Jamie's Birthday!

Jamie had a Sunday birthday this year so we had the parties on Saturday.  She really wanted a pinata so I made Jordan rig it up AND hold the end of the rope.  No worries he didn't even get wacked once.  Not even with 8 kids swinging at it, 9 including Nathan!  She got spoiled with all the gifts and is really having fun with all the toys and dress-up stuff.  Thanks everyone!

Uncle Marshal preformed his job to perfection.

Back in the "Army"

After a whirl-wind of a week and a half at home following my trip to Korea I now find myself back in Fort Gordon, Georgia. It has been nearly 17 years since I was here for my initial Army training back in 1993. Wow, has it been so long, am I really getting that old? Scary!

I  really don't like coming back to big Army bases. It is not nearly as fun as it was when I was young and dumb... and perhaps not quite so lazy and set in my ways. Luckily for me, I find myself in a bit better circumstances now than I did 17 year ago. I have my own room with a microwave and fridge and most importantly of all A/C! Although it is not the Hilton it is better than an open bay to share with 50 other dudes! There is also a lot less yelling and screaming and we don't get dropped to do push-ups all the time. On the other hand there will always be all the "Army" junk that I could do without just fine; formations all to many times a day, raking the sand to have nice lines in it, army chow halls, and a bunch more things that don't seam to have any more purpose than to annoy you. 

We also get weekends off and it is quite nice to recover from the stupidity of the week. So for my first weekend I Googled some local places to visit in Augusta, GA, the nearby city.

I read up briefly on the history of Augusta and found out that the Augusta Canal was instrumental in the survival of the city back in the late 1800's. I decided to take a short boat tour of the canal and learn more about it. Built in 1845, it was devised to harness the power of the fall line of the Savannah River for mills and to provide drinking water for the city. It is the only canal in the world still used for its original purpose of providing power to textile mills.

Also along its banks once stood the Confederate Powderworks which manufactured all of the gun powder for the Confederate Armies during the Civil War as well as everything from canteens and blankets to pistols and cannons.

It was interesting and fun, I also saw lots of wildlife along the canal. The Yellow-bellied Slider Turtles were especially cute. They get there name for, one, there yellow bellies and two, for the way they quickly slide into the water at the slightest sign of danger. 

Sunday after attending church at a local ward I made my way to the edge of Augusta which boarders the Savannah River. They have built beautiful walkways and gardens along the river and the weather was just perfect for a Sunday stroll.

Of course the weekend couldn't end without something going wrong... As I was heading back to base I realized that in my haste to make it to church on time I had totally forgotten to bring my wallet. If you have ever tried to get on to a military base without ID you'll know that... well, you can't. In the end I was blessed enough to have remembered my phone and to have put in the number of our class leader earlier in the week. He was able to get my through the gate. What a maroon! I guess it was a good thing that I hadn't gotten pulled over! I'm grateful for small mercies!

Firsts!

Jamie lost her first tooth!  She was so excited.  We were in the middle of reading a book about the Tooth Fairy and she had her tooth pillow all ready.  She was staying with Grandpa and Grandma Davis when she just decided to pull it out - all by her self.  No tying string to tooth and doorknob or anything.  The Fairy gave her some gold ( a Sacajawea dollar).  Now she is anxious for the new tooth to come in and fill the gap.

Jordan's first outdoor volleyball tournament of the season!  It was also one of the first really beautiful, warm days of spring.  The kids had a ball making friends, finding sticks, climbing trees, and rolling down hills.  Jordan did really well.  He and Jared took 2nd!  Good job!

Granola!

We love to make Mom Colton's homemade granola with lots of different kinds of nuts.  It gets kind of messy when kids help but Nathan is in the stage where he wants to help with everything in the kitchen.  I have to remind myself that before I know it he will grow up and not want to hang out with me or "help" so much anymore.  So, I need to enjoy this time.  It's worth all the messes I have to clean up!

Oh, I have to add a Nathan quote. He has so many good ones! 

"Mom, I didn't do it.  My hands did!"

Easter In Roosevelt

We had a really fun Easter in Roosevelt with Mom and Dad, Jordan (why do I not have any pictures of you?), Aunt Julie and Uncle Marshal, Brynn, Nate, and Lucas.  It was brrr freezy but the egg hunt was fun.  The cheese gravy was perfect and the games plentiful.  The only thing missing was DAVE!  And several siblings and thier families.  We missed you!  Happy Easter all!