SURPRISE!

Oh how I love a good surprise! Matt is so good at surprises and I love how he loves to spoil me! How did I get so lucky? Completely distracted by Matt's new cell phone set up, he was able to drive me to the bike shop in NW Reno without me realizing that we were not headed to TAHOE just yet! I was shocked to find the we were there and almost in tears when he said it was to pick up MY bike! It was love at first ride and I really did not want to get off it. Here she is in all of her glory....



This weekend goes on record as one of the best birthday/Mother's Day weekend to date! We had a great time in Lake Tahoe at the Borderhouse in Crystal Bay. Truly a nice romantic getaway with convenience to casinos, lake and restuarants! Came home on Sunday to spend a nice day with my sweet girls and hubby.

Woke up Monday to rain, sleet, hail and snow! Only in Fallon....

Life is one big adventure!

So Matt thought I had lost my mind (which happens on occasion) when I told him my plan for Easter weekend....
1)drive 6 1/2 hours to Lemoore, CA to meet up with him
2)spend the night in hotel with there
3)wake up and drive 3+ hours to Monterey, CA to put feet in sand and spend Easter
4)drive back to Lemoore, CA, next day
5)stay 2 days in said hotel with kiddos while he worked
6)bring him back home to Fallon with us when he finished training!

He tried many times to talk me out of "all of that driving" and finally decided I was not backing down when I mentioned the hotel reservations I made in Monterey! I am happy to report that the trip was all that we had hoped for and I even got thanked several times for the bright idea! SCORE!

The kids were troopers and adjusted well to being locked down in car seats, changing rooms/beds, and being forced to do a lot of sight-seeing from the back windows of the van! The trip was educational as we learned that everything that could be grown, grows in CA! The orchards and wineries were beautiful and reminded me of all the work that goes into our produce! I will spare you details of both the sight and smell of a cow "factory" that we passed. Needless to say, I think I want to know where my cow is coming from this day forward!

Monterey is beautiful! Once you get off of the interstate coming from Lemoore, CA, the beauty of the drive is breathtaking all the way into MOnterey Bay. The Naval Postgraduate School is a beautiful campus and a short walk to the shore. Note to my military friends: If you have the chance to go and stay there, it is cheap ($60 for suite), beautiful, and totally worth the drive!

It was nice to be a family again and go exploring together. We toured Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach and Carmel. We even drove south on Highway 1 to see Point Lobos and the Bixby Creek Bridge. I want to go back when the Monarch butterflies are there. Monterey is Butterfly Town USA! We went to the sanctuary but knew that it was the wrong time of year. Matt lost it on this strange old lady who asked for his help then SHOOSHED Madeline and was very rude by demanding my kids didn't touch her Toyota as they were trying to to her our life story! I wish I would have taken a picture of the "Mrs. Doubtfire" look-alike! Wow is all I have to say!

Turns out it was pupping season for the sea lions so we got to witness lots of pups and their families lounging on the rocks and swimming in the ocean. The vegetation there is just so beautiful. I love the wild flowers and ground cover! Not to mention the amazing cliff views! Check out the slideshow below:



Alison had to take a plunge in the Pacific Ocean for the first time that she remembers! (she was born in San Diego and her Daddy walked her along the beach when she was 4 days old) It was so cold that our feet went numb but she played in the water for about an hour until she got smart and surfer changed into warm clothes. Madeline wasn't too sure about the cold. About the time she was deciding what to do, a wave knocked her down! She immediately changed into warm clothes!





While Ali was building sand castles, I got to spend a few minutes with Madeline in my lap. I adore this picture Matt snapped of her and I! They just grow up so fast :(


We were able to score some time at the Dennis the Menace park! This is the coolest free public park I have ever seen. Hours of free entertainment just in time to wind them down for the night! I could have played here for days! You will see pictures in the following slide show of that park as well as the rest of our trip!




ENJOY and Happy Mother's Day to all of the beautiful Mom's in my life! I am a better Mom because of YOU!

April showers bring May flowers...we did get a few showers here!

This post is for the first few weeks of April. I have great pics but my computer is ancient and not so nice right now. I will update with pics shortly! I wrote this weeks ago but was hoping to add pics but I have given up at this midnight hour!

So it has been awhile since my last post. News flash..... living in the oasis of the desert does not eliminate the need for allergy medicine, it just adds to the dryness of your nose while blowing!!!! I would like to thank God for the arrival of Spring but not for the pollen, dust, wind and sinus infections it brought to this house. We are all still recovering from this spring fever. Thank you Z-pak!

On a more positive note, the Easter bunny is preparing for his arrival and we have eggs of every color! Mommy seemed to create the biggest mess and proudly wore the entire rainbow stained in her dry/cracked hands for several days after the egg dying was complete. This served as a constant reminder that I should read the directions first and follow Matt's lead more often than not! He did not have any dye on his hands of course! The girls were so proud of their creations that they kissed them only to reveal a new lip stain that is guaranteed to last 12 hours! LOL..I cannot believe I didn't capture that on film! So glad Dad was home to take part in the Easter events.




After much anticipation, our swingset was delivered last weekend! Can I tell you how this small piece of property has dramatically changed our lives!?! I am also proud to report that Matt and I successfully worked together on this project without any "words" which was a first perhaps! The girls could hardly wait to get on each piece of the set that they used the slide in our living room as Matt was putting finishing touches on the frame. The trampoline and swings are definitely the biggest hit and most talked about addition to the neighborhood. We have managed to attract kids of all ages and at times I have questioned the "weight" limit :) No matter what time of day, you will find my kids swinging in the backyard and enjoying this beautiful weather. I am scared to mention how great the weather has been because I have been told by many that we will probably have snow again before April sails into May. I have held off on putting flowers out for this very reason.




Matt is in Lemoore learning to fly the Super Hornet and enjoying the standard California beautiful weather. Lots of bike rides, relaxing by the pool, runs, oh and working of course! He tries very hard not to tell me too much about how "green" and warm it is there. It didn't take long for me to start planning a get away to see him for Easter! I am itching to have sand under my feet but disappointed that it is a lil chilly this time of year in Monterey! Regardless we are heading to Lemoore and then up the beautiful CA coast to Carmel and Monterey for the weekend. I am looking forward to the scenic 17 mile drive along Pebble Beach and praying for blue skies and sunshine! Can't wait to see my man and the girls really miss their Daddy.




I ran another race without Matt as my witness! I had the pleasure of training with a great friend, Amy Thomas. This was her first 5K and if I am being honest I shed a tear of excitement for her as she crossed the finish line! It is so much fun to accomplish goals and share that joy with others. IT was probably one of the most beautiful mornings we have had in Fallon since our arrival and despite my laryngitis, it was a perfect day! Looking forward to continuing our training for 1/2 marathon.. Please do not be confused folks, I am sure I will get to 5 and call it a day but it is a goal none-the-less! Here's to sore quads and swollen knees!

Happy Spring, Snow and more

SO we decided that we must take advantage of our weekends while we are out here. We hope to do at least 2 fun adventures a month. We started off last weekend with a trip to Soda Lake despite the nasty weather! This place has a neat story as it was once a volcano that turned into a chemical Soda Factory. Now the factory is deep under water and it has become a great place to dive and check out the preserved factory below. It truly amazes me how you can be at the same lake and see so many different landscapes. Check out these mountains and views from each angle of the lake. The girls had a blast exploring and searching for pieces of DEAD things. Apparently Soda Lake is where the coyotes come to enjoy their kill. Hazel had a blast finding pieces of animals everywhere. This place is also a bird sanctuary which was pretty cool! Best part about it...less that 5 minutes from our house.




First day of Spring proved to not be so "Springy" at all! This lil snowstorm on the first day of spring had to be a sick joke. I drove in the pouring snow to Safeway and bought a bulb garden. Most of the flowers are done blooming now and they provided much comfort for me the last two weeks. I cannot wait to plant them! and yes...Matt thinks I am crazy as I come storming home covered in snow with my bulb garden in full bloom :)






Off to the next milestones in Madeline's life! POTTY TRAINING and DENTIST. Let me just go on record here and say this is my LEAST favorite thing about the toddler stage! I do not like to be stuck at home and a for a few days it was necessary as we walked around naked and peed! The magical princess potty did the trick and now we have successfully left the house and managed to keep her pull ups dry! YEAH! We are still working on poo but that will come with time. I am so happy that Madeline is ready and catching on quickly. She is so proud and loves to show everyone her undies! Now if we can only get her to close her legs and stop having to watch while soaking the floor with her stream!



Madeline was a dream at the dentist and made me a little jealous as she opened her mouth and cooperated with the lady! Note: She screams every night and says no teeth brush for me Mommy! She was so good that now she now prefers the dentist over my nightly brushing...ughhh! Maybe it was the purple balloon they gave her when she was done? I need a few tricks up my sleeve!


A very long two weeks of having a sinus infection and two children with cabin fever! The wind was pretty awful so we were stuck in doors after noon each day. It looked pretty outside but unless you were concrete, you were going to blow away with the wind and tumbleweed. We are looking forward to May when the wind dies down and the beautiful mountains are visible every minute of the day, minus sand storms :) Madeline got double pink eye so after the antibiotic had taken its course, this woman was ready for an adventure....


On Saturday we took the kids to SCHEELS, the biggest sporting goods store I have ever seen, in RENO! We set out to go to both Scheels and Cabelas but we spent hours in Scheels and decided we needed a few more hobbies and to come without the kids next time! It was so fun to explore every single sport you could think of and contemplate taking it on real soon. We left without the treasured sleeping bags, tents, rifles, skis, kayak, etc of our dreams but it was very fun dreaming....... They have a ferris wheel in the store(but it was broken and my kids were heart-broken), cafes, fish tanks, interactive games, Starbucks coffee, playland for kids, and the list goes on and on. Several hours later we headed for Sushi and then it was definitely bedtime!

Ali is hoping to be a great shot like her Dad!





Finally, to end a great weekend, Matt cooked guac. burgers on the grill (such a chef) and we ended the night with our first camp fire at our new house under the desert stars. Madeline loved to practice 'death by fire' with her marshmallows and were sure they were poo-ing! Alison enjoyed being patient and getting her marshmallows perfectly brown. We made s'mores, got the kids all sugared up and tucked them into bed!





We really are enjoying the beauty out here and are anxiously anticipating the TRUE arrival of Spring!

Just couldn't resist taking a picture of the many signs like this here in the desert oasis! I am so glad that Meth doesn't have ME! :)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

May your house always be too small to fit all of your friends~ An irish blessing!

My closet stays a mess these days, can you see why?
The girls have a shoe fetish and love to wear ALL of my shoes!

Madeline has started a fashion trend...sunglasses worn inside are far more fashionable than in the bright sun!

This week marked the end of the a Top Gun class and a much anticipated trip to Tahoe for a dining out. Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The lake boasts many shades of blue and the landscape around it is breathtaking.
The beauty that surrounds us here in Fallon is what makes it a great place to live! The weekend started with taking the girls iceskating! Alison started to get the hang of it and Madeline exclaimed, I don't skate! Matt did a great job helping Alison on the ice and I did the best I could to keep Madeline in my sights on the bleachers! Towards the end of our fun, Matt was able to capture of few pictures of Ali and I on the ice.



We headed off to the ball in a rush after we spend too much time skating! I can honestly say that I have never gone to a ball with sweaty hair after wearing a hat and no shower before! Truly this was a first! I had about 30 minutes to get dolled up for the event which meant no time for any pictures with one of our 3 cameras! I was rushed out of the door with nothing but a dying cell phone so....as of now, we have no pictures of the event! I am waiting on friends to send me a few when they get their camera downloaded. It was a fun night and we managed to escape the casino without taking out a loan! :) I am very thankful for that last one! Not sure who's idea it was to have a dining out on a night that we SPRING forward but it made for a rough morning for all!

We promised the girls we would take them sledding so off we went! Much to our dismay, there was no magic carpet at this particular venue so we were forced to walk up the steep hill upon dismount! The good news is that the runs were long and fast. The bad news is Matt had to carry Madeline up the hill each time and I carried two tubes. Alison was a trooper and walked herself and her tube up each time. We went down the hill about 6 times before we were all sore, wet and winded. It was time for the long car ride home and much needed naps! Next time we will make sure some form of LIFT is involved :) Epiphany of the day: We all need NEW waterproof winter wear and it is a MUST for next season!


Here's to a relaxing and uneventful upcoming weekend! I look forward to some family time and rest! It was warm and now it is not so hopefully more WARM days in our near future. I am ready for Spring but my allergies are not! With this, it is best we do not go anywhere for a while! :(

Please remember Japan in your daily prayers. The news this week has been heartbreaking. I am even more grateful for all of my blessings. I pray that the people of Japan can stay strong and rebuild.

Busy Week while Daddy was gone

We spent all last week putting finishing touches on our house and unpacking. I am pleased to say that our house now feels like HOME and I love it. I not only love my house but the location is perfect. Dance, gym, grocery store, Walmart, hair salon, gas station, and casinos with all day breakfast all within 1 -3 miles of my house! AHHHHH....so nice after commuting from 'the island' everyday! It takes me about 12 minutes to get to base and is a nice country drive.

The girls started school twice a week this week and I am so grateful for that! They enjoy structure so much and it has allowed me some time to be with "myself". Boy had I forgotten how nice that is to just worry about me for a few hours! Alison cannot wait for next Tuesday!

We had to send Daddy off at the airport on Sunday for a week in Vegas. We were not ready to let him go yet but duty called! He enjoyed seeing the city lights but was ready to come home and surprised us a day early! We had an exciting week to fill him in on.......

Before heading off to Sin City, we sucessfully finished our living room and had our first dinner party on Saturday. It was a great time. Matt made his world famous boston butt with special sauce and I had to do very little to prepare this tasty meal which is always a plus! Should have taken a picture....

Our friend Amy had almost a dozen of fertilized eggs that we had been watching over the past few weeks. We had a science lesson each visit to her house! Despite all of our efforts to see this lil fellow hatching, we caught this chick when it was still wet and clumsy!
New friends, clumsy together!

Mr. Mike (our Beaufort neighbor) continues to spoil my girls from afar! He sent Alison money to replace the bike that we had to leave behind due to the move. She loves have a brand new bike complete with princess stickers and baby carrier. She flies on this machine! Now if only the WIND would stop so we can go outside and play. Best part about this bike, Ali now rides it to get the mail at the end of the street. She takes great pride in this new chore!

Today was a special day! Ballet lessons began and Madeline was able to start them with her big sissy! I was so proud to watch my 2 year old sit quietly, follow directions and dance around the room when prompted. If only she responded that well to my voice!! This morning made my day! Even better, Daddy flew home a day early and got to see his ballerinas off to their lessons! There may have been a tear shed by both of us at some point!

Too cute for words

Our not so little girl! Where did the last 5 years go?? She makes me so proud to be her Momma!

TGIF! Glad it is Friday although Matt has a full fly day tomorrow. We will be taking Ali to pre-registration for kindergarten then off to our HAIL to Top Gun. I am looking forward to meeting everyone with their "better half" and will tackle the challenge of trying to remember everyone's name, call sign and who they 'belong' to! Oh the joys of being the "new couple". Fallon is becoming home and I am so happy to say that. I will always miss Beaufort as you cannot beat the people and the beauty of that place. We are meeting wonderful people here and starting to see the beauty in tumbleweed, desert brown and lots of cows! The mountains are breathtaking and surround us no matter where we go. It was so neat driving into Reno last night and seeing all of the NEON lights from the Casinos! This is our home and our story continues.......

PS. Saw a funny sign last week that sums up my days as a stay at home mom. May have to go back and purchase. It read.... GONE CRAZY...be right back! Too perfect! Have a great weekend!

We are getting settled.....

After several white knuckle days of driving, pool hopping, snow drift dodging, wind gusting days of driving in the Northwest, we arrived safely to our new home in Fallon, NV. The drive was beautiful despite the dangers that the winter brought us. From the windmills in Nebraska to the wide open spaces of Wyoming to the breathtaking views of Salt Lake in Salt Lake City to the Rockies, I was blown away with the beauty of the West! It served as a constant reminder of just how small we are and how GREAT God is! Our lil car driving on a lonely desert highway made me feel smaller than ever and really made me look up and be thankful for all of our blessings, to include arriving safely and on time to Fallon! We knew we were getting close to home when we spotted our first Casino at the state line...literally! It was complete with astro turf and smokers galore! I realized quickly that we were no longer in the South! After clicking my heels several times, I found myself still driving and in Nevada! :) All joking aside, this lil town is growing on me and I take pride in the fact that everything I need is within about 10 minutes of my house. Grocery store and gym take about 2 minutes door to door. It's the little things right? Waking up to the beautiful mountain range in our back yard brings great joy each and every morning. Walking out and smelling horse and cow poop...well, you can imagine!

The people are very friendly and customer service is excellent. I could not ask for more welcoming Top Gun wives and for that I am very grateful! We have our hail next Saturday and then we are off to a Dining Out in Lake Tahoe the following Saturday. Looking forward to getting dolled up for a night out with my man and good friends! Now if only I could afford to fly grandparents out to make the babysitting saga much easier. Arriving in a new place and having to put full trust in people you don't know is not allowing me to rest easy but I will surrender and pray that I have chosen wisely!

Hazel is happy to be "home" with her family and seems to be adjusting to a small yard and peeing on rocks! She loves to torment the horses and cows at the end of our street. She spends most of her time on the bed in the spare room looking out to make sure we are safe! Such a great dog!

The girls are loving playdates with new friends and are anxious to start preschool next week. However, they are not as excited as I am to have them in a structured environment for a few hours a week. I can go get groceries without hair pulling and screaming! Ahhhh!

Gone crazy, be right back!.......... See slide show below of our trip!

Kick off of Water Festival 2009

We were fortunate enough this year to get out on the water for the annual Waterfest in Beaufort thanks to my friend Katy and her sweet family! Alison was in heaven on the boat. When they got hot, Daddy Mitchell made a pool in the live well for the kids to cool off. The adults played boat bingo and had a great time touring the lowcountry from the water. We all did not have any luck at bingo but did see lots of dolphins! It was great being with "locals" as we did not meet a stranger on the water!

Madeline was NOT a fan of the lifejacket as you will see in pictures to follow. She finally gave up the fight and went to sleep. The boat was the most comfortable boat ride I have ever experienced. We all took great naps following our wonderful morning! Moral of the story...We need a boat!! Life on the water is too much fun.