2013 Recap

Can't believe this year is over!! Heck, this decade is almost half way over and it only just began a few years ago. Time really is flying! :) This past year was another good one for the books. It was filled with lots of highs and some lows but we made a lot of memories and embarked on some great adventures! Again, we were blessed beyond measure this year and couldn't ask for more in the upcoming year. All in all, I'd say it was a win and I truly look forward to all that is in store for us in 2014!! :) So without further a due, here are a few highlights of 2013...

• Peighton turned 6, Henry turned 3 and Scott turned 2. We no longer have any "babies" in the house. It's been a different stage of life and I kind of like it. Our days seem much easier and although the kiddos can be a handful at time, this really is a fun age group!

• We adopted another dog. Gizmo is a chocolate lab with a huge heart and a lot of energy. The kids love her and she puts up with Scott so I foresee her staying in our family for awhile :)

• We put our house up for sale and watched it sit for several months with any bites. It tested my patience but in the end it all worked out and we have fantastic tenants occupying the home. 

• We left Fort Campbell and our Rakkasan family. It was tough and I had lots of mixed emotions. That was our home for four years. We survived our first deployment there as well as both boys were born there. We grew as a family and I grew as a person. I will always have fond memories of that duty station and the wonderful, amazing people we met there. We were truly blessed by our time there!

• We purchased a pop up camper and made the well over week journey out here to Fort Huachuca, Arizona. It was not an easy journey but we not only survived it but thrived :) We had a lot of fun along the way and saw so many parts of the country. It was an awesome adventure that I am so glad we got to experience. 

• We moved to the desert and made a home and a life here. A few months in, we received orders to stay here for 2+ more years. We had mixed feelings about this but so fortunate that we had settled here and made this place our home. God has a plan for us here and I can't wait to see it unfold in this next year. 

• And to close out the year, we traveled to beautiful San Diego, California for a few days. We had a great vacation and loved getting to see such a pretty city. We even saw the Pacific Ocean :) So blessed and fortunate that the army provides these types of experiences for our family to partake in. We are truly blessed by all the places we have been able to travel!

What a great year! So glad to be ringing in the new year with a family of five! May love, laughter and happiness abound in the next year! Happy New Year's indeed :)

Christmas 2013

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

- Luke 2:11

We had a nice, quiet Christmas this year! It was a bit different not having any family with us but were blessed to be able to talk and Face Time with them. Santa Claus was very good to the kiddos and they loved opening and checking out their new toys. I cooked a delicious cinnamon roll casserole for breakfast. We had our Christmas dinner the night before on Christmas Eve so I just made a few snacks/appetizers to add to the mix of leftovers and we enjoyed munching on those for lunch and dinner. The weather was gorgeous outside so the kids had plenty of outdoor time breaking in their new toys! I packed us all up for our impending trip to San Diego. Most of the day was spent just hanging out and taking it easy. I don't even think we changed out of our PJ's till after nap time :) All in all, it was a joyous holiday and we are once again blessed as a family. 

Francis Scott turned 2!

Can't believe two years has gone by this fast!?! Yesterday, two years ago Scott was born. He came four days past his due date and we almost didn't have a Christmas baby. But oh was he worth the wait!! Scott has turned into quite the little scooter! He is adventurous, polite, loving, funny and his smile is contagious :) I love him oh so much! And I am so thankful God chose me to be his mommy. He keeps me on my toes and I love it!

Yesterday we unfortunately didn't do much celebrating. Our house has been hit with the stomach bug :( Scott started it first on Friday afternoon and yesterday it was my turn. Brandon was a saint and took all 3 kids to get their haircut and to lunch so I can rest up some. We let Scott open up his birthday presents yesterday afternoon after his nap. He enjoyed that. P and Brandon got the stomach bug last night so hopefully we are all on the mend and will be feeling back to normal by Christmas.

Here are some stats on how Scott is growing...

Weight and Height: unknown (we go for his 2 YO check up next month)

Diaper Size: 5

Pants Size: 18 months still. He can wear some 24 months but typically they are too big and long.

Shirt Size: 2T or 24 months

Shoe Size: 7

PJ's Size: 2T

Sleeping Habits:  He sleeps about 11 hours at night and still takes 2 hour nap after lunch.

Words: He is learning new words all the time and is starting to put two words together.

Activities: He loves to play outside still. It's probably his favorite activity. He also loves to
read books and do puzzles. He also is starting to like coloring and doing sticker art.

Foods: Overall he is still the best eater. He has his days but for the most part he will eat just about anything I give him.

Christmas Quiz

Woohoo for only one week till Christmas!!! :) I found this cute quiz on a blog that I follow and thought it was too fun not to do!

1. How do you wrap your gifts?
I like for my wrapping paper to match and I also like to have a kid friendly wrapping paper design as well. This year we have a mix of brown butcher paper and vintage Mickey. I used washi tape and stamps to decorate those presents wrapped in butcher paper and just fun labels for the others.
*On a side note, I am just about finished with all my wrapping. I have a few big items left that are in our storage unit that will have to wait till Christmas Eve.

2. How do you eat a candy cane?
I'm not a huge fan of them. Typically any that we have in the house are on the tree and the kids get one as a treat every couple of days are so. But if I do have one, I usually eat it bottom first or break it up.

3. How many trees do you put up?
We have 3 up this year. Our big one in the living room, a smaller one in P's bedroom, and another big one outside.

4. If you could only listen to one Christmas song per year, what would it be?
I am loving the WOW Christmas CD from this year. The boys and I jam to it almost everyday in the car. I love The Christmas Song and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. But I am also a fan of The Christmas Bells and Do You Hear What I Hear.

5. Who is the hardest to buy for?
I'd say the hubs is pretty hard to buy for. It takes some serious brainstorming to come up with something that wows and surprises him. P is also getting trickier to buy for as well.

6. What's your favorite Christmas movie?
We have lots in this house. I love Christmas Vacation and Deck the Halls. And for a non traditional choice I love The Family Stone.

7. What's your favorite tradition?
We as a family try to have a few traditions each year that we participate in, but overall I love listening to Christmas music in the car and driving around through the neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights. All three kids love it and seeing their reactions and excitement when we find a greatly decorated house is priceless.

8. What time of ornament do you prefer?
Our tree has a hodge podge from matching themed ornaments to family ornaments over the years to ornaments we've been given as gifts to our Disney ornaments. Its fun to see the whole mix of them on the tree.

9. What do you eat for Christmas dinner?
Typically we eat ham with lots of sides. We try to change it up a little from our Thanksgiving menu but usually its the more traditional dinner.

10. If you could invite one person to your Christmas, who would it be?
This year I'd say our family :) Being 2000+ miles from them all will be tough this year. Thankful for modern technology like Face Time!

11. What do you do with the Christmas cards you receive?
I tape them to the inside of our front door. It is something my mom always did growing up and so that tradition just sort of stuck with me.

Countdown to Christmas Continues

Well folks we are now under 15 days until Christmas... SO exciting!! I love all the wonder that comes with this time of year. And it is finally feeling like winter time around here. Of course, it will probably be in the high 60's the week of Christmas, ha! But on the bright side, at least then the kids can enjoy all their outdoor toys that Santa will be bringing them :)

Today I am sharing some our families traditions when it comes to Christmas. Being in the military, every year seems to throw a different wrench in our plans for Christmas. Some years we have spent it in our own home and some years we have spent it at my parents house in SC. Some years Brandon has been there for all the festivities, some years he has flown in just for a few weeks from wherever he was training, and one year we didn't have him at all. But nonetheless we try to adopt some traditions to call our own and try to keep up with them.

One of my favorite traditions is that we do not put any of the presents out until Christmas morning. I feel it helps keep the spirit of Santa Claus alive. I am so happy that all the kiddos believe even P. I know there isn't too many years left that she will continue to believe. There is just something special about no presents under the tree and then suddenly on Christmas morning everything is out. So much fun!!! It never fails in our house with three kiddos that it always looks like Christmas exploded under the tree :) I love it though... I love seeing their faces when they walk into the living room and see Santa has come!

I love giving gifts. It is one of my love languages. I love how a gift can make a person feel. I love seeing the kids' faces when they open up a gift and its what they have been asking for. Brandon and I had so much fun on a date night back in October picking out the kids' Christmas presents. We spent hours there and it was a blast. I love buying the kids stuff and Christmastime is no exception. I enjoy picking out Brandon's presents too! Some years we haven't done presents for each other so I always try to come up with something great the years we do. I like to up the surprise factor and give gifts he wouldn't think of for himself. I even like picking out the wrapping paper each year and sitting down and wrapping all the presents. It's just fun to me :)

We love decorating for Christmas. Brandon's domain is outside and he always goes above & beyond each year. He is like a kid :) That is the fun part of being in the military, every couple of years we have a new house to decorate. All of us love seeing Christmas lights and other houses decorated. We drive around other neighborhoods with Christmas music playing in the car and look at all the decorated houses. The kids love seeing all the different lights and decorations. Its so much fun!

Everyone in our family likes to read and we have a whole collection of Christmas books that I will get out and we will read a few each night. We have the classics but have added some fun ones to the mix like A Soldier's Night Before Christmas, Mickey Saves Santa and Elmo's 12 Days of Christmas. I also enjoy reading The Christmas Story and The Animals' Christmas Eve. It's important for us all to remember that Christmas is also about the birth of Jesus. We also love watching all the Christmas shows and movies. We look forward to ABC's Family Countdown to Christmas. They show all the favorites over and over again :) We love watching the Christmas classics and of course Charlie Brown.

One of favorite new traditions that we have just started in the past few years is Santa's elves leave all of us new PJ's under the tree on Christmas Eve. We usually go driving around the neighborhood and look at lights and then when we come back the elves have visited and left the PJ's behind. It's so fun and it keeps the spirit alive. It also reminds the kiddos that Santa will be coming soon too!

Love celebrating the Christmas season and partaking in so many fun, joyous celebrations!!!

Meun Plan Monday

Monday: Sonoran Hot Dogs

Tuesday: Spaghetti with salad

Wednesday: Eat out/Fast Food

Thursday: Dirty Rice with Sausage & Lima Beans

Friday: Italian Chicken Bake

Saturday: Eat out

Sunday: Breakfast

On the agenda this week:

PWOC/Bible Study

Preschool

Library Visit

Speech Therapy

Tree Lighting at Post Chapel

Sierra Vista Town Christmas Parade

Happy 1st Week of December!! 

Countdown to Christmas

Hello December!!! Thanksgiving has come and gone. The tree is up and the outside is decked out in lights and decorations galore. I love this time of year! It's just filled with so much joy, wonder and happiness. I am looking forward to all that this month holds! We have so many fun activities coming up that are sure to keep us in the Christmas spirit :) And with only 24 days till Christmas, the days are already flying by!

I feel blessed to have Brandon home with us again this year. This will be the third Christmas in a row that he is home to celebrate with us. And in the ARMY, that is just unheard of. My heart goes to all the families that will be missing their loved one this year. Its incredibly hard any other time of the year, but during the holiday season it is down right rough. I am sad that although we will have our little family complete this holiday season we will be spending it without our extended family. We will miss our South Carolina family and dear friends terribly. Thank goodness for Face Time so Mimi & Papa can "watch" the kiddos open their presents :)

I also can't believe that in just a few short weeks by baby boy will be turning 2!! How did this happen?!?! How did two years fly by this fast already?!?! Cannot wait to celebrate the big day and my sweet little Francis Scott :)

Our big family present this year is to take the kids to San Diego! I am so excited for our family to spend a week there. We have lots planned while we are there including a trip to the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Balboa Park and of course checking out lots of yummy restaurants and fun, unique shops! It will be a nice break from the desert :) And the best part is that the kids do not know. Its a total surprise. I think we are going to break the news to them on Christmas Eve. So fun!!

I hope to continue a few more of these posts as we continue to countdown to Christmas and share some of my favorite things about this season. I'd like to share our traditions as well. As Henry likes to say, "Is is Christmas time yet?"

Enjoy the season!!!

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

1. "Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings." William Arthur Ward.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!!

Everyone is up in this house ready to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade :)

Brandon and I are getting ready to prep the turkey.

Life is good!

We miss our family and friends but thankful we have our family of 5 complete today.

The Lord has blessed us and we have much to be thankful for!

Ready for some football, family and lots & lots of yummy food :)

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Psalm 100:4

Turkey Day Menu

I love the Thanksgiving holiday! I love that it is all about being thankful, being together as a family, and the delicious food. Oh how I love all the food!! I love to cook up a huge meal even when its just our little family. I like having lots of leftovers to eat for days. And I love that the hubs gets in the kitchen and helps me. We typically start in the morning with the plan to eat our meal mid afternoon/supper time. I can just smell all the yumminess now :)

Appetizers:

Since we are eating a latter meal I am going to prep ahead some appetizers the night before so we have lots of snacks to munch on while we await for our meal.

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

Little BBQ Smoakies

Deviled Eggs

Homemade Dip

Main Course:

This years our menu is a little different. Nothing changes up things more than your husband recently being diagnosed with Celiac's Disease. And since he is my main meal eater this Thanksgiving our menu is completely Gluten Free. It was not an easy task to find GF recipes so I had to substitute a lot of our usual favorite casseroles for some new healthier sides. 

Oven Roasted Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

Stuffing

Sweet Potato Casserole

Crock Pot Carrots

Green Beans

Cornbread Corn Casserole

Pumpkin, Caramel & Pecan Cheesecake

Thankful.

"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 5:20

November has always been a month about being thankful, but truly we should be thankful every month and every day for the big and little things in our lives. God has truly blessed me with more than I could have ever thought possible. I am grateful for so much...

I am thankful for a God who is gracious and that my hope rests in Him. 

I am thankful that because of Him I can live to a standard of GRACE and not perfection.

I am thankful for my parents. They truly are the best I could have ever asked for. 

I am thankful that those said parents turned into the best Mimi and Papa for my kiddos. 

I am thankful for a brother that loves me and will always be there for me.

I am thankful for my husband. God knew what He was doing 12 years ago when we were first introduced. 

I am thankful to be a Mom. I am truly blessed to have 3 precious kids to call my own. 

I am thankful for P because she made me a mom first and taught me what it means to love someone so much.

I am thankful for Henry because he is the perfect mama's boy. 

I am thankful for Scott because he completes our family and showed me that my heart could have so much love. 

I am thankful for the Army. It provides so much for our family beyond just a job for my husband.

I am thankful to be a stay at home mom. It has its moments but I couldn't imagine spending my days any other way. 

I am thankful for friends near and far. They make the days and the memories so much sweeter. 

I am thankful for PWOC. It has been such a blessing to me. I love diving into God's word with my sisters in Christ. I love the sweet time of fellowship. I look forward to it every week. 

I am thankful for MOPS. It is another blessing. The time spent with other mommies is just bliss. We have so much fun together whether we are learning about something or making a craft.

I am thankful for the sweet caregivers that watch the boys at both of these programs. These ladies are such a blessing. Having those few hours to enjoy something that is just for me is a treasure!

I am thankful to have a house on Post. Never thought I would say that but it has been so nice here in AZ. We love all the parks and the community feel and the minutes it takes to get anywhere. 

I am thankful for TriCare. Having great health insurance is not just a blessing but a relief. It has truly covered every penny of all our medical needs. 

I am thankful for Speech Therapy and Henry's therapist. She is patient and calm with him. And I love that she gets him and changes up the lesson to fit his mood that afternoon. 

I am thankful for the many teaches that cross my children's lives. It takes a special person to teach our young people. I am so grateful that my kids have some of the best teachers out there. 

I am thankful for the gift of education. It is a precious commodity that not all get to experience. I am grateful that my kids love to go to school and love to learn. I pray that passion stays with them all their years to come. 

I am thankful my family. I do not have a big family but there is still a whole lot of love there. I am blessed to have wonderful group of people that love me unconditionally. 

I am thankful for my "married" family. They have always made me feel like one of their own from day one. They are another group of amazing people that I feel privileged to be apart of. 

I am thankful to be a runner. I do not do it often enough and no where near being fast or going the distance. But I love that I have the ability. It is blessing each time I can get out there and focus only on my feet hitting the pavement. It has become not only a exercise for the body but for the mind.

I am thankful for books and the gift of reading. Every day I read and its a hobby I have always treasured. I am grateful that P has my gift for reading. 

I am thankful for modern technology. I am grateful for text messages, email and Face Time. It helps the thousands of miles apart from family & friends seem bearable. 

I am thankful for social media. I love that I can keep up with friends and family over Facebook. And I love that I can share and find all kinds of ideas over Pinterest. 

There really is so much more to be thankful for than just this list. I am truly blessed beyond measure! Life and everything in it really is a precious gift that should not be taken for granted :)

Veteran's Day 2013

Happy Veteran's Day!

To the brave men and women who serve our great nation, thank you will never be enough!

So thankful for all our service men and women for their selfless sacrifice!

I am honored to be the wife of a soldier and to have ARMY brats as kids. 

This morning, P and I were privileged to walk in the town's Veteran's Day Parade with the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. It was such a humble experience and I loved seeing all the people line the streets in order to support and honor our nation's finest heroes. Brandon and the boys came out to see the parade and was able to take lots of pictures for me. What a great way to start the morning :)

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!" -Maya Angelou

A Day at the Zoo

Today, we headed north to Tucson and visited the zoo. We had been just a couple of weeks ago when we participated in their Halloween festival there. But since it was at nighttime, there were no animals out. We knew we wanted to take them back when we could see the animals :) Today was the perfect day! The weather was nice and sunny and a little warm. We all had on shorts which I think it just funny considering we are only a few weeks away from celebrating Thanksgiving. Only in Arizona I say, ha!

We ended up getting a year long membership to the zoo. They give a 20% military discount so we were able to get the membership for a great deal! It only takes around an hour to get there and was well worth the drive. The kiddos loved it! All the animals were out and active. We did one of the big loops and then stopped at the cafe for lunch. Another perk having the membership is you also receive 10% off your purchase at the cafe and at the gift shop. After lunch, we finished up the trail and saw so many animals! Our favorites were the giraffes and the elephants. The giraffes were definitely the most active and friendliest. I was able to catch some great pictures of them. The zoo had a whole herd of elephants and they were very active as well :)

We loved seeing all the animals and will definitely be back soon! It made for a great family fun day :)

The Month of October in Pictures.

Henry as Frankenstein

Boo at the Zoo in Tucson

Henry's class performing their fall songs.

P as a Kitty Cat and Scott as Cat in the Hat. 

At the pumpkin patch in Marana.  

Henry with our Jack O Lantern. 

Riding the Tractor Ride at the pumpkin patch.

Henry decorating his pumpkin at preschool.

Ready for some treats at Boo at the Zoo in Tucson.

Our House decorated for Halloween!

At the pumpkin patch!

What A Fun October!

Wow, the month of October just flew by! We had so much fun! I love this time of year even if it didn't always feel like fall outside :) We soaked up the family time and made lots of memories this month.

• On Columbus day, since P was out of school and Brandon had no work, we went to a fun pumpkin patch outside of Tucson. It was well worth the drive and there was lots for the kiddos to do! We even were able to take a hayride out to the pumpkin patch and select our own pumpkins. We all got to ride the train and Brandon & the kids rode the tractor ride. We saw pig races and played on the playground. We even ate dinner there. It was lots of fun and we all had a blast!

• Brandon went all out again this year with decorating the house for Halloween! :) It looks so good. He is such a creative person and can make idea he has come together. All the neighborhoods were in competition for best decorated house. I might be biased but I feel our house is the best!! Always look forward to next year and seeing what new ideas Brandon comes up with. Its such a fun part of this time of year!

• The MWR here on Post hosted a Haunted Hay Ride & Haunted House along with kid activities and we decided to try it out. We tagged along with friends and let the kiddos dress up in their costumes. For free, it was an alright event. Not too many kid activities and we were not even going to attempt the hayride with them. Brandon & Henry did the Haunted House. I was shocked but Henry was brave and survived it :) They had a kid friendly Halloween movie playing on the jumbo screen which was neat. All in all, not a bad activity. 

• Another night we headed up to the Tucson Zoo for its Halloween event. It was fun! And all the treat stations were a different theme. The line was a little congested but the kids enjoyed it and liked getting candy at each of the stops. The zoo was all lit up with lights and inflatables and music. Once we got through all the treat stations, we ate dinner at their cafe before heading back home. I would love to take them back to the zoo during normal operating hours so we could see all the animals. 

• Henry started his speech therapy this month. He had his initial evaluation at the beginning of the month. It went very well and eased this mama heart. His auditory comprehension and cognition scores were average. The problems he does have with his speech were on the mild to moderate scale. He will be attending therapy once a week for the next several months. Praying for good results!

• Brandon turned the big 3-0 this month!!! We celebrated his birthday with dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings :) And for his present, he picked out a chiminea. We have already used it several times since then! The kids loving roasting marshmallows :)

• We celebrated Halloween with back to back celebrations. The night before Halloween, we attended a Trunk or Treat on Post. It was chilly but the kids loved it and received a ton of candy. Plus, there was a bounce house :) And of course on Halloween night, we trick or treated around our neighborhood. We just did our street and still received more than enough candy! This house has candy galore! ;)

• Henry's class did a Fall Sing-a-long and pumpkin decorating the day of Halloween. It was such a nice treat and we enjoyed getting to see Henry sing with his fellow classmates. It was such a treat! :)

This was such a fun month with lots of family fun activities and precious memories!!! Looking forward to all what it is in store for this family next month!!! 

31 Random Facts About Me

I have never done one of these posts so I thought it would be fun! And since there are 31 days this month, I figured 31 would be a good number to start with. Perhaps, I will do more of these in the future :)

1. I am the youngest of 2. I have a brother who is 3 years older than me.

2. I seriously have the best parents! They have been married for almost 35 years! What an inspiration.

3. We didn't move much when I was a kid but I still ended up going to 4 different elementary schools.

4. I graduated in the top 5% of my high school class and had 10 college credits before I even started college.

5. I had my first job at 15. I worked there for 2 years.

6. I am a Believer. I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was 13 at a Chrysalis Retreat.

7. Growing up I wanted to be a doctor. My dad even nicknamed me "Doc."

8. I've always loved kids. I started babysitting when I was 11.

9. In fact, my second job was a child care giver at a local church daycare/preschool. I worked there for over 2 years.

10. I met my husband when I was 15 but we didn't start dating until after I turned 16.

11. I have an impeccable memory! I can remember events like they were yesterday. I can even remember my dreams. My dad says that Ellis' and elephants don't forget! And its very true.

12. I got my permit when I was 15 and my restricted license just 3 months later. My first car was my dad's Doge Dakota truck.

13. I even had a parking spot my sophomore year of high school :)

14. I had a pet bird named Bob when I was a little girl.

15. I've always loved to read. I cannot not remember reading.

16. For our first dating anniversary, Brandon gave me a promise ring and I bought us two tickets to an Atlanta Braves game.

17. My favorite drink is sweet tea. I could drink it all day long.

18. I also really wanted to be a teacher when I a kid. I played school all the time growing up.

19. I love to shop at Target!

20. My favorite all time show is Gilmore Girls. I own all seven seasons on DVD.

21. Brandon left for Basic Training less than 3 weeks after we got married. We still have the letters we wrote to each other during those months.

22. Our favorite vacation spot is Disney World. I am blessed to have been there 4 times in 3 years. We just love it there!

23. I could eat out every day and night. It can be a bad habit but it just makes me happy.

24. I do love to cook but often find myself in a rut when it comes to meal planning.

25. We have had four different dogs since we have been married.

26. We have also had ten different cars between us plus a motorcycle since our 8+ years of marriage.

27. I love coffee but I do not like to drink it hot even on cold days. I prefer mine iced.

28. I use to take piano lessons. I wish I would have stuck with it.

29. I battled both anorexia and bulimia in my teen years. I prefer never go back to those days.

30. I love to run because I also love to eat :)

31. I have always wanted to be have kids and be a stay at home mom!

Friday Favorites

Today, I am sharing some of favorites for the kiddos! With Christmas and birthday season (for this household, 3 birthdays back to back in fact) quickly approaching, I've been searching and researching gift ideas. We have a ton of toys between 3 kids and lots of toys between the two boys. I have been weeding through most of them deciding what they really play with or might play with down the road. With us living in Arizona, the weather really is ideal for outside play and a bigger bonus is that our house is set up for outside living too. At the back of the house, we have a semi covered patio that is partially bricked in with a gate. So its perfect to let the boys out there without me having to be out there as well. I can see them through the french doors and neither one can reach the lock to open the gate so its a win win situation. We also have a huge covered car port at the front of the house as well as a sidewalk. So needless to say, most of the toys on this list are intended for outside play. All 3 kids really love being outside and there have not been too many days that we have lived here that is not a possibility.

This is on Scott's short list for his birthday. I think both boys will love playing with it! 

This is also on Scott's wish list for his birthday. He loves playing with his cozy coupe and I just know he would love to have this little addition to make playtime better!

Oh my word, this toy is so much fun!! All 3 kids love this thing!! We were able to play with it at a friend's house and they all want one for our house. It would be a great addition :)

This is another fun little toy that I have on both P and Henry's Christmas wish lists. I can see future races in the drive way and side walk. 

And what outdoor fun would be complete without this adorable picnic table! :)

Christmas Wish List

The countdown is on... 75 days until Christmas!! So close but so far away :) I like to think of it in these terms... only 5 more paydays to go, haha!! Thankfully, we knocked out most of the kiddos Christmas this past weekend. Hooray for us! :) We just need to pick up some stocking stuffers and still decide on a birthday present for Scott. But this post is about my wish list, hehe! I am hoping Santa thinks I've been extra good this year and will have these presents waiting for me under the tree ;)

i love me some running shoes!
 i have logged many of miles on my old pair and could use a new pair.
asics  are my favorite.
they hold up well and fit my feet good. they are pricey but you get what you pay for. 

i think this is just too cute and needs to join my closet.
i love this! perfect for a stay at home mommy like me :)

i desperately need a new case for my iPad mini.
i have heard good things about this apple smart cover.

Catch All Update

Life here has been flying by! Can't believe we've already been here in AZ for two months now! I feel like its been longer just because we've dived in and made our niche here. Everyone is involved and has activities. It makes life better when you have the sense of belonging and that this place feels like our home. Which I guess is a good thing because this family of 5 will be spending much more time here at Fort Huachuca than expected. The slate for jobs & schooling after the MICCC is over in January was published earlier this week and we will be staying here! We both have mixed feelings about it. This place is providing a great career opportunity for Brandon. He will be an instructor for one of the schools here as well as get a Command with one of the MI companies. There's a lot of pluses here and at least we wont have to uproot our lives here and start again (not yet anyways!). It just stinks being so far away from home. We hate living so far away from our family and great friends! It seems like the Army loves having us out on the west coast. Thankfully it is just a 2-3 year assignment with his school time counting. Onward & upward, good news is we do like it here and we will make the best of it!

Peighton is doing well in school and really likes it! Just this past week, she received a "blue ticket" from school meaning she got caught doing something good. Brandon got to go have a special lunch at school with her on Friday. And then she also got Star of the Week for her class! :) Also, she received a free Pizza Hut dinner for reading so many books so far this year. Score for P! She still loves to read and is reading a chapter book every few days. She has passed all her spelling tests for far this year. And she is doing well in math. Over all, this school is year has been great! P has also gotten involved in the local Girl Scouts. She is in the Daisy group and they meed right here on Post twice a month. She is loving it! It's nice for her to have her own activity outside of school :)

Henry started the Part Day Preschool here on Post a few weeks ago! He goes Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. His class is small with only about 10 kids so that's nice. And so far he likes it! They have centers and circle time and they get to play outside each time. It is a good introduction to school and next year he will go more frequently to prepare for Kindergarten. Also, at this doctor visit last month, she recommended speech therapy and TriCare approved his evaluation and his therapy sessions. We got this coming week for his evaluation. I know Henry could use a little help in that department. He does talk and although I understand most of what he says, I also spend everyday with him. So I pray that goes well!

For myself, I am loving being involved in a great bible study through PWOC at the Main Post Chapel. I enjoy the fellowship and they provide watch care for both boys. It is just a wonderful program and we look forward to Tuesdays! I also am involved a local MOPS group (Mothers of Preschoolers) that is at a church in town. We meet twice a month and I enjoy that time as well :)  The boys and I spend the week visiting the local library, playing & eating lunch at McDonald's and of course many park visits. It's been nice making a routine and a niche for ourselves. Although I am an introvert at heart, I still love me some fellowship and the boys just love our park days!

All in all, life is good here. We have our moments even our days. But we are making the best of it all!

Friday's Thoughts...

Life around here has been a blur lately. These past few weeks have been stressful, anxious, sad and tiring. So today instead of dwelling on those feelings, this post is going to be happy and positive and just down right fun. Maybe next week I will post an update on all that has been going on in the Doggette household but for now here are some randoms.

1. October is just a few days away but here in the desert you wouldn't necessarily know it. The day temps still creep into the 80's and when you are 4000 feet above sea level that sun can be brutal but thankfully the nights are getting cooler and as the sun sets you can feel a break in the temperature. And its been windy so even even the 80 degrees is tolerable. I hear it does cool down around Halloween so here is hoping!

2. Speaking of Halloween, this house is in full decorate mode. Its been a good distraction for the hubs to start brainstorming his theme this year and start decorating little by little. We love LOVE the holidays. This is my favorite time of the year.. these next three months are just plain fun and exciting! The kiddos are already for Halloween as well. My aunt bought them adorable costumes from Pottery Barn Kids. They are so stinkin' cute! P is going to be a Kitty Cat, Henry will be Frankenstein and Scott is going to be Cat in the Hat. They will be the best dressed kids in the neighborhood.

3. We have a special "field trip" planned next week with a friend and her little boy to visit a local pumpkin patch. 2 adults + 3 boys + a farm should equal lots of fun. We are making the hour and a half drive to go but it will be worth it! :) Help kick off this month in the right direction.

4. The hubs and I have a date night planned for next weekend. So grateful we found a great babysitter that we trust and that the kids love! She is awesome and make life much easier knowing we have her when we need a break. We are heading to Tuscon which is a little over an hour away but its a huge city with lots of shopping. Our goal that night is to knock out most of our Christmas shopping for the kids. Yes its early but with 3 of them and all 3 of them also having their birthdays around the same time, it makes life easier to stay ahead of the game.

5. I am happy that the fall season has started and all our favorite shows are back on! Helps the week go by when you have good shows to tune into and escape reality ;) We are currently obsessed with the new Fox show Sleepy Hollow. It reminds me a lot of Grimm which is another favorite of ours. We are also hooked on NBC's Revolution and Parenthood, ABC's Castle and Modern Family and of course CBS's CSI. We also routinely watch Duck Dynasty and American Pickers. With 3 kids and a busy schedule, evenings are the only time we really watch TV. Its a nice break for this mama!

6. Football season is in full swing and in this house we love us some football. We love college football and the NFL. Our favorite is South Caroline Gamecocks and we love the SEC. We are big fans of Peyton Manning and thus follow the Denver Broncos. Weekends are so much more fun when there is great football on!

Well that about sums it up for now. Hopefully I will be able to update next week and share some good news as well!

Remembering Grandaddy

On Sunday morning, Heaven gained another angel and we lost a very loved man here on Earth. Grandaddy passed away. We knew this was coming but it does not make the hurt any less painful. We take peace in knowing that he truly is in a better place and he is no longer in any type of pain and he is free of illness. I look forward to the day when I will see him again! Grandaddy was such a sweet, wonderful person. He always made me feel like a part of the family since the first day I met him. I am grateful for the 12 plus years he was in my life. He was very much like my own grandfather. I am thankful that he was such a driving force in my husband's life and honestly made him the man he is today. Grandaddy has always been there for us through our dating years into our married life. He loved us and he loved our kids. I have so many fond memories of him being on the floor playing with each of them and plenty of memories of him holding them. He loved his kids, his grand kids and his great grand kids; and I always knew that about him. He will be greatly missed and it will be tough not having him here with us!

 

And here is his obituary. Grandaddy was a truly blessed man who was loved very much!

Clatis Doggette SUMMERVILLE - Clatis Doggette, 77, of Summerville, husband of Judie Doggette, passed away Sunday, September 22, 2013, at The Village at Summerville. Family and friends are invited to attend his visitation this evening from 6 to 8 o'clock at James A. Dyal Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at 10 o'clock at Deer Park Baptist Church, 8875 University Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29406. Entombment will follow at Carolina Memorial Park, 7113 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29406. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to The Village at Summerville, 201 W. 9th North Street, Summerville, SC 29483. Mr. Doggette was born November 6, 1935 in Silas, AL, son of the late Robert Clyde Doggette and Catherine E. Doggette. He retired after twenty one years of service in the United States Air Force. He also retired from DuPont as a Mechanical Technician after twenty years of service. He was an active member of Deer Park Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife Judie; one son and one daughter, Lance Doggette (Christine) of Hillsville, VA and Brenda Greene (Anthony) of Summerville; five grandchildren, Natasha Foster (Donnie) of Goose Creek, Brandon Doggette (Meredith) of Arizona, Rachel Doggette of Warrenton, NC, Wesley Greene (Angela) of Adams Run and Wade Greene (Leslie Wiseman) of Moncks Corner; ten great-grandchildren, Lana Foster, Jena Foster, Peighton Doggette, Henry Doggette, Scott Doggette, Vaiden Poythress, Lyndian Poythress, Seabrook Greene, AJ Rehberg and Savannah Rehberg; and one sister and one brother, Carolyn Dawsey of Mt. Pleasant, and Winston Doggette of Georgetown. 

Kiddos Update

Yesterday, all 3 kids had a physical/well check up. CYSS here at Fort Huachuca requires them when you register your children. When I called and scheduled the appointments, there were available appointments back to back so I took it. Not sure if taking all 3 at the same time was a wise decision but we survived it! All 3 had to get one shot each :/ Thankfully, they all took it well. P is all up to date on shots until she is 11. Unfortunately, Henry will have to get all his booster shots for school at his 4 year old check up in February. And Scott received his second dose of Hep A so he is all up to date for awhile as well. Here are their current stats.

Peighton:

weight = 45 pounds (32%)
height= 44 3/4 inches (14%)

Henry:

weight= 40 pounds (90%)
height= 42.5 inches (99%)

Scott:

weight= 28.9 pounds (74%)
heights= 33.5 inches (40%)
head= 19 1/4 inches (67%)

We will be going back in January and February for P's 7 YO check up and Henry's 4 YO. Thankful for healthy, thriving, growing kiddos! One lucky mama here :)

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