Domino

This is our new puppy, Domino! He's 6 weeks old, and a cutie!

And this is the boys being so fascinated by a movie that they are oblivious to the world :)

Thanksgiving '08

I have spent today in a whirl of cooking and thankfulness. It is snowy outside, with close to 2 inches on the ground, so we haven't ventured out at all. We have stayed in, the kids have played with Tyrone, and I have cooked a ton.

This year is so much better then last year... Last year I was praying that God would protect Tyrone and help him not be lonely and that next year would be better. And look at us now! God has given us all we asked, and more. I cannot even describe how grateful my heart is. Today is perfect!!

And, here are some pics of dinner!

We don't have our table here right now, but that wasn't going to stop me! I set the coffee table for dinner, and it was the best Thanksgiving table ever.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope that your day is as wonderful as ours!!

babies, babies everywhere (but not here!) lol

Everyone is having babies and I'm so happy! I love babies! Suzanne (cousin) is having her baby boy soon, Salina is having a baby, and my best Melissa is having a baby--Melissa and Salina are due only 2 weeks apart! Anyway, I'm just happy about babies today!

(no, this is not a veiled anything...we have no baby plans!)

***I have been horribly neglectful....of course I forgot Kristy, who has been waiting for dear, sweet Franceska for 31 months!! Love you, Kristy!***

Yay for babies!

Today

Today has ended with K and I feeling very icky. The kids and I all got our flu vaccines today. Shiloh got the shot b/c she's a baby and Gabe got it b/c he's got asthma. K and I were not so lucky and got the flu mist. I know plenty of people have no problem with it...but we are not included in that group. We feel BAD. I hope we're improving by tomorrow.

Today wasn't all bad, though. Here are some shots from throughout the day.

Well, what do you keep beside your tv??

Real Daddies fix their daughters' hair!

I am still getting used to feeding 5 people with big person appetites...a double recipe of pancakes BARELY sufficed this morning. The other morning it was a dozen eggs, a whole pack of bacon, and a dozen biscuits. Our grocery budget is in TROUBLE!

And, of course, more wrestling. No day would be complete w/o jumping on Daddy before bed!

and again....

snow that's sticking!

NOT a minivan!!!

This is my new car! Isn't it gorgeous?! AND...it's not a minivan!! I have wanted a Grand Prix since we rented one in Feb...Tyrone told me he would get me one, but I didn't really expect that it would happen! The kids fit perfectly in the back, and it drives like a dream. I have never been this excited about a car!!! What an awesome husband I have!

shiloh's signing

I know that I have mentioned Shiloh's signing recently, but I decided to talk about it a little bit more in depth. I've always loved sign language, and do intend to pursue it further one day, but what an awesome thing for Shiloh!! I only wish I had done it with the boys. It is no longer just a parlor trick, she told me just today at lunch when she wanted more, and when she was all done. No throwing food, no screaming, just "all done". She can even tell me when she wants to play! She knows sit, and is working on stand. We're pretty good with mommy, and we're getting there with daddy and brother, along with lots of others.

But, one of our favorites is baby!! AND....I just so happened to get some video of her signing baby (after she got over being stuck on the camera, lol), and then loving on the baby (this would be the baby from 'lissa....thanks chickadee!) It might just be me, but I think it's super cool that she can do it!

what we've been up to

So, I've been thinking that I've posted some pics lately, but that's about it. Given the wonderful things that have happened for us, I figure I had better write it all down since this is as much a journal as it is a blog for everyone to keep caught up on our lives!

The first few days after Tyrone got home, I was in shock. I had spent so many days and nights, over a year's worth, wishing that he was close enough to reach out and touch. I knew that the deployment wouldn't last forever, but I couldn't imagine it ending. With him finally beside me, I hardly knew what to do with myself! Sometimes I still don't. Every so often I can be found just reaching out to touch him, with tears in my eyes. He understands, though, and always just smiles reassuringly.

Tyrone has been a saint, letting me sleep in, jumping in to normal life around the house, even making breakfast some days! Our house with Tyrone home is a more chaotic, happier place and I am absolutely in love with it! He is such a hands on Daddy and we are beyond blessed to have him!

Real life stops for no one, you know, so in the not-quite-month since he's been home, we have had: a serious Shiloh cold, Shiloh with pink eye, k throwing up at school, one of my oh-so-unpleasant migraines that ends with an ER trip and serious drugs that take me out of the game for 24 hours, AND the water pump on the truck went out.

Yeah, that truck. It's not that it's a bad truck, it's just that it's 12 years old. Of course, it's practically rebuilt now, lol. Anyway, we're selling it. We have a buyer! YAY! Tyrone has already bought a little 2 door Accord for his back and forth to work car, and we are going to buy a vehicle for me this week....probably a minivan?! what?! Yeah, I know, so not...well....me. But, we're a large family. A minivan makes since....and I kinda like the Chevy Venture that we're looking at. We'll see. I'll let you know when we make a for sure decision!

We had a parent teacher conference with K's teacher a week and a half ago. She confirmed what I already knew, which is that Kaleb's reading is coming leaps and bounds, he's soaking stuff up like a sponge! And, as an added bonus, there are some math concepts that he has down (that we've worked hard on!) that no one else in his class can even touch. He really gets math, and we are so proud of him!

Gabe is STILL waiting for a spot in either the pre-k or headstart programs, I can't wait until he gets in. He did so well in school! Shiloh continues to be her adorable self, her signing is fabulous, and just yesterday she said "knock, knock" when her brothers were telling knock knock jokes.

As far as work goes, Tyrone has an awesome, and I think well deserved, schedule right now. They have 3 day work weeks until they go on block leave in Dec. They have yet to have to actually stay a full day, either. This gives families a chance to really "gel" again, and I think it's wonderful.

So, mostly, we're just spending as much time as possible together and appreciating every moment like never before. Sorry this was so long, but now you're all caught up!

Why do I have so many pics of Tyrone and the kids wrestling?

That would be because it goes on nonstop at our house!!

This one started out with the boys sneak attacking their Daddy....you see how that turned out for them!

So Daddy got on the ground to play, and Shiloh had to get in on it!

But Gabe couldn't let Daddy have the last word!

And, just for fun, a pic of a very sleepy, spaced out Shiloh!

playing with daddy

SNOW!!!

Last week the news said that it would snow. They were predicting 4-8 inches. HA!!! We had well over a foot....roads were closed on post, as were schools. As a matter of fact, we still have a little snow in shady areas where the snow plow piled it. Craziness!! The kids were beside themselves!! So, here are some pics of playing in the snow...Kaleb is not in them because he was at school when I brought the camera out.

Shiloh thought the snow was great, but, alas, is to short to venture into it on her own. She was content to poke it with her mittened hands, though, and laugh at Daddy and Bubba throwing snow balls.

Gabe dove right in like he hadn't been away from the snow at all, and had a blast! The fun ended when I got tossed in the snow by my wonderful husband. I did my best to pull him in after me, and I almost did, too. I was soaked and cold, so we all trooped inside, where I stood in front of the heater for a good 20 min.

For good measure, I threw some pumpkin carving pics in at the end of this post.

Halloween

Please excuse the underlines, blogger is being weird.

Halloween was alot of fun, we went to a kid's costume party at the VFW the weekend before Halloween, and then trick or treating at the mall on the actual day. The boys were the power rangers they always pretend to be, and Shiloh was the cutest strawberry EVER.

Of note, Tyrone pushed Shiloh's stroller through the mall and they were driving in typical crazy Daddy manner. It is then that Tyrone came up with a new nickname for Shiloh, considering her costume....Strawberry Short Shift. LOL

I put up another post earlier today, so check it out!

long awaited homecoming pics

So, after spending more then a week without internet, I am finally back!! I have a ton of fun pics to put up, but for now I thought I better hurry up and put some pics on here of homecoming!! Sorry there aren't any of all of us together. For one thing, there was no one to take a pic of all of us, and for another, as soon as they dismissed the troops, the camera was the last thing on my mind!!!

Gabe, trying to be patient (we got there about 7:30, the guys got there about 9:30....all this is pm, btw)

A very sleepy Shiloh, waiting for her Daddy

Coloring to pass the time

There they are!! Can you spot Tyrone! I was just pointing and shooting, b/c I couldn't see through my tears and was also clapping and yelling wildly between hollering "There's your Daddy! There's your Daddy!"

There he is again!!


There were alot of people on his flight!!

Okay, so more coming soon!! Sorry to keep you all waiting!!