WOW!

So it has been over a year since I last blogged. This is way too long, indeed. I haven't had much time lately as life has been busy. We are now living in San Angelo, Texas. We like it here and don't mind being here for a bit. Sean is in training for intel til the end of May. We should find out in about Feb when and where the Air Force is going to take us next. We are crossing our fingers for Germany and there's a chance for Korea as well. Who knows!?

These crazy girls are getting so big! Jaiden is in a preschool program on base. It is a lot smaller than the last one she went to in California, but having only about 10 kids is kind of nice. Nixie loves having time with just Sean and me while Jaiden is at school and she doesn't stop talking. We love it too! Jaiden has decided she wants for be a pilot as soon as she finished kindergarden. She has also decided that Nixie is going to follow in her footsteps so they can be a tag team pilot duo. Jaiden loves to see all the planes on base and wants to know what they are all called. This is good because Sean has to learn them too. In a few weeks we get to go inside of one of the jets and I bet Jaiden's gonna love it!
Nixie is growing so fast and is learning new words everyday. She loves singing and dancing especially to Ariel from the little mermaid. She looks up and just loves Jaiden and always wants to do everything she is doing. Nixie loves shoes too. I'm so proud.!

We got to move next door to our friends from Hawaii. We love it! I'm not sure they would say the same as we are pretty darn loud. It's nice to go next store and see if they want to play and totally be able to trust them. The Steele's are amazing and we are so lucky to have them as friends. Our kids play well together. Abby is pretty shy but Jaiden gets her talking away and I love hearing them laugh. Nixie is a little bully to sweet Tommy. I think it's because he's a boy. They usually play well together, but man, sometimes Nixie is just a booger.
Well, that's it for now. I can't spoil everything that will be in our Christmas letter, if that ever gets done. I look forward to keeping up with this a little better. At least I hope to not let over a year go by without posting again.

Surprise Tea Party

The week of Mom's birthday, we decided to throw her a last minute surprise tea party. Seeing how it was her 60th birthday, I felt she needed more than just a family dinner. So we came up with this. We just decided to invite a few of her closest friends, her kids, and her sisters. We had a great turn out. A few were missed, but we sad they couldn't make it. Dad was in on it. He took her out to brunch, then grocery shopping. They got there at a perfect time. We were all dressed in tea attire along with boas, hats, pearls, etc.

(Her face when she opened the door as saw us all)

(Classy ladies!)

(Auntie Sally telling Jaiden all about it)

(Auntie Sally and Hollie)

Auntie Sally was the hit of the party. She came all dressed up from head to toe. She had on a great hat, wig, pearls galore, cane, and all the rest. It was great!

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

Workin at the Car Wash

So last week Jaiden wanted to "help" me wash the car. I was on the other side of the car, then came around the refresh my sponge and found this! I put Jaiden in her swim suit so I could spray her and play with her in the water. She decided to go for a dip in the bucket filled with car wash soapy, dirty water.

She loved it and I wasn't too worry about the car wash solution and dirty bubbles. It just gave me a good chance to spray her with the hose. She loved it and so did I! It was a good day workin at the car wash!

Hair....

So my sweet little Nixie was born with lots of hair just as Jaiden did. It starts out long, gets longer, turns into a bit of a mullet. Has business in the front and then a party in the back. Well, that party has spread to the rest of her head. Party over here, party over there, rat tail in back.

It has gotten to the point where I just don't know what to do with it. It is completely out of control. Some days I put it in a pom pom and other days two pom poms. But most days I just leave it as is. It doesn't matter how much I brush it down and try to keep it that way, it curls right back up. I am sure it will look even cuter and hopefully at least like it's a tiny bit control when she's older. But for now, I will let it be free and wild. It adds to her big personality!

How could you not love a smile and hair like that!?

Triumph!

It is quite amazing the feeling one gets after accomplishing the simple things in life. Friday I had this very feeling. I felt a sense of excellence! A real super mom! I took both Jaiden and Nixie to Disneyland on my own. This was the first time I wasn't meeting a friend, a sister, my mom, had a sister go with me, or had Sean with me. We got there a little later than I wanted to, but we were able to go do each thing I planned. Since we have a Disneyland pass, it is nice to just be able to go for a few hours and go home. And if we don't get to do all we wanted to, we can just go home and go another day. Friday we were able to go to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show and got excellent seats in the front. Then we made our way over to the Aladdin Show. This is one of my favorite shows at California Adventure. We got yet another great seat. We hit a rough patch right before the show started while Nixie was trying to nurse, but by the shows beginning we were good to go. Last but not least, we headed over to the new Arial ride. The line was so short we just walked with on. We went on it twice. Since we go there a little late, we decided to call it a day.

Nixie was very excited about the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Show.

I got these pics outta order and don't know how to switch them without redoing them. But this was the end result. Both girls were asleep before we even got back to the parking garage. Jaiden even let me transfer her from the stroller to the carseat without a fight.

Jaiden LOVES dancing and singing to all the music and shows. I think Mickey Mouse clubhouse is her favorite!

All in all we had a great day! There were no major meltdowns. No accidents. And all three of us are alive and well. It has been a bit of a challenge since Sean has been at his training. I don't know how the single parents do it. They are amazing. So are the parents that have spouses away for a short or long time. I am blessed to be here with my family. I am thankful for the strength they give me, thankful for a wonderful foundation and relationship Sean and I share with one another and with the Lord. Everyday is a challenge. Everyday is a battle in one form or another. Yet I am able to TRIUMPH with the strength I have somehow gotten even with lack of rest, sleep, and sanity. I knew I could do it, I just didn't think some days would be so hard. But on this day, we made it through.

TRIUMPH!!!

Missing you Dada!

We miss you all day long! We miss your silly faces!

We miss your loving smiles!

We love your crazy presents you give that can never take your place while you're gone.

We leave you with loving smiles and hopes that you think of us everyday. We think and pray everyday that you are safe. We look at pictures and videos so we remember what you sound and look like.

We try our best to be good for Mama and do what she says. But no one can ever take your place. We miss your funny voices when you read us stories. We miss your goofy ways. We miss your kisses and hugs. We miss your snuggles and bulldozers.

We love and miss you all day long. Not a day goes by where we don't think of you. 10 1/2 more weeks. We will be trying to stay busy to pass the time by. We love you forever Dada! xoxo

Just Jaiden...

I forgot about this picture and just thought it was super cute. She sure does love seeing herself in my iphoto.

Don't worry, she didn't pee in the tubby. I asked her what color she wanted her tubby water and she said yellow. So yellow it was and boy did it look like she peed like crazy in there. Ew!

She might have gotten a cookie today because she is sick. We usually don't give her many sweets, but Ashley left her gluten free cookies here and Jaiden needed a treat because she is miserable.