The Wallace's

Playing catch-up...

2012-01-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, I realize I haven't posted anything since September of last year. I am going to attempt to catch up to the here and now, so please bear with me! As you can imagine, there's a lot to write about, and even more photos to sort through of these past 4 1/2 months. Post dates are going to be a little wonky, too, but it will all even out eventually, I hope!

*fingers crossed*

Eli's Outfits - Late September Edition

2011-09-22T09:56:00.000-06:00

"Super E!"

He has some weird inclination that with a name like Eli, it is requisite that he plays football. Either that, or it's his parents' obsession with the sport. One of the two.

Music Video.

2011-09-21T13:53:00.000-06:00

Brady is really into music, especially Brett's music. I caught him singing along to one of his recent favorites, and I just had to post it. It's kinda long (3+ minutes), but it's downright hilarious!

Random Photos - September

2011-09-20T09:19:00.040-06:00

I take a lot of photos with my iPhone. It's always handy and easy to whip out quickly, which works out well since my boys make for much better candid photo subjects than posed. Unfortunately, I usually have more photos of Eli than I do Brady because he is in school all day, but here are some random photos I've take of them during September.

Waiting for the bus.

Chillin' in Mommy's robe.

Eli really wanted to be a butterfly.

A pause from wrestling to take a photo.

Eli was too lazy to find socks. I guess fruit snack wrappers were the next best thing.

Who needs a bench press when you've got little boys?!

Eli loves to wait outside for Brady to get home from school. He stands with open arms, excited to give Brady a big hug after getting off of the school bus. I love that my boys love each other so much!

Back-to-school Night

2011-09-08T13:41:00.001-06:00

We had the chance to visit Brady's school for their "Back to School Night." He showed us around the school and his classroom, and we got to hear his teacher tell us about what the kids' day is normally like. It was fun to better understand the things that Brady is always telling us about at the end of every day. :-)

(please forgive the blurry photos... sometimes my phone isn't the ideal camera.) :-)

My big boy!

Waiting to hear from the principal.

Brady and his locker.

Ms. Sullivan (on the left) telling us about their daily schedule.

Being in this school and knowing I have a kindergartener is still so surreal!

Rain, Rain, Rain

2011-09-07T12:55:00.001-06:00

We have been getting so much rain!

If you can't beat it, join it!

Kindergarten!!

2011-09-01T13:50:00.006-06:00

I can't believe my little Brady is in school! He has been so excited for so long and the day finally came for him to take this giant step into the world of a student. He had to wait longer than most kids because of school being cancelled for a few days (due to the hurricane), so when the day finally arrived, I don't think he could have been more excited.

The night before the big day, he laid out his oufit for his first day of school. He was so thrilled to finally be able to wear his new clothes and shoes.

The next morning, he was up way earlier than he needed to be because he was just so excited. We took our time getting ready and eating breakfast.

I made the mistake of letting him get dressed BEFORE he ate breakfast, and as we were taking a few pictures, I noticed that he had already gotten food all over his shirt. (You can't see it in the photo, but trust me, it was definitely noticeable in person. :-))

Needless to say, he had to change his shirt. I couldn't have him starting his school career as the messy kid! Ha ha!

We all walked to the bus stop together. Brett went into work late so that he could be there for Brady's first day.

Brady was so ecstatic! He couldn't contain his silliness.

Brady and his proud daddy...

It was hard holding back the emotions. I can't believe how quickly this day had come!

This was the really hard part - watching him get on the bus. It was weird putting him in someone else's hands and trusting them to get him to the right place. He's such a little guy on such a big bus!

I'm so relieved that he was excited about this event. I worried that he would cry and not want to leave by himself. What a brave, happy boy I have!

There he goes!

A Hurricane and a Birthday

2011-08-27T19:29:00.000-06:00

Happy 3rd Birthday, Eli!! Poor Eli had to share his birthday with Hurricane Irene. She definitely put a big damper on things, but I don't think Eli noticed TOO much. He was a bit bummed when we tried to go get his birthday dinner from Chick-fil-a only to find that they closed super early because of the storm. We ended up having to go next door to Wendy's. Thankfully they were still open.

When we got home, we ate and let Eli open a couple of gifts. Our friends, the Pfeifer's, were going to brave the deteriorating weather to come have cake and ice cream with us, so we saved the excitement of the rest of the gifts for when they came over.

Unfortunately, the power went out just after Eli finished blowing out his candles. Crazy timing, huh?

We opened gifts, ate the cake and ice cream, and then let the Pfeifer's get back to their home before the weather got any worse. There wasn't much for us to do after that but watch the worsening storm.

The storm wasn't even at its worst, and already our power had gone out and our fence had blown over. We were in for a long night ahead!

Eli's Outfits - "Natural Disaster" Edition

2011-08-26T14:30:00.005-06:00

I don't know if it had anything to do with the earthquake and hurricane we experienced in one week's time, but Eli felt like sporting around some sort of helmet/life jacket combo. Maybe he wanted to protect his head from falling objects while making sure he could stay afloat from any flooding.

I don't think he realizes that his outfit won't do him any good if things are on backwards.

You can never be too prepared while riding your tricycle.

Mr. Toad

2011-08-14T11:50:00.032-06:00

We have been getting lots and lots of rain, and one day, because of all that rain, a big ol' toad made his way into our yard. The boys were so excited to catch him (or her, I guess) and play with him a bit. Unfortunately, I didn't get super good photos of them because it was so humid outside, my camera fogged up just as soon as I brought it out. Here are my attempts at taking pictures. :-)

Getting up close and personal.

Eli wanted a good look, too.

I picture him saying, "What have I gotten myself into?"

A jar, Mr. Toad. You've gotten yourself into a jar.

Eli tried feeding him some grass. He wasn't interested.

When the boys finally sat him down, he hopped to the porch screen and peeked in.

"Let me in! Let me in!"

Lone trip to Utah

2011-07-23T09:52:00.005-06:00

Around the middle of July, I had the opportunity to visit Utah all by myself. My sister, Paige, flew me out as an early birthday surprise for my mom. She had no idea I was coming! My other sister, Cyd, knew I was coming, and my dad had only found out a couple of days before, so it was fun being able to make it such a surprise. Brett took the week off to take care of the boys, and I got to just relax and enjoy some much-needed time with my family. I felt very fortunate to be able to do this, and I owe it all to my wonderful sister, Paige. She and the rest of my family definitely spoiled me while I was in town. I didn't get many photos, but here are the few that I snapped. :-)

The Surprise.

Me and Drakie. I miss that little guy.

First item of business after the surprise: Dinner at In 'n Out!

On a drive up the canyon, we came across this skinny lady. With how lush and green everything was, I'm amazed she didn't have more meat on her.

We spent much of the week just relaxing by Paige's pool.

Girl's night in, complete with toenail painting and The Bachelorette.

Cosette finishing off my breakfast for me.

Me and the Chubba Con. This was my first chance to be around the little guy since he was born last September. I fell in love immediately.

I was able to go up to my in-laws for a couple of hours one morning. My wonderful nieces and nephews that were there visiting drew me this sweet picture in the backyard. Love you, too, guys!

My friend's sister just opened a cupcake shop around the corner from where my grandma lives, so we stopped in for a few sweet treats.

My parents' newest addition to the family - Gus. He is the sweetest dog, ever!

On one of the days, Paige, Cyd, my mom, and I went up to Park City and Paige treated me to a little shopping spree. She had done something similar for my mom and Cyd at other times and wanted to do the same for me. I felt so incredibly spoiled and I hope that someday I can do something just as nice for her.

Just before I left for the airport, my dad decided he wanted to get the kids together for a photo. I sure miss my siblings. It will be a while before we're all together again. *Tear*

Philly with the Pfeifers

2011-07-09T14:40:00.000-06:00

On this weekend, we had intended on going up to Palmyra, NY for the Hill Cumorah Pageant, but it fell through. We decided on the next best thing: a day trip up to Philadelphia! We drove up with the Pfeifer's, all 7 of us piling into their van, and had a great day!

Our first stop was Reading Terminal Market for lunch. We had heard very good things about DiNic's (and have seen it on various food/travel shows) and knew we wanted to try it out. Lucky for us, the Pfeifer's share our love of food, so this trip was all about eating! :-)

They were definitely some of the best sandwiches we've ever had!

After the market, we drove over to the US Mint for a tour. I strongly advise NOT going to do that if you're ever in Philly. It's in the middle of a re-vamp (I don't know what they can possibly do to make it interesting, though), and it's not even in operation on the weekends when most people take the time to visit it. It was definitely a waste of time. We couldn't even take any photos while inside, but it wouldn't have been worth photographing anyway, sadly.

After that, we walked across the street to the cemetery where Benjamin Franklin is buried. Unfortunately, you have to pay to go into the cemetery, so I just snapped some photos from outside the fence.

The Mint is on the left. Cemetery on the right.

After the cemetery, we walked a mile or so to the Franklin Fountain - another food destination we've seen on various food/travel shows. It's a very small ice cream shop and the line was out the door and around the building. It was definitely worth the wait, though. Best banana split I've ever had (and the most expensive, unfortunately). It was worth it.

Waiting in line. Thankfully, we were in the shade!

Mmmmm....

After the ice cream, we walked back to the car and drove to the city center so that Brett could get a photo with the Rocky statue. I don't know why, but it was one of those things he has always wanted to do. Mark that off of the bucket list, I guess!

He had to get a photo by himself.

I can almost hear "Eye of the Tiger"...

My handsome boys.

I don't know what Angela was doing, but you gotta love 'er!

Philly.

For our final stop of the day, we headed to the Hard Rock so I could add another hurricane glass to my collection. :-)

I'm so glad we took this little day trip. We had so much fun and definitely added some great memories to our summer.

Backyard Basketball

2011-07-07T13:39:00.000-06:00

Brett's friend Robb and his boys came over one evening and decided to shoot around at the basketball court behind our neighborhood. I happened to grab a few photos of them and the crazy storm that was going on in the background.

There was a crazy pink sun setting in the distance.

Gotta love the fact that these guys love being outside, rain or shine.

4th of July Celebration

2011-07-04T21:56:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July. We got to spend it with some of our closest friends that made it extra fun. We BBQ'ed with the Pfeifer's, and then met up with the Clark's and Rees' for the Ft. Meade activities and fireworks.

Brady and Tull having a little heart-to-heart.

Zappa did not like my camera. She started growling at it whenever the lens moved in and out to focus.

Goofy dog.

Using the little "poppers" on the back porch. Shhh! Don't tell! (We aren't allowed to do any kind of firework on Ft. Meade.)

The gang's all here!

Waiting in line for the bouncy slide.

Brett took it upon himself to help Eli go down the slide...

...and sent him down on his own...

...so that he could enjoy the slide himself!

Brady had a blast!

I don't think Kya was having as much fun as Maren was.

Eli didn't want to go by himself the second time.

My little rock climber.

He smacked the buzzer and took off down the slippery slope.

One of Eli's favorite pastimes: being chased around by Angela.

Brady was in heaven. I wish we could get him one of these machines for the backyard. :-)

Eli had fun, too.

Waiting for the fireworks to begin.

Great seats!

We felt so fortunate to be here this year. Fort Meade puts on a great celebration and it was so fun to have some great friends to share it with.

Tire Park!

2011-07-02T21:50:00.009-06:00

Due to our unfortunate camping trip planning, we had a bunch of food for a couple of meals that we had planned to share with the other families that were supposed to go camping with us. We decided that we had to get out and do something with it, even if it wasn't camping overnight anywhere. We ended up driving out to Patapsco State Park with our friends the Clarks and the Walkers to a tire park/picnic area and decided to do the dutch oven meal we had originally planned for the camping trip. It was our first time at the park and it was a lot of fun. It was a hot day, so that put a bit of a damper on things, but luckily there was a lot of shade from the trees.

The kids had a ton of fun climbing on all of the tires.

Big kids, too.

Eli Walker and Eli Wallace were practically inseparable while we were at the park.

Brady trying to be tricky on the big slide.

The Clark girls!

What would a tire park be without a tire swing?

Lots of good places to rest after all the running around.

After we played around a the park for a while, Brett realized that he had forgotten one of the main components for our meal. He had to find a store nearby to go grab it, making it take a while before we could actually get dinner started. By the time he got back, everyone was starving and we still had to cook the meal. The bad thing about being starving and doing a dutch oven meal is that it is no quick task. We thought our friends were going to skip out on us and go get fast food somewhere. :-) The kids were good sports, though, and had fun playing in the woods by the picnic area.

The master chef.

Patiently waiting for food.

By the time dinner was ready, we didn't care how hot it was and just went at it like we hadn't seen food in days. Thankfully, the dish - Dutch Oven Disaster - was worth the wait. I'm very lucky that Brett knows his way around a dutch oven. The meal was delicious! Unfortunately, I was too busy eating to remember to take a photo of it. Just know that though it looked like a big ol' "disaster," it sure was tasty!

Backyard Camping

2011-07-01T12:30:00.000-06:00

We made the mistake of trying to go camping the 4th of July weekend, and ended up not being able to find any vacant campgrounds. The boys were so disappointed (and frankly, so were Brett and I), that we decided to pitch our tent in the backyard for a night just to give the boys a chance to "camp." They loved it and actually went to bed without any problems and didn't have trouble staying asleep, either. Now, if only all camping could be as convenient as putting a tent up in your backyard. :-)

Brett enjoying a camping staple - Twizzlers!

I think it's requirement for little boys to have flashlights to play with at bedtime. At least, they seemed to think so.

And in the spirit of camping, we didn't wash up before bed, as you can see evidenced on Eli's messy face.

The next morning, the boys woke up bright and early thanks to the early morning sun.

Enjoying breakfast in the tent.

Brady is my kind of camper - he likes to have cellphone service inside of his tent.

Hopefully we can be better prepared for the next time and actually make it out of the backyard. Of course, if we have to keep it close to home, I won't complain!

Eli's Surgery

2011-06-17T09:49:00.124-06:00

On the morning of the 17th, Brett, Eli, and I checked in at the Howard County surgical center so that Eli could have his tonsils and adenoids removed. I don't think Eli really had any idea what he was in for.

He was a happy, sweet little guy all the way until they put him to sleep. He enjoyed getting dressed in his little gown and socks, and even wanted a little hat on, even though it wasn't necessary.

He had fun practicing breathing into the little mouthpiece that would help put him to sleep. They let me follow him back to the operating room and allowed me to watch them sedate him. They whisked me away before they put him under general anesthesia, though. Brett and I patiently waited in the waiting area until the doctor came to tell us how everything went. When he finally came, he said that everything went really well, and that he did end up having to put tubes in Eli's ears just to be safe. After meeting with him, we were able to go back to the recovery area to be with Eli.

The poor little guy was having a really rough time coming out of the anesthesia. He was fighting to "go home," but yet he couldn't really open his eyes and comprehend where he was. He kept trying to rip his IV out, too. We started playing some of his favorite songs on Brett's iPhone, and tried to get him to watch an episode of Little Einsteins on it as well.

It took Eli about 30-45 minutes to finally calm down to the point where he would eat some ice or drink some juice. It was 10:30 by this time, and he hadn't had anything to eat or drink since 8:00 the night before, so I knew he had to be starving.

When they finally took us to his hospital room, he got to enjoy some apple sauce and ice cream. (This photo was actually his attempt at a smile. Poor guy!)

As the numbing medicine started to wear off, I could tell he was less and less interested in eating anything despite the fact that he had to be really hungry.

They kept him on fluids intravenously, and kept pain medicine in him as well. Brett left to go be with Brady shortly after Eli and I were settled in the hospital room, and then Eli and I just relaxed.

After a while, because of all the fluids they were giving him, he ended up leaking through his diaper and soaking his clothes and his bed. When we changed his clothes, the nurse took Eli off of the IV so that he could get up and walk around. We checked out the little play room they had, grabbed a few movies from the shelves, and then resumed relaxing in Eli's room.

He eventually got to eat some real food. He loved the mac 'n cheese and the chocolate pudding. Unfortunately, the pain kept him from eating a whole lot, but he liked the variety.

He did end up napping at one point.

Eli ended up getting a bit of a fever later in the day, so to be on the safe side, they decided to put him back on the IV and keep him overnight. I wasn't too thrilled about sleeping on the pull-out bed, but I was also a little relieved to have him under the hospital's care for a little longer.

Eli and I fell asleep around 9:30ish that night. Sometime around 2:00 a.m., Eli woke up and must have forgotten where he was. The rustling of his bed woke me up, but by the time I could register what was going on, I was too late. He made a bee-line for the door, and before I could tell him to stop, his IV popped out of his arm and blood was dripping everywhere. I jumped out of bed and grabbed his wrist, but because I was only barely conscious, I couldn't quite figure out where to put pressure to get the bleeding to stop. I was able to call the nurse and she came in right away, but not before the floor of the room looked like a scene from CSI or something. She got Eli taken care of and decided not to worry about putting another IV in. Someone came in to clean up the floor and change Eli's gown and sheets. Amazingly, Eli went back to sleep after all of that. Thank goodness!

The next morning, we got to go home around 10. We were so anxious to leave. Eli was in really good spirits and couldn't want to go home to his toys and his bed. The hospital gave him some parting gifts of books and a box of threading cards. He thought that was pretty cool.

We were so relieved to have this surgery out of the way. Only time will tell how well recovery goes.

Family Baseball

2011-06-13T09:48:00.005-06:00

It was a beautiful evening, so that meant one thing - time to go play some baseball. Brady is a natural and loves any chance he gets to hit the ball. Eli loves to chase after the ball, so it makes for a great family activity. I get to sit back and snap photos. I definitely took a bunch this time, and I think these are some of my most favorite photos I've taken in a very long time.

Mr. Personal Trainer

2011-06-13T09:48:00.003-06:00

Brett has been diligently working out every day in our garage-turned-gym and has been helping a couple of friends get in shape as well. I thought I'd snap a few pictures of their hard work.

(Eli says the darndest things)

2011-06-13T07:12:00.005-06:00

Eli - "Paul and George are grounded." (as in "the Beatles'" Paul and George)
Me - "Why?"
Eli - "Because, they took my tonsils out and threw them in the garbage. They are in trouble."

New Beds!!

2011-06-12T09:48:00.001-06:00

We found an amazing deal on a couple of new beds for the boys from someone at Brett's work. We were able to get two convertible twin-sized beds plus the mattresses all for $90! Normally these beds sell at IKEA for $125 each, and then the mattresses are about $100 each. We couldn't believe our luck, and the boys were so excited to have new beds of their very own. Needless to say, they couldn't wait until bedtime that night!

Summer Party

2011-06-11T07:09:00.000-06:00

Our housing community here at Fort Meade threw a little summer party for the residents, complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, lots of outdoor activities, treats, and giveaways. It would have been so much fun if we could have actually tolerated the heat and humidity. :-) We did manage to grab some grub and spend some time with our good friends before we had to call it an afternoon. I don't think we lasted more than an hour, if that.

Nature Walk

2011-06-09T09:47:00.004-06:00

One morning, the boys and I just had to get out of the house. I grabbed my camera and we hit up the trail that goes behind our house. It was a very low-key nature walk, but it was nice to get out in the sunshine. Here are some photos!

Many Faces of Eli

2011-06-08T09:47:00.000-06:00

One day, while Brady was out frolicking with his neighborhood friends, Eli and I were left to ourselves inside. (We find ourselves in this situation quite a bit actually, thus the reason I always have more photos of Eli than Brady.) I pulled out my camera and just started snapping photos of Eli and all his randomness. This is a sampling of what I observed him doing...

Ask mom a question.

Try another approach.

Ask, "Are you for real?"

Laugh about nothing in particular.

Discover a dying bug on the floor and decide the fun thing to do would be to spit on it.

Pose for a photo.

Return to spitting on the bug.

June "Men's Camping/Biking Weekend"

2011-06-05T08:30:00.046-06:00

Brett and a couple of buddies took a 4-day weekend and drove to West Virginia for a man's weekend of camping and mountain biking. From the stories he told, they had a blast! Here are a few photos of their adventure!

Heading out of town!

Hitting the first trail.

I'm so glad he wears a helmet.

James trying to figure out where the heck they were.

The trail was very unkempt.

"Look, mom! No hands!"

Brady sent along Cozy Kitty to make sure Daddy wasn't lonely.

A better way of biking...

In better spirits after a rough ride the day before.

The nighttime was full of bugs.

Playing cards to pass the time.

The beautiful little river that ran next to their campsite. I guess it made for a good way to cool off/clean up after the intense mountain biking.

A simple shot of the campsite.

These beauties were everywhere!

After four days together, they still manage to like each other. :-)

Eli's tonsils are coming out!

2011-06-03T14:36:00.000-06:00

Eli's tonsils are huge. They always have been. We never thought anything of it because the doctors never seemed to pay much attention to them, nor does Eli ever get sick enough to need to see the doctor other than his regular well-child visits.

Well, a few weeks ago, a friend of mine was telling me about how her son was going in to have his adenoids and tonsils removed. She was telling me about how he snores badly, doesn't eat well, and a few other symptoms. It got me thinking...Eli is the exact same way. He doesn't eat well at all, even if it's something he likes, he snores to the point where he keeps Brady awake at night, he would occasionally wake up from naps coughing like he was choking on something, and like I said before, his tonsils were enormous, almost to the point of touching. I figured it was high-time I made him a doctor's appointment to figure out if there really is something wrong.

Sure enough, there are problems. His adenoids are blocking off the back of his throat making it difficult for him to breathe through his nose when he eats (it's like trying to eat when you are extremely congested), and they are also blocking off the drainage tubes from his ears, causing there to be fluid in his ears. Not only did the doctor tell me all this, but he also noticed that Eli mouth-breathes, something I had never noticed before. I wish I could have recognized all of his symptoms sooner. I just thought that he was a bad eater and that his snoring was just something that some kids did. Eli will go in for surgery on the 17th to have his tonsils and adenoids removed, and they may have to put tubes in his ears as well. We'll know a couple of days before the surgery if the tubes are necessary.

I'm quite relieved that they found something wrong. Hopefully Eli's quality of life will improve greatly, or, if nothing else, I just hope he will start to enjoy eating food!

Eli's Outfits - "Adventures in Accessorizing"

2011-05-20T09:26:00.002-06:00

Hello! It's been a while, but welcome to the latest installment of "Eli's Outfits!" Today's outfit is brought to you by the fact that we had to take Brett to work this morning.

What would a car ride be without a backpack, rainboots, and a football helmet. (Anyone else thinking of "Benny & Joon" right now? 'Course, Joon's helmet wasn't of the football nature, but I digress.) At least Eli knows how to color-coordinate with his jammies!

Our neighbor was getting home at the same time we were headed out the door. He got a good laugh at Eli's creativity, as did we all!

Family Outing - D.C. Temple

2011-05-02T07:08:00.002-06:00

We decided to take a nice family outing to the D.C. Temple on Saturday afternoon. It was the perfect day! We walked around and enjoyed the sunshine, the cool breeze, and the beauty all around us. We took many, many photos, too. I hope you like lots of photos, 'cause here they are!

"Look at the angel, Mommy!"

Eli thought this bush/tree/thingy was a monster.

My only regret is that we didn't get a photo of all four of us together. I guess that means a return visit soon!

Oh, and to make the day even more perfect - after months and months of waiting - we were able to grab this for dinner:

It was such a wonderful day!

Big Boy Bike

2011-05-02T06:51:00.004-06:00

Brady has decided that even though he's only had his bike for a short time, he's ready to go it without the training wheels. We've only taken him out once so far, but he did really well. We figured we'd take it slow because Brady has a tendency to want to quit when he's not having fun anymore, thus making it difficult to get him to try it again another day. He was still enjoying himself when we decided to call it a day, but he was eager to get home and continue practicing another evening.

Learning to mount his bike without the help of training wheels.

Here he goes!

Daddy removing his support for the first time.

The balance was very short-lived.

He's determined to keep trying, though!

"I'm doing it, Mommy!"

There's the excitement we've been waiting for!

Now, we just need to keep practicing. Brady will be a pro in no time!

Easter Eggs

2011-05-02T06:34:00.005-06:00

We had a very low-key Easter - just the way I like it. We colored eggs the day before, hunted for them Sunday morning, then went to church and focused on the real reason for the occasion.

Big "B" = Brett. Little "b" = Brady.

On Easter morning, the boys had to hunt for their baskets before they could start the hunt for eggs.

Brady found his basket in the dryer...

Eli found his in his favorite hiding spot - the pots-and-pans cabinet.

It was very soggy outside from the rain the day before, so all the eggs were hidden in the house. Unfortunately, there weren't really any good photos taken of the boys finding eggs, but I'm sure you can imagine how much fun they had! :-)

So, that was our Easter in an egg shell... I mean... nut shell.

Just some photos - Spring!

2011-05-01T18:42:00.005-06:00

We have been taking full advantage of the wonderful weather we've been having (when it's not raining, of course). I have been taking lots of photos, but they aren't really of anything in particular, so this is a post of just a jumble of photos. Enjoy!

Burba Lake/Park
We decided to grab some lunch and enjoy a nice day at the little lake on base. It was such a beautiful day, we could not pass up the opportunity.

There were some Earth Day festivities going on, so we walked over to see what fun things we could find. The boys were super excited to find the Moon Bounce.

Duck bums. There isn't much else that's cuter than that.

The Afflac duck was on hiatus while they find his/her voice.

Not bad, eh?

Home again!

Random photos:

It wouldn't be Spring without making wishes on the dandelions...

Or without mountain-biking rides through the mud...

Or without taking time to lay in the new grass.

And now that Eli has figured out how to open the gate...

It wouldn't be Spring without having to keep tabs on him at all times! Ha ha!

Bye Bye, Blankie

2011-04-06T19:11:00.000-06:00

Brady knew this day was coming. I told him that as soon as he turned five, he had to give up his blanket for good. He protested, but I told him that we wouldn't throw it away, we would just save it in storage for him to keep forever and ever. He seemed cool with that.

The day after his birthday, I really wanted to get some final photos of him with his beloved. I decided to turn the photo session into his final goodbye. See for yourself!

This blanket has given Brady lots and lots of comfort. Just look at it!

Whispering his final goodbyes

One last hug and caress.

Goodbye Blankie!

Even Eli mourned Brady's loss. He was very distraught that Brady had to give up is favorite blanket.

Little does Eli know, his blanket will be next in a short 2 1/2 years! Mwah ha ha ha ha!

More from Brady's Birthday

2011-04-05T17:35:00.000-06:00

Because Brady's birthday fell on Conference Sunday, we took the time between the morning and afternoon sessions to walk around Patapsco State Park. Well, Brett, Eli, and I walked while Brady rode his new bike. It was such a beautiful day and the plant life was starting to turn green. It was interesting seeing the bright green ground cover, with it's little yellow and purple flowers, against the dead-looking trees. It was a great way to spend the afternoon, though.

He's ready and rarin' to go!

If that's not an expression of pure delight, I don't know what is.

Trying to catch up with Brady while admiring the scenery.

*Gratuitous calf shot*
Sorry.

My boys.

See, I really was there after all!

Eli wants to be with his big brother more than anyone else.

Watching the train just before we headed back to the car.

I can't wait to go back to Patapsco to see the trees in all their bright green glory. We love Maryland in the Spring!

Brady turns 5!!

2011-04-03T07:11:00.000-06:00

Brady turned 5 on April 3rd. It's been a week and a half and I haven't been able to come to terms with it. He's getting so big! Because his birthday fell on a Sunday, we were able to spread out the festivities over a couple of days. There are lots of photos!

This is what we did on Saturday...

Brady really wanted ribs for his birthday meal, so we figured it would be better to get a couple of slabs from Costco rather than going out to a restaurant. He really liked that idea because not only would he get more ribs at home, but he could also have two of his other favorite things - strawberries with fruit dip, and chips on the side.

After dinner, we went to the trail so the boys could play with their "spiky balls."

Eli's hit him in the head a lot.

We told Brady that he could open one gift before bed, even though it wasn't officially his birthday yet.

He got a lava lamp that we thought would be fun as a night light.

Unfortunately, it was a little TOO bright as a night light. He still thought it was fun, though!

The next day, on his actual birthday, we let him open his gifts first thing in the morning so he could enjoy them all day long.

He loved the crayons and other art supplies from Grandma and Grandpa Wallace.

He was super excited to get more Legos. Thanks Meema and Papa!

Sidewalk chalk... The kid loves to draw.

And his most favorite thing had to have been the new bike and helmet.

Aside from still being in his jammies, he's ready to ride!

First time out!

"Look Mom! Daddy showed me how to brake!"

Eli really wanted a turn, too.

First crash!

Later that night, we did birthday cake. I'm rather fortunate right now that Brady is so easily pleased. We forgot the ice cream, and Brady's birthday cake wasn't anything super fancy, but it was everything he said he wanted - green with sprinkles.

Happy Birthday, B. D.! We are so grateful to have you in our lives! You bless us every day with your sweet personality and eager-to-please attitude. You are such a wonderful big brother and Eli can't get enough of you! We love you so much!

Basketball Season Comes to a Close

2011-03-25T18:40:00.004-06:00

Brett was able to participate in the intramural basketball league here on base. They did a great job all season and ended up coming in second, if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, the last night of games was brutal on the team. They had to play two games in a row and our guys were running on empty. I'm sad that this is the night I chose to take photos, but oh well! :-)

Eli insisted on wearing his basketball shorts and basketball shoes like Daddy.

Taking a little break.

Trying to give the team a little pep talk.

Frustrated.

Our good friends, the Ness family were also there. James played with Brett, Anna and I got to chat, and the boys got to play with their favorite friend, Chloe! Since the game wasn't going so well, I turned the camera on the kids.

Waiting for Eli to strike...

Here he comes...

"Got you!"

Please observe the ham in the middle.

He decided to turn on the drama. Nothing was wrong. He just wanted to look mad.

Best buddies!

And the season came to a close. Everyone was sad about it, especially Brady.

The Invalid

2011-03-22T16:21:00.004-06:00

For Family Home Evening on Monday, we joined a few families at a fellow ward member's home. We had a nice lesson and then spent the rest of the time visiting and watching the kids play on the trampoline. Just before we were getting ready to leave, Brady started crying and complaining that his leg really hurt. He told us that another child had accidentally jumped on his leg right above the ankle. I didn't see any visible injuries, but he couldn't walk on it or even put weight on it. We decided that it was time to go home and after checking and re-checking his leg, we figured that maybe it would feel better in the morning.

The next morning, it wasn't feeling any better despite the fact that there were no visible signs of injury - no bruises, no swelling, nothing. I called the doctor's office to ask them what I should do. They suggested going to an urgent care center for x-rays just to be safe. Brett was able to leave work for a bit so that he could take Brady and I could stay home with Eli.

It turns out that they couldn't find anything wrong, but wrapped his leg in an Ace bandage anyway and gave him a couple of stickers for being a good patient. Brady made sure to milk his injury for all it was worth.

The invalid.

Crawling to the door to see if his friends were outside.

By the afternoon, he was begging to go outside with his friends. I figured if he could get around, he could play. He hobbled along after his friends and I just knew that his leg would be A.O.K.

Super Moon!

2011-03-19T16:20:00.006-06:00

When I heard that the moon was going to be the biggest it's been in 18 years, I wanted to take full advantage and get some fun shots. I told the boys about it and they wanted to see it, too! We went up to the field behind our place - a perfect spot because it provided a great view of the horizon. I had checked the times for the moonrise, so we walked on up with camera, tripod, and binoculars in hand.

Brady spent almost the entire day playing outside with friends. I guess I didn't realize that the weather is getting to the point where sunscreen is a must. Oops!

Doing push-ups like Daddy.

Doing a jig. (Does anyone else hear castanets?)

Crazy kid!

It turned out that we went to the field a little too early, though. After having a little bit of fun, we headed back to the house for about 20 more minutes, and this time dressed a little warmer for the real viewing time. We were able to see the moon just as it was rising and it was pretty cool. Brady couldn't quite grasp that it was the moon because not only was it huge, but it was orange! He and Eli thought that was pretty cool.

(This is the best photo I could get of the moon as it was rising.)

Eli couldn't stop talking about "The big orange moon!" I attempted to take some good photos, but I forgot to bring my tripod with me, so when I got home to view the photos on my computer, they didn't turn out as great as I had hoped. Oh well. It was still fun to share this experience with the boys. I went out a little later in the night and was able to get this photo:

Maybe in 18 more years, I will have better photography skills and get to capture the moon the way I had originally hoped to.

Friends

2011-03-18T16:21:00.003-06:00

With the weather warming up, the kids are out in swarms. We have a lot of kids in our little cul-de-sac/circle and Brady always looks forward to going out to play with them. He has a couple of kids that come by regularly - Sienna (6) and Carson (7) - and I'm so glad he has them to play with. I had my camera out so that I could catch a few shots of the kids playing, and Sienna suggested I take a group photo of them all. I was happy to oblige!

Sienna also wanted a lone photo.

Eli loves Sienna, and Sienna loves Eli.

Here Brady and Carson are figuring out clues they drew with chalk on the sidewalk.

Here is the grumpy old man peeking out to see what the hoodlums are doing in his yard.

St. Patty's Day

2011-03-17T16:19:00.002-06:00

Silly little holidays like this always make for a fun way to incorporate two of my favorite things - food and photos! They aren't necessarily one in the same, however.

We made green pancakes and ate them on green plates, then we drank green "swamp juice" in green cups. For dinner, we had shepherd's pie (not pictured) for a more Irish-y kind of fare.

Yes, I know strawberries aren't green, but they are red, and red is complementary to green, is it not? :-)

"Swamp juice"

So, that was the food... Here are the photos! It was another beautiful day, so I thought I would snap some pictures of the boys enjoying the sunshine.

Races.

Trying to mow Mommy over, but she jumped out of the way just in time, every time!

Peek-a-boo!

The days are longer!

2011-03-13T16:19:00.005-06:00

To celebrate the end of Daylight Savings Time, we decided that after church we would drive over to Patapsco State Park to enjoy the beautiful weather and the extra hour of sunlight. Granted, things are still brown and boring, but it was so nice to be out of the house and around nature.

Once we arrived (it's only a 20-minute drive, or so), we took a five-minute (well, more like 10-minute) hike with the boys up to a little waterfall. The boys loved throwing rocks in the water and climbing over the bigger boulders. I was just paranoid they were going to fall in! It was fun to take some pictures, though. I can't wait until Spring when everything turns green. This wooded area is so pretty even when it's brown - I can't imagine how beautiful it will be when it's in bloom! Here's a lot of photos...

This was all Brett's idea.

Side note: Brett has been losing a lot of weight. These jeans are only a couple months old (after needing new ones from previous weight loss), and he's already shrinking out of these! He'll kill me for posting this, but I'm proud of him and the hard work it has taken to get to this point.

I'm so glad we learned of this great place. It is the closest thing we have to "going up the canyon," and it will be fun to make it a regular outing.

Getting Out

2011-03-10T16:19:00.006-07:00

On a rainy Thursday, after we attended story time at the library, we decided to take full advantage of having the car. (We only have one, and most days Brett takes it to work.)
We went to the PXtra to grab a birthday gift for Brady's friend, stopped by the PX for wrapping paper, grabbed some ice cream from Baskin Robbins...

...stopped by the Commissary for some dinner ingredients (where we had a short lesson on honesty and staying close to Mommy), and then headed over to the one of the base housing community centers for some indoor sports fun. It is our "gym," as the boys call it. It is a great place for them to run around, and they love being able to kick their soccer balls and throw the footballs as much as they want without having to worry about breaking something. :-) I like it because it's more of a confined space and I can keep tabs on them easier. Of course, when the weather gets nicer and the grass dries out, we'll move things outside. Until then, this is the perfect place!

I have to admit, this was a more ambitious day for all of us, especially since it was raining cats and dogs outside. It felt great to be out of the house and doing something different. It would be nice to make it a habit, but we'll see.

Here's a little video of the boys playing for all those interested grandparents... :-)

The Cat in the Hat

2011-03-10T08:07:00.004-07:00

In honor of Read Across America, our on-post library had a special story time that included a special visit from none other than the Cat in the Hat!

The kids were a little creeped out at first, but the "Cat" did a great job and made it fun for everyone. You'll have to forgive the picture quality. I was too chicken to bring out the big camera, so I took a bunch with my phone. :-)

At one point, Eli got a little creeped out and wanted to be in the safety of my lap.

After the stories were over, they sang some songs...

And got to color some Dr. Seuss pictures.

I think they had a great time! I'm so glad we have the library so close and that they provide these fun activities.

More Funny Sayings...

2011-03-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

Just some Brady and Eli-isms...

Brady (pointing out cattails along the side of the road):
"Look, Mom! Hot dog flowers!"

Eli (upon seeing a body-building magazine in the checkout aisle of the grocery store): "Mommy. Big, yucky muscles!"
(It sounded more like "Bid yutty mussoools!")

Brady: "Mom, are you thinking what I'm thinking?!"
Me: "No, I don't think so."
Brady: "Oh. Okay."

Brady to Brett:
"Teach me how to Jimmer!"

Eli (upon wanting to play basketball with Brady):
"I wanna Jimmah!"
(I want to Jimmer!)

Romp 'n Stomp

2011-03-08T16:18:00.003-07:00

Every Tuesday, the base has a giant playgroup at the Youth Center where preschool-agers and younger can come frolic. We attend as often as we can, and after not being able to participate for over a month, I made sure that once we were all well, that would be one of our first outings. The boys always look forward to Romp 'n Stomp.

Brady loves being able to see his friend Gabby (who used to live in our circle, but recently moved)...

...and Eli just loves having so many toys at his fingertips, especially all of the riding toys.

Eli gets worn out pretty quickly. He's usually ready to go home before our time there is done.

Until next time...!

Brady is reading!

2011-03-08T06:34:00.001-07:00

I don't know how it has happened, but Brady has been getting better and better at reading. I wish I could take the credit for helping him learn to read, but he's done most of it himself. It's getting to the point where Brett and I can't spell things in front of him (in an effort to talk about things we may not want him to know about).

It has been a lot of fun helping him figure out words, and every day he surprises me with the progress he is making. Last Fall, I was having a difficult time with the fact that I hadn't gotten him into any preschools, but I think he's going to be just fine. He's one smart cookie!

Priceless Video

2011-03-07T12:25:00.002-07:00

Today, as I was going through the gazillion burned DVDs/CDs in my home - trying to figure out what was on each of them - I came across a video I didn't even know had been recorded. It was taken almost 4 1/2 years ago at my Grandpa's surprise birthday party. My mom was inspired to organize the whole thing, not knowing that just 8 months later, my grandpa - my mom's dad - would pass away. Family came in from California and Arizona for the special occasion. It is so fun to have this documentation of one of the last times I got to be with my grandpa.

This is just a low-res version. Any family members that would like a full-res copy, let me know!

Sickness

2011-03-02T06:34:00.013-07:00

We spent the entire month of February battling colds, flu, earaches, and whatever else the season had to offer. I'm realizing just now how far behind I've gotten with my blogging. Hopefully now that the weather is warming up and I'm getting the house under control, there will be more chances for activities, which means more pictures and more blog posts!

Here's to Spring!

No words...

2011-02-10T11:16:00.003-07:00

There are no words that can be said about this photo. Please just laugh hysterically along with me.

Indoor Snowstorm

2011-02-04T15:30:00.002-07:00

As if all the snow outside wasn't enough, the boys decided they wanted to make it snow inside (unbeknownst to me). I guess they figured dry oatmeal would be the perfect substance, or at least the easiest thing to get their hands on. I happened upon their glee just as they were about to dump the remaining half of the oatmeal canister out onto the floor.

See how Eli is crying? It's a result of being in trouble and needing to stop the fun he was having.

It was everywhere! Mixed in with toys and everything!

The bright side: It could have been WET oatmeal that they were throwing around.
Count your blessings!

The morning after...

2011-02-02T15:03:00.002-07:00

So, what do you do the morning after a snow storm, and your daddy doesn't have to go into work due to the treacherous conditions? You build a snowman, of course!

We finally had enough snow to build such a structure, and Brady was just itching to have Brett help him with it. We had been trying to talk Brady out of it because we were still waiting for the power to come back on. Lucky for him, it came on around 8:00 am, so he didn't have to wait too long. Brett and I ran out of excuses, so he and the boys braved the cold so that Brady could have his first snowman.

Luckily it was looking to be a beautiful (but very cold) day.

I think Brett did the building while Brady and Eli just dug in the snow.

The snow was super wet because of the mixture of rain and snow we received, so it made it quite difficult to roll the snow into an actual ball.

His segments are more like UFOs.

Brady decided to just dig instead of help with the building of the snowman. I think he was just waiting to do the accessorizing.

And here he is!

He had to have a carrot nose, but as for his eyes, we improvised with some seashells that we had laying around from our time in Florida. I think the frozen branches add a nice touch, don't you?

First Real Snow Storm

2011-02-01T08:48:00.004-07:00

Last Wednesday we experienced our first real snow storm here in Maryland. It was enough to knock our power out for a good 13 hours, and we were lucky - other neighborhoods around us were without power for a little over 24 hours.

The lights went out just before 8:00 pm, so we bundled the boys up and let them sleep in the same bed just in case it was a very cold night.

Brett and I attempted to play games by candlelight, but we soon got bored and just decided to go to bed early.

I know these photos are a little dark, but for being 9:00 at night, it was actually pretty light!

Our car looks like it has snow-covered antennae.

The trees did look very pretty despite how cold it was.

It was fun to finally have snow, but if our power is going to go out every time, I would rather it just stay away. :-)

Just some photos...

2011-01-30T20:34:00.004-07:00

I've been trying to take more photos lately. We haven't done anything exciting or interesting, but I figured that sometimes it's good to take pictures just for fun. I definitely catch the boys doing funny things no matter the situation. There are also more photos of Brady this time. I figured Eli was hogging the spotlight with all of his "Outfits" posts. :-)

Man, Brady has a big mouth.

He looks like he has antennae, doesn't he?

Brady, a.k.a. "Crazy-Legs"

We finally found a place that where the boys could run around and get out of the cold - our community center basketball court!

I think he was attempting a triple salchow jump.

Magic Baby

2011-01-15T11:05:00.003-07:00

Y'all are in for a treat! We have discovered Eli's favorite song, and have recorded him rocking out to it. He has just started doing this, and where it came from, we have no idea. It is downright hilarious, though. He calls it "The magic baby song!" He always requests to listen to it whenever we are driving anywhere and now that we've seen how he reacts to it, we use it to our advantage. Just last night, he was crying uncontrollably because he didn't want to leave our friends' house, but the second we turned the song on, he was bobbing his head, pursing his lips, and "snapping" his fingers. In this video, he's actually mouthing the words and trying to sing along.

Enjoy!

The song is "Magic" by B.O.B.

Eli's Outfits

2011-01-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, again. It's time for another edition of "Eli's Outfits!" This one comes courtesy of this morning. I had gotten him dressed and everything, but I guess it was just a little too boring for him. Here's what he came up with:

Brady's dirty shirt over his own clean shirt, Brady's pajama shorts, and Brady's tie.

Eli certainly has his own sense of style!

Snow Day!

2011-01-14T14:34:00.002-07:00

The boys were so excited when they heard that it was going to snow a few days ago. Brady was practically foaming at the mouth from anticipation. The second he woke up, he was begging to go outside. After I made him eat breakfast, and after I rounded up all of the snow gear, we headed outside.

There wasn't much snow, as you can see. Maybe a couple inches-worth of the white stuff.

"Help me, Mommy!" Eli hates when his chin strap comes undone.

If there's snow on your coat, there's only one way to get rid of it (in Brady's mind)...

Eat it!

This is Eli's "What's that" face. I think he was looking at the vultures circling above us, just waiting for us to keel over from the cold.

We decided to go up to the field to play in the snow.

Remember in elementary school when you wanted to be the first one to play in the snow on the baseball fields? Lucky for us, the high-schoolers/middle-schoolers don't get recess. Ha!

Unfortunately, this kind of snow wasn't good for anything but snow angels. Snowman construction would have to wait for another storm.

And snowballs fights were a bust, as well. Don't you hate when you go to throw snow, but then it just gets blown back in your face?

There was still fun to be had on the hill on the way home. Who needs a sled?!

Even Eli took a crack at it, literally. That had to be one cold wedgie.

Eli's Outfits

2011-01-07T09:35:00.004-07:00

Eli loves clothes, especially Brady's. He's able to put Brady's clothes on by himself, so it makes for quite a surprise when Eli comes downstairs in something different from what I dressed him in. Every day, he comes up with a wacky outfit or two, and I've decided that I need to start documenting them. This might become a regular feature on this blog, and today I am highlighting two of his most recent ensembles.

Outfit #1:
The breakdown...

Winter hat, Brady's coat, Brady's PJ bottoms, and Eli's snowboots (on the wrong feet, no less).

He got the hat flipped around the right way, but his boots are still on the wrong feet. Of course, this whole outfit is all kinds of wrong.

And to complete the ensemble, Brady's shirt (that he must have retrieved from the dirty-clothes hamper) over Eli's PJ top. He's really stylin'!

Outfit #2:
Let me break it down for you...

Snow boots (can't be without those), baggy pants (which are actually Brady's pajama shorts), Brady's fleece pullover from Meema, Eli's favorite beanie, and his favorite mittens.

At least his boots are on the right feet this time.

A boy and his beanie... Eli always feels that a hat completes an outfit.

Stay tuned for more crazy "Eli's Outfits!"

Christmas morning!

2011-01-05T09:29:00.003-07:00

We had a great Christmas this year. Brady got up at 7:00 and came straight into our bedroom. He knew he had to wait until we were all up before he could go downstairs. After Brett and I rolled out of bed, we all quietly made our way into Eli's room and coaxed him out of bed. I think he was a little weirded out by the rest of us trying to get him to wake up, but when we told him that Santa came, he was more than willing to open his eyes.

The anticipation was almost more than he could handle!

Eli was still trying to wake up. Brett was trying to coax him to go down the stairs.

It was so fun to see the boys' expressions as they came down the stairs. Brady is just barely tall enough to see over the railing, so he hurried downstairs as soon as he got a peek at what want Santa had left him.

Brett was showing Brady that Santa had written a note to him on his new easel.

I don't know if you could tell, but Brady was in complete awe!

He had been asking for months for Legos and a Pillow Pet, and he couldn't believe that he got what he asked for, plus more.

His froggy Pillow Pet!

Eli didn't display his excitement the way Brady did - I think he was still trying to figure out what was going on. I think he was overwhelmed with all the fun things he got, and that he too got the Pillow Pet he'd been wanting.

Checking out the new play kitchen.

Doing a little yard work...

The toy kitchen had a phone, and that was the one thing that I think Eli loved the most.

The boys were spoiled by Santa and family, and Brett and I got some nice things as well.

Brett trying on his Vibram 5 Fingers. Unfortunately, they didn't work with his toes, so he returned them for some running shoes and workout clothes.

I was given Beatles Rockband and this guitar to go along with it. I was super surprised and super excited!

We got a bunch of movies! It will definitely help us enjoy our favorite pastime of movie-watching.

Merry Christmas, everyone! May you be blessed in the upcoming year!

Christmas Eve, 2010

2011-01-03T19:45:00.003-07:00

We had a nice, quiet Christmas Eve all to ourselves. We spent the day preparing a big Thanksgiving-esque meal and getting the house ready for Santa. Brady kept asking us to help him clean up because he knew that Santa wouldn't come if the house was messy. I wish I could spark that kind of help from him the other 364 days of the year!

Eli practically cleaned his plate right here. He NEVER does that. I guess he really wanted Santa to come, too.

Brady trying to give himself a little pep-talk. He was just too excited to eat!

After we had dinner, we drove around to look at Christmas lights, made cookies for Santa, and opened Christmas jammies. We attempted to read the boys the Christmas story from Luke before bed, but Brady was having a hard time paying attention. He just wanted to go to bed so badly! I've never seen that kid so excited to fall asleep.

Making cookies for Santa.

Christmas Eve jammies!

Don't they look so cozy!

Can't go to bed without leaving the cookies, milk, and Rudolph's carrot!

Shortly after we put the boys to bed, we could hear sirens and see lights nearby. Brett and I were wondering what the heck was going on. We poked our heads out the front door, and wouldn't you know, Santa was being hauled around in a trailer by the on-post fire department! Brett rushed upstairs so that Brady could get a look from his window. He was hesitant to get out of bed without permission - he didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize Santa's impending visit that night. When Brett told him it was okay to look out the window, he was pretty excited to see Santa driving in front of our house. He soon got upset, though, because, "Daddy! He's not stopping!" Brett quickly explained that Santa was just double-checking to see if kids were in bed and that he'd be back later. It was pretty funny how distraught Brady was, though. I wish I could have gotten pictures!

Despite the early bedtimes for all of us, Brett and I were too excited to sleep that night. We couldn't wait to see the looks on the boys' faces the next morning when they saw what Santa had brought them!

Promotion!

2011-01-03T14:03:00.004-07:00

On December 17th, Brett officially graduated from Airman Leadership School (ALS), making him a bona fide Staff Sergent. He would have been promoted back on November 1st, but his superiors kinda dropped the ball and didn't get him into ALS in time. So, that meant we had to wait another month and a half. A little disappointing, but what do you do, eh?

Our good friends, James and Anna, joined us at the graduation dinner. James and I got to do the honors of "tacking on" Brett's new stripes - we placed the new stripes over his old ones and punched him in the arm (He went from three chevrons to four). I didn't punch him near hard enough! Ha! And thanks to Anna for taking pictures. I was a dork and didn't bring my camera.

Outside

2010-12-29T06:45:00.003-07:00

My Christmas posts will just have to wait a little while. I'm still trying to get caught up on pre-Christmas fun. :-)

At the beginning of last week, we just couldn't stand being inside anymore. The freezing cold and the biting wind have been pretty big deterrents when it comes to playing outside, but it just got to the point where we needed some fresh air and sunshine, regardless of what it was like outside. Luckily it was a sunny day, and the wind wasn't TOO bad, so we made the most of it.

The boys had been itching to play baseball, so we went to the big field behind our place and ran around. It did us all some good to stretch our legs.

The pitch...

Swing! and a miss...

Eli liked the idea of hitting the ball...

But he was easily distracted.

When he's outside, Brady is one happy kid.

See? I think I'll call this photo "Frolic."

"Park!"

There were a few "supermans."

and attempts to wear a puffy coat and swing at the same time.

Climbing the obstacle course.

And surveying the world around.

Eli attempting to be like his big brother.

It was about 5 seconds after this photo was taken that Brady rolled back on this bar and smacked his head into the ground. Needless to say, our morning of fun came to a quick halt and we had to go home. The wind had started to pick up as well, so none of us were sorry to go home. It was fun while it lasted!

First Snow

2010-12-24T08:13:00.005-07:00

Last week we had our first snow. It wasn't much, but Brady couldn't contain himself when he saw the flakes start to fall. All day he was itching to go outside, even though it took all day to give us what we finally ended up with. Sadly, it was all gone by lunchtime the next day, but not before the boys got a chance to have some fun.

Having spent the last two winters in warmer climates, poor Brady didn't have any snow gear. Can you see the pure joy on his face, though?

It certainly didn't stop him from getting down and making a snow angel the second he stepped out of the house.

I think he has been wanting to do this ever since he found out it snows in Maryland.

Later that evening, Brett and I decided that we'd break out the boys' Christmas gifts of snow gear so that Brady and Eli could really enjoy the snow. I can't remember the last time Brady was this excited!

One of Brady's friends came out to play, too.

I think Eli was a little weirded out about all the white stuff. This was his first experience with snow (that he can remember, anyway).

He had lots of fun falling down, though. He loved being "tackled" in the snow." (He likes to fall down randomly and say he was tackled.)

Then he'd get up like nothing had happened.

Mom, this shot was for you so that you could see my meager attempt at decorating the outside of our place. We'll be sure to do more next year! :-)

Ward Christmas Party

2010-12-23T08:54:00.004-07:00

We attended our ward's Breakfast with Santa a couple of weeks ago. The boys loved getting to see Santa and taking part in the activities that the ward set up. If there's one thing I learned from this experience, though, it's that cultural hall lighting is the worst! Still, I hope you enjoy the pictures. :-)

We waited in line for a while.

Finally, Brady got to tell Santa what he wanted. He asked for a Pillow Pet, Legos, and a play kitchen (which was news to Brett and I).

Eli was a good sport and sat on the big guy's lap. I don't think he did any talking, but at least he kept a smile on his face!

Then we moved on to the snowflake station. Brady was really excited to do this. He loves any activity that involves scissors.

Then he made a candy cane into a reindeer.

And finally, he decorated some cookies.

This morning was for Brady more than anything. I'm glad we went, though. It was fun to see Brady so excited about everything!

B&O Train Museum

2010-12-20T07:30:00.002-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, our on-post library sponsored a little field trip as that week's story time. It was a lot of fun! I'm very glad we got to take advantage of such an outing. They told us that it will be quite a while before they can sponsor this sort of thing again.

They chartered a couple of buses and drove us to the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railway Museum. It was very cool! The boys absolutely loved it. (I learned that B&O Railroad isn't just a space on the Monopoly game board). We got to watch The Polar Express on the way there just to prepare the kids for the trains. Once we arrived, we walked around the different train cars and engines, and then we actually got to take a ride on a train. It lasted MAYBE 15 minutes, but it was fun for the boys to be on an actual train.

Watching "The Polar Express." He was so excited, he couldn't stop smiling!

Julie and Angela enjoying the bus ride.

The boys loved being so high up in the bus. Brady was very intent on spotting all the hotels we passed. (Yes, he still has a thing for hotels.)

Brady loved how big these wheels were. He wanted a picture showing how much taller they were than him.

Angela attempting to brake the engine. Good thing she wasn't the real engineer. The brake wouldn't budge!

I don't know about you, but I think I would rather hold it than
sit myself down right there.

Unfortunately, Ian was the only one that realized I was taking a photo.

Eli loved this car. He was so upset that he couldn't get inside.

Brady loved watching the miniature trains.

My favorite train in the museum.

I thought these were kinda cool little coaches.

B&O Railroad. Not just a Monopoly space.

The boys lucked out this time - I found a quarter in the house just before we left, and it was the only quarter I had.

"Wait fo' me! Wait fo' me!"

On our way to the train ride.

My boys are hopeless. I don't think we'll ever have a photo where all of us are normal-looking.

Our train conductor. He got some kids thinking that they'd be kicked off because they didn't have a ticket. It was pretty funny.

And that concludes our trip!

On our way home, we finished watching "The Polar Express" and the librarian handed out snacks and water. They even had a special gift for the kids - a bell, just like the one the little boy gets in the movie. It made the trip even more special for my guys. Now, Brady and Eli are always asking when they get to go back to the trains!

The Boys' Conversation

2010-12-16T07:25:00.001-07:00

This is a little conversation I overheard a couple of days ago:

(Brady and Eli are sitting in my closet while I'm cleaning my room...)

Brady (to Eli): "What should we talk about?"

Eli: "Policemans."

Brady: "What do you like about Policemen?"

Eli: "Tars. (Cars.)"

Brady: "I like their uniforms."

It's funny to see how the boys interact when they think no one else is around.

You should see the other guy!

2010-12-10T07:53:00.004-07:00

You may have noticed in the last few posts the nice shiner Brady was sporting. He had a fight with the TV cabinet the night before Thanksgiving, and unfortunately, the TV cabinet won. (Poor kid!) Brett told him that when people ask him what happened, he should just reply, "You should see the other guy!" Brady got quite a kick out of that.

This was the morning after it happened.

It got progressively uglier as the days went on, but it certainly doesn't mar any of Brady's cuteness!

Two weeks later, it's finally gone!

Philly!

2010-12-09T16:56:00.004-07:00

This is my last post of Dave's visit. :-(

A couple of days before he left, we took a trip up to Philadelphia. We asked Paige to give us a list of places to go and sights to see, and she ended up giving us a great itinerary that we were never able to follow quite the way she intended. We still had fun, though!

The main things we wanted to see were the Liberty Bell and the historical buildings nearby. It took quite a while for us to find parking because we wanted to find the cheapest option. We soon found out that there really wasn't a "cheapest option" because everything was $15 or more. Oh well! Luckily all of the sights were free.

We started at the Visitor's Center, then went to Independence Hall, only to find out that we needed tickets to go inside. It was free, but they only do a limited number of showings throughout the day, and they were all "sold out" by the time we got there.

Independence Hall

We didn't know who BARRY was, but it made for a fun photo op.

Luckily, Congress Hall was still open and we didn't need tickets for that. It was all pretty interesting.

Listening to the tour guide

The Senate Room (I think)

After that, we saw the Liberty Bell. There was a long line outside of the building, so we were a little skeptical about going inside, but we soon found out that the line was just people waiting to be searched. Once we were in the building, there wasn't a line. It was about this time, though, that Eli had a meltdown. We had to quickly snap a few pictures in front of the bell, and head back to the car. (Three days without a nap were really getting to that kid.)

On our way out of town, we hit up Tony Luke's, a popular place for Philly Cheesesteaks. They were very yummy and I can't wait until we can go back.

We definitely would love to visit Philly again, but next time we'll have a better game plan, make sure Eli is well-rested, and avoid the toll roads (they're a killer on your wallet)!

Cryptologic Museum

2010-12-08T18:39:00.003-07:00

Right outside of our little army post, there is the National Cryptologic Museum. It houses a lot of interesting stuff, all having to do with intelligence in the military. I found it very interesting, as did Brett and Dave, but the boys were a little less entertained. We had to do a lot of reading in order to learn about the gadgets and forms of intel-gathering, and my boys hardly hold still long enough to have their picture taken, let alone listen to an explanation of some high-tech stuff they wouldn't understand. Needless to say, I spent most of my time chasing them around while Dave and Brett looked at the displays. It was still worth the visit, though!

Large-scale cryptographic key

The Rosetta Stone replica

Seems harmless enough...

Ah! It's bugged!

The Enigma Machine. Brett wanted one for his very own.

We figured out how the guy died that belonged to that helmet. Through and through. I'm sure it was ugly.

Homage to the Navvies.
(The Navajo people hold a special place in my family's heart. Let's just say, if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here.)

Dad, I thought you'd enjoy this.

"Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hewwo?"

This train/town display had something to do with hobos. I guess they had their own form of cryptologic intelligence that identified different locations as friends or foes. (I think.)

Regardless of what it was all about, it was the most interesting thing in Eli's opinion.

'Course, helmets are always a big draw for Eli.

Vietnam bunker

The boys really liked the motorcycle.

After the museum, we stopped to look at some planes that were nearby. Dave was pretty excited because one of the planes will actually be the style of aircraft that he will be working out of once he is done with all his basic training.

There she be!

Impressive wing span.

I happened to catch this photo of Brady. I don't know what he was doing, but it made for an entertaining end to our outing!

Washington D.C.

2010-12-07T11:47:00.002-07:00

These next few posts are a little out-of-order, but because today is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, I wanted to post the photos (along with others) of the WWII Memorial.

We had such a great time seeing the sights of D.C. This was the first time I had ever been to all of the monuments, and only my second time actually being in the vicinity of them (and that was just a few months ago). The weather was cold, but at least the sun was shining. Eli was a pill most of the time, but he hung in there.

We walked everywhere and got to see the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It was an amazing experience thinking about the significance of all that was around us. The only thing we didn't make it over to see was the Jefferson Memorial (and all of the museums, but those we'll save for another time).

The first sight we saw...

If you lay down and look up at the Washington Monument, it looks like it's swaying. Kinda creepy!

If only I could have gotten this photo to sway...

Airman Wallace, and Airman-to-be Allbee (he leaves January 18th!).

Dec. 7th - today. Happy Anniversary, Pearl Harbor.

Home!

Contemplating [jumping into the water].

The big guy.

Chillin'.

It's incredible, and very humbling, to think that so many people died/went missing during the Vietnam War. I had no idea.

Dave claims that he will live here someday. I think he aspires to be the Presidential family pet.

After the sight-seeing, we drove out to the Dulles Air and Space Museum out by Dulles Airport. It's a Smithsonian museum, and basically an extension of the National Air and Space Museum in D.C., but a whole lot cooler! I'm so glad this was the museum we chose to take Dave to. None of us had ever been before, and it was definitely worth the extra drive to get to. It was built to look like an enormous air craft hangar, and it was filled to the brim with any kind of air craft you can imagine. It's amazing how much they fit into one building. If you ever come to D.C., it's a definite must-see.

The Dulles Air and Space Museum

Just as you get into the hangar-part of the museum, these are the first planes you see...

The crown jewel (as far as the men were concerned) - the SR71 "Blackbird." This is what Brett and Dave wanted to see the most.

This was my favorite. I couldn't believe that it was an actual space shuttle. It was enormous!

Brady's first experience on a motion ride. He got to experience the space shuttle take-off and "return to Earth." He loved it!

The Concorde

An awfully tempting souvenir...

Eli's face says it all - we were beat!

By the end of the day, we were exhausted! Between the sights of D.C. and the museum, we probably covered quite a few miles-worth of walking. It's amazing that Eli wasn't asleep in the above photo.

Thanksgiving 2010!

2010-12-06T13:53:00.002-07:00

We had a great Thanksgiving this year. It was fun to have Dave with us and also our good friends, the Pfeifer's. Their friend Sean tagged along, too! We had some wonderful food, but I failed to take into account the big appetites everyone would have, so we didn't have enough food for leftovers! Hopefully everyone at least got enough food to stuff themselves the first time around. :-)

Brett and all our glorious food!

Chatting while waiting for the meal to begin!

Relaxing after stuffing ourselves!

We had a blast playing "Apples to Apples" and "Cranium" after letting our stomachs settle a bit. I wish I could have gotten some photos of the games. They definitely made for some good laughs!

Dave's Visit, Day 1!

2010-12-01T14:01:00.007-07:00

It's probably time that I start posting about my brother's visit before I get side-tracked (which isn't uncommon). We had so much fun with him here!

Our first day, we took a nice Sunday drive to Patapsco State Park. We walked around a pretty little stream, and then let the boys - big boys included - frolic at a nearby playground. Here are some photos of the occasion!

Holding on for dear life!

"Mommy, it's freezing!"

Rolling on the ground.

"One...Two...Three..."

"Launch!"

Brady wanted a turn, too.

Beautiful fall foliage on our way home...

Then, later that evening, Dave up and decided that since Brett was going to shave his head, he would too.

Craziness Ahead

2010-11-14T16:13:00.004-07:00

Tomorrow starts the beginning of a couple of crazy weeks.

This first one is going to be super stressful, and then the next will be a ton of fun! Tomorrow, Brett officially starts ALS - Airman Leadership School - and will be doing that for the next month; I start training to become a certified Family Child Care provider and my training will last a week. The whole thing is quite overwhelming, but it will mean good things once it is all over with.

Next weekend, we have the visit of my brother to look forward to! He will stay with us over Thanksgiving and into the following weekend. We're excited to take him sight-seeing around DC and the surrounding areas, and just to have someone new to entertain the boys for a little while. ;-)

I haven't blogged much lately because not much has gone on. Hopefully I will soon have some fun things to post about along with some fun photos!

Funny Sayings

2010-11-03T19:15:00.002-06:00

I just had to post these.

Brady and Eli crack me up daily with the things they say, but I rarely remember to write them down, and then I forget them altogether.
Here are two gems that I thought were worth remembering:

Brady (to Eli):
"You're gonna get a spankin' if you don't laugh at me when I'm funny."
(I have no clue where that came from!)

Eli - with a stern look on his face - watching the Jazz game with Brett:
"Oh, tum on!"
Translation: "Oh, come on!"
Thanks, Brett, for teaching him that one. :-)

Halloween 2010!!

2010-11-01T14:01:00.008-06:00

We had a very low-key Halloween, but it was fun nonetheless. We got to take part in our ward's Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday night and then enjoyed handing out candy to the neighborhood trick-or-treaters on Sunday night. We had a lot of fun at the Trunk or Treat and it was great to be around our ward friends outside of church. We are really grateful to be in the ward that we're in. We've met so many great people, and everyone has been so welcoming and warm.

WARNING! Lots of photos ahead! Proceed with caution! :-)

"Skeh-wee skehwehton!" face

In line for games, but apparently, there was something interesting going on behind them.

A football player should be able to throw a ball, right?

The Pfeifers!

Stopping to smell the flowers.

The big kids' attempt at the doughnut-eating contest

Now it's the little kids' turn.

Brady was so close! If only it was a little bit lower...

And no football player costume would be complete without grass stains from tackling...

A photographer-member of our ward took family photos for those that wanted them. We opted for photos of the boys:

Eli ran off prematurely, so Brady got a solo photo:

Let the Trunk-or-Treat begin!

Our trunk was pretty lame, but I don't think the kids minded as long as they got candy!

Someone gave out Warheads, so we took advantage of a funny photo op. Behold! Brady's first experience with a Warhead:

At this point, he really wanted to spit it out.

He hung in there, despite the tears starting to form. Needless to say, he didn't want any more of those candies.

We were a little lazy when it came to carving pumpkins, but we were able to get them done in time for the tick-or-treaters on Sunday. Brett has vowed that next year, we are going "all out" for Halloween - decorations, costumes, the whole enchilada. That made me super excited because, if you've seen my parents' house, you know that Halloween is a big deal in my family. (So Mom, if you have any decorations you feel you can part with, pass some along our way.) ;-)

Brady was a little grossed out by the pumpkin guts.

Don't let the pajamas fool you - we did not get up early to carve pumpkins. When we got home from church, the boys wanted to put their pajamas on for some reason.

The pumpkins are now ready to greet the trick-or-treaters!

"Heroes" Story Time

2010-10-28T15:35:00.011-06:00

Today we had the opportunity to go to the on-post library for Story Time. This was our first time attending and I wish we had learned of it sooner! It was a lot of fun for the boys and gave them a chance to do something out of the ordinary. The theme was heroes, and even though they briefly mentioned the "super" version, they focused a lot on the real thing - firemen, policemen, and our military members that keep us safe.

The boys got to meet a couple of the military K-9 working dogs, and even got to pet one of them. The base fire department came with one of their firetrucks and let the kids get up inside the truck, and then gave them all their own fireman hat and badge. Eli was in heaven! Unfortunately, I didn't even think to bring my camera with me. I had it in the car so that I could take photos of the boys at the park afterward, but I didn't even think about bringing into the library. I wish I had! I did have my cell phone with me, so I did eventually think to whip it out at the end. Oh well. You live and learn!

One of our friendly paramedics and Brady's back. :-)

Eli coming out of the firetruck.

Posed pictures just don't work for my boys, especially Brady.

Back in the library. Eli insisted that this was the right way to wear his hat.

The boys received goodies from the library, including these glasses. Eli was obsessed with them!

After the library, we went to a park that was right by it. We were there with some friends, but it was so hot, the boys didn't last very long. I was bummed because I really wanted to spend time with our new friends, but hopefully we'll get to hang out with them again soon!

"Look, Mama! I driving!"

Angela and her sweet little Ian.

A beautiful Fall day!

Finished Capes

2010-10-28T15:17:00.004-06:00

The capes turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, Brady refused to wear his to Story Time today. At least I was able to get photos of the boys in them first thing this morning. :-)

They glow in the dark!

T-shirt Super Heroes

2010-10-27T10:47:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I found out that our on-post library is having a "Hero-themed" story time. In an effort to get my boys out of the house and for all of us to get to know some new friends, I jumped at the chance to attend. The only problem is, they want the kids to dress up as their favorite super heroes. My boys aren't into that kind of thing. It would be silly of me to go out and buy them some sort of costume (seeing as how I have already purchased their football-player Halloween costumes), so I've had to be resourceful. VERY resourceful.

Cue some old tee-shirts, freezer paper, and some fabric paint that my mother-in-law gave to me a few months ago:

Super Brady

Super Eli

They are still in the drying stage right now, but I hope to have photos of the finished project tomorrow when we go to story time.

Magical Things

2010-10-20T06:48:00.005-06:00

Earlier this morning, Brady was telling me how he wishes his friends were his age. Granted, they're not that far from his age - the youngest is 5 and the oldest is 8. I told him that there really wasn't anything I could do about how old friends are, and that when he's in school, he'll start to meet even more kids his age. I thought we had left it at that, but then a minute later (after he had thought about things for a second), he told me:

"But you're Mommy and you can do magical things!"

It's funny how his 4-year-old mind works.

Lovely Weather

2010-10-13T06:44:00.006-06:00

We've been enjoying very fine weather lately here in our corner of the world. The boys have been taking every advantage and play outside as much as possible.

Their favorite things to do are ride their little bikes along the sidewalk and play with the many neighbor kids that live in our circle.

I love that they are getting out of the house and making friends. I'm sure it won't be too much longer before the weather goes bad and we're stuck indoors for the winter. :-)

I'm glad the boys are enjoying the beautiful fall weather while they can!

Eli's 2-year check-up

2010-10-08T09:41:00.003-06:00

Eli's 2-year check-up was last week, and - I know, I know - his birthday was over a month ago. That's what happens when you move, have to find new doctors, don't know what their schedules are like, so you end up having to wait a month before there is an opening. Oh well.

Eli's check-up went well, but as usual, he's below the 5th percentile for weight, but above average in height. At least he's growing somehow! His development is great and he's doing everything he should be at this stage, plus more. He even let the doctor examine him - something he's always been skittish about at previous appointments. The most amazing thing about his visit was when we had to go down to the lab to have some blood work done. They wanted to check for anemia and lead (standard procedure at this age). I sat in the chair with Eli on my lap, and held his arm and hand still. When the nurse put the tourniquet around his upper arm, and then the needle in the crook of his arm, he didn't even flinch! He just sat there and watched as the nurse filled two little vials and didn't even try to grab at it. When she was all done, he had more issue with me holding the gauze against his needle poke than anything else, but even then, it was because he just wanted the bandaid that the nurse had promised. He got lots of stickers because he was such a good boy. I was so proud of my little guy!

As far as everything else goes, he's talking very well and putting complete thoughts and even some sentences together. He has several songs that he likes to sing, and loves to read books with Mommy. He and Brady play very well together, and he is great at sharing and taking turns - things that usually seem very difficult for kids his age. Brady has even helped Eli learn to count a little bit from our frequent games of "hide and seek." Of course, they still have their moments of fighting, but what siblings don't? :-) Eli is obsessed with his blanket and has gravitated toward one corner that he likes to hold onto. He's finally starting to let me put more than just that blanket on him at night (now that the temperatures are getting cooler). I'm glad he has something that he can use as a security/comfort object, though. We're hoping that we can use it to our advantage and let it help him go to nursery and stay there without needing me or Brett.

Eli is so much fun and has the craziest personality. He has definitely learned a lot from his brother. It's fun to watch him and see the things that he's picked up from Brady. He's definitely his own person, though, and we're so grateful to have Eli in our family!

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the terrible two's aren't too terrible. :-)

My Football Players

2010-10-07T07:22:00.007-06:00

It's no secret that Eli is obsessed with sports, especially football. His favorite thing to do is carry around his football, put his baseball cap on, and pretend that it's his "heh-met." Whenever he sees football players on TV, that's the first thing he points out: "Heh-met, Mommy! Heh-met!"

When his birthday rolled around, I searched the mall for child-sized helmets, but no such thing seemed to exist. I decided to take to the internet to see what I could find. Lo and behold, I was able to find an entire football uniform - complete with helmet, pads, jersey, and pants - via the BYU bookstore! (For all you UofU fans, I looked at their online bookstore as well, but I got a better deal through BYU.) :-)

Watching the BYU game in his BYU helmet as to match the players.

I opted to get uniforms for both Brady and Eli so that they could double as Halloween costumes. Because it was also a birthday present for Eli (Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa Wallace!), they get to play with them well beforehand, also. Both boys were super excited to open the packages, but I think Eli was definitely the most excited. He wouldn't let the helmet out of his sight the entire first day he had it. He even wanted to sleep with it. When I put him down for a nap, he had to have the helmet in his bed with him. He placed it gently in the corner of his crib, and wouldn't let me touch it! Ha!

He made sure that I put his shoes on him, also.

Such a goofy kid!

Bedtime

2010-10-06T07:22:00.004-06:00

Most nights, if Brady has been well-behaved during the day, he will get to watch a show (i.e. Little Einsteins, Caillou, Zaboomafoo) on my bed before he has to go to sleep. While he's watching said show, Eli will usually hang out downstairs with me and Brett.

On this particular night, Eli figured that he would just make himself a little bed by the couch and call it a night. There was no way he was going to fall asleep, however, with how hard Brett and I were laughing. We could tell that Eli thought he was so clever, and was getting a kick out of himself as well. :-)

He made sure he was covered with his blanket, and then closed his eyes and pretended that he was sleeping. The smile gave him away, though. Silly kid!

National Air and Space Museum

2010-10-05T09:22:00.012-06:00

Over Labor Day weekend, we decided to get out and do something fun. We opted for the National Air and Space Museum because 1)we had heard great things about it, and 2) it was free! It was only 40 minutes away (like driving from Orem to Salt Lake if you need some sort of reference). We had no idea where it was exactly, however, so as we were driving along, following the GPS's directions, imagine how surprised we were when all of a sudden, we are driving straight toward the Capitol Building! We didn't realize that the museum was right there - smack dab - in the middle of the National Mall area. It was a little surreal. I have never been do DC before, let alone all these amazing national monuments, so it was a little overwhelming - especially since we hadn't planned on doing any other sight-seeing. We were ill-prepared, to say the least.

Is that what I think it is?

It is...

Yep...It's the Capitol Building!

Oh, and there's the Washington Monument! Too bad we didn't get to walk around and see it up close. This was the best I could do as far as a photo op goes.

After taking 20-30 minutes to find a place to park, we were slowly realizing that it probably wasn't the best idea to make such an outing on such a holiday (so many people!), but we eventually ended up finding a great place to park, and only had to walk about a 1/2 mile to the museum.

Cool buildings we passed while walking to the museum:

Once inside the museum, it was pretty crowded, but we still got to see some really neat things. I didn't get too many photos because of the crowds, and it was hard to keep the boys in one spot - they were too interested in going from one thing to the next quickly.

Eli spent the entire visit pointing to all the "eh-pwanes!"

Predator missile - I never realized how big they actually were (this isn't a good photo of that, though).

Rocket display

Apollo 13 pod/capsule/thingy

The boys lasted about an hour and a half before they were bored and hungry. We didn't feel bad about leaving after such a short amount of time because we knew we had the option to come back any other time we felt up to it, and we didn't need to worry about getting our money's worth since it was free. We are looking forward to when we can make a big day out of it, and definitely be more prepared (read: snacks, drinks, better shoes, bigger stroller).

And a big thank-you to Grandma and Grandpa Lewis for sending the boys birthday money. They used it to buy some fun souvenirs from the museum! (You can barely see them pictured here - Eli's light-up space shuttle, and Brady's "claw")

Eli turns 2!!

2010-09-30T18:02:00.011-06:00

I'm waaay behind on posting, but I definitely didn't want to forget such a big day for Eli.

On August 27th, Eli turned 2!!

The day started out a bit rough since he was dealing with a cold and was super ornery. By the time Brett got home from work, though, Eli was in better spirits and ready to paaaartaaay! We had pizza, played at the park, and then had gifts and cake with ice cream. The day definitely ended on a fun note!

There's nothing this kid loves more than sports and cars.

(Thank-you kisses for Mama.)

He loves wearing his football shirt and visor, and to complete the look, his very own football that he would not part with.

My little receiver/runningback

Don't worry. No drool harmed the cake during the process of blowing out the candles.

See? I told you he couldn't part with his football.

Happy Birthday, Eli Guy! We love you!!

Football Season

2010-09-21T07:23:00.003-06:00

Now that the 2010 football season is upon us, Brett couldn't be happier! He looks forward to each and every game, and will even stay up way past his bedtime to watch them and the ESPN highlights afterward.

He is so happy to have two boys that he can pass his interests on to. Eli loves everything football (proof of that to come soon), so he'll actually sit and watch the games for a little while. Brady would rather be up and moving around, but he does like to be part of whatever Brett is doing.

{Teaching the boys about the game}

It's just fun for me to see them all enjoying something together!

Sunday or "Our Last Day in Utah"

2010-09-20T07:30:00.023-06:00

Our last full day in Utah was a Sunday. It was a great day, complete with church in my parents' ward, pot roast, croquet, and family pictures.

I always love going to my parents' ward because that's where I grew up. Some friends have come and gone, but for the most part, a lot has gone unchanged. It is always so fun to talk to my old friends and neighbors, and everyone is so kind and welcoming. They just make me feel so happy to be there. Oh, how I miss everyone!

After church, we scrambled to get dinner together at my parents' home. The whole family got to be together and it was so fun! It will be quite a while before something like that will happen again. After dinner, we gathered in the backyard for a friendly game of croquet.

Lounging after a good meal. My dad is still enjoying seconds...

Brady being...well...Brady.

That can't be comfortable.

Setting up the game...

The finished course...

Eli thought the wickets were glasses. Don't ask me why.

Even Brady tried a whack at it.

Golf...er...croquet clap?

It was going for so long, that we had to take a break before the sun went down so we could take some family pictures. We wanted to take advantage of the chance while everyone was together.

Dave being...well...Dave.

Once we were done, though, we resumed the game. It came down to Brett and Johnny (as it always seems to do), and I don't remember who actually won. I definitely remember I was the first to go, though!

Later that evening, after putting the kids to bed, all of us kids (minus my parents) played a rousing game of Cranium. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. Just the conversation made it difficult to concentrate on the game. We couldn't see past the tears of laughter. (Hey Paige, it will be hard to play any game without pickles, olives, and peanut M&M's. Don't you agree? Oh, and I can't listen to "Africa" without busting up.)

It was very sad having to say goodbye to everyone, especially knowing that so many things were going to change in so short a time. Cyd has since left for China on a 4-month teaching adventure; Dave will be leaving in February for Air Force Basic Training and will be gone up to a year after that; Brett and I are now back in Maryland; Paige and Johnny are now a family of 5 instead of just 4. It's amazing how quickly things can change in the course of just a month.

We had a wonderful time in Utah in general, and it made us realize how much we miss our friends and family and the beautiful surroundings. I think that by being in the Air Force, and being forced to move away, we get to appreciate what we had in Utah so much more than if we had just stayed all along.

We will be back, though; Oh yes, we will be back!

Evening at the Park

2010-09-17T06:51:00.014-06:00

On our second-to-last evening in Utah, we took the little boys to a beautiful park in south Orem. From what I understand, it has been there for a while, but this was the first time we had taken advantage of it. There was a fountain, duck pond, flower gardens, and a great playground, amongst other things. It was such a beautiful evening and it was definitely hard to think that we would be leaving it all in just a couple of days. The boys had a lot of fun exploring, and I had fun taking pictures of them...

Whatever my dad said, Johnny didn't seem amused...

Never stand between this woman and her ice, ESPECIALLY when she's pregnant.

He felt he was a little too high.

But this kid laughs in the face of danger...

See!

I caught him licking the flowers...

Stopping to actually SMELL the flowers (thank goodness).

He felt she needed a flower in her hair.

He was trying to catch water in his mouth.

Paige got lots of pictures of all the boys together. Maybe if I can get around to getting some from her, I will post those as well.

Staying with the Hannas

2010-09-15T07:07:00.011-06:00

While we were in Orem, we stayed at Paige and Johnny's new home. As much as we wished we could have stayed at both their house and my parents', P&J just had a little bit more room. (We felt bad that Cyd had to sleep in the living room.)

It was fun for all the little boys to be able to play together and I was glad I could be there to help Paige in all of her super-prego-ness. They had moved into their place just the week before, so she needed lots of help getting things unpacked and organized.

We also took full advantage of their wonderful swimming pool. I'm realizing now that I didn't get a whole lot of photos while we were just hanging out at the house, and I completely forgot to take photos of the BBQ we had with my aunt, uncle, and grandma. I didn't pull my camera out until after they left. *Kicking self*

Here of some of the few photos I did get...

Playing with P&J's iPhones. It's amazing how techno-savvy these little guys are already.

This kid on the other hand... He had no idea what to do with a megaphone.

I'm glad I got out when I did or we would have had no photos of volleyball!

Night swimming!

"Service!"

Shoulder flip

I tried to be sneaky and take a photo of my parents swimming one day. My dad caught me.

(These last photos are some that Paige took.)

It took some coaxing, but we finally got Brady to let go of the noodle and swim with just the life jacket on. He had so much fun! We haven't had a chance to get him into swim lessons yet, so hopefully he'll get to next summer.

Still more Utah fun yet to come!
(Are you sick of it, yet?)

Sweet Eli

2010-09-14T20:29:00.004-06:00

I'm not done posting about Utah, or anything else that has happened in the weeks since we've been back, but I wanted to post this little snippet for my memory's sake.

Eli is such a sweet little guy, and every day he just seems to get sweeter and cuter. I am amazed at how well he's been talking, also. He'll put complete thoughts and sentences together, even if I'm the only one that can really understand what he's saying.

After receiving a bath tonight, I told Eli that we were going to put his jammies on and then cut his fingernails. The easiest way to do that is to have Eli sit on my lap while we sit in his rocking chair. He sits very still and even seems to relax a bit. After I was finished cutting his nails, he just rested against my chest and looked up at me and said, "Sunshine song, Mommy. Sunshine song." ("You are my Sunshine" is his favorite song that I sing to him. Occasionally he'll even sing along.) I smiled at him and told him that after we brushed his teeth and found his blanket, I would rock him some more and sing the "Sunshine song."

We brushed his teeth, found his blankie, and started rocking in his chair. He snuggled into my chest through all three verses, and then through 3 other songs. After the songs, he told me, "Bed, mama." I guess he just needed some time with his mama before he was ready to lay his head down for the night.

I sure love this little guy!