Here goes nothing...

Addison has decided (with our help) that it is now time to "begin" potty-training. I say "begin" because it seems as if it will be a LONG process! A few weeks ago, she began pointing at her diaper when she went to the bathroom, and as she learns more words, she is now able to tell us "pee-pee" and "poo-poo". Crazy, huh? Somehow, when I thought of kids, I never really thought about having to potty train them! So, me being the nerd that I am...went out and got a book to tell me what to do! So, we are not forcing anything. She does like wearing her "big girl panties", and that absolutely cracks us up! She is an absolute hoot...and all she wants to do is walk around with nothing else on! Hilarious. Just as a small warning...good luck to my friends with their upcoming attempts at potty-training! You'll need it! (Yep...I'm talking about you!) Here's the naked lady in action.

This is what happens when you tell a 20 month old to pose for the camera...

...and this, too.

Our attempt at "Going Green"

Well, we are attempting to go green in a few areas of our lives, seeing that Addison will be dealing with the consequences of our actions! Our first attempt is to use less gas...(which also has to do with the RIDICULOUS gas prices) I'm going to try to do some of our on-post errands on the bike, with the exception of the commissary because that would be crazy! We got a little carrier for Addie to attach to the back, and she loves riding in it. Plus...we could all use a little exercise, huh? So, here's our "green girl"...

Apparently she thinks there should be a cup holder...

We are also converting all of our cleaning supplies to an environmentally friendly product...

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

And, aside from using the energy smart light bulbs, not drinking bottled water, and using reusable cloth bags at the grocery store...we haven't ventured any further.

Operation Mend and UCLA

The family headed out to Los Angeles on April 13th for Jae's first surgery with Operation Mend. We were housed on the UCLA campus at the Tiverton House for 9 days while Jae had reconstructive plastic surgery on his face and mouth. He had surgery on Tuesday, and was already back out and about Wednesday afternoon playing the role of the typical tourist.

The surgery went better than Dr. Miller expected, although, we will be heading back out to UCLA at least once more for some fine tuning. Jae continues to work super hard at physical therapy every day. I've attached a link to a video describing the program and it's first servicemember they treated.

http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=730


http://blip.tv/file/409686


As you can see, there are some amazing people out there, and we cannot thank these indviduals enough. They are literally CHANGING people's lives. Thank you Mr. Katz, Dr. Miller, and everyone involved.

We were able to see some of the most famous sites in Los Angeles while we were out there...thanks to our amazing sponsor family, the Simons. We got to see the infamous Hollywood sign, the Kodak Theatre (where they hold the Oscars), Muscle Beach at Venice Beach, Malibu, Rodeo Drive, Santa Monica, and the list goes on. We had a lot of fun...

The "Pretty Woman" Hotel

We also got to visit the Getty Musuem, which is nestled into the top of a mountain overlooking Los Angeles. The view was absolutely amazing! Addison got to play in the Family Room, where there were a handful of things that she could play with relating to art at the museum.

Addie LOVES the "wa-wa"

We just kept saying..."How can there be such beautiful mountains, beautiful beaches, and a fun city...all within 20 minutes of eachother?"

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear!

Addison spent a little while rebuilding some architecture...

And finished off the afternoon in a comfy antique bed with the spanish version of "Goodnight Moon"!

Well, we did it...we bought our FIRST house!!!

Back in March, we stopped in Huntsville, Alabama on our way home from a friend's wedding. Jae wanted to touch base with the guys that he will be working with, so we decided to make the most of the trip and get a feel for the school in the area, and just meet with our realtor, and check out a few neighborhoods. Needless to say, all the prior worrying was for nothing...we found a GREAT neighborhood the first day! It is called Cobblestone Cove, in the Hampton Cove area. Everything started falling into place...we were pre-approved for the loan, we found the exact layout we wanted, and looked at other houses in the neighborhood. There are already 13 other families in the neighborhood with children Addison's age!!! It really seemed too good to be true...everything we wanted!!!

So, needless to say, we needed a little bit of time to think about it...a few days to "try it on" (as Jae's mom would say). The next week, Sierra flew back out to Huntsville, and put a contract on the house. She was able to pick EVERYTHING in the house, from paint, to trim, to brick...the whole nine yards. The house is set to close on October 17th. We are SOOO excited! There is not a day that goes by that we don't talk about how excited and ready we are to head to Alabama.
Here are a few pictures...

The tile backsplash, granite, and cabinet colors in the kitchen (sorry it's sideways)

This is another house with the same layout as our kitchen (just reversed).

From the breakfast area, looking over into the den (in a similar house)

This is the front of what our house will look like (different brick, and reversed.)

The lot we bought...home sweet home at 3113 Mossy Oak!!!

Hangin out with our buddies...

Well...before we left for UCLA, Addison attended her first friend's birthday party! She had a blast, bouncing in the inflatable playground, helping the magician, blowing bubbles, and most of all...collecting her own little bag of candy from the pinata! Honestly, there was so much to do...she didn't know where to start. She was in sensory overload.

Jae and I had a lot of fun, watching Addison play and interact (and we got to have a few adult conversations with people other than eachother!) Funny how life changes...parties used to consist of much different activities...and the more we experience, the more we are realizing...THIS is the best kind of party!

Here are a few pictures from the "fiesta"...

Sierra & Addison

Jae & Addison

Helping the magician to blow GIANT bubbles

Just making sure there isn't a hole in the bag...

Bye, Trey-Trey...Happy 3rd Birthday!