Deep Thoughts by Rachel

A lot of thoughts over the past few days, including:

Food Storage:  I really would like to get the move on with food storage.  I've always been good about buying more than what we need in case of emergencies and what not, but I think right now I want to learn how to grind wheat to make my own flour and how to store water.  So a wheat grinder and water barrels are in our future.

Family Home Evening:  We started getting consistent about doing this every Monday right before Rick left, and we haven't since.  So, I think we're going to try to, once again, make it a priority.  I really just want to start the boys young with it, even if they don't quite understand everything.

Potty Training:  Evan was going through a phase a while back where almost every day during his quiet time (time in his room playing with his toys,  maybe a nap) he would get a poopy diaper, take it off and smear the poop everywhere.  Lovely, right?  Well, right now, I've started putting blanket sleepers on him at bedtime and at quiet time backwards so he can't figure out how to get them off.  I just want to get us settled in Mississippi before we start potty training.  Because  I think he's ready!

Christmas:  This year for Christmas, I think we're more happy to be spending time with Rick and family than anything else.  The boys are getting quite a bit (Evan has hit a really fun age with buying boy gifts!), but for myself, I am just so thankful that my family will be together again, I really don't mind what I get for Christmas.  And this year the boys and I are doing a devotional everyday, reading a scripture and Evan eating a chocolate from our advent calendar (what keeps him still during the scripture).  I am doing this because I want to start teaching the boys why we celebrate Christmas, and although they are young, I figured that I would start them early in the tradition.

Personal Scripture Study:  Lately, I've been wondering about my scripture study.  There are so many things I can read besides the scriptures, including books by general authorities, general conference talks, and publications from the church.  Right now, I am starting over in The Book of Mormon and I will be reading the scriptures

Rick's Graduation:  I am so happy to be reunited with Rick for a good amount of time!  I love this man and I am so happy that he is going to be commissioning.  It is something that he has wanted to do for a very long time now, and I am so proud of him for achieving his goals and never giving up.  I am so happy we'll be back together in Mississippi! I am also looking forward to everything finally settling down in Mississippi after the holidays.

Pinterest:  I love pinterest, but honestly I get so annoyed sometimes.  Mainly with the lack of spelling and grammar skills.  And the quote "pin now read later".  I don't know.  It's mainly the captions that annoy me and the pins that claim to have "the best idea ever" or "the best recipe ever".  I honestly think that the people that wrote the post probably write those silly captions to try and convince everyone to pin it so they can get more traffic to their sites.  Also, hashtags.  I really hate those.

The Hobbit:  December 14.  Rick's graduation and The Hobbit movie.  Best. Day. Ever.

Evan Speaks

Something miraculous has happened while we've lived here in California.  Evan has finally started talking!  He isn't verbose or anything like that, but the fact that he is speaking so much more than he was in Maryland makes me so happy! 

Right around Evan's birthday on 10/28, I was making cupcakes to take to his preschool on the Friday since we would be in Utah after for Halloween.  He really, really wanted a cupcake.  But, I made him say, "Cupcake please".  He immediately said, "upcake ease".  I was so happy!  Then after his birthday, while we were in Utah, he just exploded with phrases, usually repeating once after us and then saying it over and over again. 

I know he still has a long ways to go, but I am so happy that he is at least communicating a little bit, that I will honestly take what I can get.  I am so grateful for just "waiting it out", and not listening to closely to the education experts who believed that he was really, really behind. 

Anyway, Evan does talk now.  A lot more consistently than he used to.  Here are some of his favorite things to say (that I understand):

-More
-Fishies (goldfish)
-Trick or treat (he said this all night long and through the next week on Halloween when he wanted something)
-Milk
-Please
-Thank you
-Clean up, Clean up (his favorite song, and he actually cleans up)
-Little brother (ittle udder)
-Orange Juice
-Sit down
-Oliver (Oriver)
-No
-Mama
-Woof woof (when the dogs come around)
-cupcake

Alright, there's the list so far.  Looking forward to him actually talking more and more.  I am so proud of him, since he's been a little punk for so long, not talking. 

Life in Cali

As much as we miss Rick, we are definitely enjoying being in California and living with my parents.  Evan adores the dogs.  We love seeing my parents (nana and poppa) and my brother who lives close by with his dog, Strider.

We had a pretty uneventful trip out to CA.  Sarah helped us with the flight and then stayed for awhile.  We went to Disneyland with Sarah and Aaron (my bro) and had a lot of fun and then Sarah left the next day.  Anyways, more pictures catch up!

Sarah with Logan and Evan

Evan helping Logan with his rings.

Logan the zombie.  Actually, that's cherries all over his face.

Aaron, Sarah, and I with the two boys.

Kim protecting Logan

Kim playing mommy/babysitter for Logan.

Poppa and Evan falling asleep together while watching TV

Uncle Aaron with a sleeping Logan

Handsome Logan, the ham for the camera.

Evan in Logan's carseat

Evan enjoying kitty.

Evan, falling behind the couch.

Logan with his rings. 

The Harry Potter apron my mom and I made for my sister Sarah for her birthday.  (actually, I bought everything and my mom made it.) 

Gryffindor!

Logan fast asleep on Nana.

Those are just a few of the pictures from here in California!  We're having a good time with Nana and Poppa but we're certainly missing Rick/daddy a lot.

I'm Back!!! Well, kind of... (with lots of pictures)

The most recent picture of myself nad the crazy boys. 

Hola!  It's certainly been a while since I've written in this blog.  Rick has been gone from us for the past 9 weeks or so... Only about 5 weeks left!!!   I am super, super excited about being able to live with him again... AND I am SO excited about seeing him in 15 days when he comes home for Thanksgiving!  We had no idea that he would be able to come home, and tickets cost and arm and a leg, but to me it is well worth the money to spend a couple of days with Rick!  I am so looking forward to seeing him.

The boys have had a hard time adjusting to living with my parents.  Especially Evan.  I think he knows it's not really his space.  He's constantly going a million miles a minute (even more so than our house in Maryland).  I am looking forward to moving to Mississippi.  I really can't believe that I said that!  But I am really excited about having our own house.  We're grateful to my parents for everything that they have done for us in letting us invade their house, but there's nothing like having your own home.

Evan turned 3 on October 28.  I am super excited to have a 3 year old, it's kind of crazy.  But then this weird thing happened any my usually sweet little  boy has turned into a temper tantrum throwing monster.  He does talk more though...

And Logan is now crawling all over the place!  He is getting into everything.  He's a demanding, spoiled little guy though.  When he wants to be held, he wants to be held and he will let you know how angry he is if he doesn't get his way!

And for me, I've been doing well.  I have been going to a bootcamp that my friend Amber runs.  It's an awesome workout that I get to do 4 days a week.  And, so far I've lost 21 lbs since I've been here... On top of all the weight that I lost in MD before moving, that makes 40 lbs total I've lost since I came home from the hospital with Logan.  And it was hard to lose....  Anyways, I am very happy so far, with that weight loss.  40 lbs down, and I have about 40-50 more to lose.

Anyways, October went by in a blur!  And we are looking forward to November going by quickly.  We get to see Rick at Thanksgiving.  And his graduation date from OTS is December 14.  So, only 36 days left!

the train cake I made for Evan's birthday

Logan had a grand old time with the balloons.

Evan with his birthday hat and all up in my face.

Logan trying to steal the spotlight while Evan blows out the candle.

I got wax on myself and probably swore.  That's why the boys are looking at me...

Poppa trying to point to the cake but Logan was more interested in the camera.

Making Halloween cupcakes at Aunt Bethany and Uncle Russ' house

With mommy.  Hard to get Evan to sit still.

Logan and I together.  His first Halloween

Evan enjoying his cupcake.

Evan painting his pumpkin.

Logan playing with the foam stickers and getting into everything on the table.

Evan admiring his creepy pumpkin.

Evan as Yoshi.

Luigi, Yoshi, Mario and Toad

With Casey at Texas Roadhouse for dinner.

Mom and Evan (right before Evan fell asleep at the table)

Logan slept at Texas Roadhouse too.  He knew he wasn't getting anything yummy.

The boys the night before we left.

Evan and Logan on the air mattress that we slept on in Bethany's basement.

So cool... on the 15 going home.  Evan with kitty cat.

Slacker

You can call me a slacker.  It doesn't matter.  I really have not been updating this blog as much as I would have liked.  But things around here have just been busy lately. 

-Rick has orders! (finally) We will be moving back to California in September while Rick drives to Alabama.

-Liverpool v. Tottenham game---This was the end of July and we had a lot of fun, even though the game was boring (ended up being 0-0). 

-Scheduling the moving of our stuff has been super stressful because everything is so last minute.  I have a feeling that this is what's always going to happen in the military.  LAME.

-My birthday this month was a lot of fun.  I went shopping, ate sushi, and ate the Gelato Key Lime Ice Cream Sandwiches.  These ice cream sandwiches are amazing.  Seriously, they may change your life. 

-Too many trips to the Amish Market.  I am going to miss that place when we leave.

-A lot of working out.  I have a gym membership that I am taking advantage of as much as possible.  They offer great classes, including step, yoga/pilates, zumba and kickboxing. 

-Playing with the boys as much as possible.  We've been painting, writing, laughing, wrestling, and dancing together.  Evan can write "Evan", "Mommy", "Daddy", and "Logan" in all capitals.  We're working on counting as well.  The other day I told Evan to climb into his car seat and counted to three in order for him to get in a timely manner.  I said, "one, two", and then Evan piped up "twee!". 

-Not doing so well with eating right.  I am a stress eater.  All of the military nonsense is driving me crazy, and I tend to eat with my stress.  It's okay---I am learning that instead of eating, I should go run it off instead. 

I guess there hasn't been that much happening, but, I am still going to just spend as much time with Rick as I can before he leaves for three months.  I probably won't update again until we're in California. 

And I just realized that the name of our blog is "Adventures in Maryland".  Which we'll have to change, so I have to think about that now... hmm..

A Summer Baby Shower

 I threw a baby shower for my friend Sarah the other weekend.  She's having a baby girl, and of course, since I have two boys and no girls, I really went overboard.  I could have done more with decorations, but just didn't have the time to do EVERYTHING that I wanted.  It still turned out really nice and I think everyone had a good time!  Some of the pictures (taken on a camera fine cause I couldn't find our camera in time). 

The clothesline for Sarah's baby girl Aubrey. 

The gift table. 

Sarah with Claire and Leslie.

Rachel, Nicole, Ariane, Tracie and Angela (and Ian)

Melissa, Courtney, Amanda and Jennifer

The centerpieces...It just looks like oranges and lemons in there, but there are also limes too.

Another view of the table decorations.

The food---including the yummy lemon bars that Tracie made.

Rachel reading her table's winning mad lib.

Leslie and Claire making a play dough model of Sarah's baby.

Rachel's model (she was just going for minion look from Despicable Me.)

One of the babies.

Sarah starting to open up her gifts.

Sarah got a lot of new stuff for herself and her baby girl Aubrey.  I am really excited for her having a little girl!