Happy Birthday Buh-Jesus!!

Love Thursday....Halloween....

I apologize that this blog has been MIA the last few weeks. We've been busy!

I decided that this year would be my one and only year that I could pick out the Halloween costume. Here on out, Liam will probably be a superhero of some sort (like he was super-baby last year).

I chose a monkey costume. I call him "Monkey" because...well, he is. So I set out (over a month ago) to find the cutest monkey costume. And I got it.



Doesn't he make a cute monkey?? The best part is that I'm shipping the toy monkey to Iraq so A. Dave can never say I won't let him have a monkey and
B. So he can feel like he was apart of the Halloween. Plus it gives him something to cuddle with. :)

Liam enjoyed trick or treating. And he LOVES M&M's. Here's a short video I was able to take with my camera....enjoy!



Love is trick or treating with your almost two year old (how did that happen??) and knowing that next year, Daddy will take him.

Love Thursday/Funny Fhoto Friday....The Circus...

A few weeks ago, Grandma and Grandpa Bowman took Liam (and I) to our first circus. Liam and I had been a little under the weather earlier in the week and was so excited about the circus that he didn't get much of a nap, so its no suprise that he crashed 3/4 of the way through.

He loved the circus, though. I had a good time too!

Love is getting a great picture like the one below...and hoping that next year daddy can come with us.

Love Thursday...The First Anniversary Post....

On Sunday, David and I will celebrate our first anniversary...even if we are roughly 6656 miles apart (give or take a mile).

It's interesting/ironic how the song we chose for our first dance fits our current situation. We chose 311's (cover of The Cure's) "Love Song".

The lyrics read:

Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am whole again

Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am young again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am fun again

However far away, I will always love you
However long I stay, I will always love you
Whatever words I say, I will always love you
I will always love you

Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am free again
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am clean again

However far away, I will always love you
However long I stay, I will always love you
Whatever words I say, I will always love you
I will always love you

This song has come true in so many ways. Basically, David has been gone since March. It's been a rough year, for all of us.

In July, when Dave had 4 days of leave and Liam and I visited him, in the night, when all was quiet, Dave turned to me and said, "It's weird. Even though I know I'm in a hotel, I feel like we're back at our apartment."

Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again

And it did.

And of course, this will always be true. Even if we're 6,600+ miles apart.

However far away, I will always love you
However long I stay, I will always love you
Whatever words I say, I will always love you
I will always love you

Happy First Anniversary, David. Even though we can't hold each other on our first anniversary, it will make our second anniversary that much sweeter.



"Pure love transcends the body. It is between hearts. It has nothing to do with bodies." Amma

What?? An update??

Yes. I'm updating. I've been so busy with weddings, family events, trying to get our room in order...I haven't had a chance to update!!

Another reason I've been slacking is because, while I have been online, it hasn't been with you guys. MY HUSBAND HAS THE INTERNET!!!!!! It's SO great being able to IM and Skype with him. Being able to see my husband for the first time in two months was so bittersweet. I cried the first time I talked to him online. If you would like his e-mail address, just e-mail me and I'll send it to you. It's sure costing us a pretty penny for him to have his own internet connection, but its worth it. It'd be nice if it was something the military would pay for, but oh well.

I've been reminded that our first anniversary is on Sunday. *deep breath* I'm not going to lie to you, this is really hard. Everytime I think about it, I get tears in my eyes. What I wouldn't give to be able to give him just a hug on our first anniversary. I'm trying not to think about it and I've decided that the only thing I want for our anniversary (I mean, OTHER than my husband) is for the Cubbies to win--that's assuming they don't win all of the first three games, which would be sweet too. :) Goats, you're on notice. I'll be watching the game (again, keeping my mind off of what DATE it actually is) and once that's over (and the Cubs win) I'll be watching football.

I should be able to talk to David that day, so that will be nice. I've already sent him his anniversary cards and gift (he wanted Superman bedsheets).

Rest assured, I'll be back tomorrow for Love Thursday. It'll be a sappy wedding post. :)

Oh! The HAIR-manity!!!--Love Thursday

Liam's always had hair. This kid had a full head of hair when he was born. When I was pregnant, I always said that my kid wouldn't have his/her first haircut until he/she was two.

Yeah. That happened.

Liam had his first haircut, if I remember correctly, shortly before our wedding (I wrote it down in his baby book). He was 10 months old at our wedding, folks. 10 months. Since then, his hair has done nothing but grow...and curl...it's just too cute.

But after getting Dave's note about how his son needs a haircut and getting grief from family and friends about his hair, I figured it did need cut.

Then I got the note from daycare today. His morning disposition? He was a good girl....yep. That did it. He was getting a haircut.

For comparison reasons, the picture below was taken about THREE weeks ago. This is his hair in the morning...notice it is sticking STRAIGHT UP. Yeah...bed head.


So after a short detour around the Valley Junction Farmer's Market (I had googled "kid hair cut" and some place came up on 5th street...but the market had the street closed) I found a great clips on our way home.

Liam started to fuss at the beginning, but once he saw the fish on the kiddie apron, he was cool.

And now he can see.












When did my little baby boy become such a handsome little man???

Love is realizing that your little boy needs to become a little man...even if it means cutting off those cute little curls (but they will grow back, right??)

Letters from Iraq....

I got my first "care package" in the mail yesterday from Dave. It contained a few gifts for Liam and I, as well as a few books he'd finished reading. He also included a card and a letter for me. Both made me cry.

He talked about how he missed me a lot, how he's got pictures of Liam and I hanging over his bed and when he gets frustrated, he just looks at our pictures and he's reminded of why he's there and who he has waiting at home for him. He called me his "lovely wife" and Liam, his "son who needs a haircut." :)

He always knew how to make me laugh through my tears.

He thanked me for the packages, as they keep him going. And he hopes he should have the internet soon (he'd better--we've had it paid for for the last month!!) so he can see Liam and I.

I've read his letter at least 50 times, and it is sitting on my nightstand. I had to read it once more before going to bed last night. And I fell asleep faster than I have in a long time.

Now if I could just shake this flu bug, life would be okay...

Funny Fhoto Friday...Weddings...

Next weekend Liam and I will be heading to a friends wedding in Iowa City. Jaret (an usher at our wedding) and his fiancee Leah will be getting hitched. And it got me thinking about our own wedding (and how fast we're coming up on our first anniversary!!).

If you were not in attendance at our wedding, you missed out. It was an affair...but a lot of fun (once all of the work was done, that is).

Dave's a comedian. He always has been. My biggest fear at the wedding (other than catching my veil on fire/tripping in my dress) was that he'd smash the cake in my face.

See, he's being really nice here....


Then I started saying, "Please be nice, please be nice, please be nice...."



Well....he smashed it...so I smashed back...

Love Thursday....The Iowa State Fair...

So maybe I'm a month late with this post...deal. :)

Growing up, we went to the fair every year. We even camped out there one summer. The summer it rained and rained and we spent more time in the camper than at the fair. Oh...and remember Dad? The year your Scout got backed into?? Yeah, we won't go there. :)

Anyway, I LOVE going to the fair. The food, the people...the people...and, of course, the agriculture.

Liam was SO excited to see the baby piggy....



And ride the pony...



And, of course...when it's 90 degrees out, who doesn't love playing in water...







He was soaked, but he had a great time.

And we couldn't pull him out of the corn box for anything!!!





Love is having a great day with your family at the Iowa State Fair.

Things I'm learning...Part 2--Post Office Edition

See? I told you I'm learning a lot.

1. Flat rate boxes are a life (and bank account) saver.

Counting the boxes I'm dropping off tonight, I'll have sent 6 packages to Iraq already. Six. In less than a month. I think I'm doing pretty good as a wife. :) And considering the flat rate boxes cost 8.95, no matter how much you pack into them (just as long as they don't bulge) it's really saved our pocketbook too.

2. I really CAN pack. I just didn't know it.

Maybe we could call this 1.b, because it is kind of along the same lines. I had no idea I could fit so many pictures, dvd's(because I take them out of their cases), books, papers, drink mixes etc etc etc. into a box. Creative packing...that's all I've got to say.

3. Don't let the toddler near the boxes while packing.

I wouldn't be suprised if Dave called to tell me that one of Liam's cars ended up in Iraq. Liam's always pulling things out/putting things into the boxes when I'm trying to find the customs form/find more things to put in the box/clean up Liam's previous mess. I've learned I just have to sit down with all of my items, THEN put the box together, THEN pack it. No breaks in between. Because Lighting McQueen might end up over there...and heaven forbid we have to wait the shipping time for it to come back!!

4. The people at the post office already know me.
I go to the same post office after work when I have a package to send. And the postal employees have started asking me how he is...lol. They wave and smile when they see me now and know that when I come in, our transaction will always end with, "Can I get a few more of the flat rate boxes?"

Well, time to fill out those oh, so fun custom forms!

Amazing...

I found this online and I wanted to share it with you. It's so true. SO true.


She stands in front of you in line at the post office with the big box and the customs form.

She parks next to you at school, her car sporting the latest "Support the Troops" magnet or sticker.

She sits a couple seats down from you in class or at work, but she is too distracted to carry on a real conversation.

She carries herself with poise and elegance.

A grown woman in a young girl's body, she has dealt with more heartbreak than she could ever wish on another human being.

She's the girl with the bloodshot eyes and her cell phone always on.

She is always anticipating his phone call, and when it comes, the first thing she asks is, "How are you doing?"

She is becoming more and more selfless with every passing day, and finds herself thinking about his friends more than her own.

Every night she says a prayer for him, and thanks God for bringing her one day closer to his homecoming.

Every time she hears their song on the radio, her expression goes blank as she fights back the tears.

Sometimes the pressure is too much to handle, and she snaps, usually at the expense of the people closest to her.

The tears flow easily these days, and they seem to have no end.

The stuffed animal he sent her soaks up the tears she cries in his absence as she recounts all the days apart.

Any talk of deployments, extended tours, or re-enlistment makes her stomach tie itself in knots because she can barely handle the time and distance now.

But he will never know any of this.

He got the best training in the world to do his job, and she is expected to be SuperWoman with no manual.

She knows that he needs her to be the strong one, and so she is.

Without the pay, benefits, or training, she is supposed to be just like him...

ARMY STRONG

He called!! He called!!

David called today and said he was able to purchase a calling card which was only .04 a minute...WAY better money-wise!! He's able to re-charge this card too, which is great!!

He thanks everyone for their well wishes (parents, cousins, siblings, aunts, uncles...you get the idea) and apologizes that he isn't online as of yet. They're working on it (to the tune of $50/month per guy--$100 for start up fee) but it'll be worth it.

He also said that he's pretty sure he can recieve non-military e-mails (apparently they loosened the rules), so if you'd like his military e-mail address, please contact me and I can send it to you.

He does have a few rules though:

1. NO FORWARDS.
If you send him a forward, he may block you. He's serious about this, folks.

2. NO JOKES.
Again, this could cause you to be blocked.

3. Keep it clean.
Remember, we don't want him to lose his internet privledges.

4. No "doom and gloom" aka "Save the drama for yo' mama".
He knows that we can't sugar-coat life. However, anything that's going on at home, he really can't do anything about. So it's best not to mention things beyond his control or things that will make him worry. He's got enough going on over there...he doesn't need to worry about a fender bender or runny nose.

5. Don't be offended if he doesn't write you back.
He's a busy, busy guy. And he's not too fond of typing. So he may write you back...he may not. Don't be offended. Heck, I'm his wife and he has yet to respond to ANY of my e-mails. :)

So those are the rules, folks...from Dave's mouth to our blog.

Love Thursday...Foto Friday...Update from Dave....

Hey, I'm a busy woman. Cut me some slack.

Dave is at his base in Iraq, and has started a mission. I haven't heard from him since Wednesday, and I'm hoping to hear from him soon. That being said, he needs phone cards...bad. They still don't have an easy form of internet (one that doesn't require standing in line for an hour or more) but they plan on getting one soon.

As of right now, our only form of communication is phone. If you would like to help out, please send an AT&T phone card to me so I can give Dave the code #'s on the back.

I will be sending a package to Dave today and one next week. If there is anything you'd like to send him, please send it to me.

I thought I'd share this touching picture of Dave and Liam, just hanging out on Dave's bunk at Fort McCoy.



Love is just relaxing with your son and husband...not thinking about the year ahead...just enjoying each other.

Things I'm learning....

I'd like to start a "things I'm learning" segment to the blog. I've learned a lot already in this deployment, and I'm sure, in the next year, I will learn a lot more.

So, for the first "Things I'm learning"...

1. People really don't know what to say.

When people find out that Dave's deployed, they really don't know what to say to me. Some people think it's a good idea to bash the war. I don't know how many times I've heard, "Let's bring those boys home." They learn (pretty quickly) that's really not my stance. And, being an Army wife with a deployed husband, I'd like to think that my opinion is a little more "valid". I recently laid into a political staffer who said, "Well, don't you want your husband home?" Yeah. I do. But being selfish right now isn't in the best interest of the world. The Iraqi people deserve freedom. Just because I want my husband home doesn't mean that they shouldn't have freedom. I also don't think this is a good lesson to show my son. When you do something, you do it right, and you do it until the job is done. Whether we should have gone over there in the first place doesn't matter now. We're there. Let's finish it and do it right. Anything worth doing isn't easy. I don't want my son to think, 'Hey, dad missed out on a lot of my milestones for nothing.' When things get tough, you don't just put your tail between your legs and retreat. That doesn't solve anything.

People also apologize. I don't want to hear that 'you're sorry'. I know there really are no other words. Other than, "Aw, man. That sucks." That's about the best response I've gotten in this deployment. It's true. It does suck.

2. The only movies that I should watch must contain a muppet or two.

Anything else makes me cry. I happened upon Forrest Gump the other night. Good Lord. I cried and cried. Even comedies make me cry. Why? I always think, "David would LOVE this movie." Then I cry.

3. The ONLY people who really understand what you're going through are other army wives/fiance's who going through this same deployment--right now.

Please. Don't tell me that you know "exactly" how I feel because your husband was gone last week/for a few days/overnight. I could do a week standing on my head. And I really don't want to hear, "Well, he's only been gone a few months. That's not that bad, yet." Really? That's easy for you to say because you slept next to your husband last night, in your bed, safely. I know you're trying to help me. But it's not working. It just makes me feel worse.

I've been blessed to be able to talk to a few Army wives (Bush's wife and Barnes' wife) and Army fiancee (Smith's fiance) who know exactly how I feel. Liam and I might have to take a trip to Kansas to visit the gals. :)

4. I need to make time to cry. (aka: I should have bought stock in Kleenex)
I've found that when I try to be strong and not cry, it just creeps up on me and the tears flow at the most inoppurtune time (like sitting at my desk at work when one of "our songs" happen to come on the radio). I've found it's best to sit down, take a deep breath late at night and just let it out. This way Steve Perry can't sneak up on me. (Damn you, Journey and your wonderful ballads!)

5. I'm stronger than I ever thought I could be.
I've been through a lot in my 27 years on this planet. I've seen a lot. I've experienced a lot. I never thought I could miss someone as much as I miss Dave. Yet, somehow, I find the strength to get out of bed every morning, go to work, be the best mom I can be to our son and go to bed...just to do it all over again the next day. One day down, one day closer to being back in my husband's arms.

Love Thursday...wanting to be like daddy

This picture was taken by Mandie, a fiance of one of the guys in Dave's unit, when we went to Wisconsin for Dave's Deployment Ceremony.

Liam was SO excited to be in an outfit that matched Daddy's.

Love is watching your child squeal in delight when he sees his dad...and having them wear matching outfits....too cute!!

Love Thursday/Funny Fhoto Friday...

It's a two for one deal...

When Liam and I went up to visit Dave, I finally had the chance to try on his armor that he's been complaining about for the last few months. He was always saying, "This HAS to be worse than pregnancy!!" Really? Let's see. And I told him I'd put it on if he agreed to wear a sympathy belly the next time I'm pregnant. And it was a deal.

So I put it on. Sure, its heavy, but its EVEN weight...not all out front. It doesn't make your hips ache and there is no one kicking you from the inside when you're trying to sleep.

So it's nothing like pregnancy. Now I can't wait for Dave to get home and get a picture of him with the sympathy belly on...LOL.



Love is the ability to be goofy with your husband...just before saying "See you in a few months".

Quick update....

I just thought I'd give everyone a quick update to let you know what's going on...

Dave called and he's landed in the sand. It'll be another few days before he's at his base, but he's safe and sound. He calls when he can, but he's 8 hours ahead of our time and having a bit of a hard time grasping that...lol.

He called the other night (at 11PM), and being the old lady I am, was already in bed. By the time I realized my phone was ringing, woke up, snuck away from a snuggling Liam and got Beckett off of my feet, Dave had gone into voicemail. And I cried and cried. Thankfully he called me back the next day and I told him that if I ever don't answer, for him to leave a voicemail and call me back in a few minutes. I was up ALL NIGHT thinking "he's got to call me back". So needless to say, I didn't get very much sleep.

Thankfully my parents sent a 900 minute AT&T phone card with me to give to Dave...and they just dropped another 1200 minute one off for me to send to him, once he gets to where he's going. They also brought me a boquet of roses with a "thinking of you" card. That was VERY sweet. I think my parents are taking this deployment harder than I ever thought they would.

Dave sounded in good spirits when I talked to him and was pleased to hear that Liam was missing "Dada-Boose" (Dada & Bush-Dave's buddy in his unit).

Everynight Liam and I say the "Now I lay me down to sleep" prayer and add "Please keep Dada safe"--Liam interrupts me and says, "Dada-Boose. AMEN."

Lord, Please keep my husband and his entire unit safe. Including "Boose". Amen.

Sending mail or e-mail to David....

As I mentioned earlier, David and I talked about the mail/e-mail method of contacting David during his recent few days of leave. It had been brought to our attention that there were a few family members/friends who were not happy with this decision. After talking to each other, talking to his other buddies in his unit (who are doing the same thing), and talking to the commander (who suggested that only one family member have the address), he's decided to keep his method he decided on in May.

So, if you would like to mail anything to David, please mail it to my home address where I will send it off in a large package. I'm looking to mail him at least a few times a month so he has some mail from home to look forward to.

I understand that this may frustrate some. I apologize for that, but I feel that it is of utmost importance to honor my husband's wishes at this time. Please do not question me about his decision, it has been made. David has enough on his plate right now and he doesn't need to worry about family being frustrated about his decision. Please respect it. I also have a lot on my plate right now. This is a VERY emotional time for us all. Please respect my husbands wishes so that I may respect his wishes.

As for e-mail, while overseas, Dave's been told (again, by the Commander) that his e-mail account cannot accept any e-mail from anything but an AKO account (security reasons). So, a few weeks ago, he set me up on one (he was allowed to set up an account for a dependent and since Liam can't type yet..he set me up on one). If you would like to e-mail David, please contact me and let me know so I can e-mail you my military e-mail address and send it on.

Please be assured that I will not be reading anyone's e-mails or letters to David. That is NOT the point of this system. It is to make sure that David does not get anything that might get him into trouble, to condense the items he has to carry with him and to make this deployment as easy on him as possible.

Please respect these decisions that David has made so we can make this deployment as easy on him as possible.

My two guys...

This picture was taken by Mandie, Smith's fiance (Smith is one of Dave's buddies in the unit) after the deployment ceremony.

A post??? What???

Yes. I apologize for the lack of posts here, but I wanted to tell you all why I've been absent.

I was able to spend a few days with my husband before he left for Iraq. I have a lot of pictures and video, which will hopefully keep everyone entertained. I know I was.

We had a great family "vacation". Dave couldn't believe how big Liam was and how smart he was. After all, it's only been three months...but three months in toddler land is like years to an adult.

I will be posting video and pictures soon.

Mailing to David...

Hey all! I thought I would let you all know how you can mail letters etc. to David.

I have discussed this before here but I thought I would remind everyone.

If you want to mail anything to David, it has been HIS request that you give the items to me. You can mail them to my address. If you do not have it, please e-mail or call me.

They've been told to appoint only ONE person to be the "contact" for the soldier. This one person is the ONLY person with the mailing address of the soldier. It also helps with OPSEC guidelines -the fewer people that know the address, the less chance of "loose lips sink ships".

Once the wife, parent, sibling, whoever the soldier appoints as the contact person, has a full box of items from family and friends, the contact person ships the box over.

David has been told (as have I by the Army) that this system works well. By decreasing the volume of mail soldiers recieve (ie letters) the mail (boxes) will get to them faster. It makes sense.

I've talked to a couple of soldiers who've been "over there" and they said they started getting their boxes much faster when everyone in their Unit started to use this system.

I know how much you all care for David and his safety. I also understand how much you would like to correspond with him. Please respect his wishes. It'll make this deployment a lot easier on all of us.

No Sympathy....

I was watching the news last night. I saw another Army wife talking about how she needed to raise money to see her husband for his 4 days of leave before he goes to Iraq. First thing I thought? Wow. He must be far away...Texas, California...some place that wouldn't be financially easy to drive to...some place far.

Then I saw the news piece. The unit is from Ottumwa. They are at FORT MC COY. FORT MC COY IS FOUR AND A HALF HOURS AWAY FROM HERE. Good Lord. She was crying on TV talking about how she wants to see her husband one last time before he goes, and another Army wife, who'd just married her husband a week before he left for training was all, "You never know when you kiss him if its going to be the last time you see your soldier alive." Oh, Please. It's Army wives like this that give the rest of us a bad name. Suck it up.

He's four hours away. Drive up there and get him. DON'T go to the media, crying about how you need money. And you know what else? This isn't their first deployment. So it's not like these four days of leave were a huge suprise either. Save your money so you can go get him. Or have everyone pool their money to get a bus. Don't go crying to the media about how you won't get to see him for a year...there are other Army Wives out there who've been without their husband longer (these guys have been gone for one month--Dave's been gone three months) and will not see them for a year either.

Suck it up and put your big girl panties on. You KNEW that deployment was possible when you married him/he joined the Army. Deal with it. Don't go crying to the media. Don't make all of us Army Wives look like sniffling little babies.

Maybe I'm the "Rosie the Riveter" or the "Dottie Hinson" ("A League of Their Own") of the group...but like "Jimmy Dugan" (Tom Hanks) said..."There's no crying in baseball."

It's time to suck it up, ladies. Deal with it. You're an Army Wife. It's going to get a lot harder before it gets easier. Go to your underwear drawer, find your big girl panties and put them on. While our men are gone, we've got a job to do...and I don't mean going to the media and crying for money. Suck it up. We have to be tough for our men. Because I can promise you, it is 10 times harder on them to away from home. You need to remember that.



I'm not saying its not hard on those of us who are at home. That's not what I'm saying at all. I'm not saying that I never complain about my husband being gone, because I do. But I plan for things. I work things out. And I DO NOT go crying to the media.

Funny Fhoto Friday--TRACTORS!!!

Last weekend my Uncle Jeff came to visit from Arizona. Liam got to spend some time with his cousins and we were able to see the square dancing tractors. They were neat! After the show, they invited the kids to come and sit on the tractors...what a great photo op, I thought.

Yeah...Liam and Mitchell were not amused. Matthew had a great time...

Mitchell


Liam



And Matthew...


Look!! I'm driving!!


But Liam felt better after a long nap...and then he got his haircut!!

YAY HAIRCUTS!!!

Happy Birthday America!!

We attended the Iowa Cubs game and watched the fireworks afterwards. It was a little sad, being there without my husband...and I'll admit it, I got teary eyed when they sang "God Bless America", but I know that next year he'll be here to celebrate with us.

So if you had a great holiday yesterday, or have a long weekend planned, take time out to think of the soldiers who have fought and who are fighting for our freedom. And say a prayer for all of the wives and children who are missing their husbands and daddies.




God Bless America.

Love Thursday....

Love is catching great video.... like this one.....

Lol.

Birthday....

David already celebrated his birthday away from his family, and now its my turn to celebrate without him.

It makes me sad. My mother in law asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I said, "A hug from my husband." =(

I won't let this day get me down. I want to thank all of my friends who have sent gifts, cards and called. You are making this a lot easier on me.

Well, you guys, and random cat macros. They always make me laugh.

So I leave you with a few.





LOL.

Funny Fhoto Friday....Beckett and David....

David and I adopted Beckett from my Aunt and Uncle when Beckett was 6 weeks old. He had an overbite (which is rare in cats) and the vet said its a good thing we got him from the farm, because he takes longer to eat than other cats. He probably wouldn't have lasted very long out there.

David named Beckett. His full name is "Samuel Beckett the cat". Beckett for short. Dave always wanted a "Samuel Beckett *insert animal type here*". Dave's favorite play is "Waiting for Godot". Hence the name. And yes, he's aware of Quantum Leap, but that's not who Beckett is named after.

Dave and Beckett are best friends. When we were at the apartment, Beckett would follow Dave around. We were conviced that Beckett was convinced that he was a dog.

I only have a few pictures of Beckett, but I did include one in Dave's picture book that I sent for father's day. He was excited to see Beckett again, and he just loves this picture.

So here's Beckett watching Dave eat dinner...as he always did.

Love Thursday...Playing in Water...

Dave and I are both swimmers. We both love to swim. We haven't done it lately...but when we can, we race against each other. It's fun. That being said, Liam was destined to be a swimmer.

And he's already blowing bubbles in the water--being a former swim lesson instructor, this was really exciting for me because it is the first thing one must do when learning to swim...I was so excited that he wasn't afraid of the water!!

Last weekend, Liam and I went back to Glidden for Father's Day. Liam had fun with "Papa and Ma'am" (my dad and mom) and on Sunday, Uncle Tom, Crystal, Mitchell and Matthew came to visit! I pulled out the Cars water mat and they had a blast.

Love is seeing your son enjoying something that both you and your husband love.

It's been awhile...

Hey all! I know its been awhile since I updated the blog. Such is life! Dave is still in the states and training. Liam's growing like a weed. Work is work and free time...well, what's that??

Between work, political and family obligations, I feel like my head is spinning in 5 million different directions. I know everyone wants to see us (Liam) and I know that everyone feels like they're being shafted on time with us (Liam) but we need some time too. So please, I know you want to spend time with us. But don't make me feel guilty for not spending every waking moment with everyone in the world. It's just not possible.

That being said, there was a great event at Sandy's Chiropractic Office yesterday. Bowman Chiropratic is offically open! Below are a few pictures of the office, taken by Diana Bowman (my mother in law).

Enjoy!




Liam saw me getting adjusted...and, well, monkey see, monkey do!



I will try to be better about updating the blog in the future, I promise.

Words from a stranger....

I was having a bad day yesterday. A really bad day. Work was a mess, I was having a pity party for myself, it was just no good.

After work, before picking up Liam, I decided to "treat myself" to a bottle of Coke at the gas station between work and daycare.

I was walking out of the QT, thinking about my day and stressing. A hispanic gentleman,in his 50's I guess, said "Hi" to me. I said "Hi" back. He said, "How are jou?" I said, "Fine" and fixed my eyes to the ground as I walked out to the car. He said, "Beautiful jou."

And that made me smile. Sure, it was a little strange, but it brightened my day.

It's amazing what a few nice words from a stranger can do to one's spirits.

Totally Twisted Tuesday....A Military Family...

As you know from my previous posts, Dave and I both come from military families. Dave's grandfather's both fought in wars, his dad fought in a war, my grandfather fought...we're a military family.

Daycare had "dress up picture day" a few weeks ago and I thought it would be cute to take Dave's old uniform and dress Liam up. I was right. It was too cute.

Fhoto Friday....Love between father and son

When Dave was home for a few weeks before his deployment, Liam and I had talked about how "da-da" was coming home. Dave and I decided it would be best for me to pick him up at the airport first, then go to daycare to pick up Liam. It's not easy lugging a toddler through an airport and trying to get him to sit still while waiting...plus, this way Dave and I could have a few moments alone before picking up the little guy.

I brought my camera along, knowing I'd get some great shots of the guys. And I did.

Liam ran to me first (as I stepped into the room first) and I stepped aside so he could see Dave. He ran right for him screaming "DA! DA!!"



Liam would not allow Dave out of his sight...




And he kept touching him...maybe to make sure he was really there...



I can't wait to get more shots like this if Dave gets to visit...Liam sure loves his daddy...

Love Thursday....IMAGE HEAVY POST

Since I haven't hooked my computer up to the internet and uploaded new photos, you'll have to deal with old ones.

That being said, I love my digital camera. I bought it off of ebay shortly after Liam was born...and I'm so glad I did. I've been able to snap some great pictures of Liam over the past year and a half (yes, he turned 18 months on Saturday) and I'm hoping to take many, many, many more.

Love is taking great pictures of your growing son and loving family...

Liam at three months



My husband and son watching Fox News and reading the paper



Liam (7 months) and Dave at a friend's wedding



Fourth of July, 2006


Ready for Tim and Emma's wedding, August 2006


Discovering Shadows...August 2006



Discovering Houseplants...and eating the dirt...September 2006



Fun at the park...September 2006



BUSTED!! Playing in the kitchen...in the cat's food...November 2006


First Birthday...November 2006


Liam the Reindeer..December 2006



BEFORE his THIRD haircut---January 2007 (only 13 months old and three haircuts!!)



AFTER his haircut


Watching the snow...February 2007