Grammie and Grampie

This week Grammie and Grampie came to visit. We had a great time doing lots fun things and making some great memories. Two of the highlights of our visit were the firehouse pancake breakfast and picking pumpkins at Underwood Family Farm.

At the firehouse the boys had so much fun climbing all over the trucks...and the food was pretty good too!

Underwood Family Farm was a great place to take the kids. We had a blast playing in the hay, petting animals, seeing all sorts of pumpkins and taking tractor rides.

We had a great time with Grammie and Grampie and we miss them already!

Recent Pics

We haven't done anything too exciting lately, but we've been keeping busy playing and hanging out with our friends. We are counting down the days until Cory comes home. He is doing well, but is ready to get back to us. This week the ship pulled into port for a few days and the guys got a much need break. They still have some work to do over there, but we are definitely on the better end of this deployment.

Fun in the Kitchen

Micah has a blast opening all of my kitchen drawers and pulling everything out. Last week he discovered the drawer with aprons in it. He and Sam had a great time running around with them...I even joined in the fun.

Then, a few days ago we made some banana bread...or as Sam likes to call it "banana cake"...when it was done I asked Sam if he would like some. He looked at it and declared, "Mommy, that's the most beautiful cake I've ever seen!". It was the sweetest thing and I am continually amazed at how well he is able to communicate now!

I don't really see banana bread as being beautiful...but it was pretty tasty.

Pudding Painting

I purchased a new book all about how to keep toddlers busy...it is full of activity suggestions to get their imaginations going to help them learn all sorts of things. This week I decided to try one of their ideas...finger painting with pudding. I COMPLETELY underestimated the mess that I would be left with...the kids had a blast, so I can't really complain but next time we're doing it OUTSIDE!

The clean up was fun too!

Park Day

Today we spent the morning playing at a park in Camarillo...all of the kids had a great time running around and the moms had fun taking pictures! Here are a few...

This is our new friend, Matthew...

I tried to stop him, but Micah was having a great time pouring sand all over himself!

Gifts From Daddy

We got a package today from Cory. It was such a great surprise, and Sam was thrilled when the mailman actually came to our door to deliver it! The boys got shirts from Hong Kong and Guam and new jammies from both Hong Kong and Malaysia. Cory is also able to video himself reading the boys books, so we got a bunch of dvds and books. It's really special to be able to have Daddy read them a bedtime story.

They wore their Hong Kong jammies to bed tonight and just looked so cute...

I'm not sure what was up with Sam's face in this one...he was being very silly.

They were getting ready to watch Daddy...

Annibirthary

Okay, so I have been getting a TON a grief lately for not updating this thing in a while...

Last Monday was my 29th birthday AND our 7th year anniversary. Yes, I did get married on my birthday! I have a reason though...some of you already know it, but for those that don't let me explain. Everything seems to happen on September 8th. Many many years ago my great-grandparents, Nana and Pa Smith, were married on that day. Sixty-five years ago, my grandparents (my dad's parents) were married on that day. Sixty-three years ago, my mom's parents were married on that day, and thirty-five years ago my aunt and uncle were married on that day. Add to it that I was born on that day and that my best friend from college was born on that day, and you just know that there is something magical about it. When September 8th just happened to fall on a Saturday the year Cory and I were engaged, it was meant to be!

This was the first year that Cory wasn't here to celebrate with me, but my awesome friends stepped in to make sure I had a great day.

I'm still waiting to get some of the better group shots, and I will add those when SOMEBODY sends them to me...but for now this is what you get.