A Collection of Happy Days: September 2017

Somehow, we all ended up in the same bed by morning...

Hoarding shoes. He loves shoes! He'll put on any in his reach and walk all over the house in them, as proud as can be.

Being pulled around the living room. These sweet cousins will do anything to make him happy!

Logan and Alyssa saved up their money and bought a giant teddy bear! Wilson and Kayla also reaped the benefits since we lived there for about 2&1/2 months. Lol.

So after Jacob graduated, he had one more week of basic training... 2 days before he was supposed to be done and get his phone back, my car broke down. I had all 4 kids in the truck, we were driving down I20, and it just stopped accelerating. Luckily I was near where a lane ended when I pulled to the side of the interstate... so it was little less scary for the kids being stuck on the side of the road. I was hoping I could pull over and turn the truck off and back on and we'd be good. Nope. Would not even turn over. We had been following my sister, so she turned around to help with the kids, while we waited for her husband and father inlaw to come and help with the truck. She ended up taking the kids home, and we managed to pull the truck to the next exit. Thankfully my insurance covered a tow from there. The next day, Sunday, 1 more day until Jacob was supposed to get his phone back and head to tech school, I got a message from him. He was able to get on a computer during a base pass and message me back and forth for a little bit. (he wasn't able to do that during basic training, but he was during airmen's week... if that makes any sense. Lol.) So I'm sitting in Sunday school and I get a FB message from him. Commence freaking out inside!! So I'm trying to tell him the bad news about the truck... and he has bad news for me. During basic he had gone to med hold because of issues with his knee. He was down a week, and it's truly a miracle his graduation didn't get pushed back. All I've heard are horror stories about med hold, and being stuck for weeks (it's still basic training so you have no contact except snail mail) and even worse being sent home and not graduating. Another one of those ways that I saw God's hands in our lives through all of this to reassure me that this was the right path for our family. Anyways... that was like the 3rd week of basic and on Friday on his 8th and final week, late in the afternoon when everyone is leaving for the weekend, Jacob finds out that there was a mess up with the paperwork. Even though he had been cleared by week 4 or so... in the system it showed him on the do not ship list. So he would be stuck in basic training for at least another week. Kind of the worst news I could get after being separated from my husband for 2 months and now my car breaking down, and having no idea whats going on, no way of talking to my mechanic (also my husband)... Ugh, it felt like the worst news possible...

Church is hard with small kids sometimes...

They sure are cute though!!

Me trying not to loose it and also trying to get a quick group pic to send to Jacob before he has to sign off. It was like a 10 minute conversation of bad news. That was a really rough week for my mentality...

Chilling with Teddy

Not sure why she was outside, and he wasn't... But I know he did not like it! Haha.

He thinks it's hilarious to have his socks on his hands. He was walking around like that and sat down on the upside down stool. He ended up getting mad because he couldn't get up. Lol.

Wilson was a big fan of Teddy!

I love pictures like this. Pretty sure I have quite a few similar ones already. Haha.

Must sit in all things!

It makes me so happy when she eats all of her food happily! The meal time struggle is real!!

Jacob ended up getting to call me the next Friday. Thankfully everything was resolved and he'd be headed to his tech school on Monday morning!! Hallelujah!!! He ended up having the type of engine he was supposed to work on change because of this. Which he was sad about because he originally had exactly what he wanted... but he was ok with it at the same time. That change also meant less time in tech school, which we all were happy with. Lol. And he'd still be turning wrenches, and in the long run it probably wouldn't matter. Seriously, again with it all working out in the end. I can not deny that I know Heavenly Father has a plan for myself and my family. It gets crazy and stressful sometimes, but it truly does all work out and for the better when it goes His way and not necessarily the way I or we thought it should be! It was SO SO good to just talk with my husband for about an hour that morning!

Cheese!

Sweet, sleepy baby <3

I love when they're sweet to one another... I wish it were as often as my pictures make it seem ;P

My sister's family went down to Houston to help with hurricane relief one weekend. I was doing laundry before they got home (I figured after mucking houses they'd have a few things to wash) and heard something, but didn't think much of it. Turns out the detergent fell. Fun! She came home to a clean floor though!

When they went down to Houston, they picked up Jacob's truck (from my grandpa) from my parent's house, so that eventually he could have a car again. (He had to phase up in tech school before he could drive)

Monday morning, Jacob is headed to Sheppard AFB. So close, yet so far!!

Enjoying the nice weather before it got too cold. (But seriously, it got cold in Dallas fast. It's crazy how different the temperature a few hours south is)

She got a little wet playing, but then a little boy sprayed her and she was soaking. Neither of us were very happy about that. So we called it quits and went shopping. Lol.

It worked out though because I bought her a new dress. Lol.

I'm gonna get really real for a minute. I thought it would be so amazing and everything is awesome when he got his phone back. And it was! ...don't get me wrong, but life still happens. And he was actually really busy. And I'm an over analyzer and he doesn't feel the need to share his thoughts and feelings like I do. Crazy, right!? ;P Some nights were really rough! But this guy is amazing. And he puts up with a whole lot of crap from me. I am so grateful for him and his love!!! Also, Kayla is so sensitive to me being sensitive. Lol. It's adorable and exactly what I need sometimes and I never want to forget moments like that... even if includes me having a breakdown over nothing and her having to comfort me because Jacob isn't around. Ya win some, ya lose some!

Logan and Alyssa enjoyed having the truck around for a little while!

Who doesn't love a trip to chickfila?!

My sister snapped this one afternoon. Kayla and I were doing the exact same thing... except she was on the iPad and I was reading a book. Too funny!

Like 2 something AM and he's wide awake. He would just scream and scream if I tried to lay him down. Fun stuff... I was also trying to switch him over to real milk and off of formula, and that may have been part of the problem. Glad we're past that now. Although he still wakes up in the middle of the night once or twice a week... he normally will cuddle in bed with me and fall back asleep.

We had been working on potty training on and off all summer. A good combination of her probably not being quite ready and me getting frustrated, so we'd stop and try again after a few days or so. She finally had been wearing big girl panties and no diapers during the day, plus no accidents, for about a week. So she got a special present. She loves that doll!

That cute face!!!

Made it to Wichita Falls to finally see Daddy!!!

They were big fans of the cart. Lol. Especially Wilson! He'd scream when I'd take him off.

Those first few visits were kind of hard. Jacob still had a lot of restrictions until he phased up. He couldn't be in a vehicle, he had to stay on base, he had to be in uniform at all times, he had to stay in the dorm, he had curfews... to name a few ;P The soonest he could phase up was after 30 days of being there. Well there was a little miscommunication and confusion with that extra week he was stuck at Lackland, so he didn't go to the right briefings or get the paper work done to phase up that soon. It was probably about 6 weeks when he finally phased up.

So there wasn't a ton to do when we'd visit him, but we really were just happy to be with him!

^^Here's getting Wilson to sleep by walking all over base, and Kayla enjoying some of our limited food options. Haha.

We got real acquainted with a family room inside one of the buildings. It was one of the only things for the kids to be able to do while we were stuck on base.

We even got Kayla to fall asleep on one of the walks. haha.

Ugh. The biting... They both do it. She leaves marks for days though...

Back at the family room for nap time. Lol.

Goodbyes are always hard. So grateful for FaceTime and texting though!!!

She was out within a few minutes of driving away. (And I became all too familiar with the drive between my sister's house and Wichita Falls, TX)

Kayla enjoys wearing other peoples shoes too. Lol.

Putting my baby to bed the night before he turns 1!!

Logan and Alyssa are the sweetest!! They made cards for Wilson's birthday!

We seriously love this boy!!!!

Shared some cupcakes with cousins during their lunch

We really enjoyed getting to spend so much time with them over these few months.

Daddy facetimeing (is that a word?) in on singing happy birthday!

And the next day was mine and Jacob's anniversary. 4 years! Kinda sucked being apart. He still managed to get me flowers though ;P Poor guy can never surprise me though... I may have seen the charge on the card the night before... I still loved it though!!! And I love him more!!

One of Wilson's presents came a day late. I think he enjoyed the box more. Kayla liked the present though. Haha.

This was my anniversary dinner. Lol. Too bad Jacob couldn't join! ;P

Watching soccer practice

Missy watched the kids outside the temple one day so I could go to a session. Kayla wasn't sure about me going in the temple though. Haha. Apparently they went inside for a bathroom break and she was calling for me. Lol!

I love that sweetie!!

We thought we'd have Jacob's parents come up and help take our truck to College Station so that Mike at Meineke could work on it for us. When Uhaul says they don't recommend towing that vehicle, its turns out it's because it literally doesn't fit on the car hauler. We found out the hard way... Jacob searched around and found a shop near my sister's house that he was willing to let do the work. There was no way he'd be able to do it himself, and we weren't going to pay to get it towed to CS. We were able to get it towed for free to this local place with our insurance though. I can't even tell you what ended up being wrong, you'll have to ask Jacob. That's his department and not mine. Lol. After about 3 weeks since it initially broke down, I finally got my truck back though!

We got to spend another week at Grandma and Papa McConnell's house though. Look at that smoothie face! She is not disappointed!

Wilson bit me during church... Not so fun at the moment. It's a really good think he's got cuteness going for him ;P

Facetime shenanigans. Lol.

Cuddles <3

He looks so cute drinking from such a big cup! I love him!

I love her and her imagination!

She was talking about going potty and sitting on the potty in the book. I was dying from laughing!! Lol.

This girl has been eyeing these shoes since she first saw them. Every time we go to target, if she sees them, she HAS to try them on. (Lucky for her, Grandma Ruske ended up buying them for her in December. And now we get to have fights over when it's appropriate to wear princess heels and when it's not...)