My little Ham!

Gavin says he doesn't want his picture taken, but once we start he can't stop! He likes to pose! He must get that from the Pendleton side. Jessica does such a nice job taking pictures. I always hand her the camera.

The weather here is just gorgeous now. All this rain we have had lately just greened everything up and washed all the pollen away.

Bike Ride

Yesterday was a perfect day for a bike ride. Garrett is really enjoying his new bike he got for his birthday.

Gavin is ready for a bigger bike, and we need to take those training wheels off! Maybe we will work on this and suprise Rich when he comes home.
We ran into Omar, Garrett's friend while we were out. Cute kid and very well behaved, so they get along great! It is so nice to have friends who don't make this Mom worry!

Boys Field Day at School

Each year the kids elementary school have a Field Day. They had so many activites for the kids inside and out. The Fire dept was there, a big python that Garrett got to hug, bouncers, parachute demonstration, and a ton of different relay games. They had a big group of military guys helping with each station. I was able to follow the boys around and get some fun pictures. I think that the boys will sleep extra good tonight, I am super tired now!! Teamwork! "Right! , Left, Right, Left!"
Digging for dinosaur bones.
Clothesline laundry Racing.
Garrett running with a holy cup full of water. Boys against girls, boys won.
Ball hopping.

Gavin taking a bounce on the ball, he ended up bouncing his bum on the ground some too.
Look mom! No hands!
The Police Dept came and showed off thier Mounties
Gavin playing soccer, got in a good kick and made the goal!Egg relays. I had fun watching Gavin's class with the relays, it was a fun day and a bit warm out, 87 degrees!

Joe's Crab Shack

This is one of my favorite pictures. A couple hours after picking up Rich from the airport last November, he was in the mood for Seafood so we went to Joe's Crab Shack for lunch. Rich got a big bucket of crab legs and the waitress even tied a plastic bib on him (which he took off). We had a fantastic lunch, but I mostly remember how good it felt to sit as a family again and how happy and proud we were to have Rich home again with us. Can you see the contentment in all their faces? How sweet is this? Very.

Gavin's Dental Appointment

Gavin's dental appointment on Friday went super good. Look DAD!! NO CAVITIES!!!!

Gifts from Iraq

Rich brought some fun things from Iraq in November while he was on R&R, I have been wanting to share them for a while. Sweet little glass bottle with perfume oil called " Arabian Nights". Has a kinda of spicy smell to it. He also brought one for Jessica.

These are carved out of Water buffalo horns.

This little set Rich sent to me in the mail last summer, I have it in my dining room hutch. I really like the blue color.

This is a tea set called an "adallah". It is metal and has an etched design made by hand. Rich says tea is a traditional and important drink over there.

Garrett turns 10!!

Today was Garrett's 10th Birthday. Wow, double digits now for him! I can't believe it! I have been super sick and finally went to the doctor this morning after I baked Garrett's cake. I couldn't find any of my decorations so I had to stop at the Dollar Tree to get what I needed and it paid off, exactly what I was looking for. I came home and drugged myself and went to bed for 3 hours. I woke to the boys ringing the doorbell. Jessica arrived shortly after and helped with the decorating and the cake which I think turned out really cute. Jessica took the boys down the street to the neighborhood carnival for a half hour which gave me time to wrap presents and straighten up the house. We ordered pizza and Kari and Vince came over. Garrett got some fun things for his birthday, a basketball, Frisbee, sidewalk chalk, a microscope, from Kari and Vince water balloons (450), football, and a Rubik cube. Fun stuff! The best was when Rich called on the web cam and Garrett opened his special present he sent him. He got him the Hardy Boys 6 book set and Where The Red Fern Grows. They were Rich's favorites growing up. Garrett is so much like his dad, I am sure he will love them as much as he did. Overall I think that his birthday went over pretty good considering Rich is gone and I am sick with a cold.