Laundry soap

So I was domestic for a minute. My friend told me about wanting to try this recipe to make her own detergent. I looked it up and we decided to go in together to buy some of the ingredients, and gave it a shot. I have done more than 10 loads of laundry so far with it and it seems to work as well as any we have used, is way more environment friendly, and way way cheaper than commercial detergents. Click HERE for the recipe that I used if you are curious. I posted the video to show the consistency of it before the second dilution. From what I understand it is supposed to be gelled and chunky like that. You could wisk it, or Rebecca said she read you could use an electric mixer to smooth it, but it works fine this way also. This is how is stores in the 5 gallon bucket and then I mix it with half this, half water in a smaller container to use. That means I made 10 gallons of laundry soap for about $2. Crazy.

Favorite pastimes

This has been a favorite pastime of all kiddos in this house for the past couple of months. Maybe that's why he has taken a little longer to walk on his own. There is always someone wanting to cart Micah around.

So excited

I have just discovered that I like Craigs list. I had
no idea what it really was before we got here to
Virginia, but now we have found a futon and this
lovely piano. We have wanted a piano for forever
and started looking a couple of years ago. I hope that we don't get burned because it's not a main brand, and was much less expensive than it seemed it should be--but so far we are LOVING it. It's so nice to hear music from a piano as background noise, even if it's little hands that don't know how to play, but especially when Travis sits down to play. And it's digital, which we decided is good when you have to move often, and very nice that you can turn the volume up and down or have headphones if we need to. Now I just need to learn to play all over again
and get Noah taking some lessons.
He's very excited about it, so I'd
better do it while the excitement is still there...

And now we can suddenly really move into "the piano room". We have been here for 5 months and have 2 rooms that aren't set up at all! Pathetic. We just haven't known quite what to do with them and knew we wanted a piano to eventually to go in one. So much fun!

Joint Air Power Demo

I didn't really get any pictures except this one of our other adventure for the week. That's because I was holding a grumpy Micah and trying to video tape at the same time. Anway, Trav got to fly in something called the Joint Air Power Demo on Wednesday at 12:00 at the Va Beach boardwalk. It was an hour demo where Air Force, Navy, Marines, etc join together to put on a show... where they "rescue" guys stuck in enemy territory. It was very cool. The jets (F-22s, 15s, 18s) did fly bys, and then circled around while a C130 dropped a jetski with a parachute and some dudes in parachutes into the ocean. They came and got the guys flaring them on the beach and took them out to where a helicopter came and practically landed on the water and some guys jumped out and helped get these guys hooked up and taken up into the rescue helicopter. It was so very cool to see! And it's good I went because at the time Micah was a tad sick but yesterday we had to miss the air show on base because Kaden really was sicko. HERE is a little pre-article about it if you want to read the scenario. And it's always awesome when I know exactly which jet is Travis. It just amazes me every time. Someone asked us if that makes us nervous. This was just very fun for them. I would be much more nervous if he flew the helicopters. That made me very nervous and I didn't even know the pilots...

Tubes

Noah finally got his tubes in his ears on Thursday. Trav was able to stay home with the other boys and Noah and I showed up at the hospital on base at 6:30 a.m. Noah was a little sad to have to get up so early. Me too...Anyway, getting tubes in is a very simple and quick procedure. But the whole thought of your little boy getting general anasthesia is still a little nerve wracking. Everything went perfectly, though. Not a whole lot of waiting, and the actual time Noah was away from me was only about 15 minutes or so. They brought me back to him before he came out of anesthesia. That

a tad bit creepy to see him completely unconscious, but after a few minutes of the nurse holding oxygen to his nose and the other one taking vitals, he kind of jerked awake and was in a very silly mood. I think more often kids feel disoriented and scared or cranky. But he was disoriented and very silly and happy. ..."I just don't know what happened!....I feel like I am not me....yeah, I feel like an astronaut!....Maybe I feel like Ammon, No--I feel like Micah! giggle" Funny boy. The nurse said he was possibly the happiest case of coming out of anesthesia she has seen, at least for
a long time. We went back upstairs and relaxed and ate Popsicles and jello, got some medicine and went home. Hopefully these tubes will help a ton--I am counting on it. The day before the surgery Micah threw up a couple of times and the past 2 days poor Kaden has been very sick and not keeping anything down. My theory is that the flu must be contagious over facebook. I have been reading about everyone's kids throwing up and feeling lucky, and walla...here we go. I hope it doesn't cycle through anyone else. Trav has the whole next week off to spend time with us and get lots of things done before deploying. I hope we can get things done and make good memories instead of sitting home miserable and flu-ey...

Watch out!

The big ONE

I have no idea how the past year sped by me so quickly. This little guy has been such a fun addition to our family. I just can't imagine our lives before he joined us. A year ago yesterday, I was utterly miserable and impatient to meet this child. He finally came and was instantly full of surprises. Like a head full of dark hair--what in the world is that? And he was HUGE. I knew I sure FELT like he was growing a pound a day and I was about to burst into pieces, but it was nice to have it verified in the end. 9 lbs 10 oz, Micah made his entrance into the world and has brought us joy ever since. What are some interesting fact about Micah?...

--His awesome dark hair was just a cover. He had his first haircut at 4 months and all the dark was instantly gone. Very sad moment in time. Yet while I may have thought he wouldn't be cute anymore, I was dead wrong.--By his first birthday he had 3 haircuts, and that was with me stretching as long as I could hold his father off...

--He has killer eyes and a killer smile. Wins every heart around him.

--Loves his brothers and follows them around gleefully.

--Has been much more picky than his brothers when it comes to food. But he loves to be able to feed himself. Pancakes, he is in love with those.

--Crawled the earliest and will walk the latest. I need to take a little video of his cute walking. He is getting pretty brave and loves to walk back and forth between Travis and me.

--Adores his daddy. I love that. Whenever Trav walks in the door, he goes bonkers and all he wants is his dad.

--Love to play catch with the racquetball. Seemed to catch on to that early on.

One of Noah's first comments the first time he saw Micah, was "why is he so red?". And just before he left that night he kept saying he didn't want to leave him. "i need to take a picture in my head, he's just so cute. i can't believe he is here!"

He didn't stay too red for too long..

So yesterday was the big day. We let him take his morning nap and then began the festivities. We had our friends the Youngs over for cake. Micah wasn't all too chipper to begin with and had been really finnicky with lunch, not letting me even put anything in his mouth, so I wasn't sure how he would react to the take. He definitely wanted to check it out, and was puzzled as we all sang to him.

Puzzled still...

Finally gets to check it out and is not so sure he likes the feel of it.

Here's his turning away as I try to get him to taste it--He was not having any of that...

Offering a piece again...

Finally I had to sneak a piece in his mouth when he let down his guard.

Not too bad, says Micah. Maybe I'll try a little after all.

I was hoping to have good messy pictures without recquiring a bath afterwards. Forgot about the hair factor.

Maybe this look tells it all. He still is wondering what the big fuss is about.

Opening presents after his bath. We should have let his friend Grace open them. She was much more interested, while he just wanted her little snack cup to play with.

Noah's photography...he was excited to have caught a great smile.

Grace and Micah.

Micah walking to Emily.

Micah senses excitement in another world and wants out!

Afterwards we went to the Norfolk Zoo. I thought I had forgotten my camera and then found it towards the end. Ooops.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICAH! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Beach Day

The sun finally came out this week and everything warmed up drastically and suddenly. It was wonderful! I forget how good sun and fresh air feel and how they energize and lift the spirits until I go out and feel it. Friday we went the the beach. The kids played in the sand, caught a couple of jellyfish, and Micah crawled around trying (and succeeding) to eat sand and seashells.

Ammon and his buddy, Paul.

Easter pics? a little late.

Grace and Micah at a squadron Easter egg hunt/party.

Kaden gathering eggs.

Ammon

Saturday night after finding their Easter baskets. The picture below is a better one altogether, but I like the top one because Kaden has the look of adoration on his face. It doesn't look like he's looking at Micah, but that's always the look he has with Micah.

Multiplying my time

I feel like I have no time lately to do anything. I can't find time work out, to spend time with friends or have kids spend time with their friends, to do yard work or plant things, or even keep up with daily cleaning and feeding of people. There seems to be so much to do that I stand frozen and watch it all swirl around me. In Relief Society on Sunday, we had a really great lesson about being valiant in the cause of Christ. Anyway, someone made a comment that turned a light on in my head suddenly of what my problem is. (This should have been more apparent to me earlier) Obviously, with my lack of time, I am also not finding time for scripture study or service or other things I should be doing. The comment was that our time is like tithing. If we give to the Lord first, our other needs will be met. In essence our time will multiply. I have always known this! I see it all the time, yet my life seems to cycle to moments that I temporarily get distracted or forget. So my new goal this week to to reset my priorities and have faith that everything else will fall into place. That probably means I should go this minute to start. So off I go before Micah wakes up and foils my good intentions =).

Can't get pictures!

Two weeks ago I was convinced Micah would not being walking anytime in the next 6 months and would be nursing until he was 3 years old. He still wants to nurse every 3 hours in the day (and he'll be a YEAR at the end of this week!), and really really wants it, and refused to walk. We suddenly realized he was already past the point where all 3 other boys walked, so Trav decided to do some intensive training. He would walk him around the house letting him just hold one hand. One of Micah's favorite past times is holding onto the back of various little vehicles while any one of his brothers rides them and pulls him around the house. He has a huge grin on his face the whole time he does it. Anyway, suddenly he is standing without holding onto anything for a few seconds at a time and has taken as many as 7-8 steps walking back and forth between Trav and me. Usually it's more like 3, but you know. Crazy. And also, since I had to leave him with my friend, Candie, last week for 6+ hours, I started trying to offer more cups and stretch his feedings a few days before. And he did great with Candie, not getting cranky or needy--and chugging a whole cup of milk and going down for the usual 2-3 hour nap. So now I see in him a future of walking and independance--and suddenly I want to cling to the baby/dependance again. I didn't want to wean him right this minute--just to know he wouldn't be a teenager first. In a way I feel the need to cling to his babyhood and not let him grow any more. It always goes too fast, but the past year has been way faster than it was even with my other boys. I guess life just gets busier and busier. And here I babble about nothing and haven't even gotten the little video of Micah walking so I can post it together. Someday. Sigh.

More Easter Goodness

I have looked at a few of the youtube Easter clips over the past couple of days, and wanted to share this one...

Powerful Easter Message

I know most everyone has seen this. It seems like every conference Elder Holland gives such powerful talks and talks that I need the most at the time. This was a great one. We are still trying to figure out how to make Easter the kind of powerful and bunniless celebration that it should be. Actually I love all of the egg coloring and fun, but I always hope it doesn't detract from the really meaning, you know? Anyway, I am so thankful and awed at the sacrifice our Savior gave to us. I can't really adequately express it and because of that I probably don't express it often enough.

Lucky Me

This past week the squadrons here at Langley did a special deal for the spouses where we were able to go up in a KC135 and watch our husbands refuel. I've seen an F-15 refuel a few years ago and that was awesome. I remember being glad that Trav wasn't flying that day so he could watch the kids and I could go watch the refueling. Then I remember seeing some of the wives actually get to watch their husbands refuel and talk to them and thought that it might be quite amazing. This time my friend Candie and I traded with watching each others' kids so we could both go on different days. My experience couldn't have been more perfect. I almost don't even feel like it happened now, so I'm glad I took pictures. Above is actually Candie's picture of the KC135 from the front. This is where the boom is that they get gas from, and the window that the boom operator (and in our case, the wives) looks out of.

Erin and I before the flight. We were incredibly lucky. There were originally 10 jets flying, and only 2 ended up being able to fly, and people were nice enought to make it our husbands. And since it was just the 2 of us (so surprised there weren't a lot more), and an OB Dr from the clinic, we got to monopolize and not having to split time watching.

Me laying where the boom operator lays.

We are 28,000 ft in the air waiting the the guys to come, and the boom operator let us practice moving the boom around. He promised I couldn't hurt it. I totally felt like I would brake the thing, though. Or accidently fire a missile or something (no, they don't even have missiles, but pushing buttons that I don't know the function of makes me nervous).

This is Erin in the cockpit on the take-off. I was in the cockpit, too, a little further back.

My first sighting of Travis. This was the coolest moment.

Getting closer...

On the boom...Getting lots of gas...I mean lots...

Done getting gas.

About to fly away...

Flying away...

So then they went and did lots of cool things which we didn't seen and were back in not time for a second refueling...

So we got to wear a headset and everything to hear what the pilots, and Trav, and the boom operator were all saying and I could talk to Trav anytime I wanted. What to do say to your husband at 28,000 ft in the air, with everyone listening in? And for some reason I didn't want to break his concentration. That's a pretty crazy way to get gas!

Isn't he incredibly good looking?

Done getting gas. This time the 135 pilot told Trav to go to the right and front of the plane, wait just a minute (for me to run up front), and then do something cool for me. If all the other jets had been flying at the time, they couldn't have done that. It was amazing.

Here he goes...

And because of the delay, I took a picture too early and it was all over by the time it reset itself. It could have been a much cooler picture. Or a videocamera...yeah, that's what I need next time!

And the timing of everything couldn't have been any better, because just after we landed and got out of the tanker, the guys were ready to land and we watched them land and taxi.

I need to find a way to thank everyone who made this possible. It was so much fun. And I realize Travis has a pretty cool job, but it was really something seeing it from that point of view.