Sailing Beyond the Sand

Some Pics from Christmas

2012-01-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

I didn't take nearly enough pictures over the holidays. I guess I was just too busy enjoying the fact that Mike was home this year! We had such a great time with family and friends in Kentucky. It went by way too fast, as always.

Happy New Year to everyone!!

Mom and Dad's Christmas tree.

Met up with our friends, Sarah K. and Ryan, while we were home!

Quick family pic before church on Christmas Eve.

Cousins, William, Avery, AK & Austin.

The girls with their Mimi and Pawpaw. Can believe we forgot to take a Carnes family pic! Erg!

Uncle Brian. Avery LOOOOVES Uncle Brian.

AK perfecting her clay with her new pottery wheel. :)

Getting excited for Christmas!

2011-12-20T14:00:00.002-05:00

These pictures are out of order because I'm posting this from my phone, but here are our Pre-holiday Highlights!

- Disney Princesses on Ice!
(when Rapunzel came out, Avery raised her arms up in the air in disbelief and kept them up the entire time. So funny.)
- Christmas tree!
- Hot chocolate!
- Decorating Christmas cookies!
- Live Nativity and caroling at church!
- Santa!
- Greatest part: Daddy is home this year to do it all with us!!! We feel very blessed this Christmas!

Hawaii!!

2011-12-10T12:38:00.001-05:00

Hawaii Bound!!!!

2011-11-21T23:02:00.001-05:00

We hugged and kissed the girls goodbye this morning. I cried, of course. But here we are in 21A and B. As I key this entry we are flying over the Pacific. Destination: Oahu!!! The nine hour flight isn't that bad so far. We only have a couple hours left! It's a lot easier when you don't have to worry about keeping your kids quiet. :) We've been watching movies, reading, playing checkers on the iPhone... And having uninterrupted conversations! I forgot what that's like!!! They're having a contest of who can guess the exact midway point of the flight down to the second. So naturally Mike got to work calculating wind speed and altitude. I hope we win and that the prize is a million dollars. :)

We are looking forward to some long overdue quality time together. I know we'll come back refreshed and itching to get our arms around our baby girls.

Picture Update!!

2011-11-12T15:19:00.001-05:00

We've missed Daddy so much over the past three months that he's been gone off and on. We were really happy to welcome him home last Friday! We went to base and surprised him by being there when he landed. The girls wore their Halloween costumes since Mike has missed Halloween for the past three years.

Here are a bunch of pics from the last few months including fall festivals, Halloween, Mike's homecoming and the USMC Birthday Ball.

Mike and I leave for Hawaii (!!!!) next week for 10 days and we can't wait!! The girls will be staying in KY with Mimi and Pawpaw. We are attending Mike's brother's wedding in Hawaii and decided to make a second honeymoon out of it. Last time we were there was our first honeymoon. Ten years ago. So excited to go back!

September

2011-10-04T11:32:00.000-04:00

Late August brought a hurricane our way, just as Mike was returning from Yuma and just as I was returning from Kentucky. We arrived to find that Irene left us with no electricity, a refrigerator and deep freeze full of spoiled food and two large trees laying across our back and side yard. They fell perfectly perpendicular to our house! Thankfully we had no damage, just a huge mess to clean up. Mike bought a chainsaw and we got to work cutting up the trees and hauling them to the curb. We went without electricity for a couple more days, but it wasn't too bad.

We enjoyed the last week of summer break after that and then Abby Kate started another year of preschool on Sept. 5. She loves her new class and has been doing very well. She has always loved school and anything to do with learning. Next year she will start Kindergarten! She'll turn 5 later this month - that is so hard to believe! Daddy will miss it as he is out in CA training for all of October. Sadly, we cannot make another trip to go see him, but we plan to hold off on the birthday party until he gets back.

August Travels

2011-10-04T10:31:00.001-04:00

Forgive me. This may have been the longest hiatus from blogging I've ever taken. The summer was such fun!

Mike was gone for the whole month of August. Our baby girl turned 2 during that time, so we decided to travel west to share Avery's birthday fun with Daddy. He was in Yuma for training, which happens to be the home of our dear friends, the Newbolds. We were so excited to see them. Sarah's husband flies the Harrier also and was deployed at the time. We enjoyed every minute of our visit and of course the very few minutes we had with Daddy each day when he could get away from work. It went by way too fast. The girls played and played, and Sarah and I had the best time catching up, laughing and just enjoying each others' company. Our friend Lindsey and her son Grant joined us a couple of the days. They invited us to their house as well, which was so much fun! We went swimming and had the best appetizers and margaritas thanks to Lindsey who is a master at creating all things delicious! I'm sad we didn't get a picture with them. :( Mike's brother, Bill, and his wife, Holly, also live in Yuma. We loved being able to spend time with them at their beautiful house and were happy they could come to Avery's birthday party. Sarah, a million thank yous for having us!!! Miss you!

Not quite complete without Colin. :(

Painting rocks!

Pledge of Allegiance.We'll worry about which side your heart is on later. ;)

Something they all can't get enough of... Daddy time!

Wii Dance Team :) We see you back there, Sarah!

Dress-ups all day!!


Uncle Bill and Aunt Holly live in Yuma so they were able to come for Avery's party too!

The Summer has Eaten Us Alive!

2011-07-27T15:12:00.000-04:00

In a good way. :) We have been so busy with work and vacations and pool time and parties and visitors and... well the list goes on. But it hasn't left me much time for blogging since Mike's been home. We are still feeling the homecoming bliss two months after Mike's return. I still give thanks to God several times a day that he is back, whether he's physically with us or not.

Here's an update through pictures of our summer so far. It's been a lot of fun! Unfortunately Mike is leaving for several weeks next month. :( But we are planning to fly across the country for a few days to see him while he is in Arizona and to visit our friends, the Newbolds. We'll get to celebrate Avery's 2nd birthday while we're there. Yay!!

First Baptist Church Tee Ball!

AK performed in the "Lion King" recital with Down East Dance in May. She was a bird if you can't tell. :)

Fun in Texas with Mike's family. Doesn't it show on Avery's face? Haha. Daddy may have mistaken her for a bowling ball. :)

Cousin Josh enjoying the slip-n-slide before a vicious fire ant attack took place. AK's face and ears swelled up so bad I thought we were going to have to take her to the hospital!

Grandma and Daddy helping Avery with a swim suit that floats!

Cousin Luke showed us his great diving skills.

On the ferry ride to Ocracoke Island, NC!

We spent the week riding around bicycle style! So much fun.

The beach at Ocracoke.

Lighthouse on the island.

Found them "sleeping" this way one summer afternoon. So sweet.

Fun at New York-themed Vacation Bible School in June.

Mommy was the preschool craft teacher at VBS. This was my room.

Cousins Austin and William with Avery and AK enjoying a swing before dinner out in Myrtle Beach. Mom, Dad, Brian and Carrie all came down to celebrate Dad's birthday on July 4th!

For Avery, the higher the better!

The kids REALLY enjoyed the live music at the restaurant one night. They danced and laughed and wouldn't leave this guy alone!

Love you Mom and Dad!

One of the many fun pools at the condo.

Feeding some really ugly fish. :)

Off to the park in New Bern one afternoon!

After and Since

2011-06-07T07:22:00.001-04:00

The homecoming was great. I can't describe the anticipation of that moment, but I know when those jets appeared like tiny dots in the sky and seconds later they zoomed overhead... that was a moment I'll never forget. There's a sign at the front gate of the base here that reads, "Pardon Our Noise. It's the Sound of Freedom." That thunderous roar has forever marked a spot in my heart after it announced my love was home. And that he did a very brave and selfless thing like so many others to protect our freedom. And now he was home safe. Finally. Finally.

We came to the house afterward and immediately started playing in AK's room at her request. The girls were all over him and couldn't get enough tickling and wrestling. I watched in awe as they laughed and played. Avery went right to him and was calling him "Dada" right off. I wasn't sure if she'd remember having just barely been a year when he left, but she did! Anytime he leaves the house now, she stands at the window and says, "Where Dada go? Daddy. Home."

The past month has been bliss here with Mike home. Having him by our side no matter what we do or where we go is just priceless. I still feel like it's a gift every day just to physically have him here in this house for any portion of the day. Mike said it is like sensory overload being back. He said when he came off the jet, to see and hug us and then seeing/smelling the grass and all the trees was so wonderful.

We traveled to TX to see Mike's family for a few days and then went to Ocracoke Island in the Outer Banks for a few days. It was heaven and I'm sad Mike had to go back to work yesterday. But I'm not complaining because, like I said, it is so, so great just to know he's here. Just being able to talk to each other on the phone and via texting when he's at work is awesome. One of the MANY things I took for granted before he left.

Most people ask me if he'll have to be deployed again. I'm sure that's the case, and we may have to go through another one starting July of 2012, but things constantly change with this lifestyle so I'm trying not to even think about that right now. I just want to live in the moment and keep thanking God that Mike is here and safe with us!

HOME

2011-05-19T15:02:00.000-04:00

Home. One beautiful word, many beautiful moments. Mike came home after almost nine months on May 11, a little after noon. We could hardly take the anticipation, but he finally arrived safely and we found his arms soon after. Thanks so much to Lexie and Sommer for taking photos and video. Share in our joyous day!

Countless thank yous to all of our friends and family that have prayed and supported us through this deployment. We are so grateful to have you in our lives. And lots of prayers for all those still serving and their families. May they come home safe. And soon.

Soooo Close

2011-05-08T19:46:00.001-04:00

Yard mowed. CHECK.

Cars detailed and washed. CHECK.

House cleaned. CHECK.

Outfits laid out. CHECK.

Cameras charged. CHECK.

Signs delivered. CHECK. Still need hanging! Anybody want to help? :)

Almost NINE months down. And only TWO days to go. TWO!!!!

One Week!!!!!

2011-05-03T23:43:00.001-04:00

So I bought milk today. The same two jugs I buy every week. A gallon of vitamin D for Avery and a gallon of skim for AK. And I almost started crying when I saw that the expiration date is AFTER Mike will be home. My husband will be drinking THIS milk! And then I went on to throw way more stuff in that I didn't need just because Mike would be there to eat it. I will be making him a sandwich on THIS bread and he will be pouring cereal from THIS box!! What a great boost to my day! I say to myself all the time, "this is the last time I will --- before Mike gets home. Whether it's taking out the trash, writing a check or going to buy milk, it feels so good to keep counting down this way. I can't wait to say, "this is the last time I'll leave the driveway before he gets home." Now that will be awesome. :)

Only about a week left! Please continue to pray for his safe return. I received a family readiness message today talking about some weather issues as they are traveling back across the Atlantic. I'm praying they aren't delayed!

Two Weeks!!!!

2011-04-27T22:59:00.001-04:00

I can't believe Mike will be home in TWO WEEKS!!!!! I am so excited at the thought of seeing him and squeezing him and bringing him home! It's all I think about!

This feels like such an accomplishment. It has been hard at times by myself, but the greatest thing I've discovered? That God has made me a strong and independent person. I've missed my husband... words can't even get close to describing how much... But I have thrived instead of curling up into a ball of self-pity like I imagined I would. There are only a few times that I really wished I had his help around the house or with the girls. Instead, the last eight and a half months have been spent missing his smile, his laugh, his touch, his humor, his company - I have missed all these things so much more than what he can do for me. I just miss HIM. The wonderful man I've loved for the last 18 years.

(And a bonus: he'll be here to celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary coming up in June!)

Thanks to all of you for your constant prayers, support and love!!!

Please continue to pray for Mike's safe return. I can't wait to post homecoming pictures here and on Facebook... and finally get this blog off private status! Yay!

He's Coming Home!!!

2011-04-07T18:51:00.000-04:00

OK, not quite yet, but the good news is that they are still on track for coming home in May!!! Which is going to be here in just a few short weeks!!! We are soooo excited!!! Well, I'M so excited, anyway. The girls are clueless because I don't want them to know until the day he comes home... in case something delays him. When I can look Abby Kate in the eyes and tell her, sweetie, THIS is the day. TODAY!! TODAY your daddy comes home!! Those will probably be some of the happiest words I've ever spoken! And the happiest words she's ever heard!

I'll leave you with some pics of Avery. She is already a little princess-wanna-be like her sister. She LOVES dress-up and shoes and jewelry. Here she is in AK's new Rapunzel hair. She kind of freaks me out with it on, like something you'd see in a scary movie... a little baby witch or something. hahaha

Visitors!!

2011-04-05T18:10:00.001-04:00

We heart visitors. Especially these ones. ;) Lexie and I were happy to welcome our friends Sarah with her daughters, Eden and Maren, and Lindsey, with her son Grant, all the way from Yuma, AZ, to stay with us for a few days! We had SUCH a fun time! Their husbands are currently deployed, so it was extra special for us to reunite as well as get our minds off missing them so much. The kids had a ball together. In fact we hardly interacted with them because they were so busy entertaining themselves! I'll let the pictures say the rest... thank you guys SOOO much for making the trip!! We really hated to see you go!

Lots and lots of dress-up was played!

One of several performances. :)

Grant shows off his cool after-bath 'do.

Abby Kate was in heaven with her two best girlfriends. They had a slumber party every night!

Sarah, getting her baby fix. :)

The last time Maren held Avery, she was only days old! It's unbelievable how much they've all grown.

Got a babysitter and had dinner out one night!

An impromptu carriage ride courtesy of our neighbors and their horse.

Pilot Rescue in Libya

2011-03-23T08:29:00.000-04:00

One of my greatest fears with Mike's job is that his jet will malfunction and he'll go down behind enemy lines after ejecting. This happened to two F-15 pilots on Monday in Eastern Libya. Marines and several aircraft from the USS Kearsarge were called to rescue those two Marines and did so extremely quick. It's a huge comfort to read about how quickly we responded and had those pilots back safe. Here's the article.

I've had the news on a lot during this because I want to be informed, and AK has been picking up things here and there from it. Yesterday she asked me, "so what's going on in Olivia today?" :) She thinks the anti-aircraft shots are fireworks. Their innocence is so sweet.

I cannot wait until the operation is complete and Mike is away from it all. And when I can stop feeling paranoid with one ear tuned to the news all day. Only a few more weeks, and he is set to come HOME!!! I am elated at the thought of seeing his face and being in his arms.

Libya Update

2011-03-22T15:46:00.002-04:00

I finally heard from Mike via email. He is very vague and isn't permitted to tell me any details... I keep asking, "Is it you? Did you fly today? Will you be flying tomorrow?" But he can only respond with "I love you. How are my girls?" ... but we're learning plenty from the news. Read this article! (It's a quick read with two pictures - one of his ship off the coast of Libya and another of his fellow pilot, Freedom Carlson - no joke, that's his real name not his call sign!)

I do know that his group of nine Harrier pilots aboard the USS Kearsarge have been striking several areas with perfect precision and they will be performing more air strikes today, which is night over in Libya. From what I can tell, their strikes are all happening in darkness. I don't like the thought of them flying at night over there, but this is what they've been training to do for a long time.

It's unnerving and scary to know that Mike may be in the air over this crazy regime as I type this. But I am so proud of him and all of his fellow pilots. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and words of encouragement. He'll be home safe before we know it!!!

Prayers for Mike

2011-03-20T12:18:00.002-04:00

If you've been watching the news, you're aware of the situation in Libya. Yes, Mike is over there in the middle of it and they are sending USMC Harriers to do air strikes. I have no idea of any details other than that because they've cut off our communication. All I've received are recorded messages from the CO of their squadron telling us that the pilots are well prepared and up to the task - and that the aircraft is in good condition. Please pray for Mike and all of the service members overseas. I have anxiety as you can imagine, but faith that God will protect them. Just wish I could hear from Mike. Hopefully in the next day or so...

More updates to come. Here's a short article if you want to read more.

Moving Along

2011-03-13T20:50:00.000-04:00

We are moving along and growing fast this year so far. The last two months went by quick. We've enjoyed getting outdoors in the spring-ish weather and already made a trip down to the beach when my mom, Carrie and nephews came to visit last month.

This & header pic by Carrie Carnes, vintagebluephoto.com

Abby Kate still loves school and dance and church activities. She is a huge helper at home and plays well with her sister most of the time. She has learned many words using her flash cards and enjoys anything educational, which I am so happy about!

Avery is 19 months. She is full of laughs and is quite the clown. She says tons of words and pretty much understands everything I say to her. She has learned to throw away empty things like raisin boxes and plastic baggies. The down side is that I find empty sippy cups, empty plastic bowls and the occasional toy in the trash. :) I love watching her play and learn. Perhaps my favorite thing is when she randomly sees a picture of Mike and says, 'Dada.'

Mike is floating around somewhere in the Mediterranean now. I'm not positive if the Harriers will be involved in any of the Libya turmoil if a no fly zone is implemented, but I do know their cargo planes have been flying Egyptian refugees from Libya back to Egypt. Mike has remained in good spirits. He stays busy, but is so excited to get back home to his girls. He comments about how much they appear to have grown in photos I send him. He will be shocked when he sees them. They are so much bigger. I can't wait to watch them run to his open arms!!

Recent pic of Mike on the boat workin' hard. haha ;)

And the days are nearing!! Mike's homecoming is under two months away if all goes as planned. Um, which never happens, but still... :) After the first couple of weeks into this, I had successfully pushed down all my emotions and quickly got a handle on life this way. I found it was the best way for me to deal. Now that the end is in sight, I'm finding all that emotion coming back to the surface. I can't stand the excitement and anticipation of his homecoming!! Before this deployment I would've thought two months was an absolute eternity, but now it seems like just around the corner!

Thanks so much for your continued support and prayers!!

Valentine's Day Surprises

2011-02-17T16:45:00.000-05:00

Flowers and balloons from Daddy! Thanks, Daddy, we love you and missed you on Valentine's Day (and every day).

We also received these beautiful tulips from a friend, Jody, who I first met when Mike was in TBS in Quantico, VA. What a wonderful and heartwarming surprise! Thanks, Jody!!

AK Quotes

2011-01-27T12:40:00.001-05:00

Just a couple recent ones I want to remember...

AK: Mommy, I'm the "pay for" lady and you're at the grocery. (She calls the cashier the "pay for" lady.)
Mommy: OK
AK: What would you like to buy?
Mommy: Some peace and quiet, please.
AK: We don't sell that here. Peace and quiet is for grown-ups.
...

AK: (comes out of her room where she's playing with Avery) Mommy, something's wrong with Avery.
Mommy: What is it?
AK: She's got some ear whack in her ear.
Mommy: (Smiling and trying not to laugh) Some what?
AK: (Loudly and slowly pronouncing again) EAR WHACK!!!

Looks Warm Over There

2011-01-25T10:13:00.001-05:00

Mike just sent me this picture of him landing (or taking off, maybe??) on the USS Kearsarge. I actually don't know where he is "over there," but he's somewhere warmer, I know that!

Fifty-seven Percent There!

2011-01-24T22:29:00.001-05:00

We are over halfway there. I've tried to stay positive thus far, but there are definitely some very lonely days. Mostly lonely nights, I guess. When the girls go to bed - after I've done all that has to be done - and it's just me. The times when I stop, when I run out of things to occupy my mind and my time... that's when I just miss him. I miss him waking me up in the middle of the night just to talk to me. I miss weekends working in the yard. Seeing him pull into the driveway after work and the girls so excited that Daddy's home. Seeing the girls jump all over him and wrestle on the floor. I miss our family walks around the neighborhood. Watching our favorite shows together on the couch. I miss getting ready together in our bathroom with the girls playing at our feet. I miss being able to hear his voice and seeing his smiling face.

But the time continues to tick down with every passing day and I am so thankful for THAT!! The girls are happy and healthy and there is much to be joyful about every day. It turns out deployment is a great diet too. After church the other day I noticed my dress pants were unusually baggy. I realized I could slide them right off without even unbuttoning them. I guess Mike took my appetite along with my heart. :)

Oh, how I miss him!!

Forgive Me!

2011-01-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

I know it's been so long since I posted! And here I thought I'd be posting so much more frequently during Mike's absence. God has blessed us with a full schedule since the day he left and it has truly made this so much easier.

So to catch up, here are a few pictures from the past few weeks.

AK's Thanksgiving preschool feast.

Random shot taken after Mommy's Tuesday morning Bible study.

I got a REALLY good laugh out of this. I could not stop laughing. And neither could "Santa," which made it even more funny. Dad found his Santa suit and treated the grandkids to a home visit from Santa! He covered his face almost completely with the beard and wig so they wouldn't guess. The first thing out of AK's mouth: Why does Santa sound like Pawpaw?! No fooling that girl!

Then Santa came after me!

AK was happy to put Mimi's star on top this year!

Our first attempt at rollerskating. It wasn't Mommy's first time, but it may as well have been! AK did much better than I expected. She loved it and was so brave!! And by the end, I was racing my big bro around the rink. He beat me. Not much has changed! haha

AK and William after seeing Tangled at Tinseltown in Louisville. Rapunzel is AK's new favorite princess now. She wants to grow her hair down past her feet. :) Don't see how that's going to happen when I can't even complete one stroke with the brush without her saying "OWWWW, Mommy!!!!" and then tears.

My college friend and sorority sister, Ellen, invited us over one night. So many girls!!! It was great to watch them play and to catch up with old friends.

Pawpaw and Mimi gave AK these princess dolls for Christmas. Don't think I've ever seen her more excited!

Avery's new hat from Aunt Carrie and Uncle Brian. Love it!!

We traveled to TX for Christmas where Grandma and Grandpa Wallace took us to ride on the Polar Express! So much fun!! Here, we are waiting to board the train. The girls wore matching owl pjs. Avery was all over the place. I think she would walk for miles if we didn't stop her!

Train arrived!!

After hot chocolate and a little trek down the tracks, AK met the "real Santa" at the North Pole. He gave her a Jingle Bell from one of his reindeer.

Lil' punkin', doing what she does best - looking cute, but not sitting still. :)

Christmas Eve, just before church. I can't lie, this night was really hard for me. Being in TX with Mike's family was great, but it was also a constant reminder that he wasn't there with us. Seeing Abby Kate cling to her Uncle Bill was bittersweet... I know it was because he looks so much like her Daddy. We got to talk to Daddy on the phone a couple of times. It was so great to hear his voice. Still haven't been able to Skype or anything like that.

This picture is always a struggle with all the kids! We needed to hire a clown or someone to stand behind the camera!

Congrats to the new Mr and Mrs. Wallace! We are so happy for you, Bill and Holly, and we wish you the very best!

Cheers!

So this concludes my holiday rewind! I'll be posting more frequently now that we're back in NC and settling back into our routine. I am thankful that we continue to stay busy as the months pass. We are a little over halfway there!

Not Ready to Say Goodbye

2010-12-02T18:40:00.000-05:00

My grandmother unexpectedly passed away on Saturday. My heart is broken. She filled my life with so much love and joy and she will be forever missed.

There are people in this world who can say the words "I Love You" and mean it from the bottom of their hearts. Oneida Carnes, my grandmother, my Mawmaw... she could say them louder and more heartfelt than anyone, using only her two arms and hands... every time I saw her, she would reach out to me and wrap me up in the tightest hug, pressing her forehead against mine as if to have her thoughts and unconditional love come straight out of her heart and into my heart. The love radiated from her arms. She'd squeeze me tight and smile back at me so close - as if she'd just eat me right up if she could. She'd hold me there for a long moment, then utter the very loving words I'd already felt spilling over into me through her embrace. She'd put her hands on either side of my face and speak straight into my eyes telling me how much she loved me. My sweet Casey, she'd say, I think of you every day. I love you so much. I hope you know how special you are to me.

I will cherish those moments and they will be the things I'll remember most. Hugs that can only come from Mawmaw.

I've seen her give these same hugs to everyone in our family. Her brothers, her children, her grandchildren, her sons and daughters-in-law. Her grandchildren's husbands and wives. And I remember her always smoothing Pawpaw's hair, pressing her cheek against his and holding his hands. Love and adoration emanated from her. She made each of us feel like we were the center of her world. And we were. You could plainly see her greatest joy in life was to have all of her family together under one roof, laughing and enjoying the time together. With cornbread of course. Always some cornbread fresh from the cast-iron skillet.

Every time I think of her, my heart melts from the thought of those warm embraces and the scent of her familiar perfume. A beautiful lady that will always see me as a little girl in a blue coat and black mary janes.

So many times as a little girl I followed behind her through the garden at the yellow house, checking the corn and the tomatoes and hoping that maybe we'd be able to eat the strawberries straight off the vine. The warm breeze would float by us, she would be on the swing near the giant apple tree as I beckoned her to watch me climb onto its lowest, thickest branch. The only one I could reach. And then we'd search for the best of the sour green apples that had fallen off the tree.

She didn't mind when I played with all her best handbags as I searched for all the extra sticks of cinnamon gum that were left in the bottom. I liked to think she left them there just for me. She'd spend hours beside me at the piano or organ, playing my every request over and over, her smile never fading. I swayed beside her, listening to her sing Silent Night or Amazing Grace and watching her hands move across the keys.

I always loved it when we'd get Mawmaw laughing really hard sitting at the table after we finished a holiday meal. She'd start with a belly laugh and then put her hand up over her mouth until the tears would come and then her hand would move down over her heart as if she just couldn't take it anymore. But then she'd continue laughing until it was just silent shaking and tears.

The way she loved Pawpaw is something that is always on my mind and in my heart. An inspiration to me. In the years after he died, she missed him so much and longed to hear his voice or hold his hand just once more. It gives me peace to know that she is reunited with him. And with her Savior.

Words can't say how much we loved Mawmaw and how much God blessed us by having known her. And I just want to thank her for loving all of us in such a wonderful way. She will be forever in my heart.

Oops, Forgot Halloween!

2010-11-19T21:26:00.000-05:00

Princess Jasmine and a Pink Bunny... still trying to get rid of all the candy they were given that weekend!

Slowly But Surely

2010-11-14T21:43:00.000-05:00

A little over two months has passed, but it seems like so much longer. I know I've said this many times! We are still doing as well as can be expected. We have down days every once in awhile, but for the most part, we are just fine. Mike has been receiving the care packages I've (and some of you have) sent filled with snacks and magazines and AK's artwork, DVDs and cards. I sent him a Kindle for Christmas which I told him he could open early so he could get some use out of it. He said it was just what he would've asked for!

Thanks to everyone who has sent him mail or emails. He really appreciates it!

We will be busy traveling this month and next month for the holidays, so the time will surely fly by.

There He Is!

2010-11-03T22:44:00.006-04:00

There's my long lost husband! Finally, he sent me a picture! I've just been staring at him since he showed up in my inbox. I miss him so much. So much. Can't even say...

Two months down now. Seven [cringe] to go.

AK Turns FOUR!

2010-11-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Abby Kate's fourth birthday at a bouncy house party place in Louisville, KY. She had a ton of fun and is still talking about it! Perhaps the best part of her birthday was when she received a special phone call from Daddy. I can't believe my baby girl is four years old.

Abby Kate, you are ever full of love and laughter and kindness. You bring us endless joy and we love you so, so much! Happy birthday, sweet girl!

Past Few Weeks in Pictures

2010-10-27T16:39:00.005-04:00

Fun at the Oldham Co. park!

At a pumpkin patch in Shelby Co. KY

We went to watch William's last football game. Way to go!
Picture by BJ Brown.

William took a time out to say hello to his baby cousin.
Picture by Cristy Sheppard.

At the game with Austin and Aunt Carrie
Picture by Cristy Sheppard.

Aquarium with Uncle Bill


Sommer and I just before running 13.1 miles. Sorry, phone camera doesn't do well without light... it was 7 a.m.!

Half Marathon Down!! Wore ribbon for Mike.

MumFest in New Bern

She's Off!

2010-10-14T14:43:00.001-04:00

Avery took off walking about a week ago! She still prefers crawling because she's lightning fast at it, but she's getting better and better on her feet. And she's oh so proud of herself! Mommy (and Daddy) are too!! I'm hoping Mike will be able to watch this from the blog, but he's been having trouble viewing videos online. If not, I guess he'll have to wait for a DVD through the mail. :(

Special Delivery!

2010-10-07T20:15:00.000-04:00

One Wednesday night a few weeks ago, Abby Kate brought home a blue balloon from church. (She LOVES balloons like most kids do and was super excited to bring it home.) We pulled into the garage, and I asked her if she'd like to get the mail for me. She skipped out to the mailbox, balloon in hand. I went around to get Avery out of her car seat and then heard AK start shrieking and crying. I ran out into the driveway to see her running toward me, dropping mail as she came and then looked behind her to see the blue balloon rising upward higher and faster into the distant sky. She was heartbroken! She told me through sobs that she was trying to get the mail and couldn't hold onto everything and it slipped out of her hand. :(

The only way I could think to console her was to tell her that her balloon was flying off in the direction of the ocean where Daddy is, and that maybe her balloon would fly all the way over to the other side of the world where Daddy can stand on the very top of his boat and reach up and catch it! ...and bring it right back home to her when he comes. Well that made her smile instantly. And she has not stopped talking about it since.

I told Mike the story soon after. To my surprise, a woman showed up on our doorstep yesterday with a bright and sunny arrangement of flowers and a big balloon tied to it that reads, "I Love You!" It was from Mike. AK was beside herself with joy... and then she asked me if Daddy was still going to bring home her BLUE balloon?

:)

One Month Down

2010-10-03T22:40:00.003-04:00

Over a month has passed since Mike left. Thirty-eight days to be exact. I'm sure most of you are thinking, wow, a month already?! ... but I'm not. The days seem to go by fast, but I feel like he's been gone for three months already. Maybe it's because I've heard his voice only once since the boat sailed away from the U.S. shore. Or maybe because Abby Kate keeps asking for her daddy nearly every day. Or because Avery is growing and changing so much and so fast that I can't believe he doesn't even know her this way.

I try not to dwell on missing him all the time. There's nothing I can do about it - I'm just glad every day that passes is a day closer to his homecoming. It's very conflicting to wish the days away, yet not want the girls to grow up so fast at the same time.

Lately I've heard from Mike about once, sometimes twice daily via email. I'm so thankful for at least the email communication. Having nothing is really terrible and I hope they never restrict the communication again. Mike says they work every single day and are staying really busy with briefs and flights. He can't tell me where they are or what they're doing. He can't even say what time zone they're in anymore. He asked me to take down my little map here on the blog that tracked his progress. I'm sad for AK because she was really enjoying putting up the stickers on her own gigantic map in her room. I've asked Mike to send me some pictures, so hopefully I'll have some to post here soon. For now, I'll settle for this one of Mike with the girls as we hiked some trails near our house the weekend before he left.

Mike is receiving the packages we've sent full of home video DVDs, pictures, AK's artwork, snacks, candy, sports drink mixes, books, magazines and all sorts of other stuff. I think mail is a big morale booster on the ship, so I've tried to send something every couple of weeks. He said he taped up the girls' pictures above his bed. I can't imagine how it would feel to only be able to look at their sweet smiles in pictures and video and not be able to hold them and laugh with them and kiss them goodnight.

But one month is gone. And that feels good to say. I've been told the first and last months are the hardest. The first as you try to settle into a routine without them and the last because of the anticipation and not knowing exactly when they'll come home. I think they give a two-week window or something like that.

Eight more to go! I REALLY hope less!

Rain, Rain, STOP ALREADY!!!

2010-09-30T20:45:00.000-04:00

It's the third day straight of constant downpours in our area. I just heard the reporter on the nightly news say we've had 20 inches since Sunday. Wow! AK's school was canceled for two days, as well as her dance class and church Wednesday night. I guess there is a lot of flooding and several road closings. Conditions are supposed to get worse as all the rain continues to flow into the sewage drains and into the streams and lakes. It's truly unbelievable how much it has rained. My friend and I were supposed to do an 8-mile run this morning to prepare for the half marathon we're running in a couple weeks. We kept putting it off hour by hour waiting for the rain to stop. And it never. ever. stopped. Walls of rain were pouring off our house all day. It's 8:15 p.m. now and I still hear rain hitting our windows. Crazy. Anyway... here's hoping for a little sunshine tomorrow... and for all this rain to move to Kentucky, where my dad says it is badly needed!

Feeling Better!

2010-09-26T21:57:00.000-04:00

I was sitting at my computer diligently making progress on my design work today when Mike's name popped up in my email inbox! Oh thank God! That's what I said out loud. I hadn't heard from him in almost a week and the rumors were that I wasn't going to hear from him for 45 days. I am SO happy that wasn't the case. My mood has improved 100 percent!

Here's a recent shot of the girls before heading to drop AK at school. She is loving her class and teachers this year! Avery is loving being along for the ride. :) No, she's not walking yet, but I know she's going to take off any day now!

Feeling Sad

2010-09-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

There has been a stop to the daily emails from Mike now. I haven't heard from him in two or three days. The email was the one saving grace to this whole thing. We found out we may not hear from them for possibly a few weeks because we can't know where they are/what they're doing. It's such a downer not to hear from him. Of course I worry, too. I have no idea when he's flying or if he's on a mission...

I can only find comfort in words that our good friend, Colin, wrote to me shortly after Mike left:

"[Mike's] awesome at what he does and he's an outstanding pilot. He wouldn't tell you that but it's true. Watching him take off in that video, I know that somewhere there will be Marines on the ground that will be lucky he's the one up there. Having trained with Mike over the years, I know he's a dedicated professional, a true patriot... He's in good hands...his own."

Mike is highly trained in the jet. He knows what to do in all possible situations. I feel comfort in that. And of course comfort that ultimately he is in God's hands.

Weekend Away

2010-09-12T20:36:00.003-04:00

View from the back of the house. Beautiful!

Time flies when you're having fun, and this weekend was a flash! My friend, Lexie invited us up to the Annapolis area for a long weekend of relaxing by the bay. We stayed at a beautiful house on the water and enjoyed catching up, touring downtown Annapolis and watching Bailey, AK and Avery play and swim. Lexie's mom and dad were so sweet to come over and watch the girls while we went out one night to enjoy a DELICIOUS dinner at her uncle's restaurant. We had a fantastic time and I was so thankful to see my friend and just hang out with her again. (Lexie's husband - also named Mike - is in the same squadron, but deployed to Japan right now. While he's gone she has moved back home to get one more semester of law school under her belt while she had the opportunity.) Thanks so much, Lex. Miss you already!

Deployment Update
Mike is now in the Mediterranean. The package I sent him finally arrived! He really enjoyed the DVD I sent him with video of the girls. They have pulled into a port for the first time and are allowing some of the Marines to get off the ship for a bit. I'm hoping Mike will be able to call or Skype while on land. That would be SO great. Just to hear his voice would be so nice.

One Week Down

2010-09-06T20:31:00.001-04:00

Nine days have passed since Mike left. While the days seem to fly by, it still feels like he has been gone for weeks. In his emails, he says he feels the same. There is not much to do on the boat but work, so they worked in spite of Labor Day today. He had to get a small pox vaccine a few days ago. He says it's starting to sting. Apparently the site of the shot is supposed to swell up and he may get flu symptoms. He's supposed to avoid touching the area and then touching another part of his body because it's highly contagious. He also can't get it wet for a week. So life is good for him right now. Haha. He says it isn't so bad. He says they're still cruising across the Atlantic, but they should see land again in the next couple of days.

Mom came down for Labor Day weekend and we were soooo happy to see her! We had such a great time going to the beach, walking, shopping, church on Sunday and just strolling around the quaint little town of New Bern. I hated seeing her go today because I wasn't ready to say another sad goodbye so soon.

While we were walking around downtown on Sunday, we passed a beautiful, three-tiered water fountain. AK asked for a coin to throw in. Mom gave her five pennies. We watched as she tossed them in one by one, closing her eyes tight each time. Without a word, she turned and walked back over to us and we started walking down the sidewalk again. I said, "So what did you wish for?" She replied, "I wished for Daddy to come back home and stay the whole night and to never go back to work again." I almost started crying right there. I told Mike it was the sweetest and saddest thing at the same time. Sweet because no matter where we are or what we're doing, she is always thinking of and missing her daddy. And sad because as she threw in those coins, I know in her heart she really thought if she wished it, it would come true. Mike is really missing the girls. He is hating to miss all the little moments. Many of Avery's firsts. I am trying to take video of everything I can so he feels like he is seeing them grow along with me. I can't imagine how hard this must be on him.


Both the girls got a seat upgrade! Avery loves facing forward.

I'm happy to report that we are not moping around here. We haven't given ourselves time to cry and be sad. And God is giving me so much strength. I know it's from your prayers and my own. I try not to think of how long he'll be gone. Just thinking about getting through one week at a time has helped. Not to mention the many packages and friends that have shown up on my doorstep. We've gotten amazing care packages, special turtle cookies with lightning bolts on their backs (wishing me a speedy deployment! haha) and two friends that showed up on my doorstep one night with a Bloomin' Onion (yum), a bottle of wine and time to enjoy it all with me. Thank you all so much for your thoughtfulness. We are blessed.

This week will get even busier with AK starting back to Preschool, dance classes and church on Wednesday nights. We are driving up to Annapolis to visit my friend Lexie this coming weekend. I've signed up to run the half marathon mid-Oct. And then we'll be traveling again at the end of Oct. So we have a lot to look forward to and I'm so happy about that!

When it Rains, It Pours (Pun Intended)

2010-08-31T22:17:00.001-04:00

So it wasn't enough that Mike left three days ago. Now there's a category 4 hurricane headed straight toward us! I'm laughing at the irony...

Mike leaves.
Hurricane comes.
We are near the coast, almost in its direct path.
And Mike is in the friggin' ocean.

We'll be fine, of course. Well I think, anyway... unless Earl decides to turn further West. Then we might be headed further West! Mike says they'll be in the clear thankfully.

So far we're doing well and hanging in there better than I expected. Thanks to everyone for the emails, texts and phone calls checking in on us. Makes me feel far from alone in this. I've been emailing back and forth with Mike almost every day so far! He's doing fine, already flying some. Hopefully he'll send me some pictures so I can post them here.

Goodbyes

2010-08-29T07:33:00.001-04:00

He's gone. There were countless tears and countless hugs and kisses. The hardest part was watching him say goodbye to our precious girls. Such a hard day, but we got through it and now we start counting down the days until his return.

I wish I could've gotten more video of Mike, but they wouldn't let us get close to film them or take pictures of them getting into the jets. We were told it makes it harder on them if their family is standing right there and making it harder to concentrate on getting the jet in the air. I understood, but I wish so much I could've gotten those pictures of him in his gear and helmet and all.

We are so proud of you, Mike! We love you so much and miss you every minute. Every second.

Leaving Tomorrow

2010-08-26T15:46:00.001-04:00

Mike leaves tomorrow, but it's almost 3 p.m. and he's still at work doing simulator flights and preparing for their departure. Having to wait to spend our last few hours with Mike before he leaves seems really unfair. Yes, I'm pouting, and I'll admit it. :) I know he'll be here as soon as he's allowed to be, so I've tried not to call and bug him too much.

I was wrong about the deployment time frame. Turns out he'll be gone eight to nine months instead of the standard six to seven. They were called to leave early to aid in the humanitarian relief for the Pakistan flood victims. There's not much a Harrier can do for them, but they'll be going early anyhow to stay with their squadron and get on with their originally planned deployment after Pakistan.

USS Kearsarge

On Sunday, we drove to Norfolk, where USS Kearsarge is docked right now waiting for all of the Sailors and Marines to board. Since Mike will be flying a jet on, he wanted to take a few things up there to set up his room like sheets/blanket/pillow/foam mattress. He took some of his heavy gear and a TV as well. I was kind of excited to see the boat in person. (Even though it's the very thing that's going to take him away!) From the outside, it is beautiful. And ENORMOUS. However, Mike's room is like a shoebox with four bunks and a sink. I teared up at the thought of him staying there for so long. There are no windows. Just tiny rooms with loooooong, narrow corridors with pipes running all throughout. The only way they are able to see out is if they go to the top deck of the ship, which is just a giant runway.

We spent some time helping him tidy up his bed and arrange a few things before going up to the top deck. Up there, Mike showed me where the Harriers take off and where/how they land.

Runway. Scary to think of flying off that!

I had a bit of a breakdown about the added months Mike will be gone, but I know we'll get through it fine and come out stronger as a result. I really appreciate all of your comments here on the blog as well as your emails and phone calls. It helps to know that you are praying for Mike and for the girls and me. Tomorrow will be a very, very sad and hard day, but after that I hope we will get moving and cheer up and start the countdown! I bought a giant map and put it up in AK's room so she can see Daddy's progress by using pinpoints as he travels across the world. We plan to stay super busy to help pass the time. And each night, we'll listen to Daddy read a bedtime story! (He recorded an hour's worth of reading their books. I think it will be huge in helping Avery remember him... or at least recognize his voice/face when he gets back.)

Mike's bunk is on top.

The Ready Room. Where they plan missions, etc.

Please pray for Mike's safe departure and joyous return! I'll post pics of his fly-off if they'll let us get close enough. Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Wednesday

2010-08-18T22:00:00.000-04:00

It's Wednesday night. About six years ago I'd be spending this (and every other night) with my husband, watching TV or sitting out on the deck or patio, just talking about the events of our day. I'd know he would go off to work at the bank the next morning, call me at my office at Lexmark a few times during the day. Maybe we'd meet for lunch. And then later I'd see him walk through the door not long after I did. We'd then spend our Saturday and Sunday together. Enjoying our town or maybe taking a spontaneous weekend trip somewhere fun.

On this Wednesday night, I'm here in another town, alone, while our girls sleep. I'm not sure when Mike will be home. He works all sorts of crazy hours. Never the same. He pretends to have a "schedule," but it's so fluid and changing that I'm not sure it's the right word for it. I haven't heard from him since he left today, but I'm assuming he's flying right now because that's the last I was told.

The doorbell rang a few minutes ago (around 9 p.m.). A loud knock followed. Of course I got nervous because I'm paranoid and would normally not answer the door if I'm home alone. Junah was barking and I was afraid my girls would wake up. I waited for the person to give up and leave. Instead I heard loud knocking again and an attempt to turn the knob. That made me think it was Mike for a second, he must have lost his key... then I heard a faint, "ma'am?" I went completely numb then because I remembered that Mike was scheduled for a night flight and why were these people so persistent?! The thought of two uniformed Marines standing outside my door to deliver the worst of bad news is almost paralyzing. Again, paranoia here. Ends up it was some guy looking for our neighbor who recently moved away.

I'm sitting back down on the couch now. My heart is still racing. I'm always fearful that something is going to happen to Mike in those Harriers, but that's not what this is. The truth tonight is that I'm extra anxious and nervous because we just found out a couple days ago that Mike is deploying in ONE week, and I haven't really let it sink in until now. He'll be gone for seven months, flying off a ship in the Mediterranean. There will be next to no phone calls, mostly emails. No Skype either unless they're in port. Seven months. That is daunting and very scary to me... that he'll be at war and we'll be at home without him. That he'll miss the girls and that they'll cry for him. That I'll cry for him.

I'll be blogging throughout his deployment, but this is why I had to make the blog private. That's why, if you're reading this, I've sent you an invitation to keep up with us if you'd like. Please pray for our family as Mike literally sails way beyond the sand and begins a challenging chapter of our lives. Pray for all those who serve and for their families. You may not know of all the small, everyday sacrifices these individuals make to protect our freedom. Even when they're not deployed, they don't come home every night. Plans have to change constantly. They don't often get to meet their husband or wife for lunch. A spontaneous vacation is usually not a possibility. They miss their kids' birthdays. Holidays. They miss their babies' births and milestones.

Lord, be with Mike and all those who serve! Protect them and bring them home safely. Quickly. Please watch over the families of those who are serving overseas and at home. And I pray for peace for the families of fallen and missing military men and women.

We'll be enjoying Daddy Time whenever possible for the next week. After that we'll watch him fly off while we wave our hands and American flags in support of our Marine. Then I'll be back to post some pictures and give you plenty of updates on his progress and ours as the weeks and months go by.

Sailing Over to Private for a Stretch

2010-08-16T15:46:00.004-04:00

I hate to do this. Mainly because I don't know how much of a pain it is yet, but I'm going to make Sailing Beyond the Sand private for a while due to Mike's upcoming endeavors and security and all...

I'll still be blogging. Probably a lot more, so if you want to follow along our journey and I don't have your email, please let me know by commenting here.

Thanks for reading!

Casey

ONE!

2010-08-12T08:00:00.007-04:00

We had Avery's birthday party a week early so Mike would be here. (She turns 1 on the 13th.) The party was great, but Daddy got called into work. :( He made it back for the last 10 minutes, thankfully, and I was able to delay her cake smashing until then.

Avery enjoyed herself and had no issue digging her fingers into her gooey birthday cake!

At a year old, she is such a delight. She is a happy, happy girl and loves to laugh, dance and clap her hands. She hasn't walked yet, but she's getting stronger by the day and is standing on her own for a few seconds at a time. She says a few words, including peekaboo, ball and banana. She's sprouting fast. If I didn't put an end to mealtimes, I think she'd eat for hours!

Thanks to everyone who came to help us celebrate our sweet girl!

Busy Bees

2010-07-07T22:27:00.004-04:00

I thought life was going to be simpler with the summer months upon us, but I'm realizing that summers are anything but leisurely when you have kids! We have been on the go nearly every day with swimming lessons, Vacation Bible School, trips to the library, play dates, holiday events ... and we recently spent a couple days building a fire-pit area in our backyard. S'mores, please!

Abby Kate is growing so fast and the baby-ness is just about gone. :( She doesn't miss a thing and asks questions about everything. She likes to swim and ride her bike and exercise with us. She still loves her books and puzzles. I started reading her a couple chapter books to see how she would take to them. So far we've read James and the Giant Peach and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle. She loved them both and would ask me to read and read and read. But I think she loves movies above all else! She loves her little sister and can't wait until Avery is big enough to run around and play with her. (I can!)

Avery will be turning 1 next month. I can hardly believe it! She is crawling around everywhere - and with quickness! She's so fast. She's managed to eat a bite or two of Junah's food a couple times before I could get to her. Yuck! Her first two teeth (bottom front) have popped through and they don't seem to bother her. She's getting the hang of pulling up, but doesn't cruise much yet. She can definitely say the words "Mama" and "Dada" and knows who we are which just melts our hearts! She is cuddly and funny and sweet and smiley... we just love her to pieces!

Mike will be away a lot in the coming months before his actual deployment later this year. I'm really sad and dreading his absence. But the busier we keep ourselves, the easier it will be, I think, so I'm hoping our weeks continue to be filled with stuff to do. Please pray for Mike as he heads off the coast for his dets this month and next. And if anyone wants to come visit the girls and me in August, please, please do!

Spontaneous Trip to Myrtle Beach!

2010-06-25T10:48:00.006-04:00

We (the girls and I) headed down to Myrtle Beach last weekend after Brian and Carrie called to say they were headed there for a weekend getaway. Since Mike was gone again for the weekend and Myrtle Beach is only a three-hour drive from here, I threw some clothes and diapers in some bags and headed that way!! Brian and I both worked on Mom and Dad via phone to coax them into joining us. They decided they would, and so it turned into a great (although way too short) Carnes family vacation!

William and Abby Kate had the best time playing and sliding in the indoor and outdoor pools at our hotel and even braved the waves! We also had time for a round of Pirate Put-Put! Thank you, B & C, for letting us join you!! It was a great time!!

Old Friend to the Rescue!

2010-06-17T21:32:00.008-04:00

Over the past couple of weeks we have been enjoying spending time with old friends. I met Sommer back in Quantico, VA, the first week we were there - the very beginning of our Marine Corps journey. We've come a long way since then and were lucky enough to have lived in a lot of the same places over the past five years. A couple years ago, our journeys took us to opposite sides of the country, but now I'm happy to say they're stationed here for a few years!

Sommer's son and AK are only three months apart in age. I was AMAZED at how much Griffin had grown in two years! They play so well together, and I'm sure Avery and Riley (their 6-month-old little girl) will become great friends as well.

Here are AK and Grif at 3 months old and 1 week old, and now at 3 years old:

We made plans to take the kids to the library today, and my car wouldn't start. Sommer came right over (thanks, Sommer!) and we realized that we'd done this exact thing before, back in Meridian, MS. My car that time too. :) So you'd think we'd remember how to do the whole jumper cables thing. Not so much. We were all timid and scared to touch the wrong things to the wrong things and then we accidentally touched the two handles together and ZZZZTTTT! After some trial and error and a few phone calls, we had the car running again. Thankfully we didn't kill each other or blow anything up.

We went to the library only to have my car not start (again) when we were ready to leave. Sommer and I had to push the gigantic automobile out of the parking space so she could align her vehicle next to it in order to jump it. Again. Very. Heavy. Especially because the front wheels had to be pushed up and out of the the curb gutter. Sommer was a rockstar, pushing most of the weight - in a dress, no less!

I purchased a new battery so I'm all set for another few years, during which I'm sure I'll forget how to use jumper cables. Again. Sommer, you'll be available again next time, right?! haha :)

Highway to Heaven

2010-06-16T15:16:00.004-04:00

In the grocery store today, a man that had a speech impediment was bagging our groceries. I was cringing just waiting for AK to notice and say something. Of course two seconds later she said out loud, "Mommy, why does that guy talk funny?" I quickly distracted her and kept her busy until we were out the door. Same thing a couple weeks ago when she saw a man with Dwarfism. So when we got home today, I reminded AK that God makes people all different kinds of ways, and that we should never point out their differences out loud or stare. Then our conversation continued like this...

AK: OK, Mommy, I won't stare. I don't want to make people feel bad.

Me: Good girl.

AK: Why does God make people different?

Me: I don't know, you'll have to ask Him that one day when you go to heaven.

AK: When do we go to heaven?

Me: Hopefully after you've lived a long, full life. And I'll already be there too.

AK: You're going too? Oh, good, cuz I'd be too scared to drive myself.

:)

Thirty-one

2010-06-03T10:29:00.002-04:00

Thank you, God, for my 31 years and for all the blessings in my life! Thanks to my husband and AK for making it special and to everyone for all the birthday wishes, cards and gifts I received this week!

Nine Months and Hungry!

2010-05-25T14:07:00.002-04:00

Avery is now nine months old and loving life. She is almost always happy and squealing with delight with even the slightest efforts to make her smile. She is happiest when she's eating, however. The doctor gave us the go-ahead to switch to all solid food. She is indulging in tiny bites of meat, veggies, fruits, cheeses, breads and pastas and is loving every bite! At her 9-month appointment, she only weighed in the 10th percentile (16.3 lbs) so I'm happy she has a healthy appetite. I just gave her formula for the first time yesterday because I think my body isn't making enough milk for her anymore. The doctor told me to give it to her once a day to make sure she's getting enough nutrients. She didn't like it too much, but I'll keep trying to supplement!

I've seen her crawl on her knees a couple times, but she still favors pulling herself around on her stomach. I should dress her in Swiffer cloths and get gleaming floors without all the time and effort! (heh heh) Avery says "Dada" upon request, but has forgotten all about "Mama," which she used to say all the time. Go figure. :) She's a great sleeper, still logging 12 hours at night and two naps of 2-3 hours each during the day. She's such a sweet little girl! We know too well how fast it goes by - we are cherishing every minute of her babyhood!

Happenings of Late

2010-05-18T22:01:00.005-04:00

Lots of stuff going on in the Wallace household in the last month. Here's a review in pictures...

Daddy came home after many weeks on det to lots of smiles from his girls! He was out in Yuma, AZ for 5 weeks and then he went to the boat for a week. He spent that week practicing landing on it and to got a small taste of how it will be to live on a boat for six to seven months. Not exactly fun!

AK has been playing t-ball on our church's league since April. She's having so much fun. She's getting better and better with each game. Her outfield time consists mostly of looking up at the sky and playing with the dirt and the little girl next to her, but at least she's got the batting and running the bases down pat. :)

AK and Avery had lots of fun playing with Grandma and Grandpa while Mike and I took a trip to Phoenix to be part of our friends' wedding. Thanks again, Lee and Ginger, for coming to visit us and taking such great care of the girls while we were gone!

While in Phoenix I was so happy to see several friends I'd missed since they moved out west. [My pics of Jon and Kim (bride and groom) - as well as my friend Lindsey - are on Mike's camera, so as soon as I can find it... :)]

Mike and Colin were in the sword detail, and Sarah and I were bridesmaids. It was such a great time spent with great friends. Can't put into words how much we miss you guys already!

Beach days ahead!!! We drove over to Atlantic Beach for the first time this season. It was a bit windy, but still warm and beautiful. Avery ate a few bites of sand before I had to convince her it really doesn't taste all that great. She loved the beach. (She did not like her sister's cold, wet lap, however!)

Abby Kate performed in her very first dance recital last weekend. I was so proud of my little ballerina!!! She did very well. I hope she continues to like dance in the years to come.

Still Here

2010-05-14T10:59:00.003-04:00

We have been so busy lately that I haven't had the chance to post in several weeks. We are doing well and just trying to enjoy the few days here and there that we get to spend with Daddy who has either been at work or traveling for work most of the time in preparation for his upcoming deployment. But I have many updates and pictures coming soon!

Tears for Daddy

2010-04-17T09:03:00.004-04:00

Mike's been gone for five weeks now. AND HE COMES HOME TODAY!!! We are so happy!

This det has been especially hard for Abby Kate. A few days ago she had a melt-down in the grocery store because I wouldn't buy her a balloon. She pretty much lost her mind- I had NEVER seen her act that way before. Her cries turned into to heaving sobs and yelling right there in the check-out line. I found myself almost laughing at how bizarre she was acting. I asked her repeatedly to calm down and maybe we'd get a balloon next time. That was not what she wanted to hear, so more crying, more screaming...

The check-out lady said, "I have a Food Lion balloon here if she wants it?" I smiled at her and said thank you, but ABSOLUTELY NOT! No way was I going to reward her tantrum. :) So we walked out of the store as she cried and reached back for the grocery store and the princess balloon.

We get in the car and I tell her I'm going to call Daddy and tell him how terrible she was behaving. She started crying "Noooooo!!!! Don't tell him!!!" Then said through broken sobs and breaths:

AK: "You... know... why I'm cr....y-ing, Mommy?

Me: "Because you wanted a balloon?"

AK: "Because I miss Daddy-yyyyyyyyyy!" [crying his name]

Daggers. In. My. Heart.

...

My reaction must have told her plenty because every time she cries now about anything? Turns out she misses Daddy. :) Which has changed my reaction to an eye roll. She has been spending lots of time with her new Daddy Doll, a popular item for kids with moms or dads in the military. (I ordered AK and Avery one each. You can find them here.) "Daddy" has been going everywhere with AK.

We are SOOOO excited to be reunited with real Daddy today!!!!!

Holiday Weekend Fun

2010-04-07T21:54:00.005-04:00

This past Easter weekend was packed full of activity. I got up bright and early to run the Papa John's 10 Miler in Louisville with my friends Lyndsay and Pat. It was fun despite the hills and the rainy weather. My sore legs reminded me that I'm not so young anymore, and that I should actually train for those longer races. :) L & P - thanks for inviting me to run. Hope to join you guys again next year! And Pat, good luck on the mini!

Easter was great spent with my family. (We really missed Daddy, though!) We went to church and then spent the day outdoors - cooking out and playing with the little ones. AK and Avery wore matching blue gingham dresses. William and Austin wore matching blue and white vests and khakis. They were so adorable. If only we could've gotten them all to sit still, look at the camera and stop crying! haha

Excuse the pictures... though convenient, camera phones just aren't the same!

Missing Daddy

2010-03-31T14:50:00.005-04:00

Yes, we are missing Daddy again. He's gone for over a month this time, training out west. So we packed up and came to Kentucky for a few weeks to pass the time a little faster. We've been super busy visiting and playing and going many different places everyday. It's been great! The days are flying by and we're so thankful to be able to spend time here in beautiful KY!!! We'll be here for Easter, and we are loving the 80-degree temps it's supposed to bring. Today is 75 and sunny and just gorgeous! By the time we get back home, it'll be beach weather in NC, so we're super excited about that too.

AK has been playing her hardest almost everyday with her cousin William and is loving every second of it. They are so cute to watch. Avery is warming up to everyone and finally getting a little less attached to me since we arrived. She is growing fast and becoming more adventurous each day. I just hope she doesn't start crawling before Mike gets back.

Visiting with friends and family has been great, and I'm glad I'll get to attend two showers while I'm here. I'm planning to run a 10-mile race in Louisville with my friend Lyndsay this Saturday. It's the last leg of the Triple Crown Run they do every year here leading up to the Derby in May. I'm looking forward to it. But I'm looking MORE forward to the end of it. :) I haven't been training near enough!

We've been talking to and actually seeing Daddy on the computer every few days using Skype. That's been a big plus. He can kiss the girls goodnight and they love it! Mike's doing well out there in CA, but I know he is missing his girls. We can't wait for him to get back!

AK's Prayer

2010-03-18T21:38:00.005-04:00

Abby Kate truly enjoys her preschool class two days a week, and she loves church on Sundays and Wednesday nights. She has learned to recite a few different prayers at preschool and Sunday school. Naturally, she has begun asking to say the prayer at the dinner table. And well, we learned quickly that not only has she been getting a great dose of Christian life, she's also been subjected to way too much country music in the car...

AK: May I say the prayer?

Mommy and Daddy: Sure! Of course! Go ahead.

AK: OK bow your heads. [Closes her eyes, then opens one eye several times making sure all heads are bowed, then proceeds...]

"God is Great, Beer is Good.
Let us thank Him for our food.
By His hands, we are fed,
Give us Lord our daily bread.
Amen."

Mommy and Daddy: [Eyes wide open as soon as "Beer" comes out, mouthing to each other... Did she just say Beer?!]

Hopefully she hasn't said that particular prayer elsewhere! :)

An Unexpected Trip to MT

2010-03-11T09:30:00.006-05:00

We received the news last week that Mike's grandmother had passed away from a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She had gotten worse and worse in the past few years, both mentally and physically. Mike's family, while terribly sad at her passing, feels blessed that she is no longer in pain. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Verena Brunner a couple of times before she got sick. She was a happy, fun-loving and funny lady with a heart big enough to love her huge family of kids, grandkids and great-grandkids.

We left on Friday afternoon, with plans to arrive in Great Falls, MT, late that night and then make the a.m. funeral on Saturday. Well, we did arrive as planned after 11 p.m., but our luggage did not. There we were with no clothes, no toiletries (not even a toothbrush to be had for any of us!) in the middle of the night. So we did what anyone in that situation would do and headed to the 24-hr Wal-Mart. Since the mall and all other stores usually don't open until 10 in the morning, we had to get everything from Wal-mart. I'm talking clothes, shoes, socks, underwear, make-up, toothbrush, deodorant, contact case/solution, shampoo, soap, etc. for all of us.

Mike was a pallbearer and had to piece together a suit (of sorts) and I had to find funeral-appropriate outfits for the girls and myself. I realized quickly that even though we were in the cold Northwest, they still put all their summer clothing out in March. So off I went to the clearance racks where I found a black and white, tartan skirt and sweater for AK, and I found my own ensemble in the midst of Miley Cyrus's clothing line. I know. The only shoes I could find were a size too small. I finished up the spree buying chalky make-up and cheap toiletries for us.

$300 later... we went to sleep cursing air travel and prepared to wake the next morning and get ready for the service. :) At least we can look back now and laugh!

If all that wasn't enough, two days before we left for MT, Avery and I got the stomach flu. It lasted a terrible day and 1/2 and I thought we were all better before we left. Turns out it came with us and not only made Mike sick on Sunday, but then made it's way through Mike's mom, dad, brothers and their families - and pretty much all his aunts, uncles and cousins! We are sooo, so sorry!

We did have a fun time visiting with everyone despite the very sad reason for the trip. We toured different places Mike spent as a child including his cousins' ranch, where AK got to pet a brand-new calf and take a ride on a four-wheeler.

Jan and TC - thank you so much for all your hospitality! TC, I really think you should open a restaurant. :) The food was delicious! We also appreciate you taking us fishing. It was a great time!

On Monday, we finally made it through FOUR long flights to get back home. And thankfully our luggage was there waiting for us in New Bern!

(More pics to come when Mike downloads them from his camera.)

Avery at Six Months

2010-02-17T18:38:00.003-05:00

We took Avery to her 6-month check-up yesterday to find she is growing steadily in the 25th percentile for weight (14.5 lbs) and 75th for height. She was all smiles until she was given four shots in her thighs! Ugh, I hated that for her!

She is still a super happy little girl with lots to coo and smile about. She's been sitting up all by herself for a few weeks now. She grabs everything within reach and tries her hardest to get to things just out of reach. She is loving all the baby food she's tried so far... peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, bananas, pears and apple sauce. She also eyes everything we eat and tries to grab for it. I almost feel bad eating in front of her. :) She still sleeps very well taking several naps during the day and sleeps 10 hours at night.

Finally, she's old enough to bring to my gym's child-care!!! I've really enjoyed working out indoors again. Running in all this cold weather was really getting old!

I'm just amazed at how fast these first six months have gone by! We love you, sweet Avery!

With the standard amount of spit-up on her chin.

Loving the sweet potatoes!

Seven Inches of Snow in NC!

2010-02-13T15:36:00.007-05:00

We awoke to a winter wonderland this morning! We put on the warmest clothing we could find and headed outside to play. The snow was perfect for packing into snowballs or building a snowman. We did a little of both... after Mike shoveled the driveway with a gardening shovel (not prepared for so much snow in these parts!) we built "the biggest snowman ever" at AK's request. Then a snowball fight ensued. I got Mike pretty good a couple times, but he won. I had snow packed in my hair and down my neck! Naturally, we warmed back up with hot chocolate. :)

We only had baby carrots, so we went with coal for everything. :)

Helping place Frosty's nose.

And the scarf. This looks like a snow storm, but it was actually just the wind blowing the thick snow off the trees in our backyard.

Needless to say, Avery didn't stay outside very long. She napped, warm and cozy in her crib during the snowman building and snowball fight. :)

AK enjoying hot chocolate with marshmallows.

As I type this, the sun is already claiming old Frosty. :(

Hail & Farewell Party

2010-02-13T14:00:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was jogging in our neighborhood with the girls in the stroller. As I came down the home stretch of our street, I noticed a big black flag sticking up beside the tree in our neighbor's front yard. I started to wonder what it could mean... then I noticed in was actually in OUR yard. [I'm running closer at this point] Had it been there when I left? [Nearing our yard] Is it some sort of gang sign? [Looking around to see if anyone is lurking around] Are we the next gang target? [Pulling up the flag to see some sort of Japanese symbol on it] Are we some Japanese gang's next target?!

I began to realize how absurd a direction my thoughts were going, so I looked at the other side of the flag and recognized Mike's squadron's tiger insignia. OK, so something to do with Mike's work... I call him to find out we have been tasked to host the next Hail & Farewell for VMA-542. They are for welcoming the new Marines and sending off the Marines who are moving on to a different squadron or wherever. And apparently these parties always have themes.

So Mike and I researched some fun ideas online and came up with a "Dead Celebrities" theme where you dress up as a celebrity who has passed. I know it sounds morbid, but it actually turned out really fun!

I designed the theme graphics we would use and Mike sent the invites out via e-mail. Then we rented some velvet ropes and made a red carpet out of red roll paper that we set up in front of our house. I made a slideshow including pictures of all the celebrities I could find online and listed their names and years. We looped it and played it on the TV all night. That was about as far as I got with the theme besides a few stars here and there.

We ended up having a great turnout. It really was a fun time. Mike dressed up as Paul Newman (because he looks like him anyway) and I was a very unconvincing Marilyn Monroe. Our guests had some fabulous costumes including Steve Irwin (crocodile hunter) - we had four of those, Audrey Hepburn, Michael Jackson, Caesar, Bob Marley, Anna Nicole Smith (a guy dressed as her which was hysterical), Bonnie and Clyde, Rick James, Farrah Fawcett, Pat Morita (Karate Kid's Mr. Miyagi), Billy Mays (the Oxy Clean guy), Johnny Cash, and so many more.

Here's a picture of the whole group:

"John Lennon" was especially good because this guy is British. He said he actually already had everything for his outfit! :)

Now we look forward to passing the black flag to someone else's yard!

Girls' Weekend in NYC!

2010-02-05T08:37:00.004-05:00

I flew to NYC last Friday to meet four friends for a girls' weekend. It was SOOO much fun! My friend, Nikki, and her husband have lived in Midtown for several years, and we went up there to celebrate her recent birthday. We rented an apartment in Manhattan that was beautiful and a lot bigger than I'd anticipated. It had three floors and lots of space. We spent time just hanging out there as well as going to see Phantom of the Opera, eating a couple DELICIOUS dinners and going out on the town afterward. Did you know that you can order food from almost any place in that city and they'll bring it right to your door?! They have this whole web site set up where you browse any restaurant, click what you want from the menu and just charge it to your account. A few minutes later, a hot meal (yummy breakfast omlettes, in our case) shows up! It was bitterly cold up there, but we didn't get any rain or snow, so that was a plus.

I missed AK and Avery, but it was nice to have a short break for some time with friends I haven't seen in a long time. I was nervous to leave Avery because I still nurse her, but she did fine with the pumped milk out of a bottle from the babysitter all day Friday and from Mike on Saturday and Sunday. However, me trying to pump while out and about in NYC was interesting to say the least! So worth it though.

Times Square. The ball... Mike and I went to NYC for New Year's Eve ('98/'99) and I remember being surprised at how small this ball is. On TV it looks so big!

My college friend and sorority sister, Meredith.

Maggie drinking from her coffee cup in the Backroom's bathroom while I pumped in the stall. hahaha

Jill, Nikki and Maggie. Nik and Mag are also my ADPi college friends. Jill lives in Chicago and works with them. I had the pleasure of meeting her for the first time while there.

View of the Empire State Building from the rooftop restaurant/bar we visited before going to STK for dinner.

Funny Words

2010-01-22T16:47:00.003-05:00

I've gotten a lot of laughs from Abby Kate's vocabulary lately. She knows so many words and speaks very well, but sometimes she hears them incorrectly and what comes out just cracks me up!

My favorite ones:

We were playing "I Spy" in the car. We passed a Hilton Inn and she said, "Mommy I spy a Ho-and-Tell!"

Often she tries to be funny at the dinner table and pretends to eat really fast saying yum, yum, yum, DONE! She giggles, then laughingly says, "Mommy and Daddy, I was just choking." She means joking. :)

They had movie day at preschool on Tuesday. She was so excited when I picked her up, telling me, "... and we watched 'Bugs-Ta-Life' (A Bug's Life) on the big TV scream!

Avery at Five Months

2010-01-19T13:43:00.006-05:00

Avery's personality is really shining through at this stage, and there is only one word for it: HAPPY! She's a perpetual smiler and laughs at the simplest efforts by us. She's so laid back and easy. She eats well and goes right to sleep for every nap and at nighttime. She's a finger-sucker, so that puts her right to sleep every time. As you can see here, she LOVES her fingers. Any and all are fair game and she makes time for each including her thumbs. She usually has them lined up - one hand in there and the next on standby just behind it. Or sometimes she just shoves them all in there at the same time as you see here!

We don't deserve such a sweet and calm baby, especially after AK who was considerably easy as well. Maybe we'll be paying for it when they're 12 and 15. :)

Avery is long and lean, measuring in the 25th percentile for weight and 95th for height. She rolls over and over, sleeps 10 hours at night and is really enjoying her baby oatmeal. It seems to be going by MUCH faster than with AK. Too fast, in fact. I can't believe she'll be eating baby food next month! No signs of teeth yet. Or hair for that matter! But that's no surprise since she's a blondie like her sister. She looks more like Abby Kate everyday.

She does still spit up however. Almost as much as she smiles. :) The doctors still say it's nothing to worry about since she's steadily gaining weight and in no pain. We sure hope she'll grow out of it soon!

Oh, and I don't dress her in the same outfit everyday (clearly the spit-up issue would make that impossible even if I wanted to!). I took all of these pictures today because I realized that I haven't taken nearly the amount that I took of AK when she was a baby, and I'm feeling really guilty! Sorry, Avery, I promise I'll do better.

I Remember the First Cell Phones

2010-01-11T10:21:00.005-05:00

... the big hunking things that were five inches thick and six pounds. My dad brought one home one day and I thought it unbelievable that you could call anyone from anywhere. And look at us now. You can call, email, text, send videos and documents, browse the web, buy a pair of shoes or book a flight... and much more all from a tiny little device. Technology is truly amazing!

I got a new computer a few months ago and I made sure I got one with the built-in video camera. During Mike's upcoming dets and deployments it'll be invaluable. With Skype's awesome (and FREE!) video/audio tool, we'll be able to see and hear Mike when he's so many miles away. And equally exciting, he'll be able to see AK and Avery's growth. Seven months is a long time and I can't even imagine how much they'll (especially Avery) grow and change in that time. And now he won't have to miss seeing their faces as much.

Of course it's great for being able to see faraway family and friends as well. We've tested it out a few times recently with my brother's family. Abby Kate loves being able to see her cousin William live on the screen. It's so neat! So if anyone wants to Skype us, let me know... hint, hint... you know who you are... haha, kidding. Sort of. :)

Hello 2010

2010-01-10T19:36:00.004-05:00

Our friends Jaime and Shea came to visit on New Year's Eve and we were so happy to be able to spend some time with them. Shea is one of our best friends from college. We traveled to Raleigh last July to watch him marry Jaime - who we have come to adore as much as Shea! They love the girls and spent time playing all of Abby Kate's new games with her. We ate some delicious appetizers and then lasagna before putting the girls to bed and playing some board games ourselves. We had a great time just relaxing at home instead of trying to go out and fight the party crowds. Mike had to work New Year's Day, so Shea, Jaime, the girls and I all went out for breakfast before they made the trip back home to Raleigh. Thanks for coming guys, it was fun! Looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Last year came and went. I won't say it went fast because I was pregnant for well over half of it. And that part did not go fast for me. But Abby Kate's growth was certainly fast and the first few months of Avery's life have really flown by. The year brought us many good things. Avery topped our list of course! Other good things included Mike finishing his training and being promoted to Captain. We made that unforgettable trip to Disney World. AK started preschool and turned three. Mike and I celebrated eight years of marriage (and 16 years of being together...wow, can that be?!) I turned 30, Mike turned 32. We were blessed with several visits from family and trips to see them as well.

It was a good year, and I have high hopes for 2010. We already had one great blessing just today, in fact. We had a dedication ceremony for Avery in church this morning. It was a beautiful and perfect service. Mike and I were joyful in standing up to present our daughter to God and promising to raise her according to His word by teaching her the ways of Christ and by living godly lives as an example. The support of our church family here has been tremendous. We give thanks to God again and again for both of our precious daughters!

Cheers to a new year and hopes for many blessing to all of you in 2010!

Christmas in Kentucky!

2010-01-04T16:20:00.007-05:00

We had a great time in Kentucky this Christmas! Thanks Mom and Dad for having us. We spent the holiday visiting with family and a few friends. It always goes by way too fast, however. I'm looking forward to going back in a couple months to see friends I didn't get to see while home.

AK and William had a blast. They play so well together with their big imaginations. They were off playing pretend all over the house the whole time. They're so funny and cute to watch. Here, they were playing "picnic" and chose the healthiest of food from Mimi's pantry: Doritos and Tostidos! :)

Avery just sat back and took it all in this Christmas. Next year, she'll be tearing into the gifts along with her sister!

Abby Kate was all about Santa this year. She helped Mimi bake some cookies for him on Christmas Eve. She got them on the plate, poured the milk and went to carry them to the table beside the fireplace and... well, you can see the cookies in mid-air... Good thing we baked more than enough!

We went to my Mawmaw's house after church on Christmas Eve. Mawmaw played Silent Night and Jingle Bells on the organ. It was special to watch AK stand beside her as she played because I spent so many moments of my childhood in the same spot.

The holidays came and went so fast. I hope each of you had a Merry Christmas!

Extra Love for Daddy This Christmas

2009-12-22T14:31:00.004-05:00

We are gearing up for a trip to Kentucky this Christmas! We're driving up tomorrow after Mike gets off work, and we are very excited to see family and friends. Abby Kate is intent upon making sure we have cookies made and a note to leave for Santa. Will he visit Mimi and Pawpaw's house? Will he know she'll be there? We've assured her that, yes, he will know where she is, and as long as she's a really good girl he'll bring her the one and only thing she wants for Christmas: Taylor Swift music. I know. Weird for a 3-year-old! But she LOVES her songs. Even though she gets the words all wrong - which I'm sort of happy about because they're not completely G-rated!

This Christmas is bittersweet for AK, Avery and me because next year Daddy won't be here for the holidays. We recently found out Mike will be deploying next Fall and will be based on an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean for seven months. That will be very hard for our family, but we are trying to concentrate on the fact that he is here now, and we're going to soak him up until he leaves.

We are praying for all those families with military men and women overseas this Christmas!

Thanksgiving in Texas

2009-12-04T16:40:00.005-05:00

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday with Mike's family in Tyler, TX. It was a great visit and wonderful to see all the grandchildren together. Five now! We spent time relaxing on the ranch, eating, playing with the kids, shopping and Christmas tree cutting. Thanks to the Wallaces for having us!

Here's an attempt at a shot of all the grandkids. They were squirmy little worms!

Since we got back, I feel like I have no time to get anything done. And there's so much to do! This time of year is always so hectic, and I am not organized in the least. So I've clearly been slacking on the blog posts. Not to mention I still haven't even designed a birth announcement for Avery and she's almost four months old. Anyhow, I hope to post pics of our Christmas decorating soon. And I guess we'd have to actually decorate before I can do that!

OK, more soon. :)

Young Fan

2009-11-14T20:24:00.003-05:00

"When you're FIF-teee-een / Somebody tells you they love you / You gotta believe them"

This is what Abby Kate spontaneously sang out while sitting on the couch today. Mike and I looked at each other, unbelieving, and just started laughing. Those words sound really funny coming out of a three year old. Anytime a Taylor Swift song comes on the radio in the car, after only a few beats of the music, she knows it's her "lady song" (which is what she calls all of Taylor Swift's songs).

So I guess Taylor has fans of all ages... kudos to her for all her CMA awards!

Halloween

2009-11-08T14:18:00.004-05:00

Abby Kate was one of her favorite princesses for Halloween (Sleeping Beauty). She made it about a 1/4 mile in those shoes before donning pink boots for the rest of her trick-or-treating excursion in our friends' neighborhood. She scored lots of suckers and chocolate. I helped her eat the chocolate because I'm such a good mommy like that. :) Mike was gone most of October, so he missed Halloween again this year. But we were excited to welcome him home last Monday. We love having Daddy home again!

Avery was a pink cheetah, but I didn't get a good picture. So here's a recent one of her... she is getting much more animated and is the sweetest thing ever. She is growing so fast. She continues to be in the 50th percentiles for all her measurements. She still spits up all the time, but it doesn't seem to affect her weight. She continues to sleep like an angel (12 hours a night since she was 8 weeks!). BLISS!

More Random AK Quotes

2009-10-31T22:33:00.002-04:00

Apparently Abby Kate has thought all along that "grilled cheese" was "girl cheese" because yesterday we were sitting at Andy's burger restaurant and she said she wanted a BIG girl cheese sandwich.

There was this huge, fat fly buzzing around our house. It was flying real slow and was really loud because it was so big. And especially annoying. Abby Kate said, Mommy, you better go get the flash water. I started to correct her and it took me a few seconds to think of the right term after she jumbled it up so much. Fly Swatter - right.

Three Already?!

2009-10-26T21:24:00.007-04:00

Dear Abby Kate

I'm astounded at how much a child can grow and change in three years. Amazing. It's bittersweet because I adore the young girl you're becoming, but I'm going to miss your sweet baby-ness so much. And you just keeping getting more and more grown-up-looking and -sounding. Three years ago today I held your beautiful and precious life in my hands for the first time. And it's all gone by way too fast. Can't we just stay still for a little while?

You are my beautiful, little girl who I love beyond what I can say or write. You are so sweet and funny and just too smart. I could watch you play make-believe all day long. And I don't mind one bit that you correct me 20 times a day. (OK, it's a TRIcycle, not a BIcycle - sorry, you're right.) Your jovial personality and constant laughter keep us smiling. I love how great you are with Avery. You are the biggest helper! She will grow to love you so much. I am simply overflowing with love and pride for you. I thank God that He gave us you... we love you always.

Happy birthday, sweet girl.

Love,
Mommy

A Hard Goodbye

2009-10-21T09:58:00.006-04:00

Yesterday we spent the day at our friends', the Newbolds', house helping them box up and load all their possessions into a huge moving truck parked outside their house. Minute by minute, the house got emptier and my heart seemed to do the same. But we couldn't chain them down :) ... so Colin, Sarah, Eden, Maren and their dog Grace are on their way to Yuma, AZ, where Colin will be stationed as a Harrier pilot for the next few years.

We met the Newbolds back in Virginia when Mike first joined the Marine Corps and we moved from there to Florida to Mississippi to North Carolina together over the last three years. Sarah and I had Maren and AK within weeks of each other, and our three girls became the best of friends. (I'm just sorry Avery won't grow up so closely with them.) Our time here in NC together was especially fun and memorable. Our families get along so well and we have so much in common. We will miss them terribly! It was so hard to say goodbye and even more difficult to watch our girls hug and say their goodbyes. In fact, when I told AK that Eden and Maren were moving, she simply said, "well, I better start packing." :)

Thank you, Colin and Sarah, for sharing your lives and your girls with us and for being such great friends and, well, our family here. Sarah, thank you for all the support you've given me. You are such a wonderful mom and friend and I've learned so much from you. I love you, and I'm so sad you left.

You guys will be in our thoughts and prayers as always. We wish you an easy and painless move and the best of luck in Yuma! We are looking forward to future visits!!!

One last playdate for the girls.

And one last dinner together at our house.

Picture Post

2009-10-14T20:27:00.007-04:00

Since I haven't had time to post as much as I want about recent happenings with our family, I'm going to try to catch up with a post full of pictures.

Mike's parents came in August to meet Avery.

Mike brother CJ and his family came shortly after. We met our sweet little nephew, David. We took a trip to the beach. Luke and AK had a great time. And it was a first for Avery and David.

Mike holding baby David.

Uncle Bill meets his newest neice.

Mike was promoted to Captain in early October. Congrats, hon!

During my visit home last week, I met my new nephew. Here's AK and Avery with cousins William and Austin.

Mimi and Pawpaw with their two youngest grandchildren.

We made a trip to the pumpkin patch at Huber's Farm in Indiana.

Avery is such a happy baby! She smiles all the time now.

We met Lyndsay's son Eli. He's a doll. He and Avery are only 14 hours apart!

Uncle Brian meets his newest neice.

Avery met Mawmaw, her great-grandmother while we were home.

Nine Hours!

2009-10-10T07:04:00.002-04:00

Nine hours of uninterrupted slumber!!! Thank you, Avery! Here's hoping tonight goes as well.

Still Here

2009-10-09T19:33:00.002-04:00

Mike has been in Maine for training, so the girls, Junah and I traveled to Kentucky on Monday. We have been enjoying a week spent with my family. Dad, Brian and Carrie got to meet Avery for the first time and we met my nephew, Austin (7 weeks old). He's adorable! It's been great but the week has flown by, as always, and I haven't had time to see everyone.

We're going to have a birthday party for Abby Kate on Sunday, although her birthday isn't until the 26th. It'll be the first family birthday she's had. My grandmother and some of my aunts and uncles and cousins are all going to come and celebrate with us. It'll be great! Pictures to come!

Back from Traveling the World

2009-09-23T15:56:00.009-04:00

Disney World, that is. It was a very impromptu trip and It. Was. Fantastic!!! We spent 5 days touring the parks, meeting/dining with Disney characters, riding rides, seeing shows and swimming. We arrived at our resort on Thursday, unpacked our bags and then headed straight for the Magic Kingdom. I couldn't wait for Abby Kate to see Cinderella's castle. She was even more amazed than I thought she'd be when she first saw it. She just kept staring in awe and holding her hand out as if to present the castle to us. We met the princesses soon after. That was her favorite part of the whole trip, I think. She had this sweet look of complete adoration that I'll never forget.

Avery was there, too, but she spent the days tucked away sleeping in the Baby Bjorn or stroller. She was an angel! I had a few doubts about taking her, but it couldn't have gone any better.

There's so much to tell, so I'll just let the pictures do the job:

Meeting Ariel.

We stayed at Coronado Springs. It was beautiful!

AK's favorite.

Avery took plenty of 'rides' in the Baby Bjorn.

Meeting June from the Little Einsteins.

My standard picture in front of "Casey's." It's a restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. You could probably mark my growth from childhood to now with as many pictures I've taken below this sign.

AK trying to get Avery into the spirit of Disney. This balloon is still full of air and entertaining Abby Kate even now that we're home. Good thing, because it cost us $10!!!

The trip was truly magical for Abby Kate. We had such a great time and loved watching her experience it. Avery obviously won't remember it, but we're certain we'll take them both back in a few years.

Avery's First Month

2009-09-14T14:59:00.004-04:00

Avery had her 1-month check-up yesterday. Abby Kate and I took her to the doctor and were delighted to hear she is growing and healthy. She's gained nearly three pounds since her birth! And she's also grown a couple of inches. She weighs 8 lbs, 10 oz and is 21.5 inches. I had one concern for the doctor - her spit-up problem. She spits up quite a bit every time I feed her. But the pediatrician assured me that it's more of a laundry inconvenience than a health issue since she is gaining weight and she's not in any pain.

Avery is growing more alert everyday and is eating and sleeping very well. She is pretty content for the most part. I attribute it to the Babywise schedule. We went back to church for the first time since her birth this past Sunday and she was a sleeping angel through the service! We had fun introducing her to everyone.

Abby Kate continues to be great with her. She is still so helpful and doesn't show one bit of jealousy. I am so proud of her. Avery couldn't have asked for a better big sister!

We have been very busy with a visit from Mike's parents, and then Mike's brother and his family came to visit for a few days after that. I have pictures to post from that, but right now we are busy packing for our trip to Disney World! We planned it very last-minute and we leave tomorrow for almost a week. Abby Kate is beside herself with excitement at the idea of meeting the princesses and all the Disney characters. Avery has no clue, of course (and may very well be the youngest person at Disney World) but she'll get to take some nice outdoor naps for a few days in her stroller and in the Baby Bjorn. So... many updates and fun pictures to come!

Mike in the Harrier

2009-09-09T15:08:00.004-04:00

Getting some gas.

Getting ready for the vertical landing.

Hovering.

Last week I finally got to see my husband do his thing in the Harrier. It was awesome! They let us come right up next to the runway to watch and take pictures. I was standing just a few feet away! I saw him practice vertical landings and a few takeoffs. So cool. And so loud. My eardrums wouldn't have survived it without earplugs. (I also have video, but I need to purchase a new cord to download it since I got a new computer.)

First Day of Preschool

2009-09-02T09:18:00.004-04:00

The day has come! I can't believe my little girl is old enough to go to school. I took her for her first day yesterday and she couldn't have been more brave - and happy. When the doors opened to let the children in, she took off running in search of her classroom, leaving Avery and I to catch up. She found her name at the table and sat down, ready to get started. Needless to say, I was the only one with tears in my eyes when we kissed goodbye! When I came to pick her up, she was all smiles and chattered about all the fun things she did at school. I'm so proud of her, and even though it breaks my heart that she's growing so fast, I'm glad she is enjoying it and will benefit from the interaction with the teachers and students there.

Settling

2009-08-25T20:48:00.003-04:00

Avery is 12 days old today. The first week was spent just getting used to having a newborn again. Avery had trouble getting used to sleeping in the Pack-n-Play beside our bed and only wanted to sleep on my chest. Dangerous and habit-forming, I know. We tried to let her cry it out, but after four hours one night, we just about gave up! So I started implementing the BabyWise schedule a few days ago. It worked wonders with Abby Kate, so we wanted to do it again. Things are going much smoother now. Avery sleeps in the Pack-n-Play during naps and at night. She is also much happier during the day. She's starting to smile, and she even laughed in her sleep a couple of times. She has the cutest dimple in her right cheek when she grins. I look forward to the one or two I see each day. I ventured out by myself yesterday for the first time with the girls. Just a short trip to the grocery store. I'm happy to say it went well. It just took a whole lot longer to get out the door!

Abby Kate is an absolute dream of a big sister. She is so, so helpful and loves her little sister to pieces. She has been such a good girl. I am so proud of her. My heart has been torn a lot as I have to constantly ask her to wait for things. But she is very patient and understanding so far. Since feeding Avery takes so much time, AK now reads to us while I nurse her. She has memorized a dozen or more of her books (I'm talking every word... even 20+ page books!) and loves to recite them. She is excited to start preschool two days a week starting Sept. 1.

Mike has already started flying again and is doing night flights this week. He only has a few flights left until his Harrier training is complete. I'm excited to get the opportunity to see him fly the Harrier up close for the first time in the next couple of weeks. I'll get to go out to the runway and take pictures and video. I'll be sure to post it here.

I'm feeling great and can't tell you how much I love not being pregnant! I'm looking forward to getting back into my exercise routine. I tried jogging a little yesterday, but my body's not quite ready yet. I think I started running again at 2 and 1/2 weeks after AK, so I'm making that my goal. My first run could turn out to be more of a shuffle than a jog though! haha

Welcome to the World

2009-08-23T11:38:00.006-04:00

Austin Lee Carnes
Born Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 12:25 a.m. Six pounds and nine ounces, 19 inches long. Avery and her cousin were born exactly one week apart!

Congrats Brian, Carrie and big brother, William!!! We are so happy for you and can't wait to meet Austin. Love you all!

More Pictures of Avery and Big Sis

2009-08-18T13:22:00.003-04:00

Finally, Some Pictures!

2009-08-15T08:42:00.003-04:00

Avery is doing great today. We're still in the hospital, with plans to take our baby girl home tomorrow! Avery is off the monitors now and is doing really well. Here are some shots of Avery's first hours with us.

The labor was SOOOOOO much better this time around. After having pretty regular contractions on Wednesday night, we headed into the hosital around 1 a.m. They deemed I was actually in labor by 3 a.m. and admitted me. I only had to endure the contractions until I was four centimeters dilated. After that, they hooked me up with the epidural and some pitocin and the rest was easy! My epidural actually worked this time, and it was heaven! I dilated pretty fast and started to feel intense pressure. I told the nurse and she checked me to find I was fully dilated. The doctor came in, and ten minutes later, she was here. Two pushes! I couldn't have asked for better. And I feel great now. I was up walking within an hour and the nurses have asked me to slow down several times since. :)

Abby Kate LOVES her little sister! When she first met her, she was giddy with a nervous laugh and just couldn't contain her excitement. It was such a precious moment. She is so gentle and sweet to her. I have film of AK holding Avery, but didn't get a picture yet. But look at that face! She is delighted at the new addition to our family.

We are so thankful to have Mimi here to help. She arrived a few hours after Avery was born and has been taking great care of Abby Kate and enjoying her new grand-daughter as well. Thanks also to our friends, Lexie and Mike, for letting AK stay with you during my labor/delivery.

We are so happy and look forward to the days and weeks and years ahead with our beautiful family of four!

Avery is Born!

2009-08-14T11:36:00.001-04:00

We welcomed Avery Renae Wallace on August 13th at 11:24 a.m. She weighs 6 lbs and is 19 and 3/4 inches. She is such a tiny, beautiful baby! Abby Kate loves holding her and talking to her.

We will be in the hospital until Sunday because Avery's oxygen level dropped last night a bit and they are taking every precaution, ordering tests and such just in case. They put her on oxygen briefly and gave her antibiotics and she has been doing really well. She is still hooked up to monitors, so we have had to visit her in the nursery instead of having her here in the room. I go to feed her every three hours.

I'm anxious to post a picture of her, but I'm keying this entry from my Blackberry and it doesn't let me post images. I'll see if my mom will post a picture for us later today. Everyone has said she favors me. I think she does, too.

We appreciate all of your well-wishes, support and prayers. We are anxious to bring Avery home! I'll post a lot more when we get there.

40 Weeks + 1 Day

2009-08-10T08:45:00.003-04:00

I watched my due date come and go yet again. What happened to second babies coming earlier?! This time around, though, I've had some false labor. On three (non-consecutive) nights, I've awoken with considerable contractions that were 3-5 minutes apart for 2-3 hours. Nothing too painful, but enough to convince me I was in labor all three times, only to have them go away. Such was the case last night. With Abby Kate, I was eight days late, but I never had any contractions until my water broke that day, and then I went straight into labor. I would much prefer the latter. All this false labor is killing me! So I called the doctor's office this morning and rescheduled my appointment to earlier in the week (Wed.). I just can't wait until Friday. I'll have to see a doctor that I've heard isn't too great, but at this point I just don't care. If only I would have this baby before then! Updates to come...

I'm Due on Sunday

2009-08-06T12:50:00.005-04:00

That's a fact. I wish it was also a fact that Avery would actually be here that day. But I'm thinking it's unlikely that she'll be born on or before that day. I just got back from my appointment and the news is that I haven't progressed much. I'm dilated maybe a cm. And Avery still hasn't dropped. So the wait continues! The doctor said I could still very well have this baby before next week, given that I've given birth before. I SO hope that's the case, but I'm not counting on it!

My next appointment is scheduled for Friday, the 14th. I'll be five days past my due date at that point, and depending on how that check-up goes, they'll most likely induce me soon after, I'd expect... and will probably insist upon while sobbing. :)

Other random things in my quest to stay busy:

My friend, Sarah, and I went to the spa yesterday and had massages. I had the pregnancy massage, which was nice and relaxing.

Mike's been home quite a bit lately, so that's been really nice. Abby Kate has really enjoyed all the extra wrestle/tickle time with him.

Abby Kate went to the doctor yesterday for her school physical. She was so funny sitting up on the table all by herself. Before the doctor examined her, he was sitting at a computer right next to her, checking records. AK said loudly, "Mommy, what's that doctor going to do to me?" The doctor started laughing. After the successful exam I told AK I was so proud of her and said, "see, that wasn't scary, was it?" She replied that it was "really fun," and that she wants to go back to the doctor again tomorrow.

Update

2009-07-30T07:47:00.002-04:00

Hi. Still pregnant. :)

I went to my weekly OB appointment yesterday and it sounds like I'm going to be pregnant for a while longer. No surprise, really, as this is my luck. Pregnancy does me no favors... except for the ultimate blessing at the long-awaited end (which is worth every discomfort - not that I'll want to do it again, though!). The doctor says I haven't dilated any, unfortunately. My due date is next Sunday, Aug. 9. I won't be surprised to go well past it, like with AK. But there's always hope!

We've been trying to stay busy to keep my mind off waiting. I took AK to the new aquatic center here a couple times. Yesterday we did 'Mommy and Me' pottery painting at a neat place here in New Bern. Abby Kate painted a plate complete with her purple handprint and mommy painted a piggy bank for Avery. It was really fun. I could spend everyday in that place!

This morning, I'm headed to a coffee date with some friends and then to gymnastics this afternoon. Next week, I have a pregnancy massage lined up and another OB appt. on Thursday. Besides that, I'm trying to get all my work projects complete before Avery's arrival.

I hope there will be a post announcing Avery's birth soon!

Full Term and on Standby

2009-07-19T10:36:00.004-04:00

Mike took this picture of me after church (and a trip to Dunkin' Donuts!) this morning. Glazed munchkins certainly aren't helping my figure at this point, but the point of me caring has most definitely passed. :) I'm considered full term now with three more weeks to go - if I go on time. I'm due Aug. 9.

So far I've had no reason to think I'll go early. I feel better than I have for most of the pregnancy, in fact. This has been almost a carbon copy of my pregnancy with Abby Kate. So if that's any indication for labor timing... well then I may just go to 41 weeks again.

We went to the hospital's maternity open house to check things out last week. Seeing the rooms made me a little nervous, knowing labor is eminent!

Nonetheless, I'm so excited that we'll get to meet Avery soon and that I'll be on my way to feeling 'normal' again.

I'm having lovely daydreams of going for long runs. We recently got a new double jogging stroller that is simply the best thing ever. I researched one for weeks and I am so, so pleased with the BOB Ironman Sport Utility stroller. I would highly recommend it if you want a stroller built for long, safe runs with your kids. It is so light and smooth and handles 1,000 times better than my first single Jeep jogger. I'll link the pic to info about the stroller if you happen to be looking for one. It also comes in a single. (Thanks to all my friends who gave me gift certificates to BabiesRUs at my shower! We will get SO much use out of this stroller.)

The Girls' Rooms

2009-07-08T13:28:00.003-04:00

I procrastinated for an entire year on completing Abby Kate's room decor. And I may have let it go even longer had we not gotten pregnant with Avery. But I couldn't decorate Avery's nursery without finishing AK's room, so we just did both at once. Finally, we are done. Well almost - Avery's room still needs a few more touches. Abby Kate loves her pink room!

34 Weeks

2009-06-24T08:23:00.002-04:00

At 34 weeks pregnant, we're doing pretty well. My belly is growing bigger making my daily routine - and especially exercise - more uncomfortable. But the countdown of weeks is on. Only six to go! Hopefully less. My doctor says he won't let me go over a week past due, but he's confident I'll go into labor before that. He says everything looks great with the baby and me.

I had a dream last night that I labored and delivered the baby all in four hours. I didn't have an epidural because it came on so fast, but I somehow blacked out during the labor, so I didn't feel/remember any pain. Haha, if only it were that easy! I'm just hoping to come in under 24 hours, which is how long AK took to make her way into this world.

We have been working on both girls' rooms the last couple of weeks. I still have some wall decor to buy or make and curtains to hang, but the rooms are almost done. We still need to locate our infant carrier, swing and various other baby items and get them cleaned up. And I guess I'll pack our hospital bags around 36 weeks, to be safe. However, I have no doubt this baby will come on or after her due date.

We are getting excited to meet Avery, and we're really looking forward to introducing her to her big sister!

Eight Years

2009-06-16T07:44:00.001-04:00

Thank you for eight wonderful years, Mike.
I love you so much!

Daddy's Home!

2009-06-12T21:26:00.003-04:00

Mike got home last Saturday and we have been soaking him up the whole week. Well as much as we can, anyway. They already had him back up in the air again a bunch this week, so he's been busy. But we are so thankful and comforted to have him back!

It was raining when we arrived on base to pick Mike up, so you'll see AK making weird faces because she didn't like the raindrops hitting her. She was so happy to have her daddy back and didn't even give him time to change when we got home... she had too many things in her room to show him right away!

Thirty

2009-06-06T11:00:00.003-04:00

Friends. Flowers. Cake. The ingredients of a fun thirtieth birthday! Thanks to my friends for helping me celebrate in Mike's absence. And to all those who sent cards, e-mails, texts and phone calls: thanks so much!

I was surprised around 4 p.m. by a knock on the door and a delivery of 30 red/pink roses from my husband. Thanks, honey!

I can't believe I'm 30, but I'm thankful for every year I've had and hope that the years ahead will bring as much happiness.

Almost There!

2009-05-31T20:51:00.003-04:00

We are now in the home stretch... only a few more days until Daddy gets back home! We REALLY miss him and can hardly wait to have him back. It's been almost a month and I know that one day we're going to have to do this for seven or more months when he deploys. Having this very small taste of what that will be like has been hard. I have so much respect and admiration for all military spouses (including some of the wonderful friends I've met along our way) who have missed or are currently missing their loved ones.

We've continued to try to keep ourselves busy. I hosted dinner on Wednesday night for several friends and their children whose husbands are also on the det. We went to the beach this weekend with friends and out to a nice dinner for our book club this month. Today, I took AK to her first movie. That was really fun. She loved it! We saw Disney's new movie, UP! During all the exciting parts, Abby Kate kept saying, "what's going to happen, Mommy?!" And she looked so cute with her bag of popcorn, pretending to cough after she ate each piece so she could have another drink of my Sprite.

This week will be filled with an OB appt., work, the gym, and more hanging out with friends... and of course a lot of crying as I'll be hitting the big 3-0 on Tuesday. Ugh. What a way to turn 30 - eight months pregnant and husband gone! At least I moved my dental appt. that had originally been scheduled for that day. :) A couple friends agreed to come over and keep me company on my birthday, so I'm thrilled about that and looking forward to it.

Mike is doing well and has finished up all the flights they had him scheduled to do out there. We have missed him SO much. We are so excited for his return later this week!!!

Last Three Weeks, In Pictures

2009-05-26T20:20:00.004-04:00

While we were home, Mom, Carrie and I threw a shower for my dear friend, Lyndsay. She's expecting her first child - a son, Eli. We're due only two days apart!

This is Lynds and me with our moms, Debi and Missy. Our moms have also been best friends for a long, long time. Even way before we were born.

My nephew, William, friend Cristy's son, Caden and AK outside the gorilla exhibit at the Louisville Zoo.

With Mimi and Pawpaw, waiting for a train ride at the zoo.

Wanting to 'help' Pawpaw mow the grass.

With my college friend, Maggie, outside a restaurant in Frankfort.

My wonderful friends, Lexie and Sarah, who held a baby shower for me this past weekend. They were so kind to include Abby Kate in the fun. Thanks, guys! It was beautiful!

Back Home

2009-05-21T21:32:00.002-04:00

After a nice, but busy trip home to KY (pictures to come), Abby Kate, Junah and I are back home and settling in. The drive home took almost 11 hours, but it really didn't seem that long at all. Well, besides the fact that the Camry's air conditioner died three hours into the trip. Abby Kate and I were sweating and Junah had his tongue hanging out for several hours. I asked the gas station lady if she knew what the problem could be and she told me I probably had a freeon leak. I asked her where I could get some freeon to put back in the car and she looked at me like I was crazy. (I should really learn more about cars, I guess.) I was disappointed that I couldn't just go buy a jug of freeon, pour it wherever it goes and be on my way.

So we pressed on and arrived home safe and sound. Abby Kate was happy to reunite with her toys. Specifically her pink watering can.

We've been hanging out with friends and getting back to weekly things like gymnastics and OB appointments. We are trying to stay busy to keep our minds off missing Daddy, but it's tough. We have about two more weeks to go until he returns. Mike is doing well with his training over in Arizona, but I know he'll be so excited to get back to his girls.

I'll leave you with some new, funny AK dialogue:

I was outside pumping up the tires on my bike because my friend Lexie is borrowing it for a triathlon next weekend. I was having trouble with the pump as it was very difficult to push down. So I started raising it, then sitting on the handle to push it down. Abby Kate took notice and got up from illustrating our driveway with her sidewalk chalk. She came over and this is what followed:

AK: Mommy, there's a better way to do that.
Me: (Baffled, not sure I heard her right. Did she really just say that?!) What did you say, honey?
AK: I said there's a better way to do that.
Me: (Laughing and shocked and completely spellbound to hear what her solution might be) Oh? Well, OK, what's the better way?
AK: (Patting the seat of the bike) See, you sit up here and ride.
Me: (Speed-dialing NASA)

:)

Missing Daddy

2009-05-10T08:14:00.004-04:00

We said good-bye to Daddy last week as he pulled his bags and flight gear from the trunk and walked into the squadron and then later onto a plane headed to Yuma, AZ. I cried and said a million "be carefuls," knowing we wouldn't see him again for 4+ weeks. Abby Kate didn't quite grasp the sadness of the good-bye, thinking Daddy was simply going to work like he does everyday. But she still gave him lots of hugs and kisses, followed by "haaaaaaarder hugs and kisses," as you see pictured here. :)

Mike will be training for a month in Yuma. He'll then come back and finish up the last bit in NC with hopes to complete the training in July/August. I'm sure he's about to melt out there with temperatures of 107 degrees! He says he went for a run early in the morning the other day and it was already 80 degrees. Yuma is very close to the Mexican border, so I made sure he had plenty of pocket hand sanitizer to combat the Swine Flu! He's been very busy out there so far with flights and simulator flights and studying, but we hear from him at least once or twice a day. I'm hoping he at least gets a day off today.

To get our minds off his absence, AK, Junah and I traveled home to KY late last week. We've been enjoying spending time with family, and I'll be here to help throw a baby shower for my friend Lyndsay! But we are missing Daddy today especially, on this Mother's Day.

When we return home, we have planned many dinners and get togethers with my wonderful friends in NC as all of their husbands are on the det to Yuma as well.

We miss you, Daddy! Be safe - we can't wait for you to come home!

Welcome to the World

2009-05-05T12:51:00.002-04:00

David Ryan Wallace

This little one was born to Mike's oldest brother, CJ and his wife, Amber, on May 1. He came five weeks early - hence the breathing tubes - but they have since come off and both mom and baby are doing well! Congratulations, CJ, Amber and Luke on the newest addition! We can't wait to meet him!

More AK Quotes

2009-05-01T12:09:00.002-04:00

As we were driving to the library this morning for story-time, Abby Kate started to tell me - as she often does - all the things she's going to do with Avery when she arrives. Having heard the list a thousand times, I was a bit surprised at the newest thing she added to her list of ways to help:

AK: "Mommy, when Avery comes out I'm going to hold her, rock her, kiss and hug her, change diaper, feed her, butter her..."

After having good laugh, I explained that Avery is not a pancake and does not need to be buttered.

:)

She then turned her attention to the numerous puffy clouds in the sky:

AK: "I see clouds, Mommy!"
Me: "I see them too!"
AK: "They're moving, I can't see them anymore, Mommy. I need some vernoculars."

I wasn't aware she knew the concept of binoculars, let alone the word!