Fabulous Army Life

Shadow, 1994 - 2012

2012-01-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

Our beloved Cairn Terrier passed away this morning after 17+ years with us. We were all with her when she stopped breathing. It seems she left this life the way she lived it ... on her own terms. She spent the previous 36 hours showing signs of her body breaking down as she wasn't able to stand or walk without assistance. She's always been fiercely independent and highly energetic so the sudden change was very noticeable. Once she hit this final stage, in my mind, she simply decided on her own to say goodbye, not willing to lead a life less than she was accustomed to. She waited until all four of us were surrounding her and let us all say goodbye to her, then steadily breathed her last. We will certainly grieve for her but are so grateful that she never suffered. She was full of energy to the very end.

Nate, Trey, Joshua, and I spent some time today after she passed looking up photos of her and telling stories of how much she has impacted our lives. We recalled how Nate and I picked her out from a Killeen animal shelter in 1994. She was a full-breed Cairn Terrier that was purchased through a breeder then brought to the kennel after she didn't 'get along' with the owner's current dogs. She was a bossy little thing with more energy than sense at times and we loved her immediately. We wondered why her name was "Shadow" with her light brindle coloring, but soon discovered that she was constantly underfoot, a 'shadow' to your every step.

As it often goes, she was our first experiment with parenting and she was our first 'child.' Shadow traveled with us from Texas to Oklahoma, to South Korea, to Georgia, to Kansas, and back to Texas again. She's been a part of our lives every step of the way and we will miss her eager little personality greeting us each day.

A million memories flood my mind today as I remember with love the adventure this little girl has brought to us through the years ... chewing through every chew toy then moving on to carpet, belts, telephone cords, mattresses, and anything else she could get her little teeth on; taking charge of all of her 'cousin' dogs, no matter their size; hunting and killing rats in our Korean backyard; being adored by Korean children every time we took her out with us; leaping for joy when we brought home our first baby ... and again when we brought home his brother; curling up at the end of our bed to sleep each night and nosing her way under the covers when it got cold; swinging her paws in a swimming motion every time we put her in a bath; digging under countless fences to meet the world on the other side; going duck hunting with Nate and insisting on carrying the duck (which was about her size) herself; meeting our boxer puppy Leo and teaching him who was boss in her house; greeting us at the door every time we have come home in the past 17 years ... the list could go on and on.

I will miss her feisty personality and hearing her steps on the tile in our house. I'll miss the scratch at the door when she wanted to go outside and the insistent little yelp when she was ready to come in. I'll miss telling her "no, eat your own food" when she would sneak a bite of Leo's large-breed puppy food and seeing her sweet face before bed each night. She is such a part of our daily lives and I will grieve for having lost her.

Rest in Peace, Shadow. You're a good girl.

A Weekend in Waco

2012-01-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

My boys have loved the Mayborn Museum for years.

Carter and Joshua at one of the new exhibits.

Kitok's for lunch! I was pretty jealous of this. =)

Wingspan of 7'1.5" ... wow.

Watching the Baylor men beat the OSU men at basketball!

Woot! Woot!

Waiting (patiently?) for the Baylor Football Celebration to begin.

There they are! The 2011 Baylor Bear Football Team!

My boys with the Alamo Bowl trophy and RG3's HeIIIsman!!

Granddad is ever the Baylor supporter.

My handsome nephews with the Baylor trophies. Sic 'Em!

Joshua learned to play Chinese Checkers with his cousins.

Some seriously tired boys after a super-fun weekend.

A Visit with My Mom

2011-12-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

At Mom's house, the boys made super-simple 'turtle' candies out of pretzels, Rolo candies, and pecans. They were delicious! Nate was also able to give my family an updated on what he had been doing in Iraq for the past six months.

We were also able to visit with Brian and Leandra, Ariel and her new boyfriend, Wesley, Kristin and Jacob, and my cousin Lori and her husband, Greg. It was great for Nate to be able to see everyone again and we had a great time.

Visit with My Dad

2011-12-30T15:19:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas trip to see family looked a little different this year. Because Nate was still on block leave from this most recent deployment, we really made our family of four a priority in planning how we would spend our time. In the past, we have done reintegration really well ... and really poorly ... and have learned that our nuclear family requires some time to get back to the 'normal' of having Dad home. We also love that we are in Texas, and close to ALL of our immediate family members so taking a trip to see them was an absolute must. The time was slightly more brief than other Christmas trips, but the time spent was just as valuable.

Our first stop in my family was to see my dad. He has been through some serious health struggles this year and it was great to see him feeling good for our visit. The boys filled him in on their lives and we spent a great afternoon together. As a former US Air Force airman, my dad is always interested in hearing about Nate's Army career and they spent some good time talking about the deployment and what will be next for our family. It was a great first stop on a fun family trip.

My boys with my dad

My Dad and Me

Nate explains the battalion coin to my dad.

Baylor Bears: Alamo Bowl Champions!

2011-12-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

How thrilled am I to be a Baylor Bear this year!?! We were so excited to watch my Bears win the Alamo Bowl game, shattering records along the way. In a crazy offensive game, Baylor wins over Washington, 67-56.

Some fun highlights here from ESPN:

Crazy Cousin Fun

2011-12-26T17:40:00.000-08:00

Cook cousins always have a great time together. Opening stockings, playing flag football, and waging a silly-string war proved no different. Fun was had by all ... Abby, Carter, Brody, Trey, Joshua, Elizabeth, Hannah, Emma, Veronique, Destiny, and Mo!

Opening Gifts in Waco

2011-12-26T15:29:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time visiting with the extended Cook clan for Christmas. Lots of Baylor cheer and cousin love in the house!

Georgetown Cupcake!

2011-12-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

We received a dozen cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake, of the infamous "DC Cupcakes" on TLC. They were a delicious gift from a fabulous friend. YUM!

CHEERS to our delicious Georgetown Cupcakes!

Red Carpet Experience

2011-12-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we experienced the 'red carpet,' complete with paparazzi, photos, and gourmet theater fare. It was a fun addition to watching "Puss in Boots" and the boys really seemed to enjoy it. After the movie, we went to the lobby's "Riverwalk" and had dinner at the Mexican restaurant there, The Riverwalk Cantina. A wonderful last night for our stay here at the Gaylord Texan.

Kung Fu Panda Awesome Snow Tubing

2011-12-20T15:58:00.000-08:00

We spent the afternoon snow tubing inside the Gaylord Texan. Really. Crazy fun and the boys had an absolute blast!

SKADOOSH! It's going to SNOW for a second year in a row at Gaylord Texan, but this year the experience will feature even more fun! That's because Po has created an extreme eight-lane, tubing hill that's filled with dragon-warrior AWESOMENESS and covered in REAL SNOW!

Shrek Feast

2011-12-20T12:43:00.000-08:00

Another fun adventure during our stay at the Gaylord Texan was the Shrek Feast where we dined on seemingly ordinary fare like waffles, pancakes, sausages, and bacon ... with an added twist of a "Cat-astrophe Chocolate Fountain" (that spouted green chocolate!), swamp rat, and dragon-smoked salmon. We were also able to hang out with Shrek, Fiona, and Puss while we ate. The boys loved it ... and we all 'earned our ogre ears' by answering some Shrek trivia. Loved it!

ICE! Shrek the Halls

2011-12-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

The ICE! exhibit is absolutely breathtaking and something you should try to see if you're ever able to. From the advertisement:

Gaylord Texan’s popular ICE! winter holiday attraction returns with an all-new, hilarious theme: ICE! featuring DreamWorks’ Shrek the Halls! The DreamWorks animated holiday TV special will be brought to life in an interactive world of colorful ice sculptures carved entirely from TWO-MILLION pounds of ice. Relive the heartwarming story as you stroll through this amazing attraction featuring your favorite characters: Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Gingy and Puss in Boots as they celebrate Christmas in their own special way. When Shrek tries to plan the "perfect Christmas" for Fiona and the kids, his plans are disrupted by chaos and commotion. But, in the end, Shrek learns the true meaning of the holiday and realizes it’s OK when Christmas never goes quite as planned.

ICE! is created by dozens of artisans who migrate to the Dallas / Ft. Worth area each year from Harbin, China to craft this elaborate attraction out of nearly 2 million pounds of ice. It takes them nearly an entire month of 12-hour shifts to transform the refrigerated tent where the exhibit is held into a remarkable icy wonderland.

Character Meet and Greet

2011-12-19T23:03:00.000-08:00

Part of the Dreamworks Package included a "Meet and Greet" with some favorite Dreamworks characters. The boys enjoyed seeing Puss, Po, and the penguins from Madagascar. Cute!

Gingerbread Cookies with Gingy

2011-12-19T22:35:00.000-08:00

After the scavenger hunt in the Gaylord Texan lobby, we decided to decorate gingerbread cookies with Gingy (from the Shrek movies). We had a 'meet and greet' with Gingy himself and had fun decorating our own gingerbread family. The cookies were good, but the ginger was too spicy for the kids. The smell was heavenly, though, and it was a fun activity for us.

Trey and Joshua with Gingy

Joshua decorates his gingerbread boy.

Trey gives me his typical middle-schooler look. Sigh.

Our gingerbread family!

Joshua gets his first taste of 'spicy' ginger.

Trey said he couldn't get past 'the initial decapitation.' =)

"Mom! Hurry! My mouth is burning!"

A visit to the life-size gingerbread house.

Inside the Gingerbread House

Gingerbread House Fun Facts

Dreamworks Experience at the Gaylord Texan

2011-12-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

We spent a wonderful three days at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas this year. In a word, wow. It was an amazing trip that our family will always remember. We checked in a little after 3:00 PM and our first night consisted of exploring the space ... which was made more fun by a scavenger hunt provided by the hotel and had us roaming every inch of the first floor lobby. The decorations were fantastic and we enjoyed the dressed-up versions of Santa's reindeer. It was a super-fun start to a really great family trip.

3rd Grade "Winter Celebration"

2011-12-16T16:09:00.000-08:00

I was so happy to attend my 3rd grader's ~~Christmas Party~~ Winter Celebration today. He has a fun class, a great teacher, and we really like the school. They each had a 'secret Santa' to purchase a book for then wrote clues about who they were on the gift. His recipient guessed who he was, but only after a few tries. He ended up getting a book from one of his best buddies, but still had a hard time guessing. It was fun to watch them. They also ate a well-rounded meal of pizza, chips, candy, and soda and enjoyed a cute craft, too. Love these kids!

Welcome Home 2011

2011-11-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

We had a hyper-happy Thanksgiving this year as Nate returned from Iraq on Thanksgiving Day! His entire family was able to be there to greet him and it was a simply glorious day. Welcome home, Soldier!

The Longhouse Project

2011-11-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

This is the first year that my younger son has had a teacher that also taught my older son. It's been fun to relive the 3rd Grade with Mrs. Cameron, a teacher that both my children have really liked. One of the units that she teaches is based on the book, Indian in the Cupboard. The project that goes along with this book is for partners to create an Iroquois Longhouse using as many natural products as possible, complete with models of the Indians and various artifacts. Joshua, my purist and rule-follower, had to be convinced that glue was allowed ("after all, you can't just go pick GLUE out of nature, Mom!") ... but he finally consented that it was made of enough natural materials to use.

He and his friend Caleb researched, planned, and created their longhouse largely on their own. They did get assistance with hot glue but carried out their plan independently. They had a good time working together and some of their conversations were hilarious.

J: I want to paint the fire.
C: You painted the last one. Let me paint this one.
J: Okay, fine.
C: Thanks. So you really like to paint, huh?
J: Caleb, EVERYBODY likes to paint.
C: Nuh-uh.
J: Uh-huh. WHO doesn't like to paint?!
C: NON PAINTERS!

For fun, here is a photo of Trey's Longhouse project circa 2008. =)

Single Soldier Barracks Party!

2011-11-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay, so it wasn't really a party ... but we did have a good time! Our volunteers gathered at the battalion headquarters to load gift baskets and transport them to the temporary barracks where our Soldiers will be returning. In each room, we did a little minor cleaning, made beds, placed gift baskets, and prepared the rooms for the Soldiers' return. It was freezing cold and we were traipsing up three flights of stairs in two different buildings to make it happen, but our volunteers were fabulous. We finished in record time and are so happy to have prepared these rooms for our heroes. Welcome Home, Red Dragons!

Fabulous volunteers ready to make up single Soldier rooms!

My adorable nieces came to help the Soldiers. Here, they look out over the Motor Pools and say, "That's a lot of Army stuff." =) Love them!

Our note to the Soldiers ... Welcome Home, Heroes!

Beds made and gift basket prepared.

Hand towels, wash cloths, hand soap are in place.

Snacks and goodies for all.

I appreciate these amazing volunteers (and a few more not pictured here) that made this day happen. Our Soldiers will feel the love when they return home!

Joshua's "Hero Box"

2011-11-18T06:15:00.000-08:00

In Joshua's 3rd grade class, they were assigned a "Hero Box" project ... Think of the bravest, strongest, smartest person you know and create a box describing why that person is your hero. No surprise that Joshua chose his brave, strong, smart, heroic father for his topic. It was so sweet to watch him put this together ... and I know Nate is honored to be the hero in his son's life.

Joshua's school project ... a "Hero Box" describing your hero.

Joshua shows off the front of his 'hero box.'

The top of the box

The bottom of the box

Kids and Deployment

2011-11-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

Saying goodbye to my husband for months at a time is something that never gets easier for me. For my kids, it is at least equally as difficult. They have a fantastic father who is involved in their lives, loves to spend time with them, and is a true role model for the kind of men I hope they grow up to be. When he is gone, it takes a definite toll on their emotions.

One of the ways I like to help them cope with the separation is through children's literature. A former Reading Teacher, I have always enjoyed a good book and have seen the power of books in children's lives. Military kids are no different and we have employed a variety of books to make us laugh, help us cry when we need to, and open discussions about this deployment.

With each book, I try to find a tangible reminder of the lesson learned there ... a simple craft, a letter to our Soldier, or a small gift. I have been amazed at how my kids cherish these small tokens and hold on to them as reminders of how much their dad loves them.

Here are a few of my favorites ...

In this story, one industrious child decides to send his father a 'paper hug' to use whenever he feels lonely. It's a great deployment book and a super-simple craft of a paper hug is a perfect addition to the next letter or care package! See details at A Paper Hug FRG Meeting.

I loved incorporating the teddy bear theme into an FRG meeting, focused on this great book. Boo Boo Bear's Mission is a cute true story of a teddy bear who travels to Iraq to carry a Family's love until they can be together again. Each child then received an adorable "Battalion Buddy" from the amazing group, Operation Gratitude. For more details, see: Potluck Picnic FRG Meeting.

There are several great "hero" themed books for military kids and we read many of them during this deployment. I love Hero Dad by Melinda Hardin. We planned an FRG meeting around the superhero theme, and the kids absolutely loved it. See more here: Super Hero FRG Meeting.

I'm a Hero Too by Jenny Sokol is a great book for military kids. One amazing FRG volunteer made superhero capes for all the kids that came to our battalion's meeting and the kids decorated hero masks to go with it. It was an easy craft and made a big impact on the kids. See: Super Hero FRG Meeting for more details.

In The Wishing Tree, a little girl decides to write her feelings on yellow ribbons and keep them on a special tree that her dad can share with her upon his return from deployment. See how we incorporated this into an FRG Meeting here: Caution: Deployment Challenges Ahead.

The Invisible String is a wonderful story about how love always connects us. Our hearts are connected by "an invisible string" and whenever we think about someone we love (no matter how far away they may be), the tug of love can be felt. See the simple craft we used to accompany this book at: Kids' Craft: The Invisible String.

Night Catch is a sweet story about a boy and his dad playing a nightly game of 'catch' using the North Star. Our kids seemed to really identify with this and there were tons of fun activities to go along with the star/constellation/catch theme. For more details, visit: Book for Kids: Night Catch.

Single Soldier Basket Assembly

2011-11-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

Phase III of our Single Soldier project consisted of taking all the goodies that have been donated and purchased and organizing them into gift baskets. We had a great group of volunteers throughout the day helping with this gargantuan task. BIG thanks to Elena, Christine, Annmarie, Kimberly, Valencia, Georgia, Beverly, Katie, Lani, Victoria, Nina, Leslie, and Debbie for all the amazing progress today!

Some super ladies worked hard today to prepare for this redeployment. I'm SO very appreciative of everyone who came out to help today!

We started an assembly line for creating the single Soldier 'welcome home' baskets. It was a fine-tuned machine by the end of the day ... and we ended up with 181 assembled baskets!

The assembly line starts with a laundry basket, welcome home poster, and a Ziploc with a few paper goods -- paper plates, cups, and plastic ware.

Next, they get a bath towel and a package of Wet Ones wet wipes.

Adding hand towels, wash cloths, and an American flag

Next goes the laundry detergent and dryer sheets

Two bottles of water, a Cup of Noodles, and a USO kit

A book to read, cheese crackers, and Slim Jims

Body soap, body wash, and hand soap

Candy bars, granola bars, and a can of Coca Cola

Cookies, chips, pretzels, and a package of hot cocoa mix

A box of Girl Scout cookies, an "IRAQ, I Served" sticker, and a letter from an elementary student are the finishing touches.

We took a few breaks to roll towels and replenish stations.

Everyone had a job to do and the process went pretty quickly.

An example of a finished basket

Some of our finished baskets!

Lots of goodies for our single Soldier heroes!

We filled up the room with completed baskets.

We worked one poor volunteer into a corner. =)

We started a Pillow-Toss line to get all of the donated pillows into the storage room.

Our rear detachment commander came in to check on us ... and learned you can't disrupt the flow of a pillow-toss line.

This is the end of the pillow toss line.

And we had a few moments of pillow-fight fun at the end of the day.

We left the room like this ... ready to be delivered and placed when flights start coming in. Yay!

[Some of] our Volunteer Dream Team ... others came and helped but, unfortunately, I didn't get a group photo of everyone who came today. =(

Shopping for Single Soldiers

2011-11-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Phase II of our single Soldier project consisted of shopping for the items needed for our baskets using the funds donated by our Families for this project. Today, six ladies spent six hours going to six different stores to purchase items for 181 Soldiers. It was great fun and we can't wait to get baskets assembled for these heroes!

*One funny note ... when I told a friend we were shopping for single Soldiers, she said, "That's what I used to do before I met my (Soldier) husband!" ;)

Here is our group at Sam's Club where we made great progress toward getting yummy snacks for our Soldiers!

Clearing the shelves at Dollar Tree #3

Counting towels ... we cleared most colors and went home with 181 towels!

Piling into four shopping carts

Counting wash cloths and hand towels.

Keeping running totals is important!

Dish detergents for each barracks room

Time to check out! Walmart even offered a 10% discount, saving us about $100.00

The Single Soldier Project

2011-11-14T07:30:00.000-08:00

There are so many exciting things happening with Soldiers get ready to come home from a deployment. One of the projects our FRG has taken on is providing gift baskets for every single Soldier returning to a barracks room. When they arrive, exhausted from a long flight and even longer deployment, we want them to feel a warm welcome home. Since they aren't allowed to drive for the first day or so (and many can't get to their stored vehicles anyway), we wanted them to have a few survival items and some yummy snacks to get through those first days home.

Phase I of this project is fundraising. Because this is for a specific group within our FRG (only single Soldiers), we needed to raise funds for this specific project. Our answer (taken from several other groups at Fort Hood who have hosted similar projects) was to have a "Sponsor a Single Soldier" fundraiser. Our unit Families were invited to sponsor a basket for $35.00 or donate items to be placed in the baskets. It was a HUGE success and we were able to get everything we needed for these heroes.

We are very excited and cannot wait to welcome these heroes home!

This was the flyer we used to tell our Families about the project.

Best Veteran's Day News!

2011-11-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

I am always so proud and usually a little emotional on Veteran's Day. I am continuously amazed by the courage and sacrifice displayed by our Nation's heroes and Veteran's Day gives me a special day to reflect on just that. Each generation of Americans has grown its own heroes and each battle, war, and conflict has produced unbelievable tales of heroism and bravery.

My generation is no different. In our 17+ years in the Army, I have met some of the most selfless heroes of our time. Our Soldiers are strong, disciplined, smart warriors that have kept our nation safe and our people protected through some of the most turbulent times in recent years.

On this Veteran's Day, I was greeted with some of the most wonderful news I could have hoped for. Our battalion, who has served in Iraq for the past six months, has crossed the border into Kuwait! They will be returning six months earlier than originally expected and getting safely into Kuwait is step one of that process. The photos were a beautiful way to start our day and I am so thankful for their safety and for the incredible job they've accomplished while there.

Hurry home, Red Dragons! We are so proud of you!

The sun rises on Veteran's Day as the Red Dragons make their way to Kuwait.

Red Dragons crossing the Iraq and Kuwait border.

Congratulations! The last Red Dragon Soldiers arrived to our motorpool in Kuwait. All Red Dragons made it safe and sound and are busy preparing for follow on missions and redeployment.

Baylor Homecoming Parade 2011

2011-11-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

We were early risers today as we made our way to Waco for the 2011 Homecoming Parade. It was fun for the kids to see the floats (and get lots of candy) ... and especially to spend time with their Cook cousins. Our fun friend, Clayton, made the trip with us and spent the morning with my boys.

Afterwards, we enjoyed a yummy lunch at Gram and Granddad's house and loved getting to visit with the Cook Family. All in all, a very fun and happy day!

Super-cute Cook cousins enjoying the Baylor Homecoming Parade.

Gram and Granddad with all 8 grandkids!

The whole Parade-Loving bunch!

Boys hanging on Baylor campus.

Sink the USS Mizzou float ... my personal favorite!

ATO and Kappa float

Checking out the floats up close.

The PiPhi float was another favorite of ours.

Swingin' for a Win!

Loved having some-time-adoptee Clayton with us!

Tri-Delt/PhiChi float

What I Learned from our Cavalry Spouse Spur Ride

2011-11-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our brigade hostes a Spouse Spur Ride today and I learned lots of new things. Here are my biggest lessons learned ...

The tradition of having to “earn your spurs” reaches back to the beginning of the Cavalry when green troopers arrived to their new cavalry units and were required to prove their proficiency and skills before they could earn the right to wear spurs with their uniform.
The purpose of a Spouse Spur Ride is to build unit cohesion and learn more about what our Soldier heroes do each day while deployed ... and 'earn our spurs' as Cavalry spouses!
ACU pants are not flattering on any female form.

The Field Artillery gun ... the Paladin! Hooah!

Our battalion's CSM's wife and me in a Bradley. The Soldiers stationed at this vehicle failed to convince me that this was cooler than a Paladin, but they did their best. My observation was that the biggest difference I saw (other than the obvious size of the gun) was all the cushions on the seats in back. They didn't think that was funny.

No room for claustrophobia as a tank driver! And we didn't even close the hatch. God bless our Soldiers and their willingness to take on crazy jobs in defense of our country.

I'm ready to check vehicles ... and gun down the bad guys if needed. I also learned that Soldiers REALLY don't want you to pull the "quick release" cord on their gear. Here, I'm wearing SGT Jones' gear and he physically paled when I joked about using the quick release to get out of it. Apparently, it's not easy to put back together.

Aforementioned 'bad guy' on the ground. He was very poorly behaved and even reached for my weapon once. I got to use my big voice and yell, "On your knees!" He was a good sport.

Ready for the Warrior Skills Trainer

We're on a simulated convoy, armed and dangerous.

One group of the ladies who went through the Spur Ride. Our field artillery battalion spouses went through the Spur Ride with the BSB spouses. We had so much fun together!

This was the craziest station to me ... you actually get INSIDE these little boxes and simulate driving tanks and taking out 'bad guys' ... unfortunately, the building had a FIRE ALARM go off while we were enclosed in these things. I had a crazy few minutes of wondering if anyone would remember which box I was in. =) It all turned out well and the simulator was very cool, and something totally new to me. Very fun.

And yes, we marched in formation, cadences and all!

Ready for the obstacle course!

We competed in teams of three ... our team lost 1st place by just 3 seconds!

We threw hand grenades (aka water balloons) at Rear Detachment Soldiers. The 'catch' was if they were able to catch your water balloon (instead of it exploding on them), they could return fire! So fun!

Low-crawling (sort of) through the Obstacle Course.

Some Red Leg spouses carrying their injured to safety. I love how the 'injured' is so happy! =)

The litter carry ... with a pregnant 'injured' spouse. We are hardcore.

Final formation for awards ... it was hilarious to watch these Soldiers work so hard to get this huge group of spouses into formations by battalion, then by alphabetical last names. They're not used to leading people who don't already know how to get into a formation ... and who tend to chat and laugh and play while getting there.

Whole Group Photo ... we had over 200 spouses from 6 battalions from the Black Jack brigade.

Field Artillery Ladies (minus a few who had already headed home).
Red Dragons!

The Great Hermit Crab Escape

2011-11-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

Joshua recently chose hermit crabs as his very own little pets to keep. He did a great job of researching them, finding out how to care for them, feed them, keep them safe and happy, and generally, how to be the best crab owner ever. He carefully selected the two best crabs from the local PETCO selection and made quick work of creating a luxurious home for them.

When he left to spend the weekend with grandparents in Waco last Friday, he made a long list of do's and don't's for us on how to care for these little creatures. When Trey asked if he could help, Joshua carefully instructed him on how to care for them ... You can only hold them twice a day. They need one spritz of water in the morning and one in the evening. Be sure to keep my ceiling fan off and turn on the humidifier at night; they need humid air to breathe. Don't give them too much food, but replace it by Sunday or it will get stale. Use the scoop to clean the sand but don't get any sand into their water dish. The water dish has to be cleaned and refilled each day and you can only use de-chlorinated water ... And on and on the list went. So Joshua fare-welled his little pets and went off to spend some time with Gram and Granddad.

On Saturday morning, Trey comes to me and says, "Mom, there's only one crab in the crabitat and I think it's my fault." WHAT!?!? "Well, this morning I tried to take their picture and I accidentally left one out on Joshua's dresser." WHAT?!?! "And he's not there anymore." Really?

Oh. my. So Trey and I spend ALL of Saturday completely tearing Joshua's room apart. We took apart his bed and bedding, pillows and blankets, searched through every stuffed animal, removed ALL the clothes from his dresser, then went through the clothes and re-folded and replaced them. We looked behind and under every piece of furniture and completely removed all items from his closet floor to search as well. We crawled around our house on hands and knees with flashlights looking for the lost crab (who is brown and gray and about the size of a quarter). We locked both dogs up lest the crab become a quick snack or chew toy. We swept under furniture, dusted every dark corner, and searched every nook and cranny of the kids' area of our house. We even called PETCO to see what tips they could provide in our search.

From PETCO, we learned that the crab could live 2-3 days without food and 2-3 days after that, would emit a very prominent rotted fish odor that would ensure that we were able to locate the little crabby corpse. I put Trey on crab-search detail for the rest of the weekend and dreaded telling Joshua that half of his crab pets were now missing in action.

On Sunday, we picked Joshua up. After we heard all about his weekend, he asked about his hermit crabs. Trey was silent. I said, "Joshua, your brother has something to tell you." Trey bursts into tears and tells Joshua that he is so sorry but he was very irresponsible and lost one of the crabs and he was only trying to take a picture but then he got distracted and when he remembered the crab, he went back and it was gone and he had been looking for it all weekend and it just wasn't anywhere and really where could a crab go and he'll still keep looking for it and he's so so so so sorry and to please, please forgive him. Joshua is quiet for just a beat and says, "It's okay, Trey. Everybody makes mistakes."

I'm stunned. Trey is stunned. And Joshua starts asking where we have looked for the crab, where did we see him last, how long can he be lost before he dies ... all in a calm, logical manner that makes me so proud of him I think I'll cry for love of him. Then, Joshua says he's very worried about the crab that is left because they're very social and need companions. So the plan is made to stop by PETCO and get another crab on the way home "just in case" and maybe two crabs "to keep a spare."

Once we're at PETCO, Joshua offers to let Trey name one of the two crabs we purchase. We get them home and acclimated to their new crabitat and all is well. Monday morning is uneventful and the boys get off to school just fine. I decide to get some laundry done and start with a load of towels that has been sadly stacked in my bathroom floor for the past few days. As I'm gathering towels, guess what I discover? Yep, a little brown-and-gray quarter-sized hermit crab snuggled in the towels!! I was so excited and just couldn't wait to tell Joshua ... who couldn't wait to tell Trey.

So, our Great Hermit Crab Escape is over and they all emerged unharmed. I was blessed by my oldest son's concern for how his brother would react, and by my youngest son's great compassionate heart when faced with his brother's irresponsibility. It's funny now and we joke that the little crab who escaped loves telling his crabby friends about his great adventures ... and he surely always ends with, "And if you want to explore, too, just get the big kid to hold you then distract him with something shiny ..."

Quite the posh living environment for our hermit crabs, officially called a 'crabitat!'

Now all FOUR hermit crabs are happy and safe in their enclosed crabitat.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:56:00.000-07:00

Each year, we host a pre-Trick-or-Treat dinner at our house. It's a fun way for the kids to get together and have a good meal before setting out on their candy adventures. Then we usually trick-or-treat as a group which the kids love and the parents enjoy, too.

This year, I was happy to have the Rabroker, Magee, Holmes, Winegar, Tran, Daniels, and Hobgood families here to share the evening with us.

Happy Halloween!

Seven Layer Spider Dip

Haunted Graveyard Veggies

Mummy Dogs

Vampire Bat Cake

Dinner is served!

Beautiful weather allowed for dining al fresco.

Yummy desserts!

Super-cute Cecilia before her very first trick-or-treating adventure. How CUTE is she?

Our neighbor, Max, and his fabulous kids!

Joshua found this little treat that he just couldn't leave behind ... a baby gecko.

Trey the Dementor used his costume as his treat bag.

Trey the Dementor is fended off by Hermione Granger. These two REALLY love Harry Potter. =)

There were TONS of kids and families out in the neighborhood. So fun!

We had to stop by the "Old Rogers' House" where our friends Chris and Jo used to live.

Always love this house's spider webbing.

Fall Friend-zy at Mountain View

2011-10-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Every year, Mountain View Elementary School hosts a Fall Carnival on a Friday in October after school. It's always a lot of fun and the kids really look forward to going. There were some new fun things this year and we all had a great time. We really love this school!

Welcome to the Fall Friend-zy at Mountain View!

I don't normally cheer against my kids, but "Look, Mom! You can win a LIVE fish!" certainly made it tempting. =) I know the fish all went home with loving families, I just was not in the market for another pet.

Trey getting spray glittered.

Trey with red and orange glitter hair.

Our school principal, Mrs. Varljen, braves the dunking booth.

There were lots of totally fun, original games to play.

Joshua picked out a handmade Angry Birds hat at the Craft Vendor booths.

Joshua is read to chuck a chicken!

The Chuck a Chicken game made me laugh. So cute!

Joshua at Buggin' Out

I love that the school PE coaches teach tons of fun dances to the kids. They're great at a party!

Time for my 3rd grader to grab a snack.

The school hosted a silent auction with a contribution from each class. This is Mrs. Cameron's classes' work. So cute! At last glance, it was going for $60.00. Great idea!

Trey is ready for the Human Velcro Run!

Red Dragon Trunk or Treat 2011

2011-10-27T21:23:00.000-07:00

Our battalion hosted a Trunk or Treat this year, and even though Mother Nature fought against us, we still had a really great time. We moved the events from the open area of the Motor Pool into one of the bay areas and it worked out well. A group of FABULOUS volunteers helped turn the area into a spook-tacular party place. It became a little chillier as the night went on, but was comfortably cool most of the event. Lots of fun activities, candy from the FRGs, and a yummy chili dog dinner made for a really fun night. I am so thankful for this amazing group of people and so happy to be on this deployment ride with such a supportive bunch. Red Dragons!

Haunted HMMWV

Write a letter to your Soldier hero!

And add a "Hurry Home, Red Dragon Soldier!" sticker!

Letters to Heroes

Make a foam photo frame.

Princess at the Photo Frames

Decorate a pumpkin, too!

Me with Zach-enstein, a friend and unit sponsor.

Trey with his Witch Hat cookie.

Joshua making his Witch Hat cookie.

FRG Leaders with the Mad Scientist lab.

The Alpha Gator

Complete with carved pumpkin!

Some cute kiddos with their cookies.

Golf Gladiators!

Me with our CSM's wife, Elena. Love this lady!

Whose kid is this? Oh, wait, he's mine. =)

Joshua is just about Trunk or Treated out.

HHB Hellraiser Families

Alpha Gator Families

Bravo Thunder Families

Golf Gladiator Families

Our cute kiddos after the Costume Parade

The Chili Cook-Off was super yummy!

Awarding the 1st Place Spoon to our Chili Cook-Off Winner

Dinner Time!

Some happy helpers

How cute is she!?!?!

The Mad Scientist herself!

Enjoying a hot dog dinner.

Super cute boys with their fabulous mom.

Soldier helping out.

Two cute girls and a Frito Chili Pie!

The Senior FRG Advisor/FRSA Relationship

2011-10-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

Elena, Debbie, and me after a grueling session organizing the FRG Closet.

I know there is a lot of debate about the Family Readiness Support Assistants in the Army. For a fairly new program, it certainly has sparked strong emotions on both sides. Some feel that they are the best things since cannons and we could never live without them ... others feel they are a red-tape nightmare, full of drama and lists of "things I cannot do for you."

For me, I have seen some of the best and worst of FRSA traits and believe that each unit should be responsible for integrating their FRSA into their Family programs in the way that makes the most sense for them. Clearly, that does not always happen, but when it does, it is a beautiful thing.

Our unit currently has an absolutely fantastic FRSA. She is professional, efficient, friendly, and committed to the Soldiers and Families of our battalion. Because she has been so beneficial in our Family program, I honestly cannot imagine how we could have endured this deployment without her. I clearly remember the days before FRSAs, but I am very happy I didn't have to go without one during our time in this battalion.

As the senior FRG Advisor, I work closely with our FRSA and we have established a solid working relationship. I suppose it doesn't hurt that our personalities mesh well together and we actually like each other, but we've always managed to work together to achieve the FRG goals set for our unit.

One of the strengths of our relationship is that we complement each other's skill sets. We're able to talk about and delineate the various tasks, each taking the ones that we can do best. We also learn from each other. She has taught me a lot about procedures, rules, and regulations needed for a functioning FRG. She says I've taught her to be more diplomatic and gracious under pressure.

One of the biggest factors in our working relationship, however, is mutual respect. I respect her position as a staff member in the unit and she, in turn, respects my opinions about FRG matters. Neither of us outranks the other or feels the need to be "in charge" of the decisions being made. We both focus on the needs of our Soldiers and their Families and in the end, it all works out well.

Please don't think we have the perfect FRG program ... I'm not sure such a thing exists. We have our fair share of Family issues, personality conflicts and the like, but we also have a solid group of volunteers who truly care about Soldiers and Families and an FRSA who stands ready to help however she can. That is more than I could have ever hoped for and something I will always cherish whenever I think back on this chapter in our Army lives.

October Town Hall and VTC

2011-10-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

We had a great Town Hall meeting tonight with the battalion commander, battalion CSM, and all battery commanders and 1SGs, plus a few staff members, who gave us an updated on what is happening in Iraq and answered all of our questions.

Kids made "You are my HERO" letters, decorated a banner, and participated in some other fun crafts with our fabulous volunteers while grown-ups listened to the updates on the big screen.

Red Dragon Families!

Fabulous Volunteers working with Red Dragon kids.

"I'm proud to be a military kid!"

Kids decorated "You are me HERO" letters for their Soldiers.

Fun crafts for kids.

Working on a banner for the Soldiers.

Attendees take advantage of a break in connection with Iraq to check their emails and texts. =)

We had a couple of 'breaks' when the connection broke with our Soldiers in Iraq, but they were short and few.

Trey's Orchestra Concert

2011-09-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

It was a BIG deal to perform on the Harker Heights High School stage!

My very handsome violinist!

A very cute Fan Club awaits their cousin, Trey!

Ever have one of those moments where you look at your firstborn child and think, WHERE has time gone? This night was one of those moments for me.

Lizzie congratulations Trey on his concert.

Trey's entire Fan Club

With Gram and Granddad

My firstborn and me.

Trey with his Cook girls.

Welcome Home, Trish!

2011-09-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Our brigade has the unique leadership team of a COL who is our brigade commander and his wife, who is a MAJ in a sister brigade in our division. They were deployed at the same time, but were off-set by several months, with Trish leaving first and subsequently, returning first! We were happy to welcome home our brigade senior spouse from her deployment to Iraq! Welcome home, Trish!

Trish greets her welcome home fans!

Hugs for Trish!

Marne and Trish

The Black Jack Babes welcome back their Senior Spouse!

Happy 10th Birthday, Jacob Brant!

2011-08-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sweet baby Jacob at home in November 2001

Me with Jacob in November 2001

Ten years ago today, my Family was in turmoil.

We had just learned that my baby brother had been killed in a car accident, only weeks before his 21st birthday. After receiving this horrific news, my husband and I immediately boarded a plane in Georgia with our infant son, bound for Texas to be with my mom and sister.

Just as the shock of his death was beginning to sink in, my baby sister went into premature labor at 29 weeks pregnant. A little over 24 hours after my brother died, my sister gave birth to a tiny new baby boy. He didn't have a name yet; that was still to be decided.

He was the teeniest thing, at 2.9 lbs. and 15 inches long. He was rushed into the NICU upon birth and spent the next three months there, growing and getting stronger each day.

The day of his birth was monumental for us. We were all still in shock over the loss of Randal and grieving would take many more days and weeks and months, even years, to bring any of us to any kind of normalcy again. My sister, too, was very sick with a severe form of preeclampsia that she almost didn't survive.

Yet there was this brand-new baby boy who was struggling for his own life and we were thrust into a situation of many conflicting emotions. We were devastated at our loss and exhausted from the first hours of raw anguish; worried about the health of my sister and terrified that this precious new life was in danger, yet elated that this baby was with us and now a part of our family. It was purely outrageous and bizarre, and it was all ours.

My sister did survive her illness and my nephew, who was eventually named Jacob Brant, grew stronger each day and came home in November, over 90 days after his birth.

He has grown into a marvelous little boy. He is strong and healthy, amazingly athletic, smart, and handsome. He has blonde hair and blue eyes and is the perfect combination of his mother and father. He's mischevious and funny and popular with his peers. He's the kind of kid you want to be friends with and the one you pick first to be on your team. He will make you laugh and beat you at any game, so competitive is his nature. He's my fabulous nephew, Jacob Brant.

Happy Birthday, Jacob!

Happy Birthday, Jacob!
Jacob thought this picture was hilarious because his mom calls him the "bottomless pit" as he never stops eating. This photo was taken inside Carlsbad Caverns this summer.

Randal Brant Paclik

2011-08-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Randal Brant Paclik~October 22, 1980 - August 24, 2001

My baby brother, Randal

First Day of School Report

2011-08-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

So my kids both survived the first day of school and are off for Day 2.

Trey is thrilled with Middle School and seems to be born for such a time as this. He loves changing classes and looks forward to a new teacher and subject every hour. He enjoys having a locker all to himself and the responsibility of taking care of his own things. He has declared Science as his favorite class so far (primarily based on the lab tables and the jars of floating dead animals and body parts in the room). He likes all of classes and says all of his teachers are very nice.

He cannot wait for Advisory periods where they get to read "for 50 solid minutes on Mondays!!" He already knows the layout of the school and has his schedule memorized. He says that the halls are very crowded in between classes; his friend Clayton adds, "If you're claustrophobic, middle school is not for you!" So, middle school is a huge success, one day in.

Joshua is much more reserved with his praise ... after all, he could be enjoying summer if it weren't for this pesky school thing, but he, too, is enjoying his new year. He loves his new teacher and says she is "very nice as long as you are doing what you're supposed to be doing." He was very excited to see his friends again but lamented the fact that Jeffrey and Jonathan are sitting on the opposite side of the room right now. Joshua is very analytical and is certain to present all the pros and cons in any given situation but seems to be mostly positive at this point.

I'm happy for both my boys and pray for continued positive reports and success throughout their school year.

Back to School 2011

2011-08-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

There are moments in parenting that simply make your heart swell with love and pride. You just can't believe that these amazing little creatures are all yours ... created by you ... raised by you ... and an instant reflection of you and your love. I have these moments often and this morning was just another one of them. As I was walking with my kids toward school in the early morning, I just couldn't help but smile with pure joy at the two strong, healthy, intelligent, handsome boys that I call my own. I pray that they have a wonderful first day of school and look forward to the fun adventures of the year ahead.

Two cute boys ready for school!

Off to Mountain View!

Joshua is ready for 3rd Grade!

A small, subtle reminder that Mountain View Elementary School is an EXEMPLARY campus! Woo-Hoo!

Standing tall in Mrs. Cameron's 3rd Grade class!

Joshua is all done with photos for the day. Okay, okay, Mom gets the message.

Now, it's off to middle school with Trey!

I snuck in a quick pic when he wasn't looking!

A Back to School Prayer

2011-08-21T21:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord,

As my children leave for school,

I pray that you will keep them in your care.

Send your Spirit to open their minds

to all that is true and beautiful and good.

Help them to see the gifts and talents

you have given them and to use them well.

Help them to grow in knowledge and wisdom.

Help them to be kind to others

and lead others be kind to them.

Give their teachers patience and understanding

and help them teach what is just and true.

Send your angels to guide and guard my children

and to keep them from all harm.

Open their young hearts to your presence

and enfold them in your peace and protection.

Hold them in the palm of your hand

and bring them home safely at day's end.

Amen.

I found this poem through my sweet friend, Lisa, and just love it. Back to school is always a time of mixed emotions from my kids and from me ... excited for a new adventure, nervous about the unknown, sad to bid summer farewell, and relieved to get back into a routine, just to name a few. This year, with Trey moving into Middle School (yikes!!) and Joshua starting his first intermediate year in 3rd grade, I'm doubly excited for them. I look forward to the adventure and wish my two wonderful boys the best school year yet.

Red Dragon Pool Party

2011-08-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Our battalion hosted a back-to-school pool party today. My boys were thrilled with one last chance to spend some time in the water before summer's end. I had to drag them out of the pool to wolf down a hamburger/hot dog lunch, then drag them out again at the end of the day, when exhaustion was clearly taking them over.

It was a really nice time with some wonderful Families ... very relaxed, comfortable, yummy, and fun. I was happy to have the opportunity to spend some time with friends and the boys had a great time, too. Great event for some really great folks!

Supercute kiddos in the Club Hood pool.

Trey on the seal slide.

"I'm stuck!" ... Perhaps the slide is not made for middle school boys?

Trey is happy to start the lunch line.

Trey and Joshua LOVED the back-to-school pool party.

Happy Birthday to Nate!

2011-08-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

Wearing birthday hats, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Nate while he opens his gift care package from us.

Nate even lit the "4" and the "0" candles, made a wish, and blew out his candles!

Swim Lessons at Killeen's Family Aquatic Center

2011-08-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

Joshua is very 'zen' about completing Level 3 in Swimming Lessons.

Trey rests after passing a vigorous Level 4 Swim Test.

After several years of taking swim lessons at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, I decided to stick a little closer to home this year and enrolled the kids in lessons in Killeen. Lion Park's Family Aquatic Center (which is one of their favorite places to go in the summer) hosts swim lessons so we decided to give it a try.

Things we loved about swim lessons: The price was reasonable, $40.00 per child for two weeks (M-TH) of lessons. The facilities are fabulous; my kids had lessons in the pool only, not in the 'park' part of the facility. My kids enjoyed their lessons and their instructors. I was pleased with their progress and proud of them both for passing the levels they started. A big bonus is that the kids had 'free swim' across the entire park on the last day of lessons (during their regular lesson time).

A few things that could be improved: On the first day, the instructors seemed pretty disorganized. We waited until after lessons should have started to engage the lounging group of teenages who were gathered around a table drinking coffee, yawning, and chatting with each other. Once I asked where my kids should go for lessons, they casually got up and started a slow process of identifying their students then making their way to the pool. This was not a huge issue, but certainly didn't inspire trust and confidence in the parents who were placing their kids in these teens' care.

Disorganization was apparent again a few days later when one of my boys' instructors was absent and there was no plan for a substitute. 5 minutes into that lesson (when all the other kids were in the water with their instructors), my son asked one of the lifeguards what he should do. She had no idea and began a search for someone who did know. Eventually, a substitute instructor showed up and introduced herself to the kids. She spent the next several minutes yelling across the pool to the other instructors, asking what level this was and what they should be working on. In all, it was a wasted day for learning and I was left feeling a bit uncomfortable with their procedures.

Having said all of that, the minor disruptions due to disorganization were outweighed by the many positives of the lessons. We had a good experience here and will sign up again if we are in the area again next summer.

Making Cake in a Jar

2011-08-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

Joshua fills the first jar with cake batter.

Filling jars and hoping it turns out alright!

So far, so good!

Cooked, sealed, and ready to be delivered!

Um, we did have to open one and see how it turned out!

Happy, happy birthday to our wonderful Soldier!

Quick Stop to See Friends

2011-07-31T20:48:00.000-07:00

Another great thing about visiting family in north Texas is getting to see our wonderful friends who moved away several years ago. It is wonderful to see how each set of siblings and the parents have maintained this fabulous friendship across the distance and through the years. It is no secret, of course, that the catalyst for this is Trey's friendship with Madi. They have been fast friends since Kindergarten and continue to just grow stronger as time rolls on. I love it and hope they always have each other in their lives.

Joshua, Ali, Madi, and Trey with Sarah and Smoky.

Trey and Madi

Ali and Joshua

Getting the dogs in the pictures, too.

Sarah is ready for the photo.

My 40th Birthday Bash

2011-07-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

My sisters planned a fun night for me as I turned 40. We started with a delicious dinner at Cantina Laredo, a cake with sparklers, and a full mariachi band, plus visiting with some great friends. From there, we moved over to Pete's Dualing Piano Bar. It was a really fun place with two pianos playing a wide variety of songs that we all joined in to sing.

What my sisters (whom I clearly really, really love) did not tell me is that the folks at Pete's thrive on embarrassing anyone who is celebrating a special occasion. My name was the first one called of the evening and I quickly realized that resistance was futile. I spent a humiliating four songs on stage dancing to silly songs and trying to not blush the same color as my tomato-red dress.

After my performance on stage, I really had a good time. It was fun to watch others on stage and sing along with lots of familiar songs. All in all, it was a great night and I love my Kristin for planning it!

My birthday cake at Cantina Laredo, a super-yummy Mexican restaurant.

LOVED seeing my wonderful friend Christie at dinner!

Doing the twist on stage ... thanks, sisters!

Happy, happy ... joy, joy!

Yep, still on stage.

Lori, Krissa, Caressa, and me

Love my cousin-and-friend, Lori!

Me with my beautiful sisters!

Silly fun with super friends ... Krissa, Caressa, Kristin, Cristy, Lori, and me.

HP7: It All Ends Here

2011-07-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

Trey is ready for the Grand Finale!

Trey and I were thrilled to get to the final Harry Potter movie tonight! We watched in 3D and loved every. single. moment. Trey's review at the end? "Bloody brilliant!"

It was the best of all the movies and totally did justice to the series. I am so happy how close the movies stayed to the original books. And I am thrilled with how it all was resolved in the final movie. Beautifully done.

Harry Potter Night

2011-07-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

Trey and I were not able to get to the HP7 final movie on the 15th of July when it opened so we improvised by hosting our own Harry Potter dinner and watched HP7, Part I to prepare us for the grand finale. It was impromptu fun ... and yummy, too!

Homemade butterbeer is a must!

Our Harry Potter buffet-style dinner, including smoked baby Hippogriff, cauldron cakes, and some fruit treats from Herbology class!

More yummy treats for our impromptu HP Night!

Cousin Camp: Cameron Park Zoo

2011-07-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

Cousins at Cameron Park Zoo

This orangutan had a button in her habitat that would spray onlookers with water. We were begging her to push it and she refused. It was funny to watch the kids bargain with her, though.

Trey swings and rings the gong.

The similarities to an orangutan don't disturb me. At all. Really.

Joshua tests his reach.

The Orangutan playscape was huge fun.

Sweet Skylee in the Aquarium Room.

We loved this room ... it was air conditioned AND had water to splash in ... oh, and the fish were neat, too.

Cute kiddos in a cave!

We spent quite a bit of time sliding through the clear tube slide that goes through the otter exhibit.

The otter slide is so much fun!

Gram with Grandkids

After a yummy picnic lunch, the kids played in these amazing natural sculptures at Cameron Park.

Cousin Camp: Swimsuits and Watermelon

2011-07-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of time in a neighbor's pool, beating the Texas heat. A bonus on the last day? Watermelon!

Cousin Camp: Baylor and The Mayborn Center

2011-07-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

Sic 'Em, Bears!

The boys were excited to see the new Egyptian exhibit at the Mayborn Center.

Trey: "Do you think Daddy's ever ridden a camel?"
Joshua: "Probably not an Egyptian camel."

"What is the difference between an Egyptian camel and an Iraqi camel?"

Putting together Egyptian pottery.

Building an Egyptian Pyramid.

One of our all-time favorites at the Mayborn Center ... the water table!

Trey can't wait to be taller than Aunt Carole Ann!

Cousin Camp: The First Night

2011-07-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Every summer for the past several years, all of the Cook cousins gather for a few days of summer fun together. This year, we met in Waco and spent a few days enjoying each other's company. It was a great time, but we were sad to miss our oldest cousin, Abby, who was at Volleyball Camp in Dallas. The seven younger cousins plus our two foster cousins had a fun time together!

Bubbles!

Aliens in Roswell

2011-07-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

The boys and me in Roswell, New Mexico on our way home from Ruidoso.

Alien footprints all over town!

4th of July

2011-07-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Severe drought conditions ~ along with continuing fires across the state of New Mexico ~ kept us from being able to enjoy a firework show this year, but we had a great time all the same. We spent part of the day at a local Apache Indian ceremony, the Dance of the Maidens, but were not allowed to bring cameras so I have no photographic evidence.

We also stopped for some good ole All-American ice cream afterwards and attended a local rodeo as well. The boys absolutely loved it and were happy to stay around for the final event, bull riding. They even got to participate in their first-ever Calf Scramble! Fun times.

Ice cream and checkers on the 4th of July.

The boys participated in the Calf Scramble at the 4th of July rodeo. Here, Trey chases after the calf (although he admitted later he had no idea WHY everyone was chasing the calf or WHAT he was supposed to do if he did, in fact, get close to the calf). Love that boy!

Joshua follows the calves' progress too, although he wasn't clear on the objective of the game either. Either way, both boys had a good time, loved running around the rodeo grounds, and were both awarded neckerchiefs for their efforts.

Me with my two recently-inducted rodeo cowboys!

Operation Hummingbird

2011-07-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

There are always tons of hummingbirds on the mountain in Ruidoso where my mom and stepdad spend their summers. My boys love watching them but are always careful to not get to close and never to touch the tiny treasures.

We found a broken hummingbird on the side of our walking trail. It was breathing shallowly but could not fly. My tender-hearted firstborn insisted that we try to save the tiny bird. We used my iPhone to look up how to save a hummingbird and started every-30-minute feedings. Here, Trey takes the first feeding time.

Joshua follows the online advice of keeping the bird warm and close to your heart.

The boys even created a soft bed for the bird when it was time for "torpor." They worked so hard and tried with all their hearts to save the little bird.

Time for another feeding ... the hummingbird really perked up each time he was fed. Unfortunately, the bird did not make it through the night. Despite the best efforts of our young heroes, the bird had stopped breathing before morning.

The boys insisted upon a proper ceremony and burial. Rest in peace, little bird.

P.S. Later we read that it's not actually legal to hold a hummingbird in the United States so we won't do that again but hopefully local law enforcement officials will look kindly on my babies' loving hearts.

Camping on the Mountain

2011-07-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Boys are ready for another hike on the mountain.

Silly kids in the camper.

The boys were vigilant about refilling the hummingbird feeders.

Day at the Races

2011-07-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

And they're off! At Ruidoso Downs!

Cute kiddos ready for the next race.

Trey and Jacob check out the Winner's Circle.

Congratulations to Horse #3!

Love these kiddos!

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

2011-06-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

Our first stop on our summer road trip to New Mexico was Carlsbad Caverns!

The fun begins before we even make it to the caves.

Our speelunkers are ready to see the caves!

We all created a handmade post card to send to our Soldier.

The kids also worked together on some puzzles and other fun things before we headed into the caverns.

Finally! We're headed into the cave!

The kids are loving the caverns, but are amazed at how deep we're going underground.

My little spelunker

Jacob, the Bottomless Pit

Love these little cave-dwellers!

Joshua points out another fascinating part of the cave. We loved this place!

Army Wife Blues

2011-06-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

So I'm feeling a little blue tonight. In the past week, I have attended the Memorial Service for a 2/1 CAV Soldier who was killed in a motorcycle accident, attended a funeral for a former Red Dragon battalion commander, received news of two Soldiers from our brigade who were killed in action in Iraq, and said goodbye to my neighbor and wonderful friend as they jet off across the pond to a new assignment.

All were emotional in their own right and have me feeling a bit drained. I am missing my Soldier, hearbroken for Army Families who received the worst possible news about their loved one, and saddened thinking about my friend who is moving from being about 6 yards away to another continent away.

Ugh.

The sun will come out tomorrow ...

Faith and Deployment

2011-06-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

Our church family praying for us before Nate's deployment began.

I received the nicest note from a friend this morning. She said she was praying for my husband and my family and asked what specific prayers she could lift up for us. It was such a wonderful way to start my day and started me thinking of all the many prayers I have for my husband and our sons, and for our Soldiers and their Families.

Safety and protection from harm are always first on my list for our Soldiers. Patience and peace are top for our Families. And for our children, I pray that they will have the resilient ability to find joy in all things. It's not easy to wait for your Soldier to return, and even more difficult to find joy in that situation. My sincere hope and prayer is that each Family is able to find the strength and faith to thrive in their current situation and find joy in the honor and courage that service to our country demands.

How to do this? I can say for certain that I honestly don't know. Sometimes I feel that I can breeze through situations with all the faith in the world and other times I'm not sure I could even spell the word "f-a-i-t-h" much less exhibit it. No matter what, I do have a certain bag of 'faith tricks' that help remind me of God's enduring faith in me.

First, my relationship with my husband is a clear expression of enduring patience, forgiveness, and love. I am forever thankful that God chose my husband for me and that He stands by us, embracing us through our commitment to one another.

Two, my family is a gift that not only shaped me from birth, but continues to add to my sense of self and worth. From my birth and step- parents to my siblings to the family I inherited upon marriage, I am so appreciative for this group of people who always constitute "home" to me.

Three, my church family is an amazing group of godly people that continuously lift me up and remind me of God's love through their sincerity and kindness. I am gratified by their presence in my life.

Four, no matter my circumstance, my God always places people in my life to encourage and support me. I am so grateful for a lifetime of friends and colleagues that are always in the right place at the right time.

My sister-in-law, Carole Ann, gave my sons this photo frame that contained a wonderful reminder of Nate's service and sacrifice. It hold a photo of Nate in full battle gear (from a past deployment) and is displayed on a bookshelf between the boys' rooms. I see it daily and it is another reminder of God's faithfulness to us in all circumstances.

It reads,

My Dad is a Soldier

He is STRONG and
COURAGEOUS
because God is with him
wherever he goes.
The Lord will never leave
my dad or forsake him.
Joshua 1:9,5

GOD WILL
STRENGTHEN HIM
AND HELP HIM:
He will uphold my dad
with his righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

The battle isn't my dad's,
but it is God's.
II Chronicles 20:15b

MY DAD TRUSTS IN THE LORD
WITH ALL HIS HEART ...
AND GOD WILL DIRECT HIS PATHS.
Proverbs 3:5-6

I LOVE MY DAD.

All told, I have quite an arsenal of prayer support in my life and for that, I am truly blessed and thankful.