camping...SMORES!!!!

Reese wasnt a smore fan...so she went for a chips ahoy cookie...she is her daddys girl!!!!

Reese loved this tree.

Our children LOVE rocks. Needless to say they were in HEAVEN here. At home they play in the landscape rocks. For fun in Flagstaff they made rock piles. And I took toys...silly me:)

My lil mountain climber!!!!

I cant get this pic to turn the right way...but it was too cute not to share. Reese is such a big girl!!!

She kept telling us she was tall

These two are TROUBLE!!!!

My big guy!!!! And by big I mean a few inches taller and one pound heavier than his baby sister. They look like twins now and EVERYONE thinks that they are. I have even had people challenge me when I say that they are not!!!!

HILARIOUS!!!!

On a hike through the woods.

Camping is pretty tough work!!!!

Exhausted after spending all day outside...something we dont do in PXH this time of year!!!

The view from our cabin. I can not even explain how amazing it was to have a giant playground nearby...and the San Francisco Peaks right behind. Keegan cried when we left and said he wanted to live in Flagstaff. He has told me this EVERY day all week too. The kids had soooo much fun!!!

new digs...

Here are a few pics of Keegans new bedroom. He is sooooo excited to have big boy stuff:) We got a great deal on Pottery Barn Kids furniture on Craigslist. You would be amazed how many rich people out there spend thousands of dollars on furniture for their children and redo their rooms every few years!!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!!

We started off the morning with the children's bicycle parade in our neighborhood. The last 2 years we have only been spectators...but in now that we have 2 avide tricyclers we thought we should particpate since this will be our last 4th of July in AZ. All the proceeds of the event went to the Fighter Country Partnership which is an organization that does amazing things for military familes. Even at 8am it was REALLY hot, and since it rained last night there was an added treat of humidity. So, the dry heat was gone and it was just GROSS!!!! The kids didnt seem to mind and we decorated their bikes and then the fire truck (some of you know Kurts feelings about our local fire fighters:) A story for another blog post!!!) lead the way. It was soooo cute and there were tons of kids this year. Bikes, scooters, wagons, strollers etc. The kids rode a really long way...and at the end we stopped into the local market and got red white and blue dougnuts. It was a very cute and fun way to start of the morning.

This evening we will drop Kurt off at work and head to a friends for a BBQ. Kurt is doing 4 flyovers today. At first I washed he was home with us the entire day, but I cant think of anything more patriotic than a a jet streaking across the sky. This morning we were talking to a friend from the base, and a man overheard them talking about Kurt being a pilot. The man was sooooo excited to meet Kurt. He shook Kurts hand and said he always wanted to meet a jet pilot and proceeded to go and get his entire family to tell them all about Kurt. So sweet...and made me realize that we all to often take Kurt's career for granted. I see Kurt in his flight suit every day, and we see dozens of F-16s fly by our house each day also. We are very blessed to live the life we do, and are very humbled by the fact that so many people are so supportive and proud of our military men and women. I am even more proud that tonight before fireworks that Keegan and Reese get to see a flyover and it is thier daddy in the cockpit:)

We hope that everyone has a great 4th of July...and please dont forget to remember those who serve in our armed forces and make our freedom possible.