Team Stevens

Closing 2011 with Holidays and a Birthday

2012-01-14T22:40:00.015-05:00

Above: Pandeia enjoying her birthday, Pandeia enjoying the cupboard, and Penelope ejoying fingerpaint a new way... guess I shouldn't have left the room!

Oh it's been so long now. The girls have changed. My days fly by though I am not flying... Andrew is.

Penelope is entering the wisdom of being two and a half. She now knows what her little sister should and should not do and lets me know. It seems she has grown so much in the last couple of months.

Pandeia, a.k.a. Scout, is a wild woman of 12 months now. She didn't toddle for long but began walking, sometime during her 10th month, as if she'd always known how. She climbs up everything. Basically if she is awake she is not still. I love seeing her and Penelope playing together more and more all the time. We are excited to put her into her new bed soon so the girls can sleep in the same room. I'll have to let you know how that goes!

I know I usually talk very little of Andrew in this blog. It's just easier that way because of the nature of his work and the state of worldly affairs. But he is home now and then and gone frequently. He makes good use of his time here though and the girls miss him terribly when he's gone and always get excited when they hear a helicopter because they think it's Daddy's motorcycle. He is currently being missed while on TDY in Louisiana, then home for a month, and will be greatly missed again in March until sometime in September (deployment). Whoooie, that will be our longest thus far!

I love the independence that I can see in the distance when my girls begin napping at the same time. Currently, I am a prisoner of naps. They take turns. I know I could force them to coincide, but I see no need to make such demands of a sleepy baby whose brain and body can only benefit from frequent napping. If you are bored by this exciting concept of two babes napping at the same time then you must never have been around children, at least not very young ones. Such ideas and thoughts are my life. I completely understand the concept of becoming not so sharp from not challenging your brain academically. Who has time for books and classes and news or writing or thinking for that matter?! Well, sadly, not I. If intelligence could somehow be measured by levels of mommy intuition or something like that, then I may be closing in on Mensa. A friend once joked with me that "pregnancy brain" turns into "mommy brain". She must not have bee joking after all.

Christmas was fun this year and Penelope really got into it for the first time. Last year we were so focused on the baby that was about to arrive! We missed family back East this year but enjoyed our time here and were glad to all be together. You will see the Christmas pictures and those from Scout's first birthday. We took down all Christmas decorations on the 26th and began birthday mode with a little white birthday tree. The girls still are talking about it... we took it down weeks ago.

There are also some older photos posted from last fall while Andrew was in Africa... they are the later ones you will come to in the album. I noticed that Andrew and I are not really in the pictures, we look the same though I will try to get us in some of the shots next time. There are also new videos on the videos tab. Enjoy them, and thanks for reading!

La La La La Life Goes On

2011-10-03T23:56:00.007-04:00

Penelope is ever growing and changing into a precocious, witty, charming little girl. Each day she surprises me with her humor or words that seem too large for her small body. One of my favorite phenomenons lately is that when I kiss her all over her face she says, "No, top [stop]" then she either pulls my chin toward her or places her small hands on my cheeks and says, "tiss [kiss]". And I get a sweet little kiss right on the lips followed by 3 more. She cracks me up. I do it now just to keep it going.

Pandeia is such a loving little koala. We like to call her a Mommy seeking missile. Maybe it is torture, but it's pretty cute if she is headed my way to walk in a different direction and watch her turn to follow me wherever I go. Just today I noticed she got her top front tooth, so I guess she can't be a vampire like we had hoped for Halloween (reference the photo at the top of this blog!) She is not too far off from walking, but at least a month I'd say. She can stand up and maneuver around from any position and cruise along furniture like she was born doing it, but we have much to work on in the area of balance! She recently turned 9 months. There is no holding this one back. Diapers? It's a good thing I had already decided to do EC (aka infant potty training, diaper free, or natural infant hygiene) again, because it is virtually impossible to hold her still to get a diaper on! She uses what we call "the alligator roll" method.

I love to see the girls learning to play together more and more each day. There really is a big benefit to having babies this close in age. I love that they have each other. I wouldn't change anything about them.

They both love the outdoors. Penelope asks to go hiking everyday, or to ride horses of course. We walk every morning. Sometimes Penelope rides her balance bike. If there is not napping going on then we are outside. It's no wonder that these girls sleep 12 hours straight through the night without waking!

There are many new photos so please enjoy them through the link on the side bar.

This is Quite a Silly Nest

2011-08-27T01:09:00.015-04:00

Everyday our girls do something I should write about. Penelope is two, Pandeia is eight months. It is a beautiful thing to see them begin to play together more and more. I have so much I'd like to address, I don't think I could ever remember each moment. I really should do this more often. Alas, there are a million other things that get in my way after the girls are in bed for the night.

We'll start with the smallest of us. Pandeia Scout started crawling at six months and before she was seven months she was pulling up on things to standing. She is a fast mover but not yet walking. We have some serious balancing to work on before making those first steps, or even trying to stand alone. Although when I stand her up and let go for a second she thinks it's wildly funny and laughs as she immediately falls, of course I don't let her hit the floor! I'll have to try to get it on video. She loves her reflection and watching her big sister and dog run around the house. She also LOVES books, they taste so good! Maybe oral osmosis will work instead of audio learning. Scouty Pants (so affectionately named) now boasts a whopping three teeth with more on the way everyday it seems. Poor teeny thing has been teething from birth it seems. I can't wait until she ends up with a mouth full of teeth like the rest of us.

Next in line from shortest to tallest... Little Nell is two! I can't believe it. She is hilarious, as you will see if you watch the new video I am hoping to post on the Shutterfly link. I love it when she surprises me with a new word I didn't know she knew (everyday at least). I love that she is more and more my cuddle bug as she gets older and wiser and realises that mommy is so fun and wonderful. Penelope is a great big sister, letting me know when Scout has her toys or something else Nelly wants. Besides all the lessons in sharing, she really does love her little sis and I always catch her copying Scout or playing and laughing with her. It is so awesome to see it.

I don't have any milestones I'm meeting like my girls are... I hope I've met them all by now. Well maybe I can say that I get my full nights' worth of sleep every night again. That's maybe one milestone. Maybe another is that I've got it together enough to get both girls out of bed, give them breakfast, dressed, and out the door for a walk to see the horses, usually at least by 8:30 or so in the morning. You really have to beat the heat here! Hopefully our blazing hot days are numbered, but I do love the warmth and heat... if it's those nasty New York winters instead, give me the 110 degrees! They don't call our region of Idaho the Banana Belt for nothing. Oh and I got a high speed taxi ride in the jet! You can see me all suited up in the photo on top. I kept telling them to take off but they would just mutter some nonsense about how they weren't allowed and Leavenworth. Whatever, I thought it was a lousy excuse. Next time I'll figure out a way.

Andrew... hmmmm... well, he works a lot. Oh, and he loves motorcycles, talking, reading, dreaming, researching anything to do with them. Incase you didn't know. His little girls have him wrapped around their teeny tiny smallest fingers. Sorry to leave his paragraph so short, but you know how it is with his career. As far as what kind of person he is, he's a wonderful father, my soul mate, and the one I can't wait for to get home after his work day.

Please please please look at our photos and videos on our albums link... (you newbies to our blog just have to click "Albums" on the side bar or click the title of this post.) I hope you enjoy :)

Each One of Mine

2011-05-18T23:01:00.011-04:00

I'm finally sitting down to blog. It is hard to find the time to devote to things such as writing or reflection these days. My two little ones keep me hopping!

Before I move on to what is new let me write a bit.

Today has been a pleasant day........... tainted. Grrrr, police men. Can't they just jump into my day, my shoes and say, "have a nice day maam." I mean, come on!

I have also some heavy thoughts drifting through my mind. I won't share, so as to not taint anyone else's day or mood. My heart feels shadowed with a sadness when I hear of bad things happening to people... whether I know them or not, but especially when I know them. I have a hurt for these people. If you are one, know that I hold you close to my heart and whatever your beliefs, I will say a prayer for you.

Now for my two gemstones sleeping peacefully in their tiny beds... Oh, my heart explodes with love and happiness. Has there ever been such sweet babies? I am sure every mommy feels this way, but I do think mine are exceptionally wonderful. So cute, so prescious, so fun to be with... they make me laugh!

Andrew, my best friend, he works so hard at his job. He is my forever, my sure thing, my rock.... but not at all boring as all that may sound. We are two youngest children who love free time and procrastination, and the infamous "dilly dally." Those days are long gone as we spring into action every morning, him to an alarm clock, me to a cry or a small voice calling, "Mama?"

That small voice is my sweet Nelly. She is almost two now. Closing in on her 22nd month, to be exact. She can make me laugh! What a great sense of humor that tiny girl has. What a love she has for nature and animals too. Every night she must hold all her dearest stuffed animal friends as she falls asleep. Oh and how she loves her dog Winnie, sometimes a little too much for Winnie.

Littlest one, Scout... Was there ever such a happy, smiley baby? She watches everything, wanting desperately to be able to get to things and play with her big sister. She is a champion sleeper. That-a-girl Scout! So soon she will be on the move, she loves standing and trying to crawl on her belly! She's not quite there yet, but where there's a will there's a way.

We are looking forward to our trip home this summer! Andrew hasn't been home in nearly 2 years! And nobody, except for my beautiful mother and handsome father, has met Miss Pandeia Scout yet! We love NY in the summer. I still call NY home and probably always will. Come to think about it, I don't know where my two babies will call home. Hopefully wherever their mommy is!!! Ha ha ha.

Please enjoy the pictures, linked to this post via the title or the link on the side. Oh, and there are two new videos too! Similar but both worth watching.

Spring time with the Babes

2011-03-24T09:33:00.009-04:00

Springtime here in Mountain Home is a windy time... blowing in all sorts of changes. Our girls are growing up so quickly it seems. Andrew has left on a TDY for four weeks and all the beautiful women of the house are left to their own devices. Mostly though, our days with my main squeeze gone are like the movie Groundhog's Day. We move through our routines of eating, making trips to the potty, watching Pooh, Cats (the Aristocats) and Dogs (a barbie movie with two dogs), going on walks, making tiny forts, and playing outside with Winnie. Penelope loves to break her mommy's heart by frequently reminding me of how much she misses Daddy when she says, "Daddy?.... bye."

Penelope is approaching 20 months old. Scout is almost 3 months (12 weeks to be exact). Penelope is a full blown toddler now, quite independant. Our little Pandeia is ticking off those developmental milestones like she should. She can look right into your eyes and "hold a conversation" of smiles and cooing.

Some of you have asked me about a nickname for Pandeia... too complex for you? Well, you may have notice me calling her both Pandeia and Scout. Those are usually the two we use. Although she could also be Pandie or anything else that comes naturally to you. We are not going to tell you what to call her, but if it helps you out, we usually call her either Scout or Pandeia.

Finding the time to write this blog is next to impossible so that is why I am keeping it ultra short this time, I guess that is typical. Make sure to link to our photos. There are also three new videos at our albums site!

Busy with Babies

2011-01-31T19:15:00.008-05:00

How time flies now with two tiny ones in the house. Every second of my awake time is occupied... oh yes, and when I'm asleep too. I'm taking a moment while both big and little sister are asleep to try to catch you up a bit.

It's been a full 5 weeks now since our little Scout (as Penelope has taken to calling her sister- it's the part of Pandeia's name that she can say) has joined us in the world. We took her measurements on her one month birthday to chart her growth... she is an excellent nurser and has grown quite a bit, gaining 2.5 pounds, and still measuring 20.5 inches................ Hunh? That's what I thought too. I KNOW they measured her wrong when she was born. This girl has definitely grown in length her first month. Although they told us she was 20.5 inches at birth, she was fitting into newborn clothes that are definiely too short on her now. Who cares really? I am just a stats junkie about most things (not in sports or anything boring like that) so I just thought I'd mention it. I know the only ones interested will be the grandmas and possibly some aunts.

Penelope (now 18 months) is really getting into the groove of having a little sister around. She goes into recharge mode everyday by increasing her nap times quite a bit. The nearly non-napping baby (Penelope) now is napping double what she has before. I love it!

Andrew and I are a well oiled machine now. Whether efficient or not we are into the swing of our new family. Andrew turns 30 on March 1st! Be sure to make a big deal about it if you do talk to him, he is hanging on to his 20's to the bitter end. I will always be a year and a half older and wiser than him though, and proud to be.

Here's the stuff I left out the first time!
As I put both babies to bed tonight... yes, I did it at the same time (go me!), I was thinking of all the pictures I forgot that I had and could add to my albums site. I also added two very cute and funny videos of Penelope, located on the videos tab of the albums site. In the back of my head I was thinking of all the many many things that needed to be done around the house. Then I thought, more wisely, the house will still need to be tidied up tomorrow, the mess isn't going anywhere... besides, a tidy house is very over rated! So, now you get to see more of us. Enjoy the pictures and please do watch the video, it will make you laugh. She is IN LOVE with Pooh Bear.

Introducing Pandeia Scout Stevens

2011-01-05T21:44:00.016-05:00

It's been a week now since Miss Pandeia (pronounced Pandia) decided to come into this world. On Tuesday, Dec 28, 2010, Pandeia Scout Stevens was born at 1:44 PM. Weighing 7lb 2oz and 20.5 inches in length, her birth was flawless, like a well rehearsed dance. Born at The Baby Place, a wonderful birthing center in Meridian, ID, Pandeia's birth was the exact experience we had hoped for.

Big sister, Penelope, is in LOVE with her little sister. It's hard to believe my 17 month old baby has a little sister! Andrew has been on his paternity leave and life at home with our new family of four has been taking shape.

Enjoy the photos at our shutterfly photo albums link!

Pre-Christmas Update

2010-11-21T18:04:00.009-05:00

above: Penelope kissing her best friend: Winnie, wearing her bunny ears, Cousin love: Olivia, Ruby-Kate and Penelope in NY, and Penelope peaking in her strawberry costume.

Penelope at 15 months is becoming such a toddler! She is so capable and independant. I am so proud of her too... at 15 months she always goes on the potty or tells me with baby sign language that she has to go potty. I am a huge advocate of Infant Potty training, Elimination Communication, Natual Infant Hygiene (a few things people call it). People have asked me, "Are you going to do infant potty training with the second baby?".... Well, of course! Why wouldn't I? It keeps your baby so clean and draws you closer to really pay attention to their subtle cues. I wouldn't change a thing about how we've done this with Penelope.

I am now 33 weeks along in my pregnancy. We are excited for the big day already. Being all the way out here in Idaho, and far from family we have a plan A, B, and C for labor day... not Labor Day the government holiday. Because we are choosing to have the baby at a birthing center and not a hospital, technically Penelope is allowed to be there for the entire thing.... I don't think so. That is what plan A, B, and C are for... someone to take care of Penelope while we go to the birthing center just Andrew and I, and come back with a new baby.

We are excited to have Dick and Jean (Andrew's parents- for those who don't know) here for Thanksgiving. It has been snowing here in Idaho for three days now. Since we are in what is called the "banana belt" of Idaho we have very little accumulation. I am sure the mountains are loaded! We can see them from our neighborhood and they look pretty white.

Enjoy the latest pictures at our albums link, as usual. Thanks for stopping by!

Back from AK with a Very Bouncy Baby

2010-09-23T19:07:00.013-04:00

above: Penelope and I near Byron Glacier, Nell in backyard, Dadda and Nellie are twins, and Fetus Stevens at 24 weeks gestation.

We are back from Alaska and looking forward to some time together. This week of leave coming up is much needed.

Alaska was beautiful. Both Andrew and I agreed that when describing it to others we sound like we're detailing a ridiculus make-believe fantasy land that doesn't exist. The place acutually does exist though... here's what we sounded like when describing the scenery, "There is a 360 degree view of mountains with fog looming just below the peaks. Below there is a crystal clear lake that is drained by a river running to the ocean. In each direction waterfalls cascade down from the mountains (seriously- we counted seven, looking in only one direction)." and the ridiculous description could go on and on. It's all real.

The flights to and from Alaska were interesting with 13 month old Penelope. I spent at least three hours of the four hour flight from Seattle saying, "excuse me" to people sitting in aisle seats as I was constantly on the move with a very busy baby girl who has agendas of her own. At least she was happy and never cried on any of the flights.

I am now in my 25th week of pregnancy already! This one seems to be moving along quite swiftly for me, mostly due to the fact that I have Penelope keeping me moving at all times. She will be 14 months on Monday the 27th, and only slows down to sleep, and even that is with hesitation.

Please check out the albums link to see new photos (more than what's here on the blog) and even some of the sonogram done at 24 weeks! Enjoy :) -We miss you. -Team Stevens signing off.

The Big One... One Year that is.

2010-07-28T21:33:00.007-04:00

Above you see:
The first bike ride, caught red-handed climbing, stuck under a chair chasing a balloon, birthday sunglasses, and helping Andrew wash dishes.

Our little Nell turned a year old this past Tuesday. It's hard to believe we've had her in our lives for an entire year already!

Ever since she passed the eleven month milestone she has been learning and doing new things each week, each day it seems! At eleven months she began walking. In addition to that she now is dancing, pointing, clapping, and climbing! She communicates more and more each day and it is facinating to watch her grow. She is our angel, our greatest blessing.

For her birthday she learned to ride a big kid bike... well, at least in the baby seat we got for her. She loves it. All the photos are in the albums link... They include the birthday cake that is supposed to look like Winnie (our dog, and her biggest playmate), opening gifts, her first bike ride, and other playtimes of climbing into cupboards and helping Daddy with dishes. Also the birthday muffin you'll see which we had on her actual birthday morning with Andrew before he went to work.

Enjoy the photos!

Plus One

2010-06-16T20:49:00.016-04:00

above: Baby bird in the pool, Winn and Pen having fun with bubbles (no babies were injured during this shot), me washing Nell's hair when camping, Andrew and Penelope taking a break from hiking, the girls on Father's day, Penelope and I ripping off Andrew's old rank when he pinned on Captain in May.

Team Stevens is getting a new addition... a Great Dane you ask? No, something two legged, hairless, and is gestationally only 12 weeks old. Can't guess? The new little addition is due around January 12, 2011. Still can't guess?! A baby!

Penelope and her new little sibling will be around 17-18 months apart. Perfect for growing up together. We are very excited about it. Nana Winnie is up for the challenge of taking on the care of another baby. She is so great with babies, even my friends feel comfortable having Winnie around their kids and babies. Go Rottweilers! (Just another plug for another great breed.)

Penelope is nearing her one year birthday. I can't believe it! She began crawling at 10 months and always seems on the verge of walking... but she doesn't seem to be in any hurry. And I thought she'd be an early walker when she started cruising around furniture at 8.5 months. Crawling works perfectly well though, so why change a good thing? She gets that from her dad.

She'd like me to report to you her newest stats: 11 months, 18 pounds, 27 inches. She is very proud. Nell is learning new babbles all the time. She is very active now and all over the house. She loves chasing Winnie around the house. When she is in her carseat she likes letting Winn snort the cheese bits out of her neck that fall from her hand on the way to her mouth. Things can get pretty hillarious and silly in the backseat with a fuzzy whiskered dog and a baby with a ticklish neck.

Andrew FINALLY got his second week of comp time since returning from Korea. We took advantage of it by heading out to the Sawtooth Mountain National Forest for camping. Stanley, Idaho is amazingly beautiful and you must go there if you are reading this and live in Idaho. It has the coldest temperatures recorded in any town in the lower 48 states, but was gorgeous when we were there! The pictures tell all.

I hope you enjoy the pictures... check out the albums link!

Together Again

2010-05-10T22:30:00.012-04:00

Penelope and I have returned from Hawaii where we met Andrew on his way home from Korea. There we spent two wonderful weeks. I was able to reunite with my dear friend Erica, who lives on the island of Oahu. We hiked a few beautiful jungle trails, swam in scary waves, and stayed in a hotel on the beach. All the photos (Hawaii and Andrew's adventures in Korea) are linked to the albums on the side.

The tiny one sprouted a few new teeth, now totaling five. At 9 months she is getting to be quite accomplished at cruising around the house. There is a video of her learning how to walk on the balcony of our hotel in Hawaii. It's located on the video tab on my shutterfly (albums) page. I think it's pretty cute. We practiced standing the other day (well, I didn't really have to practice), she made it to 16 seconds. Yes, I was counting. Her first words/ word-like sounds are "da da," that makes Andrew very happy.

Idaho is just beginning to bud into summer. On the days when the wind stops (if we are lucky) it seems summer is just about here. We are excited for returning to the mountains for more hikes and exploration. Now that Penelope is older we may have a few kinks to work out as she will not sleep everywhere we take her anymore.

Life's Big Lessons from a Tiny Teacher

2010-03-24T22:19:00.025-04:00

It's been a long time... too long. I apologize. I have had writer's block, but I've been urged on by guilt. Therefore, you must forgive the lack of fluidity in my writing. To make up for the choppiness I have included subtitles.

Baby Stats and Update:

Penelope is eight months already today, Saturday, March 27. I cannot believe it. She weighs 17.6 pounds and is 26.5 inches tall. She has changed so much! No, she is not crawling yet, but close, not terribly close. I'd say she's more on her way to walking. She loves pulling up on my hands and taking steps. Actually today for the first and ninth time she pulled up to standing on her own, yes, nine times! Without any help from Mama.

She started eating solid foods the day after she turned six months. To date her absolute favorite is sweet potatoes, followed by peaches and yogurt. Pears, apples and prunes make it in there sometimes too, but still have to be combined with sweet potatoes.

She is finally sleeping in her own room and........ drum roll..... through the night! We (yes, we, I think it was harder on me than her) worked very hard on breaking some bad sleeping habits. I still feed her around 5:30 AM then it's back to bed for a couple more hours. But, she will go straight through from 7pm to 5:30 before eating again.

The two top photos were taken today, in the very basket (of toys) that she pulled herself to standing.

Andrewish News:

We talk to Andrew everyday on Skype. Thank you God for Skype! Penelope definitely knows it's her daddy she's seeing and hearing.

I'm not going to lay down all the details because it seems to be the AF prerogative to change their minds, but we are on target to see Andrew in April! I hope, I hope all goes as planned with this one. This deployment stuff is absolute garbage in my opinion. I'm not saying I don't support the cause. I just don't support the separation of families. I guess that's why they call it sacrifice.

To all my AF friends out there leading husbandless lives right now: I think of you all often and hope and pray that this time goes smoothly and swiftly for you and your families.

Recent Events:

Hillary and the two redheads visited for three and a half weeks in February! What a great time! Above you see a picture of Max and Ruby-Kate hiking Bruneau Dunes, North America's tallest sand dunes right here in my backyard! Upon their arrival I welcomed them at the airport by tossing Penelope into my sister's arms and puking all over the floor, twice! Two days later Penelope caught my nasty bug. Then we gave it to poor little Ruby-Kate. Max and Hillary managed to avoid the plague somehow. We had a really fun first week. We did about ten loads of laundry a day and went through many cans of Lysol. I will try not to be so rude if anyone else wants to visit. Isn't that enticing? Their stay here was the only time that has flown by since Andrew's been gone and I was very sad to drop them off at the airport.

Mom comes out for a visit on the 31st. Mom, what a surprise you are in for when you see your granddaughter. A lot has changed since she was 9 weeks, when you last saw her. I count down the days to when we pick her up at the airport. You really start to miss family when you live over 2,000 miles away.

My Thoughts:

Penelope has challenged me with her presence in my life. I must be a much better person than ever before or ever imagined. And, I want to.

Things are not always as you hoped they would be and don't always turn out the way you plan. I had definite ideas and strong opinions about how I wanted to go about raising Penelope. Some things have proven not as simple as I thought they should or would be, and those strong opinions have had to become rubber bands instead of steel. I have been left speechless and have had to drop judgements that I didn't know I had formed. There is no one right way or only way to raise a baby in any facet of the business. That is my new position. My little girl teaches me so much everyday. There is no ground to stand on to make judgements.

Thank you for reading. If you are getting my blog updates then know that I think about you. There are many new pictures posted to my albums link on the side or linked to the title of the post as usual. Please look and see our beautiful baby girl. She is truly gorgeous. Enjoy!

More Baby Love

2010-01-20T23:06:00.015-05:00

Should I begin by making your heart ache? Or perhaps make you blissfully content at heart? Since I last posted to this blog (three months ago!) I have experienced both. My sweet Penelope warms my heart and fills my soul with that peaceful, joy that is experienced when you finally discover that for which you were made. On the other hand I have been broken at the inner most core of my being... down deep, where that spark gives life to your cells. Andrew is gone, deployed. Our separation leaves us both with a cavernous vacancy in our souls.

I sit, Penelope sleeping in our room just beyond, thinking of how to express my feelings about taking care of our baby girl. She is truely a wonderful little being. Already she is her own person with a developing personality. She does not like to be left out of things! Facing forward is her preference, along with standing not sitting, back not tummy, mommy not bottle, potty not diaper. What?! you say! Yes, infant potty training is going just peachy. She has quite taken to using the potty instead of a diaper. Of course nothing is black and white in this world and it would be boring if it were... If I'm not paying attention to her cues or timing then we still have our misses (those humorous moments of peeing on Mama). But, I can say it is going very well. After all the girl isn't quite 6 months old yet. Poops only go in the potty now, never in the diaper or anywhere else.
OK, enough about the tiny one's elimination.

Sleeping is hopefully getting better. Last night I think I saw the light... or rather, didn't, and had a feeding free night. I'll report back when we are sleeping uninterupted the whole night through.

The house has turned out to be a great decision. Winnie is a fantastic Nana and is very gentle with Penelope. I am very much looking forward to my sister, Hillary, coming out at the begining of February with her two teeny ones. Meanwhile, I hold fast here at home raising our little Nelly, walking Winnie when it's neither too cold or windy for Penelly, working out in our awesome garage, learning to be sympathetic to the single moms around the world, and waiting for my lover's return.

I have a lot of pictures, so that has to be worth at least 100,000 words. That being said... enjoy the pictures! To those who don't remember... click either this post's title or the album link on the side. -->

IdaHome

2009-10-18T23:09:00.010-04:00

Whoa, what a journey! Idaho is beautiful! We love it. I've created a link, with this post's title, to many pictures we took along the way. Penelope is now 3 months. She is cute as can be and puting on the chub like a champ! Andrew's vacation is over :( We bought a house... does that make us grown up now? Even more fun though we bought an old Bronco. It's very cool.

So, let's back up to the journey...
Leaving NC, our first stop was to stay with my dear friend Steph and her new hubby, Alex, just outside of DC. Winnie continued the humiliation that all our dogs have caused us... on the floor of their apartment. Sorry guys.

Then we headed to NY to stay with Gram and Gramp Stevens. We spent great days at the lake with family all around us. Penelope made her debute, everywhere we went she stole the show. Then to Ellicottville to Gram and Gramp Stroebel's. Penelope met all her cousins there! Our entire time in NY was about 3 weeks total before starting our big drive to Idaho.

We averaged around 6 hours a day driving... throw in a few 1-2 hour stops to feed the baby and remind her that she was not a bad girl and we weren't punishing her by puting her in her car seat. Actually she made the journey with quite a lot of grace. She slept almost the entire drive.

A quick review of our observations... Wisconson and Minnesota are secrets that have been kept from us, they are so beautiful! South Dakota's black hills made the trip worth while. During our short spurt through Montana (my personal fave) we drove through a tiny town and had to stop for an elk walking down Main street! After that we slowed down several times for herds of mountain goats crossing the highway. Needless to say we WILL be going back there. One of the most unique places I have ever seen in my life is called "Craters of the Moon" in Idaho. As far as the eye can see is black lava rock, sorry we didn't take any pictures, we really wanted to get to Mountain Home by that time!

And now we're here! That's the short version of it. Our new house, which we won't get to move into until November 20th, has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a fully fenced back yard, a three car attached garage, and (Bill and Lil... this one's for your visit) RV parking.

The most noteworthy phenomenon of our journey, from my perspective, is this: I absolutely love, love, love being Penelope's mama. I love taking care of her, feeding her, teaching her, puting her to bed at night and getting her out of bed in the morning. I love how her little body is covered with sweet spots perfect for kisses. I love those dark eyes whether they have tears in them or if they are squinting in a smile. I am trying not to sound too generic but I can't deny it...
I never knew how great being a mama would be.

With that, I have saved the best for last. I know everyone wants to see pictures. So click either the title of this post or the album link on the side bar.

Idaho or Bust

2009-08-19T10:06:00.009-04:00

We have now officially checked out of SJAFB! Goodbye NC, hello ID... but first to NY to see the fams. We will caravan, I will be driving the car with Winnie in the front with me and Penelope will hog the back seat all to herself. Andrew will follow us on his motorcycle. Yes, he is quite excited about his long cross-country drive and he is doing it entirely by choice. It is the motorcycle trip of his dreams... mostly.

I have no idea where we will live out there yet. Either near Boise or closer to the base where Andrew will be working. Boise would be more interesting and beautiful but a longer commute. When we have bought a house I will post our address. Until that time don't expect to get any new blog postings, but as soon as I can I will fill you in on everything and catch you up!

Penelope is growing! She eats well so she is beginning to get chubby cheeks now. I am sure she will look completely different in just a bit longer. The first weeks with her have been great. She is a very good baby. I don't think anyone could ask for an easier first baby. She sleeps as good as one could expect from a growing 3 week old. At night she has begun sleeping 5-6 hours at a time. Andrew has been a HUGE help to me too. When he is here he definitely does 50% of the baby tasking. He is such a good papa... as I knew he would be.

If you have not viewed our albums in Shutterfly since last time you may want to take a look (again- link with the title of this post or at the side bar). There are a few more of Penelope and I've added a video tab at the top of the page. There is a short video of Penelope waking up with her Naana Winnie watching over her. I will try to keep the videos coming since they are a fun new addition.

Introducing Miss Penelope Callie Stevens!

2009-08-02T18:30:00.009-04:00

Well, the baby belly turned out to be our precious Penelope. Penelope Callie Stevens was born Monday, July 27th at 1:44 PM. Penelope is a whopping 18 inches long and weighed 6lb. 15oz. at birth. She was born at 38 weeks of gestation.

Her birth was an amazing experience. We had a wonderful team working to bring Penelope into the world. Everyone was very supportive of my desire to have a natural birth experience and I wouldn't have changed a thing. God blessed the entire pregnancy and birth of Penelope. And now we are blessed again by having her in our lives. She is our angel. She will steal your heart as soon as you look at her. Take a look. Either click the title to this link or the website on the right of the posts.

Week 33 Update

2009-06-23T16:24:00.007-04:00

Fetus Stevens is weighing in around 4.5 pounds this week. I am already ready to have him/her check out of the hotel I've been for the last 33 weeks. I'm starting to feel like I am on the larger side of life. I know things will become more restless at night, more grunting when I put on my sneakers, and harder to breathe during my workouts. So yes, I am looking forward to my due date. But with 7 weeks left I still have had an uneventful pregnancy, which is a good thing. I don't even have much new to report to you. Current photos have been requested so I oblige.

We were very happy to have some friends from Pensacola, Javan and Denae, stay with us for a couple of days last week. Winnie was thrilled to entertain Charlie, the American Bulldog, and Zoe, the little terrier mutt, for an entire week! As you can see by the photos I think she has found the love of her life. Awwww.

Above you see some rare prego workout photos and Andrew hanging in his anti-gravity boots (aka moon boots). Still going strong!

More will come later. But no news is good news as far as pregnancy goes. So we hope for an uneventful end to this 40 week haul. Until then my friends!

Swell Belly

2009-05-31T12:09:00.017-04:00

Fetus Stevens has grown a lot since you've last encountered him or her. He or she is around 3.5 pounds and around 18 inches head to toe (depending on whose height genetics were inherited). I won't tell you what I weigh... although you can see that I've grown substantially since the last update as well. I am now 7 months (31 weeks). I continue to feel great. I've been blessed with quite a comfortable pregnancy. The only very noticable change that the third trimester has brought is a new wave of tiredness. Winnie still gets her two walks a day, totaling about 3.5 miles. My workouts are still going strong with the obvious changes to accomodate the growing belly.

Andrew has started his air-to-ground phase training. Life will get quite hectic for him in these last weeks before the baby arrives. At least he should be nearing the end by the time the baby is born. He's actually encountered an obstacle since last week. He's has the symptoms of appendicitis but has been run through the gauntlet of tests which have all come back negative. He is moving forward with training anyways. We're paying close attention to how he is feeling, of course, and we're hoping maybe it is just a muscle anomaly that the doctors haven't been able to see which will go away on its own.

We were happy to have my parents visit on Memorial Day weekend. We are already looking forward to them again after the baby arrives since this visit was on the short end. But, who's complaining? We'll take what we can get. We did venture into Raleigh to a flea market while they were here and picked up a fantastic dresser for the baby's room. It is waist high so the baby could also be changed on top.

The following weekend we were able to meet up with some friends of mine that I met in France eight years ago! Nathalie and David were in the states on vacation visiting NYC and DC. It was great to see them again.

Another weekend some wonderful friends of mine here in the Air Force world threw me a surprise baby shower. I was completely unaware of what I was walking into... I thought it was a birthday party for a friend. But Martha and Jamie pulled it off quite well. And Andrew kept the secret safe.

We have been quite busy the last month, thank you all who made it so wonderful! Now we are finishing up our pre-natal classes... well, I am and Andrew makes it to the ones he can when he's not busy with work. We are saying good bye to some dear friends who are moving to England. We'll miss you Jay and Anna!

And to save a juicy bit for last, we have found out that we will be moving to Idaho when Andrew graduates. It is as we hoped and planned on but it is nice to know for sure. We do not yet know when we are moving and have no idea when we will find that out. Probably not for quite some time. We plan on buying our first home there and all of you are welcome and encouraged to visit!

Until next time my blog followers, wishing you all well.

Growing a baby

2009-04-21T16:07:00.013-04:00

Nearing the end of my second trimester, I am now 25.5 weeks pregnant (that's about 5.5 months!) and it has gone by quite fast. I feel the baby kick more and more. Andrew likes feeling it kick too. From reading our week by week play of the baby's growth we know that it is now around 1.5 pounds and about 8.5 inches from head to rump. I am feeling quite well with the usual aches and pains of growing a basketball in my short body. Nothing will get in this baby's way. It just squeezes and crams all my other organs out of its way while it stretches and kicks to get comfortable. It's a strange phenomenon to grow a baby. Is it a parasite? No, I guess not, it's a baby, but they do have some parasitic qualities while they are still inside.

We have been blessed with visitors this past month. Our friends, Matt and Gina, were the first to come, with whom we had a wonderful time! As you can see above we took them shooting at the range on base. For Easter we had my sister, Heidi's, family. We spent a sunny day at the beach and Easter day we went to a museum in Raleigh. Mostly it was just great to spend time with our friends and family not doing anything in particular.

I did get to go on that tanker ride I was so sad about missing (Re: the last blog entry where I mentioned it). Many of the spouses from the squadron went up all together in the KC-135. It was exciting to see the F-15s refueled so closely!

Andrew is about at the half way point with his time in the Lancers (his student squadron). He has a little over 3 months left there... just about the time that I am due to have the baby! We are hoping to find out sometime near the end of next month where we will be stationed for our first operational tour. Even if we get stationed here in NC we will still be moving off base somewhere. Therefore we aren't even bothering to set up a space for the baby. Any lovely baby things we have so far are just being lovingly organized into a cuddly corner. (That's as nice as I could make that spare room storage sound.)

Winnie is now 6 months and around 55 pounds, for any dog lovers who are interested. She was spayed today. She doesn't like her new plastic bonnet that keeps her away from her stitches. Isn't she pretty?

This past weekend was the air show. Andrew was "voluntold" to work both days working at his squadron's booth. It wasn't much of a weekend... 90 plus degree days on a steamy flight line flipping burgers. I was there too, although not all day, just to help out.

I have been terrible about keeping this blog up... so I have been told by some of you through emails. I will try to be better. Although, maybe you have figured out by now that I will send out an email when I do finally update it. No need to check it every week. I do appreciate my fans though. I will try to be more dedicated to you.

Baby's gender and Andrew's Ape Hangers

2009-03-13T17:17:00.015-04:00

The receptionist at the dentist office announced to me, as I walked back with the hygenist, that she was going to tell me what we are having (the baby's gender, that is). I said, "Alright!" It sounded fun. She came back when I was seated in the chair and dangled a string with a nail tied on the end over my abdomen. The string moved in a circular pattern. "You are havin' a girl darlin," she announce to me in her North Carolina accent, proud of her work.

All the women in the office swore up and down that she is never wrong. Since her method is, of course, quite scientific, I'm not sure whether or not we should doubt her. Well, I guess we'll just have to wait to see. Don't you all love the suspense?! Hee hee, I just had to lure you in to reading this with that title. We'll pick out both girl and boy names just in case. We will be happy as long as we have either a girl or a boy. I think that gives us a 100% chance at happiness, by my calculations.

We have enjoyed watching my belly grow. It is growing, as evidenced by the fact that when I am not standing up sometimes it is too uncomfortable to leave my pants buttoned! I haven't had to do that since I was a child at Thanksgiving time when I thouroughly enjoyed glutting myself on the eight pies and irresistable cranberry salad that were my favorites of the holiday.

I am close enough to 19 weeks now... and probably will be a legitamate 19 weeks pregnant by the time you read this. That is one week shy of half way there! It seems to have gone by quite quickly. My next check-up is on the 20th of March (next Friday). That happens to be the day of the spouses' tanker ride. Which I don't know if I can participate in because of our appointment time. The tanker ride is when I would get to go up in the refueling plane and watch as Andrew is in the F-15E that's being refueled. Pretty cool. It's an event I would rather not miss.

We finally had a beautiful, sunny weekend... necessary for Andrew to cash in on his birthday gift. He drove his motorcycle to Raleigh where we got 14 inch ape hangers installed (that is taller handlebars... for those of you not entirely wrapped up in the motorcycle world). Note, the proud owner in the photos on the upper right of this page. Not too much could make this man-child happier. He is a man-child when surrounded by motorcycles and the low rumble of the exhaust pipes.

We are looking forward to Easter when my sister, Heidi, and her family are coming to Goldsboro for a visit. They will get to see this thriving metropolis of the South... boy are they in for a surprise! Just kidding. There are plenty of great things to do near by and exciting F-15E night take-offs to see (cool because of the 40ft flames coming from the jet as it takes off!) Of course we would love for all of you to visit. Not all at once though, please :) I know if I don't say that you will all me crowding my door step, right? I thought so.

Back to Andrew for a moment. I must give him his due on this blog as well... since he is my sugar daddy and the reason I enjoy my very part-time job life. He has been doing great on his flights. He is now the proud wearer of an air sickness patch on each flight. An honor that he earned after puking his gutts out like nobody has ever seen before. They help immensely and he enjoys his work a lot more without the sickness. Our neighbor, Matt, also a student, is Andrew's pilot. They have already flown together a couple of times. That means no instructors in their jet... just the students. Pretty exciting stuff.

As always, we love hearing from you. Whether it's an email, comment on this blog, phone call, or best yet a visit, please don't hesitate. We love each of you.

PS- Click the title to link to more recent pictures and even older albums!

First Photos!

2009-02-21T21:50:00.022-05:00

Finally on Friday, Feb 20th, we had our sonogram! We received some great images of the baby at 15 weeks and 5 days. He/She weighs 6 ounces... I have no idea how they can figure out the weight by an ultrasound. It was a pretty amazing encounter for both Andrew and I. The baby was kicking and punching on the screen but of course I cannot feel any of it yet. I'm not quite sure when I will start to feel those things. To see all of the sonogram images click on the title of this post, it is a link to our "albums" page, then scroll down to the bottom and click on the thumbnail images to see them full size!

For those of you who are frustrated that we are not finding out the baby's gender... The ultrasound tech said that she could not tell it from the baby's position anyway. So even if we wanted to know we could not! I guess this little one wants to surprise us.

I have been feeling great. I feel lucky to have not felt sick at all except for a couple of weeks of mild nausea around my 8th and 9th week. They say that 75% of women feel sick, so I guess I am one of the lucky ones! I cannot feel any kicks yet but am starting to notice the baby belly finally. I feel a difference when I am laying down otherwise it's not too different than my pre-infestation (oops.. I mean pre-baby) days.

Some non-baby news involves Andrew changing squadrons. He is now in the Lancers which is the flight side of his training in the F-15E. He will actually fly his first flight this Tuesday! Now is when his life is going to be not so fun and he is going to lose that lovely leisure time. They bumped his graduation date up to August 15th. (By the way my due date is "officially" August 9th now... I think it's good they are no longer the same date.)

Winnie is growing up into a very sweet little dog girl. She loves tagging along behind me wherever I go. She knows several commands such as, sit, stay, lay down, come, 'get the ball', and 'show me your belly'. She is now 4 months old and weighs just over 35lb.s Last weekend she got to spend some time with two English bull dogs. She loved to chew on their faces full of skin rolls. Since they are pudgy and short they couldn't really fight back or get away but they tolerated her fairly well.

I hope you enjoy the new photos. Remember to click the title of this page, "First Photos" to link to a page to see the other images! We think of each and every one of you... you are in our hearts and minds.

much love, Kimberlee

PS- I have finally figured out how to have all our photos on here without deleting them along the way. I am sorry I've done that in the past and will now have links to a separate image hosting page to view them.

Fetus News Flash!

2009-01-23T21:39:00.009-05:00

As the title of this blog entry suggests... We are pregnant! I had my first check up today and heard the heartbeat of little Fetus Stevens (don't you love the name we've picked out?) I am 12 weeks so far. (For those of you who've never had babies, in case you don't know, gestation is about 40 weeks total... But 37 weeks is considered full term, so that means I am done with my first trimester already!)

Backing up to December 7th... we were so excited to find out with a home test that we are pregnant. I got it confirmed here at the clinic on base. We broke the news to our families at Christmas time in person. Above is a photo of us telling Andrew's family (we had them gather together for a family photo)! So some of you know this news already :)

My due date is somewhere around 9, 10, or 11 August. I say those three dates because those are the three I've been told at some point or another. So sometime that week probably.

When we get our first ultrasound in 4 weeks I will post them up. To much dismay of many of you wonderful readers, we are not going to find out the sex of the baby. We are waiting until the bitter end to have one more element of surprise. Like we won't have enough that day!

In four weeks then you will be hearing from me again with some strange black and white images of a difficult to detect fetus. We are both really excited to see the little tike!

Meet our new little girl

2009-01-09T10:00:00.007-05:00

Winnafred (or Winnie as we call her) joined our family in December. She is a beautiful and lively Rottweiler. She is now 12 weeks old and growing so fast. Why did we choose a Rottie? She is super smart (already knows 7 tricks or commands), she is athletic and will be able to keep up with us on outdoor adventures, and although she is quite a stubborn puppy to train we believe that it will translate to a very loyal dog as she grows.

I know this is a short blog entry. I just wanted to introduce Winnie. There will be another blog entry soon! I will let you all know when it is ready. Hope everyone is doing wonderfully.

Our Misty Eye'd November

2008-11-29T23:00:00.009-05:00

Our baby boy, Milo, lasted until Monday November 17th. From the time we found out that he had the bone cancer to the day we lost him was only 3 weeks. It is a very aggressive cancer. The pain finally became too much for him and we had to say good bye. The heartache was only magnified by the fact that otherwise he was a very healthy and happy four year old. He was the most loved dog on the planet and he is greatly missed already. We will never forget him. He really brought happiness to everyone who saw him... so huge and majestic and goofy at the same time. The lump in my throat is telling me to change the subject.

We have spent two wonderful weekends with both sets of parents. My (Kimberlee's) mom and dad were down to visit early in November. We explored old civil war battelgrounds on the motorcycles (past the cotton fields) and visited historical areas of downtown Raleigh. Dad took a picture of Andrew and I on our bikes with Milo. Andrew's parents spent Thanksgiving with us. The next day we spent at sunny Wrightsville beach. We saw many puppies and dogs on the beach (made our hearts happy) and collected sea shells. It culminated with lunch on a pier. We said our goodbyes and they are already back in the frozen north country. Man, I DO NOT miss that wet snow and cold!

Andrew is nearing the end of the sensor course for WSO's only and will soon be joined by the pilots for the beginning of the B-course on Dec 10th. One of them actually just moved in next door. We are really looking forward to Christmas in NJ and NY with family. We'll get to meet Mateo, the newest member of the family, and squeeze all the nieces and nephews. It will be fun to play in the snow too.

Thank you all for your concern and prayers for Milo. He was only meant to be a four year old dog. But what a great four years that Great Dane lived. He will be missed and loved always. Happy holidays to those of you that we wish we could see this season and we can't wait to see most of the family soon! We love you. Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Our Furry Baby Boy

2008-10-30T13:43:00.005-04:00

Greetings everyone,

By now some of you know that our Great Dane (and he is Great), Milo, has osteosarcoma (aka bone cancer). He had been limping for about 2 weeks after we got back from the mountains. We took him to the vet last Monday (the 27th of Oct) and she took xrays. Viewing the xrays with her revealed large areas of low density in the radius of his left front limb surrounded by scattered areas of highly dense bone. The swelling that we observed near his 'wrist' is actually the bone growing new layers. We thought he just had a sprain from the hike that would take time to heal.

The vet did say that it's possible that he has only an infection or a syst but it's not likely since it is a picture perfect xray of osteosarcoma. Nonetheless she prescribed an antibiotic in case it is an infection, as well as an anti-inflamitory and pain killers. We should notice by next Monday if the swelling has gone down and deffinitely within two weeks... if it has then good news, it'd be an infection that can heal!

For those of you whom are the praying kind, pray for our little big fella. We love him dearly and would miss him being in of our lives. Milo is only 4 years old and he's been with us our entire marriage so you can imagine how much we love him. He goes everywhere with us.

We have opted out of the treatment for cancer for him for a couple of reasons. It would cost thousands of dollars and it'd only give him the hope of an extra year with us... with an amputated leg. If you know Great Danes you know that amputating a front leg is not an option because of their size. 80% of their weight is on their front legs.

Thanks for your prayers. We believe that God loves dogs too and all animals so any extra prayer could help. We love you guys, Kimberlee and Andrew

Mountain Camping Trip

2008-09-23T12:07:00.011-04:00

Andrew and I went camping in the Pisgah National Forest in western NC for our 4th anniversary on Sept 18th. Milo was of course with us. We had a great time and took lots of pics. Click on the title of this blog post or the link on the side and it will link you to the pictures.

I actually wrote a really long blog entry detailing every moment of our camping trip but Andrew thought it was boring... so if you want to read it then by all means read on. If the summary above is good enough for you then stop now... just link to our pictures to see them. Below is my long entry about the trip:

September 25, 2008
On the weekend of our fourth anniversary Andrew and I set out for the mountains of western North Carolina. We woke early on Saturday the 20th to get a head start on the five hour drive before us. Unfortunately we are in the inner costal plains of NC once known as the Dismal Swamp... if that gives you an idea of our area. The mountains are to the West five hours and the coast is two hours east. We were excited to finally experience the mountains and our first camping trip!

When we arrived we stopped at a tourist information cabin on the Linville Gorge. We wanted to camps somewhere off the beaten track but did not have a permit to stay overnight in the area. The man recited lengthy directions that would guide us through the twisty mountain roads to a place called Table Rock. Thanks to Andrew's impecable memory and attention to direction we didn't get lost.

Once we arrived at Table Rock we first summited its namesake. A one mile hike up to a lofty rock precipice gave us a lookout to the weekend adventures before us. Thankfully the temperature in the mountains was cooler which set the perfect climate for a full day of hiking The sandwhiches I had made the night before tasted delicious at the top of the world. After a rest, wanting to start our hike and have enough time to find the perfect campsite drove us back down Table Rock to load up our gear and set out.

Andrew carried our new and heavy tent and I carried the water and some food. We came across several groups of rock climbers facinated by our big dog. It's a traveling circus wherever we take him. After the first mile and a half we no longer met fellow hikers. It was beautiful. The ridge we hiked along gave us a bird's view of the land. Peaks and valleys were covered with broad leafs, pines, hydrengas, and other plants common in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. Down below we spotted the Linville Gorge. Then the big decent began. The trail led us through the pines, across the valley and up onto the next ridge. Black stumps stuck up all over the next ridge and mountain indicating to us that a forest fire may have gone through this place a few years ago. A mystical grove of cottony milk weed had grown up to cover the now fertile soil. It was pretty but not were we wanted to camp so we turned down a different path. That too was a dead zone so we nested in a shady cove we had passed earlier.

Fire wood was ample and camp was set up in no time. After some food, water, and a campfire our tired feet and eyes led us into our shelter. Being somewhat of minimalists Andrew and I don't like to have more than we need which sometimes leaves us in more uncomfortable situations than we could have enjoyed. Without sleepingbags or pads we made do with some blankets. Milo refused to sleep without a soft place of his own so the three of us piled on to the small nest of blankets. I strategically placed myself between my two heaters (Andrew and Milo) to avoid the cold of the tent floor that surely would have led to my icy death. I stayed toasty. Andrew and Milo experiened some shivers from the edge of our blankets. They slept like logs... myself not at all. The ground was as comfortable as sleeping on a bed of nails.

Needless to say we were up early and headed back. The experience was great... not too rustic but not luxurious... but we were thirsy and hungry. A pit stop at a gas station sufficed for our meal and our drive home seemed to take twice as long as the way out. Once back in Goldsboro we unloaded and were satisfied with our adventure. We are looking forward to our next trip out the the mountains.

Click the title of this post to view all the photos from our trip!

Walking through the woods with Milo on a summer day

2008-09-01T16:59:00.005-04:00

Amidst the beating down rays of the summer sun we stepped into the promising dark forest. The air was swollen with moisture and mosquitos but cooler. Still on the AF base, the trail was well beaten but offered a false sense of freedom and adventure we both have experienced growing up in New York state. Naturally we were drawn to it. Milo was just happy to be off the leash. This was a dog day. Dogs love mud, sun, mosquitos, spiders, rotten logs and anything that was once alive and is no more. If any of you dog owners come to visit this will be a great place to let our little friends off of their leashes. There was a stagnant little stream running through our little forest. It must have been the source of our little mosquito foes.

We explored just about every trail we encountered and had fun being in nature again. I guess I can speak for both Andrew and myself when I sigh that being outdoors is what I miss most about our wonderful New York, after our families of course. After about an hour and a half or maybe two hours we decided we had seen the most of our forest plot and decided to head home for lunch. I am still polishing my turning and clutch skills on the new motorcycle a bit more before braving the real world outside these 20mph gates. After a bite it's outside for a bit of riding. More later!

Our Transient Summer

2008-08-25T14:34:00.001-04:00

Finally we have made it to our new location in Goldsboro, NC. We are living on the base once again (most of you know the name of the base, but I am not writing it because it is not very lovely at all, some of you know what I mean). We should be here for at least one year. If we get stationed here after that for the next three years we will try to buy a house.

Andrew won't begin his training (the WSO sensor course) until Nov. He won't actually be flying until around the end of January. Meanwhile he is stashed with the Rockets (an operational squadron here). He is not the 'snacko' like he was going to be but now is the paper shredder emptier, garbage boy, deck scrubber and party planner. (Kind of like a squadron slave.) At least he is getting to hang out with dudes who are doing the job he'll be doing in a year.

As for myself, I am having a great time. I am trying not to let my lack of responsibility make me feel guilty. Obviously it hasn't quite yet seeing as I am not yet employed. I don't want to let my brain go to complete mush so I am trying to learn Italian. There's no real significance for choosing Italian other than it was the most available Rosetta Stone series from the library. Ooo, and I like how it sounds when it is spoken.

I would post my most recent photos, but pictures of the B-course (what Andrew will be doing) graduation wouldn't be very exciting to look at. A friend asked me earlier in the summer to photograph the graduation which took place after our lengthy visit to NY. I have other little photo projects in place and will share the successful parts of what I come up with.

We are not far at all (only a ten hour drive!) from NY now so hopefully we can lure some of you down for a visit. We are strategically located between the coast and the mountains, four hours from D.C. and an hour from Raleigh, but in the middle of nothing and nowhere.

The mighty Strike Eagle makes Andrew drool.

2008-06-05T10:45:00.001-04:00

Yesterday the F-15E came to Randolph. Andrew was very excited. We both got to climb into the cockpit and walk around on top of the plane. This is the jet that Andrew is going to get to be in every day! He won't start training in it until February of 2009 but he got a glimpse of his future ride today. I got to sit in the cockpit as well and thought about joining the AF just to get to ride in it. (Not really, I like to give the orders and don't respond well when they are given to me. Imagine that.) I'll have to start working on that... getting the ride I mean, not getting better at taking orders. :)

We have been diligently looking at homes online in NC. We get to pick up Milo next Wednesday from our wonderful neighbors in Pensacola (Javan, Denae and Keith and Christy). Then it's off to do some house hunting! Any tips?

Make sure you scroll down to see the picture at the bottom of the page. I also added a few new ones on the side bar!