Bama Time!

WARNING: No spell check for this post.  Not good, for I have no idea if a word is spelled correct or not.  Enjoy.

Okay, me and the boys are here!  Alabama for the summer, just like last year.  Happily Matt is up the road at Ft. Knox, just a 6 hours drive away. 

We got in to my parents' home Saturday night and have been enjoying our stay.  I have amazing parents, who have an amazing home, and are just plain amazing.  I like them a lot ;)  One "down side"-ish is that their wi-fi doesn't work... so that's going to take some creativity on my part to share pictures along with stories.  Still need to look into the public library and check out their hours--and hope that they have wi-fi. 

To sum up the past 3 days: play Play PLAY!  There has been a lot of play.  Pool play, back yard play, and... *drum roll* ... bike play!  Ahhh!  I haven't had a bike in 15 years, so this new chapter is exciting, but also a little scary (relearning the ends and outs of bike use).  Check out the new addition (+ some (also pic from phone)):

Heck yes!  I can get all three kids on this thing (each piece bought seperatly).  Friend Helen gave me this idea, and it has worked out great.  I'm sure if I bought the "top of line" items it would be a little lighter, but for the past 2 days I've been able to handle the wild streets of C-town perfectly. 

Isaac was nervous at first (but when is he not?), and after much practice he has really come around to his trailor-bike.  Eli and Titus love to be pulled around in the back, though the down side is that when riding I can't stop to "bear cub fights." 

So that's a little of what we're up. 

Hope to update with pics from the 10 day trip soon.

P.S.  I have bug-phobia at the moment.  Every bug the Good Lord has ever made seems to live in Bama, and I'm a little freaked out by them all.  At this moment I'm conviced I have a "chigger" in my belly button and that little bugs are crawling all over me. 

Live, from the Bluegrass State

That's right, dear ones, we are in Kentucky.  The land of... of... well, I'm sure it's a land of beautiful and magical things.  What stand out to this very recent former western dweller, who was once a distant past southeastern dweller, are the TREES and the HEAT and the HUMIDITY.  Holy smokes, summer has arrived.

So here's the deal, we left Boise Wednesday night and drove through the night to Denver, Colorado.  Yeah it stunk.  We decided that our boys do NOT do well driving through the night, since each time we have tried it they have woken up around 3:30ish and not gone back to sleep till 5:30 or 6.  Matt and I were zombies the next day, but thankfully the people that we stayed with (Matt's good high school buddy, the wife, and the kid) looked after us well and nursed us back to health.  It was fun to talk, and eat, and laugh.  Their kid is just a few months behind Titus, and is a funny--nah, hilarious!--little girl.  I love her.

Again, Wednesday night drove through Idaho, some of Utah, the width of Wyoming, then down to Colorado (835 miles).

Friday we drove from Colorado to Kansas City, Missouri.  That's driving across Colorado and all of Kansas, about 600 miles.  Awesome-ness?  Well wasn't too bad, especially with the crazy night experience just behind us.  And you know what?  Kansas isn't that flat.  Actually pretty rolly, hilly, and greeny.  Compared to, say, the desert or Lubbock, Texas (what's up Marcie and Tyson!) it's pretty nice.  That's when we noticed the elevation go down to almost 1,000 feet, the air start to get wetter, and "born again" Christian signs on the free-way.  Nothing like seeing a billboard painting of wheat, with Jesus' head coming out of the field, holding grain to his face!

Friday night we stayed in a hotel IN Kansas City.  Yup, thanks GPS.  It was a nice hotel, in a good area, and was pretty fun.  Thanks to Matt and his military discount it was pretty affordable.

Saturday morning we got up and went over to Independence and Liberty, MO.  Those are some really big and important cities in LDS (Mormon) history.  And since we are LDS we decided to go and at least check out Liberty Jail since we had a little bit of time.  It was a really amazing experience and helped put things in perspective.  We then went back to Kansas City and ate some "real KC bbq."  Arthur Bryant's was the destination, and what an experience!  40 dollars of yummy food and I killed a roach at our table.  Great?

On Saturday we went from Kansas City to St. Louis (300ish miles).  Stayed the night in St. Louis, tried to get up early enough for a church meeting on Sunday but totally failed.  It's really hard to get to a 9am service when kids wake up at 9:30... Oops.  We did a quick tour of the Gateway Arch, then left St. Louis for Louisville (300ish miles).

We stayed in Louisville Sunday night, all of Monday, and left Tuesday morning for Radcliff/Ft. Knox area (30 miles).  But guess what we did on Monday?  Bought Matt a lovely car!!  A '93 Toyota Corolla with 135,000 miles.  Should suit his needs for the next bit, and hopefully much more.  It's black and fuel efficient, which make Matt happy.

So here I am in a hotel in Radcliff, with my boys falling asleep together in the bed, and with Matt by my side.  He leaves soon for the base, but will stay for the next bit.  I think we're staying here till Friday then leave to go to Tennessee for a mini family reunion (just me and the boys, Matt stays here).  From TN we'll go to Bama.

Yeah, that is what we did.  Yeah, this is where we are.  Yeah, that is our plan.

AND OF COURSE PICTURES TO COME!!

When We Pack:

(First I'd like to say we are all packed up, and have been on the road for a few days.  Hooray for moving!)

Matt goes through his things, pulls out his old ARMY basic training book, and goes through it with Isaac.  They have a good time.

We have a lot of fun with family and friends.  One night we spent at the Y pool and had a lot of fun with some really great friends.  BFFs forever, right guys?!
Then we had a family party with all the Boise family.  It was a lot of fun! Going to miss those guys.  Matt has a great family.
Didn't get a lot of picture of either event, but here are some from the family thing:

The boys make a slide down the stairs from their mattresses.  And go wild crazy!  Isaac got a butt burn and a nose burn from this, haha!

Titus wants to potty-train himself.  And does very well.  Crazy child... Don't you know we were in the middle of packing and couldn't focus on you?  So, maybe we'll train you better when the move is over.
 And is there anything cuter than little kids in their undies?  I don't think so.

Lookin' Good

I think they're pretty cute.  

When 2, Celebrate!

Titus had a fun birthday, one that started out with lots of hugs and kisses from all the adults around him.  Man, he loves attention and love.  He shares his birthday with his aunt (Matt's sister), and I really think they had good.

We all ate at Cafe Rio (surprise!), and enjoyed 1.50 Taco Tuesday. Came home and had chocolate cake, opened presents, and then took some pictures.  This was our last full evening in Idaho, and it was wonderful evening.  What wonderful weather Idaho has in the summer!  Anyway, Titus had a good day.

OH! One highlight: when I was serving lunch today I couldn't find Titus.  I looked around, then finally located him on the side of my in-law's home.  There he was, sitting in a pile of rocks, with ant covering him!  "See," he says happily, "bugs!"  That boy loves bugs, but I'm a bit terrified what will happen to him when he gets into the ant hills in Bama.  Full of wrath, fire ants are.  Titus does, no LOVES, bugs. He gets so excited when he can grab a few... and when grabbing doesn't work he smashed them, and  then carries the carcasses around.  Funny boy, he is.  Speak like Yoda, I do.

Here are some pictures of the day evening events: