26AUG08

Okay all my military friends (or anyone really!) I was sent this sight and HAD to share b/c I just think there are some stinking cute things!!! http://www.cafepress.com/silentranksshop Check it out and let me know if you order anything just for fun! :) I ordered me a sweatshirt and both girls t-shirts. I'll probably order more b/c I'm just a cheese like that! :)

24AUG08

***I have been trying to upload the last few pics but the website is being very uncooperative so I will have to edit this post with more pics later!***

I have been so crazy!!! I have been wanting to update my pictures for a while now and I feel like I am so far behind I don't even know where to start. So I'm just going to put in a few pictures from last month and start fresh! We had such a great time in Arizona with friends and family. Alexis really LOVED playing with all her cousins and I love watching her play b/c I just love all my family.

Travis has been here about a week and a half now and we've pretty much just hung out although we've also gone to the zoo and the park and just enjoyed each others company. We also purchased a 2008 Dodge Caravan. Yep that's right Travis and Monica are proud owners of *gulp* a mini-van!!! We won't actaully have it till we get back stateside but we're excited to have a new car with so much more room even if it is a mini-van!

Alexis is getting so big I can't even believe she is 3!! She is loving every minute of daddy time! She is such a daddy's girl when he's around it's unbelievable. She is so smart and SO independent. I am so proud of her independance b/c it is really important to me. We've taken a little break from school this last couple months (Umm I'm going to call it summer vacation!) but we will be picking back up with it as soon as Travis leaves. She always has SOMETHING to say and loves to ask Why? all the time. We try to answer her as much as possible but usually it has to end with I don't know or else it will go on forever!!!

Ryan is officially a chunky monkey! YAY I was so worried about her for a while there. She was 15 pounds and 25 inches as of 3 weeks ago. She is sitting up really well (which just seemed to happen over night!) She loves to talk and giggle and she loves to watch her big sister (and her big sister LOVES her!) She is such an easy baby! She sleeps up to 13 hours at night! She was going 8 p.m. to about 9 a.m. but the last few days it's been 8 till 6 and then she just eats and goes back down till 9. What a dream baby huh! :) We started her on rice cereal on the 14th and then on the 20th she had sweet potates which she wasn't sure of at first but by the end of it she was eating like a pro!

I will try to do better about posting once our life gets a little back to normal! I love reading every one else's blogs and appreciate how up to date every keeps them so I better keep up with you all!! :)

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARTER!!!!! It's my baby brother's birthday and I can't believe he is 19!!! He leaves in October for his mission to Southern Mexico and I am so PROUD of him!! Love you brother enjoy your day!!!!

Alexis and her cousin Travi singing songs at the family reunion. She really looks up to her older cousins!

Ryan sleeping in the middle of the camp grounds! That is my easy going baby!!

Lexie hitting the pinata! She was awesome at that!

Silly girls! Alexis put her swimsuit on her head so we needed Ryan to match! :)

Ryan's first time on the swing and Grandman and Granpa McBride's! She LOVED it!!!

Lexie's birthday party! I have no idea why the kids decided to all flash peace signs but it was cute!

All of Ryan and Lexie's cousins only Alexis was pretty uncooperative!

Ryan and Papa after he blessed her!

Ryan and her adorable cousin Pyper!

13AUG08

Travis is here!!!!!!

So for those who don't know Travis ended up getting his R&R dates pushed up so he could take care of some stuff here in Germany that he needed to put in his packet for Warrant Officer (more on that later.) I ended up leaving AZ over a week early to get to Baltimore and there were NO flights out on Space A so I ended up paying an arm and a leg to get the girls and I home to Germany. We got in on Sunday and Travis was already in Baghdad trying to get a flight out. He finally got here this morning around 0500!!! He has a few things to take care of and then we're going to be just enjoying his R&R and some time together as a family! I know it's been a while since I've posted pics and updated and I promise to get to it soon but for now I'm going to go enjoy my husband! :)

07JUL08

Just thought I would let everyone know after almost 48 hours of traveling we MADE it to AZ!!! It was a LONG couple of days. I got up at 0400, Germany time, on the 4th to get ready for the first flight. We didn't get on that one but there was another one leaving at 2040 so we went home and hung out for a bit and then went back to Ramstein (the Air Force base we fly out of) for some 4th of July celebrating. Then we went back to the airport thinking we probably wouldn't make it so it was no big deal that we were sweaty and sticky from eating cotton candy and riding the rides. Oh and Alexis was a little sunburned. Wouldn't you know it we got on that flight!!

So, we arrive in Baltimore at 0200 Baltimore time (0800 on the 5th Germany time.) By the time I got our luggage, went through customs, made phone calls to switch our tickets, and took a taxi to the hotel it was 0500. So I showered, tried to get some sleep (the girls let me sleep all of an hour and a half!) and was back at the airport at 0930. I met up with a friend there and then caught my flight to AZ at 1430. By the time I got to Arizona it was about 0130 Germany time on the 6th!!!! It was fun to surprise my mom, the Bean's, and the McBride's though!!!

So give me a call all you AZ people and we'll try and hang out!! The girls were FABULOUS on the plane and they seem to be starting to adjust pretty well to the time difference!! See you all soon!!!

Oh and I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! :)

29JUN08

Okay time for another look at our girls around the same age!! Ryan tripoded today for the first time and I remembered I took a ton of pics of Alexis doing this. Here they are! Can you tell I love the playmat! Alexis loved it and now so does Ryan (Thanks Kerry bet you didn't remember you were the one that bought this! :) ) So Lex is on the top and Ryan is on the bottom. Makes me realize how tiny Ryan is but it's fun to see the similarities and differences. I think Ryan has a few more of my features but people still tell me all the time she looks like Trav and... she does! :) Aren't they too cute!

26JUN08

Some updated pictures of the girls!!!! I know it's been a while! :) Ryan actually hit 11 pounds so we're really happy about that!! She loves to giggle and play on her playmat! She is super easy going which has made my life SO much easier!! Lexie is LOVING school!!! We are up to the letter H and number 8 and she's learned all sorts of other things!! She has started coloring INSIDE the lines which I'm really proud of! Okay it's not perfect but for not even 3 I think it's pretty dang good! She really looks forward to it every day! We'll be taking a break while in AZ but we'll get right back into it when we get back!!!


Lexie pushing Ryan in her baby stroller (not really I swear we just took the pic!)
Pretty girl! I just loved it in black and white! She looks so sweet and innocent! :)
Cool girl Ryan!
Sweet sisters!
Pretty baby!!

26JUN08

So we were at the park today and Lexie decided to play with the bees (no joke she was playing with them!) I told her to get away but too late she totally got stung!!! Poor thing!! It got her right above her lip so her lip is totally swollen!! She was so brave though! She barely cried at all!! We iced it and got her some tylenol and she went to bed early but poor thing!!!