Red Flannel

Do I look like a lumberjack?

I think I look pretty cute!

LIKES AND DISLIKES

What I dislike...

1. Spaghetti

2. Pizza

3. Nacho Cheese

What I like...

1. Being held nonstop!!

Mommy's going to have a hard time when we get home and all I do is cry :o)

Mommy and me had a great Christmas and I can't wait until next year when I can open my presents by myself and play with daddy all day long!

Christmas Deployed

I wanted to write something this year on how it feels to be deployed on Christmas, but as I start to write I don’t really want to talk about how it feels to celebrate a Christian holiday in a Muslim country. I would much rather let everyone in on some of the traditions and memories that I have growing up in Indiana with all of my family so close.
Christmas for our family starts on the same day it does for a lot of Americans, the day after Thanksgiving. Our tradition was to go shopping in the morning, I am not sure why, and then go ice skating with as many relatives as we could gather. I remember being sick most years and I distinctly remember ice skating while hallucinating with a temperature of 103 on one year in particular. I like the idea of always making the traditional events no matter what.
The next big event was Christmas Eve. We used to go to my Great Grandma’s house and visit with the side of the family that felt awkward. This was a great learning experience of how a traditional event can be weird when the family is not really close knit. The real reason I wanted to go was to hang out with my Great Grandma Vesta. She was an amazing person who had the ability to remember birthdays, anniversaries, or any other date better than anyone else, well into her upper 80’s and early 90’s. She also had the purest heart that I have ever seen. She very rarely talked bad about anyone and the only time I ever heard that she got mad at someone; she hit him with a bowling pin. That’s my kind of grandma.
After leaving Great Grandma’s we would drive through a neighborhood on the way to our house that was decorated with all sorts of lights and other Christmas decorations. At the end of the road lived a man that would play his electric guitar from his roof. I remember him doing that for at least ten years out of my childhood. This was a great spectacle and would always get us excited for Santa to come to the house later that evening.
On Christmas morning Cody would wake up at 4:30 or so every year, I heard that he slept to 5:00 this year so maybe at 22 he is finally starting to grow up. We would all have to wait by our bedrooms for Mom and Dad to get up. Then all three boys would scurry into the living room together to an amazing spread. One of the family’s favorite stories was when Cody got a new bicycle. We were so excited for him, and wanted to see his reaction, but when we asked, “Hey Cody, did you see your new bicycle?” His response was “Yep, its mine.” Priceless. After opening presents at Mom and Dad’s house we were off to my maternal grandma’s house. From the beginning of time and for the rest of this story she will be referred to as “Nan.”
At 8:00 sharp, although my Aunt Sharon was usually late, we would begin our biscuit and gravy breakfast. Some people like chipped beef gravy, but I think everyone knows that sausage gravy is the only real gravy fit for a biscuit. The meal was enormous she cooked for 50 and most of the time we had at least that many in the kitchen at one time. This was followed by gift giving and the Throwing of the Wrapping Paper. Some family’s have very strict rules against throwing wrapping paper at people. Our family has similar regulations, but the difference is… we don’t follow it. I think most would agree that throwing wrapping paper at other members of the family and listening to Nan yelling for us to stop is a time honored tradition. At noon or so the Capps Family Christmas Caravan was off to my fraternal grandma’s house.
We always had to stop by my parent’s house and drop off the gifts that we had received at Nan’s to make room for more. One year we returned to find that the front door was standing wide open. We thought that someone had broken in and pulled a Grinch, but no it was Drew. Drew has never been able to figure out how to close doors, but that will be saved for another story. (I can’t prove that it was Drew, but since I am writing this story, I can place blame where I see fit.)
After the pit-stop at my parent’s house it was off to Grandma Capps’ house. As we walked into the house, 9 times out of 10 we would have leave the front door open to cool it off from the balmy 106 degrees that she thought was comfortable. One year we turned off her heat and she didn’t realize it until the house was about 50 degrees on December 28th, OOPS. We would then have lunch even though we were not really hungry. Following lunch we would exchange gifts and watch football. But the true tradition of Grandma Capps’ was Wrastlin’ on the Floor. We had the three Capps Boys, my uncle Joe, and the three Smith cousins all showing each other how much we loved each other, by way of the head-lock. Dad would never admit it, but he instigated most of the fighting.
After a few hours of hanging out with the Capps’ we would head home to play with the toys that we had been forced to leave at 7:30 that morning.
This is by no means all of the Christmas stories that I remember. I didn’t even tell the one about the apartment burning down, or when my uncle Scott bought me bikini briefs at age 9, or how ridiculously long Mom held out that Santa Claus was really behind all the Christmas presents, but that is all the stories I will tell for this year.

I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and take the time to have fun with your families and adding to your own memories of Christmas.

Merry Christmas,

Shawn, Al Asad Iraq

FREEZING COLD!!

I can't believe we left 72 degree weather for 2 degrees this morning!! (With the wind chill it felt like -17). I am having fun being spoiled by all of our family.

I just wish daddy was here too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

We are off to Indiana tomorrow and from what I've seen on the weather channel this morning, freezing temps, snow and ice! Yippee!! We don't get that anymore (it's in the 70's here) and I always love when we get to go home for Christmas because it feels like Christmas. In case we get way too busy and I don't get to post as often as I'd like, we wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

One Month Old

It's true the saying you hear, "I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday." I know it's only been 4 weeks, so it's still pretty fresh....but it's amazing to me that he's really been here for that long. Where has the time gone? Yes, I am tired, my house is a mess (for me it's a mess), I rarely get dressed up or put make up on anymore...but I absolutely love being a mom!

Happy One Month Birthday!

Winter Wonderland

Whoever says you can't do it all, is wrong!

Let me start off by saying that I HAVE to do it all because if I don't do it, it won't get done. I spent all day on base getting Caleb enrolled in IPAC and DEERS (if you are not in the military this will mean nothing to you, so I won't bore you with it - but basically he has to be registered at these two offices before we can add him to our insurance). This may sound like an easy task, but nothing to do with the military is easy! It took me 45 minutes in the IPAC office...why, I don't know. Then I waited one hour and 30 minutes at DEERS...when once they called me back, it took her 2 minutes to look at my Power of Attorney paperwork, my ID card, Caleb's birth certificate and then had me sign my name saying he's enrolled. AAHHHH! So, after his doctor's appt. on Monday, I can then go and register him with our insurance. I'm sure that won't be easy either.

After we got home from doing that, I changed my clothes, made some delicious brownies for a bake off I was entering them into (I got this recipe from the Taste of Home magazine and they're to die for!), fed Caleb, changed my clothes again, packed up the car and headed back to base for our squadron's "Winter Wonderland" Christmas party.

VMAQ-2's tree decorated with our two mascots, the Death Jester and the Playboy Bunny.

I like the way Santa is holding Caleb :o)

Heather, Phoebe, me and Caleb

As you can see Caleb did what he seems to do best.....sleep!

And last but not least......guess who won that bake off I mentioned earlier??????

ME!!!!!!!!!

Just call me Ms. Suzie Homemaker!!!

(Now I need a nap!)

A Few More Pics

I haven't posted any pictures in a few days, so I figured I'd better put a few on.

I am not usually a "character" type of person...but this outfit was $5.00 at Walmart and I just couldn't pass it up.

This is what I look like before a shower....at least Caleb looks cute!

We watched a few videos Shawn made before he left over the weekend. Caleb didn't look at the computer, but he at least sat contently thru three books!

This was him after listening to them :o)

Caleb got some tummy time while I straightened his room and pulled out some things for our upcoming trip home.

I purchased a new camera right before Caleb was born and I haven't really experimented with it, so I decided to play a little bit this morning. I knew it had a black and white and sepia feature and I wanted to find it......I f i n a l l y did!

A Thought This Christmas Season

You don't have to remind me what it means to share in the Christmas season without loved ones near by. The two biggest ones for me are Shawn, who missed Christmas last year and is once again missing it this year, and Brady, who I am now reminded on a daily basis as I watch Caleb grow, that we will never get to experience these things with him.

As I received some terrible news this afternoon, I was once again humbled in selfish thoughts of what Christmas means to me. For most of us it is a time to spend with family and friends. It's traveling home or somewhere else to spend the day with them. It's gift buying and gift giving. It's eating way too much food. And most importantly it's a time to tell those we love of the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ.

I can admit, I am not the best person at doing this. Why is that? Why does it take something terrible to bring us back or wake us up to Him or to realizewhat accepting Him can do for us?

I am reminded that we are not always in a happy situation during the holidays. This is supposed to be the greatest time of the year and yet my family is now mourning the loss of a family member. If this hadn't had happened would my heart have been opened to others who are also suffering this time of the year? Probably not. That is the world we live in.

Let us keep others in our prayers this holiday season. Although vague, we know there are others out there hurting, and they need the love of Jesus to see them through this tough time. I pray that everyone would be able to experience the joy of the season!

My mom left this morning after being here since October 16th. It was really great to have her here to help out and for the company. I thought that I would want to get my house back in order today, but I decided that since I have the house to myself I want to lay on the couch all day....or as long as Caleb will let me :o) I haven't been to church in awhile, so I decided we would go today. Luckily, he ate right before we left and slept the whole service.

This is what he looked like when we got back home.

Such a sweet face!

This is his, "if you talk to me in that high pitched voice and make those crazy faces at me one more time, I'm going to punch you" face!

We will be going home to Indiana in 10 days. I am very excited for Caleb to get to meet his entire family! I just wish Shawn was here to share it with us.

GO COUGARS!!!!

GOOD LUCK UNCLE CODY!

We had some tummy time yesterday and he pretty much screamed the entire time. We tried it again this morning and he liked it. I took some video of him, but I'm sure you don't want to hear a screaming baby.

I love the socks that look like hightop sneakers!

What's Your Christmas Tradition?

My friend, Shannon, had a fun post this morning and I wanted to copy her. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love everything about it......the tree, the lights, the gift buying, the music, the decorated malls and the family time that we have. I'm sure now that Caleb is here it'll be much more fun for us in the years to come. We both have big families and we love the closeness we have at the holidays. I love that Shawn turns into a kid at Christmas too! He always surprises me with his great gift ideas for family. Shawn hasn't been here the last two years at Christmas and we hate it. We pray he gets to be here next year. We haven't made any real family traditions yet (unless you count us putting our Christmas tree up Thanksgiving night while watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation), but since our family has grown, we will be sure to start those so our kids will have fun memories as they get older.

When I was growing up my family put up Christmas decorations listening to Kenny Rogers' Christmas cassette tape. I used to think I hated that tape, but once I was out on my own, I wanted to have it! Shawn's not as much a fan of it as I am, so we'll probably replace Kenny with Harry Connick Jr.

My other favorite memory, which is still going on, is Santa coming to see us on Christmas Eve. Now, I know Santa sees all kids on Christmas Eve...but I mean we see Santa! We go to my aunt's house on Christmas Eve and Santa always shows up and gives us gifts. I loved it when I was a kid and I love seeing how excited the kids get now when they hear his sleigh bells outside and see him walk through the door.

What are your family's Christmas traditions?

I may be a little biased.....