true love

Happy Memorial Day!

because its Memorial Day, and because we'll be flying back to Texas today, and because Geoff will be HOME so soon... (grab the tissue) and God Bless Our Troops!

Congrats Ash

My cousin Ashley graduated from the US Naval Academy on Friday and had a day she won't forget. As some of you might know the President rotates doing the graduation at the different military academies so Ashley knew going in as a freshman that who-ever the President was, that they would be at Annapolis in 2009. Ashley told a great story about how everyone else just did the polite, professional handshake with the President, that a handful of guys did the "man-hug" where you go for a handshake and then a pat on the back with your left hand but that she knew she wanted a real hug... so leave it to Ashley, she started walking up the ramp with arms wide open saying "can I have a hug, sir" to which he responded "ABSOLUTELY" with a huge laugh!

CONGRATULATIONS ENSIGN TAYLOR!

After Dinner Entertainment

After Jamie's birthday dinner Grant tried so hard to copy Dave in the "hanging a spoon on your nose" thing, he was so frustrated that he couldn't do it but laughed anyways! Happy Birthday Jamie!

Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Homecoming has offically started!

We got together on Thursday and decorated the Squadron Headquarters in preperation for the main body flights to start coming home. Here are pictures on my window chalking handiness and the fence outside the motorpool (those are Solo cups pushed through the chainlink)

There have been 2 main body flights from 1st Cav, 4th brigade that have already made it back and had their homecoming on Cooper Field. The first was at midnight so Grant and I skipped that one but yesterday we were there for flight number 2. Grant enjoyed getting to be a horse whisperer to the 1stCav horses and danced his tuckus off to the blaring music. Only about 10 or so more to go before its our turn! http://picasaweb.google.com/laurabchilds/GettingReadyForHomecoming#

Forget AntiDepressants, Just Use Spanx

some of you might remember this dress, this is THE dress, MY dress... THAT dress where you find it and you know that it'll always make you happy. Anyways, this was my formal dress from Senior year, I fit into it because Dara and I had just survived a month in Mexico eating almost nothing but oatmeal and the fall before that I was trying to impress Geoff so yea, I was skinny-mini...

well, its not quite the same, still gotta a little work to do but thanks to my new friend Mr. Spanx:
I can fit back into it!

Seriously folks, all you ladies out there who are feeling down in the dumps... forget the antidepressants, forget the Ben&Jerrys binge, forget the thereapy except for the retail kind. Get some Spanx, you will LOVE them!

(as I told Geoff, if you had seen the happy dance that I did around the apartment he would have put me in the Looney Bin)

Fancy Pants Haircut

I forgot to post these the week before we left NC... Grant was in need of his second hair cut and since the first didn't go over so well in January, we decided to try a fun kids place in Durham called Peek-a-Do. They each have a personal video player with the hopes that like Grant, most kids will zone out and stare straight ahead. Grant still wasn't feeling it but that was because the woman didn't just stick to scissors, nope she brought out the electric razor, I mean seriously, who would do that to a 2 yr old. Anyways here are a few action shots of the not-so-happy Grant Monster

A Day At The Park

Before Brian left we spent the day {Mother's Day} in Georgetown with our Grandma, she showed us this kick butt playground and we all had a blast watching Grant discover his way around and up and down and through all of the stations ~we will definitely be taking Daddy on picnics there soon!

Pictures Worth 1,000 Words

MOVING to TEXAS (again): Dad and I had spent the weekend loading the Uhaul trailer so when Brian flew into town Tuesday to be our chauffeur, we were ready! We got some sleep and headed out Wednesday morning, dark and early!

So Wednesday morning we were on our way... drove south, stopped by Atlanta for a quick Grandma visit, thought we were going to stop in Birmingham but pressed on all the way to Meridian, MS. (thanks to GoogleMaps learned we were OVER half way there) Thursday we got on the road, had some fun at roadside gas stations, crossed the Mississippi and made it all the way to Waco, TX!

and "how/what did Grant do?" you might ask....

and heres a glimpse at the fun that can be had when theres a new hotel room to discover!

Friday: We arrived in Killeen and had the car and the Uhaul trailor unloaded by noon. Grant was "babysat" by his toys in his gated off room and Brian got started hooking up electronics.

Fastforward to Saturday: met the movers at the storage unit at 9, at 3 it had all been loaded up and unloaded into the apartment. SO much stuff, SO little space! ~let the purging begin~

I have to say, it was almost all worth it when these showed up from Geoff!

Can You See Me?

Grant has gotten really good at hiding recently, and his new way of telling us that he wants to go outside for a walk is to climb in his stroller and wait for you to get the hint.... need less to say, it took a couple of walk bys before I caught on to his new "spot"

please ignore the "packing in full force" evidence (and you can always click on the picture to see the better resolution)

ooooOAK-klahoma

where the wind comes sweepin' down the plains
OK, it looks like we're Oklahoma bound!
I'm not ruling out the possibility that it will change again but its looking like Geoff will be heading to the Captain's Course at Fort Sill, OK in September. So, I'm packing up NC now, we'll move to TX next week, we'll set up shop for Geoff to get back in June, have block leave towards the end of June/beginning of July, live in our little TX apartment for 2 months then pack it all up for a drive north. Spend 6 months there, then head to Ft Bragg, NC pphhewwwwI get worn out just thinking about it, YAY for Army movers!