Happy 5th birthday, Ruthie!

Ruthie is five! It feels like she was just born, and also like she's been with us forever.

She had a low-key birthday, but it was very enjoyable (it's always nice when it falls on a weekend!). She ate off the red "You Are Special" plate today:

(Our house looks like a DISASTER zone in the background of this picture. But I digress...)

She opened her cards and presents after breakfast:

She helped me make her cake (chocolate cake with vanilla icing and one million sprinkles, which she administered herself):

Her neighborhood friend joined us in eating that cake after dinner, which was Ruthie's favorite part of the day.

Happy birthday, Ruthie! We love you!

Goodbye, February!

Does anyone else feel like they're finishing a race on the last day of the month? I have no reasonable explanation for feeling that way (it's not like I have a job that requires important end-of-months tasks), but I always do.

This morning we went to church. Next week we start back at Sunday school, and we are all THRILLED. I am going to be helping in the 2-year old class between now and the end of May, while Chet attends our adult Sunday school class.

Sydney outgrew her church shoes (my kids wear Vans or Converse to church), so I pulled out my old (but practically new looking) black and white pair of Converse All-Stars that I bought at Target approximately 15 years ago, and viola! Sydney is the proud wearer of VINTAGE church shoes. (Is 15-years old considered "vintage?")

After church Chet worked on restoring a table saw he received from a friend, and I did who knows what around the house. 

At bedtime I was praying with Ford, and he added, "And thank you for our emotional support cat." We joke that Monster is a trained emotional support animal, because any time someone is upset and crying he runs to them meowing loudly.

(Actually, any time he meows it's LOUD.)

Happy Sunday! On to March!

Movie Theater (!)

Today I took Sydney and Lorelei to a movie. Like most people, I can't remember the last time we saw a movie at the theater!

I don't even know what gave me the idea, but I woke up this morning feeling like I needed to do something OUT OF THE HOUSE (that wasn't the grocery store) and something that felt "normal."

We saw the movie "Tom and Jerry." We ate popcorn and candy and Sydney and Lorelei drank Sprite. It was AMAZING.

When we got home I cooked dinner and Chet washed the dinner dishes. Right now everyone is finishing baths and we are going to watch "Frozen" (Ruthie's turn to choose).

How was your Saturday?

Catching Up: Summer Move

In October we discovered Chet was selection for promotion, and in November we found out we're moving (back) to Jacksonville, FL this summer!

Chet's and my first duty station was Jacksonville (technically, Naval Station Mayport). Chet moved there in 2005, and I moved there in 2006. Sydney was born in Jacksonville in January of 2010. 

We moved from Jacksonville to Gulfport, MS in 2011, not long before Lorelei was born in October of 2011.

Ford was born in Gulfport, MS in January of 2014.

Shortly after Ford was born, we moved to Alexandria, VA.

Ruthie was born in Alexandria, VA in March of 2016.

Shortly after Ruthie was born, we moved to Austin, TX.

After 12 months in Austin, TX, we moved to Lemoore, CA.

We lived in California from the summer of 2017 until the summer of 2019, when the Navy moved us back to Gulfport, MS.

We will leave Gulfport this June for Jacksonville (a different Navy base this time!).

I didn't plan for this to be a list of where we've lived, but there you have it! We are excited to experience a different part of Jacksonville, this time with all of our children in tow!

TGIF!

Ruthie and Monster

Ruthie said, "Take a picture of Monster and me!"

Bringing Monster home to live with us may be one of the best decisions I've ever made. His RIDICULOUSLY loud "meow" aside, he seems to love/put up with every single person in our family equally.

Happy Thursday!

Catching Up: Chet's Promotion

I'm not sure why I haven't shared this yet, but back in October we found out that Chet was selected for promotion to the next rank in the Navy!

I heard the good news while we were driving with my mom to Texas, evacuating for one of the hurricanes that didn't tend up being a problem for south Mississippi. I told my mom when we started the trip, "I'll bet Chet finds out whether or not he's getting promoted during this drive." Sure enough...

He is still "selected" for promotion, and won't officially become the next rank until September. September 2021 felt like a long way away when we heard the news in October 2020, but here we are, almost finished with February. Before we know it September will be here!

We are proud of him. He works hard and is very good at his job, but there were other people who also work hard and are good at their jobs who were not selected. So we are thankful.

Happy Wednesday!

Cat Spa

Approximately once a week, the children decide it's Cat Spa Day. This involves setting up Monster on his cat tree, brushing him, wiping him down with a washcloth soaked in warm water, and providing some sort of entertainment for him while he's pampered.

They also play classical music on the iPhone for him.

Ruthie is usually involved too, but she happened to be napping this particular Cat Spa session.

This goes on for AT LEAST AN HOUR. And what do you think the cat does during all this? He doesn't move a muscle, and basks in all of the attention and petting. Monster is rewarded for his cooperative behavior with a bandana to wear around his neck (that I usually remove a couple of hours later).

If you're looking for a creative gift idea for your pet, consider a gift card to a pet spa!