Albaeck Army Adventure

thanksgiving

2011-12-24T22:21:00.000-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving it was just the six of us; we had a nice, relaxing day and a wonderful dinner!

Sweet Ben and Little Miss Lexie (carrying on the family tradition of "olive fingers")

After dinner we decorated our Christmas tree. The kids were excited to put up the ornaments they got at Disney World this year!

Lexie found a ballerina alligator ornament and HAD to have it. Since she's obsessed with both alligators and ballet we figured it was a great representation of her 2011.

Jacob putting the star on the tree!

The kids always get Christmas pj's from Grandma and Grandpa and wear them while we decorate the tree and then throughout the holiday season. I love getting pictures of them in matching pj's since it doesn't happen often!

Alexandra. Christopher. Nicholas. Benjamin.

After a fun-filled day we enjoyed some pie and then it was off to bed.

yellow belt test

2011-12-24T21:51:00.000-05:00

Christopher has been taking karate for the past few months and in November, it was FINALLY time for him to test for his yellow belt. He was so excited, especially because Grandma and Grandpa were in town to watch!!

Getting all lined up to test.

Kicks and punches.

Way to go, Christopher!!!!

fall fun (in pictures!)

2011-12-24T21:36:00.001-05:00

We went to a local Farmer's Market to pick out our pumpkins this year. The kids took their time and sorted through dozens of different ones before finding the perfect pumpkin.

Lexie fell in love with this bumpy pumpkin while the boys went with more traditional choices.

503d MP BN hosted a Fall Festival for all of the Soldiers and families. The kids were excited to go horseback riding for the first time!!

We also painted pumpkins, went to the haunted house (at least Jacob, Nick, and Ben did), went on a hayride, and enjoyed the BBQ.

This year we made the kids pull the guts out of their pumpkins-- they enjoyed it!!

Lexie wasn't sure about it so Jacob had to shove her hand in. And then she wanted to eat the seeds!

It was pouring rain and really cold out this year on Halloween so we ended up skipping trick-or-treating.

We put out candy for any daring trick-or-treaters and watched "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"

Daisy Mae

charlotte-- dean & deluca

2011-12-11T19:21:00.001-05:00

While we were in Charlotte we went to Dean & Deluca for breakfast every morning!! We had our first taste of Dean & Deluca coffee in a gift pack we received after Christopher was born and we've been hooked ever since. Though the locations are limited we go every time we're in a city that has one and everyone is hooked now. They have the most amazing breakfast burritos, omelets, and pastries in addition to awesome coffee!! We were definitely sad to say goodbye at the end of our trip.

charlotte-- the cowfish

2011-12-11T19:03:00.001-05:00

After a busy day shopping and exploring Charlotte, we headed back over by the hotel to find something for dinner. When we drove by the mall we saw a sign for "The Cowfish: Sushi, Burger, Bar" and were intrigued so we headed inside. They're focused on offering both the best sushi AND the best burger in town.

The seared ahi tuna nachos and the little princess who loves ahi tuna.

Nick ordered sushi for dinner while Ben had the teriyaki chicken

Jacob and I shared a couple different types of rolls.

And then we all had the amazing "Apple Pie" Wontons for dessert!!

It was a delicious end to a fun-filled day in Charlotte and we all can't wait to go back!!

charlotte

2011-11-26T18:20:00.001-05:00

Over Columbus Day weekend we headed west to check out Charlotte. While not the capital of North Carolina, Charlotte is the largest city population-wise and interestingly, it is the second largest banking center in the US (following NYC). We have been living in NC for over two years and never made our way to Charlotte so we figured it was time. Plus, they have an IKEA AND a Jack in the Box!

We left bright and early (really, it was closer to 9) Friday morning and made it to Charlotte in time for lunch. Our first stop of the day was IKEA where we had an AMAZING (and cheap!!) lunch-- we've definitely missed the swedish meatballs!! After lunch we dropped the kids off for some free IKEA childcare and explored the furniture section ALONE!! The hour seemed to go by way too quickly and it was time to pick the kids up and go through the second half of the store. We didn't end up buying anything but it was a great way to spend the afternoon-- we were there for almost FOUR hours!!

We made the scenic drive through Charlotte-- it's a BEAUTIFUL city-- to our hotel and got checked in and unloaded the van. Our hotel was "conveniently" located in the South Park Mall parking lot (ahhhhhhh, a REAL mall!!) so we walked over for some window shopping (and some real shopping at a&f kids) and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (we don't have one of those in Fayetteville either!!). Then we headed back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep before our busy Saturday.

Saturday (in pictures):

We started our day with an amazing breakfast at Dean and Deluca which quickly became our home away from home. And yes, we knew some of the staff by name by the time we left Charlotte. :)

And then headed downtown to check out Discovery Place- one of the leading hands-on science centers in the country!

We saw "Tornado Alley" in the IMAX dome theatre and Nicholas was ENTHRALLED

Nick thought this microscope that hooked up to the computer was the best thing ever. We had to drag him out of this exhibit (after he inspected his hair and nails-- and all the rocks and shells that went with the microscope)

Scientist Lexie checking out some leaves

The touch tank is always a hit!! Starfish and horseshoe crab.

It's Nemo!! And a seahorse!!

Nick on a bed of nails

We learned about pulleys on the Pulley Chairs

Lexie and Ben had fun dancing-- every time they stepped on a color the music would change

Nicholas was really excited about the circuit board. He wanted to take it home!

Everyone enjoyed the ride on the air chair-- a vacuum creates a pressure differential great enough to life people several feet in the air!!

Ben LOVED the Vortex Cannon that shoots a powerful blast of air.

We constructed floor plans, built buildings, and created cities

Jacob with the tower that he built!

While we were at Discovery Place Lexie got separated from the rest of us. She was intently watching people at the Pulley Chairs and didn't realize that we moved on to the next exhibit so when I realized she was gone about a minute later I went back to find her crying hysterically. I calmed her down and she made sure to hold my hand through the rest of the museum. When we got to the museum store she found this white alligator with HUGE eyes. Alligators are Lexie's favorite animal so of course she wanted to get the alligator. When I told her that we weren't going to get it today her eyes welled up with tears and she said, "but the little alligator is lost and can't find her Momma! Just like me!!" So OBVIOUSLY, we ended up getting the alligator.

St Peter's Episcopal Church-- In 1865 Jefferson Davis and his retreating Confederate Cabinet worshipped at St Peter's following the assassination of President Lincoln

The Bank of America building-- the tallest building in Charlotte

After our fun day at Discovery Place we headed to Cabo Fish Taco-- a Guy Fieri "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" find for an awesome dinner and end to our day!

hurricane irene

2011-11-26T16:12:00.001-05:00

At the end of August we got to experience our first hurricane since moving to North Carolina. Though Hurricane Irene was predicted to make landfall in North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane it was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall a few hours northeast of us. We had strong winds and a good deal of rain but nothing as severe as was predicted.

Hurricane Irene rolling in

We lost power for a couple hours in the midst of the storm-- luckily during the day so no one was too scared!! We stocked up on water and non-perishable foods (including MRE's) before the storm as well as some take-n-bake pizzas from Sam's Club. Jacob made some AMAZING pizzas on the BBQ and to this day the kids prefer their pizza cooked on the grill!

Delicious BBQ'd pizza

By bedtime the storm had passed and we were able to enjoy a BEAUTIFUL sunset before everyone headed off to bed.

Amazing sunset.

first day of school 2011

2011-11-26T16:00:00.001-05:00

So I am RIDICULOUSLY behind on the blog. I'm hoping to be able to use what's left of the long weekend to get caught up, even if it means that posts are predominantly just pictures.

WAYYYYY back in August the boys started the 2011-2012 school year and they are all at different schools this year. Christopher's school is 3-5 grade, Nick's is K-2 grade, and Ben is in Pre-K. Our mornings are quite busy with getting Christopher to the bus stop and Nick and Ben to their schools.

Christopher- 3rd Grade. Nicholas- 1st Grade. Benjamin- Pre-K

remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T22:52:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe that it has already been ten years since September 11, 2001. At times it seems like it was yesterday-- I can vividly remember everything that happened that day. I overslept (big surprise). My roommate, Taryn, woke me up with the news that the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane; I thought that she was joking and I was annoyed with her for waking me up. I went into the living room and turned on the TV. Still consumed in feelings of disbelief, I watched in horror. I called Jacob and he immediately headed over. He too, was amazed and in shock. We were all glued to the news for the next several hours watching the events of the day unfold. I remember that we all ate Eggo waffles for breakfast, and even still, every time I have one I think of September 11. We continued watching throughout the attack on the Pentagon and the crashing of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. In between watching the events, we talked about what we would have done in the same situations. We heard that gas prices were going to go up, so we each took our cars and filled them up. When we got gas that afternoon, it was $1.35 a gallon. We went out later that evening to get groceries and it was up to $4.25. None of us went to our classes and later found out that they had in fact been cancelled. Most of them were for the remainder of the week.

Our lives, like the lives of many Americans changed that day. While none of us were directly affected by the attacks, as a country we were. We (at the age of 19) were too young to remember anything like this happening in America before. The most horrific war that we knew was the Gulf War – not even a war when compared to the great tragedies of the World Wars or even Korea or Vietnam. We were not old enough to remember a brutal and deliberate attack on American soil, such as Pearl Harbor. While we did know of things happening to Americans abroad, they never seemed as important because they weren’t happening here. We, as well as others, remained in awe. Horrified that something like this could happen in the US, we discussed the possibilities for the future. We debated whether or not America should go to war and blow up Afghanistan as a whole, or take it slow to limit the number of innocent lives lost. As one would expect, emotions did get the better of us at times and we thought the US should use any and all force to seek revenge.

In the decade since September 11, 2001, my life has drastically changed. I'm no longer the naive 19-year-old pondering what America should do in response to the attacks on 9/11. I've gotten married, had four kids, and proudly watched as Jacob enlisted and went off to war. As a military family the events of September 11 and the subsequent "War on Terror" touch our lives more closely than I ever would have expected a decade ago.

I'm envious of those that are able to keep their kids shielded from the events of September 11. Kids that are able to maintain their innocence for awhile longer, trusting that people are inherently good. As "Army Brats", our kids have been exposed to war, death, and the tragedies of 9/11 younger than most. In school they learned about what happened on September 11 and seemed to grasp most of it. They understand that Daddy went to Iraq last year because of what happened that day.

However, this year we went into even more depth explaining it to them. We watched "Nick News: The Story of 9/11" earlier this week and it did a great job of answering most of their questions. And then this morning, for the first time ever, they watched the events unfold as they did a decade ago. Christopher and Nicholas sat there in shock as they watched the planes fly into the towers. Nicholas was deeply offended when the plane hit "the GREAT Pentagon", and they were both in awe as Flight 93 went down in PA.

I'm thankful that I got to spend today at the park playing with my kids. And thankful that all six of us got to sit down to dinner together tonight. I'm thankful for those that lost their lives a decade ago and those that have lost their lives fighting for our country since then. I'm thankful, and proud, to be an American.

happy 8th birthday, christopher!

2011-08-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Christopher's 8th (oh, where does the time go?) birthday this month! Per his request we went to see Smurfs in 3D and followed it with dinner at Mellow Mushroom- his fave pizza place! We came home to do cake (brownie sundaes) and presents and HAAAAAD to do Christopher's yearly fake "surprise" party. One of these years we'll have to do a real one a few weeks early!! :)

It's MYYY birthday?! I'm so surprised!!

The birthday boy with his presents!

Little Miss Lexie

Ben watching intently as Christopher opens presents and showing off his new glasses!

Daisy Mae

The birthday boy making a wish!!

movies and fro-yo

2011-08-21T20:32:00.000-04:00

While Grandma and Grandpa were in town we headed to Hope Mills to catch a movie. During the summer they do $1 kids movies (and parents are free!!) with $1 popcorn and $1 drinks. We saw Ramona and Beezus and it turned out to be a really cute movie!!

Lexie. Daddy. Ben. Grandma. Christopher. Grandpa. Nick.

After the movie we introduced Grandma and Grandpa to Smithfield's Chicken 'n Bar-B-Q for some delicious Eastern Carolina BBQ. And then we headed over to tuttimelon for frozen yogurt!

Ben: chocolate with gummy bears. Chris: coconut with chocolate chips. Lexie: taro with fruity pebbles.

shakespeare on base

2011-08-21T19:48:00.000-04:00

Christopher took part in the Shakespeare on Base program here on Fort Bragg this summer. It was a free program that covered acting as well as set design, singing, dancing, and fencing! He had an amazing time and didn't want to leave. At the end of the two weeks they put on a show with excerpts from 3 of Shakespeare's plays as well as some singing and dancing.

Christopher was very excited to take part in the program!

He even had a solo!!

oreo cheesecake cupcakes

2011-08-21T18:58:00.000-04:00

I made these cupcakes for a BBQ because they looked nice and portable, and as it turns out, they're AMAAAAZING!! Plus, they're super quick to make!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

(from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

42 Oreos, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped

2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275º. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours (or overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

swimming lessons

2011-08-21T17:14:00.000-04:00

Fort Bragg does an amazing job offering an assortment of youth programs so all the kids did 2 sessions of swimming lessons this summer. I loved that the lessons were every morning so the kids didn't have a chance to forget what they'd learned in the previous lesson. We made great progress this summer-- especially since we haven't always had access to a pool so their swimming experiences were very limited.

Lexie blowing bubbles and doing airplanes with Teacher Robby.

Ben working on kicking on his back and airplanes with Robby.

The big kids worked on jumping into deeper and deeper water until they could jump off the diving board. Nicholas is fearless and jumped right in but it took Christopher 3 weeks until he'd jump on his own!

Ben and Lexie splashing and jumping!

Christopher perfected his airplanes and learned to tread water.

Ben didn't like doing airplanes if it was sunny out-- luckily it was overcast most mornings!

Lexie kicking on her back.

On the last day all the kids got to go down the waterslide!

Ben's so light that he FLEW off the slide!

Lexie did too and then swam to the side!

After 4 weeks of lessons, Christopher and Nicholas can swim almost independently and Ben and Lexie are much more comfortable in the water!! We'll definitely be signing up for more swimming next summer!!

north carolina museum of history

2011-08-21T16:31:00.000-04:00

We drove up to Raleigh to check out the North Carolina Museum of History one afternoon. Well, technically we drove up to Raleigh to go to Chipotle for lunch but figured we'd do something fun while we were up there to make the gas usage more worthwhile.

Lexie in front of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences

All the kids in a wooden canoe!

Everyone had a great time and particularly enjoyed the exhibit "Story of North Carolina". It covers life in North Carolina from its earliest settlement through the 1830s. We learned all about the pirates that travelled the North Carolina coast (like Blackbeard!), North Carolina's involvement in the Revolutionary War, and the tobacco farms that North Carolina is known for. We're excited to go back in November when the second part of the exhibit (1830s-present) opens.

nick's ekg

2011-08-21T15:33:00.000-04:00

At Nick's 6 year well check (that we did a few months late) the pediatrician noticed that his heart skips a beat. He ordered an EKG to check it out and make sure there weren't any serious problems.

The tech that did his EKG was awesome and let all 5 of us come in the room to watch. She showed all the kids how to attach the electrodes and they got Nick all hooked up. We all watched on the monitor and saw his heartbeats: blip. blip. blip. nothing. blip. blip. blip. nothing. Luckily they said that it wasn't anything serious and they'll just keep an eye on it.

fort bragg fourth of july

2011-08-21T14:30:00.000-04:00

the Albaeck crew singing the National Anthem

Every year, Fort Bragg puts on a HUUUUUUUGE 4th of July event so we were excited to check it out this year. Unfortunately, Jacob had to work the event so we didn't get to spend much time with him, but we did see him for a quick snowcone!

♥ Christopher ♥

The Golden Knights (the Army's demonstration and competition parachute team) jumped into the event!

Luke didn't want to stay on our side of the tape so Nick and Steve had to keep chasing him!!

Ben had fun playing with Steve on one of his breaks!!

bloggy break

2011-08-21T13:28:00.000-04:00

After a much needed blog break, I'm back with updates on the last couple of months. School starts up next week (on Thursday!!) and things won't be quite so hectic on my end which leaves more time for things like blogging!!

fayetteville fourth

2011-07-18T08:42:00.000-04:00

Every year the city of Fayetteville puts on a concert and fireworks show a few days before the 4th of July so that they aren't competing with Fort Bragg's event. We've never been so we were excited to check it out this year!

We brought a blanket to sit on and cash thinking we'd buy dinner from one of the vendors so we were VERY surprised when we walked into Festival Park and saw no vendors but lots of people carrying coolers. We staked out a spot and then Christopher and I walked MILES (yeahhhh, it was probably only a mile and a half round trip-- but it was hot!!) to get dinner from Subway. We lugged back 4 footlongs and 12 bottles of Powerade and water!!

When Christopher and I got back we spread out on our blanket and enjoyed our dinner. The kids entertained the crowd by singing the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic songs. At around 8p the NC Symphony played an amazing concert. It was a nice, relaxing way to spend a Friday evening!

Nicholas enjoying his dinner

Lexie, Ben, and Christopher having fun

And then it was time for fireworks!! Our kids are a taaaaaaaad spoiled when it comes to fireworks so Lexie's first question was "Why aren't we sitting closer to the castle?" (as in, Cinderella's Castle at WDW). In the middle of the fireworks show Christopher and Nick asked if we could leave because they were bored. In spite of all that they did really have a good time-- though they do prefer the fireworks at Disney World! And on the way home, asked 27 times when we could go back to Disney World.......

Fireworks.

teeth

2011-07-18T08:28:00.000-04:00

Every six months when Christopher goes to the dentist he asks if ANY of his teeth are loose yet. When he went in December, nothing was loose but our dentist assured him that they would be SOON. And then in March, Christopher noticed that he had not one loose tooth, but FOUR loose teeth. So he wiggled and wiggled and wiggled, but nothing happened.

About a month ago I realized that his permanent teeth were growing in behind his baby teeth, and much further back than they should be, so I called the dentist. We went in the next day to get it checked out and they decided to pull some teeth.

Christopher wasn't nervous at all and was VERY excited that he'd FINALLY have some teeth to put under his pillow. I don't think he quite understood the process of pulling teeth and he hopped in the dentist's chair with a smile. They used a topical numbing cream and then gave him about seven shots (which he NEVER noticed and I don't think he even knows they did-- which is good-- he gets hysterical with shots). Then they pulled out the bottom two center teeth. After those were out they realized there still wasn't quite enough room on the bottom so they ended up pulling all four bottom incisors.

Christopher relaxing with the laughing gas. Still smiles even after the teeth are out!

Christopher did great with the whole thing and was VERY excited to show Daddy his toothless mouth when he got home from work! And even more excited to put FOUR pulled teeth under his pillow-- because you know the Tooth Fairy pays WAYYYYY more when the dentist pulls the teeth!!

About a week before Christopher's teeth were pulled, Nicholas realized that he also had a permanent tooth growing in on the bottom and a loose bottom tooth. He wiggled and wiggled and wiggled, and a couple of days after Christopher's teeth, Nick lost his first tooth-- though I had to pull it! Now the Albaeck house is full of toothless grins!!

Christopher missing four and Nick missing one!

vbs 2011

2011-07-17T19:42:00.000-04:00

ALL of the kids were able to go to VBS this summer and they were excited!! Lexie was FINALLY able to go and hang out with the big kids and I got a taste of freedom-- three hours a day with NO kids for a WHOLE WEEK!! Everyone had a blast and everyone was sad that it only lasted a week!

At the end of the week all of the kids put on a show of the songs they learned during VBS and then we had lunch together. Jacob was even able to come and watch the kids- and they were especially excited because he missed it last year.

Chris. Nick. Lexie.

Lexie had to keep pushing herself into the front because the big kids kept standing in front of her.

Gotta love Nick's attempt at making pictures better! :)

Ready for lunch!!

Christopher and his lunch! Nick finishing up the homemade ice cream in a bag!

wilmington with grandma

2011-07-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

While Grandma was in town a few weeks ago we went to Wilmington for the day. We had an amazing lunch at Tower 7 and checked out the beach! Then we surprised Grandma with a trip to Rita's since she fell in love when they lived in MD but they don't have them in AZ. We parked in downtown Wilmington and headed over to the riverfront.

the Albaeck kids

We did a sightseeing cruise aboard the Henrietta III on the Cape Fear River.

The Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and the highlight of the trip for Ben-- a garbage truck
Scenery along the Cape Fear River

the USS North Carolina and one of many pelicans we saw on our cruise

The Port of Wilmington-- it was amazing to see how quickly the cranes filled the container ships

♥♥♥ Lexie ♥♥♥

Grandma and Ben relaxing

My dream house on the banks of the Cape Fear

lexie's ballet recital

2011-06-20T18:44:00.000-04:00

Lexie has been in ballet at Leslie's Dance Academy for the past year and just had her first recital. The older girls did the ballet of Cinderella and the little girls (2-3 yrs) did their own dance at the end. Lexie was so excited to dress up in her Cinderella ballet dress!

Lexie and Chloe being silly before the recital

She looks so grown up!! What happened to my little baby?!

Chloe and Lexie patiently waiting

Little Ballerinas

Lexie's Recital

Chloe and Lexie had fun playing out front after they danced.

We stopped for ice cream on our way home!

And look, the boys were there too!! They enjoyed the ice cream WAYYYYY more than the recital!

butner awards ceremony

2011-06-19T19:21:00.000-04:00

Christopher and Nicholas had an awards ceremony at school and were very excited that they would BOTH be getting an award!!

Christopher received an award for excellence in Music.

And Nick received an award for doing the most sit-ups (40+) out of the kindergarten class!

airborne museum

2011-06-19T19:06:00.000-04:00

While Jacob's dad was in town we headed to the Airborne and Special Operations Museum (ASOM) in downtown Fayetteville to check it out and see if they had anything new. Our kids love going and learning about the Army's involvement in the world throughout history. Plus, they like to see the big guns!

"Iron Mike" stands in front of the ASOM and is dedicated to all airborne troopers: past, present, and future.

The flags on the Field of Honor as well as the flag flying over the 16th MP Brigade monument.

Paratroopers.

Trying to get in on the action.

Standing in front of "Iron Mike" with Truck Grandpa

lexie's big girl bed

2011-06-19T14:23:00.000-04:00

After months of waiting, Lexie's furniture FINALLY came in. As soon as it was delivered she was ready to set up her "Big Girl" room!!

New furniture and bedding!!

Goodnight Big Girl!!

ben's birthday (also late)-- in pictures

2011-06-19T13:48:00.000-04:00

For Ben's birthday he wanted to go bowling (just like Chris and Nick did for theirs!)

Bowling Butts :)

Nick gets better every time we go-- though I still don't understand how he can bowl in those positions!

Lexie doing her victory dance!

After bowling we went to Smokey Bones for dinner and then home for presents.

What could it be?? A DS?! YAY!!!

The FOUR year old with his carrot cake!

easter (a bit late!)

2011-06-10T19:23:00.000-04:00

This year we didn't have to coordinate with the Easter Bunny and celebrate Easter early because this year, Daddy is home!! We colored our eggs on Saturday afternoon and the kids had a blast.

Ready to decorate eggs!

Luckily I made some extras because we ended up breaking/cracking almost half of them-- but everyone had a good time and that's what counts!!

On Easter morning we convinced the kids to sleep until 8am so we could get some much needed rest. As soon as the clock struck 8 they were ready to head downstairs and see what the Easter Bunny left!

It took about four minutes for the kids to find all the eggs this year. I think next year the Easter Bunny needs some new hiding spots **hint, hint**

Checking out their baskets

Lexie loves her chocolate AND her daddy!

tornado

2011-05-22T20:01:00.001-04:00

Saturday, April 16, started out like any other Saturday here on Fort Bragg. We slept in as late as possible with 4 kids and then headed out to grab lunch and run errands. We walked into Panda Express and ordered and as we were paying for our food the cashier mentioned that a tornado had been spotted in the town next to ours. We really didn't think anything of it because it didn't look THAT bad out. We enjoyed our lunch and laughed as Ben pointed out all of the emergency exits and fire "extinglishers" and Nick figured out where exactly we should sit if there was in fact a tornado.

After lunch we continued running errands and made our way to Target. We took our time checking out all of aisles searching for new and interesting things or anything on clearance. By the time we made it to the electronics in the back of the store the storm started to get bad. We were right by the printers when all the lights went out; and then kids started to cry. It took a few minutes for the generators to kick in and the back-up lights to come on. We assured the kids that everything would be fine and that we were safe inside Target- after all, we rode out a tornado in Colorado at Target before!

After a half hour of intense rain the storm subsided. We paid for our finds- including a bunch of extra stuff because we killed so much time there- and we were on our way home. All of the traffic lights were out on our way to the freeway but there wasn't much damage so we figured it was just a few downed power lines. A couple miles from the gate we pulled to a stop and it was bumper to bumper traffic as far as you could see. We still didn't really think much of it and continued towards the gate at a snail's pace.

About a mile from the gate we started seeing snapped tree trunks. In fact, entire trees were down blocking traffic headed off-post (which explains why we didn't see in traffic moving that direction). We finally made it up to where the tornado travelled and the devastation was indescribable. Trees were cleared from the area and entire houses were reduced to nothing but sticks.

We continued driving and finally made it onto Fort Bragg and headed home. Thankfully, our house was fine and a majority of the destruction was a couple of miles away. Our power was out when we got home so we gathered up candles and flashlights to prepare for the evening. Jacob barbecued hamburgers for dinner and then we put the kids to bed hoping they'd fall asleep because it was still light out.

As the sun set we lit candles and set up for an evening of board games.

Scrabble by candlelight.

We HAD to eat all the ice cream in our freezer so that it didn't go to waste. Jacob started with the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Blue Bell before moving onto the Late Night Snack Ben and Jerry's

Our power finally came on the next afternoon but others around us weren't as lucky. Some of our friends didn't have power for days, and many people lost their homes. This map shows the path the tornado travelled- we live near Reilly and Longstreet so we were close, but not THAT close.

Tornado Path

Photo from the Fayetteville Observer

vacay day nine: magic kingdom

2011-05-22T13:49:00.001-04:00

Main Street Welcome Medley

Our day at the Magic Kingdom started BRIGHT and EARLY. The park was set to open at 9am and we had 8am reservations at Cinderella's Royal Table INSIDE the Cinderella castle- partly so we could eat in the castle and partly so we could get unobstructed views of Main Street and the castle. However, the week before our trip Disney switched the park opening to 8am in anticipation of big crowds. We grew concerned not only about the crowd level but about getting our unobstructed views!!

We were all up by 6am and quickly left for our drive to the park. We pulled up to the parking attendant and he happily welcomed us to the Magic Kingdom and let us know that we were the first car through his lane!! The FIRST car!!! We were excited! We pulled into the parking lot and as it turns out, we were car number 3 and 4 in the whole park!!

We loaded up the stroller and made our way to the entrance. They had one section of turnstiles set up for those going to breakfast in the park and the rest were just for general entrance. Since we were nice and early we were first in line at the turnstiles.

the Magic Kingdom

Empty turnstiles.

We made our way through the turnstiles and then lined up under the archways that let you enter the park. The kids were given pixie dust (Mickey confetti) so that they could make a wish while we waited to officially go in.

Excited to be first!!

Finally it was time to go in and we were the FIRST ones in the Magic Kingdom!! It was surreal to see everything without the typical crowds.

Main Street

Park views.

We took our time getting to the castle so that we could stop for pictures and enjoy the views.

the Albaeck family

Our princess and "her" castle

We checked in at Cinderella's Royal Table for breakfast and as the park officially opened at 8am, Grandpa (in the red) ran to Peter Pan's Flight for our first fast passes of the day!

We met Cinderella when we arrived in the castle and then we were taken to our seats. We had an amazing breakfast of stuffed french toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and fruit while meeting all of the Disney princesses.

Snow White was the first princess to come to our table

Lexie LOVED meeting all the princesses!

Meeting Ariel

Lexie had on an "Ariel" shirt and the "real" Ariel was so excited!! Lexie even got a kiss from her favorite princess!!

Next up was Belle and she was definitely smitten with Ben.

After our amazing breakfast in the castle (a new family tradition?) we made our way out to the park. We were a little concerned about our ability to "catch up" as the park had been open for over an hour but we were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't too crowded. We made our way around the park enjoying rides and collecting as many fast passes as we could for later in the evening.

Tomorrowland Autopia

the People Mover-- always a favorite because it goes INSIDE Space Mountain!!

We ran into Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen and Lexie HAD to meet them!

Everyone had a great time exploring the Magic Kingdom. Christopher's favorite ride was Splash Mountain this time, and he went on it several times!! Nick was tall enough for Space Mountain on this trip and it became his new favorite ride (along with the Carousel of Progress). Ben and Lexie really liked Pirates of the Caribbean.

Right before the fireworks we got to watch the new "Magic, Memories, and You!" show that's projected onto the castle. The entire castle comes alive with movement, color, and characters all set to an amazing soundtrack. And 500 pictures of guests from the Magic Kingdom THAT DAY are incorporated into the show (no, we didn't see any pictures of us).

"Wishes" fireworks over Cinderella's castle

After the fireworks we headed over to Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain to use up fast passes and ride a few times. Grandma volunteered to take Ben and Lexie (who were too short) and go find spots for the Electrical Parade. We met up with them right before the parade started.

Ever since I was little the Main Street Electrical Parade has been a huge part of the magic of Disney and I was very excited to be able to share this magical experience with my kids this time! Grandma saved us great seats for the parade and we all had a fantastic view!!

Electrical Parade

After the parade we went on Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain one last time before making our way towards Main Street. It was close to midnight when we got there and the Magic Kingdom was almost empty already.

the castle and Main Street

Back when Jacob and I first went to Disneyland together (oh, 12 years ago) we started a tradition of getting ice cream from the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor on our way out of the park and we've kept this tradition every time we go to Disneyland or the Magic Kingdom. Those of us that were awake (everyone but Ben and Lexie) got an ice cream cone to enjoy on an empty Main Street.

Ice cream on Main Street

We were talking to a cast member while we were eating our ice cream and he was thoroughly impressed with our Disney dedication (we'd been at the Magic Kingdom for the past 17 hours!!). Once he heard that Christopher was doing a report on Walt Disney (and Disney World) for school he grew even more excited and said he had something for us. He went into an office and came out with a book all about the history of Disney World for Christopher to use in his report. We thanked him profusely and made our way to the cars. Yet another benefit of being in the first row of cars in the parking lot is that you don't have to walk very far at the end of the day!!

Car #3 and #4 of the day!!

We made it back to the hotel at close to 1:30am, over 19 hours after we left the day before. It was a long, action-packed, amazing day and we can't wait to do it again!

vacay day eight: hoop-de-doo revue

2011-04-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

For Grandma and Grandpa's birthdays we got them (and us!) dinner (and a show!) at the Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue. After spending the day checking out the Disney Vacation Club and one of the best SuperTarget's I've ever been to, we headed to Disney's Fort Wilderness for dinner.

Our arrival was a bit confusing but once we realized that we needed to take a bus to the other side of the property we were good to go. We checked in and were shortly taken to our table.

the grown ups.

We started with salad and amazing cornbread. And then it was time for the ribs, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, beans, and veggies!! The boys were all in heaven-- who could turn down all you can eat ribs?!

What's in there?? RIBS!!!!

Dinnertime

Christopher enjoying the ribs!!

We enjoyed watching the show as we ate our dinner. And then Lexie put on a show for us too!!

Lexie Dancing

Lexie Dancing (Long)

At the end there was even some audience participation!!

We had a great time at the Hoop-De-Doo Revue and we'll definitely go back again!!

vacay day seven: animal kingdom

2011-04-28T21:08:00.000-04:00

As is tradition, we were at Animal Kingdom in time for some pre-opening coffee and the "rope-drop" ceremony! We sang along with Mickey and Minnie as they "opened" the park and then we made our way over to Kilimanjaro Safari in Africa.

Kilimanjaro Safari

Rhinoceros

Hippos!!

Pelicans

A hungry crocodile

The savannah with MY favorite animal: the giraffe

Ankole cattle

My other favorite: the elephant

Cheetah

The lion-- Ben tried and tried to get him to wake up and ROAR! but the lion was too sleepy.

The Mr and Mrs!

After our amazing journey through Africa we trekked our way over to Asia for Expedition Everest! Grandma and Grandpa had never been on it (Grandpa was SUPER excited!!) and Nick wasn't tall enough last time we were there. We got fast passes and child swapped so that we could all go on it numerous times since it was a big hit with everyone! Ben and Lexie weren't quite tall enough (maybe next time!) but they enjoyed entertaining anyone who would watch.

the entertainers!

Jennifer and Grandpa waving (you can't see Chris and Nick) and riding!

We had the most AMAZING lunch at Yak and Yeti. It was our favorite meal the last time we went so we HAD to go again and introduce my parents to the delicious ribs and miso-glazed salmon. This trip was the first time we did the Nemo show and it was phenomenal! I would highly recommend it-- plus it's a great way to cool off in the afternoon!

On our way out of the park we decided to ride Kali River Rapids- the circular 12-person raft that goes through a series of rapids. Ben was tall enough to go this time (and was super excited for it!!) and Grandma waited with Lexie. I KNEW I would get soaked because it always manages to be me but I wasn't prepared for how soaked I would actually get.

The beginning of the ride went great and no one got too wet. And then we went down a hill and of course, I was at the bottom of the hill and the water gushed over me. The boys (including Jacob and Grandpa!!) all laughed hysterically at me and the fact that I was COMPLETELY soaked. And then they continued making fun of me all the way out of the park.

We went back to the hotel to clean up (and dry off!!) and then drove to the Polynesian for our dinner at 'Ohana. I purposely made late reservations (for us at least) at 8:30pm and when we showed up we asked to wait for a table as close to the window as possible. We were seated about 8:45 and had an AMAZING dinner!! I love how they serve everything family style and you can get more of anything.

Right before dessert was served they dimmed the lights and the fireworks started over Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. One of my favorite things about 'Ohana is that you can watch the fireworks (and listen to the music) while you have dinner-- and you don't have to fight the crowds at all!! The fireworks show got everyone excited for the Magic Kingdom in a couple days!!

vacay day six: disney's hollywood studios

2011-04-24T19:35:00.000-04:00

Like our day at EPCOT we were at Disney's Hollywood Studios bright and early so that we could be there for the "rope-drop" ceremony. We watched the ceremony and then Grandpa made a mad dash over to Toy Story Mania to secure fast passes for later in the day. We met him over there and since the line wasn't too long (only about 15 minutes!) we went on. It's one of our favorite rides in the park!

We made our way over to Tower of Terror and shockingly, Grandma kept her promise and rode it with Christopher and Nicholas!! We checked out the line for Rockin' Roller Coaster and it jumped up to a 70 minute wait while we were debating what to do. Christopher was finally tall enough to go but no one wanted to wait 70 minutes. Christopher agreed to do the single rider line with Grandpa, Jacob, and I. We talked all through the line about how he wouldn't be riding alone (he'd be with a stranger) but that he wouldn't be with one of us. He was surprisingly okay with the idea and Rockin' Roller Coaster became Christopher's first upside down roller coaster!!

After doing all the big rides in the park and having lunch at the 50's Prime Time Cafe we decided it was time to check out some of the shows in the park. The "Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show" was our first stop. The kids (and adults!!) were amazed with all of the tricks and the phenomenal driving skills in the show.

We got to see the REAL Herbie!!

Look at the flying car!

And the falling guy!!

And the sideways driving!!

The guy on the motorcycle slid through the fire.

And was on fire for nearly a minute before they used the "fire extinglish (Ben)" to put him out.

The finale!

We ran into one of the Army Men from Toy Story and the boys all HAD to stop for a picture.

We had a great afternoon going on all our favorite rides again (Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania!) and checking out the Little Mermaid and Indiana Jones shows. We had reservations at the Hollywood Brown Derby just as the park was closing so as people were starting to leave we headed over there for dinner.

Since we had such late dinner reservations (and there weren't that many other people in the restaurant) we were able to walk out of the park ALONE!! We were able to get pictures of Hollywood Studios while it was EMPTY!!

An empty Hollywood Blvd

Goodnight Hollywood Studios!

vacay day five: 'ohana and dtd

2011-04-23T20:52:00.000-04:00

Day five started with a wonderful breakfast at 'Ohana's, a family-style character breakfast in the Polynesian Resort. We had a delicious meal of pineapple friendship bread, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, hawaiian sausage, bacon, fried potatoes and Mickey waffles!

The boys were excited to meet Pluto. And Lexie was still unsure.

Saying hi to Lilo.....

And Stitch!! Still unsure but starting to warm up.

Picture time with THE Mouse!!

All the kids joined in the parade!

A family photo.

After breakfast we hoped on the monorail for a ride around Walt Disney World. We tried to switch over to the one headed to EPCOT but it was down for maintenance so we headed back to the Polynesian. We drove to Downtown Disney and made our way over to Disney Quest, an indoor interactive theme park.

We didn't take many pictures inside but we did have fun riding the virtual Jungle Cruise, creating and riding our own roller coasters, and battling aliens and supervillans. Ben and Lexie weren't quite tall enough for everything but once again, they were great sports.

Ben fell asleep on Grandma while waiting for Chris, Nick, Grandpa and Daddy to save the world.

After a few hours at Disney Quest we ventured outside to explore the sights of Downtown Disney. We had dinner at Earl of Sandwich (the best sandwiches ever!) and dessert at Ghirardelli (for our traditional Earthquake!). We went to the world's largest Disney Store and to Basin for their amazing bath bombs. And once again, it was time to head back to the hotel for some rest before another busy day!

vacay day four: epcot

2011-04-23T20:09:00.000-04:00

The first Disney park of our trip was EPCOT and we were there nice and early for the 9am opening. We arrived about 8am so that we could activate our tickets and get in line for the "rope drop" ceremony. After getting some coffee (a necessity for 3/8 of us!) we waited patiently in line. Once we were able to go in Grandma, Grandpa, Christopher and Nicholas were off to Test Track while Jacob, Ben, Lexie, and I headed over to Soarin' to get fast passes for later in the day!

Ben and Lexie were VERY good sports even though they weren't tall enough to go on the first two rides of the day- Test Track and Mission Space. They hung out in the stroller, had some snacks, and enjoyed people watching!

We were at EPCOT during the International Flower and Garden Festival this year so there were lots of amazing character topiaries and special exhibits to check out!

Butterflies (and caterpillar) in Bambi's Butterfly House

Bambi topiaries-- what's that on Bambi's nose??

After doing most of Future World it was time to head to World Showcase to learn about the culture and sample the cuisine of countries around the world. We watched a CircleVision movie about Canada and had fish and chips in the United Kingdom. And then we were off to France!

Crossing the bridge to France

Last time we were at Disney World, Lexie saw and fell in love with Marie from the Aristocats. Even though she's never seen the movie, Marie is her absolute favorite character of any movie. She got a stuffed Marie on our last trip that she called "Ree" at first and later changed the name to "Pretty". She was soooo excited to see "Pretty" when we walked into France so we headed over to get pictures. And then she freaked out. She wanted nothing to do with meeting "Pretty" so I had to drag her up so we could get a picture. The boys on the other hand, were very excited to meet her!

Pictures with "Pretty"

Beauty and the Beast

After our adventures with "Pretty" and exploring France we decided it was time for a snack. Since France is known for their pastries, that's what we had!! Between all of us we ended up with two Napoleons, an apple tart, a cream puff, a chocolate mousse, and an elephant ear. All were delicious but the Napoleon was to. die. for. It was quite possibly one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten! And Jake was excited because they had Kronenbourg 1664- his favorite beer from our honeymoon in France!

Christopher and Nicholas with their chocolate mousse. The AMAZING Napoleon.

World Showcase Lagoon

After a bit more walking (like maybe two and a half minutes) it was time to try the crepes and slushes! The kids (and adults) enjoyed the sugar crepes and the adults enjoyed the Grey Goose Limon slush and the Grand Marnier slush.

Jacob and his Grand Marnier slush

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

the Lion King

the Albaeck kids after Maelstrom in Norway

at San Angel Inn for dinner in Mexico

After a fantastic dinner, a not-so-stellar churro experience, and a quick ride on Test Track while Grandma and the stroller crew held our spots, it was time for Illuminations. Thanks to Grandma we had great spots for viewing the ground and fireworks show!! And all too soon it was time to say goodnight to EPCOT.

vacay day three: supertarget and boma

2011-04-21T12:09:00.000-04:00

After our late night at SeaWorld we thought it would be a good idea to sleep in a bit on Sunday. Luckily, all the kids complied and we all caught up on some sleep. Then we had to pack up all of our stuff and check out of hotel #1 since we were switching to a different hotel that night.

We found a SuperTarget in Kissimmee and stocked up on some essentials (pop-tarts and water bottles) for our upcoming week at Walt Disney World! Have I mentioned lately how much I miss SuperTarget?? 'Cause I totally do!! We spent over two hours there and it was amazing!!

We grabbed some lunch at Friday's (yet another place we don't have here!) on our way to meet my parents at hotel #2-- Marriott's Cypress Harbour. It's the same place we stayed last time we went to Disney World and we went back again just for the amazing bathtubs!!

After getting settled and figuring out which kids were sleeping in which room we were off to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner at Boma (which has become our first night tradition). Boma is designed to resemble an African marketplace and serves dishes inspired by the varied flavors and seasonal dishes of over 50 African countries.

Our kids love that it's a buffet so they can pick out what looks good. And we love that they get to experience new foods and flavors! And of course, we also love the Zebra Domes- a layer of sponge cake topped with chocolate and white chocolate mousse mixed with Amarula liquor underneath white chocolate ganache!

After our delicious dinner we headed outside to check out the grounds of Animal Kingdom Lodge. We checked out the amazing pool and playground areas and made our way to the savannah viewing deck. The kids were so excited to see giraffes and antelope strolling around the savannah. Then it was back to our hotel for bedtime before...... EPCOT!!

the wildlife at Animal Kingdom Lodge

vacay day two: seaworld

2011-04-18T17:31:00.001-04:00

We took the kids on their first trip to SeaWorld on this trip! Anheuser-Busch runs an amazing program called Hero Salute that gives free admission to any one SeaWorld or Busch Gardens park for the military member and up to three dependents once a year! We were very excited to be able to take advantage of this opportunity on our trip to Florida.

checking out all the fishies

Our first ride of the day was Journey to Atlantis, a combination water ride and roller coaster. Ben and Lexie weren't quite tall enough to go so Christopher and Nicholas got to go twice- once with Jacob and once with me!! It was a nice cool way to start our day at SeaWorld!

Journey to Atlantis

Lexie was ok with not riding but Ben was a little annoyed.

Ben and Lexie sitting out while Jacob took Chris and Nick on the Wild Arctic ride.

After starting our day with two rides that Ben and Lexie weren't tall enough for, we headed over to the kids area feeling confident that they'd be able to ride things there. We went on a jellyfish ride that Lexie was VERY excited about and then headed over to Shamu Express- the roller coaster for kids. We were shocked (and Lexie was hysterical) that she was about a half-inch too short to ride.

Jacob and the boys went for a ride while I consoled Lexie. Luckily, she recovered quickly and had a smile on her face by the time they were done. Benjamin was VERY excited that he went on his first "roller coaster". He's still convinced that it went upside down (on a banked turn) but definitely wanted to do it again!

Jacob and Ben (top left) on Shamu Express

Everyone was tall enough for the carousel so that was our next stop!!

We had a bit of time to kill before our lunch reservations so we stopped to feed the sharks. The big boys thought the shark food (shrimp) was cool but Ben and Lexie were grossed out. It was amazing how quickly the sharks attacked the shrimp once it was in the water.

Feeding the sharks

Our lunch at Shark's Underwater Grill was terrific!! Their food is prepared with a "Floribbean" influence so it was a wonderful combination of steak, seafood, and spice!! And you definitely can't beat the view!! The kids loved eating lunch while 9 foot sharks were swimming by.

Lunch at Shark's Underwater Grill

After lunch we decided it was time to check out some shows. The dolphin show was our first stop and everyone was excited! We got there nice and early so we had great seats; and then we had some time to kill before the show-- which means it was time for pictures!

All the boys! And Lexie (pouting) because she didn't fit in their picture.

The dolphin show is always my favorite!

After the AMAZING dolphin show we got in line for the Shamu show. We were nice and early again which meant we had great seats and again had some time to kill. Ben was so worn out from the day (and the heat!) that he fell asleep on the bleachers and slept until the show started.

Taking a break!

The "Believe" Shamu show started with an amazing tribute to the US Armed Forces- they asked all of the current and former military members and their families to stand and be recognized for their service and sacrifice while the crowd erupted in cheers. It was a truly emotional experience and one I definitely won't forget.

Shamu! Shamu!

A mommy killer whale with her baby!

We ended our night at SeaWorld with the Clyde and Seamore "Tonight!" show. It's a hilarious show where they make fun of all of the other shows (dolphin, Shamu, etc) done earlier in the day as well as some of the attractions. Afterwards, we said our goodbyes to SeaWorld and headed back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

vacay day one: driving

2011-04-15T19:29:00.000-04:00

After a year of being apart one of our first priorities was a family vacation. We loaded up the kids (and all their random stuff) and headed to Florida for 10 days of fun! The drive was pretty uneventful-- other than meeting up with my parents for ice cream in St Augustine!! We stopped at Downtown Disney for dinner and shopping before checking into our hotel and heading to bed.

myrtle beach

2011-04-14T09:01:00.000-04:00

The first weekend of block leave we picked the big kids up from school and headed to Myrtle Beach for the weekend! It took a bit longer to get there than normal due to rush hour traffic but everyone was excited when we pulled up to Sticky Fingers for dinner! The kids LOVE their BBQ sauce- Lexie even put some on her ice cream!! (bleh)

After dinner we headed to the hotel and got settled in for the night

Goodnight Myrtle Beach

On Saturday morning we headed to Broadway at the Beach for some shopping! The kids love exploring all the shops and feeding the giant fish. This time we also made a stop at the IMAX theater for the Sharks 3D movie. It took a bit of convincing to get Christopher to go in but after the movie he thought it was "the best thing ever" and now wants to see every IMAX movie ever made!

the fab four

We decided to check out Senor Frogs for a late lunch/afternoon snack since we'd never been there. The kids (and Jacob!) were very excited about the balloon hats!!

Jacob

Christopher. Lexie. Benjamin. Nicholas

The view from our balcony :)

homecoming :)

2011-03-30T20:55:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, after countless date changes, it was finally THE DAY. The one we'd been anticipating for the past 348 days. HOMECOMING.

The flight was scheduled to come in at around 10:00pm. Christopher and Nicholas went to school like any other Thursday and Ben, Lexie, and I met Stephanie and Luke for breakfast at Panera. We ran some errands to kill time and then picked the big boys up from school. I didn't want to take the kids home and mess up the clean house so we did some more running around before meeting Stephanie and Luke at Green Ramp (where the planes land) at around 5:30pm.

We were the first to arrive (our plan to secure the front row), however, we found out another unit had a homecoming there before ours and they wouldn't be done until nearly 8:00pm AND our homecoming would be an hour later!! We all ended up heading back to our house and relaxing a bit before heading back to Green Ramp.

When we got back there (with Katie, too) the other unit was done with their celebration and we started setting up for ours. Since we're all involved in the FRG we needed to help coordinate the set-up for the food/water for family members as well as our table to sell the company shirts. The kids all had a blast running around, talking to people, and doing arts and crafts provided by the wonderful people from the USO.

Ben coloring-- you'd never know it's three hours after bedtime!!

Stephanie and Katie spent the next few hours holding down the fort at our front row bench while I dealt with all the drama of a large homecoming (food was late, people weren't in the right place, etc). It was finally around 11:00pm and you could hear the rumble of an airplane. They announced the flight over the loud speaker and everyone cheered!! We watched them walk off the plane and then headed back inside for the ceremony.

clockwise from top left: Lexie playing with an airplane from the USO; me, Steph, and Katie; Christopher playing DS with his friends; Ben and Lexie waving flags in anticipation

The Soldiers came inside the building in a single file line (so it was easy to spot your Soldier) and then lined up in formation. After the invocation and ceremony- which was surprisingly quick- the Soldiers were all released and able to go find their families! This is video of them walking in and this is video of the invocation and ceremony.

Where is he??? DADDY'S HOME!!!!!!!

♥ TOGETHER AGAIN ♥

day 347: fun at the park

2011-03-17T13:06:00.000-04:00

We've been taking advantage of the wonderful warm weather by having picnics at the park with friends as often as we can. The kids run around and play, wearing themselves out so they take good afternoon naps while the adults get a chance to chat and catch up!! It's a win-win for everyone!!

Swinging

Fall came late to Fort Bragg

day 344: golf lessons

2011-03-14T19:53:00.000-04:00

My parents got Christopher a set of golf clubs for Christmas and Nick a set for his birthday so we signed them both up for the golf lessons that Fort Bragg was offering. It's a great program with 4 kids per golf pro and they go out and golf for an hour and a half every week.

Learning to putt

So close!!

This is why Nick needed lessons....

He got some help with his grip and it made a world of difference!

The boys seem to really be enjoying their lessons so far. They've learned all about the anatomy of a golf club, the y-stance, how to putt, and they've been to the driving range. Next week they get to break in their drivers!! :)

day 337: happy birthday nick and grandpa! (in pictures)

2011-03-04T19:49:00.000-05:00

This year for Nick's 6th birthday and Grandpa's 56th birthday we headed to the bowling alley on-post to bowl a few games! Katie, Stephanie, and Luke came to celebrate too!!

Chris and Nick bowling.

Katie helped Ben every time it was his turn.

Katie was a big help with Lexie too. They even got a strike!!!

Bowling butts.

One of the birthday boys-- doing what he does best!

Ben wasn't feeling well so he spent everyone else's turns sitting with Grandma

Mr Luke being his handsome self.

Lexie still thinks the fans are for blowing her hair.

The final score- at least for the kids' game.

After bowling we all went to Smokey Bones for dinner-- Nick wanted to share a rack of ribs with Grandpa!! Then it was back to the house for cakes and presents!!

Mr Nick opening some birthday presents!!

The birthday boys (and Lexie) with their cakes-- cinnamon swirl and cheesecake!!

Yummy cakes!!!

day 331 (2): happy valentine's day

2011-02-26T19:59:00.000-05:00

After the boys went to school, Lexie and I came home and had a Valentine's breakfast together. She requested pink scrambled eggs so we had those along with some pink milk!

Happy Valentine's Day!

day 331: fire antz game

2011-02-26T19:47:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we went to a Fire Antz (hockey) game with Katie, Stephanie and Luke. The Fort Bragg MWR was giving out free tickets so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and take all the kids to a game.

The boys patiently waiting for the game to start (and asking if it was time to eat yet every two minutes)

Lexie was very excited- she said she wants to play hockey when she grows up!!

The National Anthem- I'm not sure if they went all out with the Soldiers in ACU's holding the flags and the large flag on the ice because it was Military Appreciation night or if it's something that they always do- but I definitely appreciated it!

Fire Antz fans come in all shapes and sizes-- the grown adults dressed like "antz" that were entertaining to watch-- and the kids that cheered more during the free t-shirt giveaway during intermission than they did during the actual game.

We all had a great time at the game and would definitely go back. While the level of play isn't quite what we're accustomed to (Av's or DU) everyone had a great time and asked when we could go again!!

day 304 (2): pictures from the park

2011-01-30T19:43:00.000-05:00

We took advantage of the amazing weather today (almost 70!) and headed to the park for some lunch and fun in the sun!

Luke chillin' out.

Last time we went to this park (6 months ago), Lexie couldn't make it up. She's getting so big!!

Big Ben!! He can make it to the top of the mountain now!!

Lunch break. :)

♥ LOVE ♥

day 304: 2/52 food

2011-01-30T17:34:00.000-05:00

Salsa.

day 298: 1/52 black & white

2011-01-24T00:15:00.007-05:00

Luke.

day 297: project 52

2011-01-23T22:02:00.000-05:00

So for the past couple of years I've been contemplating participating in Project 365. Basically, you take and post a photo a day for a year in order to get more comfortable with your camera. But since I don't always blog every day I figured there would be no way for me to keep up with Project 365, so I never started it. Well this year I heard about Project 52. It's the same concept but you only do one photo a week! I can totally commit to that. I'll need to play a bit of catch up since I'm starting three weeks into the year, but here are the themes for the 52 weeks.

Week 1 - Black & White
Week 2 - Food
Week 3 - Self Portrait
Week 4 - Reflection
Week 5 - Ennui
Week 6 - Red
Week 7 - Time
Week 8 - Pink
Week 9 - Patterns
Week 10 - Morning
Week 11 - Round
Week 12 - Hands
Week 13 - Shine
Week 14 - Envy
Week 15 - Soft
Week 16 - Perspective
Week 17 - Love
Week 18 - Start
Week 19 - Free
Week 20 - Texture
Week 21 - Toys
Week 22 - Downtown
Week 23 - Summer
Week 24 - Heat
Week 25 - Fantasy
Week 26 - Water
Week 27 - Shadows
Week 28 - Light
Week 29 - Night
Week 30 - Macro
Week 31 - Nature
Week 32 - Clothes
Week 33 - Green
Week 34 - Map
Week 35 - Laughter
Week 36 - Child(ren)
Week 37 - Yellow
Week 38 - Candy
Week 39 - Pets
Week 40 - Never Ending
Week 41 - Sports
Week 42 - Books
Week 43 - Blue
Week 44 - Letter of the Alphabet
Week 45 - Innocence
Week 46 - Most Important Thing in Life
Week 47 - Heaps
Week 48 - Family
Week 49 - Favorite Spot
Week 50 - Metal
Week 51 - Three
Week 52 - Fun

day 291: hey there delilah

2011-01-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

So for the past few years Christopher has been going on and on and on about how much he wants a kitten and how his life would be complete if we only had a kitten. I, on the other hand, am not the biggest fan of cats and kept telling him that no, we would not be getting a kitten and wouldn't he rather have a stuffed animal instead?

When we moved to NC we became aware of all the stray cats in our neighborhood due to the transient nature of military life and irresponsible pet owners. On more than one occasion Christopher tried to convince us that we should just keep one of the cats roaming the neighborhood. I stood my ground and continued saying no.

Our neighbors started feeding one of the stray cats when they realized she was pregnant. And then they took care of all the kittens and found great homes for each one of them. However, the day Christopher met the kittens his requests for a kitten of his very own grew more insistent.

Jacob and I talked extensively (without Christopher) about whether or not to get a cat and when to do it. We had decided that we would "probably" get one but that we would wait until Jacob came home in the spring to do it.

While Jacob was home on R&R we went to Petsmart just to browse. It's a bad idea to take four kids to Petsmart just to "browse" unless you plan on coming home with an animal of some sort! They happened to be doing an adoption event for The Haven, a local no-kill shelter.

We walked over to check out the available animals. And then it happened; Christopher saw her first. And it was love at first sight. The "her" in question was a five month old kitten who had been abandoned at Petsmart. We played with her for awhile and listened to Christopher go on and on and on about how we needed her and he would take care of her and he would play with her.......

And before I knew it we were getting cash out of an ATM and filling out adoption paperwork. It took about 20 minutes and then we were free to take our new kitty home. "Free" meaning "able to" not "for no money" as we then walked around Petsmart and spent $150 on "necessities".

On our way home we talked about names for our new addition. Ben adamantly wanted to name her "Nothing" and Nick's suggestions were only appropriate for the bathroom. Lexie still doesn't quite understand the concept of naming so she wasn't much help either. Christopher, however, was insistent from the moment that he saw her that her name would be "Lila".

So here is the newest member of our family, Delilah, or "Lila" as we usually call her.

day 286: new bikes

2011-01-12T19:53:00.000-05:00

The kids got new bikes and helmets from Santa this year and they were very eager to get outside and try them out. So as soon as all of our Christmas snow melted we bundled everyone up and went outside to play!!

Ben is a pro at riding and took off as soon as Jacob got him all set up. Lexie, on the other hand, couldn't quite grasp the concept of pedaling so she sat on her bike in the middle of the street for awhile and then pulled it into the grass and found something else to play with. Guess we'll have to work on it a bit more with her.

Christopher seemed excited to try and ride his bike. He's had a bike for years but still hasn't figured out how to ride it without training wheels. He was very optimistic at first and then "sort of" fell and was done. So his bike is currently sitting in the garage and he's "never going to ride it again!"

Nick's bike came with training wheels and he was off riding around our street! He is the only child I have ever seen fall off of a bike with training wheels though. After Christopher decided he wasn't ever going to ride his bike again, Nick tried it and was making progress so Jacob took the training wheels off Nick's bike.

After a few tries Nick was riding on his own!! He still needs help with starting but he can turn and stop!! He thinks he's pretty cool because he can ride around our street and Christopher just has to watch from the sidelines.

Look Mom!! I can do it!!

day 275 (3): snow day!!

2011-01-01T18:59:00.000-05:00

We weren't sure if we would get any of the snow from the blizzard that slammed the East Coast on Christmas weekend but we woke up to a beautiful, white Boxing Day! The kids were ecstatic and ran all around the house yelling about the snow.

Jacob, Mom, Janne, and I braved the weather (which wasn't bad at all by CO standards) and headed for Target for our traditional after Christmas shopping. We stopped at Panera for breakfast on the way and were the ONLY ones there. Ever since Panera opened about a month ago the line has been out the door most of the times I've been there. It was strange to have the whole place to ourselves!! The staff even gave us a free pastry ring as a thank you for coming out!

The kids had a great time playing with Grandpa and Uncle Adam while we shopped but by the time we got home they were getting antsy and wanted to go outside and play in the snow. We got everyone bundled up and headed out for some fun in the backyard!

Notice a trend here??

It's great having him home-- especially with all the snow. Can you tell that he misses the CO weather??

The snow princess enjoying a root beer snow cone.

Christopher LOVES the snow and was so excited to go out and play in it. In fact, he stayed out longer than anyone!

♥♥♥ Nick and Ben ♥♥♥

I love how peaceful everything looks when covered with snow.

We enjoyed playing in the snow for an hour or so and then headed in to warm up. Everyone had a cup of apple cider and then finished the day playing inside. The snow stuck around for another day or so before melting completely.

day 275 (2): christmas

2011-01-01T17:46:00.000-05:00

Luckily our kids don't take after me and so they slept until 8am on Christmas morning (unlike 2am which is when I used to get up). Some people (Lexie) had to be woken up, while others (the boys) were excited and ready to go! The kids all hurried downstairs and were excited to see what Santa brought!

Santa brought a new bike and helmet for each of the kids and they were all shocked and excited! After trying on the helmets it was time to check out the stockings. Christopher was elated that his had Mighty Beans and new underwear. Nick proclaimed that the candy coal in his stocking was "just what I always wanted!!". Ben ignored everything in his stocking besides the chocolate. And Lexie took her time playing and enjoying each and every item in her stocking!

Santa brought a surprise for Mommy and Daddy this year too- the Cuisinart Single Serve Brewing System. It is absolutely amazing and I'm seriously already addicted. Santa did good this year! And who knew elves could make coffee makers?!

After going through all of the Santa stuff we took a break for a delicious breakfast of coffee cake, juice, and coffee. The kids ate quick so that we could get back to opening presents!

Auntie Janne with her new clock (she collects them!) and Ben and Lexie "helping" Uncle Adam open hi presents.

Christopher and Nicholas both got DSi's this year. Can you tell that they're excited?!

What can it be? New toys!!!

It took us about three hours to make it through all the presents under the tree- we do them one at a time so it takes awhile! Opening presents wore everyone out so we spent the rest of the day relaxing and playing with all the new toys.

Lexie kept dancing down the hallway in her new tutu when it wasn't her turn to open presents. And later on in the day, she and Ben put on the tutus to dance for everyone!

day 275: christmas eve

2011-01-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Janne and Uncle Adam came down from Baltimore/Washington DC to celebrate Christmas with us this year. We enjoyed a relaxing Christmas Eve with lunch at Panera and then a trip to the "movie feeter" (Lexie) to see Tangled. Growing up, it was always our family tradition to go see a movie on Christmas Eve. Jacob and I continued that tradition the first year we were married but then had to stop because we always had a child too young for the movies. So this was the first time in eight years that we've been able to do the traditional Christmas Eve movie and EVERYONE was excited! The kids all sat quietly through the movie and they all gave it rave reviews-- so if you haven't seen Tangled yet, we highly recommend it.

After the movie (and a last minute Target run) we came home for pizza and Christmas movies. And then it was time for the kids' favorite part of the night- opening one present!

Chris...Nick...Ben...Lexie

When we put up the Christmas tree this year we didn't put up the star because that has always been Jacob's job. We finally got around to putting it up on Christmas Eve and each of the kids wanted to see if they were finally tall enough to put up the star.

In the end, Uncle Adam had to put the star on. Jacob wasn't quite tall enough to do it without a ladder on our new tree, but Uncle Adam was the perfect height!

After Christmas presents, getting the star on the tree, and leaving out cookies and milk for Santa, it was time for all the kiddos to head to bed. Everyone went to bed and waited patiently for Santa to stop at our house.....

day 261: santa bring my baby back (to me)

2010-12-18T10:30:00.001-05:00

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

I don't need a lot of presents

To make my Christmas bright

I just need my baby's arms

Wound around me tight

Oh oh Santa, hear my plea

Santa bring my baby back to me

The Christmas tree is ready

The candles all aglow

But with my baby far away

What good is mistletoe

Oh oh Santa, hear my plea

Santa bring my baby back to me

Please make these reindeer hurry

Well their time is drawing near

It sure won't seem like Christmas

Until my baby's here

Don't fill my sock with candy

No bright and shiny toy

You wanna make me happy and fill my heart with joy

Then Santa, hear my plea

Santa bring my baby back to me

Then Santa, hear my plea

Santa bring my baby back to me
-Elvis
(thanks to Angelita Ballada for the amazing photos!)

day 251: decorating the tree

2010-12-09T10:28:00.000-05:00

Normally we put up and decorate our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving (or a few weeks before like last year!). This year, I decided that our 7.5 foot tree that fit perfectly in our house in Colorado looked short and sad in our house here in NC. So we HAD to get a new tree and I waited too long to order it so it wasn't here in time for Thanksgiving. Oops!!

The tree arrived a few days after Thanksgiving and I immediately set it up! What a difference an extra foot makes!! Our new tree looks so much happier and festive!! So once the tree was all set up, Grandma (who was still in town!) and I got the kids all dressed in their Christmas jammies and we set to work decorating the tree.

Trying to get a good picture is hard when two of the four make funny faces AND have a horrible cold!

Opening this year's ornaments from Grandma & Grandpa

It was definitely entertaining decorating the tree this year as it was the first year that Ben and Lexie helped for more than 5 minutes! While I was unwrapping ornaments and Grandma was taking pictures, the kids put most of the ornaments on the bottom half of the tree and most were hung 2 or 3 to a branch. (There was some rearranging of ornaments after everyone went to bed!)

Look! We do love each other!!

Much better group shots

The finished tree!!

day 246 (2): happy thanksgiving

2010-12-04T19:02:00.000-05:00

We were excited to have Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Janne, and Uncle Adam join us for Thanksgiving this year. It was definitely weird to not be celebrating with Jacob but having family here made the day more bearable.

We kept our usual tradition of getting McDonald's for breakfast. We swung through the drive-thru for our sausage mcmuffins with egg and hashbrowns (and I was very disappointed to find out that sausage mcmuffins with egg are no longer on the dollar menu- shows how often I go!) and headed home to watch the parade!

Lexie and Ben waiting for the parade.

The grown-ups (minus the photographer)

After the parade it was time to start cooking. I made all the sides (stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean and corn casserole, and cranberries) the day before so we just had to put the turkey and ham in and then reheat sides. It's so much easier doing it that way and we were all able to enjoy the afternoon.

Stephanie and Luke came over (and brought the most delicious pigs in a blanket) just in time for appetizers. In fact, I think we enjoyed the appetizers so much that no one was really hungry, though we did all eat dinner!

Grandpa made the turkey and did a great job!

Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of dinner or afterwards. However, we did all have a great time!

day 246: panera grand opening

2010-12-04T18:10:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we got our first Panera Bread here in Fayetteville. We have been eagerly awaiting the opening because it means that we don't have to drive 45 minutes for our Panera fix anymore. Plus, it means that Fayetteville is finally growing in terms of dining options- we have fast food and chain restaurants covered, but not much in terms of "fast-casual" (like no Chipotle :( ).

So, on Thursday morning- not bright and early at 6am for the GRAND opening- we met Stephanie and Luke at Panera. We got a table and then waited in the line out the door to order our food. And it was definitely worth the wait!! Ben and Lexie loved their gingerbread bagels and Steph and I had delicious breakfast sandwiches.

We ended up meeting there for dinner on Thursday night along with lunch on Friday!! Glad to have Panera in town, and I'm sure they're glad to have our business!! In fact, they now know us (or at least Ben) by name.

Ben and Lexie enjoying their bagels

day 244 (2): potty party

2010-12-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

So a few weeks ago, Lexie decided that she was going to be potty trained. We went to Target and picked out some Princess and the Frog underwear and talked all about using the potty.

The next day she did pretty well-- only one accident. I explained the importance of using the potty and asked what she'd like as a prize for going all day with no accidents. Without hesitation she said, "A package from Daddy!!" I asked her what she wanted in this package and was a little surprised by the response of "A Princess cake!!!!!!!!".

We told Daddy about it over Skype and OF COURSE he agreed to send (ship?) her a Princess cake when she used the potty with no accidents. It took her about 2 days and she was ready for that package!! After doing some research, Jake realized it would cost nearly $100 to order and ship a Princess cake. So instead, he "ordered" a cake from Sam's Club that we picked up.

We had pizza and cake and turned the evening into a "Potty Party" to celebrate Lexie being potty trained!!

Christopher and Lexie with their pizza

Look at that cake- fit for a Princess!! :)

day 244: blogging break

2010-12-02T19:47:00.000-05:00

Yah, I know, it's been awhile. It was nice to take a break (for all of November!) but I'm excited to get back to it and I have lots of updates!! :)

day 211: happy halloween

2010-10-30T23:04:00.000-04:00

Here on Fort Bragg, trick-or-treating was on Saturday night. Katie, Steph, Steve and Luke came over for dinner (our traditional mac and cheese with hotdogs!) and some trick-or-treating fun!

The garden gnomes are ready to go!!

Look what I got!!

Steve was a good sport and took the kids up to the door while the ladies (and Nick*) stayed on the sidewalk.

Steve and Luke the Monkey

The trick-or-treaters!

I took about 30 pictures of Chris, Ben, and Lexie and these were the best of the bunch!

Best part of Halloween-- eating the candy at the end of the night!!

*So Nick did not get to go trick-or-treating this year. Well, he went, as in he walked around with us, but he did not get to dress up or collect candy. He's been having issues going to bed nicely and needed to do it 2 nights in a row in order to get a costume and he ran out of nights. So he spent the evening loudly saying how dumb Halloween is and it's just for kids. However, the rest of us had a great time! :)

day 210: enforcer for a day

2010-10-29T21:34:00.001-04:00

Today we met up with friends and went to the 503d MP Battalion's Family Appreciation Day. Our first stop was the bounce house- the boys ran straight in and started jumping but Lexie is still too afraid to go past the entrance. After a half hour of jumping we were off to check out the vehicles.

Ben and Chris liked "driving" the police car.

Even Luke got a turn!!

Nick learned all about the 9mm that MPs carry-- and now he REALLY wants one.

The ASV (Armored Security Vehicle) is commonly used by MPs.

Lexie playing inside the ASV

Nick learned how to spin around in the turret.

Trying on gear

Ben learned how to start the humvee and then turned it on and off, over and over and over!

After checking out all of the vehicles that MPs use both at home and while deployed we had a snack and the kids went back into the bounce house for a bit before heading home.

day 199: pumpkin patch

2010-10-18T19:24:00.000-04:00

On Sunday we met up with some friends at Gross Farms for fall festivities and pumpkin picking. Our first stop was the Pumpkin Jump- a giant bouncy trampoline type thing. Lexie was petrified so Katie was good sport and took her on.

The Pumpkin Jump Crew: Ben, Nick, Katie, Lexie, and Christopher

Look how high I can jump!!

Once everyone was thoroughly worn out from the Pumpkin Jump, we headed over to the hayride. We got a great tour of the farm- the kids loved all the old busses and tractors- and a drive through the pumpkin patch.

Group Photo (minus Katie who took it): Nick, Chris, Luke, Stephanie, Ben, Jennifer, and Lexie

the big boys

Lexie loved the hayride!!

"Katie, I love you"--- Ben

After our hayride the kids played on the playground for awhile and the girls (and Luke) sat in the shade chatting. We had a delicious snack of fried pickles and french fries (Nick was STARVING) and then headed out into the pumpkin patch to find the PERFECT pumpkin.

Ben and Lexie trying to find the perfect pumpkin. Ben's goal was a square pumpkin and Lexie was searching for a purple one.

Luke, also known as Mr Handsome

The kids with their pumpkins!

After our fun day at the farm we all headed to Cracker Barrel for a delicious dinner. The kids were excited to have pancakes and sausage for dinner!! It was another great day with great friends!

day 197: washington dc

2010-10-16T20:23:00.000-04:00

Because of Baltimore's close proximity to Washington DC I figured we would go explore the city for a day. However, the only thing the kids seemed interested in was riding around on the Metro. On Sunday morning we left the car at the Park 'N Ride and hopped on the Metro for our half hour ride into the city. Instead of just riding the Metro around all day as one five year old suggested, we decided to ride it to Dupont Circle to get lunch and walk around.

We had ANOTHER fabulous lunch at Baja Fresh (we REALLLLLLY need one in North Carolina!!) and then walked over to the park at Dupont Circle.

The kids were so enamored with the fountain in the center of the circle that you would think they'd never seen one. It provided a good half hour of entertainment before we dragged them away.

Lexie thought that the water in the fountain was hers to enjoy. She kept getting her hands wet and then fixing her hair. She also found EVERY puddle in the park to jump in over and over and over.

The last part of the 3-Day for the Cure was going on so we walked across Dupont Circle to check out the action and cheer on the walkers. As we were crossing the street I saw Jen from The Amazing Trips. I've been reading her blog for the past 4 or 5 years and recognized her from her pictures!! I quickly told her hi and that I love her blog and as we were both crossing a busy street, we parted ways. We headed into Starbucks for a coffee break and then continued walking around Dupont Circle where we ran into Jen, her husband and 4 kiddos. They were set up along the sidewalk and were cheering on walkers and passing out candy and pink bracelets. We chatted for about an hour while all the kids played and cheered. It was so amazing to meet someone who's life I've followed and enjoyed for the past few years. As she also has 4 kids (though three are triplets which I have absolutely NO experience with), I've been able to relate to what she writes about time and time again. It just goes to show how small this world really is!

After we said goodbye to Jen and her family we made a quick ice cream stop at Ben and Jerry's and then went back to the Metro station. We had some time to kill before our train arrived so I figured I would try and get a picture of all the kids together. Well, with 4 bored and tired kids that's easier said than done.

the best of the bunch

Christopher wanted one by himself

Grandma and Lexie

We headed back to the apartment for a quick rest before heading off again to meet Auntie Janne and Uncle Adam for dinner. We were introduced to the best crabcakes in Baltimore at G&M's. If you're ever in the area you MUST stop at G&M's for crabcakes!!

At the insistence of one of my friends, we made a stop at Wawa on the way home. We needed to get gas for the drive home the next day so while Dad took care of that, Mom and I went inside for a cup of coffee and to see what all the hype is about. From the outside Wawa looks like most gas station convenience stores but once you walk in the doors it's amazing! There's a huge selection of fresh food, the coffee is delicious, and I've heard the made to order sandwiches are amazing-- I'll try one next time, Steph!! Wawa will definitely be my gas station/snack stop of choice when traveling through the mid-Atlantic from now on!

After our stop at Wawa we went back to the apartment and everyone headed to bed. On Monday the kids and I headed down to Auntie Janne and Uncle Adam's in Oakton, VA, to check out their apartment and have lunch. Then it was time to hit the road and make the drive back home. Everyone was very excited to finally be home and out of the car. We had a great trip up to Maryland and can't wait to go back soon!

day 195: baltimore

2010-10-14T20:46:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, the kids and I headed up to Maryland to see Grandma and Grandpa. We got in late Thursday night and after a snack and some running around, everyone headed to bed. We slept in and enjoyed a relaxing day of shopping at Target and the Columbia mall and a delicious lunch at Baja Fresh!

On Saturday we went in to Baltimore to explore the Inner Harbor. Our first stop was the Dragon Boats. Christopher and Nicholas have been talking non-stop about riding the Dragon Boats after they saw them over the summer. We walked up and inquired about 2 boats (since there was a max of 4 passengers per boat). The lady asked how old Lexie was (since the minimum age was 2) and I told her she was two and a half. She asked how much Lexie weighed and I said 26 pounds and she informed us that you actually have to be 35 pounds to ride due to the life jackets. So not only did Lexie not get to go on the Dragon Boats, but Ben (at 32 pounds) couldn't either. They need to switch their sign to be a 35 pound minimum since not all two (or even three) year olds weigh that much!!

But Christopher and Nicholas were big enough to go on the Dragon Boats so they headed out with Grandpa. It was a pretty warm day and pedaling the boat alone is pretty hard work so it quickly wore Grandpa out- he took a break to talk to Auntie Janne on the phone and give her parking directions!! The boys had fun floating around and enjoying the sights though. Grandma, Ben, Lexie and I walked around for a bit, stopped for a drink, and then played on a bench while we waited for the "older boys" to finish up their boat ride.

We took the water taxi to Fell's Point and met Adam and Janne for lunch. We had DELICIOUS pizza at Brick Oven Pizza, a local pizza place featured on "Diners, Drive-In's and Dives". After lunch we hopped on the water taxi again and headed to the National Aquarium for the rest of the afternoon.

The highlight of the aquarium was definitely the dolphins. I love how they look so happy all of the time. And the kids were enthralled with them. I think they would have been content to sit there and watch them swim all day.

Two of my fave sea creatures: One I would never want to run into in the water and one that I would!

Go, dolphin, go!

We stopped for an ice cream break after the dolphin show and then continued with the rest of the aquarium. The kids enjoyed checking out the sharks!! We walked to Little Italy for dinner and wrapped up our busy Baltimore day at Amicci's with some amazing Italian food!

day 184: a tour of his room

2010-10-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Now that Jacob's all settled into his room he sent some pictures so that everyone could see. Unlike at Adder where they lived in CHU's (Containerized Housing Units- like trailers), they live in barracks at Cropper. It's a 2-man room with bathrooms down the hall, so very similar to a dorm room. There's not a ton of space but having bunk beds helps out a lot. The rest of the room is filled with various electronic equipment, guitars, and the insanely crazy amount of gear that's required.

day 183: halfway there

2010-10-02T21:24:00.000-04:00

It's been six months since he left which means that this deployment is FINALLY halfway over. It has been half of a year and while the time does fly by, some days it seems to stand still and take forever. It is amazing how much everyone has changed in just six short months. And then again, six months seems so long. It was Ben's birthday, my birthday, the last day of school, Christopher's birthday, the first day of school, and Jacob's birthday. I'm just glad that we have finally made it over the hump and it's all downhill from here. Only six more months and we'll all be together again.

day 180: fall clothes

2010-09-29T10:04:00.000-04:00

Since Fall is finally here we've been busy with our fall clothes shopping. The kids wanted to try everything on so that Jacob could see the pictures!! Here's a glimpse of the fall wardrobes in our house this year!

Christopher

Nicholas

Benjamin

Sweet Ben loves Halloween!!

Look at those boots!! (She thinks they go with EVERYTHING........)

"I don't wanna smile!"

day 169: far away

2010-09-18T18:56:00.000-04:00

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Far Away

This time, this place

Misused, mistakes

Too long, too late

Who was I to make you wait?

Just one chance, just one breath

Just in case there's just one left

'Cause you know

You know, you know

That I love you, I have loved you all along

And I miss you, been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go

Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask

Last chance for one last dance

'Cause with you I'd withstand

All of it to hold your hand

I'd give it all, I'd give for us

Give anything but I won't give up

'Cause you know

You know, you know

That I love you, I have loved you all along

And I miss you, been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming you'll be with me and you'll never go

Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

So far away, been so far away for far too long

But you know

You know, you know

I wanted

I wanted you to stay

'Cause I needed

I needed to hear you say

I love you, I have loved you all along

And I forgive you for being away for far too long

So keep breathing because I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it, hold on to me, never let me go

Keep breathing because I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it, hold on to me, never let me go

Hold on to me, never let me go

-Nickelback

day 153 (part two): ballet

2010-09-02T12:45:00.000-04:00

Lexie started ballet about a month ago and absolutely LOVES it. I'm actually amazed with how well she follows directions and how much she's learning.

the little ballerina

ballet class

day 153: back to school

2010-09-02T11:58:00.000-04:00

It's back to school time in our house. Christopher and Nicholas started last week and Benjamin started this week. What am I going to do with all the free time and a quiet(er) house?!

Christopher (7), first day of 2nd grade

Nicholas (5), first day of kindergarten

I don't wanna go to school!!

I'm just kidding, I'm excited!! And check out my new backpack!!

Benjamin (3), first day of preschool

day 151: back to the beach

2010-08-31T00:01:00.001-04:00

After everyone's sunburns had a chance to start healing it was back to the beach. Nick and I stayed upstairs because he wasn't listening or following directions but Chris, Ben, and Lexie had a great time with Grandma and Grandpa!

Looking for shells

The view from the balcony.

Ben had a blast playing in the water.

The kids had fun making a sandcastle with Grandpa. And Lexie had fun stomping on it!

Christopher had fun going out deep with Grandpa as well as playing in the waves closer to shore.

The water baby loved jumping in the waves and Ben was content to run back and forth from Grandpa (in the deeper water) to Grandma (in the shallow water).

day 150: broadway at the beach

2010-08-30T09:07:00.000-04:00

To recover from our sunburns we took the day off from the beach and headed to Broadway at the Beach for some shopping and lunch. We had a delicious lunch at Key West Grill and then headed out to the boardwalk for some shopping.

The boys all wanted to pose with the pirate at lunch.

Fun at the boardwalk.

It was hot and humid out so we headed to the Ripley's Aquarium to see the fishies and cool off. We go to this aquarium everytime we're in Myrtle Beach because they have a GREAT military discount!!

The sting rays were everyones favorite!!

day 149: fun at the beach

2010-08-29T23:25:00.000-04:00

After we checked out of the hotel from the retreat, Chris, Ben, Lexie, and I met Grandma, Grandpa, and Nick at Costco for lunch and grocery shopping. After getting all of the necessities (cheesecake, Boston cream pie, brownies, etc-- it's expensive (calorically and dollar-wise) to go shopping with Grandpa), we headed to North Myrtle Beach and our condo for the week.

The next morning we got up bright and early (9ish) and hurried out of bed (made coffee/sat on the couch) so that we could be at the beach first thing (around 11). The kids were excited to be back at the beach!!

Christopher and Grandma check it out.

Lexie was content to play with all of the sand toys.

Grandma and ALL the boys!

Busy at work.

There were lots of little fish (3-4 inches) swimming around in the ankle deep water. The boys chased after them trying to catch one. Christopher was the only one to actually get one- he caught a fish on his shovel.

Trying to catch fishies

Waiting for the perfect wave.

North Myrtle Beach and the condo we stayed in.

Last summer when we went to Myrtle Beach, Lexie was afraid of the sand and the water. In fact, she stood on a boogie board the entire time we were there. When we went to the beach in Wilmington earlier this summer she was still afraid of the water but was happy to play in the sand. This was the trip where all of that changed......

She's in the water!!!

Lexie is a little water baby. She loved being out in the water chest-high. She wasn't a fan of doing it all on her own, but if she could hold someone's hand, she was happy as a clam out in the water. Her favorite was laying on her stomach and paddling while waiting for a wave. Do we have a budding surfer girl on our hands?!

Playing together.

After our long day at the beach we came upstairs to rest and get everyone cleaned up. Once everyone started cooling off it was apparent that everyone (including me) had a sunburn. :( On the plus side, we finished up the last of Christopher's birthday celebrations and he was excited to have a new Didj game to play with.

Checking out Christopher's new Didj game.

Goodnight North Myrtle Beach.

day 143: spouses of deployed soldiers retreat

2010-08-23T14:38:00.000-04:00

About a week ago the kids (minus Nick who was still in MD with my parents) and I headed to Myrtle Beach, SC, for a Spouses of Deployed Soldiers Retreat through the Strong Bonds program.

Strong Bonds is a unit-based, chaplain led program that helps Soldiers and their families build strong relationships. The program's mission is to build Soldier readiness by providing skills the Soldier can use to strengthen his or her marriage and other relationships. Initially, Strong Bonds was intended solely for married couples, but it has now been expanded to include single Soldiers, families with children, and the special needs associated with deployment and redeployment.

On Friday we met up with some friends here in town for lunch and then drove down to Myrtle Beach together- with a quick stop at the store for some forgotten necessities. We arrived at the hotel and checked into our rooms just before a big storm came through.

Storm rolling in- view from the balcony

Ben and Lexie were excited to be at the beach and loved playing on the balcony.

On Friday evening we headed to the conference room for dinner and then dropped the kids off at child care and went to our Meet and Greet event. We started off the evening with some getting to know you games and then briefly went over the plans for the weekend. The kids and I went to bed early since we knew it would be an early morning on Saturday.

Saturday morning we had breakfast and then took the kids back to child care. We were in sessions all morning and went over the 7 Habits for Highly Effective Families and how we could apply those to life during deployment. Then it was time for lunch and we were free for the afternoon. We took full advantage of that and headed to the beach.

Fun in the sand!

Ben on the run.

Sand is tasty!!

Silly girl.

Say "sand"!!

Sandy Ben- he loved how the sand would stick to his wet hands.

Model pose

After the beach we hit up the hotel pool for awhile before heading upstairs to clean up and rest before the evening activities. Surprisingly, the kids all laid on the bed watching iCarly while I got ready.

Rest time.

After our afternoon rest we headed back to the conference room so the kids could eat dinner and then go to child care for the evening. The girls and I went to Miyabi for some hibachi and sushi and had a nice, childless dinner and adult conversation!!

Goodnight Myrtle Beach

We wrapped up on Sunday morning with breakfast and one last session. Then it was time to check-out of the hotel and head home. Or in our case, further up the coast to North Myrtle Beach to spend the week with Grandma and Grandpa.

day 126: birthday bowling

2010-08-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

As a birthday surprise Grandma and I took Christopher and the rest of the kids bowling today. Christopher is the only one of the kiddos that has ever been bowling, though the rest do know how to play Wii bowling.

Christopher did really well- he actually won our game!!

Nick's bowling skills are a work in progress. They definitely improved over the course of the game!

Lexie and Ben loved watching the balls come out and then rolling them back and forth while waiting for their turns.

Go Ben!! You can do it! And the ball made it all the way to the pins ALMOST every time.

Lexie hamming it up for the camera. She was pretty impressed with the fan!!

Ben and Lexie spent a lot of time watching the ball go down the lane.

The birthday boy- I can't believe he's SEVEN!!

We only bowled one game today and it took a little over 2 hours!! There were a few balls that didn't make it to the end of the lane and a couple of computer errors but everyone had a great time. I'm sure we'll be back again soon- if nothing else, it was cheap entertainment!!

Here's a couple of videos that convey how long each turn actually took.

Nicholas

Benjamin

Alexandra

day 125: overnight camp!

2010-08-05T22:34:00.000-04:00

Christopher and Nicholas went to Millstone 4-H Camp as part of Operation: Military Kids- a collaboration between the Army and the community to support kids impacted by deployment. So for four days and three nights they swam, canoed, did archery, had campfires, learned to creek-walk, made crafts, and slept in cabins. They both had a blast though Christopher did seem a bit homesick. Nick decided that he wants to spend all of next summer there!

Chris and Nick getting their bunks situated

The lake and the canoes

Cabins on the boys' side of camp and the swimming pool

day 124 (part two): anniversary fun

2010-08-04T23:55:00.000-04:00

Today is our eight year wedding anniversary and I can't believe that it has been eight years since we got married. So much has happened (numerous moves and 4 kids) and it seems that time has gone by so fast.

This was the first year that we weren't able to celebrate our anniversary together. Our traditional anniversaries aren't anything huge- we usually just watch a movie and have take-out. Since we weren't able to do that this year, Jacob made sure to make the day extra special.

Fed-Ex came by the house while we weren't home so I was bummed to find out that I'd missed a package. Luckily, our driver came by a couple hours later with not one, but TWO packages for me!

What could it be?? A styrofoam ice chest?! With a layer of dry ice?? YUM!!!

A BEAUTIFUL hand-carved wooden sculpture entitled "Acrobat Lovers"