Take Me Out to the Ball Game....

GO RAPTORS!!!

Austin started baseball this year! Cameron, his best friend is on the same team (we worked it out like that) and they are the RAPTORS!

Baseball practices are long, dirty, and the games are even longer. But, it teaches Austin skills he didn't know/have before. He's learning and his coach, Coach Martino is extremely patient and gives great instruction to these 7 year old boys. Austin, who likes kicking the dirt more than catching- does like hitting the ball and we're working on catching and throwing.

This will be a fun season.

Go Raptors!

Scoop scoop, kick kick!

Ash started swimming lessons today!

Ash has been fearless in the water. Until....

The day we went swimming without a life vest. I made her swim and she went under the water a few times and quickly decided that this swimming thing makes her choke and get scared! So, I told her we'll start swim lessons and she wanted nothing to do with swimming anymore. So at the Freedom Center, I thought there might be a mutiny.

But, I was pleasantly surprised that she got in the water with her buddy Gavin and things were okay!

She told me after lessons that she never wanted to go to our pool, but only wanted to go to the Freedom Center.

Okay little guppy.

Thanks Friends...

The Benson kiddos-such great friends/neighbors!

BUSTED!

Napping in Daddy's spot...miss you Dad

Sweet Robyn...thank you....thank you...thank you...

At least 2 hours a day, we play in Ash's room with her dolls. That's at least 4 trips up to play dolls. Everyday. 2 hours. Everyday. But she loves it, therefore I make up different scenarios to role play with her Barbies. When we've repeated the same storyline, a princess may go flying across the room in disgust thrown by Ash. I've gotten very creative.

This weekend we went to Thai Basil with our dear friends the Hucks and Forsee's. The delicious Thai Basil in Chantilly that was featured on Food Network's 'Throw Down with Bobby Flay'...known for their paid thai..yum. I must say though, Pei Wei is a close second.

I also won BUNCO this week! Vegas $tyle...so fun.

So... JD went back on Tuesday back to Baghdad. Ugh.......

I am so thankful, lucky, blessed for all of my dear friends, neighbors, and family who comfort me. That's another reason I am staying here while Jonathan is deployed for the next 2 years.

We've decided back in January not to go to Germany. We've dedicated another couple of years to serving in the Middle East where Jonathan is doing great things with the vetting program and enjoying making a difference. I am thankful that he is making a difference in Iraq and consider myself lucky (although it's very hard alone here and miss him terribly). Someone has to do what he's doing and luckily I'm a strong enough person to raise my family here. We consider him a hero and we are very proud of the work he's doing. He's a hero and making history. I'm very proud of him.

So, back to my attitude of gratitude. I have so many people serve me in different capacities, I feel never-ending love from everywhere. I consider myself so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful people, friends, a great ward and blessed to have such a tight family.

Love you all.

Angie

Easter Pic

Great Falls

Happy Easter!

Cadbury Eggs, chocolate bunnies, grass, dye kits, cadbury eggs, hunts, new dresses, hats, pictures, cadbury eggs...

I love EasteR!

Our Easter festivities began this year in Charleston, as we had a hunt before we left. The kids were playing prison rules during the hunt.

We then had another hunt at Ash's HBC preschool, and yet another one at Church. In fact we even were one of the winners of the "Egg Drop" Challenge. My buddy Ginger did an amazing job with the Easter party. She had 2 firetrucks come to the church and they put up their ladder to reach 4 stories high. We had to come up as a family of a way to keep a raw egg in a box-and when the firemen dropped it from the 4th story ladder, it wouldn't break. We did it! Champion Egg droppers!

April Fools!

I love Holidays...including April Fool's

"....April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is a day celebrated in various countries on April 1. The day is marked by the commission of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and neighbors, or sending them on a fool's errand, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible.

Traditionally, in some countries, such as the UK, Australia, South Africa and parts of Canada, the jokes only last until noon, and someone who plays a trick after noon is called an "April Fool".

So, I had to continue with the tradition of marking the kids faces while they're asleep at night. And still year after year they're surprised when they wake up!

Hee hee!

I also filled their milk cups full at night and put them in the freezer. I topped the top 1/4 cup with fresh milk in the morning and when they drank, they frozen milk stopped them. "Hey!"

Hee hee!

"What's that? A snake!" As I throw a rubber snake. (Screams!)

Happy April Fool's!

Hee hee!

Happy April Fool's out there to all you others that love holidays

(and jokes) as much as I do.

Charleston-Spring Break

We had the BEST spring break ever in Charleston, SC last week. We were there all week long and did absolutely nothing. And it was absolutely perfect. Spending time with Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Ray.

We blew bubbles, went to the park, commissary, played soccer in the front yard, had races, played with the dogs and hoses, PS3, Blue Bell Ice cream, southern home cooked food, and most importantly,

we enjoyed being with family.

Welcome Home!

Daddy came home March 26th and it was just magic! We LOVE picking him up in the airport! We have countdowns and chains and everything else to mark the day that Daddy comes home. We love going to the International arrivals at Dulles and the kids call the long parking tunnel the "dungeon." We, as the welcoming committee were there with posters and banners in hand. It's always a tearful reunion. Yeah Daddy!

Awaiting Dad at home was his favorite cake (yellow with chocolate buttercream frosting with Reese's on top.). I found this website Bakerella and it's DIVINE! We love sweets at our home. Love them. I mean, really love them. Like if there were a Krispy Kreme donuts down the streeet (like there was when we lived in Utah) we'd be there every morning for breakfast. So, new creations from sites like Bakerella and my dear friend Abby's Huckleblerries, I LOVE trying new desserts! So, please let me know if you know of any good dessert websites! I need something to bake after Jonathan leaves again! My nickname being Goose, I've been baking so many treats, JD has called me Goosarella short for the Bakarella Queen.

So anyways, only pictures of us eating cake, no pictures of the tearful reunion. The Toler's have priorities. Yummm.