Happy 2012!!!

The last blog post I wrote was December of 2010 and it was simply stating that I needed to get this blog going again. Obviously, that didn't happen. So much is happening with the boys and us that I feel I really need to start blogging about it again. Even if it is just so I have somewhere to go back and look. So, here we go!

Mason is currently 5 and Morgan is 3. Mason is in kindergarten this year and handled the transition from staying home to going to school very well. Mike and I recently found ourselves in the situation that we needed to put the kids in daycare. They have never attended any sort of daycare. We chose a daycare center that allows Morgan to attend preschool and Mason attends their kindergarten program in the morning, then goes to kindergarten at his regular school. I love that he is now getting double the schooling.

Mike and I are both working full time. I work at an area hospital and Mike works for federal security firm in the area. Things are going well and we have adjusted quite nicely to being two full time working parents. Mike is still in the National Guard and has his monthly drill weekends. He has been presented with an opportunity to do some training with a foreign army in the coming months. He is looking forward to it and even though he will be missed at home, it is a wonderful opportunity that I wouldn't want him to miss out on.

So, that's what's happening with our family at the moment. I look forward to updating this blog more often. This year is looking to be a great one. We will have birthdays for the boys in March and April ( I can barely believe they will be 4 & 6) a trip to Disney in March and my 30th birthday in April. I'm sure 2012 will go as quickly as 2011 did, but we are looking to make every moment count. You only have one life, might as well have fun living it!

I have got to get this thing started again!

That is all. Just a nice little reminder for myself.

Some updates and LOTS of pictures!

Well, it's been about 2 months since I have updated. I wish I would do it more often, but honestly don't think about it all that much. I will try though. First I'll start with our biggest news....Mike is home!!!!!! He got back in September. The boys and I flew out to Illinois for two weeks and then he came here for two weeks. He will probably be back there until January, but he will then come back here and start school. I have started working and am looking for a better job. I like my job, I am just not making enough to have it be my only job. So the hunt has begun!!! I won't even attempt to go into all that has happened in the last few months, but will post some pictures of what we've been doing.






Apple Picking at Eckerts in Grafton, IL

Mason at Mike's Welcome Home Ceremony

Yay! Daddy's home!

Morgan loved the pumpkin patch this year!

Mason did too!

Mason went on his first pony ride

We camped in a yurt

We went to a lighthouse

It was pretty cold there!

We visited OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center

The last few months

We've been a busy bunch in the last few months and I've seemed to let this slack. I can't believe I haven't posted anything since June! Since my last post we have celebrated the 4th of July, went to visit family in Redmond, gone camping, started running, and I think that is all of the bigger things. We are loving living in Oregon. It is finally raining after 28 days with no rain and a 100 and 90 degree record breaking heat wave. I am loving the rain right now, but am happy it won't be sticking around for too long. Mike should be home in the next few months and we can't wait to have him with us again. Kendra is moving in with us and that will be wonderful to have her here. It is a situation that will benefit us all and I can't wait! I hope to start working in September and am very much looking forward to it. I've loved staying home with my boys, but this momma needs a break every once and a while. :) Plus it's not a normal 8-5 M-F job, so I think it will be nice. I will try to post pictures and maybe some more detailed posts about our mini vacations a little later.

Beach

Well, it's been almost a month since I wrote last and we've been busy. We just got back from the beach. It was an impromptu trip that ended up being a lot of fun. Mom and Erik went camping down at Nehalem Bay State Park from Saturday-today actually so I decided we would go visit them at the campground on Sunday. It was very nice weather and we got down there about lunchtime. The boys had a WONDERFUL time playing in the dirt being boys. We went hung out at the campsite most of the day. We went to the beach area, but it was SO windy that the sand was pelting our faces. We turned around and went right back. We ended up staying at the campground until dinnertime. Mom and Erik had friends that met them there camping too so the kids and I took off and headed to Cannon Beach for some dinner and then home. As we were eating at Mo's I realized it wasn't as windy there and felt bad that Mason had been so excited about going to the beach, but hadn't gotten to actually play at the beach. I called Tolovana Inn, which sits directly behind Mo's, and they had a room available. So, we decided to stay. We had to head into Seaside to get diapers and some necessities that I obviously didn't have because we hadn't planned on staying. When we got back we headed to the beach for a very pretty sunset. The boys played and had fun in a bit of water. The next morning we got up went to Seaside for some shopping at the outlets then back to Cannon Beach to get ready, check out and play on the beach some more. After that we headed back to see Mom and Erik, then all went to Tillamook to the cheese factory. It was a very exhausting few days, but the kids had fun and that's all that matters. We are home now just resting and relaxing!

We made it to Oregon

We left Illinois about a month ago and have been on the go ever since. The drive out was pretty good considering kids and animals. Morgan didn't tolerate the car as well as he did during our Christmas drive, but not too bad. The animals did surprisingly well. We stopped and saw my cousing Jeneane on the way through Utah and am so glad we did as she ended up passing away that same night in her sleep. I was very happy I was able to see her again. So, we made the last days drive here, unloaded everything over the next few days and then drove back out to Utah for Jeneane. We came back on a Saturday and then I flew back to Illinois for the house closing on the following Thursday. We weren't sure the closing would even happen because of some issue the bank had....but it all went through. After working my butt off getting the house ready to leave for the new owners (with lots of help from Jessie and Tara!) and having to reschedule my flight home we are done with the house and I think I can speak for Mike and I both when I say it will be a while before we buy another house. It was stressful and binding and right now I enjoy the fact that we have more flexibility in our life. I got back from IL on a Saturday and drove out to Grandpa's 80th birthday party. I was excited to see the boys and my family. There was an amazing turnout and Grandpa was so busy talking to people the entire time. The following Friday Susan and I headed to San Francisco until Monday. We had a wonderful time visiting pretty much all the touristy things San Francisco has to offer. We've gone to a few Beaver's baseball games that the boys really enjoyed and we got to ride the train named Max as Mason calls it. Now it's a week later and we are busy trying to get moved into our new rental place. It's a three bed 2.5 bath townhome in a nice little neighborhood. I am excited and hope that everything will be done and ready within the week so we can finally get settled and into a normal life routine.

So, that was one huge post but that's what we've been doing in the last month or so. Hopefully I will be able to update more often, but if things keep going like they have been, I can't make any promises.