That Thing You Do

Alternately called: The Crazy Things My Kids Seem To Do

Some days I feel like I need a tag team partner! Slap a hand and step out of the ring for a little bit. Today would be one of those days. I think the kiddos conspired to make today a long one for me. Nothing really went 'right'. Except for them sleeping until 8:30am. And now that I think about it my day could have been even longer had they gotten up at 7am like they usually do. Hallelujah today was a good day!

And about it not being 'right'. Sarah started the day with a snotty nose. She has been cranky the last few. This can only mean one thing: teeth!! I pray it isn't molars. Not yet! She was very clingy and cried when anything was taken from her. First it was a toy of Christian's. He snatched it away and the waterworks started. Then it was a pen that I took away for fear that she would somehow manage to fall into it and gouge out an eyeball. Then it was my phone. Then it was a toothbrush that she managed to gag herself on twice.

I was on the phone with Matt during one of her 'moments' and he asked if she was being a priss. I said, "A priss? Try princess! This girl is going to fight for what she wants!!" The little woman seriously doesn't back down that easy. I think she gets her stubbornness from her mother father.

And the boy... Oh, the boy. For not even being three he is quite agile and quick. He is very good at throwing, kicking, running, jumping, rolling, etc. Seems to have a knack for the athletics. Wouldn't have guessed that today!!! The boy fell off so many pieces of furniture. Twice off the large recliner. Few times off of the plastic box that holds wrapping paper. Then off the back of the couch! He has a nice one inch bruise on his cheek from his face hitting the window sill. He even tried to use his firetruck as a skateboard and completely wiped out on the kitchen floor.

As far as what the kiddos have been doing development wise:
Christian is still learning new words. He still can't say most of them correctly, as in not completing the whole word or saying it backwards, but he can usually get the point across. He knows the names of his favorite cartoons. He asks for Wubbzy first, then Diego, then Dora and Boots. He even talks along with them! :) I'm glad he likes them.

Sarah can now walk while holding onto our hands. She wants to do it on her tiptoes and go really fast so I'm trying to get her to slow down and concentrate. She also talks/babbles a lot, loves to look outside the window with the dogs and Christian, loves food, loves flipping through books to 'read', dances, blows kisses, says 'uh-oh' a million times a day, helps pick up toys, loves to play in the water, loves her brother, and is just an absolute joy to be around (except today....). ha!

Well, in non kid related news we have news! Matt picked up the keys and signed for our house today!!!!!!!! But the bad news is that it isn't the floor plan OR the house originally posted here. It is the next house down! hahahaha Oh, well. I was bummed at first but after seeing videos from Matt I'm super excited!

Here is a video of the kitchen/dining area as well as a quick glimpse of 'upstairs'. Makes for an interesting layout but we already know where our things are going. Will be exciting to take 'after' pictures. Yay!!


So that is all for now. Not sure how many times I'll get on and post this week since it's Thanksgiving and all. But once we get internet up at the new house I'll be back on to upload the millions of pictures I have. Ta ta!

Black Friday Awaits

Dear Kohl's And Sears;

I will be seeing you at 4am. I pray my turkey induced slumber will not keep me from your glassy front doors.

Please be kind to me and my fellow shoppers. I promise not to cut in line, jab elbows, step on toes, spit in faces, pull ponytails, run people over, yell profanities, or go running widely down the aisle with my cart.

Oh, who am I kidding?! There will be no prisoners!!!!!!!

Almost Home!

According to the housing office up in Grand Forks we should be able to get the keys to the house sometime next weekend or the following week. So, before the original December 11 date. Hooray! Matt is coming down to Sioux Falls for Thanksgiving and will be taking us all up to go HOME with him! Ahh...that sounds wonderful. Home.

I have absolutely loved being here at my parents house but I'm...done. I want my own bed. My own closets. My own bathroom. My own pillows. My own kitchen with my awesome new pans. My own washer and dryer so that I can do cloth diapers. My own furniture. Rooms for the kids with their stuff inside. Ahh...that sounds wonderful. Home.

Once we get up there and get settled I have sooooooooooo many pictures to get up for you all to see. I know that I post some here and there on the blog but I seriously have so much more. I also have to scrap book like a crazy lady. I have to finish both books of Christian's and start both of Sarah's. Oy.

I have to look in my camera at all the pictures to see what we have been doing the last month or so. haha! I take a few with my phone since that always seems to be handy. Here is one of me making lefse the other day with Nancy and Marilyn (Matt's Mom and Grandma).


And one each of the kiddos!



I'll be typing my little fingers off in a few weeks getting up posts and pictures. Here are a few of the highlights that will be coming...
1) Fall festival at church on Halloween night
2) The Joy of Box Sliding
3) Sarah and Matt's joint birthday party
and
4) Moving Day (of course!)


All for now. I'm headed to bed!

testing

testing

--
~*Crystal Keefer*~

**okay so i can post from my email and from my phone to the blog!! Anybody know how I can post pictures from my phone?!?!?!

Note to self:

Make many appointments for the children when you are finally living in Grand Forks!

We are going to be B.U.S.Y.! Just the kids alone have SIX appointments. Wowza.

Sarah needs:
#1 Regular checkup for growth, etc.
#2 Her hips need to get x-rayed and checked to make sure they are OK.
#3 Her tear duct is STILL clogged and needs to be taken care of.

Christian needs:
#1 Regular checkup come his third birthday.
#2 Speech therapy needs to start ASAP!
#3 He has an extra tooth that might need to be pulled. Have to take him to the dentist to find out for sure.

THEN, both Matt and I need appointments! We both need a yearly checkup, I need to get to the dentist to have a filling checked because of piece of it chipped off, and Matt also needs a dental check. Then the one he is dreading...he needs to get his hearing checked.

What?
I said he needs to get his hearing checked!

Say it with me folks:

THANK GOODNESS FOR TRICARE!!!!!

Welcome to North Dakota!

I saw this sign for the first time this past weekend. I have once, very long ago, taken a very short drive into, and back out of, North Dakota when I was in college. A bunch of us went to someone's house in Lemmon, SD. Very small town with nothing to do. So we drove around a bit and one little road was my journey through North Dakota. Not very 'cool'.

But this last weekend I went up to North Dakota with intentions of seeing the base, meeting a few people, looking at our house, and figuring out if I liked the place. All events were a success!!!!

I took of from Sioux Falls Friday afternoon after I got the kids fed and into bed for naps. Grandpa Kent took over and I headed out. One straight drive North, and many constructions areas later, I made it to the base. Very small compared to Hickam, HI but it reminded me so much of Ellsworth, SD. I'm telling you, Grand Forks felt like night and day compared to the last three years we just lived. And I smile thinking about it. I kid you not, I was giddy on my drive up. I'm looking forward to living in a place that has lots of things to do in the summer. There are even camp grounds right on base!! There is also a horse stable (more on that later). The outdoor recreation center has so many boats to choose from for rent, along with camping gear and anything else you can think of to do in the Great Outdoors. Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself!

So as soon as I get up there we headed across the street from the motel Matt is staying in to JR Rockers. It's the Air Force restaurant. We went to the one on Hickam quite often. Good food and they have darts and pool!! Anyways, we went there to grab something to eat since we were starving and to meet some of the people that worked there. Matt has been busy chatting up the place since he moved. He has even gone hunting with a few of them. After we ate we just hung out in the hotel. We were tired.

Saturday started with some breakfast in bed for Matt. He said he rarely had breakfast so I figured I'd make him some. He enjoyed that. Then we went to Texas Roadhouse and met up with someone I had talked to online at one of my military websites. It's just a forum that I go to where many military wives/fiances/girlfriends go and support each other. It's a great place where I met MANY people in Hawaii. North Dakota does not have a huge demographic on the site (no brainer there???) but I did manage to talk with a few people from Grand Forks a while back about housing. So we decided to meet up and have lunch with B&J. (Hello if you are reading!!!!) It was a great time with some good conversation. We had quite a few things in common. I have a feeling we won't be strangers. :-)

Plus, B has a horse on base at the stables! Matt was actually a little excited and he wants to ride it. B said yes. :) I think Christian would love it as well even though he has only been on the little horses. Bigger can be better! It was just a great lunch and I'm glad we met them.

After lunch we both passed out. We were so tired from the night before. The walls are super thin and we heard everything. Nice place to live, not a nice place to sleep. haha After our naps we got prettied up to go to the karaoke night at JR Rockers. I did not sing. I cannot sing. I will not sing. End.Of.Story. Most of the people that sang did country. Matt was not impressed. I thought it was funny. Matt was getting annoyed by the songs so he actually went through the book of songs to find one to sing. But it was mostly country.... haha! So he put in a request for some crazy rock song for the next time they do karaoke.

Sunday was a gloomy day out. We tried to sleep in only to be woken up by the kids in the next suite...again. I made some breakfast for us. Nothing on base is open before noon on Sundays so there wasn't much to do. We cuddled and watched some tv. With how the day was looking we decided I better take off early. Good thing I did since it started raining the second I drove off the base. Was a semi-long drive home with the rain but I made it in good time. Got back in time to see the kids and put them to bed myself. I missed them. Matt misses them. Was a good weekend though. I love the area and am so glad that we have already made a few friends!

Here are a few pictures I took. Edited to add-I have NO idea why they are so small!!!

The drive up there. Done MANY times in my college days:


Our house!


Us:


The sunset on the drive back to Sioux Falls. SO pretty :)

testing