In the Mail....

Stuffed, sealed, addressed, stamped and on the way to a mailbox near you!!

A big thanks to my Christmas Elf for helping me get them done!

The Holidays are Here!

It's taken me a little extra effort to get into the Christmas spirit this year without Jeff being here with us. Since I'm heading home to Maine next week, I decided it would be too much work to drag all the boxes out of the attic and decorate everything by myself. However, it is that time of year and I need the house to feel festive. So the girls and I bought a little tree at Target and decorated it to feel the Christmas spirit. Daddy was even on the web cam when we decorated it. The girls were so excited to see it all lit up. To help us feel even more jolly we broke out the Christmas movies and CD's. We've been watching Frosty, Rudolph and The Polar Express every day. We also did some fun Christmas crafts and are looking forward to our Christmas baking. Here are some pics of us decorating our little tree and putting up a few small decorations around the house. We hope you all enjoy this special time of year with your families!

Thankful for Friends

We spent our Thanksgiving day in Norfolk with friends. The Highland family invited the girls and I, as well as Michelle, to celebrate Turkey Day with them this year. Being the wonderful cook Shannon is, we couldn't resist! The day started out very relaxed at home. The girls played around in their pj's and the Lily and I baked some cupcakes to share with everyone. After naps, Michelle arrived and we were on our way. We arrived at Grant and Shannon's around 3 and spent the rest of the afternoon doing crafts, watching the kids play and just talking. Shannon and Grant put on an amazing dinner for all of us. We had so much yummy food to enjoy. After dinner the kids got all cozy and watched the Polar Express. Thanks so much to the Highlands for inviting us and making us part of your family. We're thankful to have such kind friends. And of course, here are the pics....

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful for:

Healthy, happy children

A wonderful, supportive husband

Love, health and happiness in my life

A safe deployment (thus far)

A warm place to call home

Food to eat

Caring friends and neighbors

A loving extended family

***I'm especially thankful for all the men and women who serve our great country and their families that stand behind them.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Our Little Turkeys

We truly are blessed and have so much to be thankful for!

(I love these pictures!!!)

One Little Indian

Straight from her Thanksgiving feast at preschool.

Just Wanted You to Know....

How much your 3 girls are missing you!

Thank You Larry!

BEFORE....

DURING....

AND AFTER!!!!

Thanks for helping us out Larry. We truly appreciate all your hard work! It's so nice to have such caring friends like you and Kim!

E is for Elmo

Emma at 18 Months

Everything is Elmo, she loves him

Weighs 24 lbs, 9 oz. and is 32 inches long
Can sing her ABC's all by herself

Is getting all four of her incisors...ouch

Loves to sing and dance

Can put words together and even a few sentences

Loves to go on the potty

Sleeps from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Naps around 1.5 to 2 hours

LOVES her sister, but they fight like cats and dogs

Biting is a coping skill (where working on it)

Wears 18-24 months, size 5 shoes, 4 diapers

Can scale the gates now, so she cruises up and down the stairs at will

Has crawled out of her crib twice in the last week

Favorite word is "NO"

LOVES animals and the Zoo

Her favorite animals are elephants, monkeys & cats

Brushes her own teeth

Loves talking to daddy on the phone and web cam and can say, "I love you" & "I miss you daddy"

Misses Lily when they're separated

Loves to count things

Is still a Mama's girl

Loves preschool

Still suffers from some occasional stranger anxiety

Has the best belly laugh

Has a head full of brown curls and big blue eyes

Has become quite a picky eater

Favorite foods: mac and cheese, yogurt, cereal, corn, green beans, cheese, milk, grapes and sweets

Is super ticklish

Favorite toys: phones, baby stroller, magna doodle, anything ELMO, books

Loves singing and dancing with The Wiggles

Favorite books, Elmo's Animal Adventure, Funny Farm and Pajama Time

Doesn't like TV

Loves playing with her buds, Jack and Sylvia

LOVES coloring and arts and crafts

Has a temper and is quite sassy at times

Is a CUDDLE BUG

Is growing up WAY too fast!!

We love you Emma Rose!

Kelly's Visit

One of my dearest friends and Lily's Godmother, Kelly, flew in for three days for a visit. It was GREAT to see her and she was such a BIG help all weekend. The days FLEW by, but we managed to get a lot accomplished and have a lot of FUN all at the same time!! We started Saturday afternoon off with a trip to Red Robin for a special lunch with the girls. Lily and Em loved Kel the second she arrived. That afternoon the girls had some quality play-doh time and then did a little baking. That night Kelly and I sat up chatting the night away with a delicious bottled of red vino. Saturday morning started out wonderful, Kelly let me sleep in until 9:00 a.m.!!!!!!! It was so refreshing! Later that morning, Kim and Larry arrived. Larry brought the lawn vacuum and took care of all the leaves (THANKS LARRY!) and Kim watched the girls so Kelly and I could get a run in. After our run, we spent some time outside enjoying the beautiful weather. The girls loved all the attention from everyone. I think they're a little tired of Mommy. Sunday night Kelly cooked us a yummy dinner. It was so nice have have so much extra help with the girls and the house. Sunday was another productive day, a dentist appt. for me and a doctor's appt. for Em. Lily and Kelly spent the morning at the VA. Aquarium and then shared a lunch at McDonald's. That afternoon I was able to grocery shop alone (a mother's dream) and the girls spent the afternoon at the park. Then to wrap up the visit, Kelly and I went out to dinner and then saw The Secret Life of Bees (a great book and a great movie). As you can see, a jammed packed weekend that the girls and I loved. Thanks so much for EVERYTHING Kelly. You're the best!!! Can't wait to see you this summer.

A Piece of Daddy

Found your hat today while cleaning out the hall closet. The girls loved wearing it and feeling close to daddy!

Six Weeks Done!

I really can't say that the time is flying, but the days are passing more quickly now that we are in a routine and use to being away from Jeff (doesn't that sound horrible!). The girls still talk about Daddy and his "big trip" all the time, and yesterday I caught Lily talking to a picture of Jeff and then kissing it. She is really missing him, she has always been a Daddy's girl. I am hanging in there, but I miss my best friend. I hate that I am actually getting use to doing everything by myself. Being a "single parent" is tough! I guess it's a sink or swim situation. It all has to get done; the kids, the house, the pets, the bills, the yard, the groceries, the holiday planning and preparations, the corresponding with friends and family....the list goes on and on. I am proud of myself for keeping it some what together, but my standards are set pretty low these days. I guess it's all about prioritizing.

We are heading into the holidays and I am really looking forward to the distraction. It kills me to know Jeff will miss the Christmas season with us this year. However, the girls and I are really excited about going home for three weeks to be with my family. I know my Mom and sister will spoil me and the girls....YEAH!

To all of you checking in with me....THANK YOU! I appreciate all the cards, notes, emails and blog comments of support. It means a lot to me and I know Jeff is thankful too. We are blessed to have such wonderful family and friends to help us through this!

DD 41

The cold weather has finally moved in, time for our Winter coats daddy!

DD 40, It Takes a Village

Friends like Kim and Larry true jems!! We've known them four years and in that time they have become family to us. We have shared so many amazing memories with them both here in Virginia and in Germany. Jeff and I are so thankful to have friends that are always there for us and love our girls like their own.

Here are a few pictures of our evening spent with "Kimmie and Larr-y". In true fashion, they walked in the door and went straight to work helping me. Kim cooked dinner and Larry played with the girls and Kastor. After dinner they cleaned up and helped with bedtime. After the girls were tucked in bed, Larry knocked off lots of "Honey Do" projects that had been piling up the last six weeks. Larry even clipped Kastor's nail, which is a huge under taking.

So, I just wanted to say, THANK YOU SO MUCH Kim and Larry! Your help and support mean the world to us.