Moment of the Week

 Playing ALL WEEK with this fun new toys friends.  

Nate's taking me to dinner( but I have to pay)

We were young and I think its fair to say that 'we were married in a fever'  But we have had a great first 10 years.  And I can't wait to see how the next ten unfold....

Today is the last day of this deployment that I have been dreading.  Wishing Dave was here today is a huge understatement. Just one more month!

Sandbox Salutations wk 23

Merry Christmas

Just some Christmas cheer and fun from work!

Mom sent some lights and a tree and some stockings, I could think of no better place to put them  than inside my truck.  Afterall, this is where I spent all Christmas Eve.  The stockings say: Dave, Juan (the other shifts Driver, also my roomate), and CC's for all the Crew Chiefs.

Somebody left some milk and cookies on the fire extinguisher...Possibly the next best place since we dont have a chimney.

A Santa Sighting... He later launched out an aircraft.

I also got to spend Christmas morning with Teresa and Nate.  Here is the thing he has been asking Santa for for the longest time.  He just loves Cars!  really, who doesn't?

And here is the next best thing to Cars, anything with Toy Story.  He got everything a little boy could want.  It's kinda funny, if you look at Teresa's post you can see her same pic from her angle.  It's like a family photo in a way.

Thank you all for the gifts and cards that were sent our way here in the desert and back in South Dakota.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas

We hope your Christmas morning was merry and jolly!  Ours was!  Dave woke up to skype with us.  I had a hard time getting photos of him opening things because he so quickly would run to show Dave.  I should have had the camera in action mode!!

Santa brought Nathan a Woody!!  And a Bullseye!!

AND the CARS 2 movie!!  If you have spoken to Nate in the past three months you know that is what he REALLY REALLY wanted!

Nate had a very merry morning.  

loads of loot... Cars undies from Anna, a John Deere tractor and horses from G & G Brinker, a pillow blanket from G & G Staten, a Toy Story hide and seek tent from cousin Drew, Hungry Hungry Hippos from us, a car from his Godparents, a construction kit from Great Aunt Margret and Great Uncle Doug, and a couple books and lacing puzzles from Aunt Jackie and Uncle Cody!!

his own super hero cape from the Maddisons

Lots of ripping and tearing

And thankfully LOTS of smiles and laughter!  I'm so happy that this Christmas was still happy even though Dave isn't here

Lots of fun new things to keep us busy for the next month!!

Luckier

 I know this deployment is a huge bummer.  I hate it actually.  But I know we are lucky as heck to be apart in the year 2011.  Because tonight Nate got to skype with his dad while we put cookies out for Santa and an apple out for the reindeer.  Dave said prayers with him, and watched me pull boogies out of Nate's nose.  

And tomorrow, hopefully we can skype again when Nate wakes up and opens gifts.  

While I often complain about my deployment burdens, I know there are still guys deployed that don't have internet everyday, and cant be as connected as we are.  There are a lot of moms and dads that didn't get to tuck their kids in via skype and I hope everyone remembers them!!

P.S.  Notice Nate hung a measuring cup on the tree a couple days ago... I'm just gonna let it go.  He's a good kid.   

What a difference six months makes

Nate and I went to Storybook Island tonight after supper.  Six months ago it looked like this.  Nate and I both loved it.  He rode the train again.  We got hot chocolate.  

Merry Christmas Eve eve

Moment of the Week