Does everyone have their game face on???

It's time to play again!

Mike left this morning for Fort Meade in South Dakota. He will be gone for 8 weeks training to become an Officer (OCS).

From what we have heard Boot Camp is cake compared to OCS. The first two weeks are no sleep and they run everywhere. They told him to gain some weight before he left because he will definitely come home thinner.

I'm a little concerned because last time he was gone everything feel apart... Katie broke her hip, had surgery and was in a body cast for 8 weeks. I needed to pack up to move, all of our renters stopped paying rent while he was gone and one house went vacant, I almost had to do a court case for him and on the coldest day of the winter our heat went out. Yet, we live and got through it, with Divine intervention and angels all around.

We did start this time with a bad Omen...

Jake found two cute black kittens in Grandma and Grandpa Hill's wood pile...He gave me those eyes and I couldn't say no so we brought them home. We have enjoyed them for the past two days. The kids slept outside with them the first night...

Tragically, this morning Jake went to check on them before we headed to the airport and found one killed and mostly eaten and the other is missing.

It was horrible. I almost vomitted and missed Mike, because he always handles that kind of clean up.

It's not the end of the world, but it sure feels like it for me and Jake at the moment.

Happy 9th Birthday Jake!

I can't believe 9 years has past. His childhood is half over!

(unless, of course, he's like his dad and it never ends:) I actually hope that that is the case.

We celebrated with friends and family in Grandma and Grandpa Hill's backyard. The kids had a blast and played hard. We roasted hot dogs and s'mores over the fire.

Jake's birthday fell on Memorial Day this year. How fitting that he wanted a birthday cake with his name in Morse Code. Easy cake.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Morse Code that says, "Happy B-day Jake."

Morse Code is found, among other places, in, 'The Dangerous Book For Boys."

If you have a boy(s), I highly recommend that book.

(Jake holding Natalie's hand)

For Memorial Day we spent a little time at Gowen Field.

Dallas spend a lot of time on each aircraft. This is a Blackhawk and the questions just kept coming.

And here is the dream. THE APACHE.

I have to tell you about that rose Katie is holding...

The other day Katie and I were grocery shopping. She saw some flowers. She has been with Mike when he has picked out flowers for me and brought them home. She said,"Mom, my husband is going to bring me flowers."

Some ladies overhead her and giggled. Then she thought and said,"Mom, I want a husband."

At the end of the day I realized she was a true girl and what she said was not what she meant. What she meant to say was, "Mom, I want flowers."

I told the story to Mike. He picked that flower from our rose bush and gave it to Katie. She carried it around all day until Dallas said,"Katie, your flower is dead!"

Katie was heartbroken. We put it in Natalie's sippy cup of water, all that we had at the time, to see if it would help, but no luck.

When we got home she said,"Dad, could you give me another flower sometime?"

What she meant was..."right now."

GIRLS NIGHT!!!!

You can't draw water from an empty well.

So we decided to fill ours up!

My sister-in-law, Melanie is the BEST!!! I love her to pieces. She is Mike's sister and has some crazy ideas sometimes..hehe

Every once in a while she comes up with a REALLY good one.

Mother's Day weekend we left our husbands with the kids and responsiblities and went to play.

We stayed in a hotel Friday night...

We brought the essentals that come with a girls night...Something salty, something sweet and CHOCOLATE!

Needless to say we overdosed BIG TIME!

We slept in, we soaked in the hot tub and we didn't go home...

We went to dinner that night with my other sweet sister-in-law Megan and her friend.

We even got hit on. We tried to let him down gently. And no, we did not go to see Star Trek.

So fun, thanks ladies!

NO TRESPASSING!!!

That's what the sign says...

...But Mike likes to break the rules every now and then.

And this time he wanted ME to be his partner in crime!

Mike is leaving in two weeks for OCS (Officer Candidate School). He will be gone for 8 weeks. (Missing him already!)

He wanted to take me on a 'high-speed' date. He didn't tell me where we were going (because he knew if he did I wouldn't go). I knew we were going on a picnic and I needed to wear hiking shoes.

"Here we are Cass. We just need to climb over this barbed wire fence and then over that chain linked fence with the RAZOR WIRE on top! Pass the NO TRESPASSING SIGNS. Scale the tower up to the ladder and climb 8 flights of stairs to the top of the swaying tower! Cool huh!"

He left out the part about..."without getting caught and thrown into JAIL!!!"

I was cursing his name (with my limited cursing vocabulary) all the way to the top.

I still can't believe I did it.

"No, I'm not doing this. No, NO, NO!"

"Mike, I am a mother of 4 children... I don't need a criminal record."

"If we get caught, I am telling them you forced me to do this."

"Why couldn't I marry a normal guy who takes his wife of 10 years to dinner and rents a movie." (We do that too).

My heart was racing. I didn't realize I was afraid of heights. Actually, I think it was the swaying that set me over. The fact that I might plummet to my death, not to mention, I was breaking the law!

But it was a beautiful view.

I have to hand it to him. He's pretty savvy.

I found it interesting at the end of the night he was more charming to me than ever.

I'm a sucker.

PICTURE OF LAST WEEK

Natalie's 1st bloody nose.

I was right, not her last. She got her second one a few days ago.

Is it me???

Motherhood, what a wonderful gift!

For Mother's Day we tried to take a good family photo.

This is as good as it's going to get...Let's eat!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Just having one of those moments...

Jake dug a BIG hole in the ground.

They filled it with water and had a mud fight.

Katie lost, but she doesn't see it that way.

Dallas isn't into mud so much.
______________________________________

The rest of these pictures are just random, me reflecting.

When mom sleeps in and misses her morning run, we do Tae Bo.

My Super Heros

They wanted to teach me that I could be a Super Hero too.

(Yep, that is me without make-up, never thought I'd post that)

Katie dressed like a princess at Baskin Robbins, dancing.

It was either the princess dress or...

This..."Please can I wear it to the store?"

Actually, this was a separate trip and I'm glad I didn't see any of you at the store because she did wear the whole outfit to the store.

What's even crazier than the outfit is that I wasn't the least embarrassed. I think she looks...fabulous.

This is how Jake winds down before going to sleep.

This is how Dallas does it.

Dallas does breakfast his own way too. He wears his oatmeal.

The picture never does it justice.

Natalie, 12 months

Just hanging out.

Natalie wanted to lay by Katie one night. They fell asleep facing each other lying in the same position.

Enough said.