Spending time with my boys

We were lucky enough that Eric was able to take a short trip home before heading off to his next school! We planned a short vacation to Williamsburg and had a pretty good time, aside from the melt downs.

Since active duty get one free visit to Busch Gardens, we knew that was definitely on our list. Eric and I didn't ride any adult rides, but we had fun watching the boys run around and even ride the kiddie version of Blast Off & Re-entry. Eric saw the face painting and said he wanted to pick something out for Carter. I agreed as long as I got to pick out Coopers.

Here is Carter

Here is Cooper

Here is Eric's punishment for his choice

As we walked through the park the boys both finally fell asleep in the stroller, which brought on the funniest and most disturbing comments...mostly "awwww, look at the dead baby!" Most people laughed & pointed (especially since we also had the backpack leashes), and a few gave dirty looks. I thought it was great, and since Busch Gardens was celebrating the 13th year of Hallo-Scream, it was very fitting!

The boys didn't do as well with the Ripley's Museum or Colonial Williamsburg, so we found Inflation Nation (which was just bought out by Bounce House) and the boys spent two hours running & sliding.


Except for where we stayed, Wyndham Govenor's Green, it was a great time. Eric and I have had timeshare through Wyndham for the past 6 years and we have never been treated so poorly, which all centered around having children under the age of 2. So, if you're looking for timeshare, don't go with Wyndham. We're actually looking into selling all together!

What a week!

We all had a great adventure in Tennessee, even with a few days of rain. The boys did pretty good until the last 30 minutes of the drive (going and coming back). We have learned that a 7.5 hr trip really takes about 9.5 hrs :o)

One of the days we made the 2 hr trip to Gatlinburg where we hit up Ripley's Aquarium (which all of the signs boasted to be "America's favorite"...which I doubt). I was a little taken back at the price for adults ($22), but were delightfully surprised when our military discount got 2 tickets for a total of $9! It was a lot of fun, as you can tell.
We did another 2 hr drive East to visit some friends at Ft. Campbell and Nashville, and talked, ate, and relaxed. The rest of the trip was spent chillin in our room and spending quality time with the boys. It was very relaxing and we all had a good time.

Here are some random pix of the boys, who are now 3 months (Carter in blue, Cooper in yellow)!!






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And, for your viewing pleasure...some videos of the boys, because I know my mom isn't the only one that wants to see my beautiful boys. And...because I know you'll ask...these were all things that I caught Eric doing and laughed hysterically, so I grabbed the camera :o)

Quick update

For all my dedicated readers...all three of you...okay, just Mom...I'm on vacation in Tennessee, aka the middle of nowhere. The boys tolerated the trip without too many freak outs, and when we pulled over to change the boys on the trunk of the car (b/c it seems like no one has changing tables in bathrooms anymore) I was in the drivers seat when I look out my window and see Eric holding Carter's face up against my window yelling, "window licker, window licker!" You remember that weird kid on the school bus that would always push his face on the window and sometimes sneak a lick? I guess Eric is just reliving some of his most memorable childhood moments :o)

I catch up on blogs next week, and hopefully have some cute pictures to share too...of the boys, not me!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

This year we were blessed, because of me being on bedrest & Eric being forced to take leave, to travel to the great state of North Carolina to spend Christmas with my brother Mike, his amazing wife Michelle, and their two kids.

The drive up was great, there was no traffic and it only took us 11 hrs. Koa freaked out for about the first 3 hrs in the truck, and finally when I moved to the back seat and put him on my lap, he slept the rest of the way. Mike and Michelle gave us the entire upstairs and even went the extra mile to get an air mattress that sat higher off the ground due to my pregnant state :o)

The kids LOVED Koa, but Koa is a very mellow dog that spends most of his days moving from the couch, to his kennel, or our bed in search of the most comfortable spot to sleep. When we were decorating gingerbread houses Jacob was under the table with Koa, and we asked him what he was doing...and he very clearly said, "I'm touching the doggy's mouth!" Jacob just LOVED chasing Koa, but I'm still sure that Koa would have much rather been chased the entire time, then have to spend Christmas in a kennel!
Here are some pix I stole from Michelle's facebook & blog of our gingerbread houses (I forgot to bust out my camera, so she has all the pix on hers). I used mini nilla wafers to do my roof & I think it turned out pretty awesome...and Eric had fun decorating the walls & making the walk way. Mike & Michelle did the cute train on the right, and Dez made the awesome house on the left.

Lizzie is such a little character! She has a scowl that you wouldn't think possible for a kid under 2, but she never got tired of giving us the evil eye. We later learned that if you scowl back she will smile :o) As requested by my brother, we brought our xbox, and up until the last day this is as close to Uncle Eric that Lizzie would venture.
Michelle, who we now call Martha Stewart, did an amazing job with snowman-shaped buscuits & gravy for breakfast, and Christmas dinner. Eric did the turkey, which somehow always turns out amazing, and I made my Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie, which was a huge success...and second only to Michelle's Apple Pie. (Michelle, because of your mad kitchen skills, Eric has now requested that "since you're not working, it would be really nice if you could have dinner ready when I get home." I blame you for this!)

Michelle and I were able to go catch a movie, after everyone else went to see Avatar, and even though I had already seen it, I thoroughly enjoyed watching "The Blind Side" a second time. We had plans to go out to eat after, but instead we decided to hit up Motherhood Maternity at the mall, and both found something adorable!

We went along with their tradition of filling each other's stockings with goodies from the Dollar Store. I got Eric some silly puddy, little army men, and transformer stickers which are all in his ruck sack and headed to work with him...I can't wait to see where they end up.
Also, as many of you know, we are a house devoted to the Colbert Nation of Dr. Stephen T. Colbert, DFA of the Colbert Report on Comedy Central. He has an "on notice" and "dead to me" board that is always being updated, so when I saw this on their website, I knew Eric would get a kick out of it. He LOVES it, and can't wait to put it up at work and start adding people.

I'm pretty sure Eric and I entertained everyone with our "that's what she said," comments, and my on-going game with my brother of, "ya know how I know you're gay..." and Mike even called us, our last morning there, to thank us for making the trip. We had a blast!!

Our drive home was much different than our drive up. We spent an extra 4 hours in traffic on I-95 through South Carolina & Georgia due to accidents, but we made it home safely, very early Monday morning.

My appointment at the perinatalogist went well and I'm happy to report that both boys (yep, still boys!) are doing great and over 2 lbs each...that means I have over 4 lbs of baby in my belly...and still have 3 months to go! Wish me luck!
Here is Michelle and I Christmas morning...I think we're two hot mamas!

For the first time in 8 years...

We have the opportunity to spend Christmas with family!!! Normally I would be working through the holidays, because people get sick all year, but due to my modified bedrest starting next week I have Christmas off. Also, for the past few years Eric has worked during Block Leave (mid Dec through beg Jan) but since he re-enlisted, he has to take his vacation days or he will lose them.

So, we are planning on heading to Fort Bragg to spend it with my older brother & his family. I haven't seen them since his med school graduation in May, and I look forward to seeing my SIL Michelle & my adorable niece and nephew. I called Michelle the other day and screamed "only 3 weeks!!!" She has been gracious enough to put up with my numerous phone calls, and mine & Mike's long conversations of swapping war stories.

My last two posts were not so happy, so I wanted to share this wonderful event that I have to look forward to. Michelle is also due the same day as me, so keep an eye out for AWESOME photos once I get back of all the fun we're going to have. Oh, and the best part...Koa gets to come with us!!

And, my baby shower is in one week! I know how much effort Vanessa & Kelsey have put into it, and I look forward to see lots of friends that I haven't seen in quite a few months.

That's about it for now, I've made my fudge for Girls Bake Day, so we'll see if everyone likes the changes I made from the original recipe.

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**UPDATE**
Eric just called me from work (we both ended up working 6p-6a on the same night) and he has picked out the middle names for the boys, and I'm very impressed with his choices.

Cooper Aedan & Carter Amos

He picked Aedan, which is pronounced the same as Aiden but spelled the traditional Irish way (which is part of both of our heritage). And Amos, to pay tribute to his soldier that died in Iraq in 2004.

I have to say I'm quite surprised and so EXTREMELY happy that he didn't insist on using King as a middle name, like he has been threatening for the past 8 years ;o)

Where to start....mmmm....

Eric and I had a great time in Orlando, even though we were both quite ill by the end. We vowed that we would do all the fun things we wanted to...not just Disney. And, I have to say that we are now done with Orlando for quite a few years.

We started with Wonder Works, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. If you have kids over 3, you should definitely go. They have lots of weird exhibits/games/things to do

...and I spent about 30 minutes straight making giant bubbles.

Even though I may look like I am pregnant in these pix, I swear I'm not...it's just not a flattering shirt!

Yes, we already know we are really big nerds...no need to remind us.

Next, we headed to Medieval Times where they put on a pretty awesome show!! Each person is seated in a specific section that corresponds with the Knight you cheer for. Our guy wasn't too bad, at least he waited to die until he fought the really bad guy, but he kicked butt at the games!

Here is our dinnerware...and no silverware, but we made due. The food was worth the price!!! I gave most of mine to Eric b/c they just kept bringing more.

He tried to get a shot of me with my crown on, but the guy next to us didn't get one, so I selflessly gave him mine ;o)

Everyone is pimpin' their colors

We only took pix @ Animal Kingdom b/c it is my favorite!

In the distance is the Tree of Life that which houses "It's tough to be a bug!" which is an awesome experience if you haven't been!

And we did the safari where we got to see all the great animals.

And, just to close this picture filled post is a hibiscus that I passed and couldn't help taking a picture of.

We had a great time, and are both recovering from being sick.

Happy New Year!!!!

The amazement of the circus without all the animal cruelty!!

I absolutely LOVED the La Nouba show (Cirque du Soleil) at downtown Disney...and not just b/c of the half-naked, really buff guys...everyone was extremely talented and entertaining.


I wasn't quite sure what to expect, and I was very surprised that they served popcorn, pretzels, and drinks in the lobby...especially when the nose bleed seats were $80!! Some people behind us in line were saying that they changed the dates of their entire vacation to accommodate available tickets for the show. Eric and I bought our tickets about a week in advance....but it is much easier to find 2 seats together than most groups of +4!


The entire show was mesmerizing. There was always something catching your eye. Even when one group of performers is the main event, there are people moving around the stage performing their own little routines & interactions. I was also impressed with our seating...we were in the upper tier, but it still wasn't very far from the stage...and some of the acts use the aisles, so keep you arm & legs inside at all times ;o)


Eric said that our next vacation needs to be in conjunction with seeing another Cirque presentation. They have permanent shows in Orlando, Las Vegas, & New York. But they also have traveling shows throughout the US. If you haven't seen a show, you are most definitely missing out....what are you waiting for....check out the website!

Threatdown: Orlando Edition

These were the major threats to my vacation in Disney/Orlando:



5. Male Strippers...taking 5 minutes to pay their $35 grocery total @ Wal-Mart using all $1 bills...thus causing my ice cream to melt, and a really weird guy insisting on talking to me in line. This guy didn't look like a typical male stripper....but I have heard of some female strippers being overweight & ugly, so why not male ones? Well, he was either a stripper or a waiter...I am guessing, stripper...do to the fact that after he handed the cashier his stack of ones, he grabbed the bag with the wine, and left the other two at the register.

4. Self-absorbed Teenagers...that take a picture of themselves in front of every object they stick in the lines of each ride, while posing inquisitively out into the open space (which is really filled with thousands of people being herded like cattle to the slaughter). This one kid literally took 50 pictures of himself while we waited in line for one of the rides...and had his little brother take even more....all the while holding up the line (that wasn't really moving anyways....but still!!).

3. People completely unaware of their surroundings...I will give you 3 examples. 1) The retarded people standing 2 inches away from the person at the RedBox while they enter in their personal information. 2) The retarded people that stop in the middle of the walkway, blocking walking traffic in both directions, while they look at a map...or just stop to stare at something. 3) The SUPER retarded people that drive more than 5mph under the speed limit...they are more dangerous than those that speed!!!

2. Cute capris...I have a pair of Apple Bottom jeans (I know I have ghetto booty...but I embrace it!!) I bought last year, and since the weather was nice I wore these on Christmas day when we went to Animal Kingdom. I had my cell phone in my back pocket, and we started making our way to the front of the park b/c a parade was about to start, when I reached in the pocket of said capris, and realized my phone was missing. My heart sank and I almost started to cry. I love these jeans, but things do have a tendency to fall out of the back pockets (I think it has to do with my huge butt...). Thankfully as soon as the phone was found they brought it to Guest Relations and I was able to retrieve it. And, I promptly sync'd it with my laptop to keep all my info backed up.

1. Germs...Eric started coughing the first few days of vacation which didn't bother me...until the hacking came. I have worked really hard in Nursing School to build up the stomach for poo, urine, & vomit...but mucus is beyond disgusting for me. I was literally fighting back my lunch for most of the vacation. Then, I started coughing...and sore throat...which ended up with a headache from Hades. So, as stated in my prior post, we left a day early and hit up the ER on the way home. I do have a sinus infection, and the antibiotics make me very sick to my stomach...but it is better than having the constant throbbing headache.

**This pic of me making the silly face is courtesy of Eric...we were stuck b/c of a parade, and I was getting frustrated...so he thought it was the perfect time to snap a shot. Plus, I was wearing the super awesome Tshirt that I bought from TAMN that says LOLOMGWTFLDSBBQ and I had a chick that was working one of the rides (who happened to attend BYU-I) stop me so she could figure out what it said. This actually happens all the time, and it cracks me up watching people try to figure out what it means!!!**

More updates from my adventures later...I know you just can't wait!!!

We are jumping ship, and heading home

We have one more night here in Orlando...but we decided to head home a day early. We are done with Disney (for a few years), and we are both getting pretty sick.


Our vast stash of Ricola's has dwindled, and we are getting any better. Eric has been coughing up some seriously nasty stuff, going on 4 days, and my sore throat has turned into what might be a raging sinus infection.


Here are my "allergy eyes," as I like to call them....and they aren't going away. We will probably hit up Eglin Hospital on the way home...but over all it was a decent trip.


Oh, and I really really really miss Koa. I know...I'm lame!