Valentine's day

I hope every one had a wonderful Valentine's day...
Chad got me a porch swing that I LOVE! My parents had one and when we would go to visit Chad and I always LOVED swinging together on the porch swing. Talking, reading, or watching the kids play... we share a love for the swing. =)
He knew I've wanted one for quite some time so he surprised me with one for valentine's day. I know it's not jewelry or candy... it's SO much better! Did I mention I LOVE it?!?!
On the 13th Chad worked nights so he could spent the day volunteering with me at the boys school for their valentine's day parties. The kids loved it! Well while we were in Logan's class, AJ fell in love with their class hamster. I have to admit I thought he was really cute to!
So on Valentine's day we spent the morning at the boys football games


and then went for crepes and ice cream at big dip. (I'll blog about big dip once I get pictures)
While we were eating ice cream, we started talking about the hamster...
we were right by the pet store so one thing led to another and we ended up at the pet store buying a hamster...after a lot of begging from the boys.
Meet Sasu...


his name means "to bite" in English. Because he bit me first time I held him. He is such a sweet hamster he just gets scared. Well the next day we felt bad because Sasu had come from a cage full of hamsters and we thought he looked lonely all by himself at home.


So we decided to go back and buy one of his brothers.
We picked one from the same cage Sasu had been in and brought him home. So a few seconds after we put Tank (the new hamster...) in the cage with Sasu, they started squealing and fighting! We had to separate them while we decided what to do. Bryan said "how much damage could they really do?! They're....hamsters". We all had a good laugh and decided he had a point and they would have to learn to get along. So Chad had a talk with them lol


and we put them back in the cage. They stayed away from each other the rest of the day. That night though... we woke up to them squealing again. I jumped out of bed and Chad and I ran over and tried to separate them, but they just kept fighting! After a while, Chad finally got them to stop and pulled Sasu out of the cage.He had a big chunk of fur and skin out of his side! They would have killed each other if we hadn't separated them! Who knew hamsters could do that! So we had to go to the pet store the next day and buy a second cage, wheel, water bottle, ect. So over $125.00 later... we now have 2 hamsters. They live happily in separate cages... which means 2 cages to clean. =( Which will soon mean 1 for Logan to clean and 1 for Tristan to clean. =) Oh!...and Sasu has healed and is doing fine now. =)
I have to admit they are pretty darn cute though! But of course not nearly as cute as these 2...

Trip to the ER...

I didn't have time to edit any of these pictures so they are all straight out of the camera but if I don't blog now, I may never get to it. =) Remember to click on the pictures for a larger view. =)
On the 16th (last Monday) we took the boys and Bryan to the aquarium...

more on that later. I have so many BEAUTIFUL pictures from that trip that I can't wait to upload and share as soon as I can find some time. The aquarium is on the other side of the island which really isn't that far, but when you can only go 80 clicks (40 MPH) on the expressway, it takes about 2 hours to get there. So after the aquarium I wanted to try this amazing restaurant I've heard so much about called Pizza In The Sky.
I guess they only make one kind of pizza a day and that is what you get but It's made in a real brick oven and is supposed to be the best pizza on the island. I have heard nothing but REALLY good things about this restaurant so I couldn't wait to try it. Plus it's on top of a mountain with an AMAZING view.
The day we went the weather didn't really cooperate and it was REALLY hazy and started sprinkling while we were at the aquarium but we went anyway. When we got to the restaurant there was a wait. So we put our name on the list and took in the view. Even with the haze it was still beautiful!
Well, while we were waiting out side for a table we were laughing at the Japanese fashion...

AJ was carrying his Nerf basketball around and dropped it. When he went after it he tripped and went face first into the corner of a picnic table bench.(like the one in the last picture)
The second it happened, I knew it was bad! Chad scooped him up and turned him over, he was bleeding...BAD! I ran into the restaurant to get a towel for his face. That's when I realized they didn't speak hardly any English. There were 3 women who just stared at me as I was asking for a napkin, towel, or anything! I was doing charades and starting to freak out. The lady handed me a wet nap lol. I grabbed the towel the cook behind the counter was holding and started shaking it at the waitress' trying to make them understand I wanted a clean one. The other lady grabbed one and wet it down for me, they followed me out side and saw that AJ was bleeding all over as Chad Bryan and the boys ran to the car with him. I tried asking the lady where the hospital was, and again... NO ENGLISH. She just looked at me with a very sympathetic look shaking her head. She followed us to the car and while chad was putting AJ in the car the lady kept rubbing my back and my arm. It's amazing how even though she didn't speak English, she still tried to comfort me and was able to show us how sympathetic she was. I love the Japanese people here! They really are sweet and very kind! So we drove down the mountain and 2 hours back the our side of the island to take AJ to the Navy hospital. (The Air force base doesn't have an ER)By that time AJ's face had pretty much stopped bleeding and he was up and smiling. This was him being dramatic in the waiting room...
Once we got to the ER and finally got back to have AJ seen (The ER was busy like all hospitals) the ER doctor took a look at him and had to call in the oral surgeon to take a look at him. Also the anesthesiologist talked to us. AJ had a sippy cup of juice while he was in the waiting room and it wasn't clear juice. So technically he had a full stomach. So they didn't want to give him the normal kind of anthestegia in case he got sick and choked. So we had to wait for the oral surgeon, and anesthesia 's boss (for a second opinion) to be called in. They ended up giving him some local anesthesia and some medication in an IV to calm him down, but he was still awake when they stitched him up

They had to wrap him like a burrito and the 2 anesthesegiologist and Chad had to hold him down while the surgeon stitched him up. AJ is a fighter!

The poor baby!

It was truly heart breaking!



But when it was all said and done... he had gotten 3 stitches on the inside of his mouth,plus 1 deep one to close the hole and 5 on the outside of his mouth.

They said he didn't get the pink part of his lip so that is a really good thing and hopefully the scar won't be to bad.

He did really well the next few days and has been back to himself ever since. But I don't think I will ever be the same after that experience.

Now I realize there is some Japanese I have to work on learning!
This is what he does when you ask him about his owie...this was 2 days after it happened...


Here he is 6 days later he's healing nicely and he looks WORLDS better!

E-mail to Kim...

I started to e-mail Kim back but decided to post a blog instead. =) That way I can e-mail her something nice later and tell her I feel really bad that Drew is deploying soon. =( But that she is really Strong and will be okay... she has to be for those pretty babies because that's our job as a military spouse.
Deep down I know my words won't help and I know it's not what she wants to hear. But the truth is, nothing will make her feel better except him coming home. I KNOW the heart ache that leads up to them leaving for months at a time. I know the panic we feel when all of a sudden it's real that he's leaving AGAIN. I know that no matter how many times he's deployed in the past, they NEVER get any easier. I know how hard it is and I'm here to lend an ear if she needs one to help the time pass a little quicker until he gets to come home. To help her count the days a little quicker because that's all they are... days... 1 at a time.

I know I really have nothing to gripe about in comparison but grrr...I'm still really annoyed...

I spent all morning cleaning my house like a crazy person and then REcleaning after AJ...following him around picking up every toy he put down lol. I finally wrestled him to the ground to put his clothes back on him and thought "Whew! done! He should be here any min..."
Romeo was supposed to be here 15 min. ago and just called to ask if he could reschedule for later in the week because he's still 30 min. away!
So I spent my "free time" (AJ's nap time) cleaning! How am I going keep my sanity this way?! lol
I wouldn't be complaining if I thought my house might actually stay clean until we reschedule, but the truth is....
It really only stays clean for the hour Romeo is here! lol
I pick the boys up for school as soon as he normally leaves, and once they get home... forget it! It looks like a war zone from the front door through the kitchen,dining room, bathroom, living room and out the back door!
The boys come home from school, and this is their routine...
front door: take off shoes, drop back pack and jacket... they don't make it to the shoe rack, coat rack and hook for their back pack...
then they hit the bath room... they still have not learned to put the seat down when they are done, or how to aim. They have learned to wash their hands when they are done, but keeping the water from getting ALL over the counter and off the mirror is still a mystery to them.
Then in to the kitchen for their after school snacks and drinks.... which means EVERYTHING gets left out on the counter from the juice to the napkins they used to wipe up their spills... cause there are ALWAYS spills. Which is when they forget to wipe the spill off the floor I just mopped.
Then in to the dining room to eat their snack and do their homework.... that's where their plates, orange peels, crumbs etc. usually get left. After home work is done, I make sure everything is signed and put it all in their back packs.
The whole time AJ is in the living room and has dumped out EVERY bucket of toys they own and thrown every book off the bookshelf and on to the floor. Just in time for me to cook dinner and get the boys ready for football practice. By the time we get home I just want to fall down!
WOW, I'm stressing myself out writing this! lol Not to mention AJ is behind me and has just dumped out the entire bucket of micro machines and is throwing them all over the room in search of a certain car! UGH! lol I guess I'll try again in a couple days when Romeo reschedules.




I Love ya Kimmie!Hang in there... You'll be okay. =)

Oh no!

Another one bites the dust!

Good days...

Like most people, AJ has good days and bad days. The difference is, AJ's bad days are affecting our whole family. His bad days are REALLY bad. There is a lot going on with AJ. I'm not going to go in to everything, but the main thing is that he doesn't talk yet. He will be 2 in March and he doesn't talk... at all. We had him evaluated and he has the vocabulary of a 12 month old at 21 months at best. Until 2 weeks ago that is. AJ has an educator from early intervention that comes to our house and works with AJ every week. We've just started with Romeo, AJ's new friend. So far it's working out really well and AJ seems to really like him. The first day he came to play with AJ, he was able to get him to say "more" as well as use sign language to say "more". He also said train and made the "chooo chooo" sound. It doesn't sound like much, but for AJ it's HUGE! I know everyone always says "but he always looks so happy in all the pictures" that's just because I don't put the bad pictures on here. =) Just a peak, but this is what I usually see all day...




On his good days though... he is the most WONDERFUL little boy and absolutely perfect! Which is what brings me to this blog. The last 2 weeks have been "good days" and I couldn't be happier! a couple of them have been rough, but for the most part they have been great!
It made the Christmas break WONDERFUL! AND... he has been a little mocking bird lately! He has repeated just about everything you say to him! He's done this before, but he has always "lost" his words. He said them for about a week and then we never hear them again. I've got my fingers crossed that he's going to continue talking and start catching up. Today was a rough day, but he still has tried talking a little which is a BIG improvement. So here are A few pictures of AJ from a couple days ago on one of his good days...





And I've had fun playing around with the pictures to. =) so comment and let me know what you think...I love feed back!

Back in the drivers seat...

Whew! I'm glad that's over! I feel like I finally back in control of my life again! lol I haven't blogged in SOO long! Mainly because I am such a procrastinator, but also because our house has been a circus for the last month! I had such a wonderful Christmas break though! I LOVE having the kids home from school and all the time off Chad gets from work with short days, family days, Christmas parties and CTO days. I just love having the family all home!
We did A LOT over the break and I have TONS of pictures to share...eventually... when I get them all together to put on here. Good news is... the kids go back to school tomorrow,and Chad goes back to work so I will have a little quiet time during AJ's nap so maybe I can get them on then. =)
For now, I want to share THESE pictures. Hope everyone enjoys them if you haven't seen them already!
By the way... it's 2009!!! A new year! I'm gonna make the most of it!



This is the swing set/ clubhouse we got the boys for Christmas... Well I should say my parents and Chads parents got the boys for Christmas. Since the money they gave us for Christmas paid for it. =)








Did I mention they LOVE it!!!













And of course the random picture of AJ eating Chad's waffle. lol
I made waffles the other morning for breakfast , the boys finished theirs and I called Chad when his was ready. I put it on the table for him and went back to making waffles. When Chad walked in, AJ was sitting on the table eating his waffle! I just happened to have my camera close by to get a picture! =)

It's been a while!

I haven't blogged since Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean I didn't have anything to say! We have been busy busy! I have over 3,000 pics just in the last 3 1/2 months... just since the last time I sent out a link to my online photo album! I like to take pictures in RAW format just because it's better for editing purposes. The problem is, I have to change them over to JPEG format before I can upload them. Well with my schedule, I tend to get behind! So now I have over 3,000 pictures I'm trying to change over to JPEG and then I'm going to attempt to upload them to my online photo album. I REALLY wanted to edit them all first but there is NO way that is going to happen! So I figure I will send these pictures out "as is or SOOC " then I will worry about editing my favorites and concentrate on keeping caught up on them!
So that's why I haven't blogged. When ever I have gotten 5 min to get on the computer, I've spent it trying to figure out my picture situation. There are A LOT of pictures on my hard drives to go through! Remember the 3,000 + pics are just in the last few months! I've attempted to organize them but have come to realize that is a battle I'm going to lose as long as I continue to take pictures! =)
For now I am going to go back to my picture editing and hopefully I will get a chance to post a REAL blog once I get a few edited to put on here!
But for now... this is how I feel!