Christmas Comparison

Brady and I couldn't believe how much the kids had changed in a year's time.

Update

Brady & I enjoyed a couple of days on our own this weekend.  Nonnie & Granddad very kindly came in from Fort Worth so that we could take a little time for ourselves.  First, we got up on Saturday morning at 5am to drive to Canyon Lake to participate in the Annual Joint Base San Antonio Rambler 120, a bike/run/raft relay event.  We were participating with several friends from Brady's squadron.  Brady rode the entire 22 miles for the bike event, then he and I ran 3 miles as a part of the second leg relay, then we joined the second leg relay for a 1 mile raft.  We had a super time and really enjoyed ourselves.  Our team of eight did great and out of 37 teams we ended up placing 1st in our division.

 

 

Following the Rambler, we drove to Houston.  Our main purpose for the drive was to make an important vehicle change by selling my much loved Prius.  A few months ago Brady & I decided to sell the Prius to get one of these instead....

We chose to expand our vehicle seating options to help support

...our expanding family.

Baby Sullivan is scheduled to arrive mid-March.  We are not going to find out the gender ahead of delivery and we are very excited to welcome this sweet new baby girl or boy into the world.

It has been especially fun sharing this experience with the other three children.  Having "older" children to share in the joy has been one of my favorite parts.  It is funny to see their eyes widen as they recognize the fast growth of my belly.  They have opinions on name selection and even share thoughts on how they will help with the baby after he or she arrives.  Kaelyn's first name selection for the baby was first name, "Little", middle name, "Me".  Chloe's selection was "Chala"...the name she often gives her baby dolls. Needless to say, we are still brainstorming name options.

Chloe Turns THREE!

Chloe Grace turned three years old in September and we quickly came to realize that she is not a baby anymore. Six months prior, just before Brady left for deployment, Chloe started potty training and moved from her crib into a big girl bed. I sat on the floor in her room and cried as he changed her convertable crib into a toddler bed. It didn't seem possible that she could be old enough to be out of the crib. She did great with the change though and continued to mature and become more independent at a rapid pace from there forward. Over the past year Chloe has learned most of her letter sounds and can count to 20 (every once in a while she skips 17). Things to Remember about her now... Favorite Song: Dynamite Dessert: Ice Cream Food: This is tough because she has a very wide pallet for a 3 year old. I would say...mac and cheese or chicken nuggets Loves to: Dance, Color, Paint, play dress-up, & tea parties Favorite Color: Purple Favorite Outfits: "Spinny Dresses" Loves all things girly: nail polish, girl products, lotion, perfume...she is fascinated by all the Mary Kay products Chloe also shares the very same birthday with Nina (Brady's mom) so this year we were fortunate enough to have a special celebration for the two of them.

First Days of School

It is hard to believe that we have a 3rd grader, Kindergartener and preschooler this year! All three children have been tremendously blessed with amazing teachers and they all seem to be so happy with school this year....such an answer to prayers!

Colorado Road Trip

In August our family took a road trip to Colorado. We went to visit Brady's extended family on his dad's side who live just south of Denver. It was a wonderful break from the Texas heat to head up to Colorade where the mid-day temps maxed at the mid-70's. It was gorgeous! And, there is nothing like an adventure to bring your family closer together than to pile into the minivan for a 14.5 hour car trip. While we were there Brady competed in a triathlon with his cousin Michelle. It was an incredible feat with the fridgid water temps and the much higher altitude to compete in but he did really well!

Pine Cove Family Camp 2012

One of the most exciting things that our family did after Brady's return from deployment was taking a trip to Tyler, TX for Pine Cove Family Camp. Family camp gave us an incredible opportunity to reconnect and enjoy uninterupted time together. Brady and I were able to spend time together as a couple while the kids happily went with their counselors and peers to take part in exciting activities while also sharing about God's love for them. The sweet counselors even came to our cabin two mornings during the week to help the kids get ready for the day so that Brady and I could take and early morning trail ride and a bike ride, just the two of us. It was wonderful!! Pine Cove offered a great chance to spend time outdoors swimming, biking, horseback riding, ziplining, boating, archery, and lots more. Hands down it was the best family vacation I have ever been a part of and I look forward to going again with the kids this next summer!