Path from Niceville

We've moved...literally

2011-08-11T12:12:00.002-05:00

To see our new blog, go to: www.thefavorableyear.blogspot.com

Puddles and Rain Coats

2011-07-07T02:48:00.004-05:00

A Girl and Her (er... Papa's) Duct Tape...

2011-04-10T20:32:00.003-05:00

Don't let her fool you in her fancy dress...

She sure loves Papa's tool garage

And boy does she love that duct tape!

1st Camping Trip of the Year

2011-04-07T22:46:00.003-05:00

We went up to Rocky Mountain National Park with some lovely friends, J and E. It was cold! But a good way to begin the new camping season. Joah and I (well, really everyone) really enjoyed tossing rocks onto the frozen sides of the stream banks
and making huge ice blocks break off and float away.
It's deeper than it looks!
During our walk to the stream, a coyote trotted past us within a few feet. After that, Joah was very aware of both real and imaginary wildlife and, while pointing to clefts in the rock wall, would say things like: "Look! That's where the mountain lion lives".
However, no real mountain lions were spotted.

Breaking down our trusty tent that kept us warm through the snowy night.

Please note that our Bengal tiger with speakers in the ears, quietly crooned
Bullfrogs & Butterflies songs late into the night, lulling Joah and Clara to sleep in the comfy down sleeping bags.

Thank you Erika for documenting our trip!

Boarding!

2011-04-04T10:56:00.003-05:00

Corb and I LOVE to go boarding. But we're not so good at documenting our times on the mountains. These pics aren't great but at least they will help us remember the cold when we are sweltering this summer!

At the top of Spaulding Bowl. It was cold!!!

On the way home! Happy!

J at the restaurant

2011-04-04T10:51:00.005-05:00

Look Mom! My french fry is a candy cane! Or a "J"!

Couch and Stairs

2011-03-17T00:37:00.003-05:00

Hello, World. I'm ready!

Little Miss Muffet?

Oh my! The sweetness!

Snoozing Child #1

Snoozing Child #2
Get off of me, J!!! (Yes. She can hold her own.)

Grey tutu....

2011-03-06T00:24:00.003-06:00

The sweatshirt (and leggings) she is wearing is from Kelly in Japan. And it has the most awesome sayings on it... Things like: "Young person full of vigor", "Cheer", "Laugh and smile quite a bit" and my personal favorite - "Winsome smile". All very apropos for Clara. :)

The adorable gray dress is courtesy of Bekah. And the cute pink shoes are from Grammy.

And here is a video of nothing terribly exciting... but thought Grandma might appreciate it. :)

Being Pushed Around.... :)

2011-03-05T10:35:00.002-06:00

Cuddling siblings!
2 mins later, Clara decided she was sick of cuddling and started wailing!

She sure likes Jessica and Caleb's wagon!

Joah wanted in on the picture!

Aww..... so cute!

Family Times

2011-03-05T10:30:00.002-06:00

Chilling with Aunt Hannah over her Spring Break

"Doing dishes" with Mommy at home

A visit to the Denver Aquarium with Grandma before she moved to "the Ka-pal" (Nepal)

An evening with Grammy and Poppa while Corb and I were at SPIRE

An Afternoon Outside

2011-03-05T10:18:00.003-06:00

Corban was gone for 3 days to a conference (Logistics in Humanitarian Responses, yikes!) in Georgia so we lived it up to try and distract ourselves.... McDonald's, Parties with other moms/kids, Afternoons of painting/sword fighting....

C: On guard, Joah

J: No, Clara. That's for painting.... like this. Watch me paint my "rock of joy". (Ha!)

Joah walloping on a neighbor kid.

The Boys...

2011-02-24T02:18:00.004-06:00

J wants to do everything Daddy does, including but not limited to:

Napping on the couch in the middle of the day,

Playing anything with a keyboard,

Biting off more than he can chew.... just like Dad...

Is that a doughnut LOAF, you ask? Yes. Yes it is.

Life....

2011-02-24T01:46:00.005-06:00

So these pics are less than beautiful, but I think it's good to put them here so we remember what real days looked like in this season of life....

J begging to be a puppy for the millionth time... I cave.

Sure. Why not?

Abusing the baby doll.... go ahead.

A day of bumps and bruising gets even worse when the broom falls on her toes.
"No more cleaning for me, Mom."

Me: NOOOO, Clara!!

Bath time for you dirty kids.

Trying to do my Bible study at the end of long days.... sweet moments, but so tired!

C's Birthday....

2011-02-24T01:14:00.005-06:00

Just a few shots of C's birthday party with fam. I posted most of these on FB already... but for those of you not looking there, thought I'd share here too...

Puppets and Puddles....

2011-02-24T00:55:00.004-06:00

Playing with puppets at Focus with Aunt Hannah.... I don't think they noticed the sign below.
Aww... Daddy looks kinda scary but C is cute!

Came across this pic of J and Corb from back in the day.... We were on a cruise when this was taken. They were so cute back then, eh? Ok. I guess they are still pretty cute.

The stairs.... C's current favorite challenge. Up and down, up and down, many times a day.

The snow is melting and leaving puddles behind. J asked if we could float paper boats around like he used to do at Grandma's. Had to explain that they wouldn't go anywhere since our puddle is so tiny.... not like the stream that used to develop on the street in front of G'mas and G'pas.....

The girl is seriously cute. That's all.

2011-02-24T00:44:00.006-06:00

At Christmas, with her newly gifted puppy.

Just before she started walking, 3 months ago.

A morning at the park with Joah, Tonya and Sayler

Clara-ella?

Playing "soccer" at Joah's Lil'Kickers.

Bundling up before the cold.

Snowman!

2011-02-12T17:42:00.005-06:00

It seriously took 20 attempts to get just 1 photo of Joah looking almost normal. There were lots more pictures of him looking like a goof, a prime example included below.

Sledding, Superbowl and Snowangels!

2011-02-07T00:37:00.004-06:00

A fun day of church with the fam, chilly sledding, snow-angels and the Super Bowl.

And the following pics are from a day up at Breck. Corb boarded in the morn while I took the kids sledding. Then we swapped. :)

Oh Christmas Lights....

2010-11-28T03:36:00.004-06:00

C: Look J. What are these fabulous, glowing things. And do they taste good?
J: Don't eat them, C! They are "little fires". But that's why they are on a "rope". So that they don't burn things, like the tree.

"It's so beautiful. Something this pretty MUST taste good.... Hmmm..."

Maybe if I stretch real hard....

And.... reeeeach!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-28T03:25:00.001-06:00

The Moment Before She Fell.....

J's made a friend last year.... and he was still there under the wagon this year!

Herding the ducks towards.... is that poop? Eww. A farmer I am not.

Grandma with the girl

J and G on the back of the "train". So cute!

The moment before she choked on the corn....

Um.... the alpaca looks nice...

The end.

Chill Time with Friends

2010-11-28T03:17:00.004-06:00

At a Rockies Game

J and G at the park near the YMCA

Aww.... J showing little S how to pose....

And here they are on the train at the harvest festival

And the fabulous parents out for a night w/out kids!

C and her little buddy who is 2 days older than her.

Catching Up....

2010-11-28T03:07:00.004-06:00

I am so behind on posting photos of this year. I thought I'd take some minutes to put up pictures of this Autumn before sharing some of my current Winter favorites. :)

J as the baby gate.

USAFA vs Navy Football Game!

Four Generations!

Pretty colors on our walk

At the end of the walk

Laughing, Teething, Airplanes and Sleeping

2010-11-16T09:04:00.003-06:00

Profile Pics?

2010-10-25T01:55:00.006-05:00

Look at my "fish", Mom!
Taken with my iPhone. Amazing!ss

I'm too sexy for this seat...."

His long standing love with "goot-goot's" continues to grow b/c of the proximity of the railroad to our house!

Making bread with momma

Fun day out with Sayler and Tonya (and Tonya's sweet camera!)

She's growing up!

2010-10-25T01:49:00.003-05:00

I love the primary colors in this picture. How often do you see a little girl in them?

Where's Waldo,,, er.... Clara?

Creede

2010-08-21T00:19:00.006-05:00

We joined the Bryants/Harrells in Creede,CO earlier this summer. What fun! Fishing, games, hikes, cowboy boots... We sure enjoyed our time up there.

Light up Buzz & Woody boots from Grammy and Poppa, and a bubble gun!

We hiked forever to find the perfect fishing spot. There were no others up there. A whole river, just for us!

Yes. Yes, that is the fish I caught! I know it's HUGE. Beginner's luck.

Blurry-but-Happy Moments

2010-08-04T01:55:00.002-05:00

Things I love about my daughter

2010-08-04T01:33:00.004-05:00

* She LOVES to laugh.

* She already seems to appreciate beauty and will stare at bright patterns for long minutes at a time.

* She has phenomenal taste in people. Her big brother is her favorite.

* She has more fun splashing in water than anyone I've ever seen.

* In the mornings, she lays awake, quiet in my bed until I force my eyes open. And then? Her face breaks into a big smile and she immediately starts baby babbling non-stop.

* She is oh-so-chill.

* Whenever Corban looks at her with eyebrows raised, she grins, like they share a wonderful secret.

There are so many other things. But I'll pause here and show you some cute photos.

Grand Canyon!!

2010-07-15T21:48:00.003-05:00

Our amazing rock star performing in his "dancing room".

Hammock from a long ago Brazil Amazon outreach turns into a baby swing.
Seasons of life, baby.

Skut

2010-06-08T01:42:00.002-05:00

Fans of this bike!

My Clara-girl

2010-05-17T09:38:00.004-05:00

Telling Secrets

They love each other!

Cuteness!

Mini Robert Redford?

2010-05-17T09:33:00.001-05:00

Grandma's Birthday!!

2010-05-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Clara's March Photo Shoot

2010-03-19T01:25:00.003-05:00

Joah - March 19, 2010

2010-03-19T01:22:00.001-05:00

Clara With Us

2010-03-19T01:12:00.004-05:00

To Forever Embarass Him!

2010-03-01T23:17:00.004-06:00

The little 'art-eest'

He sure loves to "cuddle" (aka "smash") his baby sister...

We're encouraging him to practice being gentle with his own baby but never expected him to get so excited and attached to the thing. (Sorry, Mom. I know you bought the glow worm for Clara, but Joah ADORES the doll and thinks she is his baby.)

And this one is just too cute!

Goodbye to Friends...

2010-03-01T23:11:00.004-06:00

Sad that our friends are moving back to Africa (or "Adlica" as Hudson calls it). But happy that the boys had so much fun playing Elephun this day.

Clara's First Days Home

2010-03-01T23:08:00.003-06:00

Chillin' in the bouncy seat...

First bath...
Naptime!

Daddy and Poppa Play Time

2010-02-07T15:39:00.004-06:00

Joah and Clara bonding....

2010-02-07T11:30:00.003-06:00

Baby C's Story

2010-02-02T14:52:00.011-06:00

We arrived at the hospital at 6:30. J went with Grandma to go get "hotcakes," and then they were going to go buy some goldfish. K and I took the sleek and enormous elevator to the 3rd floor of St Francis Medical Center. They admitted her quickly and started the C-section prep. Putting in the IV and catheter was likely the worst part of the day. The hospital staff was running a bit ahead of schedule, so once they'd pumped two bags of fluid into K and dressing me in a cool "bunny suit," we rolled to the operating room.

K bravely went in as they set up the spinal. I had to stay in the hall and watch from the window (I guess a lot of dad's struggle watching the big needle.) Once she was all numbed up, the Doctors quickly went to work with the "Circle of Life" from "The Lion King" playing on the stereo in the background. 3 minutes later (8:33AM), out cam baby C!

The operating staff moved her quickly to the "french fry warmer" across the room and started checking vital signs and wiping off the "cheese." Everything about her was perfect. K and I got a short moment to sit and cherish our new girl before they whisked me and the baby to the nusery for further tests as the docs started the 25 minute process of sewing K up.

At the nursery C was weighed (7lbs 8oz) measured (18.75 in long, 14.1 in head circumference) and bathed.

K had to wait in recovery as they monitored her after the surgery meds, but by 10:00AM we were all together in the recovery room. K was feeling pretty good considering the size of the incision in her tummy. We enjoyed showing off our baby girl to lots of wonderful visitors.

J was pretty entranced by the new baby sister, but the buttons that moved mom's bed were pretty interesting too. I think it was the first time he really understood what we meant about the baby sister. He was ready to carry her off and start playing.

I am so grateful for these two beautiful women in my life.

Anniversary

2010-01-22T23:56:00.003-06:00

So fun! 5 FULL years of marriage. To celebrate we headed out for fondue and Avatar. What? What can I say? Corban married a sci-fi/fantasy geek. :)

Christmas Morning

2010-01-22T23:45:00.003-06:00

So I was actually really bad at taking pictures on Christmas morning, mostly b/c I didn't want to miss out on the fun while trying to get shots. But..... here are the few we did get.

We started the morning upstairs by telling the Christmas story to Joah using the Playmobile Nativity Set from Grammy and Poppa.

Then we headed downstairs to open presents. Joah's big present was the train table, but we wrapped all the little pieces individually so he'd have lots to open. :)

For the little performer!

We headed over to the Haegeland house for lots more presents and hanging out, and then to the Bryants for presents and hanging out, and then back to our place for game night with families. So fun and FULL!

Our Little Cowboy

2010-01-22T23:32:00.003-06:00

So.... Joah watched Man from Snowy River and immediately became enthralled with being a cowboy. For Christmas he got a cowboy hat and holster (gunless but it DID come with bullets...?) and a whip and handcuffs and a stick horse from Grandma and Grandpa. We asked him that evening, "What's the name of your horse, Joah". And he promptly replied, "Buttons. Black Buttons. Because there are buttons on his ears". He's so smart! The ear buttons trigger riding sounds. So cool.

Anyways, it's Jan 22 and his love for the horseman role has only grown, partly fed by the amazing day he had at the Stock Show with Grammy, Poppa and Garret and Emily. He will now play rodeo for hours at a time, "parking" in the gate and waiting to be announced - "Cowboy Joah riding Black Buttons horsy, trying to get the baby cow....." and released. Then he runs into a ring of blocks, (those are the barrels or something....) and proceeds to use his whip and do rounds until he's imagined lassoing and tackling a baby cow which he leads back to the gate. Nice. We only have to repeat this every minute and 1/2 for hours.

Christmas Photo Shoot

2010-01-22T23:29:00.003-06:00

So... here are some pics from the photo shoot with Emily, for those of you who aren't on Facebook. :)

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree....

2010-01-22T23:20:00.005-06:00

We had fun hunting for a tree this year. Opted to go with the uber cheap option and cut our own down. :) I think we scored!

More Baking

2010-01-22T23:05:00.003-06:00

Somehow, Christmas season is always the time when we bake the most. Thought these pics were fun enough to post. I especially love the one of the Bean with flour all over his face, shirt, floor. It's alright.... I have evidence below that I at least attempted to teach him to clean up for himself after creating messes. :)

Snow Day!!

2009-11-15T14:23:00.005-06:00

Yay! We got 5 inches of snow overnight. What a great snow day we're having with lots of chili, cornbread, and pumpkin bread.

Cookie Chefs

2009-10-26T01:35:00.002-05:00

Hiking...

2009-10-26T01:31:00.003-05:00

Looking for the snake that had just slithered past...
We needed Kelly Jones around to identify him.

Shaving

2009-10-26T00:35:00.004-05:00

Everything Daddy does is fascinating and fun to imitate.

I love the phone in Joah's hand... he's already multi-tasking.

Laundry Basket or Turtle Shell?

2009-10-05T01:08:00.003-05:00

Colorado's Railroad Museum

2009-09-27T19:31:00.008-05:00

Today we got up at the crack of dawn, drove to Golden, CO, and beat the crowds to meet Thomas the Tank Engine. It was a GREAT several hours with no meltdowns and lots of fun!

"Hi, Turntable!" We found out later, as we pushed it around, that it actually weighs about 65 Tons. But b/c of the huge ball bearing in the center, it is really easy to move!

I love the little, red caboose and mountains in the background here.

"Dad! Wook! Thomas pulling da train!"

Pulling the rope to ring the engine's bell.

An impressive lego Thomas.

Driving the Coors train. Important deliveries to be made.

"Popcorn at the Circus"

"Racing the Train"

Cottonwood Pass

2009-07-29T16:47:00.007-05:00

Yay! We are back in Colorado and loving the cool weather, the fabulous friends and family here, and the always beckoning mountains. After mostly unpacking the multitudes of boxes, we ditched the remaining chores and escaped to Cottonwood Pass (near the collegiate peaks) to get some mountain time in. What fun fires and smores and throwing rocks in a stream can be! Can't wait for you all to visit (or move here) so we can go on jaunts to the woods with you.

Digging the rain trench so the water would flow around the tent and not into it. Ended up we didn't need it. But Joah sure enjoyed helping Dad "work".

What? I didn't want to fall in! It was cold!
And I'm pregnant (the handy default excuse for everything) and thus offbalance.

Our favorite rock b/c it was almost always in the sun and provided a great throwing mound for the practicing pitcher.

Joah threw rocks in the river for hours at a time. We're pretty sure he could keep himself entertained all day that way. Too bad we had to fetch all the pebbles and prevent him from launching himself in too.

OK. Here's the funny story of the trip. After seeing me find a discreet location for use as my bathroom, Joah decided that he too needed a special restroom location and refused to be changed anywhere except, "Right der. On da rock."

Our perfect fire over which we cooked the 'mallows for the s'mores.
"I don't get it. How can I have some more if I haven't had any yet?"
"You're killing me, Smalls"

Spouse Project X Day

2009-06-29T20:23:00.003-05:00

So, we are in Alabama for Corban's month long officer training. About 20 wives accompanied their spouses, including me and my Florida friend, Sarah Bernardoni. In addition to lots of classes the guys also have various physical and team building trainings they have to complete. One such training is an amped up obstacle course. Think camp ropes courses on steroids. They give the spouses an afternoon to try a couple of the obstacles (somewhat modified) and an opportunity to the "show those boys how it's supposed to be done". We had a blast! We traversed pools of "acid", constructed bridges over "ravines", and made it across a deep pool with only a board and an inflated barrel. And more importantly, twice we beat the guys' times! :)

Stretching at the beginning (in our team shirts and patriotic bandanas)

Building our "bridge over the ravine"

Our "warrior" faces

Most of us losing it, b/c we imagined how ridiculous we looked.

Cracked Hats, Broken Glasses, and a Horrid Haircut

2009-06-29T20:07:00.002-05:00

Joah really liked his red fireman hat
despite the huge crack in it from a poorly placed running baby boy foot.

Thought this was a beautiful picture of a father's unconditional love,
even after the son broke his glasses.

This is a "Before" picture of the Bean in his golden mane of glory

This is an "After" picture. Can't tell you in words the depths of my regret.
I miss my baby's hair.

Joah Bean's 2nd Birthday

2009-06-26T21:51:00.003-05:00

Wow! We sure had a great time celebrating Joah's birthday despite being far away from family. We were so blessed to have the Browns and Bernardonis here to party with, as well as a host of new friends. Here are a few pics that Sarah B snapped since I, of course, did not have the camera loaded with charged batteries.

His obligatory cheesy smile, just after redecorating his cake by "driving"
Lightning McQueen along the sprinkle "road")

I love this picture. It captures the absolute joy J-man had that night.

Yes, but when do I get to eat it, Mom?

The hit gift of the night, more golf clubs!

Packing up

2009-06-24T18:18:00.005-05:00

We are in Montgomery, AL until July 2 for some of Corban's training. But before we came out here, we packed up all our stuff from our house in Niceville, FL and Corban and Dad Bryant drove it out to a storage unit in Colorado Springs. Yay for moving home to CO! Sad to leave Florida friends (and the beach) behind. It's been a while since I posted pics of the little man (ok. More than a while as my mom and Hannah keep telling me. Sorry.) So here are a few we snapped during our days transitioning out of FL.

Chilling at the Breeden's in their sweet guest house!

Potty Party!

2009-06-06T18:18:00.003-05:00

J's just made his first successful poop in the potty! He even told us he had to go. Though it took a few uneventful tries, in the end he executed perfectly; actually C happened to catch him in the act and whisked him to the toilet just in time. Either way we are very proud, and J is enjoying his candy prize.

We figured we'd spare you all the pictures on this one.

Corn Boy

2009-05-14T22:05:00.005-05:00

Joah loves his corn. Mmmm....

And he LOVES having his Dad home!

Corban's Homecoming

2009-05-14T16:35:00.005-05:00

YAY! Corban is home. He had a huge welcoming party at the airport terminal. Thanks to everyone who came out to welcome him back!

Corban's DVDs

2009-04-24T22:46:00.004-05:00

C has been recording himself reading children's books onto a DVD and then sending it back for Joah to watch. J is a fan! Here is a picture and video of him following along with his copy of the book C is reading to him.

And here he is cuddling with his pony while watching "Dad on TV".

Grammy's Visit

2009-04-24T21:59:00.004-05:00

Wow! We are so grateful to Grammy Bryant for coming out and taking care of us while Joah and I were sick. Thank you! Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures. But these ones are so cute. She is teaching Joah how to weed the garden - So "fun" for an almost-2 yr old!

Joah and I got pretty ill with crazy allergies. And on top of that, Joah caught some virus that made him even worse. He sure was tired.

"Hey there! Are you looking for me?"

"Here I am! Brr.... my feet are COLD."

GGBTF

2009-04-22T14:29:00.004-05:00

In our little base, somewhere in Southwest Asia, we're a bit wrapped around the axel about pedestrian safety. The posted speed limits are 25 kmh (15mph) and everybody has to wear a cool reflective belt during twilight and darkness hours. There's a rule on base, "No reflective belt, no service!" This basically means they’ll turn you away at places like finance and the library unless you’re wearing your belt.

We on the Ops Analysis Team, being highly educated and highly creative, decided we'd embrace the silliness. We added some signs in the latrines that say “No Glow, No Flow! You must be wearing your reflective belt to use these facilities.” Signed, the Global Glow Belt Task Force (GGBTF).

We figured some people might need to identify the GGBTF, so we've decided to "bling out" our "glow belts." We got online and for a mere $15.99 we each got our own customized, bedazzled belt buckle with our callsigns emblazoned upon them. From the left we have Barney (for Barney Fife because he talks like him), Griff (because his last name is Griffith), Epic (because of my epic personality), Bull (because he looks like the guy from Night Court), Punk (because it's fitting), Dave VH (because our boss confuses him with another guy named Dave, his real name is John), and last but no least Doc (because she has a PhD and because the callsign her squadron back home gave her is inappropriate.)

Credit must be given to the DIRSPACEFOR office for first thinking of the belt buckes. Theirs are all pirate themed. The actual goal of the belt buckles was to see how long it would take for an official policy to come out forbidding them. We’re close to our goal.

Oh, and the mustaches...well it was March, and that's what we do in March. If you shaved, the penalty was you shave your head. Punk is actually on 31 days of not shaving! Doc was the judge of the mustache competition. I won the "Shave It Now!" award. Do you agree?

Rhoda...

2009-04-09T01:39:00.004-05:00

Sipping drinks on the beach while waiting for our table at the Crab Trap. Yummy!

And some cute pics of the J man - notice the chalk colored cheek. He likes coloring on his face!

Making a pic for daddy

Outside the Crab Trap

Mom and Bekah Visit

2009-04-07T23:54:00.003-05:00

Celebrating Easter early with Grandma! Oooo! A Lightning McQueen matchbox car and baseball "eggs" filled with M&Ms (which he didn't grasp until batting one of them in two and candies showered down. What could possibly be cooler?)

Yes.... I know I'm cute. Bekah's making me pose.

A night out with Bekah...

Thank you for coming and visiting, Mom and Boo. We miss you!

Spring Days

2009-04-07T10:38:00.006-05:00

J and I have had lots of outings to the beach and gulfarium in the last weeks. It was great to have Bekah and my mom here this week to join us (and to document the fun).

A pose, a nap and a card

2009-03-01T11:17:00.004-06:00

Posing, while Hannah was here.

Thank you, Grammy, for the cute card you sent me. I walked around everywhere with it.

Napping in the car outside the Indian restaurant, while we waited for our chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken to be ready.

Daytime Play

2009-03-01T11:00:00.003-06:00

Hannah is gone now and J and I are trying to entertain ourselves, despite me getting pretty sick and feeling awful. We have pulled out the playdough and the doctor kit, teddy bears and Thomas the Tank Engine Dvds, blueberries, cheerios and cheese for snacks. Here are some cute pics of him playing. As I type, he is walking around giving random things "shots" - the window sill, the couch, the table, my foot....

Gulfarium with Hannah

2009-02-26T19:18:00.003-06:00

Gymnastics

2009-02-26T18:52:00.004-06:00

While J has a great time with all the challenging gym toys, he inevitably is drawn back to good ol' ball games.

Hannah's Documenting

2009-02-24T22:59:00.006-06:00

Hannah is visiting and is committed to updating all of you on Joah's growth. So, if you are grateful, leave a comment for Hannah. I'll see she gets it.

Bath Time!

Ride a horse....

2009-02-17T15:02:00.005-06:00

At the Park

Ride a horse to Boston,
Ride a horse to Lynn,
Ride a horse to Boston,
But don't fall IN!

The Sandbox

2009-02-12T12:48:00.004-06:00

Hello from somewhere in Southwest Asia. Things are going well here. We're in the middle of a dust storm, but it's not quite like the ones in the movies. Yesterday the wind picked up a bit, the sky became this brownish-yellow color, and a thick layer of dust began to slowly blanket everything. It's a bit other-worldly.

Things are going well here. I work long hours. 12 is the norm, but it's quite often 18 and there are few days off...only two so far. Work is one part challenging, one part interesting, and the rest rather tedious. At least I have a good group of 6 people to work with who keep good attitudes and laugh a lot...though mostly while being sarcastic about our work situation.

The local country is very interesting. There are many third country nationals that work here on base. Most that I've talked to are from Nepal and the Philippines. The food is pretty good. There's very good produce, something I find amazing considering the climate. It's definitely not local. They do provide open wifi in the common areas of the camp. However, the service is very slow and hard to sign on sometimes.

The pictures below are of a trip to town we took a few weeks ago. The guys in the pictures with me work in my office.

This is a mall downtown called the Vellagio. It's supposed to look like Venice. The entire inside has Venetian facades like this. There's even a canal and gondolas that run through it. The locals are very rich. It's funny to see them add "bling" to their traditional garb. All the most expensive designer shops from the west are in this mall. If you want a $3000 purse this is the place to go.

This is us in the souqs, which is a traditional market. Apparently these shops are several hundred years old. You can get pretty much anything here. These particular ones were the fabric and spices souqs.

Here's us at dinner at a modern restaurant called Turkey Central. The food was very good. Yes, my drink is green. It was an avocado shake. Sounds weird, but it was pretty good. Yes, it was as thick as it looks. Top picture with me are Kelly and Dave and in the bottom is Griff.

Tent time

2009-01-18T22:43:00.004-06:00

I was figuring out what setting I needed on the camera for the flash to work properly "indoors" the tent. Below J displays the cheesy smile he learned from his uncle Garret at Christmas. Thanks, Gar.

Ok. So, Corb, this is for you. It was pretty tough to hold the camera at the right angle, hide my face from J, and make the teddy bear jump out and "surprise" him. So forgive the awkward filming, but thought you might like the reassurance that we are happy sometimes, even with you gone. :)

Business Transactions

2009-01-18T22:34:00.002-06:00

J's favorite thing to do these days is move our ladder bookshelf around and conduct transactions through the "window".

Here you see him hard at work closing his latest business deal.

Gulfarium with Magnus

2009-01-18T22:20:00.003-06:00

My friend, Corrie, from my childhood days in Nepal, visited with her son who is close to J's age. It was so great to have her here! We took the boys to the Gulfarium and had so much fun. They loved the fish, but even more, they loved the stairs! Who needs a park when you can climb up and down yellow steps at the aquarium?
Watching the sea lions and dolphin show.

A shark!

J really did not like the shaking Dumbo... but it was pretty fun to "ride" when it didn't move.

A few pics from Christmas

2009-01-18T09:17:00.001-06:00

J making friends with Cooper.
Playing baseball.... his favorite!

Missing Daddy

2009-01-15T21:58:00.003-06:00

Farewell to the Beach of 2008

2008-12-15T16:39:00.005-06:00

We went to the beach yesterday for a "photo shoot" and to say farewell to the beach for 2008. We've had some good times here; swimming, walking at dusk, counting stars at night, sipping margaritas. We'll see her again next year!

Tigger and Pooh

2008-12-13T00:38:00.003-06:00

He adds so much to his vocabulary each day. Tonight he spoke "Tigger" and "Pooh" for the first time. Soo0... fun to watch him develop.

Tickling

2008-12-10T00:27:00.003-06:00

This video is dedicated to all J's aunts and uncles and friends beginning their weeks of finals and papers. He wants you all to take a little break and laugh with him. HUGS!

Radios and Uh-oh's

2008-12-05T22:47:00.003-06:00

Our First Cold Day

2008-11-16T20:54:00.006-06:00

J's vocabulary is growing TONS each day.

Here's a quick lesson in speaking J-eze

"aah dun" (in a sing song voice)--all done

"ow side"--outside

"down"--down

"dis"--this

"mooon"--balloon or moon depending on cercumstances
"peece"--please

"bah-a-boo"--peek-a-boo

"aya is" (also sing song)--there it is

"tah tah tah"--tic tac

"yeow"--what a cat says

"goo goot"--what a train says

"wufwufwufwuf"--what a dog says

"me me me me me" (whining)--pay attention to me, I want something
"ma ma ma ma ma"--also pay attention to me, I want something; or ouch, I hurt myself, hold me

"da da"--yay, daddy's home!

It was cold today! Woohoo. One of J's clearest spoken words is, "OUTSIDE". He wakes up and says it. He eats and says it. He bangs at the door and says it. He signs it and says it. To summarize: J loves to be outside and when he's not outside, he is begging to be. And J pretty much thinks that the curb around the island in our cul-de-sac is a bench built specially for him. It fits his height very nicely indeed.

Still here...

2008-11-11T23:09:00.004-06:00

"Hey everyone! I'm still around even though Mom hasn't uploaded photos recently. She's been a bit busy trying to sell our house."
"Here I am in the red hat Grandpa Haegeland found in the Indian ocean.
Mom stole it from him and now I have it. I think I look pretty cool, don't you?"
He continues to be fascinated by his looks in the hat. A funny video to be uploaded another time.

Aunt Bekah came to visit Ty and they came over for cake to celebrate her birthday!
It was so fun! Later J showed Aunt Bekah how to play Wii.

And Aunt Kelly came. Woohooo! She and Bekah were so helpful. And they both took me shopping!

J looting my jewelry box.

He was so funny this evening. I handed him two cups to pick from (lately he's been a bit choosy in his drinking vessels). His eyes widened, as if thinking, "Wow! How lucky am I?! How to choose." A moment later I turned towards him and saw him so pleased with himself at solving his decision dilemma!

The Moms Visit

2008-10-22T20:51:00.008-05:00

My mom says that the three most important words in a marriage are - "I was wrong". Perhaps I should say the same to all of you who have bombarded me with the question, "Why are there no new pictures of the J bean?" To all of you, I simply say, "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I've just been trying to recuperate from major surgery, that's ALL." Just kidding. I really should have updated earlier. And I really am sorry... a bit. :)

We were so spoiled over the last weeks as our mothers came to visit and take care of us. Thank you so much for all the selfless help you gave and for loving J and us so well. We are so grateful for both of you!

J was so sad to say "Bye" to Grandma H.

They had so much fun!

Playing with C's vintage space station!

J loves his daddy back rides.

Chilling on the beach chair...

J had a great time with Grammy B who played endless games with him

and let him play in the puddles!

She also killed a poisonous coral snake that was coiled under J's playground slide. Yikes!

Thanks for saving our lives!

Cruisin'

2008-10-05T00:10:00.004-05:00

We went on a cruise with Navs friends last week!

What fun. More pictures of that time to come when I get them from Sarah B's camera. In the meantime, enjoy the following of J. He's growing up so much!

Thanks, Mom, for the very noisy toy that J can't seem to put down. :)

The Giggles

2008-09-20T22:40:00.003-05:00

One of J's favorite things is helium filled balloons... check it out.

Canoing the Blackwater River!

2008-09-20T22:25:00.003-05:00

We went canoing with the Leighs down the Blackwater River. The water is tinted by tannins... the same stuff that makes tea healthy.

The riverbanks consist of the same, singing, white sand as the beaches here. Lovely stuff!

What a fun day!!

Water and Wii Play!

2008-09-20T22:05:00.005-05:00

C went spearfishing under the nearby bridge. He and his bud, Kelly, caught dinner!

J had some water playtime, too!

J likes to copy Daddy playing Wii baseball. He thinks any remote is a Wii controller now!

Waving to me, from his big rig...

Numbers and Colors

2008-09-02T09:33:00.003-05:00

Play Time

2008-09-02T09:22:00.001-05:00

Body Art

2008-09-02T09:11:00.002-05:00

2008-08-25T20:02:00.003-05:00

"Hey, where did those come from?""I am kinda cute though, eh?"

Cute sleeping boys

2008-08-25T19:46:00.001-05:00

Like father like son...

Fauxhawk

2008-08-25T19:38:00.002-05:00

Pitching Arm?

2008-08-16T00:40:00.004-05:00

J learned to pitch his blocks before we realized we should encourage him to practice with soft, round objects instead! We ARE good parents... really!

Walking on Grass

2008-08-15T23:38:00.009-05:00

C recently laid sod down in our front yard. Here, J experiences walking on grass for the first time.

Does he remind you of anyone else with this one?