20 May 2013

little brother...

just eating my fruit snacks.  cause i'm a third kid.  and i am SURE that the older ones would NEVER have been allowed to have fruit snacks at this age!

cause i am cute.  and sneaking away with big brother's puppy.  and trying to get in to mom's purse!  but look at my eyes.  wouldn't you let me do anything i wanted?

like eat cheesy triangle.  make the older brother give up his lunch so i can be happy!  cause i rolled out of bed (as evidenced by my awesome bed head!) to make it to this preschool graduation!

oh wait... more food.  and clothes that don't quite fit anymore.  (cause mom has everything else packed...)  come on... i'm #3...

playing with toys at big brother's school.  so ready for preschool...

trying to join the class.  i considered leaving him!

making new friends!

chris kills me.  he's so stinking cute.  those eyes.  and he knows just how to snuggle!  i love him!  he's getting better at getting his point across.  i think the fact that the two knock-down-drag-out tantrums he's had (throwing himself on the floor, arching his back, kicking the cabinets, crying) haven't gotten him what he wanted, he now tries to get the point across well!

i was laying in bed (before i realized i had to check in for my flight) and was humming a song...  kenny chesney "anything but mine".  it goes:  in the morning i'm leaving making my way back to cleveland, but tonight i know that i will do just fine.  because i don't see how you could ever be anything but mine.

and instantly i was taken back to years ago.  when i first heard that song.  and the years that followed.  and the memories i have surrounding that song.  and so many others.  and realized that those short years seemed to go on forever.  and the last (almost) eight since i have met and married the mr. have seemed to go by in fast forward.  (you know how in movies they fast forward through parts of "life".  that's what it feels like!)

how is it that i have been married for (almost) EIGHT years?  or have a(n almost) SIX year old?  or have THREE kids?  

i was talking with a friend this week about how we are in the "middle" of it.  we aren't the young, newly marrieds.  we aren't middle aged.  but we are "veterans" of sorts.  we've done deployments.  we've been around this military thing for awhile.  it's not new to us.  we are the ones that people look to for guidance.  and somehow, i still feel like a teenager.  i still can feel so awkward and gangly.  (okay, gangly was never a word used to describe me!!)  but just so out of place.  and immature.  and trying to fit in.  

and to juxtapose that, we had a membership interview at church this morning.  and to hear them talk about how i am perceived...  brought tears to my eyes.  because i feel like that jr. higher that doesn't quite fit in.  such a blessing...

and i realize.  i am getting old.  er.  i'm not as good as i once was.  i am in my THIRTIES!!!  and my kids are getting older.  and life isn't going to slow down.  what did ferris bueller say?  we have to enjoy the ride?  i am trying to!  i really am...  i have to remember that i am going to miss so many of these moments...  

18 May 2013

mother's day weekend.

i sent some product to a friend for her craft show...  

and we had change of command this weekend.  i LOVE the military ceremony.  and the ship.  and the navy band.  

and i really love this man.  and this pic.  

and these women!!!  

then, we went to kanehoe for a party...  we even saw a puffer fish!

and a bunch of guys jump out of a plane.  all those dots are parachuters!

david spent saturday afternoon playing legos with the kids.  i mean, hours!  and this was nora's boat.  the beauty shop girls have thuggish wear on them, with dynamite and guns.  david was so proud!!!

mother's day, we went out to lunch with friends. 

then went in to the ship for dinner with daddy...

love these two men!

and saw a beautiful rainbow on the way home!!

one more from k bay...

i briefly mentioned i was going to try to space a (military flight) to ohio... so if you saw that... i am still in hawaii.  for a myriad of reasons, we didn't try.  but, fortuitously, we wouldn't have made it anyway.  so, we leave next week.. and are thoroughly enjoying it.  i am off to my mother's day massage... while my sweet hubby watches six kids...  5 and under!  pray for him!  (just kidding...  he offered!!  isn't he just the best?)

16 May 2013

graduation day... a little early!

singing their morning song

nora and her besties...

getting her gift from ms. b

her graduation certificate!

a sweet boy at his last day of school...

with his best buddies!

hanging on the carpet.  

getting his "spree" award from his teacher.  for always finishing quickly and helping keep others on track.  

his teachers!

his class...

both kids "graduated" a few days early... since are are leaving the island.  it was fun to get to be a part of them and seeing my kids get celebrated!  so hard to believe that nora is going to be in 1st grade.  how did i get so old???

north shore...

took my kids (and hubs) to the north shore this week.  this mostly naked baby was loving his toes.  he was being so precious in the back seat!!

the kids had a blast in the water!!!

the ran down the dune and into the water!

chris loved playing...

and i loved watching the sun set.  this pic with no filter.  it's amazing!

we got a little kayaking in!

and had dinner on the beach.  (one of those fun things on my bucket list!!!)

loving this time of life... (except for the boy who is teething... with his molars.  and is not happy!!!)

15 May 2013

toby and other good times...

at the toby keith concert.  did i mention that he did his 200th uso show at kaneohe marine corps base last weekend?  it was awesome!

we were this close.  oh, and we didn't pay.  and he was so good.  and we both had a blast!  and, we walked up an hour before the show started!

i love seeing this boy wake up.  he's the sweetest thing i know!!!

when d came home early this week, i hijacked him and had him take us to the beach.  we had such a blast!!!  

i won some prints from monica, and found a new frame at target.  super fun!!!  (except for the pic that fell down!)

we watched the solar eclipse this week.  nora was pretty fascinated!  i loved seeing her fascination with it!!  and when she really "got" it!

chris is starting to say more things.  that only i can understand.  like "nack".  that's "snack".  and his molars are coming in.  or have started coming in, but i am not sure they are ever going to break through the gums.  i think it's just torture.  he will just grab at his jaw and scream.   it's so sad...

and james calls breakfast, "bray-fixed".  i love it!  

nora sat and read a book to me yesterday.  and barely struggled over words like, "succulent". and "decadent".  i was so proud of her!!!  

and oh, toby keith has been married to his wife for almost 30 years.  and goes in to places in war zones where only he and one other guy can go.  not even the whole band.  i continue to be impressed with the fact that he continues to support our military!  and loved his show!!!

13 May 2013

a dentist trip!

x rays at the dentist!

and for her!!!

date night with the hubby...  

sleepy, kinda sick boy, from a few weeks!

some craft fair goodies!!!

getting ready for mai tai's and monet!

lihing margarita...

painting...

closeup...

my signature!

my painting...

so this mai tai's and monet thing... they come to your house and teach you how to paint.  and you go away with a painting.  it's pretty cool.  we had a blast and can't wait to do it again!!!