Life...

So.....Life, what a crazy thing! 

Sometimes it feels so rich and full and happy!
Other times it is stagnant and dull and sad!

Either up or down.....but where is the middle?
I felt like we were sort of on a roll for awhile there.  We were happy and settled and had lots of time together.  We had met new friends and we were enjoying our ward and callings.  We missed family and friends, but we were not homesick.  The boys were adjusting, and growing and even playing.

Then Jordan started flight school....schedules changed, kids acted up, I got tired, more friends moved away, the heat and BUGS became unbearable, the kids got restless..............Need I say more? 

How do you pull yourself out of a funk?
Life is still good.....just cloudy.

Happy 4th!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

How blessed we are to live in this beautiful country and to enjoy all of the many freedoms that we do!  I am so very grateful to all of the many Men and Women who have contributed to our freedom and to keeping our country safe.  I am also the proud wife of the most handsome man in uniform!!!!

Ironically...it was Jordan's Independence Day from SERE (survival,evasion,resistance,escape) school the day before, 3rd of July! 

It was a very..very..long 3 weeks that he was gone. 

We were ecstatic to have him back, but I think he was the happiest!

SERE is the toughest training that the ARMY has to offer....needless to say it was NOT easy or Fun, but extremely hard and stressful.  But, if Jordan was ever in a situation that called for this training (praying that never happens though) he would probably be grateful for it!

3 whole weeks without any communication ... seeing or even talking to my hubby, was so much harder than I thought it would be.  I missed him so much!!!!  I have never gone that long without talking to him...ever.  Hopefully not again anytime soon either!  Let's just say that I now have a greater appreciation for single parents. 

Saturday night the 2nd of July, The boys and I went to the Freedom Festival at Ft. Rucker with Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band.  It was fun but we wished Daddy could have been there with us!  They had the concert, food, games, rides, all the helicopters and of course fireworks!

Lincoln in the BLACKHAWK

Train Ride w/Mommy

Waiting for the fireworks to start

Then after Daddy got home we celebrated again with some friends with food and more fireworks!!!

I think we will always remember this 4th here in Alabama!  

Army Goodbyes

So apparently.... I will have to get use to saying goodbye????  What a bummer!


 I was so worried when we moved here

1  Could I make friends?
2  Would it ever feel like home?
              and
3  Would I miss home?

Well...this is home now and YES it does feel like home and YES I can still make friends!  Friends that I will miss dearly when they leave. 

Today I said goodbye to a new friend.  It came far too soon and I did not like it!  This will be the name of the game until we are the ones moving to our next HOME......and again (a # of times) for the next 6 years.  It is very bittersweet.  I am so very grateful for good friends!!!!  (Spanish Fork, Eagle Mountain, Vernal, and now Bama Friends).

 I hope that wherever we go next...that there is another friend waiting!

Lincoln Boy

So I just have to take a minute and write about my little Lincoln Boy.....what a stinkin cute little STINKER!  He is such a handful, but the cutest one I have ever seen! 

He makes me laugh and cry all in the same afternoon.....EVERYDAY!!!!

Here are a few cute facts about Lincoln:

First of all....he thinks his name is Lincoln Boy!  Jordan always calls him that and so when asked one day by a total stranger what his name was, he proudly said, "Lincoln Boy!!!!  And...this is my baby brother, Soy Boy!"

Secondly...He thinks he is the boss, the one running the show!  Sometimes when I am telling him something and he says NO or why,  I tell him because I am the boss or the Mom.  Then he says,

"No I am the Lincoln Boy!!!"

Trumped (apparently)

Third ....If he covers his eyes, I can't see what he has just done (spilled makeup everywhere, peed on the floor, painted the wall with my eyeshadow, hurt Sawyer, ripped apart his bed and room

....just to name a few)

Fourth...he is turning out to be quite the little singer.  Lately when we have been riding in the car he will just all of a sudden start singing every third or fourth word of a song.  How is he picking it up so quickly???  It is so cute though!  (A fav being the Black eyed Peas...Tonight's gonna be a good night. 

He knows almost every word).

  5...He needs your undivided attention when he is talking to you.  If you are not looking at him while he is speaking to you he will let you know...."Mom look at me...look at me Mom!!!" or

"I can't talk to Daddy if you are talking Mom!" 

Six....He has been shopping with Grandma Shauna and I way too much.  Jordan and I will be at the store and he will pick up something really random like batteries and say, "Look, Cute batteries Mom."

Seven...When he knows he is about to get in trouble, he politely puts up his hand and says, "Wait...stop"  like he has a perfectly good explanation for what just happened.

8...Believe it or not, he is learning manners, because he teaches us everyday.  When we go out to get the mail we will walk to the driveway and he will say, "Wait...stop Mom, now say please." 

And if you say please..he will let you come with him to the mailbox!

Nine...he has to say every prayer at our house.  Sometimes he gets very specific and blesses every item on the dinner table and he always ends screaming AMEN!!!

Lastly #10...he has a new best friend, a stuffed dog that he named Slinky. 

Slinky goes everywhere and does everything with Lincoln. 

He puts him up to the table to eat, he comes in the bathroom, he sleeps with him. 

Last week he even had to take him to church and while we were there, Lincoln was

eating a piece of bread (cause he did not eat breakfast) and he was getting crumbs everywhere. 

When I told him to be careful because he was spilling, he picked up

Slinky and he had him eating up all the crumbs. 

AAAHHHH...Linky and Slinky!!!!  What a team!

 

Lincoln says the darndest things!

For those days when I am going crazy....

*L:  I want more cereal Mom (froot loops). 

 M:  Finish the ones in you bowl first.

 L:   But they are too squeaky... the other ones are more roughy!

*After discussing that we will go home and make spaghetti for dinner

L:  Thank You...Thank You...Thank You Mom!!! 

I knew I could count on you!

*His new favorite phrase when he wants something whether it be candy,

the toy Sawyer has or milk...

L:  But Mom I just want that so I can be happy!

*Common response i hear

L:  AAHHH...Coconuts! 

***And my Favorite.....

L:  I love you sooooo much!!!!

Sometimes he is too smart for his own good....But life would definitely be boring without

My Lincoln Boy!!! 



I love to see the Temple

I am a little slow at posting this, but our family had the opportunity to drive to Atlanta last month to go to the open house for the Atlanta, Georgia Temple!  We actually went on Sawyer's 1st Birthday which I thought was pretty cool!  It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive each way and we did it all in 1 day....which was a little hard on the boys, but

 so worth it!!!

It was so beautiful and serene inside.  Even though it had not been dedicated yet, the spirit was still so strong.  It kind of bummed me out to realize how far the temple is from us now.  We were so spoiled to have so many temples so close to us back in Utah.  There were at least 6 within an hour of us.  I have to admit, I feel a little guilty and sad that we did not take full advantage of that great blessing.  We let life get in the way.  Now...with the kids and Jordan being in classes, I am not sure when we will get the opportunity to go.

     

I am so so grateful for my eternal family!  Love my Boys so much!!!

Our really good friend Bradly also came with us.  Jordan and Bradly met at the airport in Dothan on their way to WOCS...and they have been inseparable ever since.  I tease them all the time about being Exactly the same.

Bradly is not a member but started going to church with Jordan during WOCS.  After the kids and I got here, he has continued to come to church with us just about every week.  He always has a lot of questions and Jordan talks a lot with him about it.  It is fun to see Jordan in a kind of Missionary mode...but the cool thing is that it is with a really good friend!  When we told him we were going to go to Atlanta to see the Temple he totally wanted to come with us! 

What a trooper to ride that long with the boys!!!!  We had a great time and we are glad he came too!