Daddy's HOME!!!!

Hey there,


So i'm sure you all can understand that we're busy reconnecting as a family, but I wanted to at least get on here and give you all the link to our photographer's blog so you can see some photos from the other night! Kent's flight time ended up being moved back up to a decent time, and she was able to come and once again take amazing photos! I can't wait to see the rest! Anyway, the link is:

http://dragonflyphototographyrebecca.blogspot.com/

Also, Jacob made the cover of the Edmonton Sun yesterday, and we were featured in an article in the Journal (as well as their online video), and we were in the background in the online video for the Sun and CBC.ca I'll give you those links as well.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Edmonton/2008/09/05/6667711-sun.html

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=1b9da1e0-f8d9-4479-bad3-1107d0b940f0

http://canwest.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/canwest-edmontonjournal-pub01-live/current/launch.html?maven_playerId=journalmain&maven_referralPlaylistId=48542603f8ded8dd0914f72aafa638e219b6dea0&maven_referralObject=3072495

http://www.edmontonsun.com/PhotoGalleries/soldiersreturn/2008/09/05/6672686.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2008/09/05/homecoming.html

Thanks again for all of the support Kent and I received from our amazing friends and family! We really couldn't have done this past 7 months (well year) without all of you! He's finally home and we are so excited about reaquainting and getting on with the next chapter of our lives!

Jacob is doing well.. he was shy at first, but I think it had more to do with him wanting to continue to run around the gym, so Kent had to chase him and play with him a bit, and he was much more willing to be held and kissed once we got home to our own house! And not long into yesterday, it was apparent that Daddy is now the only recepient of "offered" kisses from Jacob...

Anyway, i'll try to get more of our photos up later on, but for now enjoy the ones on the internet from the newspapers and our wonderful photographer! I know everyone will want to know what the tshirt says, so here it is: (I have no idea why blogger is rotating the second pic)



And this is a little taste of what is and will happen for the next couple of days!!!

Kristine, Kent and Jacob!

2 more sleeps, 47 more hours, 6 more meals, who knows how many more diapers...

Well, This is it.. Not for the blog.. but thankfully, for the tour. It's finally over! Kent is safely out of Afghanistan, doing his decompression, and will be home in 2 more sleeps!!!! We can't wait. We've been busy preparing for Daddy to come home (but we won't post those pics until after he's home, just in case he checks this lol).

I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this, and I know that you all understand how busy I've been getting ready for the homecoming, camping, and preparing for our upcoming move.. but I still feel bad. I tried to tell Kent that he can take this over once he gets home, and he was quick to point out how good I am at it lol!

So, without further adoo... (how DO you spell that?) I"ll just add the latest photos, with comments... I'll skip the videos for tonight so that I can just get this uploaded. Jacob has of course changed a whole bunch, and the most notable would be how all of a sudden he's a big boy. who talks, waves, blows kisses, does what I tell him to do (he does understand me!!! Now if only he could teach that to the dog!!! lol), and he feeds himself (in fact he insists on it, as you'll see in the photos). All these things to make my life easier just in time for daddy to get home and actually be here to help. So now that i have help to clean the mess, there's less of a mess at mealtime.. NICE... Just like Kent said in an email to me one night (after a particularly cranky email sent to him at 1 am, letting him know we'd been up for over an hour screaming in pain from teeth), that with my luck all of his teeth will be in by the time daddy gets home to help.. and sure enough.. with only the 2 year old molars left.. he was right!!!

So apparently, if he's tired enough, and you leave the room for a minute, this is what will happen.. squished in amongst his toys.. poor guy sure had a crink in his neck when he woke up!

This is where they prefer to play apparently!

This was what Jacob looked like eating Chili for the first time by himself.. and what the tray looked like before he figured out how to feed himself with a spoon!

This is the site the campground originally had us booked into.. yep.. that's a cliff down to the river...so we got them to squish us into another spot that should never have been a spot, but it was better then this...Playing in the river at the campground!

Throwing rocks with Mummy in the river!

Posing!!!

This is how jacob fell asleep during the elephant presentation at the Calgary Zoo! Apparently baby elephants learning how to nurse is boring... And yes it's hard to see, but his head is forward resting on the tray....

This is Jacob insiting on feeding himself the mini ice cream cone at East Side mario's....

On a ride together at Calaway Park!

Rylea and Jacob checking out if they're tall enough to ride the carousel by themselves...

On the car ride.. I remember them being Flinstone's cars.. not Model T's...

Jacob figuring out how to eat Corn on the Cob!! YAY!!!!

Jacob getting beat up by Rylea in the inflatable strong man mallets fight!!

Watching Kurt change the tire on the trailer on our VERY LONG day driving home!

This is what Jacob looks like eating now!!! Such a big boy!!

Finally getting out for a walk in the new wagon.. Jacob wants to hang on to the leash... He is so funny now. Whever we are leaving the house, he gets her leash out of the basket, and holds it up to Katie's face while they both give me puppy dog eyes asking if she can come!

"going to moose Jaw"

Anybody remember that Fountain Tire commercial where he's on the plane between 2 businessmen, thinking he's heading to hawaii or Vancouver, and finds out he's going to Winnipeg instead. Well for the last week, I keep saying in my head "Goin' to Moose Jaw". Maybe this is only funny to Kent, but thought I'd share anyway.

Actually we're quite excited about it! We actually volunteered! Every military person I tell, gives me this look like "poor you", and I have to tell them.. no really, we wanted it! I think Moose Jaw is a hidden gem in the CF world. Haven't gotten there yet, but how can you complain about lower housing costs, no shift work, prairie sunsets, smaller city, close to major city for shopping, friendly, great city parks and water parks, and rec facilities, and watching the snowbirds train!!! I can't wait. Of course, we're a little nervous about the timing with Kent getting home from tour (YAY.. we're in the last month!!!) But once we're settled (which we wanted to be done before Christmas), we're quite sure this will be a great posting for our family. We are really needing some time to just have as a family. Evenings and weekends together, and hopefully no more tours for a while! We're really going to miss all of the wonderful friends we've made here, but at least we're within driving distance, and we'll definately be coming back to visit family!

So, I apologize for not updating in a really long time, but we were camping for a week in Jasper with the Howell clan (great time by the way), and then since coming home, I've been on MLS, and various Moose Jaw websites learning whatever I can about our future home.

As for the next few weeks, I plan on getting as much cleaning and decluttering done as I can so that it won't take long for us to list the house once Kent gets home.. and then we begin the roller coaster. But that's our life isn't it?

I'll put up a few pics from camping, the Heritage Festival (my favorite) from this weekend, and a couple videos.. haven't decided yet.

Grandma and Grandpa's Trailer was a perfect spot to take a nightly bath!!

All smiles after one of his naps!

Aunty Jenn was great at getting him to sleep at campfire!

Hard to see, but this is Jacob hanging out with the Elk

This is my sister's trailer...

At the Heritage Festival!

Doing a Video Conference with Daddy this morning!

Chillin' on the dog's bed at Jo-Ann's!

Waiting for Jo-Ann to come back from the mailbox! (With Kona and Jake)

It's hard to hear it, but Jacob is doing is scream giggle because he's so happy to see the dogs.

Better video of Jacob walking

Guess what Jacob can do now?

TOO MUCH!! Lol.. Not only is he walking, but you'll see another new favorite skill of his in one of the videos! Enjoy!! Just a few cute photos first! I decided to leave the bottom gate open one day during a nap and close the top one, to see what "chicken" katie would do. Not only did we find her hear after our nap, but we were able to pass her, go downstairs, and close the bottom gate! she was too comfy! Jacob's been doing a lot more of this lately... Which leads to a lot more of what's in the video!!
Jacob got his first haircut this week! I wasn't really thinking he needed it, but she came over to cut my hair and suggested just a bit. I'm very happy we did it. He did so good (holding her combs for her), and it lays so much nicer now, but still left the awesome curls in the back!!

So, here's the first video I caught of it! He's walking so much more now, but I haven't been able to catch him on camera, he always stops and crawls over to steal the camera from me!

And while I was making supper last night, Abby and Kurt caught a lovely video of Jacob's new favorite skill. It's not specific to the rocking chair either.. Pretty much anything is a fun challenge for him!!

This is what Jacob thinks of your babyproofing Daddy....

Make sure you read post below this one FIRST!!!

Hey there, so the first post was really long, and I was sick of moving pics, so I'm going to do the bday photos in this one! Just make sure you scroll down and read the other post first! The bunny cake has been a tradition in my family for first birthday's, so that was a given, and quite fun to finally get to make my own! Unlike most 1 year old, Jacob's basked in the attention of all the people (and there were a lot in our house since it poured rain all day). He loved having all of his cousins around him and everyone else to play with. He had a slow start to the cake but eventually got right into it. And he got absolutely spoiled with the gifts he received, so thank you very much to everyone!!! We had a great time!