The Singley's

Life in Guam

2011-10-17T11:16:00.001+09:00

As you all know, Daniel is spending this month in Guam. He'll be back in Japan the first of November. Here are some pictures which he's posted on Facebook along the way. I know nothing other than the Internet connection is horrible and we don't get to talk as much. He is doing great though and we officially have 2 months down, 5 more months to go.

Cpt. Caleb

2011-10-17T11:04:00.001+09:00

After many pirate costumes, we found the one. He is so excited about it and can't wait for Halloween!!

Our Fun Filled Weekend!

2011-09-19T11:43:00.005+09:00

This weekend was very busy for us. Caleb finished up with school for his little vacation (yes he considers having Saturday and Sunday off a 'vacation'), I finished up with work for the day and we made it home to unload our days work and walked down to our local Farmer's Market. We went down there for a few minutes (I had to get a cheesecake fix) and I let Caleb play on the local pirate ship playground while I purchased my goodies. While we were there I met with an amazing person which will be allowing us to use her Green Room and her karaoke services during Caleb's birthday party. She told him he was getting the works so start thinking of the songs you would like to sing. Oh my, he went crazy at that point. He named so many different songs, so we've started making a list.

Later that evening we had the pleasure of babysitting a beautiful little boy which turned 1 in June. He and Caleb played so well together and had the greatest time! Caleb just loves "Markie" and loves teaching him and showing him new things. Here's a few pictures of them playing.

He passed out a little after 8PM (such an amazing little baby boy).

Later that night we talked with Daniel and Caleb was able to tell him goodnight. Caleb has really enjoyed Skyping with Daniel. He really misses him and will have those sad moments where he talks about him and questions why he's gone, but overall he does great and he's such a trooper to go through something that's still really hard for the 'grown-ups' to deal with. Here are a few pictures of our Skype date.

Caleb holding the computer as still as he can manage as he poses for the camera.

Daniel still in bed (we were his wake-up call) and trying to manage a smile (I know it's dark).

After the boys went down, Caleb was out at 9PM, I watched a little TV until the parents arrived to take Markie home. They enjoyed a date night with dinner and the Lt. Dan Band Concert which went really well. The weather was perfect here for that concert for sure!

Saturday started a new day. Caleb, unfortunately, woke up around 7AM begging for breakfast, so we were up earlier than I had planned. I had to be at work around 9:30AM so Caleb went over to Markie's house for the day until I got off which was around 3PM. Once off, we went to a birthday party at Pigeon Point Park which we had never been to. It was beautiful!! Definitely a new favorite and it was packed (probably because it is so nice).

Caleb's classmate, Eric, had his party at that park that afternoon so we stopped by to enjoy some playtime and some cake of course. Here are a few pictures from that day.

The park is full with these trees and has so much to play on underneath!

Caleb had a blast. He loved hopping around on this thing and keeping balance.

The party was themed Star Wars and once the pinata was broken the kids posed with the helmet.

After the birthday party we had a bowling event planned with the Silver Eagles deployed families. Everyone who wanted to come out and enjoy free dinner and bowling that is with Daniel's unit was invited. We met up with a few families we had already met and we also met a few more. It was a nice event and Caleb loved bowling - as usual! The event lasted until 7PM so after that we had to come home, get baths and crash. I think we tried to Skype that night but Daniel's internet was on the fritz. Caleb did have the chance to say goodnight, so that's all that mattered.

Sunday, now Sunday was better. We slept in until 10AM. I fixed Caleb some breakfast which was his most frequent request here lately, his apple jack kind of cereal (cinnamon flavored Cheerios). After eating and getting dressed we enjoyed church and came home to change afterwards. After debating on lunch options, we both agreed on Ruby Tuesday's and took off (a whole 5 minutes away) and enjoyed some brunch. Caleb had breakfast and I enjoyed my salad as usual. Afterwards, we browsed Belk and got swimsuits 70% off. I bought for all of the nephews (sorry Madelyn - nothing your size this time) and Caleb got himself a new one for next year as well. I also found a few things to wear out to the beach/pool within the next month or so and hopefully next year if things still fit!

We had another Skype date with Daniel as he got ready for work, and we finished up with dinner at the house, followed by getting a bath and watching a little bit of America's Funniest Home Videos, Caleb's favorite! We read our devotion and Caleb was out by 8PM.

There you have it! Sorry, this post turned out to be a bit longer than I had originally thought it would be. Nonetheless, if you made it to the end, I hope you enjoyed it. Goodnight or Good day!

Jess

Way toooooo LONG!

2011-09-16T10:51:00.001+09:00

As most of you have probably noticed or simply not cared, I have let my blogging days pass me. It's been almost 2 years, since I've last posted. Needless to say, a lot has happened!!!

The most recent update is that Daniel has deployed to Iwakuni, Japan while Caleb and I stay at home. He has 1 month down and 6 more months to go! We moved back to Beaufort, SC (oh what a long story) in June and Caleb started Kindergarten on August 15, 2011. He LOVES it which is wonderful for me and makes my life much easier. I work at an event rental company now as an Office Manager, so Caleb has to go in a little earlier than normal school hours. He gets there around 7:15AM and school lets out at 3:25 which is when I'm there waiting to pick him up! One thing I'm not sure if I love or hate yet, is the fact that the kids here in the school districts must wear uniforms. This makes life easier, sure, but who likes the same colors every day?! His colors (quite unlucky I must say) are: white, black, grey and burgundy. Yuck. I hate that he has absolutely no light colors (other than white, but come on) to wear and he'll even ask, why do I have to wear the same colors all the time?? I'm sure within the next few months we'll continue to ask this question occasionally but for now, we're good with picking out the color of the day. All khakis too for a little boy is also quite the challenge. The bigger challenge comes in when there are to be no cargo style pants or shorts. Who makes the no cargo style any more?! Well, I know if you need to know, but having no cargo on the pants/shorts is definitely not easy to find!

Caleb likes riding in the car, but what 5 year old doesn't want to ride the bus?! Mine had to do it, so I let him one day I knew I would have time to be exactly where I was told. Unfortunately, there are no signs where I was and the bus can't turn around in that area, so I waited...in the road :) It was a horrible experience for me, but he's so ready to ride that bus again! Maybe soon. I know of another location now that the bus will pick-up and drop-off at so I know it wont' be as bad if there is a next time.

We live in a new house (condo) in a town called Habersham, located within Beaufort. I'm 3 miles from Caleb's school and within 10 minutes to work. Daniel's within 10 minutes to work as well when he's here, so he's pleased with that as well. We couldn't be happier living here and it's such a nice little place to be. My favorite thing has to be the HUGE Oak trees with the Spanish Moss. Just breathtaking! Habersham also plays host to the local Farmer's Market each Friday from 4-7PM. The last Farmer's Market we went to (Sept. 2nd) the roads were blocked and Caleb and I enjoyed some cheese dip from the Mexican restaurant and also some dancing in the street. They played music and asked all of the men to dance with their 'loves' and no one took part of that. Right before it ended Caleb asked me to dance and we twirled each other in the street. The man then announced that the only person that had the nerve to dance with anyone was a little boy with his mom. Too sweet :) After that and our cheese dip, we line danced in the street to various songs. Caleb and I did the Cha-Cha, Cupid Shuffle, and the Chicken Dance (his favorite).

As far as the rest, I'll update here and there, but hopefully more frequently than not. I need to do a daily update for Daniel, so we'll see what happens!!

The front of our Condo. We're on the 3rd Floor where the window is and to the right.

This is one view of the street and some of the surroundings. This is part of the area where the Farmer's Market takes place.

Caleb riding his bike down the sidewalk to lunch. Nana and Poppy came down for a visit one weekend and we all walked down to enjoy the local cuisine (subs and pizza that day) before they left to go back home. Caleb really enjoyed his bike ride (as he usually does). Training wheels to come off soon. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that challenge because Caleb is very stubborn with me (not 100% where he gets that ;) ), so who knows what's next!!!

This is Caleb on his very first (of many first) day of school. Welcome to Kindergarten!!!

This is Caleb after his first bus ride. He was so happy that he got to ride and be a part of that. He asked me immediately if he could ride the very next day.

Thanks for looking and catching up :) More to come - eventually!!

The Latest News

2010-02-18T23:19:00.002+09:00

So far this year we have enjoyed quite a bit around here!! I started two new classes (Accounting and Marketing) and Caleb has been sick. Daniel was slated to go to Afghanistan, but was then told that he was no longer needed. We were then in limbo with orders. Where are we going?? When can we leave?? We knew none of this - until today.

Depending on how much leave we take, we'll definitely be going to Beaufort, SC and will have to check in around Oct. 13th. Hopefully, this will put us leaving here (Okinawa, Japan) around mid-September. I'm not sure of the process in which Caleb and I will take because he needs to be enrolled into school long before this date. He'll be starting pre-school this year so we'll have to find one close to where we'll be living and make all the necessary arrangements. Daniel and I are also within a handful of classes from receiving our Associates Degree - which are in two very different fields. This is great - considering in how we've both taken about a year or so off since we've been here in Japan.

Caleb's also been asked to be in my aunt's wedding, so as of the end of March, we'll be looking for a flight to FL, then driving up to GA. Daniel starts his Sgt's course in April lasting through June, so I'm not 100% sure on how long Caleb and I will be staying in the states. Definitely until the end of May, but not sure other than that.

We've also planned a little trip before leaving this side of the world. We have decided that in March, after my classes end and before Caleb and I leave for the United States, we'll take a trip to Tokyo Disney. This isn't final yet, but should be finalized this weekend. We haven't told Caleb yet either, so I'm excited to get his response.

As for Caleb, he's doing much better lately. For those of you who didn't know, he's been sick for quite some time now. It has mostly been a cough and stuffy nose but now we're doing much better. This has been on-going since mid-September. He's still on about 5-6 different medications, but we finally have an antibiotic added in with the others which seems to be helping him. He's been diagnosed with mild asthma - which is basically caused by 'something.' I have no idea what that something is and won't really know. It's possible that it's dust or mold since Daniel is allergic to both, so that's the best guess we have. He doesn't get to where he can't breathe out of the blue, but he does start coughing (all types of coughs) and gets to where he either throws up or he has trouble breathing. For that we have two types of inhalers - one every day the other as needed. His nose has also been blocked for the longest time now and for that he has two types of nose sprays. One is prescription and the other is a basic saline nose spray. The blockage is mostly gone now, but we have to continue on with the medicine just in case. Because all of this is possibly 'allergy related' he's on Zyrtec and Singulair. To top it all off, we've just been put on Amoxicillin. I asked the doctor yesterday if he could be taken off any of the others and he said as of now no, because he's likely to get worse, but hopefully he can come off them soon. He also said that we should hopefully see a difference when we leave - so I'm looking forward to that. I feel so bad for him because he has so much going on. He even has a little planter's wart on his foot which I hear is pretty painful so we also have medicine for that!! Hopefully with the move that is coming up along with our trips, this stuff will get better and he can get back to being on no medication!!! Please just keep him in your thoughts and say a little prayer for him. He'll say his prayers at night and pray for his cough, throw-up, and everybody else in the whole world!! He's the sweetest thing and has one of the biggest hearts.

So, to start the new year, I'm one year older, we're moving again, and Caleb's finally getting better. We've been busy with tons here, but hopefully everyone else is doing well. We love you and miss you all and can't wait to get back to see everyone!!

I'll send pictures out later on!!

Love,

Jess

Happy Holidays!!

2010-01-10T23:01:00.011+09:00

Wow where to begin!? I haven't done this in so long, for many reasons, but mostly for lack of time. Once you're out of the routine with something it's really hard to catch back up. Anyways, here's a brief review of what our lives have held over the last few months. Yes this is extremely LONG, but it is brief seeing in how I'm recalling on some of our bigger moments in life.

Thanksgiving was awesome! We went to our friend's (Ginger and Alex) house and had a huge meal! I cooked so much to have my own, but we took everything over to share with our family here. We had a huge group there and we played games all day. We even took the kitchen table and chairs to the roof of the tower to play games and goof off. That also gave the kids room to run around and ride their bikes (btw - the roof is fenced in, lol). The tower is also like a hotel, so we took the elevator to the top! Later that evening we enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner again and played more games and came home and passed out! Caleb had a great time playing with all of his friends and we enjoyed having a place to go that felt like home since we're so far away from our families. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera that day, or just didn't use it, so these are stolen from my friend Ginger's Facebook page.

So, I was on the floor playing with this adorable little boy (that looked a lot like Caleb when he was younger) and Tracy thought it would be a good photo opportunity to plop down on me. The cute blonde little girl had no idea what was going on or what to think.

This is a picture of Daniel and I on the roof playing Catch Phrase with everyone else. Good times! See, you can totally see the fence behind us in the photo btw...in case you were still unsure of this fence on the roof I spoke of.

Caleb's birthday. Wow! My little boy is 4 years old now!! Where does the time go?? He is so smart and each and every day he will surprise me with either something he says, or the kindness he shows. He's such a great person, and he's only 4. That's the best part in seeing him grow up. We have the pleasure to see how great of a person he will hopefully be one day. He already knows how to spell his name and write most of the letters, he knows his full name, birthday, where he was born, where he lives (continent included), where other family members live along with friends (since they're all different states), all of his continents, SO many of his states, and so much more. He can count to 50 or 60 without help and can count to 100 with help (if we tell him 70 he can count to 79, etc.) He is so tech savy too, so I'll have a lot of catching up to do (computer and game wise) as he continues to grow and get older.

For Caleb's birthday we had a party at the park so the kids could enjoy running around the playground and jumping on the bouncy. We celebrated his birthday on November 28th. We had tons of friends come and our theme was Little Einstein. He had an amazing cake, and enjoyed all of his presents. Thank you to all of those who sent Caleb a gift. For Caleb's birthday (November 30th) He woke up asking if it was his birthday yet. It was too cute! He came down to eat his grits, as usual, then opened his gift from Daniel and I. He then went to school, and at naptime Daniel and I took a cake to his class as their snack. Daniel and I sat with him for snack time then brought him home to play. We asked him what he wanted for supper and he said spaghetti, so that's what he got. We also enjoyed more leftover cake then got ready for bed.

Daniel's 25th birthday was a ton of fun. We went to our friend's house to have a BBQ and I brought all of the fixins and Alex grilled everything. I also had him a huge chocolate cake made, so that went quick! It was so delicious and pretty!! Anyways, as a surprise, we went out after the BBQ to a karaoke place. He had no idea where I was taking him and hated being in the dark, but once I pulled in he kind of knew and really liked the idea. He had never been but enjoys singing, so I had to take him. I had only been once with a group of friends so I kind of knew where I was going and what I was doing. We rented a room which is like a box, and each room has its own TV and machine and of course, our own privacy. We had about 9 of us, so it wasn't too bad, but a little cramped. Next time we'll opt for the bigger room, because the screaming, especially to Bon Jovi, was TOO loud for me. Anyways, after that we went home and called it a weekend. We didn't do anything special for our Anniversary, so that's that. We've been married 5 years now which is crazy to think about!! The time really flies!!

Emily (My GA friend), me, and Daniel

Daniel singing one of many, MANY songs that night.

Twan, Toni, Ron (with his hand up), Tracy beside him, then Alex (or at least his head.)

Christmas Eve was great here although it started to sink in that we were so far away from all of our family back home. Our friend's Alex and Ginger celebrate this day back home with their family with a huge party and corn beef as dinner, so we were invited to their house to enjoy a great dinner. We had so much to eat including all of the finger foods and desserts!! We all exchanged gifts, so the kids opened up presents first, then the adults. We played games then left and came home to finish up wrapping Caleb's bigger gifts. We got cookies ready for Santa, then put Caleb into bed. We read, "The Night Before Christmas" as always, then tucked him in.

All of the kids sitting so still and being somewhat patient while we handed gifts out.

Christmas Day was amazing. We got up around 8 or 9 and Daniel cooked breakfast. We came down and ate: eggs, pancakes, and bacon. It took Caleb a really long time to finish, but once he did he got to open up his stocking then his gifts. He got so much stuff, but seeing him be so into it this year was so nice. He was so happy to open up clothes, along with many toys, so it was great. He wasn't sure what some of it was until later, but knowing what it does now, makes it that much better. Of course the thing that makes noise, is his favorite :~). We then did the webcam with Nana and opened the gifts that she sent. We talked to her a bit about how the morning and night before had been, then got off the phone and started to clean up. That afternoon we played and goofed off (Caleb refused to take a nap this day) and afterwards we went to Ron and Tracy's house and had dinner. I cooked a ham and brought some sides with dessert and we all contributed to the complete dinner. We had a great time and ended up playing games and talking throughout the night. Caleb took his new scooter and rode it around the hallways and had a blast! He also got to play with other toys, so all in all, we had a great time that night. Although, this day was good overall, it was hard to think about everyone else back home. We love and miss you all so please remember that we do think of you!!

This is our lovely tree that Daniel got up at 4 AM to wait in line for. There is no "picking your own tree out" here, so you take what you can get. He got to be a little picky in choosing, but you have to get up early and wait to make sure you get a live tree when you live in a place that only gets one shipment!

Caleb posing after coming down and seeing all of his presents!

Our Christmas morning breakfast

Our stockings

This was Caleb's bear wearing a GA sweatshirt. He got it from beside his stocking and asked if it was his. After telling him it was, he instantly hugged it and cuddled with it for a good minute.

Caleb wearing his 'shoebox' as his hat of the day. Too cute!! At this point he was being SO silly!

This is Caleb with his favorite toy Christmas morning. We asked him and he said his Handy Manny tool box was his favorite toy! What a little mess. He has pushed the button on that box so much I'm not sure how the batteries are still working!! Nonetheless, I'm glad he got something he truly enjoys.

I'm sorry it's taken forever for me to post this all. I'm sure there would have been much more had I done this on time, but better late than never ;) Of course, you've already seen the pictures, via Shutterfly, but this post gives you a background to the pictures you have seen.

I hope this hasn't been too long for you and gives you a little insight to how our life's been over the last few months. We love you and miss you all and hope that everything is great your way.

Caleb's 4 year old pics

2009-12-01T23:42:00.001+09:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Our Trip Home: Part 2

2009-09-15T23:23:00.005+09:00

I know it's been a while, but this post was half way finished so I decided to go ahead and do that and hit the highlights over the past two months (since I haven't written in that time). I've had plenty going on, which I can explain later, so this is the second part to our trip home.

Once we spent a few days in Florida, we drove to Georgia to visit with my family. Daniel stayed for the weekend and a few days and left to go back to spend time with his family in Florida. Over the weekend while he was in, we were able to surprise my brother and sister-in-law. My other family knew I was coming in, so we were only able to surprise a few people. I had to let my mom know so she could adjust her schedule accordingly and of course she told my dad. By the end, my brother and sister-in-law were the only ones that didn't know we were coming. None of our friends really knew, but family wise, everyone but my brother knew.

We had such a great time and Caleb really enjoyed being around Papa and Nanny. Caleb LOVED being outside and tried to bother the dog when she came out to be seen. Other than that, he pulled Papa around between the lawnmower, tractor, 4-wheeler, and motorcycle. He had a blast to say the least and loved every minute of being there.

The first weekend we were down, we visited with Daniel's Aunt Janice and his Granny which was staying there and luckily caught all of our cousins in the process. It was nice to see all of them because it had been a little over a year for us. We hung out one day at the pool at Jamie and Cassie's house and had lunch beforehand at Janice's house. Caleb got to enjoy his Granny for a little while and his cousins which he never sees. The kids (including the adults) had a blast and it was so nice to see everyone there.

Although the trip was great and we had tons to celebrate (two new nephews), my mom had surgery before we were suppose to go back to FL. I decided to stay with her so Daniel went back to FL I kept Caleb for a few more days to keep it fair between the grandparents, and that would also give Daniel a little bit of time to enjoy his family and friends without having to worry about Caleb and his normal routine. After a few days with Caleb I took him half way to Daniel (roughly 3 hours) and Caleb then went off with Daniel back to FL. This was my first "real" time without having Caleb for a few days and it was pretty hard. It's so strange because that's all my life and routine had consisted of for 3 1/2 years. Once I got back to GA my mom had surgery on her foot the next day. I hung out with my dad in the waiting area all day and had lunch with him which was really nice. My mom got to come home that night but we had to do some tedious work to keep her foot taken care of. Anyways, she is still having issues so I'm waiting to hear what steps will be taken next.

After the surgery I went back to FL and hung out with family. We took family pictures and enjoyed a birthday dinner with Daniel's sister Tara and her husband Bryan. We had a blast and definitely didn't want to take the LONG trip back home. We all had a great time though and can't wait to make another trip back home.

Here are some pictures from the trip in GA and a video of Caleb riding the lawnmower by himself.

My brother's baby - Kyler and Caleb

Daniel's Uncle Buddy and the rest are cousins

Daniel and Caleb swimming and playing

Our Trip Home

2009-09-14T14:32:00.013+09:00

Yes - it's been a LONG time since I've posted so there's a lot of information in this blog. You're being warned now. I'm sure there have been longer ones in the past that I may have posted, but I'm trying to break this post down as much as possible for everyone to view a little easier.

Hi everyone. Yes I realize it's been close to a month (if not a month or more) since I've posted. We've obviously had a lot going on and those close to us know what that is. Our visit!! Daniel and I thought it'd be fun to get away for a few days so I called the terminal to see what flights were coming up within the next three days, and there was a flight going straight into Jacksonville, FL. Maybe 15 minutes from either Daniel's brother or mom. We were like, okay we'll take it! After a little bit of work (getting the orders squared away, etc.) we were packed and on "stand-by." Being on stand-by has it's moments, but this trip was definitely one like I've never experienced. The flight ended up landing on Friday (we were told it'd be here Saturday morning), fueled, and left carrying no passengers to FL. We were crushed but decided to go anyways since we had already told very few people and we were already in the mindset to see family and friends. We made it onto a flight for CA but first had to do a 17 hour layover in HI. Yes, Hawaii isn't that bad, however when you have to stay in a terminal because there's no hotel within a good 10 minutes of the airport, it's not the greatest either. Caleb and I slept on the floor (I think Daniel slept in chairs - not sure) and after a few hours we were up and going to CA. That flight wasn't too bad, but Caleb wasn't feeling really well and had an upset stomach.

We finally make it in to CA and we have a Savannah flight that's leaving the following morning. Needless to say, they can't take any passengers because the flight had issues the day before. Okay, fine. There will be two flights leaving for Charleston, SC that night (the same day as the GA flight) and we'll try to make it onto one of those. Both, we found out around 5 PM, were cancelled. Not sure why but they'll no longer be leaving. At this point Daniel had had enough. Believe it or not, I have a little more patience at stuff like this, but I also don't have "leave days" that I have to worry about (other than worrying with him). I was just as upset and aggravated and tired of dealing with all of the cancellations, so we bought tickets from San Francisco to Jacksonville, FL. We flew that night (all night actually) and made it in around 630 AM to Philly. From there we flew into FL arriving around 1030 AM.

We had planned not to tell anyone in our families about the trip, but we needed Tara (Daniel's sister) to pick us up since her and her husband Bryan are keeping our truck while we're in Japan. We finally told her, and also told Jason (Daniel's brother). Other than that, no one knew. We decided to meet over at Jason's house that night and Rhonda had already planned on coming out, so we'd surprise her then. It was too funny. Jenny (Jason's wife), myself (holding Trevor), Daniel, and Caleb were in Trevor's room (which was still under-construction) and Jason got Rhonda to walk back there. Of course she was holding Cale, so when she opened the door and saw Caleb and Daniel right up front, she freaked out. She dropped down and gave Caleb a hug and started crying. I knew it was coming and called it before we ever left Okinawa. Cale was fine, he just got scared, so Daniel scooped him up while Rhonda was hugging Caleb. She then made her way to Daniel and that was a little more emotional seeing in how he hadn't seen any of his family for a little over a year. I was just there, so I held the baby and laughed. It was so great seeing everyone and hanging out. The boys (the three mobile ones) were into everything. Caleb and Brody played very well together, although there were moments, but overall did great. Caleb actually came back to Okinawa saying he had brothers. It varies from day to day, but he'll say my brother Brody, or my brother Brody and Trevor, and once or twice he's told us, along with friends, that he had brothers. I asked him who, and he told me my brothers: Brody, Trevor, and Cale then laughed. He is so cute and really enjoyed himself and Brody this trip. We can't wait to come back home, but we have roughly a year left.

While there we did a lot and I didn't have my camera for much of anything. We have some pictures that were taken on the beach by a friend of the family, Kari Vernnard, and also some snapshots from Tara and Bryan's birthday dinner, which happened to be before the beach pictures, so I'll post what I have.

Caleb on the flight to Hawaii (91/2 hours from Okinawa)

Daddy and Caleb

Caleb and Mama

Outside of the terminal in Hawaii.

Caleb outside of the terminal. We're waiting on a bus to get off base.

One of the military "PX" shops. We were right at Pearl Harbor. This place was huge.

Caleb was done! He literally fell asleep as the plane took off. This is the flight to Philly.

This is all of us at Tara and Bryan's birthday dinner. We were about to leave to take beach pictures. Caleb just had to hold Trevor, so we helped assist him.

Our family picture on the beach. Caleb was a bit distracted - go figure!!

Caleb, Cale (Tara's son), Brody, and Trevor (both are Jason's sons).

Jason, Tara, and Daniel

The newest Singley Edition

2009-08-05T00:30:00.002+09:00

The link below will take you to a few pictures that were taken of the new baby - Trevor Mason. Jason (Daniel's brother and SIL Jenny) had him on August 3rd. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 ozs. and was 20.5 inches long.

Jenny had him FAST too! Once she was checked into her room, she had dialated 7 CM. Then her water broke. 12 minutes later - it was a BOY!!

Here's a few pictures. It wouldn't let me save them to my computer so had to post the link.

Shutterfly Shared Picture Detail

The newest Singley edition!!!

New Lessons and Updates!!

2009-08-03T20:12:00.007+09:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that Caleb started a new set of swim lessons today. He's so excited and has a new teacher now. Her name is Ms. Minnow. She's nervous about having so many kids, but we're hoping it all turns out great. Daniel and I went swimming with Caleb a little bit before the lessons started and Caleb is doing so well. He's going under and opening his eyes and trying to dive downward. He's also swimming on his own (with help at first) to Daniel or myself. He is definitely a little water bug!! Just wanted to update you on what was new for us.

Also, Daniel will be starting Sergeant's course this coming Thursday. He will be on another base M-F (Friday night he comes home), then he'll be home for Saturday night also, and will most likely go back to the other base on Sunday night. He has a lot of training and school stuff to go through so he'll have time to study and all during the weeks that he's there for that. This will go on for about 6-7 weeks or so. So we'll only be seeing him on the weekends, and maybe a little during the week, but not much.

Finally, the last bit of news. My little brother and sister-in-law, finally had their baby boy. He weighed in at 6 lbs. 11 ozs. and was 20" long. She had a great delivery and wasn't in labor tooooo long, or so I hear. I hate that I'm not there for them or able to see the baby yet but we'll be fine. Plus, we also have another addition to the family coming soon. Of course we don't know the sex of the baby yet, but we're praying for another healthy neice or nephew. Daniel's brother and sister-in-law are also due soon and hopefully will have the baby within a week or so. I know she's shooting for this weekend but we'll have to wait and see. Here's a picture of my brother's baby.

This is Kyler Matthew Johnson. He was born at 3:56 PM on Sunday, August 2, 2009. He weighed 6 lbs. 11 ozs. and was 20" long (as I stated above). I'm hoping for more pictures sooner than later so when I get them I'll post them!!

Caleb's Swimming Lessons

2009-08-02T11:43:00.009+09:00

These pictures are over Caleb's last two days of swimming with the class of PS1 (Pre-school swim level 1) which was this past Thursday and Friday, July 30th and 31st. He's growing so fast on us and has done so well in his classes. He'll be moving up to PS2 starting Monday, August 3rd. He's now able to swim on his own for a few seconds at a time, and he's still trying to balance it all out, but overall he's doing so well. He can hold his breath for about 7 seconds and he can go under without holding his nose and freaking out. He's also went under and opened his eyes (but didn't care for it too much). We're so proud of him for all that he's accomplished in such a short amount of time!! He loved his teacher this time, Ms. Angel. All of the instructors are from Northern Iowa in a college program. The program allows them to come out for free for the summer and teach the kids. Once the swim lessons are over, they go back to school. Anyways, Caleb's still working on a few things, but overall is doing wonderful!! He's not the best in a life jacket, but he's great with his arm floats and without them. Enjoy the pictures and there will be two videos at the bottom to let you see how things went. On the last day, Friday, it was an hour session and the parents got to swim with the kids for the first 30 minutes then we all got out and had snacks that all the parents brought. We had a blast and it's so much fun watching Caleb grow and learn. Love you all!!

All the kids were listening to the two instructors talk about safety and what they needed to do if someone was in trouble. They learned what a lifeguard is and what a lifeguard does. They also learned what the number is you call when there is an emergency.

About to jump in with the life jackets and swim around for a few minutes.

Yes, that's my kid spitting water over the side of the pool.

Watching the other kids about to jump in the water.

Caleb being silly.

Me and Caleb during the family swim.

Him giving me the best hug!!!

This video is Caleb swimming by himself to the wall. He finally bumped into it later on so now he reaches a little better with his hands, but here's a little peak at what he can do now.

This video is of Caleb swimming with his life jacket on. He was so funny because he couldn't really stay on his belly. He would get on his back and try and roll over to get on his belly, then it'd flip him over again, lol. He was really funny and the instructors loved it (they thought he was doing it on purpose - but he was just trying to get balanced).

Silly Hair Day

2009-08-02T00:28:00.004+09:00

Here's a few pictures of Caleb and his hair on daycare's "silly hair day". The kids were suppose to come in with either bed hair or something different. This is the day that Caleb went to the dentist so we went back home to do the hair then I took him to daycare. He was so proud of his hair he was showing it off to his teachers. He would touch it and smile which was the cutest thing. He was also worried about lying down for naptime due to messing his hair up. It didn't budge though. We apparently have some amazing gel and his hair stayed in place ALL day long!! He would also ask over the following days to have spikey hair again. His teachers were proud because he was one of the only ones participating so they got to take pictures to hang up where they needed.

Caleb Sliding

2009-07-27T21:56:00.008+09:00

Here's a video of Caleb coming down the slide. He's so funny at the pool and LOVES the water! He has a blast everytime we go. Most days the slide is closed but this day we lucked out. He wouldn't let us take the arm floats off so he could swim to the edge and get out and do it again, all by himself. He's such a great little boy and we have been so blessed to have one as independent, smart, and funny like he is. He also has a smart mouth, he's sassy, and has lots of attitude right now, but we're working on that. He likes to talk back a little too much too, so we're having to address that as well. Overall, he does great and has so many great days. The best thing about all of that, is the attitude seems to only come out around us...thank goodness!! Daycare still thinks he's such an angel (which he is), but he likes to bring home what he learns there to test us. :)

Caleb and his friend Dax

Waiting patiently in line

FLYING down the slide!!! He goes so fast!!

Our Dog - Diego

2009-07-22T19:31:00.002+09:00

I have been the one, for many reasons, that has not wanted a dog. I finally found one on a yardsale sight here similar to Ebay or Craigslist. It's called Okinawa Yardsales. Anyways, I found an 8 year old Golden Retriever that I thought would be perfect for us. He's old, so there's no barking (hopefully), not much energy to care who plays with him all the time, and he's not only house broken but probably wouldn't chew on things. Perfect for me right?? Well, I thought so. Daniel went to look at the picture the next day and the ad had been deleted, so we told her no because we could no longer see the pictures or whatever. She posted the ad again, which he finally saw, and fell in love. HAD to have this dog. I called her and explained what was going on, and she said she had found another home for him. Well, lucky for me Caleb and Daniel were on a walk one night around the neighborhood and one of the places that Caleb wanted to stop had a golden retriever in the front yard. Of course, Daniel mentions wanting one, and the guy mentions that he was about to post the dog that night on Okinawa Yardsales, so if we're interested we can take him with us. Of course we ended up with the dog, Diego, and after a few weeks of realizing that it was a LOT harder than it seems (that would obviously be Daniel, because I knew better) we decided to let another family adopt him. Daniel felt like he couldn't give him the attention he needed and we decided to give him to another family. The family we chose has two boys and just moved here. They had also owned two Golden Retrievers back home so the dad knew he wanted one here as well. The oldest boy was about 10 or 11 so he could walk Diego and play with him a little better than Caleb could. We're excited that Diego's found such a great family and although we tried the dog thing, it's still not for us right now. Maybe when we get back and we have an actual yard. We miss him, believe it or not, but we're so glad that he has a family that gives him more attention than we could. Caleb also did very well with him being here then finding a new home. He never cried, and he only mentions Diego on occassions. Just thought we'd let you all know.

July 4th, 2009

2009-07-22T18:41:00.004+09:00

On July 4th, we had to change it up a little. This has been one of our first years that we've had to celebrate it somewhere besides the beach in FL. We went to our friend's, Mike and Debbie's, house for a BBQ and actually stayed the night before with our dog Diego. That was interesting. We all shared a bed while Diego scratched ALL NIGHT long on the floor!! UGH!! No one slept well at all. Daniel ended up leaving to go to his "Gunny's" house (his boss) for a BBQ. It was during Caleb's nap time and I was helping Debbie cook, so he went solo with Diego. He finally got back right before we started eating and we hung out for a while and talked with friends. We played Cranium then went to the beach and watched the fireworks. They had a LONG show from one of the bases near by. They were gorgeous!! We took a few family pictures while we were down there but you can't really see them too well. We had a great time and really missed being around family back home.

Us on the balcony outside of the house.

Daniel and I goofing off with the camera.

The boys once we got home (and before we did the webcam with everyone).

Me and Caleb during the game Cranium.

Swimming Video part 2

2009-07-16T13:12:00.003+09:00

Here's another video of Caleb swimming. In this video he's doing his back float and we're singing a song. He really enjoys this and I can't wait until his lessons start back up!!

Video of Caleb's Swim Lesson

2009-07-16T11:18:00.003+09:00

Here's a quick video of Caleb going under the water. I know it's not the best quality but you can see what's going on for the most part. He went under the water once with my help then insisted that he needed to do it himself. You'll see in the clip what he has to do ALL the time! Hope you enjoy!!

First Round of Lessons - Finished

2009-07-10T12:42:00.007+09:00

On July 10th, Caleb officially "passed" his swimming class to go up to another version. This time he'll be with the instructor. I felt like I needed to be there with him because he's still a little shy around new people. He warms right up but the initial contact in the beginning isn't the best, especially with the water where you have to trust someone. Now that he knows what he'll need to be doing and he's met a few of the teachers we'll be starting our next session on July 20th. He's done so much in this class and is so independent!! We'll take him to the pool on the weekends or later afternoon and we'll let him wear his arm floats, and he wants nothing to do with us. He'll tell us that he can do it all by himself. Sometimes he flips over and can't get back up, but that's usually when he's in the life jacket instead. Anyways, he's a champ and has been a little water bug from day 1. He loves going under and we've only had one accident where he went under a little longer than he would of liked, but he came up and got over it pretty quick.

Smiling at me. About to get into the water.

Practicing our back float

Singing a song, about to go under the water.

Blowing bubbles

Practicing our kicking

Certification for Caleb saying what he's accomplished from the class!!

Around the House

2009-07-07T22:58:00.004+09:00

Here are a few pictures taken around the house before daycare and on Sunday before church. Just wanted to share them with you all.

Caleb's still in swim lessons and our last session of the PS1 (swimming with mom or dad) will end this Friday. I'm excited because he really enjoys the water, so hopefully when we sign him up for the next session he'll be comfortable swimming with the instructor.

One of Caleb's many faces.

One morning before daycare

Bowling Day

2009-07-06T08:28:00.003+09:00

Here are some pictures from the end of June. We decided to take Caleb to the bowling alley and hang out for a few hours playing games and having pizza. Caleb got to play some games while we waited on our pizza, and before and after that, we bowled. I think Caleb had the highest score in one game beating us both!! That's so sad seeing in how at one point no one was even close to 100 points!!

Father's Day

2009-06-27T22:56:00.006+09:00

This Father's Day was a lot of fun, and we all had a really great time! We started off with breakfast (the boys did I wasn't feeling so great) and we then started getting ready for our day. We got dressed and Caleb helped Daniel open up his gifts. We picked out a few books for Daniel and earlier that week Daniel picked out some new clothes he'd been wanting to get. We're debating on getting a Wii which would also be a part of Father's Day but we'll see.

Later on that afternoon we went to our friend's house and had a BBQ and walked on the beach. We also played some cards and hung out for a few hours. Daniel got his haircut, and we were off back to the house to get ready for bed. All in all we had a great day and a really good time.

Daniel and Caleb eating their breakfast.

Daniel's breakfast (eggs, bacon, grits, and apple slices) with a glass of milk. Also notice the salt shaker within arms reach!!

Daniel reading his card from Caleb. Caleb had to wear his bike helmet for some reason.

Daniel's Father's Day flowers, present, and cards.

Caleb and Daddy opening the other card.

Caleb and Daddy opening a present.

Books we picked out for daddy.

Caleb and his Continents

2009-06-23T10:49:00.004+09:00

This is a video of Caleb from this morning answering questions about the continents. I started doing this yesterday morning with him and within 30 minutes later he knew it all everything that I asked him. I only threw a few at him to begin with, so we'll have more to come sooner than later, hopefully. He's such a smart boy and retains SO MUCH! We really are blessed to have such an amazing little boy that is so well rounded and happy. Enjoy the video!!

Swimming...

2009-06-21T23:51:00.002+09:00

Caleb and I went to the pool this past Thursday. He is such a little water bug - still!! He LOVES the water and can't get enough. I went ahead and signed him up for swimming lessons, so wish us luck. We'll start on June 29th around 915 in the morning, and it'll be for about 2 weeks or so. The lessons are only 25 minutes so that gets us going in the morning before daycare, lol. I'll post pictures and videos when that time comes. Our little boy is growing up so fast!! Where does all the time go?? I'm sure you all know exactly what I mean, but we're definitely enjoying Caleb's personality and everything he does that makes him truly unique. Love you and miss you all!! Happy Father's Day to all the daddys!

Girls Night

2009-06-21T12:37:00.002+09:00

My friend Donna recently had a birthday so she had a BBQ at her house during the day and later that night all of the girls went out. We had some dinner and danced some and made it an early night because we had church the next morning. We've been visiting and actually found a place we seem to like so far - Koza Baptist, and that's where most of these girls go. Anyways, here's some snapshots throughout our evening.

Donna the birthday girl

Debbie and me before the BBQ

All of the girls that went out that night. For some reason the tallest girls got put in the front.

Caleb and me after church at "Uncle Mike's and Aunt Debbie's house" playing some golf which is a card game that Daniel and I have become very addicted too!!! This is usually what we do each Sunday after church and the guys get haircuts later that same day because Deb is a hairdresser and can do it quick and for free, lol. Caleb also enjoys keeping his hair short right now too. Usually when daddy gets his done, Caleb needs one too!

Playing Around

2009-06-20T01:57:00.006+09:00

Here's some pictures of Caleb playing on the playground by the house. Daniel was grilling some hotdogs so we played while he fixed supper. Caleb loves playing on everything and does really well when other small kids are around him. Here are some from us doing random things that day.

One of the few planes that always fly by our house.

Dressing Up

2009-06-20T01:38:00.002+09:00

These pictures were taken on Memorial Day. Caleb was still sick but wanted to put on Daniels stuff because he had duty the night before and had to get dressed up in a uniform and walk around all night. Fun right? Anyways, Caleb found the hat and shoes and had to wear them. Too cute. He still wasn't feeling the best, but he tried to smile for me. Enjoy!

ER Visit...

2009-06-20T01:33:00.003+09:00

Here are some pictures of Caleb in one of our few ER visits on Memorial Day weekend.

More Dancing from Caleb

2009-06-18T10:29:00.007+09:00

Here are a few more videos of our little "copycat". He's hilarious!!

This next one is of Caleb trying to clog. Too cute!

Anniversary Dinner with Friends

2009-06-18T08:43:00.006+09:00

Our friends, Kim and Brian, had a dinner for their anniversary so we have pictures from us getting ready and going out with them. It was nice to dress up and go out with a lot of people we don't get to see much. We had a great time but that was also the night before Caleb got really sick (Thursday night before Memorial Day weekend). Here's the post - finally, lol.

My friend Kim and I

Dancing Around

2009-06-17T08:44:00.005+09:00

Here are two videos of Caleb dancing along with the contestents of "So You Think You Can Dance." We get it on Saturday and Sunday nights and happened to catch the end of the show one night. Caleb LOVES to dance (I'm assuming that's from Tara, lol) and does pretty good at playing "copycat". Just wanted to share with everyone. I'll post more videos of him dancing in a bit. Sorry it's been a while.

Bowling Fun

2009-05-28T22:05:00.003+09:00

The week before Memorial Day, we took Caleb bowling. He had been doing so great in school and he had started taking a nap for them which was our main issue because he'd come home so ill and cranky and need to be put to bed around 7-730. On this day we had planned on going bowling but Caleb took a nap so we celebrated a little more and had pizza while we were there. We also stayed longer than we had originally planned which Caleb loved. He never wants to leave! Here's some pictures of our night. We've also been a few other times because he loves it so much.

One of Caleb's many spares!

Update on Caleb

2009-05-27T12:31:00.004+09:00

This Memorial Day weekend Caleb was very sick. He woke up Friday morning around 6 AM throwing up. He went back to sleep and woke up again around 8 AM and threw up again. He continued from 8 AM on throwing up every 30-45 minutes. He finally fell asleep around 1 PM or so and slept for about 1 1/2 hours. Once he woke up though, he started throwing up again. We finally decided to go to the ER around 6 PM because he wasn't holding anything at all down. He would want some water occasionally but nothing other than that. We don't have anti-nausea or vomiting medicines here in the store so all we could chose from was Children's Pepto which he refused to take or look at. We arrived at the ER and the nurse gave Caleb some Zofran (anti-nausea and vomiting medicine) and about 5 minutes later he threw up again but after that he was finished. He went about 12-18 hours and started all over again. We made it through Saturday night and went until Sunday around 5 PM before taking him back to the ER again. The doctor that night finally gave us a prescription for Zofran and we were golden after that. Daniel had to work that night so it was just me and Caleb. I'm so glad Caleb made it through the rest of the night without any hurting or any more throwing up. We got home around 10 PM and he crashed.

He woke up Monday morning feeling okay. He said he needed to throw up but didn't. Instead when he went to "stinky" in the potty we discovered he had diarrhea. This lasted until Tuesday night. Wednesday morning we went to see the doctor and she said he seemed perfect and hoped everything would be fine. Yeah, ME TOO! Wednesday he had a great day at school and came home and stayed in a normal routine for the rest of the night.

Well, we got up Thursday and he was so ill and cranky. He was crying non-stop and wouldn't stop whining. He was crying about random things so I had no clue what was going on. This lasted about an hour and he finally finished up after tantrums and all. He then said he had to stinky and once we got there he couldn't. He was screaming and saying his belly hurt. I figured it'd take a few minutes and he'd be fine and something would pass, but I'm not that lucky. He refused to get off the potty because he needed to use it and wouldn't stop crying because of the pain he was in. I was able to call the nurse at the pediatrician's office and she told me to try and put him in a warm bath and let him go in there. Yeah right, that's a great idea!! She also mentioned that if the bath didn't help that I should take him into the ER because they had no available appointments that day. I finally decided after 45-50 minutes of him trying to use the bathroom and not being able to, I'd do the bath. I ran the water and he was telling me no the entire time. I tried to encourage him to go in the bath tub, although it's normally NEVER allowed. He's never even attempted to do that so he wasn't wanting to start now. I let him sit for around 30 minutes or so and he calmed down a lot but wouldn't go or even try to go. He started screaming again needing to potty so I put him on there and nothing happened. He finally let me get him down and we were off once again to the ER. There's also no other medicines or glycerin suppositories here in the store that he could or would take to help him pass a BM so I had no other options. I also didn't want to do a laxative because it'd cause cramping and I wasn't 100% sure that he didn't swallow something and it was now trying to pass, so I wanted an x-ray taken to make sure it was nothing more than him being constipated. After a couple of hours we took the x-ray and a few hours after that we were told it was nothing other than Caleb being constipated and were able to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy for suppositories and stool softener to help everything along. He hated it all and I felt so bad because he was in so much pain. He was such a trooper though and refused to use the bathroom anywhere else other than the potty. He told me that he couldn't go in his pants (I had him in a pull-up just in case) that he needed to only go in the potty. He was finally able to go about 2 hours once we gave him the suppository and after that we had supper and did bath time and bed time. All in all, it's been a long night and an even longer weekend and week. I'm hoping that Caleb wakes up tomorrow feeling much better but we'll see!!

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-27T11:48:00.004+09:00

This Mother's Day we had a pretty busy day overall. We all got up and got dressed and went to a restaurant on base to have a buffet style meal. Think Shoney's just more options to chose from. After that Daniel had to get his hair cut and then we came home. We sat around for a while then went to the grocery store. Daniel had the "range" that coming week (where he shoots to qualify for a certain score) so we had to get some food and stuff for him to take for lunch. I got flowers from both of the boys, an ankle bracelet, and a card from Caleb. After that we had planned to eat at a nicer restaurant in town, but we decided not to and we had either Chinese or Subway instead. Who knows! Anyways, that was pretty much how my Mother's Day was overall. The day before though was our trip to Okuma Beach, so we had a good weekend overall. Here are a few pictures we took before breakfast.

My flowers

Playing the Trumpet

2009-05-19T11:50:00.003+09:00

Here's a video of Caleb playing the trumpet, one of his favorite toys. Enjoy!

Caleb's ABC Song

2009-05-18T23:38:00.005+09:00

This is Caleb's latest ABC song. He went from saying "E-L-P" for the L-M-N-O-P part to saying it kind of fast and together like "L-M-N'll-P" or something close to it. He was playing with a puzzle train that had Mickey and friends on it so he decided to sing his ABC's once the puzzle train was completed. He was so cute and now sings it all the time. He's went through this stage before which started the first ABC video but here's the latest one.

Playing Outside

2009-05-18T22:25:00.003+09:00

Here's a video of Daniel and Caleb playing in the front of our house. Caleb loves for Daniel to jump over him and he laughs so hard! It's the cutest thing. You can also tell from this video how well Caleb listens. :). Enjoy!

Okuma Beach Trip

2009-05-16T09:58:00.006+09:00

We decided to drive up to Okuma on the day before Mother's Day, May 9th. It's a really nice beach and "recreation center" that's located about 1 1/2 hours away. You can go up there and spend the day on the beach or even rent a cabin or tent to camp out on the beach in. You can also rent boating stuff, a jet ski, and do different activities like going out on a glass bottom boat. We basically wanted to go because it's something we haven't done yet, but I also needed a relaxing day at the beach away from our "usual" places. It was a nice change and the drive wasn't bad at all. We had a great time. We all got in the ocean for a few minutes and I got out to soak up some sun while the boys played for a few more minutes. Once Caleb got out he was freezing so he decided to lie down beside me and I wrapped him up in two towels. He was about to pass out, he was so tired! He didn't though, he was hungry and it was lunch time so the boys left to eat while I relaxed. We enjoyed the day and decided to ride in a glass bottom boat once they got back from eating. It was a short trip and the boat ride was pretty cool but nothing spectacular. We saw a lot of coral, some fish, and a few starfish but not much more than that. Once we were done with that we drove back home and spent the evening playing around the house. Here are some pictures from our day.

One of the road signs along the way to Okuma.

More views on our way.

The entrance to Okuma, obviously.

One of the views from the boat ride

Some of the coral. Ignore the orange in the picture. It's a reflection of another kid's life vest.

Another view from the boat.

Caleb really enjoyed himself and liked calling the coral "wrinkles". Of course he got that from the other kid on the boat that was screaming it constantly.

Our Day on Ie-Jima

2009-05-12T22:24:00.020+09:00

**Warning - This blog covered a very long day with many pictures so it is a pretty long post. Just wanted to give you a heads up before you started reading!

The first weekend in May, we decided to take a ferry to another island (Ie-Jima, pronounced i.e.) close by to see the Ie Lily Festival that is held for a very short time, as well as some other "popular spots" you must see while you're there. We decided to take a tour that's offered through the travel place here on base and make a day of it. We had to be present by 7 AM and it takes about 15 minutes to get there, so we had to start our day around 5:30 AM. Caleb got up at 6 AM and we all had breakfast. We packed a lunch and tons of snacks because we wouldn't be getting back to our car until around 5 PM. We would literally be gone ALL day!! We weren't sure how Caleb would do, but I was pretty confident that he'd be fine seeing in how well he did on our trip back.

Caleb loved looking over into the water. He liked the "bubbles".

The view of the water from behind the boat.

We started by stopping by the memorial of Ernie Pyle who was a war correspondent that died in WWII on Ie-Jima by enemy fire. Every year there is a memorial service held in his honor on or around April 18th. This is one of the three monuments that were allowed to stay up once the Japanese took power back over the island. Pyle won the Pulitzer Prize and was also one of the few American civilians that died in the war that was awarded the Purple Heart medal. He also wrote a column urging that soldiers in combat get "fight pay" just as the airmen were paid "flight pay". Congress passed a law authorizing $10 a month extra pay to combat infantrymen. The legislation was called "The Ernie Pyle bill". It's more now, but men still get paid "combat pay" once they've been deployed over a certain amount of time.

The second spot we visited was the Niya-thiya Cave. The cave was used for shelter for roughly 1,000 people during the Battle of Okinawa. The cave is also famous because it is home to a large rock which is known as the "fertility rock" to the locals. Yes, you read that correctly, a fertility rock. The Japanese superstition is this: if you are having problems conceiving or "making baby" as they put it, you pick up this rock, kiss it, and sit it back down. If it's heavier than you initially thought, you're having a boy. If the rock is lighter than you thought, you're having a girl. This is a place where many barren couples go because nothing else seems to work for them. There are also various praying spots around the island where infertile women go and pray to be blessed with a baby.

A view from inside the cave.

The famous "fertility rock".

Waji Point was our third stop. This is a cliff that is a well known look-out spot. We were able to take some amazing pictures and this place couldn't be more amazing. It's so peaceful and relaxing. You could literally see for miles and the water is crystal clear. You're also so far up on the cliff that looking down and around is breathtaking. The pictures do not do this place justice.

The last spot we stopped at before making it to the Lily Festival was Mount Gusuku. This mountain is located near the middle of the island. The idea we had to climb this mountain was great in the beginning, but by half way up I think we regretted our decision. You have steps all the way up, which seems pretty simple and a chain to hold on to as railing. Although this mountain wasn't huge, the steps were awful and very steep. The steps are pretty narrow and not very long so you had to tip-toe up some of them. At times it felt like you were walking straight up! Daniel had the pleasure of carrying Caleb more than 3/4 of the way. 315 steps later we made it to the top, which was nice, but not worth it to me. It was great to say we did it, so for that I'm thankful, but I'll never do it again. You could see all around the island, but mostly all you could see was the farm land (which was a nice change) and also the ocean in the distance. There's also a story the tour guide told us that goes along with this mountain. You'll see this plaque with Japanese writing (kanji) on it in the video with Caleb. My interpretation of the story is this - which has obviously been revised - There was a "bad guy" and this giant was fighting him to protect the people and the island. The giant was the underdog because he was going against someone so big and powerful. He won this fight and defeated the enemy. He protected everyone from the harm of this bad guy and "they" say this "dip" in the mountain at the top is the giant's footstep. There was yen (Japanese money) in this "footstep" and the tour guide said it's because the people are basically paying the giant for protecting them from harm and doing a good job in beating the enemy. It wasn't a lot of money just a lot of "pennies" basically. Here's a video of the view from the top and some pictures we took along the way.

Going up

A view from the top

I know the video isn't great. It's windy and kind of fast.

This is the footprint I had referred to of the giant. If you look past the stone Caleb's pretending to write on you can see the little dip along with the silver coins. I also read that this is a place that the farmers will come to pray for good crops for the upcoming year.

At the end of 630 steps - we were up to the top in 10 minutes and back down about the same. We had a 30 min. time window and couldn't be late. My legs were no longer functioning at this point, they could only manage to shake.

Another view from the entrance of the mtn.

Finally, the Ie Lily Festival that is held at the end of April and the first of May. There's well over 100,000 lilies planted so it was pretty cool to see the different types of lilies and enjoy the different colors all around. Towards the end of our time there, there was a lady singing, in Japanese of course, and Caleb was so drawn to her. He's never been so content or persistent in staying and watching something like that. Daniel and I could care less, but he was loving her. He went up to shake her hand, but he "needed" to sit down in the front so he could see her and watch her while she preformed. He was so funny with it all. We had a great time and Caleb was amazing throughout the entire day. Hope you enjoy the pictures.

A few pictures from the ferry...post to come soon.

2009-05-10T21:43:00.001+09:00

One of the views from the ferry.

The "bubbles" the ferry boat was making. Caleb enjoyed this part.

He was so happy to be sitting by himself.

About to start our 30 minute ride.

My Little Chef

2009-05-10T20:48:00.003+09:00

Each morning before daycare, I'll fix Caleb breakfast and once he's finished I let him play with his toys and books. On this particular morning he decided to play chef and cook for me. What a nice little man!! I'm not sure what he came up with, but coffee was also included. He then cooked Daniel some "bouncy balls" for supper once Daniel got home from work. He's really enjoyed his chef hat and apron lately. He use to hate it!!

Ending Ceremony at Daycare

2009-05-08T22:50:00.010+09:00

At the beginning of April, Caleb's daycare starts the "month of the military child". The entire month of April is dedicated to celebrating and acknowledging the children of the military families. Since we were gone until April 23, Caleb didn't get back until April 26th. His first few days were a little rough (more on me) but we did fine overall. Friday, which was May 1st, the daycare held the ending ceremony which held a ton of activities for the kids to enjoy and some live entertainment as well. We had one of the Marine Corp bands there (III MEF), some of the Japanese kids doing a culture dance, and a police dog obeying commands and attacking the "bad guy". The kids loved it and also got to enjoy jumping in the "bouncies" and getting their faces painted. They basically spent the entire afternoon outside playing, eating cookies or chips, and drinking tons of juice. Caleb was one of the few kids that actually ate some of the healthier things like carrots and celery, but he had his fair share of the cookies and chips too! I was able to get a few video clips too of some of the different things that went on. Caleb had a blast! Even though the children really don't understand all of the fuss over them through the month of April, try and remember how special and important all of the families and kids really are that have a mom or dad in the service. It's very hard on the adults and spouses when you have to move or go through a deployment, so I'm sure you can imagine a little bit of what the kids must feel around those hard times also. God Bless!!

Eating snacks with his pre-school class.

The III MEF BAND playing.

Caleb and his friend Rayna dancing to some music.

Caleb playing the nice Marine's drum set. He LOVED this part!!

One of the two police dogs they had.

Eating snacks on top of the stage.

Sitting in the police car playing with the radio.

Here is a video of Caleb while he was playing in the police car. He literally got into the police car and buckled up then the cop let him talk on the radio. Too cute!

Here is a video of a Japanese kindergarten class dancing. It's a culture dance that they do here. They were so cute and I know the video is long and very repetitive so the beginning is very much like the end. :)

An Afternoon at Araha Beach

2009-05-08T20:47:00.005+09:00

This was our little trip to the beach about a week later once we got back to Okinawa. Caleb and I wanted to go and feed the fish so we went one late afternoon before supper time to Araha Beach. We tried to feed the fish some bread, but they ran from it. It's a popular fishing spot, so I'm sure the fish were thinking a pole was attached to the food. Anyways, the fish finally ate the bread once it sat in the water for a while. We then moved to the beach part and looked for some shells and let Caleb throw some rocks into the ocean. Here are a few pics from the day.

We were collecting sea shells so Caleb kept handing them to me saying, "ooh this one is pretty."

After he was done looking for sea shells he decided to roll and play in the sand.

Daniel was looking for shells too.

Here's a video of how crazy Caleb was acting. Just a little hyper that day!

Feeding the Giraffes

2009-05-07T23:25:00.004+09:00

This video is of Caleb and Nana at the zoo feeding the giraffes. Caleb was having a hard time holding on to the twigs himself so he got to help Nana. Caleb really seemed to enjoy it though and I'm sure Nana enjoyed doing that with him.

I tried to post this over the weekend with the post about going to the zoo but it took over two days and the video was still trying to upload so I stopped it and figured I'd try again later. Here it is...finally, lol.

Our trip back to Oki

2009-05-07T21:43:00.004+09:00

So as you all know, we always come a long way and travel many, many hours to get there and back. This past time was around a 40 hour trip to get back to Okinawa. When we left FL we had a layover in Dallas, TX, from there we went to Seattle, WA. Once in Seattle we had to wait about 4 hours until 11:20 PM Seattle time (2:20 AM for EST) to start the process to see if we had made it on to the military flight. There was a lot that came up last minute before we left FL so there was a good chance we wouldn't make it on the plane. Anyways, around 2AM Seattle time we found out that we did make it onto the plane and we would be boarding the plane around 3:30 AM and departing at 4:30 AM. Also note that Caleb only had an 1 1/2 hour nap from FL to TX on the plane and he got up around 9 AM the morning of the flight. While we were waiting to hear if we'd make it on or not, Caleb was literally running in circles and in zig-zags. He was WIDE open!! Finally, we got called back and started the process through security and all. By the time we made it to our gate there had to be at least 200 people already there. The plane is HUGE and takes all the military personnel between three different bases, so we had a little while left of families and men sleeping on the floor and my 3 year old, along with others running around and having a ball. Caleb was still going wide open at this point. Well, around 3 AM we found out that the new departure time will be an hour later so we won't be boarding until 4:30 AM and flying out at 5:30 AM. We made it on the plane after a little while and we are 3 rows from the very back and in the dead center (we were on a row of four seats in the middle section of the plane). Just so you know, Caleb "needed to pee" SIX times from Dallas to Seattle (which is a few hours at most) so us being in the middle was a nightmare for a really LONG flight (13 hours +). Luckily one of the guys agreed to move to the inside and let us have the aisle so we could get up and down freely. I knew one of the two guys would be changing their minds a few hours into the flight anyways if he were awake so I wasn't too worried about it. As soon as Caleb got buckled up, he crashed! He didn't eat much and wasn't even about to wake up for the food they served so he slept for a while. Once we were about to depart we found out that we had to go to Alaska to get fuel...yes, I know...why not get fuel in Seattle? Apparently, part of the runway was closed or something and we needed to land and get filled up. I think it was about 4 1/2 hours to Alaska. Once we fueled up in Alaska we found out there was a mistake and the lavatories didn't get filled back up with water once they were cleaned out so we'd have to wait another 30 minutes on top of the hour or so we'd already waited. After that we then we had a 13 hour flight (give or take a few) to Yokota, Japan, an air force base. From there we flew about 1 hour to Iwakuni, Japan, USMC base and stayed on the plane and then flew to Okinawa which was about 1 hour 20 minutes. We were so ready to get off that plane!! Caleb threw up about 10 times throughout the trip. I guess it was because he hadn't eaten much and what he did eat wasn't great, he hadn't rested much, and the turbulence during the flights didn't help. Caleb changed outfits about 3 times (he refused to throw up in the bag towards the end) and we walked down the steps in the rain and all. No we didn't have a little thing to walk through into an airport to get our baggage and leave, we had to walk down a ton of steps to a bus and get driven to the terminal which was right around the corner on the base show our passports and "check back in" and go down some steps for our baggage. We landed a little earlier than planned but that meant nothing seeing in how our bags were dead last. No exaggeration there. Daniel lucked up and got there on time. When we landed he still wasn't there (b/c we landed earlier than initially planned) but he called to see if the flight was still on time and found out that the plane had already landed so he came right away.

Finally...

Once we had our bags and went through customs, Daniel was standing outside the door waiting on us. Caleb saw him and ran straight to him yelling daddy!!! He was so happy to see him and latched on to him for a while. I was a little worried of how Caleb would react, but Daniel and I were both surprised to see him so clingy and loving (which was great)! Once we got to the car, Caleb was being so sweet. He was saying things like, "oh thank you daddy (or mommy), yes ma'am, and no thanks." Daniel was surprised to see how well mannered he was. He only got to hear a little of him on the phone from time to time so he had no idea. What he heard usually was Caleb saying "what?" or something like that so he obviously thought he wasn't using any manners with me or at least not to that extent. Anyways, we drove home and Caleb was so sweet and happy the entire way. When we got to the house and pulled in Caleb said, "mommy and daddy's house...and Caleb's too". He was so funny about it all. We got home around 5 PM and immediately showered, ate, and I passed out on the couch. Caleb ended up getting on the couch with me around 7 or so and he fell asleep on me. We didn't do much over the weekend except get Daniel up around 6 AM. We got our "clocks" back on track in no time, and we've been doing great since. Sorry this post is so long, but in order for you to know how things were on our way back, you needed to hear the journey we took and everything that came with it, lol. Here are some pictures of us coming into Seattle, WA. Caleb and I were looking at all of the mtns. along the way. Enjoy!!

He did so good the entire trip!! I really couldn't have asked for him being any better. For us both being so tired and him being a little air sick he amazed me with his behavior. He really was such a trooper with all of the obstacles we had to face.

A Day at the Zoo

2009-05-04T11:17:00.010+09:00

The day before we flew out Rhonda wanted to take Caleb to the zoo so we drove out and made a day of it. Caleb was all about the different animals and was so happy and kind of amazed that he actually got to see the animals in person. He would look up and say, "that's an elephant", "look there's the giraffe". He was so funny about it all and he was so cute. Caleb walked the majority of the day but we took the stroller so he could have his breaks whenever he wanted them. We would push him until he saw something else and he'd pop up and look at whatever animal we were at. Of course, anything with antlers was a reigndeer, and any kind of bird was a flamingo. We would tell him the real name of the animal and he'd repeat it and lose interest and then move on to something else. They had a water park there for the small kids so after lunch we let him play in the water and run around. The water was pretty cold and he didn't want it in his face so he lasted maybe 15 minutes or so then was ready to move on to something else. Caleb really enjoyed himself and the weather was amazing that day so it couldn't of been any better!

Nana and Caleb looking at the monkeys

One of his favorite things to do - stand on the fence.

One of the animals Caleb referred to as a reigndeer.

The flamingos (or mo-mingos). He says it different every time.

Sunday Lunch

2009-05-03T11:38:00.011+09:00

The Sunday before Caleb and I left FL we had a family lunch at Rhonda's, or better known as Nana's house. Wendi (Daniel's cousin), his brother Jason, his sister Tara, and their families came out for the day. It was so nice to have almost everyone together for lunch and to let the cousins hang out and enjoy each other. Brody, Caleb, and Cale did really well throughout the day, and even though the day probably had its moments for everyone at some point, it was still nice to have that day and time together. Caleb and Brody received kites in their Easter baskets so after lunch we went to the beach to fly them and let the kids run and play. Caleb's kite went up right away, but Brody's was defected in some way. We came to that conclusion after a lot of trial and error. Either way, the boys didn't mind because the sand and water was to enticing for anything else to matter. We all had such a great time! Here are some pictures from around the house that day.

The boys youngest to oldest: Cale, Brody, and Caleb

(of course none of them would all look in the same direction or smile at the same time.)

Nana with her three boys. This is the first time all three have been with her at the same time.

Caleb and Brody have not seen or been around each other hardly any. The last time they had seen one another had been quite a few months back and they played great then, but wasn't really sure of each other's boundaries. Anyways, the reason I'm writing that is to tell you this. The second Caleb found out Brody was coming, he wouldn't stop asking about him. He was asking when Brody would get there, or if Brody was coming yet, or if Brody was here yet (and where ever we are is where "here" is). He didn't understand "later on" so he asked every few minutes or so about "his" Brody. Well, Jason, Jenny, and Brody finally arrived and the boys instantly took to one another. Brody said, "Caleb" and Caleb said, "Brody" and they were off and started playing without missing a beat. They went straight outside and sat in the pool chairs and just talked to each other for a little bit and played. There were a few rough moments between the two of them (neither of them had really taken a nap that day) but overall they played amazingly well together. Caleb got a little pushy at times and of course each thing one had the other one wanted so there were a few "that's mine" disputes but not too many. As you'll see in the next few photos they're both doing the same thing. It's really cute and so funny how well they took to one another and kept each other company throughout the day. We had a ton of copy cat moments and luckily I was able to get a few pictures of them.

Monkey see...Monkey do...

Caleb's ideas:

Computer genius in the making

Brody's ideas:

This is when Brody got there and they decided to go outside and sit by the pool. They had found some balls and actually shared. Later they'd argue about what color each had, but in this picture they were behaving really well. :)

They also decided to lie down like this for a while in front of the door later on in the night. It was definitely past bedtime at that point but they were still so cute.

The following pictures were taken when we made it out to the beach later that afternoon.

Caleb LOVED this part of the day. He finally got to put his feet in the water and enjoy the feel of the sinking sand and waves around his feet.

Jason, Jenny, and Brody trying to get their kite up in the air.

Pictures on the Railroad Tracks

2009-04-27T19:13:00.005+09:00

These pictures were taken by my cousin Lynn. She did such an amazing job!! She took Caleb off to the side and had him changed into a pair of my cousin's overalls. Caleb enjoyed playing with the rocks mostly, but around that she was able to take some great pictures. Afterwards, we went to play in the little park there and Caleb also got to slide a little. Once we were finished with that we went and sat in the grass so Lynn could take a few pictures of the both of us. Caleb enjoyed picking on me and running wild. We were able to take a few good shots as he was climbing all over me. She tried to get him to lie down beside me, but he decided to lie on my back instead. Either way, they turned out great and we had a blast.

Caleb spelling his name!

2009-04-20T11:23:00.004+09:00

Caleb has been able to spell his name for a little bit now, so the other night in the bathtub I gave him enough letters for it and he spelled it out. He's so funny with it all. He had done it a few times already so once I started recording him he started being a little silly. Here's the video and I also put a link to the same video underneath this one just in case the pixels and all don't come out that great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZkdLxafZGU

Here's a few pictures from the same night.

Caleb swimming in the pool

2009-04-20T10:51:00.005+09:00

While we were staying at Daniel's mom's house, Caleb thought he needed to go swimming in the covered swimming pool. The fence was up and all he could do was ask and try and find a way to the edge of the water. He just wanted to put his feet in...right!!! He finally got his Nana to give in so she told him once Poppy was done with the yard work he could put his feet in. Thankfully, it was only a solar cover over the water so it was just lying there. We were able to fold the cover back and Caleb was able to put his feet in and stand up on the step. He did that and kept wanting to ease more and more in. Next thing you know he's covered in water and wanting to go under, so of course before we did all of that I was able to get a small video clip of him playing. Mind you...the water was so COLD! It wasn't unbearable but it sure did take some getting use to. He had fun regardless so it was worth it all. Hope you enjoy the clip!!

The video didn't turn out that well because of the size it had to "convert" to so if you want a better view try this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-xfueS6a7Y.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-17T15:32:00.013+09:00

Caleb had a great Easter. We started off by opening his basket and getting lots of candy (after breakfast of course) which he enjoyed and ate more than enough of. He got so much stuff! A movie, candy, books, underwear and socks, cookies, and plenty much more. He also got a Little Einsteins computer and that was his favorite by far. Anyways, here's a few pictures from all of that...

Easter basket

Already eating the candy from his Easter basket.

Being silly

His favorite gift of all, his Little Einsteins computer.

The next few pictures are of Caleb about to start hunting eggs. He was so excited about going out and getting to participate this year because last year he had a broken arm and only got to hunt a few eggs around the house in Okinawa. It was a lot of fun to be around family again and being part of another Easter celebration. We also got a few family photos that were long overdue.

Getting ready to hunt the eggs.

He kept opening all the eggs that he'd find and try and get the candy out instead of putting them in his basket.

All of the eggs and goodies that he found.

Papa and Nanny (from GA) with Caleb

My mom, myself, Caleb, and my dad

Just smiling...

Here are two videos from that day. You can follow the links to see them.
Part 1 clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy5XKkF7Uz4

Part 2 clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzJwlGi89SM.

**You can also view Caleb opening his Easter basket from the same sight you just have to look at the videos that I've posted so far and it'll be labeled.

Caleb at the Disney show

2009-04-12T04:12:00.002+09:00

I know I've already posted a ton about the Disney trip. Well, here's a clip from that day. We were waiting on the show to start back up and you can see how exhausted Caleb is. This was right before the music party began, so he was excited about that. Anyways, here's a little look at that day.

Disney LIVE

2009-04-11T15:12:00.009+09:00

Caleb and I went, last weekend, to a Disney Playhouse LIVE show in Charlotte, NC. I had my classes that Friday and Saturday so I let Caleb stay with my aunt Friday night. I picked him up Saturday night and had already planned to surprise him with tickets for us to go and see some of his favorite characters the next day on stage. As you all know, he's an Einstein nut. He's loved Baby Einstein forever now, and has recently added a few new favorites to his list. As of last year he started watching Little Einstein and became a fan fast. Now, he's really into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Mickey, at the moment, is by far his favorite. He's watched so much Mickey Mouse over the last few days, he could probably quote you every line from the few shows he's seen. He's also watched a little bit of Winnie the Pooh and Handy Manny but neither of those last longer than five minutes. All of the four shows (as well as the characters that go with each) were at the Disney Playhouse LIVE show. When we got there we got a few toys and snacks and found our seats. That place was pretty packed so we sat down just in time!! Caleb was so focused on the show and with what all was happening he refused to smile for the camera or talk to me about what he was thinking. It started with one show and rotated through until they all met up at a music party at the end. He was the most excited about Little Einstein and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The others were just okay. Anyways, here are some pictures of our exciting day. He didn't get much sleep the night before so he was so tired during the show and lasted no time once we got in the truck.

Caleb staying focused.

Rocket from Little Einstein comes out.

The audience was asked to help pat their legs to help Rocket take off.

After all of that patting you had to hold your hands up high and yell "blast off"!

Tigger and Pooh

Handy Manny talking to his tools.

Playing with his baton which lit up and possibly trying to fake a smile on me.

Smiling for the camera.

His reaction when he saw Mickey Mouse start up.

Donald Duck, Goofy, Mickey, and Minnie

All the characters dancing to the music that each other brought for the music party.

Caleb playing his trumpet in the truck. One of the things from Little Einstein.

Caleb lasted maybe 5 minutes after we stopped and got lunch. He almost finished his apples.

Outside boy...

2009-04-11T14:26:00.003+09:00

Caleb is PURE boy. He LOVES to stay outside and loves his sticks and rocks. Anytime that he finds a small stick he'll call it a "baby stick" and a bigger stick is either "mama or daddy stick". Most of the smaller limbs/sticks that fall, he'll hold up to his head and call himself a reindeer or it'll be a reindeer stick. He's so funny with all of the stuff that he finds. He'll pick up pecans and acorns and he'll NEED to throw them in some water somewhere. I'm not sure why he thinks he has to do this but rocks or sticks or anything in general has to get wet. He'll find some of the dogs water, or just puddles in general and go nuts. I'll try and get him to come in at other times for lunch or a break and of course he'll tell me that he's playing, so other words no, or not now mom...I'm busy. It's been rainy lately so these pics were taken a week or so ago, but he still does those same things. Enjoy the pics below.

Caleb "digging" into the tree

Daddy and Caleb spraying with the water hose to knock stuff down.

Throwing rocks and sticks into the water through the fence...to the dogs...

Just playing with the water hose and water pressure.

Swinging from the rope...one of his favorites.

Playing Elmo

2009-03-23T12:33:00.005+09:00

Caleb and my dad have a "tradition" each night before Caleb goes to bed. Caleb needs to play "Elmo". For Christmas Caleb got a little dart board that you could throw velcro balls at and hit different parts of Elmo and his friends. This dart board is very light and shaped like a frisbee, so Caleb uses it as a frisbee. My dad and Caleb stand at different parts in the hallway and they try and make the frisbee go all the way inside the room. Needless to say, Caleb will sit on the step or even against the wall in excitement, looking for it to make it inside the bedroom. When my dad misses, Caleb will give a little squeal and just laugh and laugh. He'll then try and throw it back to my dad, but usually hits the wall or the ground and says, "that's pretty good". He usually likes to play this game before bedtime and usually can't get enough of it.

Caleb singing

2009-03-23T12:03:00.003+09:00

This is a video of Caleb singing his ABC's. He has been singing this song for quite some time but I never could get the video to upload. For some reason when I decided to try it again tonight it worked, so now you can watch it!! He gets a little bashful and shy while singing but he's so cute and hates it when you sing along with him. Enjoy!

New helmet

2009-03-11T12:39:00.005+09:00

Caleb loves riding the 4-wheeler and motorcycle with my dad and since it's been so warm lately he's gotten to really enjoy it. My dad bought him a helmet that fit him and he absolutely loved it. He loves the fact that the face shield goes up and down so he can adjust it any time that he wants. He also likes playing with it just because.

It's SNOWING!!

2009-03-02T07:02:00.008+09:00

So, around 2:30 this afternoon the rain turned to snow and it wasn't long at all before it started to stick. It's about 32-33 degrees outside so it's the perfect weather. Anyways, Caleb woke up from his nap and couldn't believe what all he saw. Needless to say, in no time at all, he had to put on his snow boots and go out and play. I was able to get some good pictures of him trying to catch the snow on his tongue and also trying to throw snow balls. He was wearing mittens so he had a harder time than normal.

Okay, so I wrote the top part of this post on Sunday and also tried to post it, but we ended up losing power, so I wasn't able to. We were without power for almost 24 hours...ugh! Talk about hard for someone who's never experienced it for that much time. We did fine, but it was definitely something I won't ever forget. Caleb had enough battery left in his DVD player to get through the night, then the next day we were able to build a snowman and play in the snow so it wasn't too bad for all of us. My mom and dad were champs and even tried to cook breakfast the next morning on the wood stove so overall it was eventful and funny. Here are the pictures that I mentioned above and also some additional ones. BTW (by the way) we ended up with about 5" of snow total.

Caleb looking up at the snow. He thought it was funny when it hit him in the face.

Trees around the house

The road and our yard to the left a greenhouse to the right.

Caleb getting ready to throw a snowball

The one place he chose...the truck.

The truck before the snow got heavier.

Valentine's Day

2009-03-01T13:19:00.010+09:00

These are pictures from my brother's wedding. Caleb had a blast running around posing for pictures and flirting with the flower girl, Kenzi. He was such a trooper and had an amazing time!

Caleb and me at the wedding reception.

Hugging the flower girl.

Caleb and Kenzi

Giving his fake smile.

Matthew and Priscilla

My flowers on Valentine's Day from Daniel in Thailand...I know sweet right?? Usally I'm not that lucky, lol. He did a great job!!

Getting the hang...

2009-03-01T09:43:00.000+09:00

Okay, so here we go. I have finally decided to copy Tara and Jenny by starting a blog for our family. I'm not promising that it'll be updated that much, but I'll try my best. I'm getting the hang of things so it might not be that great to start off with :).