hottness...day 1

July 26th...

We woke up today to a broken air conditioner...ugh! At first when the company said they could come out and fix it tomorrow, I was fine...no big deal, we can manage. But as the day went on and three o'clock finally came around, yeah right! Tiffany came over to scrapbook (which couldn't happen because it was so unbelievably hot in here) and offered her house for us to hang out and spend the night in. The AC guys went ahead and came today after I called again and told them how hot it was, but it will be at least until tomorrow to get it fixed. Good thing I had Tiffany here with me, it took approximately 30 seconds for me to pack us up and get out of that house!

Pez

July 25th...

Cael's dreams came true today...Toy Story AND candy all rolled into one! What little boy wouldn't be overjoyed?? We got a package in the mail today from Aunt Nikki and she supplied him with some Toy Story Pez dispensers, what a lucky boy! She also supplied me with Nalley Chili!! How crazy that Nalley is pretty much the only brand (or the most popular anyway) when it comes to chili up in Washington, but they have never even heard of it down here! We are all stocked up now so everything is going to be all right.

I scrapbooked!

July 24th...

It's only 2 years late, but I am finally working on Cael's baby book! I am not one to scrapbook alone, I just can't seem to get motivated. Scrapbooking is really more "conversational" time for me (not that I get anything done when I try to scrapbook with friends, either) So I was really proud of myself today. The kids were being awesomely good, the house was quiet...the tv was even off! I figured it was as good a time as any to turn on iTunes and get some stuff done! I only got 2 pages done, but I also had fun and that's the important part, because I know I want to finish his book and start on Averi's!

Big girl!

July 23rd...

I snapped this picture earlier today while Averi was trying to get to me over the arm of the couch. This is her first time trying to pull herself up. I am so proud of her. Now that she learned how to get from point A to point B, I can see her little mind working to figure out FASTER ways to get there. I am going to try my hardest to keep her crawling at least until Derrick comes home on R&R so he can see her first steps, but she might decide that that's too long to wait. We'll see!

Welcome Home Brayden!

July 22nd...

After weeks and weeks of being back home in Texas, Cael's best friend Brayden finally came back over to play today! (not to mention his mom Amber who happens to be one of MY best friends too) Cael was so happy when I told him they were coming, he kept saying "my house! my room!" These two boys get along so well, it's adorable. At least for now :) Welcome home Nelson family, you were missed!

Like Father Like Son

July 21st...

I'm not sure where this hat came from today...maybe it was in the closet and Cael found it while I was putting laundry away. It's Derrick's and Cael knows that, I think after talking to his dad on the computer he just needed something of his to hold on to. He wore this hat all day long. It's a little big, but he didn't care.

Best Day Ever!!

July 20th...

We got to SKYPE with Derrick today! After 5 months of him not having access to the internet on his laptop, it finally became available! It was so surprising (and AWESOME!) to see that "Derrick Bruner is video calling you" message pop up on the screen after so long. Nothing mattered after that moment, I went and got both kids from their naps (boy did I regret that later...) so they could talk to their dad! Cael was beside himself with excitement! It feels so good to see his face again! I don't know the last time I was this happy during this deployment :)

Boredom got a hold of me today...

July 19th...

Before Averi got her helmet made, I was sure I would decorate it the second we got it home. I just knew it, I didn't want her to be a plain jane! (as plain as you can be with a baby sized football helmet in a sea full of headbands and ponytails...) But when we got it and I saw that it was pink, I didn't really push for any decorations, it was already cute! We have had two fitting sessions now though, and I am realizing that every other mother at those Dr. visits thought the exact same thing! There is a coffee table in the waiting room with helmets all over it, blue, pink, blue, pink, blue, pink...I have yet to see another color. So anyway, back to my point, this evening on the couch I brought out my scrapbooking supplies and went to work! There are rub-ons all over that thing! She is now the flashiest helmet wearing little girl in all of Tennessee! Maybe even the world... :)

Neener Neener Brother!

July 18th...

Averi is a true"little sister" by every definition in the book! She loves Cael so much that it makes my heart hurt, she smiles when he gets in trouble...and she desperately wants anything he happens to be playing with. He has certain "no no baby!" toys (usually his cars) that he will not let her play with no matter what, and those always seem to be the ones she wants most (wonder why... .) So tonight while I was at Wal*Mart getting some diapers and wipes I decided to get her a few cars of her own! These little things are adorable, there was an elephant, zebra and turtle on the shelf and I grabbed all three. They weren't marked or anything but I mean, they're just plastic cars. They don't light up, they don't drive themselves around the house...a couple bucks probably. Three? That would be alright, she could start her own little car collection. HA! Try five! Ok, that doesn't sound like that big of a difference right now...but at the time, I was shocked! Five bucks for those little cars? Sorry sweetheart, only one for you, maybe next payday I will be able to get you another one, but I can't make any promises! We all know Cael is going to claim it anyway, at least I tried! :)

So pretty!

July 17th...

I got these beautiful perfect roses from my beautiful perfect husband for our anniversary, and even though I absolutely loved them the day I got them...I think they get prettier every single day. They are really opening up now and I find myself sitting at the table just to stare at them for minutes at a time. I love him more than words can say...and I think he might love me that much too!

'Bout Time...

July 16th...

Well I finally sent 'Edge of Darkness' back to it's home at the netflix factory. I found a little motivation from a friend and watched it first, and I'm glad I did. Good, good movie.

New family :)

July 15th...

Today I decided to take the kids on a little road trip to the Louisville, KY Zoo to meet some of our extended family! Derrick's cousins live only a few hours away (well...like 6 I think) so today we decided to meet finally! It was miserably hot, and we are all sore to the bone, but it was totally worth it! I can't express how good it made me feel that members of his family would want to take the time and effort to meet me and the kids while he is away! I have always felt very loved and welcomed into his family, and that's something not every married woman can say without cringing! I loved every minute of today!

It's our anniversary!

July 14th...

My very first encounter with Derrick was the day after I reported to Ft. Polk, LA. We were being split up into sections by our jobs, and the 92A's (that would be me) were lumped in with the mechanics. We were standing in their formation with them, and I was paying zero attention to the orders being given. All I could concentrate on was how tall the guy next to me was. It's a weird feeling standing next to someone, your head barely above their shoulder, and having no idea what their face looks like. He could have been completely headless for all I knew. That happens a lot in the army. A few minutes later, marching up to the location of the hospital we were about to build, he was in front of me. He did have a head after all, but now all I could see was the back of it. I had yet to see his face, but somewhere in the back of my mind I kept thinking to myself, "I think I am going to marry him..."

I don't know how I knew, maybe it's just intuition, but it doesn't really matter how though, because I was right! We met face to face for the first time during some crazy unexplained absence from everyone else in our group, we were the only two who showed up for work, so we just sat down and got to talking. And we talked. And we talked. And we talked. Even after the two weeks were over and we both headed home, we kept on talking!

I knew from those first moments when I could only see his hair, a good foot or so above my own, that I was going to spend the rest of my life with him.

Derrick, you are the most caring, sincere person I have ever met and even though we are millions of miles apart right now, we are still together. I don't feel like there has ever been a day when you weren't here with me, physically or not. I love you more than you can possibly imagine and I cannot wait to see you again.

Three years and counting!

Almost!

July 13th...

Ahhh Averi. I have been chomping at the bit these past few weeks, wanting her to crawl! It's such a big milestone when a baby learns how to move on her own. That sense of freedom. That sense of power! I wanted that for her, I really did...but now that she is getting so darn close...I take it back! She is going to be so much trouble, I can already tell. She has that whole "I'm the cute one and I'm going to use that against my brother" type attitude and I know I am going to be in for it.

She's so adorable when she tries though! She gets up on all fours and moves on knee, but she can't figure out how to move her other knee so she starts to dance, hoping that something in the chaos of movements will propel her forward! She normally just ends up on her belly, but if she's lucky she gave herself enough momentum to reach whatever she was after.

CAEL

July 12th...

I finally got this thing up on the wall! I had been wanting to wait and get it framed first, but I don't know when that is ever going to happen so I figured I might as well hang it up anyway! I ordered this sign from Hawaii last year when my mom, cousin and friend had the most amazing spur-of-the-moment, I-have-no-idea-how-this-is-happening vacation ever! I believe the artist was in the gift shop of an aquarium selling these paintings and I thought they looked so cool. The one he had on display was for a girl's name and was very pink. Flamingos, flowers...very girly. I asked him what the boy's signs were like and he said "Oh, very boyish! I use things like sharks and volcanoes, it all looks really neat" Awesome! Sharks and volcanoes, I told him I loved that idea and wanted to order one and he made a note (he made a NOTE!) on his paper. Cael - Boy - Volcano. A few weeks later and I get this in the mail...

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it! I think it's so cool, and the art work is fantastic, but really? what was the point of writing volcano down on his paper if he was going to give me a parrot instead?

Silly Hawaiian painter man. At least he spelled it right!

Edge of Darkness

July 11th...

This poor movie has been on my table for at least a week now. It's not usually like me to keep one this long because there are so many others I want to see, I like it watch them and get them back in the mail as soon as possible. Why is this one still sitting here collecting dust, you ask? I couldn't tell ya. Every person I have talked to said it was awesome, my mom even said "put this at the very top of your list!" and I did! But for some reason I can't bring myself to put it in. Maybe it's that the books I'm reading are taking up all of my "quiet time." Or maybe I just haven't been in the mood to watch a movie that's not a sappy love story, bound and determined to make me miserable beyond belief wishing my husband could just come home already. (You would think that category would be one I would try to stay away from but I just can't help myself) Unfortunately, I think I am just going to stick this one back in the mail and put it back on my list for later. No harm done.

Cael

July 10th...

Cael...I hardly have the words to describe you. If I could take all the love I feel when I look at you and figure out some way to sell it, believe me! We would be so filthy rich right now it wouldn't even be funny. I wish everyone could feel as much happiness as you make me feel. You're a stubborn little one, I will give you that; You learned how to roll your eyes at an impossibly young age. But you are more than willing to shower me with hugs and kisses all day long, even if I don't ask you for them. Tonight you threw a fit because you wanted to be the one to hand Averi her bottle, and I just can't not justify that as admirable. I love you so much, you light up my entire world. And thank you for being patient enough to stand outside after a rainstorm and let me take your pictures!

Needing her mommy!

July 9th...

Averi is working on tooth number 8 right now, and has been for a couple of days. The drool is insane, but she has been happy for the most part. Today though she decided no where was good enough for her besides my hip. It has been the ONLY place she has been happy. She doesn't want to play, she doesn't want me to sit down, she doesn't want me to acknowledge that her brother even exists, she just wants to hang out, right here. How nice must that be? I carry all of her weight, (and believe me, it's a lot) she has to make zero effort. I wish I was small enough and had a smile like hers so I could convince people to carry me around all day. Lucky for me, at the rate her teeth are coming in, she should have a complete mouthful in just a few weeks!

Twilight

July 8th...

Ok, I mention before that I was started to read the Twilight books...it really was more of a bucket list type goal. I was determined to jump on this band wagon for some reason, and it wasn't because I thought it was stupid, because really I knew nothing about it. It was mainly because I decided to listen to the cynics before the fans. Had I listened to my nieces before my friend...I would have been more eager to read them. But I didn't. I'm a push-over, what can I say? But I had this want to read them just because I was starting to feel like I was the only one who hadn't. I bought the first one at Wal*Mart and I swear, I have never read a book that fast! I got completely sucked in...bought the rest of the books...bought the movies...saw the new one in theaters...covered my walls in posters...just kidding!! About that last part anyway, I am not that crazy anymore, my *NSYNC days are over! HAHA. So anyway, I owe an apology to every person I may have made a snide comment to, or rolled my eyes at about being Twilight nerds, now I join you instead and I will leave the eye rolling to my husband.

Boo Boo Bear

July 7th...

I am an awesome friend. You know the kind of friend who you can call in the middle of the night when you just need to talk? Or the kind who will take your side in (almost) any argument? Or the kind who will smash your finger between the couch and the wall while trying to scoot it so we can work out!! Ok, maybe that's not the best quality to have...but at least I am the kind of friend who has a 2 year old -- so you can bet there is always a boo boo bear in my freezer!

Elmo

July 6th...

Getting ready to go play with the little boys across the street and I figured a diaper wasn't appropriate attire, so I asked Cael to go into his room and pick out something to wear. He came back to me after a few minutes (very concentrated minutes, I'm sure) with his alien footie pajamas. He was hugging them to himself like they were his most prized possession and it took a few minutes to convince him that it was WAY too hot outside to be wearing anything but shorts. He agreed to wear normal shorts and a T-shirt and (because I don't ever learn) I told him to pick out some shoes. Now, I am trying to be one of those "cool moms" who agrees to compromise with Cael instead of arguing over little things....like fashion, apparently. Plus I figured, one argument was enough. So when he came running with these Elmo slippers, I thought "sure...why not?" He thought he was pretty cool walking down the street in those bad boys and I figured there was no harm done, he was happy. Of course by the time we were ready to head home it was raining, and I am not coordinated enough to carry them both, so lets just say he won't be wanting to wear them as shoes again anytime soon!!

Rules? What Rules?

July 5th...

When Derrick and I first had Cael we (Yes we, don't let him fool you into thinking I am the mean one) decided no more dogs on the couch. It was hairy for one thing, and not to mention we had two dogs, so us humans never had a place to sit. But mostly it was for the baby's safety. Jo is no ballerina and I didn't need her lunging herself onto the couch without checking first to see if he was there. The rule stayed in place for a really long time (until today actually.) Being alone with her on the July - kids asleep in their rooms, me lounging about, comfy as can be on the couch while she stares at me, shaking with fear from the booms outside - really melted my icy, icy heart. I let her up and I swear she was asleep before her legs were even folded underneath her. So I guess the cat (er, dog) is out of the bag on this one. Jo can be on the couch now, and she is the happiest dog ever!

Happy Independence Day!

July 4th...

I actually had fun tonight! I didn't plan on doing anything for the Holiday weekend this year, without my husband, it just didn't seem like something I wanted to celebrate alone. Well thanks to my neighbors I didn't have to! We had a nice little BBQ with them and Cael LOVES playing with the boys. It felt really good to just let go and have fun. To go for a couple hours without feeling sad or guilty. And, thanks to the fact that fireworks are legal in Tennessee, Cael didn't need me to drive on Post, or to Nashville for him to experience the 4th! We had plenty to look at from our own front yard and he loved them!!

No bugs!

July 3rd...

2 weeks ago and I would have NEVER been able to take this picture. Call me a baby, a 'fraidy cat, a wuss...whatever you want, but I do not like bugs. It's not like I am afraid of the outdoors or anything, I have been camping almost every summer for as far back as I can remember. And I have always survived the bugs...but that doesn't mean I like them. When you are out camping in the woods, you have no other choice. You always tell yourself "oh, ants...could be worse!" but when you are in your own backyard, you have the option to go inside. And that's what I do. If I have the option, I leave. I don't like them crawling on me. I don't like the idea of them crawling on my son. I don't like how sneaky they are. A while ago I found a tick trying to catch a ride into the house on one of Cael's cars. Who did he think he was trying to fool? Ticks can't drive...

I just hate them. Anyway, my point being, had it not been for the Home Sheild Advantage people that showed up and sprayed my yard, I would NEVER have stood under the big branches of my tree to relax in the shade while Cael played in the yard. Not ever.

Jo is the best dog!

July 2nd...

I can't say anything bad about our dog. Ok maybe I can. She will tear down any blinds or curtains that prevent her from watching us back out of the driveway. She has an appetite for dirty diapers that I will never understand -- or be OK with. She has issues with female dogs equal to her in size, and will (unfortunately) try and duke it out to the death if we don't stop her. Wow, sorry Jo...I kind of got carried away there. For all of those things that she does that may drive me up the wall, or make me seriously consider making her an outside only dog...she is amazing with the kids.

Today 2 little neighbor boys came over to play and one of them was convinced she was a horse. She didn't snap at him, she didn't run and cause him to fall down, she would calmly sit so he could slide off her back and then lie down under my legs and hide. He found her, and unfortunately gave her a few small kicks to the face and what did she do? She licked him. Effective yes, it got him to back away so his mom could deal with him, but personally, I would have showed him some teeth. That's just me I guess. Everyone down here loves her and always tells me what a good dog I have and I have to agree with them. I could not ask for anything more from her, she is amazing. She is Cael's best friend, a learning tool for Averi, and my protector. (at least I hope she would protect me...she looks scary enough so hopefully that's enough to do the job!) You're a good girl Jo.

Tell me these two kids are not brother and sister!

July 1st...

You'll have to cut me a little slack tonight. I just did day 2 of Jillian's 30 day shred and I am exhausted. I thought a cold shower would help, but get this! My shower water would not turn cold! You know it's hot outside when you lose the option to have a cold shower. I got it down to a luke warm status and to be honest, that was more than enough. I'm not really one for cold showers anyway, I just thought it was funny that I couldn't have one, even if I had wanted it.

I felt absolutely worthless today when I put the kids down for their afternoon naps and realized I had been eating and watching TV all morning long. You know how the day after you go grocery shopping, it's like a free for all? All day I kept thinking "ohhh...what else do I have?" It's just so nice to have options that I can't stop I guess. Kinda makes my Jillian workouts seem like a waste of time, but give it a week and I'll be out of food again anyway. It'll all even out.

Anyway, I thought the kids might like to get outside when they woke up and I knew I could use some sunshine so I set up the slip and slide and we spent the afternoon out in the sun! It felt great, there was a nice breeze so we didn't get too hot. Averi sat on the porch with me in her bumbo the whole time and snacked on a few cookies while Cael played in the water. He is hilarious, most kids play in the water to get wet...but Cael came up to me the first time his shorts got splashed and wanted me to take him inside and put a new pair on him. Goof.

I can't breath...or move...

June 30th...

Well, since I have 30 days to pass a PT test to try and get into a new Reserve Unit down here, I figured it was about time to try Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. All my friends are doing it (or have done it) so I guess it's time to jump on the band wagon! I did the first workout tonight after I put the kids to bed and...I want back off the bandwagon! I seriously thought my legs were going to fall out from underneath me. I could hear Jillian's voice saying "I know it's burning, this is the part where you make a change for yourself! No breaks! Work through it!" and I was shouting back to her "Shut up! You're going to kill me! How many cesareans have YOU had missy?" Ok...Averi is 7 months old, maybe it's too late to use that excuse, but still. I knew she was right, that's why I didn't stop, but I did get off count a few times because my repitions were a tad slower than what those girls on the DVD can pump out. Anyway...day one is over, day two is coming, I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I can see my bubble bath filling up. That will make everything better for a few minutes! And YES, those are my spaghettio weights. Some of the arm exercises weren't really doing anything for me, so I think before tomorrow I should invest in some cream of potato or something. Something with a little more substance and umph to it, so I can really feel the burn.

Oh yeah, one more thing: I bought this book today, it's called Twilight. I don't know, I have never heard of it before. I guess I'll give it a shot and let you guys know if it is any good...

What a nice brother

June 29th...

This morning we were all lounging around in the bedroom while I talked to Derrick on Yahoo. Cael was watching Dora and eating his breakfast, and Averi had a few toys to play with on the floor. I don't know how she does it, she doesn't know how to crawl yet, but every time I turn away and then look back at her, she is at least a foot from where she was previously sitting. I turned around at one point and she had a foot under my bed. She was still playing contently so I left her there, 5 minutes later, she was under the bed from her belly button down and I started to laugh. I still didn't rescue her because she didn't seem to need rescuing, and when I looked back just a few seconds later, she was only a head! Lucky for her (and me) her helmet didn't fit under the bed she was still able to be grabbed. Did I? No. I was talking to my husband after days of not hearing from him! Don't call CPS, she was fine....she had her older brother to look after her! He brought her blankets and pillows, he even let her play with a few of his toys and THAT...doesn't happen! And she was content as can be, I bet it was nice and cool under there!

Mrs. Hulk

June 28th...

I know what you are thinking...but yes! I got that dresser into the closet all by my lonesome. And I know the picture only shows half of it, and you know why? It's HUGE! I didn't think I would be able to do it either, sometimes I surprise myself. See?!?! Who needs a husband? KIDDING, I do...I really do.

Someone has hair!

June 27th...

The doctor who made Averi's helmet told me on the day she got casted "Oh, before you know it hair is going to be sticking up right out of all these holes!" I was starting to think he was lying, or that Averi was just destined to be one of those babies with very little hair until she was a toddler, but today getting her out of the tub I noticed how much it really is growing! I wish I could put a little barrett in it, or maybe one of her adorable head bands...but nooooo, gotta wear the helmet! I should just decorate it, I don't know why I haven't yet. Time to get out the rub ons!

Not a good day for the park

June 26th...

Our friend Tiffany was planning on coming over today, so I thought we might head her direction first and play at the park near her house before she came over. It seemed like a good enough idea, beautiful summer day, the park is surrounded by trees so the equipment wouldn't be sizzling...didn't exactly turn out that way. What looked like a nice perfect day from inside my air conditioned house turned out to be blistering hot and made the walk to the park absolutely miserable. The equipment was nice and shaded so that part I was right about, the kids played on the swings and were happy as can be for a while, but Tiffany and I were absolutely dying! After the swings, I let Cael play on the playground for about 30 seconds before we decided to call it quits and head back to Tiffany's for Popsicles! As much as I would love for the kids to be playing outside and getting fresh air and exercise this summer...it's only worth it if momma doesn't keel over in the process!

Where's Cael?

June 25th...

Cael is such a goon! He has started playing with all of his stuffed animals lately (as well as some of his sister's) He has animals that he has never even touched before, I didn't think he even knew he had them. Some switch got flipped in him somewhere and now they are all he wants to play with. He has a "Tica" (horse) that apparently can fly. He very patiently places each and every other animal he has on that horses back on at a time and flies it from one side of his lap to the other, then he takes that animal off and puts on another. It's so funny to watch, and I love the fact that he is playing with other toys and giving his poor cars a break, I don't know what they are going to do without him.

I have amazing friends!

June 24th...

Today my good friend Faith came over and gave me a break from my reality. I can not even begin to tell her how much that meant to me. It has been one of those days, the kids decide to nap opposite each other so there is no in between time for me to get my bearings, the house seems to get messier and messier as I clean, and I am just in a bad mood. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, I don't know. But anyway, Faith came over today and watched the kids for me while I curled up on my bed with the door closed and read a book! Actually, I read about a page and a half before I fell asleep. It was the best nap I have ever had. It wasn't guilt free though, I don't know how many times I apologized to her after I woke up, but she came over to help me out and she really did! I owe you so much Faith, I don't think I can ever repay you for today, I feel 100 times better!

Unfinished Business

June 23rd...

This is kind of a random blog since I didn't take any pictures of what we did today, but I started this painting out of pure boredom one day in high school. It's on like a foam board thing from my dads work, not even a canvas, and it's been on the back of my mind ever since because it isn't done. It has followed me from house to house. It's been to Spokane, Kettle Falls, Post Falls, California, Tekoa, Clarksville....and it still has no water! To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure the best way to paint the water on without losing my trees...so it will probably look like this for the rest of my life. It is stashed behind the headboard of our bed and I look at it every night and think "maybe tomorrow." Who knows...poor picture.

Hot Hot Hot day

June 22nd...

The weather was brutal today! I'm not sure exactly how hot it was, but the sun screen was melting off us and the kids as we were walking to the pool. Lucky for Cael, we were sharing a "real fruit slush" from Sonic and that really helped keep us feeling good. Those things are amazing! My number one way to beat the heat!

The pool was fun today, we went with Eryn and Sonia. Cael isn't so sure about the water yet this year, at least not without a death grip on me. He likes it fine I guess, he just doesn't trust it. I don't blame him, he is getting older and realizing he could sink. I am ready to get him into swim lessons, but I think that we are going to wait until next year so daddy can be here for that.

HGTV here I come

June 21st...

Ok so maybe it's not HGTV worthy, but I am pretty proud of this entertainment center! I got it for $10 off craigslist and it was yucky, black and looked about ready to be thrown in a dumpster somewhere. The guy selling it said it was trashed and for some reason I decided I wanted it anyway. It's nice and sturdy and heavy duty and with a fresh coat (or two) of paint I knew it would be much better than the hope chest my TV was sitting on before! I am walking on cloud 9 a little bit over this bad boy...not because it's beautifully done because it's really not, and I didn't do anything special to it...I'm just happy that I did something. My living room looks huge now, and coordinated!

Happy Father's Day!!

June 20th...

Today is Father's Day, and as weird as it was spending Mother's Day alone, today I felt more guilt than anything else. There are so many dads and sons spending this day overseas that it just doesn't seem fair. I know when put into perspective there are other holidays that are probably more worth coming home for, but every dad should get to hug his 2 year old today. Every dad should get to rock his baby girl to sleep tonight.

We did get a special call from daddy this morning and Cael (luckily, for everyone involved) was in a good mood and wanted nothing more than to carry the phone around and talk to his daddy! We got to talk for a good half hour and it was so special. We haven't talked on the phone in a month or two and it was great to hear his voice. Nothing will compare to the happiness we felt this morning! Well...nothing until he gets to come home anyway!

I didn't know I had color in my front yard!

June 19th...

So I was washing dishes today and I opened the blinds on my window to let in a little sun and BAM! Purple flowers! (Yes, I realize the flowers in the picture are pink...I'm getting there...)

I have a little shrub/tree thing (excuse my white thumb garden lingo) in front of my house, just outside my kitchen window, and I had no clue it was going to bloom! It is so pretty, I went outside to take a picture and guess what? The one next to it has flowers too! (pink flowers...)

It's so fun to move into a house in the winter time and just watch what happens when spring and summer roll around! I am thinking this is it for this house...but at least it's something! I couldn't be happier!

"family" dinners!

June 18th...

So a family dinner without Derrick will never really be a family dinner, but Cael, Averi and I were more than happy to have Faith over to eat with us tonight! Getting Averi's highchair has really made me get back to eating at the table again for lunch and dinner. She loves to be a part of the group, and even though eating at the same time as her means I always eat cold food...that's alright! At least we all sit down together for a while!

Faith is awesome to have around, especially at the dinner table. Her and Cael laughed the entire time, she even taught him how to smack the table when something is REALLY funny! She's a hoot!

Thanks a lot rain...

June 17th...

We had the funnest day planned today! A bunch of us were going to take the kids to the splash park on post and spend the day in the sun (or hopefully shade) Well, we woke up to thunderstorms. This is TN so of course the weather channel said they would pass, and they did. By noon the sky was perfectly clear. We all met at my house and hung out, ate lunch, napped Cael, took our sweet time...sure enough we get all changed and sunblocked up, get in the car, head up to the park...and we see that Ft. Campbell is covered by more storm clouds! It's pouring before we even make it to Amber's house which was only a block or 2's drive and we spent the rest of the day inside playing board games! There is nothing like a great group of friends when the weather turns nasty!!

Watch Out!

June 16th...

Cael got a special surprise today for being an awesome little boy and always helping momma out. (And by always, I mean sometimes!) I wanted to get him the trike that looked just like this one, still Diego, but it had a dashboard with about a thousand different buttons and sounds. When Walmart didn't have that one I thought to myself "talk about a blessing in disguise!" We don't have a paved driveway, so other than up and down the walk way, this thing will most likely be in the house, I'll take the quiet one! Lord knows I take the stinkin lawn mower and pusher popper thing away from him daily because they are so loud they always wake up the baby plus he insists on running over the dog! We went over a set of ground rules when we were putting the trike together and one of them obviously was 'No running over Jo', in Cael's defense I said nothing about little sister. Not more than 10 minutes after giving it to him, I was in the kitchen getting inner ready and I heard the 'thunk thunk thunk' of a tricycle trying it's very hardest to go up and over a helmet coming from the living room. I only had to tell him once and he left her alone, which must have been hard for him because Averi thought it was hilarious. I can't win I tell ya! I am trying to protect her and she takes his side ALL THE TIME! Oh well, as soon as she is old enough to fight back I am going to throw my arms in the air and just say "go for it" they can duke it out if that's what they really want to do!

Cael needs a few more inches of leg and he will be able to reach the pedals on that bad boy and then I get to break out the umbrella stroller for walks!

He Smiled!

June 15th...

OK anyone who knows Cael, knows that he is not the type to have his feelings written all over his face. When it comes to rides and things anyway. Believe I KNOW when he's mad, that he has no problem showing! But for some reason whenever we are somewhere like a theme park or carnival, he's a blank slate. He'll ride the rides for sure, he has an "I'll try anything once" kind of attitude, but it's so hard to judge whether or not he is having any fun at all. The only way I can tell if he liked a ride is whether or not he wants to go on again. Little Roller Coasters he is not too fond of yet, he doesn't like the ones that go so fast he can't get his bearings, but other than that, he is pretty easy going. I weaseled him onto this Nascar ride that him and Bradley wanted to go on (they were an inch too short and the carnie was not about to break his rules! but he gave in as long as the boys promised to hold on) The ride went super slow until the cars whipped around the corner of the race track, I was a little nervous for him. I kept telling him to hold on tight, but to my surprise Cael actually started laughing! Granted, he was laughing mainly because Bradley and Lily were laughing too, but still! I have never been able to get a smile out of him on a ride before, this is one for the record books!

My New Project

June 14th...

I have been in such a "better homes and gardens" type mood lately. I want to paint, I want to build something, I want to plant a garden....well ok not really, I am more stuck on inside stuff right now. I just want my house to look nice and decorated, and I would like to try and do some of it myself. After a few days of watching HGTV all day long I was starting to go stir crazy because I didn't know what to do. I can't paint, so that's out, but I can paint on a canvas and hang it up! So that's one idea I have when it comes to decorating my living room and kids rooms.

Well yesterday on craigslist I saw this old entertainment center for $10. I called the guy (who said it was in WAY worse condition than it really is) and asked him if a little paint would fix it up, or if it was falling apart. He said it was still sturdy and just looked bad, so I told him I wanted it! What better way to get my painting fix? It's a little bigger than I anticipated, but I will make it work. Tomorrow (would be today, but its been raining) we will head to Hobby Lobby and get some sand paper, a little paint and make this thing look awesome! (I hope)

I will post more pictures when it's done!

Bedtime Stories

June 13th...

When my neighbor across the street was cleaning out her kids' bedrooms, she brought over a massive pile of books for Cael and Averi. There was so many I didn't even look at them all, I just put them on the shelf for Cael to discover. Well, I was picking them all up the other day and I found this one. It was about bedtime so I stuck it aside and told Cael we would read it for bedtime. That night, as promised, we read this book about how farm animals go to sleep and I loved it! It's such a cute book, and by the time it was over Cael's eyelids were getting heavy! We read it again tonight only this time I brought Averi in with us and we all read the story together. It was so nice, they were both calm and cuddly and we just sat on the floor and read a story. I could read to them all day long! (when they are in the mood to sit and listen anyway)

Just a Swingin...

June 12th...

The kids and I went to birthday party today for one of Cael's friends. It was at a park on post and it was hot hot hot! Heat didn't matter at all to the kids (with the exception of Averi, but can you blame her?) They were all over the playground! My two especially loved the swings, Averi didn't want to get out! It was so fun to see her enjoying herself in such warm weather, I can't even imagine the day that she is able to swing by herself...of course I said that about Cael too and now it's hard to remember him as a baby! Weird how that happens, but it is good justification for the millions of pictures I take!