We're Back!

We're Back!!!

After a couple of weeks without a camera or cell phone (for me) we're up and running again on the blog! We had a minor set back when I found my new phone and relatively new camera floating in a sea of apple juice at the bottom of my new purse! It wasn't the happiest day in our house.....but with the holidays coming we couldn't put off a camera purchase any longer....so we're back! Hope you all had as happy a Thnaksgiving in your home as we did here. It was so great spedning the day cooking with the kids, watching the Macy's Parade (a big hit in our house for obvious reasons), some football, and celebrating all that we have to be thankful for!!!

Pumpking Pie never tasted sooooo good!

This was our practice crust......I had to do a switcharoo when my helpers weren't looking!Homemade rolls with Daddy!!!
....still cookin!
Our little Rockettes!
Special treat.....sparkling cider in acrylic glasses!
Bottoms up! They are their Mother's child!The girlies!The boys stick together!Macy took this shot...it was one of the few where our heads weren't chopped off!The masterpiece! Nothing better than a grilled turkey! Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Let the Party Begin!!!

Aghhhhhhh........I think we can all rest easier (literally) knowing that Mike is home and I am no longer the crazy person I was a mere week ago! What a wonderful week we've had having Mike back home. The kids are all beside themselves each morning when they realize Mike is here and not going anywhere! They want him to do eveything for them right up through bedtime (which is fine by me)! I think Mike has been most amazed each morning when he hears the additional "Daddy!" chime from Coop that he didn't hear before he left. It's as if he never left and we have quickly found our groove again as a fmily of 5!

We had a fun week of homecoming festivities...from the fly-in and homecoming itself last Monday, the Marine Corps Ball Thursday, to the welcome home party we had here at our house on Saturday night! Mike is off until Wednesday and the girls are anxious for Daddy to take them to school on Monday and come with them to ballet on Tuesday....

Happy 233rd Birthday USMC!The Pools...

Major, Mrs., and Brigadier General!

What a great family to spend the ball with!The Ladies....

just getting the party started! Look how cute my hubs is all dressed up!

What you can't see is me across from him trying to get him to crack a smile :)Our dance moves need some work!

Deeds & Rusty.....

hangin at the sand bar at the "W" post Ball!"Argh" & Cheese :)

Welcome Home Confections!

Thank you to Dee Dee's Mom...

...cake decorator extraordinaire!Welcome home!

Let's get the par-tay started!!!Peek-a-boo! Emmy thought she was camoflouged behind the cupcakes....

but we all saw her getting an early dessert before dinner!

It's a Mike thing...My support network....

and no I'm not talking about the glass of wine I'm holding!

Keits & HKT!

Emmy took this shot....

No worries, Shelagh & Ann look great at any angle! ....you girls look like you are up to no good???...that's because you are!!!

The old married couple....

ok, well they did live together for the last 6 months....

and do often bicker about who vaccuumed their room last!

That's Right!!!!! No countdown!!!!

Just....WELCOME HOME!!!

Welcome Home Daddy!!!!

Yesterday was just as amazing as anticipated! Lots of tears, hugs, kisses and happy kids, Mom, & Daddy! Thank you to all my friends who captured it on camera so that we could share it with friends and family that couldn't be with us!!!

Click on the link below to see a YouTube video of Mike's homecoming!

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=icAVEM4V9gk&feature=email


Click on the link below to see pictures at Shutterfly!

http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=c89d1d88286020b3&sid=8EZs2TNsybMTu

6 Months in Review...

It's hard to believe how much these kids have grown in 6 months....Just think.....Cooper wasn't even walking when Mike left! He's in for the greatest surprise with this little guy!Sometimes one of the only things that keeps you going on a deployment...is the thought of Homecoming Day!!!

Is it possible that all of these things could take place in a 6 month period....

-a new walker in the family

-3 birthdays!

-a new preschooler

-a new ballerina

AND....

-a Flat Tire

-Hitting a car (a Camaro no less...didn't even know they still made them)

-A broken microwave (who knew how much you really cooked in a micro until you were without)

-3 or 4 dead birds (they flew into the living room and couldn't find their way out)

-a flooded patio & yard x 2 (maybe someone forgot to turn the H2O off when they were refilling)

-1 dead minivan battery

-3 broken toilets (which someone fixed without having to call a plumber)

-1 stolen credit card number (someone in Lousiana had fun at Walmart & the gas station)

-Broken dishwasher (that leaked all over the wood floors)

-1 broken TV (the good one, the bigscreen)

Yes, I tell you.....it's ALL possible!!!

What is even more remarkable.......

is all the truly amazing friends and family that have supported me over the past 6 months. I feel truly blessed by so many that have been so good to me, the kids, and to Mike, by offering their unconditional love and tremendous support to us through one of the toughest times of our life! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you...we really couldn't have done it without you!!!

...the girls getting ready for the big day!
My little helpers....Daddy's biggest fan!!!It's only a matter of HOURS now!!!

Mike should fly into Miramar in formation late afternoon on Monday, Nov 3rd. The 3rd MAW Marine band will be playing, the hangar decorated and the kids and I awaiting his arrival in great anticipation! Stay tuned....

BOO!

Happy Halloween!

We had such fun trick or treating this year! The kids were all so much fun....we brought the wagon just in case, but Cooper got right in the mix and was usually only a few steps behind. Emmy was his personal loot holder making sure he got his share, while Macy was always a house ahead of us! We saw all our neighbors out and made the small loop in our neighborhood before we were ready to see the goodies we got and dive in! Unfortunately I had 3 bags this year to sift through and find all my favorites.....25 or so wrappers later, a huge stomach ache and a lot of feelings of guilt for stealing from my kids....I have satisfied my sweet tooth....until next Halloween!!!

This year we had.... .....a Posh Puppy (AKA "Frenchie" from Fancy Nancy)!
...a "Flower Baby"....Emmy named herself!....and the sweetest little skunk ever!My neighbor Ann & I

(Of course she made a wine run to my house later that night when she ran out of her stash....

How did she know I wouldn't disappoint???)

Emmy and Cooper were quite a pair! She took great care of Coop....

but, somehow she ended up with 3x more candy than the other two!

She knows what Halloween is all about!!! Wait for me guys!
Coop always said thank you and waved bye to everyone at each house! They LOVED the spooky, dancing witch!

1 1/2 DAYS TO GO!!!!