USS Hornet

We met Brett's friend Mike and his family at the USS Hornet to tour the aircraft carrier and learn about some of the aircraft aboard the ship and how operations occurred on the "island" of the ship.  It turns out that we were a part of an elaborate surprise 40th birthday party for Mike while he and his family were out here from Maine.

 

Can't wait to get on board that aircraft carrier.  Let's go.

 



 

We decided that those were fuel tanks underneath this fighter,not bombs.

 

 

Then we got to see the camera underneath an F-14.

 

 

Wow, this is what it is like to be in the control tower...

 

 

Sharing the captain's chair with my brother.

 

 

Here is a collection of boys, ages 3,5, 7, 9, 11, and 13.  Thanks for joining us Mike, Amy, Jake, David, and Steven.

 

 

I am looking pretty small when the "island" is taken into account.

 

 

The entry walkway onto the Essex class carrier which served in World War II and Vietnam.

 

Turkey Trot

Thanksgiving morning we joined the crowd for the Turkey Trot which included events for all of us except Brett who sat this one out recovering.  Griffin and Bryce ran in the half mile run.  Garrett and Joy ran the 5K together.  We got home, made a nice turkey lunch before Brett took a nap in preparation for working that night.

 

We're all going to run our races today!

 

 

Griff and I were getting all pumped up together before the race began.

 

 

I did it!  6 minutes!  I got a medal!

 

 

I did it!  7 minutes!  I going to get my medal...

 

 

Proud to finish our first race.

 

 

The runners pose for a picture together.

 

 

In action photo taken during the race...Daddy here we are.

 

 

Thanksgiving meal with the fine china...come on Mommy joins us.

 

Mesopotamian Dinner

We invited Kim and Tim and their 4 kids over for a celebration of the Mesopotamian time period that we are studying in history.  We wore tunics (over our clothes) and made authentic food from that time period including lentil stew, locust cakes, honey, figs, and pomegranates.  Our art project was a bean mosaic.  To wrap it all up we played the game lions, bears, and goats.

 

I might be a mesopotamian shepherd.

 

 

Raising 3 boys to do work in the plains...in theory.

 

 

Hannah and I wonder if men should be helping in the kitchen...

 

 

The meal was ready for us to partake of.

 

 

We are ready to come get our food...

 

 

Looks good, smells good, we're ready to eat.

 

 

Locust cakes with honey spread (organic honey from Idaho).  Yummy.

 

 

We kids ate under the tent on the floor...it was great not to have to sit at the table!

 

 

Ok, we will sit at the table for art time.

 

Brett Goes to Long Beach

Brett went on his first ever business trip to Long Beach where he had four days of training for his new job in medical research.  Prior to this trip the longest he had been away from the family was a one night stay at a men's retreat, so this seemed pretty long to him.  He spent his downtime using the workout facilities at the hotel and studying for his boards next year.  Brett was welcomed home with a nice sign made by the boys and Joy.  Who knows where the next business trip will take him...Vienna?

 

Project get Daddy home is under way.

 

 

It was good to be home!

 

 

 

You can't beat coming home to that kind of love.

 

November School

This month, the bird unit moved on to include bats.  Geography lessons got sweeter with chocolate chips used to indicate where a specific city/country/lake/river are located.  Star Wars Clone Wars became plot analysis, character, setting, conflict, and resolution lesson fodder (on Daddy Friday of course). 

 

We are playing mother bat, trying to find our babies by matching up the right smell.

 

 

Geography was pretty tasty with chocolate chips.

 

 

African and Mediterranean geography was a desired topic for all involved.

 



 

My stomach is very content with what I am learning.

 



 

I don't want to do more math today.

 

 

How is my spelling coming?

Griff, this is a circle, can you say, "circle?"

 

Garrett 7y6mo

Garrett went on a tooth-losing streak:  two in three days and then three in three weeks including both of his front teeth.  He has adapted well to all the changes in his mouth.  Garrett continues to be very helpful in the kitchen and with yardwork and is taking initiative to help.  He is learning that work leads to having some spending money, but he is our little saver, which is a good thing.

 

I got my picture with the Biker Scout... Daddy would've been proud.

 

 

 

 

 

This is like the tallest lego car ever...ready to destroy it Griff?

 

 

Flexibility my dad could only dream of...

 

 

Another tooth bites the dust and gets added to my collection.

 

Bryce 5y5mo

Bryce continues to be very excited about birds and his desire to draw birds and color them has expanded.  Bryce has started to get very excited about Christmas and asks to wrap presents every day.  If we don't provide him something to wrap, he simply "borrows" one of his brother's toys, wraps it up, and then gives it to them as a gift sometime that day or the next.

 

Shamu is going on a scouting mission and he has equipment that would put Bond to shame.

 

 

Talk about "aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper"...Vader enjoyed looking taller at the library event the boys couldn't miss.

  

 

I don't want to go to sleep...I want to stay up all night long!!

I love drawing birds, here is one of my many pictures I've drawn of birds lately.

 

Griffin 3y7mo

Griffin has really stepped up in how he helps out when we are doing yardwork.  It used to be that he would mostly mess around and really be counter-productive in his involvement in yardwork, but he became a part of the team when it came to raking leaves this fall.  Griffin who had been potty-trained at night for six months, decided to revert back to forgetting how to accomplish this remarkable achievement.  We are trying to figure out what happened and so is he.  Sure did ruin a little bit of our sleep for a week. 

 

As long as you involve some play in the process, I will help with the raking of the leaves.

 

 

Drowning in leaves really is quite fun, you should try it.

 

Mommy, can we have another boy in the house?  Theo is getting cold...

I'm ready to race with the big boys.

November 2012

November brought fall and fall leaves into full effect.  We played and worked with the leaves.  Brett took his first business trip to jump start a new job.  We all enjoyed a ride on the Polar Express and a trip to the USS Hornet.  Thanksgiving was celebrated with the Turkey Trot run by all the boys.  We hope that you all enjoyed some quality time with family and that you are preparing for celebrating Christ's birth.

  

 

Coed Softball

Thanks to Joy's success on a women's softball team over the summer, we got drafted to play for a new team at Rainbow Fields.  Joy stepped in and played first base, her favorite position.  Brett played right center and left field where he had opportunities to cutoff balls in the gap and throw out runners trying to take an extra base.  We joined a great group of ballplayers who are also fun to hang out with.  We finished the season in third place.  We are looking forward to the restart of softball season next March.



 

Bob, Leon, Brian, Eric, Dino, Brett, Paula, Shamaine, Lara, Cassie, Kathleen, Joy (top-bottom, left-right).

 



 

Relaxing after a game and talking about the season.

 



 

Girl power on the team.