Back together

Joe came home Friday night around midnight. I woke up the kids and went to base to get him. Brady was a little shy at first, but now Daddy is back to being his favorite person. We are so glad to have Joe back home. I will post some pictures of his month long cruise later.

We went to our wards Trunk or Treat last night. It was so fun for Brady to go trick or treating for the first time. He was a cute little lion. Connor was a horse but it was way too cold so I had to bundle him up in his jacket and blankets. These pics are from my phone, that's why they are bad. I am hoping to get a new working camera soon.

Joe is finally coming home!

Joe finally comes home tomorrow. He was first told he would be getting home Saturday night, then saturday morning, then Friday night at midnight, and now as it stands he will be flying into NAS Whidbey island tomorrow around 7pm. I'm glad he will be home tomorrow because I was really wanting to go to our church trunk or treat around 4 on Saturday. This will be joes first Halloween with kids. He missed Brady's first lst year so I'm really excited for him to be here for Connors first Halloween and bradys first rime actually trick or treating. I hope he gets a week off but I'm guessing he will just get Monday and Tuesday off. I am going to try to talk him into driving to Salem OR to see the newest baby Johnson be blessed. I am also excited to come back to my parents for my birthday on the 6th ( I share that birthday with my twin sis mal, sis-in-law Joy, niece Julia, and my sister wife Brooke (we call eachother that because I wish she could live with me)). I have been really craving crab lately so I think red lobster will be a perfect birthday dinner. On the 7th Connor will finally be blessed. Randy and his family of 4 will be driving over to see us. Matt and joy are moving to federal way the 7th also! The next two weeks will be super fun for us!!! I hope my camera starts to work! Maybe Joe will get me a new one for my birthday ;)

Connor is four months!

I can't believe our Connor is already four months. He is such a happy guy! If you even look at him he will be beaming from ear to ear. He loves to cuddle and talk his little baby talk. I don't have his stats yet, he has a Dr appt and shots when Joe comes home (I will be making Joe take him).Here are some pictures I took this morning.

Brothers

Brady did NOT want to hold Connor!

Joe gets home on Saturday (finally!!). This month has been fun, lonely, and long. Brooke and her family came to visit last Thursday. Brooke is my best friend and It makes me so happy when she comes and visits me. They came to help her in-laws pack and move into a new house, but Brooke just hung out with me most of the time. We all stayed at Joe's parents house so that was fun to hang out with my in-laws. Brooke and her family left yesterday to their home in Utah. Her husband wants to move to Seattle and I really hope they do. I love that little family of four.

just playing around

Aren't these cute! I totally need to frame these! I think I will make some more!

Day trip to Oak Harbor

Here are some cute photos of the Stuarts, my mom, the kids, and I at the pumpkin patch:

the pictures of the Stuarts and us are mixed, my computer wont let me move the pictures around.

Today I went to my house in Oak Harbor to see if any of our things were stolen. I looked around and nothing was stolen (at least I think so). My neighbor told me that my front and back door and my windows were wide open for a week (I have been gone for two weeks). I really don't know what is going on! We are going to change the locks and the garage code once Joe comes home at the end of the month.

After we locked up the house we met up with the Stuarts at the local pumpkin patch. Brady had fun playing with the tractors and pumpkins. I want to try to go to another one once Joe comes home.

Please Help Our Family!

I got an e-mail this morning from Joe's Aunt. Joe's cousin Cory passed away recently and his family (wife and two little ones) was left with enormous medical bills. Please purchase (every penny goes to his family) this sweet song that his sister wrote for him its only $1.29 and I know that family would really appreciate it! Thanks!


Dear family, friends and those we don't even know:
We are trying to get this out to everyone we can, Audrey has had some people ask from the military in Afghanistan for this song to give them peace and comfort. That is such a honor, hopefully we can get it out to anyone that can use it. Please pass this song around to all that you know to help with Cory's family. "SHELTER ME" by Audrey Johnson Bandley for her brother. Please read on in her words.

Five weeks ago, my brother went in for a very extensive, extremely complicated back reconstruction. He had suffered from severe and excruciating back pain his entire life and had hope in gaining some form of quality of life by alleviating some of the pressure. During those 15 hours of surgery, I had sat down and finished a song that I had been working on for several months and felt pleased with the outcome. Hours later, we received tragic news of severe complications and shortly after, he passed away. He left behind a young wife, two beautiful children age 2 and 6 and a mass of medical/funeral expenses. The day following his death, I sat helplessly at my piano and played through this song I had just written but couldn't finish it. My husband tried to console me as I wept but the only words I could utter were “My brother wrote this song. These are his words. These are his feelings. These are his fears.” The lyrics had captured his life so perfectly, though I hadn't had him in mind at all while writing the song . At that point, my husband I decided to move forward with this particular song and use it to raise money for my dear sister-in-law and her sweet children. “Shelter Me” has been set up so that every penny of every downloaded purchase of this individual song from now until midnight October 31st will be donated to my brother's incredible family. I invite you to help me spread the word. www.audreybandley.com to download for $1.29
It is amazing and brings alot of comfort to souls and minds that hear it.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL OF YOU EMAIL AND FACEBOOK CONTACTS.
Thank You
Debbie & Jack Johnson (parents of Cory) whom passed away at 34 and this is our daughter Audrey Johnson Bandley's music.

Letter to you from Joe.

Hey everybody. Things are going good out here on the USS George H. W.
Bush. Carrier life isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Other
than the fact that my supervisor is an idiot, I work 15, 16 hour days
even though there is usually less than an hour of work to do a day, I
get no free time at all and I sleep in a space smaller than a coffin,
life isn't that bad. On the plus side, the food is surprisingly good and
even though my coffin bed is tiny and hard as board, it's the most
comfortable place in the world. Things really aren't that bad out here
floating in the middle of nowhere. I've had to adapt a mindset that I
had in boot camp where you just need to accept that things are going to
kinda suck but that it will be over soon. The days, while long, go by
pretty fast and its already been a week, less than three to go. I have a
feeling it will be over and I'll be back home before I realize it. I do
want to say tanks to Sandy and Aaron for being the only two to email me.
Shame on everybody else. Here I am putting my life on the line to defend
your freedoms and you can't even take five minutes out of your day to
say hello. I'm not mad, just disappointed. In all seriousness though, it
would be great to hear from anyone. Its pretty darn boring out here on
this floating prison so hearing from home helps liven the day. Time to
go do some laundry and hit the gym.

My Boys

Samantha and her little baby Addison came and stayed for a week with us. It was so much fun to have her here! Brady and Connor love little Addy. We had a fun filled week of shopping and screaming kids haha. We went to a much needed movie last night, no kids allowed! I never realized just how much Joe helped me until now, having to do everything for two kids day and night is hard. Hopefully I will get used to it soon! Today I took a couple photos. Hopefully Joe can get on the Internet to see them. If anyone else wants to write him his e-mail is johnsojm@cvn77.navy.mil




Here is my little 3 and a half month old Connor. Don't you love his bright blue eyes? I can't believe I have a blue eyed blond baby!

Brady has beautiful big brown eyes. He gets those long lashes from his daddy.

Tonight I am making tortilla soup with my nifty vita mix. exciting stuff.

first random blog

I only have five minutes to do this post so sorry if it's random! I think Joe can get online and view the blog so he told me to post lots of pictures as much as I can. This month I will be posting lots of blogs. Sorry if they get annoying! Joe's favorite puppy, Max.

Look at the following pictures. Isn't that little train room much for a play room at grandma's? I think we all know who Grandma's favorite is!

Samantha and I made a spooky haunted house cake. Took forever!

Connor in his new horse costume.

Brady will be a lion. This costume is so cute on him!

Max was chasing him around. He wanted to play with the lion head.

Brady got his first bike!

Connor and Addison: