Fabulous Fall!

Well, another month down and one closer to Kyle getting home. I'm thrilled to say how fast these first 2 months have gone and I'm really hoping this pace continues so we'll be at the end of this long year before we know it. Plus, I'm happy that fall has arrived. Definitely one of my favorite times of the year. Love the feel of the crisp breezes and excited to actually see leaves change color again....living in the south for the last 5 years it just suddenly gets cold one day and the trees lose their leaves all at once. Hoping for a REAL fall now that we're in Colorado.

We have been busy as usual. After a great Labor Day visit from my mom we began our busy Monday through Friday schedule which keeps us going, going, going. Tuesday and Thursday mornings G attends his Mom's Morning Out class called Treehouse. It's for 2 and half to 3 and half year olds and he LOVES it! They do arts and crafts, circle time, play outside, eat lunch, and all sorts of fun things. He's gained so much in his social skills from going to school and does a fabulous job of learning to be a bit more independent of Mommy. He's even getting inspired by some of his classmates, who are already potty trained, and asking to sit on the potty at class. Not too much is actually happening on the potty, but the fact that he's showing interest is a good sign that we're moving in the right direction. On Mondays Greyson spends the day with Kyle's parents, who he calls Pop Pop and JoJo, for adventure day! Each week they do something fun and new like going to the park, the zoo, fishing or having a picnic. G really looks forward to his special time with them and I know they love getting to spend one on one time with him, too. Wednesday we're doing a parenting class on Fort Carson where G and P are in classes with other toddlers and babies being taken care of and I'm in a group learning about parenting styles and techniques. It's been really informative so far and it's nice to take a few hours each week to really think about the kind of mom that I want to be and how we want to raise our kids. The teacher in me loves to always be learning so it's been a lot of fun. Then on Fridays we go to playgroup on post with some friends and Grey gets to march like a dinosaur which he LOVES. So, as you can see during the week we are BUSY, and we like it that way. On the weekends we keep busy getting together with friends, running errands, and going to the YMCA. Getting out and about each day keeps me sane and helps to burn G's energy so he takes a great afternoon nap and ideally I can get P to nap at the same time, too, on a good day.

Speaking of G and P - both are doing fabulously! Peyton is now sleeping in her crib in her room and has a regular bedtime of around 8:30pm and sleeps through the night until about 7:30am, most nights. It's great having a few hours each evening to myself to watch TV or work on grad work. She's heading to her pediatrician in a few weeks for her 4 month appointment and I'm anxious to hear her new stats. Look for an update on that soon. All I can say is she's a big girl whose quite sturdy. She's holding her head up well, kicking her feet, and starting to reach for things. She's hitting that really fun stage of being a cuddly baby who is interactive. She loves when people make faces at her and has a gorgeous smile and adorable coo. Greyson is also doing fantastically! He continues to blow our minds with how verbal he is and his incredible memory. He's helping out more and more around the house. Taking his own shoes on and off and putting them up on the shelf. He will do simple chores that I ask him to do such as putting something in the trash, picking things up off the floor and even giving Peyton her pacifier. He continues to be a wonderful big brother who loves to talk to P-nut and show her all of his toys. I'm one lucky Mom to have these two amazing kids, and I know Kyle feels the same way, too!

Speaking of Kyle, he continues to keep quite busy with work, but is doing well. Most days he's working 14-18 hours and is lucky to get 6 hours of sleep each night. He's somewhat the jack of all trades in his company, but he's really enjoying the work he's doing on community projects in Kandahar. He's currently working on a proposal to improve the water system over there, and he finds that work very fulfilling. He and I talk almost every day and we're so thankful to be able to do that. Kyle also greatly appreciates the many packages from loved ones he's received. The comforts of home make being over there much better. Yesterday was our 5th wedding anniversary and we both can't believe 5 years have come and gone. Seems like we were just cutting our cake yesterday. Looking back we sure have come a long way in 5 years. We've lived in 4 homes in 3 different states. Gone through 2 deployments. Most importantly, welcomed 2 amazing kids into the world. Kyle is hands down the best husband and father I could have ever hoped for and not a day goes by that I don't appreciate him and know how lucky I am to have him be my other half. Love you babe and miss you sooooo much!

Ok, enough of the sappy stuff..he he. Hope you all are doing well and enjoying the nice change of seasons. Here's to another month going by quickly and enjoy the videos below and the September picture link on the left.

Lots of Love,
L, G, and P

Singing for Daddy (pardon P crying in the background)


Greyson trying on his Buzz Lightyear costume


P-nut Waking Up in the Morning