Our last weekend in Kentucky

So, for our last weekend in Kentucky, Erick decided to take us all to the Louisville Zoo. We missed the weekend crowds because the rain had chased them away. We trudged through the rain for a bit, but eventually, the sun came out. It turned into a beautiful day.

It was also a great day because of the entertaining conversation. Bailey informed me that she wants to be a movie actress when she grows up. She does not want to sing or perform on a stage where she can see people watching her. She only wants to be in movies... Right.

Joey wanted to know if she could be a scuba diver and a scientist at the same time. I explained that a marine biologist is a scientist that studies things in oceans, lakes, and other bodies of water. She got really excited and has been practicing saying "marine biologist" over and over.

Now back to the zoo.

My favorite moment of the day was when an orangutan came right up to the glass and spooked TJ. Look how he (TJ) is leaning way back in his dad's arms:

The girls loved it though. They were super excited to see him so close!

I also loved the giraffes. We saw them inside avoiding the rain, but when the sky turned blue, they came out with the rest of the mammals:



The Louisville Zoo has an African petting zoo. The kids were super excited to pet the goats (they are goats aren't they?):





The highlight of Joey's day was feeding this beautiful bird. She was a little upset that she couldn't get it to stand on her arm, but I guess we can't have everything, can we?



This is the picture-proof that I was also at the zoo with my family. Erick says I should never wear my brown shade shirt under the purple t-shirt because it doesn't look like I am layering. Instead, it looks like I am sweaty around my neck. (I think he's been surrounded by sweaty men way too much lately!):

Erick in the field

Here is Erick as the Tank Commander (TC) of his tank:

After Erick's tank drove through this muddy area, another tank got stuck. I didn't know a tank could get stuck. Apparently I was wrong:

This is the path that Erick had just come through with his tank:

Can you believe how deep the tank is in the mud? Crazy!

Another tank came in and towed it out of the mud.

As you can see, Erick is learning a lot and having many adventures:

A day at the lake

Last week we had a Relief Society activity at a nearby lake. I invited a few friends to come along and had a great time. It has been so much fun to meet other women in the same circumstance as me. Several of them have kids, which makes the experience even better for the kids.

Here is TJ with his good friend Sean making a sandcastle:


TJ adores Sean. He follows Sean everywhere and wants to do whatever he does. I am so grateful that Sean is such a good kid and a good example to my boy. I'm also grateful that Sean is so patient with a "little kid."

Joey and Bailey showing off the beautiful lake:



Here are the girls. Caroline is Sean's sister and also a great friend to my kids. Bailey and Joey are in the middle. Sofie and Sadie are on the right. They are BJ's kids. My girls have really enjoyed getting to know them at church and activities:



Below, BJ is holding her son Ammon (BJ's husband is in the same program as Erick but in the class that started a few months later). Nancy has the umbrella. She is the Relief Society president here and the host of this party (it is in a private, guard-protected neighborhood):


Three more Army wife friends: Marci, Bobbi, and Iris (Sean and Caroline's mom).

Barbershop and Auntie Kim

Today TJ went with his dad to get a big-boy Army haircut. He held very still and chatted with the ladies at the barbershop. They thought he was the cutest thing they had ever seen. I must agree.

He wasn't a bit nervous because he had his dad next to him as an example. He was a big boy!

My two big boys after their haircuts:




This evening we had a fun surprise. Kim and Dave (Erick's sister and brother-in-law) were passing through town on their way to Washington DC. Here are Erick and Kim hoping there is no rib meat stuck in their teeth:

We were grilling burgers and ribs with the missionaries, so Kim and Dave came to join us. By the time they got there, the missionaries had left and our friends Bobbie and Eric had joined us. The kids were disappointed that Kim hadn't brought her kids, but hopefully we will see them when we head to Grandma's house next month.

It was so great to see family. Erick hasn't seen Kim in a few years, so it meant the world to him that they would stop by.

The "Spouse Mafia" and the 4th of July

 

The four women in the photo above (Jill, Bobbi, Tera, and Iris) have recently been labeled the Spouse Mafia. Allow me to explain:

Last week all of our husbands were away in the field for some training. With our husbands away, we did a lot of socializing and planning. In fact, we planned an entire 4th of July celebration.

When our husbands returned, we informed them that they would be attending a barbeque while wearing beautiful tie-dyed shirts.

Bobbi's husband, Eric, labeled us the Spouse Mafia because we were consorting without our husbands knowledge. In our defense, none of our husbands had cell phone reception while they were in the field, so we could not get their input on our party planning.

Before our husbands returned to us, we tie-dyed shirts for the kids and the hubbies. I don't have any pictures of Jill on tie-dye day because she was so kind to take all these pictures for us. Thanks Jill!

Here I am with TJ, Bailey, and Joey:

Here is Joey standing next to Bobbi. So many colors, so difficult to choose:

 

Here is Iris helping her two kids Sean and Caroline:

My pants became the casualty of the day. So sad! I really liked these jeans:

 

Voila! Our masterpieces unveiled on Independence Day:

Erick was the only husband/father to wear his tie-dye at the barbeque. He is such a good sport. But he couldn't disappoint  his kids after all their hard work.

During all of our planning, I mentioned to the other wives that I would love to have homemade Oreo cookies at the party. To my disbelief, NONE of them had ever seen, tasted, or heard of homemade Oreo cookies. So I made them myself for the first time.

I need to thank Carie for posting her amazing recipe so that I could steal it. They turned out beautifully! Everyone liked them. I'm glad they were such a hit:

Our big party plans were diminished a bit by lots and lots of rain. It didn't stop us, however. We still had a blast.

The rain kept the party a little more intimate than we had planned. We stayed inside for most of the afternoon. Our husbands still braved the weather to get the barbeque prepped:

Erick tried to stay dry under this stylish pink umbrella:

 

Instead of the water-balloon fights and sidewalk-chalk coloring contests that we had planned for the kids, we had Legos, board games, and coloring books in the house:

The adults even contributed to some fun. Here is Eric Towle pulling TJ around on a miniature wagon:

 

Finally, the rain slowed enough for some smoke bombs:

And we went out for some outdoor socializing:

 

Later that evening we drove over to see the fireworks.

It was a great day!

What's a .50 caliber weapon?

Yesterday I was able to join Erick out in the field during a training operation. I will tell all about the day later. For now I want to show everyone how I handle a .50 caliber weapon. Take a look:

We had so much fun! I sure miss this man when he's gone: