Soccer!

Game 2! The team is really bad. Focus would probably be their greatest need. I did feel better when I found out that Gavin's b-day was the cut-off day making him quite a bit younger than his team mates. Oh well, he thinks he won (he always does) just by the fact that he kicked the ball a couple times during the game. I can't wait to watch him get better at sports- it does bring him a lot of joy and that's all that matters.

Let's go to the park!

We have had absolutely perfect weather this past week! It has been great for going outside. I am definantly going to miss this 75 degree weather in a few months (or knowing the weather around here in a week).

The Force!

I am missing my computer, but have finally managed to figure out how to get pictures onto our old one!

This past Sat., before Kyle left, we had a little family outing that involved Star Wars and Pizza! Gavin was so excited to meet the Star Wars characters at Pottery Barn and Avalyn was thrilled to play with all the doll houses and girly toys. After such wonderful fun at Pottery Barn we took the kids to California Pizza Kitchen for lunch! It was a fun day with Daddy! We are missing you lot's.

All Alone

So sad! Kyle left at 4 am on Sun. morning for training in Alabama. He will be gone for 5 weeks and I am not too thrilled about it. I know we will survive, we always do but it doesn't get easier. He took the computer we ussually use and set our old one for me to use. It has been a few years since I've used this computer and I still can't figure out how to put pictures on it (there isn't even a place to put the memore card from the camera, it's a good thing I still have my mom's cord I barrowed). The kids are doing okay, but are still adjusting to him being gone.

The kids watched a great Sesame Street video made for Military families. Elmo's Daddy goes away to help people in the video. It has been very helpful over the last couple of years in getting the kids ready and helping them understand. Gavin is just know understanding it and Avalyn is not quite there. The funniest part of the watching the video was when Avalyn saw a picture of a Dad in a flight suit with his kids, she got so excited and said to Kyle "look Daddy it's your favorite costume".

Avalyn keeps asking about Daddy and talking about how much she likes him and of course he is on every plane that flies over us (we live by base and she knows what Kyle's plane looks like). Gavin keeps trying to tell her it's not him and I don't even want to try and convince her so I just let her believe and remind her that he will not be back for a while.

Gavin is having a more difficult time, he gets it and I think he is sad and upset. He actually asked me yesterday "Why do I have a Daddy?", it broke my heart and I was so sad for him. Kyle and Gavin are very close and I think Gavin was actually mad at Kyle for leaving. Today was a lot better, he had fun at school and I took them on a walk to the park. When Kyle talked to Gavin tonight Gavin was so excited and they had a great talk. I am sure he will adjust and hopefully the next 5 weeks go by fast.

I am sure to be busy and will do my best to blog- I know Daddy is looking and wanting pictures of his babies.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!

Today was a very wet and wonderful day! This morning was Avalyn's first day of Mother's Day Out. I was so sad and actually cried after dropping her off. I didn't even cry when Gavin went to preschool. She isn't always the easiest child, but I understand her like no other and we have a very special bond. It hurt to see her cry when I dropped her off, but I knew she'd be just fine and I could use the break. It was a wonderful comfort when the director of the MDO called about 10 minutes after I left to let me know she had stopped crying and was doing well. I took Gavin and Cambria to Target while I got the oil changed and then home to clean up before picking her up at 2:30. It was so much quieter without our little Avalyn, but it was a nice peaceful break and I was able to get more done. When I picked her up she was very happy and had a great time. She is excited about going back and I am looking forward to a wonderful year of mother's day out!

Today for Kyle's 30th Birthday we took the kids out to dinner. We went to a burger place down the street and had a wonderful time. The kids were great, good burgers and shakes, and what a wonderful blessing Kyle is!!! We love him so much! Happy Birthday!

Playing with the birthday present Gavin bought for Daddy- a transformer of course!

Avalyn Dancing and enjoying her banana shake, fries and a few bites of a cheese burger!

Cambria slept the whole dinner- such a precious baby!

Ready to go back out in the rain!

A very busy day: Cambria's eye appointment/ dance class #2

Today I spent much of the day in my car. First was a drive across town with the kids to the dance store to buy new tap shoes- $28 yikes (just hoping Cambria will be able to wear them). I also found a steal at the dance store, a little blue leotard for $5! It was hiding under a little pile of black leotards in a bucket of $5 clearance items. I picked it up and was shocked by the price and by the fact it was her size, all the leotards there were around $30 (this was originally $32). Avalyn loved it once I told her it was blue like Cinderella (her favorite princess), she wasn't crazy about the shoes but I got them anyways.

After the dance store a quick lunch at McDonalds. I actually don't care for that place and only take the kids there maybe once a month. They did enjoy it and I always love how happy they are when I take them there. Then back to the other side of town to drop Avalyn off at a friends house and Gavin at school. Next up another trip across town to Cambria's eye appointment.

Cambria's Eye Appointment: It was another quick one. He check them out, held up some glass cubes, shined a light at her eyes, and explained the surgery. I wish I could explain the surgery, but I wasn't really comprehending what he was saying. What I did catch was that he is going to loosen the muscles in the eyes to allow her to look forward while focussing. Right now she uses the right eye to focus inwardly toward the left, when it gets there she shuts it down and uses the left to continue looking in the other direction. Hopefully that helps explain a little bit of what he is going to fix by loosening the muscles. After he explained things to Kyle and I, he asked what our schedule looked like. It was a little shocking, we thought it would be in a 2 or 3 months and he acted like he was ready to do it next week. When Kyle said he was leaving on Sun. for 5 weeks, he said that would be okay and he will do it as soon as he returns. Oct. 23 is the day! There is an 80% chance the surgery will fix it and another 20% chance there will be a 2nd one necesary. He performs this surgery regularly and hasn't had any problems (he is an older doctor, who has been a practicing pediatric ophthomoligist for many years). It is such a wonderful peace God has given to us, through providing such an experienced confident doctor. The surgery will not fix her vision, but will help her visual range (not to mention, she will not be cross eyed anymore). Thanks for all your prayers!!!

After the eye appointment, back across town to pick up Gavin from school, then Avalyn at the friends house and off to dance class. I prayed the whole way there, I just want her to enjoy this opportunity. God did answer my prayers! She actually wanted to wear the footless tights and her new leotard. When we walked into the studio, she ignored the toys in the lobby walked right into the room and I asked her if she wanted to wear her new tap shoes, she looked at the young teachers in their tap shoes and then back at me and said YES!!! I put them on with socks- I got the bigger size shoes so she will wear them with socks now (she is liking socks) and eventually tights. She walked right into class and I headed straight to the lobby. She did wonderful and had a great time! I am so looking forward to watching her learn to dance. I didn't get any great pictures, just a few of her walking to the car, after class, with her sticker on her chest and dance bag on her sholder.

What a wonderful, busy, very blessed day! I can't believe I managed to blog.

Soccer season #2 begins!!!

Last night was Gavin's first soccer game of his second season! He was so excited, his team is the Fireflies (much better than his last team name, kittens). He had a great time and it was nice to see some improvement since the spring. It was so cute to see such excitement just to kick the ball, no goals made but you wouldn't have known that by his reaction to just getting to the ball. Go Fireflies!!! Go Gavin!!!