Time to drop the ball after dropping the ball...

So many of you have noticed I have been off the radar on here for a bit and with good reason...the stomach bug reared its ugly head in our home, 4 times, all separated in time and in long lengths of duration.  Not fun, but we are now hopefully at the end of it.
After my last post Brandon and Erin were sick with the crud...I fell ill on Christmas Eve around 2 PM my night went dramatically downhill.  I got a bad fever, the chills, and all the joy of the stomach bug...I was in bed all night.  I missed all the fun Christmas Eve fun, leaving the reindeer food and cookies out...reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas".  I missed it all, even putting the kids in their Christmas pjs and off to bed. I woke up the next day hopeful I would be able to do more.  I saw everyone open gifts, I think I opened some too and then I was off to bed until 3 PM.  Since then I haven't felt too well, but am hoping i am on the mend for good.
So...catch up time since I dropped the ball and was out of the loop...
My mom and dad decided to come and spend Christmas with us...it was planned a while ago, but 3 weeks ago my dad ended up in the ICU with AFIb and we thought the trip was scrapped for sure.  He called me later that week, said he bought tickets and they were on for the trip...so we didn't tell the kids.  We took them to the airport under the idea that Brandon was going TDY...they were fooled and surprised.  It was awesome.

We had a lot of fun prepping for the holidays all together...The kids were so thrilled to have my mom and dad here and we really felt blessed that my dad was able and willing to make the trip.  We made cookies for Santa...

 I am always so thrilled to watch the kids with my mom and dad...watch relationships grow, bonds tighten, memories being made and traditions being formed.  It is a beautiful sight and I love seeing the commonalities between certain people...my dad and Zach are very similar in a lot of ways...

Despite my being sick, we have tried to have fun and enjoy.  The weather has been less than cooperative with lots of rain and up and down in the temps.  I wish we had more time, but always grateful for what we do have.  Life is short and it is never lost on me how blessed I am with a wonderful family.
The children were spoiled rotten with way too much on Christmas...mostly my fault since I am the shopper of the house.  :)  But, they are only 3 and 6 once, right?  Zach finally got his DSi and has been loving it every moment since.  He got some other fun thing, a marble science maze, books, lots of fun board games.  He was such a trooper through me being sick.  He tends to spin out a bit during breaks, but has done pretty well.  I know he misses he routine, school, his friends and the stimulation of being busy with activities.  But, he has also enjoyed many "panjama days".  Erin is very much a mommy's girl and had a harder time with me being sick, but loved the added attention of her Nowie and Grandpa around.  She has had a lot of fun showing off for them and being, Erin.  She is a hoot and there is NO off switch with her.  But we love her to bits.  She got lots of doll items...new stroller, nursery baby center, baby clothes, accessories, etc. She has had a ton of fun.
Another highlight of this time was a trip to the Alamo Bowl....Arizona made it this year to face off with OSU....Brandon and I bought tickets the night we found out they got in the game and it was here...it was a lot of fun, even if Arizona didn't do well.

I didn't feel my best, but had a lot of fun rooting for my old school and being at a football game...
Last night we took my mom and dad to the Riverwalk to an Italian place we love, Paseanos.  It was a nice adult night out and a chance to talk with no child interruptions....

All in all it has been a nice break and hard to believe that it is almost over and we are about to start 2011.  I am excited that a new year is about to start, but a little sad to see 2010 end.  I feel so blessed right now with so many wonderful things...a great place to live, wonderful schools for my children to grow and learn, both kids have made great friends and are involved in fun activities...Brandon is enjoying his job and most of all the fact he still gets to fly the B-1 in Abilene about once a month....he is so thankful for that.  I love my friends here and the chance I have had to meet such a fun new group of people...so many opportunities to make friends and I have embraced it fully...allowing myself the chances to meet and know people.  I have had a great year, but am excited to make resolutions that will be more meaningful to me next year and see where that takes me (for a later post).  Right now life is good and I can't complain. I feel so lucky to be where we are and for all we have in our lives.  May 2011 bless us just as much and all of you.

Holiday Party...

The AFPC Christmas party was last night and after much clothing drama we left looking like this...

I had bought a gorgeous red strapless cocktail dress, but after the dress code went from dress to impress to come as you are, I wasn't sure if I would be overdressed...well we saw a bit of everything there.  But in the end it was better to be safe than sorry. 

It was held at the new Marriott here in San Antonio...very nice hotel, the food was good, but the night was odd.  Whenever you try to get a group of 900 people, active duty officers, enlisted and civilian together, it is not always an easy mix.  We had a nice night, but it wasn't my favorite party for sure.

Brandon came home and has been in the bathroom ever since...I think the stomach bug got its second victim...lovely...So lets hope I am wrong...

A busy weekend with lots to do ahead....so I am off to get it done!

Photos...

Okay, since you couldn't see Zach in the video, here are some close up photos...click on the photos and they will get bigger...he is right under that point from the star...green shirt, big smile!

 Erin and I fond a snoopy in the school library we had to pose with....

 Before the show....

Zachary's performance...

We had a bit of an issue with the video camera...it doesn't work...at Erin's we were up close to them, so we could use the Iphone, but with this it is harder...Zach is on the second row (he was so thrilled to have made it up there this year!)....if you look right under the point of the right star, that is Zachary...

First grade was awesome...he had a blast!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxFl_e9rQ-Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Erin's preschool performance...

Here are bits and pieces of her performance...super cute stuff!!!!

First up...Jingle Bells...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBZCYZclEDI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Rudolph...they all made shirts to wear in class...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URX-y4vG5bU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The Reindeer Song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu7U9BXIMGI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The Santa Song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXirqhB1GqQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

The Last one is We wish you a Merry Christmas...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYN7TVI-lZE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

She loves this school and as you can tell by the videos, it is clear why.  Great kids, fabulous teacher and wonderful environment to learn, grow and have fun.  So thankful she has had this school in her life.

Canyon Lake Lights...

We returned to Canyon Lake this year to look at the beautiful lights...such pretty displays and in a beautiful area near us.  Erin of course fell asleep on the way up and refused to wake up to see anything, so missed it all, including seeing Santa...

Zach was not going to miss any of it, but as you can see in the later photos, he was done as soon as we got back in the car to go home.  He literally met Santa, had hot coco and fell asleep within minutes.  

Erin's Christmas Dance Recital

This was supposed to occur indoors on a stage set up in the mall...but sadly the mall (which is just an awful mall to be honest) lost the stage and had the poor kids had to do their routines outside.  But they did and it was still super cute...
Here is her performance...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBHb0t9Sno&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Fevers, TDY and the Stomach Bug, Oh My!

So this week didn't go as planned. I had so much on my "To Do" list.  And as always happens, life happens.  Our in our case, poop, throw up and fevers.  What can you do?  You just have to go with it and hope next week you can the stuff done you didn't this week and some things, must get knocked off that list.  Like my Christmas card...photos printed, no long Susan info letter included.  I just didn't have it in me to write and then print them all, etc.  So, I am taking the year off and I am okay with that.
Poor Zachary was sick 3 days last week with a mystery fever.  Now this week it was again a fever that brought him to my room at 5 AM Wednesday.  That turned into what we now know is the stomach bug.  Poor kiddo hasn't felt well at all and I wish there was something I could do.  But with the stomach bug, there isn't much.  I just have to pray and hope that the rest of us are spared and he recovers quickly.  It is no fun to see your baby sick.  He is missing a lot of fun things at school and bored.  He looks awful.  It isn't easy to keep Erin away from him, her best buddy.
Brandon left Tuesday night...he will be back later tonight.  So hopefully the rest of my list of things to do can get done this weekend.  Erin has a fun birthday party tomorrow and her dance recital after that. I have plans to head out shopping on Sunday to get my final items...I hopeful I can get it all done and not have to rush around next week...there are other things on my list then. ;)  SO much to do...but it is a fun time of the year if you don't let the crazy get to you.
The kids both have fun stuff at school next week, we have our Squadron Christmas Formal to go to and then the end of school for Christmas break...hard to believe it is almost here, but I am really excited.  I love having them all to myself for a while.
So onto the next week and hopefully none of us get sick too...I am running out of things to cross of of my list.

Thanksgiving in NC - Photos

I hadn't taken the time to get my photos from NC on the blog yet, so I thought tonight I would put some of them up here to share.  We definitely had a great trip and got some great photos of the kids.  We did a lot of things on this trip that were less "exciting" than some of our other trips, but had a lot of purpose.  We went to Winston one day and ate at one of my childhood all time favorite places, Mayberry's.  For some reason each trip back over the last ten years with Brandon and since had the kids, we have gone lots of places, but never there.  As a little girl it was a big treat to go eat there.  My mom would take me there a lot after visits to the big hospital in downtown Winston...I spent lots of time there for my ears and later growth hormone therapy. They have the best Bean and Bacon Soup at Mayberry's...the best!  It was a lot of fun to me to take my kids there on this trip and even better that they loved it...well neither would try my soup, but Brandon did!

We then took them to another favorite place of mine Old Salem.  I love Colonial places, just ask my dad sometime how much I loved Williamsburg.   We sadly went on Monday and they were closed...we got to walk around and check out the stores and bakery, but not do all the touristy things.  Which in reality might have been lost on the kids.  They had fun regardless.  The most fun was playing in the leaves.  When we lived in our first house in CA we had a ton of leaves.  We had a few huge trees in that yard (the house was deplorable, but the yard rocked)...we always got tons of leaves in the fall.  Zach loved to play in them and still talks about that.  Erin never has had fall leaves, so this was a treat for both kids.  Hours of entertainment I tell you!

Our trip was so special. It was one of the first times that it was easy to travel as a family. Zachary was like a different child in so many ways.  He didn't obsess about the usual thing he does when we travel.  He had real conversations with my parents and played a lot with Erin, with us and just was very engaged in everything we did.  The kids didn't fight. I am not kidding.  The week before we left they fought and they fought once we got home, but that week, they were awesome.  Our travel was easy.  We had a great time.  I am so thankful for these memories and times with them and my parents...it is so special and so treasured.

Tired Pup

Sally always returns from the kennel tired, but this is just pathetic.  The first night home she was so tired that not even a piece of cheese on her nose got her attention. 

 We were glad to have her back after our week away...Funny how your house feels so empty even with everyone home if your pet isn't there too.  We put her in the kennel the Friday morning before we left on Saturday. I must have come in the house 3 times that day and looked for her. Again we returned Saturday night and weren't able to pick her up until 4 PM Sunday.  It was a long day for all of us anxious to get her home...really, we missed her a lot.  But we had a great week away and so glad she has a great kennel here to go to when we are gone.

One of those moments...

I had intended to post this and blog about it before we left for Thanksgiving, but things got busy and it just didn't happen.  So I will do it now, because I think it is important to document some things and be able to go back in a year or two to look at the changes.

Zachary has always been a very smart boy, there is no question there.  His struggles are in areas of focus, communication (socially now, but younger it was the whole ball of wax), fine motor and gross motor skills have always been a challenge too. He often gets frustrated when he has a hard time getting things and this is when the meltdowns usually occur.  He always loves to do workbooks, school work, etc.  The things he doesn't are usually when I bring out writing, lacing, shoe tying, etc.  

A week before we left I randomly handed him a dry erase board with lines on it...found it at Walgreens and it is a great tool for kids because it is lined like they have on school paper.  I asked him to write his name for me on it...I went to fold laundry and came back to this...

Now it might not seam like much to you, but it made me cry. Not only did he write his name very well, but he wrote it 13 times after my one time at the top left.  I didn't tell him how many times, he filled up the page on his own...no complaining.  He was so proud of himself and it took me a week to erase it after.  Little steps like this are what we are seeing right now.  Maturity.  Acceptance.  Harder work ethic. Desire to get better.  He still has many moments of refusal, whining and frustration, but they don't consume our lives as much and aren't as constant for him...
We are so thankful for these moments, this growth and most of all Zachary.

Special Treat...

This Thanksgiving we flew to NC to enjoy the holiday with my family...We were thankful to have our tickets from this summer on SW and were able to apply them to this trip.  The weather was perfect...felt like fall, looked like fall and we enjoyed all of it.  One highlight for us was the chance to celebrate my dad's big birthday...he turns 70 on December 19th.  We knew we weren't all going to be together on that day, so this was our chance as a family to be together with him. We had a great brunch at Grandover Hotel and then gave him his big gift, a new Kindle.  

I wish that there was more time to chat and share our feelings that day...with three children at the table, personalities, up and down to the buffet, there wasn't the chance to sit, share and laugh. But there should have been. I am sorry that we didn't get that time to fully praise and celebrate my dad...he deserves it.  

What I would have said...

"Dad you are and always have been so special to me.  Growing up we were best buddies and I always knew how much you loved me.  I felt safe.  I felt special.  I have always looked up to you to give me advice, to show me right from wrong and teach me.  I am so thankful to have such a wonderful father.  I know how many people don't have the kind of love and life I have had and I am grateful each day that you did all you could to give us that life.  Monetary things aside, you gave us the best gift. Your love, your attention and your values.  I don't think I will ever be able to put into words how much I love you.  How thankful I am every day to have you as my dad, as my friend.  I hope that you know how much I love you and you never doubt that love.  I am thankful we were all able to share this time with you, I only wish we had made it more special for you.

Happy Birthday Daddy...you are a remarkable man.  I hope that you enjoy this upcoming year and it brings you much deserved happiness, good health, pain free days and opportunities to do all the things you want.  

Visits with special friends...

I have to admit I have been so very blessed in this life to have met some amazing friends and special people.  We move a lot and goodbyes are never easy for me.  I don't think I will ever get used to hearing the news we are leaving and the impending doom I feel of saying my goodbyes...knowing that far too often I won't get to see my friends again other than on FB, emails or blogs.  I feel like this is getting harder rather than easier for me.  Maybe since the children have been born it is the change in types of relationships.  I haven't until this location made a ton of friends that were all about me...people I met and became friends with based on our friendship not just Brandon's job or my children.  I have been beyond lucky that some of the people in my children's life have become super important in mine. Teachers, caregivers, therapists...they have become friends, supporters and extended family to me and our family.  

One such special friend is Sena.  I was working at Noah Project in Abilene when I met her. I interviewed her for a job as my intern. She was a freshman at ACU, super sweet, sincere and eager to learn and do anything that we threw at her. I really loved her right off the bat and thought she was the sweetest person I had met.  The thing with Sena is, she really is that nice. She isn't a show, but she is the real deal. You don't find that often, if ever in this life.  She has a heart bigger than most, faith that is inspiring, and kindness oozes out of her. I was lucky to work with her at Noah and when I left there and had Zachary she then filled a new role for me.  She helped me so much by taking care of him quite a bit that first year.  Brandon was gone a ton and then deployed for several months.  With no family and all my close friends moving, I was so thankful to have her by my side.  She was wonderful, to him and me. I loved watching her play with Zach, listening to her talk to him and just watching him grow to love her. We have spoken about her so much over the years to him and hoped, really hoped, one day he would get to meet her again.  Well that wish came true last week.  We were thrilled when she announced that her husband and she were coming to San Antonio for a conference and wanted to make a pit stop to say hi on the way.  They had a time line and we were packing to head to NC, so the visit was quick, but wonderful. She is pregnant with her second child, a son.  She was the same sweet, kind, loving person I knew. Her husband is just as nice as she is and a perfect match in my opinion to her.  And to see her and Zach interact was awesome.  I am so thankful our paths crossed again and she was able to see us.  I am so very thankful to have someone like her as a friend.

Here are some photos of her on this trip.  The last one Erin snapped of Zach trying to see if he could feel her baby move...so sweet.  

Baking...yes, I can bake!

Yesterday we decided to bake homemade chocolate chip cookies.  If you know me, you know I would rather do the package kind any day that calls for butter and eggs and that to me is baking.  Well I wanted to bake with the kids, the real deal, so we did.  It was fun and both actually participated in the whole thing.  And shockingly my cookies came out very yummy too.  It was a lot of fun and as the pictures will show both of the kids enjoyed themselves a lot.  I might have to actually start learning to bake a few more things. I think I am up for the challenge and I know where I can find some cute helpers.

Zach and I measuring

                                                           Brandon helping too...

                               Fun stuff, we all know what happens after we mix...yes, lick the beaters!

                             Erin is our sweet tooth for sure, she cracked me up the whole time.

Lots of fun had by all of us...love these moments and memories...