Holly Jolly

Just wanted to post a few pictures from the branch christmas party on friday. We had a really good time....and it's always nice to get to hand your kids off to others who enjoy having temporarily and getting to just be Matt and Sara. We like when we get them back at the end of the night too though.

Hallie's cookie she decorated.....then licked the decorations off.

Matt's reindeer antlers

Kelsey likes BIG pieces of cake.

Doner and dancer and prancer and vixen.

I love him...........

And him..........

And her.........

Re-Hashing the Issue

So some new "things" have come to light about our decision to move. Our landlord offered to drop our rent 200 dollars a month if we stay. Matt get's a raise in our housing pay of 80 dollars a month (if we move to base, we don't get that money. You don't get housing pay when you live on the base). Matt gets a raise of 80 dollars a month in his regular pay in January. So we crunched the numbers again. Here's how we came out..... we will now save 220 dollars a month to move on to the base. (two raises and a two hundred dollar cut in rent). That equals about 2000 dollars over a year (if we're here for that long). If we move out now we lose our deposit (1300 dollars). Soooooooo financially we're pretty much in the same boat if we stay or if we go. So convenience? Ugh, it's inconvenient to live here....but also inconvenient to lose a bedroom, bathroom, garage, dishwasher, and have to move all of our stuff again! Plus this is a new house we live in, which is really nice. So see the new issues......I don't even know what to do now. help!

7 days sober.....

I'm celebrating one week of sobriety. I had my last Diet Coke last Friday and commited that that was it. I was done. And guess what.....I haven't had one since! Not just diet coke, but soda all together. I'm just drinking ridiculous amounts of water. I have also started walking 4 days a week. My friend Kelsey (aka- my personal trainer) and I have been walking 3-4 miles every morning when I drop Matt off for work. It feels soooo good to be getting physically active again. I feel happier, less tired, use my time more wisely. It's amazing how taking good care of your body effects you in every aspect of your life. So here's to a new years resolution to a healthier all around life style!!

Chase's Sitting up debut

Look at how cute our big boy is!! He loved smooshing the sand between his fingers. This was originally meant to be a sibling photo shoot, but Hallie was being two and decided not to cooperate. So here's our cooperative little Chase!

Hallie-isms

So I have a few funny stories of things Hallie has said to me over the past few days....funny to hear yourself through the mouth of a two year old.
Sunday in Church:
Mommy: Can I have some of your cereal? (her treat to keep her quiet during s.m.)
Hallie: No, they are mine!
M: Please? (And I steal a few from her bag before she can reply)
H: Mommy! (pointing her finger in my face) I am soooo serious! I am soooo serious! (in her most serious, stern voice of course).

Sunday night on the phone with Nana:
Nana:How are you Hallie?
Hallie: Good. I would not sit on Santa's lap. I screamed and I was so scared.
Nana: Why were you so scared of santa?
Hallie: Because I was TERRIFIED.

Today driving home from Walmart:
Hallie had been quiet in the back seat for little while while we were driving then decided to speak up about the lengthy car trip we had dragged her on.

Hallie:Mommy?
Mommy: What Hallie?
Hallie: I need some EXERCISE!

She cracks me up all the huge words she's using lately and I realize they are all things I say. She's such a little sponge, soaking it all in.

Kids, Parties, Fun, Etc.

Typical night at our house. Hallie always seems to find a way to turn Daddy into her Horsie.

Girls night out last weeks. We went to Chiles and had the WORST service EVER. Due to my past serving experience and my big mouth, the meal was comped and we were sent home with free deserts to-go. We still had a lot of fun though.

The girls. Hanging out in the Hammock. How cute are they?

Kelsey and Chase taking their turn in the hammock.

This was at the family Christmas party for the squadron. We had so much fun. Seriously. I had as much fun as Hallie. This is Rachel, Sharon, and I racing. (I won, not to brag or anything). :)

Santa coming in to see the kids Air Force Style. They all really got a kick out of it. I'll bet an F-22 is WAY faster than his sleigh.

And as a side note: We have decided to move on to the base. We are excited about it and sad about it all rolled into one. We will miss this awesome house, but hopefully will be able to save for an awesome house in the near future that is our own.

How could I NOT put this picture up.

So I stole it off of Grant's blog, but I almost peed myself laughing when I saw it. I had to share.

Sneak Peak

We had a little photo shoot for some of our friends, and I thought I'd post some of my favorites before they get to see them.....yay.

Our little issue

We have been faced with a decision to make....and we really don't know what to do. Because of issues some of the F-15 jets are having (which are the planes Matt controls, and learns how to control) everyone's date to leave here has been pushed back. By alot. So here's the issue. We love the house we're renting. It's big, pleanty of room for company, we live in a cute little beach town, and we're down the street from the church. The negatives to where we live: 1.We're 20 minutes away from the base and make that drive multiple times a day because we share 1 car and the grocery store is on base and most of my friends are on base. 2. The electric bills for this house during the summer is like 300 dollars. WAY more than we had anticipated. 3. I'm having to drive to panama city three days a week for light treatments for psoriasis, which is past the base and another half hour drive after that. If we live ON the base: 1. The housing is like 50 years old. 2. Matt lives where he works. 3. I have heard bad things about leaky roofs and what not. 4. It means moving our kids again. 5. There is no dishwashers (that is almost a deal breaker right there) The positives: 1. No utilities. (that means we can run the AC this summer as cold as we want and it won't cost us anything) 2. Matt has like a two minute drive to work. 3. Matt could come home for lunch everyday. 4. I would be WAY closer to the dermatologist. 5. I have a lot of friends who live on the base with lots of kids for Hallie to play with. 6. Between gas and utilities we would be saving around 500 dollars a month, maybe a little more than that. 7. You can't get a safer community than living on a military base...gated and everything. 8. We would still have plenty of bedrooms. They all have three bedrooms. Some have one bath, some have two. 9. They are pretty well kept us (as far as looks go) for how old they are. The big negative....WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE AGAIN! If we had some kind of a definent date we would be leaving here it wouldn't be such a big issue to just stay where we are. But it keeps on getting extended and it is making it impossible for us to save anything. And if we want to buy a house when we get to oklahoma, we really need to be saving right now. What do we DO!?!?

A few weekend pics

Gotta love Chase's Yoda ears.

Matt's Dad, his sister Katie, Chase and Matt

Steve and Jan

The Boys

Chase and Grandpa

Trap Shooting.....with my gun I got at Christmas. So fun.

My loves

Givin a little Thanks....

Things for which I am Thankful (in no particular order):
1. A good, honorable, hard working husband.
2. Two healthy, increadibly beautiful, happy (usually) children.
3. Matt's family being in town for Thanksgiving.
4. The gospel.
5. Diet Coke.
6. My sisters.....and brothers I guess. :)
7. My parents.
8. Mimi.
9. All of my friends, I have been really blessed in my life to have A LOT of really close friends.
10. Clorox Wipes.
11. Lean Pockets.
12. Winter in Florida...if you could call it winter.
13. Hooded sweatshirts.
14. Sweat Pants.
15. Pony Tails.
16. Baby wipes (could you imagine changing stinky diapers without them?)
17. Grandma Pat's hot chocolate.
18. Disney movies.
19. Tivo
20. Cell Phones (where would we be without them?)
21. My house...and everything in it.
22. The scriptures.
23. The perfect pair of jeans (I know they're out there, I just haven't found them yet).
24. Dates. (someday I'll get to go on one again)
25. Naps (for myself and my kids).
26. Candles (aren't they the coziest?)

I could go on and on. What are you thankful for?

zoo

So we went to the Zoo today and had such a good time. Our favorite thing there? That would be the giraffe in the petting zoo! They had a ramp buit up to it and everything so you could be right up by its head. We had a really good time.

Ok, I'll play again.

Stacey Tagged me, and since I love to devuldge information about myself....here we go. :)

The Rules: Each player lists 6 facts/habits/secrets about themselves. At the end of the post the player tags six people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Have fun!

1. I only will drink bottled water. And sometimes filtered water out of a refrigerator door. Once the bottle of water has been out of the fridge for more than an hour or so....it's contaminated and goes in the garbage. Drives Matt crazy.

2. I don't like to flush the toilet. I hate the flushing sound. I do it anyways....usually. :)

3. I still think my husband is really hot. Pretty sure I always will.

4. I don't like to have the windows in the car unrolled....ever. I prefer AC.

5. I'm crazy when there are crumbs on the kitchen counters. I go through a container of clorox wipes like every weeks wiping down my stupid counters.

6. I think I've become shy. I have a hard time meeting new people the older I get. I don't know why. But when I do force myself to make friends, I'm always glad I did.

I'm not going to tag anyone in a attempt to end this vicious cycle of tagging. :) Sorry Stacey!! I still love you!

As promised.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.....

Baby Alex, Baby Chase, and baby ? (amy should find out what she's having next month)

Cousins at the pumpkin patch

A nice little perch

I gush over him

Hallie decided she would ride the pony after all.

Patrick and Hallie sharing a swing at the park

This is what it looks like for toddlers to wait in line for Dumbo at Disneyland

Thinkin on the Carousel. I love love love this picture.

Rewards for doing something good. I don't remember what.

The end of the day disneyland meltdown. People glared at me for taking a picture of this moment.

That would be Slash (aka David) and my little mokey Chase trick or treating.

Hallie and Ada were so happy to see eachother again

Hallie eating her pudding at rainforest cafe

THis was today here in Florida. We went with some friends to a park by the water.

Does this picture make anyone else a little nervous?