playing around

Apparently squishing Pappy should be made a new past time with the amount of fun Elizabeth and Gamma had...

pre-Christmas

The day before we left to go down to my Mom and Dad's for Christmas we decided to let the kids have a pre-Christmas present opening thanks to Nana and Papa Marlin. They got to open their gifts when they woke up and were able to play with their new toys. Thank you Nana and Papa for all of the wonderful things. The trucks have not left AJ's side since he opened them and Elizabeth loves her new Leapster.

afternoon craft

Ok - time to catch up on my blogging. As we all know, the holidays are chock full of goodies and treats so keeping in the spirit we decided to have Elizabeth make a Rice Krispies house in the afternoon while the boys were napping. Daddy got in on some of the decorating fun and helped out too. As you can tell in the last picture, Jacob woke up and was certainly intrigued by what Elizabeth had made.

little helper

So, I know I have been a bad blogger over this past week. I'm sure the excuses of getting ready for Christmas, editing pictures from photo shoots, chasing kids around , taking care of the house, and all of the other things that I do just would cut it for some of you out there. I mean, there are 24 hours in a day - really, why can't I find the time to sit down and post? Well, for those of you that think I have been slacking, I would like to give you a little taste of the "help" that I get through out the day. Jacob is infatuated with the dishwasher and the remote control. Well, tonight he decided to combine his loves as he stole the remote from the other kids and headed straight into the dishwasher while I was trying to clean the kitchen up from dinner. Needless to say, this then resulted in AJ screaming that "Ackey has the mote," and Jacob screaming in despair when I removed him from the dishwasher. But really, honestly, with all of this "help" that I get - why can't I find the time to post everyday?

cutie-pa-tootie

Yeah! I finally got to photograph little Miss Grace today! Despite the wind and cold that we had to fight today, she showed her best side for the camera. I hope you like the pictures Sarah and thank you for letting me take Grace's photos!

Graduation

How bitter sweet our senior's graduation was last night. With them graduating, it now means we are seniors and are half way to our own graduation. I am terribly excited for TPS to be over but that also means that I will have to be separated from good friends in 6 months as we go our different ways. This experience has created some of the best friendships I could have asked for and so many people have brought so much to our lives just in knowing them in. As I watched our seniors depart onto their next adventure, I realized as hard as TPS is and will become, I wouldn't trade it for anything as it has introduced me to so many interesting, wonderful people! Congratulations 07A - we aren't too far behind!

Our seniors named themselves "The Best Looking TPS Class Ever!", but I must say our guys are the best looking class ever!

Most of the 07B wives - I think we are a pretty good looking bunch too!

Team Red

Santa Comes To Town

Last night we headed over to the BX parking lot for the base tree lighting. We enjoyed some hot chocolate and cookies, good company from Santa, Mrs. Claus and his reindeer. The kids enjoyed the snow the most. Yes - I said snow! The base brought in a bunch of real snow and let me tell you these desert kids can throw snowballs like no others I have seen. They had a lot of fun!

I just thought this picture came out cool with the unintended effects.

1 year photos

Jacob decided he was going to refuse his morning nap today so I thought while the other kids were at school, it would be a great opportunity to try and get some photos of him. I would have loved to take him outside but everything is still really wet from our rain on Friday (who would have thought in the desert?). Of course in true Jacob style, he hammed it up for the camera. Hopefully, I will get to take him outside later on in the week for some more time with the camera.

jolly ole' sole

This afternoon we ventured over to the BX for the kids to see Santa. The kids did great! Elizabeth was able to list the 100+ things that she wanted but had to do it from afar - I guess getting too close to the old guy is a little scary. AJ of course got over his fear as soon as Santa pulled out candy. He is just too easy to bribe! And then of course, Jacob just went along with the game plan and sat on Mrs. Claus' lap. He was most interested in her sleigh bells though. I love to see the excitement of the season through their eyes.

first haircut

Today, Mike was able to take the morning off of school to journey into town. We decided it was time to get the boys haircut. AJ has been looking like a shaggy dog for sometime and my skills only go so far in the haircutting department. Jacob has been needing a trim for a while but I refused to do it until after he turned one. I'm not sure where that rule came from but hey - it is what it is! We ended up taking them to this cute place that specializes in kids cuts and they loved it. Of course AJ wanted Jacob to go first so Daddy placed him in the red Jeep with his Binky and he did great - no cry, no whine, no whimper, nothing! (I still think this kid is too cool to be real.) After a great job at sitting still and perfecting his skills on becoming handsome, it was AJ's turn. I think he felt the pressure of having his 12 month old brother do so good, that he decided he couldn't cry or complain because that would just be silly. He did have a look of anxiety in his eyes though. He overcame that by pretending to drive to Gamma's house the whole time. They both ended up with great haircuts - what handsome boys!

nap time decorating

So, trying to put up Christmas decorations with the help of three wee ones seems to be an impossible feat. Today, I decided I was going to get the tree up no matter what so while the boys were sleeping, I let Elizabeth skip her rest time and help me with the tree. It turned out to be a very peaceful and enjoyable experience. I hope she will remember decorating the tree and I can only hope in the years to come as the kids get older that we can all do it together.

on my soapbox again

For months we have been trying to get housing to admit that we have a drainage problem, with no avail. Today, we have had a minimal amount of rain and our backyard has turned into a wading pool, but I'm sure it has nothing to do with a drainage problem. Uuugghhh!

New Blog Button

I have created a blog button for any of you that want to add it to your site. Thank you Shelley for all of your HTML help!

little one

Yesterday I got to shoot photos of a Mr. Benjamin barely 4 days. How precious and fragile life is. Babies are truly a gift and I enjoyed being able to capture his first days. I am so happy for Adam and Tricia. These are three of my favorites from the shoot.

Herding Cats

I think I had a lapse in judgment today when I thought I could take all three kids out and try to get the perfect picture for our Christmas card. It felt a lot like herding cats - once I would get one in one place, another would run off or have a melt down. I guess it just wasn't meant to be today - try, try again! I did get several decent shots though.

AJ has decided that actually looking at the camera is not something he is going to do so I keep ending up with the oh so serious shots.

I did manage to get all three of them in the same frame for this one - that says something.

a boy and his digger

The story goes - my kids are addicted to construction equipment! I should have known what I was in for when Elizabeth was a little over two and corrected me when I called an excavator a tractor (how dare I not know the difference). And then there was AJ and his love of diggers. For a long time, we didn't go anywhere without "Scoop" in tow. (Actually, the Scoop in the pictures has been "borrowed" from AJ.) So now Jacob has expressed his interest in all things with wheels. From cars to trucks to diggers - if it moves, it must be fun! His most recent love is running, yes, I said running, around the house pushing "Scoop" and banging into everything and everyone that might cross his path. The boy has not yet accomplished walking independently yet but boy he can move with that thing. (Sorry the pictures are a little blurry - trying to get pictures while he is on the move is near to impossible!)

Thank You!

Dear Tricia,

I wanted to let you know what a precious gift you have given me by letting me be part of Benjamin's arrival. We have been so close for so long and have been through so much but I feel that moments like this are cherished and only shared with those that we truly love. I am so glad that you chose me.

I must say I am a little sad about loosing my friend that I have known for so long but I am elated to welcome a friend that will not only grow as a person but be able to feel a new appreciation for life and love now that you have a little one of your own. The induction into motherhood is such a bittersweet thing as you will now move to a new chapter in you life and have to leave behind your past as you knew it. But, what is to come is infinitely better than you could ever imagine.

When you look into Benjamin's eyes, when yours will hardly open, everything around you will fade and your love for him will be the most overpowering thing you will ever feel. I can't wait to see him grow and change as you and Adam shower him with your love, knowledge and appreciation of life.

You and Adam have tried for this little miracle for so long. It breaks my heart to know all of the pain that you went through in trying to accomplish what you now have but I know that God saved Benjamin for you. Benjamin certainly could not ask for more loving and devoted parents and I am so happy for the two of you.

I know that the Air Force has taken us in different directions over the years but we have always managed to be together for the important events of each others lives. For that reason, I know that even if we are apart in the future, we will always be together in heart and will get to see both of our families grow as one. Thank you so much for allowing me witness your most recent miracle!

Love,

Carrie

Benjamin Archer Quick

November 24, 2007
6lb 10oz
20 inches

In control

Today we went over to a park on base for a little lunch time picnic and some playtime. The kids found a rock that they seemed to be in charge of. They look so tough!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy

Today was Jacob's 1st birthday and I put together this slide show of the last year. If you have about 6 minutes - you can see the changes through the year. I am truly amazed at what a wonderful little boy he is turning into.

Brought Me To Tears

I don't have much time to actually listen to the words of songs but tonight as I was playing with the kids, I heard this song and it brought me to tears. What a beautiful song and makes me be proud to me a military wife. I thought I would share it with you.

Why do sonic booms happen during nap time?

So, I have decided that sonic booms are a cruel joke against mother's of sleeping children. If you aren't familiar with sonic booms, check out this site. For those of you that don't live at Edwards AFB - let me tell you that having no noise restrictions can be hell on nap times. Today was one of those days that I swear the pilots were feeling spiteful. Just as I got AJ settled down for a nap today (which seems to be a feat in of itself lately), there was a boom that shook the windows so hard, I almost jumped out of my skin. Needless to say, this sent him into a tizzy. We tried again and then sure enough - BOOM!!!!! Well - there went nap time for AJ! So in all of my infinite wisdom, I decided to put Elizabeth and AJ in the playroom with a movie so that I could at least get Jacob down for a nap. That was successful - at least for a little while. The next BOOM didn't wake Jacob up per say but the sound of Elizabeth crying because it scared her sure did. After all of this, I decided that I had been defeated so off to the park we went. And wouldn't you know it - there weren't any more sonic booms the rest of the day. Aaarrrgghhh!

Happy Pre-Birthday

Since family was in town we decided to celebrate Jacob's birthday a little early. (It is hard to believe the little guy is almost one - where does the time go?) Anyway, we started with a few presents from Gamma and Pappy before they had to leave to go home. Jacob loves his little shopping cart and is cruising all over the house with it. After dinner we let Jacob experience his birthday cake since Nana and Papa were still here. It was an adorable little frog but I must say that Jacob was very hesitant about it when I first gave it to him. Once he got a taste of the icing, he decided he liked it. He is such a nice little brother that he shared most of it with Elizabeth and AJ. I think he had a good pre-birthday! :)