We're back!!

Well, after four months of being "at the beach", we decided it was time to return to real life. We have been so busy that I have unfortunately neglected to keep up our website but I am so excited to write this entry that I know it will inspire me to continue. As many of you already know, last weekend we paid a little visit to Heidi and Colin and their new home in Texas. She has built such a warm, inviting home for herself and Colin that it made me want to move right in!! It is amazing; from the unique floors and the moldings to the antiqued bronze hardware and the master closet that is bigger than some bedrooms, you could tell that each and every detail was thought out very carefully. However, I think my favorite part of her home was the stepping stones that lead out to the guesthouse. Each one is handmade and so thoughtfully done. What talent you have, Heidi!!
So, onto the party! What an honor it was to be a part of something so special. When Angie and Patti asked if I would help, I jumped at the chance to do it. So, I got in touch with Heidi and asked if the Norris clan could come visit her new digs and see just how big Colin has gotten in person!
So, we arrived and after chatting and taking the tour of the house, we asked her if she could come out and help with something we had for her in the truck. She did and as she says, was pretty shocked to learn that all the gifts in the overly full truck bed and backseat were for her and Colin. After I explained everything and the shock wore off, you could tell how moved she was to know just how many people were involved in this project and who truly care about her and her lovely family. As Heidi said in her blog, it really was touching to see just how much thought and consideration was put into each gift and it was so neat to be there and watch as they were all opened. Of course, Colin got such pleasure out of unwrapping most, if not all of them - he was so fast that I had a hard time keeping up with writing down what came from which person! Ben also tried to get into the fun, as you can tell from some of the pictures. After opening all the gifts, we went to dinner at Double Dave's (who have the BEST pizza rolls in the world) and got to chat and catch up some more. I really hope that we can visit more often. To Heidi; you, Colin, and the life you lead are truly an inspiration and I love reading about your adventures on your blog. Thanks for letting us come into your home and share in this experience with you. And after Peter leaves, I might have to come for an extended weekend and help you break in that fabulous guesthouse!!
P.S. A disclaimer on the photos - Peter and I forgot to get out the camera right when we got there so we didn't get to take pictures of Heidi when she saw all the gifts (plus that would have ruined the surprise) but we did get lots and lots of her, and Colin, opening the gifts. (The first two are in black and white because that was what the previous setting was.)

Fun at the Beach!

Boy - do I need to post! I said I would post about a few recent events so here is one of them (although it is about a month late).

Over Labor Day weekend, the McKenzies all met at my aunt and uncle's beachhouse in Galveston (Boliver). My aunt and uncle live in Bryan but make the 3 hour drive to their "home away from home" about every other weekend. I can definitely see why because it was SO relaxing. Their beachhouse is actually on the beach so you can sit on the deck and have the sound of the waves lull you to sleep or you can open your eyes and look at all the cars driving by down on the beach. Yes, you read correctly - the cars drive on the beach (Angela in PA knows what I'm talking about!). It is quite a thing there, with people competing to see how high they can elevate their BUVs (beach utility vehicles). Most of the time you can't even hear them fro the beachhouse and it is rather fun to take a drive and see how everyone is enjoying themselves. Besides, it is pretty convenient to be able to drive right up to the perfect spot where you want to camp out all day (or night) rather than parking a mile away and lugging all your gear through the sand to hopefully find a spot near a beach access.

Anyway, the best part of the weekend was being able to get so many of us together at one time - 12 in all.

Update!

I figured it was WAY overdue for me to post something and this slide show I "borrowed" from Susan's blog prompted me to finally get around to it! The second slide show is some of the pictures I have been meaning to post for awhile now. Hope you enjoy! We have been VERY busy lately so here is a little of what we have been doing:

• When Peter and I arrived in College Station after our trip we left the next day to go househunting in Killeen. We took Peter's mom along as she has a lot of experience (i.e. she has real-estate license). We are planning to keep this house as a rental when we leave so we had to look for certain features. After a few days of looking we were able to find one with which we were very happy.
• After submitting the contract with the realtor we headed back to College Station and relaxed for a few more days before Peter had to report in to Fort Hood.
• The rest of July was spent with me in C.S. with my mom and Charm and Peter working in Killeen and commuting back to C.S. each weekend.
• On August 8th, we finally moved all our luggage to Killeen and closed on our house the next day. It is pretty cool to be a homeowner but such a big responsiblity!!
• Since then Peter has been working his tail off doing two jobs (S-1 and preparing for taking a troop command for you military types) and I have been working my tail off trying to unpack boxes, paint, and take care of a 3-month old among other things. Fortunately, Peter's mom came back to visit with us after spending some time in El Paso with Rachel, Peter's sister, and she has been a huge help.
• Last weekend Peter and I drove to Belton to visit with Susan and Wes before they leave for Romania for at least 2 years. We also saw their parents and the Kempers who are all long-time friends of ours from College Station.

Here are a few things that are coming up for us (I will try and write about each of these):

• This Labor Day weekend we will go to Galveston to my aunt and uncle's beach house to take a few days of relaxation. We all need it!!
• September 6th Peter will have his change of command.
• September 16th we will go to San Antonio to watch the Texas A&M/Army game - who do you think we will be rooting for?
• September 23 my dad will come from Florida to visit for a week!

I will try and post more often from now on but I can't promise anything! Thanks again for the slide show and the great time this past weekend, Susan and Mrs. Muske!!

Life is a Highway

I just realized how long it has been since I posted the last time so here is a little of what has been going on in our lives. The last week we were in Virginia we stayed with one of our friends from EWS (the school Peter attended at Quantico). She was so nice to allow us to stay with her (thank you, Laura!).

So on June 30 we started our week-long journey to Texas. The first night we stayed in a hotel so it wouldn't be such a long drive the first day. The next day we arrived at my aunt and uncle's house in Chattanooga, TN. It was definitely a full house with Peter, me, Charm, Ben, our pets (two cats and a dog), my dad and grandmother who drove up from Florida to meet Ben and my aunt, uncle and their four-year-old daughter Sarah (not to mention their pet cat, Sam). We had so much fun just chatting and catching up but the best part was that my aunt cooked a fabulous gourmet German-style dinner (she really should have her own cooking show). We really appreciate their overwhelming hospitality!!

The next morning we were off to Atlanta, GA to visit with Peter's aunt and uncle. We were able to spend two nights and my favorite parts besides just hanging out were going to Stone Mountain and going outlet shopping for baby clothes. Stone Mountain had an awesome laser show and fireworks that Ben wasn't in love with (we made sure we covered his little ears) and lots of fun shops. The last night we were there we went shopping at some great baby outlets (The Children's Place, Carter's, Osh Kosh) and purchased some outstanding deals! Oh, I almost forgot - we were also able to meet for lunch with one of our good friends from college - we were able to chat and find out more about their upcoming adventures as they move to France to be missionaries (check out their website - Ben & Amanda's website). The funniest thing about that lunch was that Amanda has a new son as well (born March 10) who was just starting to teethe. For some reason he decided that he wanted to chew on the handlebar of her stroller rather than a teething toy. He latched on so hard he could have hung from that thing with just his mouth. I took a picture but until we are able to get to our computer I can't post it :(.

Anyway, we were sad to leave the Atlanta area the following morning but excited to go visit my grandparents in Carthage, Mississippi. My grandmother had a stroke two years ago and isn't able to communicate very well but I was able to understand her say "Soft...." and "Big Boy" as I sat next to her with Ben and she stroked his head. Both she and my grandpa were overjoyed that we were able to stop byfor a visit. Even though we only stayed a couple of hours at their house - we didn't want to stay overnight with our crazy crew in tow - it was totally worth every minute! Hopefully we will be able to go back and see them both again soon.

Yeah! It is finally the day that we will arrive on our homeland - Texas! We drove as fast and as furious as we could but we made sure to stop at the Texas Welcome Center and take a picture with Ben in front of the big Texas stone cutout. Peter was leading the way in his truck and Charm and I definitely noticed that the closer we got to College Station the faster he drove! We ended up arriving about 6:30 pm and went to sleep as soon as possible because they next day we were off to Killeen to househunt (more about that later).

What a trip! As exhausting as it was, it gave Charm and me and great chance to talk and bond. I didn't mention that she drove most of the way to Texas while I was in the backseat multitasking - entertaining Ben, pumping breastmilk for Ben, feeding Ben and trying to catch up on some much needed sleep. Oh, and of course, Peter had ALL the animals in the truck with him ROAMING FREE! We had walkie talkies that my dad gave us for the trip so Peter would constantly give us updates on what they were doing as he was driving down the road, "Avery is on my lap right now,"and "Austin is crawling at my feet," and "some animal just threw up or went to the bathroom, we need to stop!" Charm and I found it pretty hilarious. A lot has happened since the trip so I will continue to update and hopefully catch up one of these days.

The Countdown has begun!

Well, the end is near - of our time in Virginia, at least. We are scheduled to leave on June 30 and it always seems like there is so much to do before we go. However, last night we picked up Charm (Peter's mom) from the airport. She had a long day after flying in from Germany but was eager to hold and love on her new grandson. Besides playing the all-important role of grandmother (though we call her Muti), she will be a great help in the moving process, driving in the car with Ben and me to Texas while Peter drives the truck with the cats (2) and dog, and in the house-hunting and home-buying process. And oh yeah, she has also volunteered to help unpack, paint, and landscape (she is quite talented in those areas). We are so lucky to have her with us!! We are also going to be buying a house when we get to Texas so we have to do all the pre-approval paperwork and such before even setting foot in a prospective home. We are very excited about buying our first home but I am also overwhelmed by everything that has to be done. We will update as we continue this process.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder!!

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" - this statement is most often made regarding girlfriend/boyfriend relationships or spousal relationships. However, this has a two-fold meaning for me right now. First, Peter has one week left in his school in KY which means I am a "single mom" for a little over a week. Even though I went thirteen months without him and any other family in Germany, it was also without kids. This experience has made me sit in AWE of those mothers who made it through the deployment WITH kids (and their sanity!).

When I walked in the house after dropping my mom at the airport and there was no one holding the door for me or helping me in some way, that was when I first realized that I was on my own. It was a little scary at first, but I have to say, after a couple of days of caring for Ben and myself and keeping us both alive, fed, and clean (well, at least Ben is clean!) I feel such a sense of accomplishment and pride that I CAN DO THIS! Being a mother is one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I can honestly say that it is also one of the most rewarding. God has truly blessed us with such a precious little boy.

So I said earlier that the title phrase has a two-fold meaning for me. Not only does it apply to Peter being gone, but to me being apart from all my friends. Being an Army wife has given me opportunities to meet many special and amazing women but it has also forced me to say goodbye (for now) to most of them. Not only am I separated from my "new" friends, but I am also separated from my "old" ones (from college and high school). However, the great part about this upcoming move is that I will be a LOT closer to many of the "old" ones. And I bet that many of my "new" friends will wind up being stationed with us again. If not, then I will just have to visit them.

Thankfully, blogging has kept us in touch with each other in a whole new way. It is so exciting to read about everything that is going on in their lives -it makes the distance seem a lot shorter.

More pics!

Here are some more pictures that I couldn't get to post with the other ones:

A trip with Grammy to see the National Mall and the Archives, oh, and we had to have lunch at Peter's favorite D.C. eatery - Ollie's Trollie (we highly recommend the classic Ollie burger)

Ben's Grammy (Nancy's mom)

Ben in his big boy outfit playing with his activity gym

Ben is not very happy about being dressed up like a little doll!

Some more family portraits...