Fisher Family

Family Home Evening

2009-12-07T22:21:00.001-08:00

Well actually, Family *not at Home Evening. We ended up going to Lights of the South tonight. An awesome place to go and see acres and acres of Christmas lights. The girls loved it last year so we want to make this a Fisher tradition.

We thought going on a Monday night and a little early on in the month might save us from the crowds. We were right, tonight wasn't crowded at all and we had a great time. First we ate some dinner there, hot chocolate and all. Then ventured out to go on the hay ride that rides through all of the Christmas lights. The girls loved it.
One of our favorites is a giant castle that the hayride drives through.

We loved being together, looking at all the twinkling lights, and enjoying the sights of the season.

Fall Fun

2009-10-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

It was actually cold enough in GA for scarves last week. Although this week we're in Florida and it was 84 degrees at Disney World today. No fall sweaters down here.

Can Summer Really Be Over?

2009-09-25T22:20:00.001-07:00

Must be blogging time again. Although now I have to go through the daunting task of catching up all the summer posts I missed. I do have to admit I loved summer and being outdoors every chance we had as a family. So excited for a new season and some time to "catch up". Although with a new calling in church, coaching Cora's fall soccer team, buying and moving to a new home, I have a feeling things are still going to be busy for a while. Lots to catch up on and lots to post. Hooray for fall! :)

A "Time Out"

2009-05-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to sign up for the Time Out For Women the first weekend in May up in Columbia, SC. A week before the event we find out that Sister Beck the General RS President and 2nd Counselor in the General YW's Presidency were coming Friday night, the first night of the TOFW conference. Of course Friday night was the night I was looking forward to the most. Mark Mabry, the photographer of Reflections of Christ would be speaking Friday evening. I felt this was a decision between to good things. The group of women I bought my tickets w. chose to stay in Augusta and I chose to go up to the conference. Low and behold I hit some traffic and made it just at the end of Mark's presentation. Shoot! Soon after there was a 20 minute break. I brought my book of his images and was hoping he would sign it. I stood in line and just as I was the next in line to have him sign they started to flick the lights-break time was over. I was crushed...I stood there for a little bit longer hoping for some small miracle. I think he just took pity on me but he said "hey, if you move to the side I can sign your book even though the conf. is starting again. Talk about tender mercies from the Lord. Not only did he sign my book, but wrote a nice message, took a picture w. me and even looked @ some of my pictures. Poor guy, bet he wished he hadn't pulled me aside.

I also had a surprise and ran into my friend Anna Sisson. We were stationed with Anna and her family in Germany and Washington. They are now at FT Bragg in NC. I also had a chance to stay w. another friend from Washington, Nikki Trawick. I got to share my story with her and show her the awesome images from the Reflections of Christ book.
If you haven't seen his images or this slideshow w. put to the song Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Freddie Ashby you should I think it's amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YADkd1n_Dfo

A little break for me. Great speakers, wonderful music, inspriational thoughts,
uplifting words. Just what I needed. A chance to meet the person who was inspired
to take such breathtaking photos depicting the Savior and his life. Photos that
display such joy and emotion. Pictures that touched my heart and my Spirit, that
inspired me to keep up w. taking pictures and striving to be better.

This was such a nice "time out" for me. Hey and how often do you get to see this:

Happy Easter

2009-04-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Along with all the flowers, blossoms, dresses. We are so happy to celebrate Easter. It was so nice to listen to conference, do our resurrection eggs, and try to focus on the Savior this past week. It's so easy to get caught up in the commercial part of Easter, with all the candy, eggs, and the Easter bunny. I really wanted to make sure we paid extra attention to the real reason we celebrate Easter. I love that our church likes to focus more on the Savior's resurrection instead of just his death. To KNOW that he lives again and that because of him we will too. This knowledge brings so much peace and happiness.

Spring Break in Myrtle Beach

2009-04-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

A great deal, some days off, the beach, what a perfect combo. We were in need of some R&R and what better place to get that then the off season at the beach. We didn't have to fight crowds, we had the beach to ourselves, and traffic was minimal. Growing up, this is one of the beaches we went to as a family. It was fun to go there with my own little family this time.

The favorite activity on the trip had to be combing the beach for shells. Cora loves to look for them and has quite a collection. She and my Mom could spend all day looking for shells if we'd let them.

Myrtle beach is in South Carolina but is really close to the border of North Carolina. There is a little town called Calabash right near the border and it is famous for their seafood spreads. They also have restaurants down in SC so of course we had to go partake. A buffet of Shrimp, crablegs, and every imaginable seafood dish. I was in heaven.
This is Cora looking a little crabby @ the Giant Crab Calabash. She was done taking pictures I think.

All in all we had a wonderful time. Our little taste of summer in spring.

Meeting in Madison, GA

2009-04-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

The best thing about living in Georgia right now is that my sister's husband is also stationed in GA at FT Benning. I'm always trying to think of when we can get together and what our next adventure will be. Her husband plays in the Army band and was going to be traveling for the week, so she and my nephews decided to come for the weekend. We thought it would be fun to take a little field trip. We found a little town called Madison, GA about an hour and a half from Augusta.

Visiting this quaint little southern town almost made us feel like we were stepping back in time. Madison is famous for it's collection of restored Pre-Civil War and Victorian homes. Another name for these homes are antebellum homes. The restored down town square is like stepping onto a set of a movie. There is a big courthouse that stands right at the corner of the town square. It was so fun to look at all of the blossoming trees,and cute little shops along the way. We didn't have a lot of time for our walking tour, but we did get to go in an awesome toy shop, a stained glass store, and walked past a very unique antique store called Attic Treasure. Of course w. our time being short we went to the only restaurant in town w. only one server and the slowest kitchen I have ever seen. They didn't even have a kids menu. Of course as soon as we walk out we see the pizza place w. slices for $1.50. That would have been a better fit w. our time constraints, but we crossed the street at the wrong crosswalk and didn't notice it till we were finished at the other place. Just our luck.
Lucky for the kids we spotted a playground and headed in that direction on our walking tour. All in all we adored the little town of Madison. I hope to return and maybe read all the historical signs next time. ;)

Things I've Learned Since I've been 5

2009-04-01T22:03:00.000-07:00

Cora really has achieved so much this past year. She turned 5 years old last June and since then has learned how to:

-Ride her bike without training wheels
-Swing on the swing without anyone pushing
-Dive off the diving board @ the McChord pool and Grandma's pool
-Touch the bottom of Grandma's pool in the 8 FT
-Reading all by herself, 1st 2 books: Green Eggs and Ham, Cat In The Hat
(I love that these were some of the first books I learned to read too)
-Tie her shoes all by herself
-Started playing soccer and scored a goal
-Will swim on our neighborhood swimteam next month

Sorry if this seems like one of those parent brag posts, it's more for our memories and everything she has accomplished in just this last year. Definitely a year of firsts that we want to remember. I'm so proud of you Cora.

My Co-Pilot

2009-04-01T21:25:00.001-07:00

This has been an interesting year full of change. With Cora in full day kindergarten Shay and I have missed her terribly during the day. I do have to say I never thought I would have that special one on one time with Shay the way I did with Cora. During Darryl's 1st year long deployment it was just Cora and I and I called her my little co-pilot. This year I've been able to have that same special time with Shay. I look at Cora's schedule now with school, friends, and teachers, getting to see almost more of her than we do. I realize that time with her is precious and something I treasure more than I can express.
Lately Shay has been so much fun to run errands with and be my model when I want to practice taking pictures. I'm surprised she doesn't run the other way when I break out the camera with all of the pictures I've been taking lately. I do need to spend more time with her on her ABC's and 123's. It's just so much fun to have fun that sometimes it gets put on the backburner. She is saying the cutest things, she is so mellow, and she is such a snuggler. I will miss this special time with my girls when they are both in school. Thank goodness we still have the summer, then I get to enjoy more of both of them.

First Soccer Season and First Goal

2009-03-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

I have truly enjoyed watching Cora's first spring soccer season. When she first adorned the uniform, shinguards, and cleats I felt like I was looking at myself about 20 yrs ago. I wanted to make sure this was something she wanted to do, instead of me just forcing her to play soccer. Cora came to some of the soccer games I played in up in WA and since then has told me she wanted to play too.

Her team has come a long way since the first few games especially for being one of the youngest teams. It's an under 8 league, with Cora not even 6 yet sometimes it looks like she is playing w. giants out there especially since it's co-ed. I was so excited to see her score for the first time on Thursday night. She kept saying..did you see me kick it in Mom? The Sonic drive thru was a definite stop on our way home from the game that night. She wanted a big chocolate shake to celebrate. That's my girl!

After her shake she says to me, can we play on the same team when I get bigger?

I'll have to get a new shirt, this one won't fit.

I'd be honored to play on your team my sweet Cora. sniff sniff *wipe tears of joy
Hmm...hopefully Mommy won't need a bigger shirt by then. ;)

A new year a new resolve

2009-03-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

Gosh, hard to believe it's March already?! Where did January and February go? As you probably know I have a lot of catching up to do. I tried to promise myself that I would not let my blog turn into the same lack of consistancy I have with keeping a hand written journal. Hmmm..it has. I have been consistant with my photography blog, but when it comes down to it, which will be more important in the long term and even right now? Pictures of random flowers or whatever, or imperfect photos of my family, our follies, and memories? I definitely know the answer to this. How easy is it just to post a picture on my photo blog and maybe title it if I'm lucky. Opposed to writing something creative attached to a moment or memory. The 2nd is definitely a lot more work but is totally worth the time. Thank you Mary for your inspiration. I'm jumping on the family blogging bandwagon again. So here's to the here and now, making the most of today, and remembering the details.

Married For A Decade

2008-12-19T22:56:00.001-08:00

Can it really be 10 years that we are celebrating today? Are we that old? j/k Maybe it's because sometimes I still feel like we're newly weds. Then again that could be from being apart from each other for a year and year plus at a time. This year has certainly had it's tears of joy and it's heartaches. I'm glad that we can go through both and it has only strengthened us as a couple.

I'm so grateful to have you by my side again. It's been wonderful to watch you with the girls and hear their laughter when you play with them. I've loved watching you tuck them in and see you check on them as they're sleeping. It's been so nice to enjoy family dinners with you and go on walks when we're through. It's been a wonderful thing to hold your hand again. You wouldn't believe how much I missed something so simple.

I'm so glad my brother Tim and his family will be watching the girls for us this weekend as we head to the beach..one of our favorite places. I love you Darryl and I'm so happy to have spent the last 10 years with my husband and best friend.

Wow...for me?!

2008-12-17T22:20:00.001-08:00

My friends Blaire and Drew gave me this award.
Thanks for not letting me be a quitter!!
Here are the rules for receiving the fabulous award:

1. You have to pass it on to 5 other fabulous blogs in a post.
2. You have to list 5 of your fabulous addictions in the post.
3. You must copy and paste the rules and the instructions below in the post.

Instructions: On your post of receiving this award, make sure you include the person that gave you the award and link it back to them. When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well. To add the award to your post, simply right-click, save image, then "add image" it in your post as a picture so your winners can save it as well. To add it to your sidebar, add the "picture" gadget. Also, don't forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by emailing them or leaving a comment on their blog.

I’m addicted to...

01. My Cannon. It just came yesterday and we are just getting to know each other.

02. Posting to my photoblog. Trying to find that one picture a day that might actually
be good.

03. Face Book. Where else can you see what everyone is up to, even your kindergarten
buddies.

04. Twilight. Ok this one is probably shared by many but some don't want to admit it
Here is my admission.

05. My FAMILY. They are my everything. I'm so grateful for them in my life.

my 5 blogger awards go to...

01. Laurie Layer. Because she is my most favorite Twilight fan and she's not afraid to admit it.

02. Amy Kauer. She is a dear friend and is the" jill of all trades". She is always sharing or learning a new talent.

03. Sarah Arnett. Love Sarah's sense of humor. Her posts are always making me laugh or it's something I can relate to.

04. Jamie Chiara. Jamie could be writing in newpapers or magazines. Her posts and pictures are always amazing.

05. April Clark. Because she says it like it is. Loved her Not Quitting post and it has inspired me as well as Blaire and Drew. I'm so grateful to have such wonderful friends who don't let you quit.

:)

Georgia

2008-10-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

So we finally made it to our destination..*actually about a month ago at the end of September is when we officially arrived. We live in the town of Evans a little city connected to Augusta, Georgia. If you're into golf it's where the big Masters tournament is held.

I must admit when we first arrived in Georgia it was oh so different then Washington state it took a little getting used to. Besides the fact that it was still near 90 degrees and very humid. Have I mentioned the bugs yet? Well there are a lot of them. Everyone has a "Bug Man" who comes and sprays regularly. We've had some issues w/ ants but my personal "bug man" has kept them at bay. Guess we'll have to hire one here soon.

Ok, this is probably sounding really negative but I have to say I am really enjoying our Georgia adventure so far and am loving it here. We've already visited my family in Florida two times..that definitely beats flying all day and paying for expensive plane tickets. It's only about a six hour drive. My sister and her family moved to Fort Benning this past summer, so now we're only 3 hours apart. I'm so excited to see and spend more time with her and her family. Our neighbors are nice and the ward is friendly and there's plenty to say about all of the southern hospitality. I feel like Paula Dean might just jump out from behind one of the bushes. It's still hard to be the new guys though. I'm loving the weather now..I won't say very much more about that I promise. It was so hard when we lived in WA during the rainy months when my parents would talk about their Florida weather.

I've had some friends ask about our house and where we're living. Sometimes it's better to picture things when you have a picture. We're just renting right now with an option to buy. We didn't get a chance to go house hunting before we moved and we thought this might be the best option to see what is down here. Basically I just looked for a good school and went from there. We definitely don't live across the street from the base anymore (a very nice luxury in WA). You're usually hard pressed to find a nice neighborhood so close to an Army base like that. So Darryl has a 30 minute commute to work. We sure miss him especially @ lunch time. So this is where we are living for now. There are definitely some pros and cons to this house so we're also working with a realtor. We're loving our new Georgia adventure..most importantly we're loving Daddy being home with us and in a position at work where he'll be teaching and non deployable. We miss our dear friends in WA terribly. There will always be a special place in my heart for WA but especially the friends we met there and will keep always.

P.S. I'll be sending our new address via email..don't forget to check :O)

Moving

2008-10-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

Of course when you look out your front window and see this...AKA Powder Works Park. Just opened July 08'.

Or I could walk a block to the new middle school and start playing this...

You know something like this was bound to happen....

Just when your world seems perfect...a new adventure waits on the horizon. We miss Dupont and Washington but most especially the friends we hold dear in our heart.

Fall Colors Already

2008-08-21T14:47:00.001-07:00

So usually around this time of the year in Washington state it makes me a little sad to see fall colors already out and the leaves already falling. This year I'm so glad to see a little bit of color early before we move to Georgia. Hard to believe we've lived in Washington for 6 years. That is the longest Darryl and I have lived in one area. I think the longest Darryl has lived his whole life.

We've had so much going on this summer I haven't been able to acknowledge this moving thing very much. And all of a sudden here we are just a few weeks out. There are so many people and things we will miss about WA I can't even start to name them all. There are so many places I would still like to go before we leave..I just hope we can fit one or two in.

So here's a big thank you going out to Mother Nature here in WA so we can savor a little bit of fall and WA before our move.

"The" Movie Update

2008-08-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ok I just had to share..just in time for my birthday weekend.

Movie News Flash!

So, many of you have heard that the release of the sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, has been moved from this Thanksgiving to next summer. First and foremost, please know that this schedule change has absolutely nothing to do with Twilight, me, or Summit Films (so enough with the imdb death wishes, okay?). This is Warner Bros. decision, and it was not motivated by anything Twilight-related.

Now for the good news! Though we're all sad to have to wait for Harry Potter, this open spot at the theater creates a cool opportunity. The good people at Summit were thrilled to let me know that now Twilight fans are going to get their movie three weeks earlier than scheduled. That's right—Twilight will be released in theaters November 21st! Let the merry-making commence!

--Stephenie

Back In The Saddle Again!!!

2008-08-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

I'm in blogging mode again...so much to catch up on.

Welcome Home Daddy

2008-06-16T00:40:00.000-07:00

The plane has landed, the countdown clock is complete, and Daddy is safe at HOME in our arms again. Reunited as a family, the moment will forever be etched in my mind. We've waited so long for this day. And now it is finally here. Words cannot describe the outpouring of emotions we feel. After 15 months Daddy is finally home!

The outcome...priceless. What happened before hand, not so much how I pictured it. As I look back at it now I'm starting to see the humor in it. Hopefully I'll find it even more humorous as time goes by because in the moment it was kind of frustrating. Let me just fill you in on some of the details. Darryls return date has always been somewhat of a mystery to us, so I figured we wouldn't find out the official time he would arrive until right before the big event. This did seem to be the case as we were finding out the day before his arrival, that the plane would be landing at 6am on June 10th. Hmmm I'm not so much of a morning person so I figured setting the alarm clock would be easy enough. Evidently it wasn't, luckily I woke up on my own at 5:30am, not usually what happens. I knew I wouldn't have time to take a shower and get the girls ready so I figured I'd better get a move on. I must have been still half asleep and frustrated at my shower dilema because as I was running out of my bedroom to wake the girls I slammed my little toe into the wall. I thought it would be just a stubbed toe but the pain ended up not going away and I couldn't put an ounce of weight on it. So here I am no shower, broken toe, trying to get the girls ready, sounds like a fun morning.

We drive up to the gym where Darryl's Brigade will be reunited w/ their families, and there was not a parking space to be had. So I just decided to park across the street. Let me just say that was the longest hop of my life (but definitely worth it). We didn't make it to see the live video footage of Darryl's plane landing and the soldiers getting off the plane Top Gun style, but we did make it in time to get a seat and wait for about an hour for him to be bused from McChord to Fort Lewis. Cora was getting so impatient. As they lined up in formation the band played a few songs, a few words were said and they were released to their families. I decided to stay put in one place w/ my toe the way it was and let him find us. Meanwhile Cora was sobbing holding onto my leg because so many other families had already found their soldiers. It seemed like an eternity before Darryl found us. My dear friend who took these wonderful pictures finally saw him and waved him over to us.
As soon as Cora saw him she took off in a full sprint wrapped her arms around his neck and I can't remember when she finally let go. All my worries melted away at this point..my toe, no shower, missing the plane touchdown, he was in our arms, finally here, nothing else mattered and that's how it should be. I can't thank my friend enough for being there with me, finding Darryl amongst the 315 other soldiers who all looked very similar, and taking such precious photos of a special time for our family.
That night I got on my knees and prayed with many thanks to Him for bringing us together again. My heart is so full.

Our "Vacation" to AZ

2008-06-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Here we are only one day to go before Darryl gets home. Could we been any more anxious or excited...I don't think so.
I wanted to post about our AZ trip before the big homecoming. My memory isn't what it used to be and I've learned if I don't write things down right away it's crazy how fast I'll forget it. Good thing for journaling.

The girls and I decided to take a trip to AZ to visit my sister and her family before they move back east to GA and it was a nice way to break up our wait time before Darryl gets home. Our good friends and neighbors the Hofers also just moved to AZ so we were excited to see their family again too. Trips are always fun to look forward to and I've had them spread out throughout this deployment which has helped us manage through.

The flying part by myself with the girls isn't my favorite thing to do, and this trip didn't help my attitude about flying solo w. them. A poor decision I made from the start was wearing white pants on the flight. What rational mom does this? I was setting myself up for something "really wrong" to happen. We are flying into the Tucson airport and I forget that it is surrounded by mountains, which means a lot of turbulence. Cora gets motion sickness and I forgot to go thru what to do if you experience this on the flight. Hmmm....good thing all she had to eat and drink all day was apple juice and pretzels. After she was finished I showed her the white baggie tucked in the seat pocket in front of us and told her what it was for. Just a little too late w/ that instruction. Oh well. At least we were renting a car at the airport and no one was going to be there to see us (and smell us) get off the air plane.

We ended up renting a Ford Edge. We definitely couldn't miss it in a parking lot because it was a nice burnt orange color. Fitting for AZ. Cora still talkes about that car and everytime she sees one that looks like it or even a car w/ the same burnt orange color she says there's our car. When Daddy gets home I want one of those. Sorry Cora we're getting another Van.
As we started our drive down to Sierra Vista Cora was so excited to see Cacuses. That is not a spelling error, she really called them that the whole time. I turned on the radio and to my surprise...Dust in the Wind came on the radio. Perfect timing as we're making the drive from Tucson to Sierra Vista...really just desert in between.

On this trip we also discovered Shay has alergies in the desert just like her Daddy. Her nose was running the whole time and the drainage would go down into her tummy and the poor little girl would have her tummy get upset almost everynight. Needless to say we were doing laundry everyday. Good thing my sister lives on post where they don't have to pay for water.

My cute little nephew van ended up getting a serious case of the hives when we were there as well. Poor little guy. They honestly covered his body from head to toe.

More and more this vacation was sounding like one out of the National Lampoons Vacation movies.

Aside from all this we did have a great trip and it was wonderful to see all the cousins play together. Lisa's husband JC watched the kiddos so we could have a sisters' night out. Thank you JC! We went and saw Baby's Mama but I think we were laughing more at the theater than the movie. We always have a great time together no matter what we do. We had a "Survivor Finale night" w. our dear friends the Hofers. So much fun to watch it w/ friends then by myself. We went to see these cool underground caves the "Colossal Cave" in fact and it reminded Lisa and I of one of our favorite movies Goonies.

I'm so glad we took this trip. I love to travel and see beauty in all places and landscapes. Coming from green WA it was amazing to see the desert and all of its beauty and especially the awesome sunsets. It was a great trip and I am happy to report after some dramamine and more instruction we didn't have any mishaps on the flight home. Until our friend picked us up from the airport and Shay started getting sick in their new van...shoot. All in all we loved our trip and would do it again for sure *especially because we'll be traveling w/ Darryl on our next trip!
Yay!

She's got talent

2008-06-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

My sister Lisa that is. We just went to visit with her and her family in Arizona
and had a great time. But that is another post. This post is for me to commend her artistic ability and showcase one of her talents so that it can be in my journal and on my walls. I've always wanted to have visual talents. Unfortunately If I want to do better in that area I will have to take a lot more art classes because it doesn't come as easily as it does to my sister Lisa. Here are some pictures she drew of Cora and Shay. I have included the photos she used to draw her pictures. When I went to have them professionally framed last month the guy behind the counter was really impressed and said she should do this for a living. Hmmm..just a thought Lisa. I love you so much and I am grateful you have shared your talent with me. Thank you for these gifts that will be treasured all my life. (If we ever have a fire, *knock on wood* which I hope we don't, I'll be grabing them off the wall on the way out.)

Giving Thanks

2008-05-30T13:59:00.001-07:00

Solo Point at sunset.
I thought it was kind of fitting with the name, sunset, at the end of Darryl's deployment.

Ok I know it's been a while, and I've been informed by some that I am way behind and will be lost in the blogging world if I don't make some updates.
So maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit.

I just have to beam. Take a look at the countdown clock over in the right hand corner. I can put partial blame for my lack of posts lately due to cleaning, preparing, getting ready for Darryl's return. I can't even believe it's almost here. I haven't really let myself talk about it too much because I get so emotional when I think of him in our arms again. We just cannot wait. It's been a l-o-n-g 15 months without him.

I was talking to a friend the other day and she mentioned my blog and how a lot of my posts concentrate on the being "grateful" theme. I was thinking about this, and really during this time in our lives I couldn't be more grateful to a loving Father in Heaven who has watched over Darryl while in a war zone both spiritually and physically. I thank him every morning and night and always in my heart. I'm grateful He's watched over and protected our family here at home as well. There were many nights when I would end up scaring myself because of a noise or thought that had come into my mind, and then prayed and was able to feel better and go to sleep in peace. I'm grateful to family and friends for their thoughts and prayers in ours and Darryl's behalf. There were so many moments when I felt my energy and stamina were renewed and I was able to not only press on but to do so positively. We were so happy to have visits from Darryl's sister Rebecca and my sister Lisa and nephews last summer. To my parents who let us come and visit during Darryl's R&R in October and then let us stay through the holidays so that we weren't at home alone. My undieing thanks go out to friends that checked in on us, had us for dinner, made dinner for us, brought us treats, helped w/ yard work, helped w/ the computer, and were just there to talk to, laugh, and cry with (and of course blog with). It made all the difference in the world. All of those gestures never went unnoticed or unappreciated.
This definitely has been a season of thanks and gratitude for me. May that virture always be a priority in my life.
* Stay tunned for reunion pictures!

Deception Pass

2008-05-05T00:49:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post part II of our tulip fest before we head to AZ to visit my sister w/ more adventures and pictures.Here are the girls and I at Deception Pass. A bridge that spans this beautifully colored water, that I had read is the most photographed location in WA. Before we witnessed this site, I found it hard to believe. Especially with landmarks such as Mt Rainier and Mt St. Helens. Seeing is believeing. This stretch of land was amazing. The nature lover in me was so excited to see such breath taking scenery. The water and the islands were just beautiful. I definitely would like to go up there exploring again on the trails. Or maybe some bungee jumping. Doesn't that bridge look perfect for that?

Shay did not want to be held that day. Not a great place to be wiggling and squirming out of my arms. The scariest moment of the trip was when we were walking over the bridge, cars on one side of us, and huge death drop off the bridge on the other side. Shay just couldn't be content in my arms. She was wearing a wind breaker jacket that was a little slippery and I had to litterally hold on to her for dear life. We didn't make it too far across the bridge before we were headed back to a safe place. So long, to my calm mellow baby who always wanted to be held. Say hello to my soon to be two year old who is ready for adventure and has an adventurous big sister to lead the way.

Tulip Adventure

2008-04-18T22:51:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I was in tulip heaven these last 2 days. We've lived in WA since January 2002 and this is the first spring I've been able to go up and witness the beautiful ribbons of colorful tulips up at the Skagit Co. Tulip festival.
Honestly, I'd like to think I might have been one of the many landscapers in the premortal existance. Not that I'm great at it here on earth, but to me, not a lot compares to natures beauty. So here are a couple of my favorite "still" subjects. The shots with my cute little moving subjects are yet to come. They definitely were not as cooperative as the flowers but you do what you can.

It was so hard to pick my favorite shots out of the plethera of pictures taken. I think these couple will be emailed off to the Costco photo dept and adorn the walls of my guest bathroom. This room is on my list to paint before Darryl comes home. I better get on that ASAP. (That feels so good to say). I was going to go for the beach theme..now it will be my tulip room. Hope he doesn't mind the flowers.

So when we heard that the weather on Friday up in Tulip land was going to be less than favorable, we ventured out just before dusk to see if we could catch a glimpse of the tulips. The best part to me was that we not only got to see the tulips but the tulips and the sunset. Two of my favorite things...together!

Favorite Things

2008-04-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Now that our flowers have been blooming Cora is so excited to check on their progress every day. I am so glad she shares my passion for flowers, plants, and trees.

Some of her other favorites right now:

Movie/Song~ Enchanted, esp. the song "That's How You Know" She could sing and dance to that song all day and not even watch the rest of the movie. *(Ok, that is my favorite part too and we all like to sing and dance together w/ Shay as our backup singer/dancer).
Food~ pizza
Color~ pink like our tulips
TV Show~ Kai-Lan (sp?)
Toy~ Little Pet Shop animals
Activities~ cartwheels, playing games on Noggin, hitting the ball with her Dora bat, swimming in the indoor pool on post

Cora is growing so fast. She sees it too. She'll often make comments that her feet are growing and how she can see her self without the stool in the mirrors around the house. Cora, you are one of my favorite things for sure.

Beautiful Day

2008-04-08T18:52:00.001-07:00

What a gorgeous day. A 10 in my book. The girls and I were down in Olympia for a birthday party. The party was right across the street from the Capitol building. I think it is so neat we live so close to Washington's state capitol. I love seeing this building nestled in the trees from the highway as we pass. Seeing it up close today with the cherry blossoms was a treat. I grew up in the Maryland/DC area so it reminded me a lot of the Washington DC monuments and the cherry blossoms in the spring. Just beautiful.

When Life Gives You Lemons

2008-04-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

Gosh, it's hard to even put this picture amongst the rest I have on here. But things like this in life happen. Rough week last Friday, but it could've been worse.
It's always good to see the bright side of a situation right. Thank goodness no one was hurt. Now it's just dealing with insurance companies and such. A lot of little light bulbs went on for me after this incident. Why is it we learn so much more from the trials in life. I wish we could do all of our learning when everything is hunky dory. (Did I just write that?:) All in all I look at it as we really don't know when our time here on earth is finished. It can all be taken from us so fast. You always get those emails about living in the now and to tell the ones you love that you love them. As a certified procrastinator, this message came through crystal clear after this incident. Live in the now...the best you know how. Don't put off tomorrow, the things you can do today. Time to make the lemonade.

The Sunday after the accident we stopped to enjoy a little sun. It was nice to see the blue sky.

Spring Has Sprung

2008-03-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

I know I'm almost a week late with my title. For some reason I kept looking at the calendar thinking this Thursday was the 1st day of Spring. Oh well, at least I didn't miss Easter. Look at this beautiful patch of blue sky we saw this morning. I wanted to post an update for Darryl on the status of Cora's princess tree. I think I've mentioned before that is how she is monitoring the time when Darryl gets home. She knows once the blossoms have come and gone, then the leaves, then Daddy. She has watched out her window everyday faithfully since the first buds appeared. Just in the last few days it has really started to blossom. She is so so happy. The cutest thing is Cora trying to teach Shay the song Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree, hand motions and all. I'll have to try and get that on film for Daddy. *Good news from our FRG Leader yesterday, looks like his return date will be June 5th instead of the 25th. Of course subject to change few days before or after but that was wonderful to hear. Of course we're really hoping and praying he makes it home before the 11th of June for Cora's birthday. Horay for spring!

Reflections on Easter

2008-03-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite paintings by Greg Olson titled "He is Risen". Today I wanted to write about some of the thoughts and feelings I experienced this Easter. Our church meets at 1pm so we have ample time in the morning to do things. I started reading the March Ensign and the first article was written by President Hinckley on Testifying of Christ. With President Hinckleys recent passing, when I read this article it was as if I was hearing him speak his special testimony of the Savior. I truly felt the Spirit testify to me that the things that I was reading were true.
During church I felt the Spirit again during the talks and especially the music during sacrament meeting. My friend sang one of the special musical numbers and it is one of my favorite songs, He Came For Me. Playing now. The version I am familiar with is sung by Hillary Weeks. Music has always held a special place with me and it really helps me to feel the Spirit. This song especially. I have a special memory of listening to this song with my brother and sister that I treasure.
I teach the 3 yr olds in Primary and this was another time during my day when my testimony of the Savior was strengthened. Their childlike faith was so wonderful to see as I explained to them about the resurection of our Savior. They were so interested and genuinely expressed their love for Him.
This past week I focused a lot on myself. Easter helped to put things back into perspective. I have truly relied on the Savior this year without Darryl. I feel I have grown closer to Him and have felt His love. I know that by going through these experiences on earth it helps us gain knowledge and understanding. I love the Lord and I am grateful for this time that we celebrate that He lives and He is there for us always.

Look Daddy it's Almost Easter

2008-03-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

The sun was peeking in and out today. So Cora took the opportunity to teach Shay how to Easter Egg hunt for the big Dupont Egg Hunt tomorrow. I don't think Cora remembers but for Shay's age group they literally just place them on the ground in a roped off area and let them loose. Cora still had fun teaching her. I think we'll even try our own Easter egg hunt at our house tomorrow.
Cora had fun coloring eggs today with her buddy Evan. She made a very special one for Daddy. It sounds like she's planning on giving it to him when he gets home in June...I might have to intervene on that one. For some reason I don't think Darryl will mind. We'll take a picture of it though. It's definitely the thought that counts.

One Year

2008-03-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

Today marks one year from the day Darryl left to go to Iraq. I can't believe we've come this far and made it to this milestone. In a way it is such a huge relief and I couldn't be happier. We have just about 3 months to go. I've been fighting the other emotions that I've been feeling which is the tired, worn out, are we there yet, types of feelings. I figure it's ok to feel all of them. The hardest part or the biggest speed bump that I think I have to overcome is that with Darryl's first deployment at this point he was home. Not this time. My brother Tim called on Sunday and said "don't look at where you've come from with the time that has past. Just look forward. Three months, piece of cake."
These are the latest pictures Darryl has sent. They were taken this last week he was out traveling. One of the biggest lessons I have learned during this deployment has been to learn to see things from another's point of view. As I sat home worried for Darryl's safety as a moving target, he was having totally different feelings about his sanity. Being on the base over there day in and day out in Darryl's words can start to feel like a prison. It's so restrictive and the walls start closing in around you.
Darryl was excited to travel to see new faces and people. Seeing these pictures also helped me to remember why he is there and that there is great purpose in helping these people. To hear Darryl describe these children after not seeing his own for such a long period of time was so sweet. He spoke of the way this father and grandfather were so proud holding their sweet little daughter/grandaughter up in the air so Darryl could see her. Truly children and love can break all barriers that make us different. I am so proud of Darryl and my heart is so full. He is a good and honorable man. Many look up to him and see his good example. I'm grateful for his service to his country and to the people of Iraq. Hang in there honey!

Happy St. Patricks Day

2008-03-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Shay not so happy on the green adorning holiday. Speaking of green. How come I have the hardest time finding our green clothes come today. We're not Irish but I loved this bow that my friend Sara picked up for Shay. This was the item that sparked our green clothes frenzy this morning. Hopefully after Shay takes a nap she'll be in a better mood to enjoy the green rice krispy treats I made for family night.

Pot of Gold?

2008-03-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

Totally appropriate nature shot for the upcoming St. Patrick's day holiday. Cora was so excited when she looked out the window and spotted a rainbow. This is the
2nd day in a row we've seen one. Yay for nature and for rainbows.

3 Little Ladies and a Bug

2008-03-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

Watching these 3 the other day enjoying the sunshine and a lady bug was so refreshing to see. It really brought me back to the "good ol' days" of my youth when there were no worries or cares in the world. Just friends, family, and fun.
Ahh the days of our youth...definitely to be treasured. How fun to watch our own children enjoy these carefree childhood days and recall our own.

Perspective

2008-03-07T15:26:00.000-08:00

So this past week I kinda felt like this picture. The weight of our little lives on my shoulders. Darryl was off on a mission to fix computers somewhere in Iraq. He was not able to say where. I hate when he travels over there and it seems like he's been doing that an aweful lot lately. I knew we wouldn't get to talk to him for the duration of his trip, so that made the week even harder. Thanks to friends and various activities I was able to get thru and focus on other things. An email was sent to me earlier in the week by a friend where you type in your birth month and date and a scripture comes up. So here is mine.

Matthew 11:28
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

What a perfect scripture to put things in perspective.
So last night Darryl was finally able to call and said it was a successful mission. It was so good to hear his voice after a long week. Now I'm looking at that picture from a whole new point of view.

*Funny thought..might ruin the mood of the post..but I was looking at my birthday scripture thinking that would have been very appropriate for my "birth" day espcecially from my Mom's point of view.
Anywho....

Song Inspired Memory

2008-03-05T00:04:00.001-08:00

I was listening to some songs tonight that I haven't heard for such a long time. Almost all of the songs we listen to lately include various Disney tunes, primary songs, or songs with some cartoon character in them. I actually came across a very special song that I first heard right after I found out we were pregnant with Cora. I Can't Count the Stars by Julie de Azevedo. To give a little bit of a back ground we had done in vitro a number of times with negative results. As we waited for news from the Doctor for the results of my blood test I think I ate a whole bag of starbursts I was so nervous. The nurse called and it was so nerveracking...she told me it was positive. I couldn't believe it and I actually asked her if she was joking (only because all of the previous times we had heard a negative answer). She said she would never joke about something like that. I couldn't get a hold of Darryl on his phone so I decided to drive on post to tell him the news in person. As I was driving this song played on my CD and my spirit just soared. In all of our years of trying to get pregnant our dream had finally come true. So many prayers, fasting, shots, and surgeries brought us to that moment. Such a wonderful memory. This song made it even more special. Glad I came across it tonight.

Nemo Newsflash!

2008-03-04T00:20:00.000-08:00

Nemo has been found! Pretty funny I just wrote my previous post about "remembering Nemo". Never underestimate the power of prayer and the faith of a four year old. We were talking to my parents yesterday after church and Cora exclaims to my parents.."I know where Nemo is". Mind you this is after endless searching. We've been back in Washington since January 8th. And my parents still hadn't found Nemo...till yesterday. Cora then tells them "my mind tells me he is under the bed where Mommy was sleeping in the back." I didn't realize during our conversation my Dad had left to go see if Cora was right. Low and behold he comes back on the phone and tells us "Cora I have a surprise...you were right Nemo was under the bed." I wish I had a camera to capture Cora's face at that moment. Pure joy. Her friend had been found. Her prayers had been answered.

Now the big problem. We were all done. The thumbsucking had ceased. She can fall asleep with out Nemo. Her thumb has healed and her teeth are straightening. My Mom did promise her if they found it they would send it to WA. I think that was just so Cora could feel ok about leaving FL w. out her precious blanket. Now he is on his way back to Washington. Stumped...then tonight I was talking to Cora and she tells me that she is ready to give Nemo to a baby who needs him. What a big girl she has become. I'm so proud of her. Every night after we "lost" Nemo she prayed to Heavenly Father to help us find him. So tonight at family home evening we talked about prayers and how Heavenly Father always hears them and how we need to have faith. I'm so grateful she has learned this powerful lesson and even more grateful she has gained new "security and comfort" within herself and her family. I love you so much Cora. What a big girl you are.

A Special Friend...Remembered Always

2008-02-29T23:29:00.000-08:00

A lovey, a special blanket, best friend, that was Cora's little Nemo blanket all wrapped into one. Nemo and Cora have always had a special connection. I remember going to see Finding Nemo when I was 9 months pregnant with Cora. And then buying the DVD for her when it came out. She loved the movie and absolutely fell in love with Nemo. She wanted to watch it all the time. Darryl's parents saw a little blanket Nemo and sent that to Cora for her 2nd Christmas in 2004 during the 1st year Darryl was deployed to Iraq. That was it...they were inseperable. Nemo went everywhere with us. Of course whenever she had Nemo...the thumb went right in the mouth too. Ultimate security. With Darryl being gone..how could I limit such comfort.

Cora could not go to sleep at night if she didn't have her Nemo blanket. I tried limiting him as much as I could during the day but somehow she would always go and rescue him from her room. So we'll fast forward to 2007. We've been to the dentist a couple of times and he has advised limiting Nemo which would help with the thumb sucking and her teeth ultimately that were starting to form right around her thumb. I had wanted to make the transition several times before Darryl left on his 2nd deployment..but just didn't have the heart. She needed Nemo now more than ever (at least that is what I thought). So we go to Florida in October of 2007 to meet up with Darryl for his R&R. I was determined to set limits. She could only have him at night. So I would hide him during the day. In various closets..under the bed, behind furniture. Cora thought this was fun and made it her day's goal to find Nemo at all cost. Hmmm "Finding Nemo". She would preform death defying climbs in the closet to rescue her beloved blanket, and look endlessly until she found him. One day I guess I hid Nemo too well..or Shay got a hold of him somehow...but Cora didn't find him that day and I couldn't either. I forgot where I put him.
Cora struggled for a few nights. She still prays everynight that Grandma will find Nemo and then send him to WA. It was hard for Cora to leave FL without Nemo..but somehow I think it was OK because he was still somewhere at Grandma and Grandpa's house. As far as guilt goes on my part I don't think this could have happened a better way. Nemo has retired to Florida. Tatered and torn but loved more than any little Nemo blanket could be loved we know he is safe in Florida. In fact in the his last days spent with Cora she was wearing him on her head because of the hole that had worn through on the blanket part. Cora no longer sucks her thumb and I can already see the difference in her teeth. She had a permanent calus on her thumb where it would rub on her teeth and now that is gone too. Oh little Nemo...how Cora misses you. You will always be remembered and you will always have a special place in Cora's heart.

Knock On Wood

2008-02-25T14:35:00.000-08:00

I keep talking about the sunshine and spring fever..I just don't want to jinx the weather. Look what we saw Saturday Feb. 23rd...may I point out. Daffodils and crocuses that were already in bloom. It was easy to believe the crocuses were already out...because we have seen a couple in our front yard...but it was just glorious to see those daffodils too. Every season I say this and every season it's the same...but I think spring is my favorite. (Just wait till summer and it will change again). To see the beautiful flowers coming from the ground after it being so cold and brown...it's like a renewal of the earth and spirit at the same time. The best thing is, is that Cora is as excited as I am to see our tulips bloom and the cherry tree outside of her window blossom. She calls it her princess tree. The seasons have been the way she's been counting down Daddy's homecoming. She knows after her princess tree blooms then the leaves will appear and then Daddy will be home shortly after.

We saw these beautiful flowers at the Seattle Temple. Even the flowers know it's hallowed ground. :) As we were were driving past the Temple, Cora started belting out one of my favorite primary songs "I love to see the Temple". I started to tear up and was again so grateful for this wonderful blessing of motherhood. There was a time in my life when I just didn't know if that was going to be the case.(Having children that is). I always catch myself saying that I don't want these little ones to grow up, but as they do, there is something more to treasure at every age. I am so happy to hear of Cora's love for flowers and the Temple. Just a few more of life's little moments to treasure.

Grateful

2008-02-21T00:19:00.000-08:00

I figure if this is the way I'm journaling I wanted to post some things that I've really taken an intrest in lately. As of late I've really enjoyed cloud scapes (word?) and just nature in general. I am grateful for this beautiful earth we live on and that we are able to see it's miracles everyday. It might be the lunar eclipse that took place tonight that inspired me. And also for the sheer fact we could see it tonight with it being February in Washington. They said on the news that this is the 3rd driest Feb. on record here. Happy about that! Guess I'm just having one of those days where my heart is just filled w/ wonder and awe. So here are some pictures I've taken within the last couple months of some moments in nature I've appreciated.

Spring Fever

2008-02-19T23:06:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it's February but after 2 beautiful days of sunny almost 60 degree weather it kind of makes you think spring is right around the corner. We did see some signs of spring today at Point Defiance Park. The daffodils were up (not blooming yet) and the rhododendrons had pink flowers starting to blossom. We also fed the ducks and ran around the park. We had a a really nice time. Unfortunately I forgot the bread I was saving in the freezer to feed the ducks. Luckily there was a very nice lady and her grandson there and they were more than willing to share the whole loaf of bread they brought. It reminded me of my childhood when we would vist my grandparents who lived on the Chesapeake bay. My Grandpa had some regular ducks that would frequent his back yard. My Grandma would break out the bread from the freezer and we'd feed "the regulars." It was so much fun today seeing Cora enjoy the same thing. Shay would even toss an occasional piece on the ground hoping the ducks would come close so she could get a good look or realistically a poke or prod. So here's to the beautiful days of February in WA. May there be more. :o)

Shout Out

2008-02-14T01:42:00.001-08:00

So Valentine's Day pretty much stinks if you are away from the one you love. I decided to instead see my glass half full today instead of half empty. Even though my Valentine is thousands of miles away, he still feels close. I'm grateful I can have a fun day with Cora and Shay. A fun tradition that my Dad started every valentines day was to set out a valentines card and treat on the table for us when we woke up. I just played cupid-claus and set out some treats for Cora and Shay. Just what they need in the morning...sugar. Cora made me a Valentine at preschool (I've really looked forward to those homemade crafts) which was so sweet. And Shay is just a little candy sweetheart herself. I wanted to say a special thank you to our friends who thought of us missing Darryl...the marshmellows were yummy. So here is a shout out to my special Valentine. I love you Darryl! I think cupid's arrow can still reach.

Props

2008-02-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

The girls and I were trying to take a Valentines picture for Daddy. After many attempts with no success....I wondered how I might just get one picture. So the girls started picking up toys and stuffed animals. Was that all it took? Ok we'll try it and I'll give up on the shot I was picturing in my head. Shay is just calling to say she loves Daddy.(Or maybe an important business call that just couldn't wait). And Cora is showcasing some of the fine stuffed animals Darryl has sent from Iraq. At least when we look back at this picture we'll know which toys were their favorites at the time. So here we are with our props...if that's what it takes then we'll use em'.

Soccer Anyone?

2008-02-11T16:50:00.000-08:00

My first visable injury since I started playing soccer Saturday mornings. It's been so much fun to adorn the the cleats (hot pink) and the shin guards(kids size) again. I can't believe how long it's been since I've played. I guess you can take the girl out of soccer but you can't take soccer out of the girl. It's amazing how it feels when you see a ball flying through the air and try to trap it still on the ground. Or even try a little "give and go pass". I'm glad I remembered some of those things from the good ol' days. It's interesting playing here in WA in the winter...we play rain or shine. Which usually means rain. I'm so glad to have started this hobbie up again and am very grateful to my friends who have watched the girls so I could go. My parents keep telling me I'm too old or I'm really going to get hurt, and then who is going to take care of the girls. I agree w/ the old part...but it seems I can just as easily get hurt doing normal things around the house. Like in the beginning of January when I threw my back out from lifting Shay the wrong way. So here's to our hobbies and what we enjoy doing. I'm proud of my little souvenier (but hope they don't get bigger than that).

Little Shay 18 months Today

2008-02-08T00:12:00.001-08:00

Wow this is a big milestone for our little one. She is so active and really coming into her own now. Everyday it seems she's saying something new. Usually needing a little translation of course. My favorite now is how she says Cora's name. She calls her Coco...which is pretty appropriate and actually goes together with her full name Shayniqua....(Just kidding). She is really into phones right now and I love it when she opens her play phone and says helwo. Funny thing how "they" always talk about the terrible 2's. For both of my girls right around 18 months is when they have a hard time getting their point across and start throwing fits. Right now if Shay doesn't get her way or if I'm not understanding her, she literally throws herself on the ground and starts fake crying. She loves her older sister and tries to emulate everything she does. She always is seeking approval from Cora, I guess because it seems Cora is always mad or frustrated with her for messing up or taking one of her toys. She loves a good game of chase and I just love they way she runs right now. She basically has one arm still while the other is going back and forth as fast as she can move it. She does have a favorite blanket that she calls gunk gunk...hmmm, I don't know where she got that from, but that's been what she's been calling it for awhile now and it's stuck.

One of the cutest things I love the most right now is one of Shay's bedtime rituals. Before Darryl left for Iraq last March we all went to Build-a-Bear as a family. The girls each picked out an animal (Cora picked Shay's since she was only 7 months) and then Daddy recorded his voice and a special message for each of them. Shay liked her lamb before we saw Darryl on R&R, but now it's like she cannot get enough of hearing his voice. I lay her down with her lamb, we say prayers, and then she wants me to play Daddy's message about 3 times. Then I go into Cora's room to say her prayers. And to our surprise everynight Cora and I hear Darryl's voice trailing from Shays room a couple more times. She's figured out how to press the button. It's So sweet and I love how she wants to hear his voice.
Even with Darryl experiencing less than half of her 18 months on earth, she still is Daddy's little girl. I can't wait to see what wonderful things she's doing when he gets home right before she turns 2 yrs old. ;)

*Shay reading to her Daddy Build-a-lamb.
PS Happy Birthday to my Dad yesterday!

One Clear Voice

2008-02-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I forget that it is just not being apart from Darryl that is the most difficult part of the deployment...but the danger he is often in as well. On Friday night I had feelings I haven't had since Darryl's 1st deployment when his sleeping quarters were hit with an incoming morter. During his 1st deployment a morter hit the concrete blocks surrounding his sleeping area causing Darryl and his mattress to be hurtled across his room. We are so grateful that is all that happened for it could have been much worse. I had a sinking feeling that night that something was wrong. I couldn't sleep and my chest was tight. It was pretty horrible. I said a prayer that night and a feeling came over me that everything would be ok. I talked to Darryl 2 days later and low and behold he told me the story. (I don't know if I explained it right but I had no idea at the time what was going on when I was having those feelings).
So here we are Friday night...I couldn't sleep, tight pains in my chest, uneasy feelings like I can't explain. Again I said a prayer and was finally able to go to sleep. Come to find out on Sunday Darryl told me 4 rockets had landed in his living/work area on the base. Needless to say I'm grateful that we are so connected. I'm grateful for the Holy Ghost who can comfort and give us peace when we need it the most. I am grateful for my brave husband who tries to bring peace and comfort to those he serves with by bearing his testimony and giving of his time and talents. I almost forgot and I am happy to say that no one was hurt (too badly anyway).
I think there was one soldier who had some minor scratches, but Darryl said for those size rockets and for 4 of them that is a miracle. Be safe my dear soldier.

Break out the tree

2008-01-28T13:43:00.001-08:00

The Christmas tree that is. Those were the words Cora exclaimed as she looked out the window this morning and saw our first snowfall of the winter. "It's Christmas again, get out the Christmas tree." And "Santa can come in his sleigh now." Snowfalls are so magical especially if you can experience them through the eyes of your children. We went outside for a winter walk, saw some kids sledding, threw some snow balls, and came inside for some hot chocolate. Brought back a lot of fond memories from my childhood in Maryland as it didn't snow there that frequently either. All in all we had a fun snowy day...and it's supposed to do the same tonight.
I talked to Cora tonight during family home evening about President Hinckley's passing and her eyes got really big and she was surprised...then told me he will be in my heart. I'm so glad she knew him in pictures, learned of him in Primary, and family home evenings and that she has a love for him as well.

He Will Be Missed

2008-01-27T21:52:00.001-08:00

Our dear Prophet President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away this evening at 7pm MST. To say he will be missed is an understatement, but to know that he is reunited with his beloved wife Marjorie brings joy to my heart. I cannot explain how I felt everytime I heard him speak. I am so grateful for his example, his service to all, his love for his wife, and his devotion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My life was blessed and infuenced for good because of such a great work that he did on this earth. My condolences to your wonderful family, may they be blessed and comforted at this time. One of my favorite Hymns is "We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet". My heart is full of thanks and gratitude for this wonderful man this evening and always.

Mr. Golden Sun

2008-01-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

How we loved to see the sun this past week. Ok I have to admit while we were in Florida I was a little nervous as I watched the weather forecast before we came back to WA. Clouds and rain listed for everyday in the 10 day forecast. While the weather was chilly this week it was so so nice to have the sun and appreciate just how beautiful Washington is. I even got out and did some yard work and thought to myself it's actually almost warm.
I love when we get glimpes of MT Rainier in the wintertime and this past week I felt really spoiled. It is just so majestic that sometimes to me it doesn't look real. Here is a sunset shot, just try to ignore the power lines and base buildings. Guess I need a better photoshop.

My Brother, David

2008-01-24T00:59:00.001-08:00

I wanted to write this post last month on the 14th of December for my older brother David's birthday. I was at my parents house and the scanner on their computer wasn't working so I decided to hold off until I got home.
I wanted to write about David to let him know I am thinking about him and to keep my memories of him in the forefront of my mind. I also want Cora and Shay to get to know their Uncle too. It has been 6 years since David was in a fatal car accident. It was just a month after Sept. 11th so the date and time frame will forever be etched in my mind. How our family misses him. Especially at family get togethers, holidays, and birthdays. I'm so grateful for his example. We watched him endure 11+years of having cancer and dealing with a brain tumor with countless treatments, chemotherapy, and surgeries. Doing it all with grace, humility, and his positive attitude. David definitely was not perfect..but he showed me how the power of the Atonement changed his life and brought him peace especially dealing with such difficult challenges.
I'm so grateful to have an older brother who still watches over me and our family. My friend Jennifer posted a beautiful message about close knit ties within the family and how when she prayed at the end of her prayer she would have a PS. to her Papa. This hit home to me....because I do that even today with David. We're thinking of you...and miss you.

The Big 1-0!

2008-01-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

We've hit double digits! Thursday marked 10 months of Darryl's deployment. A big milestone for us as I remember him leaving that 1st day thinking it would be an eternity until we got this far. I know my posts can be so sappy but I remember that day so well as I had to pull over on the side of the road after dropping him off at the Air Base because I couldn't see through my tear filled eyes. To have come this far and still be intact, my kids still alive, and our house not burned down( knock on wood), I'm pretty happy about all of that. ;)
My friend Jodie just hit their 1 year mark for her husbands deployment, so I wish I could have waited 2 more months to post...but I was just so excited for this one. It's been 10 fast Sundays and 2 General conferences since he left. I love using those markers especially conferences because we only have 1 to go and 5 more fast Sundays. Just seems a lot more doable. Already January is more than halfway over and I'm thinking I still have a lot of projects to get finished before he gets home. I better get truckin'. Yay!

To Each Their Own

2008-01-17T23:27:00.000-08:00

Here is our little Cora moving through life with a smile in her heart and ready to tackle a challenge. She was about 18 months here and we were in Florida during Darryl's 1st deployment. This picture is so Cora, full of energy with a zest for life. She's always been our little athlete throwing and hitting balls at such an early age. Already swimming and diving by herself. She loves to play with toy animals and also loves to draw and make pictures. She is always full of questions and makes friends everywhere we go. I love her little personality.

Here is Shay on the same street at about the same age during Darryl's 2nd deployment taken about 3 weeks ago.
Notice she is just strolling along takin' it easy. Shay on the other hand loves to dressup, put necklaces on, play mommy and use the toy kitchen. Not only do they both look so different..Cora with her springy curls and Shay with not even a wave in her hair, their personalities are also very unique to themselves. It's funny how these pictures capture each of them so perfectly. The best part is that even with all of their differences they already love each other so much. Sisters...so different but yet the same.

Here is an ode to my sister as well. We also look very different and have different talents but one thing we know how to do is enjoy the time we spend together...I'm so glad I am so close with my own sister. *She's always been there to lean on. I can only hope Cora and Shay will share a similar relationship. I Love you Lisa.

Goodly Parents

2008-01-14T22:43:00.000-08:00

I truly can relate to Nephi when he says he was born of goodly parents. Their faith and example have always been a guide for me. In a special blessing I was given it was said that my parents would be some of my greatest supports in this life and that they have sincerely been. They have helped me during 2 deployments now. Granted the 1st time we stayed longer (actually the whole deployment which doesn't hurt, with them living in Florida ;). During this deployment they allowed the girls and I to come and visit with them while Darryl was on R&R at the end of Oct. and then through the holidays. With this visit there was definitely a variety of different emotions that were felt. Elation in seeing my husband and our daughters seeing their Daddy after 8months apart. The sadness we felt as we watched him go back. Missing him at Thanksgiving, for our birthdays, anniversary, and Christmas. While going through all of these things in just a 2 month period it was so nice to be able to talk to my parents and if need be, cry on their shoulders or get a hug. The most important times spent with them were spent together in the Temple. I'm so grateful for their examples in faithfully atttending the Temple every week. My heart is full of gratitude and love for both of them. Thank You, thank you Mom and Dad. I wish there was a way to say just how grateful we are from the bottom of our pea-pickin' hearts.

Hmmm....Something New

2007-12-27T20:56:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone...Christmas is over and the next holiday on the loom is New Years. Often that brings to mind resolutions...and for me the ones that usually end up getting broken or forgotten. So this year I wanted to try something new. I want to see what kind of "different" new years resolutions we can all come up with that won't include losing those 10lbs gained over the weeks of festive Christmas goodies that were constantly beckoning us to eat them. Or going to the gym or saving money, you get the drift. For fun lets just set the bar a little lower and enjoy our new year resolves.

*So mine really should be the 10 lbs thing...but here goes

---As the night owl that I am, I vow to sleep like I've never slept
before.

So friends, family, talk to me...make me smile, I need some new year cheer.
Be creative and remember nothing like the usual.

May God Bless Us....Everyone

2007-12-22T22:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas wishes from all the Fishers near and far. May we remember the true
meaning of the season, so that we can hold love and charity in our hearts now and thoughout the coming year.

9 YEARS ALREADY

2007-12-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

One of the more romantic settings we've ever been in. Wow, have we already experienced 9 years of marital bliss?!? Time really does fly. I wanted to wish my partner, companion, and my best friend a very Happy Anniversary. So much has happened since that special day we were sealed in the Orlando Temple for Time and Eternity. I remember looking into your eyes that day and seeing forever. I listened to the words our sealer spoke and remembered thinking I couldn't be any happier. It definitely hasn't been an easy road at all times and yet those times I've felt have strengthened our relationship even more.
I've really been blessed to be staying with family. In fact today I was able to go with my parents again to the Temple. As I sat outside the Temple taking everything in I was remembering what happened and the feelings we felt on that day. It was so special to be there today and to think of my wonderful husband (of 9 years).
So what should we do for #10? Hawaii??
Happy Anniversary Sweetheart! I miss you!

Our little "Fish"er

2007-12-08T23:47:00.000-08:00

Seems like an intersting post in December but just the other day I took off all floatation devices on Cora and she swam for the first time in my parents pool without any help from family or floats. The only part of the pool she can stand in and touch are the stairs. She actually swam from one end of the pool to the other into the 8ft deep water. I'm sure she was ready to do this before I took off her "muscles" but I think I was more scared to do it then she was. I am so proud of Cora not only for her new found swimming ability but for her courage especially after Darryl left to go back to Iraq. She is always hugging Shay and telling her about Daddy. She always wants to say all of the meal prayers and never forgets to say something special about her Dad. She is also quite the singer. She not only got to be in one Primary Program this year but my parents ward is having theirs tomorrow and I can't wait to see her doing one of the things she enjoys most which is singing. You are getting to be such a big girl Cora. Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are so proud of you!

Another Birthday

2007-11-28T18:02:00.000-08:00

So I've heard after your 30th birthday you kind of stop counting how old you are on the ones to follow. So even if I'm not counting any more it still turned out to be a wonderful day. My Dad and I went to the Orlando Temple (I can't think of a better place to be on your birthday) while my mom watched the girls. Talk about peaceful. I had a couple of special birthday emails and phone calls, with an extra long distance call from Darryl in Iraq. He also had flowers delivered. What a sweet guy *bonus points. My sister in law and my nieces and nephew came to have dinner and share some cake. We almost set the house ablaze with all the candles..and somehow I even managed to blow them all out. Guess what my wish was?!? So thank you to everyone who made my day extra special.
* And the best birthday present Darryl gave us both (his bday 4 days before mine). On our Disney cruise at their own island we had open air (in a private cabana)massages. While we were having all of our kinks and knots worked out from a grueling 8 month deployment and 8 months as a single parent, we could look out and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the turquoise pristine water and white sandy beach. A little piece of Heaven. Wish we were there now! Thank you honey...that one scored major bonus points!

It's My Turn

2007-11-26T19:08:00.000-08:00

This is kind of a crazy picture I would never normally put on my blog but the main reason it's up because I was tagged a little while ago and wanted to spill some of my personal beans. Thanks for the opportunity April!
So here goes:
1~first of all the picture might say it all. I'm such a goofball. I love to have a fun time and love to laugh. Sometimes it's so funny to look at my blog...I think who is this serious person writing these things and what did she do with Laurie? To see me in action, the 2 people in this world that bring out this personality trait in me the most would be my brother Tim and my sister Lisa. We can find humor in the smallest things and enjoy almost anything. For a good time come and watch Napolean Dynamite w/ me even if you hated it.
2~I love playing sports. I had three athletic brothers in my family, so I grew up playing soccer and also played in high school.
I also played basketball in high school and church ball too, which in all actuality was just as physical as the high school games. I always wanted to play volleyball but it was the same season as soccer :(. I am a wannabe tennis player. I remember every spring in high school playing tennis with friends and we would have our own little wimbledon.
3~I also love to sing. If any of you have seen the movie the Wedding Singer I guess that is secretly what I want to be. I love singing and I can remember when I was little listening to my walkman in bed (ok that dates me) before falling asleep dreaming that I was first singing to my husband at my own reception, and that everyone would want me to sing at their weddings too. Hmm funny now that I type it out.
4~I LOVE food. I kind of have this weird obession about looking at recipe books. They definitely have to have pictures though. I subscribe to a quick cooking magazine and can't wait till it comes in the mail so I can look through all the recipes, and you would think make them....but usually not. Ask me why...maybe because I don't have all the ingredients. If I could be anyone or have anyone's talents it would be Rachel Ray. She is so down to earth and could be your neighbor next door kind of girl...but boy can she whip up a quick meal and make it look so easy.
5~I guess I'm kind of doing the true confessions thing so here is another one similar to the one above. I kind of am a magazine freak. Not at all the Inquierer types of magazines(OK maybe People)...but definitely a little bit of everything else. Womans Day, In Style, Fitness, recipe magazines. I can hardly go thru the checkouts at the grocery store without picking one up and flipping through it. I did find a frugal way to look and not have to buy with my obession...I just go to the library and get my fix every once in a while. Darryl really prefers that choice.
6~I love Holiday cartoons. Yes, it wasn't Cora plopped in front of the TV watching Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving a couple nights ago....that was me. Maybe it reminds me of my childhood and how for pretty much every holiday my Dad made sure we all got our fill of the Peanuts cartoons and other holiday cartoons of the sort. Maybe that's who I get it from. Anyway...I love them all...the Valentines, Easter, The Great Pumpkin, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
7~Last but not least...what else can I say about myself? Ok I pretty much love reality shows with Amazing Race and Survivor being the top 2, actually the only 2 I watch. I would love to try out for either if our situation in life right now would permit (which it doesn't). So maybe in the future when Darryl gets home and we are near family..keep watching you might just see me on Prime Time (making a fool of myself but having lots of fun).
PS~I also love Peter Cetera even if you can only hear him on elevators and easy listening stations now a days. Darryl and I went to his concert w/ the Seattle symphony Orchestra before he left and we were in the 2nd row. Loved it and sang along with almost all the songs. Darryl sang this one to me (pretty discretely though). ; )

I tag anyone on my list of blogs that hasn't done this yet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARRYL

2007-11-22T18:21:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe you've only been in my life for over 10 years now. Seems like you've always been there. Since that first moment when we met when I couldn't help but smile after we were introduced. You have made my life so full. The way you care for people and want to help them. Your childlike faith. Your friendship and love.
I'm glad we were able to celebrate (and eat cake) before you left. Still wanted you to know we are thinking of you today, loving you today, and are so happy to have you in our lives. And by the way you look great for 3_?!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sweetheart!!!

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

2007-11-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just a few things I am most thankful for:

My Testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
My loving husband
Our sweet Girls
Our good families
Our Health
Our country
wonderful friends

Thanksgiving wish:
http://www.cpmsglife.org/tg/2006tdm1.html

*On a side note.. The Thanksgiving holiday
has always held a special place in my heart.
I'm very thankful for Thanksgiving
because back in the year 1974 it fell on the 28th
of November and my mother gave up her
Turkey dinner to deliver "one". (J/K mom).
You and Dad don't make turkeys!

BLUE WITHOUT YOU

2007-11-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

So this is more for me to just get it out there and out of my heart. As a lot of you know Darryl left to go back to Iraq this last Thursday. I've been putting on a brave face for Cora and Shay trying to be strong and not let my sad feelings show. Until today and it hit me as I was washing Darryl's civilian clothes knowing he won't be wearing them again for quite a long time. It also seemed hard that I have his clothes here and yet he is a world away (obviously he doesn't need his fun clothes in Iraq.)
We just heard from him yesterday for the first time since Thurs. and he made it there safely, so that was a relief. While he was home on R & R his whole Brigade moved to Bacraba (sp)? one of, if not the most dangerous spot in Iraq right now. So it made saying goodbye to him even harder on Thursday.
It's definitely hard the 1st time letting him go during a deployment...but then the 2nd time you know what it entails and it's almost harder. The time we spent with Darryl was like a dream. It really did go by too fast. Every moment you try to savor more than the last. When we first met Darryl at the airport to begin his R&R it was euphoric...one of those moments in life when you feel it should definitely have background music like in the movies. In the airport before he left again was one of those moments too...when you wish time would just stand still. Just watching him holding the girls, kissing them it was so hard to hold it together. Then before he was about to board just holding him before we let him go. Nothing around us was important...just our family holding on tight, until a gentleman came up to thank us...thank him for his and our sacrifice. More people in fact had spoken to us while we were waiting with Darryl and it was greatly appreciated. In fact I know it helped Darryl to get back on the plane to go to such a harsh place and continue what he's been doing for the past 8 months. That what he is doing does make a difference to people and that they weren't afraid to tell him.
Some of the things I will miss the most will be the small things like holding his hand. Having him next to me. Being able to hug him. Looking into his eyes. You better believe I took full advantage of his R&R and really
appreciated being able to do all of those things and then telling him that.
Then there was Cora's prayer last night. She blessed the food and started to tell Heavenly Father how grateful she is to have Shay here, Mommy here, Grandma and Grandpa here, and She said Daddy...paused not here, I miss my Daddy and he's in my heart. Jesus loves him in Iraq. Amen. Both my Mother and I had tears streaming down our cheeks. How sweet children are and how tender their hearts.
So anyway I figured I'd get this out of my system before Thanksgiving because we really do have so much to be thankful for.

Disney Cruise to the Bahamas

2007-11-16T22:47:00.001-08:00

A-maz-ing! It really was like a dream come true. First of all having Darryl there with us and the whole experience was so much fun. We really didn't want it to end, especially Cora. I was a little ify on the cruise thing since we had never been on one and Cora and myself are prone to motion sickness. We were wondering if this was a disaster waiting to happen. We were really lucky to just miss tropical storm Noel...wouldn't have wanted to see those ocean swells. The service was awesome from our servers right down to our room service people who left animal towels and chocolates on our beds everynight. The Disney shows in the evening were fabulous. I was really impressed. Cora came with Darryl and I while Shay went to Flounders Nursery. Cora was so cute and sang all the princess songs. Darryl was so impressed that she knew so many of the words. (ok-so I admit it, I was singing along too).
The food...now that is something in and of itself. Let's just say if you are on a diet you better have pretty good self control. Ever since I could remember I've wanted to see crystal clear water, the Bahamas delivered. Just beautiful. We loved being together and it was a wonderful way to create some new memories, especially ones to look back on and treasure these next 6 to 7 months until Darryl returns home again.

So "HAPPY" on Halloween

2007-11-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Together At Last

2007-10-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

Reunited. We are so excited to have Darryl home with us, words cannot even express. More photos and stories to come. Welcome Back Daddy!!! We are truly blessed to be together as a family again.

Fallpalooza

2007-10-16T02:50:00.000-07:00

So we've officially hit the 7 month mark! I've really been trying to keep busy before our trip to go see Darryl. We're trying not to just sit around and let the anticipation and anxiety get the best of us..or I should say just me. Everyday the weather has been nice we've headed out on a little adventure. We've taken some fun pictures and I had a hard time narrowing them down.
In the last few weeks the girls have changed so much and it just makes me even more anxious for Darryl to see them. Cora has had a growth spurt and now needs new pants again. She is learning so much in Primary and in Preschool and tells me what's she's learned daily. And Shay is just talking up a storm (baby talk) voice infections and everything. She's always wanting to make us laugh. Her personality is just shining through. They both think it is hillarious to tackle Mom when we're hanging out in the evening. I definitely can't wait for Daddy to take over in that department(although I have enjoyed it more than I've let on). I can't wait to see them play with him, have him chase them...and especially the Daddy dog pile. It's amazing how many things I have taken for granted when we were together as a family. It also amazes me how many things he did around the house and now that I've been doing everything I see how much he contributed to our family and running our household. There was a testimony given on Sunday that I've been thinking a lot about. And the message was to not only cherish and honor our parents but actually vocalize our feelings and tell them how much we love and appreciate them. I will consiously make an effort not only to appreciate Darryl but vocalize these feelings as well. This definitely has been a learning year for me in a lot of areas.

Out and about on a fall afternoon

2007-10-14T00:50:00.000-07:00

So when we heard the weekend weather was going to be nice we planned a full day for Saturday to get out and enjoy some autumn events. We heard about Lattins country mill and cider farm down in Olympia and decided to give it a try. We really had a nice time. We saw some cute farm animals, rode a wagon pulled by Clydesdale horses to the pumpkin patch, and even waited in line for some homemade apple fritters and cider. Yum!

Then we took a drive to see the leaves by the state capitol. We are so grateful for the seasons....Cora said "Heavely Father sure painted the trees so pretty on His picture."

14 Days till we see Daddy!!

Somewhere Out There

2007-09-29T12:43:00.000-07:00

So we're six plus months into Darryls deployment now. We've really made some good progress and definitely have a good amount of time behind us. We're anxiously awaiting our visit with him on his R&R break at the end of October. This is the way I am journaling for now, so I wanted to write about some of things that have been noteworthy during our time apart.
~Soon after Darryl left Cora was invited to a friends birthday party. The invitation was deliverd in a glass slipper with the invitation rolled up like a scroll inside the shoe. She would unravel the scroll and clear her throat and say "hear he hear she....my Dad has gone away, flew into the sky. But I can be brave, I can be strong." It was so cute I wish I had filmed her doing it. Maybe I could get her to recreate it. Hmmm
~This picture of Darryl and the girls was taken right before he left...melts my heart. We took this picture and put it on some pillow cases for the girls and I so that we could hug Daddy (our pillows) goodnight. We took a family photo and made a pillow case for him so he could hug us too.
~Shay loves the telephone. If I forget to put it up high...she'll take it any chance she can get, to grab it and just start pushing random numbers. The cutest thing is when she puts it to her ear and says "hi Dada". She's been doing that since Darryl left. Love it and I have filmed her doing that.
~Everynight when Cora sees the moon she says Darryl is there looking down at our house. Hmmm...moon/Iraq....I'm happy with her thinking he's on the moon at this age. Anyway on that note I thought it was appropriate for the Somewhere out there song.
~Cora has a small birthmark on the back of her left arm that resembles a small heart with an arrow going thru it..
(crazy I know, but true). So she pointed to her chest the other night and said Jesus is in this heart, then pointed to her arm and said Daddy is in this one.
28 Days and counting

Sometimes it just takes a smile to lift your spirits

2007-09-25T22:36:00.001-07:00

“What is Autumn? A second spring, where the leaves imitate the flowers." -Albert Camas

2007-09-22T23:50:00.000-07:00

So fall is here. One of my favorite seasons. I think I say that at the beginning of every season (except winter, but I take that back because Christmas time is one of my favorite times of year too). Some of my fondest memories of family and traditions involve fall and all that comes with it. The leaves turning colors....fall hikes. Sweaters. Family pictures each year in front of the big oak tree in the backyard. I'm kind of partial to our east coast falls in Maryland with all the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows. Hay rides....hot cocoa. Warm indian summers with golden afternoons and football or soccer games in our back yard. As I get older the nostalgia of it all intensifys too. My poor kids. If you take a close look in the first picture you'll see Shay looking kind of upset that her Mom stopped the van on the side of the road to plop her in the grass and take a fall picture of her spontaniously. Fun fun. Good thing I had my camera.

Blackberry Picking

2007-09-13T23:10:00.000-07:00

Here in WA in the summertime it is a tradition to go pick blackberries growing in the wild. We went this past week because the weather has just been beautiful. I picked the berries, Cora caught frogs, and Shay just kept eating the berries out of the bucket. I'm hoping to find a good blackberry jam recipe and send it over to Darryl in a care package Yum!

Cora's Day With Mommy

2007-09-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

Cora and I enjoyed a special day together at Wild Waves last Saturday. I have to say it was the best time to go if you are going to go. It was the military weekend so we got in for $10. The Puyallup fair just started that Friday so we figure everyone must have gone there because we were riding all the rides by ourselves. It was a ton of fun. I loved spending this time with Cora, it was like I was a little girl again. To see the excitment in her eyes and just have her look at me and hold my hand it was just perfect. I'm so glad she loves to ride the rides like I do. She even wanted to get on the roller coaster, but wasn't tall enough. Maybe next year my daring little darling. They do grow up so fast. This day was a great reminder just to take time to enjoy your children and treasure each moment. P.S. If you look at the picture with Cora in the car...she is looking over at the roller coaster and I pictured her thinking and all I get to ride is this car that goes in a circle. Her face cracked me up.

One Day Her Prince Will Come

2007-09-07T01:04:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Cora. Today we went on a frog hunt with our neighbor Evan. And look what we found. Cora has no fear of little slimy animals (unlike her Mom who jumps when she finds a frog while watering the flowers). She didn't want to go inside because she didn't want her new found pet to leave. Finally we both agreed the frog needed to meet up with his family and eat his dinner too. I was happy to see that after we came inside she wanted to put her Sleeping Beauty dress on. It's nice to see Cora is so well rounded.

Shay is 13 months old

2007-09-07T00:38:00.000-07:00

Wow...it is so hard to believe little Shay is getting to be such a toddler. She is walking pretty fast for a new walker of just a little over a month. She says words or mostly voice inflections such as uh-oh, thank you, Mama, and Dada. She also has been a true Mama's girl and has learned the sign for more and uses it mostly to ask for more food or drink. A girl after my own heart. She looks for Cora the first thing when she wakes up in the morning. When we walk out the door and see the neighbors, she does the cutest high pitched voice and says "HI". It is so precious.

We also have seen that Shay loves to make people laugh especially her older sister Cora. She looks up to Cora and wants to do everything Cora is doing. I love watching them as they interact as sisters.

Cora and Logan

2007-09-03T00:23:00.000-07:00

Another one of my favorite photos this summer. My sister Lisa took this picture. She is the photographer of the family. It was so nice to have her the boys and her talents with us this summer.

Darryl's Dealings in Iraq

2007-09-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

So.... not my favorite thing to see Darryl holding in a picture, but I love the graffiti on the tank. With all the computer/communications work Darryl does I sometimes forget he carries a weapon at all times. It's takes a little getting used to seeing him and "the gun" in every outdoor picture. The whole gun thing kind of reminds me of Wilson in the movie Castaway. Ok I guess he's not on an Island and there are other people there to talk to. Not sure where I was going with that. Must be getting late. ; )
Hard to believe he'll have been in Iraq 6 months in the middle of September. He's doing well, keeping busy, helping build morale for the troops and those he serves with. Just typical Darryl, my social guy. We're so proud of him and the difference he is making just by being his friendly self. We can't wait for his R&R to begin in about 2 months. We miss you Darryl!

One of my favorite photos this summer

2007-09-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

Our little Munchkins

2007-08-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it is the last day of August. Despite Darryl being in Iraq, we've really had a nice summer. Especially with our visitors,Darryl's sister Rebecca, my sister Lisa, Logan and Van, and my parents. We also enjoyed a nice trip to see Darryl's family at Flathead Lake in MT. We tried to get outdoors as much as possible and enjoy the blue sky and sun that we miss so much come the winter months in WA. Here are my 2 little beach women. They've changed so much even from the beggining of the summer.