A new adventure

WE ARE MOVING......to Portugal!

Wednesday Steven got an email saying he was getting orders to Lajes Field, Azores, Potugal. So actually, we are moving to a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. We have to be there by May 31st, 2014, and we will be there for two years.

http://www.lajesfss.com/About-Lajes--Newcomers.html

Having known now for a couple days, here are some thoughts.

First, we are very excited, and can't wait for this adventure. 

It is a small base, on a small island. The Azores have some beaches, but many other things to offer: whale and dolphin watching, hiking, boating, scuba diving, golf, sailing, water skiing, surfing, horseback riding, fishing, etc. There is beautiful volcanic landscapes, waterfalls, tidal pools, and lots of flowers, etc. 

We will also be able, on base, to take advantage of the gym over looking the ocean, bowling alley, swimming pools, chapel, movie theater, on base restaurants, arts and crafts, auto hobby shop, etc. 

We are excited to have lots of visitors!

We will be living on Terceira.
If you have any questions, please post ask in the comments section, and I will answer! 

Watching Daddy

Yesterday, we were watching videos of Daddy on my iPad. This seems to be Emma's favorite. Whenever Steven tickles her in the video, she giggles while watching it as if he is tickling her in real life. Then when I tell her to kiss Daddy in the video, she does, several times. It's adorable. Everyone said that she wouldn't remember him when he came back, but the older she gets, the more she seems to know him. The other day at breakfast, she got VERY excited when she heard him calling on Skype. I think with all the Skyping, videos, and talking about him that we do, she seems to know who he is. I just can't wait for him to come home so I can see what she does.

And stay tuned for a big announcement...coming soon!

7th Anniversary

Since I have been posting lots of pictures lately, I thought I would just continue and post some pictures of Steven and I from the past 7ish years. I call it walking down memory lane...and as he knows, I love to do this on our Anniversary. Happy 7th Anniversary, Steven!

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2006

Firefighters Ball 2011

Easter 2011

Homecoming 2011

Reunited after deployment, 2008

Prom, 2004

Getting Engaged, December 24, 2005

Promotion Ceremony, 2009

TX Baby Shower, July 2012

2008

September 2, 2006

How we met: In high school band, we both played the trumpet. I was bossy, Steven was 'slightly' obnoxious. And I was better. ;)
Our first date: My senior prom, 2004 (But you never marry your prom date, right Mom?)
When we got engaged: Christmas Eve, 2005.
Long Distance: We only spent a total of 6 months living in the same city the entire two and a half years we dated before we were married.
Awkwardly cute: When I was in college in TN, Steven would 'put me in his pocket," aka put his cell phone in his chest pocket as they marched their show. I could hear his solo. :)
Part of the family: Also when I was in college in TN, Steven would go over to my parent's house for lunches during school, after Church on Sunday, and sometimes take a nap on the floor. My mom kept Easy Mac and Apple Juice on hand for him.
Lost and Found: Once, Steven and I went for a walk around our Governor's mansion...there are three large trails, so I figured we would be fine. Well, after a few hours of winding around a wooded area, we decided we were lost. We apparently had wandered into some bike trails. We found an area with cell phone reception and called our parents. We sat there, on a hill for a couple hours. Steve dug a whole in the dirt with a stick and I talked his ear off. His dad finally found us around 11pm...which was good because they were about to get a police helicopter to look for us.

Fun tidbits from our wedding: We forgot to put the communion on the table, so we didn't have any. The speakers never got turned on, so our singer never got to sing. There was a house fire down the street from where my bridesmaids and I were staying the night before our wedding. We had cheesecake for our wedding cake...YUM. We had to have the rehearsal on Thursday, because of the high school football game on Friday night. We flew to Idaho the day we got married. We spent our honeymoon in Bear Lake, UT/ID....after the season closed, so there was only one restaurant open a day, and only for a few hours, and there wasn't a lot to do, so we bought puzzles. We were 19 and 20 when we got married. We love to reminisce about 'high school Steven and high school Hope' because we didn't really date while I was there, we think they were weird. :)

12 months of Emma

Today was Emma's birthday party. I won't say it went off without a hitch, but more like we managed to fit it in between naps and everyone ended up being there...and Steven was on Skype, although I don't know how much he could see. Emma really loved her presents, particularly the ones that made music. She danced to those, it was super cute. She did not know what to do with her cake...guess I forgot to read her that part of the book. For a game, I showed everyone pictures of Emma at each of her month birthdays, to see if they could put them in order. Uncle Alex won the game, with 7 correct...he used her hair to help him decide. Anyway, here are her pictures...one thru twelve months.

One month...7lbs 11oz

Two months 

Three months

Four months...ornery girl!

Five months...dedicated to the Lord.

Six months! Eating food!

Seven months!

Pretty...eight months.

Nine months.

Ten months.

Eleven months

Twelve months

Tiny Emma

So....yesterday I was looking for old pictures of Emma, like right after she was born. Since mine are all on my computer back in TX, I was looking at Connie's pictures from when she was there...when Emma was around a week old. And guess what I found...videos of Emma...tiny baby Emma.  Here is one I just had to share.

One year old

Happy First Birthday, Emma!
I can hardly believe I have a one-year-old. But here she is:

I guess she wanted to celebrate this morning.

Playing in her pool at Grandma Joy's house.

Age: 1
Weight: 15-16lbs?
Number of teeth: 6
Favorite Foods: ice cream, puffs, blueberries, bananas, chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, refried beans, applesauce, mac and cheese, eggs, anything Mom is eating
Favorite color: yellow, green, pink?
Favorite Toy: books, anything that is not a toy
Favorite Songs: If You're Happy and You Know It, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Pat-a-Cake
Words she can say: Mama, Daddy, Hi, Arf-arf, Ga (Grace), Pepper, uh-oh, Ray! (hoo-ray), Poop
Signs she can do: more, finished, drink, claps for yes, shakes head 'no'
Mobility: Cruising, standing, tri-poding
Sleeps through the night? Not even close
Emma loves: Animals (Cats), waving, being chased, being read to, Happy Bunny, music/singing, giving kisses, swinging, being outside, watching other kids, 'shopping' in the pantry, teething tabs, looking and waving at pictures, being the center of attention, going for walks
Emma does NOT love: too many car rides, being anywhere but home when she is tired, peas, carrots

My angel

Silliness

Beautiful

Ornery

Growing up is hard to do

Well, Emma is getting older. Right now that means that she is getting frustrated because she can't communicate everything she wants, or she can't have what she wants...even if she can communicate it. It's a rough life. It is has been especially difficult when it comes to food...is she hungry? Does she want yogurt? Puffs? Something else? She can do sign language...but only when I say the word first, not usually to communicate something on her own to me yet. Also, the last few days she has been restless when she sleeps...I think it is partly from gas, but also our schedule has been a little off. Last night, she woke up around 11:30pm, and kicked and cried when I tried to put her back to sleep. So, I turned on the light and let her play. Every so often she would toot, or more, and I would try to put her back down again with the same  results. We read lots of books, played with a ball, and finally around 3am she went back down. So a big thank you to my mother, who took Emma for the morning so I could get some more sleep...once again....so glad I came to KS.

A few of Emma's books...she loves to be read to....or to look at the kitty.

Walking in to get her after a nap.

Is is bright in here?

My ornery girl.

Shopping!