Gloria's First Steps

Gloria took her first steps today (about 3) all by herself. I didn't get a picture of it because I couldn't get her to do that many steps again without her falling on her tush before I could snap it. She allows us to walk with her one-handed now and she loves scooting around with her walker. It's so cute.

JB didn't walk until he was 14 months, so we'll see if she does it before then (she will be 14 months on Oct 18)...not that there's any competition...

Never mind Gloria walking, we saw a porcupine!:)

Porcupine adventure

The North American porcupine being a nocturnal animal (very large rodent), its rest was apparently disturbed today. JB and I got a little lesson on porcupines since one came onto our patio, tried to get into our charcoal bag, then went up the stairs on the side of our apartment. I knew I didn't want Zephyr out there with it anywhere near, but I talked to the trimmer guy here (who had been the one to scare it from its sleeping spot to seek refuge on the stair landing) and he said they are pretty docile unless provoked. So I bravely went up the steps to take a picture of it. JB really wanted to go up the steps to see it too, but I only let him see it from the common area in front of our apartment. He said he was scared of the porcupine, but he was also very interested in it (as was Zephyr).

After the porcupine had been captured by animal control, I looked up porcupine pictures and descriptions online because JB still had it on his mind and I thought it would be a good learning opportunity. I thought it was very interesting that their babies nurse to 4 or 5 months and usually live to 5 or 6 years old in the wild. I hope this is how homeschooling will be with the kids because that was fun. Now I'm going to have JB write a short essay on the North American Porcupine.

Showalter in Kansas

As Max and I were driving through the Derby, KS streets one evening looking for houses for sale we found a street called "Showalter." Since that is my maiden name, I thought that was very cool. Here's to you Mom and Dad!

Sister Splash

The brothers decided to gang up on their sisters in the bathtub...nothing new in the land of older brothers and younger sisters, like there was at the Fish's home for a few days in Derby, KS.

At least it was good, clean fun...

We found a pile of sand!

According to JB, this was the largest sand castle he had ever seen (or climbed). According to builders in Kansas, it is sand that will be mixed with other stuff to make cement for the driveway of a new construction home. Max and I took JB with us on Thursday to hunt for homes while Gloria stayed with our new friends, the Fish family, who live in Derby, KS right outside of Wichita.

We stayed with the Fishes in Derby for 2.5 days to look at the area and see some homes. We weren't expecting to make an offer on a house while there, but we were prepared to just in case we came across the perfect house for us. We saw about 30 homes both new construction and older, but more importantly we made some new friends, fellow brother and sister in Christ, who also have two young children.

We were able to stay with the Fishes, who had only known of us through a mutual friend AND they took care of our children for us for much of the time, which allowed Max and I to see houses without dragging the kids in and out of the car over and over. It freed us up incredibly and I am very thankful for our believing friends and Air Force buddies.

There were two houses, both in the town of Derby, that stuck out from this trip. We will have to see what happens with these houses, praying about them and our move, and probably making another trip out there before we move to finally decide. We are very excited to move to Wichita after visiting, especially since we already have some good friends there.

Small Town Coffee Shop and more...

This morning after going to the post office here in Altus, I noticed that "JB's Java" was diagonally across the street. I had been meaning to go there, for one thing because Max and I had stopped in there 2 1/2 years ago when I was pregnant with JB, and for another thing, it had JB's name on it. When Max and I went to this coffee shop last time we came through Altus, it was just starting up and it was going to have a small candy store and used book store attatched to it. It already had some used books in it at that time, which was the only way I could convince Max to come into a "fru fru" coffee shop with me.

I drove across the street and parked, took the kids out and put Gloria in the umbroller. As we were walking into the store I told JB that the sign said "JB's Java." He looked a little confused, but advanced inside eager to see what awaited him. The lady behind the coffee counter, Ms Jean, a sweet grandmother type, greeted us and I recognized her from the time Max and I came through. She didn't recognize me of course because we were only in once, but as soon as she said hello to JB, he declared, "This is my job!" He kept saying this over and over again so I explained to Ms Jean that his name was JB and I had told him that the sign said "JB's Java" and apparently he took that to mean that this was his job (Java, job...they sound similar to a two year old's ears and to him, what the heck is "java"?...much more catching than "JB's Coffee".)

Ms. Jean thought that he and his assumption were very cute and took his picture in front of the sign. She also had me write out the little story on a card so that she could put it in her store scrap book (she's also a Creative Memories consultant). This was all after JB had had his "Cookie Monster", an ice cream shake with oreo in it, and I had my frozen frappuccino coffee drink. She also gave a little bit of the Cookie Monster drink to Gloria, with a straw to her delight. Now, according to Ms. Jean, JB can go back to his "job" (and get a sugar rush) anytime he wants and doesn't even have to work behind the counter.

Can anyone say "corruption"?

Eli was determined to do everything a good (or maybe bad?) uncle should do. He "let" him have whipped cream sprayed into his mouth straight from the can as you can see. He also taught him to say "twenty-one, card me" after someone asks him his age, which he still does with a totally straight face. People look at us strange, like "did I just hear that?"

His "Ant" Cami was also good to him, in the true sense of the word "good", bringing him gifts and loving him and Gloria. JB got to have lunch with Aunt Cami, Mommy, Gloria, and Gramma Shell near Cami's work in downtown Colorado Springs. He still occassionally asks if we are going to see "Ant Cami." We teased Cami about being called either "Aunt Ca-ami," in the British accent, or "Ant Cami" in the Southern accent (Cami being from Georgia). Cami prefers the Southern one obviously, but JB now refers to both of the names when talking about her as if she has a split personality.

Gloria's First Birthday!

Gloria's 1-year birthday at her grandparents' house in Colorado.

Chainsaw Max (Jr)

Since we bought our own piece of land in the mountains of Colorado, only about 15 minutes from Max's parents' place, we spent some time clearing it of dead brush and trees, which are a fire hazard. JB had his own chainsaw that his Gramma bought for him that actually moves and makes a chainsaw sound. He was very serious about helping his Daddy cut down trees and clear brush.

Colorado Flashback

It's been about a month since the kids and I left Colorado to be with Max, but I wanted to share some photos with friends and family of our time there. We were in Colorado for a month (Max was there two weeks for vacation) between our moves from the Pentagon (and our home in Virginia) to Oklahoma (a training time for Max, about 4 months), and finally to Kansas, where we will be in December, for about three years.
We sold our townhouse in Virginia and made a good profit on it, thanks to God and His guidance and provision. We had it on the market for two months, which was a long time for that area in a hot housing market. It was tough keeping the house in showing condition with two young ones running around and it was especially stressful to have to leave it clean, neat and in showing condition every time we left the house.
We got through it and learned a lot from it, such as more efficient ways of keeping a house clean, that it is possible to keep it clean, even with two kids and a lot of hobbies between Max and I, especially if you "clean as you go." I wouldn't want to give up the clean house thing, but I definitely won't miss having to rush around, ignoring the kids to get the house clean before we leave the house or the "we're coming to see your house in 10 minutes" phone calls from realtors (although just the fact that they wanted to see our place was kind of exciting). Max and I also learned a bunch about selling a house, chosing realtors or not having one at all, and the timing of puting a house on the market.
Anyway, it was a great wind-down time in Colorado, especially since we sold our house the day we had completely moved out and it was empty. That made the four-day drive from Virginia to South Carolina (visiting great-grandparents, Nana and Oompa) to Colorado a little more interesting and our time in Colorado even more relaxing. It was great to see family. We got to see Max's brother and sister in law, Justin and Alison, as we passed through Kansas City, and we got to see a good amount of his other brother and sister-in-law, Eli and Cami in Colorado. The kids especially had fun with their Gramma Shell and Granddude. Gramma Shell and JB have a special bond since they have been together at different times a lot over the past 2.5 years and they both love ranch/farm animals. Gloria took a serious liking to her Granddude and he spoiled her like a good Granddude should. We had a great, relaxing time in Monument, Colorado (like we always do) with the beautiful mountains and wonderful family and we are looking forward to going back!

Trial Ride

We went on a trail ride with some friends, the Beedles, who practice riding at Max's parents place, and Kelly Beedle took this picture. Both Gloria and JB enjoyed being on the horse with their Daddy. It had been a few years since I had been on a horse at all, but I did ride a bit, with Max and I taking turns. I had a hard time getting the horse to walk in the water because it seemed to prefer to stay on the land and because he knew I was an inexperienced rider.

Do I have to be potty trained to be a cowboy?

JB at the Altus Rodeo sporting chaps, cowboy boots, and his new hat. He left his stick horse at home. Now he can be a lot like his dad, both a cowboy and a hunter with his own earphones and rifle. Dad is showing him some gun safety and etiquette through his toy gun before he uses a real one, but he has to be potty trained first. JB often asks if he can see Daddy's plane, which may also be a while in the future. He loves seeing the big planes flying in the skies around here, KC-135s, C-17s, and C-5s.

Woes of potty training

JB is going to be three in December and is in the process of potty training. He's doing well with number 1, but not going anywhere with number 2. I am just waiting for him to be ready in that area. He either does not have the control or he's just not psychologicaly ready. He's been doing very well at keeping his big boy underwear and pull-ups dry...until right before bed last night when he ran away from me laughing and plopped onto our bed. He had a shocked expression on his face when he looked up at me and said "I have to pee." It was too late, he had already peed on the quilt I had made last time we were in Altus and was pregnant with him. I rushed him to our bathroom and he finished up in the potty. After washing the quilt and sheets in our apartment complex laundry room, about two blocks away, Max brought it back to dry here. Since we were working on creating this blog for me last night until about 11:00pm, I didn't realize that the wet quilt had not really been cleaned (probably due to overstuffing the machine) and there was a huge yellow pee stain on it, still. I started soaking it in Oxi clean here in the apartment and let it soak in a little bit over night. Now it is back in the washer and I'm waiting to see if it is going to come out clean. Max asked last night before we crashed into bed what I was going to do to prevent that from happening again. I told him in my frustration that if JB pees on a quilt again we are going to send him back because he leaks. Of course, I was kidding, and JB will not be allowed on our bed in only underwear until he is fully potty trained, which at this point seems years away. Potty training is all about patience...and so is parenting, come to think of it.

Time to get my hands dirty with this whole internet thing...

Tamsey's very first blog post

I'm going to use this mainly as a journal and for posting pictures for family and friends to see. If I feel like writing, then I'll write. If there's a picture that I just have to show friends and family of our family, Tamsey, Max, JB (Max Jr), or Gloria, then I will post that. This will be a "central" place where friends and family can check in to see what's going on in Tamsey's world with husband, kids, dog, etc.