Visit with the Grandmas

In September we had a wonderful visit from the Grandmas (Grammy is Travis' Mom and Yaya is Denay's Mom). Grammy came out on the 9th (our anniversary) and Yaya came out on the 13th. They overlapped on a Sunday, so they could both be here for Backpack's blessing. While they were here we took advantage and went on a few dates, one was to see Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss performed by the local opera company in town. We got to eat out lots (which we don't often to), go shopping, see the local attractions, and have fun.

Grammy with Backpack:

Yaya with Backpack:Mommy with Backpack: Here is the Princess dress Grammy got for Dynomite:
We had a nice visit with Grammy. We went shopping, went to many parks, Planet Pizza, and just had fun. Grammy and Yaya helped us get about 600lbs of food storage into buckets. That really helped us out! We were worried it was going to get ruined if we didn't get it done soon. Unfortunately, we didn't get Grammys pictures off her camera before she left so that is all we have of her visit. But we're so glad she was able to come out and see the kids and help Denay get adjusted. Thanks Grammy!! We love you!!

Yaya's visit was just as eventful. We went to the corn maze by our house.


The sign says: All weights are approximate. Backpack weighed 7lbs. 11 oz.While Dad and Trouble were practicing for the Primary Program on Saturday, Yaya and the rest of us went to the Fall Festival on base. At the Fall Festival everyone makes these straw men. Practically everyone on base has one.
Dynomite had more fun rolling around in the straw:
This is Yaya's favorite trick to do with kids. She use to do this to Denay when she was Dynomite's age. She starts by laying on the ground with her arms extended on the floor, palms up and her feet up in the air. The child places one foot on each palm and grabs on to her feet. She raises her hands up and the child balances by holding on to feet. Once they get their balance, the child lets go of her feet and is held up by Yaya. The kids love it!
At the playground on base. I went to the commissary (grocery store) while Yaya took these two. I have yet to take all three to the grocery store, thank goodness!!Dynomite feeding her baby. She is very good at mimicking. Once she held the baby up to her chest and said "Baby eat".
Dynomite feeding herself. Silly girl!

Finally, Backpack in his blessing outfit. Travis gave him a wonderful blessing. He basically said he'd be instrumental in future and be a good missionary.
We had a great time with Yaya, too! We were sad to have everyone go, mostly because Denay didn't want to have to start cooking dinner again!

Backpack and Raina

Here is backpack with Pat and Kelly's little girl, Raina. They are already play buddies!

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 8th Wedding Anniversary

Grammy (Lori, Travis' Mom) flew in today from Texas to visit us. Originally she came today so Travis and I could have a night out. However, Travis ended up working late. So she took the kids and I out to eat. Travis did surprise me by showing up unexpectedly with a bouquet of 8 red roses. Grammy and Dave sent me a bouquet of beautiful flowers, too. Saturday we're going out to celebrate.

So what have we done in the last 8 years:

We've both finished college.

Went around the world (from Oregon to England to France to Russia to China to Oregon).

Travis began his career in the Air Force.

Have had 6 different residences.

Have been homeless for two weeks.

Lived with nuns.

Had three kids.

Have owned 8 vehicles.
Bought our first house.

Travis was the Best Man in Kyle's wedding.

Denay was the Maid of Honor in Anne's wedding.

Earned our SCUBA license.

Ran the relay in the Fargo Marathon.

Have our HAM radio licenses.

Been to 7 temples.

As a couple, have been to 13 different countries.

Have had one exchange student, Kanae, who still keeps in touch with us.

So we've been busy. When we were first married, we attended Stake Conference and the speaker said that happily married couples have common goals. So when he was newly married him and his wife sat down and wrote out all their family, couple, and personal goals. We went home that night and did that in a journal. January 1st of each year we pull out the journal and review our long term, yearly, and short term goals. Then set new yearly goals and lay out a plan to accomplish the long term family and personal goals.

Anyways, its been a wonderful 8 years. We just clicked from the beginning and knew that we were meant to be together. And that feeling has never left :-)

Baby Days of Summer

Just doing a little catch up blog. Backpack is growing fine. We went in for a 1 week check up. The doctor was concerned about his Jaundice. He didn't know if was jaundiced because of the bruising. But his bruising cleared so on Friday they did some lab work. I assume he's fine because they never got back to me, but I'll call on Tuesday. Anyway, he's surpassed his birth weight and had grown 1/2 an inch. We did have our first kids and me outing. The first outing is always the scariest for me. I've been sucked in the the Twilight saga. And last week when Travis was working late I finished the first book so the kids and I went to Target to get the second. That took a lot out of me, plus I should be still taking it easy. First, it was getting three ready (cleaned, clothed, diapered, well fed) and Trouble can no longer ride in the double stroller. But he was a good boy and stayed close. Even after the prep work he still wasn't thrilled about walking. Backpack did go with me yesterday to get my haircut, well more like an accidental chop. I told her to cut the dead ends off. Apparently, it was a little more dead than I thought.

I have forgotten about all the baby smells. Johnson baby shampoo and lotion, sour milk, that sickening sweet breast milk yellow baby poop, baby breath, baby skin... I've forgotten about baby sounds. Little sighs, frustrated gushy poops, puppy whimpers, grunts, sucking noises, little baby cries, frustrated cries, feed me cries. And the baby looks. I see a ghost, lost in thought, yawns, ohhh, ahhhs, hungry-bird-feed-me look, pure content, drunk-on-milk. Its all so sweet.

Anyway, I'm lamenting the end of summer. I love summer, everything about it. Some are predicting an early winter here. Oh I hope not. We've been busy this summer and was nice to have Travis home so much and to go camping, vacationing, to the pool, having barbecues. I do miss home and having family around. Especially Mom (Yaya) to whisk me away on shopping trips and lunch excursions. But she'll be here in a few short weeks when I'll be fully recovered and ready for some good outings.

But what truly is home? Our family is scattered throughout 5 different states now. Its nucleus is not longer in OR. I believe home is still OR. I believe that wherever we settle, the family will follow (at least my side). So that is a comforting future.

Enough crazy talk. You came here to see pictures. So here they are:



Backpacks room. Which he won't actually be in for another 3 months. Cute, nonetheless.

Travis' bathroom project.

Well, I figure another week of PJs and we can return to normal life. Don't tell, but I actually feel great (a bit tired, but think mostly due to Travis' recent addiction to animated Batman movies therefore staying up way past our bedtimes) and I'm milking it so I can read and just hold the little one as much as humanly possible.

Backpack Arrives

I just knew we were going to have the baby this weekend! I was suppose to see Dr. Billings at 10:22am on Friday, Aug. 22nd (I was 37 weeks on Sunday, Aug. 17th). And if this pregnancy was anything like the other two, then I was going to give birth within 24 hours of seeing the doctor on the 37th week of pregnancy. The reason I made my appointment so late in the week was to see if, in fact, it was the doctor who induced my labor by just checking me. So all week I stayed busy deep cleaning the house, getting all the baby stuff ready, doing all the laundry, washing sheets, making guest beds, packing the hospital bag, tying up loose ends, cleaning the animal cages all so when I got home from the hospital I could relax. Thursday rolled around and I woke up feeling okay, but more miserable as the day wore on. I did some more cleaning but relaxed while the kids napped. About 6:30pm Travis called because a storm was moving in and he needed the hole he cut in the bathroom roof to be covered up and his tools, siding, and shingles to be moved into the house. So I did that, got the kids dinner and went to a Girl Scout meeting. At the meeting I was feeling a little miserable and had a few slight contractions. After the meeting it struck me that I might actually have this baby tonight. Well I wanted to finish cleaning the house so the kids and I went to Wal-mart to get vacuum bags. We got home and I laid them down for the night (I was really grumpy now with the uncomfortable but slight contractions). I finished the cleaning the house. Travis called from work about 10:00pm and said that he might have to stay a few more hours at work, or he could come home. I told him he'd better come home. He got home at 10:30pm and timed my contractions while we watched volleyball, which were 5 mins apart, 1 min long. 11:30ish we called the hospital to let them know we were coming in, then called our good friend Elizabeth to come stay the night with the kids. She came right away and we got the hospital about midnight. I told the nurse to check me and send me home because I suddenly remembered that I was about to lose the ability to have full nights sleep for the next 2-3months and I wanted one more night of good sleep. HA HA! She made me de robe, put on the monitors and get into bed before she even checked me. I was between 4 and 5 centimeters dilated. Typical for me, as in I start real labor at 5 centimeters. We asked them to call Dr. Billings in so he could break my waters. They said they'd call him when I was almost ready to go. NO, I protested, my waters don't break on their own, call him in. Luckily, he was called in for someone else and when he finished with her he came to check me and broke my waters. That was about 2:30am and I was 7 centimeters dilated. Then I refused an IV and got a lecture from the Dr. and the nurse about the dangers of that...blah, blah, blah...I just wanted this thing out of me!! I just wanted to get this over with!! Then at 3pm I was in hard labor, contractions one on top of the other with just seconds in between and I thought I was going to die and Travis thought he was going to die...I only bit him once :-) Anyway, shortly before 4am I had a healthy baby boy! And all I kept saying was, "I'm glad this is over!!" Honestly, I love being pregnant, I love having the new baby and all that goes with it, but I dread labor (um, maybe I'll get an epidural with the next one...of course that is what I said when I had Dynomite).

Baby boy Backpack

22 Aug 08

6 lbs. 0 oz.

19.5 inches

My last belly picture. I took this knowing it would be my last. We have been taking these everyday throughout the pregnancy so Travis could put together a still photo movie showing the growth of the belly.

A happy family. Taken right after they got Backpack all cleaned up.

The kiddos with me. This was Friday afternoon (and after a shower!!).I even had the clothes laid out that I wanted them to wear to the hospital when they came to see me. Travis' shirt from Father's Day. And for the kids I stole the idea from Jerusha to have them put their hand prints on a shirt for when they came to visit the new baby.Dynomite was so adamant about holding the new baby. She's going to be a good helper for mommy.And this is the goofy picture they took at the hospital. But you can see all his blond hair and blue eyes.

Anyway, Travis was home by 6:30am get let Elizabeth go home. The kids had no idea, they weren't even up when he got home. And I got home Sunday afternoon. Backpack slept well last night. All I've got to do all day is sit and hold my new little baby. The kids played great and let me nap this morning while Travis had an eye appointment on base and got my pain meds. He took the kids to the splash pad this afternoon. I can already tell that this is going to be a much faster recovery. We're just going to take it easy and lounge around in our pjs all week. Thank you everyone for the support, phone calls, and visits!

Welcome to the world little guy!

Look what Travis did...

Story and updates later...

The porch that Travis built

Travis has taken the opportunity this summer to work on the house. Especially since this is the last full summer we have here and his work schedule is ten trillion million times better. So far he has laid new floor in the mud room, put in raised flower beds and planted new grass, put up new gutters around the garage, fixed our bathroom sink, tightened up the deck railing and other various odds and ends that needed to get done. A few weeks ago he tore up the old front porch. The old one was build with regular 2x4s and just painted over (and slightly crooked). Well, they rotted through. At one point it was so bad that the mailman wouldn't deliver the mail. So Travis had to do a quick fix. He decided that there were so many leftover pieces from the upstairs deck that he would just use those. It worked great! After he put up a sturdy, level base using treated wood (wood that isn't going to rot!) he used the deck odds and ends as the floor and used the same railing as the upstairs deck. It turned out mighty fine.

Here you can the the brick work design of the floor of the porch:

Here is a picture of Dynomite sitting on the porch. That monkey is what she sleeps with. She like to read him stories. On the left side of the picture are our pumpkin plants.
Next he is going to paint the exposed wood and put white lattice in the front. But he did a great job and even exceeded my expectations...as usual.