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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Daddy Is Home!!!

Brady came home this week and we could not be more excited to see him!! One of the most exciting parts is we will get to spend the next 3 weeks with him because he is taking vacation to be with us! It has been such a sweet reunion and so fun to see the smiles on the kids' faces. We are all SO happy to have him back at home!

Getting Ready

Sweet friends from the squadron came over last week to help me prepare the yard for welcoming Brady home from deployment. We put up flags on the edge of the lawn, tied a yellow ribbon around the house, and we hung a "welcome home" sign. This was an exciting part of the week because at this point it truly felt like the deployment period was coming to a close...yay! Thank you ladies for all of your help! These are my sweet neighbors, Sue & Nan who kindly help me ALL the time! I don't know how we would have survived deployment without their visits and continual encouragement. Before Brady came home I went out and bought a new dress to wear to the airport to pick him up(a red one because he really likes red). The girls stayed with Sue and Nan while I shopped. When I got home I showed them my new dress and Kaelyn said, "Oh Mom...why don't you go model it for us? As I was walking to the room to change she added, "and what shoes do you think you will wear? and what necklace? any earrings?" I told her I hadn't really given that a lot of thought and I was up for suggestions. She took that to heart and ran upstairs while I changed. When I opened the door to walk out and show them both girls gasped. Kaelyn said, "Mommy!!! You look really beautiful!" as she handed me a wand and tiara to add to my attire. Chloe clasped both sides of her face and bent over saying, "SOOOOOO PRETTY!!" I tell you...these two really know how to make a girl feel good about herself. And in my head I kept thinking...."wow, I might want to break out of the gym clothes and consider dressing up a little more often if the change is THIS dramatic for them."