Matt is 12!

This year for Matt's birthday he decided he wanted to celebrate with his friends. So they all came over after school that Friday and right away they started playing ball!

They are a great group of kids and Matt is lucky to have them as friends!!! 

Instead of a regular cake he decided he wanted Dirt Cake! How could I argue with Dirt cake???

And Pizza...it's not a birthday without pizza!!!

He's been saving up his money since his last birthday and decided to combine it with this years birthday money to get a PS3. He was sick of always trying to compete with Ski to play the one we have in the living room. Now he just has to compete with Chase sleeping!!!

Of course it didn't take long before they retired to his bedroom for the rest of the night to play the game! That was the easiest party I've ever had for one of my kids! 

 

 

Happy Birthday Matt! I love you so much! Hope it was a great birthday!

Happy 11th Birthday Jacqu!

So I guess I never realized that with each birthday my kids have, it gets harder and harder to believe that they are a year older. I mean - I have an 11 year old for crying out loud!!

Eleven!

Next year she'll be in middle school!

I swear only 4 minutes ago I was laying in the delivery room giving birth to this tiny miracle while Navy Corpsman in Santa hats watched from a distance waiting to take her and clean her up. I remember thinking about how I wanted to suffocate that Corpsman with his little Santa hat if he told me "the pain was nothing compared to the next 18 years" one more time! Now, it's 11 years later and she's giving me driving directions to places I've been to a thousand times but still seem to get turned around! She's making fun of me for things that I say and do. She lets me know every chance she gets that I just reminded her of "Grandma!" (Shame, by the way! Shame!)

There are times when I think she is my carbon copy: that sassy mouth, the roll of her eyes! Yet there are other times when I think there are two people who couldn't be more different on this planet: her photographic memory that has our neighbors license plate number memorized while I couldn't tell you what my own license plate number is!

This year was the first year she has had an issue with her birthday also being on Christmas. She never really came out and told me what exactly she was upset about. All I could get was "It sucks" but by the end of the night she cheered up and said she had a great birthday!

Wow - eleven. I still can't believe it! I love you Jacqu!

One year ago! Jacqui's 10th Birthday

2 years old!!!

Cadence Evelina is 2 years old!!!!

She had a great birthday and kept telling everyone it was her "Happy!" Here are a few pictures from her day!

She thought it was so cool when everyone sang to her and she even blew out the candle all by herself!

Thank you to everyone that sent gifts!

We also had visitors in from New York. Eileen and her son Austin were staying with us over the weekend so he could visit his dad! She and I were in the Marine Corps together in Japan. We had such a good time talking all night and sharing the entire chocolate cake - skipping minor formalities such as plates...

I'm 29...again

Okay so I’m really 30.

It doesn’t seem like I have been alive 30 years. When I was younger, it seemed so old and so far away. I’m here to tell you it isn’t as old as it sounds. (This is my fantasy world here, so I can believe what I want.)

My husband did everything possible to make my birthday special! He tried so hard to surprise me, but God bless his little heart, I always find out his plans. Like a week in advance.

First of all the Fam let me sleep in. I’m not sure you can go as far as saying they “let” me sleep in. I pretty much just ignored Cadence when she started screaming “MOM OUT” and let someone else get her. Then I slept for a few more hours. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands!

Ski took another mysterious shopping trip to the commissary this time with our neighbor. His wife’s birthday was yesterday so it was a weekend celebration for both of us starting with the banners on our houses last night. They had been planning a surprise BBQ for us for the past two weeks. Since Matt didn’t know anything about it, I only found out about it a few days ahead of time. Ski wouldn’t make it in the secret service either – he gets too excited about surprises.

My only stipulation on the entire day was that I refused to sit home on my birthday like I do every other day of the week. My plans (which interfered with Ski’s plans) were to go to the MUMfest in New Bern.

Did you know that the MUM is a flower? The only reason I ask is because - I didn’t. I figured it was October so MUM was short for “mummy” – I’m sharp as a tack my friends! Sharp as a tack!

Anyway, the MUMfest. Ski wasn’t as excited about going as I was and he let me know his enthusiasm pretty much every 5 minutes. After about the 15^th time he said it, I laid the guilt on thick. “If you don’t want to go, that’s fine. I’ll take the kids all by myself but if you decide you’re going to go, I better not hear another word!” My husband hates guilt trips. Especially when trying to make my birthday special so the rest of the day at the overpriced fair went rather well.

I never thought I would see this!

Jacqui and Matt were "almost" too cool to get balloon animals - that is until Matt found out he could get a Harley Davidson.

Cadence wasn't sure what this guy was all about but she waved anyway!

You know if there is Nascar anywhere in the area we are going to find it!

Matt paid $2.00 to do this.

Now that Cadence is starting to learn the animals, she thought this was heaven on earth!!!

Jacqui and I in line for the "Pirate Ship." A kid two seats behind us threw up!

When we got home, we had a BBQ with our neighbors. They had even gotten us a cake and everything!!! Nothing says love like a cake with whipped frosting! Or cheesy hot dogs! It doesn’t take much to please me!

The two responsible for our birthday celebration!

Amber and I as everyone sang Happy Birthday to us. Unfortunatly the "28" candle was not mine!

Thank you guys for a great birthday and for everything you did for us! Your the best!

He'll never be part of the Secret Services!

At dinner, Ski thinks it’s funny to ask one of the kids to get him something from the fridge and while they have their backs turned, he’ll throw food in their drink or something to that affect. There have been times that they have taken their entire dinner – including their drink, to the refrigerator with them just so they know that he isn’t messing with their meal.

Now if it is Matt that witnesses a prank, he just can’t watch and wait. He sits there with a devilish little smile all over his face, his little body squirming with anticipation, as he leans in staring at her, the secret about to burst from his lips. After about a minute, he starts to drop little hints “Jacqui, aren’t you thirsty?” or “Jacqui, you need to finish your milk”

By this time, Jacqui is suspicious because, well, she knows her brother could care less about her level of hydration and if he is pointing out the fact that she has to finish her milk, it also means he has to finish his milk too and that isn’t something they want to make public to their parents. At this point, she’ll examine her meal only to discover that there is something floating in her drink.

“SKI!!!!” She’ll cry as she scoops it out of her cup and throws it at him. “What!!!!” he screams so innocently as if he has no idea what she is talking about. Yeah, you can imagine how fun the game is.

Anyway, with tomorrow being my birthday and all, Ski has been very mysterious. Secret trips to Wal-Mart with our neighbor, the smell of spray paint lingering in the air, all three children out in the garage getting along without fighting and a strange pounding outside our front porch. Since Matt knew what was going on I was sure to find out within seconds of him entering our house…

Y'all, the boy did not disappoint!

“Hey mom, you know those signs that they put up for the Marines when they come back from Iraq that say Welcome Home? I really like those!” It wasn’t hard to figure out from there!

October's aways a big month...

Well it's October again! For most people it means that fall is upon them, the weather is changing and Halloween is just around the corner. For us, it means we are about to drop a lot of cash!

Around our house the theme for the month of October is BIRTHDAYS and ANNIVERSARIES! Starting with today - October 9th!

It's Ski's Grandma Audrey's birthday!

We love you and hope you have a GREAT birthday!