Overheard

Wally: Hey, Chloe, what are you doing?
Chloe: I don't know.
Wally: Yes, you DO know.
Chloe: I'm drinkin' your Coke, Dad. Is that just fine?
Wally: Yeah, Chloe, that's just fine.

What a softie that Daddy is becoming!

Double Digits!

Our little 5 lb. 6 oz. baby girl has grown into a beautiful 10 year-old. Where has the time gone? Poor Kelsie spent her big double-digit birthday driving back home from Florida. We took her out for a special birthday dinner at Burger King in Shreveport, LA, where we let her pick anything from the menu! Don't feel too bad, she did get to go to Florida and celebrate her birthday (a little early) with Grandma and Papa Wallace and the Burtons. It was the first birthday spent with family in 3 years, so it was extra special. The next day was all about Kelsie. She opened presents, feasted on her favorite foods--steak, raspberries, salad, rice, and chocolate cheesecake. The following day she received lots of gifts in the mail and we celebrated again.

In honor of her 10th birthday, here are 10 things we love about Kelsie:

1. She is kind-hearted. She is always thinking of others and just spent some of her birthday money to buy Jackson a birthday present.


2. She's active. She played soccer for a couple of seasons and this year is giving volleyball a try. She wants to run a 5K with me this summer. Go Kelsie!


3. Kelsie is fun. She loves to play games, make up games (and the rules), tell jokes and make everybody laugh.


4. She is entertaining. Kelsie loves to write scripts, put on plays, and record them on video. Boy, will she love those DVDs in a few years!


5. Kelsie is creative. I'm not quite sure where she gets her creativity, because it's certainly not from me! She loves to draw, sketch fashion designs, sew clothes for her American Girl doll, and do anything crafty. She just took 2nd place in her school's "Tar Wars" campaign and will now be entering the state competition.


6. Kelsie is thoughtful. She often leaves little love notes around the house for me to find.


7. She is a good big sister! She is so nurturing and good with Jackson and Chloe. Wally and I feel like our investment is beginning to pay off and we look forward to the days when she can babysit!


8. Kelsie is a wonderful example. After having a particularly hard day at school, I found Kelsie in my office reading articles from "The Friend" magazine. She came home and prayed and opened the magazine to discover an article about the same issue she was facing.


9. Kelsie is beautiful, inside and out! When she was a baby, Wally's uncle made a comment about how beautiful her eyes were because they were filled with the light of Christ. That light still radiates from her.


10. She is a blessing to our family! We feel so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter. We are so proud of her!

C.O.W. (Congratulations on Winging!)

Why the acronym you ask? Because in February we were in Milton, FL (near Pensacola) staying at NAS Whiting Field at the BOQ to watch Taylor (the Sailor) get his wings! Taylor, we are so proud of you! This is quite the accomplishment and we are so grateful we got to share it with you. Here's a recap of our adventure with as much military lingo as I could insert:

Pre-Flight Plan

Thursday, February 4 17:00 hours

We got the good news that Taylor had finished all of his requirements and would be graduating February 12. Wally and I decide that we only live 750 miles away and that we will go to Florida for the winging. Kids are excited to be MIA from school for a couple of days.

Thursday, February 11 04:45 hours

Weather reports show that winter weather is heading toward the DFW Metroplex. We "detach" from Frisco with clear skies, sleepy kids, a dozen sandwiches, lots of snacks, juice boxes, caffeinated beverages, and movies to placate the troops for the 11 hour drive.

Thursday, February 11 05:00

Light snow falling in Plano. Roads are wet but not too bad.

Thursday, February 11 05:15

Heavy snow falling. Roads are slick and Wally's knuckles are white as he tries to grip the steering wheel and keep us from sliding on (or rather off) the overpasses. He's already concerned about us "not making good time."

Thursday, February 11 06:30

Finally get out of the heavy snow. Somewhere between Texas and Louisiana I take control of the cockpit so Wally can close his eyes. We decide this is the craziest thing we have ever done but that we are way past the point of no return. After making it to Shreveport, we stop at a gas station to stretch our legs, fill up the car, and use a filthy restroom. I teach Kelsie the fine art of making a t.p. toilet seat cover.

Thursday, February 11 16:30

Arrive in Milton, FL at the BOQ (Bachelor's and Officer's Quarters). We have driven for nearly 12 hours in the snow and rain. We've seen the swamps of Louisiana, crossed the Mississippi River, saluted the Confederate Flag (ha ha! But we really did see one flying!), saw a billboard advertising the abolition of slavery, and introduced the kids to the likes of Garth Brooks and Alabama. The kids are doing great and are excited that we actually departed and arrived on the same day (as opposed to driving to Utah!)

Thursday, February 11 17:30

Wally attends the PG-13 rated Soft Patch Ceremony (it is the Navy and Marines after all!). Kelsie, Jack, Chloe and I freshen up, stretch our legs, and rejoice that we made it and are out of the car. After watching movies for 11 hours we turn on the tv. Pretty sad, huh.

The Winging

Turns out the storm we drove in for 12 hours the day before wasn't finished. Pensacola was anticipating it's first snow in over 17 years and we were there to witness it! (Lucky us!) Due to the weather the winging was scheduled for 08:00 instead of 13:00. Following the winging, the base was closed to non-essential personnel, which made us a bit nervous since we were staying on base and we were most definitely non-essential! Luckily we were allowed to stay there despite our civilian status. Attending the winging was one of the coolest experiences! It started out with a video depicting the training that the "wingers" went through. Jackson was enthralled as he watched the jets and helos and especially the missiles. He is such a boy! I have to admit that I was secretly thinking "don't you get any ideas, Jackson. Being an accountant is an honorable and not very dangerous profession." I am such a mom! One by one each "winger" was called up on stage with their family. One family member (usually a spouse or parent) put the wings of gold on the winger's uniform. I was so impressed with how the entire family was recognized because it truly is a family effort. My sis-in-law, Sherrie, is AMAZING. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do what she does! As if the constant moving weren't enough to drive me insane, I think the worrying would do me in. She just handles everything in stride. What a gal!

What a memorable adventure! We got to see new places, experience new things, and spend time with family. What can be better than that?

Survival of the Unfit

It seemed like a great idea at the time. 12 weeks to train for a half marathon, beat the winter blues, and get "in shape". The only shape I'm in today is pathetic. I must admit that I seemed to have faired better than Wally who is currently a moaning lump in a chair bundled up in a blanket. (I can say these things because I know I can outrun...outlimp him today!)

It was all Wally's idea. I told my running buddies and somehow convinced them to join in the madness. At first it was actually fun, running together on Saturdays, adding mileage each week. The week we did 10 miles I felt GREAT! I felt so confident I even considered training for a full marathon. Reality hit me the week we did 12 miles. 12.3 to be exact. I fell apart and chalked it up to just a bad run. But today was d-day. Once again, I felt great at 10 miles and at 12 miles I fell apart. The last 1.1 miles was the toughest 1.1 miles I have ever run. It was cold and windy and uphill. That is correct--we live in Texas and it was cold (16 with the wind chill) and uphill. The last 0.1 mile was up a steep hill (how rude to put the finish line uphill!) and I really wanted to walk (actually what I really wanted was to stop!) but somehow I managed a slow trot to the end. Everyone says that adrenaline will carry you through to the end but they lie. What carries you through to the end is the desire to make the pain cease. We survived. It wasn't pretty, but we survived! 2 hours 12 minutes for me, 2 hours 13 minutes for Wally.

A Father's Love

Since Wally said that Chloe can't have a little sister, I guess he'll have to do. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider, Honey?

Surprise and Disappointment

If I were to compile a list of adjectives that describe me, the words "fun" and "spontaneous" would not be in the top 10....or 50. I occasionally feel sorry for my kids, since I'm just not really a fun mom. (Unlike my friend Danielle who took her kids ice blocking at the storm drain--where else can you find a hill in Texas?--with bicycle helmets on for safety!) Big sigh....I can't live up to that, but in an effort to be fun, we decided to take the kids on a surprise trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. On the day before Thanksgiving (half price Wednesday!), Wally and I told the kids that we needed to run some errands. Of course they wanted to know where we were going and so I started making things up...ummmm, "we need to go to Costco and Target," I told them. Upon hearing "Target" their little eyes lit up. We all LOVE Target except Wally who reminds me that I am shopping the competition and putting him out of a job. They ran to their piggy banks and pulled out some money. "Sweet!" I thought, now they can buy themselves a souvenir! We piled into the mini-van and started driving. After passing two Costos, Kelsie began to get suspicious. "Where are we going?" she demanded. "Hang on, we're almost there" we reassured her. And then the "Are we there yets?" started. At this point Wally and I were both starting to get a little edgy. The "we're almost theres" were replaced with "JUST WATCH THE MOVIE!" Good thing we were truly almost there. We started following the exit signs for the Fort Worth Zoo and Kelsie excitedly exclaimed "Jackson, we're going to the zoo!"


We had a wonderful time! The weather was perfect, the crowds were small, and the Fort Worth zoo is an amazing place. In the future, we'll plan on packing a lunch. Something about eating a burger at the zoo makes me feel uncomfortable... At the end of our trip we took the kids into a souvenir shop. They browsed for a minute but decided they would save their money for....Target. That's where the disppointment came in. As I explained that we're not really going to Target, I broke their sweet little hearts. Next time I feel like trying to be fun, we'll go to the dollar spot at Target.

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Wallace! We wish we could be there to celebrate with you. We love you!

Kelsie, Jackson, and Chloe