Beach Day!

We had a spontaneous, surprise beach day yesterday! Just decided to pack up our stuff and head on down. We had so much fun. Here are some pictures of our fun times. We love you daddy!

Love, M~

* Having a pizza picnic lunch on the beach

* Pretty bird that we watched during lunch

* Our beach bird friends

* Katie playing at the beach

* Bubba playing at the beach

* Bubba collected shells on the beach

* Katie played at the edge of the water digging up dirt and shells

* Bubba found a good-sized sand dollar totally whole and perfect

* Katie chased the waves, then let them chase her



* A yummy "homemade" birthday cake from Bubba!

Our beach day - live!!

Here are some video clips from our beach day.

Love, M~




Katie waves from navymichelle on Vimeo.


Happy Birthday Beach! from navymichelle on Vimeo.


Katie Cooking Show from navymichelle on Vimeo.

Cards from Daddy!

Dear Daddy,

We got our cards from you! We were SOOOOOOO excited as you can see. Thank you for sending them to us. We loved your picture. Bubba thought your gun was so cool and Katie loved your Santa hat. Neither one loved your "stache" though. : )

Keep sending us mail, Daddy. We love getting mail from you!

Love, M~

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

I love your carpet you sent me! I'm gonna play with the carpet with Kim. But I was thinking about putting it in the toy room floor by the door when you first come in if you look down when you first come in you'll see the carpet. The weather is slowly dying but the beer is so delightful and since we have no place to go let it snow let it snow let it snow let's go to the beer store. The end now it's Katie's turn.

Love, bubba





Dear Daddy,

I miss you daddy. I loved how you watched us open our presents. And we watched you open your presents. It was a fun time. I'm sorry you didn't get to be there when we were opening our presents so you could see them. I love the new pony and the fairy on the pony. I loved how she had glittery wings with diamonds on them and they were gold wings. She had a pink dress, blonde hair, and pink shoes. She was beautiful. The pony was golden her tail was very golden too. Thank you for sending her to me. I can't wait to see if mom will let me play my hannah montana wii tonight. I will see.

Love, katie

What I've been doing...

Here are a few pictures of what I've been up to tonight. It's so much more enjoyable when you are here to help and enjoy the festivities together!

I miss you so much.

Love, M~

Celebrating daddy...

Dear Daddy,
A few nights ago we did one of your favorite traditions....stringing popcorn for our tree. Though it was not the same without you here, it was fun to do something that we know you enjoy so much. It was a neat way to bring you closer to us and celebrate you being our daddy and how much we love you! We miss you daddy, Katie & Bubba






Love, M~

Thank you Daddy!

What a surprise we got today when the lady rang our doorbell and presented us with this LOVELY arrangement! And it's REAL pine! It has made the back of the house smell so Christmasy and we all just love it! Thank you! The only thing that would've made it better is if you had been delivered with it.

Counting down the days......

Love, M~

Rainy Day

Hello sweetheart!

It's a rainy day here and the kids and I have stayed in our jammies with the fire lit watching Christmas shows all morning. Now it's time to get back into reality and get them ready for gymnastics and AWANAS tonight. : ) Such a hard life, right? *wink* Katie has taken up the job of getting Maggie dried off when it rains - we've had a few of those days in the past couple of weeks. She steps right up to the plate and "attacks" Maggie with the towel as soon as she gets back in the door. Here is some photographic evidence.

We love & miss you! Enjoy~
Love, M~

The kids have been totally insane today. It was cookie baking day part 1, so they are so sugared up that they would probably test positive for diabetes.

In between the madness, we made a few videos for you. Enjoy, my love!

Love, M

PS - Yes, Katie is wearing a bathing suit. I would say it is because we live in CA, but it was actually cold and rainy here today so I don't know.... : )

Katie take 1


Katie take 2


Katie take 3


Bubba take 1


Bubba take 2

Fun Night!

We've been trying to get more into the Christmas spirit around here - it has been hard without you here....hard for all of us!

Yesterday the kids and I made gumdrop trees & a wreath; then after dinner we went Christmas caroling with Maggie around our neighborhood; then when we got home we watched the Santa Claus and made peppermint brownies. : )

The last picture is a nighttime picture of the cross we made.

Enjoy!

Love, M~

Santa is here!

Remember this (the original)?


Well, I finally gave up on ever having him. *Sniff*

Meet the "new" Santa. He's growing on me with his blue eyes. : )





And here's where he ended up. I need him to be someplace where I can enjoy his beauty every night. : )



Love, M~

My heart is aching for you....

I find this Christmas song sad, but cathartic at the same time. I miss & love you!

Love, M~

Reaping all the benefits...

What's good about your sister being sick?



Reaping all the benefits. :) (Did that make you think of the Jon lovitz line from the wedding singer? Me too.) ;)

Love, M~

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

What are you doing right now? I hope you're having a great time. Did your friends enjoy the pumpkin cookies? I know they liked them. I hope you send pictures of the cow to us soon. It would be very fun to see what the cow is doing. Is the cow funny? Or are you speaking for him like a puppet? Or are you not? I love how you're my good daddy. One day we'll send you a picture and a note. I hope you have a good time the next day. We have the night right now and you have the day. And tomorrow, you'll have the night and we'll have the day.

Love, bubba

****************************************************

Dear Daddy,

What are you doing right now? Are you having fun? We went to a new church. It was great. We went back there tonight for dinner but I felt sick so I didn't want to do my class. I didn't eat much of my dinner. I saw dessert and bubba got ice cream. I didn't get any cause I was too sick. And I didn't eat my dinner. I have to eat all of it to get some dessert. The election was great. Guess who won! Barack Obama! Hee hee hee (doing a happy dance). We're trying to find a new church so that we can all go to church together when you get home. The church we went to before was boring. The one by the airport I mean. So we're looking for a new one. We loved when you were dressed up in a chicken suit. We loved those pictures. Don't you remember about when we went to vacation? It was so fun. Don't you think we went to the castle and even the aquarium. I think alot about when we went on vacation because it was so fun with you. Because I had you then.

Love, Katie

Three Weeks Down

Dear Sweetheart,

Time is going by a little more quickly now and I am so thankful. We seem to have found our new "normal" and are doing pretty well. Though we never miss you any less, it is always nice to get back to the comfortable place where life seems stable again.

The kids had a great Halloween. We did our usual traditions and as they get older it just gets more fun. We missed you so much and wished you were there with us!

Election Day is finally upon us. I am happy that all of the political mess will be over for a few years at least. I have been sick of all the banter, commercials, and name calling for many months now. Let's just get it over with already. We know the outcome.

Have a good week and know that with every breath I am thinking of you and wishing you were beside me. Nothing can take your place. I love you madly!

Love, M~

Bubba-isms #2

Overheard this morning after breakfast. Bubba was playing with Boo and reciting commercials he had heard.

"I'm George W. Boo and I approve this message"


Love, M~

Happy Halloween Daddy!

We hope you had a fun Halloween! We can't wait to wake up tomorrow and it will finally be Halloween at our house.

We miss & love you!

Love, Mommy, Katie, Bubba & Maggie too