chilrens museum of phx...

riding with aunt karen...

playing in the noodle garden...

picking flowers... 

we loved going to the childrens museum of phoenix...

july 29th 2009

back to the happiest place on earth...

so... when brent realized that he, as an active duty member of military, gets in free to disneyland... he said, well, when jones wakes up from his nap lets go... so yes, we went again...

jones of course loved being there, especially with brent...

pooh...

with brent...

getting ready to watch the fireworks...

it was so fun to be there as a family... and we were so lucky, we got there about 3pm and just got on almost every ride... no waiting!!! yes!!! we loved it!

july21st2009

newport...

we had so much fun in newport... we ate rice crispy treat cupcakes... from this cute little bakery in balboa...

then... one day after running around balboa island we found this park where jones loved playing with his daddy...

we ate at a yummy little place called wilma's cafe... yum!!! the balboa belly bommers were so good... jalisco style... i would for sure recommend this place to anyone!!!

jones and brent... eating more frozen yogurt... (a pinkberry wantabe)

a ferry ride from newport to balboa...

the beach...

the ferris wheel... jones would not stop starring at the ferris wheel until brent finally took him on it... he loved every second...

i forgot to post these san diego pictures... we were lucky enough to get to the temple while in san diego... our first time in this temple... it was beautiful!

then we all went to china camp for dinner...

san diego

my favorite!!!! pinkberry... that is all i have to say... so so so yummy!  with cherries and mangos... yum...  i want some right now!

jones favorite!!!! the rock floor... he just kept trying so hard to pick up any of those little rocks...

seaworld...

playing with dad... while waiting in line...

sunglasses... i mean 3d glasses.... every time i say or read the word "sunglasses" i hear the song: i wear my sunglasses at night

laughing with daddy...

searching for stingrays and touching them with daddy...

snowcaves...

wait for it....

here he comes...

the huge walrus... jones loved this guy... he was in such awe... it was crazy how many times he could just watch the big guy do this...

so... when i packed up a suitcase for brent i didnt even think, but i packed up his old mission shoes for church... he doesnt wear them anymore, he got new ones, they are so old and hurt his feet... so we left them in the hotel room... no need for them anymore... but before i did... i had to get a picture, jones needed a little help to actually get them on... but he wanted to wear his daddies shoes... 

he is so lucky to have such a great dad!  he has a lot to accomplish to fill those shoes... but has a wonderful example to help him do it... i love my loves (brent and jones) and am so lucky to have them!!!

happy august:merry christmas

happy august....

we have been so busy having so much fun that i am still working on "our best ten days"... but i just had to post about today since it is the beginning of august... 

we loved having my cousins over for swimming and snow cones... jones has loved that they come over to play with him and swim swim swim... 

then... merry christmas in august... yeah!

just when you think you are going to pass out because it is way too hot here in az... we had some fun using a christmas gift...

my mom gave me a gift certificate to trader joes for christmas, and i just kept not remembering that i had it... so finally today... jones and i went and bought some fun stuff... i love trader joes...

jones was so excited... he loved carrying around the bag... we got a bunch of new stuff to try... can you tell he is anxious too?... i am way excited to try some new thai dishes that i bought... the apple mango mangosteen juice we bought is already gone... and trader joes yummy greek yogurt!  mmmmm.... nothing is the same as when you are there... but at least we can try to match it!

one of the best things about trader joes... the workers there... they are always so happy and helpful... today the woman helping us gave jones these stickers... he was pretty excited... 

(that is why we have stickers on our heads in the second picture)

merry christmas in august!  

august 1st 2009

graduation day:july 17th 2009

marla and alan waiting for the graduation ceremony to start... rachel made this sign for brent since she could not be there... 

marching... it was incredible how perfect they all were... each one of them moved together... so precise... brent told us that they had to hold their hands as if they were holding a roll of quarters...

i call this picture... serious face... man i love that face...

platoon 2162...

with mom and dad after graduation...

with grandma martindale...

everyone... thank you for coming to support!!!!

left to right: logan, kevin, melissa, stone, james, kendra, parker, shelly, brad, brent, me, jones, alan, marjean, marla, grandpa lunt, grandma martindale, grandpa martindale...

yeah!!! we get to take him with us this time... finally a family again!!! i loved this moment... a few minutes later, i got to take him with me... the best feeling ever!

jones was very happy too...

family day:july 16th 2009

waiting for the "moto run" to start and trying to keep off the grass... jones and i explored mcrd... 

with grandpa martindale in his new shirt... thanks to karens awesome idea to make tshirts for jones... i made him two, one for family day and one for graduation day... they said: "i am proud of my daddy... he is a marine" ... he was very proud of his shirt.. we would ask him where daddy was, and he would point to his shirt... he loved them!

waiting... with grandpa clark and great grandma martindale...

i was so so so very anxious here... such an exciting moment... waiting to see brent for the first time... knowing that all the moment would be is him standing feet from us, in formation, not able to look at us or notice us in any way... but at least we got to see him... then they ran by... 

(the moto run... they, the new marines graduating the following day, are doing their morning run of three miles... they run to where all the family and friends are waiting, then stop and stand in formation for minutes while we all cheer... then they finish their run...)

too bad that i cant remember the name of this dog... i was, once again, too anxious... but here is jones with the marine corp mascot... waiting for brent to come...

yeah!!!... he is finally in front of us... i loved it!!!!   can you find him???

at the luncheon after all the family day events we learned about the marine corp birthday (actually in november)... brother bennett is... yes... actually cutting the cake with that huge knife/sword... marine corp tradition... just before that, the six marines sang the marine corp song... we loved it!

then... the oldest marine (yep, that was brent) is fed the cake first... he must approve and say that the cake is good enough to eat...

then... the oldest marine must feed the youngest... and he also had to approve of the cake...

jones loved seeing his daddy... we all ate dinner together on base... i didnt want to leave... but brent had to report back no later than 545pm... such a tease... to see him all morning... and then having to leave him there... oh, not to mention all the rules while we were there... no holding hands while walking... no holding jones while walking... pretty much we got to look at one another... and i only got one little goodbye kiss... but it was the best hello/goodbye kiss that i had ever waited for!!!!