Happy Yu-Yu Jake!

Jake got a slide for his birthday.  He found it a little intimidating at first, but now he loves it.  We set it up in the basement because we were having crazy weather that day- huge downpours and hail, interrupted by a few moments of sunshine.  Soon, it will go to the back yard where it belongs for the summer, but it we will bring it back to the basement in the winter for some inside fun.

We didn't do anything big for Jake's birthday, since he's turning 2 and still doesn't really get it.  But for the last few days, he's been pulling the air popper out of the cupboard while asking for "pa-cohn PEEZ", so we had popcorn for snack.  Eden and Andrew helped make cupcakes, and they had some of those for a snack later in the day.

We had pizza (one of Jake's favorites) for dinner, then had cupcakes and icecream for dessert.

I think he liked it.

When it came time to "open" the presents (they weren't really wrapped), Jake was busy crawling around and between my legs.  (I really didn't think he was getting the whole birthday thing, but the next morning he asked, "Happy Yu-Yu?"  I guess he was 'getting' it afterall!)

Finally, we got him to sit still long enough to hand him the bag. 

Eden and Andrew picked out a foam battle axe, a lego tiger and zoo keeper, and a T-ball set.  At first he was only interested in the legos.  But, after a few tries with Dad, I got this photo of Jake hitting all by himself- way to go!

**Because I got lost looking for Toys R Us the night before, Jake was with us when we bought all of the presents except the T-ball set (we actually had that a couple weeks earlier).  I made the mistake of letting him hold the little Legos box while we drove to get groceries.  By the time we got there, the box was torn to pieces and Jake was sharing the Legos with Eden and Andrew.  So, it wasn't exactly a surprise, but the slide came in a big box that he never really saw.  Besides, at his age, I can get away with it.**

Now for some quick facts about 2-year-old Jake:

• 
  
  He likes taking a bath now (usually), and will even stay in after getting all washed and scrubbed.  Yay!
• 
  
  He curls his tongue up out of the corner of his mouth, SO cute!  I haven't been able to catch it on the camera yet.
• 
  
  He loves spaghetti and pizza and anything you can use to dip- especially ranch and ketchup
• 
  
  He is starting to do OK in nursery (meaning we (Scott) has been able to leave him and the nursery workers haven't had to bring him to us before church is over).  Hopefully he'll start to actually like it in there someday.
• 
  
  He loves it when all of us are together.  If someone is missing, particularly if we are going somewhere, he calls for whoever is missing and wants them to come.
• 
  
  He has become a definite Daddy's-boy.  He's OK with Scott leaving the house in uniform to go to work, but if Scott leaves not in uniform, Jacob is so sad.
• 
  
  He loves to go outside, no matter the weather.  He loves to wander and explore.

Now its time to UNpack all our STUFF!

We were packed to the gills, and still left some things behind in an awesome friend's garage (thanks Heather!) to get later.

Back of the van was completely full (I love our easy-to-stow seating), plus the cargo carrier on top was full.  At least we didn't have to leave any family members behind! ;)

Pick-up fully loaded, including the cab, since no one was driving it.

Even stashed a few boxes in the cab of the moving truck.

Now, we just have to figure out where to put all our 'stuff'.

This little corner at the front of the house looks almost decent.  The bedroom furniture is also pretty well arranged now.

But, most of the house looks not-so-great yet, like this.

And I haven't hung a single thing on the walls yet.

Packing isn't much fun, but unpacking is even worse to me.  Even with more space, I have a really hard time deciding where to put things- I should have studied interior design, it would be so much more useful right now than my BS in Conservation Biology.  It seems like I never get our house arranged the way I like until its almost time to move again.  I welcome any and all tips, suggestions, I'll even take some constructive (or at least productive) criticism.

Devil's Tower

Before we left South Dakota, we did finally make it to Devil's Tower (which is actually in Wyoming). We had some extra time on a Sunday, becuase of Stake Conference or something like that, so we went. It's always a kind of dicey decision to make a spontaneous daytrip like this, but it went really well. It was a fun, relaxing afternoon all together. We even got our South Dakota state line picture (only took us 3 years, despite multiple out-of-state road trips)!

about 'starting over' again

I thought a picture of myself would be appropriate for this post, and this was the best I could come up with, since I'm usually the one behind the camera... maybe I should work on that, maybe not  ;)

Perhaps the very best part about our Air Force life is the opportunity it gives us to see/do/experience so many different people, places, things (even though we've stayed in the US so far).  I get really excited every time we start looking at the possible locations for a PCS.  So far, I've been REALLY excited about the places we've lived- Texas (the great state of), Hawaii, and Rapid City.  Now, I was REALLY excited about Colorado Springs too, I still am.  Scott's happy about the job, we found a geat house that is within walking distance to both the elementary school and the church building......

....BUT, as the move date looms closer and closer, I realize how NOT excited I am to leave our home.  Despite my efforts not to make roots here, this has become our home and I will miss it- especially all the truly exceptionally wonderful friends I've made these last three years.  In fact, it makes me pretty miserable to think about.  So, a lot of the time I block that out and focus on the work of moving, its easier.

And then all of that reminds me that I felt this too when we moved from Hawaii to Rapid City.  And how sad it is that I don't keep in touch (at least not as well as I'd like) with all of the truly exceptionally wonderful friends I made there.

To top it all off, I start thinking more about how hard it will be to 'start over' again.  Make new friends (this doesn't come easy to me), and now that my kids are getting older, worrying about them making new friends, fitting into the new ward, finding the parks, library, stores-- the list goes on and on.  I remember how hard it was when we moved here, how lonely it was, how I was certain I wouldn't meet friends as good as the ones I had before.

But then I am reminded that I actually did make new great friends, which means I will probably find new friends in Colorado.  And we can keep in touch (even if its not the same as living in the same city or neighborhood) thanks to the miracles of technology.  So, I want to tell all of you, my truly exceptionally wonderful friends, especially those I haven't seen in a long while, that each of you have made a special impression in my life, you inspire me, and I miss you.  And I hope that some day our paths will cross again.

Packing, packing, and more packing!!!!

My excuse for my blogging absence is a combination of the following: being pretty darn busy, knowing I can't catch up decently, and therefor not trying, and a new found obsession with food blogs.  So, be prepared for a random order to my future posts, as I attempt to document what we've been up to.

I wrote this in the middle of packing up to come home from Montgomery, Alabama, but never posted it:

***I'm so over the packing, right up there with school work on my list.  I really wish we could be going home, and that's it, just be home.  But, we're not.  We get to take 2 quick trips in April, and then move at the end of May.  At least I know better than to think things could not be more hectic than they are right now.  I'd like to think we're going to have a blissful relaxing time once we get through the move, and through with Eden's school work.  But, I know from experience that's probably not a realistic expectation.  So, I will try to enjoy what can be enjoyed now and get the work done the best I can.***

Here are some pictures of some of the packing we've done in the last 5 months.  I'm not crazy enough to have photographed the packing for every trip, so here's the itenerary:
January 2010 (was supposed to be December 2009)- trip to Washington for Tricia & Kyle's wedding (I still take pride in having only 3 checked bags and 2 carry-ons for 4 people for 10 days); (Scott returns from deployment at the end of January);
February 2010- pack up for 5 weeks down south (Florida and Alabama);
March 2010- pack it all up again for the trip home (I count it again because it was a mini-move, not exactly a 'trip';
April 2010- 3 day house-hunting trip in Colorado Springs (this time it was just me and Scott); April 2010- two weeks later pack up for a 4 day trip to Utah and back for Logan and Anna's wedding; also begin packing for our move to Colorado Springs
May 2010- overnighter to Bismarck so Scott could attend the temple that we are actually assigned to before we move (the Denver Temple will be just under 1 hour away from our new home!); continue packing for said move, which is coming way too quickly!

Left: all packed up for a blizzar-postponed trip to Washington

Above: part-way packed for our return to Rapid City after a month in Montgomery (and Naples)
Below: my Mom is an awesome packer, this is what she did during her visit at the beginning of April!

Left: Jake scaling the boxes after our return from Utah (notice not much more packed than the above picture 2 weeks earlier).
Right: taken yesterday- I thought I had made the boxe to steep for him to climb, we think he used the couch and the wall ledge to get to the spot he's in (notice, a few more boxes! there are actually a lot more boxes packed around the house, we just haven't put them all in one place.)

April Happenings....

Here's a few clips from the rest of April.  I thought I had grouped things together in the collage, but oh well.

**'We' dyed Easter eggs, notice that 'we' means me and the kids' stuffed animals. 

The kids lost interest pretty quickly for some reason**

**We watched General Conference in our PJs**

**The Easter Bunny brought candy loot**

**Scott and I made a house-hunting trip and the kids became bonafide SkySox fans**

**I spent HOURS on the computer to homeschool Eden**

**Jake was left to his own devices during school time and got very dirty playing outside and very good at his coordination/reaching skills.  He got multiple mini-muffins off the stacked cooling racks

without making a mess (besides on his face), and without me even noticing. 

I see ball sports in his future**

**The Dixon Clan came together for another wedding (Logan and Anna),

I got a few shots of the togetherness, but don't have any on my camera of the wedding-ness, oops,

but I WAS THERE for the main event this time!**

**My camera some how made a trip to Sacrament Meeting, still a mystery**

**I made my own chicken nuggets- definitely yummier and healthier

than the bag we usually buy at the store**

American Kids

Yesterday, Eden and Andrew were playing Just Dance on the Wii.  After "Who Let the Dogs Out?" (Andrew's fave), it got quiet for a bit.  And I hear a conversation that went something like this:

Andrew: No, I don't want to listen to that one.

Eden:  Andrew, this is a VERY important song for kids.   Its for kids to remember America.

Andrew: (not impressed) Oh.

Eden:  This song is a really IMPORTANT song for kids to help them remember America.  And America is one of the importantest countries in the WHOLE WORLD.

This went on for a while, and I'm upstairs wondering what song she could possibly be talking about.  But, I don't want to interrupt.  Apparently, she finally convinced Andrew.  Pretty soon I hear "Kids in America" by Kim Wilde blasting from the family room.  Ummm... not exactly patriotic.