Morning with Friends

For as big of a personality as my little guy has, he really is a little guy. It's so funy to see him play with his friends because so often they look like Mutt and Jeff together and Collin is always Mutt. Hmm...maybe he'll continue to not realize how much smaller he is than everyone else and it won't be issue. Apparently, the mind trick worked for his dad :)

Some great friends of mine came over this morning. I taught with Megan and Sarah for a few years and we have developed a wonderful friendship. Not only are we all teachers (were all teachers, we all stay home now which is why we can have coffee at 9 on a Wednesday morning), but we're also all military wives. It's given us such a great connection and a wonderful support beyond our individual units. They are truly a blessing to me.
We had a wonderful morning watching the boys play together and catching up. The best part is that if Sarah and I get too bored in Jacksonville we can just pack up and head to Hawaii - at least we'll have a floor to sleep on there (housing in Hawaii leaves much to be desired as far as square footage goes). Watch out Megan you may get a call from the airport :)

Monkey See, Monkey Do

I must begin this post by noting that I did NOT pose this picture. However, as I rushed to capture this hilarious moment on film the reality of all that it represents began to set in.

First, and foremost, my child is watching, and mimicking everything that I do. The responsibility of parenthood seems to be increasing exponentially everyday. Not that I didn't realize that my child would watch what I do and listen to what I say. I just didn't realize he would do these things so accurately and with such attention to detail. I must say I'm a little embarrassed, as I publish this post, to admit that I obviously spend a lot of time sitting in the recliner typing on the computer. My son has his own toy laptop, which he is using in this photo. He hasn't played with it much, but today decided that as I was fixing lunch he had work to do. So, he promptly grabbed his laptop, climbed into the recliner and began to work. He was also unphased, and maybe even a little annoyed as I chuckled and took pictures when I noticed what he was doing. He thought what he was doing was perfectly appropriate. It is however what he sees mommy (and, in my defense, daddy) do regularly. So, why wouldn't he do the same? And I guess that's just it - am I really doing things regularly that I want my child to do as well? I have never subscribed to the "do as I say, not as I do" method of parenting. So, here I sit, a very imperfect person and therefore imperfect parent, trying to analyze the habits I want my son to mimick and those that I need to stop so that he won't try to mimick them.

In addition to this reflection on parenting (and my own shortcomings) I also had a realization of how truly different the world is today than it was when I grew up (and I'm not that old :). I remember when I was teaching middle school the principal was always reminding us that we (the teachers and administrators) are technology immigrants and our students are technology natives. We have learned the language, and in some cases speak it well, but we'll always struggle a little and have an accent. The generation behind us, however, doesn't know anything else. Collin will never know a world without the internet or cell phones. He'll never know a world without the internet ON your cell phone. He'll never know a home without a computer (or two or three). He'll never know film, VHS tapes, portable CD players - those things that were such a big deal when I was young. He'll never know a world without facebook, online library book renewal. He'll never know Encyclopedia Brittanica. WOW!! It is truly amazing.

Again, I don't think I'm that old, but when I begin to examine all of the technological advances that have become common place in my lifetime it is astounding and no wonder that my students always thought I was so old. Good grief, Collin will think I grew up in the dark ages. Then, I think of my grandmother who is 87 years old and still mows her own grass with a push mower and can find her way around the computer and the internet as well as the rest of us, and oh the stories she has about the changes SHE has seen in her lifetime. She remembers when her family first got a car. If we've come that far in her lifetime, what on earth is coming in the rest of mine?????

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLLIN!!

Today is Collin's 2nd birthday. It is so hard to believe that 2 years ago he entered our world. Robert and I have never been the same. It never ceases to amaze me as I look back through pictures over the last two years how much he has grown so quickly. Even pictures from just a few months ago show a totally different child. WOW, time is just flying by!

We celebrated Collin's birthday with a party at the beginning of the month. Today was a little more low key. We had a play date this morning with some of our friends, complete with Thomas the Train cupcakes and a candle (thank you Ms. Betsy). We spent the afternoon playing at home and topped it off with chicken nuggets and french fries for dinner (gotta love an easy to please two year old) - his favorite meal.
Since he is still working on how to say words he kept calling today his "Happy Day" and he wanted "Happy Day cake" all day today. He is too precious for words. He talks non-stop (I know that's hard to believe) and just when I've had about as much as I can take he wraps his arms around my legs and says, "I nudge (love) you mommy." Then all is well with the world. He makes all well with my world :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY COLLIN! Your mommy and daddy love you more than anything else. You are our happy place. Our wish for you this year is that you continue to explore and love life with all of the energy and excitement that you do now.

Flight Suit Party

The girls were out in style Friday night, dawning a new style of flight suit. I'm not sure the Marine Corps is interested in adopting our adaptations to their uniform, but we thought it looked good. Complete with fur, flowers and leather flight jackets we took the Air Station Officer's Club by storm.



All smiles and kisses we played and danced the evening away. The music was great! The DJ even taught us how to "walk it out." I won't be posting those pictures :) The drinks were better, but the company was best.


We posed and smiled and danced for pictures to show our hubbies. It was a great way to kick off a new year full of promise, friendship and unending blessings. You usually don't have to go far on a military base to understand just how blessed you are.

It was a great way to kick off a new year full of friendship, promise and unending blessings. It always seems that no matter the amount of fun happening on base, the ever present roar of an airplane engine or shutter of a canon is a reminder of just how blessed we trully are.

So, we raised our glasses (actuall theirs, seeing lipstick stains and amaretto sours for the first time :) to the men who love us, the ones who serve and protect us all, and the crazy women who stand next to them with an undying love.

Visit with Papa and Kaka

We had a great visit with my parents this week. They came in last Saturday and just left this morning. Collin loves his time with Papa and Kaka. He gets to go to Chuck E Cheese and play his favorite games (the ones where you can push buttons,


throw balls,



or turn a steering wheel.


I think the steering wheel infatuation may be my fault. Maybe you shouldn't put the toddler in your lap as you pull the car from the driveway into the garage. All he wants to do is drive, every time we go to get in the car. YIKES!

Collin and my parents also indulged me with some retail therapy :) The three of them entertained each other so I could shop.

To top off our shopping day we had lunch at a great, waterfront restaurant that had a fish tank. Collin loves fish. So he and Kaka spent time identifying and making up names for all of the fish in the tank.

It was a great week and we really enjoyed the time. Collin has been looking for his "papakaka" all morning. He misses them as much as I know they miss him.

The Soldier's Prayer

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the LORD, who is my refuge-
10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, etc...

Since I uploaded the pictures for this comprehensive post in the WRONG order I guess I'll be writing from most recent back. It's been awhile I know. Life has been busy, wonderfully busy, but busy none the less. We ended this whirlwind holiday season with a wonderful visit with our friends Robyn and Eric. They live in a beautiful area in the mountains of VA. It was great! Even though it didn't snow while we were there, there was a lot of snow still on the ground. Collin loved it. He kept touching it saying, "Ooh, cold!" We got to tour the grounds of SweetBriar College, where Robyn works. It is a gorgeous campus and holds such neat traditions and history. Then, it was off for lunch in a neat little downtown area. The next day we did something much more up Collin's ally. The children's museum in Lynchburg was great! It was four floors of hands-on, educational experiences. Uncle Big E showed Collin the display of the water cycle of the area, as their boat left the creeks coming out of the mountain, through the locks, into the river down to the Lynchburg waterfront. Once there they were even able to make it rain over the city :)


Then, our aspiring doctor used a stethoscope to listen to daddy's heart.


Before making it to downtown Lynchburg we made an attempt to drive there on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We went widing up the mountain only to find the Parkway iced over and closed. Our winding drive was well worth it anyway though. The view was gorgeous! You can't see it so much for the trees, but it was beautiful. We only got it out for a minute though because it was FREEZING!

Just before we went to Robyn and Eric's we celebrated Collin's 2nd birthday. Wow, how time flies! I'll save those sentiments for his actual birthday post :) We celebrated a little early this year with a sports party. There were soccer balls, footballs, baseballs...you name it, we had it. Collin got a slide for his birthday. It's pretty cool, if I do say so. There is a "rock wall" on one side to get to th slide and then netting on the other. He loves it! He couldn't have cared less that it was 25 degrees outside and windy. He had a blast!

The birthday party was a great way to end a wonderful holiday vacation. We spent Christmas morning and the days leading up with my family. We all met at my grandmother's house to celebrate Christmas. This year I think Robert and I had way more fun shopping and preparing for Christmas than Collin had Christmas morning.

He loved it though. We did end up caving in and waking him up - ha!ha!! Who is the real child here? He was a little groggy when he first came out, but good call on Robert's part not to wrap Collin's presents. He was so excited!! He saw the baseball set first, then the basketball goal, then the big Thomas the Train tent. He just went nuts! It was a blast! Then, we were off to the Wickers' to celebrate Christmas with them. We had a wonderful time with both families. Uncle Paul gave us quite the scare right before Christmas, so it was really nice to have some quality time with him and see him on the mend.

The Christmas holiday has always been special. It is, by far, my favorite time of year. Now, with Collin, it is taking on a whole new meaning. As we go from receiver (let's not pretend that we don't receive, we still have wonderful Santas, it's just not the focus anymore) to giver and our joy becomes the joy of our child, Christmas has gotten a renewed sense of wonder and excitement. Then again, every holiday, every season, (who am I kidding) everyDAY has gotten a renewed sense of wonder and excitement.