Day One

JJ's first day went REALLY well! I am so excited that he is finally getting it :-) We only went through 5 pairs of underwear, but he told me when he had to go every single time. Oh, except for the one time he ran outside like the speed of lightening and peed on the concrete through the undies. I just laughed from where he couldn't see me because he was standing in such a funny stance. We went to Chuck E. Cheese for dinner with a diaper, but he told us when it got wet and needed a new diaper ASAP! I was so proud!

Operation Potty Training

I woke up today and decided today is the day. JJ needs to be wearing underwear. No more of these stinky diapers. If you have been near a diaper change in the last year, you know what I mean. This picture is of Maddie who decided to share in the potty training and wear a pair of JJ's underwear.

Party Time

My neighbor and friend threw a birthday party for her 1 year old a couple of weeks ago. See what we have to live up to next year? I told her she is going to be my assistant come April :) Everything was coordinated in pink and green circles right down to the food being circles(uncrustables, grapes, round chips, round sandwiches, cupcakes, cookies, pink and green sugar coated marshmallows, and pink/green M&M's). Appropriately, Maddie's dress went with the theme.

Apple Pie

Here is my yummy apple pie with my first lattice top crust. I feel like I have been little Susie Homemaker this week already, between the pie and making homemade spaghetti sauce from the tomatoes we have been growing :) We are also going to the orchard on Friday to pick peaches so I can can them.

Cheese!!!!

This is Madeline's new face when I pull the camera out. I don't even have to say anything she just starts giving me this silly grin! :) I love it!

And apparently I always pull the camera out while she is eating or right after and is a mess. OR the real answer is she is always eating, but you would never tell by looking at her.

It's Been Six Years!

Yesterday was our anniversary! John treated me to an excellent spa day and he is getting a new MP3 player. Can you believe JJ took the picture of John and I last night after we went out to dinner? I think we have a little photographer on our hands :)

Random Stuff

The kids enjoy playing hoops in the kitchen and Maddie REALLY enjoys her watermelon. She has to eat it outside to help reduce the clean up time!

Homecoming Pictures

Secrets

This website is very interesting. If your bored and want something to look at check it out:

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where peoplemail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard.

A World View From the Eyes of a Child

Tonight at the dinner table I had a hard time deciphering what JJ was trying to tell me.

"Mom, the sun is sick."

"What?"

"The sun is sick."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, it needs to go to the doctor."

"Ok, Maddie has to go on Tuesday so we'll take the sun with us."

"Ok."

"Mom, it's cloudy out."

Ahhh, now I get it! JJ thinks the sun is sick because it is cloudy today! Kids say the cutest things.

Summer Camping Trip

John got home safe and sound, and yes there are pictures, but my friend took them and I haven't gotten them from her yet. We left Sunday for a place called Cheney Lake about 45 minutes west of here. We rented a little cabin in a state park which had a decent beach that the kids were not interested in :(

It rained one day so we found a kid's museum, which turned out to be a glorified play/toy area in an old movie theatre in an old ghetto mall. On the way home we stopped by Yoder, a small Amish town for lunch and picked up some fresh sweet corn.

The neighbors shared a pinata with the kids and WAY too much c-a-n-d-y. We also found a small town Fair last night. It was your typical small town America, made for movies, picturesque little town and Fair with petting zoo, carnival, great homemade food, 4-H, and softball tournament. Everywhere we went John was striking up conversations with people and we couldn't pull him away from them! It was insane.

At the campsite(cabin for us lazy people who don't want to pitch a tent) we found a huge field of wild blackberries that JJ couldn't stop picking and Maddie wouldn't stop eating. But JJ wouldn't share the berries he was picking with Maddie, but he wouldn't eat them either. We had a few bonfires and cooked some good campin' food. One morning we made omelette's in a bag. First you crack eggs in a freezer Ziploc bag, squish them up, add your fixin's and then put the bag in a pot of boiling water over the campfire. I roasted marshmallows every chance I could get. I have decided that is one of my favorite things to eat!

Happy Dance!

John is coming home in exactly 3 hours and 16 minutes! But who is counting anyway? What I am excited about especially for JJ and Maddie is that we get to ride on a bus out to the flight line and meet the guys/girls as they get off! That never happened in GF when John deployed. We made a paper chain last week to count the days until daddy comes home and JJ has been so excited to tear one off everyday. And today we threw the last one in the trash! Only 9 more weeks until we get to do it all over again. Blah!