February...

Happy "Almost" Spring!

The weather here in Germany the past few weeks makes you think it's already here. our weather has been in the upper 50's the last 3 weeks. i even saw farmers plowing today! every year we almost get snow for easter, and we are in a constant wonder if we can do our easter hunt or not..this year i don't think we will have to worry!

Since our last update, we celebrated Justice's 4th birthday at Disneyland Paris a few days before mark deployed for one last fun day! we all had a great time, and Justice had the best birthday EVER! i have a video of his birthday on teh screen to your right.

mark has been gone for one month now, and spent 3 weeks in florida for training, and is now in Quatar at Camp Asilayh. he arrived on saturday and is getting adjusted. at this time he does not have internet in his room, only at work, and no phone service just at the community center, so phone calls are limted now. he is working 12 hour days so please be patient with hearing from him. =) his email is tilshema@centcom.mil

the kids and i had a rough few weeks with the terrible flu/cough/ugglies it was so hard. but we made it through, and are getting into a new pattern for ourselves. I am staying home more than usual to train the kids and parent them, and less time dinking around for myself! if you dont' hear from me as often it's just my hands are a bit full right now, but i really do want to write more and i do think of everyone so much!

kyree is talking more and more, and is getting 4 new teeth this week, so she has been beside herself. my favorite things she says is " hi buddy" to justice.. "oh bodder" (oh bother from pooh) when she walks around all day, and she shakes her little finger at me and says "no no no" when she does something she is not supposed to.

she is growing so fast- she loves puzzles, and any of justice's toys, i have now learned that i need to buy 2 of EVERYTHING. make sure you check out the video of her praying on the right- to cute!

her favorite shows are pooh, and kipper, and miss patty cake.

Justice is my little chef in the making, last week he made meatloaf all by himself and tonight boxed noodles ( oh yes) AND served them in bowls and brought them to the table for everyone.. he was beaming with pride.

he loves to always be in teh same room as us, and talk talk talk.. he loves his bob the builder, and playing outside now that the weather is nice. his favorite shows are pooh heffalump, little einsteins and mickey's clubhouse. he loves to get new shows and tells me what just happened while he is watching it so i can keep up if busy.... he loves picking out things at yard sales, and now shopping online! only to wait so patiently for his chosen items to come to our post office.

he wants to help all round- so if i clean he cleans, if i work on projects he gets one too and hammers away...

both the kids miss mark. it's hard some days, but all in all they are doing so well. justice wrote him letters all day the first 3 days, non stop and sealed them and put them in a special box, kyree sees pics and laughs with DADDY! and then runs away!

mark sends the kids lots of pictures and presents via mail. and they love it.

as for myself, taking it easy and then some. with mark gone i have all kinds of goals i have set for when he returns so that is keeping me motivated.

when the kids are in bed, i usually fill my time on german ebay, buying furinture inexpensive and then selling it locally, that has been fun and since it's just to time consuming to go junking while mark is gone with my kids, this is keeping me busy and saving on gas. and the kids are not in the car all the time =) i watch friends at night, catch up on the house, and head to bed!

so these are our days, and we are counting down... thanks for praying for us and thinking of us! please write, i know i am terrible at writign back, but i really miss you all! and i will try to write when i can.

with all our love

US