Caiti's First Day of School

Today was the day I have been looking forward to for a long time. It was my sweet little Caiti's first day of preschool. I was such a proud mama helping my baby girl onto the bus. She was so excited. She was running up and down the aisle of the bus jabbering and giggling while we strapped in her car seat. She was so happy. I got a call during the day from her teacher just touching base about what she can eat, etc. I could hear her tantruming in the background which was actually kind of funny. Her teacher said, "She's pretty stubborn isn't she. She likes things her way." I just laughed and said, "Yep." I guess they were trying to teach her cause and effect, so they were having her place a bead in a can, and if she did that, she could play with her favorite toy (a light-up carousel thing). The reason she was screaming was because they would take the toy away from her until she put the bead in the can. So I would hear screaming while they were trying to get her to put the bead in the can, and then silence when they rewarded her with the toy. I just picked her up off the bus. She was so happy. I think she is going to like school because it will give her a chance to get away and have all of the attention for a few hours. I'm sure proud of my little girl.

Caiti admiring her first day of school outfit.

Caiti's first bus ride.

Getting back on the ball

So, instead of complaining about my additional holiday pounds, I decided to get back on the ball and start walking at the park across the street again. As you can see, the kids didn't mind at all.

Big Day

Today my cutie pie, baby Jason, is 9 months old. He has been outside of my tummy as long as he was inside of it! We sure love him!

For Our Daddy

Hi Daddy!
We just thought we'd show you what we've been up to since you left!

Hi Daddy! I've been eating lots of yummy things. Today, I tried raisins.

Hi Daddy! I have been watching "The Daddy Movie" and asking mom where you are nonstop.

Hi Daddy, I have been admiring my beautiful face in the mirror and lining up Sesame Street cars.

But, what we have all been doing together is missing you and praying for you!

Love Garrett, Caiti and Jason

A Visit From Nicole and Camden

So last Friday I was feeling pretty sad and down in the dumps because Kevin had left for deployment. In the afternoon, as I was lying on the couch feeling bummed, I heard the doorbell. There were my favorite little sister Nicole and my cute little buddy Camden. I was so happily surprised. I had such a great time while they were here for a few days. Nicole was such a sweetie and helped me out so much. She also was very fun to be around, and I enjoyed having real conversations with sentences that actually were in English and not jabber or asking me to get something. I loved going all the fun places with Nicole, having her try my interesting cooking, watching fun things on TV like the Bachelor and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (which we both thought our husbands would not want to watch). It was like a breath of fresh air to have her around. I absolutely loved having Camden here. It was adorable to hear him talk. I keep thinking of "Stinky, Tine!, Yummy, Tummy, Melmo!" So many cute little words. He was such a good playtime companion with my kids and he gave Jason good hugs and kisses. I loved it! Thank you Nicole for cheering me up and coming for a visit.

A Visit From Nicole and Camden (Play Town)

We decided to go somewhere inexpensive that would have fun bouncers for the kids...of course the only things I could find were bouncer rentals for your backyard which I certainly could not afford. We did end up finding this little place in El Cahon that is for kids 8 and under. It was a pretty fun place, and after I got over the embarrassment of Garrett and Caiti eating everyone else's food and drinking their drinks, I could tell all the kids were having a great time.

A Visit From Nicole and Camden (The Temple)

On Sunday we thought a great activity for the Sabbath would be to go see the temple. I loved it. It was so beautiful. All the kids were really good. It was so peaceful. Nicole took some great pictures for me. I love the temple. It always inspires me to do better, or to quote the old Mormonad "Aspire to Something Higher."

A Visit From Nicole and Camden (The Zoo)

On Saturday, we went to the zoo with my good friends, Elder and Sister Gilchrist. That was a lot of fun. Garrett just loved being on a walk, and Caiti loved all the plant life even more than the animals. I just really enjoyed the visit with Nicole and with the Gilchrists. That was a lot of fun.
Caiti could have stayed at the Flamingo exhibit for hours.

My cute little boys and their adopted grandparents, Brother and Sister Gilchrist.

Aaaaawww. Nicole and me.

Our family looking at the awesome gorilla exhibit. That was Nicole's favorite part. There was a mommy gorilla and a baby gorilla and then a bunch of others.

We are 3 strong women getting our exercise!

P.S. I'm boring and didn't put up pictures of the animals, but you can see them online anytime.

Garrett misses Daddy

So, before Kevin left for basic training last spring, my dad and mom came over and helped us make a home movie with Kevin playing with the kids. It's a very cute movie (except for the largely pregnant me) and was a lifesaver while Kevin was gone. Now that he is deployed again, the "Daddy Movie" has become a favorite...again. Except this time, I think Garrett might think daddy is actually in the TV. He will bring me the DVD, and once it is in, he will lie down on the floor next to the TV and watch it over and over again. He fell asleep the other night watching it. Yesterday, he was watching it when it was time for his doctor appointment. I turned it off and he started screaming "Daddy!" and sobbing. That totally broke my heart. I love the benefits of the military for my family. I have to remind myself of the great services my kids are getting because Kevin is in the Navy and that I have a roof over my head on days like that when my sweet little boy is missing his daddy.

Off to Sea

My honey, Kevin, is off on his deployment. We drove him to the ship this morning and said our goodbyes. :( It will definitely be interesting to see how he does and how I do for the next 6 to 9 months. The kids and I will sure miss him and are very proud of him.

Happy Birthday Garrett!

Jason's Blessing Day

Today was Jason's blessing. It was a really nice day. Grandma Slack sent him a nice outfit. He was blessed by his daddy. Jason sure was good. Uncle Steve, a couple friends from the ward and the bishopric participated. He only started crying near the end. Here are some pics of our day. What a sweet little boy.

zzz....

This morning at about 4 a.m., Garrett decided to come sit in bed with me. He had my old high school yearbook and was narrating the whole thing in Garrett jibberish while turning the pages in the dark. Needless to say, I didn't want Caiti (who fell asleep next to me last night) or Kevin to wake up, so I took him in the other room and tried to get him to lie down and go back to sleep. Unfortunately, we were right next to Jason's bedroom, and Garrett's laughing/making silly noises woke Jason up. Then, Jason's crying woke Caiti up, who started to scream because she values her sleep and is not the funnest person to be around when that is interrupted. So, now I am in the front room with all three of my kids typing a blog. Garrett is bouncing a ball and being hyper. Caiti's lying on the couch watching Shrek the Third, and Jason is exploring the living room and all its wonders. Hooray for early mornings. (I'm being sarcastic, of course.)