New pictures of my beautiful nephew!

Mason is almost 4 months old and just as cute as a button! We miss our little Minnow!

Happy Birthday to Me! (& Alyson)

Today is my birthday. Not a happy occasion after turning 30 last year, but Olivia would die if we didn't have a "party" and eat some birthday cake. So, instead of trying my best to forget how old I feel, I decided to post a list of how God has blessed me for the past (dare I say?) 31 years. I had made the list to send to Gary so each time he feels like nothing is going right, he can read it (because much of what applies to me also applies to him) and know that we are blessed. So here goes (in no particular order)...

God has blessed me with:

1. Gary, my ridiculously amazing husband.
2. Olivia and Cole, the most beautiful children.
3. Happiness beyond my imagination.
4. Health.
5. Good humor (I need it during this deployment!).
6. Soft, sympathetic heart (though the older I get, the more a cynic I become).
7. Knowledge and common sense.
8. Kindness.
9. Humility.
10. Laughter.
11. Sunshine and cool breezes.
12. The smell of fresh flowers.
13. Chocolate (do I need a reason for this?).
14. Freedom to do, act, feel, be....(Thanks to Gary and our military!).
15. Logic, reasoning and understanding.
16. Technology.
17. Sand to feel between my toes.
18. Water to wash it all off. :)
19. Home cooking to nourish body AND soul (nothing like comfort food to help heal a bad day).
20. Snowflakes at Christmas (and a hubby who shovels).
21. Hope.
22. Did I mention my wonderful husband, Gary?
23. Tomorrow (for new beginnings).
24. Love to withstand time.
25. Bear hugs.
26. Curiosity.
27. A home.
28. My family.
29. Forgiveness.
30. Passion in all forms.
31. Faith.

Gift for Gary

Another creation - american-themed rag pillow for Gary to accompany his rag quilt ... made from my heart. A small attempt to make his hooch feel like home.

Way Too Much Time...

Does this make my ears look big?

AFTER

Gary either has too much time on his hands or was looking for trouble! Olivia said, "Daddy looks like Don! He needs to put his hair back on!" (Don is a friend who doesn't have much hair and what he has is gray - Sorry Don!) But Gary did win a bet (though I'm not sure I agree he won) and proved to his compadres that he does have the 'nads' to do it! Thankfully, it will grow back - BEFORE he comes home! I guess they need to do something to amuse themselves!

BEFORE

Co-Conspirators

The instigator behind the haircut...never, NEVER trust your roommate to cut your hair!

My new hobby...

Our friend, Jan, taught mom and I how to make these really cute rag quilts and over the last 8 or 9 months, we've made a couple - just to name a few, we've made an 'American' one for Gary (red, white and blue) and a baby one for Mason (baby blues) and I just finished one for a baby shower this weekend. We usually have scraps leftover and I was trying to think of ways to use the smaller pieces of fabric ... well, TaDa! Here is what you get! Rag Pillows - these are tiny, maybe 12''x12'', but I could make them bigger with larger pieces of fabric - TOO CUTE! They were so easy and Olivia wanted a pink one just for her ... so, Voila! Perfect little pillows (that really aren't so perfect, but the more practice I get, the better the stitching will get). I'm so excited!

Pumpkins and Apples

Saturday we went to Treworgy Farms to pick pumpkins and apples - the kids had a lot of fun! Cole got to totter around the patch and get all muddy and Olivia had her pick of pumpkins! It was an awesome day!

Tough time for Olivia

Lately, Olivia has been having a tough time living with Daddy's long absence. Everyday she asks me where Daddy is and everyday I tell her the same things. She talks about it as much as she is capable of understanding and we encourage any kind of connection she can make with him on a daily basis, whether it is drawing a picture, having Mommy write an email, talking on the phone to Daddy (when he can call at a time she's awake) or just talking about him. And it seems like videos of Daddy make her loss more vivid in her mind and disturb her even more. It still a difficult situation and I'm not sure there is anything else I can do to help her. Right now she's looking forward to his two-week R&R around new year's. I pray that all goes well and he is able to come.

The other day, we were at the mall and she saw a man carrying a little boy about her age. We had just met the couple and I was talking with his wife when Olivia asked him, "Are you my daddy?" She asked it three times before he brought it to our attention and then we explained the situation. It almost brought me (and them) to tears right there because she misses Gary so much. I wish I could make it easier for her. I guess all I can do is be there.

As for Colvin, he's as clingy to mommy as ever. He is generally a happy boy and doesn't seem to be too affected by Gary's deployment, but he shies away from people he doesn't know and even cries with men sometimes. I'm hoping it's a stage he's going through and it will pass. Mommy is hanging in there, too. Exhausted, as usual, but I expect nothing less. Gary asked me what I wanted for my birthday (which is this month) and I told him, "A day off." That would be so nice! Alas, I will have to wait. Gary will have a lot of special days to make up for when he returns, but I will be glad just to have him home again. We pray every night to keep him safe and bring him home soon.

Tomorrow will bring new hope and a new attitude...until then, we just wait.

Let sleeping babes lie...

Shhhhh ... don't wake them up!

Blue Hill Fair

This year we almost didn't go to the Blue Hill Fair, but on Labor Day, the weather was so gorgeous, we just had to get outside! Olivia wasn't focused on the rides this year, she wanted to see the animals -- horses, pigs, sheep, alpacas, llamas, guinea pigs, chickens, donkeys, cows, and more! Olivia got an airbrushed tattoo and Mommy got her funnel cake, too! Yum! We only stayed a couple hours, but had a blast!

Olivia's First Day of Kindergarten

Olivia's first day of Kindergarten was yesterday and it is kind of bittersweet. Gary has missed so much of this little girl's life and this is one more thing that he can never get back. He is her hero and even amidst all the excitement yesterday, she said, "Mommy, Daddy will be home soon," as if she is confirming his absence but anxiously anticipating his return.

A visit to Memere's house

We spent Sunday of Labor Day weekend at Memere's (Gary's Mom) house in Dayton. It took us about three hours to get there ... over every hill and around every corner, Olivia would say, "We're almost to Memere's house" and in between all we heard was how much Olivia wanted to see Memere and go in the pool. By the way, the water temperature was a scant 72 degrees. One would think 72 is a pleasant temp -- but in the water, it's blasted cold! Regardless of timeouts for her purple lips, Olivia kept going back in for more water fun! Obviously, Cole did not enjoy the pool as much as Olivia did. Poor boy!

Seasonal bite at the Fish House Grill

One of my favorite restaurants in the Downeast area is the Fish House Grill in Bar Harbor, Maine. It is only open seasonally and despite my good intentions, I usually don't get to dine there until the end of the season. They have great dishes, mostly seafood and it sits right on the dock with a great view of the ocean and surrounding islands. We finally made it out to Bar Harbor, Memaw, Olivia, Baby Cole and myself, to have dinner there. Olivia loved seeing the lobsters and of course, my favorite dish is the steamed crab legs - you'll draw back a bloody stump if you bother me while I'm eating crab legs ... Yummy! - but with kids now, they take priority ... as you can see, I still enjoyed it. I just wish Gary could have been there to enjoy it with me.