Saying Goodbye

Monday was a big day for Neal, he got his big boy bed!

Along with this fun new transition into growing up we told Neal that since he was a "big boy" now he had to say goodbye to his binky.

The first night was not so fun, he had a hard time falling asleep and was awake for about 2 hours until he finally fell asleep.  His nap the next day was similar, taking him over a half hour to fall asleep.  Also, he wasn't sleeping as long as usual (waking up early and only taking a 1 hour nap).  But like always he adjusts quickly and last night he did great!

This morning I walked into his room and told him he could get up and he said to me "Mama, Neal big boy sleeping, no binky"  He was so proud of himself and I was proud of him.

Neal teaches me a lot in how well he adjusts to change.  I'm not always so good with change in my life (especially unexpected changes) but seeing Neal trust Tyler and I and accept change, with little hesitation, reminds me that I need to continue to trust God without hesitation when change comes.

Feeling more like home

We are so excited to finally have our own house here in NC!  We moved in a little over a week ago and are getting close to having all our boxes unpacked.   When we moved from AK we sold almost all our furniture so last weekend we took a trip to Charlotte, NC to shop at IKEA for some furniture.

It was a great family trip ( it's about a 3 hour drive) and we were able to find almost all the furniture we needed.   Neal loved shopping with us and pointing out all the things that he liked.  All that furniture shopping made for one tired little boy (or I guess a silly boy who was pretending to sleep while we paid for everything)

Once home we had our work cut out for us, assembling everything...

Assembly wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated.  I was even able to assemble our nightstands by myself while Tyler was at work.

All of us were involved in putting together the furniture, even Neal, who was very helpful in putting together kitchen chairs.

So, finally a year after moving out of our home in AK, one month of driving cross country, and over 2 months in the TWR lodge we finally have a house that is slowly beginning to look like home.

 It's good to be home.

Life These Days

You can't spend really anytime in our house without seeing our little guy running around.  Even if we aren't at home you won't be able to miss the signs that a toddler lives here.  I noticed this the other day in several different ways.

First I opened up the bedroom door and found these lined up along the pillow "sleeping"...

Later that day, while Neal was napping, I opened my makeup drawer to finishing getting ready and found these little guys smiling up at me....

I love all the little clues that Neal leaves around the house showing what he has been doing.  I love coming across his toys placed in random places throughout the day and once he has gone to bed.  It reminds me how much life has changed for Tyler and I and how much I wouldn't wont life any other way. 

Plus,  no matter what your day may be like you can't help but smile when you go to get a bandaid for yourself and only find these...

Ready, Aim, Fire!

While in Georgia we got the opportunity to go the the Infantry Museum. It was incredible to see the history of the Infantry and the dedication and stories of so many who gave their lives and sacrificed so much for our country. Now, going to a museum with a toddler is a little hard and I didn't get the chance to see the whole museum but what I was able to see was amazing.

About halfway through out time there Uncle Matt decided to take Neal into the simulation rooms where he could try shooting some guns from a Black Hawk and an army Jeep.  While we waited for our turn in the simulation room Neal sat buy Tia and occupied his time by playing with her phone (no surprise)

Neal's favorite part of the museum was getting to shoot the guns (don't worry not really shooting it was all simulation).  His Uncle Matt helped show him the proper way to shoot.

When we had to leave Neal said "more shoot da guns" over and over. We will be coming back again to visit Uncle Matt and Tia and we will have to make sure that Neal gets to go back and "shoot da guns" again.

Water Baby

You may remember seeing this pictures of Neal at 4 months old swimming with Grandma...obviously not a fan of the water

I have been wondering if Neal would ever really enjoy swimming since he has always been a bit hesitant and reserved about pools, bathtubs and the ocean. This last week while visiting my sister in GA we found out that he now LOVES swimming!! (especially with Grandma)

He asked to go swimming every day and once in the water did not want to get out. We are going to have to give this little guy some swim lessons soon and buy him some good water wings so he can enjoy the pool more as summer comes. Once we move into our home we are going to have a neighborhood pool so there will be lots more splashing and swimming adventures in our future, especially as the weather continues to get hotter and hotter.

Visiting Tia

My younger sister Anna (known as Tia to Neal), moved to GA this spring and Neal and I got the chance to go down and visit her, and her fiance Matt, for a few days. Tyler is traveling, attending some Global TWR Meetings, and so it was a treat for Neal and I to get to spend time with family while he is gone.  It was an extra treat that my parents were going to be visiting Anna as well so we got to see almost my entire family.

Tia lives at a beautiful apartment complex that overlooks a small pond. She works at the Columbus Hospital near her house and got to take several days off work to spend time showing us around her town.

We had a great visit and Neal loved playing with all three of Tia's cats. We took lots of pictures during our few days there so there will lots to share about here in the next few days.

We have lived far away from my family since we got married (almost 7 years ago) and so it's exciting to be driving distance from my sister (she's only 9 hours away) and to be living in the same time zone as her!   It is the closest we have lived since both living at home. I know we won't get to see each other all the time but at least we are a little closer - and Holidays are going to be great with Tia and Matt around to join us.

Cruising

It's has been hot here the last week, in the upper 80's and low 90's.

Neal knows exactly how to enjoy the sun...cruising around in any car he can find.

Outdoor Fun...

One of the best $1 toys I have ever purchased: Bubbles!

Neal and I spend an entire afternoon outside blowing and popping bubbles. I think Neal ended up eating as much (if not more) of the soup solution as he did actually blowing bubbles. He finally got the hang of it and was able to blow a few bubbles instead of just eating the wand.

What better way to run off energy before dinner and bed then to chase bubbles around the yard. Neal would use anything from his hands, feet or his mouth, to pop the bubbles.