Goodbye, We'll See You Real Soon!

Thank you for your prayers!

Saying goodbye went as well as could be expected.
Wade said most of his goodbyes to the kids while I was in other parts of the house.

I think he was trying to spare me the heartache.

We were all doing so well until Luke's innocent heartbreak, broke everyone else down.

Georgia's face was torturous as she tried in her biggest, bravest voice to assure Luke that he could not go to Afghanistan with Daddy, and he would be back...and not to worry because it would be Halloween soon.

We will miss Wade terribly, but really feel that God has work for both of us where he has put us. I have no doubt that we will be stretched, sometimes to the point of breaking, but ultimately we will have grown...and then, we'll be together again!

And that is something to smile about!

Wahoo, Yippee, Look Who's Three!!

July 31, 2007

July 31, 2008

July 31, 2009

July 31, 2010

My little boy.

At 3, you are...

34 inches and 33 lbs.... with surprisingly blonde curly hair!

Lover of the outdoors, all things Pirate, and your Mommy.

Sweet and kind, your Big Sister's Best friend.

cookie thief, diaper loyalist, and funny boy extraordinaire!

Happy Birthday, Luke,

We Love you!!

Happy Feet

I went to Cocok's today for a pedicure...

Ah, What a treat!

I know we are in for some crazy days soon, so I had happy faces painted in the center of my flowers to remind me of the verses in Matthew 6 that talk about worrying...or as I call them...

the "Don't Worry, Be Happy" verses!

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" Matt 6:34

Ups and Downs

This is Georgia today...

Poor thing has a high fever and is fighting the stomach bug that Luke had this weekend.

This is not how I imagined spending our last week with Wade, but I will trust God's plan.

Let's look back to happier times... Shall we?

This was Georgia a couple days ago

On her "date night" with Daddy!

Wade has taken each kid on a date night before he leaves next week, and

Georgia chose to go swimming and then out to eat....

She was so excited!

Her date is terribly handsome...don't you think!

Horrible Mother that I am...I stole a kiss from him!

When all was said and done they ended up at Burger King!!??

I know, cheap date!!

But she scored these cute toys in her kid's meal, that she and Luke have been entertaining themselves with... that is, when they have the energy to get up : (

Ah, This too shall pass!

The Vintage Pearl

Look what I got in the mail this week.

Wade bought it for me!

Ok, I actually bought it myself, but we say it's from him... and I LOVE it!!

I have been hinting that I wanted a necklace like this since Mother's Day, but he never got the hint. I didn't want to wait until he got back, so I finally just went to www.TheVintagePearl.com and picked out what I wanted... which was easier said than done, since they have so many great things to choose from!

Then I had to choose what I wanted on the necklace I chose...a song lyric? bible verse? hmmm

I tried a couple of things, but the spacing wasn't right.

This worked...

I showed it to Wade, and said " Look, do you like what you are going to buy me? I love it!"

He said " Oh, That's nice... I did good!!!"

Then I bought it for him, for me.

Hansen-Fest!

During the course of the year, each base in Okinawa has a festival where the military and the local Japanese people can come in and enjoy live bands, static displays, games, rides, food vendors, etc.

This weekend it was at Camp Hansen, the base where Wade works, and we took the little ones out for some fun.

Georgia was a trooper on the bungee jump.

There were smaller ones for "children", but those didn't catch her eye.

The first time she went up, she looked nervous for about a second, and then she was just frustrated that she couldn't get her little legs to bounce her as high as the guy running the ride could!

Cotton Candy ...way over priced, but thoroughly enjoyed...

Luke wasn't sold, but he loved...

The Static Displays.

Wade's been in the Marine Corps so long that we take things like this for granted,

but it was not lost on Luke.

He was amazed by it all and asked to sit in every helicopter and big truck he could get into.

Of course Wade tried to convince them that the howitzer was the most important thing there.

The Marines loved it!

So did Luke...

We had to bribe him to get him to leave!

A Good Time was had by all... we'll have to go again next year!

Packing Up

The view from here..