our trip to Williamsburg

Ahh. Williamsburg. A beautiful city. Chuck full of history. Smells like horses. Totally beautiful and extremely fun.

Me: "Clayton, do you want to go in that building?"
C: "Do you want to go in that building?"
Me: "Sure!"
C: "Okay ... I wonder what we can learn!!"

1776 was a good year for our country. We had so much fun! Educational trips are fantastic!! If only we had another free day, we would go to Jamestown to see the ships. Here's a little glimpse of today - but many more are on Facebook!

Us and Thomas J :]

In George Washington's church!

Praying in the pew!
Many of our founding fathers attended this church!! So cool.

Outside view of the church

My parents and C outside a gun building
(and yes, I bought him a gun!)

It took a lot of persuasion to get this photo :)

We would never get in trouble in the city!
..or we would never be caught, at least.

Saluting our country!

A very tired boy :]

C loved putting his head and arms in the "thingy." He also loved the room full of guns and bayonets, but he also loved the church! The best part is that children under 6 are free! It was very difficult trying to explain the American Revolution to him :) I promised that he would learn more in school. Pilgrims, Native Americans, the British, the new Americans.. whew!! That's a lot for a 4-year old! But he will get the whole story in the 4th grade. Until then, Williamsburg was great for the whole family! I definitely recommend it. We are so very thankful that we live in this city that is so close to our country's history!! It's fantastic!!!

Tomorrow is the VA Zoo!! C is thrilled to pieces. And, quite frankly, so am I :)

C's first visit to see ME!

Today was the best day ever - my nephew and parents flew in to see me during fall break! There is nothing sweeter than seeing this face as he whipped his suitcase around in a hurry to give me my birthday card. Before he even said hello or gave me a hug, he was the eagerest little beaver to give me my pictures, gift card, and my homemade birthday card from him.

And while he takes a power nap to prepare for our upcoming trip to the beach, I'm blogging about today (so far). Prepare for your retinas to bleed from the amount of pictures :]

Off to Cheeseburger In Paradise it was! To honor Jimmy Buffet, we all ordered hamburgers. I had a yummy Baja Burger which included onions, pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, and salsa. Mmmm mmm good.

C ordered mini burgers and he gobbled them up. Those are the most adorable, hungry, blue eyes, are they not!?

He sat in a big chair and sipped Sprite like a king in paradise.

We sat on a dolphin-esque bench and smiled. Because we really are happy.

Next up: the Virginia Living Museum. Here stands C inside a mock shark. Hands in pockets like a little man. Sigh.

He stood in front of shark jaws. Hands still in pockets.

He stood in front of tuna fish, one of his favorite foods.

He climbed in a turtle.

He was in awe of giant crabs.

He posed with me :)

He saw the Deuce Bigalow fish
and I made him pose :]

Lauren, I know you'll be thrilled!!!

He saw grody animals..
they even made grandma cringe!

I posed on my tippy toes in front of a tank with hubs.

He sat in front of a dinosaur!

He loved the many tanks of fish! So fun!

We stopped for a photo op while on the trail.

He searched for beavers.

We give a thumbs up to the Living Museum!

We pause for a kissy.

We spot a squirrel with two tumors on its back!

We see the most precious sting ray in the land!
Those lips are to die for!

They both loved the trip :]

And so did I! As soon as everyone wakes up (ha) we are going to the beach, then perhaps on base for a little tour. We've had a blast today - and we are all so tired! C would never admit that he was tired, but his sweet little face is adorable as he naps on our couch! I could eat him up. He notified me that he "still likes me" on our way home from the airport. He guzzled up my pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks and said it was deeeelish!

This is a very, very educational trip for C (and for all of us)! Tomorrow we will visit one of America's oldest cities and learn lots about our country and our founding fathers! I am thrilled to pieces and cannot wait to shop!

a pumpkiny post!

Today we went to pick our pumpkins! Granted, we still have nearly a month until Halloween, so our pumpkins will probably rot... but it was still great!

Today we missed Jackson's Orchard and resorted to picking our pumpkin in front of a Presbyterian church! It really wasn't the same as riding on the big wagons to the pumpkin patch, drinking apple slushes, taking pictures in front of the beautiful scenery, and eating caramel apples. But, you know, things change when you move to a weird state. Ahem.

I bet you Kentuckians think picking our pumpkin at a church is kind of odd. And it's because this beautiful sea of pumpkins were grown by Navajo Indians! No joke! Authentic Indians from Mexico! They ship them to Newport News and the church sells them to earn money for their youth program. They and the Indians split the money 70:30, so it's a great cause!

And even though we missed riding up that gigantic hill to Jackson's Orchard, and even though it would have been fun to see how our Jeep would have handled that, these pumpkins were the most beautiful pumpkins I have EVER seen. Each one of them was spotless, beautiful, perfectly round and orange. There was no "looking for a good one," but rather we just looked for the size and shape we wanted.



Lately, we have also been on a mad search for fall decorations. We can't find any. I've looked everywhere I could think of! So I decided to just get a small pumpkin as the centerpiece for our dining room table. Seriously. It is really hard to find a decoration. We don't want anything black, with skulls, with witches, with broomsticks, cats, or anything bloody. We just want some fall autumn-looking thing to sit around. So far, Yankee Candle has proved to be amazing, and no one else can live up. In case you're wondering, they have adorable harvest decorations in which to place your votive or tealight candles. I am a huge fan, and I still love their lip balm.

Oh, so here's my pumpkin:



And here's the family pumpkin! We will eventually carve it, but not just yet! We are VERY into carving pumpkins! Okay okay, stop jerkin my chain - I'll post some pictures of previous pumpking carving experiences, just because you're begging me!

Our first time carving together! C helped at 22 moths!

me busy at work as C sneaks a drink ;]
yes, he was adorable even then!

Our pumpkin house!! My favorite carving ever!

Carving 2008: I attempted a crow's cage
it was a Martha Stewart design, and it was too hard.
I never even made it to carving the crow!

info.

This is going to be short and sweet, because we are about to leave to go shopping, but...

I am so excited. Why, you might ask!? Well, you should know.

But just in case you "forgot" ... my parents and big nephew are coming TOMORROW! We have many, many events planned. I'll give you the short itinerary:

Sunday:
Virginia Live Museum
Tour of base a la Mark

Monday:
Williamsburg! For lots of history fun!!

Tuesday:
VA Zoo
MacArthur Center
Buckroe Beach

... and clearly there will be lots more, but those are the big ones! We are very excited to go to Williamsburg. However, Mark will not be attending the events on Monday or Tuesday, as he starts his job on Monday! So it will just be me and the gang. C is so excited to see me. He told me he couldn't want to hug me and he kissed me over the phone. He promises that we are still bffs, so we cannot wait to be together.

and just in case you were wondering...

We're going to the pumpkin patch, Marshalls, Walmart, and Lowes. I will reveal what we're purchasing at Lowes at a later date, because I don't want to make you gag .. just yet.

Tonight I am making a pumpkin pie and tomorrow I'm making pecan pumpkin spice bread with pumpkin pecan butter! Fall is in the air. Our autumn lights are up on our banister and our orange and black candles are on display! We are very excited!!!

We got Piper her Halloween costume last night! She was going to be a banana! It was SO cute. Her body would have been a peel, and her head was the tip of the banana! We followed the recommendations on the package and got the size (extra small) according to her weight. Well, we got home, and it wouldn't fasten around her belly.

SHUCKS.

Grr. Apparently, Paige also bought the same costume, and it wouldn't fit Fenway either. Ugh. But there is a Minnie Mouse costume at Petsmart that we've had our eye on... :]

In relating news, C&H have their costumes ready! Their costumes coordinate with one another. To give a little hint, Hudson is C's "little helper" of sorts.... any guesses as to what they'll be!? Trust me, if you get this right, I *will* send you a prize! It's nothing scary or bad - just cute and fun! Start your guessing!!

about me.

It just occurred to me that many of you don't know anything about me. Other than the fact that I have curly hair, I'm married to an Airman, I have a dog, and I live in Virginia. Oh, and I have the two cutest nephews in all the land.

But there is so much more. It would be a shame to hide all of my life's stories from you. Really. So a timeline was born:



September 18, 1987: My mother goes in labor. I am born after enduring a tragic vacuum extraction. I have a cone-head and my mom hopes that I don't always look like that. I met my sister for the first time and it was love at first sight. Well, maybe. At least she was at love first sight with me.

Spring 1990: My loving older sister hits me (accidentally) in the face as she swings her bat. Stitches are required.

Fall 1991: I fall off a toy fire engine at school and hit my chin. I didn't cry or tell anyone I was hurt, even though my chin was gashed open. The teacher finally saw it, and I had stitches later that day.

Fall 1993: We get a puppy. He is a Cocker Spaniel. I want to name him Copper after Fox and the Hound, but my family votes against me. We name him Topper. He has a white spot on his head, and he is really hyper. I also start Junior Bible Quiz, which will be my extra curricular activity of choice for the next 6 years. I am unbelievably quiet and scared. I don't buzz in and answer a question at all. Not once.

Winter 1993: I trip on my untied shoelaces as I'm running with my dad through the church parking lot. I hit my chin. Surprise, surprise. Stitches are needed.

Spring 1994: I begin writing short stories. And, although my spelling is atrocious, my teacher tells my parents that I have a true gift for writing. My favorite short story includes a little girl who throws up on her couch and gets vomit everywhere. I love school.

Spring 1996: I decide to ask Jesus into my heart and become a Christian. I am baptized a few weeks later in our church's baptistery - which is conveniently decorated for our Easter pageant as the Jordan River. I feel a little bit like John the Baptist.

Fall 1998: The high school band director attends school and offers us all to join the band. I immediately choose the clarinet to be just like my big sister. The band director asks me if I will become just like her, and I say yes.

Spring 1998: I like band alright, but I find that conveniently "forgetting" my instrument at home allows me to stay in class and talk to my friends. I skip about half of band practice.

Spring 2000: I am obsessed with N*Sync and the Backstreet Boys. I even receive a Backstreet Boys' poster for Christmas, and I am thrilled. My favorite things include nachos and sleepovers with my friends. I am also passionately creating home videos with my friends and making spoofs of popular shows, such as Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Fall 2001: I make the decision to be great at music. I decide that I want to be the best, in fact, so I start devoting all my time to my clarinet. I find out that I am bad at biology and better at English than I thought.

Fall 2002: I decide to try out for All-District. I make it.

Fall 2003: I get my first car. It is a Pontiac Sunfire. I love it. I also make All-District, am chosen for Honors Band, and try out for All-State. I make it. I am thrilled to pieces as I join the best high school musicians in the state for a weekend and play music. I am in heaven. Well, musical heaven.

Winter 2004: My first nephew is born. His name is Clayton. I love him the instant I see him.

Spring 2005: I get in my first wreck. It was my fault. I pulled out of a parallel parking spot and I hit a car. Oops. Later, I graduate high school and decide to become a nurse. I have high hopes of someday working at St. Judes Children's Hospital. I also make All-State again. I am one of the only people who does not raise my hand when the conductor asks which of us will major in music in college.

Fall 2005: I make a startling decision to quit music. I come to terms with the fact that I will never teach music, and I will never perform professionally. I resort to becoming a member of the Kentucky Summer Concert Series and play in my church's orchestra to fulfill my musical desires. I start college. I take Anatomy & Physiology with Juniors and Seniors. I am the only Freshman in the class.

Spring 2006: I perform a tracheotomy on a live rat. I expose the rat's lungs to oxygen. Rat doesn't die, so I am forced to cut out its heart. I perform resuscitation on the rat and feel a little bit Grey's Anatomy. Rat's tiny heart beats in my hand, and I love it. Later, I nearly faint as my own blood is drawn for testing in class. I realize that nursing is not for me.

Fall 2006: I meet Mark. A boy from church. I am cruising through classes preparing me for nursing school. Only, they are hard. It is becoming more and more clearer that nursing is definitely not my calling and that Mark is my calling. We begin dating on September 25th.


EDIT*********
Fall 2007: I realize my calling is to work with children, in some capacity or another, and I change my major to Exceptional Education. I begin taking classes in literacy, education, and more math. ***

Spring 2008: Mark asks me to marry him at our local Cracker Barrel. I say yes. We have a party the following day.

Summer 2008: My second nephew is born. His name is Hudson. I watch his birth. I am changed forever, and I love him the instant I see him.

Fall 2008: We make the decision for Mark to join the Air Force. He signs his papers in October and takes his test. I am not very excited.

Winter 2009: We are married on January 10th and leave for a cruise the next day. We snorkel, eat delicious food, and enjoy the Caribbean Islands. We love one another and cherish the two weeks we have together. Mark leaves for BMT on January 26th.

Spring 2009: I start a blog while Mark is away. I begin it in February. I decide that I love blogging, and it becomes therapy for me during the hard time. He graduates BMT on March 26th, and I travel to San Antonio to see him. In May, I graduate from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's degree.


and, of course, the rest is "history" on my blog :]


If you have any burning questions about my life, please feel free to ask! Are you curious as to what my favorite book is? The scariest thing that's ever happened to me? My favorite food? My favorite childhood memory? Anything is up for grabs - just ask!