Ahhh....Our Dear Little Ethan

This picture captures two very distinctive characteristics of our sweet little Ethan. First of all, he's gazing into the refrigerator. Those of you who know Ethan know how much he LOVES food. He can smell it from a mile away and always seems to know when I'm in the kitchen getting a snack. Not long ago, I had to tie the refrigerator shut each night because Ethan would get up before me in the morning and sneak food. Luckily he has gotten out of that habit, but it still makes me laugh when I occasionally find him in his closet, behind a chair, or in a corner eating a snack that he knows he shouldn't have.

Secondly, notice how Ethan's underwear is on backwards. It's so funny how differnt Tyler and Ethan are. Tyler likes everything to be orderly and precise. When he learned how to dress himself, he would do it very carefully, making sure that the tags were in the back and that everything was just right. Ethan on the other hand could care less, he's happy as long as the clothes aren't falling off. He always seems to be in such a hurry that his clothes often get put on backwards or inside-out. One day I noticed that his undies, shirt and shorts were all on backwards. Oh well, at least he's doing it by himself!

Another first for Luke

BEFORE

DURING

As many of you know, Luke finally got his first haircut! He was pretty good while Jeffrey cut his hair and happily enjoyed his sticky lollipop. It's amazing to me how much older he looks with short hair, and it seems to be even more blond now. What a handsome little guy!

AFTER

Luke's first steps!!!

Luke took his first two steps last week, just a few days after Jeffrey returned home...perfect timing! It was right after Jeffrey came home from work, and he just happened to be filming Luke at the time! Here's the video clip...

My little garden

In the past couple of years I have definitely developed a love for gardening. I'm still learning quite a bit (thanks to Mom, Grandma and Kae for all the tips!), but I've had lots of fun experimenting and seeing the kids' excitement as they watch everything grow. We've had some beautiful flowers blooming and have enjoyed picking fresh veggies from our backyard. So far we've been able to eat peas and carrots (pulling carrots is definitely a favorite activity of the boys!). I've also planted tomatoes, green and red peppers, cucumbers, parsley, cilantro and basil. I can't wait to have a huge garden someday!

Gazing

Luke simply adores his big brothers. He was certainly entertained on this afternoon a couple weeks ago while they were playing baseball in the backyard. He stood at the door watching them, and giggling when they would come near, for almost an hour!

Just a "yittle" bug

A few days ago I was in the kitchen when Tyler came running in to inform me that Ethan had just eaten a bug. I went in the living room to find Ethan standing by the window sill with his head down. This is about how our conversation went....

Me-"Ethan, did you just eat a bug?"
Ethan- "Yes Mommy"
Me-"Ethan, you're being silly, where is the bug?"
Ethan- "It's in my tummy Mommy"
Me-"Was it a big bug or a little bug?"
Ethan-"It was just a yittle bug Mommy"
Me-"You know that we don't eat bugs. Bugs are yucky, why did you eat a bug?"
Ethan- "Beacuse Ty told me to Mommy"
Me-"But we don't bugs"
Ethan-"But Ty told me to Mommy, he told me to eat the bug"

During this entire time, Tyler was standing there laughing, pretty proud of himself for getting Ethan to eat a bug. I wonder if Ethan will always be so trusting of his big brother!

Welcome Home!!!

June 4th was definitely a perfect day. The boys and I woke up early to head to the pier for Jeffrey's homecoming. When we arrived, there were thousands of people anxiously awaiting the return of their loved ones. I don't think I've ever been in one place with so many happy people. Soon after we arrived, everyone began cheering at the first sight of the USS Truman coming into the harbor. I don't think that I could ever express the excitement that I felt, knowing that Jeffrey was on that ship. As the ship got closer we could see the sailors manning the rails and waving their flags. There were bleachers set up facing the pier and people everywhere holding up their Welcome Home signs and waving flags. As the ship began to back into the pier it blew it's horns and everyone started cheering, the Navy band was playing, and streamers flew off the ship....it was an experience I'll never forget. It took about an hour before people could start getting off the ship. As we were waiting, Jeffrey called me and told me to turn around and there he was! I don't think that I've stopped smiling since that moment! This past week has been incredible. It feels so good to have our family back together again.