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:

Sad little Boys

Joe left this morning to board a ship on the East Coast for a month. Today has been kinda hard for me, not because he will be gone for a month but because I just can't stand the thought of having to feel this way every time he deploys for the next 3 years. I really don't know what I am going to do when he does his long deployment in April! Brady didn't want to see his daddy go. He keeps asking for Daddy... :(

Here are some cute pictures of Brady, Connor, and Addison.