Matt is Officially a Civilian

Yesterday Matt officially became a civilian. Woohoo! We had a small family celebration last night. We had a delicious Chinese dinner--friend rice, egg rolls and potstickers--YUMMY!! Of course we also had chocolate cake with fudge icing for dessert. We also finally hooked up our Wii console that we got for Christmas. Yes, I know we are crazy and sad. But we had a blast playing with it tonight. Here are some pictures (and yes, all the Wii pictures are of everyone's back but I was not about to stand in front and take the chance of one of them taking out my precious Nikon)...

The Ceremony

I would like to say that my children were extremely well behaved during the wedding ceremony. But who am I kidding? They are 7, 2.5 and 1 years old. They were very entertaining to say the least. Here are some highlights...

1. Aidan insisting that he carry Aunt Kimmie's bouquet down the aisle because he didn't like his pillow (Aunt Kim convinced him to switch right before they walked down the aisle).
2. Aidan kept insisting that he walk with Chloe but he was suppose to walk with Aunt Kimmie, who kept telling him that she didn't want to walk alone. So he walked down the aisle with her. Than he saw Chloe walking alone and decided she shouldn't walk alone either. So he ran off the stage, through the church and walked back up the aisle with his sister. Very sweet.
3. Brenna and Aidan decided to test all of the battery operated candles during the ceremony and do a bit of redecorating.
4. Mom pulled her vows out of her cleavage--shocking dad.
5. Brenna, after wandering on the stage for a while, decided to find Mom. Not always easy when you are 30 inches tall and Mom and two others are wearing the same dresses. First she went to Aunt Kimmie, looked up--"No, that's not Mom." She looked to her right and saw another blue dress, so she walked to the next dress. She looked up at Aunt Kim--"Nope, not Mom either". Looks to her left one more time, grabs Mom's dress and looks up--"Jackpot"!

Here are some pictures...







Here are some cute family shots taken afterwards:

Airports, Need I Say More?

As you all know from Matt's post (his first venture into the blogging world that we all love), he is home safe and sound. He flew in to Sea-Tac Tuesday night, which is the day I teach, so you can all imagine how exhausted I was by the time we made it down there. So here is a quick recap of our trip to the airport...

Forgot stuff at home, so instead of leaving right after school like I wanted to do, I picked up the kids and ran home. Once I was home, Becca called, I left Brenna's blanket there. Her favorite blanket. The one that helps her sleep. Had to get it. Finally on our way out of town, realized I forgot something else. Back to the house. ARRRRGGHH! Grab what I need. Stop to feed Brenna real quick. Finally out the door. Matt calls while we are on the run. Flight is delayed--Hallelujah! We won't be late.

Praise God! Traffic was an absolute breeze (even though it was rush hour) and we made it to Sea-Tac in 2 hours. Those of you that live here understand what a miracle that is! It is pitch black in Tukwilla (Sea-Tac) and I think I am lost (I realized later I wasn't) and turn around not finding the hotel. Decide to do some quick shopping. Aidan falls head first out of the cart onto the HARD linoleum floor. He screamed for a quite a while and is lucky that he didn't crack his head open. He did manage to make Mom's heart skip a few beats.

Get turned around trying to get away from the mall and head to the airport, finally figure it out. There is so much construction down there that nothing looked the same. Drove the Land Yacht into a parking garage for the first time. Yikes! I parked into the first parking spot I find. Drag all the kids out of the car and load them into the stroller and baby carrier (which is as crazy as it sounds). Haul but to the ticket counter for Matt's airline.

Check the board and Matt's flight is now twenty minutes early. Yikes! Now we only have thirty minutes to get passes, go through security, take the train to his gate--all with three cranky kids in tow. We ran to each checkpoint. We made it to the gate with five minutes to spare. How's that for hauling butt?

This is not my usual blogging style. My grammar teacher would be appalled. But I don't care. I am sooooo tired!! So I leave you with some pictures of the kids waiting and finally seeing dad at the airport. I will post some pictures of our day today tomorrow. Right now all I want is to go to bed.

I'm Home!!!

After a Loooooonnnnnnnnnngggggggggg 23 hour day I finally arrived in Seattle at 8:57 pm.  My trip began in at the Frankfurt airport where my flight to Washington DC had been cancelled.  I wound up flying eleven hours to San Francisco.  Very annoying since we flew over Spokane on our way there.  The set up in SF was awesome.  After finding my bag, then going through Customs, all I had to do was drop my bag on another turn style about 50 feet away.  No checking in again or anything.  My friends and I immediately got some real American food, stretched our legs for a couple hours before our next flight straight to Seattle.  The flight was only 1 hour and 45 minutes.  After a day of fighting to stay awake to adjust to the time difference, I slept through the majority of the flight.  As a matter of fact the tires hitting the tarmac when we landed was my alarm clock.  When I got off the plane Michelle, Chloe, Aidan, and Brenna were all waiting.  Chloe was of course the first to run up and hug me.  Aidan seemed shocked (like he might have been dreaming).  Of course after Chloe confirmed his hopes he also ran up and gave me a hug.  He has also not let me leave his sight since.  Since I knew it would already be pretty late I suggested Michelle reserve a hotel room in advance.  With a pool of course.  All of us played, and I was quickly reindoctrinated on the realities of being a family man.  After a long day all I wanted was to take a shower, but all three children managed to take baths before that could occur.  It is now official.  I AM HOME FOR GOOD!!!!!

Matt Update

Matt is doing well and sends you all his love. He has been doing some unexpected traveling over the past few weeks. He is now back where he is suppose to be and getting back into the same old routine. He is missing the kids and ready to come home. That is really all I can post about him without getting him in trouble.

The kids seem to be adjusting better Matt's absence. Chloe misses him terribly and asks every day if it is time for him to come home. Matt and her have such a great relationship and she misses joking and playing around with him. The other day she told me that she missed Dad's hugs the most. She looks forward to his phone calls almost everyday. Aidan spent the first part of this deployment very angry at Dad's absence. Chloe and I took the brunt of it. He just couldn't understand why his world had been turned upside down. He is now doing much better and we have our little boy back. He has turned his anger towards Dad and refuses to talk to him on the phone. Brenna seems to be oblivious to any change in her life. She does get very upset if I leave or step out of the room for a moment. She does not willingly go to other people and will only let people hold her for a minute or two before wanting to go back to Mom. I think she will have a hard time with Matt's homecoming. Since it is mainly me who takes care of her, she really doesn't want anyone else.

Before we know it he will be home with us again. This is his last deployment, EVER! Yippee!! Meanwhile the constant array of visitors to our house makes the time go by much faster. Thanks for all your love, prayers and support!

Spring Projects

We are back to clouds and rain for the rest of the week after one day of 70 degrees. Ahh the joys of living in Washington state. We took advantage of the glorious sunshine on Saturday and put together the kids' brand new playhouse. What a chore that was. We thought it would take an hour or two at the most. Instead, five hours later we were still building and ready give up. This house came with so many little add-ons like a chimney, two stools, a shelf on the inside and outside, a mailbox, a toy box and a large bench for outside, just to name a few. We are almost done except for a few little things. We will finish the little things inside for now and than once the rain lets up than we can figure out exactly where to put it in the backyard.





Today was cool but other than rain this morning it was just very cloudy. So we decided to tackle the front yard. Unfortunately between school, work, two active kids and a pregnancy our front yard was getting sadly neglected. So I purchased some geraniums (very hardy plants and hard for me to kill) and some pansies for our front flower boxes. Chloe helped me plant them. She was very excited to get to dig in the dirt and plant flowers. She loves to garden except for the bugs. Matt swept up all the old, dead pine needles from this past winter and we put the flower boxes in place. We still have a long way to go before our front yard looks like we want it to but at least we made a dent.

We have so many projects going on over the next few months before Brenna takes up even more of our time and Matt leaves. Next weekend I will plant flowers in our hanging baskets and possibly our window boxes out front. We are also planning to build a front walkway using pavers (we have about a hundred left over from the previous owners) to avoid tracking mud into the house during the winter.

Our biggest undertaking in our outside makeover is the Mammoth playset going up in the backyard. Click on the link to see the set we are installing (although we got a better deal than they are offering online). I picked up the four big boxes for the set this afternoon (I love having a Suburban!). Chloe was so excited when she saw the picture on the boxes sitting in the family room she immediately ran through the house screaming. Aidan was happy to join in the excitement although he had no idea why he was screaming. So hopefully, if the weather cooperates we will be able to begin putting up the playset next weekend. I will post more pictures as we start construction.

A Rare Sunny Day

We have had such a rainy spring that we take advantage of any nice day even the chilly ones. Here's Chloe on her brand new bike she got for her birthday and Aidan on his tricycle from Christmas. Matt had to get into the fun as well!

Made Board!

Matt made Chief's Board! YEAH!!!

Now this does NOT mean he has made chief just that he will be considered for making chief later this spring when the Chief's Board meets back east to select all the new chiefs. He still has to submit his packet with his service record, etc. to be reviewed by the board. So please pray with us!!

Either way, whether he makes chief or not, I am so proud of him. He is working full-time, going to school two nights a week, studying for the exam, and makes sure that he gives plenty of quality time to the kids (and me). Each day I love him more and more and I couldn't be more excited for my Best Friend!

Planning and Staying Busy

We are doing well and all seem to be on the mend from sniffles and upset stomachs. We have been busy planning for Chloe's birthday which is in 8 days! I can't believe it! My 'Bug' will be six. Okay I will stop for now. I am sure that on the tenth it will hit. She is having a Pajama Party for her birthday the weekend following her birthday. That is all she has talked about non-stop for months. She can't wait. We are having pizza and playing games and the girls get to make and decorate small pillows. Too much fun and a lot of planning for Mom. That's okay, she only has one birthday a year so we might as well make it a blast.

Matt is still doing well in school although he is ready for a break. He is thinking about taking next term off. Not that I am complaining with the baby's due date getting closer and closer. It would mean less stress for all of us if he took a break. The kids miss having him home in the evenings to. He didn't really seem interested in any of the classes being offered for his major so I think that has a lot to do with his decision as well.

Aidan is still getting into everything. He is so busy and curious. It is so hard to keep up with him. He tries so hard to be helpful, like today. Chloe was putting her clean clothes away so he decided that he could do that to. So he picked up his pile of clothes and dropped them in front of his bedroom door. At least they were in the right doorway. Tonight at dinner he was practicing his new words "Thank you" over and over again, it was very cute.

I have been busy with the upcoming school play (this year we are performing The Wizard of Oz) and trying to get all of that organized and taken care of. I am also busy working my Stampin' Up! business and enjoying that. I made all of Chloe's birthday invitations this year (click here and scroll down to 'Busy, Busy, Busy" for pictures) and have a couple of workshops and classes scheduled for this month. I hope all of you are doing well. Have a great week!

Cold & Flu Season

It has been a very long week for the Webster family. Last weekend Aidan got very sick and began throwing up Saturday night and continued Sunday morning. He was sluggish during the beginning of the week but seemed to be on the mend. We thought it was maybe something he ate (since he will put anything into his mouth) but we were wrong. Tuesday night I got sick and Matt was sick Wednesday morning. After three days of laying on the couch we began to slowly feel better. Aidan however came down with a runny nose and hideous cough Thursday. He has been steadily getting worse over the weekend. Chloe has now developed a cough. She is still active and running around so we hope it is just a simple cold nothing more. Please pray that Aidan gets better though! The poor little guy is beyond miserable.

Family Addition

Well as Matt has so nicely put it--"This baby is already a pain and costing me way too much money!" (said with a laugh mind you). We are fortunate to have most of the baby things we need other than clothes, a double stroller, playpen and carseat. Unless it is a girl than we need a little more. Unlike when Aidan was born and we had to buy just about EVERYTHING!! So I guess he can't complain too much about the cost of the baby--until it comes to the cars.

As you all know we have his and her Pathfinders which we both enjoy. They are older but still run good although mine is in need of a little TLC. We love driving SUVs since we are up high and can see what is going on around us. It drives me crazy to go from an SUV to driving Mom's car (not that it isn't a nice car to drive) it is just SO low, especially after being used to sitting up so high. Not to mention how much easier it is to climb into an SUV when you are pregnant. But anyway--Bunny Trail!--Back to the whole car issue. So we love our cars as I said but now we are faced with a dilemma. Our pathfinders can seat five people--two in the front and three in the back-- but they cannot hold three carseats in the back. So begins our search for a new, much bigger car.

While I was off the Island last week I took the opportunity to peruse the car lots outside of our little town. With gas prices being what they are we don't go over that way very often. It was an absolutely miserable day, cloudy, rainy, windy and downright cold. Not the kind of weather anyone wants to be out in, especially a car salesman. So we did drive by car shopping (the best way to do it) where we would cruise the lot until we found what we were looking for. If it was the years we were looking for in either a Yukon XL or a Suburban I would hop out of the car and check it out. If we couldn't find what we wanted we just waited until a salesman ventured out into the cold and asked. If they didn't have it, we drove away. It made car shopping (which can be an awful experience) almost fun.

We stopped at one other dealership on our way back to the Island. My family has bought other cars from this dealer and it has been a great experience. There were two cars there that might work so I figured I would tell Matt about them. I talked to the salesman who said he thought he had another Suburban we might like better. He said he would move it to the lot so we could take a look at it. Much to our surprise he called Sunday morning, he had the car. We test drove it that afternoon and had James and Lisa drive it as well. We immediately fell in love with the car but not the price. Well after attempting to get the car for a steal (which didn't happen) we kept looking.

James found an older Suburban at a dealer in town that was at the price we wanted to spend. So Friday night we checked it out. It turned out to be a lemon that has sat on the lot for almost two years (no one would buy it which is why they lowered the price). It had all sorts of things wrong with it (things that were supposedly fixed). Not to mention how rude the sales personnel was (it was so bad it was insulting). So with so many issues with that car, even though it was a great deal we decided to walk away. So we planned to go car shopping on Saturday. So for those of you who know where we live--DO NOT BUY A CAR HERE!!!!

On our way off the Island yesterday to continue our car quest (Nana had the kids for the day) Matt decided to go back to the first dealership we dealt with and look at the really nice, low-mileage Suburban again. So we went in and made a deal. A little over an hour later we drove away in our brand-new 2000 Chevy Suburban. It is in excellent shape with only 76,000+ miles on it. It seats eight and has the full third row seat (not one of those uncomfortable jump seats) and a large cargo area which is perfect for the stroller, etc. Plus it is so big that Aidan can't reach Chloe in the backseat anymore to pull her hair. He was a bit bummed with that but otherwise loved the car. Chloe loves having a car as big as her "Aunt Lisa's". :) So now we have to finish getting my old pathfinder ready to sell. Joy!

We are all very happy with the new car. Especially Matt who despises car shopping and was not looking forward to wasting all that gas driving off the Island to all the dealerships looking for a car. So enjoy the pictures of our new "baby".

Jam Packed Saturday

What a busy day! First a trip to the Home Depot Kids Clinic where the kids (with LOTS OF HELP from Mom and Dad) built Castle Banks...

Aidan Candids

I thought I had better put some pictures up of Aidan. I don't have any of his new haircut but I will get some soon! He has been quite a handful lately--into everything, testing boundaries, and full of energy. But we love every minute of it!

Mariners Game

Matt and I managed to get a night away from the kids. We went to a Mariners game with a group of couples from church and school in a 15-passenger van. It was almost like being in Youth Group again and going on a retreat. It was so nice to have a grown-up, night away. The last time I went to a Mariners game was when they played in the Kingdome (some of you may realize how long ago that was). It was so BORING! But I was looking forward to the game in our fairly new, Safeco Field. It is a beautiful facility. Even though we had "nosebleed" seats (when you have free tickets you can't be choosy) the views of Seattle were gorgeous especially as night fell and the city lit up.

The game was fairly boring at first and I think we were all wondering why we came. The Mariners have been on a very BAD losing streak and it didn't end with Saturday's game. But the last two innings were intense, including a Homerun hit and some incredible double plays. So we were all getting in to the game at the end. By the time we left the field with sore bums, garlic breath (we all had the yummy garlic fries), hoarse voices and stomachs full of overpriced food, we were all pretty tired. But that didn't stop us from laughing and joking most of the way home.

It was nice to get a way from the kids for a few hours but so sweet to come home to see happy, sleepy smiles on their faces when they realized we made it home. I know they enjoyed us being away so they could enjoy an evening of spoiling from Nana and Poppa. They know a good deal when it comes their way.

Family Photo!

Matt had to check in today so he had to shave the goatee he has been sporting for the past month. Chloe was excited it was gone, she didn't like Dad's scratchy face. Aidan didn't even notice as usual. I miss it, as soon as he is done with the military he won't have to shave it off. Yeah!

We Have A Window!

It has been over a year and we are still working on finishing up the garage/office conversion. Wow! What a project! But it is getting there. Now it is all that little stuff that always gets overlooked. I don't think anyone who owns their home can ever say that it is COMPLETELY, DONE & PERFECT! Especially in a 50+ year old house.

On Thursday our great friend James (THANK YOU) came over and helped Matt install a brand new window for the office. Which involved prying the metal frame out from under our siding. But in just a few hours they had the new window in place and secure. Aidan kept hearing all of the banging and talking going on and had to be in the office to watch. He loves being anywhere Daddy is.

Matt spent time over the weekend finishing the caulking and the trim work. It was the only window in the entire house that was not changed to vinyl by the previous owners (go figure). Now we just have to add some trim and paint. Okay, let me rephrase that --Matt will be adding the trim and I will be painting. Matt does not paint.

It is so nice to have actual sunlight fill the office (not that we have seen too much sunlight here lately). We had to keep the old window covered with a blanket to keep out drafts. We can now open the window (not even an option with the old one). It is also great to have Matt outside puttering around in the garage and driveway with all of his power tools. Leave has been good for him.

Daddy's Home!

We got to pick up Daddy from the air terminal today. Yeah! Chloe has been bouncing off the walls with excitement. She has really missed Daddy over the past month. Aidan was completely oblivious but since sister's excitement was so contagious, he joined in the squealing. He was walking all over the air terminal. He loved the fact that there were floor to ceiling windows that he could look out of and pound on. We had to wait quite a while for Daddy to land, since the second flight landed first (only in the Navy). Chloe was very upset that Daddy was not on the first plane. She was ready to leave without him she was so mad.

Daddy's plane soon landed and she was busy looking for the shiny bald head. She went flying into his arms and couldn't stop talking. Aidan walked right up to him without any help at all, a bit of a surpise for Dad who didn't know Aidan was a full blown walker yet. Aidan wasn't too sure who dad was at first, but once he heard his voice Aidan could hardly contain himself. Both kids are thrilled Dad is home. They were both vying for his attention.

We are so glad that Daddy is back with us! Mommy especially! :-) It will be nice to have him home with us for a while. This is our last trip with this command. In two and a half weeks Matt begins the process of transferring to a new command. Don't worry, we aren't moving. It took a lot of prayer and trust but we did find orders here. It means more sea duty but we are getting the routine down.

Daddy's Home!

Yeah! We have Daddy home again! We went to the Air Terminal and picked him up this afternoon. Chloe was so excited all morning. She couldn't wait until it was time to go get Daddy. Aidan was of course oblivious to all the excitement. Mommy couldn't wait to have her best friend home either!

Matt ended up flying in a half an hour earlier than expected, so we arrived right as they were walking into the terminal. Chloe was upset, she thought we had missed Daddy so she ran ahead to meet him. She found him right as he walked into the door. Aidan was a bit confused to see Matt in his sunglasses but as soon as the sunglasses came off he recognized Daddy and was so excited he could barely stay in his stroller.

We have had a great afternoon playing and catching up on all the latest!