Florida Beaches

I grew up in Salem, OR, and at LEAST once every summer, my family would plan a day trip and go to the beach. While very beautiful, the Oregon coast is frequently foggy and cold. A hoody of some sort ALWAYS came along, and no one would get anything besides toes wet because the water was always very cold. I've been to the beach in ALL of the western states, but none of them (including California) are quite like the beaches in Florida. I LOVE the beaches here! Soft sand, great waves, very beautiful, relaxing (when you're not chasing toddlers!), and the water is WARM!! Evening is our favorite time to go: no sunscreen required, less crowded, and it's very easy to come home, put the boys in the tub, and put them in bed.

This last weekend Darren and I hit the beach for a little Mommy/Son time, and to see how big the waves were. The forecast predicted that we would have extra big waves because of Hurricane Bill. The waves were bigger, but not astronomically so -at least not when we went. However, the tide was much higher than I had seen it before. I'm not sure if was timing, or an effect from the hurricane. Either way, it was very beautiful. Especially with the sunset. Who knew you could see a beautiful sunSET in the Eastern sky!

A surfer, so you can get an idea of how big the waves were that night.

Boxes....

The best part about moving (aside from being TOTALLY done) is playing with the empty boxes! A couple nights ago, Matt brought a few in from the garage, and made a big tunnel/fort for the boys to play in. Of course, they LOVED it! Here are the pictures to prove it!

Joseph ALMOST standing up too soon.

Darren crawling out of the tunnel

Having a good time!

Joseph having a good time!

Darren's expression cracks me up.

Matt kept messing with it, claiming it had to be PERFECT so that it would last a long time. What a great Dad!

Brotherly love!

Darren opened the "window" so I could get a picture of all of them enjoying the tunnel.

The Inevitable

At some point, babies cross that threshold where they leave their infancy behind, and become a new addition to the toddler world. I think my sweet little Joseph is at that point. Of course it's inevitable at some point, but I was still enjoying his infancy! He's officially been walking for about a week now. By officially walking, I mean using his feet more than his hands and knees. Not merely just a few steps. Watch this video clip to see my 2 toddlers walking/running/dancing. I love Joseph's little booty shake - it's short, so don't blink or you'll miss it! He is so proud of himself and is so much fun. We're still working on moving in, so ignore the mess.

Darren

Yesterday, my fun, sweet little Darren turned 3 years old! In his 3 years, he has brought so much life, fun, and excitement into our family! Here are some of my favorite things about Darren (sorry for the inconsistent format - I couldn't get it fixed):

• He is such a loving and affectionate child. He gives hugs and kisses to almost everyone, his toys, his clothes, the car, the house, and even his food (that can get messy!). He still frequently snuggles with his Mommy, too (which I LOVE)!
• Darren has an INCREDIBLE memory! He STILL talks about people and events from Alaska, and he wasn't even 2 1/2 when we left. He frequently asks for his favorite babysitter from there! He remembers DETAILS from a visit with his cousin Aleia, Aunt Dixie, and Grandma Deeben 6 months ago, and that Grandma Kathy came to visit on an airplane! I don't prompt him - he brings it up out of the blue. Just yesterday, he started talking about SPECIFIC vehicles we passed on the freeway on our move here, to include a combine. Who remembers THAT stuff?! Darren, that's who!!
• My boy has a brilliant mind and pays close attention to detail! He can tell you details about all kinds of cars and trucks, and correctly identify various types of construction vehicles from a ways away (like a bulldozer, skid steer, excavater, etc.) When he plays with something, you can literally see the wheels turning in his head as he figures out every detail, masters what its intended purpose is, and then tries to reinvent what to do with it. He picks up on things very quickly. We have to be VERY careful with EVERYTHING we do and say, because it WILL be repeated!
• Darren is such a WONDERFUL big brother! He pays close attention to Joseph and is so good about trying to include him in whatever he's doing. When Joseph has a toy he wants, Darren will give Joseph one of his favorite toys as a trade, and then take the one he wants. He's gotten pretty good about sharing, and LOVES to make Joseph laugh! These two boys are already best buds!
• My son is a boy after my own heart. He LOVES music, and can often be found singing a song he knows, or even making one up. Darren also asks to listen to music everyday, and loves it when I sing to him!
• Darren has such a great sensitivity to things of a more spiritual nature. He asks to have family home evening multiple times a week. As we gather for family prayer, he frequently asks his father for a priesthood blessing. He loves to hear stories from the scriptures, and currenlty loves all things about Nephi, and stories about Joseph Smith (particularly the one where his leg has to be operated on as a boy). He likes to look at pictures of Jesus, and when he was younger, would call anyone with a beard, Jesus. Darren has ALWAYS been particularly drawn to people who are living the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I believe he can see it in their countenance.

Part of reason we named Darren what we did, was because of the meaning. His full name is Darren Matthew Coleman. Darren means "Great." Matthew means "Gift of God." So, I firmly believe his name is a perfect fit for him. He is very much a Great gift of God. This child has so much potential, and is truly amazing! I love him more than I know how to express.

Darren's birthday was an almost perfect day for Darren. We let him open presents right after breakfast, so he could spend the day enjoying his new toys - and he did! We also went for a family bikeride, which is one of his favorite things to do. A tradition we have at our house, is that the birthday person gets to pick the dinner menu! Darren picked hamburgers, corn on the cob, and watermelon! Pretty yummy! Another tradition is that the birthday person gets to pick what kind of cake and ice cream they get, and how it's decorated. Darren wanted a chocolate cake with a monster truck on it!

Darren playing with some of his new vehicles. Look at the concentration on his face, and notice the bulldozer is on the bed of a truck.

The monster truck cake. The dirt/messy look is on purpose. Darren LOVED it!

My boy and his cake!

Singing "Happy Birthday!" He blew out the candles too soon!

Opening presents!

Finally Home!

After being "homeless" for over a month, we are FINALLY in our new home! Our original plan was to buy our first home when we got here. However, after doing lots of research and looking at several homes, we decided to live in base housing. We were able to get a much nicer, newer, and bigger house this way. We had to wait a few weeks for the house to become available, but after being inside, it was more than worth the wait! We LOVE it!! Matt and I are still in shock/awe that this house - not duplex or fourplex - is enlisted military housing! Probably needless to say, we feel so incredibly blessed to be in such a great house.

Our house! This was taken at dusk, and the camera lens kept fogging up - darn humidity!

Living room! The boys were already making themselves at home!

The front entry.

Kitchen/part of family room. Since when does military housing have GRANITE countertops?!!

Front of the house on move-in day.

We are still in the unpacking/getting settled process, but every room is functional at this point, and we are totally out of our suitcases. After about 8 months of being in limbo, it's such a wonderful feeling to have a place to call home.

Space Shuttle

On my last post, I totally forgot to mention one of the COOLEST "firsts" that we've experienced here so far. That's okay though, because it's worthy of it's OWN post. We were able to see the space shuttle launch! The AF base is about 30 - 40 minutes south of the launch sight (I think.), and people we talked to said we could see it from anywhere. So we went to a little park outside of our room to watch it. It was AMAZING! Matt's video clip really doesn't do it any justice. It was almost as bright as the the sun, but in the shape of a rocket (go figure!). It was totally quiet when we could see it, but once it was up out of sight, then we could hear the rumble. It sounded like rolling thunder (NOT to be confused with Ka-boom thunder) that could be heard for several minutes. The still picture shows the smoke trail the shuttle left behind. It lingered for quite awhile. Matt was attempting to get a still picture of the shuttle, but missed it, because he was video taping instead. So, enjoy the video and pretend you were there!

Firsts...

Since my last post, our family has encountered many "firsts." I accidentally loaded the pictures backwards, so I'll just start with the most recent, and work my way back.

Since our arrival in Florida,
I have seen a banana tree for the first time. I have also seen a whole orchard of mango trees, a papaya tree, a few growing pineapples (they do NOT grow on trees), and seen many other tropical plants/flowers I have not ever seen (except in pictures) before.

My boys have also gone to the zoo for the first time. We finally live close enough (about 10 minutes) that we can go fairly frequently, which is good. They loved it! Especially the kiddie land where they have a playground/animal caves to explore, a little water park, and a petting zoo!

Of course, you can't live in Florida and NOT go to the beach. The pic was taken from the balcony of a hotel we were staying in. I haven't been brave enough to take our camera to the beach, because I don't want sand in it! Anyway, Joseph has now been to the beach for the first time (and subsequent times), and Darren hasn't been since he was Joseph's age. And then, it was the Pacific ocean. So, all 4 of us have experienced dipping our feet in the Atlantic ocean for the first time! The beaches here are really nice. The sand is so soft and warm, and so is the water! I grew up in Oregon, where it's usually cold and windy on the beach, and forget swimming unless you have a wet suit. So, I'm loving the warmth of the beaches here! Darren loves playing in the water, jumping over the waves. Joseph doesn't like the water so much, but likes to watch the sand run through his fingers when he tries to pick it up.

On the 4th of July, Joseph experienced his first carnival ride, and LOVED it. He laughed and giggled almost the whole time! So much fun. Darren on the other hand, was afraid of them, and was MORE than content watching Joseph have all the fun. They both also experienced their first "real" fireworks display. Darren has seen some in Alaska (in the winter) from his bedroom window, and from inside the car, but never out in the open. Joseph loved them, and Darren was unsure and a bit scared until his daddy had him point out the colors he saw. Then he was fine. (Good job, Matt!) However, Darren LOVED the little individual firework display we had. Especially the little snappers. He was all over those! Laughing and having a good ol' time! As much as I love Alaska, I have to admit it was nice to let my boys experience fireworks on the 4th of July!

We spent the 4th of July weekend in Georgia with my friend Jessica and her family. That was such a welcome break from all the stress of moving! It was so GREAT to spend some time with them! On the 4th, they took us to Peachtree City, GA, which is quite possibly one of the most unique places I have ever been. That town is built around golf cart trails - seriously! People have golf carts instead of second vehicles! The parking lots ALL have designated golf cart parking, and not everyone with a golf cart plays golf! It's quite amazing. You can seriously go ANYWHERE in that town in a golf cart. We got to go for a ride in one, and the trails were quite pretty! It was a fun place.

We can all say that we have been to the southern states now as well. Actually, we can say we have driven from Alaska to Florida within about a 7 month time frame - with 2 small kids! We seem to be quite the novelty down here. It's not everyday in Florida that you see 2 vehicles with Alaska license plates, and a cord hanging out the front of them. We get MANY stares everywhere we go! Most have never heard of having to plug a car in.

For this move, we decided to do a full DITY (do it yourself), instead of having the military doing it. We have differing opinions as to whether it will be a first, or a first and last! The great things about it are that I will know exactly where everything is, because I packed similar items in the same box (now that's a novel idea!), and was DETAILED in my labeling! Plus, we've been able to make a little extra cash doing it this way, which of course, is always nice. However, it can be MUCH more stressful, especially if your hubby is stuck in school where the environment was VERY tense and stressful the last few weeks, with a graduation date that kept changing. This meant that I was unavoidably left to do most all of the packing by myself - with the kids trying to unpack almost as fast as I was packing! I am VERY glad and relieved that school and the packing is OVER!!

I know this is really long, but I'm going to add one more thing - and it doesn't even have to do with the topic. but I have to post our Coleman Family tradition. Whenever we move, we come up with a list of our 5 favorite things about that place. I will admit that because we knew we weren't going to be in Texas very long, I didn't try to make it "home." We've had to look a little harder for things to love than we did in Alaska and other places we lived. So, a little belated and in no particular order, here's our list for Texas in case you want to know:

1. FRESH homemade tortillas sold in little corner shops and even the bakery section of the grocery stores. SOOO much better than regular store-bought tortillas.

2. Fabulous Mexican food.

3. The HEB grocery store - grocery shopping became FUN! Live cooking demonstrations, free samples, fabulous produce section, HUGE selection on everything, they gave kids balloons to keep them occupied while shopping, etc.

4. The birds. I have never seen such a variety of birds. Our backyard was filled with all kinds of birds everyday! We enjoyed listening to them and watching them.

5. Texas was a little greener than I expected.