apple picking

Its fun finding all the great spots in our area - often great tips from other moms.  This was a great one that we got to explore on Columbus day - its a beautiful apple orchard about 45 minutes away.  The playground is awesome, the apples are amazing with so many varieties to choose from.  Scott and Jules joined us for the day of exploring...

See anyone in the pirate ship?

look this goofy looking photo =)

ready Shane?

time to pick the apples

guess we all found a good one (or 2)

Shane nibbling away and enjoying a bit of stroller time

just the view through the orchards

The perfect one was WAY up there.

Love this boy - he loved climbing

an rather important photo as it reminded me of where the heck we went.

More tree climbing - the all american kid activity

thanks Johnny Appleseed for all these great apple trees.

ready for the ride home hot stuff?

Guess it was a success - I don't see ANY eyeballs!

Halloween

Halloween was festive and fun as you can imagine a an urban sprawl setting would be.  the kids really didn't walk about what they wanted to be until it was truly time. 

Here was our 'warm up'

I felt very safe walking to the gym with Captian America and Iron man 

honestly, they looked so cute on their bikes. 

my mom loves sending holiday cards - but her timing with the mail man was impeccable! 

 Now to the evening costumes.  I don't think I had said much of anything to nick (he kept saying football player - but I said, you are that every Saturday!).  oddly enough the other day he said lobster - i didn't say anything, but knew I had a "lobster in the pot" costume that i figured Chris would wear someday...  (yeah right_ so it worked well for my little crustacean.

Guess we had a bit of a water theme going on.

Chris wasn't a 'lobster in a pot' but he busted out his wolverines costume circa 2002 from a Bachelor party!.  He is my true superhero!

Here they are handing out candy to the early birds.

Honestly I think they enjoy that process quite a bit.

With Aiden and Evan its time to hit the streets.

Just a few photos of our walk way - this pumpkin was Nick's

This one was Shane's

Pauli was my partner in crime as we got to stay back and great the other trick or treaters - on crafty boy asked if she was our cat dressed up as a dog - he got some extra candy for that witty remark

They are back and going through their loot

Drew logged in quite a few steps and a close encounter with a werewolf.  Folks get rather festive out here.

Shane enjoyed a night of non-monitored candy consumption.

I was thankful for the pretzel packets too

Drew dude

Shane forked over this sucker as it took 'too long' to eat...

Hope everyone had a great trick or treating night!

Throw back Thursday

As I was scanning the school photos to a random memory card I looked at what was on the memory card....  just a few years ago right??  How about almost 10 years ago - 2005 - good thing we haven't changed a bit!  For the record, I think that is my natural hair color, but since I had already met chelcy, that could be up for debate.....

Look at this tall handsome 1st Cav guy.  Fresh home from 15 months in Iraq (which is where he took command - right around the 5th of July (our 1st wedding anniversary) and the day prior to a terrible accident among some of his newly cared for soldiers.  I know he remembers that day well.

Chris and his BN CDR - COL Martin - a fabulous and strong commander.  I enjoyed his wife too who was a great pal while the guys were gone.  Chris recently connected with COL Martin is an effort to adjust his PE license - cool how things like that can be a drag or can really just keep you connected. 

The speach - I cannot remember that part 

Some of the great officers he had the oppurtunity to serve with. 

The whole crew - how wonderful to have Barbara and Wyland share the moment with us. 

Shortly after Chris's change of command he ventured off into the civilian world.  At that moment, we never thought we would leave Georgetown Texas.  We envisioned our kids (that we didn't have at the moment) going to high school there along with our best friends kids - however since than its been Germany and NoVa, every wonder what's next? 

love you honey - and I love these memories.  You are one amazing guy.

school photos - you never know what you're gonna get...

You send them off hair brushed, shirt straight - you might even review the smile a few times - but there is just something about the big lights, odd guy behind the camera that just brings back memories...  This guy TOTALLY looks like Chris - I remember Chris being self conscious about his neck....  I think he gifted it along to Nick =)

Could this photo get any louder?!?!  I had no idea they were bringing in Fall Leaves for my Hawaiian print hottie... Note the watch and laced shoes - a request for the man.  (Who BTW -told me yesterday he has a girlfriend.  watch out farrah!)

Love these boys.

It's 12:05, drew and I are finishing up a casual chicken nugget lunch together. As he walks away he realizes something, turns around to walk back to me pointing to his pants. I reluctantly ask if he wants to use the potty (I'm not interested in winter/fall potty training-too many clothes, lots of activities just doesn't fit in MY schedule) but drew is a different bird, so we take his pants and diaper off---nothing.... I pull his pants back up (sans diaper) and I run up to grab a diaper. In that time he pees his pants (great) so I take them off...

12:08 -- Shane should be home soon. Drew is pant less and acting like he needs to poop. Ok, let's try the potty... Nope, no poop. Let's stand on the floor... Ok, now poop, on the wood floor (WAY better than carpet!-counting blessings..

I know he's not done so we hit the potty again. Because I don't have the potty rings down from storage yet (code word for somewhere stuffed in the house) so I have to help prop him up.... But guess who's rounding the corner excited about an early poopy Halloween treat?? Yup, Pauli. I extend my head out if the bathroom to ask Pauli NOT to eat the poop... But I can't go far for fear that Drew's first potty try will result in him drowning in the toilet...

It's a delicate balance-wait there is no balance and it's not delicate-kinda disgusting!

I take one more step to the hallway and use a VERY stern voice (ok, YELL at Pauli NOT to EAT the poop) but realize it has already been consumed.

Turn back around and Drew's butt is totally in the toilet....

Pull him out, stand him up, look out the window and notice Shane is home.

Shout at Pauli locking her outside, leave drew pantless to finish his business wherever he shall choose and run outside to get Shane (wolverine as luck would have it he could dress up today which just made this moment feel even more chaotic)

So this is life right-and really, that was funny.

But here is what we are normally doing.... Totally under control for 2 minutes at a time;)






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Location:Can't make this stuff up

So we built a house

Back in 2006-sure, it was the thing to do, as a builder with DWH, we had the tool set. But in 2009 when our lives required a drastic change, we had to decide.......

Should we sell or should we hold.....

We held.

Now I am thankful because it has opened my experiences to more of a social enrichment than I ever thought possible. As we left in 2009 our ad in craigslist attracted 2 families instantly, the initial one- a fly-by-night traveling chef from CA. Although it thankfully (I think) didn't pan out, they were surely interesting to connect with.

The second family and ultimately our first renters cared for our home as if it were their own from the day we left in January 2009 until October 2013. Blessed

You can barely see the home through all the beauitufully grown trees

the willow is the tree we planted for Nick's birth - thriving. 

As it became time for them to more on (oddly enough to Ashburn, VA) the leap for new renters began. Scary at first but involved. I may stress about this, but it is a responsibility that I own and am mostly thankful for. 3 initial applicants filed in. The initial phone call was almost kismet (and often in situations like this you try to dismiss but not ignore kismet) but phone call #2 was Realtor represented. Although that it not an immediate deterrent (well if the Realtor is horrible the yes it is) but it places a void between the renter/landlord relationship that we value. So for no real fault of their own it was an easier decision
The great thing is it's our decision.

So our renters moved in 10 October but truly walked into our life 26 October. I remember phoning their references (a director at the Salk Institute) thinking who the heck am I? Well meeting them on Saturday I felt truly honored to have these folks caring for our forever home. I'm not sure if I can fully describe or capture my feelings first of walking though the home that Chris and I put our hearts into. From the initial love for the yard and trees to staining the concrete floor ourselves - to the tv in the master bathroom. It's our home.

I instantly love the hug from Jackie as she welcomes me home. Bitter sweet. In our 2 hours of time together we went from strangers on an application to connected through a home-often the most important thing in a life. I got to meet her mother via skype who is 88 living in her home town of Minnesota. I got to walk through the bedroom that is reserved for her mother and her visits. I had the pleasure of meeting her daughter and granddaughter who live about walking distance away that Jackie is charmed and values the roll she has in their lives. Her whole family loves our home and because if that they love us. Honestly I cannot believe how that really works.

After completing our walk through the house I want to treasure the memory if standing in our master bed room pouring over the 30 year computation book that Marc constructed of his years at Salk institute and his photography talent. Standing there with Jackie and Marc I felt undeniable years of overwhelming happiness that these magical folks lives were now somehow intertwined with mine. Because we built a home...