Back to reality

This week has been an amazingly normal week. Jon has gotten up at 5:30 to go to PT everyday and come back for breakfast then gone to work. Nice thing is most people aren't excited about going to work after being deployed so most days he is off by lunch. We have spent our afternoons playing around the house, playing band hero and geocaching. Also since Jon is back we have set up a dinner menu and I have actually cooked this week. Desserts are my favorite but I also make dinner.
Jon and Molly enjoying Grandma Rumbaugh's everything in the cupboard cookies and fruit salad. Word to the wise when you get great-grandma's recipes ask her how she tweaked it. The first two times I made it the salad tasted nothing like hers - minor details like use vanilla instead of banana pudding, don't add marshmallows and bananas but we have gotten it to where we don't have to throw it out. Actually this salad didn't make it 24 hours before Jon and Molly had eaten most of it leaving me only a few spoonfuls.

Bad thing about Grandma's fruit salad - Molly loves to wear as a styling product in her hair - YUCK!

This is what happens when you think you are going out for some nice normal geocaches and it has snowed a bunch. Yes the snow was up past my knee.
Right before the hill below me gave out and I was knee deep in snow
One cache was on a "frozen" lake. My boot went a little low a few times and water seeped up. I guess the lake was not so frozen - glad we didn't drive out on it!
Walking back to the car from the island.
The view from the cache.
Jon found the one on the island.
I found the one at the school.

North Pole and other fun things

This past week Jon had a few days off so we drove up to the North Pole for some adventures. We figure we will never get any closer and what is 352 miles? On the drive up we stopped in Denali National Park for a picnic lunch and got to see the ice sculptures from Winterfest 2010. While in Fairbanks (where we stayed 10 miles away from the North Pole) we went to the World Championship Ice Sculpture Contest and drove 50 miles to an Ice Museum/Hotel and hot springs. The theme as you might have guessed is ICE! You have to make do with what God gives you and up here that is cold weather and ice. I laughed just the other day when watching a tv show and it said the spring season finale was coming - had to think and realize that yes it is spring even if we are getting 3-8 inches of snow today!!
Denali before our picnic (indoors)
The North Pole. We were geocaching - but yes all the poles where painted this way and the street names? Donner, Blitzen, Mistletoe, etc.
Ice slides!!! These were so much fun!!!!
Jon going with Molly and a smaller slide
Me getting stuck in an ice bowl. It was in the kids park - you climb over the side and slide in. The tricky part is getting out - it took me awhile with a few falls. I was laughing so hard especially when a little kid came over to give me advice on how to get out!
Eating at 1 of the 3 places that Guy F from Diners, Drive-ins and Dives told us to. If you ever go to the North Pole make a stop over at Elf's Den - the other 2 we went were not our favorites.
Jon preaching in the coldest place on earth. It is a real chapel inside the Ice Hotel. A lot of people get married here so they tell us.
Taking a moment to relax on the ice bed. I don't know why someone would want to sleep in the cold!
Molly enjoying the swing and nice warm weather.
All of us at Chena Springs - it is a natural hot spring with water that is 80 degrees. We didn't pay to swim in it instead we just stuck our hands in the water flowing out from the bouldered up swimming area.
I told Jon I want to ride a snow machine before we leave - this was his compromise.

Here starts other fun things- last weekend I ran with some friends in the Running of the Reindeer. You run with a bunch of people as reindeer chase you 3 blocks - once again you have to make do with what God gives you. He gave us plenty of cold weather, reindeer and people in need of entertainment. I was happy to entertain!
Molly with Tina getting some hot chocolate while they waited for my group to run.
Army Wives FUR Real - Me, Dana, Ashley, Kama and Valerie. We all wore our husbands combat boots - made for some fun times running on snow/ice in shoes that do not fit.
Post running celebration. We had a fry night. We made crab ran-goon and hot wings while celebrating the fact we all survived the run and only two got touched by reindeer and survived.
Molly playing with one of her many new toys! She is starting to warm up to Jon and has even reached out for him a few times now.

Happy Birthday Molly

Molly had a great birthday and was spoiled by many!! The best birthday present in my opinion was Jon being home - she might now agree since she is still trying to figure out why the strange man whose pictures she stared at and videos she watched all year is not leaving. She has had some fun times with him - eating ice cream and cake but really doesn't want to be around him unless she can see me. We are working on that - the best is when Jon and I hug she screams and then crawls over to me and tries to save me from him (or just show him who gets my hugs and it is not him). So far it has been an easy adjustment having Jon home. We have gone to bed at 7pm the last two nights and I am so thankful that I just received a box of books from my aunt Terry. While Jon and Molly crash I am used to going to bed at 11pm and figure better to be in bed reading than downstairs by myself.
Molly eating her first birthday breakfast!
I attempted to make Monkey Bread which was a flop!! It is supposed to be caramely and gooey not dry with brown sugar crusted everywhere but luckily Jon and Molly aren't picky so they both ate it.
Then Jon got ready to go to work while Molly played on her moose rocker made by Grandaddy McPherson.
Once Jon got home we opened the presents that grandparents, great grandma's, aunts and uncles sent. It snowed over 8 inches yesterday and we decided after presents it was time for sledding!!So we drove over and had a family sled at Dyea. We played there for awhile and then headed home. Jon wasn't so sure about wearing Molly on his back while sledding down the hill but she loved it!! Molly and I have gone a few times and she really likes sledding.

Then we got her ready to eat her birthday cake - she miraculously pulled Jon toward the German chocolate cake while shopping.
Molly got to eat 2 birthday cupcakes while we skyped Jon's parents and mine.

It was a fun day and Molly can't wait for a birthday party with some others but Jon and I decided the first few days were family time only so we have been staying away from others!

Way so happy??

Why do Molly and I both have such silly grins?
Because God (and Army) willing Jon will be home for our next big breakfast!! I was so excited I was awake at 6am and Molly joined me at 7am. Tomorrow I will have to be awake a few hours before that to go to the homecoming ceremony at the gym!!!!!


So what do you do to make time fly when it wants to stand still? You have a slumber party for the girls in chapel. Sat/Sun I had 10 girls and 1 brave friend/mom come over for a slumberfestaramathon!! We mod podged journals, made and ate pizza, played sardines, watched Enchanted, slept, had a group devotional, ate breakfast and walked to church together. Molly thought she was so big. She stayed up until 9:30 b/c she just sat among the girls and I kind of forgot to put her to bed. She was not happy to have to sleep upstairs in her bed while all the other girls got to sleep in the living room. She thought she should get to do everything they - one day she will.All the girls right before the movie!

Breakfast. Molly was up bright and early - she did not want to miss any of the action.
She is her granny's granddaughter. She may be pushing it the wrong way but she walked all around the kitchen with it yesterday while I was picking up a few things. Mom never fear at least one girl in this house has your crazy vacuum need/habit/OCD. At least one grand kid from each of your children has the vacuum gene.

Girly Girl or Tomboy?

Molly hasn't decided if she wants to be a girly girl or tomboy - I am hoping for a good mix of both. This week she found the ONE doll we have and carries it around hugging it and then whacking it on anything in sight. I sure hope this isn't how she sees my parenting of her - loving her and then abusing her. But as pictures will soon show she is one tough cookie!!
Here is Molly pushing her doll in her new stroller that Grandmommy and Grandaddy got her. This is her loving moment with the doll before she sees what it is made of.

What is all the red on her face? BLOOD - the kid decided last week's involuntary spontaneous surgery didn't have the full effect she wanted so she busted her lip again in the same spot - this time we got blood all over her face and my shirt again but miraculously nothing on her white onesie! A little juice made the world good again.
Another busted lip?? No just beets for lunch. I figure while she eats anything I might as well try the whole spectrum and she ate them - I however did not partake. I can't steal my baby's food (and who really wants to eat something that looks like that??)

The jury is still out but as of now it is a 50/50 mix of gg/tb.

Molly's walking!!!

Ok more like 2 steps but hey it is a start. She is holding off for her 5k (or 5 step) until Jon gets in but she can take a few two steppers here and there to practice!!

Here is video of her not performing for the camera - she squats and then sits down but you can tell she has leg control by the way she squats - believe me after one day of the 30 day shred by Jillian I know what a squat is and how hard they are to hold - much more difficult than a few measly steps.

Valentine's Day

This weekend Molly and I went to witness some amazing athletics- very close to Olympic style competition. Her military cousin had a wrestling meet so went to watch - Uncle Brian Molly couldn't believe you used to wear those singlets!! Then we went a gymnastics meet where they compete against the equipment not each other - Uncle Brad Molly couldn't believe you would run around and do jumps on the floor.
And of course today is Valentine's day so Molly got dressed up for her first one. We also made a pan of brownies and ate them in honor of Jon knowing that in less than 2 weeks he should be home (I have got to see it to believe it but he keeps trying to get me to be optimistic about it)

Mason was a table person and Olivia got to be the noodle girl. With 10 seconds left she got behind the ref and would count down then hit him with the noodle for him to know time was up. She gave the ref a few good whacks!
Wyatt waiting with the 85lb weight group to wrestle.
Carrie getting ready to do her floor routine - she did a round-off back handspring - I was impressed since I can't even to a cartwheel
Funfetti brownies Molly and I ate (and shared with others)
Happy Valentine's Day

I caught her off guard so this is the only non-cheesy smile
Wait get my good side!!

We have been reading more these past few weeks and now Molly likes to get in her chair and pull up a good book to read. In this picture she is reading Hands, Hands, Fingers, Thumb by Dr. Seus - she is so good she can read upside down even!