Day 3: Missoula MT to Bozeman MT (doh!)

Well, we are still in Montana.  Today didn't exactly go as planned.  The "light dusting" of snow on our car this morning turned into a full on, 1/4 mile visibility, squeezing the black out of your steering wheel kind of snow storm pretty much immediately as soon as we hit the highway.  Our original plan of making it to Wyoming changed last night as we decided to stop at the Museum of the Rockies and then stay the night in Billings...but that quickly changed when we got on the road.  Within the first 30 minutes we saw 3 separate cars in the highway ditches and by the end of the day that total would rise to 11!  After some very slow and steady progress we eventually made it to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman MT and decided we were good for the day.  Luckily, there was also a "C'Mon Inn" in Bozeman so we changed our reservations, threw on our suits and hit the pool and hot tubs.  Have we mentioned that we love C'mon Inns?  Best hotels in Montana if you are ever up this way!  We need to make up ground tomorrow but the weather looks promising and we are optimistic.   Rapid City or bust!

Maybe we should have stopped here.

Slippin and Sliding all the way to the museum.

"A real T-Rex!?"

"Big Mike"

Hot Tub #1 at C'Mon Inn

Hot Tub #3 at C'Mon Inn

Day 2: Leavenworth WA to Missoula, MT

The first long driving day in the car went relatively smooth.  The boys started in Kate's car and after about 3 hours swapped into Erik's for the remainder of the day.  All said and done we made it the rest of the way through Washington, the pan handle of Idaho and into Montana.  As soon as we hit Montana we experienced snow through the passes and even pulled over just so the boys could play a little on the massive snow banks.  The rest of the drive was uneventful as we make it to the "C'mon Inn," changed into our suits and spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the pool and the hotel's 5 hot tubs spread throughout the lobby.  Tomorrow we plan to head to Billings (another C'mon Inn) after stopping at the Museum of the Rockies. 

Snowy Montana Passes.

Snow bank at the rest stop.

C'mon Inn "waterfall"

One of the 5 main floor C'mon Inn hot tubs.

Day 1: Anacortes to Leavenworth, WA

Today we turned the keys of our first home over to our renters and set out through "the pass" on our way to Leavenworth, WA for the evening.  Over the last 6 years we had the best intentions of making our way through the mountains to the Christmas themed town, designed like a Bavarian village, but have sadly not had the time or energy to make it happen.  So, for our first travel day we elected to only drive 3 hours and explore this quaint little town.  Fortunately, the weather gods were on our side and we had clear skies and 60sih degree weather.  We were able to walk around all afternoon, taste an assortment of local beers and dine on traditional Bavarian cuisine (aka Pretzels and Brats!) all within walking distance of our Hotel.  Leavenworth...check!  Tomorrow we are off to Missoula Montana for a hotel with 5 Hot Tubs!  Stay Tuned.

Yes, we had pretzels and ice cream at 3pm for no reason...road trip!

The main drag.

Family Selfie!

Setting sun on day 1.

"Make your best nutcracker face."

Our Next Adventure

After over six years, three different Squadrons and two deployments it's time to leave Whidbey Island for a little bit and try something new.  Over the past seven months we have been preparing for our move to Millington, TN and after months of planning (to include a deployment) we are finally on the road.  We were fortunate enough to find a wonderful young couple to rent our house in Anacortes while we venture south for a few years.  The boys have had their last days of school, Erik is growing a PCS beard and we are going to enjoy some qualify family time as we make our way across the country.  Stay tuned for exciting Halvorson adventures as we embark on the 7 day, 2,400 miles journey to our new duty station.

Our temporary digs while we move out of the house.

Evening Views.

Trucks here!  No turning back now.

Before.

After.

Anders Turns 4

My little, sweet boy: You keep doing big boy things but I still keep seeing you as my baby. Maybe it's because you still have those round, kissable cheeks and cupid bow lips when you are sleeping. Man, you are growing up fast. Your imagination and love of role play such as superheroes and Star Wars is EPIC. And when you are not currently destroying villains and saving mankind, your kind heart and friendship to others shines so very, very bright. Gosh, I love you. More than all the stars in the galaxy (and even another galaxy - far, far away).

Birthday morning scone.

Cheesing with his best buddy George at his party.

Jedis on a speeder.

Funny Landon.

Sweet friend transformed to Kylo Ren.

That's my sweet baby boy!

Yum.

Again - our sweet little girl friends picking some fierce masks.

Young Padawans battling together!

Cupcake break!

Some friends brought their own light sabers. I provided robes made out of felt and cording - thank you, Pinterest!

The kids getting a kick out of funny birthday cards.

Landon Brick Build

Like many other kids these days, the boys have fallen into the black hole of YouTube when their screen time and settings allow. And YouTube for kids these days is a hoppin' scene. I imagine it parallels my obsession with CareBears and MTV at a young age. Anyhoodles, the channels Landon particularly enjoys are related to "Brick Builds" in which people put together Lego sets. And as life imitates art, Landon wanted to also make a brick build.

I totally forgot about this video we made after Christmas. Landon must have gone through a major growth spurt since then - he looks so young to me when rewatching this!

Memorial Day 2016

This past weekend we headed about an hour south to the Jim Creek Naval Recreational Area for a few days of camping with the boys. Catering solely to military members, the site was nicely maintained and they have over 5000 acres of land, largely untouched. We will definitely revisit when it is not raining and 50 degrees for three days straight. But you know what? Rain on a tent makes for the most delightful white noise when sleeping.

I threw together a quick video using some captures I got with my phone. Nothing fancy, but hoping it helps with my memory long down the road!

Anders vs Orange

One time, about a year ago, Anders was peeling an orange and a shprinkle of juice took a dastardly trajectory into his eye. And he still talks about it, affronted by the fruit and it's evil byproduct. But! He loves clementines and I commend that he came up with a solution - to always find a pair of sunglasses before eating an orange. This has been going on for a year and I so hope it continues for a long while because I adore this quirk of his.

Safely enjoying citrus.

You Do the Hokey Pokey

Man, I love a good roller skating rink. Armed with fantastic memories of disco balls and limbo bars from 25+ years ago, I took the boys last week to weigh down their little legs with some big honkin' skates. They asked about inline skates (and, admittedly, the rink did have them), but I wanted them to have the authentic experience. Let's lace up some 5 lb fungal hooves on your feet.

They practiced for a bit on pint-sized walkers and locked wheels. And then: we loosened the wheels and they skated awkwardly like little newborn giraffes trying to walk for the first time. I loved it and I think they did, too. When the lights went down and the laser lights started with some horrific Alvin and the Chipmunks cover of Destiny's Child songs began, they were all like, "Say Whaaaat?" And I said "What, boys. What, indeed."

The rink on a Tuesday morning is the perfect time for learning the Hokey Pokey on wheels.

Kindergarten on the Horizon

We have submitted the paperwork. We tried out a school bus. This is happening.

Random Parenting Tip #578

I haven't mastered much of this parenting gig, but I will say we successfully adopted a trick a couple years ago from a friend about managing transitions for the wee ones. And as anyone who has asked their toddler to "put away their playdoh so we can go to the grocery store where mommy will complain about the current price of grapes and avoid the odd cashier* in checkout lane number 4" knows, transitions can be testy.

Set a timer: pick a timer, any timer. For a solid year, we lived by the "When the clock goes 'beep beep beep'..." way of transitioning to other activities and errands. The only way the kids used to leave the park is if my phone went off using the "dog barking" alarm. Man, that was a good trick in my pocket for a while. Now transitions aren't that much of an issue anymore. There they go again, growing up and stuff. 

I think the timer method works because it puts the onus on a third-party; young children are dimly fooled into thinking it's out of your hands. Plus it acknowledges you are providing them remaining time to finish what they are doing. 

True story: when I came out of the shower a few days ago, I was confused why the boys were dressed and all ready for the day. It turns out they had set a 2 minute timer for themselves to see if they could get dressed (which explained the heavier breathing and twisted pants). I'm sure there's a childhood complex brewing somewhere in there**, but I'll take it for now!

*No, seriously. His name is Michael. But he pronounces it as "Meekayl" to be quirky. 
**At age 27, Landon's left side subtly twitches anytime a timer goes off.

In Defense of Not Having a Pet

A common line I hear often: "You guys need to get a dog!" 

No. No, we don't. Here is my blurb in defense of NOT having a canine companion in our home.

(1) Energy. It takes energy to walk a dog, feed a dog, play with a dog, chase a dog when he escapes, take care of him when he is sick, clean up his turds, etc. Even if I have the residual energy on some days, I'm not sure if I want to direct it towards those things right now. I rather be able to help a friend, accept a random beer date, read a book, insert whatever floats your boat here. 

(2) Time. See "energy."

(3) Money. Dayuuum, pets be expensive. I still remember the vet bills from our dog growing up, and for a self centered 13 yr old to be affronted by the cost of a shot and a dental cleaning says a lot. 

(4) Freedom. You can't take a dog everywhere with you. We like to travel. We like to do stuff. Kennels can be great, but they can be horrible and your dog comes out with PTSD symptoms. Also, the related cost - see "money."

(5) Cleanliness. Sure, there is likely data that supports folks with pets have better immune systems because they are constantly exposed to dander and germs and such. But I know what a dingleberry is and I don't like them. I don't need an itchy butt dog with extra pee dripping off his wiener, boot scootin' boogy-ing around on his ass on the same carpet that my kids roll around on daily. I'm purely only dealing with little human pee and poo at this point in my life.

I'd consider this dog. Cool trick.

Now that I've said my piece on the topic, know this: I love dogs. They are awesome. They are your best friend and your kids' best friend and act as this little epicenter of a family and they don't even know it (the most lovable characteristic of all). It can teach so many lessons for kids in patience, caretaking and friendship. This, I know. I fiercely loved my dog growing up and I so look forward to the boys having the same experience. Buuuuut, not now. Someday, yes, but not now.

Hope you have a dingleberry-free day!

Hello, hello

Why, hello there! Thanks for visiting the blog that I have been woefully lack in updating these past several months and overall in general. Life isn't crazy or anything. In fact, it is rather the opposite for the most part. And perhaps that is why there haven't been too many updates - I'm spending time laughing with hubby on the couch, watching shows in the evenings. The few preschool mornings to myself are spent working out and taking care of myself better. Weekends are spent helping the boys with Legos while Daddy is out running and then we spend time together as a family, farting around. I assume this is what it feels like to be a "normal" non-military family. So I am rejoicing in the simplicity of it all until things ramp up again for next year's deployment.

Not us. But I assume that's what a non-military family looks like...?

I have a personal goal to be better about writing and sharing pictures again, so buckle up for the next round! Things to document include Erik and I's journey on the Whole30 (food program), my "lazy" days with the boys as Landon closes the gap to Kindergarten in the fall, general parenting wins and fails, an ode to my missing IUD (spoiler alert: ends with a trip to the OR table), Erik's woodworking build of Anders' new bed (he can't stay in a half disassembled crib forever) and other fun stuff along the way. Well, fun stuff for us, at least. You're just here, killing time and procrastinating on much more important stuff to do. Thanks for being here - hello again!

Silence Can Be Sweet

As a mom of youngsters, I still have plenty of the "Why is it so quiet?" panic moments. If these guys aren't bouncing off of furniture and coming up with grandiose play ideas, silence usually predicates mischief of sorts. But sometimes I catch them just enjoying a quiet moment (and a morning sunbeam) for what it is.

We're Alive

Happy New Year! I haven't updated things in a while despite the fun-filled season (or because of it). Long story short: we survived Christmas and enjoyed a lazy start to 2016. Photo dump staaaaaarts... now!

Legos, legos, legos!

We had fun at Great Wolf Lodge - and made a video over on our YouTube channel.

Uncle Jamesy came to visit and we got lost in the rain in the woods for three hours - it was great!

Staying sharp for a visit from the fat man in the red suit.

Spoiler alert: Santa came to visit.

Took the boys sledding up towards Mt. Baker; mom suffered a minor concussion (no, really) but everyone had fun. Sledding in your 30s is a little different than you envision.

I found a little love note written in the early morning frost on my car as we got ready for school. Squeee!

Did I mention Legos? Millenium Falcon: check!

Sipping on smoothies in Safeway like a boss.

Little boy energy radiating throughout the house on short, gray winter days.

Shut Up and Dance

Season's greetings, everyone! I'm taking a break from decking the halls with boughs of holly* to sit down and write for a moment. My musings are inspired by two things: a trip to the post office this morning and the song on the radio as I drove back home.

The post office at this time of year is not everyone's favorite place. I have been five times in the last two weeks, apparently a glutton for queue punishment and apparently not a great planner. But you know what, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world. I met an elderly woman in line last week who told me of her travels to Egypt and lands far away. Another time, the boys told a joke to the ladies behind me ("Why did the cow cross the road? To go to the mooooovies...") which earned some smiles and a few giggles amongst the line. I was proud of them.

But I tried chatting it up with the woman in front of me in line this morning and it went poorly. Her responses were one worded and her back turned to my direction; I took it as the silent message it was... to shut up. I didn't feel rejected or upset, but obviously I started analyzing her and her packages in lieu of conversation. I can turn off my mouth, but my brain sure does love to observe and there is no off button for that.

I believe more fiercely than ever that happiness is a choice. I don't quite understand why some people choose to stew while standing in a line. Don't get me wrong: I get frustrated when lines are preventable. I'm human. But if a line is a line, that is what it is: just a line. Turn on your "om" and go with the flow. We all have stories, we all have heartbreak, we all have personal struggles and journeys. I don't discount if those are the things you are stewing about - go ahead and stew and cry and help yourself through it. I've been there and am there on most days. But the rest of the time, just try to make life more pleasant for yourself or someone standing in line.

I have one tattoo on my body and it simply reads "Be happy." For the love of all that is holy, people: just live a pleasant life. Joy doesn't need to leak out of your pores, but just smile once in a while - especially if you're standing in a huge line at the post office. Talk to that crazy lady in line behind you (I don't bite!).

And now to the song that peppered my ears on the way home. It was the infectious pop hit "Shut up and Dance" by the band Walk the Moon. A bit of a departure from my usual tunes, but man I love that song. It is catchy, it is fun and it has a great message.

Merry Christmas, everyone!




*Just kidding: I'm cleaning up Legos. Again.

Growing Up at the Pumpkin Patch

We feed and water them daily. Maybe next year they will smile.

2013

2014

2015