Congratulations FC1 Ian Warner!

So, we found out this week that Ian has advanced to a First Class Petty Officer. It was very exciting, and we are so proud of him. It took a lot of work, but thanks to a good friend on his ship that he is currently on, they found a mistake in his service record, that showed he had earned it last year. But of course the military cant make things simple, so after months of waiting. We finally were told that it is official and he advanced. I am so excited for Ian, he has been trying to not get his hopes up too much, but it has been really hard to know that he had earned it, but there is always the unknown. I love you Ian, and appreciate all the hard work you do for our family!

Cupboard Boy!

Tilden has officially found the cupboard. He even pulled out a pan so he could fit inside. He though he was pretty hot stuff. It didn't help that his big sister Lydia was cheering him on the whole way. Either way, I love this picture, you really get to see a lot of his personality in it. He is such a happy little guy. I guess he has to be, it is too crazy around our house to have a cranky baby. He is just pretty content to go with the flow.

My little trouble maker...

After Lydia's nap we were making grilled cheese sandwiches. And suddenly she disappeared. Then it sounded like a circus upstairs, where Tilden had been taking his nap. Lids had climbed in his crib and was showing him how to jump. They were having so much fun. I guess tonight I will be lowering his crib. Isn't Tilden lucky to have a big sister to show him how to get into all kinds of trouble?

This is for you, Ian... We miss you!

A summary of life...

So a lot of things have happened since I was last able to post. March was almost one big blur, and I am glad that it is gone and April is here.

It started off busy. trying to get Ian ready for his long deployment with the military. Plus it was the end of Garrett's basketball season. And of course Girl Scout Cookie season. To say the least we had a busy time. We were managing fine, like we always do in life. Then of course, that's not how God works.

Two days before Ian's ship was scheduled to deploy, while Ian was getting Aspen ready for school. She started complaining about a pain, and was having a hard time walking. Within a couple hours, it was getting really bad with new symptoms. So I rushed her to the Hospital ER and after much examination and pain on Aspen's part, it was clear something was wrong. They called a surgeon in, and sent her to the operating room. They found a large growth on her Urethral that had hemorrhaged and was bleeding uncontrollably. It was removed and that night she was feeling much better. Though we were told, we needed to wait for the pathology test to come back before we could stop worrying. I am happy to say now, that everything is fine, and she is doing great.

Ian left as planned on March 14th. He should be gone for about 7 months. So that makes it mid October when we get to have him back again. One month has already passed thankfully, it is definetly harder than I remember it being. I miss him dearly. I hate praying that the days will pass quickly, because I don't want to wish life away. But I do want it to not feel like SO long. If anyone would like to email him, or mail him. I am sure he would love to hear from you. Just let me know and I can get you his contact information.

Anyways, about a week after Ian left, I realized that I needed a break. My kids had a week of half days at school coming up and then the following week was spring break. So we quickly loaded up our Expedition and headed east to Soda Springs, Idaho. (ie...Grandpa and Grandma's house!) We had a great time visiting though I am still unsure if it was Spring Break or Winter Break, there was so much snow there. The Easter Bunny came, so I guess it was Spring!

Garrett and Aspen both worked on a lot of scout projects and got a number of patches or things signed off. That is what we focused on a lot of the time to entertain ourselves. Lydia and Tilden were sick most of the time. Along with myself for the first week. Lydia got so bad that the Dr. had her getting breathing treatments every few hours through a nebulizer. That was an experience, trying to get a two year old to keep a mask on her face for that long. But she got more used to it, and started even holding it herself.

We ended up staying for just over two and a half weeks. It was really nice to be able to see our family and relax a little bit too.

We have been home now for almost a week now and today I would say we are finally getting settled in. The suitcases are almost all unpacked. As for the house I am not sure what normal is, but I guess this is it. Lets just say there will always be something to keep me busy.

Garrett today had a special experience. He was able, with 30 other kids from his school go to Key Arena and hear the Dalia Lama speak on planting the "Seeds of Compassion." Seattle has been planning this for a long time. They also saw musical performances, dances, and storytellers. All focusing on one goal, "The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater our own sense of well-being becomes." I have had the opportunity to talk to him a lot about this, and I hope that it is something he can always remember and take with him in life.

Today, I also got a call from Jennifer, the owner of Lasting Memories, a local scrapbook store. The teacher for one of their monthly classes has decided to stop teaching, and she wanted to know if I would take that over. I am really excited, it should be fun. And with only being once a month, not too much that I cant handle it right now. It is a Scrapbook Club, so mostly it will be leading a discussion, and teaching a few techniques. I have been a member of the book club for over a year now, like the challenge of trying something new. I am also still a member of Lasing Memories design team. It is a lot of fun. I love sharing my talent of scrapbooking.

I think that is about it for now.
Kim