~Together... Is A Wonderful Place To Be~

~I made sure that Steve was still around to do the pumpkin carving with the boys. This is not my favorite thing to do.. Steve & the boys had a fabulous time digging out all of the guts & seeds..they carved two giant pumpkins~


~Cole & Kade were so proud of their finished pumpkins! They wanted to put the candles in and we made sure to light them every night..even though Halloween was still a few days away~


~Cole's multi-age class decided that instead of having the kids wear Halloween costumes to school, they would make it an educational experience. We came up with him being #64. "I ate an eight.. got sick on the floor..8 X 8 = 64"~


~Steve had to fly out the week before Halloween, so these boys have been my superheroes in more ways than one. They were very excited for trick-or-treating on the base this year. We went and watched a movie at the theater first, it was fun to walk out of the movie and have it be dark..let the candy gathering fun begin~


~I wanted Cole to have some strong, male influence in his life while Steve is away. We decided to enroll him in a taekwondo class. He absolutely loved it, and I love the respect that it demanded. He loved doing it with his best friend Carson~


~Cole is always excited when he gets to be the goalie on his soccer team. I cannot believe how much he has improved from last year.. it was very impressive. I felt like a proud soccer mom at all of his games and practices~


~This is Cole's soccer team.. the Green Dragons :) It was easy to spot their teammates when they were trying to pass the ball. Who doesn't look good in a bright, neon green?~


~We were out of our heads with excitement to come to Oregon. It took a lot of planning, packing, and getting ready for our move. The first weekend we were here, Uncle Dave came with his kids to the beach house and Cole was able to go out crabbing for the first time. We only caught about 5 crabs in two days..but they did catch this huge, red starfish. I was able to go out to round up the traps with Cole and we had the best time..I love being out on the water in a boat & I love eating crab~


~We waited for Cole to get out of school and then we headed up the mountain to a U-cut Christmas tree farm. The owner thought we were crazy to come out when the weather was only about 18 degrees because of the wind. We were having a great time until Cole got mad because we didn't go with the tree he wanted. I love this picture because it just shows that no matter how much fun we try to make for our children, sometimes it doesn't turn out the way we hoped it would~


~Cole's yellow school bus drops him off at 4 p.m., on nice days we hurry down to the beach as fast as we can so that we can get 30-45 minutes of play time before homework and dinner. It has been so cold here that the beach had frozen over, but the sky is clear and the sunsets are spectacular~


~Cole & Grandma had a great time slip-sliding around on the ice. Kade & Cole had a great time playing ice hockey on the beach with sticks and a rock~


~We were very lucky to run into Santa. Kade ran away as fast as he could.. wanting absolutely nothing to do with him! Cole wanted to sit on his lap.. but when Santa asked him what he wanted.. he froze, panicked and then said he wanted a Snuggie.. which is what the kid had just said that was standing in line with him.. it was classic! I told him Santa will know in his heart what he really wants~


~I took Kade two times to the barber shop in Germany begging him to behave and get a haircut.. he left kicking and screaming each time.. no matter what I bribed him with. So we came to Oregon with long, shaggy hair. We made a trip to Nana & Papa's house in Roseburg the weekend before Christmas, and all Nana had to say was that she used to cut his dad's hair when he was a little boy.. he hopped right up and was ready for the cape & the clippers~


~We had the best time at Nana & Papa's house. Papa had the great idea to make S'mores so he took the boys and hopped in the car and went and got all of the fixins'. The boys had 4 S'mores each.. the marshmallow all over their faces says it all! The boys love the fact that Papa has a serious sweet tooth & loves a good treat~


~There is always such good energy when we are around Nana & Papa. The boys love to be with them, and I am so glad we are just a couple of hours drive away from them right now. They always make us laugh and take such good care of us~


~We had to take advantage of being together.. even if it was a couple of days before Christmas. Nana & Papa got Kade a Transformer (no, I have not been able to turn it into the truck..not only me, but also 5 other adults.. yeah right, age 5 & older) But Kade loves it~


~They gave Cole this fancy Bakugan set. Cole {LOVES} Bakugan.. I must say they are also my new favorite toy.. they are super cool. They open up when they hit anything metal because they have a magnet in them..clever~


~Nana Mary suffered a stroke a little over a year ago. She is such an amazing woman and has been through a lot this past year. My boys loved to take care of her and help her around the house. They especially loved to go in her room and bring her lemon drops all day long. We love Nana Mary~


~The beach must make the boy's imagination run wild. The skies the limit literally here.. Grandpa Larry made them some paper kites and they took them outside and flew them off the back deck.. so cute~


~We had to get ready for Christmas.. and that means baking cookies. They love having their Grandma around because she is the world's best cook. I loved seeing the smiles on the faces of my two boys.. I could tell that they felt loved & completely happy~


~It is a tradition for our family on Christmas Eve after we read the story of Jesus from the Bible, to search under the tree for the star present. I don't think that my boys were expecting PJ's when I told them that they got to open a special gift that night. Kade was highly disappointed..and buried his head in my lap. I had to think quick, and was able to send them on a treasure hunt around the house to find another gift..this time a toy.. but don't they look so sweet in their new Christmas PJ's? Grandma & Grandpa worked all year to make the ornaments and sailboats for the tree.. this is their new tradition.. a beach tree. It turned out awesome~


~Another tradition in my family is sitting and waiting on the stairs on Christmas morning. I had to hurry upstairs to make sure that Santa had come. I called down to let the boys know that the reindeer had eaten the treats on the deck and that Santa had eaten the cookies and drank the milk. They were out of their heads with excitement- even Yoda the dog was anxious to see what Santa brought him this year. I love the sweet happiness that kids get at Christmas when they believe~


~Well, let's just say another tradition on my side of the family is to give a ton of gifts!! The boys were thrilled, and just tore into the gifts as fast as they could. It was so funny to hear what they loved about each and every gift~


~Grandpa won the best gift-giver award for the boys this year. He gave them a box full of paper and instructions for hundreds of paper airplanes, and he gave them remote controlled helicoptors that they get to fly in the house! We will never forget this Christmas for a couple of reasons.. Kade opened up this car that is in his hands and yelled out.."a cherry red Ferrari." It was priceless!~


~Another favorite moment of the morning. Kade had just opened up a ton of toys.. then came to Aunt Sara's gift. It was very well thought out and I agreed that the boys would love it. Kade opened it and jumped up and down.. so happy. Uncle Dave asked Kade what it was, and he paused.. then said "you put these on your feet." Well, they are actually bird feeders.. close, right?~


~Nothing is more sweet then getting handmade gifts from your children. Cole made two ornaments for me and a very sweet card. It said inside the card.."If I could give you anything for Christmas it would be a clean house." That boy knows me so well - I love my sweet Coley Smoleys~


~This was how we spent most of Christmas day. After the boys waited very impatiently for the helicoptors to charge.. they finally were ready for their first flight. Grandpa did a great job teaching them how they work~


~The helicoptors only can go for 5-6 minutes on a 30 minute charge, and that is basically what we have been doing ever since we got them.. life is all about the 30 minute charge. They are getting very good with them. Kade prefers to use his as a fan.. I am praying that nothing will break in the house..or eyes won't be propellered out~


~I love the fact that my boys get to experience some of the joys that I got to experience when I was a little girl. I {LOVE} my dad's famous ice box cake. I must admit, I was a little jealous that I was not the one that got to lick the beaters this time. I guess I have to pass down these little delights to the next generation~


~This will be a Christmas that we will never forget. We had to be away from Steve while he is deployed to Afghanistan. It was very hard to be away from my best friend during the holidays. I am so thankful that I was surrounded by my amazing family to help me get through this tough time. We gave out these Blue Star Banners to all of our immediate family to represent a family member serving in a war. I love to look at it hanging in the window and it fills me with pride for the sacrifices that my husband is making for our freedoms. I learned this year that together..is a wonderful place to be~

~Goodbye To Garmisch~

~This was our third dental conference in Garmisch at the US Edelweiss Resort. We always have a great time here because it is American accomodations, service, and food! The boys and I had a great time playing while Steve was at his conference~


~The weather could not have been more different than it was for us at last year's conference. We had lots of rain, and freezing cold weather this time. The fall colors were still beautiful.. but...~


~This was our first day of snow. We actually were out catching snowflakes on our tongues. The trees looked very pretty because they looked like they had just been sprinkled with powdered sugar~


~We wanted to take a walk around this entire lake.. but I was not dressed warm enough for our adventure. I was freezing! The boys thought I was just being a wimp. Cole & Kade were having a blast and being good sports~


~A family picture in the snow by the lake and snowy mountains. We will always remember our trips to Garmisch. We have experienced every season in this little ski resort town~


~That night the snow began to fall much harder. We woke up to a couple inches of snow. The boys had a great idea to go and get their scooters out and see if they would cruise through the snow. They actually were like sleds with handle bars.. it was great fun~


~This was our first snow experience for the year.. so we had to make a pit stop for a snowball fight. They were entertained with eachother for a while.. and then they both tagged up and attacked me. Cole & Kade = 1, Mom = 0~


~After we all had been hit by enough snowballs, we decided it was time to build some snowmen. This was Cole's end result.. he was very proud of it~


~Kade also built a snowman..his design had a slight contemporary feel~


~The next day Steve was able to get a half a day off from the dental conference. We decided to visit the neighboring village of Oberammergau. It is very famous for the Oberammergau Passion Of The Christ Play. This play has been performed since 1634 as a tradition by the residents of the village. About half the inhabitants of Oberammergau are expected to take part in the once-a-decade Passion Play in the year 2010. This means that over 2,000 villagers will bring the story of Jesus of Nazareth to life for the audiences that flock in from around the world~

~In this picture Cole is not acting out a part in the play, he actually just got tagged from a snowball that Steve just threw at him from across the parking lot. He fell down and immediately started crying and screaming.. you can only imagine the looks we got from the Germans.. and Steve pulled out the camera to capture the moment~


~We had a full day of playing in the snow, and sightseeing local villages so the boys were super tired that night.. doesn't this look comfortable?~


~The Zugspitze mountain will always hold a special place in Steve's heart.. because unfortunately it is the only mountain he skied while in Europe. That was definitely not part of the master plan when we moved to Germany~


~There are so many beautiful things to see in Garmisch. We have been here six times, but we always find new adventures everytime we come~


~This trip was a little bitter-sweet for us because Steve was set to leave for his deployment to Afghanistan a week after it was over. He is doing an incredible job over there, and helping out in amazing ways. It was not part of our master plan.. but I think it will probably be one of the most important adventures he will experience in his life.. and that is why we are making this huge sacrifice~

~Porsche Birthday 2009~

~Anyone who knows my big boy and my two little boys.. knows that they are in {LOVE} with Porsches! That made it easy to choose a theme for our boys' birthdays this year. We started off the excitement with a trip to the new Porsche Museum in Stuttgart~


~The successful record of Stuttgart’s sports-car manufacturer, Porsche is due to it being both the smallest independent German automaker and the world’s most profitable automaker. It is based on decades of experience in automotive manufacturing and in motorsports. The history of Porsche sports cars began in 1948~


~About 80 vehicles and many small exhibits are on display at the new Porsche Museum. Even as early as the 20th century, the name of Porsche stood for the commitment to never be satisfied with a technical solution that fails to fully meet or exceed all of its requirements, including opportunities for further improvement. My boys sure do know how to pick a dream car~


~On October 5, 2005.. my beautiful son Kade was born. He is now 4 years old. He could not be more handsome or sassy. This is a boy who knows exactly what he wants in life and has an awesome imagination. He has a very kind heart and loves to put chapstick on and whistle..mostly because his older brother Cole cannot. He just also realized the fun reactions that come from him crossing his eyes. He loves to help me out in the kitchen, and with my chores around the house. He chose this yellow cake and the chocolate frosting for his birthday cake and cupcakes this year. He was able to take the cupcakes and share them with his preschool class~


~My boys are not able to watch commercials on our military T.V. so they do not know all of the toys that they are missing out on. That is a little hard when they do not know what they want for their birthday. I decided to take him out to lunch, and then to the store to pick out one special gift. He chose this huge jet that makes take-off noises and shoots missiles..great choice~


~I came into the kitchen after we got back from the store.. my little Kade had found his way to his cake and was eating the frosting off.. it is his cake.. how do you get mad at a boy with such a sweet face and sweet tooth?~


~After dinner we sang to Kade and had him make a wish and blow out his candles.. I think that he had a very special day.. he was full of smiles~


~It is a tradition in our home to make a special breakfast on October 6th. Kade's birthday is October 5th, and Cole's birthday is October 7th. I am sure that sooner than later, the boys will start demanding that they each get a special breakfast, instead of meeting in the middle & sharing the day.. but for now it is working :) We made heart-shaped pancakes with syrup, fresh berries & whipped cream~


~We decided to surprise Cole by showing up at his lunch in the school cafeteria. He was very happy to see us. We brought cupcakes for him to give out to his class~


~Cole is always very cute with Kade when he is around his friends. He is the perfect big brother to him. We finished up with Cole's lunch and had to hurry to the car rental shop for our next big birthday surprise!~


~We had the keys in our hands and we high-fived eachother when we saw this beautiful, black porsche sitting in the garage at the car rental company. Kade started to jump up and down when he found out we actually were able to get in it and drive it.. not just look at it~


~We pulled up to the front of Cole's elementary school waiting very impatiently for him to get out so that he could see his birthday surprise. I was pacing back and forth.. it was so cute because when I met up with him and was bringing him back to the Porsche.. he could not see Kade and Steve inside it..and he said, "Look mom, a Porsche." which is what happens every single time they see any form of a Porsche in Germany~


~I have never seen Cole so surprised and so happy in my entire life. His grin was ear to ear and his eyes were glowing with excitement. He started screaming as soon as he realized that dad was actually driving that Porsche he just saw. He did five circles around then got inside and put his head up through the sunroof~


~Cole knows that the CarreraS is Steve's most favorite Porsche.. so he wanted to make sure it was a Carrera because that is VERY important.. the picture was proof that this is very much one of the very coolest cars ever!!!!~


~Do you think he will ever forget his 7th birthday? This boy was having the absolute time of his life.. and we were proud parents that we were able to share this with our boys~


~Don't worry..the boys were not the only ones with smiles on their faces. My big boy was having the time of his life also. This was a dream come true for him. He had the Porsche going upwards of 150mph on the Autobahn..it would have been faster without the traffic (I believe it). I was screaming the entire time..scared to death.. the boys were in the back and were encouraging Steve to go faster. He took an exit and we cornered at 75mph.. I thought we were going to die~


~But we survived, and really had the best time out cruising through our favorite country roads.. that we knew we could go fast on. We ate dinner and Cole & Kade got up from the table 15 times so that they could go make sure the Porsche was OK~


~It became dark outside, and our miles were all used up on the Porsche.. It was so much fun thinking about Cole all day this day and to think that 7 years before he was born. He is such a kind-hearted boy who is very social and loves adventures just like his dad. We ended our night with cake and ice cream for Cole.. to be honest I do not think he had to make a wish when he blew out the candles.. I think that wish had just come true~