I think the last event I mentioned was Josh and I going to San Diego while his parents watched the kids...so I will pick up after that trip. But first, here a couple of pictures from the 4th of July weekend...
Josh and I left for San Diego a couple of days after the Fourth and stayed down there for a few days while Josh's parents watched the kids for us. We got home from San Diego on a Saturday and the very next day was Wyatt's third birthday! It's so hard to believe that he is three years old. I can remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. It's amazing how much he has grown and learned in the last three years. He's such a smart, happy and wonderful child...such a blessing to Josh and me.
On his birthday, we surprised him by taking him to the circus in Fresno. We didn't tell him where we were going, so he had no clue until we walked into the arena. Once he realized where we were, he kept shouting "We're at the circus! We're at the circus!". He, and Reagan, loved every minute of it. And it was even more special that Grandma and Grandpa Keever could be there with us.
Grandma and Grandpa left a couple of days later and then Wyatt, Reagan and I headed down to Los Angeles to meet up with my parents. My mother is a CAbi representative and they were having their big conference in Long Beach that weekend. Anytime my family is anywhere near us, we go see them. Me and the kids drove down early and spent some time with my mom. Josh and my stepdad got there the next day. We had so much fun attending fashion shows, playing at the pier, shopping and eating some fabulous meals. I just wish we could do that every weekend. It was also on this trip that we discovered Wyatt and Rea's fondness for a certain Britney Spears song, "Till the World Ends". haha.
Once home from Los Angeles we began the task of closing on a house. We recently found out that Josh will be stationed here in Lemoore for his next set of orders, so we caved in and decided to buy a house. We were tired of renting and just wanted a place of our own. We stumbled upon a house that we loved and jumped on it. It's brand new and just about perfect for our family. But before we could actually close on the house, we had some more hurdles to clear...
Josh had to go to Fallon, Nevada for some training. I think he was gone for two weeks. The kids and I ended up driving up to Lake Tahoe to meet him for a weekend. We had such a nice time. We stayed at the Marriott Timber Lodge and loved it. We had never stayed there before, but would highly recommend it if you ever find yourself in Lake Tahoe. We basically did nothing all weekend. Just relaxed and enjoyed some family time. We rode the gondolas up to the Heavenly lodge and then went down to the lake to play. The kids loved it, of course...
On August 9th, I had surgery to repair two bilateral hernias on my c-section incision. I didn't heal too well after my c-section with Rea and these hernias formed. Anyway, the surgery went well and was a success. The recovery has been a little longer and harder than I had anticipated, but I'm getting through it. My belly is still quite sore, but that is to be expected, I suppose. Thankfully, my stepmom, Deborah, was able to fly in and help me with the kids for the week of the surgery. I honestly don't know what I would have done without her. I basically couldn't move without help for at least two weeks.Three days after the surgery, we closed on our house. The title officer agreed to come to our house to do the signing, so that I wouldn't have to try and go anywhere. I was very grateful for that. Once we were closed...Josh started moving us in. Poor guy...he's had to do the last three moves all by himself. The first two I was pregnant and could only help pack...and this one I was totally laid up. Slowly but surely, Josh got us moved over here. And so far, we love it here...
We're still getting everything set up and decorated...it will probably be a while before we finish that up. This house is so different from any we've lived in and we're finding that there are lots of things we need--for instance, a dining room table. :) We are also having the backyard completely landscaped. When we moved in, the backyard was nothing but dirt, which is typical of spec-homes in this area. So we are starting from scratch. At this point we only have a patio (which was poured last week), but starting Monday there will be a lot more work going on back there.
At the end of August, the 28th I believe, my brother successfully defended his title at the World Championship track meet in Daegu, South Korea. It was so cool to be able to watch him compete on television and cheer him on. We are so proud of all of his success and can't wait to see what else is coming his way. I still have no idea how he makes it through a decathlon....it's grueling. Watch out London...the world's greatest athlete is coming!
In other big news, Wyatt started preschool! He started on September 6th and he goes 9-12 two days a week. He is loving it! I knew that he would. He's such a smart little boy...he needed more mental and social stimulation than I could give him at home. He doesn't even wave goodbye to me and Rea....just runs right in and starts his day. Here's a picture of him on his first day. He's getting so big!
And that is what's been going on with us! It's been a busy summer. We're looking forward to enjoying some of our fall and soaking up some of Josh before he deploys again in November. Hopefully I can do a little better about keeping this blog up to date...plus I should probably be chronicling the backyard transformation. The kids could probably give you a better account of that, though. This is how they spend their days when the "workers" are here...
