Stinson Family

Vantine Craft

2012-02-10T10:01:00.000-08:00

Thank You Mammie! We had a blast making these today. Abby has already started thinking of what her craft will be tomorrow :)

Preschool

2012-02-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Abigail loves doing her school work. Thank you Grammie Jan for the desk and chair. She loves putting her school papers, crayons, and pencils in it.

Changing the Oil

2012-01-27T13:08:00.000-08:00

Abby and I came home today and discovered Daddy's truck in the garage. Abby rushed inside to change her clothes and go and join Daddy. She loves being able to help and work on things with him.

Picnic

2012-01-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

Abby has been asking a lot lately to go camping. So Daddy made a foiled dinner for her tonight and they ate outside. She was all smiles. Here are some pictures from their dinner.

Winter has Arrived

2012-01-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

It was snowing when we woke up this morning. Abby wanted to go right out and play in it. Here are some pictures of our first snow. Snow angels and all :) Thanks for looking!

New Nightgown

2012-01-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

Abby has been begging me for weeks to make her a new nightgown. So I thought I would help her feel better and make her one today. She is soo excited for it being all done. Can you guess what she will be wearing to bed tonight?

Park

2012-01-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

Santa brought Abby a new scooter for Christmas and she has been riding it up and down the hallway. We decide to go to the park today and take it for a spin. She loved it. Here are some pictures. Side note Abby picked out her own outfit :)

New tire swing

2012-01-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

Josiah put up a motorcycle tire swing for Abby and she loves it. Since it is 65 and sunny today we decided to play outside for a bit :)

We hope where ever you are today that your having a great day too!

St Louis

2011-07-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

We decided to get out of the heat for a day and go to the museums in St. Louis. We stopped in china town first and had some really good food :) Then we headed to the Art Museum.

Abby was starting to get tired of walking around. She got a little break. We headed next to the Science Museum. Thankfully they are both free. Abby enjoyed the science one the best.

How much it would costs for Abby to go to outer space.

Lau went with us as well. It is nice to have someone translate for us at the restaurant. He is great company too!

St. Louis Arch, Abby built it a couple of times :)

The ending to a perfect day. We went to the cheesecake factory for dessert after the museums. I wasn't able to eat the whole thing.

Thank you Grammie Donna

2011-07-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week Abby received a big package from our UPS man. She loves packages, here is what was inside. She wanted to take a bunch of pictures with it for all to see.

Abby's First Dirt Bike Ride

2011-07-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

Starting out

Daddy helping her to get going

Making sure the footing is right

All smiles, Daddy can we go again?

Easter and some quilts

2011-07-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Abby in her new Easter outfit.

Snow?

2011-03-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Abigail was the happiest little girl this morning. She woke up and saw all the snow. Daddy couldn't get her into her snow gear fast enough. I would rather have some nice warm weather. Hard for me to believe it was 84 a week ago.

Abby's rooms makeover

2011-03-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

Aunt Amanda came for a visit and gave Abby a whole new room. Abby just loves her new room! As soon as anyone walks in the door she drags them down to her room to show it off.

THANK YOU Aunt Amanda!

Abby and Aunt Amanda colored the pictures on the wall.

It was hard for us to leave Aunt Amanda at the airport this morning. On the way home Abby kept asking when is she coming back. We can't wait to see you again :)

Kitchen Makeover Stage Two

2011-03-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

Almost done the kitchen. Here are some pictures of what we have finished. I will post some more photos as I get the rest done. Thank You, Amanda for everything!

A day out!

2011-02-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we decided to go to the pool. Abby loved it, she hated it when we had to go. Afterwards Josiah treated us to Korean food. It was really good.

Tangled

2011-02-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I took Abby and Brit to the movies. This was Abby's first movie at the theater. She loved it! Before the movie they did the National Anthem, one of the many perks to seeing the movie on post.

Abigail doesn't want to miss anything :)

Enjoying her popcorn and soda!

Kitchen Makeover Stage One

2011-02-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

Abby is helping me get the kitchen ready for the makeover. Here she is being a big helper. We hope to have it all off by the time Aunt Amanda comes to helps us do the decorating. We can't wait for her visit!

Abby's Hair

2011-01-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

Abigail hates to have her hair brushed. The little monsters come and put lots of knots in it, so we decided to cut it. Abby had Daddy cut it for her. We all love the new length and the best part is the little monsters haven't been around much anymore :)

Winter Fun

2011-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

Abby and I went outside today and played in the snow. Thankfully it warmed up enough to help make the snow sticky for a snowman. She loves playing in the snow and cries every time it leaves.

Abby wanted to be holding hands :)

Abby holding her baby, she carried it around the whole hour we were outside.

December snowman

Abby loves it when Daddy comes outside to play. They had a blast building and put the snowman together!

Just Some Pics

2010-11-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures that were taken this past week or so.

It's been cold these last couple of days but still Abigail insists on going outside. Thank you cousin Cameron for the new jacket!:

Spending time with her best friend Liberty:

Practicing her photography:

Here she is showing her independence and insisting on helping me clean my shop. I sweep the dirt into a pile and then she comes along and vacuums it up. I should have taken a picture of her organizing her work bench after I cleaned mine. It's funny how kids try to copy the things that we do.

Our Cutie

2010-11-19T20:03:00.000-08:00

Sarah and Abigail returned from their trip to Maine so I was able to retrieve the camera in order to blog (I don't do anything too interesting that would be blog worthy). Here's some of Abby.

Not too impressed with Dad:

Getting up close and personal:

Another one of her self potraits:

Here is a documentary that she made about lunch time with Mommy:

She's such a cutie!

Abby's Pictures

2010-10-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

When Abigail was trying to take pictures of the horses (see Post below) the camera kept saying 'low battery'. My first thought was "oh great, she must have left the camera on because those are new batteries." It wasn't until we got home and I was downloading the few pictures that I was able to take that I realized that we have a young photographer in the making. I found close to a hundred pictures and several videos that she's taken in about a week's span. Most of the pictures include a finger or two but I did find a few decent ones that I thought that people would enjoy.

Here she's trying a self photo shoot (she has over a dozen of these types);

A good one of Daryl;

Not sure why the closet;

And one of me when we were making chocolate and banana milk;

She had quite a few pictures of Sarah but last time I shared one without her permission my tool allowance got cut drastically. It's fun to see her get all excited about taking pictures and since it's Sarah's old camera we're not worried about her breaking it (Sarah told me that it was broken so we got her a new one. Hmmm, I wonder how "broken" it really was?? ;)

Sunday Pictures

2010-10-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Abigail and I are recovering from colds so we skipped church (so we wouldn't get the other kids sick too). We watched some movies and went for a ride on the motorcycle down to our neighbor's house to see his horses. He's a great neighbor and lets us feed his horses carrots and pears and even put Abby on the back of one. When we were getting ready to go see the horses Abigail grabbed her camera and wanted to bring it along. Good thinking Abby!

Here is the picture that she took;

Here are some of her with them;

She has gotten a lot braver although one did startle her when he nibble her fingers. Abby told me that she now wants a horse. I keep telling her that we have iron horses in the garage and workshop and those are enough.

Trip to Maine Pics

2010-10-08T16:46:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm back home safe and sound. Thanks to those that let me crash at their houses and sorry to those that I didn't get a chance to see. The main reason for going back home was to visit my grandpa who isn't doing so well. I probably should have waited until they went down to Florida for the winter but I didn't. I experienced the Maine fall with all of its colors and cool weather. I also experienced quite a bit of rain. Altogether I put on an additional 3400 miles +/- on the bike.

Here's Franconia Notch, NH. One of the nice riding days.

Riding around New Vineyard, ME.

My cute niece.

It was a great trip. Hmmmm, where should I go next year?

More Pics

2010-09-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

Abigail loves being outdoors. Trying to keep her inside is nearly impossible especially since we have a pretty large family of frogs around. She wanted to go outside one rainy afternoon but mommy said "no". Then she asked me after I got home from work. I told her "why not, don't you have rain gear?" (I might have gotten into a little bit of trouble from Sarah.) She ran to the closet put them on (with a little help) and ran outside. It was fun to watch as she splashed in the puddles and walked under the eves to feel the huge rain drops hit her umbrella.

Sarah and Abigail went to Ft Riley, KS to help out a friend who was having surgery. She was too cute in her stretchy pants and sunglasses:

Notice her babies all buckled up in the seat next to her:

A friend posted on Facebook about how FB was using their software to tap into our brains so Abigail and I quickly protected ourselves. We didn't have any tinfoil so we had to make due with what we had:

Don't worry about us, all brains cells survived! Thanks Marie for the heads up. We do get some odd looks from our house guests when we sit down to the computer and don our tinfoil hats. Ya gotta be careful!

Female Brownie Point System

2010-09-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

The female demerit point system:
In the world of romance, one single rule applies; make her happy. Do something she likes, you get points. Do something she dislikes, you lose points.

You don't get points for doing something she expects you to do. Sorry, that's the nature of the game. Here is a short list of ways to get points or lose them:

SIMPLE DUTIES
You make the bed (+1)
You make the bed, but without the decorative pillow (0)
You throw the bedspread over the rumpled sheet (-1)
You go out to get her something she wants (+5), in the rain (+8)
But you stopped at a bike shop (-5)
You check out a suspicious noise (+1)
You check out a suspicious noise but it's nothing (0)
You check out a suspicious noise and it was something (+5)
You pummel it with your baseball bat (+10)
It's her pet (-20)

SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS
You stay by her side the entire party (0)
You stay by her side for awhile but decide to chat with an old school friend (-2)
Named Tina (-10)
Who has had "enhancements" (-80)

HER BIRTHDAY
You take her out to dinner (+2)
You take her out to dinner and it's not a sports bar (+3)
Okay, it's a sports bar (-2)
And it's all-you-can-eat night (-3)
It's a sports bar, and it's all-you-can-eat night, and your face is painted your favorite team's colors (-10)

A NIGHT OUT
You take her out to a movie (+1)
You take her out to a movie that she likes (+3)
You take her to a movie that you hate (+6)
You take her to a movie that you like (-2)
It has machine guns and explosions (-3)
You lied and said that it was a foreign film about orphans (-15)

YOUR PHYSIQUE
You develop a noticeable potbelly (-15)
You develop a noticeable potbelly and exercise to lose it (+10)
You develop a noticeable potbelly and resort to baggy sweatpants and baggy Hawaiian shirts (-30)
You say "it doesn't matter, you have one too." (-8000)

THE BIG QUESTION
She asks, "Do I look fat?" (-5) (Yes, you lose points no matter what)
You hesitate while responding (-10)
You reply, "Where?" (-35)
Any other response (-20)

COMMUNICATION
When she wants to talk about a problem, you listen, displaying what looks like a concerned expression (0)
You listen for over 30 minutes (+50)
You listen for over 30 minutes without looking at the tv (+500)
She realizes this is because you fell asleep (-4000)

*Stole this from the internet* Good thing this isn't for real. I'm seriously in the negative numbers.

Our Little Helper

2010-09-06T15:12:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like having an eager little helper that insists on helping out with the chores. Feeding the dogs, putting out bird food, cooking, vacuuming, mowing the lawn, are just some of the things that she likes to help with. Usually we're too busy trying to make sure that she doesn't break something or harms herself to take pictures but I was able to sneak these.

Today was pajama day for her and Sarah but she decided to water mom's flowers for her:

The sidewalk got rinsed off too:

Also, as I was uploading pictures, I had to stop and close one of the windows because she decided that the house needed to be washed too. I'm going to save these pictures and remind her of what a great helper she was when she gets to be a teenager and refuses to do her chores.

One of Abby's favorite things to do is to help me mow the lawn. The problem that usually occurs is that she wants to drive. She is getting better but still doesn't drive in too straight of a line. It's more like a weave down the lawn. We have had a few close calls and almost ran over a shrub or two (and narrowly missed crashing into the workshop). Her other favorite thing to do on the lawnmower is fall asleep. If it's any time in the afternoon, about 30 minutes of riding around knocks her out. I really need to get a picture of her because one of my favorite pictures of my grandpa and I is of me sitting on his lap, fast asleep while he's mowing the lawn at my parent's house. I'm not sure why this occurs but next baby we get that doesn't fall asleep at night is getting a ride around the lawn. SORRY NEIGHBORS!

The Workshop and Crafts

2010-08-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

Most of you have read that I enjoy spending my free time working on my motorcycles out in the workshop. You have also read that Abigail also enjoys spending time out in the workshop, which I encourage. Well, my workshop has started to exhibit signs that a little girl enjoys spending time with me out there. This weekend Sarah let Abby get her stamp and ink set out and somehow it made it way to my workshop and onto my bike table. It was funny to see her with her ear muffs on, stamping away while I was using the grinder. We also have babies, pink balloons, and other girlie items out there too.

Here's my bike table now:

Her princess cereal bowl that suddenly appeared out there:

Taking time out from stamping to work on the bike:

Who else has such a diverse workshop? (The baby is what started it all. I allowed the baby a few weeks ago and now she's moved her arts and crafts out there. I am drawing the line to having curtains, a sewing machine, or knitting in the workshop. I need to keep it on the manly side in order to keep the testosterone flowing.)

Abigail also enjoys helping her mommy in the kitchen. Here they are with their matching aprons baking up a storm:

Swimming

2010-08-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Abby loves going to the pool and the splash park.

Child Labor and Things

2010-08-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

The past couple of months have been fairly busy for the Stinson family. I do apologize for not keeping the blog updated and after much heckling from the peanut gallery here are a few photos that capture a bit of what has been happening.

This past weekend I've had my head under the hood of both of our vehicles and ordered new tires for the Harley. I was lucky to have the car trouble happen over a four day weekend, although I did end up getting called back to work to "dispose" of a few items. Of course wherever I was, my little helper was right beside me. I finally decided that maybe I should put her to work and take a break myself. I let her borrow some wrenches, gave her the manual, and sat down in the chair to enjoy some lemonade. As long as I keep the freezer stocked with popsicles and a box of fruit snacks in the cupboard she's a happy worker. We got the truck finished tonight and tomorrow we'll tackle the van. She wanted to take the truck for the test drive but Sarah put a stop to that. (Mother's, always ruining a good thing.)

She wasn't happy about the bedtime tonight so hopefully she doesn't go on strike tomorrow.

Here's a picture of Abby playing some putt-putt up in Maine. She's not very good at it. We need to work on the whole hand-eye/swinging a club coordination. Sarah did say that Abigail had a lot of fun doing it.

Okay, so you might be wondering why we're lacking photos of Abigail lately. Well the cute two, almost three year old has now gotten camera shy (she likes to pretend to be to get more attention). Here's evidence:

Sometimes we have to bribe her or I have to chase her around the house to get a picture of her. Now that I'm at the end of the blog I just realize that I don't have that picture posted. Look for that one later in the week. It was a cute 4th of July outfit (yes, I realize that it is August).

Fourth of July

2010-07-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

Abby loved the fireworks this year. Aunt Mikhaela joined in on the fun this year. We had a great day and hope you did too!

Our new pets

2010-05-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

Abigail loves it when the cows come over for a visit! She will stand outside for hours or until they make there way home. We love living in the country!

Playground with the Brown's

2010-05-25T19:52:00.001-07:00

We went to the playground and had an awesome time. Abby can't wait to go back again! We are soo thankful that the Brown's joined us.

PJ bottoms

2010-05-23T09:04:00.001-07:00

I have really been enjoying myself in making pj bottoms. Here are some of the ones I have made. Abby loves being able to pick out material for it.

Abby wanted to make some for her cousins!

Music Time

2010-05-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

Abby and I went to music class on Monday and this was about the only part she joined in on. She loves her bubbles. We maybe buying one of these bubble machines.

Bowling

2010-05-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

On friday we went as a family Bowling with Josiah's company. Abby really enjoys it. She came in second place with the other children her first game and first place her second game :)

Daddy look!

The Zoo

2010-04-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Saturday that I was traveling back from Colorado Sarah took Abigail to the St. Louis Zoo. It's a pretty good zoo with quite a few animals. You can't complain when it's free! You do have to pay a small fee if you want to go into the petting area or park in the zoo's parking lot but it still makes for a pretty cheap day out. Abby loved seeing all of the animals and told me all about them when they got home. She was disappointed that the monkeys weren't in their cages but really enjoyed seeing the alligator and hippo.

Here are a few of the pictures from their adventure:

Motorcycle Momma!

2010-04-24T01:24:00.001-07:00

While Sarah was taking her motorcycle safety course, Abigail and I spent some good quality time together. We clocked quite a few hours on the riding lawn mower taking care of a few chores, watched a little tv, and spent a lot of time outdoors. Toby and Daryl enjoyed the added attention too. On the two riding days of the course, I brought the motorcycle on post so that meant early days for Abby. To reward her we spent some time on the cool playgrounds that are on post. We had our pick of over a dozen but we chose the one close to where Sarah was riding in order to spy on her. Here are some pics;

Of course Abigail was all excited when we saw a squirrel running around next to the playground. They get HUGE here on post where food is plentiful and shooting them is frowned upon. You can't really blame them. Would you want a bunch of redneck soldiers running around post with .22's, capping squirrels?

It was all fun and games until we saw a bug on the handrail. Daddy had to squish it before play could resume.

Of course baby had to enjoy the playground too. I didn't feel the need to share pictures of Abby tossing her baby in the air like I do to her. I thought that it might scare some people. Needless to say, Abigail needs to practice her catching and she's going to be supervised at all times when we get a new 'little one'.

Yay! We made it to the bottom! I kept having to explain to her that Daddy is too fat to get on the playground with her. It was probably her way of determining if the equipment was safe or not. If fat Daddy could play on it, then she would be all set.

Climbing around. She loved the monkey bars and the sliding hanging thing-a-ma-jig that was there too. Those I did play on and tried to teach her a few climbing techniques like heel hooking. We're still practicing but watch out here in a few years, (maybe 8), we'll get her to some rock climbing competitions.

I was forbidden to hang out at the motorcycle range and take pictures of Sarah while she was riding. She thought that I would make her more nervous. Abby and I had to use some of my Army training and sneak some pictures of her riding. (She's the middle motorcycle.) I learned a few things while doing this. One, groundskeepers are very nosy, especially when you're hiding in a shrub. Two, two year olds aren't very good at being sneaky. Three, if I'm going to go into the spying business full time I'm going to have to buy a better camera.

Here she is again! (Middle motorcycle.)

If she hasn't called you, or if you didn't catch it on Facebook, Sarah passed! Watch out world! We still have some practicing to do but she learned a lot from the course. The instructors were very impressed and she out did a few of the guys too. When she gets back from Texas she goes for her license and we start taking little trips up and down the roads. Don't worry, we'll be safe. The big town of Dixon where we live is very biker friendly (population 1,500 people).

Yes, Another Motorcycle

2010-04-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you might have already heard the rumors that we have another addition to the family. Yes, it's true. I've picked up another motorcycle. Some might call it an addiction but I call it... hmmmm, well, I don't know what to call it. I just figured that we needed a motorcycle so we could put a sidecar on it for Abigail and this one showed up on craigslist for a good price. Now to browse for a sidecar.

I was taking the carseat out of the truck and Abby wanted to get in. I let her climb in and went to put the carseat in the van. When I returned to the truck here she was behind the wheel.

She promptly told me to buckle up and then asked me for the keys. When I asked her where we were going she informed me "Sesame Street!". Needlessly to say, I decided against letting her drive and took her for a ride on the motorcycle instead.

It's Spring!

2010-04-02T10:58:00.001-07:00

It's official! Spring is here. The weather is beautiful, the grass is green, the birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and I mowed the lawn today. I've seen Facebook updates of people receiving some springtime snow fall and all I can say is "Glad it's you and not me!" I've enjoyed taking the motorcycle to work and not have to put on five layers to stay warm. Here are a few pictures of our adorable daughter.

We told her to go put her pajamas on:

Since we were outside, Abigail had to get in her swing:

We're glad that the warmer weather is here. We'll see what happens when the rain starts up.

Visting with the Towne's

2010-03-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

The past couple of weeks we have been in Kanas. We all had a great time with the Towne family. While Josiah was in Class Abby and I went to the Zoo. Abby loves the animals, just not too sure about feeding them.
Abby's favorite part was the monkeys. The picture below he was very active into everything. He even started break danceing at one point :)

All the rugrats!

They kept a good eye on Abby, we all had a great day.

Josiah was able to join us all the times we went swimming. Even with the pool freezing Abby still didn't want to get out. Thank you soo much for a great couple of weeks. Can't wait to do it again :)

Updated at Last!

2010-03-08T18:46:00.001-08:00

Finally an update! We're (I'm) really sorry for not posting for awhile. It's been a busy month. I've been taking a chemistry class (finals were last week, I got an 'A' in the class), we're in Kansas for military training, and we've been working on paperwork for adopting another child. Here's some pictures of what's been going on;

How many headbands are needed to calm Abigail's wild hair?

Showing off her pretty smile:

Chilling on the computer (Abby taking the picture):

Some of the snow that use to be in our yard:

Trying on some of daddy's clothes:

Being cute as usual:

We'll have some more pictures to post when we get back to Missouri in a few days.

Bird Houses

2010-02-09T05:39:00.000-08:00

During my two weeks of leave, Abigail and I decided to build a bird house. She was a great little helper. She sanded the pieces after I cut them and then helped me screw them together. We put down some paper on Sarah's craft table down cellar and got to painting. Here are some pics of our event:

Here's our finished project:

Not too bad for our first bird house, especially with minimal tools. We probably shouldn't open a craft store quite yet but some relatives might find them in their mailboxes as gifts this spring/summer.

Breakfast Time

2010-01-26T09:29:00.001-08:00

Sarah and I woke up this morning to the smell and sounds of breakfast being made. We both looked at each other in puzzlement wondering if a stranger was in our kitchen. She pushed me out of bed and made me go look. Much to my surprise I found this:

Just kidding. Abigail helped me to make breakfast for Sarah this morning. She was very insistent in doing as much as possible. I do have to say that she's being more careful with the eggs after last time (a couple of them died without making it to the frying pan).

Here's her smile once again:

Here's where we would have had a picture of Sarah eating her breakfast in bed:

Alas, she threatened to shoot me if I took one of her. (She knows where I hide the bullets so I don't think that I will press my luck). Just picture Sarah in her princess pajamas sitting in bed with a fried egg sandwich, sausage, and orange juice.

Post More Videos People!

2010-01-20T17:00:00.001-08:00

Seriously, we need more friends and family to post videos on their blogs. Look what was accomplished while Abigail watched her cousins Ada and Roarke:

Braids!! I couldn't believe that I was able to brush and braid her hair with minimal complaints. It was just shy of a miracle.

It's little tricks like allowing her to type on the computer or watch videos that allow us to go through the brushing of the hair. I'm not sure why it's so bad. Brushing hair is just as bad as rinsing shampoo out of her hair and drying off after taking a bath.

It's Winter Time in Missouri

2010-01-09T18:58:00.001-08:00

I know, I know, for the past three years we've been the ones with the winter pictures of us wearing shorts and sandals. We endured the jealous comments that were posted as our family members and friends watched from their homes of snow and ice as we enjoyed playgrounds and temperate weather. We couldn't come home without feeling the resentment from our 'milky white' family and friends of our year round tans. Well everyone, we received our snow storm. Yes, it wasn't a nor'easter but I had to park the motorcycle and start driving the truck.

Just to let everyone know, apparently 3-4 inches of snow is a HUGE deal to these people. Schools and businesses were shut down and work was delayed two hours. People were driving 15 -20 mph under the posted speed limits and there were about a dozen automobile accidents.

Here are a couple of pictures that we took today as we played in the snow:

Yes, that is a strange dog in the pictures. A yellow lab came into our yard and started to play with Toby and Daryl. Seeing how he was a friendly dog Abby and I went outside too. Apparently dumping animals is pretty common in this neighborhood since it's a bit out of the way.

Here's Abigail putting the dogs 'night-night'.

Yes, this is Fred, the yellow lab, in our house. Fred was a little thin and it's pretty cold outside so we decided to give him a place to hang out while we find his owners or find some new owners for him. You can see that he puts up with Abby quite well.

Next week it's suppose to get up into the 50's. Let's hope that it melts the snow so I can bring the motorcycle back out.

End of Year Posting.

2009-12-27T12:27:00.001-08:00

Well, it's just about the end of the year so I have to clean out my pictures off the computer and hunt for new ones. I haven't blogged any funny pics in a while so I hope everyone enjoys these:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas Day!

2009-12-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Abigail, Sarah and I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and say thanks to family and friends for their gifts and generosity. Here are a few of the MANY pictures that we took today.

Abby in her new 'big girl' bed (although we're still weaning off the pacifers). She absolutely loves her bed.:

Abby in her new pj's on Christmas Eve:

The tree all set, waiting for Abigail to wake up:

A new puppy:

A John Deere drill:

My new radio/CD player which will be nice in my workshop:

Sarah with her new laptop:

I built Abby a little workbench to play with when she's out in the workshop with me:

Thanks everyone for the gifts, Abby loves them. It took us 1 1/2 hrs to get through all of the presents because she had to stop and play with each one. We had to coax and bribe her to keep opening gifts. She added two puppies, a baby horse, a baby Elmo, a shopping cart with fake food, keys, and a toy cell phone to her toy collection.

Cute Pictures

2009-12-24T07:12:00.001-08:00

Here are some cute pictures of Abigail.

Here she is in her Christmas dress, ready for church (I don't know how we got her to stand still this time):

Here we are looking for the water filter under the frig:

Here she is taking a nap when she wasn't suppose to (can you guess which parent was watching her? Oooppss.):

Sunday Pictures

2009-12-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

Last week we decided to take some pictures of Abigail in front of the Christmas tree before church. How hard could it be? I mean, all we wanted was ONE nice photo that we could blog and show how adorable our child is. Hmmmmm. Well here are the pictures that we took that Sunday morning:

Look at the camera Abby!

A two year old with attitude?

Come stand over by the Christmas tree!

Fine, we'll take your picture on the couch.

Well, as you can see we took several pictures but none that we would/could send in our Christmas cards. Oh yeah, what could have been a two minute project turned into a 20 minute ordeal and we were nearly late to church. Crazy kid, gotta love them.

Thanksgiving Part III

2009-12-05T17:21:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to be able to blog all 285 pictures that were taken at Thanksgiving so this will probably be the last part. Here's Abby in her tu-tu:

This was the kitchen that Aunt Amanda and Uncle Jeff bought for Abigail that was set up for all of the kids to enjoy while there:

We told her to 'smile' for the camera (notice the chocolate on her face):

Cousin Cameron and Abby:

Thanksgiving Part II

2009-12-02T16:43:00.001-08:00

While we were in PA Sarah had the great idea that she wanted to take Abigail to the Macy Day Parade in NY. The girls woke up at 4:15am and headed for the Big Apple. They ended up at Time Square a few rows of people from the street. Abby loved seeing the balloons, especially the ones that she recognized like the Sesame Street characters.

The poor girl fell asleep at the end of the parade. Waking up early and the whole excitement of seeing new things tuckered her out.

Thanksgiving Part I

2009-11-30T17:18:00.000-08:00

We're back!! The McLaughlin Thanksgiving festival at Aunt Poppity-Anne and Uncle Jeff's house in PA was a HUGE success. The cousins enjoyed playing together, it was great to see Joshua and Shelby and to meet their kiddos, and of course it was nice to see everyone else and spend some time with them. We're not going to talk about the 16 hour car ride that we had to endure with a two year old. (She learned that if she said that she needed to go pee that mom would fly down the interstate to the next rest stop or fast food joint and she would be able to get out of the van). We would like to share some of the pictures that were taken over the course of the week (between the families 285 pictures were taken).

Our family picture:

Coloring with Bumpa:

Having some juice:

The little cousins stayed over night together at Amanda and Jeff's. They were treated to pancakes and sausage for breakfast:

We're very thankful that Amanda and Jeff were willing to host the gathering, we had a great time!

I'll post more pictures this week.

Playing in the Leaves

2009-11-14T10:27:00.001-08:00

Last week we decided to rake up some of the leaves that were accumalating on our lawn. We only have about a dozen trees but they must hold at least a million leaves each. It was a beautiful day, mid 70's, so we enjoyed being outside even if we were doing labor. Abigail caught on quick that I was raking the leaves into big piles and that these piles made for good places to play in.

Here's a picture of her looking for her missing crocs:

Enjoying herself:

Laying down on the job (we used a tarp to transport the leaves to the burn pile and she would catch a ride back and forth):

Here she is all dirty and with leaves stuck in her hair:

We're blessed to have found this house. Even with its flaws the big yard for her and the dogs to play in make the difference.

Family Portraits

2009-11-10T17:05:00.000-08:00

We had our family portrait drawn up to help Abby to start to learn about spelling. Here it is:

Happy Birthday Abigail!

2009-11-08T04:30:00.000-08:00

Our little girl is getting big! It's amazing how much she has grown. The past couple of weeks she has started to say more words and do a few more things on her own. We haven't made friends with anyone that has small children yet so we just enjoyed a little family birthday party. We had pizza for supper, Abby's favorite, with pumpkin pie for dessert. We picked up a few gifts, nothing too fancy, but some things that she would enjoy.

Balloons! She loves balloons:

I love the expression on her face:

Now she has her own water bottle, just like mommy and daddy:

She loves to color and draw.

Which we had to do right away. Needed to test it out:

We bought her a play pen for her babies:

Here she is trying to get in with her baby:

Our sweet little baby is getting older. *sniffle, sniffle. Here comes the terrible two's.

How To Decide If You Need More Shoes...

2009-11-06T18:34:00.001-08:00

I found this on the internet and thought that it might help any one of my sisters or sister-in-laws.

Click the pictures to enlarge them:

You're Welcome.

Halloween and Things

2009-11-01T13:33:00.001-08:00

This was Abigail's first year to do Trick or Treating (or actually, Trunk or Treating). She just loved her flower costume. She was a little apprehensive when it was time to walk up to people and ask for candy. After her she received her first piece of candy she wanted to stop and eat it. When we approached the second person she tried to give her first piece to that guy (maybe she wanted to trade for something better?). By the fifth person she started to get the hang of it. We had a good time seeing how creative people are (which we really aren't).

Here's our little flower:
And our sleeping flower: (The ward had a chili cookoff afterwards and I had volunteered to set up before the activities started. While I was helping out, Abby was running around. We even went to the commisary afterwards which she slept through. She didn't wake up until we got home.)

Today was such a beautiful day that we decided to take Sarah's bike for a spin. Here's my biker chick on her ride:

WATCH OUT DARYL!! Wild woman coming through!:

Abby was fussing that her mother was riding around and that she wasn't. I put her on the bike and we rode around the lawn and then down the driveway. She LOVED it. I guess tomorrow we're shopping for a helmet for her.

To everyone out there; Sarah did great. We're just practicing some basic riding skills until the weather turns cold. This spring Sarah is taking the Motorcycle Safety course that is offered through the Army. Once she takes the course then she can go get her permit and start getting ready for her license.

Does anyone have a sidecar for sale??

Our New House and the Move

2009-10-31T04:49:00.000-07:00

The moment that our offer was accepted on the house we knew that since we were moving ourselves we needed to start packing early. We took our time filling a box here and a box there, packing things that we didn't need or use much. The hard part was that we needed to find places for these boxes. At first we just tucked them in corners of rooms or closets but when we were almost all packed Abigail ended up losing her play area. The actual move went great. Some friends helped us pack and clean and it went pretty quickly. The Silva's watched Abigail the whole day for us. Their little boy was very excited to have a playmate.
The only major hiccup was that Penske was FOUR hours late in getting our truck but hey, what's moving without a few headaches. Here's some pictures;

Abigail helping us label the boxes:

She was really excited about driving:

The trip went pretty smoothly. Abigail was excited that Daryl was riding with her and that helped keep her calm most of the time. Sarah also pointed out every cow, motorcycle and big truck along the way. The top speed of the moving truck was 72 mph so that kept us from getting any tickets (they have a speed limiter in these newer trucks). A friend who moved up here a week before we did came by to help us move the big things off from the truck, which was a big help. One of our first purchases for the new house was an invisible fence for Daryl. After receiving a few shocks he's starting to learn the property boundaries. It has also actually helped to make him a bit more obedient too.

What was the first thing to get hung up in the new house? But of course, the John Deere clock. Thanks Grammie!

What was the second? But of course, the painting that Sarah hates.

After putting up those items we hung pictures in the main part of the house. What a difference. The house is starting to feel like a home when the walls aren't bare.

We would have some nice pictures of the colorful leaves in our trees but it's been windy and rainy this week and the leaves are mostly gone from the trees.

Sea World '09

2009-10-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

I know that we're about a month behind but here are a few of the pictures that we took of our Sea World trip. When we started out to San Antonio we encountered some rain and we thought that the whole trip would be a waste. The clouded skies actually helped out. The air was cooler and the lines were pretty short. It sprinkled a couple of times while we were walking around but nothing too drastic.

Here's Sarah enjoying one of the rides:

Abby and Sarah hanging out at the dolphin tank:

Waiting for Shamu:

We were a little apprehensive since Abby doesn't like to sit and wait but it all worked out. She loved to watch the animals and got really excited when Shamu and friends jumped out of the water. Remember how Abby likes to crawl on the ground and pretend she's a puppy? Well, while walking from an exhibit she laid down on the ground and kicked her legs pretending to be a dolphin or killer whale. She got a few chuckles from passersby. She also tried to run up to every baby stroller that we saw yelling "Baby! Baby!".

When we left to go home we didn't even get out of Sea World's parking lot before Abby fell asleep. I guess the excitement and walking around tuckered her out.

An Update...

2009-10-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

I know that we've talked to most of our family members since arriving here in Missouri. I just wanted to post a few things that has been happening.

We realized that the success rate of unpacking boxes and trying to organize the house with an almost two year old decreases the closer that you approach lunch time or nap time. Also every open box that you are trying to empty will have objects that you took out minutes before, reappear in them.

Today I was down cellar trying to fix the pantry shelves. Abigail was down there with me since Sarah was going to take off to get a few things from the grocery store. I had opened a box of Cheese Nips for her so that she could have a snack. While trying to measure a board I hear "Dadda, all done. Dadda, all done." from Abby. With my back to her I said, "Okay." and I kept on measuring. When she said it to me the second time the parenting 'six sense' started to tingle. I went over to her and noticed that she had dumped out the whole box of crackers around her and was holding up the empty box saying, "Dadda, all done."

Sarah caught Abigail eating Kix off from the floor with Daryl. She loves to pretend that she's a puppy. Of course she usually does it at the most inconvenient time like at Wally World, the Mall, or any other store especially when you're in a hurry.

We've found out that we don't get ANY channels on T.V. with our rabbit ears. So much for wanting to live away from Post. I guess I'll have to follow football season play by play on NFL.com and yell at the computer.

We finally put up Abby's swing. Out of our dozen trees that we have only ONE has branches suitable for the swing. Of course it's half way across the front lawn. At least we have a front lawn.

The workshop is quite nice. I have a shed where the lawn mower and yard tools will go. The garage portion is big enough to fit MANY motorcycles.

Abby's vocabulary is getting bigger. Of course her still has her favorite words but when prompted she'll say a few more. The other day she was saying a word but I wasn't quite getting it. Of course you try to say things that sound like what she's saying and she'll tell you if you got it or not. At first I got all proud because I thought she was trying to say 'Army' but after about ten minutes of this Sarah came to my rescue. "She's trying to say 'Emily'." Sarah said, explaining that they talked to her and Cameron earlier that day.

Once we get our camera batteries recharged we'll take some pictures of Abigail and the house. On Monday the Army is giving me ten days of free leave to set the house up. By then Sarah will get tired of me and push me to go back to work.

Sneak Peek of two year pics

2009-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Doll Face :)
Soo scared of the photographer, but looking soo cute :)

Our little show girl!

We have more to come, just waiting to get our cd. Stay tuned for more pictures of our soon to be two year old princess.

Random Pictures

2009-10-05T14:45:00.001-07:00

I found these pictures on Sarah's camera. I'm not sure where they were taken but I'm sure that people don't really care as long as Abigail is in them.

Toting around Mama's purse:

Next best thing to babies, PUPPIES!!:

Looking pretty in her chair:

Sarah wrote about Abby hanging out in the bucket:

Just looking pretty:

Playing on the playground which also had water to play in:

A Couple of Milestones...

2009-09-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

Many of you know that we've been potty training Abigail for a few months now. Well this week has been a great week for us. Abby has met some normal childhood milestones. Sunday she went to church without a diaper and did great. She let us know when she needed to use the bathroom and didn't have any accidents. Today she went to the bathroom all by herself (she told Sarah "Out!" and refused any help). Also Daddy taught Abby the proper way to wear underwear:

These are her new 'Puppy' underwear that she just has to wear. Luckily they come in a pack of six.

She also has learned how to put deodarant on. Whenever we're in the bathroom she has to get into the closet and get one of my sticks of deodarant. She first helps me put it on and then applies it to her armpits. At least she's not going to be one of those stinky kids. Although, is it bad that my daughter smells like Old Spice?

My Bike

2009-09-19T15:48:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to show off my bike a little. I've made a couple of changes since buying it.

More Fun

2009-09-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

Fall Classes for Women at
THE ADULT LEARNING CENTER
REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED
by October 1, 2009
NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVELOF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM.

Class 1
Up in Winter, Down in Summer - How to Adjust a ThermostatStep by Step, with Slide Presentation.
Meets 4 wks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hrs beginning at 7:00 PM..

Class 2
Which Takes More Energy - Putting the Toilet Seat Down, or Complaining About It for 3 Hours?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3
Is It Possible To Drive Past a Wal-Mart Without Stopping?--Group Debate.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4
Fundamental Differences Between a Purse and a Suitcase--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5
Curling Irons--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Bathroom Cabinet?
Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginningat 7:00 PM

Class 6
How to Ask Questions During Commercials and Be Quiet During the Program.
Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7
Can a Bath Be Taken Without 14 Different Kinds of Soaps and Shampoos?
Open Forum.
Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8
Health Watch--They Make Medicine for PMS - USE IT!
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9
I Was Wrong and He Was Right!--Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined.

Class 10
How to Parallel Park In Less Than 20 Minutes Without an Insurance Claim.
Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11
Learning to Live--How to Apply Brakes Without Throwing Passengers Through the Windshield.
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12
How to Shop by Yourself.
Meets 4 wks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering To Take a List To The Store, Avoiding Separate Trips for Each Item Needed.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14
The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used. Live Demonstration.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

Something Fun

2009-09-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

State Mottos:

Alabama: Heck Yes, We Have Electricity
Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong!
Arizona: But It's A Dry Heat
Arkansas: Literacy Ain't Everything
California: By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic Than Your Honda
Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother
Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, Only The Kennedy's Don't Own It Yet
Delaware: We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our Water
Florida: Ask Us About Our Grandkids
Georgia: We Put The "Fun" In Fundamentalist Extremism
Hawaii: Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru (Death To Mainland Scum, Leave Your Money)
Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes ... Well Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Are Real Good
Illinois: Please Don't Pronounce the "S"
Indiana: 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free
Iowa: We Do Amazing Things With Corn
Kansas: First Of The Rectangle States
Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names
Louisiana: We're Not ALL Drunken Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism Campaign
Maine: We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster
Maryland: If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It
Massachusetts: Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's (For Most Tax Brackets)
Michigan: First Line Of Defense From The Canadians
Minnesota: 10,000 Lakes... And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes
Mississippi: Come And Feel Better About Your Own State
Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work
Montana: Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-wing Crazies, and Little Else
Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest
Nevada: Prostitutes and Poker!
New Hampshire: Go Away And Leave Us Alone
New Jersey: You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here!
New Mexico: Lizards Make Excellent Pets
New York: You Have The Right To Remain Silent; You Have The Right To an Attorney
North Carolina: Tobacco Is A Vegetable
North Dakota: We Really Are One Of The 50 States!
Ohio: At Least We're Not Michigan
Oklahoma: Like The Play, Only No Singing
Oregon: Spotted Owl... It's What's For Dinner...
Pennsylvania: Cook With Coal
Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island
South Carolina: Remember The Civil War? We Didn’t Actually Surrender
South Dakota: Closer Than North Dakota
Tennessee: The Educashun State
Texas: Si' Hablo Ing'les (Yes, I Speak English)
Utah: Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus
Vermont: Yep
Virginia: Who Says Government Stiffs And Slack jaw Yokels Don't Mix?
Washington: Help! Nerds And Slackers Overrun Us!
Washington, D.C.: Wanna Be Mayor?
West Virginia: One Big Happy Family... Really!
Wisconsin: Come Cut The Cheese
Wyoming: Where Men Are Men ... and The Sheep Are Scared

*copied from another site*

New Addition to the Family!

2009-09-09T15:28:00.000-07:00

My Harley just got a baby brother. Sarah said that she wanted to learn how to ride so I found and purchased a little 250cc Honda Rebel. Now she just needs to get a helmet and sign up for a Motorcycle Safety class. My wife is going to be a Biker Chick. You better watch out.

Finally Another Post

2009-08-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Yeah! Finally we post some more pictures of our adorable Abigail. We're sorry that we've been so terrible. We're starting to get into the groove of the extra stress that homework brings into the house. When I'm not working or doing homework I try to spend time with Abby and Sarah. Abigail is starting to learn how to ride her tricycle but it's still a little too big for her. I need to get a welder and make some mods so that she'll have the coolest chopped tricycle on the block. How about some ape hanger handlebars?

Here she is helping me change over my uniform (everything is velcroed on nowadays, no more sewing) :

Heading to the pool with our 'cool' kid:

She's now swimming by herself in her floating swimsuit:

Trying to teach her to use her arms and not just to kick (sometimes she starts to swim in tight circles):

The pool has a nice little water area to play in:

Abby loves the water and she keeps getting braver and braver. She starting to learn how to blow bubbles in the water and doesn't mind getting dunked once in awhile. At home she has learned how to turn the shower nozzle on and will stand underneath it on her own.

Busy Little Bees

2009-08-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Wow!! I think that I'm getting too old for school work. My unit decided that 11 of us needed to attend a two week, 80 hour HAZMAT class. We're there from 9am to 5pm with an hour for lunch poring over books of codes and regulations used in the transportation of Hazardous material. If you think that reading your refrigerator manual is boring, try reading some of this stuff. Luckily, for the most part, they just cover codes that you most likely would use and you highlight and tab them for later reference. The tabs come in handy for the test.

I scored a 93% on the two part test that we took this week so I guess I didn't miss too much during those times that I spaced out. Not to brag but us EOD guys finish first on the tests and practicals. (And no, we don't cheat.) I guess after seven months of EOD school we're use to taking tests.

Oh, and did I tell you that my online college courses started this week too? Yes, after 10 years since the last college course I took, I've decided to further my education. I probably didn't pick a good time since we're also moving to Missouri in October. I just finished one of my online exams and scored a 95% and we're having a pretty good discussion in the Religion 101 class. (Ask me sometime about Joe and his volcano named Ed.) I'm feeling a little better after taking these tests this week. Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Sarah and Abigail took off to Ft Leonard Wood to scout out houses. We might have found one, cross your fingers, but we're not 100% yet. House hunting has been quite a chore and a stressor for us.

So, if you're looking for new pictures or something funny you'll have to wait until Monday. Tomorrow I'm going on a bike ride and then I have to set up an EOD display in the afternoon for families to see. (I'll have a robot, a bomb suit, and a Barrett .50 cal rifle on display.)

Back From Detroit

2009-08-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

My job sent two of us to Detroit for a few days and we were lucky enough to be able to explore quite a bit in walking distance. This was my first time going there and we had a great time. We were put up in the Marriot which is the next tower over from the GM tower. 72 floors of hotel rooms, conference rooms, ballrooms, restaurants, and shops kept us trying hard to not get lost (which happened a few times). At the bottom of these towers there's even a Chevy car dealership sporting all of the new cars. Here's some pictures of the area:

From my hotel window on the 12th floor:

From the ground floor looking up at one of the towers:

Canada: (I forgot that Detroit was so close to Canada. Too bad we forgot to bring our passports.)

An old church: (They had several from different denominations that were built in the 1800's.)

Why were we sent to Detroit? To scout out the competition for the Red Soxs:

Actually, part of our job is to support the U.S. Secret Service. VP Biden was in Detroit for a conference about renewable energy cars so we were tasked to help out with his security. They did send us up there a day early so we were able to sightsee and take in a baseball game. There were so many small deli's and restaurants it was hard to choose where to eat each meal. I would defiantly have to work out harder there. Alas, we had to go home and back to the office. There's some great history in that old city and it was fun to experience some of it.

Sunday Pics

2009-08-02T16:41:00.001-07:00

I was able to put pig tails in Abigail's hair today. By the time that we came home from church one came out. She's wearing a dress that Aunt Emily bought her.

Thank you Aunt Emily!

Albuquerque, New Mexico

2009-07-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm over here in Albuquerque, New Mexico attending an electronics course for the week. The class is on Kirtland AFB which hosts a lot of civilian contractors doing brainiac sort of things for the government, Air Force personnel, and just a few Army people. I'm not a big electronics geek so this class has been a great refresher and I've learned some new cool stuff. An added bonus is that my uniform for the week has been khakis and a dress shirt.

After class today we drove up into Sandia Park which gave an incredible view of the area. There isn't much water, compared to New England, but the mountains and trees make it a nice area to visit. Here are a few of the pictures:

Random Pics

2009-07-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

I gave Abigail a handtowel to wipe her hands off while eating some mac and cheese. A few minutes later this is how we found her:

I'm not sure what she was trying to accomplish. Maybe she was concerned about getting it in her hair or needed the towel out of the way and her head was handy place to put it? Who knows with kids.

For all of you that were concerned about me turning Abby into a tom-boy here's a couple of pics of her taking her baby for a spin.

Hopefully in a couple of years she'll be taking her babies for a spin on her dirt bike (hehehe).

My Swimmer's Farmer's Tan...

2009-07-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

This morning while I was shaving before heading off to work I noticed in the mirror that I have quite a weird tan going on this year. Almost everyone in the shop has the "reverse raccoon" eyes going on from wearing sunglasses so much outside. I also enjoy being outdoors so I usually sport the farmer's tan all year long. Since my profession doesn't involve me showing myself off like a professional bodybuilder or model I'm not too concerned with the tanned arms and head and white torso. If anyone points it out I just mention that I'm a working man and that I don't have time to go to the salon and use a tanning bed or spend hours at the beach. My farmer's tan was going beautiful until I started swimming with one of the guys who is training to compete in a tri-athalon.

We've been hitting the pool a couple times a week and switched to an outdoor pool. Also the first couple of weeks back from Iraq I only worked an hour or two a day so Sarah and I were taking Abby to the pool almost daily. Thanks to my new outdoor fitness program I now have the Swimmer's Farmer's Tan. I have a dark tan on my arms and head, a light tan on my back, and a white chest and stomach. I think that I might need to learn the back stroke to even it out.

Pretty Dress

2009-07-16T14:15:00.001-07:00

YEAH!! We're back online with some new pics! Here's Abby sporting her new dress from Aunt Poppity-Ann.

Thank You!!

Please Excuse Me...

2009-07-13T15:11:00.001-07:00

I think that I'm having bouts of Alzheimer's. I've been misplacing things since I've come back from Maine. I can't find my cord to hook my camera up to the computer so I can't upload any of the pics that we've been taking. Just bear with us while I keep looking or find something to fix the problem.

Thanks.

Daddy Daughter Bonding...

2009-07-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was looking at motorcycles on a website that I frequent when I found a video from YouTube that one of the guys posted. It showed a guy on a Harley pulling a wheelie. Abby came by the computer and when she saw the motorcycle she had to get up on my lap and look at it. We spent the next half hour watching various Harleys pull wheelies and doing burnouts. She kept pointing at the screen saying "Dadda, Dadda". I explained that yes, they have a motorcycle like mine but daddy doesn't do wheelies on his.

Move over newborn baby pics, Abby enjoys looking at motorcycles too (which I enjoy MUCH better).

For anyone who is interested in watching a couple of the videos:

It's going to be fun when she's big enough to go for a ride. Right now we sit on the bike and I walk it back and forth under the carport.

More Pictures

2009-07-03T07:32:00.001-07:00

Well I made a goof. When we went up to Maine I left my camera's battery charger home on my dresser. We ended up grabbing a disposable camera to take the rest of the pictures but they didn't come out that great.

Blowing bubbles with Heidi and Abby:

Abby hanging out in Uncle Aaron's truck:

At the 4-H exhibit up at the Farmington Fairgrounds with Jessica and Heidi. We saw sheep, goats, cow, steer, horses and chickens. Abby enjoyed the smaller animals but was a little scared of the larger ones.

We really enjoyed our time with family and it was hard to leave them to go back to Texas.

Motivational Posters...

2009-06-28T08:23:00.001-07:00

Here's a few posters that I thought that people would enjoy.

You ALWAYS have to be ready for the Zombies!!

More Pics of the Trip

2009-06-25T12:39:00.001-07:00

Anyone who has taken a road trip with an active toddler will attest that it's not the easiest thing to do. Abigail did a great job. We took a few books, some toys, and pointed out every motorcycle, cow, or dog from Texas to Maine. I rode in the back next to her most of the way while Sarah drove (she gets car sick). I'm not sure who had the tougher job; her negotiating busy roads and confusing signs or me, trying to feed, entertain, and sometimes calm down Abigail. It all worked out and we concluded that we could possibly do that trip again (much to the excitement of our families). We're really glad that Fort Leonard Wood puts us ten hours closer to New England.

Abby dozed off much to the delight of her parents (I got to read my motorcycle magazine and Sarah could drive in peace):

Visiting Pepere:

Here are some stats from the trip;

Number of times Abby insisted on me doing "This little piggy went to the market" on her toes: about a million.

Number of times that Josiah received the "evil eye" stare from Sarah in the rear view mirror because of wise comments that he would make: about 150.

Number of hours between rest stops: 3.

Number of miles between Ft Hood Texas and Cornville Maine: too many.

Amount of money spent on a Parenting magazine that had pictures of babies which entertained Abby for hours: Priceless (actually $3.50)

Phase II - The McLaughlin Side

2009-06-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

In order to, hopefully, make everyone feel important we divided up our vacation between visiting Sarah's family and my family. On the way to Maine we stopped at Aunt Amanda's and Uncle Jeff's house in PA. It was nice to see trees and rolling hills again instead of the brown, treeless state of TX. (Texas doesn't have trees, they have shrubbrey). Jeff had to work both days but Amanda kept us busy chasing the latest fashions. We were so busy having fun together and enjoy the world famous custard stand that we forgot to take pictures. Luckily Amanda took some for us.

See them here: http://theleitzs.blogspot.com/2009/06/alright-camera-is-up-and-running.html

Our next stop was NH. Aunt Emily, Uncle Jon, cousin Cameron and baby Lexi were gracious hosts and let us hang out with them for a couple of days. Abby was able to use her present from Mammie on their front lawn.

Now they didn't have to fight over the lawnmowers. Thanks Mammie!

The next picture would have been both kids crying as Emily and Sarah pulled out of the driveway to go shopping leaving them with Jon and I. We did have a good time with the kids. We took them on a bike ride, ate some pizza, and took them to the lake to splash around while we tried to fish.

We had a great time hanging out with everyone. See some pictures of Abby and Lexi in matching Sunday dresses on the Tuthill's blog: http://familytuthill.blogspot.com/2009/06/everybody-loves-abby.html

We'll have more pics of later.

Phase I

2009-06-12T06:59:00.001-07:00

I know that I'm a couple of weeks behind but I thought that everyone would enjoy these pictures of us packing.

I'm not sure if she was protesting the trip in this picture but she is sure enjoying playing with her cousins:

We are REALLY glad that we left the dogs behind. I don't think that we would have room for them anyways.

We're really enjoying spending time with family and we'll post some more pictures later!

Headed Out

2009-05-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we're off to make another trek to the great north, wish us luck. We decided to leave Daryl and Toby home with a sitter so things should be a little easier but Abigail will probably make up for them. (I think that they conspire together against Sarah and I). We'll try to continue to blog but can't promise anything. We have a lot of family and friends to visit.

In the words of the great U.S. Airforce battle cry; "Hoody-Hoo, let's go!".

Dad Is No Beautician

2009-05-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is what dad did to me to keep my hair out of my eyes.

-Abby

No Angels In This House

2009-05-23T06:36:00.001-07:00

I think that almost every parent hears the words "Your child is so well behaved" from friends, neighbors, and babysitters. While they're praising your child, in the back of your mind you're thinking "you really don't know this child do you".

Lately Abigail has been throwing these temper tantrums when she can't get her way. She doesn't understand why we don't allow her to turn the tv on and off five million times a day, especially when we're trying to watch it. She doesn't understand why we wont allow her to throw blocks at us. Taking everything out of the closet seems natural to her but doesn't understand why this annoys us. Turning the dishwasher on is a great pass time for her which gets mommy going. She's usually pretty receptive but this past week she's been putting on a show for us. If we ignore her and walk away she'll get up, follow us, and continue the performance. It's pretty funny although it takes some patience especially when she does it in the store. (I usually tell her that the old ladies in the store aren't going to see her and are going to run her over so she better get up off the floor).

These are some great pictures to show her later down the road:

Notice her wearing Sarah's ankle socks.

Gotta love kids. Almost five more months until the terrible two's.

Cops Gone Bad...

2009-05-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

I guess the economy is hurting everyone:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/05/texas.police.seizures/

Some Cute Pictures

2009-05-18T16:11:00.001-07:00

We've been a busy family this past week. We went to Austin to get some new running shoes and did some clothes shopping. We did MORE laundry (my clothes from Iraq). We reorganized the house a few times trying to get all of the military gear to fit in various closets and totes (they really give us too much unnecessary stuff). I've been tinkering on my motorcycle and spending a lot of time playing with Abby. Sarah started walking/jogging again plus Saturday I started to teach her to play racquetball so she's been pretty sore lately.

Here a few pictures that we've been able to take of Abby. We have to sneak up on her since she recognizes the sound of the camera turning on and is at an age that she wants to take the pictures instead of be in them. I hope everyone enjoys the few that we were able to take.

Learning to like heights:

or maybe not?:

Sunday dress:

We also are in the middle of potty-training so we have a few pictures of her being a nudist (sometimes only wearing sandals or socks and a smile) but Sarah thought that it would be inappropriate to share them on the internet (they were of her backside). I guess we'll just have to save them for her dating years.

We're In Trouble...

2009-05-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

I noticed that the screws on Abigail's crib were loose so I grabbed a screwdriver to fix it. After a few minutes I went to grab something and when I returned I caught Abby working on the crib herself. I'm not sure if she was trying to fix it or escape. She is such a smart little kid. I think that we're going to be in trouble here shortly.

Beating The Heat

2009-05-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

It has started to get really hot and muggy here in Texas so we decided to get Abigail a wading pool. Since our front lawn isn't very big at all we had to go with a dinky one that they sell at the store that we can't mention for $5. The hose water was a bit cool but Abby enjoyed it. To make it even more interesting I set up the sprinkler and watered the lawn at same time. She has always enjoyed the water and tries to turn the bathroom into a water park every time she takes a bath.

Long, Strange, and Frustrating Trip It's Been...

2009-05-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

How do you make 37 grown men cry like little school girls? Delay their departure date one or two days at a time for a week and a half and then give them a broken airplane so that they have to spend three days in Germany and overnight in Delaware. Then switch planes and give them a "less broken one" so they get pushed back a few hours and then sit on the plane for an hour and a half.

The last three weeks was the longest three weeks of the whole deployment. I left COP Cashe with our team to go sit up at VBC until we left to go home. We had two tents for all of us guys. Living out of our rucksacks and being in tight quarters with people that we've been living with 24/7 for the past year was quite interesting at times. Especially since there wasn't much to do for the two weeks that we were there. We finally got to leave Iraq and flew to Spangdahlem AFB, Germany.

What a contrast between Iraq and Germany. Literally it was a bresh of fresh air when we got off the plane. It was nice to see the rolling hills, the green grass, and the trees. Here are a few of the pictures that I took. The town is adjacent to the base so we had a great view of the local architect.

I'm glad that I'm not travelling with the Air Force for awhile. For some reason they never asked us to fill out the comment cards. I wonder why?

Back Home With Loved Ones

2009-05-01T13:13:00.001-07:00

After MANY delays the 752nd Ord Co (EOD) finally returned home. Not only was it nice to be back in the USA but it was great to be home with family. When I arrived at the company area, where our families were waiting, I was amazed to see Abby wide awake. She did great, a little sceptical at seeing me at first but quickly warmed up to me. We were released to go home at about 3:30 am. It was nice to be back in my home, sleeping in my bed, and eating out of my frig. I'll tell the story of our adventurous travel another day. Here are some pictures that we took of the first 12 hrs back home.

I couldn't have asked for a more supportive wife. As I was getting an incredible farmer's tan in the sand box, she was battling a toddler, two dogs, and a house full of chores.

My baby.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support, I greatly appreciated them.

Sorry

2009-04-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

I will not be able to put anymore pictures up until Josiah gets home. My camera broke and I waiting for his return to use his. Still no word on when that will be. We will post something as soon as he gets home.

Cleaning

2009-04-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

Abigail and I have been cleaning the house for when Dadda comes home. She loves this bucket and won't let me have it back. As of right now we do not know when Dadda will be home.

Abby's Easter Dress

2009-04-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to all our Friends and Family! We hope you had a great Day!

Cookie time!

2009-04-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Abby helped me make cookies last weekend. She enjoyed this part the best! What a mess!

Hike

2009-04-06T06:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went with some of our friends the Lall's, to see the local waterfall. Abby hiked or walked most of the way. It was a beatifual day out. Abby pointing out the waterfall to all of us.

Heading back to the car for our lunch.

Austin Zoo

2009-03-17T16:52:00.001-07:00

On Monday went went to the zoo. Abby loves to look all the animals. We walked around for at least three hours. We went with some of our friends and had a great time with them too. Here our some pictures from our adventure

Abigail loved feeding the goat.

A Hilarious Blog...

2009-03-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many know of this blog but it is hilarious. It's called The Meanest Mom and she writes about her life experiences dealing with 4 children 6 yrs old and younger. Here's the link: http://themeanestmom.blogspot.com/ enjoy!