My thoughts exactly

Wurstfest 2011

2011-11-05T21:31:00.000-05:00

Wurstfest is here!

Mom and the boy

Granny and the boy

Biggest clown I've ever seen

Merry go round that goes about a thousand miles per hour!

Granny chasing Max

Granny with the munches waiting to go on the roller coaster

I'm so proud of Granny for indulging these kids and going on all the rides with them. They all LOVED it!

Do not be fooled......Mad didn't share one bite of this sausage with a soul! The girl ate it all by herself!

2011-11-05T21:13:00.000-05:00

We carved a pumpkin the night before Halloween. I'm hoping the kids will enjoy it more next year than they did this year. None of us are big fans of gutting the pumpkin but we made the most of it!

Trick or Treat time!

Madelyn sure loved handing out candy to the neighborhood kids. She wished them all a Happy Halloween and sent them off with her best princess wave. Adorable.

The LOOT

Halloween fun

2011-10-28T06:18:00.000-05:00

This weekend we went to a Halloween Hunt with our mom group we belong to. The kids had a fun time! They ran all over the playground, searched for treats on a huge lawn and downed some pizza afterwards. Here's a few pics of the kids in action.

We also went to the Fall Festival held at one of the local churches in town. They have a HUGE selection of pumpkins and overall we had a fun time!

Madelyn loved this! I had to drag her away so other kids could smile for the camera

First time ever getting her face painted. Of course it's a pink flower!

I just love how Maxwell looks like he's strutting in this pic!

Madelyn and Maxwell going for a train ride!

We ran into E and his sweet family on our way out and these two got to ride the train together.

Madelyn is 4

2011-09-23T20:53:00.000-05:00

Madelyn turned 4 years old almost two weeks ago. I still can't believe this girl has been in our lives for four years already. She continues to amaze me and make my heart smile on a daily basis. I'm so blessed to be her mom. Happy 4 years Madelyn Jane!!!

Sea World

2011-08-08T20:53:00.005-05:00

We took the munches to Sea World this weekend. What a fun (but stupid hot) day

Let the chasing games begin!

We had breakfast with Sesame Street characters. Best fun EVER!!!

Madelyn has the map to show Nana and Daddy the way!

Waiting to see Shamu show!

Feeding the Sea Lions

The kids were over the moon about this!

The boy is 2

2011-08-08T20:29:00.005-05:00

My son turned 2 on Friday. I can't believe this kid has been in my life for 2 years already. Whoopie pies for his birthday treat!

Blowing out his big ole candle

Needed a little help from Dad

Big sis waiting for her bite :)

This is the good stuffYumYum

Nana got to be here to celebrate!

WOW cars!

Love love love his face in this pic.

San Antonio with the Scooper

2011-07-29T20:19:00.011-05:00

At the Alamo with Auntie Scoop (and kitty too)

Auntie Scoop and Mad firing away

Stopping to smell the flowers

Munches and Auntie

They adore themselves

Seriously this girl makes these faces all the time

AS with kids at River Walk

Their future is so bright they gotta wear shades

2011-07-22T21:06:00.008-05:00

2011-07-20T21:12:00.002-05:00

Growing up, Gold Nugget Days was something to look forward to. AWESOME floats, tricking passer-by, snagging the best spot on the sidewalk, chasing candy and so many other memorable moments. Oh yeah....and the Donkey Derby. Serious fun! Parades and my family are like peas in a pod. If there's a parade nearby.....I'm SOOOOOOOO there. Oh and yes, my children will be there whether they like it or not. So, this 4th of July parade in New Braunfels is no exception. Enjoy :)

Schlitterbahn RULES

2011-07-20T20:56:00.005-05:00

Kids waiting for fun

Max on the root beer float slide

Munches are always busting a move

Playing in the arcade

Madelyn having a blast

Maxwell ready for fun

Madelyn

Action!!

Poor creepy Schatze in 100 degree heat

We spend the majority of our week at the Schlitterbahn. Here's proof!

Daddy Park

2011-06-25T21:36:00.002-05:00

Tory took some time off from work this week and one day we went to Daddy Park for some bike riding and stick hunting.

Here's our boy with his "old man face" This deer was about to attack us

Madelyn having the time of her life riding her bike around the park

Maxwell running with Dad standing guard

Madelyn hugging her tree

2011-06-04T22:59:00.006-05:00

My mother came to visit for 10 glorious days. Here's a few of the things we were up to during her visit.

Water balloons......which kid was she aiming for???Stalking the horse coppers

At the Austin Nature and Science place. The munches are oh so cooperative for photos as usual.

Dino diggin'

Body outlines

Walking in downtown San Antonio

Bridge at the River Walk in SA

Our fave place to chow in Gruene

At Daddy park riding bikes and searching for big sticks.

At Mom's friends home in Austin. Trampolines RULE!

Water fun

2011-05-20T21:12:00.003-05:00

This is what I know. Texas is HOT. Like real HOT. If you're headed outside for the day, you better head straight for a place that has killer AC or a place that's full of water to keep you cool.

Or, you can fill up some water balloons and watch your kids chuck them at you. That's fun too :)

2011-05-20T20:48:00.003-05:00

Today the munches and I headed to Torrey Park, or as Mad likes to call it, Daddy Park, for some bike riding and a picnic.

We had the whole park to ourselves for most of our adventure.

Madelyn LOVED riding her bike around the entire park and only fell ONCE. She's becoming quite the cyclist. Let's hope she does not inherit her mom's gracefulness, or lack thereof.

Max did his usual and ran around looking for sticks, rocks and my personal fave, shoving as much sand as he possibly can into his adorable little shoes!

Ballerina baby

2011-05-20T20:38:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago Madelyn had her very first showcase of skills. She had been learning all of her moves for 10 weeks. I am so very proud of my little ballerina in training! You go girl!

Happy Mother's Day Mommy

2011-05-07T22:13:00.002-05:00

I have the most amazing mother on the planet. Yes, that's right, THE MOST AMAZING MOTHER on the planet.
It all started almost 35 years ago. On June 13th, 1976 my mother gave birth to me. I am her first born child. One year, one month and one day later, she gave birth to my sister. Together we became a solid team.
For the past three decades I have had the honor to call her my mother.
I am so grateful there's a special day set aside to celebrate my mom. There are 364 other days in a year that I appreciate her, but today is dedicated to her.
Mom, Here's to YOU!
Thank you for your support, your love, your patience, your determination, your faith in me.
Thank you for your guidance and wisdom.
Thank you for the sacrifices you have made in order to better my life for the sake of your own.
The bond between a mother and daughter is so strong. Thank you for believing in me when I couldn't believe in myself. You've become such an inspiration and continue to be my sturdy ground.
I love you Mom. Happy Mother's Day.

Gas prices SUCK

2011-04-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

We've been staying at home a lot more lately than usual. I've been trying to break up the monotony by being a little less crazy with messes :) Today we finger painted, did flash cards, played with a gazillion toys and Tory and Madelyn both flew a kite for the first time EVER!!!!!!!!!! Epic day at home. I hope you enjoy watching the munches as much as I do!

P.S. Maxwell doing what he does best.............throwing Maxwell fits....lord help us.

Easter for real

2011-04-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

Easter was so much fun this year. The Easter Bunny took good care of Madelyn and Maxwell this year.

Maxwell on the hunt

Hello Kitty made an appearance....SHOCKING!

Madelyn checking out her loot

This is all Maxwell really cared about.

Princess Baby Belle. Whoa!

Dad's idea.....Big ole chocolate bunny

Take that chocolate bunny

Prepping for Easter

2011-04-23T22:01:00.000-05:00

We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to celebrate Easter this year. Today we spent the entire day getting ready for tomorrow!!

Here are the kids rolling color on the eggs Momma and Mad getting the basket ready for the Easter Bunny

Munches eyeing their creativity

Stopping to smell the flowers

He really wants to tear these things apart...petal by petal..

vegas

2011-04-22T21:59:00.000-05:00

This is our Vegas AKA Vega Ding! We're so grateful to have such an amazing dog to be part of our little family.

Vegas waiting in the yard for some play

Our girl LOVES to rest.

Where's my bed?

2011-04-22T21:55:00.000-05:00

Madelyn pretty much hates sleep. When it's time for bed it's anything but easy for the parents. Our sweet angel baby girl protests by gathering all of her "stuff" (unicorn pillow, flower blanket, lovie and blanket) and retreats to the FLOOR in front of her bathroom in the hall. Gotta love her determination!!!!

Skyping with Nana

2011-04-22T21:54:00.000-05:00

Nana sent both kids an Easter box. We skyped with her when the kids opened up their gifts. SO MUCH FUN!!!! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity.

easter at school

2011-04-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

Madelyn and Maxwell had an Easter egg hung at school this week. It was such a pleasure to watch my munches gather up all their goods among some classmates. Maxwell with his Peeps

Snack time before the hunt

Madelyn and her class

Checking out the loot

Oh how I ADORE this girl

Hoppity Hoppity

2011-04-16T21:01:00.000-05:00

We had a super fun Easter egg hunt this morning. The kids had an excellent time!

And they're off!!!!!

Max up a tree

Mad up a tree

Mad and E. I think this was before the easter bunnies got kicked :)

Games

2011-04-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if this is the correct way to play checkers, but these kids have fun their own way.

Fiesta Farms

2011-04-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

We had the opportunity to go to Fiesta farms today. We had such a great adventure......and I didn't get attacked by any animals!!!!! Score!

Madelyn and Maxwell in the petting zoo Madelyn on the pony ride

Madelyn, E and C enjoying super cute snacks

Maxwell playing in the epic sandbox

Mom and the munches on the tractor ride...so worth the drive!

Playing is fun

2011-04-13T22:53:00.000-05:00

We had a super fun playdate at the park this week. We searched for bugs and made some yummy treats. We're so grateful to have such a terrific group of moms and kids to spend our days with.

Madelyn and Maxwell enjoying their worms and dirt :) Madelyn's bag full of bugs

Maxwell's bag was full of rocks.....go figure

School days

2011-04-10T07:06:00.000-05:00

Madelyn had a school performance last week. It was so adorable to see all these cuties on stage singing about loving and living :)

They also had some animals to check out afterwards

Maxwell was thrilled with the performance.

Relaxation moments

2011-04-10T07:02:00.000-05:00

Maxwell and Vegas enjoying some relaxation time Madelyn and Maxwell with mom and dad's iphones

Landa Landa Landa

2011-04-06T21:38:00.000-05:00

We had a playdate at our local park this week and these are just a few of the highlights!

These two are ALWAYS having the time of their lives! Graffiti at the park? For Mad, E and S, I think so!! Mad and Max having a ball

I guess the chalking got a little overwhelming.

Playing at the park

2011-04-06T21:33:00.000-05:00

Today we headed to the park and met up with our buddies E and S. Here's the 3 Amigos building a "fire" together,

WTH is up with the dozer taking a rest at the end of the slide? I guess all of the climbing wears him out! Princess Madelyn

Wow!! These kids LOVE to swing!!

Sweet treats

2011-04-06T21:18:00.000-05:00

What's better than chocolate chip cookies and popsicles? These faces enjoying them :)

Goodnight Moon

2011-04-06T21:10:00.000-05:00

After bathtime, right before bedtime. I LOVE the fact the munches LOVE to read

Fun with friends

2011-03-30T07:05:00.000-05:00

Maxwell climbing Madelyn hopping

Going on a nature walk

Playing games with friends S and E

Super sweet friend S

We heart picnics

2011-03-27T08:53:00.000-05:00

We've been having tons of picnics lately. Here's Mad, Max and E at one of the most recent ones

A Knight to Remember

2011-03-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

Tory and Madelyn went to their first Daddy Daughter dance in February.

Madelyn and her bud S at the dance Madelyn at the dance

Daddy and Madelyn

California Dreaming

2011-03-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

The kids and I recently went on a trip to California. Here are some highlights from our vacation

Granny and Aunt Scoop serenading the kids Granny and the kids in Chico

My bestie Carrie and I at Cassidy st.

Kids waiting for our plane

Aunt Corina and the munches

Great Granny, Granny, Aunt Scoop, me and the babies

Granny and the kids in Huntington

Body outlining at Aunt Scoops house

Mom and us

Kristina, Alicia and me

Our girls

Carrie, Matt and the kids

Granny giving the kids a ride

It is what it is

2010-06-03T23:04:00.000-05:00

When the going gets tough the tough gets going. This is my new motto right this second. I had something completely different to write but at this moment I just realized that saying suits me best for this moment. Oh and by the way.......at the end of the day no matter how good or bad life seems...I have the most incredible children and I am so grateful I get to be their number one fan every single day!

Schlitterbaun

2010-05-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

We had our first trip to the amazing water park in town. We had so much fun and can't wait to take full advantage of our season passes. Thanks to our friend for the photos!

Good News.

2010-05-17T19:41:00.000-05:00

I met with my dietitian today and he told me I can (MUST) drink 4 ounces (I heard 4 glasses) of red wine every night. He is officially my new bestie.

Things I worry about

2010-05-15T11:46:00.001-05:00

Several years ago I got very sick with pneumonia. My sister dropped everything and came to my rescue for a few days.
What I didn't know is that she also came armed with some unique home remedy that haunts me to this day.
I was so delusional and ill that I was willing to try her brewed concoction of seaweed, mustard and saran wrap. I'm not really sure if those were the actual ingredients.
I do, however, remember the smell of her cauldron boiling in the kitchen, hearing her giggling the entire time. Then I was told to stand there while she tried to control her laughter and wrapped me up in saran wrap and I had to go back to my bed and lie there with the stench. I've honestly never smelt something so horrific in my life.
I don't know what was worse, the smell or knowing that she got great pleasure out of her new concoction.
I'm sure glad I can remember this and laugh now.
My sister is visiting Texas very soon and I sure hope I don't get sick while she's here.
P.S. I am extremely grateful for my lil sis helping me through sickness

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T21:21:00.000-05:00

Here's my mom with her grandbabies!

What is a mother? To me it's kind of a loaded question. There are so many answers and not enough words to describe them all.

I can tell you about my wonderful mother. I have learned the most invaluable gift of all from my mom. Unconditional love. If there's nothing else in this world I will ever know and something I hope I will pass on to my children it's that.

My mom and I have been on an incredible journey as mother and daughter. She raised me with love, respect and devotion and she continues to inspire me on a daily basis.

My mom is an amazing confidant, an exceptional granny and most of all she is the world's best mother to me.

Thank you, Mom for all you have given me. I can only hope that I'm half as good of a mother to my children as you are to me.

Happy Mother's Day.

I caught my kiddos playing together!!

2010-02-12T18:15:00.000-06:00

just in case you were wondering........

2010-02-11T18:38:00.000-06:00

MY KIDS ARE RAD! THAT'S RIGHT, RAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A kazillion and 1 things to be happy about today

2010-02-05T16:43:00.000-06:00

Or maybe whatever I can think of in the next five minutes. You see, I've been suffering from PTMS (post traumatic move disorder). Self diagnosed, of course. BUT....after you read some of this you'll see why I still have many reasons to smile and giggle throughout my day!
Maxwell is 6 months old today!
Madelyn loves wearing her play high heels, one pink and one blue
Madelyn says yanana (you're welcome) she's so polite!
We got a membership to the childrens museum today
My husband has a birthday coming up and I'm baking a cake soon....I love cake.
Maxwell crawls
Maxwell sleeps through the night
The sun is out today
It's not raining today
I had way too much coffee this morning
Ice cold water by my side
My mom and randy are coming to visit at the end of this month
Madelyn rubs her belly and says I hungry...fruit.
Ellen's superbowl show
Madelyn kissing her brother and telling him she loves him
Carrying both of my kid munches down the stairs counting to 15
Watching Madelyn drop her water cup and pick it up and tell the cup she's sorry and it's ok.
Counting down the hours til Tory gets home from work
Watching Madelyn run in circles and having her dad chase her way past bed time.
Maxwell's laugh when he gets kisses and tickles.
Wishing I had five more minutes to finish this list.

christmas pics gone wrong

2009-12-17T12:46:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when you make a 2 year old and a 4 month old pose for pictures when they'd rather do something else. I love my kids!

we made it

2009-11-21T15:46:00.000-06:00

We've made it to New Braunfels! The drive here was long and I hope we don't ever have to do it again! Thanks Mom for making it as easy for us as possible. We couldn't have done it without you! Here's what we've been up to the past 3 weeks.

Granny spent the first week here with us helping us get settled into our new house.

Nana came out for a visit---she drove from Illinois. She was a big help with the kids while we were still settling in.

We went to Wurstfest with my mom and the kids. It's a 10 day salute to SAUGAGE! Great excuse to listen to polka music, eat some sausage and have a nice cold beer.

We checked out part of Landa park. The playground is HUGE. Can't wait to get back to check it out!

We ate at SONIC. I've seen so many commercials for it while living in Oceanside and just had to see for myself what all the fuss was about!

Driving just up the street from our house there's always cows, donkeys and goats just lounging around. I'd never seen a cow up that close before. They're HUGE!

We went to downtown NB for the Christmas tree lighting. It's so beautiful! (sorry about the sideways pics.....I'm too lazy to go back and change it for now.

Madelyn has started potty training. What an adventure. It sure is a patience tester. She's learning.....and so are we.

Maxwell is growing up way too fast. He just loves his exersaucer. He's still not on a regular schedule yet. Keep your fingers crossed that happens soon. :)

New Braunfels is a quaint town with so many beautiful buildings and open space. I can't wait to get out with the kids and see more of it.

Yee Haw

2009-09-21T17:26:00.000-05:00

We recently got news that we'll be moving to New Braunfels, Texas! This is where the recruiting substation will be. From what I've gathered online it's a quaint little place not too far from a couple of big cities (San Antonio and Austin). The search has begun to find a new home for our little family. It'll be a big change for us but we're looking forward to such a big adventure....TEXAS style.

update

2009-08-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Well, we've made it past the two week mark as parents of TWO children. I don't know what I ever complained about only having one child.

Our little man does the usual baby stuff....eats, sleeps and poops...a lot. He still has his days and nights mixed up so the only thing I'm really missing is a good nights sleep. He loves to be held and his favorite place to be when he's not being held is in his car seat. He is such a kissable, huggable baby boy!

Madelyn is a rambunctious baby girl. I swear this girl has more energy than twelve kids put together. We are going to attempt potty training within a week or two. She'll be going cold turkey...wish us luck! She is such a loveable toddler. She is always full of kisses and hugs for our family.

Tory will be starting his recruiting school the beginning of next month. Following graduation we'll be relocating to a location not yet fully known to us. We are looking forward to a new adventure!
I'm really enjoying being able to stay at home with our children. I love waking up to them and getting to interact with them all day long.

My babies

2009-08-13T10:35:00.000-05:00

It's been one week since we brought our son, Maxwell Laeric home from the hospital. Here we are with Madelyn one week ago today. This has become one of my favorite things to do. I just love to sit and cuddle with my babies. They are both so loveable I can hardly stand it.

Off the record

2009-04-13T17:48:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official! We will be welcoming a new addition to our lives this August. We'll be having a little boy. That's right....A BOY! Of course I'm panicking because I don't know anything about raising a boy so any and all advice is welcomed. Tory claims he's a pro because he is one. hehe. We are very excited and look forward to introducing him to the world very soon.

Sunset

2009-02-02T12:29:00.000-06:00

My two favorite people watching the sun set.

I love you Madelyn!

2009-02-02T12:16:00.000-06:00

I love everything about my little girl. Madelyn is such a joy and I'm so grateful to be her mom. Here are a few things that make my day.
Madelyn's morning hair (shown in this picture)
The sound of her feet on the tile running from room to room.
Her hugs
Madelyn's smile is Amazing!
Listening to her laugh.
When she says "gickle gickle" instead of tickle.
Watching her go down the slide at the park.
Watching her run around in her crib in the morning before I get her out.
Seeing her and daddy dance around.
When she signs I love you :)

hugs

2009-01-10T21:41:00.000-06:00

I know, I know it's been way too long since our last post. Please forgive us and we'll move on....
Madelyn, our little monster, is going to be 16 months tomorrow! The time with her has flown by. Holding her on the couch this evening I remembered when she was so tiny we would just pass her along on a bed pillow while she slept most of the day away. Now she has very little time to sleep with all of life's adventures coming her way.
Madelyn did something today for the first time twice today! We were at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla and Madelyn had just gotten done petting a starfish and she ran up to a random lady and wrapped her little arms around the lady's legs. Luckily strange lady was accepting of our loving daughter. It was so cute and sweet to see her give a quick hug to a stranger. Then on our way home from the Aquarium we stopped at the park and Madelyn and another little girl shared a cute hug. I thought these moments were adorable!

Fun times

2008-10-06T21:51:00.000-05:00

Today Mad and mama went to the park. She had a blast in the swing...of course there was another little person close by to keep her attention, attempting to run in the sand...there was sand up the nose, in the mouth and even in her ears! I think Madelyn's favorite time at the park today was sitting at the top of the slide and giggling the whole way down then trying to climb back up to the top to try it all again. There's nothing better in my world than seeing my baby girl discover new adventures in life. We can't wait to discover her next one....stay tuned!

I'm a big girl now!

2008-10-06T21:48:00.000-05:00

Our baby girl is now turned around in her car seat. She's so happy every time we put her in her seat and get into the front and she can see exactly where we are at all times. She's all smiles the whole ride around town! She no longer has to see where we've been.....she's focused on the same journey ahead that we are.

Madelyn's 1st artwork

2008-10-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

I heart my BSM

2008-09-21T16:59:00.001-05:00

It has been two months since Tory has come home from Iraq. It seems so unreal to me that he was actually gone for seven months. Time seemed to go by so slow while he was away and looking back this year has really flown by. We have been through so much this year and these past two months have been amazing!! I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband, friend and father to Madelyn in my life. I love you with all my heart and soul BSM. Thank you for being you. I love your guts!!

Happy 1st Birthday

2008-09-21T16:41:00.001-05:00

Madelyn celebrated her very first birthday on September 11th! We can't believe our baby girl has been with us for a full year already.

We started the day off by taking her into the Pacific Ocean for the very first time. We got down to the beach and watched her explore in the sand. We then took her by the hand and led her down to the water and watched her in excitement as her tiny toes touched the salt water. Madelyn never seems to be afraid to try new things and this was just as thrilling for her as it was for us to watch her.

Madelyn had lots of cake that she shared with her big doggie Zurk. She dove right in and tasted lots and lots of sugar and made a glorious disaster! She ended up picking the entire cake up and dropping it in her lap.

Of course Madelyn also got wonderful toys, clothes and books as birthday gifts that she enjoys oh so much.

By the end of the day our precious one year old was exhausted and ready for a good nights rest as a one year old!

Happy Birthday Madelyn. We can't wait to explore another year with you!!!

Vegas Baby!

2008-08-18T11:04:00.000-05:00

Las Vegas, Nevada is one of my very favorite places to visit. Last weekend we had the opportunity to visit this flashy town for a few days. We met two of Tory's hometown friends and their lovely ladies for our weekend getaway. We had an amazing time gambling, ordering room service and seeing a couple of shows. We didn't walk away millionaires but we're rich with memories!

Bye bye baby

2008-08-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

Recently Tory and I went out of town together for the first time since Madelyn's birth. Granny came from Paradise to hang out with Madelyn and Zurk. We were very excited to have a weekend to spend together but worried about missing our family so much.

Madelyn had an amazing time while we were gone. Granny, Aunt Scoop and cousin Regis took very good care of our baby girl and Zurk while we were away. They all sang, danced, played, went to the park and the beach. I bet Madelyn wishes we went away more often. Thanks Granny and Aunt Scoop for entertaining our precious family while we went away!

New Tradition

2008-08-03T13:43:00.001-05:00

Tory has started a new tradition. Sunday morning breakfast. It is my new favorite thing. It all started last weekend with Tory and Madelyn in the kitchen cooking, listening to music and dancing around the kitchen. Breakfast is delicious and I get to have my family all together and I'm savoring every second of it.

Today Tory let me sleep in. That's something that I haven't done in almost a year. That in itself makes today one of the best days ever!!

I look forward to the weekends where all we do one day is play, eat some great breakfast and dance around the house all day!

Good Morning

2008-08-03T13:36:00.001-05:00

It's been almost two weeks since our family has been reunited. I can't even begin to describe what a delightful feeling it is to have my family back together again. I love waking up in the morning and getting our gorgeous baby girl out of bed in the morning and feeding her her bottle then watching her play around the living room. Madelyn loves to dance to music. She stands up, bends her knees up and down, claps and sways back and forth. Her smile is radiant and she is such a delight to be around.
One of my favorite things to watch her do is crawl into our bedroom where daddy is sleeping and watch her walk along the bed trying to get closer to her daddy. He usually opens one eye and gives his girl a great big smile, then gets her up on the bed and for her that's probably one of her favorite moments of the day. For me, it fills my heart with joy seeing my husband, our daughter and even Zurk enjoying something so simple as a morning hug.

Welcome Home

2008-07-27T11:08:00.000-05:00

On Monday, July 21st Madelyn and I drove down to Miramar to welcome Tory home from an almost 7 month tour in Iraq. This day couldn't have come any sooner! Madelyn and I were patiently waiting as the plane landed and we were watching for Daddy to step foot off the plane. Next thing I know HERE COMES TORY!!! It was the best feeling in the world to see my husband's face in person after only hearing his voice over the phone and seeing him via webcam for the past seven months. I think there was one person more excited to see Tory than I. Madelyn recognized her daddy right away! She gave him such a big smile and immediately wanted to be with her dad. It made my heart melt seeing Tory hold Madelyn up high and they were both grinning ear to ear. What a great homecoming for all of us. Welcome home, BSM!!