A Few Words from Matt...

      It's weird sitting here, on my uncomfortable bed in some barracks at Ft. Knox, sharing a room with two other dudes in their early 20's, away from my wife and kids wishing there was more I could do to help them get situated in our new home and wishing I could be more of a part of their daily lives. 

      Each day, or as often as I can, I log on to our blog hoping to see a new post about our little family and their happenings.  I log on to facebook to see if Shannon has posted anything about her daily life.  And I try to call/text daily to to try and paint a picture as to what they're going through.  I do this to keep me as informed as possible as what we, as a family, are going through collectively.  Yes we are in two totally different locations, but that doesn't alter the fact that we are a family and will get through everything together.

      The life we have entered is a difficult, rewarding, different, exciting, unexpecting adventure.  We knew what we were getting into before we started.  We knew we'd be away from each other with intermittent short visits for this intial hoo-rah.  We knew we wouldn't really back together until early December.  We knew I may be deployed and actually kind of expect it to happen at some point - if it doesn't happen well then that is fantastic news.  Knowing everything we knew and now know I still miss my love Shannon and our sweet crazy boys: Isaac, Eli, and Titus; nothing will change that.

      I wish I could be around to help build the bunk bed that was completely taken apart for the move by the movers.  I wish I could take cold showers with them because water won't be turned on till Tuesday.  I wish I could help unpack boxes and find all the little things that were packed away in 'some box' that are now needed and wanted but can't be found.  I wish I could miss out on having internet access for a day or two more.  I wish I could have killed that roach that scared Shannon the first day in our new home.  I wish I could take care of the boys - read them a story, wrestle with them, play a game, or build some legos so Shannon can rest her eyes because of the exahustion and stress that comes along from moving a family without their daddy.  I wish I could be there when Isaac leaves for his first day of Kindergarden to wish him luck and tell him how proud I am of him.  I wish I could hold Shannon, Isaac, Eli, and Titus right now and tell them all, in person, that I love and appreciate each one of them and all they do to make me a better person.  I miss and love them so much.  I am indeed a lucky man to have them in my life - even if we are temporarily separated.

      I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my country, to lead the finest soldiers on earth as an Officer, and to have a stable job that provides for my family.  With everything we've been through I know we will get through this just fine.  But yup - it kinda sucks a little.  :-)

Thank you everyone for all your love and support.

      Shannon - you are the love of my life and an amazing wife, mother, and my best friend.  I miss you.  I look forward to the many years ahead we will have together.  Years that will prepare us for the eternities.  Know that you are continuously in my thoughts and prayers and I can't wait to see you again!  Give the boys love and stay positive. 

Everything will be just fine.

Thanks all!

-Matt


Before and After the 10k Ruck March.

D Co LTC, 2nd PLT, 1st SQD (CDTs: Miller, Martinez, Heater, Oh, Smith, Cornfield, Me.  Missing Wilson.  Graduation Day - July 29th, 2012

Weekends with Daddy

We spent 2 weekends in a row with Matt!  *hallelujah chorus*

I took the boys up with me one weekend, and the following Matt came down to us.   I think the next time we'll see each other is the end of August.

Our weekend up with Matt was full of fun.  There were lots of "Army Guy" things to do, along with swimming and jumping on beds.
Matt's cadets graduated that weekend, and it was fun to talk to the young men and women.  They really looked up to him and appreciated his guidance.  They also thought he was like 35 years old.  Sorry guys, 29 it is!

..............................

Between the two visits Mr. Matt had a birthday!  

I think he's pretty special. 

1. He suspects that Jane Eyre is actually werewolf story. 

2. He's always on time.

3. He'll never grow out of Metallica and punk rock.

4. He loves our sons unconditionally.

5. He can read military war stories over and over and over and over... and over again.

6. His Scottish and British accents make me swoon.

7. He love God, and has a testimony of the gospel. 

8. He is extreamly creative.

9. His 

homemade mac-n-cheese is to die for. 

10. He knows how to spell, and is often my "spell checker."

11. His "Hey Jude" by the Beatles (piano and vocal) knocks my socks off.

12. He honors his church callings and priesthood.

13. Once he is committed, he's committed. The end.

14. He makes homemade cookies just to eat the cookie dough.

15. He loves to laugh.

16. His ability to wrestling our boys is an art form.

17. Ross is his favorite "Friends" character. 

18. He lets me jabber away about history and other non-cool topics.

19. He is extremely machanically inclined, and is always able to set up our media center without a hitch.

20. He can talk my ears off.

21. He is picky with food, but is willing to try new things--as long as there is no ketchup, mustard, and egg.

22. He is willing to do very hard and taxing things. 

23. His arms are really short.

24. He really loves and cares about family and friends.

25. His favorite automotive company is Toyota.

26. Competitive much? Yes!

27. He is smart. Yes, yes he is.

28. He wants to help and make a difference in peoples' lives. Being a good and honest leader is important to him.

29. His talents in music, particularly in guitar and vocal, are amazing! 

..............................

And with his visit to us we had a fun time!
My parents surprised us with a free nights stay at a Hyatt Place hotel.  Awesome!
We had swimming, and playing, and wrestling.  All good things.

On Saturday we celebrated Matt's birthday (again, 29).  It's a running joke that my parents never have any candles, so we have to create elaborate number patterns to reach the person's birthday age.  I'm not sure what the equation was this year, but some how it involved two "5"s.

And the cake kind of fell apart when we were putting it together.  I said it was a "World War 2 Eastern Front" cake.  (You know, white frosting for the snow, etc.)  Isaac had a fabulous time creating a battle scene for the top!

Lax Breakfast

It's been a chillin' summer at my parents' home.
So why not have pancakes at 10:30am, with no syrup and no silverware?
And of course our main topic of discussion should be LEGO creations.

Sounds of Tinkering

11:15pm I go to bed later than I had hoped. 
I know I need rest, because my mothery-senses are tingling: *Titus' sleep is going to be off tonight*


12:45am Titus tries to join me in bed.  I pick up the half a sleep 2 year old, and lay him back down in his bed (not without a failed attempt to let him sleep with me).

5:20am Titus tries to join me in bed.  I pick up the pretty alert 2 year old, and lay him back down in his bed making I tell him that it is still bedtime.

5:55am Titus implores of me a drink.  I tell him to go back to bed, I get him a milk cup, meet him in his room, change is diaper, tuck him in, and give him his drink.

7:20 am I hear sounds of light plastics being pushed around.  I think Titus is up, getting into drawers in the kitchen.  "Titus," I say, "what are you doing?" I get no answer. 
I drag myself out of bed, stumble out of the room, look to the kitchen, and Titus isn't there.  
It is Isaac, the only one awake in the house, sitting on top of the dinning room table, digging through a huge bin of LEGOs, and creating his master pieces.

.......

Most of Isaac thoughts revolve around LEGO building.  This almost 6 year old--who found his first loose tooth yesterday, is starting Kindergarten in a week and a bit, and daring on the trailer bike--loves to build with LEGOs.  It is his world, and he is always innovating and creating.  If LEGOs are not in his hands, he is thinking about them, and getting inspiration from all things around him.

LEGOs are his world. 

And I'm glad he is in mine.  

Hoping for Magic

One of my goals in raising my children is to provide them with a childhood full of adventure.
I really, really want them to love to explore, imagine, and create.
I'm not so worried about what they "know," but if they know how to "live."

When there was an opportunity to go and see the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory, I thought it'd be pretty cool for them.  A place full of machines and ice cream?  Heck yes!
We were invited to go with a little "mommies group" from my mom's neighbor.  We showed up, and there were all these nice and well behaved girls.  My boys were basically the only males, and were basically full of boyhood adventure when we went.  It was really fun, though.  Maybe a bit overwhelming when Titus and Eli had enough.
At the end we could pick out our own ice cream. Yummy!! Blue Bell Ice Cream is really just a Southeast company, and it is FABULOUS ice cream.  Can I get an "amen!" from the crowd?  ... But I must say that Tillamok products from the Northwest will always hold a special place in my heart.

Here are some stinky pictures from my camera phone:

Isaac got a Krazy Kids flavor.  He loved it!

Eli isn't an ice cream fan, and only wanted vanilla ice cream... and only wanted to lick a bit of it. 

Tiny was all about it, though.  Cake batter, anyone? 

I also like to be outside with my boys.  It's been really hot this summer, which has limited us a bit.  Yes, there is the pool, but we can only last at the most 3 hours.  We'll come in during the hottest parts of the day but in the evening I try to take them out.

It gets dark in Bama around 8pm.  Idaho gets dark around 10pm.  Yeah, Idaho summers are awesome!  Lots of time to play in the evening.

Wednesday I decided I wasn't going to let the sun setting dictate our summer play.  I packed everyone up in the bike and went on a bike ride "downtown."  My parents live in a bitty town, FYI.
Me and the boys decided we should stop the bike and play at the Methodist Church's playground.  It was wonderful, and a bit magical... and that's all I want... for them to be able have a magical childhood.