The Caruthers Family

Trying to play catch up!

2012-01-06T14:59:00.005Z

Apparently a 4-year old, a 1-year old and a puppy are too much for this mommy! I am way behind on the blog and everytime I attempt to catch up a certain 1-year old comes along and bangs on the computer a few times and loses all my work! So, instead of the recap blog, let's just start here...we are all doing well and looking forward to a wonderful, exciting, memory-filled year!

Walking!

2011-10-18T13:46:00.002+01:00

Caroline up and decided to take a few steps while she was standing next to me the other day...really took this mommy by surprise. She still prefers using her walker or cruising the furniture, but she is getting there!

Sadie

2011-10-14T15:49:00.003+01:00

Here's the newest member of our family. Sadie is a chocolate lab that we adopted from a lab rescue agency and we are all completely in love with her. She is the most mellow and easy-going puppy ever, so far anyway!!

What's in there?

She LOVES to lay on our shoes, especially Brian's boots :)

Happy Birthday Caroline

2011-09-27T01:34:00.003+01:00

Happy First Birthday Sweet Caroline!! We had a wonderful day celebrating with friends and family and you enjoyed every minute of it. Grandma Kathy made you an adorable birthday tutu and you looked so cute. You dove right into your cupcake and would have eaten the whole plate if we would have let you! We are so proud of all that you have done in your first year and cannot wait to see what you become as you grow up. You are the sweetest, happiest little girl and we love you so much :)

Back to School

2011-09-14T21:42:00.004+01:00

We have all been looking forward to this day all summer! Moving across the ocean makes for a very long summer :) I think she was a little nervous but after meeting her teacher at Open House, she was more than ready.

Open House

She was so excited to put on her nametag and carry her special new bag. All ready for the first day! The dropoff at the preschool involves the 2 directors and 2 parent helpers opening the car doors and welcoming the students. They then walk the children in and the mom drives away...yikes! I was a little nervous that Ella would not want to get out of the car. Not so much :) She jumped out and ran right in!

very excited about getting to sit in the front seat while we waited for her door to be opened :)

A very good day!!

Washington D.C.

2011-09-07T01:33:00.004+01:00

I have been wanting to see Washington DC for a long time, and now that we have wonderful friends who live right outside the city, we headed up to see both. Ella was very excited to see the President's house and I am not sure why but I couldn't wait to see the Lincoln Memorial. It was just as amazing as I thought it would be. I think that I could have stood in front of it all day.

Beach Trip

2011-09-07T01:16:00.008+01:00

We have made many, many trips to various beaches since moving here, but never seem to remember the camera! So, for our last trip to one of our favorite local beaches I made sure to bring the camera to get some photos of the girls enjoying the sun and sand. Ella loves her new boogie board and loves to splash in the water. Caroline loves to eat seashells and sand!

She is up and at 'em!

2011-08-16T01:23:00.002+01:00

Watch out world, Caroline is a mover!!

Ella, our little fishy :)

2011-08-06T02:51:00.002+01:00

Ella was in swim classes the entire time we lived in England, but has learned more in the last 4 weeks of swim lessons here. She doesn't really have good form, but she can survive!

Summer Recap

2011-07-29T01:26:00.007+01:00

Although I don't have very many pictures to show for it, we have had a wonderful summer! We tried to make the most of our last weeks in England and visit all of our favorite places. The flowers were in bloom so we took lots of pictures and got out on all of the sunny days that there were. And, of course, made lots of trips to The Black Swan :)

We spent the month of June in Texas with our family, and for being such a good girl on the 10-hour plane ride, Ella got her big-girl bike and hasn't stopped since she started.

After 24 hours in the car for Brian and Ella and 4 hours in the air for Anne and Caroline we all arrived in Virginia. We have already fallen in love (despite the outrageous humidity)! We think that we will only be here for 1 year, so we went to Yorktown for the big July 4th Celebration. Ella loved the parade, but it was so hot we could have rung out our clothes :)

We are loving our new house, we don't know what to do with all of the closet space!! We go to the beach as much as we can and have lots of trips planned already. Ella can't wait to start school and we are ready for guests!

Family Photos

2011-05-01T15:09:00.003+01:00

We wanted to have some family pictures taken in our favorite park to remember our time here so a good friend took some fabulous picures for us. Thank you Andrea!!

Dublin

2011-04-22T13:45:00.006+01:00

We tried to visit Ireland last year but the volcanic ash had other plans for us :) We knew we couldn't leave here without making the trip, so we loaded up the girls and took the ferry for a quick trip. Both girls were such good travelers and went from pub to pub with mommy and daddy so they could taste the delicious Guiness! We had planned to drive through the countryside and visit Cork as well, but a 4 year old with a stomachache had other plans (which included washing lots of bedding at 4 am). Oh, well...someday :)

It tastes so much better in Dublin :)

Christ Church Cathedral

The Oldest Pub in Ireland

Our Last Spring

2011-04-12T18:41:00.005+01:00

You may start seeing a trend in the posts, most of them starting out with 'Our Last..." We will be moving back to the states in the summer and have started checking things off of our 'things to do before we leave' list.

Spring may be the best season in England: flowers, lambs and sunshine. We took the girls up to The Stray to get some pictures in the crocus flowers. Caroline was not too impressed with laying in the flowers. Ella was somewhat compliant, but wanted to be running around like a crazy person. Here is what we came out with :)

Ella's 4th Birthday, a little late :)

2011-04-03T21:01:00.006+01:00

Where did March go??? I cannot believe that our little Ella is 4 years old! She decided to have a Princess party at the bowling alley on the base, which was just fine with me--less work :) All of her best friends came out to celebrate with her and she had a fabulous time.

Let's get this party started!

Strike! (well maybe not)

Ella and her best friends--Jacob, Justin, Charlie & Isabelle

Ready to dig in (I love Charlie's face)

YUM!!

Where is the birthday girl?

Charlie, would you like a bite of this stale chocolate covered ice cream cone?

Happy Birthday Princess Ella, We love you!!

First Taste

2011-03-06T13:45:00.003Z

We gave Caroline her first cereal last night, not on her list of favorite things :) Ella thought it was the funniest thing EVER!

A change in weather!

2011-02-25T14:55:00.009Z

We had one of the first 'spring-like' days this year and we took advantage! We all needed the fresh air and a break from Disney movies :)

Ella is going to be turning 4 in only 2 weeks! She is getting really good at writing her own name, as you can see by the upside down letters in her picture, because I told her she cannot go to big school until she masters it! Nothing will keep her from school--she is her mother's daughter.

Caroline is 5 months old today--WOW! She is rolling, babbling, smiling, laughing (mostly at her big sister) and doing all she can to learn to crawl. I believe her first tooth will pop through any day now!

She's a roller!

2011-02-01T14:31:00.003Z

Caroline has mastered rolling from back to tummy, but really hates to be on her tummy! When you lay her down she immediately rolls over, but if left for more than 60 seconds she sure lets you know she is NOT HAPPY! It really looks hard to roll over with both hands inside of your mouth, but she somehow manages it :)

Sisters

2011-01-22T17:45:00.003Z

I am sure that there are a lot of older siblings that love their brothers or sisters, but Ella is totally enamored with her baby sister. The 'newness' of baby Caroline has not worn off and I hope it never does! She wants to know where she is as soon as she wakes up each morning, wants to hold her and kiss her all the time and loves to make her smile and laugh. Her teachers say that she talks about Caroline all the time and she always wants to show Caroline to her friends when I pick her up. (They are usually less than impressed!) Caroline definitely saves her best smiles for Ella :)

We've got dimples!

2011-01-13T14:46:00.003Z

We're not sure if it because she is a little chubby or if they will last, but for now Caroline has come cute little dimples :) I hope they stick around!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-03T11:42:00.006Z

This was our first Christmas without any traveling in many years, and we were really looking forward to it. Ella was really into Christmas this year--as long as she didn't have to see the man in the red suit :) We wrote him a letter this year and made every effort to avoid him. This was Caroline's first Christmas and we enjoyed it very much. We are so blessed with all that we have and hope that each of you had a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

All in red on Chrismas Eve

Sprinking reindeer food

I love that we caught this expression!

Enjoying her new toy, trying to stay out of Ella's way :)

Jessie the Cowgirl boots :)

What a mess :) Can you tell where she was sitting?

Christmas Wishes

2010-12-19T16:34:00.002Z

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Sweet Caroline

2010-11-10T10:57:00.005Z

She is sure to be really sick of the Neil Diamond tune by the time she grows up (her sister already has most of the song memorized), but with such a sweet smile, what else could we call her?

Caroline's Baptism

2010-11-10T10:45:00.003Z

We had a beautiful day and wonderful friends to share Caroline's special day. Living so far from family is hard on holidays and special occasions, but having great friends who can fill in means so much to us. The Stolpe and Schoonover families joined us for Caroline's baptism and made it such a memorable day. Caroline slept through the entire service, not even a flinch when the water was poured! Ella entertained the entire church with her interpretive dances for each hymm :) It was a great day!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T18:43:00.005+01:00

We had the Halloween festivities on base last night and it was so much fun to watch Ella, I mean Ariel the mermaid, enjoy every bit of it...well, once we told her that the zombie at dinner was not real! She of course had her face painted like a butterfly yet again and played a few games at the carnival. But when trick-or-treating started it was ON! She sprinted from house to house and yelled to us after each one telling us what kind of candy she received! It was GREAT!! It took her about two hours to fall asleep...we could hear her talking from downstairs!

Trick-or-Treating with Charlie the Owl!

Caroline really liked Halloween!

There was no stopping her!

Check out all the loot :)

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-30T15:10:00.006+01:00

We made a trip with our friends to the local pumpkin patch to spend a day getting in the spirit! Ella and her friend Charlie had a blast and wore us all out. There were farm animals to see, pumpkins to pick and carve, barrel trains to ride and Ella's favorite...FACE PAINTING!!

Look at those cute baby piggies!

Being very cautious on the tractor ride!

"What about this one?"

No, this is the one!

WEEEEEEE!

The Girls

2010-10-23T20:30:00.004+01:00

WOW, two girls sure can keep you busy! Both are doing really well and we are loving every minute with our sweet little girls :)

Ella loves her new ballet class!

Good morning!

Moving on...

2010-10-23T20:26:00.002+01:00

We found out a few days ago that our story will continue in Hampton, Virginia beginning in the summer of 2011. Our new home will be Langley Air Force Base and Brian will be working at Headquarters doing medical readiness planning. We are very excited and are looking forward to the change in weather! Please come and visit us!!

Caroline Marie Caruthers

2010-09-29T10:50:00.004+01:00

After a few days of thinking she may never arrive, Caroline made her debut in a rush! We had dinner reservations on Saturday for a last minute chance to go out with no children in tow. It was time to start getting ready and after heading upstairs to get dressed, I started feeling a few contractions. Then they hit hard and fast. Already ruining her parents plans...she is in so much trouble!! My first contraction was at around 4:30pm and Caroline was in my arms at 5:31pm. She was ready to meet everyone and there was no stopping her! We thought she was going to be born in the car :) Brian may be wanted by the Harrogate Police for some interesting driving techniques, but he got me there and our beautiful little girl is here and we couldn't be happier. Ella is a GREAT big sister and asks about 'our baby' all the time and wants to hold and kiss her all day. When I dropped her off at school today, her teacher asked her how Baby Caroline was doing and Ella told her "very wonderful" :) We are extremely proud of our little girls.

Caroline Marie Caruthers

8 pounds, 6.5 ounces, 20 inches

Back to School

2010-09-15T10:11:00.003+01:00

Ella had her first day back at playgroup last week and now goes all day one day a week and the morning for the other two days. She LOVES going to school and all of her teachers and friends. She was very excited to get to stay and have lunch with everyone but it was a long day for everyone! She almost fell asleep on the drive home.

The Man Shower

2010-08-26T16:58:00.006+01:00

The wonderful people at Brian's office planned a surprise 'Man Shower' for him and invited Ella and I to join in the festivities. The party was complete with games, a Texas Tech onesie cake and LOTS of great gifts from a great group of people. Since it was a Man Shower, only the men particpated in the games, Pregnancy Twister with pillows tied to their bellies and baby bottle drinking races. The cake looked and tasted great! It was a blast :)

Look at all that loot!!

Weekend in London

2010-08-06T16:08:00.015+01:00

With the baby coming in a few weeks, we decided to take a quick trip to London (before I was too big and cranky to go anywhere). We took the 6am train out of Harrogate on Saturday morning and got back home at 8pm on Sunday. It was exhausting but worth every minute. We had a list of must-sees (including mostly restaurants) that we had not visited on our previous trips and knew we wanted to go to Westminster Abbey first (both other visits were unsuccessful as it closed early in the day). The Abbey was beautiful, no photos allowed inside so you will have to take my word for it if you haven't seen it. :)

Westminster Abbey

We also had to partake in the tourist trap, aka The London Eye. Talk about a long line with lots of bored children :) We booked tickets online, so we were able to skip one line (I recommend this to everyone)! Ella was SO excited, but poor thing told us as we were about 3 minutes from boarding that she had to go potty. She was almost in tears after the 30 minute ride...I know, bad parenting! She was such a trooper :)

Brian's new love since moving to England is Scotch Whisky, he has even joined the Scotch Malt Whisky Society!! He asked that while we were there he be allowed to go to the society's tasting room. Not too many people were there so we all went in and Ella and I enjoyed peanuts and juice while Brian submerged himself in 'study'!!

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Tasting Room

A very tired girl at the end of the day :)

After a good nights sleep, we awoke ready for day 2. We headed straight for the Science Museum and Ella had a blast. There was an area just for 2-5 year old kids with tons of cool stuff to play with. We saw a bubble show that she is still talking about.

Very proud of her castle!

After lunch at Chipotle, yes the American chain, we then spent a lot of time and money at my one request for the trip, Whole Foods!!! We bought as many familiar things as we could find and snacked through the store. To reward Ella for being perfectly behaved for the entire trip, we headed to one of the best playgrounds ever. The Princess Diana Memorial Playground is a must-see for any family traveling to London!!

A very, very, very tired girl on the train ride home :)

Germany, Take....I've lost count!!

2010-07-07T15:43:00.021+01:00

Brian had to go to a conference in Garmisch, Germany and since it would be one of our last chances to travel before the baby comes, we all went to enjoy Germany again. The weather was great everyday and the views in every direction are amazing.

Driving into the resort.

The view from our room.

Relaxing in the lobby.

Since we were away from England and the rain, we spent as much time outside as possible. Ella would have spent the entire trip at the hotel's playground! She was such a trooper on the trip.

We took a family horse and carriage ride around Garmisch one evening and saw all the sights. Ella has always loved horses and she was so excited she never sat down. She is still talking about the horse ride and keeps asking what their names were.

She never took her eyes off the horses!

The next day we drove up to one of the mountain lakes, Eibsee, and rented a paddle boat. I still don't know how Ella didn't end up in the lake. I had to hold on to her life jacket with a death grip.

Only in Germany would you be served apple juice in a glass like that :)

For dinner we drove to a different lake, Riersee, to have dinner at a restaurant right on the lake. Our view from the table was breathtaking and Ella was able to walk around the lake while we waited for our food, always a plus!

On our last day we rented bikes and went for a ride to the next town, Partenkirchen. We stopped to see the Olympic ski slope and found a bobsled ride that Brian had to force Ella onto then couldn't get her to leave!

Our last dinner was in Partenkirchen at a restaurant with traditional Bavarian music and dancing. The food was amazing!! And Brian sure enjoyed the beer :)

We had an amazing trip and hope to be able to go to all of the Military resorts one day, they sure know how to treat their guests!

New Haircut

2010-06-16T20:59:00.003+01:00

Since Ella's latest nervous habit turned her into a constant puller, we had to take her to get her first professional haircut. It was supposed to be punishment for pulling out her hair, but she loves her new do!! Mommy was the only one crying :(

Vacation

2010-05-21T17:06:00.019+01:00

After two of our family trips were cancelled because of the volcanic ash, we planned a last minute trip to see a few of the sights that we had not made it to see yet. We got in the car and headed south. After a pit stop for supplies at Cadbury World, think chocolate factory with lots of samples, we were ready to see the sights. We stayed at one of the Air Force bases and made day trips. Our first stop was Stonehenge, it really is big rocks in the middle of a field! It is amazing to think how they created this site without heavy machinery.

The next day we headed in the opposite direction and saw Windsor Castle. The Queen spends most of her weekends here but we didn't spot her! It was beautiful. Ella called it Windy Castle, because the character from one of her favorite shows goes to visit a place called Windy Castle. We played along!

Ella loved the audio guides!!

The base was very close to Oxford and since Uncle Jason had studied here one summer, we made the trip to see his school, we think! And of course had a pint at one of his favorite pubs.

We then made the trip to Wales to spend our last night in a new country! Cardiff is a very modern city with a beautiful castle. They were having a special Life in Roman Times event and we spent most of the day on the castle grounds. We watched a Roman battle demonstration and Ella dressed up like a princess. And of course added another t-shirt to the Hard Rock collection.

On the way home, to reward Ella for spending countless hours in the car, we stopped at an animal safari park. It had a small amusment park and petting zoo and a drive-thru animal safari. Some of the animals would come right to the car window and eat out of your hands.

It's a....

2010-05-10T14:22:00.002+01:00

We are very excited to announce that our house will have more pink in it come September!! Another girl to love and spoil :) Ella is very excited (I think) and is a good helper at choosing names, her favorite is 'Bolt' for a boy or a girl. She talks about all that she is going to do to help when the baby arrives. But she is not going to change diapers!! She loves all of her friends' little brothers and sisters so I am sure she will be so excited to have a baby at her house.

BIG NEWS!!

2010-03-18T19:05:00.002Z

There will be a new addition to the Caruthers Family in September!

Belated Birthday

2010-03-18T18:45:00.009Z

As a late birthday present we took Ella to the Disney Live show that was in Newcastle. Mickey and the gang told the stories of Snow White, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Ella was so excited to go and could hardly wait for it to start. There were a few scary moments but she was a champ and watched the whole thing through wide eyes. I think Minnie was her favorite :)

Three Years Old!

2010-03-08T15:34:00.008Z

Well, after a long break from blogging, we are back with big news...Ella is turning three!! The big day is tomorrow but we had the party this past weekend. And what a day it was! This is the first year that she really understood the whole birthday thing and it was great to sit back and watch her celebrate the big day with all of her friends. We have been so lucky to meet so many great people since moving here and they all came out to make the day extra special!

A December to Remember...

2009-12-27T20:31:00.017Z

We had our family Christmas a little early since we knew we would be spending Christmas in Germany again this year. Ella was able to open most of her presents but we told her that Santa would be bringing her present to Germany. She had a blast and the best present was her piano and microphone from Grandma and Grandpa Caruthers. She is going to be a STAR!! It was so great to see her eyes light up when she saw the presents waiting for her.

Making treats with mommy!

The first snow

Brian packing the car in the snow!

We spent the week of Christmas in Germany, but our trip was cut a little short because we were stuck in the WORST traffic jam in history. The ferry port we were heading to was just a few exits from the Channel Tunnel and the night before we left, 5 trains broke down in the tunnel. Traffic was backed up for 12 miles with people waiting to get into the tunnel and the port. What a mess... So we turned around, after waiting for 4 hours, and made the 4-hour trek back home to try again. We changed the tickets to a different port that offered overnight trips to Brugge. Here are a few pictures of our room (if you can all it that!)

We made it in one piece and began the drive to Germany to enjoy the holiday with family. We have been hoping to make it to the Trier Christmas Market for a few years and were finally able to see it, all I can say is I love Gluwein!! It was a great way to begin the Christmas holiday. Ella and Marie would have stayed on the carousel for hours, it only cost us 20 euro to enjoy a few glasses of gluwein.

We spent Christmas Eve with the Weides Family and had an amazing German dinner and LOTS of wine. The girls opened, and fought over, presents and then it was time to head back to the hotel to get ready for Santa to come. Ella left cookies and milk for the big guy and got into her Christmas jammies. We read lots of Christmas books and called it a night. We woke up to find that Santa is a messy eater, leaving crumbs all over the counter. But he left us all what we had asked for. Ella got a bike (scooter), Mommy got a new purse and Daddy got a really good bottle of Scotch. THANK YOU SANTA!!

At the end of all of the excitement, when asked what her favorite present was, Ella chose the $1 jump rope.....

We can't wait for next Christmas, we have already decided that we will be staying at home!

A Visit to Santa

2009-12-11T12:09:00.004Z

We took Ella to visit Santa and to tell him what she wanted for Christmas, and you would think that by the look of the picture that she was not a big fan of him. This was 100 times better than her reaction last year!! There were no tears and no screaming, just a little hiding :)

She didn't exactly tell him what she wanted, we had to relay the message to him for her, and she didn't sit on his lap, but we have guaranteed her that Santa will bring her the bike she wants because she was a good girl this year. He gave her a stuffed animal and now she talks about Santa ALL the time! If we have the same level of improvement between now and next Christmas she will give him a hug and kiss!!

Athens

2009-11-12T20:46:00.017Z

When Brian told me he wanted to run the Athens Marathon I began planning the trip immediately. We joined his sister and our newest friend MaryAnn in Athens for an amazing trip. The weather was perfect, which was a nice change from the cold and rain, and the sights were breathtaking. The marathon took the course of the run that the messenger Pheidippides ran from the Battle of Marathon to Athens and died after completing the 26.2 miles. The finish line was in the stadium from the 2004 Olympics. The weather cooperated for a day at the beach to recover after the marathon! Ella had a great time with Aunt Kathy and Aunt MaryAnn and misses being spoiled rotten.

The view from Syntagma

Olympic Stadium

Go Brian Go

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T13:48:00.010Z

This was the first Halloween that Ella really understood what was happening--CANDY!! The base had all of its festivities on Friday and we all had so much fun. Ella wore her Butterfly Fairy costume and we invited our neighbors Carl, Clare and Ella's friend Isabelle. The two little ones had so much fun getting faces painted, trick-or-treating and just playing as much as possible. Ella loves getting her face painted and talks about it all the time, but do not let her go within 100 yards of a mirror! She gets very nervous when she see herself with the paint! She came home with a bag of candy and lots of stories...

The Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-29T13:48:00.011Z

We made a trip to the local pumpkin patch and had a great time! Ella could have stayed there all day. We took the tractor ride out to the fields to choose our own pumpkin and played all the fun pumpkin games. Ella had her face painted for the first time and was so excited! The weather was perfect and we will be sure to visit again next year.

Ella was a little nervous on the tractor ride!

Choosing our pumpkin

Pumpkin Sling Shot

My little bear

A Family Visit

2009-09-24T21:33:00.010+01:00

Brian's parents came for a visit, mainly to see Ella of course, and we tried to see as much as possible. A few local trips and a tight car trip to Germany filled the 2-weeks very quickly. While the boys golfed to celebrate Bob's birthday, the girls made a trip to Harewood House just outside of Harrogate and enjoyed the beautiful weather and breathtaking grounds. Ella enjoyed the bird garden, and may have taken a few years off of the duck's lives by chasing them! We also made a trip out to Fountains Abbey and got many beautiful pictures.

We then got in the car and began the trek to Germany. We drove to Dover and boarded the ferry to cross the English Channel towards Calais, France. We drove through France, Belgium and into Germany to spend time with Jason and his family and see some Air Force friends. It was a great trip and Ella got to spend time with her cousin Marie.

Knaresborough

2009-08-30T18:53:00.007+01:00

This weekend we decided to spend some time in a town that we drive through all of the time. We drove the 4-miles to Knaresborough, a town along the River Nidd. Knaresborough Castle dates back to 1100, but was destructed 1648. The destruction was mainly done by citizens looting the stone. Many town centre buildings are built of 'castle stone'. We spent the morning in a row boat on the river, sailing under the stone viaducts. We walked along the river and saw the ruins of the castle. When we moved to Harrogate we arrived on the weekend of the famous Knaresborough Bed Race and hoped to make it this year, but were unsuccessful. Here's to next year... Check it out, it looks like a great time. http://www.knaresborough.co.uk/bedrace/

Blyth Beach

2009-08-09T14:42:00.008+01:00

Since the English summer is quickly coming to an end, we took advantage of a sunny day and drove to the beach. Blyth is a town along the eastern coast, part of the Northumberland Coast. We splashed in the North Sea for a few hours, with only Ella going more than ankle deep into the 60 degree water. Even with blue lips and her body shivering she had to be dragged out fighting!! We had a picnic on the beach and topped it off with an ice cream treat! It was a great day.

A Day in London

2009-08-03T18:42:00.008+01:00

Any chance we get we say let's go to London, because we know that it will take as many trips as we can take to see it all. What an amazing city! The Queen spends her summers in Scotland so the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are open to visit. We knew we had better take the chance to see them since there is such a limited time to see them. WOW! When you have a 2-year old you can't really stop and enjoy each room, but the short time we had was breathtaking. Ella loved visiting the 'Queen's House' and wondered where the Prince and Princess were!

We then headed out to find the mexican restaurant we had heard was great--by English standards!! It was the best we had tasted here, but that's not saying much. I enjoyed the margarita! In order to keep Ella going without her afternoon nap we knew we had to find a playground. If you are ever in London with children, take a trip to Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, it is fabulous! A lifesize pirate ship is the center with tons of great things to keep the little ones busy. Ella had a blast--after getting used to the sand, such a girl!!

We still haven't made it inside Westminster Abbey, we didn't read the fine print to see that the last admission is 3:30 and we arrived at 4:15. We will just have to go again! So we got back on the train and went back to the base for a fantastic fast food dinner and Ella's first game of bowling--quite an experience; I hate that I didn't have my camera!

Picnic in the Park

2009-07-15T15:42:00.005+01:00

When the weather is good, there is no better place to live than in North Yorkshire! There are many days that I sit and wish I was back in the good ol' USA, but then we get a day that looks like this...

and I start singing a new tune!!

We headed out to enjoy the amazing weather and had a wonderful picnic lunch, complete with Ripley's World Famous Ice Cream, at Valley Garden. The entire town was out to take advantage of the beautiful day. If there are too many more days like this, I may just never leave!!

Come and visit us soon so you can enjoy a day like this!

Texas Trip

2009-07-06T14:11:00.007+01:00

Our 10-year high school reunion took us back to Texas and we spent 10 days spending as much time with friends and family as we could. It took us a few days to get used to the 100 degree weather, but it was a nice change from the rain! Ella spent as much time playing in the water as she could.

Our reunion was a great time for all! Since both of our families had moved from Round Rock, we had lost touch with many great people and it was so wonderful to catch up with each of them. Ella had a blast getting to know the other little ones at the family picnic and loved the splashpark!!

We went to Lubbock to see friends that we hadn't seen since moving to England and ate TOO much food! We only put a dent in the list of restaurants that we wanted to hit. :)

To stay out of the heat, we made a trip to the Houston Children's Museum and it was all we could do to drag Ella out when we were done. She wanted to see every exhibit!

The Lake District

2009-06-12T22:50:00.008+01:00

We made our first of what I know will be many trips to the Lake District of England, a very popular tourist spot. The area is famous for its lakes and mountains and its associations with the poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and Beatrice Potter. It was a beautiful day and we spent most of the day on a boat (captained by Ella) touring one of the many lakes, Windermere. We ate lots of ice cream and candy and enjoyed the sunshine, since we may not see it again for a few weeks!!

Summer is here!

2009-05-25T20:51:00.005+01:00

We had our first warm days and had to take advantage. We aired up Ella's new pool and invited over some friends to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Ella's First Day of School

2009-05-11T13:28:00.004+01:00

Well, not really school but we are calling it school. It is a playgroup that I drop her off at once a week for 2 1/2 hours. But she is very excited about being such a big girl and getting to go to school all by herself. No tears on either end! Mommy did make a big mistake by sending her in a white t-shirt, only to see it covered in paint and marker when I picked her up! Oh well, she had a great time and hasn't stopped talking about it. I can't believe she is such a big girl :)

Easter Weekend

2009-04-19T20:20:00.000+01:00

Easter was a wonderful time with family this year. Grandma Kathy came from Texas and Uncle Jason, Aunt Andrea and Marie came from Germany to spend Easter in England. Ella and Marie had a great time together, although there were a few times we needed two of everthing!!

I Love Paris in Spring!

2009-04-07T20:30:00.000+01:00

Brian signed up for the Paris Marathon only a few days after we moved to England and the planning began soon after! Paris with a 2-year old may not sound like a dream vacation, but we had a wonderful time. The trip began with the usual tourist stops: Notre Dame, The Louvre, a cruise along the Seine, the Eifel Tower, and many, many croissants.

The Paris Marathon was quite an event--all 40,000 participants seemed to be going the same way we were going all day long!! Brian did great, with a time of 3:56. He was pleased given the fact that with the crowds he was standing still in several places during the race. The steps to and from the Metro immediately following the race were not his favorite part of the trip!

The trip could only be complete with a trip to Disneyland Paris--Ella had to meet Mickey Mouse!! We agree that the highlight of her trip, and maybe her life thus far, was the Dumbo ride! She was able to get autographs in her book and even got a kiss from Minnie Mouse. It was a trip we will not forget.

She's a BIG girl now!

2009-03-07T14:24:00.000Z

Ella is 2!! Ella woke up this morning to find her new pink car waiting for her and dove right into presents, thanking Santa for each one!! We will have to work on that! We had all our great friends join us at Build-A-Bear to celebrate Ella's big day and we all had a wonderful time! Ella made a special pink monkey and we got an autograph bear for all her friends to write on to help us remember this special day. We wish that family could have been here to celebrate with us, but we know they were thinking of us today. Ella loved her Minnie Mouse birthday cake and all the goodies that came with it. She almost fell asleep on daddy's shoulder on the way to the car--it was a big day!

A little scared of the 'stuffing machine'!!

New chef outfit from Grandma Kathy!

Cozy chair from Grandma & Grandpa

Butterfly Fairy

Snow Days

2009-02-03T10:07:00.001Z

Well, it has been said that this is the most snow England has seen in a decade! It is beautiful, but I am glad that I don't live in a place that I have to bundle Ella up like that all the time. All we could think of was the scene in A Christmas Story!! She had a blast playing outside, it took her a little while to get used to it and didn't really like it when she fell down. But she was a trooper and didn't give up! We didn't venture out too far if we didn't have to and have been drinking a lot of hot chocolate and tea. Just trying to enjoy what we know will not be common. Enjoy the pictures!

Our First Attempt (can you tell we are Texans?!)

My Little Snow Bunny (peeling off the layers!)

Ella's First Haircut, Sort of...

2009-01-14T15:20:00.000Z

In order to begin improving the 'baby mullet' as we call it, I gave Ella her first little trim. I may have to call in a professional for the rest!! Enjoy!

With a Christmas here, and a Christmas there. . .

2009-01-08T15:14:00.001Z

With family more than a little spread out over the globe, we had to choose where to celebrate the holidays this year. The season began with a small and quiet family Christmas at our house. Ella did not really enjoy seeing Santa in person this year, but was very appreciative of the gifts that he brought her. I think her favorite was her vacuum cleaner that matches Mommy's!!

We then made the short trip to Germany to spend Christmas with Jason, Andrea, Marie and the German family. It was wonderful to see everyone and we ate one of the most amazing meals thanks to Helga!! Ella and Marie had a blast playing together, although sharing was brought up a time or two by the parents!

We only were able to stay a few days as someone in this family has to work so that we can continue to travel the world--thanks Brian!! We decided to host a small New Year's Eve bash with some neighbors and friends from base. The Brits and the Yanks all got along beautifully--even played Wii together!

Our holiday season was a wonderful and memorable one and we hope that it was the same for all of you. Happy 2009!!

Edinburgh

2008-11-13T16:21:00.001Z

We made our first trip to the north while Brian's parents were here to visit. We made the 3 hour drive to Edinburgh and saw some of the most beautiful scenery along the way. The last part of the trip was right along the North Sea and we saw several castles and ruins near the road. We also got to experience the ocean 'breeze' that almost blew us over, with a little rain and cold air as well. We really lucked out with weather, as sun in November is very rare! In our short time there, we saw as much of the city as we could. We walked the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle to Holyroodhouse. We made a trip to The Hard Rock Cafe for some American food, ate and drank at many pubs (at which some of us tried Haggis) and did some shopping!!

London Town

2008-10-14T20:34:00.000+01:00

We made our first of what I hope are many trips down to London--it was amazing! The Aylor family came for their tour of Europe and we joined them in London. It was so great to see all of the sights we had always seen in pictures. Our first planned event was to experience Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace and we even took the time to get insider tips on where to be to get the best views. Five minutes before everything got started, one of the guards yelled,"if you are here for the changing of the guards, it has been cancelled due to a race going on near the castle grounds." Great! We hoped this was not a sign of things to come! We began to walk through the most beautiful park I have ever seen, St. James Park, and caught our first glimpse of Big Ben.

We then headed to the pub recommended by a Rick Steves travel guide and were able to sit in the seats that Charles Dickens and Dr. Samuel Johnson once frequented! The rest of the afternoon I spent in the park again while Ella napped and the others visited the Winston Churchill Museum and War Cabinet Rooms.

The next day was spent mostly in the Tower of London, under the careful watch of our 'Beefeater' Tour Guide. It was fascinating to learn how people were punished in the 'old days'!! After seeing the Crown Jewels I decided that I definitely need a bigger diamond ring, royalty must have very strong necks. Sorry no pictures are included, we would have been next on the execution block for snapping photos!

I always knew London had many sights to see, but I think we would need to spend a month there to see it all. We only made a dent!

Trip to the Beach

2008-09-01T20:10:00.000+01:00

With the 3-day weekend we decided to venture out a little farther than usual and take a day trip to Whitby, an historic town on the north-east coast of England. We spent a majority of the day walking the grounds of St. Mary's Church and the Whitby Abbey ruins, which required the climbing of 199 steps.

We also spent a little time on the beach, even though it was only 65 degrees and about to rain (oh, England!) and learned that Ella hates sand!!! It was a great trip otherwise and we plan on spending a lot more time at the coast, on the 3 days of summer that we have here!

German Vacation

2008-08-11T13:35:00.000+01:00

Conferences in Germany, does it get any better?? Brian had a conference to attend at Edelweiss Resort in Garmisch, Germany so Ella and I decided to tag along and enjoy the ride. Seeing the views from the top of the Zugspitze (highest peak of the Bavarian Alps) and exploring the Partnach Gorge were among a few of the highlights.

We spent the first few days with Jason, Andrea and Marie as they made the trip since we were so close. Having German speakers with you makes for a much better experience!! The girls loved playing with each other, there were a few eyes poked and a few hairs pulled, but overall they loved it! We had to make a stop in Munich so Brian could visit his Mecca--The Hofbrauhaus!! We each had plenty of good German beer and pretzels--which Ella loved as well!

Brian will be attending another conference in October, but I don't think Ella and I are invited. :(

Let the travels begin...

2008-07-17T10:52:00.000+01:00

We are finally getting settled and used to our new surroundings--our furniture has arrived and we have begun exploring the area around us. We made a short trip to Ripley, a local town with a beautiful castle and grounds to explore. Now that Ella is completely mobile she enjoyed being able to run around and see all of the animals grazing the gardens. We had our first of many tastes of Ripley's World Famous Ice Cream, Ella was a big fan!! The castle grounds hosts many outdoor theater companies and we plan on becoming regulars at the picnic matinees.

Our next adventure took us to York, a historic walled city with a beautiful cathedral, York Minster. We could not have asked for better weather that day, which we have learned is not common here!! We spent several hours exploring the beautiful city and sipping drinks at the pubs! There is so much more to see in the city and I am sure we will make many trips to explore it all.

We have unpacked and are really enjoying our new house, we have plenty of room and are ready to begin entertaining and showing guests around this beautiful area of the world! We hope to see each of you very soon!

Jolly Old England!!

2008-06-13T21:44:00.000+01:00

We made the big trip and have arrived safely in England, and boy is it chilly!! Our first purchase was coats for the family! We are slowly adjusting to the jet lag, Ella is taking more time unfortunately. Our first goal is to find a house so that we can get out of the small hotel room, it is pretty crowded and laying on the floor in a dark room while Ella falls asleep is getting old really quickly. Then we need to get a car so that we can attempt driving on the other side of the road--I think it will be trickier than it looks!

We hope to get settled soon so that we can start welcoming guests--you are welcome to come and see us anytime!!

He's Back!

2008-05-19T14:31:00.000+01:00

After more than five flights over three days and about four hours of sleep, Brian is home! It was a wonderful reunion as many friends and coworkers came out to welcome him back. Ella was not real thrilled with all of the excitement, but is warming up to her silly daddy quickly. Thank you to everyone for your prayers during Brian's deployment, he has many stories to share with everyone.

YEA!!!

2008-05-16T02:24:00.000+01:00

I am trying not to get too excited, but Brian has made the first flight of the LONG trip home!! If all goes as scheduled he will be home on Sunday!! He must have sucked up to the right people! I can't wait to see him and Ella is finally getting close to walking on her own--maybe she will walk into her Daddy's arms!

The End is Near, Hopefully!!

2008-05-13T02:08:00.000+01:00

Good thing we decided not to buy the plane tickets to England until Brian sets foot on the ground in Mississippi; he has been delayed :( It is frustrating not knowing when he will be getting back, I had my countdown down to the minute! His last few weeks have been eventful though, Toby Keith made the trip and had a concert. Brian was chosen to take several of the patients to it so he got great seats!

Ella is still holding off on learning how to walk, Brian says that she is waiting for him to be home--I sure hope so!! I have told her that I will not send her walker to Kindergarten! I know it will happen, I think she knows it is frustrating me and she likes that. I bet she walks when I am not looking--kids!!

The big move is getting closer and closer--Jason has already started planning trips for us! I hope Brian has accumulated a lot of leave! Start planning your visits now, our calendar may fill up quickly! We hope to see you all soon.

It's Official!

2008-04-23T02:39:00.000+01:00

Well, the first shipment is on its way to England so I guess we are going too!! The movers came today to take 'the basics' that will be there when we arrive so we don't have to live like animals!! It is really hard to decide what you want to be without on each end of the move. Hopefully I made the right choice--too late now! Our VISAS have been approved so there is nothing holding us back from the jump across the pond. Unfortunately we have made the decision not to take the dog with us, the cost and the stress on her were going to be too much. She will spend the time we are away with her Uncle Brent and her cousins Abby and Blue--she will be very happy!

Each day brings us closer and closer to our reunion with Brian--I feel like a child waiting for Christmas morning to come--and it is making me crazy, I guess I am impatient!! It will be so good to have him back in our lives.

One Month and Counting...

2008-04-13T02:59:00.000+01:00

Well, Brian's replacement should be there in a month and that means that his trip home will begin soon after!! I cannot wait! I might just camp out at the airport a few days in advance to make sure I don't miss it. I think his favorite memory of this whole experience will be getting to meet and spend an evening with three Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War. He was honored to meet them.

Medal of Honor Recipients

Ella continues to amaze me each day with all that she is learning--and make me crazy with her refusal to learn to walk!! 'Why walk when someone will carry you?' She can say dog, tree, no and tickle. She can say mama and dada but doesn't do it when I ask!! Is she a teenager already?

The arrangements for the move to England have begun, the test will be getting the dog there--the 'Pet Embargo', which protects them from traveling when it gets too warm, begins 5 days before we leave--of course! Just as long as I don't mess up something on this end and we all make it together! Brian and I both love calling the British, you just want to give them a hug, they are the nicest people. I hope we have the same to say when we live among them!

What a month!

2008-03-27T20:37:00.000Z

Well, we have all survived another year of our family's 'March Madness'--barely! The 11 hour drive home was not as bad as it could have been, but I will not say it was enjoyable. It was wonderful to be with family though. It really made me miss Brian, it is sad to say that you do not realize how much you need someone until they are not there. Ella's 1st Birthday was celebrated by many--we have amazing friends and family. Thank you to all of you who helped and came to celebrate with us!

The Birthday Girl!

The month's next activity was Brent and Casey's wedding--it was a great time for all--Ella danced all night! It was wonderful to see all of our extended family and friends who have moved away. There is never enough time to see everyone. Jason, Andrea and Marie came from Germany for the wedding and brought Andrea's parents for their first trip to the US. Her father practiced important English phrases for the trip, such as 'Two Margaritas, Please!'

Brian's deployment has brought him close to many important people, he had the opportunity to see Vice President Dick Cheney speak to the troops and reported that it was awesome. He continues to send Ella videos of him reading books to her, which she loves. He told me today that he got the name of the person who will be replacing him and that makes the end seem a little closer! We are very ready for him to come home!

Texas, Here We Come!!

2008-02-26T02:27:00.000Z

Ella and I are about to embark on our first car trip together as we head home to Texas for 'March Madness'! There are five birthdays, including Ella's 1st, and a wedding--my brother Brent is getting married!! As much as I am NOT looking forward to the 11 hour drive, I cannot wait to get there. I am hoping that the month flies by and we will be that much closer to Brian coming home.

Brian has sent me an email titled 'I live for Saturday at 1700' which has several pictures attached of him and several others on the roof of the hospital smoking Cuban cigars and drinking (non-alcoholic) beer--I thought he was supposed to be working =)!! I am glad that he gets to relax and hopefully forget where he is for an hour or so.

Iraqi Roof Party!

Another Year Gone, How Did That Happen?

2008-02-12T02:52:00.000Z

I cannot believe that I have started to plan Ella's 1st Birthday Party!! What a year! :) Where do I even begin? The commerical is right, 'Having a baby changes everything.' But, it is definiely for the better. Each day with Ella is a learning experience, she teaches me more than I could ever teach her. It is hard with Brian being gone to try and remember to tell him everything she has done each day. It is so wonderful to sit and watch her discover something new, watching her eyes light up. I feel blessed that she has had such a healthy first year, as she just had her first fever yesterday. I can only pray that the rest of her life will be the same!

Brian is doing well, ONE MONTH DOWN!! We are both counting the days until Ella (and I) runs into his arms at the airport! He keeps telling me, 'something very interesting happened today, but I can't tell you about it'--it makes me crazy. I am sure he will have days worth of stories to tell when he gets back. I will be so happy to have an adult to talk to that I probably won't want to listen! :)

Brian was able to meet the Asst. Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs

Two of my best friends from home (Angela & Lyndee) came to visit last weekend, it was the first time since I can remember that we had more time than just a quick lunch together--it was such a wonderful time! Ella loved having more playmates than just mom and mom enjoyed the break!!

Lyndee, Angela, Ella & I

It won't be long until we begin our trip home to Texas for the month of March--birthdays and a wedding, put your party hats on! :)

Back into the Swing of Things. . .

2008-01-29T02:22:00.000Z

Well, Ella and I have adjusted well to life on our own and try to keep ourselves as busy as possible--which is not hard to do with her around! She is a super-fast crawler (I haven't lost her, yet) and keeps me on my toes. She is pulling herself up onto everything, but hasn't mastered the balance required to stand alone yet. She loves to clap at all of the new things she can do and to any song that she might hear from a toy or on the TV. I am keeping busy with scrapbooking and cleaning up after Ella and the other wives from the Med Group love to watch Ella and give mom a break!!

Brian is doing well, just completely exhausted--apparently it is not easy to get a good night's sleep with jets taking off overhead. He also tries to keep himself as busy as possible to make the days go by as quickly as possible. He has even had a chance to volunteer on the Hero's Highway--where they bring in the wounded soldiers on the helicopters. It has been really nice to get to talk to him everyday since he has arrived in Iraq. It almost makes it seem like he isn't really there!

Hero's Highway

We hope all is well with you and we hope to see each of you very soon!
Brian, Anne & Ella

2008--Here We Go!!

2008-01-13T13:40:00.000Z

Brian and I rang in the new year separated by the Atlantic Ocean as Ella and I spent time with Jason, Andrea and the new baby, Marie in Germany. The trip was eventful to say the least--traveling with an infant makes for an interesting time! (Delta Airlines will have to work pretty hard to earn my business again!)

Our niece, Marie Lindbloom

Brian left for Iraq on Saturday, January 5th and made it safely to the base. Your prayers for him and the rest of the troops are greatly appereciated. Ella and I are doing well, our family here at Columbus AFB has swooped right in to care for us. We are trying to plan as many things as possible to keep us busy, which I have already learned is not hard with a 10-month old baby!
We all hope you are doing well in the new year and hope to see each of you soon.