Geocaching

Our friends Kelsey and Eli and Eerwin (the dog) took us geocaching this past weekend. This was something we have never done before and never heard of for that matter. Here's how it works. There's a national website where you log on and get coordinates for geocaching sites in your area. You enter the coordinates into your hand held GPS and it tells you what direction to go and your distance away from the site. When you get to the spot (it could be out at the beach in dunes, under a random stores boardwalk) you start looking for a box of somekind. It's kind of like looking for buried treasure. Inside the package there's a list of other geocachers who have found it and the date they were there (you add your name) and all kinds of little trinkets that other people have added to the package. You can add something too. So anyways, Hallie LOVED looking for treasure and getting to see what was inside the packages when we would find them. We all had a lot of fun and are really excited to do it again sometime.

Christmas vacation pics

Rebecca, the supermodel mommie

This is how Hallie feeds her horsie she got from Santa. I wonder where she got that idea from?

Hallie reading the book her cousin Owen made for her. She loves it!

Sleepy kids on Christmas morning with their aunt Elizabeth

Candy cane cousins

Hallie and Elizabeth (these two were inseperable the whole vacation)

Chase and Matt all bundled up for a VERY cold gondola ride.

Our little fam, riding the gondola

Mary in a boat on a very cold night.

My parents and Chase at the Rainforest Cafe

Daniel and Alicia at Rainforest

Hallie, Me, and our monkey friend at Rainforest.

This is what it looks like when you keep a two year old up until midnight on New Years Eve.

Still angry on New Years Eve

sooo I forgot my camera with all my pictures on it at Sharon's house last night (new years eve party) so I won't be able to put Christmas pics up until I retreive it. However, here are a few pics of Chase that Alicia took while we were in Cali. Love him.

Betcha thought I wasn't coming back....

but here we are! We got back from CA yesterday. We had a really fun vacation, and after 24 hours of traveling to get back home (driving from CA to Vegas, flying to Atlanta, Driving to FL) we are so glad to be back. It was good times with my family, swimming in Mimi's pool, Hallie playing with Owen, getting to hold my sisters babies (and hand mine off to them), going on a Gondola ride (thank you steve), shopping shopping shopping, down town disney, rainforest cafe, yummy foods. It was great. We got to spend a little time with my brother David's girlfriend (who we love) and just enjoy having our whole family together. No major battles broke out (the key word there is major) and we have been through one solid week of sleep deprivation. I have a bunch of pictures to post, but we forgot our camera at the New Years Eve party we went to last night...so I'll put them up tonight. Well, Matt is unpacking all by himself and I think is secretly getting irritated at me for blogging. So I'll write more later with pictures. Peace out.

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.