Land of the Langworthy's

New Place

2010-08-14T22:27:00.001-04:00

You won't find my here anymore....You'll find me here...

Maddie's New 'Do

2010-08-05T10:19:00.002-04:00

I finally did it. Cut Maddie's hair off. Or the professional did. I just could not handle the food particles found in her hair, the fight to wash, brush or comb it and fighting her to get it pulled up and out of her face.

The verdict? She loves it! And so do I!

Colorado Part Deux

2010-05-23T19:10:00.003-04:00

More beautiful scenery...There is nothing like playing on the soccer field surrounded by mountains. It was amazing!

Daddy and Z chillin' while the older two kiddos played at the park.
JJ jumped off this log about 37 times and I had to take his picture almost every single jump so he could see himself on the camera.
THIS was Maddie's face in almost every picture I took of her this week. She is a sassy one!

Colorado Part 1

2010-05-19T16:05:00.003-04:00

Colorado was amazing! Not only was it our first big family vacation together, we were in beautiful Colorado. Our time was so relaxing and enjoyable to be away from reality. This first picture is a rest stop in Western Kansas. We needed a stretch your legs kind of break. The kids traveled very well.This is our first look at the mountains. JJ was soooooooo confused by what we meant mountains were. When we first entered Denver we could see them off in the distance, but he just couldn't grasp what we were looking at. It was funny but a tad frustrating because he went on and on about not being able to see them. (Maybe I am a poor descriptionist!)
The family eating dinner in our condo in Steamboat Springs, CO where we stayed for the week...

Happy Mother's Day! This was suppose to be the only really nice day so we decided to hit the trails and venture out to Fish Creek Falls just 2 miles away. I am thankful we went when we did because it snowed and rained the rest of the week. It was a gorgeous day this day and such a wonderful way to spend Mother's Day.Another picture of Fish Creek Falls....

Family Fun Festival 2010

2010-04-18T11:20:00.002-04:00

Every year the base does a Family Fun Festival with lots of things to do! This year the weather cooperated very nicely and didn't get too cold or too hot. The kids loved riding on the fire engine the best! Maddie has told that she is going to be a fire engine when she grows up. Of course she means fire woman :)

Birthday Pictures

2010-04-18T11:18:00.002-04:00

6 Months....3 years...
5 years...

Maddie is 3!

2010-04-18T11:11:00.002-04:00

Maddie turned 3 last week and she is every bit a three year old now! She now informs everyone she meets that she is "free." And is also every bit a little princess! She loves all things girly and pink. As much as I tried to not emphasize princess around her, she just seems to gravitate towards them! Oh well, what can you do?

JJ's Five Years Old!

2010-04-03T23:44:00.003-04:00

He had a wonderful Spiderman themed birthday party at lunch yesterday. I can't believe our little guy is already 5. Seems like just yesterday we were at Altru in Grand Forks holding him in our arms. And we already have pre-kindergarten round up in a couple of weeks! Yikes! All the things to think about this year. Our lives will be so different in 6 months with one is school. He is going to love being in school and meeting new friends!

Happy and Healthy

2010-03-22T22:42:00.003-04:00

Zach has blessed us with his presence for 6 whole months already!!!! He weighed in at 17lbs 6oz and 26.5in tall(both in the 5oth percentile). His head was a bit on the small side, but no concerns. He is sitting up by himself most of the time and is very fascinated by his brother and sister! He is our texture kid. He loves anything that he can grab and make a noise with. He is very chill as most people around here put it and he smiles a ton :) We are still working on the sleeping through the night thing. Mommy would be very happy with that! He is in LOVE with his bath time. He'll play and squeal 'til the water is cold and then some.

Updates

2010-03-21T18:04:00.002-04:00

Hello. I feel like I haven't updated ya'll on much lately. Well, really there isn't that much going on. I did get my new Canon on Friday and these are the results of my new toy :) I think it captures the beauty of my children so well! I am so happy with my camera. Now I need to figure out how all the gadgets work.

The kids are getting so big. JJ is getting ready to turn 5 in a couple of weeks. I can't believe he'll be five! And Maddie will be 3 in 3 weeks! She is growing up so fast and has become a little lady. And she is in love with all things girly and princess-like. And her favorite color is pink. Of course.

Zach just turned 6 months. He is so happy and giggly :) He is just about sitting up by himself and is fascinated by all things that move and make noise.

John is busy finishing up is Navigator Instructor upgrade and has his checkride this week.

I am staying busy with the normal things, laundry, cleaning, playing with the kids. I did start a new bible study last week with a neighbor and one other girl. So far so good!

Artist

2010-03-02T14:45:00.004-05:00

Maddie has become quite the little artist this week! These are the drawings she has created in the last couple of days. I can't get over how good she is doing and she isn't quite 3 yet!

My Babies

2010-02-24T14:08:00.003-05:00

I got them all in the tub together a couple of nights ago and they insisted on silly faces for me.

Hair

2010-02-22T22:24:00.001-05:00

I wanted something different in the color department. So I went dark!

Princess Ballerina

2010-02-19T16:55:00.001-05:00

This is how she INSISTED on going to the library...our little girlie girl!

The Military Wife

2010-02-18T13:59:00.001-05:00

I am stealing this from a friend who posted it on FB....But I liked it and wanted to share.

Military Wife

Lots of moving...

Moving...

Moving far from home...

Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.

Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house;

Moving curtains that won't fit;

Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.

Moving away from friends;

Moving toward new friends;

Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting for housing.

Waiting for orders.

Waiting for deployments.

Waiting for phone calls.

Waiting for reunions.

Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.

Waiting for him to come home,

For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:

She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;

Handle the yard work;

Fix a noisy toilet;

Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.

She can file the taxes;

Sell a house;

Buy a car;

Or set up a move...

.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.

She reinvents her career with every PCS;

Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.

And learns to call them all 'home'.

She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...

They leap into:

Decorating,

Leadership,

Volunteering,

Career alternatives,

Churches,

And friendships.

They don't have 15 years to get to know people.

Their roots are short but flexible.

They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come

after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:

They connect over coffee,

Rely on the spouse network,

Accept offers of friendship and favors.

Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is

unique.

He doesn't have a 'JOB'

He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...

He's on-call for his country 24/7.

But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign

TDY

PCS

EPR

SOS

ACC

BDU

ACU

BAR

CIB

TAD

ABU

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.

She is the long- distance link to keep them informed;

The glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:

She wants to wring his neck;

Dye his uniform pink;

Refuse to move to Siberia;

But she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days,

A travel brochure,

A long hot bath,

A pledge to the flag,

A wedding picture,

And she goes.

She packs.

She moves.

She follows.

Why?

What for?

How come?

You may think it is because she has lost her mind.

But actually it is because she has lost her heart.

It was stolen from her by a man,

Who puts duty first,

Who longs to deploy,

Who salutes the flag,

And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her

Military Husband,

She will remain his Military Wife.

And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown

Gotta Support!

2010-02-10T16:27:00.001-05:00

How's this Anne?????

Lovable

2010-02-09T22:54:00.002-05:00

I just LOVE this face! Don't you?

Growing

2010-02-07T08:36:00.002-05:00

So it hit me this morning like a ton of bricks...the kids are growing up. For some reason I am having a hard time with Maddie. Not in a bad way, just watching her be so independent and not need me at such an early age is just plain hard. JJ on the other hand would still let me dress him if I wanted. Maddie picks out her own clothes most days, dresses herself, and usually goes to the bathroom with no help needed. She does everything "all by myself." If only you could hear how cute she sounds when she says that.

While we were in the car yesterday John and I were discussing JJ and school in the fall. These next six months will be the last we have of him home all day. I can already see it in him. He is anxious to get out of the house everyday - doesn't want to be home, ever. He is just ready to be going to school and learning. I can't explain the feeling, he is just there, ready to go.

And Zach, he'll be 5 months next week. He LOVES to eat his cereal and veggies. I am so glad he likes baby food because the other two refused it, but that just means he is growing up too! And this morning he had a real poo, not a breast fed poo. It was a food poo.

Do you hear me children? You are NOT allowed to grow anymore! Not one inch!

Taste Buds

2010-02-06T21:56:00.005-05:00

Hi, my name is Ellen. I am 31 years old and I like cucumbers. I just discovered them or I should say my taste buds finally like them! I don't know what came over me. I tried them on cute little finger sandwiches at church and have been eating them on my salads ever since that day in August! I can't believe I didn't like them before. Thank you for listening. This is something I needed to share :) Anne, you were in my thoughts while typing this!

Inspired

2010-02-03T18:21:00.002-05:00

Today while viewing Mandy's blog, I came across a blog she has listed on her site. One click after another and I am finding myself inspired to try the Eat From the Pantry Challenge. I really want to do this. Starting tomorrow. I am going to spend my day taking inventory and getting started! I'll be trying to blog about as I go. Maybe that will help me stay on track!

JJ's New Spec's!

2010-01-27T23:45:00.003-05:00

After many hoops and loops I got JJ into the ophthalmologist last week only to find out he is far sighted and needs glasses. They arrived today and he is looking very handsome! Now I just hope we don't struggle with keeping them on his face....

New Spectacles

2010-01-11T22:50:00.003-05:00

I am sooo happy with my glasses I got in the mail today. a.) Because they are super cute b.) They were only 12.95 + shipping! I actually ordered two pair. They are both super cute. I think I might actually wear glasses more often now that I have two pair that are cute and comfy.

Baby Giggles

2009-12-26T10:33:00.002-05:00

Zach Loving Tummy Time

2009-12-24T14:20:00.002-05:00

Zach was really trying hard to scoot across the floor. He did in fact do that before I got out the camera of course! Here is Z trying though :)

'Tis the Season to be Merry

2009-12-24T13:51:00.003-05:00

We made sugar cookies and decorated them today for Santa to eat tonight! The kids had a blast and it's the first year they really got into sprinkles...a little too much :)
John's mom and stepdad are here until early tomorrow so they opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa Rees early. JJ was so geeked for his new car tracks.And Maddie got her new baby that she has been talking about forever. They both asked for things from Santa that we didn't get them and grandma wanted to make them happy so she got them things they desperately thought they needed!

And we did a gingerbread house earlier in the week. And surprisingly there is NO candy missing from the house!

When it Rains, it Pours

2009-12-11T14:10:00.002-05:00

That's how I feel today or more like this week. Potty training isn't for the weak or the weary! I started Maddie on the potty and JJ wants to go as well, which is good. I am glad JJ is finally taking initiative. But Maddie is starting to not get so excited about it anymore. Yesterday, there were so many accidents I stopped counting. One 10 minute segment of my life consisted of feeding Zach. During this time I asked Maddie to get the eggs out for the brownies we would soon be baking. She brought them to me like a good girl and "set" them down on the floor. But the term I would like to use or the one that would better describe the action would be smash. So now I have a baby attached to me and egg in my carpet. Upon which time Maddie announces she has pee and poo in her undies. After getting Zach content, I take her to the bathroom. After inspection I declare it is bath time. Back to the egg mess. Oh, wait Maddie is now washing her own hair and has soap in her eyes, hence the screaming in the bathroom. And later in the day she decided to get out the milk and orange juice and make a cocktail for herself which means that most of it ended up on the rug in the kitchen, not the tile of course! So after all of this wonderful day I am going to invest in a new Bissell spot remover because the one we currently own leaks. I have to clean up after the cleaner :) I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for a new one in the Sunday paper! And I will be thankful when John comes home on Sunday!

Handsome little children

2009-12-07T14:05:00.003-05:00

JJ performed in church yesterday morning. We actually tricked him into wearing the tie! Gotta love reverse psychology! My favorite song they sung was to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down. It went like this: There was no room at the inn, at the inn, at the inn, there was no room at the inn. Only stinky stables. P U! :)

Up and at 'em

2009-11-24T15:41:00.003-05:00

We have had a few rough weeks recently with little Zachy being a tad colicky. He goes a few days without crying so much and then wham crying all afternoon and evening for several days. Today is a good day and Z slept from 9-5 last night. I am so thankful for sleep, but unfortunately at 5 I was wide awake. I managed to catch a quick 10 minute snooze this afternoon while Maddie and Zach were sleeping, but he preferred to take a short nap this afternoon. I am sure he is just to anxious for the arrival of our Thanksgiving guests :)

Lately he has been really enjoying the upright position. While doing laundry in the basement the other day I needed to set him down and the closest place was in the jumparoo. I was amazed to see how well he did and how much he enjoyed being able to see from that view. I left that downstairs and grabbed the exersaucer for the living room/kitchen. He loves staring at the toys :)

Another update for ya'll: JJ has been using the potty!!! We have been really working with him on #2 and it is slowly working. I'll spare you the picture he insisted we take of his prize in the potty!

Randoms

2009-11-15T09:54:00.002-05:00

JJ is getting his new patch put on his vest at Cubbies in AWANA...for memorizing his bible verses!Little Zach in the tub :)
Maddie and her BIG muscles!

Family Pictures

2009-11-08T23:16:00.004-05:00

The Langworthy Superheroes

2009-11-01T14:33:00.003-05:00

My pictures uploaded somewhat backwards but this is Maddie after getting all her loot and then wanting Cool Whip. Mommy said no.
And this is what she looks like when we say yes...
Our little super baby!And the two big super heroes before they venture off with dad and some friends around the 'hood. JJ came back and helped me pass out the 7 or 8 bags of candy. That was his favorite part. He had a blast watching all the other trick or treaters come up to us. He was so into the spirit of the day that he was telling everyone "Happy Halloween" as they walked away. It was so cute! My favorite part of the night was when a dad dressed as Santa gave JJ a piece of coal and asked if he was going to be naughty. To which JJ replied no and then stared at it like "Hey, this isn't candy." He was very puzzled.

Zachary Picture Update

2009-10-23T14:14:00.000-04:00

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-18T09:56:00.003-04:00

While my mom was visiting we took the kids to the Applejack Pumpkin Patch. There were so many fun things for the kids to do! JJ's favorite was the zip line. I could not believe the little kids can hang on to the handles for so long! He loved every minute of it!

4 Weeks

2009-10-15T17:19:00.000-04:00

Madeline's First Haircut

2009-10-13T21:00:00.004-04:00

Before....
After...

I finally took my ragamuffin in for her first haircut last night. She did a great job sitting still and was rewarded with a tootsie roll!

Nascar Racing

2009-10-08T03:23:00.002-04:00

John took JJ to the Kansas Speedway over the last weekend and they had a blast! They stayed in a hotel for two nights, ordered pizza in and went to two races. It was such fun daddy and JJ time!

Chippewa Fans!

2009-10-04T20:33:00.003-04:00

My three little amigos in the same CMU t-shirt. The first one is Maddie, she wasn't too happy!
This is JJ...
This is Zach!

Adventures at the Zoo!

2009-10-04T10:20:00.002-04:00

I took all three kiddos to the zoo this week while it was still warm. JJ was so cute climbing on the tiger. Maddie was not ready for any photo ops that day :)

Yard of the Month

2009-10-04T10:16:00.002-04:00

Our yard won Yard of the Month for September this year! The real bonus is the gift card to the local nursery and the water fountain and solar lights they delivered for winning. John is digging out some grass here to make more room for more flower bed! I am getting some pink tulip bulbs to plant and I can't wait to see them come spring!

Growing, growing!

2009-09-29T15:58:00.002-04:00

Zach is of course already growing! We had his two week check up today and he is finally back up to his birth weight! He is otherwise a super healthy baby...eats and sleeps like an angel!

Sweet Zachary!

2009-09-20T17:01:00.004-04:00

Zachary James arrived on Wednesday, September 16 at 9:29am. He was 20in long and 9lb 13oz. It was a super speedy quick delivery! My contractions started at 5am. At 6:30 I informed John he should think about getting ready to go to the hospital. He walked the kids over to the neighbor's house around 7:30 and we arrived at the birthing center at 8:30. When we arrived and I got settled in, I was already 8cm dilated. At 9:15 my water broke and it was rush rush from there! The nurses rushed in, the doctor wasn't there yet and I was ready to go! There was no time for an IV or epidural(which I didn't want anyway). The little, I mean big guy came out face up which created a nice bruise on his forehead. Poor buddy! He is a very content baby and sleeps like a champion!

The Wingnuts

2009-09-02T07:53:00.002-04:00

That would be the name of the local baseball team...The Wichita Wingnuts. Apparently they chant "Go Nuts" during the game. I stayed home with Maddie last week while John took JJ to the game. They stayed the whole game and then watched the fireworks afterwards. JJ ran the bases in between innings and got a game ball!

Almost There!

2009-08-29T22:32:00.005-04:00

John and I went on a double date with our good friends, Wally and Dagny. The guys decided to pose as JC Penney catalog models while us girls posed like normal people. I have just about two weeks left until my due date. I didn't realize how big my belly was until I uploaded these pictures. This little guy can come any day now! And I think we have finally come to an agreement on a name, but you'll have to wait for that to be announced after we meet him!

Doesn't it look like I am a leaning tree? It was best of the worst I suppose. John had his eyes closed in the first three!

Paint....Oops! I almost forgot.

2009-08-25T14:11:00.002-04:00

While John was gone and my niece was here for three weeks, I enlisted her help in painting the living. John and I had this disagreement on whether or not a decorative rug can go on carpet. I figured it was the easiest cheapest way to add some pizzazz to the living room. And we already have the rug I wanted to lay down. He insisted you do not put rugs on carpet soooo he said he would rather have paint. Which is exactly what I did!

Grandma

2009-08-16T21:48:00.004-04:00

Grandma Harriet went to be with the Lord today. She was such a wonderful lady and I looked up to her in so many ways! Here are some of my favorite memories with her:

Visiting the John Ball Zoo and having a picnic before we entered the zoo

Baking cookies

Making caramel corn (my absolute favorite snack)

Sleep overs when my sister and I were little

Pigs in a blanket

The pool table

Brushing each other's hair

Living with her for 3 months before I got married

Back rubs and arm scratches

Playing dress up with her many, many shoes and costume jewelry

Unbaked blueberry pie

Grandma, you will be greatly missed!!!!

He Made it Home!!!

2009-08-03T20:55:00.002-04:00

My Little Book Worm

2009-07-26T23:13:00.004-04:00

I am finally catching up on some blogging....here is the first one!

When I checked on Maddie last night before I went to bed, this is how I found her! She LOVES to read books. Two nights ago I checked on her an hour and a half after I layed her down and she was still awake reading!

Belly Photo 32 weeks

2009-07-26T23:12:00.002-04:00

Water Park

2009-07-26T23:09:00.002-04:00

Every year Rock River Rapids gives military one free day to enjoy the water park. We took John's niece with us and it was a blast! Worth every free minute we had there!

The Zoo

2009-07-26T21:09:00.002-04:00

John's niece, Kaitie, is in town helping me out until this Saturday and we decided to take her to the zoo last week. It turned out to be a beautiful day!My cutie pie!

The bats hanging around in the Jungle...JJ actually petting the sheep.
Maddie was not so sure of the petting zoo.

Michigan Slideshow

2009-07-20T08:48:00.000-04:00

Home

2009-07-12T09:33:00.001-04:00

Feels soooo good. We made it in last night after a Loooooong day of travel and mishaps. I'll post some Michigan pics soon!

Bows!

2009-06-19T21:53:00.003-04:00

Here are some bows I made today for my darling daughter. I ran out of ribbon for a second hot pink with polka dots so off to the store tomorrow I go. It is my favorite one! They look better in person and on her head. The camera does them no justice!

Summer Fun!

2009-06-15T21:14:00.003-04:00

This is JJ thinking about what kind of neat trick he might do next coming down the slide. He always taps his chin when he is "thinking."

Maddie got smart and sat in the shaded garage drinking her cool drink. She detests wet bathings suits so it came off shortly after getting in the pool! It reached 94 degrees here today! Wednesday's forecast is 102.

Calla Lilies

2009-06-15T21:10:00.003-04:00

These are about one of my absolute favorite flowers! My neighbor brought me these tonight from her garden! I love them!

Flower Arranging

2009-06-13T21:25:00.004-04:00

Apparently the base library holds free classes for different things throughout the year. A friend called last night and invited me to what I thought was a gardening class...at least that is how it was described to me. I arrived to find it a flower arranging class. I kind of groaned at first because I would much prefer to dig in the dirt than play with cut flowers. Much to my surprise, it was a lot of fun and educational! Here is my beautiful bouquet:

What did I learn, you ask? Always start with the greenery and then add your flowers. If you receive a bouquet of roses or any flower for that matter, you aren't suppose to use all of the little packet that comes with it. Use only a third to a half. You should change the water 3 times in 2 weeks and if you have roses they should last that long. And always trim the stems at each water change.

Sooooo Sweeeet!!!!!

2009-06-01T22:33:00.000-04:00

Derby Days Parade

2009-05-30T09:03:00.006-04:00

A friend and I took the kids to the parade last night for something to do. It was 88 and sunny - hot. The kids have never seen a parade so I was trying to explain to them what one might be. We bought hot dogs, chips and drinks from a church fund raiser and found a shady spot to enjoy the show.

Maddie was soooo tired as she put it that she had to lay in the grass during part of the parade.

As you can see in the second to last picture Josh was being sneaky and taking cheetos out of Maddie's bag behind her while she wasn't paying attention.

And you see sweet Maddie in this last picture, but this is not what I was actually taking a picture of. In the background you will see a person wearing a police office reflective vest sitting on a motorized scooter/wheelchair type vehicle to the right of the road block. We were just wondering how in the world this police officer would be able to, say break up a fight or do crowd control....hmmm, interesting.

JJ's Summer 'do and Maddie's New Sleeping Position

2009-05-27T21:56:00.003-04:00

I finally was able to get JJ a summer hair cut so he won't get so sweaty. This is a good thing since it will be in the 90's this weekend.

Maddie is starting to defy her naps and this is what happens at the dinner table....

Say Goodbye

2009-05-26T21:11:00.003-04:00

Here is the regular before deployment family picture we take...John took off this afternoon.Should be home Mid Aug.

Weekend Updates

2009-05-26T14:57:00.007-04:00

My friend Kristin flew in on Wednesday for the weekend. We took the kids to good ol' Chuck E. Cheese for a late birthday present from Kris. We actually all had fun! The key is to go during the week at lunch time.

On Friday, we took the kids plus one to the zoo and met up with another friend and her twins. JJ and Kristin were able to feed a giraffe, ok well JJ grabbed the food they paid for and shoved it all at the giraffe at one time!

The weather was great all weekend! On Friday night we made home made vanilla and strawberry cheesecake ice cream.

On Saturday, John and a friend took the boys to the Wichita Wild indoor arena football game.

Kristin brought kites for the kids, but it wasn't windy enough while she was here so on Memorial Day I took the kids out in the front yard and got one up and going in the breeze. You get a nice shot of my belly on that one that JJ took of me flying the kite!

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-05-21T09:41:00.007-04:00

Sunday we took off for Kansas City, KS for some quality family time before John takes off in a few days. We had a great experience at Great Wolf Lodge. It was perfect for our kids' age.

The blue slides are the slides JJ refused to go down but a few times one day. And of course that is the day I didn't bring the camera.

Maddie absolutely LOVED just floating on her back with the life vest. She would have done it all day if we let her.

We went to a nice shopping area near by and had lunch at the T-Rex restaurant. It was over priced and not so good food. The dinosaurs were cool, but that was about it.

Every five minutes there is a bell that goes off signaling that the bucket is going to dump 5000 gallons of water. John stood under the falling water so the kids could laugh at him.

They had story every night at 8 which the kids really enjoyed, an arts and crafts room, and an arcade room. They also had a game that took the kids all over the hotel. That was for the older kids so we didn't participate, but looked pretty fun.

Date Night!

2009-05-10T16:21:00.004-04:00

So I think this is my last post for the day. I had some catching up to do. Last week I watched a friend's little boy and ended up having to pick his sister up from school while my friend was with her husband during his knee surgery. Anyway, she rewarded me/us with a gift card to Outback! So John and I and another couple went out for dinner sans the kids. We stopped for ice cream and a stroll through a nice shopping area. Apparently it was prom night and at the pretty water fountain all the couples were getting their pictures taken. Oh to be THAT young again. But I cannot believe all the things that happen for prom nowadays. I sound old, I know. But we saw some of the parents we recognized from church and they said after this picture time, they were all off to the actual prom. The parents all follow to that as there is also a red carpet where all the couples are announced and more pictures. Plus this big party had a huge suburban limo. I mean I know some kids did limos, but what happen to getting a nice dinner and then just going to the dance? Now there are red carpet's and all the glam? What the heck is it going to be like for my kids in 12-14 years? Geez.

Anyway, the four of us had a really great time hanging out together before John leaves.

Kiddie Pool Fun

2009-05-10T16:18:00.002-04:00

On Wednesday, I believe, it was beautiful out and the kids had a blast in the pool. I got out the floaty rings which entertained them all the better!

Zoo Trip

2009-05-10T16:09:00.003-04:00

Last Monday we went to the zoo and bought a membership so we can go all summer long. The kids love it!

The giraffe's are JJ's favorite thing to see. The gorilla exhibit is pretty cool too. Maddie was really into watching them eat sticks and leaves. Hopefully it stops raining soon so we can go back!

Seriously? Another Deployment?

2009-05-07T14:58:00.001-04:00

Yes, they are squeezing in another deployment out of John before baby comes in September. I don't know why I am surprised. It IS the military. He is leaving May 25 thru the middle of August.

The Animals We Saw Today...

2009-04-29T18:16:00.005-04:00

Can anybody guess what this first bird is????

Here is the three week old colt. He had such cute tuffs of blonde hair!

I liked the looks of this chicken. The colorings were so unique!

Petting Zoo Field Trip

2009-04-29T18:10:00.003-04:00

We went to C-Arrow Stables for JJ's preschool field trip this morning. I was a little leery because of all the rain and the rain we were to get today. Of course we got to slosh in the mud and feed the animals and ride ponies!

Water Fun

2009-04-29T14:25:00.002-04:00

Mommy, I'm wet...please take off my bathing suit...

JJ Has a Temper!

2009-04-28T22:10:00.003-04:00

Lately JJ has been getting into some trouble with tormenting his sister and not listening to mommy when she speaks. On some of these occasions he gets sent to his room. But since he can open the door, even with child proof door handle locks, I have to put up the baby gate to keep him contained. And even at that he has been able to figure out how to get out of that! So when he does go to his room this makes him very upset. And every now and then he starts throwing all of his things. Here are some of his things thrown out of his room and the toys on the floor and a picture of him cleaning said toys up. And then one of him sleeping from all the exhausting of throwing a fit! And, yes, he is in the computer chair!

Easter Eggs and Such

2009-04-13T09:28:00.004-04:00

We tied streamers to their door knobs in the morning and then made them follow them around the house to get to their baskets. Maddie was very interested in cracking open the hard boiled eggs we dyed. In this picture she is asking if she can open it up!

The Birthday Party

2009-04-13T09:13:00.002-04:00

We held a small birthday party for the kiddos and the neighbors on Saturday. I wasn't about to clean up the house, cook, and then clean up again so we went to McDonald's. I brought the cake balls, let the kids eat and play, then open presents!

Happy Birthday JJ!

2009-04-03T14:37:00.003-04:00

Happy Fourth birthday JJ! Yesterday JJ turned 4. He got a new bike with Spiderman helmet and pads!

Drum Roll Please!

2009-03-31T17:56:00.003-04:00

Today we had an early ultrasound. A friend from church is becoming a sonographer and they needed a guinea pig. When we got there, we learned that they just got a new 3D machine and they were using me to show about 8 people how to use the machine. It was a FULL room! It was very interesting to hear all the info they were learning about the machine. And of course we were sent home with these wonderful pictures! You'll have to look at the last picture to determine the sex ;)

It's March 28 in Kansas and it is a blizzard!

2009-03-28T11:38:00.003-04:00

The kids went out at 9 this morning to play. JJ was very interested in dusting the snow/ice off the swing set and then found knocking the icicles off of everthing in the backyard with a broomstick a fun task. Maddie was enjoying the swing and the kiddie pool full of snow!

Tomorrow is Daddy Day!

2009-03-15T22:57:00.002-04:00

Yes, John is coming home tomorrow! Another big part of the day is that we get to pick up the keys to our new house. This week shall be an interesting one to say the least. I'll post when I can and maybe some pictures as the week progresses. My camera was being finicky this week so hopefully it has fixed itself and will work.

Get Your Verse On

2009-03-11T16:19:00.002-04:00

That is the slogan for a really cool new business a couple of my friends started up recently! They sell vintage type t-shirts with different bible verses on them. When I am not pregnant I will be ordering one or two or three :) You can see their logo here---->

Or go to Wild Olive Tees

Cleansing

2009-03-09T19:34:00.003-04:00

I am at a complete loss as to how to convince a four year old he needs a bath or a shower. Some sort of cleansing at the very least. Boys are just stinky human beings and need to be clean! I have tried every trick I can think of - bribing for a special treat afterwards, special fun toys, a shaving kit "just like daddy", you name it I have tried it. So if you have any suggestions or words of encouragement, I would greatly appreciate them!

Boringness

2009-03-03T09:39:00.002-05:00

We have been utterly boring these last couple of weeks. I am just surviving until John comes home in 2 weeks. I have been box collecting and am suppose to be putting things in them, but haven't gotten that far yet. The weather has been up and down, one day it is super nice the next day really cold. But, weather.com claims it is going to be 82 on Thursday! I am really ready for the weather to stay decent. And I am REALLY looking forward to tornado season. I can't wait to spend hours in the basement with my weather radio and two kids! Can you sense my sarcasm?

A good friend of mine here is a life saver and is loaning all of her maternity clothes to me! You would think I would have them from previous pregnancies, but mind you I will be pregnant ALL summer long vs. all winter. I can't wait to be really hot and pregnant at the same time!

The New Langworthy Abode

2009-02-17T21:25:00.004-05:00

Has four bedrooms and no second story!!!! Since baby is coming we decided to try and apply for a four bedroom on base. There was no waiting list, but they tried to tell me on Friday that I would have to move my pregnant self, two kids and all of our things before John came home from his deployment in four weeks. Thankfully today they agreed to wait until he gets home. I was able to look at the inside today and took some pictures!

JJ's Weird Dreams

2009-02-16T11:22:00.002-05:00

Every time I go in to check on JJ when he cries out at night, he tells me to go brush my teeth! I have no idea what he is dreaming about, but apparently I have bad breath in all his dreams.

The New Art Easel

2009-02-12T21:25:00.002-05:00

This is what daddy had sent to the house for the kids' Valentine's Day present. We are going to have to figure out a system since sharing is not an easy task for almost four and two year olds. Yes, one side of the easel is a chalk board and the other a white board/painting, but that would require compromise and that word is too big for their vocabulary :)

The Weather

2009-02-12T21:20:00.002-05:00

Two days ago(because I was too tired and lazy to post this then) we had beautiful weather, see picture #2. And then it poured rain and created picture #1! I am not sure why blogger always puts the pictures in reverse order from how I upload them, but again I am too lazy to fix it.

Random Pics of the Kids

2009-02-09T15:13:00.000-05:00

What is Our World Coming Too???

2009-02-07T15:19:00.005-05:00

Our mall finally got a semi decent play area to take the kids when we don't want to be outside. We visited this play area yesterday and had a good time. A mother sitting not very near us proceeded to put her little girl's hair back into a pony tail. I thought, no big deal. But then she proceeded to put some sort of powder whether it was blush or just powder I have no idea. But the girl was maybe 4, maybe. It just drives me crazy to see little girls made out to be more grown up than they really are. Don't they grow up too fast as it is???? It just drives me mad to see things like this. What will this little child grow up thinking. That it's ok to be primped all the time? Seriously, let kids be kids!

Locked Out

2009-01-27T14:17:00.002-05:00

This morning was pretty uneventful...a trip to the commissary, unloading groceries in 15 degree weather, getting locked out of the house by Maddie with Maddie in the house all by herself. Yeah, I'd say that is pretty boring. It took the base cops 15-20 to come unlock us, meanwhile Maddie cried and then stopped so I started freaking out. But, when the cops finally did come she had turned on the TV and was playing with the wipes. JJ was able to go to the neighbor's house and stay warm while eating half a bag of gold fish.

Icy Cold

2009-01-27T10:55:00.003-05:00

We woke up to ice this morning. JJ loves to see the winter. Too bad this if the first or second we have seen of winter here in KS. That is my new ride parked on the road.

Yes, that last post meant....

2009-01-25T08:36:00.002-05:00

That baby number three is due to arrive sometime in September! Yes, it was a bit of a shocker, but in a super good kind of way of course:) God knows what I can handle and apparently he thinks we need another munchkin running around! How exciting!
So the nausea has set in already and I am feeling like doo doo in the mornings. But so far it isn't too bad.

3

2009-01-21T12:41:00.000-05:00

JJ's favorite place

2009-01-18T09:10:00.001-05:00

The Shower! He would stand in it all day if I let him!

Sleep

2009-01-18T08:57:00.002-05:00

This is Maddie's new sleeping arrangement, per Maddie. I was not ready to move her out of the crib. Before John left he insisted on moving Maddie's big girl bed into her room from the basement(I found a mouse surprise and he didn't want them making a nest in the mattress). All week I keep hearing a particular phrase from her as I put her to bed. I could NOT figure it out until nap time yesterday. She wants to sleep in the big girl bed. Soooooo, we tried the nap and she slet. Then we tried bedtime last night and she slept! Removing all the books from her headboard bookshelf was completely necessary, except for the three tiny boardbooks.

Scrapbooking.

2009-01-14T17:25:00.002-05:00

I am such a slacker in this area. I have JJ's done up to his first birthday. Maddie has an album with absolutely nothing in it. I have made several different plans with girls to get together but they always seem to get messed up. Soooo, I have vowed to start working on them. I uploaded a bunch of pictures yesterday and had them shipped to the house so I don't have to get out and get them. My next step is to get the basement organized and all my other craft things put away. I know it won't take forever, but it seems like such a daunting task. But here's to scrapbooking!!!!

Family Foto

2009-01-13T14:44:00.003-05:00

Well here it is! We always take one before he leaves. It's been a whole 24 hours since he left the house and has arrived at his first destination. He'll be at the final destination in a couple of days. We are doing fine. Maddie doesn't understand and keeps asking for daddy. JJ is consistently asking to play Frisbee. I definitely don't want to be playing in 30 degree weather.

Little Kids

2009-01-07T08:52:00.002-05:00

Here is my sister and I as kids. Don't you love my mullet? I was stylin' back in the day. My mom gave me a bag of pictures when we were home. This is one of the better ones of me :)

Boring

2009-01-05T17:58:00.006-05:00

I have been so not in the mood to blog in forever. I don't know what my deal is. I just feel like there isn't much going on here. Of course we are busy but nothing news worthy I suppose. We don't have any snow on the ground which is good for driving purposes, but if it is going to be cold I would prefer to see pretty white over the brown grass.
It has been good to get home and be on more of routine since getting back from Michigan. The kids are sleeping better!!! Maddie had to go to the ER Friday night for her ear infection once again. Things are good now, but getting this antibiotic in her is proving to be more difficult.
John is leaving again for the same sandy place a week from today for another couple of months. Maddie has become a super daddy's girl and I think will miss him terribly as will JJ and I. We'll get through it as always :) I have some pretty amazing friends here and afar!
Happy New Year!!!

Goodbye Codes

2009-01-01T18:55:00.003-05:00

On Monday we had to put Cody to sleep forever. His heart failure was just making him miserable -- he was sleeping all day and night except to eat and use the great outdoors. The last straw for me was arriving back at my dad's where Cody was staying and watching him barely walk to the car to greet us. I could tell he was happy to see us, he just couldn't get there as fast as he wanted. I am super sad about it, but I am grateful the kids are young enough that they don't understand. He was such a loving dog. We will definitely miss him!

Christmas Vacation

2009-01-01T17:38:00.001-05:00

Bad blogging...I actually wrote this last week...

2009-01-01T17:35:00.000-05:00

I just realized I haven't blogged in over a month! What have I/we been doing you ask? Well, of course there was the "family time" after John got home and then it was Thanksgiving. I cooked for 4 adults and 5 kids. It took me 3 days to get it all done! John did the usually Black Friday shopping, on that Saturday we turned in both vehicles for newer ones. Yes, we are crazy. I am driving an '08 Ford Explorer and John is driving an '03 Pontiac Grand Prix. Mind you, this was not my idea.
When I thought I had a few days of down time before packing to drive to Michigan, John decides to take a few extra days of leave to start our trip earlier. But, before we left JJ wasn't feeling so hot so I took him in and he had bronchitis and pneumonia. Luckily, he got better before we left. We finally arrive in Michigan and Maddie starts a fever and feeling crappy so I had to take her into urgent care to find an ear infection. We have never had an ear infection in the house before. The next day JJ gets the runs and more fever for two days. So the first week of MI was shot with illnesses and recuperation time.
We spent the first few days at my dad's, then headed up to John's dad's, and now we are at my mom's. It's the only place I'll have the net on our vacation. We head back to KS on the 29th. I have a camera, not sure if I brought the cord so I can't promise any pictures anytime soon!

Welcome Home! For a little while anyway...

2008-11-17T21:19:00.003-05:00

My First Video Blog!

2008-11-16T18:21:00.002-05:00