Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas Family and Friends! This year was great, and we are truly blessed. We saw Santa (again...the man sure does get around) on Christmas Eve when he drove around our base on a firetruck handing out presents to all of the children. We celebrated Jesus' birth (the true reason for the season) at the candlelight service at Courtney Chapel. We really enjoyed the time together as a family.

The boys and I with gifts from another Santa. We chased the sirens all over base to make sure we saw him. Despite the long sleeves, it was annoyingly humid, and we were hot!

Ethan (being Ethan) at the Christmas Eve service.

Jackson coloring at church.

The boys got to open one present after church. Of course Ethan picked the "one" that had two toys inside. Thank you Grandma Vicki!

Jackson got his very own Buzz Lightyear from Ethan (in hopes of Jackson not taking Ethan's Buzz anymore).

The stockings were full!

ADORABLE blankets from Uncle Bobby, Aunt Connie, and baby Gunner.

My monkey.

A new Razor scooter!

Jackson taking his blanket (which he calls, "Baby") for a ride on his new bike!

Gingerbread Houses

Before the Christmas break, Ethan, Jackson, and I made a gingerbread house at Ethan's preschool. Prior to the festivities, the boys got to play at the school's playground. It was a great holiday activity! Merry Christmas, and be watching for more photos!!

Playing nicely together!

Jackson thought outdoor activities were more fun than gingerbread house-making.

Ethan's house!! Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Santa Clause

The boys recently met Santa Clause at Andy's Battallion's Christmas party. Ethan was quick to explain that this wasn't the "real" Santa; just merely one of his helpers as Santa is so busy getting ready for Christmas. Ethan was more than happy to sit on the "fake's" lap, but Jackson wasn't having any of it! In Jackson's defense, it was way past his bed time.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Actually, it doesn't look a thing like Christmas, but we humored ourselves at the Courtney Christmas festival. Ethan rode some rides, and I got to ride the train ride with both of the boys. Fun was had by all!

Navigating through outer space.

Swingin' with some locals.

Just looking cute as he watches Ethan ride.

We love free train rides!

Silly "TeTe"

Jackson calls Ethan, "TeTe," and it is oh-so-cute. He also loves pointing at pictures of Ethan throughout the house and saying "TeTe" with a big smile on his face. "TeTe" is such a good big brother and a silly boy!

Brotherly Love

Future delivery boy?

I swear to God; Andy walked by the bathroom, and this is what Ethan was doing. I wonder where he learned this? Ha!

On another note, Andy is back from the field! Thank goodness. We missed him.

2009 Family Pictures

I have already posted these on facebook, but I neglected to post them on the blog. We had a wonderful photographer take our pictures on the beach this year. Here is just a small portion of the great pictures! I know I'm biased, but I don't think Ethan and Jackson can take a bad picture.


Also, Andy is gone this week doing field ops as he prepares for his deployment. He took the camera with him to take some action shots of training so I won't have any new posts this week. Sorry!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2009

We were a busy bunch over this long weekend. We had a wonderful meal on Thursday, and I think we were all thankful to enjoy just being a family of four. Besides lots of eating, the boys also had a Thanksgiving campout. We also put up the Christmas tree and played outside...a lot!

The boys...being manly.

Although Jackson helped put up the tent, he "camped out" in his crib that night.

Let's camp! Ethan checking to see if the kitty door is functional.

Then it was tree time. Ethan was impressed with all of the ornaments he's made over the years.

Jackson was very helpful this year when it came to decorating the tree. He's also helpful at taking the ornaments off the tree and leaving them throughout the house!

We decided to hit up another super-fun off base park...

First, some teeter tottering...

Teeter...

...Totter

Next, the slides!

Even the super steep and scary slides!

We hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving!

Chutes and Ladders

The weather has been beautiful lately...well except for a few rain showers here and there. On Sunday we took advantage of the warm weather and went to one of our favorite local parks. It was especially fun for Mom and Dad because Jackson was big enough to go up the steps and down the slide by himself. His big brother was also a big helper!

It's a big slide, but it was nothing that Jackson couldn't handle!

A quick smile before he goes to the top.

View from the top. There they go!

Here they come!

Ethan earned "Big Brother of the Year" awards on this day!

This one's for you Papa!!

This blog post is a big "hug" for Papa! Go Huskers!!

P.S. Thanks for the new hoodie.

Happy 234th Birthday Marine Corps

Andy and I enjoyed a much-needed night out to celebrate the Marine Corps ball. Andy is preparing for his deployment, which means LOTS of long hours and working on weekends. :( We enjoy the time we have!

Another Trip to Family Land

We decided to introduce Andy to Family Land last weekend. He was very impressed with the cheap admission fees and FREE VIDEO GAMES (albeit in Japanese). We all had a great time. Jackson was big enough to do all of the attractions without assistance so I enjoyed the freedom to play too!