Kauai

Just before the deployment, we made a family getaway to the island of Kauai. It is a BEAUTIFUL place! Even though we spent half of our vacation days shut up in our condo (because of a girl's nasty stomach bug, a baby's first fever, and a mommy's trip to the ER), we made the most of our healthy days. If you ever go to Kauai, do not miss the Na Pali Coast...stunning! I wish we could have taken a helicopter tour, but that would not have gone over well with a certain little girl.







We also loved the Waimea Canyon. It's not as big as the Grand Canyon, but it is pretty spectacular all the same. The trip was fun; I only wish we had been healthy so we could have seen more of this beautiful place.

Clever Birthday Boy

Child Thing #2 is one year old! And with his age comes wisdom...like how to work the baby locks on our cabinets. Tell me he doesn't know exactly what he's doing! Clever boy!

Dealing with Deployment--Slumber Party

Any military spouse will tell you that the first night of a deployment is the pits. I can't speak from experience, but I imagine it is hard on the military child, too.

So what do you do? How about a family slumber party! We decided to do this days before Daddy left and talked about it every now and then, hoping it would give at least a small positive spin on deployment day. It seemed to work; the child thing cried a little when we said goodbye, but as soon as we got back home, she asked if it was time for the slumber party yet.

When the time did come, we spread out our sleeping bags, popped some popcorn and watched a Tinkerbell movie. Exciting for her, staying up after bedtime and all. And me, well...at least I didn't have to crawl into that lonely, empty bed.

We will definitely keep this in mind for any future deployments (though if we don't have any more deployments, that would be ok, too!), and hopefully next time, we can include the baby in our slumber party also. I suppose we'll have to come up with something other than Tinkerbell if he joins in.

When I Grow Up...

...I want to be an artist! This may just be a proud mother speaking, but I think she's got a shot! Look at the detail the elder child thing included in her latest drawing. Not that it NEEDS interpretation...but...well, it might need a little interpretation. Above is a picture of a girl and her friends at the park, which includes (see if you can pick these things out) a swing set, a tree, a sidewalk, a balloon, two kids on a see-saw, a slide, and a "fuzzy thing." Amazing, I tell you! ;)

Only a true artist could put her own creative spin on a formulaic, they-all-look-the-same VBS art project. It takes true artistic talent to turn a happy cactus friend reminding you that God cares for you into a grimacing, glaring outlaw being held at gunpoint by the sheriff. :P