New Pet

Well my brother wanted a pet of his own, and being like all little boys it couldn't be cute and furry. No, it has to be scaly. His been wanting a snake for three years now, and since we already have one, (Boots the corn snake) its hard to say NOOOOO to a snake.
So he picked a Milk Snake, which is now named Milkshakes the milk snake, it looks like a poisonous coral snake which he LOVES even more.
Boys!!
The good news for me is it's kept in his room and this breed of snakes loves to hide. As you can see in the picture. Heheh no picture of it yet, since it hides soo much.

This isn't Milkshakes, but this is what he looks like, if you could get a picture of him. So this is close enough.

April SNOW???

Well, we were planning on taking Heidi Anne for her first fishing experience this Saturday, but it SNOWED!!! I've heard April Showers bring May Flowers, so what does April Snow bring??

I've Got Helmet Hair

That's one of my favorite lines from Shrek (one of my favorite movies) and since January it's reminded me of little Heidi Anne. Because when you take of her helmet her hair sticks up all funny like.
Well we had her head doctor appointment today and she is almost all better!! She wears the helmets on nights and weekends now. So when Charles took her back to day care all the kids wanted to know who the new baby was and commented on how pretty she looked. One of the teachers told them it was Heidi, and the kids clapped their hands and cheered because she is all better. So naturally Heidi clapped and giggled too.
What was also funny is one of the afternoon teachers asked the kids who the baby was and they giggle and said it was Heidi Anne.
I have realized one thing, she has super light colored hair, almost an exact match of her cousin Kaikai. I hope she has the curly hair to go with it, I love Kaikai's curly hair!!

Made It To Arlington

My Granny was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery today. I wasn't able to go, however, my Aunt Deb and GrandDad were there. My Aunt sent me an e-mail afterwords. Here is some of what it read:
The service was so much more than I had expected. Mom got full military honors - a 21-gun salute, taps were played, and an honor guard. You would have thought she left the Army yesterday not 57 years ago. The Army chaplain did a very nice talk based on things we told him about Mom. Dad placed her box of ashes in a wall where her place is covered with a marble rectangle that will be engraved with her name. It was a bit difficult for him but he was determined to do it himself. There is enough room for Dad when it's time. The grounds are beautiful and shut off from the general public, but family members can go in her section. Aunt Mary Lou & Uncle Marvin and Uncle Don & Uncle Bill came. Uncle Marvin video taped the service; I'll burn CD's when I get one. Dad did really well, but was extremely tired.

I've heard a saying, "I wasn't a hero, but I served in the company of heroes". This has always made me thing of my family, I come from a family were military service is practically family tradition. I always knew my Granny was a hero (and my GrandDad too) I am so proud that she continues to be in the presents of greatness, and that now everyone else knows she was a hero as well. But knowing them, they most likely see themselves as just having serve their country and are honered to be among other American heros.

We're Home

One thing my Granny and GrandDad taught me as a kid is to enjoy the little things. Since I've become a mom I've tried even harder to do that. I've heard a saying that we try to give our children what we never had growing up, but in the process forget to share with them what we had.
One thing we did a lot when I was a kid, we would go on drives. Just drive, no real direction, just here and there, but somehow always back to our house. Today after a stressful day of work, and Heidi Anne being happy enough, Char and I just drove around town and up to the campus.
We talked about where we were a few years a ago when we first moved here, how lost we felt then. As we drove in our car we talked about the months we didn't have a car and only traveled by bike, bus, or just walking.
We drove by the cemetry where I used to jog, and clean away the mud and grass that had hiden the tombstones of infants who had passed away so many decades ago. Char pointed out today it was a way for me to grive for the three babies we had lost to miscarriage.
It amazes me how much we have grown together and grown to love this place, from that one Saturday in August a few years back to now. This is where we know all the roads, the best places to get a sandwich (Old Grist Mill) or pizza (Fire House), the local activites that happen here, like the Pumpkin Walk or Baby Animal Days, where Heidi Anne loves the parks, and feeding the ducks that live by my work, or the mean geese at First Dam.
As a child we moved around a lot and for the first time in so many years.....I've found a home, we're all home.

Hoppy Easter

We had a fun Easter, it was Heidi Anne's first Easter. We celebrated it on Saturday with my sister, her family, and my younger brother and sister.

We cheated and used plastic eggs for the babies and put baby cereal in the kids. The babies loved it! We wanted them to get the idea of "Find an Egg and get a treat" but we didn't want them full of sugar!

KaiKai and Heidi Anne Enjoying their Easter Egg Treats

We got all the kids Camo Sun Hats as part of their Easter Baskets. Kaikai got pink, Heidi Anne purple, Brea got green, and Maleia got blue.

Heidi Anne and her sunhat.

We got the little girls matching Easter baskets. They got an Easter bunny, easter rubber ducks, easter books, magnitic paper dolls, bubbles, bouncy ball, and a cute wall hanging, (they each got their own. The next day we got matching Easter books from my Aunt Deb!!The baskets below are the ones we got for the older kids. They loved their baskets too! Maleia got flip flops, nail polish, coloring book and crayons, and a pretty necklace. Braedin got a football, the 20 Q game, and some little lego sets.

Afterords we had a fun dinner with ribs, salad, rolls, and mashed potatoes. It was great!

By the way the 20 Q game is really fun!!

Baby Animal Days!!!

We went to a local heritage center where they bring out all of the baby animals and let Kai Kai and Heidi touch them and have a good old time.
My brother in law got the girls matching outfits. SOOO CUTE!!




There were so many diffrent types of animals and critters.
Kaikai in a Pig Pin, this little piggy was having a dream and snorting.






Heidi Had A Little Lamb, which she was afraid to pet at first.







Rebekah holding Heidi and watching Kaikai, while they are watching a baby goat drinking water. I'm taking the picture.






Big Calfs, Heidi kept calling them Cats, Cats.











A little family of goats, which everyone just loved. They were soo cute.

This was the boys favorite part, Turlte Town, everything from baby turtles, rattlesnakes, big boas, and a huge snaping turtle.

Breading with some turtioses.
He got to throw a tomahawk with Rhett (Braedin it the target once and Rhett twice). He also shot a bow and arrow, which he hit right on target.
They got a ride in a Model T, sit in a hand cart, sit on a tractor, talk to Mountian Men, and just run a round.
It was a blast and we were there for 3 hours. Everyone had fun, except Maleia, her main complaint, "It's muddy, and I smell like a horse." Apart from that it was a blast! There was something for everyone to do. I just loved watching Kaikai chase little goats in the pin. Or Heidi just happy and looking all around.

Ready for the Next Round of the Refiner's Fire

Sorry I haven't been on much, just stressful family things and work--it's billing you know.
I have learned one thing about trails, it can either tear a family apart or bring them closer. It also shows how much you can handle.
Charles calls this the refiners fire, just perfecting or preparing you for more to come.
There is so much turmoil in the world, not just in the news but everyday life, I bet anyone reading this has a family member or friend with cancer, or has lost their job, or has a loved one dying.
Sure this time has been hard, stressful, and above all else trying. Yet, most of our family has come closer, there have been people that have helped or things that have happened that were answers to our prayers. Also we all learned how much we can handle, and trust me it's a lot.