Back In The USA!

Andy had a conference back in the states earlier this month, we we took advantage of it and made a family vacation back home.  We spent a week in Iowa, one in MN, and one in Norfolk.  Drew and Claire loved being in fall back in the midwest and all of the attention from the family!!!

The kiddos with my parents (Papa and Mimi)

Clarie and I watching BIG brother Drew cruise on his bike with TRAINING WHEELS!!!

This is Drew sitting with Ms. Amy... Amy was a doll that I had when I was young and she's just as tall as he is!  He loved playing with her and sitting with her to read books!  I think that I used to many products on her hair when I was younger, as her hair isn't in the best of shape!!

My sister Allison even flew in to visit us!!!  It was so great seeing her!  Drew and Claire had such a great time with her and loved all of the attention from her.  For the five days she was home we talked about how we WILL be neighbors.. some day...

On our way back to Spain we spent a few days in Norfolk.  It was so nice to see my friends there again and Drew was in heaven seeing all of his buddies again.  Drew was just getting use to his friends living far away and then we visit them... talk about confussion!!

Mia was born a little over a month after Claire!  This is Kai's younger sister:)

A few photos with Drew and his old gang!

Our good friend Chad to when to school with Andy flies helicopters. Chad took to his squadron to check a few out.  Drew was speachless and in heaven!!!  Talk about a little boys dream and being able to hit buttons!!

Claire loved the tour as much as Drew and was laughing the entire time!! 

Navy Ball

This past weekend we celebrated the Navy's Birthday with the annual Navy Ball.  This year the ball was held at Hotel Playa da la Luz, a beautiful hotel out in town.  We went with the usual Rota gang and had a blast!!!  It was defenly a Spanish ball as we didn't even start to eat dinner till 10pm!!! 

A photo of the hotel that the ball was held at.  Steps away from the beach!!

A few pre-ball pictures at the neighbors house!

Waiting for the buses to take us off base to the hotel...

We couldn't ask for a beter group here!  Being so far away from family, we become one big family!

Da Men.... this is also a photo of the entire fantasy football league!!!  Which they live and breath....

Sierra Navada Camping

On Thursday our car had every square inch used and we hit the road for our four day camping trip.  We toured Southern Spain, had beautiful weather,and great memories.

Um yah.... so I picked up the wrong grahm crackers and we had the kinds used for pie crusts!!! It was still delicious with chocolate and marshmallows!

We traveled to a small town outside Granada that was beautiful!

Drew was in heaven!!!!  He loved being outside and being able to get dirty, cook out, and sleep under the stars.  He even thoght her heard wolves and bears in the night....

Claire was a great camper, all the fresh air wore her out and she slept great!

This was one of the towns that we camped on the outskirts of.  It was a little walk into town, and sooo cute!

We havn't used the hiking back pack forever, so it was new to Drew.  A thrity pound boy gave daddy a work out!

Don't worry it's not blood.... We stopped for ice cream and mommy went for the healthy choice of a fruit bar... DON'T ever do that!!!  This is the last photo taken of Drew in this shirt as he no longer owns it...

This is outside Grazalama our first campsite that we camped at

In the mornign we made ramen noodels, Drew was in heaven

So our first tent was a two pole tent, one would use our old tent to hike in a ways and camp.  We used our old tent with Drew and it was TIGHT (a two person tent). Then Clarie came along and for safety we needed something larger.  So we rented the QUEEN BIRTHA tent from Outdoor Rec and the sad news is that it fit our family perfect!  We realized that it will be some time before we can back pack in and camo so we're going for comfert and REI here we come!!!  When we put the tent up, Drew yelled "A house"!!!!

Ah, yes, Drew is still dressing himself...

The BIG Four Months

On the 23rd of Sept. I turned four months! I keep hearing my parents say they don't know where the time has gone!!! Here's the low down on me.... I wheighed in at a whopping 14lbs and 2ounces . With a lenght of 24 inches long. I just moved up to size 6-12 months in clothes and that makes my mommy sad as I'm growing upo way to fast! I wear a lot of bows and barretts in my hair as it's always out of control! (My daddy says I have my mom's hair...) A few of my hobbies incluade watching Drew and EVERYTHING he does, I now am grabbing objects, have discovered two awesome toys at the bottom of my legs that I can almost put in my mouth, and am soooo close to rolling over! I have also been practicing on my first word being, hola:) And it's decided my eyes are staying BRIGHT blue just to throw my parents and brother with their dark brown eyes!!!

A Day In The Life Of Youngsters..

So Drew is going through a stage where he is soooo independent and attempts to do EVERYTHING on his own (and usually does)! So the other day I told him that I was going to go outside to wash the car, and he needed to change out of his pajamas if he wanted to hlep me. I tried to change him myself, which didn't work. Instead he changed himself without ANY help and this is the outfit he came out with!! (that's a visor that he has around his neck). I said looks good and heded outside with him:) As many of you have met Arnie (Claire's blankie) in the past photos. This is how she HAS to sleep with him, over her face! (don't worry she can breath under there)!! I will have Arnie next to her on the side and this is how I come in and find her!

Drew had to try the yummy sweet potatoes that Claire had! (he should have taken the spooon to her face...)

Drew is ALMOST potty trained and so his is Tiger.... I walked by the bathroom the other day and saw Mr. Tiger in there! Drew sat him in there and never mentioned it to us:) Andy told me to be sure and write that's tiger's tail in the toilet....

Drew always asks "Hold Claire, hold Claire"!

Um yah.... so Drew doesn't sleep in Claire's bed, however is obssessed with the bed when she's in it! So I put him in there with her and he thought that was pretty fun!

Mi Casa

So we're now 100% fully moved in!!! We love our house (it'a HUGE down size, we're talking three closets for the ENTIRE house) however the neighbors and backyard rock!! I thought that I took a picture of the living room and I forgot, so I will have to add that later! This is right when you walk in the door

Looking in to the living room

Toy room/guest bedroom

Our bedroom

Drew and Claire's room

This is the courtyard outside our front door

And the best part, the back yard that over looks the Atlantic Ocean. Their are only a few homes on base with their back yards facing the water, so were lucky!