Wrapping Up

Ok. We survived the mild winter, the rather unimpressive blizzard of early March and terrible DC drivers.  Our days have been spent working at improving Audrey's walking, skiing the East Coast pow and hitting a few concerts.  Time here seems to be rapidly speeding forward as my PCS transfer closely looms on the horizon.  I have orders to Virginia Beach at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek which is ~ 3.5 hours from DC if the traffic is cooperative.  It always seems like some idiot has to wreck on I-95 S whenever we travel down to the area.  I have recently promoted to LTJG in the Navy so I am no longer residing the bottom of the totem pole.  The view just got a little better.

Audrey had her 3rd birthday and celebrated Bethesda style at the Playseum.  She invited five friends to partake in an assortment of themed rooms, cupcake creation and arts and crafts. Her favorite room was fishing pond (there was ice cream immediately adjacent). At home she opened up here 10,000 presents at now probably has more toys than I have ever owned in my life.  I guess being a single child has its perks!

Audrey assists felling the Griswold Xmas Tree

Replaced Audrey's crib with a firetruck bed to be more excited to sleep on time.  Complete failure.

Took two guy wires to keep this sucker from tipping over.

Snowshoe Ski Resort. All Audrey could talk about was snow angels, snowmen and snowballs.

A well defended fortress of snow and ice.

Audrey next to some strange animal.

It's snowing!

Shawna cruises the groomers.

Shawna, Becca and Dan at the top of the mountain.

This 16 yr old has a very cold thankless job. Thumbs up anyway!!

Just outside of Split Rock Pool.

Remaining hours of 2012.

Gabby and Audrey can probably operate an iPad better than you.

'Sup.

I have no idea.  Random chair in grass.

Audrey's B-day party with Geoffrey!

The fishin' bridge.

Audrey's catch of the minute.

Who needs story time when I have a pink Corvette.

Happy Birthday to me!  Audrey turns 3! Morgan, Violet, Millie, Geoffrey and Gabby prepare cupcakes and eat only the frosting.

Da loot.

Sickening cuteness.

Geoffrey's B-day party at the Fire Station in Damascus.

Best 3 yr old handwriting in the WORLD.

Geoffrey's Bday Pizza Bash.

Seabee Ball in Alexandria. Happy 71st B-day Seabees!

Shawna is ready for some kind of award!

Promoted!

 

 

 

 

Happy Holidays!

Hello to all! Finally taking the breath cold air that stings the lungs indicates winter is on its way. What better place to start of a winter that in the Northwest? Shawna, Audrey and I took a rather quick trip to Idaho and Montana for Thanksgiving break from Sun 18th - Fri 23rd. Audrey needed constant attention for 5 hours from DC to Phoenix which was rather exhausting. However, she did do an awesome job using her walker through the airport in Boise.

We drove from Boise to Bozeman stopping at West Yellowstone to see the grizzly bears and wolves at the... Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center.

In Bozeman we hiked up to Palisade falls, visited with Lauren and Dave and saw the rest of the Weavers minus the newly weds.  Wish you were here Eric and Stefanie!  On Thursday morning Audrey, Gramma Carol and I ran the Huffing for Stuffing 5K / 10K race.  Grampa Mike and Shawna were devout supporters.

We drove back to Boise after the race and had Thanksgiving Dinner with Shawna's parents.  They cooked a great meal as usual. Afterwards, we strolled over to the Festival of Trees at the Grove hotel. There were many creative trees and wreaths on display/for sale from various individuals and organizations. Proceeds go to the Saint Alphonsus Boise Emergency Department. On Friday we flew back to Maryland where my batch of Pumpkin Spiced Ale eagerly awaited to be bottled.

Today, Saturday Dec 1, Audrey truly walked for the first time unassisted. We enticed her to walk on the tiled kitchen floor (an even stable surface) by moving refrigerator magnets to a cooking pot approximately 5 feet away. We also bought a trampoline similar to Kessler and Caulder's in order to maximize leg strengthening exercises. Onward and upwards from here!!!!

Audrey's first haircut at the new NEX on base is a pleasant one

Audrey the airplane pest.  The iPad wasn't enough to appease her boredom and restlessness

Audrey wants a big bear hug at the discovery center in West Yellowstone

This wolf was looking at Audrey while licking his lips

Put your hands in the air!

This Grizzly Bear was turned into a comfy couch

Sledding up Hyalite Canyon. Rather icy but it's snow.

Greetings from Palisade Falls

Audrey discovers snowball chucking

Gramma Carol and Audrey snap the wishbone.  Audrey wins.

Huffing for Stuffing race @ the Museum of the Rockies

Finish Line!

Festival of Trees @ the Grove Hotel

Audrey, the Home Brew assistant.  She is a natural.

Shawna fills up a growler.

Audrey's first independent, unspotted steps today!

Oct 2012

 

It is officially fall in Maryland. We have been doing little trips on the weekend around Maryland and West Virginia. Audrey is 31 months now. Audrey has PT 2 week and uses a walker daily to have her own independence. She is working on more leg endurance.The state program for Audrey tested her expressive & receptive language skills. She had a score of 42 months old. She is doing great verball. She really enjoys reading, playing makebelieve and playing with her train and huge assortment of animals.

 Last week was her 3 month post op MRI. We received great news. Audrey's lipoma is smaller and the blood vessels have shrunk away, so there is no major blood supply feeding it at this time. We are very happy and relieved.

 

Shawna currently has 2 jobs in Virginia. 3 x a week, she works for the state of Virginia as a dental educator for the intellectually challenged. 1 x week as hygienist in a regular office. We bought a Nissan Sentra GXE for the 44 mile commute she will have to endure.

 

We went to a pumpkin patch in N Maryland.

fun activities

 

It took about an hour to do the maze

 & solve all the clues.

 

 



A Day at the Rock Hills Orchard N Maryland

 

Picking some apples. The trees are small so Audrey can reach.

 

Audrey playing with her food. We are going to make some pies. Yummy