What a week!

I unfortunately do not have any pictures for this post. I was going to bring my camera to field day. However, I worked yesterday, and I was supposed to work with a child that runs. Therefore, I thought better of brining my camera because I knew I couldn't run with a camera hanging around my without me, the child, or the camera getting hurt. Anyway, yesterday was field day at the girls' school. They had a great time, and the rain held off until after school was over! I ended up working with a child in Ashlea's class, so I got to walk around with her class during field day. It was so fun to watch her! She does not like the potato sack race, by the way. I had to leave to pick Austin up from school (will explain later in post), so I wasn't able to see Alysse enjoy her field day.

Austin spent most of his week at High Trails which is a camp atmosphere where they learn about the settlers, native americans, cowboys, etc. They stayed in cabins and apparently did lots of hiking! When I asked him what they did, he said, "We hiked, and the we hiked some more, and then we hiked again." Eventually he got around to telling me that they made homemade biscuits and applesauce, dipped candles, made a quilting square, had a hoedown, and lots of fun things. They had a journal they wrote in, and I will treasure it always because of the different things he wrote about.

Also, this week we had Math and Science Night at the girls' school. It was the chemistry show night which is always a hit! The girls loved watching the explosions, frozen eggs and bananas, color changes, and things going from liquid to solids and vice versa in an instant.

Ashlea has her first loose tooth, and Austin has two loose molars! I hope the tooth fairy has enough money! :)

Update on James - He is exhausted from working long hours, dealing with lots of death and mental illness cases that happen from the stress of war. His colonel gets back next week, so he his hoping that he can get a little more rest after that. Of course, he will also be going outside the wire more, too. Pray, pray, pray!

A Big Step and Parent's Weekend

Today was a huge accomplishment for Ashlea!!! She learned to ride her bike with no training wheels!!! She was very proud of herself as she should be! I sent James these pictures so that he could see her big day! The first picture is of her getting ready to take off. Then, there she is in all her glory riding without training wheels! The last picture is too cute. She is saying, "Ta da!"


This weekend was parent's weekend at the Academy. This is the time for parents to come and visit with their cadets, and it is also the start of a little (very little) bit of freedom for the four degrees (academy language for freshmen). The kids and I were so excited to see our cadets since we hadn't been able to see them due to Basic Training and the start of school. This picture is of all of us at our favorite Chinese restaurant - Tsing Tao. It was the first time the kids and I had been there since James left, and we sure missed him!

These are our cadets who are a part of our family! I am so proud of them! In this group there are 2 fence team members, a debate team member, a cheerleader, and a rugby team member. Congratulations to all of them! We are so looking forward to having them hang out at the house when they can!

First day of school!

At our house the first day of school is a BIG deal! We go shopping for first day of school clothes during the summer, I make shaped pancakes for breakfast, I take a million pictures of which my girls kept asking me to stop this year, then we go for ice cream afterwards. This year was a different for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, James is deployed. Then, Austin started middle school!! He was very nervous, and after school was over, he said he was nervous all day long. Unfortunately, he was nervous again today. Yesterday was only the 6th grade, and they did fun things all day. Today is when the 7th and 8th graders join them, and they go to all their classes. We prayed alot these last few days for him to make it to class on time, get his locker open, and make new friends that love Jesus. He rides the bus which just adds to my anxiety. It was very difficult for me to watch him walk to the bus. I really wanted to wait for the bus with him, but I knew I would totally embarrass him. I think I am more nervous about the bus than school because he has a great locker location and a great schedule! I am so proud of him and know he will be successful!

The next couple of pictures are of the girls, and their first day outfits. Notice the difference. Alysse is a beautiful dress, and Ash in shorts and a shirt. I let them pick, and their choices so reflect their personalities!!! If you look closely at Ashlea's shorts, you will have a flashback to the 70s. They are adorable! Alysse, of course, always chooses a gorgeous dress with all the accessories. I should have taken a picture of her shoes. They are Roxys, and I really want a pair!!


I just added this one because I wanted to show off how beautiful our daughters are!

This is them in front of our school sign! This will be our last first day of school at Douglass Valley. :(

Alysse is very excited about her teacher, Miss Boedigheimer! Miss B. (which is what the kids call her) was a student teacher in Alysse's class last year and the daughter of the school secretary. She and Alysse really hit it off last year, so this should be a great year for Alysse!

Ashlea has Mrs. Smith who is a remarkable teacher! I had the privilege of working with her last year when I subbed. She taught at the other elementary school on base that was closed this past summer, and I am so excited that she is at DVE and teaching Ashlea!

I wish I could have snuck into the middle school and taken pictures of Austin, but I am smart enough to know we are getting into the parent embarrasses me stage. All the kids had a wonderful day, and I think this year is going to be a great one!

James update - I have been able to talk to him twice. He called from Turkey yesterday and from Kyrkyzstan (I am sure I spelled that wrong). He had a welcoming party in Germany. I e-mailed our friends who just moved there, and they e-mailed back and said not only were they there but also 2 other chaplains that James knows. He is very tired and still not to his destination. He will be leaving soon for Bagram, and then he will wait there until they can find some form of transportation to Kabul. Pray that it is not a convoy!!!

Leavin' on a jet plane

James left yesterday for Afghanistan. I took what I thought was a wonderful picture of him at the airport with the kids, but when I went to upload it for the blog I noticed you can't even see James' face because it is too dark. Oh well, I tried! This picture is at the hotel we stayed at in Denver the last few days before he left. We had a great time! We went to the aquarium and just hung out at the hotel by going swimming, playing games, putting models together, and watching movies and the Olympics. It made the days we got to see him very special. James has a very long 2 days ahead of him as he flies to Afghanistan. He is flying to Germany as I type this. Then he hits 3 other countries in route. Please continue to pray for his safety and for peace in Afghanistan. Thanks to all who have called me to check on me while he has been gone! It is so nice to know I have friends across the country who care about us and are concerned about my welfare!

On a more sentimental note, there is nothing like saying good-bye to the love of your life knowing he will be gone half a year and in a war zone. I got home today to read about the humanitarian workers who were killed in Afghanistan where James will be. I am so proud of him and what he does, but that doesn't make it easy to watch him leave us at the airport. When he is gone, my best friend is gone. The other half of me is missing, and I just don't feel like myself until his return. The song on my playlist today pretty much sums up my feelings. I love you, James!

Bring it on!!!

We military wives always know as soon as our husband deploys or goes TDY(for my non-military friends that means temporary duty when they must go somewhere for a short period of time) something always happens! Let me share with you a little bit about my life since James has left for training. Austin has gotten a virus in his eyes causing his eyes to be very red and itchy, Dagger was stung by something that caused major swelling and redness right under his nose (trying putting baking soda paste in that area - you put it on, he licks it off, you put it on again, he licks it off again), a fish died (not my fault, they really were fed, but of course they wait for James to leave to die), the water company did not listen to our instructions about not bringing water to us this month which means I now have four 5 gallon bottles sitting in my carport waiting for some muscular man to come along and bring them inside for me since I will not be attemping such, Austin's best briend (Austin) left which caused some waterworks(as soon as my kids start crying, you might as well hand me the box of tissues because I'm a goner), the t-shirts for our school came in and let's just say they were not what I was expecting - I have come to see they are not as bad as I initially thought but that first day I wanted to cry (I was "blessed" by being voted PTO president for our school so you can see why this might upset me as it did), last but not least the van got a flat tire. I was not phased by this because it looked like a simple hole patch was all that was needed. My friend, Danielle, was sweet enough to have her husband come change my tire. I drive to Firestone happy that I would get this fixed for free. My neighbor, Sharalie, follows me and all is well as I drop off the van. We drive home still abliss with the fact that this will cost me nothing. I decide I should probably have the car aligned while it's in the shop since my steering wheel has been shaking so badly that I am sure some fat is now gone off my arms. I call Firestone (happy with myself that I am so smart to think of getting an alignment and knowing what alignment means). Patrick answers and is super nice as he informs me that my alignment was so off that I will need my back tires replaced. Oh, and by the way, my air filter needs replacing, too. Ahhhhh - I just looked at my friend Sharalie and laughed! This is while James is still in the States - just wait until he gets to Afghanistan!

Stubbs' Birthday Party

On Wednesday we attended Stubbs' birthday party here on base. Stubbs is a horse who lives at the stables on base, and he celebrated his 46th birthday on Wednesday! I don't know much about horses (frankly, they scare me), but I am told most horses do not even come close to being in their 40s which makes Stubbs a very special horse. As you can see in this picture, the girls had the privilege of riding on Stubbs as he made his grand entrance. Stubbs had a birthday cake that consisted of apples and carrots, but we humans were not left out. We had three real cakes to choose from. I, of course, chose the white cake with white buttercream frosting. Umm, Umm, Good!

Laser Tag!

I had coupons for Laser Quest that expired today, so we took a drive to the local Laser Quest and had a great time tagging each other. Alysse is quite proud of herself in this picture because she won first place on the last game. If you can see Austin's expression, it says it all for where he placed. You have to understand that Austin is quite the marksman normally, so these two games today were very much a disappointment to him. I'd like you all to know I came in dead last. I am terrible at laser tag, but it was fun to watch the kids.

I am sure you noticed I had extra children with me. Alysse had her friend Sasha over, and Vivian, Alysse's other friend, was in town from Georgia. We miss the Ramos kids and are glad to be able to spend time with them this week.

Austin is best friends with Austin who is moving back to Texas this summer which is of great sadness to my Austin. Jacob, Vivien's brother, was able to join in our festivities of the day, too!

This next picture is so cute! Ashlea and David were best buddies when David still lived here, and David couldn't wait to see Ashlea. Of course, being who Ash is she was playing her timid self at first, but then a few minutes later they were chatting up a storm!

One thing I love about being in the military is getting to see our friends who have moved away or have stayed (and we moved)! Now that my kids are older they are experiencing it, too!

Update on James: He is doing great out in the desert heat. He is in class from 6 to 6 everyday in a room with no air conditioning! He gets the joy of eating an MRE for lunch each day, too! Does it get any better than that!

Under the Sea

About a week or so ago the girls participated in the Missoula Children's Theatre production of "The Little Mermaid". Alysse and Ashlea were chosen to be seahorses! They practiced all week for the performance on Friday. Unfortunately, Alysse caught a stomach bug on Thursday afternoon and was unable to be in the play. Boo Hoo!!! Even though Alysse wasn't be able to be there, Ashlea kept on like a trooper. She did a great job and was the cutest seahorse this side of the ocean!

Rest of Muniz family trip

The day after we got back from our trip to Glenwood Springs we went to the North Pole! That's right - complete with Santa and all! Bet you didn't know the north pole is right here in Colorado Springs? Actually, it is an amusement park dedicated to all things Christmas! The first thing the kids did was run to the Santa slide. It is a fave of everyone!

Isn't Ash cute driving her car?

Now in my younger days the tilt-a-whirl was a favorite of mine. I was persuaded to get on such ride during this trip, and let's just say that I am not as young as I used to be. The kids wanted to ride it again right after we finished, and I said, "only if you want me to throw up on you!" As you can see in this pic, Alysse and Rebecca are certainly enjoying it. Aw youth!

This is my favorite picture because there is a story behind it. You have to know James. He does not do any rides that go around and around - just can't handle 'em. The kids wanted to ride on this shuttle ride and had to have an adult go with them. I am smart enough to know that I do not like this ride and so declined the invitation. I convinced James to go with them. The ride didn't go very long before the operator had to stop it and let a little boy off. After starting the ride again, it just kept going and going and going until I hear James yell, "Enough already!" I laughed so hard! It wasn't the kids who were wanting to get it. It was James. I tried taking a picture of his face while the ride was going, but none of them turned out. Lucky him!

I'm thinking this next one might be good Christmas card material!

We had a great time with the Muniz family! Hopefully, this will inspire some of you to come see us! We'd love to have you!

James off to training

Just a note to let you know that today James left for training in Nevada. We have been blessed by being given another chance to see him in Denver for a few days after his training is done and before he flies out to Afghanistan. I am sure he would appreciate your prayers as he will be in the Nevada desert heat in August!

Day 3 & 4 Muniz visit

On day 3, we went to the hot springs pool which was so fantastic!!! If you have forgotten what it looks like, please refer to my former post entitled Glenwood Springs and Aspen. The next day we headed back to Colorado Springs via Independence pass. We stopped in Aspen for lunch then headed to Independence ghost town. This first picture is of the kids and the scenery at the ghost town. In the second photo you can see the buildings that are left of the town. It was really neat to go there and think that it used to be a thriving city where people lived and worked. We met the ghost interpreter (the person who works for the Aspen historical society) who told us all sorts of interesting facts. He actually lives there during the summer! Please remember there is absolutely no electricity. Let me emphasize that again - NO ELECTRICITY! Also, there is no fast food joint or indoor toilet anywhere near. He says he enjoys it, though, so more power to him!

This next picture was taken at the summit on Independence pass. The cool thing about the summit was every direction you turned there were mountains. Breathtaking! Apparently blowing kisses is Ashlea's favorite pose. She did the same thing in an earlier photo. Also, the kids were so tired of taking photos that I am lucky to have a decent photo of them. You should see the other ones. Eyes are rolling, frowns are on faces, etc. I was quite nervous about driving up and down the pass, but I did it and am proud of myself! I just kept my eyes focused on the road in front of me and not what was going on on the sides!

Now, if you thought our vacation ended when we got to Colorado Springs, you are mistaken! There is more to come!!!

Muniz visit day 2

On day 2 of our visit we went hiking to hanging lake. It is this beautiful lake with a couple of waterfalls hanging off the side of a mountain (hence, the name). It was a 3 hour hike round trip, and let's just say that I was reminded quite often how out of shape I am. Maybe I can just blame it on the altitude.:) Hey, that sounds good!
Here is a close up of the water so that you can see how gorgeous the colors are!

This is the Glenwood Canyon that hanging lake is in. If you ever drive on I-70 through Colorado, you get to drive through this awesome piece of land! I am reminded everyday of God's amazing handiwork!

Muniz family visit

We recently had our friends the Muniz family visit us, and what a great time we had! I will break this down in a few posts so as to not overwhelm you! We decided to take them to Glenwood Springs which is a family favorite! On our way we stopped in Leadville to ride the train. Once again, I can't say enough about Colorado scenery! Here are the kids getting ready to ride the rails!!
This next photo is just a spot we found on our way to Glenwood Springs! Beautiful, isn't it?

Glenwood Springs & Aspen

We spent a weekend in Glenwood Springs and Aspen and had such a good time. I love these little getaways! We drove through Glenwood Caverns on the way in, and I am hoping we get to go hike it when we go back in a couple of weeks because it is so pretty! On our way to Glenwood Springs on Friday we stopped at a rest stop (for obvious reasons) and had this scenery to enjoy! This is the Colorado River, and it is at a 10 year high. In fact the rapids are pretty fierce, so you have to watch where you go white water rafting unless you are an expert. Don't you love the train in the background, too!

We spent Saturday morning at the Glenwood caverns. We took a cave tour, and they have other attractions up there as well. The alpine coaster was really cool! We had to bribe Ashlea to get on, and there was no getting Alysse on no matter what. Even Austin was a little reluctant, but after it was all said and done, he thought it was awesome. The view from the cavern park was amazing! Colorado is an "awe"some state because everytime you look around you are in awe.

This is the tram ride up to the caverns. Most people might think I would freak out on the tram, but I am more of a railing/edge scaredy cat than anything else.

One thing I will definitely miss when we leave Colorado is the mountains. They are gorgeous, and you just can't get enough pictures of them. Of course, no picture matches the majesty of them in person. Also, look at those beautiful kids!!!

This is the kids inside the cave on our tour. I like caves, and this one was pretty cool because the top part was dried out because the original owner left openings at both ends. The bottom part was the wet cave which is what you usually see when you go to caves. I guess I like caves because it was part of childhood for me. If there was a cave around on our vacations, we always went.



Saturday afternoon we spent at the Glenwood Hot Spring Pool. It was a blast! The water was nice and warm, and as you can tell we had a great time. I highly recommend going here if you are ever in the area.

One of James' favorite movies is Tombstone, and his favorite person to quote from the movie is Doc Holliday. So we could not miss out on the chance to see his grave!

On Saturday night we spent the night in Aspen and enjoyed the day on Sunday there. If you can get past the fact that it looks like my boob is squishing Alysse's face, you can see the ski slopes behind us. I have to say I wasn't impressed with the slopes in Aspen. I am used to seeing a lot more slopes, but James assures me that the slopes in Aspen are super cool because they are blacks, black diamonds, and whaterver else there is out there that is difficult in skiing. As you can tell, I am not a skiier. You will find me on the bunny slopes!

Austin took this picture, and I thought he did a great job! We stayed at the cutest hotel in Aspen. It was very Swiss Alpish!

I don't know anything about flora or fauna, but I thought these trees were beautiful. This is in downtown Aspen. We had a great time and enjoyed every bit of the gorgeous scenery!

Alysse's recital

Our beautiful Alysse is getting ready to go on stage as I am taking this picture. She did an awesome job! It was definitely worth the two and a half hour wait. That's right, she was at the very end of recital. I am so proud of her and am looking forward to next year's recital!

Not 1 but 2 graduations!

OK, I know we are behind the times, but I am trying to play catch up. Austin and Ashlea had their graduations on the same day, so we basically went from activity to the next that day. Austin started us off first with his 5th grade graduation. I admit I cried. I can't believe my baby will be off to middle school next year! The first picture is of Mr. Piper (our school principal) giving Austin his diploma, and the second picture is of Austin with his teacher, Miss Perreault. She is on a mission trip right now, and I can't wait to hear about it when I see her in the fall.Next, we were off to Alysse's class bazaar. Here she is at her booth selling her brownies and lemonade.

Finally, we had Ashlea's graduation from kindergarten. She was so proud of herself and told me all about what was going to happen so that I was sure not to miss anything! Mr. Piper read them a book. As you can see, he was quite the busy man as well that day.

Here he is handing Ashlea her diploma along with Mrs. Love, Ashlea's teacher.

These next two pictures are of Ashlea with her teacher, Mrs. Love and the para in her room, Mrs. Norris. Isn't Mrs. Love a great name for a kindergarten teacher? I will miss Ashlea being her in her class since she was an awesome teacher!


It was a great day for us proud parents!