Nathan's new shoes

Nathan really hates wearing clothes...which is obvious by the fact that this is the second post featuring a "Naked Nathan". However, we finally found an article of clothing that he likes....his new shoes. He thinks these are the coolest things, and he LOVES the fact that "Michael got them for him". (Yes, Michael picked them out, but I still had to pay for them.) Well, at least he's wearing something now :O)

EVEN MOMS JUST WANNA' HAVE FUN!

Some friends and I got away for a weekend and so much fun. We took a trip to the Grand Canyon and then spent a day in Prescott, AZ which is one of my favorite get-a-way cities ever. Every girl should get to have this much fun from time to time.



These are ladies on my list of all time top 10 greatest. I can't wait to do it again. We had so much fun laughing, staying up late, eating, giggling, and........ the rest I am sworn to secret.



There is nothing like having good friends who know how to have a good time!

Jenna and Mom time.

Jenna and I have had so much fun trying some new things this year. There are many reasons I decided to homeschool this year. Having more time with and influence over my kids were obviously at the top of the list, but there is a very big side of me that is sad to see that we don't serve others enough because we are so busy with our own lives and schedules.

SO, Jenna and I have decided to take a cake decorating class together. We want to make cakes and take them to a local battered women and children shelter when there are birthdays, holidays or special events.

We have had a blast learning how to decorate cakes and make them pretty. She came home the first night and added some finishing touches to the cake. Here are some pictures of the first cake Jenna made. It is a white cake with chocolate custard filling and homemade buttercream icing. She was so proud of it and I was so proud of her. The only thing I did was write her name (please remember we are beginners).

Joe and the boys have been incredibly supportive of this new hobby.

Jenna even made a cake for our home teachers. Jenna has found a new best friend :o)

It is so fun to see talents discovered and developed.

The Estes' want to .....

WELCOME HOME

MAJOR KURT W. ROBERTS

My best friend, Joy, has been without her hubby for over a year now. She is on her way to Kansas as I type to prepare for the arrival of Kurt tomorrow (9/12/08). Kurt has been in Iraq for what seems like forever, to me.....I can't imagine what it has seemed like to their family.

I have been a Military wife and as much as I never had Joe gone for more than a few months ,I have seen many of my friends sacrifice through the deployment of their hubbies. With today being September 11th it seems so appropriate, with our flag proudly flying on the front of our house, to just take a minute to share my thoughts, feelings and gratitude to these families.



Stone Roberts was less than a year old when Kurt left for training. This is Stone this past July (2 yrs. old) in his "future bootcamp uniform".


I was able to spend the past 2 July's with Joy and her kids during Kurt's deployment. AS much as I know she has missed him terribly I have not heard her complain at all. I would have griped the whole 15 months he was gone. There was no "whoa is me". Joy has been a rock!

Erika, Meredith, Jack and Stone have missed their daddy terribly. I could see it on Jack's face every time his dad's name was mentioned. What a brave little boy he has been. I have watched all of these kids grow up so much in the past year. I wish I could be a fly on the wall when they get to see dad again!


I am so humbled by those who choose this profession. Those who see this as "just part of the job" will never know how much of a sacrifice I view it as. To leave spouses and children; parents and siblings; friends and loved ones for months and years at a time for my safety and way of life to is unbelievable to me. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to each of the service men and women that have and do defend this great nation.

Kurt missed many birthdays and birthday parties, anniversaries, many milestones such as first words, first steps, and even his daughter, Meredith's baptism. He missed karate advancements, baseball games, art classes, school programs and the day to day activities that we all enjoy so much with our kids. Kurt and Joy will tell you "it's his job"....that's what make people like the Roberts family heroes to people like me.

It has been my honest and literal prayer over the past year that the Roberts (and all others who serve as they do) be kept safe, and blessed for the great service and sacrifices that their families have rendered for our family.

The Military Transition Team (MiTT) patrols along the volatile Sunni Shia divide in the district

BELOW ARE SOME EXERPTS FROM A NEWPAPER ARTICLE WRITTEN WHILE KURT SERVED IN IRAQ, JUST TO GIVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY DO OVER THERE.

Major Kurt Roberts (US Army), Team Chief for the MiTT team in Baghdad, said:
"The MiTT teams were formed to work with the Iraqi Army, Police and some with the local police. My particular team is designed to work within an Iraqi Battalion. Our job is to help them grow and learn, help them with the training level they're already at and help them get a little better."

Major Kurt Roberts (US Army), Team Chief for the MiTT team in Baghdad is optimistic that they are on the road to stability and that they are starting to see improvement on the ground:
"We on the ground start to see a turning point. From the ground roots – I can't talk for the higher levels of the government - but from the ground roots, it looks like the people are more appreciative of what's going on and that helps the soldier feel better about his job that he does, when the people he's doing it for appreciate what's going on."

Major Abed, (Iraqi Army) agrees:
"We have seen progress in the neighbourhoods; people aren't afraid now, they come out into the streets. The local shops are open, they come to Iraqi military and police officers and they come for advice; they ask them for help if they have problems with people. This was not happening before."

It's hoped the progress in the West Rashid Mahala can be replicated around other districts of Baghdad.

WELCOME HOME KURT! WE LOVE AND THANK YOU!!!!!

Just thinking about my

GRANDMA

Joe and I spent the weekend in California visiting my maternal grandma. This is the woman that I love more than any other woman in the world. She has taught me so much.

She is old, frail, toothless and has been in a nursing home for a couple of years. She probably is a sad sight to most but she was so beautiful to me. She is in the late stages of Alzheimer's and doesn't remember much....but I have so many memories that I will treasure forever.

I LOVE YOU GRANDMA!

JUST A FEW OF MY MEMORIES :

• Endless hours of playing Scrabble at her dining room table. ( I credit her for my love of words, spelling and reading.)




• Being taught the "correct" way to hold a pen/pencil.




• Her cute Canadian accent and the way she says words like "been" phonetically.




• Politics! If anyone is wondering where this obsession began...it was grandma. Nobody debated current events with me better than her. She did her share of running for and holding public offices. BTW..My uncle David told grandma that he was the President of the US when she asked where he works. It was obvious that she remembered that by her response..."that's right!"

• She collected elephants.... just to show how devoted she was to the republican party.

• She LOVED U.S. History (sound familiar...anybody...anybody?)

• I (being the oldest grandchild) was her "#1 grandchild". I do realize that it was luck of the draw that I am the oldest, but I always enjoyed being #1, nonetheless.




• Long talks on the phone and her concern over it being on my "dime". She never quite caught on to the fact that there was a flat monthly phone rate.




• Her visits as a child. She never missed a year (until she and my mom had an ugly falling out....those of you who know my mom will not be surprised by this.)




• She always sent a practical gift for birthdays and Christmas. My November birthday always brought me a French Toast brand coat , BUT there was always a surprise ($$$) in the pocket. Clothes for Christmas also with a "surprise" in the pockets.
  

• She loved to cook and bake and was a WONDERFUL cook. This seems to be a family trait. Trust me, of all of the family traits, Joe is VERY lucky that this is the one that got passed down through the generations.

Her beautiful blue eyes that are still as pretty today as they ever were. It was so good to just sit next to her for hours and read to her from a WWII book that I picked up from the book store. I "caught her up" on my family, politics and current world events (it's probably a good think she didn't know what I was talking about) . I had a great time and am so glad that I went.

I miss my grandma the way that I have always known her, but I know that she will soon be able to go home and I will one day join her and she will be as independent and feisty as ever!