Funny Things

Eric had developed a funny personality along with the typical toddler attitude. He wakes up every morning and starts jumping in his crib. He has a nice mattress so he gets some good height. He has also learned how to say "hey me" and "hey Mommy". He has a whole list of words and knows how to operate the DVD player, the ipod and what the web cam is. He pretends to talk to daddy on his little play computer and on his play phone. The conversation goes something like this.

Eric: Hi Daddy! Babble babble babble. Love you! Bye!

I wish I knew what he was saying and that he would tell me he loves me! I take care of him 24/7 and what do I get... well, I guess I can't complain because I get cute baby kisses and sweet baby hugs. He knows how to do all of the parts of the bus on wheels on the bus. He can make the motions for Popcorn Popping and can sing parts of Bad to the Bone. I think that is his favorite. We make it fun and silly! We are working on I'm a Little Teapot. He is obsessed with Elmo and Blue's Clues and he also loves Veggie Tales. He loves to play outside and run around. He also does some of the funniest things like putting everything in the bathtub or the trashcan when I am not looking. He loves to climb in his cabinet and play "Where's the baby?" He always responds "There he is!". I just wanted to let you know how he doing and let you in our life a little. My next goal is to teach him how to change the channels, make toast and get his own milk. Maybe then I can sleep in once in a while.

What's up with us

A lot of you have been asking how we are doing and well here it is... life is hard. I miss my husband so much and Eric misses his Daddy. Everytime a plane goes by he says "Bye bye daddy" We are surviving. I hate living on the second floor and how everything is set up. Taking out the trash is the biggets pain. That is why I only take the trash out every so often. Over here we have to sort our trash into paper, plastic and then the rest of the stuff. I put it out on the balcony until I absolutel have to take it out. Actually bringing in groceries is the biggest pain. I have to go down one flight of stairs and up two to get to our door with Eric trying to get what he wants out of the bags. I am so exhausted by the end of everyday that I fall into bed and just want to sleep. Eric wakes up every morning literally jumping in his crib yelling "Hey Mommy!" at the top of his lungs. I would be remiss if I didn't say that I am grateful. I am grateful for the families in our ward that treat us like family. I am grateful for all of the sisters and Young women who give me much needed breaks and encouragement. I am grateful for the shoulder that is always there for me to lean on when I need it. I love living in a military ward because we are all in the same boat. At any given time there are husbands and wives deployed from our ward and we all know what it is like to be there struggling. We all band together and I think that that is what has helped me the most. We have been invited to several Thanksgivng celebrations and Christmas dinners. Even people who are new to our ward are so friendly and so giving. I had one brother who just got back introduce himself to us in the Commissary. I know his wife and daughter but he reassured me that I was welcome to come over to their home any time and just hang out if I needed to because he understood what that meant to his wife while he was gone. I am also grateful for my family and their support. I am most thankful to my Heavenly Father and the safety he provides for Elmer and for us. I know that the next several months are going to be hard but in the end it will be worth it. We just have to keep pushing forward and not look back. Thank you all for your prayers and support. They really mean a lot to us.

Trunk or Treat

Tonight we had our annual Trunk or Treat at church. Halloween isn't a big to do over here with the locals but we make sure that the kids get pleanty of fun and candy. The activities board did a Candyland theme with games in each room. We did the Mr. Mint room and had a mint relay. It was fun. There is also the chili cook off and the scary dessert. The kitty litter one won this year. Let's just say that it looked too realistic to try. Eric wasn't too sure what trick or treating was all about but he caught on quickly. We only went to a few trunks because he can't eat it and I don't need to eat it. We did have a good time and I just think he is the cutest pumpkin in the world! I can't wait until Friday and we get to go around the neighborhood. It should be loads of fun!

Brushing your teeth never looked so good!

Eric is learning how to brush his teeth which roughly translates to he can suck the toothpaste off the brush and then gives it back for more. He is starting to get the hang of it. I just thought this picture was too cute to resist. For those of you who watch Friends go back to the one with the prom flashback and look at Ross. This pictures reminds me of that. He wants to look cool. I love his little expressions and how everday there is a new adventure.

I love this man!

For those of you who don't enjoy mushy romance, don't read this one.

One of my favorite commercials is the one where the older couple is walking in a European town and the man stops and yells at the top of his lungs "I love this woman" He says it several times and then gives her an anniversary ring that you could probably feed a small country on. I think it was put out by Kay. Anyways, that is how I feel about Elmer. I just want you all to know that he is a wonderful man. He is so sweet, caring and special. I can't imagine life without him and this is killing me right now. I don't feel complete. We are so close and have grown even closer since he left. He is an amazing father and the man every woman dreams of. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't make me feel special. I just want the world to know "I LOVE THIS MAN!" and I am so glad to be his for eternity. Thank you Elmer for everything!

My Birthday (Sorry it is so long)

I celebrated my 25th birthday this year on October 25. Sadly Elmer was not here to celebrate with me. I did recieve some wonderful surprises! On the Thursday before my birthday he sent me roses. On my actual birthday some super friends took me out to dinner at an amazing German restaurant. The dinner I had must have had enough calories to kill me but it would have been worth it. NOTE: IF YOU ARE COUNTING POINTS OR ON ANY FAD DIET STOP READING NOW!!! For dinner I had one of the specials... it is a slice of deep fried bread covered in gravy then they put a sliced beef steak marinated in something out of this world and they cover it in a holindase sauce that is to die for. If that isn't bad enough they serve it with a huge platter of fries and veggies. Needless to say I ate lite for the next few days. It is one of my favorite meals. Since mail is slow over here (people get Christmas cards in April) I didn't recieve my birthday box until Monday. I was so excited and a little nervous. As much as I love him, Elmer makes me nervous when he picks out gifts. For my first birthday after we were married I got a pair of boat shoes and Crazy Bunny. For those of you who don't know the story let me inform you... Elmer got me a plastic rabbit statue that had bugged out eyes. Even to this day he still can't explain why he got it for me. Since we had only been married a couple of months I didn't want to hurt his feeling so I did what any wife would do... I put Crazy Bunny in the bathroom. I didn't want to put it out where other people could see it and honestly it kinda creeped me out. After Elmer did his business he came out and handed it to me, at first I thought that I had hurt his feelings but he handed me Crazy Bunny and asked that I find a different place for him since it creeped him out and he couldn't use the bathroom with it in there staring at him. This year was different. After almost 9 years together and 5 years of marriage Elmer got it right. He got me an alarm clock that allows me to plug in and play my ipod! He also got me a Twilight calendar, the Twilight soundtrack, a Dilbert desk calendar and some candy. Even though he wasn't here I still felt special. I just want to thank all of you for helping me through one of the tough days.

Shoes!

Eric has developed a fascination with shoes. He hates his! He constantly tries to get them off but he is in love with every pair of mine. He especially loves my running shoes and my church heels. He love the sound they make. He doesn't like my flip flops because they are too much work. I feel bad because with Elmer gone he spends so much time with me and has developed some strange interests. He knows what a blowdryer is for, he wants to get into my makeup and now he can't stay away from my shoes. The only thing that reassures me that he will grow out of this phase is the gross little boy stuff he does like eat dirt and play in the toilet. Yes, it is always clean! I am just never fast enough to get to it before he gets his hand in there. Anyways, enjoy the pictures.