Relaxing Weekend

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Dakota

Our first "baby" turns 12 years old in May

The boys showing off their new shirts from G'ma & Papa Ratzlaff

"Game Faces when playing video games"

Colton's Lizard


Cheyanne's Doggy

Carson's Alien look

Cassidy's puppy dog

Colton & Derek enjoying life on a Sunday afternoon

Well, we're enjoying our relaxing weeekend. It's definitely nice to have some downtime after the past two busy weeks. The boys had a friend sleepover on Friday night. One of their highlights was to go to McD's to eat ice cream cones in their pajamas. They all thought that would be fun. Who am I to stop fun!!!!! Saturday, I walked an hour for the Relay for Life. Our group of squadrons got together to host a booth and set up a team for the walk. Today was church, lunch at McD's and then a Target run. The rest of the afternoon has been spent playing at the playground and having fun on the slip'n slide. Oh, and Carson has lined up ALL of his matchbox cars and chalked a track on the driveway. So, that is our afternoon. I love times like these. I've also played referee throughout the day and had to settle many tears over sharing issues (just so you know it's not all wonderful!)

I'll post some various photos of things we've done. The kids all got their faces painted at the restaurant on base on Tuesday night. I think Cheyanne will just start having it on her arm. Each time she's done it, her face gets irritated and she wants it off within the hour.

Anyway, hopefully this week will go better than our past two weeks. Cheyanne ended up sick on Tues/Wed., but is better now. We have the Rotherhams coming to visit next weekend so everyone is excited to see them. May Day is also coming up, so we have to get busy with our planning and decorating of baskets to deliver to our neighbors. Should be a fun week.

TJ's in Singapore as I write this. We were able to Skype him once which was great. Hope to get at least one more phone call before they head back out to sea.

Take care

Tamara

Easter & After

Easter Morning - 2009

Getting ready to go to church



4 Special Kiddos

Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday morning

Decorating the eggs

(Cassidy's first time)

Well, hard to believe almost two weeks has passed since Easter. I guess we got busy which is the reason for my delay in posting. Hope you enjoy the photos of our Easter. We had a wonderful church service with an awesome message about the meaning of the cross. We then had a potluck dinner over at the Westendorff's with 8-9 other families. They rented a bounce house, so it was truly enjoyable as the kids bounced, ran around and just had fun while the grown-ups enjoyed some relaxation and conversation. The weather was perfect -- 80's. We did more easter egg hunts that day and for a few more following. I finally put away the eggs!

We've had record high temps since the weekend (90's) and will be glad when it goes back to normal (at least I hope it goes back to normal). I keep forgetting I was in Coronado last spring, so maybe 90 in Lemoore in April is the NEW normal. If it is, I'm already dreading Summer. The kids were begging me to get out our big waterslide. It's a lot of work and quite frankly I hope it gets a little cooler again. We have friends visiting during my b-day weekend and then more friends the weekend after Mother's day, so I figure we'll break out the water slide when they all arrive. They made due with our little slip'n slide last night.

I'm posting a video of the kids dancing. I may end up posting both of them. I bought a musical b-day card for my niece, Rachel. The song was the Electric slide and the kids loved it when I showed it to them and I had to open it over and over again. (Gee, Rachel -- hope the card still had a few plays left in it when you received it!). For those that followed our adoption journey for Cassidy -- you'll remember that she loved dancing way back then and one of our first videos is her dancing a cute little tai chi move. She still has the hip swinging going on!! It will be fun to get her into dance class this summer or fall.

Okay, better run and get the girls some lunch. Enjoy! I"ll try to write more later about our last week of ups and downs.

Tamara

Cassidy & the boys' electric slide dancing

2nd electric slide video

Back from Spring Break

Cassidy - Beach Giggles

Silly Girl

Carson -- enjoying some sand time


Cassidy & Carson -- working together



Cassidy - California Girl !!!

Ice Cream Gang

Colton & Raven at the park

Cheyanne & Jon reunited

Cheyanne & Faith Masyr

Both adopted Dec. 05

(Cheyanne 23 months old & Faith was almost 1 yr)

Faith with the Lennard kids

(Her older siblings were sick and couldn't come

she also has an 11-month brother who didn't make it in this picture)

Well, we made it back safe and sound from our trip down to Southern California. We really had a great time the entire week. Everything worked out from meeting friends along I-5 to get togethers, sleepovers, even a mom's night out at my favorite restaurant (thanks Jeff for watching my kiddo's). The temperatures were in the mid to high 70's, we hit the beach several times, the rec pool, bowling, ice cream, walks downtown Coronado and playing in Spreckels park. Colton didn't want to leave & I had already e-mailed TJ requesting return orders there for our future :) It's just such a wonderful place to live and truly is paradise!!!

I got to hear Lee Strobel speak at my friend's church. He's been to Shadow Mountain too, so it was nice to hear him again. Afterwards, we took the kids over to a pizza joint and told the waiter 9 people please. He asked how many kid's menus -- we said "7" and then looked at each other. We decided we were crazy to be doing this!!! It was fun though and they did behave well. We kept the waitress hopping with drink refills, spills and missing crayons.

At the Hume's we had a little over 24 hours with them and the kids made the most of it. We decorated easter eggs, played lego's and rode bikes at a nearby park. Carson wanted to stay an extra day at their house :) The kids really get along great and it's nice to give Sarah & I more time to talk.

We hit LA traffic on the way home, but still got in by supper time. The boys were really helpful unloading the car for me as I was very upset at having missed TJ's cell phone call by a few seconds. You'd think that having the cell phone with me since 8 am that morning until 5 pm somehow he would've called during those times, but not my luck -- he happened to call as I took one load into the house and left the cell phone in the car. The boys got to it too late! We did end up getting to Skype him this morning for about 30 min. which was wonderful. Usually, I get a 10 min. phone conversation maybe once a week with him, so a lengthy dialogue and video of him was a real treat for all of us. The boys showed him their new nerf guns, the girls talked his ear off.

He is finishing up his port call in Thailand and spent his free time getting certified for scuba diving. I guess some future port calls might have nice places to do that and he's always wanted to be certified. Of course, he'll have lots of places in Lemoore to try it out :)

We decorated easter eggs tonight and then had 4 easter egg hunts. Cassidy really got into this year. Last year, we had just been home from China 4-5 days and we really had to help her out. This year, she squealed and squealed with laughter each time she found an egg. It was too funny!!! They're all in bed and it's 8:20 pm -- not bad!!! I need to get their easter baskets ready (matching PJ's for the girls plus a chocolate bunny and Pokeman for Carson and some other card trading game for Colton that he's been dying to have).

I think I'll pop myself some popcorn and watch a movie. The house is still a wreck, but at least the wash is done. Now, if I just had those laundry fairies back to help me fold it all (hint, hint!!)

We're heading over to my friend, Dawn & Rob's, tomorrow after church at noon for a big Easter potluck. 8 families and counting and a bounce house to keep the kids occupied. Should be fun.

I'm excited to see what our church will do for Easter services since we haven't been to one in a few years here.

I'll post some pictures from the first part of our trip to Coronado. My digital camera quit opening after our time at the beach. Probably sand in the lens case, so will take that in on Tuesday. I'm counting on my friends to send me their pictures next week and will post more then.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day celebrating Christ's Resurrection!

Tamara

Spring Break Starting

Cassidy & Grandpa

Colton - Track star

Colton & his groupies

Cassidy & Mommy

I just wanted to post a quick general one with some pictures for TJ to look at when they ship is back on-line. We've been without e-mail for almost a week, so no fun. Hopefully, they'll be up and going in a few more days.

I did manage to sell our mini-van (FINALLY!!!) to a woman here on base who's husband is also on the same ship. We were laughing because when e-mail comes up, we'll both be sending our husband's e-mails with "Sold the van" or "Bought a van" and hope they like it. We really enjoy our Yukon XL and definitely needed the space, but I'm always still amazed at how I can fill it up. I'm done packing and barely had room for 4 kids, luggage, a dog and that is with a Yakima storage on top of the car!!! I will say -- double stroller, Cheyanne's oxgen stuff, bike helmets and two bags being given to friends down in Coronado helped make the tight spaced.


We're meeting a family on the way down at a Denny's for dinner. We traveled with them to adopt Cheyanne and their daughter, Faith. Then, on our return trip, we're spending the night with the Hume family (who we traveled to adopt Cassidy with and their daughter, Mia). We definitely keep the I-5 between San Diego & Lemoore busy.


Colton has had two track meets and will find out today if he gets to move on to the City meet. We're hoping he can go in at least one event. He runs the 400m dash and got 3rd in his first race, but didn't do as well on the second track meet. However, his relay teams (800m and 400m) did better on the 2nd track meet, so we'll see how it turns out. I know he'll be very disappointed if he doesn't go on.

In just two more weeks, we'll be at the half-way mark for TJ's deployment. YEA!!! The wives will be going out for a very nice dinner paid for by our husbands. I'm looking forward to that.


I don't have much else to say -- need to finish house stuff so we can head out as soon as the boys get home from school.


Tamara