This is what moving looks like....

This is just a small sampling of the chaos that is our house right now. This is the "storage shipment" pile. Or part of it rather because there is another smattering in the garage and some pieces upstairs. We also have another pile near this one for our "unaccompanied shipment." That shipment is small amount of household necessities like kitchen stuff, sheets, towels. It arrives in Italy before we do so when we get there, we can move into our house with some base loaner furniture and have a few items while we wait another 3 or so weeks for the glorious crate of our crap to arrive. These two smaller shipments go out next week, so we are in a mad rush to sort and pile. It grows daily. Our big "everything" shipment goes out in 2 weeks. It's craziness. Overseas moves are the worst. And the best too, I guess, depending on how you look at it. We will be out of our house here the last day in May, move into lodging on base and stay there for 3 weeks, we depart AZ on June 20th, drive across the country to VA to drop some things with Steve's parents and visit the family there for 5 or so days, then we head to the Outer Banks, NC for a week at the beach with Steve's parents and sister. Then up to Norfolk, VA to ship our van, and then finally fly up to Baltimore to fly transactlantic to Italy on July 10th! All and all it's about a 2.5 month process. People keep asking me if I'm excited and I know I will be one day but right now it just feels like there is sooooooooooo much to do that I can't get my brain to just chill and enjoy the thought of another assignment in Europe! Soon, soon I will be excited. Maybe once our crap is on the slow boat over. 

Fun with Water Beads!

 The kids and I have recently become obsessed with these water beads. You can find them in the floral supply section at Walmart and craft stores. They come in a tiny pack and then you put them in a huge bowl and fill it with water. And then watch them grow into marble sized balls over 8-10 hours. Brian really enjoyed checking on them to see how big they had gotten. They are really soft and squishy. They are non-toxic but I still didn't want Emily eating any so I sat very very close to her while she played with them. So close that she kept pushing on my head and saying "Mommy, move your head!" She never did try to eat any though. This is seriously hours of cheap enjoyment for the kids! I only bought 1 baggy for $2 and it made up a HUGE bowl of beads. What is pictured is only about 1/4 of the beads. Also, they will dry out and go back to their original tiny size and you can then start the whole process again. Might be nice for older kids too to explain osmosis. Not even sure if I'm spelling that right, it has been so long.  

 Emily is yelling "water balls!"

 Sometimes you get distracted by a Daddy jet, it happens

 And you always have to kiss your playmate after a really good water beads play session!

PP in the Potty

Our baby is growing up! She is doing quite of bit of this lately, at her own request and without a whole lot of pressure or endorsement from Mommy. Because while I love that she loves her some potty and I can see the end of our diaper changing days on the horizon, I don't think potty training during our biggest and craziest PCS move ever, is a great idea. So, for now, she just uses the potty whenever she feels like it. And sometimes she uses my kitchen floor and tries to blame it on her Grandma. But I think all this PP in the potty means we will be full up potty training as soon as we arrive in Italy. Where has the time gone!?

Brian was so proud of her, he insisted he be in one of the pictures to document his role as potty training assistant. They are yelling "PP in the potty!"

Cell Phone Photo Dump

I guess I need to download the pics on my phone more often, cause some of these are old!

Brian never asks to have his picture taken but we were sitting outside at the Kona Brewery in Hawaii and I feel a little tug on my arm and Brian says "that boat is really cool, I want my picture with it!" And the phone camera was all I had! 

 In Hawaii in February, I turned around to see this, so sweet!

Emily thrilled to be trying on her flower girl dress for Aunt Laura's wedding. The actual wedding was last weekend and she looked beautiful and spent at least an hour twirling in the dress! 

 The sign I made for Brian to carry down the aisle at Aunt Laura's wedding. I don't think anyone saw it since he didn't hold it up high because he "didn't know that was the real wedding!" Why did he think we were all running around like chickens with our heads cut off for 30 minutes before!?

 A "jeep" drawing by Brian

Brian getting fitted for his tux for the wedding! 

A lovely drawing Brian made at school and his teacher captioned "a race car with beer cans on the side." Thank you very much Grandpa Harris, NASCAR and the Budweiser Team for that.

Brian's first time bowling and he got a strike!!!

We had a playdate. One kid is missing though. I had 4 kids for 3 hours. By myself. I have a new appreciation for preschool teachers.

Our friend Addy graduates preschool! I can't believe we will be doing this with Brian is just 2 weeks!

Um, what the what?! These are supposed to be in the air, not on the highway!

The kids munching away on some Paradise Bakery cookie noms. This was before we figured out Emily can't have chocolate.

All gussied up at a friends' wedding in the fall

Random sibling cuddles

A diaper wreath I made and hung on the door of some squadron friends before they got home from Africa with their new little boy!