No training wheels!

Yesterday, Stew decided that he was ready to have his training wheels off! Cna you believe it? At 3 1/2 he wanted to ride his bike like a big kid. Joe worked with him in the back yard and he would ride about 5 feet at a time. He even kept trying and had 5 successful attempts. He did really well! I was so proud. I must admit I did get a little teary eyed at the thought of him growing up so fast. He did toward the end get a little sacred about falling down and getting hurt and wanted his training wheels back on. We will just have to keep practicing. Go Stew Go!

Outdoor fun

This week we added to our back yard. We bought a plastic pool and we are going to get some sand and make it a sandbox for the boys. We may end up adding another one as a pool for the boys later when the weather gets warmer. They are really excited about being able to drive their trucks in the sand. The boys also got their first fishing poles this week. Stew has been asking to go fishing with Papa and since he is deploying we decided to go for it. The boys have been having fun casting and reeling in while in the front yard. The next step will be to actually make it to the lake. hopefully we can get that done before Joe goes, but time is quickly running out.

Silly!

Skoebie and Papa had fun after easter playing with Easter baskets and making them hats. Last week the boys als discovered my keyboard stand in the spare bedroom, and decided it made a great play motorcycle. They had a blast making driving sounds and pretending to turn sharp corners. I was able to get some great work done on the few remaining boxes that we had left to go through. Who knows what these two will come up with next.

The Easter Bunny

The Easter Bunny came and the boys were really excited to explore all the candy that the Bunny brought.

Hummer Birds!

We put up a Hummingbird feeder on our kitchen and we have been very surprised at the turn out. We have at least three different types of hummingbirds coming to our feeder and they are even two different types. We have really enjoyed watching them. I was shocked that it took them less than 12 hours to find the food source. The boys of course call them Hummer Birds. I guess it is proof that they are Army Kids, Hummer trucks and Hummer birds. They are funny little creatures, the birds, everytime we go out in the front yard we get buzzed as they are being very protective of their food. The other day we were outside and I looked up and saw the hummingbird sitting on the power line waiting for us to move. Who knew hummingbirds sat on powerlines too? It was too funny, i had to get a picture so everyone could see.

Our brave garden

The boys and I decided we needed to plant some things. It started with some watermelon and pumpkin seeds. We were sucessful in getting those to sprout so we added tomatoes, spinach and some beans. The boys definately had more fun playing in the dirt than planting seeds. We had a fine water and mud mess by the time we were done. now we just have to hurry up and wait to see if our efforts were fruitful.

Laundry monsters

I have always wondered about the "Laundry Monster" that enjoys eating single socks. Now we all know that it lives! The boys decided that they needed to climb in the dryer and play. They even wanted me to shut the door and make it go around. I guess it looks like too much fun when the clothes get to dry. They were disappointed when I told them we couldn't do that because it would hurt. These two are total goofballs sometimes.

The Family

Here we are! We had some really great family pictures taken last week. I would like to say that we actually had some fun getting these taken. The photographer was awesome. She helped us relax and enjoy the time outside. The best part is that the weather even cooperated with us. It got quite windy down at the beach, towards the end. All in all it was great. The boys smiled, all of them - even Joe Ha Ha! I really appreciate Joe going the extra mile for us before his deployment. I know he hates having pictures taken, but this will really help us on the homefront while he is gone. Thanks Joe, I love you!

Vegas Baby!

Joe and I went on a mini vacation last week just the tow of us. His Mom and Dad watched the boys for us. The weather was GREAT and the prices were right. We got Military discounts all over the place. It was a lot of fun despite the fact I had a stomach bug the entire time we were there. I wish I had felt better, but we saw all we could in the short time we were there. We were able to see Blue Man Group, The V Show, and a Hypnotist. We at at a Buffet (Joe's personal favorite meal) and found Joe a Pineapple Fanta Soda at the Coca-Cola store. We also walked from one end of the strip to the other in and out of casinos, shopping malls and took in as many free sights as possible. We saw the volcano at the Mirage, the fountians at the Bellagio, the gondolas at the Venetian, the sirens at Treasure Island (our Hotel), moving statues at Caesars palace, a 3-D Movie at M&Ms World, and the gardens and butterflies inside the Bellagio.

Grandma D loves pictures.

Joe's Grandma D always has to get a group shot anytime we are all together. She must have a ton of these type of photos to document her heritage. I just think it is funny because we are never prepared to have a picture when she springs the news, but we are all willing for her. This is the one of us. Joe's Dad and Mom, Skoebie, Grandma D, Stew, Me and then Joe laying on the back of the couch.