The Hair Says It All

NapChic is the new do this Spring.

On The Street

I wanted to try and capture what most of our afternoons are like (when the weather cooperates) outside with our friends.  We live on a street like the one I lived on growing up.  Our neighbors are more like family than they are friends.  It is such a blast when everyone is outside together just playing like kids should play. 

This past Friday we had a WONDERFUL taste of spring with a high of 82 degrees!  We literally spent from 2:35pm when Luke got off the bus, until 7:30pm outside.  It was heavenly and we all needed the warm sun on our face and the fun laughter that was shared by all "on the street"!

Here are Will and Hayley.  We haven't seen Will out and about in a while due to cold weather.  He and Hayley could be twins, really.  They are about 12 hours apart (and have different Mamas). Will being born  on June 30th and Hayley being born on July1st.  It is so much fun to watch the two of them play.  Hayley was glad to have her friend back outside with her. 

Hayley was enjoying some one on one coaching from Ben, our natural athlete on the street.  He is so patient with Hayley and gave her some great tips on how to dribble correctly.

Trying to get a picture of Kyle, Luke and Alexander (aka The Three Musketeers) is about impossible.  Ben actually got this shot of Kyle and Luke running from the camera.  They all 3 play together so well.  The best of friends.....

    Sue had to bribe Luke and Alexander with candy to pose for these pictures. So I go two pretty good shots of these silly boys!

Sue in her fabulous sunglasses!

                             
                            Renee trying to figure out how to set up a new soccer/hockey goal. 



              The skinniest, palest, boys in America but they sure were happy and enjoying the warm sun!



Oh, how we love life here on Larkspur Lane!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 I heart Valentine's Day. Such a fun day to show the ones you love just how much you LOVE them.  Oh, and I kinda dig the chocolates.  And the flowers too. 

Luke and I made his Valentine's mailbox over the weekend.  He chose the most masculine of the Valentine colors, red, for the theme of his box.  The best Valentine Luke received, in his opinion, was this homework pass from his teacher.  He was overwhelmed by the LOVE!  Much to his dismay, it did not excuse him from the entire week of homework, just one assignment.  None the less, he was still quit excited about not having homework for one night.

      Hayley received lots and lots of candy which in turn has cause lots and lots of tummy aches this week.  I have officially banned anymore candy for the week.  Possibly the month.  Maybe the year.
                                                                       

Chris gave the 3 ladies in his life these beautiful roses.  Hayley and I were touched by his sweet thought.  Hannah enjoyed waving her rose around like it was a magic wand and then trying to eat it. 

 My Valentine knows my love language, coffee!  He gave me this mug to remember our time here in Chesapeake.  And to Sue and Renee, we will continue to live in blissful denial that I am moving until the truck pulls up.  And then I may still remain in denial.

     Here is Hayley as one of the last three in her class in an intense game of Hot Potato.  She was sweatin' it.

             
                          She did not win, but you can tell from the look on her face she didn't mind at all. 

                                                                      My Valentine Girls

Now, this picture is from Chris's bday back in January.  My camera battery died before I could get some pics of my guys, and we cannot locate the charger.  Sounds like a GREAT reason to get a new camera!



Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day.

In Harms Way...

**Update**  I fixed the link to the military spouse's blog.  You can just click on the highlighted portion and it will take your to her post.  Such a great read and very moving.....


I have so many close friends whose husbands are currently deployed and they are facing the next 7 to 15 months as a single parent far, far from family. They are in my thoughts and prayers constantly. My heart aches for them as I know too well what those months feel like.

I wanted to share this post from a military spouse's blog.  Her thoughts on deployments are what every spouse of someone in the Armed Forces feels when their loved one is deployed. We have been so blessed over the past few years to not have to face deployments to a war zone for a while. As of May 20th, Chris will have been home for 3 years since his last deployment to Iraq. I cling to these days of "normal" for us because in a little over a year we will be headed back to the fleet, back to pre-deployment briefs, work ups, and Daddy being gone.

If you think about it tonight, say a prayer for all those who are in harms way while we all sleep soundly in our warm beds.

February 15? Really?

My desire to sit down and blog and the actual time found to sit down and blog do not match up. Just like everyone else in this world, things get busy, and then the 7 year old computer that takes AT LEAST 20 minutes to turn on doesn't help motivate me when I do have a moment to sit down and blog.  So if I haven't bored you to death with my ramblings yet, I will attempt to capture what we have been up to the past few weeks.  I love a good list, so here it goes:

1.  I have finally downloaded the Blog Book software and have been trying to complete our first book (2007-2008).  I am almost done and can't wait to see the finished product.  As I have been working on this project, I have really enjoyed looking back at all the photos from years past.  My heart aches a little as I see just how big Luke and Hayley have gotten.  Time PLEASE slow down just a bit.

2.  Hayley started back to ballet/tap on February 1st.  When soccer season was finished last fall, she confessed that while she had fun playing the game, she really wanted to take dance again.  She missed it terribly.  Can you tell she was excited about her first day back?  We also went and got her haircut in this cute little bob.  I love it.

3.  Luke loves a good puzzle.  He will sit still for an hour or so trying to get one completed.  He is alot like me and doesn't like to leave a task incomplete.  With all the cold weather we have been having, he has really enjoyed the new Scooby-Doo puzzles that Aunt Holly gave him for Christmas.

4.  Snow fell last Thursday morning and blanketed the area with about 5 to 6 inches of the fluffy white stuff.  I went out at 7:00am to take a few pictures while all was still calm.  We enjoyed the snow day and then warmed up to 64 degrees by Monday.  Forecast for this Thursday says a high of 77?!?!?!  What?  In February!  I'll take it.

5.  Chris is a history nut.  He loves everything about the history of our Nation.   Over the past few weeks, he has been reading to the kids about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to tie together with the upcoming President's Day holiday.  Hayley and Chris decided to make Indian Hoe Cakes on Saturday morning.  The cakes are in fact what George Washington used to eat for breakfast every morning.  Sorry the pictures are all out of order, but here they are cooking and enjoying their first taste of a hoe cake.

Hope to fill you in on our wonderful Valentine's Day before March.  I have to take a break since it has taken me an hour to complete this entry.  I LOVE my computer (note sarcasm), but  I think it may be time we move on without each other.  For my sanity's sake and the blog........