The Heller Handful!

Falling into place....

2012-02-07T00:29:00.002-06:00

I have been writing this in my mind all day today. Thinking of the past three months or so. So many words could sum them up, overwhelming, wonderful, exhausting, quick! I can't believe Luke will be three months old on Friday. I finally feel like things are starting to even out. I transitioned him to his own room and crib about two weeks ago. He is sleeping fairly well in there. He is even starting to take longer naps in there than 45 minutes. He napped for three hours yesterday! I got so much done it was amazing! I have been exhausted trying to keep up with all the boys and the baby. People always say "sleep when the baby is sleeping" those "people" must not have had three other children to tend to and drive places and cook for and clean for etc etc. I was thinking about it today. When I had Jacob it worked out great. If he was up half the night no problem I knew I could just sleep with him the next day. But that was all good and fun until I had Nathan. Once you are on round two the whole sleeping while the baby sleeps flies right out the window. I can remember being pregnant with Nathan and a wise, seasoned mommy told me "give it three months". She said by the third month I will look around one day and think to myself "I got this". That is kind of how I felt today. Am I exhausted? Yep. More often than not I don't sleep after 4. But Luke and Owen seem to at least be overlapping their naps and even when Luke wakes I can be sneaky and cuddle with him and he will fall back to sleep:) It is my sanity. I am beyond thankful for Ian who lets me run away even if it is to go get groceries and for my "big" boys who help as much as they are able to with the baby so I can do fun things like switch laundry and make dinner. Life is crazy but I am so very thankful for my boys. I can't believe that a year ago right now I had no intentions of having another baby. Little did I know that in a few weeks that would change and I can't imagine not having this funny little boy in our life. Fun times are ahead, all the awesome milestones. I am so happy Ian is home. Last year was beyond hard but I am so grateful things have worked out the way they have.

My Boys (2/1/12)

2012-02-02T12:19:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to share a few photos of the boys from yesterday and then one of Owen and Luke playing from this morning. Luke is starting to enjoy tummy time more. I know my days are numbered of his being totally immobile and not being able to roll over and turn. I think Owen is going to have a run for his money!:)

I love all his expressions. He was trying so hard to pick up his head and watch Jacob and Nathan play kinect.

Photo "Bomb"

2012-01-27T15:15:00.001-06:00

Here are some photos from the past couple of days. They are really just of Owen and Luke so I will have to get going on taking some of my big boys! Enjoy the smiles!! Owen is obsessed with his new transformer rain boots that are hand me downs from my friend Aleisha. I thought he was so cute riding his scooter in them. Luke is officially all smiles. He is even giggling some. So for family...stay tuned for a video....

Luke is growing!

2012-01-19T16:21:00.001-06:00

It is crazy to think it has already been over two months since Luke was born. Time is flying by, too fast! I took him in for his 2 month check up earlier this week (and five shots:( ) And he now weighs in at 12lb 4oz and is 23.5 inches long. He is 50% on the charts for weight, height and head size. Perfectly proportional in every way according to the doctor. She even remarked on how mellow he is. He let her do everything to him without any sort of fighting. She even got a few smiles. He was in a bit of pain from the shots and fussy that afternoon and most of the day yesterday but he seems fine now. Unfortunately I think he has a bit of this cold junk. He has a little cough and I keep praying it does not go any further....He is smiling all the time now and even has had a couple of tiny chuckles so laughs are not too far off. The more he interacts the move in love with him his brothers are. They are all huge helps and want to make sure he is happy and taken care of at all times. It is so rewarding to watch them all four interact. Someday they will make wonderful daddies just like their daddy is to them. I see SO much of Ian (and Nathan) in Luke. I snapped a smiley picture on my phone yesterday and was amazed to see a baby Ian smiling at me once it was frozen. I LOVE it. I love Ian so much and so to get to have this little person who reminds me so much of him is such a treat. Here are some pictures from the last two weeks....these first ones are from two Sundays ago. He looked so cute and then slept the entire time at church so I had to document the outfit!

I love the little tshirts my mom got Luke. They all have cute sayings. They fit him perfectly and are even getting a bit snug so I have been trying to have him wear them often because they make me smile.

He loves his hands these days. I love the one of him passed out cold after his bottle.He LOVES his brothers. Jacob does so good with feeding and burping him. He can be such a huge help especially when I am trying to prepare dinner and Ian is MIA. I can't thank him enough for all of his help and he knows it. I have never had a buggaboo seat for the boys but a friend had one that she gave me so I tried sitting Luke in it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. It has a high back and helps support them when they are still small. I tried again today just for a minute and he seems a bit more stable. He sure does like sitting and looking around that is for sure. My biggest issue is OWEN wants to sit in the darn thing. Figures!

And last but not least a picture of my big baby boy. Owen has changed and grown so much the past few months. He has gotten so much taller and his face has lost its baby roundness. He is my challenge for sure but he is also so very sweet at times and he too is truly a big help with the baby. (almost too much at times!)My sweet big three year old....

.....who after about a milisecond after I hit the picture button got the crabbiest look on his face and yelled at me to go away and not take his picture. Sorry Charlie got a cute one! He is such a booger.

Happy 7th Birthday Nathan!!

2012-01-19T16:01:00.000-06:00

Our house has been invaded with an unwanted cold/flu the past two weeks. I am so ready for it to be gone! Last week I was beyond miserable but had to buck up because it was Nathan's birthday and Ian was gone. Nathan requested sugar cookies for school so Owen, Luke and I took those to his class. That night we had ice cream at Baskin Robbins and a nice surprise of Daddy coming home earlier than expected so at least Nathan got to see him before bed. Here are some pictures of the birthday boy on his day.

Overall if you ask him he had the "best day ever". Then on Saturday since I was still miserable I stayed home with the babe while Ian took the other three boys to the Aqarium and that night we let Nathan pick out a cake from Cold Stone. So, he got to have a full week of celebrations!:)

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T15:22:00.000-06:00

I finally have a few minutes to post some Christmas Day pictures. We had a great quiet day at home and loved spending our last day with Gramps. The boys loved their presents and we had to slow them down for wanting to open and play with every single thing. A huge favorite was our new Family present, an Xbox with Kinect. Although I think Ian and Gramps enjoyed it the most playing bowling together. We still have not tried all the games. Trying to ease into it and spread things out. It is great though that the boys can do one of their favorite things (video games) while jumping around and getting exercise. My back was giving me issues and is finally feeling better so I can't wait to try it out myself! Here are some pictures of gift opening, kinect playing and lots of other fun!

We let all the wrapping paper up and the kids rolled in it before we all picked it up:) Jacob was "wrapping paper clause"Hanging with Gramps!!

Playing Kinect! Luke was watching Ian:) Ian was even bowling holding Luke.

Sweet little Luke:) I cracked up when I walked in the room and found toys hanging off his plug. Owen said "what mom I was playing with him!?" too funny! (and one of Owen with his new trios:)

Last but not least...Luke is finally liking his bouncer! YAY! It has been nice the past two days to get dishes done. I also started yesterday putting him down in his crib for naps. So far he has had three 45 minute naps. Better than nothing!

Luke has a bed!

2011-12-25T00:21:00.000-06:00

One of the things on the "to do" list this week was to get Owen a new twin bed so that we could put together Luke's new crib. I am glad to say its all been checked off! Owen is now sharing a room with Jacob and Nathan. Its a tight fit but it works and we can keep the play room. They are doing great, so far, sleeping together. (We shall see how things go when dad goes back to work....) So, once we got Owen set (pictures to come when I remember to take some!) it was time to put up the crib. Gramps, Jacob (and Owen when he was listening) did a great job. Jacob was so proud and told me after "it was a good time for me by myself with Gramps mom". So cute. I had to take a couple of pictures of their handy work. Time to start Luke napping in there and slowly transitioning. I am not quite ready to let him go at night....

Merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-25T00:15:00.000-06:00

We had such a great afternoon today! We decided to head down to Ocean Beach (since it was a HOT 70+ degrees here!) and walk in a few shops, enjoy some YUMMY Hodad's Burgers, onion rings and fries (Ah-maz-ING!) on the boardwalk (we used the retaining wall as our table) and then a walk on the beach and some play time in the sand and in the tide pools! The tide was out and it was beyond perfect. The boys had the time of their lives although I think Ian was right there with them. Here are some pictures from our day. Please note they did not load in the right order...and unfortunately the lense had something on it and I did not realize it but I had to share the few blury pictures anyways. Note the man with the dog and a GOAT walking them on leashes down the boardwalk...only in Ocean Beach. The kids LOVED rolling down the sand hills. Ian loved throwing fries at them and making the birds attack them, especially Jacob who screamed like a girl. Good times!!

After we got home we did baths and then the boys got to open ONE present for Christmas Eve. I had them open their new marble run from Nana. They LOVE it. Daddy and Gramps even got in on the fun. We are looking forward to tomorrow. "Santa" is busy setting up our family present of a new xbox with kinect. The boys are going to FLIP tomorrow!!

Randomness

2011-12-24T23:52:00.000-06:00

A few random shots from the past week or two...Owen reading with Gramps, Jacob at his school music singing night, and lots of shots of the boys:)

Holiday Happenings and Luke turns ONE month!

2011-12-11T17:54:00.001-06:00

Holiday happenings are in full swing. Last week of course we had Nathan's school program and this Wednesday it is Jacob's turn. The boys went with Ian to a party at a pizza place last weekend for his ship's kid Christmas party and got to visit with Santa, get presents and of course enjoy the pizza place. Then last night we attended our Church's Christmas party. We had a great time and it was time to take Luke out a bit of course he slept in his carrier the entire time. :) I love this age! The "big" brothers got candy canes and pictures with Santa and Mrs. Clause. For once they ALL looked and actually had decent faces. Believe me that is nothing short of a miracle these days especially with uncooperative Owen. Here are a few pictures from last night:

On our way home from church we took the kids by one of our favorite houses with Christmas lights. It is a house where the father does the lights as an act of love for his Autistic son. It is so neat! Here are a couple of pictures Ian took.

Yesterday marked ONE MONTH OLD for Luke! So, today was his first time going to church! He again slept the entire time. Such a good little one month old. The boys wanted to take pictures together with him in his cute outfit. Unfortunately it was two plus hours past Owen's nap time and it was not happening with him but at least I got some cute ones of Jacob and Nathan with him. We had some fun taking a few shots of him. He is really starting to be vocal and expressionable. He smiled at me when I was playing with his this morning, a true smile but I am sure they will be few and far between for another couple of weeks yet. Ian said he for sure grew in the few days he was gone this past week. He seems so much longer to me! We shall see how much he grows this week with Ian gone. I wish I could have time stand still, just for a little bit. I love these baby days.

Pictures!

2011-12-04T17:53:00.001-06:00

Here are just a few pictures from the week. Our visit with Nana and random shots...

Nana realized that Luke loves to look at fingers wiggling. Although, he seems to have loved hers a lot more than he does ours! Come back Nana!:) Thanks to Nana Luke's new crib should be here by the end of the week! Then we have to figure out which boy is going where and get Owen a twin bed. Luke is the LOUDEST sleeper so I am looking forward to maybe getting a bit more sleep once he is in his own room. (After I get over freak out mode of him not being next to me)

Luke Smiles!!

2011-12-04T17:29:00.001-06:00

We were attempting to take pictures for our Christmas card and Ian got one of Luke smiling:) Here are a few of the boys that we did not use for our card.

The picture above was pretty much how Owen was the entire time....grrrr

And now happy baby vs. serious baby!:)

Toys? Who needs them when you have a BOX!

2011-11-26T21:00:00.001-06:00

Ian did something this year I NEVER thought he would. He succumbed and bought a FAKE tree. He has hated them in the past but has decided cutting down a tree in shorts, flip flops and sweating is worse than the fake tree. So on Thanksgiving he ventured out to Michaels and got us one at 50% off. Still way expensive...but we decided it was an investment and went for it. It actually is very pretty. Once the star is on I will take a picture but for now....the box pictures.Ian got home and I had not planned on putting the tree up yet until December 1st. But he and the boys could not wait to do it so he put it up right then. As he put it together the boys took over the box. I think now after two days it is officially dead. After playing with it inside, coloring it and making it all "pretty" they then began rolling themselves down the hill in our back yard. Definitely hours of fun. Here are some pictures from when Ian was putting the tree up....toys, who needs them?

They are not in complete order but you get the idea. It was LOUD but hilarious. They are getting so big as you can see in the "first" picture of them in front of the tree box.

This past week in pictures...

2011-11-26T20:44:00.001-06:00

We have a lot to be thankful for this year. Daddy getting home safely, the boys and I surviving the deployment without too much mishap and of course Luke. We really enjoyed having daddy home for 13 days. His chief managed to hold his leave papers for a couple of days so he ended up getting more than the normal 10 days. It has also been so much fun having Nana here even if the boys have driven us nutty! Luke is fitting right in and we are loving having a sweet baby in the house. Owen loves him but his attitude towards me especially is less than favorable. Here are a few pictures that truly depict how lovely he has been!

Then you have some of him WANTING his picture taken and happy. Go figure has to be on his terms:) Here are some of Luke, big brothers and of course Daddy!

Dress up time!

Me and my babe:)We are so thankful for him! Owen picked out his Thanksgiving bib before he was born:)

And last but not least I am thankful for our new point and shoot camera ..since our other NEW camera broke and has to be sent in. We could not be without SOMETHING with a new baby in the house!

Happy Birthday OWEN!

2011-11-18T20:19:00.001-06:00

It is mind boggling to me that Owen is three today. Nana treated him and Ian and the boys to a day at Lego Land while Luke and I stayed home and made his cake:) Ian is busy cooking ribs and corn on the cob for Owen and we had dessert early and presents and will have dinner in a bit. He loves all his presents and is very thankful (as he keeps telling us how thankful he is). He is proving to be a wonderful big brother!Here are just a few pictures from today:Cake!

Presents!!

Just a few of my favorites from Lego Land

Sorry for the photo bomb:) I especially love the boys trying to drag Ian out of the slide and Ian stuffed in the air plane ride. What a great daddy he is!

Jacob and Nathan's school (Gecko Pride) Awards

2011-11-18T20:14:00.001-06:00

Both Jacob and Nathan received school awards for this grading period this week. Ian and Nana went to cheer them on. Nathan's award was for "recognition for his enthusiasm when sharing his ideas" and Jacob's was for "recognition for his hard work and kind heart". The lighting was horrible but here are a few pictures.

* the pictures loaded with the top one of Jake and the bottom one of Jake but you get the picture:)

More Luke:)

2011-11-18T20:03:00.001-06:00

Here are a few pictures from the last few days of "baby" Luke. We had a few days where he did NOT want to be put down but the last four days or so he has been great. He is only waking once a night (for the past four nights). I keep praying THAT continues! We have all fallen in love with him and I think he is a keeper!Kinley and Kayden visiting

Chilling with daddy

First bottle by Owen! and sleeping away....

Luke Ryan Heller

2011-11-14T15:56:00.001-06:00

Thursday, November 10th at 6:58 pm we welcomed Luke Ryan into our family. He weighed in at 8lb 14oz and was 22 inches long (supposedly but I when they measured him yesterday he was just under 21" and I think that is more accurate). I was beyond done and when I got to my doctor appointment Thursday morning my blood pressure had spiked really high. The doctor agreed it was time and after having lunch with Ian I went up to Labor and Delivery to be admitted. It was a fairly painless delivery thanks to a great epidural. They used pitocin to get contractions going and then around 6 pm broke my water and less than an hour later he made his appearance into this world. He was quiet and observant until today that is! He has definitely found his "voice" now and lets us know he demands attention. He can't be any cuter and while he did seem to look just like Owen at first he already is emerging into his own person. I really think his eyes and nose are the same as Jacob and Owen's but that his mouth is his daddy's. We are not sure of his eye color yet but if I had to guess I am guessing brown. We shall see....He is a sweet sweet guy the only thing I can complain about is he wants to be held 24/7 including sleeping at night. He sleeps fine as long as he is next to mommy or daddy. Ian and I are NOT ready to cosleep whatsoever so trying to figure that one out. He went in for his 2 day check up yesterday and the doctor told us he looks like a million bucks, which is about how much it will cost to raise these boys. So true but gave us a good laugh.Here are some long overdue pictures!Our FIRST family picture of SIX!

Just born and at the hospital:

Going HOME!

Home and the first few days of brotherly love!:)

Brotherly Love

2011-11-03T10:15:00.000-05:00

Just one last photo because I have to share it. I have a few from the kids' school. Owen and I went for the kids little parties and then they have a school wide parade. We sat near Jacob and Owen was just so grumpy. I think his allergies were just so bad that day and his nap was all messed up. It was 83 degrees and I was DYING. Of course he wanted me to "hold him" like a baby and that is just not working out all that well these days. So, he finally went and sat on Jacob's lap. They were high fiving people as they walked by and Jacob was bouncing him up and down on his knee. It was just so sweet. I can't wait to add one LAST little man to the mix. This picture just warms my heart and makes me smile. Too bad it can't be like this ALL the time!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-03T10:07:00.001-05:00

From a Cow Boy and two storm troopers!!

Carving Pumpkins!!

Nathan's pumpkin was sprouting pumpkins within itself! Ian helped Jacob and Nathan put pictures on their pumpkins but Nathan just wanted a plain old Jack O Lantern and he carved the entire thing himself and was SO proud!:)

Jacob's is the ghosts and Owen/Ian's is the bat/cat thing. Owen picked it out and "helped" Ian carve in between carving pieces of pumpkin. The boys had a great time trick or treating. Ian took them around here while I sat in a chair out front and handed out candy to well over 200 kids in an hour. I missed going with them but hurt so bad after just sitting in that chair that I am glad I did not. Ready for this baby to get here! Ian wants me to hold out until their leave turnover next week. We shall see what the doctor says on Friday. I just know that I have never in three other pregnancies hurt so bad for weeks on end at the end like this one. Definitely DONE!

Fishing!!!!

2011-11-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

The first weekend Ian was home the boys FINALLY got their wish of fishing. Ian took them to a place locally called Santee Lakes. I had never been and it was great! Lots of little lakes and parks. You have to pay to fish but it was fun. They did not catch a thing but were out there from about 7 to 3:30! I took Owen a bit later and brought him home for his nap. Here is a picture bomb.....

Nathan kept begging for a picture of me with him which I really did not want to take at all but I obliged:)

Helping Daddy

2011-11-03T09:05:00.000-05:00

So normally I would have all the cars washed everything ready but with the pregnancy and stressors at hand the last couple of weeks before Ian got home the cars were the last thing on my mind. So Ian and the boys got to work and had a good old time washing the cars and riding bikes.

A few other random shots...Owen playing with his dinosuars (he is almost fully potty trained!!!) crazy hair day for Jacob and Nathan, a random shot of me and Owen that Ian took. Not too bad considering it was the end of the night and I was contracting.....Owen's first time riding in daddy's jeep. He was in heaven!! (in no specific order)

2011-11-03T08:33:00.001-05:00

Time to try to play catch up. Sorry for the picture bomb but there are so many great ones it is hard to choose. The day daddy got home the kids were so excited to get to see all the presents he brought back from his adventures overseas. They got some beautiful rain makers, shells, and most importantly SHARK TOOTH NECKLACES from Hawaii (Jacob's ONE request). Ian also got Owen the cutest little plush dinosaur pack that all the kids have had fun playing with. The first night he was home Ian was so tired he crashed on the couch and Nathan was just so relieved to have dad home he cuddled up with him and was smiling away:) and as you will see the human children were not the only ones to be overjoyed that daddy was home!

WELCOME HOME DADDY!!!

2011-10-20T14:38:00.000-05:00

After a LONG six months and five days (but who is counting?) Ian is home!! He flew in from the ship's final port yesterday morning so that we could make sure he won't miss the arrival of "Baby" Luke. I am pretty sure I will make it to the ship's homecoming day but with the way I am feeling I doubt much longer. I am so glad we have a little time to have Ian home so I can get things ready and feel more prepared. We decided not to tell the boys he was coming early. They had no clue when they talked to him Tuesday night that he was actually in the airport waiting for his flight. I picked him up by myself yesterday and I can't tell you how nerve wracking it was to stand outside security knowing he was going to round the corner any second. I had tears rolling down my face before he even got there. They just multiplied when he did. Just getting a hug was the best feeling EVER! He got very lucky and both his flights were on time or early and his bag was out in less than 15 minutes. I was not even at the airport a full hour! Worked out great.Then it was off to surprise the kids. They had NO clue whatsoever. Nathan has been having such a tough time in a lot of areas and he started seeing a therapist Monday so between that and then talking to dad on the phone the last couple of days he just was really emotional. The first thing he said when I woke him for school yesterday morning was "mom will you help me count how many stars are left?" I wanted so bad to tell that poor boy his dad was on his way right that second. Instead I told him dad sent a package and it should arrive "today" and that when I picked him up I would try to have it with me. I normally pick the kids up on Wednesdays so they were annoyed that I told them they had to ride the bus and have my friend Aleisha get them. She took Owen for me too allowing me to get Ian alone. When we got to Aleisha's the bus had arrived just maybe 15 minutes before. The boys were playing and I told them the package arrive but we had to take pictures of their reactions for Ian so they had to all come out together to see. Aleisha got some good shots. I was cracking up at Owen covering one eye, Nathan covering both and Jacob just barreling through (no surprise there). The boys about died. Nathan said "dad! is that REALLY YOU!?" :( Owen just ran to him and Jacob said "wow this is better than Christmas!!!" It was adorable and they were in heaven. We got in the car to go home and one of the boys (I think Jacob) asked "dad how long can you stay?" They were happy to hear he would not have to go for a long time anytime soon. Just glad he is home. He wants to go go go though after being stuck on that ship. And I am slow slow slow:) What a relief to have him in our home. Owen is hot/cold and sometimes not too sure about this guy taking up mom's space but he will adjust:) Here are some pictures! (they are not in exact order but I am sorry just cannot sit in this chair anymore:)

Jacob's First Scout Regatta Boat Race

2011-09-24T23:20:00.000-05:00

Tuesday night was Jacob's first Regatta Gutter Race for Scouts. We had a fun time building his little boat. Thank GOD it was not the pinewood derby is all I have to say. I would have been calling in male reinforcements for that one! Jacob did pretty good. He won a few heats and lost one or two. He did not place in the top three but had a great time overall. As a side note I am a bad, bad mom. I really need to sew the patches on Jacob's shirt. So he is not in uniform. Bad, I know. Trying!Here are pictures of the night (they did not want to load in the right order and a certain baby is not happy about me sitting here any longer so you will have to just go with it! I think you can get the picture.)

And this is what Nathan and Owen did to pass some of the time. Owen is quite the tough little cookie. Its time for Dad to come home because this pregnant momma is NOT up for this kind of play. (Side note I hit 32 weeks today. In less than two months we will have FOUR little men to raise. Exciting and overwhelming at the same time!!)

Baking with my little chef in the making...aka Owen!

2011-09-24T23:07:00.001-05:00

I had been promising Owen for a week we could make these "cake" cookies for his brothers and frost them. Then we both got colds and it put things off so finally earlier this week I pulled all the stuff out and let him help me. He LOVES to be the helper. (today in fact he scrubbed all the door knobs upstairs for me!) But he REALLY loves to cook and one of the things he talks about doing with his daddy the most when he comes home is to make cookies with him. He can't wait.He LOVES cracking the eggs and honestly does not do too bad a job. He is just getting so big and I reminded Ian tonight he has grown three inches in the last six months. Even looking at the picture of Ian with the boys the morning he left Owen still looks like a "toddler" but if you look at these pictures now he looks like such a big boy. I can't wait for Ian to get home and really watch the two of them interact and see their relationship pick back up. It warms my heart to even think about it.So here are some pictures of my little "helper".

First DAY of SCHOOL 2011!!

2011-09-06T15:07:00.006-05:00

I can hardly believe I have a THIRD grader AND a FIRST Grader! The day started off with the kids telling me it was still dark out and they were not getting up:) But thankfully it was short lived and they got up and got ready like champs. It was pouring outside which was not something I had expected and did not know how much worse that was going to make traffic. Last night I made them chocolate banana muffins with chocolate banana frosting that Owen helped me pipe on. They were looking forward to those this morning for breakfast and man were they good!

We got to school and got soaked walking in and found Jacob's class first. I left him seemingly happy and took Nathan to his class. The first thing I hear when we walk in is at least three "NATHAN!!!" from different kids. Made me laugh. One of his friends off the bus last year, Brian is in his class. I am not too sure how that is going to work out but Nathan's teacher (who is I would guess in her mid 60s) does not seem to be one who is going to take anything from anyone (which I LOVE!). Nathan's desk is right up front (and Brians is all the way in the back..good thing). Those two boys were in heaven and having a good old time when I left. Owen and I went back to check on Jacob, who was all smiles and already chatting it up with the girl next to him (leave it to Jacob and the ladies he is just like his Daddy that way always friends with the girls:). As we left a HUGE clap of thunder hit. Interesting as it was 80 degrees and nasty humid. I felt like we were back in Illinois. So, I am hoping that the boys are having great days. I am leaving here in a bit to pick them up and praying it went well for both of them.

In the meantime I am relishing in SILENCE. I forgot how much I can get done in such a short amount of time without having to stop a million times to play referee. I LOVE my boys, each and every one of them but we all needed to have a break from each other. I am hoping this will make the last of this deployment fly by.
We are embarking on a new adventure, Owen and I. POTTY TRAINING. He is ready. I am making myself be ready. Id rather suffer now and not have two booties to change come November AND have to train him on top of it. So far so good but I am preparing myself for lots of messes. He enjoyed the morning helping me clean the play room and playing lots and lots of legos butt naked:) He also enjoyed "fishing" with his pole off the back of the couch and we enjoyed a half hour cuddle/tv show before his nap. I definitely can't complain.

Now if boys just come home happy it will be a great day. Oh and if we could get a email from daddy. 9 days and counting of it not working or being shut down...no fun at all. Thankfully we are on the downhill slope!

Long overdue: SCOUT Camp Pictures

2011-09-06T15:00:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Jacob from the last day of Scout Camp. They had a "campfire" and did skits. It was really cute to watch. Can you tell he needed a haircut badly?? The last picture is of Owen. He just looked cute in a little Chargers hat:)

Say HI to baby LUKE!!

2011-08-30T12:33:00.004-05:00

The boys and I along with my friend Aleisha (thank you Aleisha for coming with to help me keep the boys' in line!) enjoyed a "meet and greet" with baby Luke in 3d/4d this morning. I went back to the same place I went to here in San Diego for both Jacob and Nathan. It was a treat to get to see Sergio again, the tech that has done my previous ultrasounds with the boys. He is so great and had fun telling the boys' "nice to see you again". Jacob and Nathan were so confused. Made me laugh.

Luke was VERY active (nothing new I am seriously scared of the next few months) and very cooperative and we got some really really great shots including his little arms and hands, him sticking his tongue out at us, his ear and profile, his little feet, him yawning. Jacob especially loved hearing his heartbeat. I was thinking about not going but am so glad I did. It was nice to be able to let the boys see their brother and they were sad when it was over. We just wish daddy could have been there with us. We definitely missed him being there. (Especially mom:)

Here are a few of our favorite pictures.

I LOVE this one of his little hand!

He is sticking his tongue out at his brothers! :)

Big YAWN

Hard to deny its another boy!

Love the detail of his little arm and fist. So sweet

His little ear!

See you soon Luke! I am not totally sure because all the boys do resemble each other but if I have to guess I really think he is going to favor Nathan which means we would have Jacob and Owen looking a TON alike and Nathan and Luke...can't wait to see but he definitely seems to have Nathan and Ian's nose and lips. Secretly (or not so secretly now) I hope this is the case. Wonder if his eyes will be brown or BLUE like Nathan's or maybe even hazel or green? I not so secretly hope that he has his daddy's eyes.

Presents for Daddy!

2011-08-15T19:05:00.002-05:00

I have been wanting to blog these pictures for a while but wanted to have Ian receive them first:) I found out today he has so now I get to. As a Family Readiness Group (FRG) we all made pictures frames with the kids and they sent a huge banner of them to the ship. I would love to see what the final product looked like. We shall see if the ship posts pictures. Ian said he found all four of the boys' (I made one for Luke) and he said he has random people coming up to him asking "do you have a son named Nate?" because they look so much alike. I thought that was so cute and Nathan just thought it was fantastic. He is proud to look like his daddy. I asked Ian what people say when he says yes I have a son almost four of them. He said they say HOLY COW. I just had to laugh. The comments and stares I get each day crack me up. As insane as I feel at times I am proud of our family of boys.

Here are the frames the kids made. They were so proud of them and excited to send them to the ship.

We also sent Ian a big package for his birthday including baking him two little cakes in mason jars and sending along his favorite cream cheese frosting. He told me he is going to save it for his birthday. I am glad he got everything in time. Four plus months gone. About 2/3 of the way done and boy are we all ready to have him home. He is good though and we are good and very thankful for technology. :)

USS Howard Kids Fishing Trip

2011-07-30T10:36:00.007-05:00

What an amazing experience we got to have last night! A HUGE thank you to daddy's ship, bloodydecks.com and the Daily Double fishing boat for taking out the kids/families from the ship on a twilight fishing trip! Just what my boys have been dreaming of. The only thing that could have possibly made it better would have been to have daddy along with us.

They went all out! They had more pizza than we could eat and drinks and little candy treats. They started out the trip by giving all the kids lewers which they thought were great fun to play with. Once we got out there the deck hands were amazing! The men were all ages and all had so much patience. They helped the kids and all three boys caught or reeled in 2 fish. All Owen wanted to do was reel in. It was pretty funny. The kids all LOVED the bait fish. At the beginning it was funny because Jacob and Nathan were all for grabbing out their bait themselves while other kids (even boys older than them) would not touch them. Jacob was ripping them out of the tanks and "showing" the girls making them scream (and laugh). It was quite funny to watch them interact. I was praying I would not get sick and broke out the sea bands and thankfully did just fine. The big highlight of the night was one young man caught at 23 pound Halibut! It was incredible. The ship went crazy. And the grand finale was every Friday night the USS Midway Museum lets off fireworks so they were able to keep us out a bit longer and we sat (at a safe distance) right off the barge that lets off the fireworks. Incredible! Nothing like sitting on a boat with all the city lights off in the distance with fireworks up above you. The kids thought they were JUST for THEM. It was perfect. All of us got Tshirts and ended the night exhausted back home at almost 11. Such a great trip and one we will remember for a very long time. The boys are already plotting on how soon they can get Daddy to take them out on another trip. I am sure it will be soooo hard to twist his arm (note the sarcasm) :) Here are pictures!!

Fun with Auntie Christina and Corban!

2011-07-30T10:14:00.007-05:00

Christina and Corban are on their way home this morning:( We had a fun week filled with the beach, Chuck E Cheese, the Mormon Battalion and lots of hanging out. We also got our third box of treats from Ian which is always a special day here! Here are some pictures of our fun.

THE BEACH!!

DADDY'S PACKAGE OF TREATS!!

MORMON BATTALION MUSEUM

LAST Vegas Trip post...I promise!:)

2011-07-26T14:41:00.005-05:00

We decided we could not leave without getting to see the fountains at night at the Bellagio. So we made pizza and off we went as it got dark. Driving down the strip with Jacob was hilarious. He was completely enthralled and amazed at the buildings and the lights. He said later it was the best drive of his life. He makes me laugh. It was SO hot about 106 even though it was 8:00 at night. Stupid me did not think to bring the umbrella stroller so here we are at bed time in major heat. Owen for all that was a trooper and the kids loved seeing the gardens and the fountains. We saw stayed and watched second time before leaving Laura and Carrie to go back and put the kids to bed. As it was it was almost 10:30 by the time they got to sleep. Definitely worth it. I personally would never EVER live in a climate like that. It was Hell on earth in my book although maybe being pregnant and carrying a 33 pound toddler had something to do with it?

Mandalay Bay Aquarium and Shark Reef

2011-07-26T14:27:00.004-05:00

We went through all of the things to take the boys to do in Vegas and decided they would all love the sea life at the shark reef. We knew we were on a time crunch with naps etc so off we went and while it was a bit pricey I thought they all really did love it. They spent over an hour in the touching section touching small leopard sharks and stingrays and some sort of crab. Owen just wanted me to touch everything for him. I am not sure if he ever did touch one but he sure loved laying on his belly looking. And stealing the camera when I was not looking. We even got a picture of all of us that I need to scan in. I think it was a good choice of an outing.

Here are pictures in random order:

Hanging at the hotel

2011-07-26T12:53:00.002-05:00

Here are a few cute pictures from our time hanging out at the hotel. We even made little personal pizzas Sunday night before going to see the fountains at the Bellagio. The kids had fun watching Jacob play Speedracer on the DS.

This cracked me up. The pictures are in backwards order but Nathan fell asleep on the bed and Jacob said he was NOT sleeping with him because he is all over him. So he made himself a bed on the floor on the couch cushions and I thought thats where he was sleeping. I got up to use the bathroom one of the million times a night that I do these days and checked on them and found them like this. Jacob was up quite early having a fit that Nathan would not get off of him. Poor Nathan has no clue he does it but it sure would annoy me too!

I brought the play pen hoping Owen would still fit and if not I was going to have him sleep with me. Lucky me he did! It is probably the last time he will use it:( but he slept just fine. Here he is all cuddled in ready to say good night the first night we were there.

I love this last picture. We were just playing in bed and I asked him to take a picture of me. We just needed to have Ian there to make a Owen cookie.

Photography by Owen

2011-07-26T12:48:00.002-05:00

Owen stole the camera multiple times on the trip and while I deleted a LOT these few I kept because I thought they turned out cute or neat. The one of Nathan hugging my belly I thought was sweet and something that never would have been captured had Owen not been taking picture after picture. That was while we were at the Bellagio WAY past bed time going to see the fountains.

Dinner at TGI Fridays!

2011-07-26T12:42:00.004-05:00

After the long drive and a good swim it was time for dinner! Owen was DONE sitting but at least I did not have to cook:)

Vegas Trip! Swimming at the hotel!

2011-07-26T12:32:00.003-05:00

We had a good visit in Vegas. It was a pretty hot, miserable drive coming back but we are glad we went. The boys LOVED swimming in the pool. There were a lot of cannon balls and belly flopping all around. Here are some pictures of their fun.

Jacob's Last day of 2nd grade and Owen's new outfit:)

2011-07-26T12:26:00.002-05:00

Here are a couple of shots of the boys enjoying Jacob's last day of school. :) They had fun having treats with Jacob and drawing. He was pretty upset the last day of school knowing that he was not going back next year but I think in the long run he will be happy. I know I am!

Owen is SO excited for his new outfit! His favorite thing right now its tools so when I saw the little jacket and belt at Ikea for about $10 total I could not resist. I just love that the tools can't destroy anything!

Another package from Daddy!

2011-07-26T12:19:00.003-05:00

Last week the boys received their second box from daddy. Little do they know box number three should arrive within a week or so:) They have such a good daddy who loves them! Owen especially was SO thrilled to get the box and could barely contain himself until Jacob and Nathan could come. Jacob was beyond thrilled to finally get ROCKS from dad. He also really loves the left over money from the different countries Ian went to and has them in a safe spot until Ian can come home and tell him all about where each bill is from. Here are a few pictures from their excitement.

USS Howard at work in the Phillipines

2011-07-07T11:01:00.004-05:00

Just thought I would share two pictures of Ian's ship from while they have been there the past little while. Ian enjoyed going and playing with local school kids and enjoyed a lot of shopping and staying in a hotel with his OWN room. I know that little break was much needed. A huge perk for all of us was getting to see each other after 11 weeks through skype. Technology is amazing and I am so thankful for it. Seeing Ian's face made me miss him all that much more. He looks wonderful (to me always!). It was worth staying up until 3 and taking two days to recover to get over two hours of face to face time with him without interruptions (besides skype shutting off:)

I know he got a lot of pictures on his phone but I doubt we will get to see them until he gets home. But for now here are two of the ship.

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines (July 4, 2011) The guided missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83) is trailed by a tug boat as the ship leaves port for the underway phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Philippines 2011. CARAT 2011 is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and enhance force readiness. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Katerine Noll/Released)

Philippine Navy ships BRP Rizal PS 74 and BRP Pangasinan PS 31 join the guided missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83) and USS Chung-Hoon (not pictured) to conduct maneuvers at sea for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Philipines 2011. CARAT 2011 is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and enhance force readiness. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Katerine Noll/Released)

(The Howard is the leading ship)

Love you Ian!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2011-07-05T00:08:00.007-05:00

The 4th is one of my favorite holidays and I have kind of been dreading it because it never fails 90% of the time Ian is gone or working and of course again its that way this year. But overall today turned out to be a great day. I had no desire to fight crowds so we hung out at home today, ran to Target to get some glow in the dark sidewalk chalk and a few odds and ends and found some cute stuff on clearance for the baby. Then Owen and I took naps and when we woke we had a great evening with friends. We had hot dogs and the kids played in the back yard in the pool/sprinkler, watched tv, played and played and did the sidewalk chalk. We ended the night with trying to find some fireworks and while we could see some in the distance the kids really just wanted to play at the park. It was a day of minor tantrums and fits and the kids surprisingly got along really well. I am thankful for that! Now they are snug in bed but had to get some pictures up for Daddy to see.

We miss you Ian. You are our hero! We love you.

Get ready for picture overload. I am too tired to label each one but here is the run down. Owen in the bumbo (baby) seat is hilarious. I actually am buying it from Aleisha and Owen is obsessed with it. I will have to hide it. He wanted to eat in it and he likes to get his butt stuck in it and then crawl around and say he is a turtle. Gotta love that kid. Jacob had fun being a pretty princess and helping us mix the chalk:) He is his father's child! All the kids loved their treats and had fun in the water. :) The chalk drawings are of an alien and a message Jacob wrote to his dad. It says "I love you dad love Jacob"

The Grand Finale Heller Baby Number Four IS

2011-07-01T18:21:00.003-05:00

Was there any other option???

A BOY! Everything looked healthy but I will hear for sure from the report at my appointment on Wednesday. He is moving around quite a bit now although I still don't look pregnant. I'm sure its coming. I finally broke down and got some maternity capris and shorts today and they are SO much more comfortable than my regular pants even though those pants still fit fine. Jacob and Nathan (and probably Ian too:) are a bit disappointed that the baby is a boy but I just have to laugh. I asked Ian if he was disappointed and he laughed as well and said no not really I did not really have faith it was anything but a boy.

Now the big hurdle is naming him. After picking out three boys' names finding another one we like as much is hard!

I am just thankful another little guy is coming to our home. I am definitely the queen of my castle and as one friend told me what woman would not want to be first in FIVE men's lives. I have to agree on that one.

I had a blast going to a consignment store near the house yesterday and got quite a few cute little sleepers, hats, socks etc. My favorite though was this adorable onesie. One of the gals that work there went in back to see if they had any tiny onesies waiting to be processed out to the front and she found this one for me. Could not have been MORE perfect. I can't wait to put him in it!

Now we just pray Ian is here to meet this baby upon his arrival.

Randomness for Daddy

2011-06-22T21:17:00.004-05:00

Well we have made it though the first week of Nathan being out of school...and Jacob NOT. So far it has not been too bad although Jacob did have a four day weekend so that may have helped. One month to go and they will both be out and then thankfully at the same school as of September.

Here are just a few looks into the craziness that is our life:)

Batmen eating breakfast:)

There is a constant battle over who gets to play mom's phone. Especially Angry Birds. I found a new ap though today that has kids cartoon videos on it and loaded it and it kept Owen busy watching these 10 minute Fireman Sam episodes for a good half hour. He was so cute I had to sneak a picture. He saw right before I got it and actually smiled. I was surprised. He has been a grump today.

I bought the kids a wading pool right after Ian left and then it got cool again so I had not taken it out. The past few days have finally been pushing 80 so yesterday and the day before they had fun in it. They were quite upset when I would not let them have another round today but both Owen and Nathan have been coughing all day so I decided we needed a break. And its cooler. Here are a few shots from the first day though. Owen LOVED "scaring" Jacob and pouring water over his head.

And last but not least. Owen. A self portrait picture. He steals the camera all the time when I am not looking if I forget to put it up. He will take 50 pictures in a matter of minutes. He did this the other day and I deleted all of them but this one made me laugh. Reminds me of a certain 8 year old I know....

We miss our daddy but the days are still crazy and mostly good. Slowly but steady our stars on our countdown are going away. Owen tells me many times a day "stars go way daddy come home!" I am glad he understands that.

Happy Father's Day!!

2011-06-19T10:04:00.002-05:00

To Grandpa, Gramps, Grandpa Jim and of course our favorite Daddy in the whole world, Ian! We sure miss our daddy here today.

Here is a picture we took on the beach of all the kids for their daddies yesterday.

We hope you all have great Father's Days! Wish we were closer so we could enjoy the day with you.

We love you!

My new toy!

2011-06-17T17:32:00.004-05:00

I am in love. With my new little Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that is. I have wanted one for years. Probably at least a decade. Ian always tells me to just get one but I always find something else. Well impulse buy the other day at Costco. It was $29 plus they had a coupon for $6 off. I could not resist. I let Nathan pick the color (they had white and red) and he quickly chose red. So far we have made two kinds. Chocolate ice cream with oreo cookies and a strawberry ice cream with mini chocolate chips (think chocolate covered strawberries YUM!). It is super easy to use and the kids LOVE it especially Owen who wants to cook and "help" all the time. You can see from these pictures of him his idea of helping is questionable at best.

Another tooth bites the dust.

2011-06-17T17:26:00.002-05:00

I swear the tooth fairy is going to be broke by the time Ian gets back. We are up to two teeth each kiddo (J and N) plus the one J had to have pulled.

Nathan had been trying to get out his second tooth for days and could not quite get it. He and Owen were playing and it got knocked really loose right before we were heading out the door for dinner. I told Nathan to hurry up and he yells down stairs from the bathroom "hold on I am trying to rip out my tooth" (just great). I tell him to come and maybe eating will help. He gets in the car and I jokingly say have Jacob yank it. Well so much for it being a joke. Jacob reached up and yanked the tooth out. I am so glad he did it because I was already feeling nauseous and a bloody tooth was not going to help.

Nathan was THRILLED. So here are some pictures of him showing off his new smile. Note that his first tooth has grown in so fast its at least half way to three quarters in already. I try to imagine him with no front teeth and I just can't. THAT is going to be interesting. I hope he waits for his daddy to get back for that though:(

This first picture he asked to post like this...don't ask me?

Happy 11th Anniversary!

2011-06-17T17:22:00.003-05:00

Today marks 11 years of marriage for Ian and I. While I miss him (A LOT) I got to wake up to two hours of emailing with him, got GORGEOUS flowers with the sweetest message (I swear it is his goal to make me cry) AND just now a 10 minute phone call. It was so great to hear his voice. How lucky we are to be together so young and for so long and to still love eachother so much. Last year I blogged about loving our "complete" family. Obviously that was premature! I still am in awe and shock that baby number four is well on his/her way. I can't imagine sharing my children with any one else. Ian is the best daddy and husband and tries so very hard to make sure we are taken care of even from thousands upon thousands of miles away.

Happy Anniversary Ian! Next year we can celebrate in person:)

Pictures of Nathan swimming at school :)

2011-06-14T11:47:00.002-05:00

I forwarded an article last night by email that talked about how due to funding Nathan's (and soon to be Jacob's!) school has to suspend their swim program next year. It is such a bummer. Nathan LOVED the three weeks he had. I am not sure if Ian can see the pictures so I thought I would post them here where I know he can.

Nathan is so proud he had THREE pictures attached to a news article!

Nathan is officially a FIRST GRADER!!

2011-06-13T14:35:00.003-05:00

How time flies! Today was Nathan's last day of Kindergarten. Hard to believe he is growing so fast.

For their last day the four kinder classes all walked to a nearby park for a park day. Owen and I met Nathan there and played for a couple of hours before it was time to go home.

Here are some fun pictures. (Note Nathan's shirt it is their field trip shirt. For every field trip they went on a different picture was stamped. SO cute!)

Nathan's main teacher Mrs. Delgado was out sick:( But this is Nathan and Mrs. Her one of his other teachers. She was fantastic!

USS Howard in Malaysia

2011-06-11T10:43:00.002-05:00

Here is a picture posted this morning on Facebook of the 5 inch gun being shot (what Ian used to work with). I thought it was a pretty cool picture and thought I would share.

110611-N-SP676-566 SOUTH CHINA SEA (June 11, 2011) The projectile from USS Howard's (DDG 83) 5-inch gun is caught mid-air during a live-fire drone exercise (DRONEX) as part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2011. The DRONEX was designed to improve U.S. and Royal Malaysian Navy proficiency in destroying targets with a variety of ship weapons systems. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian A. Stone/Released)

Daddy Blankets!

2011-06-10T18:44:00.004-05:00

A HUGE thank you to the Armed Services YMCA here and the volunteers for Operation Kid Comfort. I got an email today that the "Daddy" blankets I requested were all ready. I was so excited to go and pick them up. They turned out SO CUTE! And they love them.
Here are some pictures.

You can see a close up of the star embroidery to match Owen's space theme. So cute!

And here are two of the boys. Jacob showing off his muscles for daddy and Owen and Jacob building a tower. This picture was right after Owen destroyed most of it:)

Beach Day!

2011-06-04T20:53:00.004-05:00

It was not the warmest day here (about 65 and breezy at the beach) but sitting at home was not an option. Kids have been fighting and our neighbors who are attached moved out so they are turning over the unit and ALL morning we listened to them rip out carpet and bang and bang as they put new back in. They are STILL over there banging at 8:00 at night although thankfully not nearly as loud. So, it meant no real nap for Owen today. So we had to get OUT. So we went to the beach with our friends and enjoyed almost 3 hours out in the sun.

The water was freezing but that did not stop the kids from getting in at the end. Nathan was practically blue. They had fun digging and helping other kids build things. Aleisha dug a big huge hole that Owen and Brylie had a ball playing in.

We stopped at Mc Donalds on the way off base and headed home to have baths and watch tv. Kids just got in bed and praying the banging is done for the night. I for one am ready for bed too!

Daddy Daddy Daddy!! Daddy Dolls and Packages YAY!

2011-06-01T15:04:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a great day for the kids! First, I took Owen to a little developmental class/play group and he had a good time playing with the kids. They even did a developmental screening on him and said that he has hit all of his marks and then some for up to age three. No surprise there but it was nice to hear it from a specialist:) One of the other moms there is an Ombudsman for one of the carriers that is on its way home and she asked if the boys have "daddy dolls". I told her no I had not gotten them those and she asked if I thought maybe it would help Owen (and the others) and that she had some extras in her car still. I said sure! (free is great:) I thought she was just going to give me one for Owen but surprised me with not one but THREE dolls. These dolls are so ugly they are cute. You print out a picture of daddy's face and put it in for the face. I had it all ready for Owen when he woke up from his nap and I showed it to him and he looked really closely at the face and said "that MY daddy!" So cute! I did not really think Jacob would want one but I was wrong. He wanted one too so all three boys now have hilarious "daddy" dolls. Nathan even took his to school to show the class and I guess they all loved it. He has been sad today and cried for the first time in weeks so I think it brought up some emotion for him. But the good news is we are about 1/4 of the way done (we think). YAY!

The other bright spot in the day is a box from daddy came! Filled with candy and air planes and lots of other fun stuff. A favorite is the helo squadron patches he sent Jacob and Nathan. The only problem is a certain two year old is quite upset that and asking where HIS patch went. (hint hint daddy!) We met up with our friends last night for dinner at the park and the kids had a good old time trying out the air planes.

This picture made Jacob and I laugh forever last night. It is the IAN triplets! Too too funny!

Hologram posters for their rooms!

The boys last night with their ice cream mouths watching tv before bed:)

This last picture is of Owen this morning. This is how I found him when I went to wake him. Upside down in his bed under the elmo? I have no clue what he was doing int he night. He is normally really good at staying on his pillow. He never woke me at all last night but he sure must have been moving around in there.

Jacob's Tooth Drama

2011-06-01T14:55:00.003-05:00

I can't believe a whole week has passed but I have not felt good enough or had the time to blog so here we go.

Last week Jacob started complaining about one of his back teeth hurting. It started Monday then Tuesday he said it was okay until bedtime. So I decided to make him an appointment and I did for Thursday. Well, Wednesday he came home telling me his gum was swelling. My heart sank and I had a pretty good idea it was infected. I was right and when we got to the dentist Thursday the dentist confirmed it had to come out. Jacob has had two cavities filled and it was one of the baby molars that was filled last year that was the issue. The dentist said he was a trooper. I did not have to even go back there although Jacob did tell me after he wanted me. He admitted he cried a bit too. I told him I don't blame him I hate those shots. I am glad its over with but I still just feel so bad for him.

The tooth fairy gave him a few extra dollars ($5 bill) and he was thrilled with that. He wanted me to take a picture so daddy could see his HUGE "honkin" tooth. Hopefully the dentist will be a better experience when we go for a regular checkup later this month.

You can see Jacob's "tooth" necklace the dentist gave him to hold the tooth. He is pretty proud of that thing. Makes me laugh.

And here are a couple of Owen and Jacob. Owen wanted to play "good guys" AKA xbox and Jacob tried to help him so he would think he was doing it. It was a cute bright spot in a not so great morning.

What Ian is up to these days....

2011-05-27T14:25:00.004-05:00

Here is an article about what Ian has been doing the past few days and is continuing to do.

Joint At-Sea Training the Highlight of 17th U.S. – TNI-AL Exercise
by CARAT - Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 8:42am

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The arrival of three U.S. Navy ships to Jakarta Wednesday marks the beginning of the 17th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Indonesia exercise.

The first phase of CARAT features events ashore, such as engineering and damage control training exchanges, joint medical, dental and civic action projects, and joint community service projects at local schools. The at-sea phase of CARAT focuses on developing maritime security capabilities in areas such as maritime interdiction, information sharing, combined operations at sea, patrols and gunnery exercises, and anti-piracy and anti-smuggling exercises.

“We’re looking forward to operating at sea with TNI-AL (Indonesian Navy) ships this year,” said Rear Adm. Thomas Carney, Commander, Task Force 73 and the Executive Agent for the exercise. “The TNI-AL have a lot of experience with counter-piracy operations and patrolling some of the world’s busiest waterways, and we’re eager to practice these skills together,” he said.

“The U.S. Navy and TNI-AL have developed a robust training plan, and we expect both Navies will learn a lot about each other throughout the exercise, but particularly at sea,” Carney added.

Approximately 1,600 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel are participating in CARAT Indonesia 2011. U.S. Navy ships from Task Group 73.1 include the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46), the guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83), and the frigate USS Reuben James (FFG 57). Additional participants include an amphibious landing force of Marines from 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, U.S. Navy Seabees, and P-3C Orion and SH-60 Seahawk aircraft.

CARAT is a series of bilateral military exercises between the U.S. Navy and the Armed Forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Additionally, Vietnam participates in a CARAT-like skills exchange.

And here are some pictures:)

110527-N-XR557-014 JAVA SEA (May 27, 2011) USS Howard (DDG 83), USS Rueben James (FFG 57), and two Indonesian Navy corvettes, KRI Diponegoro and KRI Imambonjon perform maneuvers at sea for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Indonesia 2011. CARAT 2011 is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and enhance force readiness. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Katerine Noll/Released)

JAVA SEA (May 27, 2011) USS Howard (DDG 83), USS Rueben James (FFG 57), and two Indonesian Navy corvettes, the KRI Diponegoro and KRI Imambonjon perform maneuvers at sea for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Indonesia 2011. CARAT 2011 is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and enhance force readiness. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Katerine Noll/Released)

Missing Ian

2011-05-24T14:23:00.002-05:00

Ian has been really busy the past few days so we have not gotten to communicate much and I have been missing him. I think it has not helped that Jacob has been a holy terror and each day seems to be worse. But Saturday morning I woke up to a email from Ian telling me to listen to this song by Josh Turner called Soulmate. He told me that he heard it while working and that it says everything that he feels about me. Of course no warning about how much tissue I would need. Here is a link to the song on youtube:

And here are the lyrics:

Soulmate
Until the end of time
You're my soulmate
I'll love you till I get to heaven's gate
And if I go first sweetheart
I'll wait
'Cause I know I'll never find another
Soulmate

Your love
There's no telling where I'd be
Without your love
Stumbling in the dark
Would be pretty rough
When I get down you're the one
That lifts me up
I thank the Lord above
For your love

[Chorus:]
In this day and time
The right one is hard to find
Girl, that's why I'm holding on to you
Each and every night
When we turn out the light
[- From :http://www.elyrics.net/read/j/josh-turner-lyrics/soulmate-lyrics.html -]
There's no mistaking what we have is true

Soulmate
I hope that we grow old together
Solemate
In the good and bad
Even through the heartache
We've got a special bond
That'll never break
'Cause darling you and I are
Soulmates

[Repeat Chorus:]

Soulmate
Until the end of time
You're my soulmate
I'll love you till I get to
Heaven's gate
We've got a special bond
That'll never break
'Cause darling you and I are
Soulmates
Yeah, I know I'll never find another
Soulmate

I just love that man. And he truly is the person I was meant to be with. I can't believe that next Wednesday we will be together for 14 years. Two more years and it will be half my life! Pretty crazy for a 30 year old to be able to say. Even with things a little uncertain right now with this deployment and the Navy and the baby I know at the end together we will be okay. I miss you Ian!

Another long weekend....

2011-05-22T21:40:00.003-05:00

Happy 2nd trimester as of yesterday. Unfortunately still feeling horrible. On the positive side I have not actually thrown up in a week it is just almost constant nausea. It is starting to get depressing. I am trying my hardest to just keep going. We ran to Target yesterday for diapers and essentials but other than that have been in the house since Friday. I did "make" the boys muck out the van and scrub it down and vacuum while Owen took his nap yesterday. That wore me out being out in the car sweating but I am so glad its done. Today I was sick all day from before I even got up until finally about four tonight. The boys had been begging for a treat so I made them a chocolate cake, let them pick the color of frosting and put sprinkles on. It turned out to the be UGLIEST cake I have ever made. Its laughable especially once I turned my back and Owen ripped a big hole in it. The boys loved it though so thats all that mattered.

The cake after the lovely sprinkles and Owen's huge hole.

Owen sheepishly walking backwards out of the kitchen to get away from me after I caught him.....

Enjoying his cake.
We got a few more zucchini and some beans tonight too. I can't wait to make some yummy beans.

I got to chat with Ian most of the day yesterday and even got a phone call so that made my weekend. We miss him. Time is steadily going by though and hopefully before we know it he will be home. I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday to see how the "grand finale" is doing. I hope I will be able to schedule my "big" ultrasound after that appointment. I am dying to know 1. that "it" is healthy and 2. what the sex is so I can get to preparing.
Here is a picture of Nathan with his lost tooth holding his tooth fairy doll he brought home from school. When the kids loose their first tooth they bring home a bag with the doll and books about teeth and there is a binder where they write about how they lost their tooth and draw a picture. He is pretty darn proud of his lost tooth. I think the one next to it should be out within a couple of weeks. I guess the tooth fairy better stay stocked with a dollar bill to be safe!

Garden Pictures for Ian...proof I have not killed things...YET

2011-05-19T19:13:00.003-05:00

Ian requested pictures of "his" garden and this is the easiest way for him to get big batches of pictures. We have tons of zucchini. Holy cow. I think two plants was too much. I am going to have to start giving some away! I knew there were two good sized ones a week ago but then got so sick and then it rained so I did not go out there for a couple of days and I remembered this morning and thought they were going to be big but I had no idea they would be THIS big!

I did not think there were any actual tomatoes yet but one of the plans does have a few! Yay.

The beans are doing great. I have no idea if they are done or not or how you know? Help Grandpa Jim and/or Ian.

The cucumber is flowering too. I think its kind of in a small space with those monster zucchini plants. The carrots look well too.

So there you go folks so far I have not killed everything off. Just give me some time:)

USS Howard in action!

2011-05-18T22:41:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share these couple pictures that have been posted on Facebook of Ian's ship. This is the caption that went with the arial view of the ships:

GULF OF THAILAND (May 17, 2011) U.S. and Royal Thai Navy ships steam together in formation during a photo exercise, which wrapped up the at-sea phase of Cooperation Afloat and Readiness Training (CARAT) Thailand 2011. The ships included HTMS Taksin (top left), HTMS Khirirat (left center), HTMS Sukhotai (bottom left), USS Reuben James (FFG 57) (top center), HTMS Phuttalertlanapalai (bottom center) and USS Howard (DDG 83) (right). CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises held annually in Southeast Asia to strengthen relationships and enhance force readiness. (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign Lily Daniels/Released)

Pretty neat to get to see and hear what they are involved with! I don't know what people did before technology but I for one am so thankful for it!

We love you Ian! The boys will be thrilled to see these pictures in the morning.

A side note, Nathan has croup. Poor kid slept for three hours today and had a fever a good part of the day. I am keeping him home tomorrow for sure and will see if he is up to going on Friday. At this point I am just praying none of the rest of us get it and that he can get some good sleep tonight.

Nathan and Under the Sea

2011-05-17T11:10:00.005-05:00

Nathan's class has been learning about all kinds of animals/fish from the sea. They have done a lot of projects and today was the grand finale of the section. They did a whole production. Each child had a little part introducing an animal or fish they learned about and then they sang songs in between set to familiar tunes. It was REALLY cute. One of the mom's helped to paint a tshirt for each of the kids. They were ADORABLE! I told Nathan we will save his shirt so that when he is my age he can look back at it. He looked at me like I am crazy but its THAT cute! Nathan knew his part and he is so LOUD all the time but he got up there and barely whispered. His little face flushed and you could tell he was SO nervous. He did good though.

Owen was a little pill but made a friend who was also being a pill:)

Here are some pictures:

For Daddy:)

2011-05-16T19:56:00.003-05:00

Jacob lost another tooth last week. He came out to the car and said "mom prepared to be AMAZED" and flashed me a big smile. I had no idea one was even that loose. Then he proceeds to tell me with much enthusiasm that he "ripped" it out during Science. Lovely. I bet his teacher LOVED that. So here are a couple pictures of his new smile.

It has been a LONG few days here. I have been so sick. Thankfully tonight I am feeling a bit better. I am praying it continues. The boys had some good times though this weekend. They go to go to the base with our friends/neighbors and see the movie HOP on Friday night and then Saturday my friend watched the three boys so I could go get groceries without having to fight with all of them. I was feeling awful and on the verge of throwing up already so it was a HUGE blessing for her to do that with me. Owen loved playing with Brylie and the boys played PS3 games with her boys. They were less than thrilled to see me when I returned:)

Owen has been doing a bit better. He wears me out. That kid is into everything! I told Ian we should have named him Dennis! (as in Dennis the menace). Ian laughed and I was half serious. Maybe thats a name for the boys list (NOT). Owen was in quite the mood today it has either been SUPER happy or SUPER NOT happy. Earlier this morning he put on the kids' Indiana Jones hat and was dancing around the room in his diaper. At one point he started bowing and saying "thank you thank you" I cracked up and took a shot with my phone.

Then I finally got around to taking him to get his hair cut. He was really looking shaggy. He asked to take Ian's hat with us and carried it and sat with it. Not sure why he wanted it but I figured no harm. It was so cute seeing him sitting there holding it I had to take a picture. He loves his daddy. At nap time today he wanted to say a prayer and he said one all by himself. He said "Heavenly Father, bless Daddy, Amen." I was not sure if I wanted to laugh or cry it was just so sweet. As much of a pain as he can be he is the first one at night to say scripture mommy! (we are trying hard to read one chapter each night as a family) and then prayer mommy! (family prayer) or else he won't go to bed. Puts things into perspective when I don't feel like doing it but my two year old is asking to.

I hit the 13 week mark in the pregnancy Saturday. This is my last week in this first YUCKY trimester. I keep praying that by the end of this month this sickness will be a thing of the past. I am looking forward to the next trimester, feeling movements, getting to find out the gender! I have zero patience and want to know NOW. Ian finds it quite amusing. I however do not:) I think it will be more real when I start to feel movements and then of course know what "it" is. Nathan asked the other day with all seriousness if its a girl can we name her pudding. I laughed and he was offended. Oops. Sorry that name is not on the list. Ian got a kick out of it though. I have a feeling its going to be quite the email war with him over this one's name. I plan to win though (that is your warning Ian:)

Almost 5 weeks down.....now if email will just keep working things will be great!

BEST NEWS!!!!

2011-05-10T12:58:00.002-05:00

Jacob got offered a spot at Nathan's school this morning. I am doing the happy dance and so thankful! We have prayed for a year and a half that he would get in with him. No more two schedules (one on year round one not) no more two schools. They can hopefully ride the bus together and BE together which is something that most days they both ask for. No more dealing with one or the other upset because the other one is off while one is at school. Only ONE early day a week not two to screw up Owen's (and the new baby's) naps. I am THRILLED! The only thing that could make it better is if email was actually working so I could tell Ian. He is going to be SO happy.

I can't WAIT to tell Jacob and Nathan!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:09:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's Day! It has been kind of a rough day but I got these beautiful flowers from Ian yesterday with a sweet message that made me miss him even more and he kept his promise and called and spoke to Jacob and Nathan before bed last night for a few moments so I got to hear his voice too just for a bit. And I woke to a few emails from him this morning. I can't ask for much more than that. I told him I miss his spoiling me and breakfast in bed:) I am hoping the rain stays away so I can take the boys to the park to play with a few kids this afternoon. A bunch of "deployment widows" from church are going to get together for Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day! I can't believe that this is my 9th official year and I can't believe that this time next year I will have a six month old. I don't know which one leaves me flabbergasted more at this point!

I had to add these last two of Owen. I have needed to clean Ian's fish tank for over a week and have just felt so awful and have been trying to rest when Owen rests and did not want to clean it with him awake or in the dark but finally yesterday I said forget it I'm doing it so he "helped". What a pain but in the end it got done. Unfortunately one fish was dead this morning. I don't think anything I did did it but I still feel bad. I hope I can keep the rest alive until Ian gets back....I am doing my best. I had Owen clean the outside of the tank with a Mr. Clean eraser. He just thought he was so cool:) So I told him we could take a picture so Daddy could see what a big helper he is. He is saying TA DA in one of them. He is a pain but he sure is cute.

Happy Mother's Day from Nathan

2011-05-06T17:00:00.005-05:00

Owen and I went to Nathan's school for his Annual Kindergarten Mother's Day Celebration. It was so cute. They made all the mothers crowns, pictures and flowers. They sang really cute songs and at the end all the moms got up and we sang and danced the chicken songs with them in our crowns. I am sure that was a sight to see! It was quite the challenge with Owen. He demanded I hold him so here I am trying to dance in this crowd holding Owen. Nice. Unfortunately waking Owen to go to the shindig has transformed his wonderful mood into a not so favorable one. But tis life.

Here are a few pictures:)

Self portrait of me and my crown

Showing off my flower and crown picture by Owen:)

The only picture I could get of Nathan singing

Owen did pretty good this time sitting and listening.

A close up of the crown:)

Me and Nathan after all sweaty from dancing the chicken dance.

A look at all my goodies from him. He made a cute little coupon book, the crown and flower plus a poem with his hand print and some candy to boot. He is very proud of himself and I am proud of him too. It was a very cute little experience.

After we came home I let him and Owen have an ice cream. I went out to get my water bottle out of the Van and came back to this. After cleaning for four hours today the first reaction was me wanting to have a fit then I just laughed and grabbed the camera. What can you do? Now if they could only get ALONG!

Today.....

2011-05-06T13:08:00.002-05:00

Dare I say it but after 8 weeks I finally feel almost normal today. I had a couple hours of gagging this morning and each time I eat I get that way for a bit but I am functioning. It is amazing and exhausting at the same time. I decided to take advantage of it and cleaned four hours straight. Every floor down here has been swept mopped etc etc. among other things and zucchini bread is making the house smell good cooking. I am beat now but it was worth it. Owen of course wanted to help so here he is steam mopping and "talking" to daddy on my old cell phone. All week he has carried that phone around calling his dad:( BUT he seems to finally be over his cold he had and yesterday and today he has been in SUCH a better mood. I hope it continues. He and I are headed to Nathan's school in a few hours to see Nathan sing for Mother's Day. So stay tuned for more pictures!

Gardening

2011-05-01T10:34:00.005-05:00

Before Ian left he had a great garden going. So far I have kept things alive. There are blossoms on the bean plants and tomato plants but so far no actual vegetables. However the zucchini has exploded. I picked the first one today and Owen is modeling it for you.

It is a BABY:)

2011-04-28T19:52:00.002-05:00

I had an OB appointment today. I am 10 weeks 5 days and willing the end of this trimester to come. I loved the doctor I saw today. She was so nice and personable. She just had twins 12 weeks ago and has two older children as well. She took her time and answered all my questions and even gave me another ultrasound since the baby is too small to hear with the doppler yet. Everything looked great. It looks like a mix between an alien and gummy bear. Jacob is not referring to it as "the alien gummy bear" :) Poor kid names already. It was such a huge relief to see life. It almost makes feeling like hell almost all day everyday worth it. Note the "almost". The baby was measuring ahead about six days but because its under a week my due date of 11/19 will stay as is at least for now. She said just don't be surprised if I don't make it that far which I would be shocked as it is if I did since I have yet to see 40 weeks. Just crossing fingers, toes and everything else that Ian can make it back in time.

I wanted to share these last two pictures my friend Aliesha sent me. This is of all our kids together eating cake on Easter. They were too cute:) Then the last one is an adorable picture of Owen. I love that he finally is hamming it up for the camera.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:48:00.005-05:00

Well, it has been quite the challenging week filled with me feeling absolutely horrible at times and then Owen getting a cold and Jacob getting a flu bug. But we made it. I made it through dying eggs and making some rice crispy treats with Owen yesterday. The Easter Bunny came and left goodies for the boys. Jacob and Nathan were most especially excited about their new XBox game. We missed church due to trying to make sure Jacob was not contagious but he kept everything down since last night so we went and had dinner with my friend Aleisha and her boys. Its nice to be able to get together while our daddies are together on the ship.

I am glad this is the only major holiday we have to do without Ian. We are almost done with our first row of stars on our countdown. Slowly but surely.....

Happy Easter!

Decorating Eggs

Owen painting (he LOVES doing crafts!!) and of course cooking with me

The Goods:)!

Only Ian's Son

2011-04-24T21:46:00.001-05:00

Would love dog food and biscuits as much as Owen does. He literally will lay on the floor and eat out of Keira's bowl if I don't watch him. And dog biscuits...lets just say he would prefer that over food. Its so nasty! I blame it all on Ian:)

Beach Day!!

2011-04-16T22:27:00.004-05:00

I think all in all today was a great day. It was long as Owen was up at 5:40 but after the Easter shindig we came home and he and I rested and then it was off to Coronado to the beach with our friends the McFarlanes' (whose daddy is on the ship with (Ian). It was 88 here at the house and just about 80 when we got to the beach. I LOVE that we can go to Coronado on base and not fight swarms of people. It was the perfect time as a lot of people were leaving. We found parking right away and had a great three hours playing. Owen is getting to the point where he really scares me. Once he is used to the water he wants to just GO. He is very much like Jacob in that way. They all had fun playing together and being goofy and Aleisha and I just enjoyed talking to another adult! I forsee many afternoons like today in our future over the next six months. I even got an email from Ian sitting on the beach. I can't begin to say how much I love my smartphone!:)

Dont' ask....this is how he walked up to me and how could I not take a picture for his father to see. yes he was doing a hula dance too.....

by the end the kids were pretty cold. Owen wanted to be wrapped all up so this is how he stumbled to the showers (well half way till I carried him:) He sure was hamming it up today. I have to crack up at his "cheese" face. I look back at pictures of me at that age and its TOTALLY how I was.

Operation Homefront Spring Event

2011-04-16T22:12:00.004-05:00

I signed the kids up for Operation Homefront's Spring Event over a month ago thinking it would be a good thing for them to look forward to after Ian left. They really do a lot of neat things for Military Families (kids). They had crafts set up and the kids got to decorate cookies and then they had a drawing and we won a gift basket with all the stuff to make different dishes ie chili, muffins, soup with measuring cups, a dish towel etc. Plus we got some candy goodies and the kids each got a kite and a bag with treats (the best part was it was NOT candy it was crackers, fruit snacks etc). We had quite the loot once we came home. They even gave us a reusable bag with a nice towel in it. Perfect for Owen who needed a new beach towel.

Playing outside and waiting to go into the event.

Decorating cookies!! (or in Owen's case inhaling his)

Playing with the airplanes they got in their goodie bags.

The LOOT!

And one last picture because I thought it was hilarious. Owen wants to cook ALL the time. To the point of its annoying. This morning I decided to make the boys little cinnamon rolls using crescent rolls. I mixed butter and sugar and cinnamon and let him stir it and help spread it on the rolls. He thought he was the coolest kid on the block:) I could not resist taking a picture.

Our Countdown Wall

2011-04-16T22:09:00.003-05:00

I was telling my sister Christina about our countdown and she was amazed I could fit so many stars on one thing so I told her I would take a picture and share it. As long as there are no delays there are enough stars for each and every day until Ian's return. The boys took down the first three tonight for today and the two days prior. Its nice to see a few down. It is a bit daunting to walk down the stairs and see all those darn stars staring back each time. BUT I know in a few weeks as we start to see them disappear it will be invigorating:) I think it will really help the kids too.

I also put up a world map so we can chart daddy's route and put some pictures up. If he emails more we will add them around the map. (hint hint Ian!)

Safe Sailing Daddy....We Love You

2011-04-14T13:21:00.004-05:00

Let the countdown begin. Today is a bit of a sad day but we will get through it. We were up and down at the base early. They opened the ship to families from 7 to 8:30 and after Ian and I talked we decided it would be good for the boys to at least see where he will be sleeping and where he will be eating. So Ian took the boys on a tour and they even got to climb up in his rack which they thought was pretty darn cool. They were jealous of all the drinks in the galley:) They got to walk around a bit and then it was time to say goodbye. Owen just could not handle standing there or being held for hours until it was time to go and we felt it would be easier for him to walk us to the Van and say our goodbyes there. So that is what we did. I think I could have held on to him forever but we kept it very short and quick to try to keep emotions at bay. The boys and I headed to the commissary and did our shopping (I figured why not torture myself more:) and they got to pick out junk food and (yucky) luncheables for lunch and a movie and game from redbox. We are having a hang out day and I am hoping to feel well enough to clean a bit. I am trying to not let the pregnancy hormones get the best of me. Thankfully the Zofran the doctor put me on seems to help at least some. Some days are better than others. One of the last things I said to Ian before I let go was "next time you see me I will be fat and bloated probably 20 pounds heavier and I never in a million years thought I would WANT that but I really hope that is the case." We are just praying that they come back on time and I can waddle down the pier rather than hand him an already born new baby. No matter what happens though we will survive. The boys are doing okay. Jacob is angry at the world but it will get better. He is such a helper to me and I am thankful for him more everyday.

We are ending the day having pizza with friends whose daddy left today with ours and then Jacob has scouts. Hopefully it will pass quickly and we can take off our first star on the countdown.

We love you Ian and are going to miss you so much!! Here are a few pictures I took. I look like hell but hey thats about how I feel right now so it is fitting:)

Nathan in Daddy's Rack. Number 82 as they so excitedly told me.

The boys having their hot cocoa and donuts waiting for daddy to come get us to take us on board.

Ian and the boys. The facial expressions on Owen and Nathan especially are amusing.

Jacob was starting to get upset so I took his picture to distract him:)

Owen sharing his donut with daddy before getting in the car to leave:(

Jacob

2011-04-12T10:17:00.003-05:00

I had meant to take so many more pictures of Jacob and our family at his baptism but just was not feeling well and did not get around to doing what I wanted. So, on Sunday when he wore his suit again to church I made him stop outside before going in the house to change so I could get a couple of him. He is so adorable. A little man for sure. He even has tie "bling" (a tie clip) that has the emblem CTR on it (stands for Choose The Right). He told me a while back he really wanted one so we got him one for his baptism. Nathan is back at school as of this week but Jacob is off for another three weeks. Poor kid. Stuck here at home with a mom who is not feeling all that hot and a 2 year old stubborn little boy:) He is my big helper though and I appreciate every minute of it. Oh and he got some new glasses too. :) He is looking pretty sharp these days.

Family Picture!

2011-04-08T22:35:00.005-05:00

I had not really planned on doing family pictures until Ian returned in the fall but as I thought about it more I decided we needed a new one of the five of us before he goes. So today we were off to the mall and just went to Picture People with the hopes of getting one good family shot and a picture of the boys. Well, we got a few cute family ones but Owen was not really wanting ANYTHING to do with it (which we figured would be the case). He flat out refused to take a picture with Jacob and Nathan without daddy there so I just decided why not get a picture of Ian and his boys. So that is what we did. The scanner was being a pain so I finally just took a picture of the pictures so it really does not do the quality of the pictures justice but I love that even Owen is smiling. I am proud of my little family. There are of course everyday challenges but I can't imagine my life with out all my "men" and I love seeing how much the boys change day by day.

Ian will be gone very very soon. It is starting to sink in especially as I watch him fill his sea bag. This deployment is going to be overly tough for many reasons but I know we will be fine. There is huge relief as we hear tonight that we will actually get a full pay check this week. For now that is one stressor off my shoulders. It is starting to sink in for the boys though as well as both Jacob and Nathan are becoming quite emotional and Nathan actually climbed in Ian's lap and cried tonight. All we can do is communicate with them and try to ease them into it as best as we can. Its going to be a long 7 months! God is good though and I know he will get us through it.

Jacob's Baptism

2011-03-27T22:05:00.004-05:00

Today was a great day! Jacob decided he wanted to be baptized and has been preparing for weeks. He has been looking forward to today for a very long time and was even more excited because Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for a couple of days. I wish I had taken more pictures. He looked SO adorable in his new suit. He got a really cool new red tie complete with his very own tie clip. Sadly the ring we got him was too small so we will have to be returning that but he still love it. It was a special day. Grandpa spoke about baptism and Daddy baptized him and confirmed him a member of the church. He said he feels so happy and can't take the smile off his face. He really is a cute little guy. My mom got the only picture of him in his suit. Of course he has his arms wrapped around two of his little girl friends:) We thought it was too cute.

Here are a few pictures with Grandma and Grandpa. Poor Jacob cried for a half hour tonight because they have to leave tomorrow. I am so not looking forward to Ian's departure which is coming sooner by the day.....we will survive but its going to be one tough separation this time.

Grandpa had Owen take a huge bite of cupcake and he was laughing so hard it got us all going:)

Owen and Grandpa doing puzzles. One of Owen's favorite things to do these days.

Pinewood Derby!

2011-03-27T21:50:00.003-05:00

Jacob was SO excited to be able to make a car and participate in the Pinewood Derby this year. I am just SO thankful Ian was here to make it with him! They had so much fun making it that Jacob even said before he went that he did not care how good his car was he just had the best time making it with his dad. So cute. His car was not the fastest but he loved every minute of the experience and he and Ian have already talked about how they will change things up next year. I see many many many future derbies in my future!

Jacob's Award

2011-03-27T21:43:00.003-05:00

It has been a couple of weeks since I have had a chance to sit down and post and now I find myself overloaded with pictures. Jacob got an award at school a couple of weeks ago for huge improvement both academically and emotionally. He was so proud and it was very cute. Owen was a bear but once I let him sit with Jacob's friends he was thrilled. He wants to be just like the big kids. Here are a few pictures.