My Christmas Lights

I know, they're not very elaborate but I did them myself and am pretty proud of that. We have never hung lights outside our house, even though I love lights. Our house was always not the right house, we're going to be gone, no way to hang them, no where to plug them in, etc. But I got the hankering this year. My neighbor had the lights, I had the ladder and staple gun so we got out there and put lights on our house and on hers. I just wanted my husband to see them :)

Eight Months

Well, really, 8 1/2 months at this point. We crossed over 8 months while Robert was home on R&R. That was a good thing. R&R was. And crossing over 8 months. 2/3 down, 1/3 to go. Twice as much finished as we have left. Lots of ways to hype yourself up over 8 months. Still, there are 4 months to go. And a big four months - Christmas and Gabby's Birthday.

But really, when it comes down to it, I miss him the most in the little things. Sure, we miss him on the big days - birthdays, Christmas, first day of school, T-ball games and Kindergarten graduation. Everyone can name those and know they are missed. But in the end, when I most want him here is for the little stuff. Like when the kids are sick and I'd give just about anything to be able to call and ask him to pick up some more tylenol and juice on the way home from work so I don't have to pack up and take my sick kids out to the commissary to get it. Or getting everyone out the door for church on Sunday. Somehow that is one of the hardest things to do alone. Or when I have a meeting at the same time as Gabby has cheerleading practice and she has to miss it because there is just no one else to take her. Or like tonight, when I was already just worn out by 630 and still had to push on and get everyone in the bed.

I do want to give a huge thank you to my friends and neighbors. Once again, I have been given wonderful friends and neighbors during this time. I don't know how I would make it without all of you! They have brought us medicine and Gatorade when sick, mowed my grass, watched my kids, celebrated our birthdays, provided stand-in families for holidays, picked up things at the store, been our companions to fun things that would have been much harder alone, fed us, taken and picked up Gabby from school, helped me hang Christmas lights and dye Easter eggs and make Halloween houses and go trick-or-treating, taken Gabby to church when Sam was sick and I had to keep him home, made me go out on some girls' nights out, and gotten in their car to drive around and look for my runaway dog when I had extra kids in my house and couldn't do it. Laughed with us and vented with us and cried with us and prayed with us. Each of you is a blessing in our lives.

And also my friends who are far away, thank you for your prayers and checking in with me every now and then. Thanks for listening to me when I needed an ear (Facebook is cheaper than therapy!) Thanks for sending cards and packages to Robert. It all matters to us.

Day Two, Animal Kingdom

Sam loves Donald.

Making a fish out of fronds.

Sam ready to safari.

Traditional entrance picture.

Sam loved Daisy even more. He hugged on to her and would not let go! He was grinning from ear to ear. By his reaction, Daisy must be his most favorite of all!

Gabby in the local paper

I know I posted these on Facebook but not everyone is there. Gabby has a photo in the paper in November - you have to scroll to the bottom of the last page to find the pic of her Daisy Troop packing boxes for the Daddies they have deployed. Then this month her drawing from the Veterans (I know there needs to be an apostrophe there but for some reason, it will not work!) Day Art Contest. It can be found on page 2. Now we just have to figure out how to get her in the January paper....

November

December

More Magic Kingdom, Day One

Gabby does love the thrill rides! That's her and Daddy in the back of that boat.

Bibbidi Bobbodi Boutique strikes again!

This time she's Ariel.

Gabby and Daddy in Dumbo

Sam's still just not so sure about those princesses...

Magic Kingdom, Day 1

Sam and his sword at Cinderella's Royal Table. Yes, they give the boys swords.

We rode Small World by ourselves that morning. Only ones in our boat. Boats ahead and behind were empty. Sam loved the goat with the spinning ears.

DUMBO!

Meeting Tinkerbell.

A tired princess. She actually fell asleep like this waiting for the parade.

Disney World!

We left for Disney World on November 17. In case you're wondering, the flight from Seattle to Orlando is 5 1/2 hours long. Thankfully it was on Alaska Airlines, which has been pretty good in our experience. And thankfully there were two of us this time. Robert rode with the kids about halfway and then we switched so Sam would go to sleep. Daddy's great but Mommy still puts him to sleep.

After we got to Orlando, we got a car and drove straight to Downtown Disney to activate our tickets and buy Christmas party tickets. They offered a military discount this year on some of the Christmas parties but you had to buy them in person. We checked in to Port Orleans, Riverside after that. Robert took the kids to the pool and I unpacked the bags and tried to get us ready for the next day.

We attempted to get the kids in bed early but the three hour time difference, excitement, and Gabby's coughing worked against us. After a trip to the gift shop for an overpriced bottle of cough medicine, we all finally got to sleep. Ready for Disney World!!