The Rockwoods

Fall

2010-11-22T16:37:00.001-05:00

Luke and Carson...

March

2009-09-03T22:32:00.009-04:00

This was a busy month as the kids adjusted to having a new little person in the house. Jeffrey was underway with his ship for a couple of weeks and I was blessed to have a few visitors during this time. First was Jeffrey's mom, followed by a visit from my sister, Rebecca, and her daughter Maci. The kids had so much fun with our visitors and I loved the help!

We began having concerns about Carson this month. About a week after he arrived home from the NICU we began to notice that his breathing was really loud, especially while he was nursing. All of our babies were loud eaters at first so we didn't think much of it. Then he began coughing and coughing and coughing.... Not just a little cough but a really deep, wet sounding cough. He was also having a hard time regaining his birth weight. At the end of the month, Carson's pediatrician decided to send him in for a few tests. One was an upper GI test using a barium labeled milk. This showed that he had significant amounts of reflux, a surprise to us since he NEVER spit up. We were told that he had "silent" reflux where it would come up as high as his nasal cavity and then go back down, which could be causing much of his coughing. He also had an airway fluoroscopy test which showed that his airway was partially collapsing in on itself during breathing, which caused stridor, or loud breathing. He was put on Zantac to help with the reflux, started having regular breathing treatments to help with the irritation in his throat, and was referred to a pulmonologist for further testing. Carson was an angel this month and is such a sweet, calm little guy.

We're Back!

2009-08-28T22:24:00.006-04:00

Yep, we're still here and ready to enter the blogging world once again. Things have been very busy since my last post....be prepared for a long update coming soon!

So Fitting

2009-03-21T09:55:00.005-04:00

"Just give me snacks and nobody gets hurt!"
My sister Melanie and her family got this shirt for Ethan....so perfect for our little snack lover!

Happy 4th Birthday Ethan

2009-03-20T22:47:00.007-04:00

Our dear Ethan turned four earlier this month, the day after his baby brother came home from the hospital. We had planned a little Star Wars party for him and he had a big grin on his face the entire time. At the party we made "space bottles" (water bottle with blue water, glitter, stars), had an asteroid hunt (foil covered candy hidden around the house), ate lunch, and finished the afternoon with an R2-D2 pinata. Although Jeffrey and I got about two hours of sleep the night before (thanks to Luke and Carson!), it was totally worth all the work to see how happy our sweet Ethan was.

Luke's Surgery

2009-03-20T22:38:00.002-04:00

Luke's surgeries happened to fall on the day that Carson came home so it was a bit of a crazy day for us. He had tubes put in his ears, a cyst removed from his forehead, and a small cyst removed from under his tongue. He was such an angel the day of his surgery but had a pretty rough night and few days after. Poor little guy, his forehead was pretty swollen and seemed to really bother him the most. Things seem to be healing up pretty good now and it's a relief to know that he won't even remember it!

Proud Big Brothers

2009-03-20T22:16:00.005-04:00

Carson sure is a lucky boy to have three older brothers who absolutely adore him! Tyler loves to hold him, Ethan loves to look at all his tiny fingers and toes, Luke loves to bring things to him....toys, diapers, blankets....and all three boys love to give Carson kisses! It is so much fun to see how proud my big boys are of their baby brother.

Sweet Baby Carson is here!

2009-03-15T21:57:00.025-04:00

It has now been three weeks since we welcomed our precious little Carson Eyre into the family. Jeffrey and I arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am on February 25th for a scheduled induction. I had a wonderful, quick labor and delivery....gotta love those epidurals!....and Carson arrived at 2:02 pm. He weighed 8 lbs. 12 ozs. and was 20 inches long....our smallest baby so far. I was really nervous during the whole delivery, partly because of his arrhythmia and partly because of what happened with Luke. I couldn't believe how beautiful he was when I saw him for the first time and I couldn't help but notice all that hair! Just after he was born the pediatricians quickly noticed that he was having a hard time breathing. They said he was grunting and seemed to be breathing like a preemie. These were two things they said about Luke so I was terrified. They quickly took him up to the special care nursery to see what was going on. I will be forever grateful to have my mom there by my side as I waited for the news from Jeffrey. An x-ray showed that a small portion of his right lung had collapsed (pneumothorax) and he continued showing signs of respiratory distress. The doctors decided to transfer him the the Children's Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit right away. It was definitely a hard night, trying to sleep in a different hospital than my new little boy. Jeffrey was able to go and be with him while my mom stayed with the boys and I was able to get discharged the next day. Over the next few days Carson improved quickly. He was placed in an oxygen hood and then eventually given oxygen through a nasal canula. They did an echocardiogram and EKG to see how his heart was doing and noticed a small amount of blood being shunted between the R and L atrium. This is something we'll have to follow up on, but it will most likely resolve on it's own. He still has a small arrhythmia but it's not causing any problems, and chest x-rays showed that his pneumothorax had completely healed. After five long days in the NICU we were able to bring our sweet little guy home. His big brothers were so excited to finally meet him and have been eager to help out in any way. These past couple of weeks have been a bit crazy around our home, but thanks to my wonderful mom and Jeffrey's wonderful mom we've been able to manage our house full of boys! Our little Carson is so incredibly sweet!!!

Our BIG baby boy!

First night in the NICU

First Feeding

Visit from Grandma Baker

Coming Home!!!

Ready for Baby!!!!!

2009-02-24T21:02:00.005-05:00

I don't think that I've posted any pregnancy pictures so I guess it's about time since tomorrow is the big day!!! We'll be heading the the hospital at 7:30 am for a scheduled induction. I'd have to say that I'm a little nervous but I'm so excited to meet this precious little baby. He's got three big brothers that are ready for him to "come out and play"! We got out the cradle a few nights ago and Luke spent the entire evening rocking, singing to, and taking care of his little baby. He is going to have so much fun being a big brother. My mom is flying in tonight so that she can be at the hospital and help out with the kids and I am soooo excited! We'll try and post pictures soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-17T22:33:00.000-05:00

Fun with the Bakers

2009-01-29T21:43:00.008-05:00

A couple weekends ago we had a wonderful visit with my brother Richard and his adorable little family. We hadn't seen them for over a year so it was sooo good to see them again and meet the new addition to their family, little Maya. The boys had so much fun "attacking" their Uncle Richard and Luke absolutely adored his cousins Aidan (who is only a few months younger than Luke) and Maya. He immediately became attached to Maya and loved giving things to her...blanket, pacifier, bottles.... Seeing how sweet and gentle he was with baby Maya got me so excited, he is going to be such a good big brother! I can't even express how great it was to see family after so long, thanks for the visit Richard and Jessica! Can't wait to see you all again!

Rockwood Update

2009-01-29T20:25:00.004-05:00

This past month has been a bit crazy, here's a recap....On Dec. 29th I tripped over Luke's new Christmas slide...oops...and ended up spending a week in the hospital. Everything was okay from the fall but my doctor decided to admit me after seeing that the baby had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck three times and also had a heart arrhythmia. They gave me steroid shots to help the baby's lungs develop and told me to plan on staying in the hospital until I reached 34 weeks, at which time they would deliver the baby. After a few days in the hospital, the baby unwrapped himself from the cord so my doctor changed his plans...what a relief! The perinatologist did a fetal echocardiogram and said that the arrhythmia is due to premature atrial contractions and that these types of arrhythmias usually resolve on their own once the baby is born. This little guy sure has given us a lot of scares! I'm now having weekly ultrasounds and just had my 24th last week. The subchorionic hemorrhage is stable and the baby is growing good. At my 34 week ultrasound he was measuring 6 lbs. 7 ozs. so it looks like I'm going to have another big baby! I am so eager to meet this sweet little boy!!!

Jeffrey has been so wonderful throughout this pregnancy. He had a fun week with the boys while I was in the hospital and gained a new appreciation for all that Mothers do! A few weeks ago he had a couple of interviews in Missouri and decided to accept a great job offer with a Community Health Center in Springfield. He will be be finishing his time in the Navy at the end of June and then we'll be heading to Missouri. I am feeling a little sad that our time here in Virginia Beach is coming to an end, but I'm excited to be moving close to my family. The kids can't stop talking about all the fun things they're going to do with their cousins. After a couple weeks of getting things ready, our house is now officially for sell. It's definitely not a good time to sell a house, so we're hoping all goes well. I'm a little nervous about trying to keep it clean and presentable all the time!

The boys are all doing great and keeping me very busy. Tyler and Ethan watched all the old Star Wars movies with Jeffrey last week and have become a bit obsessed with Star Wars. They both love school, playing with their friends, reading books, and wrestling with their daddy every night. Luke is into EVERYTHING and loves to be in the middle of all the action. He is constantly dragging our chairs into the kitchen so that he can get things off the counters (something he learned from Ethan!). He is such a little sweetie and has a belly laugh that never fails to make me smile. I love my boys!

Fun with the boys on New Year's Eve!

Little Darth Vader

Our Quiet Christmas

2009-01-10T21:06:00.007-05:00

This Christmas was our first one to spend with just our little family. We're usually with the Bakers in Missouri or the Rockwoods in Oregon. It was definitely different, but we had so much fun starting our own little traditions. We had a nice turkey dinner on Christmas Eve, had our own little Nativity as we read the Christmas Story to the kids, and then decorated cookies for Santa. As we were decorating cookies we looked out the window and saw Santa himself walking down the street (one of the neighbors does this every year). The kids excitedly ran outside to tell him that they were making him cookies and going to bed. Then they finished up quickly and headed to bed without us even asking. This was definitely a magical year for the kids. Tyler and Ethan woke up at about 6:00 am, eager to see what Santa had brought. Ethan asked for a toy Batman and a robot hand and Tyler asked for a Playmobil airplane. Santa brought little Luke a slide to keep indoors (with hopes that he'll now stop climbing on everything else that he's not supposed to!). We also decided that since we're going to have four boys, we needed a train table, so that was a group gift. It was so fun to see the kids' excitement as they opened their gifts.

My busy boy

2008-12-14T16:09:00.005-05:00

Luke is soooo busy! He is such a curious little boy and into everything. This morning I left the room for a minute and he pushed over the Christmas tree! He sure was proud of himself! Luckily there was a chair to catch it on the way down.

Healthy...finally!

2008-12-14T15:51:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling very blessed today that my entire family is healthy and happy. These past couple of months have definitely been a bit rough on the family. It seems like one of us is always sick. We all got the stomach flu...Tyler, Luke and Jeffrey had strep throat...Luke has had three double ear infections...Luke's doctor thinks he had mono...and we've all had a number of other viruses. Oh, and Jeffrey got strep throat AFTER he got his tonsils out! Is that supposed to happen? Luke's doctor referred him to an ENT because of his multiple ear infections. We met with the doctor a couple days ago and he wants to put tubes in Luke's ears. He'll most likely be having surgery next month, as well as surgery to remove the cyst on his forehead. Poor little guy. They're hoping to do both surgeries at the same time, which will be nice. As for me, the pregnancy is going good. The baby weighed in at 2 lbs. 11 oz. last week and is doing great. He is in a breach position right now but has plenty of time to turn around. The hemorrhage is still the same size, but my doctor says that I can do a little more walking since it hasn't gotten bigger in the past couple of months. I'm definitely eager to have this baby in my arms and know that he's safe. His big brothers are sure excited to meet him!

My three little indians...

2008-11-26T08:35:00.004-05:00

Halloween!

2008-11-22T10:00:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love Halloween! The boys had so much fun dressing up and trick-or-treating. Luke seemed a little confused at first, but quickly realized that people were giving away candy and joined right in the fun!

Pre-Halloween festivities

2008-11-22T08:30:00.000-05:00

These are some pictures of the fun we had leading up to halloweeen. We baked and decorated sugar cookies, carved pumpkins, and had our traditional spooky Halloween dinner....complete with pumpkin pizzas, apple eye balls, spider crackers, monster teeth (green corn), strawberry hearts, and bloody intestines (aka spaghetti, Tyler's idea!).

Tyler turns 6!

2008-11-20T16:11:00.003-05:00

2008-11-20T04:05:00.002-05:00

I can hardly believe that our sweet little Tyler is already six years old! We celebrated his birthday last month with a small space-themed party (he's really been into planets, rockets, and everything space related lately). Jeffrey's mom flew in from Oregon the night before his birthday which made the day extra special.

Tyler cried for his first four months of life and has been such a happy boy ever since. I was looking back at pictures of him growing up and noticed that he has a big smile on his face in just about every picture. He is such a sweet natured little guy and loves to help others. He loves to be with his friends, go to church and school, and especially loves playing with his two little brothers. Tyler is constantly asking me questions about things and enjoys reading, drawing, and building. I am amazed at the things he creates with his Lego's and Tinkertoys. It has been such a joy to watch my sweet Tyler grow each day and I feel so blessed to be his mother!

Still here

2008-11-15T23:30:00.004-05:00

For those of you who have been wondering, we're still alive and well! This past month has been pretty busy and I don't get to spend much time on the computer these days. I'll be posting some pictures of the past month really soon! I'm now 25 weeks pregnant and the baby is doing well. I'm seeing a perinatologist along with my regular OB and they've put me on a modified bedrest. The hemorrhage is still quite large and will most likely be present for the remainder of the pregnancy, so the doctors say that our biggest concern now is preventing preterm labor and making sure that the placenta is continuing to give the baby the nourishment that he needs. I've been having lots of contractions, but there are much fewer when I stay off my feet. The baby is growing well and was 1 lb. 3 ozs. at my last appointment. I've been getting lots of help from friends which I am so incredibly grateful for. Just 15 more weeks to go!

Caught!

2008-10-11T21:37:00.004-04:00

This little guy is always trying to sneak something out of the refrigerator when I'm not watching! I'm not sure how he got away with this one, but he sure was happy when I found him!

Craft time!

2008-10-11T21:26:00.004-04:00

This is one of Ethan's favorite little crafts. I bought several bottles of cheap white glue and added a few drops of food coloring to each one. Then I fill a muffin tin with various little items. Ethan loves creating with his rainbow glue and is always excited to see what things I'll put in the muffin tin. This is such a nice, quiet activity....and we love quiet!

Little Slugger

2008-10-02T21:19:00.004-04:00

Tyler started his first season of t-ball/coach pitch a few weeks ago and he absolutely loves it! He has a smile on his face most of the time and never seems to get bored. There's nothing like watching a team of 4-6 year olds playing baseball, it is so adorable and entertaining! I'm so proud of my little slugger!

Transformation

2008-09-22T14:23:00.016-04:00

Last month we discovered that our parsley plant had been overtaken by little caterpillars. Tyler quickly got attached to his little friends and checked on them every day. It was so exciting to watch the incredible transformation from a caterpillar, into a chrysalis, and then see our beautiful black swallowtail butterfly spread it's wings for the first time. Truly amazing!

The sweetest!

2008-09-22T14:18:00.004-04:00

This little guy makes me smile every day. He is so happy, so curious, and so incredibly sweet!

Another little Rockwood!

2008-09-17T07:37:00.010-04:00

This is a photo of the newest addition to our family....another little BOY due to join us around February 28th!!! That's right, IT'S A BOY!!! I'll have to admit that after the initial shock at the thought of having four boys, we couldn't be happier and feel so blessed at this time. His older brothers are already so excited for his arrival! I am now almost 17 weeks along and have had a bit of a worrisome time with this pregnancy. At nine weeks I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hemorrhage/hematoma (a bleeding behind the placenta, often caused by a clot). The doctor says that there is not much we can do except monitor it and wait to see what happens (I've already had six ultrasounds!). In many cases these heal on their own but after researching online, I've just tried not to think too much about the other possible outcomes. I've been told to "take it easy" and avoid picking up Luke whenever possible which has been extremely hard. At times like this I wish we could be closer to family but I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends who have been eager to help out. Jeffrey has pretty much taken over in the evenings with cleaning and the bedtime routines. The hemorrhage has gotten bigger since the initial diagnosis so my doctor has decided to send me to a high risk doctor to see what they have to say. We're just praying for the best and can't wait for this precious little boy to join our family!

Preschool....A Whole New World!

2008-09-14T23:20:00.009-04:00

Ethan started preschool last week and boy was he ready! He's been so excited to go to school "like Ty". He walked to his room, put up his backpack and lunchbox, and then walked right into the room without a second thought. I insisted on getting a picture with his teachers and then he was off to make new friends. I didn't even get a hug goodbye, which made me a little sad, but I just love the confidence of my little Ethan. He loved his first week of school and was especially thrilled to help me make his lunch each day (probably no suprise to those of you who know how much Ethan loves food!)....the first day he requested....a circle peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cucumbers, some stoplight peppers (green and red peppers), apple slices, a little bit of milk, a little bit of juice, a dill pickle, a sweet pickle, some goldfish crackers, and some fruit snacks. Pretty silly little guy!

The Aquarium

2008-09-07T23:23:00.003-04:00

We spent a fun Saturday afternoon at the Virginia Aquarium. The boys loved the huge fish tanks, especially the shark tank! For some reason we couldn't get Luke near the glass, I guess he thought the fish were going to swim right out and get him!

Bristle Blocks

2008-09-07T23:08:00.002-04:00

Do any of you remember playing with these when you were younger? I honestly think that this is one of the best toy purchases that we have made. Tyler, Ethan, AND Luke all love creating with these fun bristle blocks. Tyler makes really elaborate airplanes and rocket ships, while Ethan loves to make planes and "machines". They fly their planes through the air, watch the pieces break apart all over the floor, and then start all over again! It's so fun to see what their little minds come up with!

The musician

2008-09-07T23:00:00.003-04:00

What will he come up with next?

Girl's Night Out....Boy's Night Out Back

2008-09-07T22:43:00.007-04:00

A couple weeks ago I was able to go out for the evening with some very good friends of mine. It was a fun night out with the girls, but definitely a sad occasion. My sweet friend Emily moved away a couple days later and will soon send her husband off on a seven month deployment. I don't know what I'll do without Emily here to constantly make me laugh, but I'm so glad that she can live near her family during this time. We already miss you Emily!!!

Upon arriving home from my night out I found that Jeffrey, Tyler, and Ethan had decided to have a boy's night and camp in the backyard. They even made s'mores over the grill! What a fun night for everyone!!

Tyler's big day!

2008-09-07T22:25:00.007-04:00

Our little Tyler started Kindergarten last Tuesday! He has been so excited to go to school and ride the bus. I dropped him off on the first day, took a picture of him with his teacher, and then he gave me a hug and walked right into the classroom. He looked a little nervous but had a huge smile on his face! The boys helped me make a school bus cake to celebrate Tyler's big day. I definitely think that riding the bus is the most exciting part about Kindergarten for Tyler! It's been a little sad having Tyler gone in the mornings but I love hearing all the stories about his day as we walk home from the bus stop each afternoon...he absolutely loves school!

A Night Out

2008-08-21T13:53:00.002-04:00

Jeffrey and I were recently able to go to a traditional Navy "Dining Out". It was a formal event and was quite entertaining, with lots of funny little rules to follow...or be punished! The best part of course was getting all dressed up and spending the evening with Jeffrey, without the kids!

Nature

2008-08-21T13:45:00.004-04:00

It's been a long week with two sick kids, so when everyone woke up feeling pretty good today, I decided that we all needed some fresh air. After breakfast I gave Tyler and Ethan paper bags to collect "nature's treasures" and we all headed out for a nature walk. It was a gorgeous morning and the boys loved every minute of it, picking up every little thing they could find. When we got home, the boys picked out their favorite treasures and made a display board to show them off...."just like in a museum" as Tyler put it!

Such a boy!

2008-08-21T13:41:00.004-04:00

It seems that this is Luke's favorite place lately. He is always trying to get outside and will plop himself down in a pile of dirt any chance he gets!

Clean up!

2008-08-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

Who knew a hose could bring such joy?!

Exploring the Truman

2008-08-21T13:31:00.001-04:00

Last month I was able to spend an entire day aboard the USS Harry S. Truman (thanks to a couple of wonderful friends who were willing to watch the kids ALL day!). It was the annual friends and family day and each sailor was allowed to bring four people on board. Our neighbors, Gene and Joy, went with us and we all had an amazing time. We boarded at 5:30 am and started the day with breakfast in the hangar bay. We then moved up to the flight deck to watch the ship be pushed out of port by tug boats. During the day we were able to explore the massive ship, golf off the flight deck, see jets land and be catapulted off the flight deck, watch a fighter jet make a sonic boom (breaking the sound barrier.....sooooo loud!), and view a two hour flight show out in the Atlantic while sitting on the edge of the flight deck. It was definitely an unforgettable experience and so much fun to see a glimpse of what Jeffrey experiences every day!

2008-08-14T21:34:00.002-04:00

I know it's been forever since I've posted anything. I'm really not doing so good at the whole blogging thing! I feel like life has been somewhat of a whirlwind lately, but some new posts will be coming soon!

Afternoon with the Elkins

2008-07-24T22:26:00.009-04:00

While we were in Utah, we were able to spend an afternoon at a fun little splash park with our good friends, the Elkins. They just happened to be passing through Utah on their way to their new home in Idaho. We met the Elkins soon after we moved to Virginia Beach and they quickly became our family away from home. We were so sad to see them go last winter, but we're excited for all the adventures that lie ahead for their sweet family. It was a fun afternoon visiting with Beth and watching the kids play together, just like old times.

Tyler's tooth...

2008-07-18T21:38:00.005-04:00

Tyler lost his first tooth today! His initial reaction was pretty funny, he was so scared at the sight of all the blood and started crying immediately. The fear soon turned to excitement when he realized that the Tooth Fairy would be visiting him tonight! I love all these fun little milestones!

Family Fun in Utah

2008-07-17T21:46:00.000-04:00

We recently had an amazing week in Utah with the whole Rockwood family. Jeffrey's parents, sister, and three brother's were all there. Tyler, Ethan and Luke had such a good time getting to know their ten Rockwood cousins. Some of them had never even met, but they were instant buddies by the end of the week. Jeffrey's sister Jennifer was so sweet to let us stay at her house in Springville for the week. Here are a few of the adventures that we had....

Jeffrey's parents planned a big "birthday party" for all the kids complete with presents, cake and ice cream.

Jeffrey's sister is the BYU women's soccer coach, so all the older kids got to spend four days at soccer camp with their Aunt Jen. This was Tyler's first time playing soccer... he had a great time and learned so much. It was great watching him play each day and seeing Jen in action.

Fun with cousins....

Just about every night was a big slumber party!

A fun little hike

2008-07-17T21:11:00.005-04:00

When I was a student at BYU I ran up to the "Y" on the mountain on several occasions. I remembered it being a fun little run with gorgeous scenery and thought that Tyler and Ethan would have fun hiking up the mountain, too. Well, it wasn't exactly the "little" hike that I remembered and it was SO hot! Poor little Ethan only lasted a few minutes and then insisted on being carried by Jeffrey the rest of the time. Tyler was a little trooper and made it the entire way (he did get a little scared on the way down, however, and kept saying that he wished we were in Virginia where there were only hills and not mountains!...it was pretty steep!) When we got to the top the boys were so excited to sit on the Y and loved the spectacular views of the valley. Ethan was pretty excited to tell everyone that he had hiked to the big "X" on the mountain!

Happy 4th (just a little late)!!!

2008-07-17T20:38:00.006-04:00

We had a great 4th in Utah and started our day by waking up early to go to the Provo parade, which was so much fun. Jennifer and her friend had come the day before and blocked off a nice big spot for the family right at the beginning of the parade route, so we had first class seating! I couldn't believe the amount of people who camped out along the parade route all night long so they could have good seats. It was definitley very different than the small town parade in Marshfield, Missouri that I'm used to (I know that Jeffrey missed all the tractors and horses that are in the gool ol' Marshfield parade)! After the parade we had a big barbecue at Jennifer's house and then spent the day relaxing while the kids all played. In the evening we lit off fireworks. Ethan and his cousin Gabe were both TERRIFIED and ended up sitting in the car almost the entire time. Ethan is such a tough boy and is scared of very few things, so I felt pretty bad for the little guy. Luke on the other hand was in awe the entire time!

Stop the fireworks Daddy!

Wow, they're so pretty!

Bubbles

2008-07-16T22:38:00.005-04:00

What is it about bubbles that kids love? I just got this fun little bubble blower and it kept all three boys entertained for close to an hour!

Night Out

2008-07-15T14:13:00.000-04:00

This was taken at a much needed Girls' Night Out a few weeks ago. I always look forward to these nights, especially since I spend my days in a house full of boys! I honestly don't know how I would have made it through this past year without good friends. You girls really are the greatest, thanks for a fun night! We miss you Tori and Emily!!!!

Goodbye Again

2008-07-14T21:10:00.003-04:00

Jeffrey is gone again for two weeks, luckily this will be the last time for at least six months! Hooray!! The Truman is scheduled to go into the yards the first week of August. It will be so nice to have Jeffrey home all the time. With Jeffrey gone I've got some free time in the evenings now, so some new posts will be coming soon!

A Happy Reunion

2008-07-13T23:15:00.007-04:00

Last month we had a little reunion at the zoo with Luke's NICU buddy, Tyler. The boys both arrived at the NICU within an hour of each other and had the exact same problems. They were put on Nitric Oxide the same day so the nurses all called them the "Nitric Twins". They even have matching scars and the same middle name! It was so fun to see this sweet little family again and watch our healthy little boys play together.

Ahhh....Our Dear Little Ethan

2008-06-24T00:18:00.005-04:00

This picture captures two very distinctive characteristics of our sweet little Ethan. First of all, he's gazing into the refrigerator. Those of you who know Ethan know how much he LOVES food. He can smell it from a mile away and always seems to know when I'm in the kitchen getting a snack. Not long ago, I had to tie the refrigerator shut each night because Ethan would get up before me in the morning and sneak food. Luckily he has gotten out of that habit, but it still makes me laugh when I occasionally find him in his closet, behind a chair, or in a corner eating a snack that he knows he shouldn't have.

Secondly, notice how Ethan's underwear is on backwards. It's so funny how differnt Tyler and Ethan are. Tyler likes everything to be orderly and precise. When he learned how to dress himself, he would do it very carefully, making sure that the tags were in the back and that everything was just right. Ethan on the other hand could care less, he's happy as long as the clothes aren't falling off. He always seems to be in such a hurry that his clothes often get put on backwards or inside-out. One day I noticed that his undies, shirt and shorts were all on backwards. Oh well, at least he's doing it by himself!

Another first for Luke

2008-06-23T23:46:00.006-04:00

BEFORE

DURING

As many of you know, Luke finally got his first haircut! He was pretty good while Jeffrey cut his hair and happily enjoyed his sticky lollipop. It's amazing to me how much older he looks with short hair, and it seems to be even more blond now. What a handsome little guy!

AFTER

Luke's first steps!!!

2008-06-16T00:07:00.004-04:00

Luke took his first two steps last week, just a few days after Jeffrey returned home...perfect timing! It was right after Jeffrey came home from work, and he just happened to be filming Luke at the time! Here's the video clip...

My little garden

2008-06-15T23:48:00.007-04:00

In the past couple of years I have definitely developed a love for gardening. I'm still learning quite a bit (thanks to Mom, Grandma and Kae for all the tips!), but I've had lots of fun experimenting and seeing the kids' excitement as they watch everything grow. We've had some beautiful flowers blooming and have enjoyed picking fresh veggies from our backyard. So far we've been able to eat peas and carrots (pulling carrots is definitely a favorite activity of the boys!). I've also planted tomatoes, green and red peppers, cucumbers, parsley, cilantro and basil. I can't wait to have a huge garden someday!

Gazing

2008-06-15T23:04:00.007-04:00

Luke simply adores his big brothers. He was certainly entertained on this afternoon a couple weeks ago while they were playing baseball in the backyard. He stood at the door watching them, and giggling when they would come near, for almost an hour!

Just a "yittle" bug

2008-06-13T21:22:00.007-04:00

A few days ago I was in the kitchen when Tyler came running in to inform me that Ethan had just eaten a bug. I went in the living room to find Ethan standing by the window sill with his head down. This is about how our conversation went....

Me-"Ethan, did you just eat a bug?"
Ethan- "Yes Mommy"
Me-"Ethan, you're being silly, where is the bug?"
Ethan- "It's in my tummy Mommy"
Me-"Was it a big bug or a little bug?"
Ethan-"It was just a yittle bug Mommy"
Me-"You know that we don't eat bugs. Bugs are yucky, why did you eat a bug?"
Ethan- "Beacuse Ty told me to Mommy"
Me-"But we don't bugs"
Ethan-"But Ty told me to Mommy, he told me to eat the bug"

During this entire time, Tyler was standing there laughing, pretty proud of himself for getting Ethan to eat a bug. I wonder if Ethan will always be so trusting of his big brother!

Welcome Home!!!

2008-06-10T17:25:00.006-04:00

2008-06-09T10:15:00.016-04:00

June 4th was definitely a perfect day. The boys and I woke up early to head to the pier for Jeffrey's homecoming. When we arrived, there were thousands of people anxiously awaiting the return of their loved ones. I don't think I've ever been in one place with so many happy people. Soon after we arrived, everyone began cheering at the first sight of the USS Truman coming into the harbor. I don't think that I could ever express the excitement that I felt, knowing that Jeffrey was on that ship. As the ship got closer we could see the sailors manning the rails and waving their flags. There were bleachers set up facing the pier and people everywhere holding up their Welcome Home signs and waving flags. As the ship began to back into the pier it blew it's horns and everyone started cheering, the Navy band was playing, and streamers flew off the ship....it was an experience I'll never forget. It took about an hour before people could start getting off the ship. As we were waiting, Jeffrey called me and told me to turn around and there he was! I don't think that I've stopped smiling since that moment! This past week has been incredible. It feels so good to have our family back together again.

Luke's X-ray

2008-05-28T23:56:00.007-04:00

Today was Luke's 12-month well baby check-up. He now weighs 21 pounds 12 ounces and is 30 1/4 inches long. I still can't believe how big my baby boy is getting, I wish time would slow down a bit! Luke is doing great and was happy to see his doctor, as usual! The doctor decided to do an x-ray today to see how Luke's lungs looked. He pulled up the last x-ray he had taken in the NICU and compared it with the new one. I was amazed at the difference. When Luke was in the NICU last year we were told by several neonatologists that his lungs were severely damaged (due to fluid on the lungs after birth, the agressive ventilation which he received, and a number of other factors) and could take up to two years to completely heal. They said that a simple cold could put him in the hospital. This definitely caused me a lot of worry throughout the winter months, but amazingly, Luke was my healthiest child last winter. The x-ray today showed that his lungs have completely healed. On this day last year the doctors were calling Richmond Children's Hospital and considering transferring Luke there (for possible heart-lung bypass surgery...ECMO) and now his lungs are perfectly healthy. I am so amazed at how Luke has progressed this past year and truly believe that he is my little miracle baby. It is such a joy to wake up to his sweet little face each day!

Almost Home

2008-05-28T00:59:00.011-04:00

I've been wanting to give a little update on Jeffrey for some time now. This letter that he just sent out to the family tells a little about what he's been doing for the past seven months.....

Everyone,
We are finally in the vast Atlantic Ocean—recently north of the Azores and now not far from the island of Bermuda. It’s so great to be coming home to the good old US of A, friends, and family. It’s hard to find the words to express how grateful I have been and currently am for the constant support I’ve received through the many emails and digital photos. It has been fun to see the changes in all the kids and hear about your daily challenges with life at home and work. Life out here on the ship has been extremely constant and monotonous; however, I’ve been able to see a number of locations off the ship around the world that I will probably never be able to see again, and have made new friends and memories that will last a lifetime. Over the past 7 months I’ve had the privilege of seeing Naples, Rome, The Vatican, Dubai x 4, Tiger Woods, Jimmy Buffet, Greece, Marseille, Monaco, Monte Carlo, the Suez Canal, Egypt, Morocco, the Rock of Gibraltar, Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia, The Atlantic, The Mediterranean, The Red Sea, and The Persian Gulf. I’ve stood 10 ft from an F-18 as it powered up to full thrusters and blasted off the ship, I’ve landed on an aircraft carrier in a C-2 prop plane, flown in a helicopter, and treated thousands or our young sailors. It has been quite a ride; however, being away from the ones I love has almost been unbearable. I think back on what it might have been like for the service men and women only a few decades ago when they didn’t have the ability to jump on a computer and see pictures of a sons first birthday the day after or be able to fast and pray for a sick child only hours after hearing about the diagnosis. Those must have truly been difficult times. Our little family has managed to grow stronger through these experiences thanks to an incredible woman back home rearing three little boys on her own. How blessed am I to have such a companion—energetic, motivated, and selfless. I can’t wait to hold her in my arms again. Family is what it’s all about. Thank you for being such a great one to me. Only a few more days to go.
Love,
Jeffrey

I've been telling Jeffrey to get lots of sleep now because his relaxing life aboard the ship is about to end! The boys are so excited to have their daddy come home and are in desperate need of some roughhousing with Daddy! I can't wait to see ALL my boys together again! It's been a long seven months without Jeffrey around, but looking back, the time has seemed to fly by. I've grown in so many ways and accomplished more than I ever thought I could, but I must admit that I'm glad that we'll never have to do this again.....at least we hope not! Just seven more days to go!

My Little Graduate

2008-05-23T22:52:00.009-04:00

Tyler had his preschool graduation today. There was a little program where the kids walked in to the traditional graduation music, sang a few darling songs, and were then presented with their "diplomas". It was so sweet to Tyler in his little cap and gown. He absolutely loves learning and and is so excited to start kindergarten next year. I am so proud of Tyler and so happy to see what a sweet BIG boy he is becoming.

Happy Birthday Little Luke!!!

2008-05-23T22:28:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Luke's first birthday. We had a little "fun in the sun" party with some special friends to celebrate his big day. Luke had so much fun being the center of attention and especially LOVED his cake! He immediately attacked it and did a fine job of smashing and smearing it everywhere! A little even ended up in his mouth! I love this special boy more than words could say. He has brought me so much joy. I love watching him learn and grow and play with his brothers. They are such good buddies and he always wants to be with them. He's standing, cruising, and crawling everywhere but not walking quite yet. I'm definitely in no hurry for that to happen....I don't want my baby to grow up too fast! He learned to wave a few weeks ago and loves to wave to everyone with a big grin on his face. He is busy, busy, busy, into everything and constantly babbling in his sweet little voice. I've been thinking a lot about this time last year, when Luke was so sick, and feel so incredibly blessed to be the mother to this this special little boy. Happy first birthday Lukie Bear!!!

Our Birthday Boy

2008-05-23T22:27:00.001-04:00

Muscles

2008-05-19T01:53:00.001-04:00

These boys crack me up!

Busy, busy

2008-05-17T23:45:00.003-04:00

Last week was pretty eventful. Along with all the fun things we did...strawberry patch, scrapbooking night, play group at the park, girls night out, shopping in Williamsburg...there were a couple bad things as well. After having a fever, waking up all night long, and refusing to eat for a couple days, I decided to take Luke into the ER to get checked out. He ended up having a double ear infection and a ruptured eardrum. It was so hard to see him in so much pain. He is doing much better now and is finally getting back to his normal eating routine, but now he's waking up a couple hours earlier each morning. Oh well, at least he's happy!

On Friday I was on my way to pick up Tyler at preschool when I noticed a strange sound coming from my back tire. As I was pulling into the parking lot I happened to pass by my friend Emily and her husband Greg. We noticed that I had somehow run over a screw. They kindly followed me to a service station and Greg talked to the worker to find out that it would be about three hours until they could look at it. Greg then ran across a busy street to check out another place. They waited with me until I was sure that it was going to get fixed right away (they said it would just need a patch). After waiting in the store for about thirty minutes with all three boys, the worker rolled my tire in to show me what had happened. The screw that I had managed to run over was about six inches long and had rubbed away the inside of the tire. I would have to get a new tire and this would take at least a couple hours. Tyler was supposed to be leaving for a campout in an hour and wasn't even packed so I called Emily back and she came and picked us up and brought us home. I got Tyler off okay and then ran with the other two boys in the jogging stroller to go pick up the van, luckily it was only about a mile away. I'm still wondering why this had to happen a couple weeks before Jeffrey gets home, but I definitely feel very blessed to have good friends who are always there to help out. Thanks Emily and Greg for everything!

Strawberries!

2008-05-13T22:01:00.005-04:00

Last Tuesday was a gorgeous day, perfect for strawberry picking. We spent the afternoon picking these sweet berries at a nearby strawberry patch with some dear friends. The boys loved every minute of it and had so much fun looking for the "biggest strawberry in the world". I came home with about seven pounds of berries and we've been eating at least a pound a day. Yummy!

Bath time

2008-05-13T09:48:00.009-04:00

This is definitely one of Luke's favorite times of the day...especially when he has bubbles to eat!

Mother's Day breakfast

2008-05-13T00:28:00.006-04:00

Tyler excitedly woke me up at about 7:00 am yesterday to let me know that he had a big surprise. I got up to find that he had made me a sweet little card (gotta love that backwards writing!) and a special breakfast...a bowl of Life cereal and some pears. Tyler is such a thoughtful little boy and I couldn't help but feel extremely blessed to be a Mom as I ate my soggy cereal (I think he made the card AFTER he poured the milk!) alongside my three sweet boys.

Watch Him Go!

2008-05-12T14:49:00.004-04:00

I filmed this just four days after taking off the training wheels. It's now been a little over a week and he's zooming all over the place! Tyler practices just about every day and is so excited to show off for his daddy in a few weeks!

Bye-Bye Training Wheels!

2008-05-05T23:06:00.005-04:00

Tyler has been asking me for weeks to take the training wheels off his bike. A few days ago, Luke and Ethan were both taking an afternoon nap at the same time and I decided that this would be the perfect day. Tyler was so excited and just a little scared. I was definitely more scared than him and had a hard time letting go of the bike, even when he would ask me. He's still got some work to do, but he's definitely determined and is outside every day practicing. He informed me today that he doesn't need my help anymore! I'm so proud of my big boy!

A day at the beach

2008-05-05T00:13:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was gorgeous here in Virginia Beach...perfect for a day at the beach. The kids had such a wonderful time playing in the sand, wading in the water and being with their friends. They seem to get braver every time we go, which definitely makes me a little nervous. I'm still laughing at the thought of my brave little Luke. He absolutely loved crawling in the cold water. Every time I'd set him down, he'd get a big grin on his face and crawl at top speed right for the ocean. I'd pick him up when the water got too high, put him up the beach a little, and then he'd do it all over again. I loved that look of pure joy on his face. I'm looking forward to the warm weather and many more beach adventures!

Tyler's Pirate Store

2008-04-29T23:55:00.004-04:00

Tyler is so creative and always thinking up something new. For the past few days, he has had a little corner of the house blocked off (to keep baby Luke out) for his pirate store. He loves to sit in his little corner with all of his playmobil pirate accessories, organizing and trying to "sell" them to Ethan. What a silly boy!

Let the countdown begin....FINALLY!!!

2008-04-29T23:46:00.006-04:00

Jeffrey is finally at a point in his deployment where I felt that I could make a countdown chain for the kids without getting sad every time I looked at it! Yippie!!! Ethan and I made it this afternoon. It's hard to believe that Jeffrey has already been gone for almost six months. We found out that he will be coming home on my birthday, what a wonderful present that will be!

2008-04-29T23:42:00.001-04:00

Luke always has a big smile on his face. I just love this sweet baby boy!!!

My big boys

2008-04-16T23:45:00.004-04:00

I took this picture Sunday afternoon....aren't they cute?! Oh wait, I'm not allowed to call Tyler cute...aren't they HANDSOME?

Oatmeal Fun

2008-04-16T23:28:00.005-04:00

The boys had a couple friends over yesterday so I decided to bring out the oatmeal. I put down a sheet, got out some tupperware, spoons, funnels, muffin pans and cups, and let the kids go crazy with the oatmeal. Of course only about half of the oatmeal stayed on the sheet and the kids were all covered in oatmeal, but it was a huge hit and kept them all happily entertained for over an hour. After realizing that dry oatmeal doesn't taste very good, even little Luke joined in the fun! When they were finished I scooped up all the oatmeal I could and put it away (to play with another time...we don't eat it!) and then vacuumed up the rest. I highly recommend this activity to those of you who don't mind a little mess!

Love that hair!

2008-04-14T00:15:00.004-04:00

I just loves Luke's crazy hair. No matter what I do, it always seems to stick up on the top just like in this picture. A couple days ago Jeffrey sent an e-mail saying that it looks like Luke is ready for his first big boy haircut. For some reason, I just can't get myself to cut it. I guess I'm just not ready for him to grow up (and I want his daddy to be the one to give him his first haircut). So it looks like my poor little Luke will just have to live with crazy hair...after all, it gives him personality!

Friday Fort Night

2008-04-05T23:51:00.005-04:00

One thing that I love about being a parent is that I'm able to start any random tradition that I want. When Jeffrey left in November, I decided that the boys and I needed something to look forward to each week. We already had Monday family nights which the boys loved, but I wanted something fun for the weekend....that's when Tyler and I came up with Friday Fort Night. After dinner, we build a fort in the living room and watch a new movie. We also have a special treat, usually popcorn and lemonade or indoor s'mores. It's been a few weeks since we've been able to have or special night, so the boys were so excited when I started building the fort last night. I truly enjoy this time that I have to relax with my boys and just love to see the pure joy on their faces each week as we build our fort!

Rainy Day Fun

2008-04-01T21:40:00.002-04:00

I love the rain, especially on days when it's warm outside. Late in the afternoon today it started to rain, and rain, and rain! It was the perfect day for a walk in the rain! The boys put on their boots and got their umbrellas (Ethan refused to wear his adorable frog raincoat because "big boys don't wear frog raincoats", so sad!), I put Luke in the front carrier and put on my flip flops, and off we went. Jumping in the puddles brought back so many memories of when I was young. Ethan did NOT like getting wet at first, but he soon got over it and by the end of our walk we were all soaked! It was great! To top it all off, the sun came out a little and we were able to see a beautiful rainbow! I hope it rains again tomorrow!

Fun with family...

2008-03-30T23:32:00.003-04:00

We just had a fun-filled week with Rebecca (my sister) and her kids! The boys were so excited to spend time with their cousins, Brhett and Maci. We had a nice Easter together, spent a couple days at the beach, flew kites, went on a getaway to Washington DC, and just enjoyed our time together. It was an incredibly busy week, not too relaxing (sorry Becca!) but so much fun. It was such a treat to have family come visit...I loved having another adult around and the boys loved all the extra attention they got!

2008-03-20T00:22:00.004-04:00

I know I already posted a picture of Tyler and Ethan sleeping, but I just went to check on them and found them like this..... I just love it!

So Happy

2008-03-20T00:15:00.004-04:00

After Tyler and Ethan went to bed tonight, Luke was soooooo happy. He crawled around exploring and babbling to himself for about two hours and giggled every time I came near. I just love my sweet little Luke. He is such a treat to be around.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T22:32:00.013-04:00

I woke up this morning to the boys excitedly running into my room and informing me that a Leprechaun had come to our house! He had left a trail of confetti and green M&M's from their room all the way to the front door, where he had put candy bars in their shoes! Tyler couldn't believe it when he went to the bathroom to find that the Leprechaun had also turned the toilet water green....Jeffrey's friend gave us this idea! The boys spent the morning searching the house for this mysterious little person and even claimed that they spotted him in the neighbor's yard! I just love watching their little imaginations run wild! This evening we read Green Eggs and Ham and then had our traditional St. Patrick's Day meal...green eggs, green ham, green beans, and green milk. I know it doesn't sound very good, but the boys sure loved it. Even little Luke ate some green egg yolks and green beans! After putting Ethan and Luke to bed, Tyler and I made chocolate chunk cookies and had fun dancing as we watched Dancing With the Stars. Tyler absolutely loves this show and I love this special time with my little dance partner!

Truman Kids Halfway Party

2008-03-11T01:05:00.014-04:00

Last weekend I was able to take the kids to a "halfway party" to celebrate that the ship's deployment is halfway over. Yippie!!!!! The party was at the bowling alley on the base and was packed full of fun activities and treats for the kids, the highlight for them being that they each got a special note and teddy bear from their daddy. There were about 200 kids, all having a great time together. It humbled me to see all the other mothers and fathers who are also going through the same thing as me, and it made me realize just how much people sacrifice to serve our country. As hard as it is to have Jeffrey gone, I am so proud of what he is doing. This experience has helped our family in so many ways and I know that we are much closer because of it. I feel so blessed to live in this wonderful nation and be free and I'm honored that we have this opportunity to give back a little. Although I am completely exhausted most of the time, I know that I am a much stronger person than ever before. I feel blessed to have so much support and three wonderful boys to help brighten my days.

Best Buddies

2008-03-11T00:40:00.003-04:00

Tyler and Ethan beg to sleep together almost every night now. Ethan absolutely loves being with his big brother and sleeping in the top bunk. They tend to wake up earlier when they sleep together so I'm always hesitant to let them, but I must admit that it just melts my heart to walk in their room and see them all snuggled up close to each other. I love that they are such good friends and how even though they occasionally have their silly little fights, they just love each other so much. Tyler has recently started asking when Luke can sleep in the bed, too. It'll definitely be a while before that happens, but how sweet of him to want both of his little brothers piled on top of him while he sleeps! I just love my sweet boys!!!

Happy Birthday Ethan!

2008-03-05T20:40:00.002-05:00

Not your typical baby toy

2008-02-23T21:07:00.003-05:00

Tyler's love for pirates has led to a love of skeletons and bones. This little skeleton, AKA "Jared" is one of Tyler's favorite toys...he plays with it all the time and knows the names of almost all the bones. For some reason, little Luke is completely intrigued by this toy skeleton. He absolutely LOVES it and will crawl at top speeds to get his hands on it! It cracks me up to see my sweet baby crawling around with a skeleton. Who knows, maybe he'll be a doctor someday!

The Countdown...

2008-02-23T20:44:00.005-05:00

We are so excited to be having a special visitor come next week.... Jeffrey's mom, otherwise known as Grandma Kae. For weeks, Tyler has been asking me how many days were left until Grandma Kae was coming so I decided to make a countdown chain to help him out. Every morning Tyler runs to the chain, rips off a link, does a quick count, and then excitedly lets the whole family know how many days are left. My boys sure love their Grandma Kae!

tagged...

2008-02-22T12:02:00.004-05:00

Thanks Kenise!

10 YEARS AGO...
I was in my first year at Southwest Missouri State University and living in Marshfield. I was working at the library and as a cake decorator part time. I don't remember much about this time except that I was having fun hanging out with my best friends, Kim and Melanie, enjoying college life and all the freedoms that come with it.

5 PLACES I HAVE LIVED...
1. Springfield, MO
2. Kansas City, MO
3. Provo, UT
4. Orem, UT
5. Virginia Beach, VA

5 THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST...
1. Take the boys to a birthday party at McDonalds
2. Mail a package to Jeffrey
3. Clean out my pantry
4. Try to catch up on laundry...if that is even possible!
5. File my taxes

I ENJOY...Spending time with Jeffrey (I REALLY miss this), playing with my boys and watching them play together, being outdoors, scrapbooking (I definitely don't do much of it these days, but I still love it), going to the beach, taking naps, watching LOST and HOUSE and now American Idol, baking, quiet nights when I can relax a little

3 BAD HABITS...
1. Craving sweets every night when the kids go to bed
2. Staying up WAY too late at night
3. Biting my nails

5 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME...
1. I got my degree in Cell and Molecular Biology and originally wanted to go to medical school.
2. I bungee jumped from 150 feet
3. I became obsessed with running during my third year in college, usually running about 4-8 miles daily. I still love to run but can't seem to find the time these days! I still dream about running in a marathon someday.
4. I am terrified of the dentist. When Jeffrey was in school, he claimed that I was one of his most "anxious" patients.
5. I absolutely LOVE cereal...I just did a quick count of how many boxes that I have....sixteen!! My all time favorites have got to be Honey Bunches of Oats and Golden Grahams, but Special K Chocolatey Delight is coming in at a close second lately.

5 JOBS I'VE HAD...
1. Coached a 9-11 year old juniors volleyball team
2. Library administration office during college (doing secretarial work)
3. Waitress
4. Summer camp counselor for elementary kids
5. I worked in the homes of developmentally handicapped adults, helping them to go shopping, cook meals, exercise, and basically take care of themselves. This was a tough job, but I learned so much.

WHAT I WILL BE DOING IN 10 YEARS...
Hopefully we'll be settled into a nice home with a little bit of land, either in Oregon or Missouri and Jeffrey will have his dental practice up and running. We'll probably have a couple more kids, maybe even a girl? I'll have two teenage boys....wow! That's kind of scary! All of my kids will most likely be in school, so I'm not sure what that will be like. I'm sure it'll still be pretty busy but oh so fun!!!

Okay, so I guess now I've got to tag someone. I'm not sure who's already done this...I think I'll tag Jessica and Beth!

quiet

2008-02-20T23:27:00.003-05:00

My mom gave me this little pillow last month and I just have to laugh every time I see it. It is so fitting for my life right now. There are very few moments when it is quiet in my home. Sometimes I miss peace and quiet, but it sure doesn't compare to the laughter and giggles of my boys when they're all playing together and having so much fun. I'm sure some day I'll have a nice quiet home and miss these crazy days, so for now I guess I'll just sit back and enjoy!

Our Little Family

2008-02-19T13:21:00.003-05:00

I just thought I'd give an update on what we've been doing the past couple of years.......After Jeffrey graduated from dental school in May of 2006, we packed up and moved to our new home in Virginia Beach (after a 10-day getaway to Hawaii without the kids!!!). He began his 1-year AEGD residency program at the naval base and we quickly fell in love with this area. We LOVE being so close to the beach!! Throughout the year, he had the opportunity to gain additional training in the various specialties of dentistry. Last June, he finished the program and reported for duty to the USS Harry S. Truman, a Naval Carrier. He's been in and out a lot with the ship's deployment schedule and is doing great, but missing home a lot these days. Luckily when he's gone we are usually able to talk on the phone a few times a week and e-mail almost daily. My days are kept very busy with our three boys. They are full of energy and I absolutely love being home with them each day, even though they completely wear me out!! They seem to be growing up way too fast! We plan on being here for another year and a half, when Jeffrey will then be able to start practicing on his own. We're not sure yet where that will be.....most likely Missouri or Oregon. We REALLY miss being near family!

Tyler Johnson

2008-02-18T21:08:00.001-05:00

Tyler is five years old and becoming incredibly independent. He is very creative, constantly coming up with little "inventions" and drawing masterpieces. He absolutely loves pirates... STILL....and knows everything there is to know about them. He enjoys riding his bike and scooter, being outdoors, reading books, playing with his friends, going to preschool, and playing with his little brothers. Tyler has been such a big help to me since Jeffrey left. I have woken up many mornings to find that he has made me breakfast (usually consisting of a tomato, a bowl of cereal, some kind of fruit, and water), and he always seems to know when I need a big hug. Tyler is a wonderful big brother and I am so proud of him.

Ethan Richard

2008-02-18T21:07:00.010-05:00

Ethan will be three years old in a couple of weeks and is my little bundle of energy. He is always on the go....running, jumping, dancing....sometimes it makes me tired just to watch him! Ethan adores his brothers and is always trying to make one of them laugh. Ethan is into anything that moves....cars, trains, airplanes...and can be found singing to himself throughout the day. His favorite expressions are "that's so COOL" and "I'm a good boy!". My little Ethan is such a carefree little guy who loves life and is constantly coming up with ways to make me laugh. It is sometimes a challenge for me to keep up with him, but he is such a joy to be around.

Luke William

2008-02-18T20:00:00.001-05:00

Little Luke joined our family in May of 2007. He had a rough start and spent several weeks in the NICU with PPHN (Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn), a very serious lung disease. When I look at him now, it's hard to believe that he was so incredibly sick. He is now a healthy 8 month old and into everything. He has recently learned to crawl and seems to get faster every day. He also started pulling up a few days ago....it's a whole new world for little Luke! He is definitely my easiest baby so far, with the exception of his first month! He wakes up once a night and is a very happy little guy during the day. He has such a sweet, loving, and determined little spirit. He loves his big brothers, who can make him laugh in an instant. I love my evenings when we can have our quiet time with just the two of us. I feel like he brings balance to my crazy life. I can't imagine life without my sweet little Lukie.