Friday, February 27, 2009

Niagara Falls Camping!!!

We have been talking about going camping this summer near Niagara Falls with some friends of ours. Well we (meaning Sarah) made our reservations TODAY!! I'm super pumped! So this June we will all meet up at a KOA camp ground which is only 7 miles to the falls. This will be our 1st time camping with the boys and it should be a BLAST. Okay lets define "camping" with Shell. We must do this in baby steps. Here is the description of our campsite "This rustic kabin sleeps 6 comfortably. Enjoy the view of the pond while swinging on the front porch. Restrooms/water nearby and electricity inside with a fire ring and BBQ at the kabin." So I'm using the word "camping" very loosely. But remember people baby steps. But I'm super excited to get into this whole camping thing. We are even going to start looking into tents so we can really get into it. It will be so much fun to spend time with our friends, and Tim just got back from Bahrain so we haven't seen him in FOREVER!! What makes this trip even better? Sarah and the kids will be following us back to NH to stay. The kids are all going to have so much fun being together again.

WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

All important UPDATES

Okay Okay I know I just posted about the septic issue but seriously wouldn't you rather hear about my cute boys instead. Yeah me too! Noah is getting so big. I swear I'm having to buy him bigger pants by the hour. He still loves his school and all his friends there but he can't wait for summer. He knows that school is out and he can stay home all day long. He is doing great in school and ready for kindergarten, but all day in school will be an adjustment for both of us. He only goes 3 days a week a few hours a day and he already tries to get out of it. Its pretty funny. He starts soccer in a few weeks and is super excited for that. He will be doing soccer and the Seacoast United Soccer Club. It seems like a really good place to learn and play. We are super excited. And he just loves his brother more and more each day. I know cheesy "Mom" thing to say. But its true. He has been helping tuck Bryce in at night and is just so protective of him. Now that Bryce is running around and more "on his own" in doing things, Noah is right there with him. He tells us "Mom its my job to keep him safe, and if kids push or hurt him its my job to stop them." Its so freaking cute! Just the other day he told me "Mom this baby is just growing up so fast, he is like a little kid now ready for school." Yes this from my 5 year old.

But I couldn't agree with Noah more. This baby grew up way too fast. Its like a mini Noah running around this house. He has his words all figured out and knows what they mean to. His sentences are coming together and has even gotten into some "story telling" like big bro. He just loves Noah to pieces and goes everywhere with him. While Noah is at school he walks around lost. Noah has to help him do everything and he has even stopped calling him brother. It's Noah Michael now. He is still a mommy's boy more then ever so preschool next year might not take place. Yes, can you believe he can start preschool next year!! Potty training isn't working out so well. As Bryce tells me "Oh yucky Mom, that's disgusting" But we are working on it.

So thats what the boys are up to these days. They are both on the couch having quite time, its almost story time then bedtime. As winter has gone on bedtime seems to get earlier and earlier. But its good they need sleep. Ben is doing night training tonight so we don't expect him till late. I think tomorrow we might head to the Boston Children's Museum before picking Dad up from ISC. Then a little family lunch in Boston might just be in order.

More Joys of living in New England

I'm telling you this place just gets better and better!!! LOL. It's funny cause as weird as everything is compared to the West Coast, I, we are actually not surprised by anything anymore. Could it be we are becoming New Englander's? Okay lets not push it everyone!!

We are out shopping one day and Ben talks me into buying a weight set for him. Still not sure how that happened but that man can talk me into anything. So we get it home and start taking it piece by piece to the basement. Well our 1st trip down we turn the corner and what do we find? WATER!! 3 different piles of water puddled along the one side of the basement. We start looking for the leak or wood that could be wet. After searching and searching we come up with nothing. We start the dishwasher again and sit and wait for the leak. Seriously, I sat on a chair in the basement (freezing) staring at the pipes waiting for water. We find the leak and all signs point to the pipes leaking. We clean it up and I try a plumber the next day. Got ahold of a real winner who was NO help at all, push it off till that night for Ben to deal with. Ben comes home, spends some time down there and realizes that some seals are coming loose. So he tightens them up, we clean the little bit of water that leaked that day and call it good. Now we are on day 3, head down in the AM no water, good sign right? Start some laundry, do the dishes and start the dishwasher. Run Noah to school, come home and head downstairs to run. CRAP!!!! There was sooo much water down there I was PISSED!!! Get on the phone with another plumber begging him to come out ASAP cause I was done. Super nice plumber guy (he rocked) tells me that he would love to come out but he would just be ripping me off and in good faith he couldn't do it. Proceeds to inform me that because its the drain pipes (which we knew) and we have a septic system it means it's our septic backing up into the pipes. FREAKING FANTASTIC! Get on the phone to the Septic people who kicked ass too, 30 minutes later they were knocking at my door. I will spare you all the lovely details but 2 1/2 trucks later they finished. In the mist of all this, the neighbors sold their house and were having theirs done at the same time. Just so happens that it was the son of the guy who was pumping/cleaning up ours. Then all the sudden I hear another rumble of a truck heading this way. And why wouldn't the propane guy come at the same time. So we had 4 different trucks all running different hoses and lines to the backyard and they all just happened to know each other. It was like a reunion in my backyard! As everyone loaded up they all handed my their little "tickets" of love and a wonderful smell for the afternoon. After getting Noah from school we didn't return for a few hours. Yes the smell was that bad!!

So the big joke that day was that Shell got another month of heat and is able to flush her toilet, do the dishes and clean clothes for her Birthday gift. THANKS HUNNY I knew you loved me!!! HAHA. But seriously, I miss the days when heat didn't need to be delivered to your house (and cost a small fortune) electricity didn't charge you to "deliver" it to your house and you didn't have to worry about a tank under your grass being too full and water not being able to drain out!!!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

More snow

A few days ago some more of that white stuff fell from the sky. I dont' think its never going to stop. I'm actually kinda afraid to admit it......but......I, Lashelle am actually starting to enjoy it. I guess now that my foot is out of the cast, I'm used to the bitter cold, adjusted to driving in it (Thanks Matt for letting me use your car for walmart) and it's either not as big of a pain in the ass as I made it or I'm just used to it, but bundling the boys up before getting in the car, stripping them down to buckle them and doing it all over again in whatever parking lot we may be in isn't so bad anymore. I'm just glad I have a big enough car to fit all that winter stuff. And even Bryce has come around. He loves playing in the snow now and being bundled up. Him and Noah have been in a 2 day snow ball fight, its super cute. He loves sledding down the driveway face 1st into the street, jumping on the piles of snow face 1st, shoving snow in his mouth and much more. Who would have thought? Sorry Amanda but you have lost your "curl up by the fire while everyone plays in the cold" buddy.

Monday, February 23, 2009

My mornings


Friday, February 20, 2009

Birthday
















Thanks to everyone for all the great Birthday wishes!!! We had a great day yesterday. Ben took the day off to spend it home with the boys and me. We pretty much did nothing, a few errands but thats it. Just hung out and played inside. It was great. Our friends came over for dinner and cake. Ashlyn knows me all too well and came with a bottle of Oregon wine in hand. THANKS ASHLYN!!! Im going to enjoy that tonight :). About 9pm we got some unexpected snow and it started really coming down. It was crazy. Good thing Ben had today off too so he was able to snow blow the driveways. And we have night time visitors coming around. The last few nights the dog has been going crazy at night and we really were not sure why. Well with the fresh snow this morning we woke up to fresh deer tracks all over. They came up on our back porch, walked all over the backyard came around to the front of the house where they stopped to peek in the window then headed off across the driveway to the woods. It was kinda cool. Im really hoping they come back tonight so I can sneak some pictures :)

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Pictures

For my Birthday I got a new camera!!!! I'm super excited and have wanted this camera forever, and Ben got it for me this year!!!! I got the Canon Digital Rebel XSi. SUPER EXCITED!!! I took the one out of my old camera and started playing around tonight. Of course the boys are already tired of Mom's new camera. Here are a few shots of the boys getting ready for bedtime tonight.




Funny story

Oh my gosh!! I forgot to tell everyone what Ben did this weekend. It was great at least for me cause it wasn't me who did it first. It really kinda sucks but you have to see the humor in it. Cause it was BEN who did it, not me. Just remember that. We are all loading up to get some lobster this weekend. I'm getting into Dena's car as Ben's backing out of the garage in the Tahoe. When all the sudden you hear this loud CRASH. I really wasn't sure what it was but thought nothing of it cause I knew Ben wouldn't have hit the Tahoe backing out. I mean I can't tell you how many lesson's I have gotten in pulling and backing this thing out. How it make it easier, how not to take out the grass, how not to hit the side of the house, I guess he didn't go over "how not to take out the side mirror on the garage" BLAH HAHHAAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Dena looks up and says "Oh No!" I look up to see my pasenger side mirror bent all the way back and the mirror is barley hanging on by a wire. Yes at 1st I was pissed and couldn't believe it then the irony of the whole thing hit me. Wait it gets better. Ben takes off the mirror to glue it back on until we replace it, well as he does that the mirror breaks into 2-3 pieces (i don't remember) so Ben has to drive to Newburyport with a busted up passenger side mirror that doesn't work. Boy am I ever glad that wasn't me. I have about 3 "OPPS" passes in the Tahoe for that now.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Bowling Pictures

Here are a few bowling pics. Yes I only have 1 of Noah, remember him and his friend were way to busy being "cool" boys. And just couldn't stand to have their picture taken.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Busy Busy Busy Weekend

What a fun filled weekend we had here. Friday night we meet Noah's buddy from school at the bowling alley. We were early so got a game in before they arrived. It was alot of fun and our 1st time Candle Stick bowling. It was really different at first but we enjoyed it. Bryce had so much fun and was totally into it. Noah and his friend were too busy being "cool" and didn't really get over excited about their game. You know how those grown up 5 year olds can be. It was pretty funny.

Saturday we spent most the day cleaning, doing some grocery shopping while waiting for the arrival of our friends from NYC. We were stationed with the Greiner's in Newport for about 4 years together. Dena and I were pregnant with our 1st together too (In case you wanted to know) Saturday we headed to Newburyport where it was just way too cold to get out of the truck so we bought some lobster and headed home. We had a Valentines Day Seafood menu. We had lobster, baked haddock, steamer clams and of course some wine and margaritas. IT WAS YUMMY!!!

Sunday we got up early and headed into Boston. Again it was freezing outside but this time we got out of the truck and walked around. We did the Freedom Trail and ended with the Boston Children's Museum. What a fun place that was. The kids had such a blast there! After Boston we drove clear up to Kittery for a little outlet shopping then back to Seabrook for dinner. WHEW, what a day.

Today they got up early and left before we even had to get Noah to school. Yeah Noah had school today. We had lots of fun being with them again and can't wait for our trip to NYC. It was really great to reminisce about old times and remember things we had forgotten. Like cucumbers and ranch! We spent the rest of the day hanging out and doing a little shopping. Ben's been in the market for a weight bench and weights so we finally picked him up some today. Good thing we did, as we were taking pieces to the basement to put together we realized that we have a water leak. Yep water leak you heard right. The one side of the basement had 3 really good size pools of water. PERFECT!! Ben figured out where the leak was coming from and thank God it hasn't done too much damage. We even got lucky that the toys that were in the water were water proof. Now its just a little matter of getting a hold of our Navy landlords who are underway on a submarine in Hawaii. EVEN BETTER!!!!!

Pictures to follow!!!!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

HEAVEN

Yes I am there!!!! We all know that Shell has a HUGE coffee addiction problem. And what has caused Shell to be grouchy and make her want to fly to Newport for the day? Yes her coffee!!!! Some days I swear I would do just about anything for my iced mint mocha from Kundalini's. ANYTHING!!! But I know longer have to dream. Tiffany sent me my creme de mint and ground coffee beans from Kundalini!!!!!!! HOW AWESOME IS SHE? As soon as I opened the box my kitchen smelt like the shop and I was in heaven. I miss it so much and the girls even more but I love that I can make it here now. How knows maybe I will start hook some AM clients of my own. haha

Monday, February 9, 2009

Over due Updates

Its been a week since my last post and sad to say I have nothing excited to write about. Life has gotten pretty day to day here in New England. I was going to say boring but how could it be boring with 2 boys and Ben? Last week Ben had a busy week at work and was home past 7 almost every night. Which cause a problem for Bryce cause he has been going to bed by 6:45pm. By Thursday he was missing his Daddy so he got to stay up till 7:30pm. I didn't realize until this weekend how much Bryce has grown since we have been here. I still see him as my little baby boy but he is so much more then that now. Noah is doing great, schools going good and he still likes the snow. He is still just as sweet as ever, last night before bed he told me I was the best Mommy ever and Dad was the best Dad and rule giver ever. How cute is this kid? I have been staying busy with the winter weather. I have started cooking new dishes for dinner every night. Ben is loving it and the boys are well......eating it :) I have also slowly started up running again. I am so afraid that I'm going to hurt my foot again so I'm taking it really slow. I am up to 2 miles a day and keep improving my time by a few minutes each day. I'm sure that will slow down soon. We are getting more and more excited for spring/summer to get here. We have so much we want to do. Niagara Falls with some friends, NYC, Vermont, visitors of our own and a few "maybes" in there too. I'm really looking forward to enjoying this summer without moving.

Well that's about all I have for now. The boys and I are off to pick out some paint for the boys room. My plan is to have it done before Ben gets home. My totally awesome friend just bought me a really cool tool to use for the edges, I'm super excited!! THANKS STACEY!!!!

Monday, February 2, 2009

A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!! What a GREAT end to a wonderful weekend. Please tell me you all watched that game. IT WAS AMAZING!! I was okay till the last 3 minutes. I'm not quite sure what a heart attack feels like but I'm pretty sure I had one. I wasn't about to give up hope and our boys pulled it out!!!! But it was kinda funny, my living room cleared real quick with people not sure what was going to happen. Both Ben and I froze and really were not sure what to do. The last 2 minutes had a lot of "oh shit" "GO BABY GO" and "DID HE CATCH IT" "WAS BOTH FEET IN?" Yes it was just crazy in this house. AZ played a really good game and we applaud them for all they have done this season. Of course we had people over and we had everything black and yellow. I didn't want to go too over board and jinx anything. I'm soooo excited for August and more football to come around. And the best part....Ben and I can say we saw the 2009 Superbowl Champs live that year!!! HOW FREAKING COOL!!!!

The rest of the weekend was great. Friday we hit up Target and I got a really cool little Dyson vacuum. Its like a dust buster on steroids. Its cool. Saturday we were up early and in Home Depot. We finally got these plastic things to cover the windows. Pain in the ass to do but lets hope it saves on these heating costs. GRRRR. After we spend the day looking for sunglasses for me and getting everything ready for Superbowl.

Today was a fun day too. It was actually 45 degrees outside. The boys and I were thinking of going to the beach but couldn't find our shorts. HAHA. I never thought 45 degrees would feel warm. And it's funny, the roofs around the neighborhood are still brown. The snow started to melt off some and you could see the brown, crazy!!! Still no grass yet but I'm convinced that it will take till June to melt off. Not much else going on this week, just hanging out staying warm. Tuesday will bring more snow for us and we just can't wait!!!!