NYC

Ryan and I head off to New York City. I know, we are still truckin'. We had such a good time though and we wanted to share it with you. Here are some pictures...


Ryan and I head off on a bus that takes us from Newark Airport to NYC.


First stop: Grand Central Station.


This picture is symbolic since we spent Memorial Day in the city. As you know, NYC is the hustle-bustle city of the century. The technology is up-to-date even in the grocery stores. So everywhere we looked, Ryan and I captured the glimpse of a television which was airing all the soldiers that have been lost in wars past. It was humbling for us to see. Thus, every time we caught a TV, we said a little prayer.


Inside Grand Central.


Ryan enjoyed a slice of New York pizza on the ground floor of Grand Central Station...


...and it was yummy.


New York City Library where "Ghostbusters" was filmed. I had to get a pic.


And of course I had to get a shot of Ryan on the steps. It is one of his favorite childhood movies.


This one is for Amanda.


This one is for Mom N. It is St. Patrick's Cathedral and it is beautiful inside. We have a few pictures from the inside, but they were too dark so I didn't post them.


Ryan lighting a candle.


I had to light one too.


You know I had to see Tiffany's. Not for the bling, for the movie, "Breakfast At Tiffany's."


We had to see the Guggenheim Museum. It was a must. I know, we are nerds. We saw 'The Shapes of Space' Exhibition and it was fantastic. We saw original artworks by Picasso, Renoir, Seurat and many others. We only wish we had more time or energy to see the other museums. It was so much fun!


Oooo, I should be a professional. Haha, kidding. These are the only photos we could get though because cameras were not allowed on any of the floors.


Central Park.


Ryan at the park.


The Great Lawn.


A picture of us in Central Park.


We visited the World Trade Center site since I had never been there before. There is a sense of quiet sadness that envelops you, but through that sadness, I could feel a sliver of hope. They were already rebuilding, but never forgetting.








The subway. Yes, I got a picture!


I just thought this picture was funny. No smoking, no dumping trash, no boom boxes? I know, I remember all the movies in the 70s and 80s which have the loud boom boxes blasting throughout the subway. I thought it was funny that they still had these signs.


Times Square Baby!


I know it was too early for these shots, but Ryan and I left shortly after these pictures were taken because we were done. We had been walking all weekend and getting up early so we decided to head back to the hotel and jump in the jacuzzi.


Good bye New York. We will visit again. By the way ladies, best time to visit NYC is Memorial Day Weekend. It was Navy Fleet Week and there were a bunch of HOT midshipmen walking around. Wheeew Heewww!! I still love you the best Ryhead.

New Milford, Connecticut

One of the highlights of this trip for me was to see where Ryan spent a year and a half of his life when he was younger. He has such fond memories of this place, New Milford, Connecticut. I am always hearing about this magical place and so I had to see it and experience it for myself. It was quite lovely. I took some pictures to remember. I hope you enjoy.


Ryan's old home.


Town Shopping.


The train station.


Here are some of the homes. I just started taking random pictures of houses because I thought they were gorgeous. Some of the homes have been around since the 18th century!


Another beautiful house. I kind of wish I had taken more of these kind.


I will always love Texas, but this must be why people love the north. All the roads are lined with luscious trees that provide just the right amount of sunlight. It must be magnificent in the fall.


Even one of the scenes from "Mr. Deeds" was filmed in New Milford. I thought I would add that too.


Could I get just one of those corvettes please? Just one?

Stew Leonard's

This post is dedicated to Michael.

Also on our trip, we visited a grocery store called Stew Leonard's located in Danbury, Connecticut. It is just about the coolest grocery store I have ever entered. I am convinced it was designed especially for children. The entire store is like a maze where with each corner you round; there is a singing chicken or dancing cow. Each section was decorated with its own theme and built in its own home strategically placed inside the store. The produce was fresh. The meat was gloriously beautiful. The fun was limitless. I could go on forever. I am still in awe. This is definitely somewhere I could take Luke and Grace to daily and NOT be stressed out. I hope if you get a chance, you could visit this store too.

P.S. The verdict is still out on whether you are actually allowed to take pictures, but I did so nonetheless. If I go to jail, so be it. At least it will be for a good cause!


Mom and Dad outside of Stew's Grocery Store.


Just look at those potatoes!


Las Vegas cow in Connecticut.


The Butcher Shoppe where I was told NOT to take pictures...Oops.


Dancing Milk anyone?


And dancing chickens.


Fresh Seafood.


Stew's Eggspress...too funny.


Can you pull Clover the Cow's ear?


Ahhh, food.


Oh, Luke would love this place!

WP Party

We took a side trip to visit some of Ryan's Dad's classmates. He graduated with the class of 1974. Way to go Dad Nesrsta!!! They were throwing a party for the recent grads, one of whom was the son of one of Dad's old classmates. The house and backyard was amazing so I just did what I do best; I took some more pictures.


The boys enjoying the party.


Look at the waterfall in their backyard. Spectacular.


Ryan talking to an old grad.


Chris, aka C-Dog.


Amanda, aka Manders.


Brandon, aka Brando.


Eric, aka Enrique.


Awww...Mom and Dad Nesrsta. I love this picture. I think they look amazing!


Of course, I had to have a picture next to the waterfall.


Mom and Chris. This is a nice picture.


Dad N.'s classmates and their beautiful, strong, dedicated military wives. Hail to the class of '74!

Bear Mountain

When the museum tour was over, we headed to a few choice spots to grab some pics. One of the spots we stopped at was Bear Mountain Park, close to West Point. The park had a drummer playing his drums for the Memorial Weekend. We stopped to take a picture with him. I think he was excited because it broke up his routine a little bit. That, and he must have been excited someone wanted to take a picture with him in that gear. Amanda thought he was hot.


Drummer Boy.


Brandon and I with the little drummer boy.


Chris and myself. He is a cool cat. It was his birthday the day before. Happy Birthday Chris!


Whatz up?


I thought this was a cool picture of the bridge.

West Point Museum

This entire post is dedicated to my sister-in-law Amanda.

After taking pictures, we all decided to hit up the museum right outside the gates of West Point. I have visited it before, but on this trip we got a little carried away. Usually, I love visiting museums and I find them quite interesting as I love history. However, on this particular trip, I was a little crazy....maybe it was all that walking. The lack of air to the brain due to dehydration must have caused a chemical reaction. Here are some pictures of Amanda, Ryan's sister, and I goofing off at the museum.


A nice shot of the museum.


The Eagle and the CLAW. Rawwwrrrrr...


Awww shucks.


Can you see my reflection?


He's Hot. Seriously, a funny story about this...After I took the picture, I accidentally bumped the frame almost causing the alarm to go off. That would have been a great story!


Yes, that's Amanda riding a cannon.


Blowing a kiss to my undercover lover.


My Knight in Shining Armor.


What a relief, huh Ryan?


Amanda kissing the man of her dreams....a man who wears yellow.

Pictures of West Point

Here are some pictures we took at West Point the day after graduation. The pictures speak for themselves.


"The Million Dollar View" overlooking the Hudson River.


This is the spot where Ryan and I took our wedding pictures 5 years ago. We thought we would re-visit the view and take some updated pictures. Who knows, maybe we will go back every 5 to 10 years and take new pictures. That way, we can see how much we REALLY have aged over the years.


Don't we look cute?


kiss for a view


The Catholic Chapel, where we were married 5 years ago.






Washington Monument


He is the cutest cadet/soldier I have ever seen!


Battle Monument


Breathtaking

About West Point

I thought I would put a little history of West Point on my blog for those who are interested. I grabbed this information straight from the USMA website. You can visit it for more info if you would like.

www.usma.edu

The Mission
"To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army."

A Brief History of the Academy
West Point's role in our nation's history dates back to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the commanding plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington considered West Point to be the most important strategic position in America. Washington personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifications for West Point in l778, and Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point in l779. Continental soldiers built forts, batteries and redoubts and extended a l50-ton iron chain across the Hudson to control river traffic. Fortress West Point was never captured by the British, despite Benedict Arnold's treason. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.

Several soldiers and legislators, including Washington, Knox, Hamilton and John Adams, desiring to eliminate America's wartime reliance on foreign engineers and artillerists, urged the creation of an institution devoted to the arts and sciences of warfare.

President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy in 1802. He took this action after ensuring that those attending the Academy would be representative of a democratic society.

Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, the "father of the Military Academy," served as Superintendent from l8l7-l833. He upgraded academic standards, instilled military discipline and emphasized honorable conduct. Aware of our young nation's need for engineers, Thayer made civil engineering the foundation of the curriculum. For the first half century, USMA graduates were largely responsible for the construction of the bulk of the nation's initial railway lines, bridges, harbors and roads.

After gaining experience and national recognition during the Mexican and Indian wars, West Point graduates dominated the highest ranks on both sides during the Civil War. Academy graduates, headed by generals such as Grant, Lee, Sherman and Jackson, set high standards of military leadership for both the North and South.

The development of other technical schools in the post-Civil War period allowed West Point to broaden its curriculum beyond a strict civil engineering focus. Following the creation of Army post-graduate command and staff schools, the Military Academy came to be viewed as the first step in a continuing Army education.

In World War I, Academy graduates again distinguished themselves on the battlefield. After the war, Superintendent Douglas MacArthur sought to diversify the academic curriculum. In recognition of the intense physical demands of modern warfare, MacArthur pushed for major changes in the physical fitness and intramural athletic programs. "Every cadet an athlete" became an important goal. Additionally, the cadet management of the Honor System, long an unofficial tradition, was formalized with the creation of the Cadet Honor Committee.

Eisenhower, MacArthur, Bradley, Arnold, Clark, Patton, Stilwell and Wainwright were among an impressive array of Academy graduates who met the challenge of leadership in the Second World War. The postwar period again saw sweeping revisions to the West Point curriculum resulting from the dramatic developments in science and technology, the increasing need to understand other cultures and the rising level of general education in the Army.

In 1964, President Johnson signed legislation increasing the strength of the Corps of Cadets from 2,529 to 4,417 (more recently reduced to 4,000). To keep up with the growth of the Corps, a major expansion of facilities began shortly thereafter.

In concert with the increasing role of minorities and women in society and the military over the past three decades, greater numbers of minorities and the first women were brought to the Military Academy and the Corps of Cadets. Their presence has enhanced the quality and maintained the traditional representativeness of the institution.

In recent decades, the Academy's curricular structure was markedly changed to permit cadets to major in any one of more than a dozen fields, including a wide range of subjects from the sciences to the humanities.

Academy graduates are awarded a bachelor of science degree and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, serving a minimum of five years on active duty.

As the Academy approaches its bicentennial in 2002, the institution continues to ensure that all programs and policies support the needs of the Army and nation now as well as in the foreseeable future. The Academy, with its long and noble history, remains an energetic, vibrant institution that attracts some of the best and brightest young men and women. It offers a challenging and comprehensive array of opportunities while retaining its enduring commitment to Duty, Honor, Country.


We took this picture of West Point.

Eric's Graduation

Ryan's brother Eric graduated from West Point on Saturday, the 26th. We headed up there on Friday and dropped the kids off with my mom on the way. It took all day to travel and we were exhausted by the time we actually arrived, but I would do it again in a second. It was so much fun! Here are some of my thoughts on this, the most spectacular of graduations...

When you graduate from West Point it is the final accumulation of four years of torture. You sweat, you bleed, you pray, you laugh, you cry....probably more than you laugh. There is no sleep, no partying, and very few conversations with those you love. There ARE people telling you what to do at all times, especially in the beginning. Imagine joining the army and enrolling in college at the same time. It's rough. How is this different from most other colleges you ask? I will try to explain....

For most freshmen, the first few months of college includes freshmen orientation, homecoming, fraternity parties and maybe even getting lost on campus once or twice.
For new cadets, the college experience begins with push-ups, drill practice and very high expectations. You are taken from your family and put into a new situation where you are expected to live by military standards, but at the same time perform academically, militarily and physically. There is also an ethical component to surviving at this military college. The cadet code of honor states, "A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do." It's not like regular college where you see Juan doing shots at the underage frat party and the police ask you, "Hey, who is under 21 here?" and you say, "no one," and then run the other way. You have to fess up. It may not seem so, but this ways heavily on a cadet, especially with all the other components they must balance.

I am not trying to undermine regular college life, Lord knows I went to a university myself and it was hard at times. I was crying too believe me, but what I am trying to say is that West Point life is regular college magnified by ten. You are doing everything at full speed, like trying to fit a full days work into a half day. How do I know this you ask? I was dating Ryan while he attended West Point and I truly understand the hardships, as much as anyone can who did not actually attend. I remember phone calls at 2:30 am with Ryan explaining that he was taking a break from studying to say hello and that he would be getting up at 5:30 am to do PT (physical training) BEFORE breakfast. Oh, and that the next time he would be able to call would be around midnight the next evening. It was tough, but we hung in there.

On the upside to attending West Point, you earn the respect of many. You are challenged in ways you have not been before. You will always be proud of the Point and more importantly, you feel a sense of accomplishment and pride you have never felt before upon graduation.

This is why I am so excited to put the pictures of Eric graduating on the blog. He looks so happy, so relieved. The exuberance bounces off the pictures and you can't help but smile. It brought me back to when Ryan graduated. Looking at these pictures brings me back to an exciting time and I am so thrilled for Eric. I don't think I have ever seen him so happy. Congratulations Eric!

The most successful men in the end are those whose success is the result of steady accretion... It is the man who carefully advances step by step, with his mind becoming wider and wider - and progressively better able to grasp any theme or situation - persevering in what he knows to be practical, and concentrating his thought upon it, who is bound to succeed in the greatest degree.
- Alexander Graham Bell


The ceremony begins.


This is where the snipers stood.


Cadets marching in.


Full view of cadets marching in.


Look at that crowd!


Vice President Dick Cheney speaks to the crowd.


Eric recieves his diploma.


Standing at attention. Congratulations class of 2007!


There go the hats!


Priceless picture.


Here is a picture of the kids grabbing the cadets hats. They don't do it much anymore because they are not allowed, but the cadets put money inside the hats. When they throw them up in the air, all the kids in the audience have a chance to run out and grab a hat. If they are lucky, there is a little money in it for them. It has been tradition for a long time. I hope they continue because it is so much fun to watch the kids rush the field.


I love this picture.

Here are some pictures of the Proud Parents




Mom and Dad


Action Shot


Mom and Eric


Eric and Dad shake hands.


Here are some shots of Eric and Amy


They are about to get married!


Eric and Amy


Amy and Linda, Amy's Mom.

Here are some pictures of Ryan, Amanda, Brandon, Chris and Myself


Ryan and I


Ryan and Eric shake hands


Me and Amanda


Amanda, Brandon, and Chris


Amanda

Watch this Video

The following is the hottest thing on the internet and on Fox News today. Lizzie Palmer, who put this YouTube program together, is 15 years old. There have been over 3,000,000 hits as of this morning. I think it will stop you in your tracks. Thanks Cassie!

Memorial Day

Getting Out of Town

We are heading to New York bright and early tomorrow. We will bring back some good pictures of West Point to share. Congratulations Eric on graduating!

Graduation Ball

Ryan and I went to his Graduation Ball tonight. It was fun to get all dressed up and share one last good time with some great new friends. Oh, and we are proud of Ryan, of course! Some of these pictures did not turn out well as it was dark in the Aviator's Landing. I wanted to share them anyways and I hope you enjoy!

KJB

On Tuesday, I went out with some very dear friends of mine from Hood. I love these girls to death and I will miss them dearly when they move. I know in my heart that we will meet up again. It was the most fun. Martini's on the house!

Hair Crazy

I got my hair done by my awesome friend Jessica. It is actually the best hair job I have ever recieved. Thanks Jess!

Drive-in Movie

Tonight we went to our very first drive-in movie together. It was so much fun! We were all acting like little kids in a candy store. We saw Shrek the Third and it was good; not as good as the first two, but good nonetheless. We had popcorn and cokes too. Luke sat on my lap and Grace sat on Ryan's lap. I even had a chance to sneak a few pictures...check out the one of Grace at the steering wheel. I hope you enjoy them.

Video of Luke and Grace at Miyori's

This video might seem a little more boring than the other videos, but I think it's fun. It shows Luke and Grace watching the chef preparing food. What's funny about it is how curious they are and how glued they are to what he is doing.

Fire

We went to dinner on Friday at Miyori's again. I wanted to take the kids and let them see the show. They both actually liked it and the fire didn't scare them as I thought it would. Here are a couple pics of them enjoying dinner.

One Word, Double Meaning

When people are talking to me lately, especially in reference to my children, I find myself hearing a word from someone like "cute" and, in my head, hearing or interpreting it as something else entirely. I am not sure if this is because I am tired or if it is because I am a mom. Here are a couple of words that are always scrambled. Mind you, this is in reference to Luke and Grace.

I hear words like 'CUTE' and my brain thinks 'FLIRT'...

Sweet = Need more attention please

Active = Trouble

Stubborn = Ryan

Ahhhh, the joys of motherhood.

Grace getting corny

Here is another video of Grace tackling the corn all by herself. You can hear Luke directing in the background. The kids are a hoot!

Video of Grace Eating Corn

Cob Love

After such a tortuous week, the family needed a few good laughs and Grace provided them for us. She loooooves corn on the cob. I had ordered some corn on the cob from KFC and Grace just tore into it like her Mommy with some chocolate. She would take a moment, steady herself and then pounce onto the cob with vigor sometimes even crossing her eyes in pure concentration. Eventually, we just gave her the entire cob and she chewed on it for a long time. Nonetheless, we are cooking more corn on the cob. I will post some video of her chowing down.

LUKEisms

Here are some more friendly tales from the LUKEism Chronicles...

After I took Luke to the doctor today, he kept asking for his blue square (which is a game boy. It is in the shape of a square and, you guessed it, blue in color.) Unfortunately, I hid the dang blue square because he was so tired that if he couldn't conquer a level, he would cry out in frustration. Well, Mommy has had enough crying with both the kids not feeling well so I decided to tell him that it was at home. He became unglued and took his anger out on me at levels that pierced the ear drum and I was zoning out like all good mothers do at this point. Before I slipped into my "I'm going to ignore you" state, I heard him squealing, "Mommy, you have to trust me! MOOOOOMMMMMYYY!!!" I just had to laugh at this because I know he picked this up from his father. Whenever Ryan believes I do not have faith in him and thus, start tuning him out as well, he will quip with a quick "Jennifer, you have to trust me." Luke could only see this same trance and wonder if saying 'trust me' would snap me out of a catatonic state. Good try my friend, but no dice. Oh, and I thanked my husband when I returned home.

It was such a long day today with the doctor's appointments and endless sleepless nights that Ryan and I decided to get KFC. Well, for the kids meal the food comes in a box with colorful characters on it. Tonight, it happened to have Curious George painted all over the box. When Luke was done, he turned to me and said, "Mommy, I am done with my monkey." I think he is so creative.

Also at dinner, there was a little gnat flying around trying to annoy me. Luke, being a faithful and loving son told me that he would "blue square the bug." Apparently, the game boy is also a bug swatter. He saw Ryan pick up his game boy one day and kill a fly so now he thinks small video game devices are also bug killing machines.

After dinner, Luke kept asking me for a growella. I had no idea what he was saying until he pointed to a box of granola bars. Ryan and I had a good laugh at this one because we literally spent a good ten minutes trying to decipher his lingo.

Last night when Luke was not feeling so hot, Ryan decided to play some video games with him. Their favorite game is 'Call to Duty 2" and boy do they love it. The funny part is whenever Luke shoots the enemy, or sometimes even his own men, he always says, "Look, I bust their belly." Yeah....ummm...we are going to have to suddenly 'lose' some of these violent games. It's hard though because he has such a good time playing with his Daddy. I have included a few pictures of them playing.

That's all for now. I am pretty sure there will be more to come.

Ear Infection

Luke has been sick for the past 3 days, poor baby. I took him to the doctor today and she confirmed that he does indeed have an ear infection. Sunday night he threw up during the night. Ryan and I gave him a lukewarm bath and Motrin. His fever went down and he stayed home with me. His fever has been fluctuating between highs and lows for the past couple of days. On Tuesday night, Luke had a fever of 104 degrees. The highest ever!!! He was playing and laughing all day, which caused me to believe his fever had dissipated. He is on antibiotics now and should feel better soon. My poor Lukey always gets ear infections. To top it off, Luke also has an infection on his right elbow. Don't ask me how this happened. I thought it was a bad case of eczema which worsened after he fell at school. The doctor took a culture and the antibiotics should cure that as well. Here are a few pictures of Luke at the doctor and showing his hurt elbow.

My-O-Miyori

On Tuesday evening, I dined at a Japenese Steakhouse with the spouses in Ryan's class. One of the spouses is my dear friend and next door neighbor Jessica. Here is a picture of us goofing off while eating sushi. It was a fun night with the gals.

New isms

This is the part I call LUKEisms. It's where Luke, being only 3 years old, makes up his own language to express how he feels. Some of them tickle me to death. Here are a few...

"Daddy, I have fire on my chin. You need to put lotion on it to make it feel better."
--the fire is a small rash on his chin that he acquired by licking the chin too much.

"Mommy, you can't eat that green egg. It's yucky!"
--His favorite book is "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss. He now thinks all eggs are green and that of course, they are yucky.

Luke's favorite thing to do is walk you through every move that you make. I am not sure if this is a leadership quality or a constant need to vocalize. Either way, it's cute when you are not tired. However, if you should be tired, it is quite annoying. I choose to remind myself that he has dominant personality and, thus, I will be thrilled with it someday.

Here is an example: (Luke asks for some juice.) I walk over to the fridge and this is what I hear from my little man standing very close to me...."Mommy, you need to get a cup. Open the door Mommy. You see that juice, take it out Mommy. Pour it in my glass. NO MORE!!! Ok, Mommy, put the juice back. Mommy, close the door mommy. Put the top on Mommy. Ok, thank you!"

A new and exciting thing from Grace today!! She pointed to her juice cup and said "Juice" for the first time. She is really developing a language. I will try to get this on video and post it for you guys.

There will be more isms to come...

I Feel Special

This is too cute! Luke came home from school yesterday with a gift he made me for Mother's Day. He made it at school and basically, it is a list of questions to which he fills in the answer. Some of his answers literally made my eyes well up with tears. I have posted the questions and answers on here for you all to see.

My Mom is Special
My Mom is special because...she makes me pizza.

I like it when my Mom...fixes me ice cream.

My Mom can do many things! I think she's best at...getting me presents. (thanks Luke)

My Mom has a pretty smile! I like to make her smile by...taking my picture. (I know he answered this question himself because I am always telling him that it would make me soooo happy to take his picture.)

My Mom is as pretty as a...helicopter. (Now this one is where I cried!! I am 100% sure he answered this one all one his own because helicopters are his favorite thing in the world. And I have never been so blessed as to be as pretty as a helicopter before. This is why I love being a mom!)

My Mom is smart! She even knows...her heart.

That's it! Isn't it great?! I live for these moments.

Peekaboo

This is an older video, but I thought I would share. It's of Grace and Ryan playing peekaboo Texas Style.

Happy Mother's Day

There will be pictures to follow.

Hartwell Heaven

We went to a friends house last night. We stayed for quite a while and it was too much fun. Ryan caught up with some of his buddies from Hood. There was a ton of good food and beer, of course. The kids played with all the other kids and a new puppy. The puppy was completely in love with Grace. They had a great time together. It was really nice to see everyone.


Ryan's good friends from Ft. Hood.


Grace and her new friend, Mr. Puppy.


My good dear friend Kris. She is the sweetest, most down-to-earth, genuine person I probably have ever met. She is so much fun and welcoming right from the start. Kris is a gem. love her.


Grace eating her first popsicle. She had a great time with this.


Grace feeding the dog crackers. I don't have that many pictures of Luke because he was playing video games in the back room with all the other boys.

Take me out to the GAME

We went to a baseball game on friday with Ryan's classmates and their families. It was so much fun. We saw the Montgomery Biscuits play the Tennessee Smokies (yes, you read that right....it is the Montgomery Biscuits!!!) Luke had so much fun that he was screaming when we informed him it was time to leave. He held onto another boy's glove the entire time and was hoping to catch a ball in it. Grace had fun flirting with all the single guys. She was wearing her Astros jersey because we had to represent Texas of course. We are thinking we might catch another game some time and hopefully a ball too!




Luke watching the game.


Grace in her cute uniform.


This is the Biscuit mascot. I think it is an anteater, but I am still confused as to what that has to do with biscuits.


Ryan and I before the game.


Luke with his prized glove. He borrowed this from a friend.


This was kind of cute and expensive. It is a baseball helmet full of dip n' dots icecream. The kids really had fun with this.


Luke was kind enough to feed Grace some.


The end of the night.

Get in my Belly

This video cracks me up. The first part of the video was taken after we had dinner and Grace is visibly seen patting her bloated belly. The second part is of Ryan playing with the kids to work off some of that good food. We had a great time!

Oreo Time

I thought these were cute pictures. Luke and Grace had a great time with the cookie a few nights back. Bath time immediately followed.

Grace Walking on the Beach

Lake Tholocco

We went to the lake yesterday for some family time. It was a lot of fun. Luke and Grace were both daring in the water even though neither one can swim yet. Luke would run and jump into the water and even wade out into water up to his chin. Grace wanted Ryan to walk with her up and down the beach and when he stopped she would cry. Grace even guided him into deeper water where she was pracitically swimming rather than walking. Ryan had to rescue her a few times when she swallowed a bunch of lake water. As you can imagine, both kids wanted to stay when it was time to pack up. We had to promise them to come again next weekend. Here are some pictures.

Children's Festival

Yesterday, we went to the Children's Festival in Enterprise. It was free to everyone and there was much to do. They had jumpers, moonwalks, slides, roller coasters, pony rides, food, slushies and FIREWROKS! The kids really had a great time and it was so much fun to see them happy. Here are some pictures of the kids. Hope you enjoy!


Luke having some fun at the park.


Luke's 1st time on a roller coaster!


He even got to ride on a pony.


We went for a walk by the lake....


and watched the ducks swim.


Grace saw a duck she liked.


Ryan and I had a blast too!


Luke pointed out a helicopter flying in the sky. (It was really just propped up on a pole at the front of the park. The Johnny Henderson Family Park honors the fallen soldiers from Ft. Rucker.)


Grace wearing Daddy's hat.


FIREWORKS AHHHHH!!!!


Luke enjoying the fireworks, or more like captivated by them.


Daddy and Grace enjoying the fireworks. She was scared at first, but once Daddy held her, everything was fine.


It was so much fun.

Walking Hi

I know this video is sideways. I am sorry about that. Next time, I will shoot it differently. When I'm filming, I want to get as much of Luke and Grace as I can. However, when you transfer it to the computer, it always downloads opposite. Sorry about that, but it was too cute not to post.

Emergency

Yesterday, Grace had a little fall and received a black eye. We had to run over to Enterprise Hospital's Emergency room because Lyster Hospital on post does not have an emergency room. It is a clinic now rather than a full blown hospital. Since we thought Grace might need stitches we headed over to Enterprise. She is ok and she did not need stitches, but we were glad we took precautions. Now, she just looks like someone punched her in the eye.

The fall happened at lunch while Ryan and I were sitting on the couch and ironically commenting on how well she is getting around. She was walking and practically jumped for a toy and fell on Luke's Thomas the train table. Needless to say, we have removed the table. Luke isn't aware yet that it's gone, which is a relief. Here are some pictures of Grace and her shiner. She may look like she has a black eye, but she is still smiling and the same old Gracie.

Luke Break Dancing

Cole's Wedding

Here are a few pictures and stories from Cole's wedding this past weekend. It was really fun. I know the kids enjoyed it. Luke's always ready for a party, especially a wedding. He likes to dance and so does Gracie for that matter. They were both bobbing up and down and all around throughout the evening. It was so much fun to catch up with old friends. It seems like forever ago when Ryan graduated from West Point, but everybody chatted as if we see each other every day. I will always cherish these memories. In an effort to save time and my fingers, I will just give you some of the highlights from the wedding. I hope you enjoy.

Highlights:
1. After picking up Luke from daycare, he proceeds to tell Ryan and I that he has sugar in his ear, and more importantly, can we get it out. Apparently, sugar is ear wax. This was a big laugh in the car.

2. A 6 hour car ride with two kids under the age of 4 is really like 12 hours. They were good for about 4 hours and then it was crazy. (By the way, it was 6 hours one way.)

3. It was an outside wedding. When the wedding party was walking to their spots, Luke was growing increasingly fidgety. He wanted to stand up in they way of the wedding party. When Ryan and I told him to sit down by us, he practically yelled, "No, I don't want to!" That's our dominant child for you.

4. When the wedding party was exiting, everyone clapped. This made Grace happy because she claps at everything. She loves clapping so much that she joined in with everyone and then continued to clap for about 15 minutes afterward, all the while smiling.

5. Apparently Luke knows how to break dance. I am not sure where he learned this, but he couldn't wait to dance and when the opportunity arose, he went for it. I am going to try and post a short video I took of him dancing. He was a hit and by the end of the night everyone knew his name. Grace was also dancing. She wanted to hit the floor crawling and standing, but I was afraid people would step on her so she and I bobbed and weaved in a chair.

6. The kids stayed up until about 9:30pm. We were all exhausted by the end of the night, but it was so much fun.

7. On the way home, we stopped at a BBQ joint outside of Birmingham. Luke said he wanted a cheeseburger. The only problem with this was that they only had a hot dog or corn dog. So, Ryan told Luke that he could have one or the other and this did not please Luke as he wanted a cheeseburger. Well, things got kind of heated and right in the middle of the scuffle, Luke turned to Ryan and said, "No, Daddy, you are not listening to me! Look at me when I am talking to you! I want a cheeseburger!" I laughed so hard I cried. It was truly a moment.

8. When we stopped to get gas, we noticed a gift shop/ice cream parlor right next door. I told Ryan that I wanted to get the kids some ice cream to give them a little break. We all walked over and while eating our ice cream, Luke suddenly turned to me and said, "Mommy, I have a fever." I told him I was pretty sure that it was just a cold head rush from eating it too fast, but it is something I won't forget.

9. And last of all, when we got home Luke walked up to Ryan and said very casually, "Look Daddy, you have hair on your legs too." Ryan replied with, "yes, son I do."


Our Family


Cole, Nicole, and Addison


Grace in her little black dress.


Ryan and Luke...my two men.


Our friends, Bill and Ashlea with Grace. They are getting married July 28th!


Ryan's West Point classmates and our dear friends, Bill and Aaron with Ryan.


Who could forget Ben? Another dear friend and classmate with his wife Misty.


Grace having a ball.


Luke and Bill pound.


Grace flirting.


Still flirting.


The first father-daughter dance.


My handsome boy.


This is the end of the night where we all see Cole and Nicole off.


Luke having a good time with the bubbles.