Adelene is 18 months old!

Yesterday Addy turned 18 months old, where did the time go!?! She has been going to nursery for a few weeks now (perks of having a small nursery and friends as the nursery leaders!) and she loves it. There are so many things she has been doing over the last few weeks that are a constant reminder of how big she is and that she has older sisters to teach her so much.
Addy is a lover, she loves to give hugs and kisses, she is my youngest baby to learn to give a real 'kiss' instead of an open mouth slobber :). Just the other day I took the trash out while helping Aspen with her homework, we were on a time crunch so I didn't put a bag in the can just stuck it under the sink to worry about later. A few minutes later my darling Adelene went to throw some trash away and noticed I had not put a bag in, so she pulled the can out, took the trash she had put in there out, went to the other cupboard and got out a trash bag and put it in the can...now she is not big enough to open the bag but still, what 18 month old would even get that far! She is learning to talk more every day, she says Jules, mamma, pappa, please, thank you, more, uh oh, yes and no ( and shakes her head the correct way for yes and no) she amazes me every day with her observations. Last night I changed her diaper and put on her pjs. She immediately got up and put the wipes back where they go and got her dirty clothes and put them in the laundry basket, these are all things I have never set out to teach her, she just sees it and does it. Addy is going to be a great big sister, and every day I am more confident I our choice to have another baby this soon. Ps we will hopefully find out the gender of baby #4 today!

Family Day and Graduation

NOTE: This was written awhile ago, but then was left unfinished until I could get back to it!   So this all happened the Last week in September.

Last week was a amazing, crazy, and fun week!  On Tuesday Brent and I packed the girls off to Grandma and Grandpa Culbertson house and we hit the road to Fort Jackson South Carolina!  We were on our way to see Dane for the first time in 10 weeks.  We made good time, found our hotel, and then Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner (we chose them cause they put both the Braves AND Cardinals game on for us to watch)  The next morning we were up and at the Army Post by 8:30 anxiously awaiting the start to Family Day.  It was a very emotional morning for all, the excitement and anticipation was so thick in the air you could almost touch it will all the Moms, Dads, Wives, children, etc waiting to see their soldiers.  While we were waiting for the program to start we got the call we had been waiting for...Dane passed his last PT Test that very morning and would defiantly be graduating this week!

The ceremony was short and emotional (they do this every week and understand we don't really care about what he has to say, we WANT TO SEE OUR SOLDIERS!) We met Dane at his barracks, Brent didn't even recognize him when we was walking straight towards us!  We had the rest of the day to spend with Dane on Post.  We did EVERYTHING trying to cram as much time together in as possible.  We went to the PX to get him somethings.  Then we had lunch at Burger King (Dane's first junk food in weeks...it didn't settle to well...) then we went to the BCT (basic combat training) Museum where it took us through the phases of BCT and Dane was able to show us what they did and some things that were different for him.  Then we hit the bowling alley for an hour.  After that we went to the Solomon Center where they have tables and snack vender's, video games (the first the soldiers had seen in 10 weeks!) and a rock wall (Brent and I climbed the rock wall, Dane said he's done that enough in training...)  Then Dane treated us to a round of mini golf.  Later that evening we had dinner and took him back to his barracks.

The next day was Graduation.  There was a 45 min ceremony where they gave out awards to various members of the companies, one unexpected thing was they had about 8 soldiers who became citizens that day be completing BCT and they did their oath right there at graduation!

After graduation we got to take Dane off post!  As we drove through the gates you could tell Dane felt tense, he said he kept waiting to get in trouble for leaving!  We took him around to Best Buy and Walmart to buy a laptop (apparently that is a big thing for the new graduates to do, there were soldiers EVERYWHERE!) Lunch at McDonald's then to a movie theater to watch Captain America.  After another quick trip to Walmart to buy some new music we had dinner at Longhorn Steak house (if anyone knows Dane and wants to know how much he changed...he ordered the SMALLEST steak on the menu! Civilian food didn't agree with him to well)  We headed back to the barracks to hang out and help him finish packing.  Then we said our goodbyes and headed off to Savannah.  Dane was put on a Bus Friday morning and shipped up to Fort Lee Virginia where he is still in holding waiting for classes.  He did get word that he will be getting Christmas Exodus and should be home for about 2 1/2 weeks in December!

Later, I'll post about our Savannah Trip!

Hair Cut!

Okay, So I get my hair cut/colored 2-3 times a year MAX most of the time...but I'm trying to be better. Rather then my basic trim and touch up a few basic layers I went for something just a little different (I'm a hair change phobic!)  This is my Farrah Faucett inspired hair cut!  I love it.  I just curled it right after my friend Kim (THANKS!!!) cut/colored it. I didn't have ANY product so it will get better once I get the right kind of 'hold' product-and maybe some practice doing me hair :).  It took my about 45 min to do my hair with is A LOT to me, but it's the kind of 'do' that I can wash it the night before and use a curing iron or hot rollers the next day.

Here's to a bright future of me actually doing my hair more then on the odd Sunday ;).

PS I'm not big on the whole 'pic of myself in the mirror' thing, but it was the best way to get a pic of my hair since I can't get pics of my real camera currently...

Found SOME pictures...

So I still haven't found my cable but...I found some pic on my computer I hadn't uploaded...so here is the Last year or so in a brief photo summary...

Ella went to KiddieHawks Preschool for the 2010-2011 school year.  She LOVED it. Sadly the admin did away with the program after that year so we are preschooless this year and anxiously awaiting VPK next fall :)

Griffin's Martial Arts Truck-or-Treat

Oct 2010

Aspen's Kindergarten Winter/Christmas Program

Pelican Elementary Dec 2010

Ella's Preschool Christmas/Winter Program and Party

KiddieHawks Dec 2010

Addy's first food.

Dec 2010

She LOVED it, but just a few months later (by 8months) she was DONE with baby food of any kind and moved on to whatever the rest of us were eating :)

Aspen's Spring School Picture Day

They did 2 pictures, the Fall was the more traditional School pic this was a little fancier with special back grounds, etc so Aspen wanted to do something special with her hair.








Easter 2011

Mothers Day 2011

The girls were complaining about the bright sun and this is the best picture we could get of them.

Ella's Preschool Graduation

May 2011

 Her Preschool buddies, Vicky and Tanner (both members of the Church too)

 Dane's Senior Prom May 2011

Just a cute picture of Addy, but I forgot to flip it...Sorry!

Belt Testing Aug 2011

 Just an update on our Family Tae Kwon Do!  This is August belt testing group from our school.  We had three friends testing for their Black Belts!  Brent, Aspen and I also tested.  We really are loving classes and making some GREAT life long friends.



Still looking...

Okay...I promised pictures...well I'm still looking for my camera cable!?!  I haven't seen it since we moved :( I really hope I can find it soon!
Anyways, this last week we were luck enough to get two letters from Dane AND TWO PHONE CALLS!  The sad part is both times he called Brent wasn't home and wasn't able to get to his phone :(.  Dane is doing well, counting down the days to graduation (less then 2 weeks) and a return to slightly more normal life (they get more freedoms during AIT then BCT).  Unfortunately he caught his foot in a pot hole while running during PT and banged up his knee pretty bad just 1 day before his final PT test.  He passed everything except his run (which he finished just 1 min over the required time) AFTER he didn't pass he decided maybe he should tell his Drill Sgt that he couldn't bend or hardly walk on his right leg/knee.  He was sent to the Medic and came back with a brace and crutches!  He is now off the crutches and has seen a Physical Therapist that has told him some exercises to do to strengthen his leg muscles around his knee (no serious injury just needs to strengthen those specific muscles to protect his right knee)  Dane is on restricted activity for the weekend and back to full activity on Monday for his Victory Forge, a 10 mile/2 day march and then retake the PT Test on Saturday.  Please keep him in your prayers this week so he can heal quickly and completely and be able to finish out BCT with out any complications!

I Promise to try harder!

I know it has been ages since I've posted (going on almost a year!) I'm going to start trying to post weekly (if not daily) AND I've decided to 'un'private my blog because of ease for certian family and friends to be able to view the blog.
So much has happened in the last year I'll just give a quick run down (I'll get to picutres later I have tons on my computer and even more on my camera but can't find my cable since the move!)

So far in 2011

• Dane graduated HS and Seminary and enlisted in the Army.  He is currently in Basic Training (graduation is just a few weeks away!) and will be moving on to Ft Lee, Virginia for his AIT training in Small Artillary and Weaponry Repair.  He is doing GREAT, maturing and growing in boundless ways, and we are so proud of him!
• We bought our first home in June, we've been here for almost 3 months now and we are loving it!  I have some pics to post later, I'm excited to have a place of my own to start decorating over the next few months/years.  The girls love having a yard to play in (no canal to worry about falling in now!) and Brent has a nice large den for his office (that he is so nicely sharing with me as a craft space (:  )
• Aspen completed Kindergarted and loved it!  She is now atteneding 1st grade at a different school (since we moved) and is still loving school.  This new school offeres violin lessons during the school day, and she is LOVING those.  They also offer dance and drama along with music, art, and PE!  She just recently had her 6th birthday and we celebrated with a Beach/Under the Sea Party (at the beach!) with some friends.  I can't believe how big, smart, amazing she is becoming everyday.
• Ella is not in a school this year (they did away with her preschool from last year so sad!) but is enjoying the time at home and playing with her friends every chance she gets.  She is nearing her 4th birthday and is really starting to grow up and become a helpful little and big sister.  She is still our handful, but as our communication improves on both ends so has the contentions between us!
• Adelene is growing, growing, growin, she is now 13 months old!  She got her first 2 teeth at 7 1/2 months, my earliest by far, but hasn't cut anymore since.  I think there are two more bottom ones on the way at 13 months!  Addy gave up baby food at 8 months and has been eating what everyone else has been since then.  She isn't walking yet, but loves to crawl/bear walk/cruise around the furniture!  Her personality is coming out to shine.  It is amazing to see how different each child is (PS she has RED hair!) she is deffinatly 'easier' then Ella was at this age, but by no means the easy going, quite toddler Aspen was.  She has found her voice (a very high pitched screech) and loves to use it to get her way!  We love her so much and am so greatful for her part in our little family.
• Brent is still brokering Health Insurance and enjoying his job.  He has recently been called back in the the youth program at church as the 2nd Couselor in the YM's presidency AND Scout Master.
• I am doing well, no big changes.  I am the RS Humanitarian, but do to some budget issues haven't really had a chance to fulfill my calling yet. I'm looking forward to learning more about serving our community, nation, and world.  I am back to teaching piano lessons after taking the summer off.  I would like to take on more studends, but am having a hard time finding the time (with Brent working from home he needs more 'quiet' time).  I love being able to pass on my love of playing the piano to others.  Earlier this year I decided to join the martial Arts school that Brent, Dane, Aspen, and occasianally Ella went too.  So far as a family Brent is an adavned Blue, Aspen Advanced Orange, Me Orange, and Ella white belt.  We will all be testing/advancing in Oct!  Brent is less 1 year away from  his black belt (including the 6 month waiting period between Deputy Black and Black belt!)  We all love going to class and learning new things and getting the great workout!

Hope all is well with everyone!  Hear's to a new blogging goal!

Friday Oct 29th (Halloween Festivities)

Aspen's School Costume Parade!

The ENTIRE school paraded through the school for the parents to see...Kindergarten was LAST...Ella had a hard time waiting to see Aspen but she thought it was fun to see her sister on the stage.

The DoJang Trunk Or Treat

The girls had a good time playing some games and trunk or treating at our DoJang (martial Arts Gym)