New Mexico - New Home

We moved to New Mexico late July and have been adjusting ever since. All this hot weather has been a change. The desert has been a change... and the list could go on. We are happy to be unpacked, back together as a family (Andrew went to Korea for a month, after only being in this state for 8 days). So here we are in New Mexico. We are renting a cute little house, have wonderful neighbors and fantastic Air Force friends. These are some pictures of us hanging out at the White Sands sand dunes & enjoying the mountains close by.

Hawaii

Here's an update, but we'll have to back track a few months.

While our car was being shipped from Alaska, we all flew to Hawaii for a much needed vacation. We loved everything- the pool, beaches, food & seeing our good friends- Jodi & Jerry

visiting the Temple grounds
our little beach bums

Did you know these grow on bushes?

just love this one

Yes, that's her foot on the table at PF Chang's.

And no, she wouldn't take it off.

What a smily girl.

Such a character.

sticky fingers

Good mom's let thier kids lick the beaters...

GREAT mom's unplug them first.

Swings

While back east, the girls fell in L-O-V-E with the swings at the park.

Swinging with Papa

So when we got home, we put these up in our garage. I do have to say, they have the best view. We love the summer weather & crave to be outside every chance we can.

Conneticut Wedding

Last weekend we traveled to Connecticut for a wedding Andy was a groomsman in. It was a great celebration & party. The weather was beautiful, a little humid, but beautiful. There was a great park nearby, so the girls were in the swings every chance they got.

Outside the church before the ceremony. I had a difficult time getting Peyton to keep her skirt down.My dad drove down from New Jersey to see all of us. I am so happy we got to spend time with him.

Congrats to Brie & Dan - We wouldn't have missed it for the world.

ONE YEAR OLD!

I guess time got away from me & I forgot to post pictures from the girls' birthday. We played in the swings at the park, played with new toys, blowed bubbles after a good nap & of course had cupcakes!
I still can't believe a whole year has gone by. I still am not caught up on sleep, or house work, or sewing/crafting projects. So maybe I'll sleep & clean & craft when they are 30? But we sure do have fun. Chloe has learned to wave & clap her hands. Peyton walks along everything & pulls everything out of cupboards, off shelves, etc.

Eating their favorite lunch - PB&J

Am I surprised that Chloe destroyed her cupcake into crumbs? NO.

Am I surprised that Peyton was the cleanest eater- just wanting to poke at her cupcake? NO.

Yummy rainbow cupcakes- perhaps a new birthday tradition.

The birthday banner turned out pretty darn cute too!

Sun Kissed

A couple of weeks ago, Drew had a conference in Tucson- so the girls & I went too. We swam every chance we got, played in the swings at the park & of course ate YUMMY food. Chloe & Peyton are little fishes in their own right, so the lazy river pool at our hotel suited them just fine.The absolute best part was seeing Kara, Clay & Nixon. Boy did we have a blast. We always do when we all get together. Kara & I used to sit for hours at the pool in Texas. So it just felt natural that we were at the pool in the beautiful sunshine once again. Thanks for all the fun Noyes family!!

Hey Peeps!

Happy Easter!!

eleven months

We are enjoying the personalities of these two girls everyday. They are both crawling and follow me around the house. They love to get into all our shoes. Both stand up next to the couch, chair or their play table. Peyton is slowing moving when next to the couch, Chloe bangs or shakes anything that makes noise. Both are very good eaters- they love pears, blueberries, blackberries & raspberries. (someone explain to me why they won't touch strawberries?) They love the bathtub--perhaps they get dirty just so they can splash around. We are still taking two naps a day, which is heaven sent! We take a stroll to the mailbox everyday--they love riding in their wagon (thanks dad). Everything that is not a toy, somehow becomes one. They have discovered that their finger can be stuck in my nose and ears. They love to chase the vacuum and help unfold the laundry. These girls are growing up so fast it's hard to believe they are closer to one year. We love love LOVE them! P.S- Peyton has the long red hair & Chloe's is growing in very blonde.

The Life of the Fighter Pilot Dad

(Barley, Skid, Wrath, Big, & LITE Gray @ Korat AFB, Thailand)
After being on the road for a month from Alaska to Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Hawaii I am ready to be in my own bed and with the girls back home. There are only so many beautiful beaches and interesting places that you can visit until you realize that the loves of your life should be with you and that you miss them. Not to mention that more than 3 hours in a single seat jet is long enough...try 6 followed the next day by 9!

(me flying w/an RTAF L-39)
Flying in Thailand with the Royal Air Force of Singapore and the Royal AF of Thailand was a great experience. The food was interesting and it was cool taking off from runways and bases that we built and used back in the Vietnam war. The history was pretty amazing! Flying the leg from Okinawa, Japan to Hawaii was also surreal as we flew directly over Iwo Jima and between Wake Island and Midway. The 9 hour flight and 8 refuelings gave me some good time to reflect on the events in that part of the world during WWII. My grandpa was stationed in the Navy at Enewetok Atoll and our route of flight took us just north of that area.

(one of the many refuelings over the Pacific)

(Nice sunglasses...at least you can't see the mustache!)
Now we are living the hard life in Hawaii flying with the Nat'l Guard here to help them get some better training. Traveling around the island and Pearl Harbor has been equally rewarding. This trip came full circle as I stood on the deck of the USS Missouri (where the Japanese surrender took place in 1945 in Tokyo bay).

(we took off 6am Monday morning in Japan and landed 9pm Sunday night in Hawaii...hence the sunset out the back of the cockpit)

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to serve the free world. I look forward to seeing my beautiful wife again soon and also my lovely ladies that are growing so fast!

(north shore: just feet from the golf course)

Hawaii has been wonderful. The north shore is awesome and the weather is great! Another week of flying with the HANG and then one more leg across the pacific up to the Last Frontier...and then finally I can hold those precious girls in my arms. See you in a week love.....

Laundry Ladies

They think they are helping. As long as they smile, they can get away with a whole lot. We just love them to pieces.

Baby Malena 01.13.10

This little girl was born on Wednesday, to my brohter Matt & his wife Annabelle. She was born with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, or CDH. The doctors & nurses have been optimistic so far. go here for an update: Baby Malena. My family & I are SO thankful each day for modern medicine, the nurses in NICU's and the care given to little ones that need a little extra help when they first get to this earth. Please pray for these little ones.

p.s. Happy Brithday to my husband too on this day---but let's face it- turing 28 is just old news.

Happy New Year

It's been a while since we posted anything, so here's the batch of pictures to get you caught up. For the holidays we traveled to Colorado & Utah to see our families. We had a ton of fun, stayed up way too late & laughed so much. The pictures just show a smidget of the fun we had. We went swimming as much as we could (the girls LOVED it), gave lots of kisses, spent quality time with family, discovered that Slinky's are our new favorite toys, read lots of books and just loved every minute of it. The girls are 8 1/2 months old and figuring out how to get on their knees. They are fun to watch interact with each other with their babbling and laughing.