Update in bullets......forgive me

• LM loves his school --teachers are great and G. cries everytime we leave him there.  She would stay all day too if she could which is why she will go to 2 yr preschool there next year while he's in 4K....yeah Mommy :)
• Daddy adjusting well to boat life.  He has to wear the aquaflage uniform for those of you who don't know what that is just picture a giant grayish / navy blueberry that looks like the army/ USMC camo....except nowhere near as cool looking.....I'm just sayin'.  No idea when / if the carrier will deploy and right now his carrier's name is mud to everyone so I try not to tell anyone where he works so I don't get glares.  Very diferent from being affiliated w/ a squadron but kind of liking my anonymity.
• We have been blessed to reconnect with old friends, make a few new ones and still have yet to see some of them here in VA but working on that. 
• Loving it here although we seem to bring the rain and wind whereever we go so we may as well just go back to WA according to the locals ;)
• Our dogs are getting old :  plain and simple.....I'm sad, they're having a hard time with the stairs, tired a lot, but still lots of spirit left in those old eyes so they're not going anywhere yet.  Beau having the hardest time, falling up and down the stairs quite a bit...each time he does my heart breaks a little.  I'm gonna be a wreck for months when the day comes. 
• Miss G saying so many new things, she loves to dance on the table (not a good sign ;) , has learned to go limp when being disciplined, has stareoffs w/ Mommy frequently and gives daddy this pouty look:

• We are looking forward to many new and exciting things in the time to come but I'll now continue my update in pics of our new digs, Christmas and fun around VA Beach.

Christmas Town at Busch Gardens: it was COLD

Santa Claus came to town

silly monkeys

Christmas Eve

playing dress up

Kids on New Year's Eve

G. loving on Beau

These two boys sleeping in the tent in the playroom

pooped out after a day of play

Fall in VA

LM's pumpkin he made at school

Once we finally made it we were happy as clams seeing Jen and Clif.  The kids took right up with them and have grown quite fond of and quite attached to them I must say.  Mommy and Daddy are pretty fond of them ourselves after missing them for 6 years :)  But here are a few pics of our fun times in VB  so far.  Throw in a little Thanksgiving , Halloween and you got yourself some fun ;)

We played on the beach IN OCTOBER in VA

My absolute favorite pic of the fall

Hey sis , I'll take you for a ride on my big green tractor which also happens to be his favorite song

Miss G after trying to eat a dandelion

the loot from halloween

Beau and LM looking at the flood of the noreaster wondering when we can get out--stuck for 2 days

the table setting at Jen and Clif's for Thanksgiving

Mommy and the kids @ Regent University's Christmas Tree lighting

going to pick out our tree

our first gingerbread house

Buzz Lightyear making Christmas cookies

Miss G is "tutu" cute

of course we have to make airplane cookies

Yummy

More of our life the past few months in pictures as the monkeys permit and a little update on what's going on with us and no, I am not pregnant so don't ask......not for a long time , if ever.... ha ha

pics of our trip across.....

last hurrah at the horse farm with friends before we left

silly faces in the snow in WY

the ice on our van that didn't melt for 4 daysGrayson , KY

 first day of school for LM

I know, I know, I know

There are no excuses....laziness...or I wish it could be laziness.  Maybe no sleep running around like a chicken w/ my head cut off, living in a trailer for 5 weeks, going through a noreaster and being stuck in said trailer for 2 days, unpacking a home, Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, family visits, snow , lots of rain and freezing temps and......okay, so all those don't qualify so no, I just was so lazy I didn't do it.  Everytime I sat down to write I just didn't have the energy or heart.  I've lost weight in this stressful process is the good thing about all of this and the two story house up and down about a zillion times a day has something to do with it too.  So I'll sum it up later........or a little now....kids are sleeping.
~Trip across the country:
A wonderful , first of the season snowstorm with record breaking low temps and snowfall followed us clear across the country.  Kids had fun in snow, dogs had fun in snow, mommy didn't have fun cleaning up but had fun watching all have fun in snow....daddy and mommy COLD, so cold in fact that our septic tank in our camper froze for 3 days.  To quote daddy : "Good news, (in freezing Montana) got septic hooked up, bad news , the poop is frozen" . So we trekked on, through WA, ID, MT, WY (for second time I loved MT and WY) (oh and in MT we stopped in a little place called deer lodge, which apparently is a nice quaint little town w/ a huge meth problem.  All over the town the buildings and signs said "don't do meth" it was scary!! And in WY everything was frozen but we had a nice dinner out , played in the snow some and kept our little heater pumping in the camper.  Then on to SD (which let me add is the most boring, windy state ever) Two nights in SD b/c it's so stinkin vast and to boot it was so cloudy , rainy , snowy I missed Mt Rushmore right before it got dark....Daddy and LM saw it but I didn't so I literally drove right past Mt. Rushmore.  Then on to Nebraska where we stopped and spent a day at the Children's museum and snow finally stopped for a little while.  Then we went through ST. Louis, MO, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana all of which I have not much to say about b/c we were plowing through at that point.  Stopped in Kentucky (lexington) and stayed at the Kentucky Horse park campground and it was absolutely beautiful..loved seeing all the horses, etc.  Then thru WV, VA and here we are in VBeach..... Daddy and I did have a three day conversation/ argument that spanned several states on wheteher Lady Gaga or Britney Spears sang the sond papparazzi....I won that one!
Pics to follow of the trip......they are on daddy's pc. 

the trek begins......

Oh, where do I begin?  After a really long three days of packing out , pick up and change of command activities we got on the road.  It was with much anticipation after such a long time coming that we headed out...but not without first saying goodbye to many friends whom have made our Whidbey time bearable, fun and memorable.  To all of you and you know who you are --thanks for the laughs , sharing in tears and picking me up off the ground when I needed it most.  Alright, enough of the sappy stuff...
First day we made it to Spokane where we stayed at Fairchild AFB...it was familiar to us as it was the home of one torturous week for J.at one time years ago...and that night a front decided to move through ..record breaking temps.  COLD--we weren't prepared for winte coats, gloves and hats but luckily the mama bear in me knew I should pack all those things for the kids but didn't for me and daddy.  So we stayed there and found out quickly that our heat works in our lovely little camper--and works well. 
Day two we made it through scenic Idaho and p.s. Lake Couer d'Alene is BEAUTIFUL...but as soon as we passed it we began seeing snow andmore snow and ice and there wer were in a little place called Deer Lodge , MT.  When we called to inquire if the KOA was still open we were greeted warmly by the owner who quickly invited us over the the local fairgrounds for the pig roast...we had chili instead but were appreciative.  It started to snow in MT.....and didn't stop.  (sidenote: as we pulled into what appeared to be a lovely little mountain town we began to see signs all over that were from children begging their parents not to do meth--uh oh, we're not in KS anymore are we??--I gt a little worried )
Day three: Through MT in the snow and ice, swerving, freezing temps in the 10-15 degree range.  We hadn't seen temps in two days over 23 or so....we made it to Sheridan , WY and stayed at our KOA there where we had a great time playing in the snow, watching wild turkeys wanderthrough and deer and rabbits too.  Dogs loved it, kids played finally b/c it was cold but different cold and fun with the inches of snow on the ground.
And that brings us to day four: LM and Miss g doing well..swapping out with mommy and daddy but mostly there is a girl car (Mommy, G and Mattie) anda boy car (daddy, LM, Beau and BT).  We are trying to walk the dogs severa times a day when we stop...we hop out make lunch in our camper , get back in and go.  We went through Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse monuments today in SD after going through the snow all day in WY and SD and suffice to say the WY DOT is much better than the MT DOT about road clearing.  Anyway, we saw crazy horse and drove past Mt. Rushmore which I did not see as I was tryikng to keep my eyes on icy , snowy road and as per usual for us there was clouds covering some of it...icky day here and not much playing outside for the kdis but we are managing. LM was excited today to get to what he calls "Rabbit City" aka Rapid City. Seems we'll never get out of SD and will travel here tomorrow as well....wish us luck in our trek to VA--can't wait to get there , see old friends and find a home.

Just blossoming...

My little G is just turning into quite a talker.  She is just talking up a storm....trying new things and adores her brother to no end.  Her latest words are "poop" which is just hilarious when she follows you into the bathroom (there's no privacy here people) and points every time you go whether it's that time or not. 

Lime popsicle faces

Now we have "peepee" added to our arsenal......but the most important she has learned is "no, no , no" If she doesnt' want to do something she runs from you shaking her head, "no, no , no".  Learning the no, no has helped in the screaming we used to hear so often when brother took something from her but still is not the best word to add to vocabulary.  She can identify all our dogs by name now and can effectively give them a stern "go" from the kitchen when they try to get her food...but she also laughs hysterically at them when she feeds them when we aren't looking.  I think she loves Beau the best..he's her buddy. Here's a few pics and I know, I know, working on video..haven't had much time to upload videos they take a while but I'll try tonight if daddy will stop hogging the computer.  LM is so funny here's our latest exchange during our late night before bedtime talks and cuddles :
Mommy: what are you doing baby boy?  (as he was stroking my hair)
LM: There is a boogie in your hair
M: what??? how'd that get there?
LM: very matter of factly : I put it there....
then he says in a sinister little way: "is it tickling yoouuuuu?" 
Thank goodness daddy witnessed all this or no one would believe that I promise...what a stinker...definitely all boy except when it comes to bugs--not so fond of the bugs but I gotta tell you neither am I.

the green icing LM and I made to go w/ our cupcakes

the toilet G clogged up by putting en entire roll of tp in it

first time w/ yogurt feeding herself

watching the clothes go round and round and round and.....

G with her puppies......LM was in his room having a hissy fit thus not participating in the photo session