Daddy's Home!

Andy is back for two fun-filled weeks of rest and relaxation! I will return to the blog after our time with him comes to an end, and I will fill you all in on all of our time together.

Camping Like It's Cool!

As I stated in the previous blog post, Ethan, Mom, and Dad went camping in Deadwood this past weekend. Here are some highlights from their trip.

They went on a bike ride on the Mickelson Trail.

It had tunnels. Awesome.

They went to the gold-mining museum in Lead, SD. Also, awesome.

Jackson and I visited the campers and ate supper with them. The brothers missed each other so much. They really are best pals.

The King of Jenga.

This boy is most-definitely a camper...just like his Momo, Papa, and Daddy!

Jack-Jack's Big Turtle Pack-Pack

Mom, Dad, and Ethan went camping this weekend (again). Jackson and I stayed home for two reasons: (1) I don't like camping; (2) I wanted to go scope out some garage sales. Well thank goodness we didn't go camping! I found some great deals on shelving and home decor for our next house (wherever that may be). AND Jackson scored this great frog backpack for a whole dollar! Don't worry, it came from a very clean home, and I disinfected it. It should be noted that Jackson has no interest in frogs, but he LOVES turtles so he appropriately named his new friend, "Jack-Jack's big turtle pack-pack."

Jack-Jack and his big turtle pack-pack are so stinkin' cute!

Love and miss you Andy. See you SOON!

Vacation Bible School

Ethan's had a GREAT week at Vacation Bible School. He looks forward to going everyday, and he has fun all day long. It's good practice for being away from home when he starts kindergarten in the fall. I love the break, but Jackson has been struggling with his big brother being gone all day. I was able to volunteer and help out at lunch time so at least Jackson got to eat lunch with his best pal. Here are a few pictures from tonight's VBS closing program.

Ethan made this bandana today at VBS. He's worn it like this all day.

Best pals. :)

Towards the end of the program, Ethan was ready for refreshments.

Thank you Outlaw Ranch for being great VBS counselors!

Love and miss you Andy!

Swim Lessons

As I've said before, the key to surviving a deployment is to keep busy. We continue to succeed at this task. This week we have Vacation Bible School, and the previous two weeks we had swim lessons. Ethan wowed the teachers with his swimming skills, and at only five, he graduated to Level 3 (reserved for 8-10 year olds). Go Ethan! Here are some pictures from his fun two weeks at swim lessons.

I was worried Jackson wouldn't be able to sit on the edge and watch Ethan's lessons because he'd want to get in the water too. However, we brought Buzz and Woody along, and Jackson was fine. He is still Ethan's #1 fan, yelling, "Go Ethan Go!" every day.

Love and miss you Andy!

Roubaix Lake

Our weekend also included a long and hot afternoon at Roubaix Lake. The beach was so soft, and the water was pretty cold, but it felt so good in the 90 degree weather. The boys stayed occupied for nearly four hours...playing in the sand, swimming in the lake, and canoeing with Papa! It makes me excited to return to the beaches of Okinawa!

Jackson digging with a new friend.

Ethan racing back and forth between the lake and the giant hole he was digging.

Ethan and Papa in the canoe.

Mommy and her boys cooling off!

Love and miss you Andy!!

Boondock's

Mom, Dad, and Ethan are camping in Deadwood this weekend. Jackson and I met them today for a fun day. We started out at Boondock's: a fun tourist spot with carnival rides, museums, and gift shops. We'd never been there before, but both boys had a great time!

Each boy could pick one ride, and Jackson chose the Safari Train. He was a little apprehensive about riding alone.

But he rode the whole ride by himself with no tears. He even asked to go again! He's getting so big.

Ethan chose the roller coaster.

It was fast!

Tomorrow I'll post pictures of the rest of our day in Deadwood!

Love and miss you Andy!

No Nap? How About Fish?!

On Wednesday, Jackson completely boycotted nap time. My Dad joked that maybe Jackson is outgrowing naps. I didn't laugh, and I'm happy to report, he has returned to his 3+ hour daily naps. However, on Wednesday we had a whole afternoon to occupy so I loaded up the boys, and we went to the fish hatchery. It was a beautiful day...even without a nap.

Ethan, a.k.a. Mr. Curious, found EVERY hiking trail throughout the hatchery, and you can bet, we hiked everyone. We found fish cemeteries, abandoned water pumps, and a great view.

Love and miss you Andy!

Storybook Island, The Sequel

After Ethan saw pictures of Jackson at Storybook Island last month, he has been begging to go. I reminded him that he'd been there when he was one year old, but that didn't seem to matter. Last week, Mom took an afternoon off, and we took BOTH boys to the funnest free park ever!

Captain Ethan on his pirate ship.

Jackson hanging out with Pooh.

Yogi Bear sure has some cute snacks in his picnic basket.

The highlight of the park - the train ride!

Jackson, Ethan, and Mom inside Jack's beanstalk. Jackson was excited to see so many "Jacks." Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill...Jackson would stand near another "Jack" and say, "Two Jack-Jacks!"

Can't wait to take you to Storybook Island Daddy!

Daddy's Work Trip

Here are some pictures from Andy's deployment. He is unable to upload pictures onto the blog, but he is able to email me pictures so I am posting these pictures on his behalf. There are more pictures of him with his ANA (Afghan National Army) counterparts, but I didn't post them due to security concerns. Andy looks so good, and we are so excited to see him!! Thanks to all of our blog followers for your support and prayers.

My hubby is so handsome!

Andy (right) and another Marine mentoring an ANA soldier.

Andy (far left) and his team.

We love and miss you Andy. So much!

Pierre Getaway: Part 3

The boys and Mom and Dad stayed at a very nice campsite on the Missouri River. Britt and I are more high maintenance, and we opted to stay at her apartment. We did have fun at the campsite though. There were great playgrounds and a beach! All in all, a great weekend.

Jackson likes to hide when he is pooping. I found him under the playground equipment, and this is him mid-sentence: "No Mama! Jack-Jack poop!" That means, leave me alone Mom, I'm pooping!

Brothers on the beach.

The whole gang!

Pierre Getaway: Part 2

Who's up for a boat trip? I know the boys have been on a boat before, but I can't recall them ever being on a regular boat with life jackets and going tubing so I had to take pictures to remember the occasion! Ethan LOVED riding on the tube, and he went several times. Jackson was just desperate to ride the boat with his big brother. Thanks to our family friends, the Kvislens, for a fun afternoon on the Missouri River!

Pre-boat trip: The boys in their "boat coats."

Getting ready for some tubing action!

Go Ethan go!

When he was done tubing, not surprisingly, he asked for a boat and a tube.

Mommy and her little boaters!

Aunt Britt loves boating too!

Andy, we thought about you all day and how much fun you'd be having on the boat with us. We can't wait to see you! Love you!

Pierre Getaway: Part 1

The whole gang (Mom, Dad, me, and the boys) are in Pierre this weekend visiting Aunt Britt. Pierre is a hidden treasure in South Dakota. It is right on the Missouri River, and it is full of outdoor activities...biking, hiking, boating, fishing, and hunting. I could definitely see the Goldhahns residing here someday. Today Britt and I took Ethan to the South Dakota Discovery Center and Aquarium while Jackson took his nap. This place had Ethan's name written all over it!

Exploring the soil tunnel.

Ethan's favorite exhibit: Making art with the sand pendulum.

Searching for fossils.

This static electricity exhibit was supposed to make his hair stand up, but our little Marine had too short of hair to get the full effect so...

...Aunt Britt did it too. And it worked great!

We can't wait for our Daddy to get home so we can show him all the fun things we've been doing.

Miss and love you Andy.