A Hard Goodbye to My WONDERFUL Family

Last Sunday night we said our official goodbye's to All of my Brothers, Sister, Mom, Step Dad in-laws, nieces, nephews, my BF Jessi... The whole gang! It REALLY hit me as I was hugging Buffy goodbye. THE TEARS JUST CAME! It was so much fun to have everyone there though and to be able to spend our last night in AZ with my family. The boys also got to play dress up with their cousins ONE LAST TIME! This has been one of their favorite things with them!

Schnepf Farms!!! FUN FUN FUN

Every year we go to Schnepf Farm and every year we have a blast! As parents I think we reach a point that we realize that if our kids are having a good time then we are too, but if our kids are miserable and bored SO ARE WE! The Farm is an event the boys look forward to every year (refer to my blog last year around this time) and they just completely go all out on exerting all of their energy while we are there.

I love that it is a Family event and that all of my brothers and sister are able to go as well as my mom and Skip. The cousins this year, towards the end of the night, all joined in in dancing in front of the blue grass concert that was going on in the picnic area, as well as my mom, my sister, my brother Chandler and myself. We clogged, the kids tried to clogg (except for Hayley my oldest niece who is already an expert in the dance area), they shuffled, and just had a blast!

The boys this year on the haunted train screamed and clutched Dan and I the entire ride. They also screamed their heads off on the roller coaster, but the best ride again.... hands down.... THE BUMBLE BEE RIDE! It wins every year for them.

I am so sad to think that we may not be able to go to this event again with my family. It has been something we look forward to, even more than Christmas... I KNOW... BOLD STATEMENT (as Dan would say).

THE TWINS!!!!!

We had SO MUCH FUN with Taylor and Ava last week! We had the opportunity to have them for four days and no second went by unspent in hugs, love and laughing. Ava AS ALWAYS is a TOTAL Daddy's girl and has Dan wrapped around her finger. I think Ava would have been content to sit on his lap all day if he would have let her. BUT on the flip side Taylor was totally attached to me and I LOVED IT!
Dan was so afraid that since he had not seen them in almost eight months and the contact with them during that time by phone calls was so limited that they would not remember him. I think that we don't give children enough credit.... They OF COURSE knew who he was, the bond is so strong and nothing can ever take away the fact that he is their daddy. It was so cute to see them both light up as soon as they saw him walk into the room.
Dan and I sang to them the first night and we made the mistake of singing them "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" and that is all we heard and all they wanted sang to them the rest of the time, but we loved it!
They both are such sweet children and I am hoping we will be able to build strong relationships with them now that we will all be out on the east coast. The boys are so excited to have a new brother and sister and it will be fun being able to see them become a part of each others worlds.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE FUN TIMES......

Thankful to OUR Troops

This is one of the sunsets in Afghanistan, I thought it would be appropriate for this post.

I went with Dan to the Memorial Service yesterday for the men who had fallen during this last deployment in Afghanistan. Two Marines from Dan's unit were killed and one Army Soldier that was working with their Unit died as well. I can not even explain the feelings that went through my heart and mind.... True gratitude and overwhelming love for these young men who gave everything so that we can continue with our lives and our freedom.

During the ceremony things became so real, it was all right there in front of me. EVERY troop in attendance came up to say goodbye after the ceremony and paid respects by saluting and touching the helmet, the dog tag, the gun, or the boots of the fallen troops. This also just gave me an insight to how much these men truly become a family. They lost three brothers.

I am so grateful to have Dan home and I feel so blessed that he returned safe. I know it is just a matter of time before he will be called back out... but he TRULY loves what he does, he knows that this calling in his life is true and just. That if he lives his life the way that God intends him to live it that he will be blessed, and that his purpose here will be served. I am extremely grateful to have such an amazing man to lead our family. He constantly reminds me of what life is about. In everything he does he is my hero and my example.

I am so proud to be married to a US Marine.

"The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed, from time to time, with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson 1787

DAN IS HOME! LIFE IS STARTING A NEW CHAPTER!

Dan finally got home on Sunday at 1 in the morning! The date just kept getting delayed, delayed and delayed again, BUT FINALLY it happened! It was so AMAZING just to see him, wrap my arms around him and to be with him. It really is interesting after being apart for so long the nerves that built up for me and even after having him home now for 3 days the jitters. I think most of it is just excitement and relief.

We went house hunting and found our first home together yesterday (for the time being we are just renting, but may end up purchasing the home). IT IS BEAUTIFUL! It's about 300 yards (if that) away from the bay in a gated community with racquetball courts, tennis courts and a private swimming pool for the residents in the community. The pool is literally about 50 yards away from the bay water so as you're swimming, you can see the ocean right next to you - very beautiful! The house is all hardwood floor (3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms/2-car garage) with a nice bay window in the living room. It has a wood fireplace (as opposed to a gas fireplace), a screened-in back porch and beyond that is a regular back patio that has a jacuzzi in it. The back yard is up against some woods so we don't have any neighbors behind us. The community has its own private boat slip into the bay (right next to the swimming pool) and the house has it's own boat lift reserved for it there at the docks (also by the swimming pool) so when we get our boat then we'll have our own berthing for it - nice! The backyard is really big so all of our kids will enjoy that *however* Dan is going to have to plow the whole thing under and plant grass from scratch because the back yard is infested with sand burrs... We all got a bunch stuck into our feet and ankles as we were walking on the property. There's also a shed in the back so that's nice as well.

Dan's first day back at work is today, but he is only going today and tomorrow and then on Friday there will be a memorial for the men they lost while on the deployment. Friday evening we are heading to Richmond, VA and we will have Taylor and Ava with us until Tuesday (for those of you that don't know Taylor and Ava are Dan's twins and they are absolutely gorgeous children).

Benson and Britton are having a BLAST visiting Steve. I can not wait to see them though, every time we talk to them it makes me want to cry. This will be the longest I have ever been apart from them and I miss my Boo's.

So that is the update until then and I will post more pics, but we need to take some first!