Y'all Moving?

"Nope. We just pack our stuff up once or twice a week to see how many boxes it takes!"

-Jeff Foxworthy

The movers showed up on our doorstep at 8:30AM this morning and unloaded all their packing supplies; boxes, tape, paper..... then left one guy to start packing while the other 3 went to deliver some household goods elsewhere.

Nick and our one packer started in.... and by 11:30AM, the other 3 had returned. Soon after, my house looked a little like this:

Alaina and Andrew showed up to play with Addison and Tyler... then Kim came over with fruit smoothies (YUM!!!) and she and Alaina took the kids down to the park to play.

Naps this afternoon, and then Gina came and took the 3 younger kids (McKenzie stayed after school for volleyball practice).  I ran to Honolulu to pick up Tyler's prescription.... when I came back:

It was a gorgeous day to watch them work!!! We filled 8 of those crates and they'll be back tomorrow to hopefully finish up! More pictures and updates tomorrow. THANK GOD TODAY IS OVER.  Off to pick up the kids and head to The Lodge on base!

Motivation Needed...

We are having a HUGE yard sale tomorrow which I am about 75% ready for.   The house is a mess, and the packers are coming on Tuesday to start packing up all our household belongings. I still have some things to sort through for the yard sale... I still have to pack up the entire family with clothing and whatever else we will need for the next 45 days until we get settled in Virginia. Living out of suitcases is NOT fun.

I have so much to do, and so little time.

I'd rather be playing with this little guy!  He's nearly 2 months old now and just started cooing and smiling last week. I LOVE IT!

Enjoy!

 

 

So serious!

Gotta love that grin!

Monkey See... Monkey Do (and using Monkey Tee Pee too!)

Since Trevor and McKenzie are back in school, Addison has become my little shadow during the day.  She has started to do a lot of copying lately.

Today I was holding a fussy Tyler and swaying back and forth like most mommies do when holding their babies, and when I looked over at her, she had gone to get her little Glo Worm and was holding and swaying it just like me. 

I switched my sway to a bounce.... so did she.

I shh shh shh'd... and so did she.

I closed me eyes.... and so did she, well it was more of a squint, so that she could keep an eye on my next move.

All while being all serious as if she was trying so hard to be just like Mommy! So I didn't acknowledge her behavior.

Later this morning, she had her little wooden chair pushed up to the changing table and was changing her Glo Worm's diaper. 

Good for her, she was even using the PeePee TeePee! (and had it in the 'appropriate' area too!)

I'm so proud!!!

Aloha (Goodbye) Molly

The last few weeks we have been searching for a good home for Molly before we move.  Due to our extensive travels between Hawaii and Virginia, we decided that it would be best for Molly to stay behind and find a good family who will love her and take good care of her. 

We got her when she was only 9 weeks old and her ears were bigger than her sweet little head.  She was part of our family for nearly 4 years.  But today, she will be a belated birthday surprise for a sweet little brand new 2 year old who, according to her daddy, has just as much energy as Molly. 

McKenzie had a hard time saying goodbye, which pulled on all of our heartstrings. There were lots of tears.  Trevor gave her a quick kiss, waved to her and said, "I'll miss you Molly!"  Addison ran in, said "Bye Bye Lolly", and then ran out. And then she was off to her new family.

We may just have to buy a real doorbell now that our 'barking' one is gone. And how will we ever know when someone is standing at our front door, or how many people walk past our house each day... or when a gecko is sneaking in our rafters. 

We've already caught ourselves this evening calling for her when Addi spilled her food on the floor, and are still shutting all the doors to keep her from rummaging through the garbage, or dirty laundry.

A Hui Hou, Molly

(Until we meet again)

and

A-LOOOOO-HA

Day 2 of McKenzie's Party

This morning Nick got up first thing and picked up the bouncy waterslide on the base and got it running by 9am.  The girls (along with Trevor) were busting their moves on the slide at 9:01am.

Poor Jessica had to garbage sack her arm.... which she just got a cast on yesterday. But that didn't stop her.  We only had to rewrap and blowdry her arm a few times! Whoops.

Tiani & McKenzie catching some air

McKenzie doing something no one else can...

Alaina and Andrew made it over after lunch and the girls 'made' she and I get our suits on and join in on the fun.  I missed out on all the fun a few weeks ago when we had the bouncy water slide for Trevor's birthday.  So how could I resist?!?!

Alaina went down with me on my first trip...

Then McKenzie had to show me the ropes...

THEN.... I was brave enough to go it alone

(I'll call this the Pterodactyl)

Our audience:

McKenzie and her friends bounced from 9am until nearly 7pm.  Only stopping to eat pizza and drink lots of Mountain Dew. How some of those growing girls can pack away 4 slices of Papa Johns Pizza and a can of soda and then immediately continue to the crazy bouncing of the water slide without bringing up their pizza is beyond me. But they managed to keep it all down.

Tonight, Kenzie is a bit sun-kissed and EX-HAUSTED.  And so is her mama.

McKenzie's Farewell/Early Birthday Party

McKenzie wanted to have one last hoorah with her friends before we leave the island. Especially since we will be leaving just before her birthday. Nick promised her an early birthday party, so she decided she wanted to have some girlfriends over for a sleepover.

Nick was brave enough to take them all out to eat (with Trevor) to the Officer's Club on base for Mongolian BBQ.  Then from there, they headed down the road to Tiki Island for miniature golf and bumper boats.

Nick sent me pictures throughout the evening from his cell phone.  I stayed home with Addison and Tyler. 

McKenzie was nice enough to let Trevor come along for the night.  All her little friends just adore him, and you KNOW he loves their attention.  

Nick survived the evening and the girls are still going strong now at 10:20PM.  As I'm typing, I hear the constant giggle of 4 6th graders back in her bedroom. I think it's going to be a LONG night.

Tomorrow is a full day of bouncy house water slide.... oh yeah.  There will be more pictures tomorrow!

Pee-Pee Tee-Pee

Have you seen the latest and greatest MUST HAVE of baby items? May I introduce to you, the "Pee Pee TeePee"...

It's a cloth 'tee pee' that you place on your baby's 'pee pee' so that you don't get sprayed while changing their diaper! Ask Nick... we should have gotten this much sooner!

I got some the other day and tried them out.  Most of the time he doesn't pee during the diaper change, but when he does, it's nice to have it... except today, when he shot the tee pee right up in the air. Which led to a crazy wet mess all over mommy's arm! Whoops!

They need to add this to the label:
DOES NOT WORK WELL UNDER PRESSURE.

Here is another picture of Tyler chillin' in the swing today with accessories by Addi.

What a womanizer!

Ugly Angel Cake

My last cake of the weekend!  I am so happy with how it turned out!

 The CO and his wife asked me to make the cake for their Change of Command.  We are saying goodbye to the Hagan's and hello to the Pecina's. 

I'm posting this ahead of time so it will publish during the change of command today at 4:00.  Don't want too many sneak peaks! It is just shy of 2' x 2'! It's a big one!

GO UGLY!

Go Hawkeyes!!!

We woke up yesterday morning to the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game on TV!  So, the kids wore their approriate attire that day...

And it was a GREAT game! GO HAWKS!!!!

The Hawks were doing so great, we even had time to do some snuggling:

(photos courtesy of McKenzie)

And then we even snuck in a quick nap, knowing the Hawks would still be kicking some Cyclone booty when we woke up:

My little man is already 6 1/2 weeks old... and GROWING strong!!!

Busy cake weekend...

We've had a busy weekend so far.

Yesterday we went to Wyatt's 2nd birthday party! He had a Thomas the Tank Engine themed party.  I made the cake and we had a super fabulous time!

Once we got home, it was time to start on my next cake for this weekend.  It was a baby shower cake and the gal that ordered it sent me a picture of what she wanted. I was so excited to make it! Presenting... Baby Rump Cake:

The Ladners' came over for some Iowa Pork Chops and a few rounds of Rock Band COUNTRY after the birthday party and we had a blast.  I've never decorated cakes with such great entertainment in the background before. It was awesome!

Tomorrow is the Ugly Angel Change of Command.  We are getting a new CO, so the change of command is the official ceremony where they switch out commanding officers.  I am making the cake for that as well.  I will post the picture of that once its done.  Can't wait!

Hallway Closet Doors

Nick has been working the past couple days to get the doors installed in the hallway. We took out the original ones because they were busted up pretty bad and needed to be replaced. They were also custom and very tall... so the past three years, I've had cheap green curtains hung up... temporarily.  Which turned out to be some what permanant until today!  We just need to paint the headers he put in and they will be finito!

 

Nick admiring his work...

He just left to go get some trim pieces he had to order and then it's off to the next item on the list... McKenzie's bathroom pocket door! More pictures to come!

Addison: Lizard Catcher

With her older brother and sister off at school, Addison is left to catch the dangerously wild lizards in the backyard on her own.

Today, her attempts and bravery were caught on camera (thanks Daddy!).

She first spotted the lizard sunning himself on the playground in the backyard and grabbed her.... uh.... grabber without hesitation.  Notice how she sneaks up on the reptile with ease...

Unfortunately, the lizard was one step ahead of her and hopped out of reach...

An action shot (and another miss)

 

Addison changed her strategy... her closest attempt yet!!!

Did Addison every catch the lizard?

Not today... but she is still a lizard catching diva in our book!!!