BEST family reunion EVER!!

Be sure to read the next four posts about our flight, Dover, and our house! I couldn't fit it all on one post!!

After 5 LONG weeks, we finally got to see Ryan again!! It was a happy day!! We made shirts for daddy that the kids wore to the airport!!
My handsome Captain!!
He just looked so cool in his blues!!
Beckham was so excited to see daddy...though a little scared, too.
Jane, however, didn't want to let him go! She missed him so much!!

Now, the adventure begins...

Getting to know Dover!!

We received a warm welcome when we arrived in Dover. So many people have come over to meet us, bring us cookies and give us many invites to fun get togethers already!! I am so excited to get to know the people here better...everyone is so friendly and kind!!

The departure from Utah was not so easy...saying goodbye to my family was, to say the least, painful!! My brother, Bryan and his darling little family came to Utah for a quick visit before I left. I took lots of pics of that...but my kids broke that camera. However, it was so fun to see them yet so sad to realize that I am going to be ALOT further away from them now.

My BESTIE and sister as well as my sweet mom drove me and the kids to the airport early in the morning. Naturally, we all bawled and cried as the time came to say goodbye. I was actually surprised when I started to cry as hard as I did. I was so nervous about the flights that I was sure I was feeling too utterly sick to muster up some tears. However, watching as my mom and sis walked away was really HARD and so very SAD!! I know I will see them again soon though...I BETTER!!

The airplane rides were LONG and arduous...however we somehow survived (lots of kind people along the way saw me struggling and offered a helping hand...thank heavens). I was given a little peace when the kids decided to take a nap. Jane fell asleep during a landing with a ring pop in her mouth...
Beckham's face says it all...he was not very enjoyable during the flights poor guy!! Overall I would say he was quite a trooper though.
The kids pool on base is magnificent!!
Beckham was in heaven!!
The pool never gets deeper than 3 feet so it is perfect for kids! I even met some sweet gals at the pool that let me hang out with them :)
We drove around downtown Dover to see the cool old buildings that are there!! I loved this house so much!!


It is different but I think we will like it here!!

A little bit of home!!!

I was SOOOOO excited when Matthew, Courtney, my dad and the kids decided to drive from Maryland to visit us!!! It was so good to see family again!! I miss my family terribly...even though I have only been gone for like 5 day...I know...pathetic right?!! So, this little get together made my day!! Plus, I got to meet my new little nephew, Harry!! He was so darling, don't ya think?!
Jane LOVED playing with her cousin, Charlotte. They loved dressing up like princesses!!
The darling new parents...
Me and my bro!!
It was the BEST to see my fam for a little bit and we are planning on hanging out again, soon, I hope!!!

Our New House...so far!!!

These pics aren't in any certain order but this is our house so far and we have really loved it. We still have some work to do on our bedroom and the office but it is really coming along!! We feel really blessed to have such a beautiful home!!

Here's Ryan enjoying our back patio. It's covered and has a privacy fence around it...perfect for kids and they just love it!!


Our front porch that we had so much fun primping and decorating!!
The front of the house!!
We were lucky enough to get the only single house in Captain's housing and we have a beautiful view to one side of us. I love the wide open space all around us. There are tons of parks, two pools, and many many walking trails. It really is a beautiful base!!
Here's a full view of our family room. It is sooooo large and spacious...we aren't used to that but we have LOVED it!!
Our new entertainment center in the family room!!
This is our fun, big entry way!! I love it!!
This is the other half of our family room. We made it into a little reading/play area!! It has been nice to have so much space for our crazy kids to RUN and PLAY!!! They make GOOD use of all the space...believe me :)
This is our beautiful, huge dining room that I love!! There is clearly more space than I know what to do with :)
Our kitchen opens up to that huge dining room. So, even though it looks small, it feels huge!!
Here's Jane's room with her long awaited canopy bed and hanging butterflies in the corner!! Her room is huge, too with two windows!!
Beckham's jungle room is darling, however we discovered rather early that he in no way is ready for a big boy bed...so his room is now cluttered with his pack n play...oh well...whatever works right?
Our living room is my favorite place in the house. It is so ginormous and it was so fun to put up all the new furniture we bought. And it is so nice to have our comfy couch back!!
More pics to come as we finish the house!!

Too Many Goodbyes...

These past few weeks have been all about "lasts" for Jane, Beckham and I. It is really starting to hit me that I am really saying goodbye, for the last time, to all of the things we love about Utah (even though we may be back here one day :))

I have been visiting the old homestead...now Terry and Christina's home...quite a bit. I am really going to miss Crestline Estates and all the amazing people I worked with there. It was a wonderful job and home for the past five years!!

Jane had a a darling little princess themed summer camp at our favorite school, Kids'Village. They made cookie wands, decorated princess goblets and reviewed stuff they had learned during the school year!! Saying goodbye to this darling little school was very hard for both Jane and me.
Just this past weekend, the kids and I went up the canyon to enjoy the beautiful Utah mountains and nice sunny weather. Provo Canyon is my favorite place in the world. Ryan proposed to me there, we spent many a summer days up the canyon when we were dating, and I have just loved hiking, rollerblading the canyon trail and just enjoying the canyon by myself as well as with my kids... I will DEFINITELY miss the canyon.
Beckham loved running all around and getting out all of his energy...
Here's Jane dancing...so cute!



I am certainly miss having our Saturday, Harper family lunches....a tradition now running for 10 years...Our little lunch group has gotten much smaller as of late....
Jane had her very last dance class this past Monday. She LOVED dancing like Angelina Ballerina and wearing her ballet slippers and dance skirt...
Jane has so appreciated playing with a few great friends lately. She LOVES playing with London and Brea and keeps asking me if we will visit them when we come back to Utah. I assure her we will, because I happen to absolutely love her mother and will miss her ALOT, too!!!

And she had a blast with Whitney at the park last week.
It has been sad to say goodbye to a few fabulous friends from high school as well. Ashlyn was my absolute BEST friend growing up and I was on student council in high school with Brittany and Jana. Jana and Taylor were also our BEST friends and neighbors when Ry and I were first married with no kids. So many great memories flood into my mind when I think of these lovely ladies.
And just tonight I was able to get together for Yogurtland yogurt...my fav...with some of my Besties from high school. Melissa was such a great friend to me in high school and also played volleyball with me in high school as well as in city leagues after high school. I am going to miss playing volleyball with her, having our kids play together and just talking with her.
Too many sad sad goodbyes lately and I haven't even had to do that with my family and especially my sis yet....yikes...awful to think about. I am still super excited about our adventure, I guess I am just realizing how amazing our life here is Utah has been and how many wonderful blessings and people we have had all around us that I am REALLY going to miss :)