Another year has gone by and you still reach for my hand with a wink and a smile. Happy Anniversary babe!

This and That

The girls started school this week and have done really well adjusting and making friends.



Abi napping with the twins (though Sam was obviously done with his nap).

Joining our circus......

Here is a glimpse at our two little ones. We will post more soon-I promise. Love to you all!!

It's Time

After a couple of months of consideration and prayer, we have decided to accept the job offer from Louisiana. As some of you know, we were leaning toward the New Jersey offer (which was a temporary active military position and very tempting-but with unsure longevity). As time passed and we were able to gather all of the details, we realized that Louisiana is altogether a better career move. It is a complicated and somewhat long process to get into the government program but once you are in, it offers more security over all. So Shawn has officially transferred from the National Guard to the Reserve component in Belle Chasse Louisiana. He will have a full time government Public Affairs job for the troop command and then drill as a soldier once a month. We will be living on base which offers much for us to do as a family and allows for an instant family community. There are actually two naval bases there and we will be living on the joint forces base which houses groups from each branch of the military.

I admit living on the East Coast was more appealing as far as location goes. And on my list of pros and cons for Louisiana, my whole con side was filled with things like snakes, crocodiles, and the Bayou. It is a little comical but I assure you, I was completely serious while writing it. Having said that though, I must say that Louisiana is a beautiful, green place. When Shawn helped with temple dedications at the beginning of our marriage, I was able to fly out and meet him for the Baton Rouge dedication. We instantly fell in love with the people we met and their warm hospitality. It reminded me of being in Hawaii and it is one of our fondest memories. I cannot wait to visit the old plantations and I am determined to have the twins speak with a delectable southern dialect. We are really excited for the opportunity it is giving us for growth and variety in our life. Let's just say that little bit of gypsy that Shawn and I have in us will love the adventure.

Now for the nitty gritty. Shawn's report date is June 8th. Thankfully, movers are provided. They will pack us the 28th and load the 29th. Yes-that is next week. So.....I need to get organizing. Apparantly the movers will even pack trash if you aren't careful. I will not get into goodbye talk because this prego mama is compartmentalizing for the sake of survival.

Spring Inspiration

While doing yard work, Shawn found this:


And yes-it prompted the urge to buy paint (I didn't buy any-but the urge was strong). How can you not be inspired after being reminded of such a beautiful color?! Most of us associate robin egg blue with Tiffany Blue. But each time I see this color, my mind goes to Chinoiserie (especially used in an eclectic application), ceramic lamps, and a variety of brights like red and orange and of course, enameled jewelry. Anyway, it is no wonder that it has remained a popular color throughout time.

3!

Last weekend little red turned 3. He requested cupcakes and pirates for his birthday. I was surprised at the pirates request because he hasn't been into pirates (except for confusing pirates with soldiers and vica-versa) up until now. I think Disneyland sparked an interest. He walked around most of the day yelling "Arrrrrgh! I'm a pie-wet!" I can't believe he is already 3. Time flies. We sure do love our little pirate!

Ahhh sunshine!

The minute the sun was out, the kids grabbed "grown-up" hats and took their coloring out back for a nice afternoon. They also built a teepee with little help from us. It was fun to peek out on them and listen to their little conversation. Seth didn't like the big spiders (which were actually flies). Madeleine used to think spiders were flies as well. Hmmm.

And the follow-up from the ultrasound is good. Our boy is mostly head down while our girl is still breech. But he is the most important position to worry about since I am praying for a non-c-section and he leads the way. I had a good giggle with the ultrasound tech because our boy was trying to move a bit over into his sisters space and she would twist her bottom as if to reclaim it. It has already begun people.