Home is where the Army sends us...

And in this case, the Army sent us to Fort Campbell on the Tennessee/Kentucky border where we purchased our first home.  

Our beautiful home...the one we fell in love with almost instantly.  It was probably the 3rd house we looked at and even though there was only subflooring down, no kitchen and no bathroom fixtures, we knew it was the perfect house for our family.  

So many things happened to our family in this house.  Many wonderful things but some bittersweet and downright sad things.  This is the first house that Kemper will ever remember and a house that Hudson probably never will.  This is the home that Kemper mastered climbing the stairs and left his pudgy little handprints up and down the wall.  This is the home that Kemper and I returned to the day we said goodbye to James for his second deployment and this is the home that we welcomed him home to after a long 12 months.  This is the home that we brought Hudson home to and where he quickly added his pudgy handprints to the walls and learned to climb the stairs.  Kemper stood on the front steps of this home on his first day of Kindergarten and ran down the sidewalk each day from the bus stop.  This home holds so many memories.

This is the home where we welcomed friends who turned into part of our Army family.  This is the home where we planned for holidays and parties.  In this home, we gathered around the table with part of our Army family and celebrated Thanksgiving with delicious food, but most importantly, lifelong friends.  

Many kitchen disasters happened in this kitchen (and Pinterest disasters that James swears were attempts to poison him), but there were far more delicious meals and treats.  These counters held Kemper as he helped me cook and held Hudson while we gave him doses of medicine.  The counters were almost always cluttered with papers and drawings and mail.  The table where Kemper and I looked over his daily folder and worked on homework together for the first time.  Many donut dates took place in this kitchen and many rounds of "high point/low point" as we ate dinner.  

We entertained and threw birthday parties in this house.  So many amazing Army women gathered in our home for coffees and Christmas parties.  So many wonderful, amazing, thoughtful friends gathered to celebrate 4 of Kemper's birthdays and Hudson's first birthday.  As hard as we tried not to let them, toys cluttered this room and Matchbox cars left tiny tracks on the tables.  Picture frames and baskets were rearranged.  Coasters stacked and restacked because they're way more fun than blocks.  I always thought that this room looked most beautiful at Christmas with the tree twinkling and stockings hung on the mantle.  It has definitely been a room we haven't often used but it's always been cozy and welcoming to family and friends.  

This house is where Kemper got his big boy bed and his big boy room.  I was so terrified to move him out of the crib but when we did, we decided to completely give him a different room that was decorated for him.  Many changes have been made over the last few years but I have always loved this room and how it turned out.  Our marriage was tested when we painted the room but I loved how it turned out.  Kemper's hosted his first sleepover in this room with Joey when her family came to visit from North Carolina.  Toys seemed to multiply in this room and it seemed like we were always trying to cram just one more thing in here to keep it out of Hudson's reach...Legos, markers, all of the toys that come with tiny (tiny, tiny) pieces.  Kemper's own little corner of the world where he stores (and sometimes hides) his most prized possessions.

Our room was often the catch all, throw it in there and shut the door because company's coming room in the house.  Many Matchbox cars and tiny toys have graced the floors and my feet have always found them in the middle of the night.  Kemper and I spent almost every morning cuddling in my bed watching cartoons while James was deployed.  Hudson spent his first few weeks at home in our room next to my side of the bed.  We moved a rocking chair in our room where we spent MANY hours rocking and nursing.  Precious mornings of both boys joining us to snuggle and watch cartoons.  

Hudson spent the majority of his life sharing his room with the guest room.  He routinely got kicked out when visitors game but when we removed the guest bed and gave him his own room, he seemed to really love all the new space and toys.  MANY hours were logged in the rocking chair nursing and rocking him to sleep.  Many nights pacing in front of the crib trying to lull him to sleep, or sitting just outside of his room willing him to sleep.  Now he loves sitting in his little chair and listening to us read every night before bed.  Always the same books, with very few changes in our repertoire.  Goodnight Moon, Snuggle Puppy, But Not the Hippopotamus, Horns to Toes and In Between, and Are You a Cow? rounded out the favorites.  He went from barely taking up any of the changing pad to barely fitting on it.  This room went from Kemper's when he was in a crib, to Hudson's.  

The bonus room is what sold us on this house.  We walked in and immediately knew that this house fit our needs perfectly.  How blessed we have been to have this amazing second living space.  We were able to keep almost all of the toys upstairs in the playroom.  It has been our family room and the boys' playroom.  We've had movie nights, we've set up tents and forts, it has looked like a bomb went off more times than not and it has hosted our families when we moved our guest mattress in after Hudson came along.  It has hosted MANY playdates, a few early Christmas mornings and Santa visits.  It is where our second Christmas tree has always gone because it just doesn't seem right not to be able to see a Christmas tree from the front of the house.  Babies have played on this floor and those babies have grown into big kids who have run around and wrestled on this floor.  

This house has been such a blessing and will always hold a piece of my heart.  We moved into this house as a family of 3 and are moving out as a family of 4.  We moved into this house without knowing a single soul and are moving out with hearts full of amazing friends who have visited and hung out in our house.  

Home is where the Army sends us and it sure knew what it was doing when it sent us here.  

Easter Egg Hunt 2014

One (sometimes) perk of being an Army family is that there are typically always family events put on by the FRG around holidays.  This year, James's Battalion hosted an Easter Egg Hunt for all of the families in 426BSB.  I volunteer with the FRG and was lucky enough to be able to work on this event with some amazing ladies.  One downside to this is that usually, by the time the events roll around, we are ready to pull our hair out and looking forward to the giant glass of wine that awaits us after it's over.  :)

Alivia and Kemper modeling in front of the Easter Egg 

We planned for approximately 200 kids and were going to limit it to 10 eggs per kids...it's never fun to be at an Easter Egg hunt and see that child that only got 2 or 3 eggs so we wanted to make sure we had PLENTY.  And we did!  We stuffed over 2600 Easter Eggs and didn't have to ask kids to limit themselves to 10.  

One downside of Mom being on the planning committee is that you always have to arrive super early and entertain yourself while she helps set up!

We had 4 age groups (0-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9+) and his one Golden Egg in each age group.  There was a slight snafu with the hiding of the golden eggs and we ended up losing track of one.  We stuck tickets in the other 3 (and ran one into the older age group after it was found in the youngest group) and hoped that nobody found the "lost" egg.  

The lovely and AMAZING ladies who worked so hard on this egg hunt.  So thankful for these wonderful women!

We had other events planned because we knew that once the actual egg hunts started, they would be over in 15 minutes!  Kids are fast!  We had a craft table, the egg & spoon race, face painting, pictures with the Easter Bunny, a cake walk and refreshments. 

My boys had a great time...Hudson was particularly smitten with the Easter Bunny.  He kept photo bombing other people's pictures.  Oops!  Kemper was off and running with Alivia...we barely saw him once the event got going.  

Kemper and Alivia doing the egg and spoon race.

Hudson looks scared but he was far from it!

Kemper with the bunny ears he made at Mrs. Kathy's craft table.

I am so, so, so thankful for this amazing man who, even though he may be rolling his eyes and huffing in his head, steps up and helps out when I need him to.  Due to some unusual circumstances, I had to ask (tell?) James to be the "announcer" for the event and he was amazing, as usual.  He helped to get each age group started (we did staggered start times for each age group) and gave instructions for the hunts.  Thankful for this man who will step up and take charge when needed.  

Hudson got the hang of it this year!

With his loot...he didn't really care that he didn't have a basket full of eggs.  

So, remember that "lost" golden egg that we were hoping nobody would find because it didn't have the prize ticket in it...thank goodness my kid was the one who found it!  In the middle of his age group's hunt, he starts yelling to me that he found a golden egg while he sprints by looking for more.  I had a sinking feeling that it was the one that had been misplaced and sure enough, there was no ticket inside.  Even though he was disappointed that he didn't get the prize, he was such a good sport and so understanding when I explained to him what had happened that I told him I would buy him a special prize for finding the golden egg.  I was so proud of how well he handled it and that he didn't get upset.

Kemper with his eggs...one of the few times he was still and without Alivia.

Showing off his face painting...Cavman of course!

Overall, it was a successful event and everyone that attended seemed to have a great time.  It has been so nice to have events like these the last 4 years at Fort Campbell.  We've made lots of fun, happy memories at egg hunts, fall festivals/trunk or treats, and Christmas parties!  Who knows what the next year will hold since we won't be in a unit setting and will be at an Air Force base!  

Where a kid can be a kid!

For Kemper's birthday this year, we had a Chuck E Cheese party...and it was by far the easiest and least stressful party we've ever thrown!  Kemper has wanted to have a turn in the Ticket Blaster ever since he set foot in Chuck E Cheese for the first time around age 3.  You used to be able to buy a turn in the blaster but they did away with that option and now the only way to try it out is to book a birthday party.  Darn you Chuck E Cheese.  

Kemper posing with the treat bags he helped me make.  Still a Ninja Turtles party even if it is at Chuck E Cheese.  

We booked a party for 8 kids and then all of their parents.  When we arrived, they had everything all set up for us and tokens separated out for the kids.  They were off and running and completely, 100% entertained and happy until the pizzas came out.  

Kemper riding Hudson's favorite "game" with him.

Once the pizzas came out, the kids were all called back to the table and it was time to eat.  While they were finishing up, our individual party assistant came over and told us that Chuck E Cheese would be out in just a few minutes.  The party theme at Chuck E Cheese is Rock Star.  There was an entire "sketch" that went along with the mouse coming out to mingle.  

Kemper with his friend, Alivia.  I think of everyone at the party, he was most excited that Alivia came. :)

After Chuck E Cheese visited our table, it was time for cake.  Our party assistant cut the cake for us and then boxed it back up so we could take the leftovers home.  It was pretty great to not have to worry about the little things and to just be able to enjoy his party!  

Happy Birthday boy!

Finally, it was time to wait for his turn in the Ticket Blaster!  He was so excited and not nervous at all.  They let him wear his birthday crown in which helped because there were quite a few tickets tucked in there when he came out.  Our party assistant threw some vouchers in there for 100, 200 and 1000 tickets.  When it was over, he kept shoveling tickets to Kemper and he ended up with well over 1500 tickets at the end of the day.  He was so pleased with the blaster experience!

Kemper and Gavin...the big 6 year olds!

The friends Kemper invited this year were Gavin, Trenton, Alivia, Ava, Devon and Briley.  Briley is his little friend from the bus that he has been begging to invite since earlier in the year.  Luckily the invitation I sent along with him made it to Briley's mom who contacted me and was able to make it!  Navigating the school friends has been an adjustment and I'm thankful for friends with older kids who have offered some guidance on that topic!

Kemper doing his guitar solo with Chuck E Cheese

Kemper and I made the goodie bags to look like the different Ninja Turtles and we filled them with random little things that Kemper likes.  Everyone got a little notepad and a small pack of markers because Kemper loves to draw and write notes.  We also included some jelly beans (because Kemper loves sweets), Ninja Turtles temporary tattoos (because what 6 year old boy doesn't love those), some Ninja Turtles stickers (and some other stickers for the girls), and Ninja Turtle pencils.  

Modeling his Rock Star medal.  

Overall, he was super pleased with his party and everyone seemed to have a great time!  I know it was certainly a plus not to have to clean the house, make all the food, and then clean up after everyone left!  We simply rounded up the boys and left!  

Kemper with his Donatello cake...it sure was yummy!

Mom and Dad with the new 6-year old

From the left: Ava, Alivia, Devon, Gavin, Kemper, Trenton, Briley...and poor Hudson was still in the high chair and we completely forgot to get him out for the picture.

Taking his turn in the Ticket Blaster

Gathering up his tickets!

Kemper turns 6 years old!

I say it every year, but where has the time gone?  How is my sweet firstborn 6 years old?  

Sweet Kemper at 1 day old...see the yellowish tint to his skin?

It seems like just yesterday he was this tiny, sweet, squishy tiny (yellow) newborn who was my little sidekick while we waited for Daddy to get back from deployment.  He was stubborn from the get-go and came into the world at 11:33pm via C-section and was a whopping 8lbs 15.75oz.  He promptly turned yellow (even though MeMe and Grandma Rita were kind enough to nicely say he looked just fine when I asked if they thought he looked yellow) and spent a miserable 24 hours under the bili lights with his tiny little shades on.  After we got that straightened out, it was relatively smooth sailing.  God knew what he was doing when he gave this sweet, laid back, easy going boy to us clueless first time parents.  (We now know he was warming us up for Hudson)

Kemper at 6 days old when we left the hospital...they were calling him Grandpa by the time we got out of there!

At 6, Kemper is still a sweet, laid back, relatively easy going little guy who loves his little brother, his mom and dad, and the Ninja Turtles.  He is still really in to drawing and painting and is quite the little artist.  Legos are a favorite toy along with Transformers Rescue Bots, Ninja Turtles, his LeapPad Ultra and his Planes figures. 

Kemper's 1st Birthday party in Germany

This year, Kemper started Kindergarten and has totally rocked it!  He adapted so well and really loves going to school and his teacher, Ms. Davis.  We started the school year off with me taking him and picking him up.  He was begging to ride the bus so we decided to let him try riding the bus home in the afternoons.  He LOVED it!  Hudson and I would walk down to the bus stop to meet him and we were always greeted with a smile and him talking a mile a minute about his day on the way home.  One day, as we walked down the meet him, he starts waving his arms and yelling "Mom, go back, turn around!  Go back home!".  Little stinker.  He explained that he was a big boy and could handle walking from the bus stop home by himself.  He was the only kid who's mom met him at the bus.  The next day, Hudson was still asleep when it was time for the bus so I stood at the end of our driveway and watched him walk home by himself.  From that day on, that has been our routine and he feels like such a big guy as he struts his way home by himself.

He came home the second week of school talking about his girlfriend, Caiden.  Caiden has stuck around all year and he'll still blush when you ask him about her.  Added to the mix has been his little friend we met through James's unit, Alivia.  They hit it off right away and he loves to play with her any chance he gets.  They were inseparable at the unit Easter Egg Hunt and he's constantly asking me when he will get to see her again.

Kemper on his 2nd birthday (in Tennessee)

He's adapted really well to the pace of Kindergarten and seems to have handled the work load very well.  His teacher is always so complimentary of his behavior and every time I see her at school she makes sure to tell me how well behaved and polite he is.  His gym teacher is usually the one to get him out of the car in the morning and after about 2 weeks of school, she just gushed about him one morning and told me what a great kid he was.  I am so thankful that he is well mannered and well behaved when we're not around.  It makes me feel like we are doing something right....then Hudson quickly brings me back down a few notches. ;)

Kemper came home from school just the other day and told me that his gym teacher told Ms. Davis that she wishes they had 10 Kempers in class.  He thought that was hilarious but didn't understand what it meant.  

Kemper's 3rd birthday (in Tennessee)

This year, we bit the bullet and signed Kemper up for private swim lessons.  He was terrified of having water in his face and it was getting to the point that he NEEDED to learn to swim.  On the advice of friends, we found a great instructor at the local YMCA and within the first 30 minute lesson, she had him swimming and going under water with no complaints.  We started in October and he has been going once a week since then and has turned into quite the little fish.  He loves to float on his back and his backstroke is amazing!  She recently introduced freestyle to him and it took him awhile to pick up on the breathing but now that he's got it down, he's getting more and more confident.  I just made our final payment for our final 4 lessons before we move and I almost cried when I told his instructor.  I will miss Mrs. Kioni and will forever be grateful for what she was able to do with him.  I think we may have quite the little swimmer on our hands as he continues to progress!

He has also played soccer this year and is currently in his second season.  He's a bit timid and doesn't like to get himself into the mix but he's starting to come out of his shell.  He's got the same coach this season that he did last and she is wonderful.  She really pushes them in practice to learn the skills but she is considerate of each child's individual personality.  She knows he's timid so she encourages but never fusses at him when he doesn't throw himself in there.  He always says he has fun and he does seem to really enjoy his time on the field.  If anything, it keeps him active!  They've started to do a bit more running (laps and sprints) this season and he always seems a bit irritated but never complains.  Bless his heart, he got his mom and dad's speed.  :(

Kemper's 4th birthday (in Tennessee)

Kemper continues to be an amazing brother.  The bond that he and Hudson share is one that I could have never imagined.  They have their moments and Hudson plays the part of pesky little brother pretty well but at the end of the day, they love each other and Kemper always looks out for Hudson to make sure he's ok.  There has been a bit of jealousy on Kemper's part this year because he doesn't think it's fair that he has to go to school and Hudson gets to stay home with me.  I tried explaining to him that for the first 4 years of his life, he had me all to himself and we had lots of time together but that's not always acceptable.  He also doesn't like to share his MeMe & Pops or Grandma & Grandpa with Hudson.  He thoroughly enjoys when we visit Virginia and he gets to go to Grandma's house without Hudson.  

Kemper's 5th birthday (in Tennessee)  

At Kemper's 6 year check up, he was thrilled to find out that he is done with shots until he is 11.  He was one happy little boy when Ms. Lissa told him that!  They checked his vision (20/20 in one eye and 20/10 in the other which she says isn't a concern) and his hearing (I left the room with Hudson because there was no way the test would be accurate if he was still in the room) and asked him to pee in a cup.  He thought that was a hilarious request...Mom didn't think it was quite so hilarious as I wrestled Hudson and held the cup.  

At 6 years old, Kemper weighs 47.5 lbs (61st percentile) and is 47.5 inches tall (85th percentile).  

At 5 years old, he was 42.5 lbs (63rd percentile) and 45 inches tall (88th percentile).  

At 4 years old, he was 38 lbs (68th percentile) and 42 inches tall (85th percentile).

At 3 years old he was 33 lbs (65th percentile) and 39 inches tall (84th percentile).

At 2 years old he was 28lbs (50th percentile) and 35 inches tall (75th percentile).

Kemper's 6th birthday (in Tennessee)

For this years birthday party, we had to do a bit of convincing but we ended up doing a Chuck E Cheese party.  He had a blast!  We invited our friends the Schmidts (Gavin and Trenton), the Sharkeys (Devon, Ava and Alivia) and his buddy from the bus, Briley.  Everyone had a great time and it was by far the easiest, most stress free party we've had!

Kemper at 6 years old.  (Photo by Lynse Michael Photography)

I am so excited to see what this year brings for him.  He is sweet, funny, considerate, loving, handsome and just an all around great little boy.  I am so proud to be his mom and know that he is going to do great things in life.  He's excited for our move this summer and while I think it's going to be hard on him (it will be the first move he remembers and the first time he is the new kid in town), I know that he is able to adapt to change and will make us proud.  

Hudson turns 2!

How did we go from this....

to this...

so darn quickly?!  Where have the past 2 years gone?  

This sweet little stinker turned 2 last Thursday.  We had cupcakes for dessert to celebrate with a little party planned at Chuck E Cheese once the weather cleared up.  Yes, there was snow on the ground in Tennessee, in March, on your 2nd birthday sweet Hudson.  Crazy.  

Checking out Kemper dancing with Chuck E Cheese

So, a few stats before I forget them.  

At 2 years old, Hudson weights 30 lbs.  (And no longer gets weighed on the baby scale, he stands on the big scale like a big kid now.)

At 2 years old, Hudson is 36 inches tall.  (Sigh.  And no more baby measure mat...he stood up to the height chart like a big kid.)

His favorite foods are peas, yogurt, clementines, pineapples, any type of noodle (except macaroni and cheese), General Tso's and rice (he can eat a man portion, it is crazy), and cookies.  Of course cookies.

Pizza time...and canteloupe, tomatoes, croutons and ham.

He loves Mickey Mouse and Pluto, Paw Patrol and Yo Gabba Gabba.  He is starting to get interested in the train table and cars.  He mostly just likes to jump, climb and throw himself off of tall things.  He loves his trampoline and climber.  Anytime he can sneak into his brother's room, he enjoys wreaking the marker drawer and Legos.  He has an unhealthy obsession with the iPad in which he only likes to swipe from screen to screen and hit the home button.  He also loves bikes, especially ones that are too big for him and require that you push him.

He goes to bed at 7pm and gets up for the day around 7am...sometimes later.  I think he's going to be our kid that enjoys sleeping in, unlike his brother who is up with the sun every day.  He is starting to sleep through the night more nights than not but still wakes up occasionally.  He likes to sleep with at least 5 blankets, 4 stuffed animals and a pillow.  He still takes a 2ish-hour nap daily (and mommy is so very thankful for this.)  He recently began to actually sit for us to read him a book but only enjoys one book.  Goodnight Moon.  I can now recite the entire book, word for word, even when the book is lost.

Driving the Jeep.

He is quite the little spit fire.  He can be as sweet as pie but has a temper that he can turn on like he's flipping a switch.  He expects to get his way and is a force to be reckoned with when things don't go according to his plans.  He has mastered the art of sitting in time out.  Often, when he's doing something he shouldn't and you ask him if he wants to go to time out, he now says yes.  Typically, his favorite word is "no".  

This kid LOVES his Daddy.  He is a Daddy's boy and his favorite time of day is when Daddy gets home from work.  I would say that Kemper getting off of the bus is a close 2nd to Daddy getting home from work.  If he's up from nap, he runs down the sidewalk when he sees his "B" get off the bus.  He still calls Kemper "B" but when prompted, he will attempt to say his full name.  

Mom and Dad with the big 2 year old!

He is starting to talk more and more with each passing day.  When you ask him to say his name, he also calls himself  "B".  He can say Mama, Daddy, "B", MeMe, Pops, Moo-ma (Grandma) and Poo-pa (Grandpa) as well as a ton of other words to include no, peas (for peas AND please), dank oo (thank you), nigh nigh moan (Goodnight Moon), Noono (Muno), cookie, muk (milk), ooce (juice), Poo-toe (Pluto), Mickey Mike (Mickey Mouse), and he enjoys saying bye-bye to any and everything.

He loves going to nursery school and loves his teachers, Mrs. Lissa and Ms. Jennifer.  He is the youngest in his class but that is really only noticeable when it comes to verbal skills.  He is on par, if not more advanced, than most kids physically.  He dwarfs all of the little girls in his class.  He still asks for his friend Harper at least once a week (she moved at Christmas).  They think he is the sweetest little boy (I'm sure they tell all the moms that) and say his favorite thing to do is get books and sit in the little chair to read (I questioned them to make sure they had the right kid).  He also really loves the music class that they do once a week and they say he dances the entire time.  

Riding his favorite ride and saying "Wow!"

I had a hard time planning Hudson's birthday party because the majority of our good friends moved within the last 3 months and I knew that we would be having a super small party (compared to previous parties for the boys).  After a Saturday morning trip with Daddy to Chuck E Cheese (I kicked them out when I had to host a welcome), he became obsessed with Chuck E Cheese and asks to go "pay" a few times a day.  We decided that would be a perfect place to celebrate!

Singing to the birthday boy!

Our awesome friends, the Schmidts, joined us for pizza, games and cupcakes one afternoon.  Everyone had a blast!  Hudson loves the Chuck E Cheese that is up on the stage and would stand there and watch him for 2 hours if we would let him.  When he's not watching Chuck E Cheese, he enjoys the ride simulator.  I'm pretty sure he spent at least 18 of his 25 coins riding that ride.  Other favorites include the jeep, the carousel, and the frog popper game.  

Mouth full of cupcake, asking for more.  

He humored me by keeping his party hat on long enough to sing Happy Birthday to him and to eat his cupcakes.  I thought mini cupcakes would be a good idea.  He popped the entire thing in his mouth in one bit and asked for more as he was chewing.  

Just watching Chuck E Cheese.

Since Kemper enjoyed picking out a Christmas present for Hudson, we decided to let him pick out a birthday present.  He and I went to Toys R Us one day without Hudson and he walked up and down the aisles searching for the perfect present.  He finally settled on a wooden Noah's Ark set with wooden animals that you can load and unload along with a book called "Snuggle Puppy".  The Schmidts found a really cool dog house full of stuffed puppies and he LOVED it!  He is quite fond of puppies.  Lynse asked Kemper what she should get Hudson for his birthday and Kemper told her a puppy.  She asked Kemper if he meant a real puppy.  Kemper told her, "No, my mom would be so mad."  She got the next best thing!

After 2 hours of playing, eating and partying, we packed up and headed home.  I just knew he would fall asleep as soon as we put him in bed but I guess the sugar high still had hold because it took him quite awhile to settle down.  

Checking out all of his puppies!

We had such fun celebrating this sweet little boy!  It's hard to believe he's already 2 years old.  He is such a joy and it's so fun to see him grow and learn each and every day.  

I can't wait to see what this year brings and how he handles the big changes coming up when we move this summer.  We'll see if he picks up an Alabama-southern accent like Kemper picked up a Tennessee-southern accent! :)