"Swim Like A Fish"

Ben loves to play in the pool, but had a problem swallowing water. He would later throw it up, thus closing the pool for cleaning. We decided that it was time for swimming lessons. Rob told the instructor that Ben just can't keep his mouth closed... he smiles all the way to the bottom! He learned how to blow bubbles with his face in the water, hold on to a float tube and kick his feet, and how to float on his back. He's a regular fish... too bad the bathtub is too small!

Merry Christmas! 2007

We spent Christmas in Washington this year. Ben was concerned about Santa finding us down there, so we made sure to write Santa a letter. We left out milk and cookies by Grandma T's fireplace, and sure enough, Santa came through! Ben got the red snowmachine that he had asked for and even a DVD of Meet the Robinson's since he had been especially good this year! We ate pizza on Christmas Eve at Aunt Terry's, had Christmas dinner at Cousin Tiffany's and had New Year's Dinner at Aunt Cathy's. It was great getting to see and play with so many friends and family members.

Hugs for Dwight!

We screamed and yelled and waved frantically! I don't know who was more excited to see him, the adults, or the three little boys who eagerly waited for him to climb the steps so they could hug him!

Here they come!

After a flight delay and then waiting for over an hour, the moment finally arrived. The doors opened and they started filing in one at a time. You could only imagine how hard it must have been for family members to have to hold back and not go rushing up to greet them. It was only after the official ceremonies were over that the soldiers were released to reunite with their loved ones.

A Soldier's Homecoming

On November 11, 2007, the long awaited day arrived. Our dear friend, Dwight Martin, was coming home from his fourteen month deployment in Iraq. One little boy was especially excited. His nightly prayer was for God to keep Dwight safe and bring him home soon. God heard that little voice and answered his prayer, and what a joyful reunion it was!

The anticipation was high, as we made the welcome home signs, and drove the icy highway to Fort Richardson to witness the arrival of 371 soldiers returning home. It was truly an experience never to be forgotten!

The Beach at Ocean Shores, WA

The beaches around Anchorage have very dangerous mud flats. If you want to go beach combing or looking for treasures, you have to go to Seward or Homer. Ben really looked forward to going to a real sandy beach, complete with seashells with his cousin, Daisha. They had a blast running from the incoming water, digging in the sand, and looking for sand dollars!

Port Angeles, WA

Uncle Steve and Aunt Kitty invited us over to their beautiful new home for dinner. We feasted on salmon, halibut, shrimp and fabulous desserts...yum! Ben introduce Uncle Steve to his hero Lightning McQueen from the Disney movie, Cars. We even managed to make it to the end of the movie before a few wrestling and tickling sessions ensued involving Uncle Tim, Uncle Steve and Cousin Cody!