Thanksgiving 2008

I hosted our first big Thanksgiving dinner this year. We all had a wonderful time with lots of food and friends - Lori, Laura, Kim, Jennifer, Robyn and lots and lots of kids! We were all husband-less (what else is new, right?) and I'm so thankful that Charlie should be home for the next one. I'm also thankful that we had such wonderful friends and family to spend the holiday with - I couldn't ask for a better support system for this deployment.

Rachel with her turkey she made at school


I made little cornacopias for the kids' place settings. They were so cute!



Laura & Lori checking on the turkey


Kim & Jennifer before the feast


Me with our turkey


SkyAnn really enjoyed her food


Kid's table


The Mommy table


After dinner RockBand to burn off all that food, lol

Gobble Gobble

We're getting ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow - and I made the cutest turkey cupcakes and pilgrim hat cookies ever! I'm unleashing my inner Martha, lol!

Turkey Cupcakes


Pilgrim Hats

Just Random Stuff

The rainy season has arrived and it's been raining for what feels like weeks. It's even a little bit chilly - today's high is 67 but it feels colder than that. Probably since all year we're used to sunny 70's.

Poor Coco was shivering so much, I had to put her sweater on.


Yesterday, I went for my first colonoscopy. Because my Aunt Gail was diagnosed with colon cancer so young and I've had a few other problems, they referred me. Thankfully, I don't have anything to be concerned about and don't have to have another until I'm 50. Laura and Lori took really good care of me and Kim helped watch the kids. I don't know what I would have done without them!
From this experience I have learned a few things:
#1 - I will never, ever drink lemonade again. Part of my "prep" was drinking about 4 liters of medicine that tasted like contaminated sea water, it's recommended to add lemonade to make it easier to drink - it was disgusting.
#2 - Nurses find my irrational fears about air bubbles in the IV line pretty funny.
#3 - You apparently need a whole, whole bunch of air in the tube before it would kill you. Good to know - wish I had known that while I was staring at that little air bubble the whole time in the waiting room.
#4 - Seeing pictures of the inside of your colon is weird. Seeing Laura's face when the nurse showed us the pictures without warning was priceless, LOL.

Me before, rocking the hospital sheek look, LOL


Aidan learned about Mexico in school this week. He's been walking around saying "Uno Dos Tres Olay!" and other spanish stuff. It's pretty funny. Last night he modeled his Mexican hat for me.

Mexican Aidan


Rachel has really gotten into playing dress up lately. Never to be outdone, she struck a pose for the camera after Aidan modeled his hat.

The Cutest Cook

Rachel and I baked our first banana bread today. She loves to cook and was a great helper. And she was too cute in her apron and chef's hat!

Mashing bananas


Time for a song while I was mixing


Is it done yet?


Yummy! She loved it =)

Holiday Dance Pictures

This morning we went to have Rachel's pictures done for their Christmas performance. They were all very cute - they're presents! Everything ran way behind schedule - lucky for me because I forgot her tap shoes! - and there were problems with the presents staying on their heads but overall it went very smoothly. I was even able to sneak a few pictures of my own.

Rachel waiting in line for her picture


Her individual picture - can't wait to see the professional one!


One of her best pictures ever! Smiling and looking at the camera.

Cool Kids

Me and Charlie have two very cool kids. Of course, that's exactly what I expected because we're so awesome, LOL. I snapped a couple of pics today and just had to post them.

Rachel striking a pose before dance class. Love the shades!


And Aidan before we went to see Igor - trying his best to look very cool, lol. The movie theater on post is always freezing and it's pretty much the only time we get to wear our hoodies.

Flour Power

Today was a bake-a-thon for Lori, Laura, and I. We all decided that we needed to send our soldiers something special for Thanksgiving - and since we can't send a turkey, we decided that cookies were the next best thing. So, this morning at 8, Lori and I went to the commissary for all our supplies and our first batch hit the oven before 10. We baked all day long, our last ones didn't come out of the oven until 6:30! I think we ended up with 7 or 8 different kinds with each kind making at least 2-3 dozen cookies - we made enough to feed an Army, LOL.

Our work area - before Laura got there to clean it, LOL


Us in all our flour'd glory


Can't have a Thanksgiving box without some sort of turkey!

Flag on the Play

Aidan got his first penalty today - false start on the offense. I couldn't help but laugh, it was so obvious. He really loves playing, I hope he sticks with it.

No pics of the flag play but here he is after the game


Rachel relaxing at the game

Party Time ... Again

Last night was Lori's daughter Megan's 9th birthday party. She had a Hannah Montana party so Aidan and Rachel were very excited about it. At one point, Aidan and two other boys decided they were the Jonas Brothers - I think Aidan was Joe, lol. Rachel loved dancing and the bigger girls helped organize a show for the parents. It was a great party!

The big finale


Our Jonas brothers


Rachel and Kailyn doing back up for Hannah Montana, lol

Impressed

Yesterday I took Aidan and Rachel in for their 6 month dentist visit and cleaning. They did amazingly well - they had them done at the same time, so I wasn't in either room. I sat in the hallway between the two rooms in case any crisis came up, but they both let them clean, floss, and even do the flouride trays with no fighting at all. I was so impressed I had to take some pictures from outside the rooms, LOL.

Aidan getting his teeth cleaned


He was trying so hard to show me his teeth, lol


Rachel getting hers done too


Smiling and never looking at the camera

Halloween 2008

We had a great Halloween this year - with trick or treating and a party at Kim's afterwards.

Aidan & Rachel before trick or treating


Rachel, Kailyn and Kate on the way to Kim's


Aidan & Keegan in their Star Wars gear


The grown ups


ALL the kids


Peace, Love, trick or treating!


Kim the Angel and SkyAnn the bumblebee trick or treating


Rachel w/her candy bag


Everyone trick or treating



Aidan & Jonathan bobbing for apples


He tried so hard, but he couldn't get one b/c he's missing his front two teeth!


Tinkerbell going for an apple


She got one!


Keegan got one too!


My turn


I got one!


Rachel & Jonathan mummifying Allison


Uh oh, run away tp, lol


They're done!


Aidan & Keegan wrapping Kailyn


Aidan and his mummy


Rachel's turn to get wrapped


Kate got wrapped up too! They loved it!