Climbing Stairs {favorite friday}

[October 2010 - Salt Lake City, Utah]

It's crazy to look through at 'where we've been' and think about 'where we're going' ...there's so much more ahead for us.  I can't wait to start sharing the 'ahead' highlights with you all.  In due time!

Happy Friday!!! Summer's almost over - enjoy it!!!
- Jess

Little Chapel of the Flowers {mobile monday}

This is the chapel we were married in sixteen years ago.  We were passing through a couple of weeks ago so we stopped by to snap a couple of pics with the iphone.  

- Jess

Farewells + Reunions {favorite friday}

[Summer 2008 - England]

We're elated to hear that some of our dearest friends will be moving here this coming fall.  It's been too long, and we have missed them dearly.  This picture was taken at their farewell barbeque six years ago... my, how everyone has grown!!!

xo - Jess

Nerds {favorite friday}

[October 2011]

Love this girl of mine.  She's SO nerdy, she's got an extra pair of frames in her overalls, lol!

In Honor of Mother's Day {favorite friday}

[Utah - 2010]

My cheeky monkeys with my mom

Timpanogos Caves {favorite friday}

[July 2009]

I just cannot believe my eyes when I look at photographs taken the summer we moved back to the US.  They seem SO little compared to where they are now - this teenage stage of their lives.  Craziness!

xo - Jess

No One's Awesomer {favorite friday}

This was written on the wall of the garage for quite awhile before we started a super hero mural on it.  I would have to agree - my kids have a pretty awesome dad.

- Jess

Mom's Bathroom Sink {favorite friday}

[Utah 2000]

Rewind 13.25 years... Freckle Face's favorite place to hang out while mom got something worth doing accomplished.  Washcloths, running water, knobs, mouth rinse cups, toothbrushes and a mirror are all a nine-month old needs to keep herself entertained.

Doll On A Music Box {favorite friday}

[England 2007]

This was a six-year-old Bug, preparing for her very first on-stage performance as the "Doll On A Music Box" from the Disney classic "Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang".  The dress was a gift from one of Military Man's TDY's to Germany.  The performance was for the Thetford Ward Talent Show.  The stage props rocked, with a decorated music box complete with a large turn key and a doll that became "animated" and actually spun around like a real music box doll.  In the words of Bug herself, "it was EPIC!"  This week, seven and a half years later, she's preparing for her first pageant with a schedule full of mock interviews, pageant prep classes and review boards.  Busy, busy.  We are so proud of her - she's an incredible young lady and we can't wait to see what other amazing opportunities will come her way in the future.

Happy Friday!!
- Jess

Many Welcomes Home {favorite friday}

[England 2009]

Five years ago this week Military Man was on his way home from a deployment in Iraq.

Hiking in Turkey {favorite friday}

[Marmaris, Turkey 2008]

Celebrating our ten year wedding anniversary in the Mediterranean.

Goin' For A Ride {favorite friday}

[New Mexico, 2004]

Today's {favorite friday} image is a snap shot of the kids at ages 4,3+1, navigating Freckle Face's Barbie Jeep through the rough terrain along the edge of Cannon AFB golf course which was just outside our back yard gate.  This was one of their favorite daily activities.

Buggy's Wool Hat {favorite friday}

[Scotland 2009] just LOVE this picture of my little Bug. 

This girl has many exciting things coming up over the next few months.  Some of her biggest mentionables include being invited to perform with the high school orchestra, the Miss Pre-teen Arizona Pageant, and her first year at girls' camp with the Young Women... just to name a few. 

Four Years {favorite friday}

Yes it's been too long! ...I've decided to bring back {favorite friday} posts in an effort to keep me "doing" -  so today's feature is from four years ago this week, Copper was a six month old sweet and playful puppy.  On this particular morning he'd been out for an early morning walk with the kids and I when he was attacked by a lose pit bull.  The experience was, I'm sure, more traumatic for the kids than for him as he bounced back quickly and there was no permanent damage - thankfully! 

Today's Copper is still much the same - adorable and joyous - and such a blessing to have counted as one of our family.

You can see more {favorite friday} posts here.  I'm sure most of the good ones were deleted when I redesigned the blog in 2012... but I guess I can start building the stock pile back up again. 

Happy Friday!
- Jess

Polynesian Cultural Center

Another great place to visit on Oahu - the Polynesian Cultural Center.  Maori warriors, Samoan coconut tree climbers, Ali'i Luau singers, Tahitian dancers, Tongan drummers - couldn't get it all in, but here's some of my favorites.  See more fantastic images and information on the PCC website HERE.

XOXO - Jessica

Old Friends, New Friends

 

Our last evening on vacation we met up with some friends we grew up with and reintroduced our kids to one another.  They all met when they were just toddlers, but barely remember each other.  We loaded up and went to Chubby's Diner and miniature golfing at Trafalga.  I tried to gather the kids together for a photo while the dads were making wagers on their golf game... but it was a bit of a handful.

New Mexico and Colorado

Our next stop was Clovis, New Mexico.  The above image is where our house used to be when we lived there ten years ago.   We were so tired from driving for hours, but we made it a point to stop and photograph some of the places that we have fond memories of.  Our first duty station, the Chinese buffet we frequented, Monkey Boy's birthplace, our old "muddin" grounds, and of course - perfect for this time of year - tornado season storms brewing in the skies.  Love it!!! 

Had to do a "drive by" photo of the Flying C Ranch... where we spent many, many hours stranded one chilly  February.  It was an adventure our family will never forget!  And hit up a couple of historical, iconic Route 66 spots along our way from New Mexico to Colorado.

We came across many wildfires raging across Colorado and Utah  ...just awful!

Traveling Through Texas

After Military Man's NCO Academy graduation in San Antonio, he and I took a four day road trip traveling through Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah.  Our first stop was Abilene where visited our dear friends that just moved there from Alaska.  Ten years ago our husbands met at boot camp, then became buddies at tech school, and we ended up being assigned at our first base together.  We spent three awesome years together there.   It was great seeing them again and meeting their new little family :)

Warwick Castle Project

Glue, cardboard, empty paper towel rolls, toothpicks, scissors, molding clay, pens, markers, papers, mounting tape... this is a quick list of items that were scattered around our living room for the better of two weeks.  Freckle Face worked diligently on her 6th grade castle project for social studies, choosing to replicate Warwick Castle in England.  We visited the castle several times while living there and she was eager to display everything she remembered about it. 

After talking to the kids we found that they each have fond memories of taking grandparents on specially guided tours - by the kids themselves - it was one of their favorite parts about living in the U.K.... the castles. 

Pima Air & Space Museum and the "Bone Yard"

Last week we visited the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson.  Arizona's climate is perfect for storing aircraft because of the low, low humidity.  We drive past the museum and storage yard all the time - almost daily for the last two and a half years... so we decided it was finally time to check it out.

I don't know much about aircraft, or the history of aviation... so I don't know what's cool and what's not.  I just chose these pictures to share for variety - I have a ton more that I'm sure my man would love to educate me about.

My favorite part is AMARG or the "bone yard" where the aircraft are kept in different stages of storage.  Many of the aircraft there can be reinstated and ready to go if needed.  Some of the airplanes are being stored there until sold to other countries.  And the rest are either being kept for parts or are slowly being scrapped and destroyed. 

The USAF is in control over this part of the tour.  I was disappointed about the bus ride because I naively thought we could just hop in some golf carts or something and be able to get up close or at least be able to take photographs NOT through a dirty window glare.  Oh well, it was still very cool!