Danny, Krystal, Jack, Ava and Kaden

Going private

2010-10-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

After quite a bit of thought we have decide to go private with our blog. If you read the few update that we do put on here please email me your email address and I will add you..

Air Show

2010-05-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

This year since Danny was home we braved the yearly air show at March Air Reserve base. There was a ton of things to see and the demonstrations were fun to see.

T-Ball

2010-05-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

This year Jack is old enough to play T-ball. Man does the time fly by.. He had his first practice the last week in April and his opening day was the first weekend in May. He looks so grown up in his little uniform.

Easter

2010-05-11T13:13:00.001-07:00

Okay I am way behind on posting anything with all the craziness in this household.. I am now just posting about Easter which is sad to say was a month and a half ago.. This year we just had a small Easter with the family. To start the day off the kids awoke to their Easter baskets from the Easter bunny aka mom and dad, a few things from grandma and grandpa and some things from their Aunt. After the kids ripped apart their baskets it was time for breakfast. This year I decided to do something different and we had bunny shaped french toast and scrambled eggs. Jack and Ava really enjoyed eating the bunnies. Once breakfast was done we just hung out until about 2 when everyone else came. once everyone else was there we started the BBQ, which has a funny story to go along with it. Danny decided to put most of the meat in a glass dish and set it next to the BBQ. Well he didn't realize that glass when heated up shatters into a million pieces. Glass went everywhere and we were left with glass covered meat on the grill. Thank goodness Stater Brothers was open still and we could somewhat salvage our meal.. While in Stater Brothers I enjoyed a good old California earth quake. I was amazed at all the things that came falling off the shelves and the reaction of the people in the store. Needless to say it was interesting. While our second take at the BBQ was happening kids enjoyed their Easter egg hunt. Once the Easter egg hunt was over the dinner was finally ready. Thank goodness. All in all we had a wonderful Easter and are so thankful to have spent the time together.

Eggs and Lots of Them

2010-04-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

It's Easter time in our household again and that means the tradition of dyeing eggs was in order. This year we had two extra guests with us to help us dye our eggs.. Gizelle and Katelyn were here to help. I was trying to show Jack hoe to use the egg dipper they give to you but he had an easier time just grabbing his eggs right out of the dye. As a result of that he had green hands which made him look like the Incredible Hulk. Ava of couse did the same thing because she wants to be just like Jack except her hands were a shade of yellow and green. Now Kaden just wanted to eat the eggs and play in they dye so he had splashes of blue on him. Katelyn put her eggs in her pink dye and than just wanted to dump it all over the table and floor. It everywhere and thank goodness for magic erasers otherwise we would have a huge pink stain on the floor.. Other than a few craked eggs and dyed hands the kids made so great looking eggs..

Jack's Little Hike

2010-04-01T14:16:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Danny and Jack went on a hike near the house for some Father/Son time. Here is a picture of where they stopped.

Knott's Berry Farm

2010-04-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to buy pass to Knott's Berry Farm and all of the Knott's Soak cities. The price was to good to pass up considering the amount a Disneyland pass cost. This is the first trip to Knott's Berry Farm for all of the kids. To start our day off Jack was extremely excited and wasn't looking where he was going and smacked right into a light post. As you can see in the pictures below his giant goose egg. once the tears stopped we enjoyed the rest of the day. Jack is still a little short to go on most of the roller coasters but I am glad they have the baby swap program there. As far as Ava, she is short for her age and ca only ride a few rides in camp snoopy. Kaden just enjoyed being out of the house and the few rides we could take him on.

Notice the bump on his forehead!

Our Happenings This Spring.

2010-03-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since I updated the blog so here are some pictures of what we have been doing. We had a chance to take the kids to the snow and they loved it. Jack really enjoyed going down the hills but not so much the climb back. Most of the time he had Danny pull him up the hill.. We also enjoyed a trip to the beach. The water was still a bit cold. Danny and jack braved the cold water but the rest of us stayed out. Instead we played in the sand.

My new blog is up and running.

2010-02-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the blog for my new adventure. If you want to check it out feel free. Click on the Krystal's creations in my list of blogs of family and friends..

Update

2010-02-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a while since I have updated the blog. The last time I updated anything was in October. Man, time does fly these days. Since October many things have changed. Mid-October the kids and I packed up and moved back to Kentucky to meet Danny there upon his arrival from Afghanistan. We were sad to leave but happy to know that Danny was going to be home a few weeks after we got there. Danny got home safe and sound the first week of November. We were all excited and thankful he made it home safely. We didn't get to stay long in Kentucky since Danny was just there to out process and get out of the Army. While we were that we had a great Thanksgiving with friends and enjoyed every minute of it. As far as December goes Danny turned the big 27 and is now in his late twenties.. Ava turned 2. We decided to have a bowling party for her and she loved it. The theme of her party was Tinkerbell. All of us had a fun time bowling and eating pizza. On December 17th we packed up and left Kentucky to come back to California. As we left Kentucky we closed a chapter in our lives for the last time. It was bitter sweet since the Army is really the only thing we have known for the last 8 years of our marriage. I am glad to say that there will be now more deployments and long periods of time apart. There will be no more missed birthday's, holidays or any other special events. Speaking of holidays this year was a wonderful holiday season for us. We were finally all together. This year we just spent it with the family and enjoyed every moment of it. As far as the new year goes there will be some changes for us. We are still adjusting to civilian life which includes job hunting and the starting of school again.I (Krystal) have decided to start my own business and will see how that goes. I am still working on my blog so when it is ready I will post it. I am looking forward to this new adventure and hope to make it successful. That is what is happening in our relem of the world and we hope everyone is having a wonderful start to 2010..

Kaden

2009-10-11T16:14:00.000-07:00

Kaden is now full on crawling.

Ava's Helping Hands

2009-09-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Ava is always wanting to help so I let her try to vacuum the kitchen floor. She started to cry when I took it away from her. She is becoming such and independent little one.

Talking Baby.

2009-09-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

Kaden is starting to say dada so here a short video of him talking.

Stairs and a Bogie Board

2009-08-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

Jack found a new use for his boogie board.

Our Beach Day

2009-08-23T09:04:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I took the kids to the beach and we had a great time. Jack boogie boarded for the first time and had a had a blast. He was a little unsure about going into the water before we got to the beach. Danny bought him this movie on sharks and so he thought there would be sharks in the water near him. Once we got to the beach there wasn't a word about sharks. He was too excited about playing. Ava didn't want to get all the way into the water she just wanted to stay where the wave came to the shore and would put her hands into it. As for Kaden he was just happy to outside.

Ava and The Postcard

2009-08-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

I finally got the camera out to take a video of Ava and her postcards that Danny has been sending to the kids. She gets all excited when she sees one in the stack of mail and says dada when she holds it. Of course the second you get the camera out they won't do it..

On The Move!

2009-08-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

Kaden is all over the place now. He is not full on crawling yet but close to it. He has figured out how to push himself forward and do the army man crawl. Now I have to be extra mindful of what toys Jack and Ava get out. Boy oh boy....

The Fruits of our Labor

2009-08-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

This is our first watermelon from the garden this season. Jack was excited to pick it even though it was very small..

Kaden in His Big Boy Seat.

2009-08-08T10:50:00.001-07:00

Birthday Party

2009-08-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Jack getting ready to jump in the pool.
Ava floating around.
Kaden just hanging out.

The cupcakes and cake that I made for her party.

Last weekend we all went to Gizelle's 8th birthday party. The kids swam, ate hot dogs and cupcakes and had a great time.

Our Happenings

2009-07-20T15:06:00.000-07:00

Summer has started in our household this past month with the start of our trip to Lake Powell. We spent 10 days camping on the lake and boy I don't think I will do that again. The weather was hot, no running water, and 3 small kids.. Boy what was I thinking when I decided to go. Who knows. But the kids had a great time and loved being able to eat breakfast and run straight to the water to swim every morning. Once we got home we have just been hanging out around the house getting things ready for Danny to come home on leave. Which means painting our room and hanging up pictures. Thank goodness for my mom. She locked us all out of the room and painted the whole thing in one day. It would have taken me 3 days to paint with all the interruptions the kids make:) Along with painting the kids have been enjoying swimming in the pool and playing outside in the evenings when it is cool. Other than that nothing much had been happening..

Our First Dodger Game

2009-06-28T09:47:00.001-07:00

Jack and I went to our first baseball game last night and we had a great time.. One of the perks of Danny being in the military is we got great seats near the visitors bullpen on field level for really cheap.. Jacks favorite part was getting the foam finger and all the snacks the vendors sell..

The cucumber

2009-06-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

We picked the first item out of our garden this morning and it was a cucumber!!! Jack was super excited.. Soon we will have tomatoes to pick.. Yippy..

Mini Vacation

2009-06-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

This week my mom and I took the kids to Las Vegas for a few day. We enjoyed some of the things on the strip like M&M world, Circus Circus, the roller coster at NY, NY and state line ad of course swimming in the pool.

My Baby is Four Months!!!

2009-06-14T14:52:00.001-07:00

Today Kaden is four months old. I feel that the time is going by so fast. I feel like I just brought him home from the hospital. He is now laughing, cooing, smiling, pulling on toys if they are hung in front of him, almost sleeping through the night (yeah for that), and just plain growing. I am thankful to Heavenly Father for placing him in our lives.

Camping

2009-06-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend I took Jack, Ava and Kaden camping with my sister and her family at Lake Silverwood. This was Kaden first camping trip. Jack and Ava had a good time roasting marshmallows, playing in the dirt and going on the boat.The water was still to cold for swimming. I didn't take many pictures since I always forget. Danny is the one who usually remembers or reminds me to take pictures.

All the kids playing cards.

Ava usually likes to be held by Jackson but not that day..

Laughing Baby!

2009-06-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Kaden is starting to laugh when you tickle him. He is growing so fast and brings so much joy into our lives..

Ava's Tea Party!

2009-06-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

My mom has a small tea set that the kids love to play with. While I was watching Roz's kids they found it and wanted to play. Ava joined and and had some fun..

Pictures

2009-06-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ava trying to play with Kaden

Ava

2009-05-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

When she wants into the house she presses her face to the glass.
Ava all muddy
She found the mud that Jack made.

Jack's eyes!

2009-05-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Jack got a hold of the camera again and this is what I found..

Cousins

2009-05-26T15:43:00.001-07:00

The three of them together
Jack with Kaden and Katelyn
Kaden and Katelyn

Amber came up for the day yesterday and spent the night. After baths this morning I took some pictures of Kaden and Katelyn. Jack wanted to have his picture take also. I am amazed at the difference between Kaden and Katelyn and they are only a week a part.

Ava dancing!

2009-05-25T16:45:00.000-07:00

Ava always dances and sings this song when it comes on. It is too cute.

Our Day at The Lake!

2009-05-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Jack and his cousin fell asleep this way. Too cute.
Ava fell asleep with her candy.

I don't want to do this!
I am okay now!

Jack trying out the Hydroslide

Ava eating her breakfast.
Yesterday was our first trip out to the lake for the season. Jack and Ava had a great time playing in the water and riding in the boat. Jack was somewhat brave (more like I made him) and attempted to hydroslide. He did a great job after he stopped crying and screaming. Ava was just glad to be in the boat along for the ride. As for Kaden he was happy to just be held and slept most of the day in between feedings.

Kaden

2009-05-22T23:09:00.001-07:00

Danny asked for a video of Kaden since he is starting to coo and giggle a little now. I am so happy once they reach this stage and start to become more alert during the day and react when you talk to them.

Ava

2009-05-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

Ava climbed into the swing. At times I think she might be reverting back to the days of a baby.
Ava found these rattles I used to put on her feet when she was a baby and insisted that my mom put them on her. When I saw her with them on I couldn't help but laugh and take a picture. She has such a personality and knows what she wants now.

Here is a video of her dancing. She will start dancing at all most anything she hears. Her dancing is the cutest thing ever and always makes me smile. Moments like this make being a mother worth it.

Just pictures

2009-05-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Kaden's tummy time

Ava enjoying a push-up while the pool was being set up..

Setting up the pool!

2009-05-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

Jack pushing the sand out of the trailer. He wanted to help so bad.
Jack helping smooth the sand.

We finally set the pool up for the season a few days ago. The weather has been nice enough to get it out. The set up took a while since we had to make the box for the sand to go in and than go and pick up the sand, smooth it out and clean the pool since we were in such a rush to pack the house we forgot to dry parts of the inside of the pool. Once the pool was filled Jack jumped right in and enjoyed himself. The pool was quite cold and after about 10 minutes his lips were starting to turn purple but he still didn't want to get out. Finally after about 45 minutes he decided he would get out with a promise he could have a hot bath ( he still would have stayed in if I didn't bargain with him). Now summer has officially started for our household.

A Duck!

2009-05-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

Today Jack found a duck in our bushs out front and he wanted to keep it. So We gave the duck some water and we put him in a box for him to take care of until I find the duck a new home.

The Start of Our Garden!

2009-05-05T20:59:00.000-07:00

A picture of all of us after we got done planting.

Jack planting his watermelon.
Ava wanting a plant.

Ava planting her marigold.

Jack planting one of his Marigolds.

Today was an exciting day in our house, we planted our garden! Jack has been asking to plant a few thing for a while now so I thought we would plant a small garden. Now that Roz lives close I thought I would ask here and the kids to join us. We all picked out the plants we wanted to see grow and will be taking turns watering and tending to the garden. What a great way to learn and grow as a family. We are all excited to see how it works out and watch our garden grow.

A few Pictures From Today

2009-05-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Mom I don't want my picture taken.

Ava found the dirt pile in the backyard
She likes to drink the water coming out.
Kisses for my brother.
Ava trying to give Kaden his binky.

Ava and Her Penguin

2009-05-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Danny sent this penguin to Ava. The penguin is almost as big as her and she has a hard time trying to carrying it around. She likes to lay on it and give it kisses.

Bath Time

2009-04-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

Jack and Ava love to take baths in my room since I have a bigger tub. I thought I would snap a few pictures of them. I also posted on of Kaden. He is growing so fast and changing so much.

2009-04-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post some everyday pictures for Danny to see since I am not so great about emailing them too him. Some of the pictures are ones Jack takes when he gets a hold of the camera. I think they are so funny. I get to see how he sees the world. Also Kaden has been staying awake more and more through the day which is nice because we get to see his beautiful eyes. He is also starting to smile more and it melts my heart. I am so thankful for this little blessing we have been given.

Pictures

2009-04-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from this morning I though I would post.

Hot Days!

2009-04-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

This week had been extramely hot so I got the kids one of those cheep plastic pools to play in. Yesterday was the first day they go to get into it. Jack and Ava has such a great time and I don't have to worry to much about them playing in it like I had to last year. Here are just a few pictures of them playing and having a great time in the water. What a great way to cool off.

2009-04-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

The losing team
The winning team
My mom holding Katelyn while Amber played

Jack and Ava trying to play.

Ava decided to sneak a drink of Auntie Roz's soda.

Waiting for the egg hunt to start
Ava loves her uncle Art

Today we had a wonderful Easter. Jack and Ava woke up real early (8am) to find what the Easter bunny left them. Jack was the first to see what was left and came running into my room excited saying "Mom the surprise you got me. It was awesome." I quickly reminded him it was from the Easter Bunny. I can't having him ruin it for the rest of his cousins if he thinks I am the Easter bunny. Once I was done feeding Kaden, Ava, Jack and I went to let Ava and Kaden see what was left for them. Of course Ava went straight for the chocolate bunny. A girl after my own heart and Kaden it a little too young to understand what is going on. Once the baskets were looked over we had breakfast and got ready for the day at my sisters. While we were there we had a wonderful dinner and the famous Easter egg hunt. My mom always puts money in the eggs she brings and there is always one egg with 10 bucks in it. The odds are not in Jack, Ava or Kaden's favor and one of the older kids found the egg with the big pay out. Once the egg hunt was over we all headed down to the park to play a good game of kick ball. It was funny to see how a family our size play. between all the adults and kids we had enough to have 2 even teams and someone at every position along with a referee. All and all we had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed the time with the family. We did miss having Danny there. Next year he can help even out the kick ball teams. I hope everyone enjoyed thier Easter.

Egg Dying and Cookie Decorating.

2009-04-11T21:56:00.000-07:00

Jack's finished cookie

Ava would rather eat than cookie the decorate it

The finished product. Don't they look cute

This is what Kaden thought of it all

My Dancing Son

2009-04-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here is another video of Jack dancing. Watching him just makes me laugh. He is not afraid to dance anywhere and wants to show everyone "his moves".

Poor Ava

2009-04-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

So Ava started to break out all over so after a trip to the doctors it turns out that it is Roseola. Poor thing.

Just some Random pictures

2009-04-05T10:57:00.001-07:00

These are just some random pictures I am posting for Danny since I never email anything.. (Sorry Sweetie).

Griffith Observatory

2009-04-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Jack, Ava and Kaden to the observatory in LA. Jack had such a great time looking at all the exbits and looking though the telescope at the moon. We got there and there was quite a few telescopes out on the lawn. I guess they were having an event that day. Lucky for us. It was so nice to see Jack excited about all the different exibits. Ava just enjoyed being out and about and riding in the stroller. She didn't seem to intrested in the whole thing but that might be because she wasn't feeling that great. All and All we had a great day..

The Couch

2009-03-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

Jack loves to take the cushions off the couch and jump on them. He tries to get Ava to join him. She usually just climbs on and of the couch. Most of the time it drives me nuts that he is always taking the cushions off the couch but tonight I didn't have the energy to yell "Put the cushions back on the couch."

2009-03-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here are a few video's of the kids dancing. Anytime this song is played Jack and Ava both dance to it. I just think it is too cute..

Ava and Her Headband

2009-03-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

2009-03-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Kaden looked too cute in this outfit I had to take a picture.

Palm Springs

2009-03-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Last week we made a trip to Palms Springs for spring break. The kids had a wonderful time in the pool. Jack would have stayed in the pool all day long if I would have let him.

2009-03-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Just some Random Pictures for Danny.. Sorry Sweetie that I haven't been that good at posting them. Miss you and Love you..

The New Ride

2009-03-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

So since we now have 3 kids and Jack still doesn't like to walk when we are out we got a new stroller. I was tired of hearing "I want a ride" or "I am tired". So here it is the first time we took it out...

First Bath

2009-03-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

This is Kaden's first real bath since we have been home. He didn't care for it too much but thank goodness his umbilical stump finally fell off. The sponge baths just take forever to do..

Jack's New Bike!

2009-03-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

This was one of Jack's birthday gifts. Doesn't he just look so big now. He is growing up so fast.

Update

2009-03-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

Things have been a little bit busy for us and I haven't had very much time to update the blog. We are home now with Kaden. He came home on the 23rd. Thank goodness. I was happy he came home that day since it was Jack's birthday and I wanted to make sure he got a cake and his gifts before bed. I just have forgot how much time a baby can take up. And I have to say boys eat way more than girls do.. Other than that we are all doing well and glad to have Kaden home..

NICU

2009-02-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures of Kaden in the NICU. He is off the lights and I got to hold him yesterday. What a great feeling that was to be able to hold him as long as I wanted to..

2009-02-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

So today was an Emotional day for me. I took Kaden for his check up and his bilierubine levels were really high and he had to be admitted into the NICU. It was really sad to see him there in the incubator under the lights. Hopefully he will be home in a few days.

Our First Morning Home

2009-02-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Jack and Ava love Kaden so much. I am extreamly suprised that they have wanted to hold and give him love. Ava is still learning how to be soft with him. All Jack wants to do his hold and kiss him. We are so thankful that we have this new blessing in our lives.

Going Home!

2009-02-17T09:05:00.000-08:00

We finally got to come home last night after a bit of a rough start for Kaden. He is on photothearpy for his jaundace and has to stay on the lights most of the day. So he can only be held when being feed. :( we are just glad he is home.

2009-02-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of Kaden right after he was born and the first time Jack and Ava got to see him..

The Baby Has Arrived

2009-02-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

Kaden Valentino William Smethurst arrived into this world on Saturday. I know how cute he has a Valentine's birthday. He was 7lbs 7oz. and 19 inches long. He had a bit of a rough start but is starting to do better now. I will post pictures later.

Where do my underwear go?

2009-02-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

In a boys world their underwear belongs on there head.. Case in point.

This Never Happens!

2009-02-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

Ava is teething and is not having a good time with it. She is so active when she feels good and never falls asleep in our bed. Today she was feeling so bad she did.

Bath Time Fun!

2009-02-09T09:32:00.001-08:00

The kids just love to have bubbles in the bath and I couldn't resist taking pictures of them.

A few pictures!

2009-02-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have posted any pictures of the kids so I thought I would post a few. This was right before bed time. Ava carries this blanket everywhere with her and Jack loves these Laker p.j.'s. They both are growing and we are still waiting for the arrival of the new baby. Only a few more weeks to go. Hoary!

The Beach

2009-01-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went down to the beach because it was such a nice day. Both Jack and Ava had a wonderful time. Jack mostly threw rocks into the water as you can see in the video. The water was still a bit cold but he still wanted to put his feet in. We tried to have him look at the tide pools but he was not that interested in them. Ava just enjoyed being out and playing in the sand. I still can't believe that we were able to go to the beach in the middle of January and not have to bundle up.. All in all we had a great day.

Ava and The Baby's Carseat

2009-01-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

I have the new baby's carseat in Ava's room till I have him and everyday she climbs into it. I think it is so cute because she starts to laugh and smile every time she climbs in.

Ava is Finally Taking Steps

2009-01-04T19:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of Ava taking a few steps. She has only taken one or two steps till today. I was excited to see her take more.

Christmas pictures

2008-12-29T10:26:00.001-08:00

This sword was about the only thing Jack asked for besides binoculars. He was so excited to open it. Can't you tell?

Jack and Gizelle on Christmas morning.. They were both so excited to open presents
Ava enjoyed dinner so much she thought she would lick her plate clean.

Here are the pictures from our Christmas. We had a great Christmas eve with my family and really enjoyed dinner. On Christmas morning the kids enjoyed opening all of their gifts. Ava need a little help since she still doesn't understand how to take the paper off.. The only thing that was missing was Danny.. But all in all we enjoyed ourselves..

Presents

2008-12-24T08:16:00.001-08:00

Last night the kids and I had dinner with Danny's family and they brought the kids some great gifts. Jack is just in love with his Batman castle and couldn't wait to open it. It is the first thing that he started to play with this morning. Ava got an activity table and a rocking horse which she loves and you can tell by the expression on her face. It is so cute to see her stand next the activity table and dance when the music plays..

Carseat box

2008-12-22T09:59:00.001-08:00

I got the carseat for the new baby the other day and Jack and Ava just wanted to play in the box.. I think it is funny that they have a bunch of toys but would rather play in the box..

Chocolate for breakfast

2008-12-22T09:42:00.000-08:00

This morning Jack decided to give Ava a piece of chocolate while I was in the bathroom. My mom always has candy out around the holidays and he climbed on the bar to let her have a piece.. All I could do was laugh and take her picture.. It is a good thing she gets a bath every day after breakfast..

Ultrasound

2008-12-18T17:57:00.000-08:00

Today my sister went and had a 4D ultrasound done and they were nice enough to let me see the baby. It was her friend that did her 4D so she asked if I wanted to see the baby and of course I said yes.. So here are a few picture they sent home with me.. His hand is over is face and you can see his nose mouth and one eye... Than they sent me home with a picture of his man parts.. I was extremely excited to be able to have the opportunity to see the baby.

Ava'a 1st Birthday

2008-12-14T11:09:00.001-08:00

Here are just a few pictures from Ava's first birthday. I tried to upload a video but had no luck. I will try a little later.. I still can't believe she is one already. The year has gone by so fast.. We didn't do anything big just cake and ice cream with her cousins.. She just loved the cake but didn't want to grab it. She just put her fingertips in it. But as you can tell she got it all over her..

It's Feeling A Lot Like Christmas!

2008-12-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

This weekend we got our Christmas tree and decorated it. Jack also wrote his letter to Santa. Here are some pictures of the start of our Christmas season.

Random Pictures

2008-12-05T16:08:00.001-08:00

Here are some random pictures for you Danny. Sorry that it has taken me forever to post them. We love you and miss you..

Deployment Day

2008-12-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

I finally have some time to post some pictures. This is the day we dropped Danny off at the hanger to deploy.

Update

2008-11-10T08:56:00.000-08:00

Well i finally have a little free time to update so here goes. We spent most of October in California for Danny's leave. We had the opportunity to run in the Nike woman's marathon in San Fransisco which was a total blast. My sister Amber and I all signed up in march to run but little did we know that we would both be expecting when the time came for the marathon so in the spirit of not quitting we just did the half while Danny ran the full. We had so much fun spending the weekend without the kids. Along with San Fransisco we took Jack and Ava to Sea World and the Wild Animal Kingdom. Jack had such an awsome time seeing all the animals. We were also lucky enough to have Halloween with our family this year and I really enjoyed seeing everyone in their costumes. Jack made it only a few blocks before he wanted to go home. Good thing for me not very much candy for him to eat. All and all we had a wonderful time at home and were sad to come home since that means Danny will be on his way to Afganistain. Soon after we got home Danny left and we packed up the rest of the house and made our 5 day trip home.. Yes it took us 5 days to get home. We had to tow the jeep and we could only go so fast.. We are now trying to settle in at my mom's house and hopefully things will settle down for us. Sorry there are no pitctures to post but I will get around to that in a few days..

It's Been a While

2008-10-11T03:46:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I last posted but things have been busy, busy, busy. Danny is leaving mid November and we were thinking it was going to be mid December. SO that means getting the house ready to sell, packing, and block leave all happen at the same time. Needless to say things are crazy. We are leaving tomorrow for our 3 day drive to California for block leave and our first trip of household goods. I just hope the kids will be great in the car. Sorry there is no pictures but once we get somewhat settled in California I will post pictures and an update.

Accomplishment

2008-09-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

After waiting for what seems like months well actually it has been months for Danny to fix the upstairs toilet I finally just did it myself. Even though it took two trips to Lowe's and the wrong parts the first time I fixed the leak. Can you imagine that. Once I got the right parts the fix only took 5 minutes. Sorry there is no pictures. It is a little hard to take pictures of yourself while your hand are in the toilet tank..

Painting

2008-09-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

Jack found this unfinished wood toy in the craft section at Wal-mart the other day while I was looking for things for super saturday. We decied to paint them and he had a blast. He always want to help so I thought he could paint his own project while I painted the project I needed to finish. He is growing so fast. Everyday I am amazed at how fast he has grown, it only seems like I just brought him home to the little apartment we had in Oklahoma and here he is 3 and 1/2 years later.

Danny's Bike

2008-09-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Danny finally took pictures of his new bike, so I thought I would post the picture of it.

Happenings Over the Last Few Weeks

2008-09-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Danny mentioned last night that I had not posted in a while, which made me feel a little guilty since we have done a few fun activities since the last post. Things have been really busy in our house. Classes started for me this week, I am still feeling pretty bad and can't wait till I feel somewhat normal again but I don't think that ever happens till after the baby comes. Ava is still teething, Jack has the energy of 10 kids in one. Not only to mention Danny keeps us pretty busy with finding races on the weekend. On the subject of races Danny ran in a 10k on Labor day and came in first in his age group. We are so proud of him. He puts so much time and effort into training and even rain in the rain last night. He hates the treadmill and lasted i think 10 minutes on it last night and headed out the door. Even though I somewhat enjoy running I hate to run in yucky weather. Also we put Jack in his first race on Labor day. He ran 1k. He was so cute starting the race and then running will everything he had to the finish line. I think he liked wearing the number more then anything. I think he likes to be just like daddy.
We also took Jack to see Sesame Street. He had a great time and enjoyed seeing the characters. He is growing up way to fast and is not my little baby anymore. He is becoming such little boy. Other then that life is moving along and we are looking forward to the fall.

Run/Walk for the Fallen.

2008-08-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

Danny before the run
Danny finishing
Danny and Jack.

This morning Danny and I participated in a run/walk for all the fallen soldiers. The people who sponsored the run wanted a mile to be ran/walked for each fallen soldier. The run/walk is taking place over 3 weeks in several different cities eventual ending in Washington D.C. Each participant had the choice to do 1 mile, 5 miles, or 10 miles. As many of you know during Danny's first Deployment several of his friends were lost. He thought it would be a great thing for us to do as a family. Of course Danny decided to run the 10 miles as I walked just one mile pushing both the kids. We are ever grateful for those who sacrifice everything they had for us to have our freedom.

8 Months!

2008-08-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Ava turned 8 months. The time has gone by so fast. I am amazed at how much she has grown. Ava is such a blessing and brings such a sweet spirit in our home. Jack loves here so much and I am so thankful that he has taken to her.

Enrichment

2008-08-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

Mom here are the pictures from enrichment on Tuesday. Sorry I have taken so long to post them.

We Have Graduated

2008-08-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ava is now big enough to have a big girl car seat.

Jack and His Cakes.

2008-08-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was cleaning out the pantry and I found this Christmas tree baking kit that I bought for Jack to make at Christmas time last year but never had the chance to make them since Ava came so close to Christmas and at the last minute we went home. So last night we made the cakes and decorated them. I know what you are thinking it is August and you are just making those but Jack had a blast and did a great job, which is all that really matters even if it is August. He was really looking forward to eating them tonight after we came home from young womens but when we walked in the cakes were gone. I was in such a rush to leave the house I forgot to shut the bedroom door to keep Roxy in. As you can guess she jumped on the counter and ate the cakes. Jack was in tears saying "you have to spank Roxy mom she was being a bad dog". I felt so bad since it was my fault she got to the cakes. Maybe next time Jack will get to eat his cake!!

2008-08-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

I thought I would just post a few pictures of Jack and Ava since I haven't put anything up for a while.

Baby Number 3

2008-08-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I would go ahead and announce that we are having our third child in February. This pregnancy was a complete surprise for us. We thought we were done and I started to give away everything that we were not using. I guess no one ever tells you once you give everything away you get pregnant again. I had my first ultrasound a week ago so I decided to post the small image of the baby. To me it just looks like a little blob but you can kind of see the head and the little feet. Sorry the image is a little blurry but I think you can pretty much see the baby. We will keep everyone posted on how things are going.

My Little Helper

2008-07-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

Jack wanted to help me clean up so I let him try to vacuum. He was so cute trying to help. The vacuum was almost to heavy for him to push but he still tried. He is growing up so fast..

Crib

2008-07-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

Jack loves Ava so much that he climbed in her crib to play with after we set it up. Jack is always asking to hold her and feed her, he just loves being her big brother.

The Famous Jumperoo!

2008-07-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

Ava in the Jumperoo Age 7 months
Jack asleep in the Jumperoo age 7 months.

I just had to post these pictures. Jack and Ava both love this jumperoo as you can see they both jump until they fall asleep. I thought everyone would get a little laugh at the small moments we have each day with the kids..