Christmas Part Two

More Christmas pictures....

Christmas Day....part one (too many to choose from...I just couldn't choose!)

Do you remember that commercial for Disney World when the kids can't get to sleep because they're too excited to sleep....then the Mom asks the Dad if he's alseep and he says no, HE'S to excited to sleep!?!? Yes, that was our house! Brian was so excited about Austin opening his gifts that he just couldn't sleep that night! We woke up early...before Austin even woke up (on purpose so we could get things ready....breakfast, etc). I asked how he slept...and he said that he woke up at like 12:30 and then an hour later and then again a little bit later...each time thinking, "What??? That's it?!?!"

I got our breakfast started on the stove, Brian got the video camera set up and we got everything ready for when Austin woke up. We went back to bed to see if we could get a little bit more rest (we only woke up a little earlier than what he normally does...but he decided that he wanted a little more sleep than usual).

Finally, the time came when he was awake. We went and got him up and I told him to wait in his room until I told him it was ok to come out. We got the cameras and then gave him the all clear. Wouldn't you know it? The first thing he noticed was that Santa had eaten the cookies and drank the milk! LOL. It was just so funny!

Then, he saw what Santa brought him! He was so excited....a real train!!! Then, in the third picture, you'll notice he's holding his nose....hehehe...the smoke that comes out of the train's smokestack stinks, so he said that the train was stinky! He got over it really quick though and throughly loves his gift from Santa!

After he checked out the train for a bit, he noticed the stockings were filled, so we got those down. He and Daddy both got foam swords....so they had to try those out first!

After stockings came the gifts. It doesn't take long for kids to figure out how to open presents...of course, Austin had a little unauthorized practice before Christmas day, so he was pro by the time the real thing came along (yes, we rewrapped a few gifts because he just couldn't wait a couple of times!).

Hope you enjoy the pictures in the and the next post!

Love to you all and hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!!

Love,

Brian, Kerum and Austin

Christmas Eve

Austin helped me make Christmas cookies for Santa....hope he likes a LOT of sugar on his cookies! Austin thought the more sugar the better!

He also got to pick out what gift he could open tonight. He picked one of Aunt Nancy's gifts and LOVED the Spider Man car. He actually took it to bed with him!

Before going to bed, he set out the milk and cookies for Santa and allowed Mommy to take his picture with them.

A couple of trips to the beach....

Who else do we know that can say they go to the beach in December? Well, other than our friends here in Hawaii!!! Yes, I am rubbing it in...a little!

We went up to North Shore a couple of days. The first to try out my new camera that Brian decided to buy me!!! I have been wanting a Digital SLR camera for a while now, but figured that when our current camera (that is VERY good) went out, that I would get it then. Brian went to dinner one night with Matt and they took a trip to Best Buy after dinner. Brian bought each of us a Christmas gift. The only thing is that I think I am going to need to take a couple of classes now....there are so many buttons and things you can do with this camera!!! I want to use it to it's full potential!

Anyway, here's some pics from our trips. We went to a beach that I really like since it's got some good sunsets (we didn't stay late enough for one) and some gorgeous rocks that are fun to explore and photograph.

This last picture is on the way home from the beach the second night. The dip in the mountains is Kolekole Pass. Many people think that the Japanese came through this pass on December 7th to bomb Pearl Harbor and the other military installations on the island. However, after see if that was true, I read that it just looked like they came through the pass. They actually flew along the inside of the mountain range, making it look like they came through the pass. Just a little trivia for y'all!

Building a Gingerbread House

So, a little bit of advice. Gingerbread Houses don't do so well in tropical climates! I guess there is a price to pay for living here afterall!

I bought a gingerbread house kit at the grocery store thinking that Austin would have fun building it. I was right about that. The kid BEGGED to do it even when I told him 'after dinner.'

He did a great job listening and following directions, but the humidity just didn't cooperate and before long, the roof was sliding down as the icing that held it on the walls melted. Oh well....at least we didn't have to wait long to eat it!!!

And here's our finished "house."

Saying goodbye to Stephanie

So,when I moved onto post, I had no idea that I would be gaining such a great friend! There was nothing that Stephanie didn't offer to help with! Heck, the girl even asked if she could help me organize! The first day I met her, she saw Abby and told me that since we didn't have a fence, that we could let Abby in hers and that we would just work out a system with the dog waste (she has two dogs of her own). I don't know ANYONE who would agree to that...even with dogs of their own!

Austin loved seeing her and even now, weeks after she has moved, asks about 'Tephsnie.'

It's people like Stephanie that makes it so worth it when you live on post....

Some news about Brian

In October, we found out that Brian was selected to take part in the Masters Program with the Army. He starts in 2009. That basically means that when we PCS from here (sometime next Fall), we will be going to a school (any accredited college that participates) so that he can get his Masters. The Army pays for his schooling AND still pays him his base pay and housing allowance! The question right now is WHERE???? He still doesn't know and we will be figuring this out within the next month or two! The best part? NO DEPLOYMENTS are involved when he is in this program, so we will get a year and a half of quality family time!!!

Austin's got a Secret!

Ok, by now, it's not a secret! This was the picture we put on our Christmas card this year....


I'm not sure how long it took for some people to figure it out, or if the biggest clue was that the card was from Brian, Kerum, Austin and Baby Steele! Either way, we had fun announcing our pregnancy by sending out cards and getting the expected phone calls when those cards started making their way to everyone!

A few tidbits....The baby is due in August. We don't care either way if it's a boy or girl...but it depends on Austin's mood on what he wants! Sometimes he says he wants a girl, others he wants a boy. Guess we'll see when I'm about 20 weeks along and get the ultrasound (yes, we want to find out before the birth!)

Saying Goodbye

After two years of living in the same place as family, we had to say goodbye to Matt, Paula, Nathan, and Anna (plus the pets!). I don't think Austin really understands that this is permanent and not just a vacation like ours was. We definitely miss having family around, but we know that Rucker will be a perfect place for them at this point.....a non-deployable job is always a good thing!!!

Hangin Out with Daddy

While Matt and Paula were in the middle of moving, they stayed in our house while we were on vacation. When we got back, their family stayed in the guest house on post, but they couldn't have their pets with them. So, we watched Luke and Tiger for them while they got last minute stuff taken care of.

Tiger has got to be one of the best cats I have ever seen. He's great with kids and even though he still has his claws, he is as gentle as can be! Austin loves this since our kitty, Toby, still runs from him at times (who can blame him...Austin is pretty rough!). Here's a couple of pictures of Austin cuddling with Tiger and Daddy....

Cheese!!!!

No more pictures!!! (yes, that's exactly what he said too....guess he's tired of me snapping so many!!!)

The next couple of pictures is Brian and Austin watching TV together. I found them like this and just couldn't resist grabbing the camera!

Mililani Christmas Parade

We went to Mililani to see the Christmas Parade with Matt, Paula and the kids. I took this picture of "the cousins" and just loved it. This was pretty much the last activity that the kids got to do with each other before Nathan and Anna moved. They had fun watching all the old cars and organizations rolling or walking by.