K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple sweetie.  That is the title of this post because I really don't have much to say this week.  I know, right?  ME?  Nothing to say?  There must be some kind of shift in the universe for that to happen.  :)  Enjoy our photos and highlights!

Highlights of the week:

• Airy and I went shopping this week at (Where else?) Target.  Of course!  And it was quite an adventure.  Of course.  She insisted on carrying my basket.  When that got a little heavy for her, she insisted on putting her Big Bird book in her own basket.  Upon check-out, she was inspecting all the enticing goodies while I was paying.  I thought she was being so good, putting things back when I told her.  But after I paid, she ran up with some Rolos.  Delicious, yes.  But sorry, already paid.  Then she pulled a fast one on me since she had already opened it.  So I had to buy it.  Of course.  You win this round, Evil Mastermind.

• Hannah went to her first Girl Scout event.  It was just a small expo showcasing what our area has to offer.  But she still got her first patch so that was exciting.
• For Hannah's homework, we had to decorate a pumpkin as a Halloween creature.  Hannah made hers (with a little help from Momma) the Queen of Vampires. 



He took this off not even
5 minutes later.  :)

• One of my El Paso besties, Vickie, and her son Gannon came over for dinner.  The kids had tons of fun.
• Airy has four new words:  gross, zombie, vampire, and evil.  Queen of Vampires...evil...why are our children into these things? 
• Hannah was able to Facebook chat with her Daddy.  That totally made her night.  We are so lucky to have this technology!  I can just imagine what it was like for miltiary families back in the dizz-ay.



"Chatting" with Daddy!



Hannah and the Queen of Vampires.

And, as usual, I actually have a lot more to say than what I thought.  Of course.  :)

Enjoy your week everyone!

Birthday Wishes

Oh em to the gee.  Aaron would have turned 30 this week.  30!  I can just imagine how this would have been.  He would alternate between lamenting the 3 at the beginning of his age and proclaiming, "Whatever...I'm still fabulous."  This past year would have been a whirlwind of escapades he would have undoubtedly scribbled on a "Things I NEED to do Before I am 30" bucket list.  Ridiculously awesome accomplishments--I'm thinking run a marathon, travel to Europe again, finish school, buy a house, find a way to finally meet Ms Janet Jackson, be on Oprah's last show...among others.  And awesomely ridiculous debacles--I am picturing sneaking backstage to meet Cher, auditioning for a huge Broadway musical, pitching some kind of reality tv show...just to name a few.  One of my favorite things about Aaron is that he was always full of big dreams.  People always thought I was the dreamer; but, without him to push me, I would never have been able to dream as much as I could.  We were a lot closer than most other siblings.  I've never met anyone as close as the two of us.  And I am always grateful that his traits show up in different ways in Hannah and Airy (especially Airy).  Hannah loves fashion, dancing, and singing (loudly) just like Aaron.  Airy is feisty, stubborn, hilarious, and soooo not a morning person just like him.  I hope that I can teach them to dream as big and live as passionately as he did.

Highlights of the week:

• Hannah started at her new dance school.  She is in pre-ballet II and beginning jazz/hip-hop.  She LOVES it!  And I feel like she's already learning a lot more here than she did at her last dance class. 

This is not from this week...
But I made this for my friend's
son on his birthday.  I finally
took a photo of it.  :)

• We had a huge sleepover with two other friends whose husbands are away, their kids, and one of my friend's out of town guests.  Picture four women, three little boys (all 3 and under), Hannah, and one crazy demanding diva.  Oh, that would be Airy.  It was so nice and fun to have all of us in one house, laughing and bonding.  Hopefully this will become a regular thing.  :)
• Hannah said my new favorite quote from her.  I must post here for posterity.  "When you're getting dressed, it's not fun to be a boy.  Boys only have 2 or 3 things to wear.  Girls have a lot more fun things to choose from.  I'm glad I'm a girl."  See?  Totally Aaron's influence.




This is how you would
normally find her at the
playground.



• Airy had fun playing in the sand and dirt at the playground...as usual.  One of the other ladies commented, "Look she's already dirtier than the boys."  Another of my friends (a mother to two boys) said, "It's nice to see 2 year old girls do things like that too."  (This is after Airy attempted to eat rocks.  Yes, rocks.  Didn't you know they are delicious?  I didn't either.)  She really is something else.  Hannah did not prepare me for her.  At all. 

Enjoy your week!  Dream big and don't put rocks in your mouth.

Let the Countdown Begin...

Well, here we are again counting down another year.  I have to admit all the anticipation was getting to me...it felt like we've been doing nothing but counting down.  Counting down to the day and now counting down to when it's over.  I've been alternating between food therapy and retail therapy.  I like both but I don't want to end up huge and in the poorhouse.  Now I can take a breath, be there for the girls, and get back to normal person eating and spending habits. 

Highlights of the week:

• Josh and I got to go on a date that wasn't our usual dinner and a movie!  Yay for us being all grown-up and adventurous.  We went to a comedy show at the local comedy club.  We had a great time and it was a fun way to spend time together.



See...almost as big as
she is!

• Airy and I went bowling with Josh's battery while Hannah was at school.  Well, I watched while Josh helped Airy bowl.  She had the time of her life.  It took quite a while to convince her she didn't need to use a 12 pound bowling ball.
• After MONTHS of begging and pleading, Hannah and Airy finally got to go to a place called Jungle Jaks for a birthday party.  It's like Chuck E. Cheese and Circus Circus in Las Vegas had a baby and gave it waaaayyyy too much sugar.  There are bumper boats, bumper cars, a giant slide, a modeling runway (Guess where Hannah spent most of her time?), a wii room, a discotech, a paint-your-own-pottery area, and tons more....  And a gazillion kids hyped-up on high fructose corn syrup and too many lights running around like a tribe of crazy people.  F-U-N times.



Getting made-up to
work the catwalk.



Hannah hitting the
runway.

Airy paints while Hannah struts
her stuff.

• Papa came out for moral support!  We love our Papa!
• We did our yearly ritual of painting pumpkins.  It's still too early in the month to carve pumpkins in this heat.  So we do the next best thing and decorate them. 
• I have been overwhelmed by the show of love and support by our friends and family, here in El Paso and all over.  We girls are so lucky to have so many people behind us.