White Christmas!

Hello, Hello!
I just wanted to share a few photos from the Christmas season from all the crazy amounts of snow to friends and family. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

A New Addition

Daniel and I have a new addition to our little family. Beans has a brother. :) We got little Tater Tot (his name but he goes by Tater or Tate) last week. Daniel's mom and dad were holding him for us because Daniel was on a trip and they also got one of his brothers so it worked out perfectly! :) Anyway, here are some updated pictures of the two of us and then Beans (black and gray) and Tater (brown and white). Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in AZ

Cymon, Shiva, and I went to Arizona to spend Thanksgiving with her family. Her brother Chad and his wife Amanda live there with their two children Kelsey and Cole. I apparently failed to get a picture of Cole but here is one of Shiva and Kelsey on Thanksgiving day.



We stayed with her step father Rich and his fiance Janet, who I also don't have pictures of so here is a picture of their cat Meechan.




We went to the range, ate at Sonic and In-N-Out, spent money at the mall, had fun in the 85deg sun and overall had a wonderful vacation and Thanksgiving.

Here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving. It was quiet, just the four of us. Still, in its way, nice. Our biggest dillema was what pie to make--since it was just the two of us, we couldn't justify making more than one. After much deliberation we decided to make a traditional pumpkin for Thanksgiving and make the sweet potato pecan pie for Christmas dinner. The other big thing was trying to figure out how to take a family picture. It kept going off before Mark had a chance to get settled. We tried a couple of times and this was the best we could come up with. Which is, if nothing else, very indicative of our crazy and wonderful life together.

The night before Thanksgiving

What do you think of this Butterball?

THANKSGIVING CHALLENGE

I haven't included a picture in THIS post - just a challenge. DON'T FORGET YOUR CAMERA TOMORROW!!!! Take a picture of your individual Thanksgiving celebration and post it.

Autumn day in the sun

Well, The weather was nice and like my mom tought me. We took our rakes, camera and video camera and went to the school that had the most leaves on the ground. We took so many pictures and at least an hour of video of just running and playing in the leaf pile. The kids are hams, and learned very quickly that a leaf fight is so much more fun than a snow ball fight. Its not cold, wet, and it doesn't hurt when it hits you in the head. At first Brian was very skeptical
on why we were putting all this in the truck. He to soon learned how much fun it was. By the time we were done, we were covered in mud, broken leaves and sticks. Just laughing our heads off on how silly we were and how much fun it was. The funniest thing was watching the people driving or walking by. The wonder in there face was like "what on earth were they doing".

McMaddy.

Happy early Thanksgiving all! Here are a few pictures of 18 month old Maddy. Some of these were at the McDonalds play area. We met my friend Josh and his girlfriend there the other day. Maddy is doing well, you can tell she is on her way to two years old! She's got her mamas attitude for sure. She recently had a cold, so now she can say "Tylenol?" :) She is talking all the time. She says, "Yada." For Lydia and my friend Leda. "Citen" for my friend Nathan, "Yee-shaw!" for Alysia, "BEE!" for her cousin Billie, and any other name you ask her to say.

I'm at Albertsons, I usually work from about noon to nine. I rarely get to put Maddy to bed, which is a big bummer, but soon I will be getting trained at the customer service desk, and I also have been trained in the chippery. So, hope fully I will be getting off sooner than later.

One last interjection, I have met a guy. He's 20. Works at Boeing. (Wooo!) & has a 2 year old. Nothing going on, we have just started hanging out. :)

There's a little update. I'm going to go chase Maddy.

Goodbye!

He's HOME!!!

Daniel got home yesterday morning and I just wanted to share a few pictures.
One is the plane landing. The other is him getting of the plane and then finally one of us together. YAY!

Trick or Treat (in reverse)

So, you see it's like this - we live on a busy corner and in the years past, the only people who trick or treat at our house are our grandchildren and they are growing up, so . . . we decided to turn the tables. The gradual moment of recognition on Zac's face was all we needed to get over our embarassment over how ridiculous we looked.

Our 3-Day Story

WE DID IT!!! Cheri and I completed the entire route of the Breast Cancer 3-DAY September 12, 13, & 14. We've already shared this experience with some of you. This post is for everyone else.

Friday the 12th, we awoke early and were at Bellevue Community College shortly about 5:15 a.m. We wanted to get at the front of the line, because we wanted to walk in the cool morning air as much as possible. We watched the sun rise behind the stage. We dropped off our camp bags, which included our clothes in several 2-gallon zip-lock bags, our sleeping bags and air mattresses (each bag weighing less than 35 lbs), grabbed our water bottle or hydration pack and our pink jackets, then headed off for the Opening Ceremonies. After a few guest speakers and some stretches for us to do, five breast cancer survivors walked in and formed a life circle. Tissues were passed around, then the cheers began and we headed out for our first 20.7 miles.

The first cheering station stretched for more than a half-mile as the community came out in force, including kids and survivors passing out candy and waving pom-poms. Our day consisted of Pit Stops and Grab-n-Go’s, every 2-3 miles, all having port-o-potties – very clean ones. Pits Stops had snacks, water, sports drinks, ice and medical tents. Grab-n-Go’s had water, sports drinks, potties, ice and medical tents. All had a cheering squad at the entrance. At lunchtime, our routine was to get ice on our feet while eating a great lunch. We then checked out our feet, replaced moleskin, if necessary, and changed into clean dry socks. Throughout the route people cheered from the sidelines or honked their car horns as they drove by.

After 8 hours walking around Bellevue, we arrived at camp (Marymoor Park in Redmond), set up our pink 2-person tent, took our showers and ate our dinner. Large trucks were mobile shower rooms that always provided warm water. That evening there was entertainment and a karaoke show.

The next morning was cool and foggy and Cheri and I were first in line for our 20.7 mile trip around Kirkland and Redmond. The second day provided more great vistas and lots of up and down hills and lots of cheering crowds. Family members, including Patty, our team namesake, met us at cheering stations and took pictures. This day’s trek took us an hour less. We always stopped and filled up on water and used the port-o-potties, but since we started our walk before some people got out of bed, we were able to stretch our legs and walk at our own pace and the day just went faster for us. However, when we returned, we stopped at the 1st aid self-help table, where medical staff helped us treat our blisters (one each). They had different tubs of moleskin in the correct shapes for heels, or balls of the feet or between toes. The EMT told us to ice our blisters – 20 min. on and 20 off and repeat, then sleep with our feet elevated and we would be new women in the morning.

That evening we found out we were a winner in the Tent Decorating Contest and that Cheri had won the La Croix door prize - I'll let her tell you about it!

We awoke at 4:00 the final morning (not exactly “new women”, but with properly place moleskin bandages, we were ready for the last leg of our journey. It began with a short bus ride under a full moon. We walked to Green Lake and were greeted by a HUGE cheering station! Lunch was a Gas Works Park with a gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline. From there we crossed over the Freemont Bridge. We then headed downtown for the Closing Ceremony at the Seattle Center. The very last part of our walk was into the area where all finishers congregated and everyone cheered. It was emotional both as a receiver of the congratulatory cheers and high fives and, later as those cheering the ones arriving after us.

We walked into the stadium and looked for our family members. Larry and I had made a fluorescent pink banner and our family had centered themselves near it, so as impossible as it seems, we found them in the crowd.

3,250 people crossed the finish line, about 1000 more than last year. 329 of the walkers were survivors. Most were women, but 254 were men. Together they helped raise $8.6 million for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. ($2.2 million more than last year.) And from all efforts, Pink for Patty raised $7326 in our fight against breast cancer - for all the women and girls we know!!! Thanks for all of your support!

Tomorrow is Halloween!

& Maddy is going to be a little duckling. :)

We are going to a nice neighborhood here in Port Orchard where just about every house does something, & there is music playing throughout the neighborhood.

Here is a picture of Maddy at the Breerton Rec Center with Devonne & Billie. They played with toys & rode bikes and had a great time!

She is almost 18 months, and boy is she talking. She says 'pwease' now, finally.

But, her favorite words are 'no' & 'uh oh'.

She mostly says 'uh oh' when she knows she did something not good.

Anyway, that is all.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Pumpkin role call.

Post your Halloween pumpkins! This is mine, I'll post Shiva and Cymon's later.

I am sixteen going on seventeen.

Well, not anymore. As of yesterday I am officially 17! It was a quite delightful birthday. My best friends brought me flowers at school, and alesta brought me balloons. When I got home we had cake (which is quite adorable if you can't see for yourself) and opened presents :). At work emma had sent me flowers, and my coworker had made me brownies. Then when I came home dad and patty were there with more presenttsss :). So it was busy and perfect.

Thats it. haha. just thought I'd be a bit self centered and post a blog all about meeee! The picture to the left I look a little strange in, my eyes are slightly squinted, but thats alright. :]

Thought I would share this...

My friend sent me this and it is soooo true for myself and many women around me daily. Just thought I would share with you all. Enjoy!


Average Age of a Military wife

The average age of the military wife is 20 years old.

She isn't old enough to buy a beer, but is old enough to manage a whole household on her own, and maybe, has a kid or two.

She probably never saw herself loving a man who was in the military, but she loves him regardless.

Her penmanship has improved over the last few months or years, due to the excessive letter writing she has been doing.

She cries alot, because she misses the man she swore to love. Her life isn't complete without him.

She looks very tired, because of her many nights without sleep, due to a late night phone call that never came or a call that came and kept her up all night, just because she heard his voice and is too overjoyed to sleep.

As a wife, she is classified as a dependent, but she is totally independent. She tends to her household, her kids, her school work, and her job, all without her husband.

She manages to wear a smile, even though inside she's crying.

She understands that the man she loves has to go far away and is proud of him but also scared for him.

She understands that he can be taken away from her in a moment.

She feels a great sense of pride and gets teary eyed whenever she hears the National Anthem, sees a flag blowing in the breeze, or watches the news and hears about another soldier dying.

She goes weeks without a call or a letter, but she writes him every second she gets.

She knows how to convert civilian time into military time.

She knows how to iron his clothes and how to get the creases just right.

She gets annoyed when she hears someone complaining about not seeing their boyfriend for a few hours or a few days.

She may not have see him for months but she remembers everything about him, every scar he has, the way he smells, whether or not he snores, the look in his eyes and the way he feels when she holds him.

She has every picture of him and them out, and in frames, and she stares at them for hours on end

She has read every letter and e-mail over and over again.

Even though her man is half a world away, she still manages to go on with her life, as he would want her to.

She has at least one Support out Troops pen and a magnet on her car.

Half her wardrobe is based on his military branch. She never knew that she could love camouflage.

Next time you see her, you'll know her, thank her for what the man she loves is doing. She will greatly appreciate it and she will smile and thank you. Just because you thanked her she will smile the rest of the day!



BTW: DANIEL IS GOING TO BE HOME IN THREE WEEKS! PRAY FOR HIS SAFE RETURN PLEASE!

Patty's Gilbert Girls

Patty just received some new pictures of her daughter, Darcy and her granddaughters, Emmy and Katie. They were taken at their church picnic last Sunday while we were wet and cold. They look like they're blessed with Patty's beauty.

Maddy's first Puyallup Fair.

Maddy loved doin' the Puyallup! As long as she was distracted with food...

:) We had a great day, and she got lots of stuff.

& Mama didn't even have to spend that much.

Yay!

She is 17 months old in two days.

& she can count to three!!!!

I love it!

She also is talking more, more, more.

Such a sweet baby.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Can't wait for new additions to the family.

(NOT TALKING ABOUT MYSELF)

I'm thankful for one and only one right now. :)

-Alesta.

Dottie, Patty, and Cheri stop for photos on day two of the walk.

Soccer.

Did I mention Shiva's on a soccer team? She's really enjoying it and they had their first game on Friday and her team won 13 to 6, Shiva scored 9 of those herself.


If you want to know why she is holding that rock you will have to ask her, I have no idea.

Look at Lydia's new hair!

Last day of summer.

& that's not a booger in my nose.

So PROUD of our kids

Wow, they grow up so fast. So proud of them.

Summer 08

"Cooling off in the Yuba River"

Summer is fading fast....excuse me, it's gone! Annie and I did manage to find a warm week in August, but we had to go south to do it. Christian, Annie and I drove to Lake Wildwood where we met up with Sean, Kristin and Annie's family for a fun week of good food, swimming, great dinners, boat rides, fantastic lunches, late night star watching, and of course, a final feast. This year with a Turkish menu that had the girls cooking for hours.

Speaking of "cool"

Ahhhh....

Kristin, Sean and the "Old Man"

Annie, Chris, and Laurie (The "Smith" side)





Of course there are some folks who don't enjoy the sun as much as others. You find these people in the shadow and only in the bright nasty sun for minutes at a time. Just long enough to move from the shade tree to the "covered" boat.

Christian on Lake Wildwood, away from the nasty sun.

Sean acting like, well.....Sean!

This August marked 30 years together for Annie and I. I Wrote a poem that ended with... "this ring is in memory of all this". I read her my poem and when she gave me the look of "What ring?" I handed her a ring box with a special ring I had made for the event. It was a "Man-in-the-Moon ring that was a bit like one given to her by her mother when she was much younger. The new one was in memory of her mom, our meeting, and me getting enough nerve to kiss her...(I lied about a shooting star, and made a wish)

Michael reading his "poem" just before giving the ring.

Annie freaking out

A very emotional time for some....

But....not everyone got all "emotional"

And some "nice" gifts were given... :-))

And we all did the right thing...and had a feast!

Our last night before heading home....nice!

It was a great week, we all enjoyed getting away form the Northwest and soaking up lots of bright sun shine, (except Christian). Here is wishing us all an Indian summer so we can soak up just a bit more summer before the fall truly hits us.

Michael..............................................