Saturday, June 1, 2013

Thanks to All Our Heroic Service Men and Women...

I'm a little late, but, let's face it, we should be remembering our fallen heros and those still fighting for our country all year round!

We went to the cemetery a day early this year.  They have put in roads between the graves so that you can drive up to them and that's not an option during the Memorial Day Service with the crowds.  Walking to the two far ends of the cemetery is just too hard on Gram these days, so, the roads are a welcome alternative.

This year was a little different though.  We got cornered by reporters.  Below is the picture on the FRONT PAGE of the Anchorage Daily News on Memorial Day this year...does that handsome man look familiar? ;o)  Shawnie was on the NBC news that night as well!!

Here's the text below the picture:
Owen, 6, carries a bouquet of flowers to be placed at one of his "great grandpa's" headstones at Fort Richardson National Cemetery on Sunday, May 26, 2013. He is walking up to the resting place of U.S. Army Lt. Col. Leslie who was killed by shrapnel while serving during the Vietnam war in 1968. Laster also visited the site of Staff Sgt. George who served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. BILL ROTH

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2013/05/27/2889820/best-of-may-2013.html#storylink=cpy

Some people might think it's weird to take pics in front of headstones, but, it's all we've got left of my grandfathers and I like to think we are there to celebrate not mourn.  It's also important to me that the kids know the heroic legacy their great-grandfather's left them...of course, these two men aren't the only heros in our family!!  The kids have quite a few service men and women on both sides.  Thanks to all of you for standing up for our country, we love you!

Olivia of course, saw it as an opportunity for a stroll.  She hardly crawls at all as of last Sunday, she's finally realized the benefits (mostly to the one leg she drags along as she "crawls") of walking!  Her mother's back couldn't be more thankful!!

Mom and Will bought Olivia this chair so she wouldn't have to fight her brother for his.  I thought it was silly because he's almost too big for it anyway.  But, you can't imagine how pleased this kid is to have things "just like her brother".  She often sits in her chair and then points to his so he'll sit next to her!
Here she is telling him a secret...he's not mad, just serious while he watches a movie...he knows how to tune her out already!

It has been SO hot here the past week...as high as 79!!!  Fortunately, Dave got a swing just for Olivia and had it ready to go by the time it got hot.  Olivia LOVES it!  Ironic since she hates the one in the house!!  Mostly messing with my camera, but, thought she was cute...note the glasses...you can't imagine the fit she had when I first starting putting these on her.  Then, we came back outside without them and she flipped!  Now she can't be out in the sun without them...kind of a diva I'd say!!



Thankfully, I had just bought these shorts for her because I couldn't resist, not because I thought she'd need them.  If her legs weren't so chunky, they wouldn't ride up and would look much cuter!  But, thought she looked adorable anyway.  Don't pay attention to the bottle...she's now working on teeth 9-16.  Theres some days she just can't chew and I figure whatever makes her happy for now.  We only have 4 more teeth to go and she'll have them ALL!!!  I wish we could have spread this out a little though...I can't wait to sleep through the night again, she's really breaking me!


The other day I apparently didn't get her hair dried completely before bed.  When she woke-up, she had this cute little mohawk.  I didn't think much of it and we ran some errands in Eagle River.  You can't imagine the comments we got!!  She has so little hair, I didn't think it was even obvious...guess I was wrong!


These aren't especially good photos, just thought she was cute.

She wanted in the back of the pick-up yesterday when we got home.  Thought it made for perfect lighting...maybe we'll do our "photo shoots" here next time!