Hoorah... pronounced OohRah

So today finally came, and Jack and I woke up at the crack of dawn (3:30am) to take Jared to the grinder (why they call it that I don't know) where he boarded a bus to take him to an air field to fly to Afghanistan.

It was a beautiful California morning, and it was pretty amazing to see our men and women in uniform stand at attention as the colors went up for the day. There is a level of respect on a Marine base that you don't see in every day life.

We had plenty of time to say goodbye--the buses didn't leave until 9:20am--and the mood among all families was relatively happy. A few tears were shed here and there, but for the most part there is a military pride that seems to squash all the emotional drama of saying goodbye.

Jared and I are doing OK with this deployment. We've known for months that this would take place, and we feel comforted in knowing this will be for a short while and that he will return home safely in seven months. Jared's attitude is really great as he sees this as being part of history. And this is. More than ever I support our troops and am so grateful to live in our great country, America.

Knowing this is for a short while and feeling confident all will be well still doesn't take away the loneliness though. Now that I'm home, the house is extremely quiet and I'm missing Jared a lot. We were told by those who've deployed before that the first and last month are the hardest and the middle months seem to fly by. I hope they are right!

Here are some pics from this morning.

Jack was really snuggly this morning:)

Nice family photo... Jack was out most of the morning.

Jared and leadership inspecting the formation.

This is the formation to inspect weapons.


And this is Jack all bundled up... it does get cold in CA sometimes.

Money, money, money!

Jared and I are suckers for buying anything and everything for Jack that we think might occupy him and keep him happy. Turns out we don't need to break the bank anymore--he's completely content playing with his toes or a water bottle:)

Shout Hooray!

Yesterday we celebrated Jared's birthday. It has been a blustery mess outside lately so we stayed inside and watched the storm. Jared and Jack were fascinated by it!

Here's how you celebrate Jared's big day.

1. Decorate the house (thanks Shuana for sending the supplies)

2. Open gifts (no pictures... Jared thinks he's too old to take pictures while opening gifts)

3. Cook him his favorite dinner as of late (Chicken and CousCous)

4. Watch BYU basketball and be grateful they win

5. Indulge in brownie sundaes

6. Watch Jack entertain himself by exploring everything through his mouth

It was a cozy evening indoors and we both commented on how fun it was. Obviously we don't get storms very often in San Diego.

Happy Birthday, J. Another one down and an eternity more to go!

Christmas in the Northwest

Bonus points for all you who listened to KLSY every Christmas and remember the song Christmas in the Northwest:)

This year we spent Christmas with my family in Puyallup. We had a great time eating and lounging around. I noticed in the majority of Jack's photos from the holidays he looks like he is very full and just vegging. Aren't the holidays great:)

We did get Jack out and about for the most part... dragging him to look at the new Lexus that Jared is dreaming about, the mall, many relatives' houses, and a ferry ride to Seattle to get some fish and chips.

Oh and I can't forget, getting together with family also means lots of card playing. We're getting Jack started early.

O Holy Night

Having a baby boy around Christmas puts you as prime candidates for being in the nativity. Last week Jack made his acting debut as baby Jesus (and so did Jared & I). I was a bit nervous he would be a crying baby Jesus, but he understood the importance of his role and was a perfect angel through the whole scene.

We will not be moving to LA....

Go BYU

Jack is happiest when watching BYU with his dad and giggles the loudest when cheering on the cougars. I caught a little bit of his giggle on video. This was the second or third BYU chant so he was loosing a little steam. I'll get another video next time we dress him up in his cougar attire:)

The Weather Outside is Frightful!

Well the weather in Idaho was quite cold, but we sure enjoyed our time in Pocatello visiting all of the Taylors. Jack wasn't sure what to think of that cold air at first... we had to bundle him up just to get to the car. He would try to uncover his face to feel the cold air but then it took his breath away so he liked to stay nestled under the covers.




While at Grandma's, Jack gave some of his best grins, laughs, and coos. He loved all the attention!




And his cousins showed him so much love too:)





It was wonderful to spend Thanksgiving with family. We count our blessings every day and appreciate all the love and support we receive from friends and family:)


... and it was nice to land in San Diego with blue skies and 65 degree weather! Ahhh... sunny Southern California! We won't be here for Christmas, but any one is welcome to come thaw out in January!