I have some catching up to do...

 A lot of very FUN and sad things have been happening around these parts.  About a month ago, I sprained my ankle...yuck right?  Well, it looks worse than it was.  It happened two weeks before my first volleyball game...I was devastated.  However, I was super motivated, so I rushed to get better as fast as possible and was able to make it to my first game.

 A week after my ankle was hurt, we decided to go to the Maryland aquarium.  We had to park a ways away.  But I managed to limp my way there. So, when we finally got to the aquarium,  I was able to use a wheel chair on and off throughout the day.  It was quite nice despite the weird look, accidental ankle clippings, kids climbing all over me, and constantly being in everyone's way.

The aquarium was a lot of fun!! Our kids are both at such fun ages. They were both enthralled with everything and were quite well behaved...if I do say so myself :)  Jane and Beckham's favorite part was the jelly fish.

 My personal favorite was the giant sea turtle they had.  He reminded me of the turtles on Finding Nemo :)

 The shark tank was amazing.  The sharks were so close and kept swimming right passed us, as the kids stood, full bodies pressed against the glass, in awe... come to think of it...this was a pane of glass away from becoming my worst nightmare.  Sharks are so scary...

 They had a quaint little dolphin show that was exciting for the kids.  These dolphins had so much personality.  There was one dolphin that was splashing unsuspecting people who were down low in the bleachers, finding their seats, and he was doing this completely unprompted by his trainer. Jane just about died laughing at this :)

 We were also able to go to my darling little Niece, Charlotte's birthday party at the Little Gym.  It was a blast and the people who were running the party did an amazing job!! They played games and had all sorts of different planned activities for the kids along with allowing them just to run all around the gym and explore.

 This huge bouncy thing was a huge hit!  And since Charlotte was the birthday girl, she got the star treatment :)  She looked so darling in her little gymnastics leotard!

 Beckham was considerably more tentative than his cousin, Edward, on the equipment.  But still shoed some amazing skill for his age...ah hem...if I do say so myself :)

 More fun on the bouncy thing...

 After all the fun in the gym, we had lunch and cake in a party room.  It was just so cute and the kids had so much fun.

 Here is the little birthday girl :)

 On to more sad events.  Well just this past weekend our very bestest friends here in Dover moved. Again, I was devastated.  I don't know how well made I am for this Air Force life...too many goodbyes.  For a hugely emotional and nostalgic person, goodbyes are torture.  And with them went Jane's BEST little friend, Addy.  Here they are, side by side  as always, at a goodbye party for our friends and our wonderful next door neighbors who are also soon leaving.

 Here I am at the party with my good friend, Christa, and my wonderful neighbor Robyn :(  Leaving home was so much harder than I ever imagined it would be and Christa made Dover feel so much more like home and I am so grateful to her for that.  They will be greatly missed :( It was a sad, sad day when the time came to actually say goodbye.  More tears...yes.  But I know we will stay in touch and see them soon.

 Well, that is what we have been up to. Life is still very much an adventure here in Dover :)

I Thought I Was Stronger Than This...

I cried today...at a volleyball game!! I felt so silly, childish, and just plain dumb. However, I know why it happened.  To everyone involved, it looked like I was a poor sport... just because I was taken out of the game before I had a chance to play front row (for the first time during this league) and give that darn volleyball a good, hard hit to release a little tension.  But...it wasn't that at all!!  I was just plain frustrated.  Frustrated that I had looked for seven months for a chance to play a little volleyball...only to be put in as a setter rather than a hitter just because I am female...ugh.  It was because in Utah I had a team and a plethora of women's leagues to choose from where I was allowed to play front row and hit the ball. And there wasn't an egotistical male player in sight...double ugh.  It was because in Utah I had other ways of releasing the pent up tensions from the day...like my sister, my family, Ryan's family, and the mountains. It was because in Utah I didn't feel so lonely most days.  It was because, in Utah I had countless activities and resources for my kids and me to have a little fun...and I had my favorite person to do it with...my sis!!

IT WAS BECAUSE I JUST MISS HOME!!!  I miss my drives up the beautiful Provo canyon.  I miss weekly lunches with my cousin, Natalie!!!  I miss my family there.  I miss Utah weather...ya...I just said that!!!  Well, shall we just say I miss everything? 

I was so excited to live on the East coast...positive that I would be able to handle the massive change with a little grace and dignity...that went down the toilet today I am afraid.  I guess I am not as strong as I thought I was.  I am still happy to be here and I know new experiences are good for my family.  And I am SO grateful that I do have two brothers and their wonderful families near by.  That was definitely a tender mercy!!!  I guess I am just a little homesick.

One thing I do know is...you must always strive to enjoy and savor the moments you are in.  Because the grass may always look greener on the other side...but it NEVER is.  You have to learn to create your own happiness wherever you are and through whatever you are doing. You must never wait to realize what you had only once it is gone...that is no way to live. I never realized how amazingly beautiful and perfect Utah was until I left.

So, I may have cried tonight...but tomorrow I will be happy for where I am and what I am doing now:) Because, I am still a stay at home mother to two beautiful kids, with an amazingly sweet, thoughtful and adventurous husband.  And I can still call my family whenever I want!!  I am a lucky lady!!

The BEST Easter week EVER!!!

I received the BEST gift I could ever think of for Easter this year!!! My family came to Dover to visit us for Easter!!! It went by way too fast and was simply the best week EVER!! Here are the highlights of the week...

Day 1: everyone spent a good part of the day getting settled and the kids were all just ecstatic to have Aunt Christina, her daughters, Mae and Claire, and my wonderful mom in the house with us. I hardly saw them at all the whole week, they were so preoccupied :) Grammy took this picture of Beckham who loved to sit with her in the bathroom as she got ready for the day.
We had a picnic at the base's "Airplane Park". It was super fun!!
Mae and Jane did spent a lot of time doing art projects and coloring pictures!
That same day, we brought out the sprinklers, bikes and bubble guns...the kids had a blast just playing around outside. I thought this pic of the girls was adorable.
waiting for the crazy sprinklers...
Here is my new, gorgeous niece, Claire!!
Grammy doted on my kids at bedtime...read them stories and gave them lots of love, and they LOVED it!
Day 2: We went to the local bouncy house place and had the whole thing to ourselves. Even Grammy went down a few times:) Jane was in heaven.
Daddy sure had fun, too...
Poor little Mae was pretty timid at the bouncy house place...but we managed to get her to go down a few times :)
My beautiful sis and Claire making one of her crusty faces:)
Then we went to Fifer Farm. They had fun Horse tire swings... and wonderful goodies to eat!!

We stopped by a crazy little town called "Kitts Hummock" to show the fam the unique houses on stilts that are right on the beach of this tiny little town:) My mom scared me with this dead horse shoe crab...:)
Everyone, wiped out after a long day, relaxing in the couch.
Jane LOVED holding baby Claire for the first time. She marveled at her tiny feet and hands and loved feeling so grown up!!
Day 3: We went to our favorite farmers' market, Bylers, and got their fabulous home made ice cream and the kids loved playing on the the many play sets they had outside.



Everyone had a lot of fun...
Day 4: Jane's best friend, Addy, had her birthday party today so everyone joined in the fun!!
Mae LOVED the pizza and cake :)
I love my sissy!!

Day 5: EASTER!!! Bryan, Wendy and Jack drove from New York to join us for Easter and I am so happy they did cause it was such a fabulous day!! We sure missed Matthew and Courtney and their kids though.

Here is my Easter table set up!!
The Easter baskets were a huge hit. They were beautiful and so much fun!!

I love Jack's face in this picture...that is such a Bryan face :)
Here's Mae opening her Easter basket!
After the baskets, we played and played and played outside. The kids loved the bouncy house.

Bryan's favorite was the kites...aw to be a kid again:)
Mae was so cute when she took a turn flying the kite...
This wins the prize for my favorite pic!! This exact scenario happened quite a few times this trip...haha...
Here is my hard work in action...Easter dinner ready to eat!!
The whole fam enjoying dinner!!
Then comes the Easter egg hunt!!


Enjoying the loot...

Here's cute little cowboy Jack!!
And this is Beckham exactly 2 seconds before he fell asleep on the couch after all the Easter craziness:)
Later on, after Bryan Wendy and Jack headed back to New York and after the couch naps, we took a quick trip to a near by beach.
Mae loved loved loved seeing where "Memo lived" and collecting sea shells and rocks:)

Just a cute picture :)

For some reason I have no pics of day 6?!
Day 7: While my mom traveled back from visiting my brother on Maryland, Christina, the kids and I went and played on another wonderful park on base. We were able to see many big AF planes taking off and landing. It was very cool!!

The kids had a blast :)
Day 8: A sad day...my family had to go home. Jane, Beckham and I got to take them to the airport and say goodbye. We were all very sad...and yes, I cried and cried to Ryan when he got home from work :( But, I had the BEST time with my family and made memories that I will NEVER forget!! Thanks to everyone for making the huge effort to come out and visit!! I love and miss my family so much and am realizing more and more how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family!!