How do you number the days!?

On this day, June 18, six years ago I had the great opportunity of joining in marriage with my best friend of already nearly five years at the time. That now brings us to a total of nearly 11 years together since we started dating back in High School. However... there is also the time spent "going out" from back in elementary school (5th/6th grade)... and how do you factor that in!

In our years spent together we have had the opportunity to enjoy and endure many great things. How simple things were back in High School and the many movies in the park, long conversations on the tail gate of my truck, all the way through the long distance of college years and on into the real Army life. Marriage paired with the Army brings about another marriage in and of itself... a joint marriage to the Army. The Army is Cole's career and the provider for our family... and I can either choose to join in the marriage to it and life a happier, fuller life... or fight against it and bring termoil into our marriage as well. This has brought it's own challenges and rewards that not all marriages face and I am so glad that despite deployments and time apart we have weathered it well!

When we wed six years ago we had a plan... oh boy oh boy were we planners! I'm pretty sure God can count on us for a good laugh! Our five years wait for a family quickly went out the window when we saw the impact of deployment and how precious life is first hand... and along came Sierra Grace. Our timeline wasn't involved in her arrival but God had things worked out.... as well as with our future! We have made five moves in a five year period and met many wonderful people, families, and enjoyed great laughter and sorrow with them. We do not know what the longer term holds for our family right now, but we do know that God is at work in our lives and he is blessing us here where we are at!

I cannot say wether we have changed all that much over the years. We often wonder where the time went, why we were so worried about life back then (ha ha) and are we living in a dream... because surely that little one in there is not truly entrusted to us! Are we really old enough to handle the responsibility! Some say we still look the same as we did back then... but I'm sure if you looked closely you would notice the gray hairs popping up and the added wrinkles setting in! However... I cannot think of a person I would rather grow old with! I'm so glad that we are doing it together!

Hope you enjoy a little journey down memory lane with us... I sure enjoyed looking back through pictures... too bad I don't have any from elementary school!

Building our bridge together in HS
Prom Night

West Point Ball

Ice Skating at Rockefellar Center

Last WP Ball... Graduation Time!

The BIG event...

Saying our Goodbyes for Deployment I

Saying Hello after Deployment I

Hail and Farewell in TX

Regimental Ball in TX, Brave Riffles

Family Day on the Range (with a little pnut on board... didn't know it yet)

8 months prego and saying goodbye for Deployment II

R & R and becoming a family! Brings tears to my eyes!

Cole's Cpt. Career Course Graduation

Current day Family... minus Bongo!

in a Nut Shell!

So the website isn't being very cooperative today so I wasn't able to upload all of the pictures I wanted to... But here is our last couple of weeks in a nut shell! The front grass is growing well! Cole has given it a lot of love and attention and it's paying off... more pictures to come in a couple weeks once all the seedlings are long enough to mow and the grass looks better kept. It's a bit scraggly right now with all the new grass coming in and the exsisting grass getting long!

We were so happy to have an old neighbor and friend come thorugh for a quick visit while moving from NJ to CA. We had a great visit with Kevin which was followed up the next day by a visit from Grandma Jeanette. We loved having her here and she brought the warm California weather with her! Sierra was awefully spoiled with lots of time and attention, as is always with grandparents! We showed Grandma around the Zoo. We fed the giraffes, watch the grizzly bear play and fish, Sierra had her face painted and took her first pony ride!

We also spent time at the dog park watching Bongo run up and down the creek and going round and round sniffing lots of other pups! We enjoyed time outside on the bikes and making bubbles... and Sierra made grandma a special pot to take home and remember her trip by!

This week we have been catching up and spending time together and trying to stay cool! (the temps have been rising and we don't have AC here... got a little spoiled in TX and KY... although I think we NEEDED it more there!)

We took Sierra on her first fishing trip this past weekend. It was an experience! She's some what interested but was more interested in eating her fish crackers than fishing! Hoping that in the future we'll have better luck actually cataching a fish so she understands the excitment of it and enjoys it a bit longer! For now... we'll practice casting and reeling in the fake fish that came with her purple and pink Dora pole!

Bongo running up and down the creek bed just happy as can be!!!

A Family shot just outside the Grizzly Bear exhibit at the Zoo

Grandma and Sierra painting a pot together



Sierra on her first pony ride (Sunny... was the pony's name)

Sierra getting ready for her pony ride and getting to wear a big girl helmet!

Here's one for the Minton/Morris' and Papa Mike...

Sierra now has her own baseball glove and she's super stoked about it... we've just got to get her used to the idea that she wears it on the left!

Saying "cheese" after getting herself all dressed up!

One of Sierra's new favorite past times... Grocery shopping!

Whether it be for real with mom or on her own at home... this is one of her favorite things to do! She takes her own little list around and loads up her cart (which she earned by going potty) and then prepares dinner for her babies or to share with mom and dad!

Hope you enjoyed! Have a great summer!!! =)