You know what they say about big feet....

.... long shoelaces! Haha, I had to throw that one in there.

I may allow my child to run around naked if he so chooses, and most days you can find him in a diaper and not much else (come on, he's a Hawaiian baby!) but one thing that can never be said about me is that I skimped on Noah's shoe selection. We should buy stock in Pedipeds and Robeez Tredz because I have bought him so many. Noah has about 3-4 pairs that he maybe wore once if at all. Talk about money down the drain...

In this last month alone, Noah went from a big foot to a gigantic foot for a 15 month old! Now, we expected that he'd have some big feet because Dan and my dad have size 14 feet, but we never thought they'd be so big so soon. Noah went from a good size 5 to a size 7 1/2 in a matter of weeks. That's the size many 3 year olds wear! Again, here is the reminder that he's only 15 months!

But you know what? Given what we were anticipating when I was pregnant with Noah (for those who didn't know, we had been told he had 2 clubbed feet but Noah was prayed for and was completely healed in utero. We had monthly ultrasounds and saw month after month that we would have a baby who would have to undergo casting and surgeries to correct the defect. Praise God he was healed!), I will gladly continue to buy him shoes because I rejoice in his perfect - and incredibly LARGE - feet.

(Check back in later tonight - I will post a photo of him kickin' it in his new shoes)

Lazy Day at the Pool

Pools in Hawaii are just not like the pools anywhere else in the United States. This pool - just several miles down from our house - has a sandy shoreline with water that doesn't get more than 1' deep, salt-water with chlorine to sanitize it, fruity drink service (or you can brown bag it like we did!), and a playground right next to it. Stacie and I took our boys there today and had such a good time. I really love that girl and baby David is becoming like a 2nd son to me - we both discipline each other's boys without a second thought! That's how you know you are truly friends!

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Moving Purgatory

Sheer exhaustion caused by the Air Force moving process has begun to set in. I go to bed entirely too late thinking of all we have to do and all we have going on and I wake up entirely too early thinking of all we have to do and all we have going on. We are officially down into the last 4 weeks of living in Hawaii and all of the sudden, our lives have become so insane.

We have our packing date which will take 5 days before it is all packed and shipped the 5,000 miles to Louisiana, we have our tickets off island for the end of the month but they will only take us as far as Dallas (thus, we have to buy tickets to D.C. then to Alabama), we still have to make arrangements to get both pets off island in 2 weeks (thankfully Maria's going to my mom and dad for 2 months and Piper is going to my sweet sister-in-law, Annie and Dan's brother, Todd for a while in Pennsylvania and then to Dan's parent's home in Virginia... wow, lots to coordinate), we got a date to ship our Camry off island and that will take 30 days to get to Dallas (150 miles from where we are moving), we are starting to advertise our Pathfinder, I am having to organize ALL of my make-up, toiletries and things that the movers won't pack so I can pack them myself and avoid throwing hundreds of dollars worth of good stuff away, we are taking inventory of our valuables along with photos in the event one of our shipments gets stolen (like it did when we left South Carolina for Hawaii... not cool), am I frustrating you yet? If not, just email me and I can go on and on with other things we have facing us!

Moving from and to Hawaii is for the birds; no one looks forward to the process. It is so far from the Mainland and there is so much to do - it is considered an "overseas assignment" for us. On top of all we have going on, we are going to Maui in a week so we have my friend Stacie housesitting (gotta organize for that trip), we have many dinners with friends planned so we can see everyone before we leave, going away lunches and dinners, and, brace yourself...Dun, dun, dun: NOAH BEALL HANGING ON MY LEG AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY!

If you will reference my previous post "Trying Not To..." you will see that my stress levels have only increased. I just want to shut down, go to bed and wake up in our new home in Louisiana with everything unpacked and organized. Pray for us!!

A Place to Sit

Everyone needs a place to rest their "weary bones" (as my Mom-Mom used to say). Noah Beall is no exception. Now, he's got his milk, his snack, his "Backyardigans" or "Jack's Big Music Show," his ukulele (Hawaiian guitar), his books and... his very own lounge chair. He's at an age now where everything that is even remotely his size, he tries to sit on or in it. We had been looking at the 'anywhere chairs' at Pottery Barn Kids and finally decided to go for it and bought him his very own. He's in hog-heaven!

His best bud, David (my girl friend, Stacie's 13 month old) has also really enjoyed playing in it. They were caught curled up together yesterday several times ;) But of course, they split before we could catch them in a photo together. Typical boys.

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Just Us

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Get ready for a huge flooding of photo updates as we gear up to leave our beloved Hawaii. Now that orders are here, things are rapidly getting in order for our move in less than a month. And oh my... there is SO much to do.

So don't get annoyed with all of the photos and updates of our fun adventures before we move because once we have our home packed up, there will be about a month or more of zero photos and updates from me! I will miss writing but won't have a computer and will be "homeless" and traveling the U.S. visiting friends and family before we hit Louisiana to find a home!

Here is a short clip of Noah and me "jumping" in the bouncy castle this weekend. He could NOT keep his balance and was falling all over the place - but he laughed so hard! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWXW6OnQKgk

On another note: is anyone having a hard time viewing the blog? I got an email from a friend who reads it regularly and she said that a few times, her computer froze and she had to restart it. Let me know if that is happening with anyone else (just leave a comment) or if it is working fine. I hope it isn't freezing everyone's computers!!

Service

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This weekend has been a long one. Noah and I went to a playdate earlier in the week and both ended up with a raging cold/cough that really did us in (well, me more) for a good 72 hours. Then after Dan's 2 weeks straight of working, he finally got some time off. But within 2 days, we had committed ourselves to 5 PARTIES across this island! Whew. We are worn out - especially Noah who continues to sneeze everywhere. Poor baby.

But despite the back-to-back events of the weekend, there is so much to be thankful for. First of all, we got our orders that make official our transfer to Louisiana so that is an answered prayer. Now we are in the sticks of the moving process with tonnnnns left to do yet. But, we are able to start really scheduling the move, flights, out-processing appointments.

This weekend has also allowed us some much needed time with friends. We have been able to celebrate those we love most here on the island: my girlfriend, Lori's little girl, Tessa, turned 1 and had a fabulous island style birthday party at beautiful Bellows Beach on the east coast. Then we went to spend some time with Dan's work friends and their families. And today, after church, I was able to help celebrate my dear friend, Christen, as she prepares for the birth of her firstborn, Lexi (due in September). We have been truly blessed in our 3 years here with friends who really do love us.

Today in church, our sweet pastor called for those serving in the military to stand up - along with their spouses - so the congregation could lay hands on them as we prayed for the service members. Of course, Dan and I stood along with several other couples. It was so moving to have hands of fellow believers laid on us as they lifted us up in prayer. I often take for granted that my sweet husband gets up at the most random of hours, puts on the uniform of an active duty service member and goes into a job that is very stressful.... and NEVER complains. Not once. He just serves and for that, we should all be grateful.

Memorial Day isn't about politics or where we stand on this current president's policies; it is about being thankful for those who have given all that they have in honor of our country. Aside from being a mother, wearing the uniform of an active duty service member was the absolute highest honor that will ever be afforded me. Serving this country both as an Air Force officer and now an officer's wife is extremely humbling and I am very grateful for the freedoms that my family experiences because of the brave men and women of this country: both on the front lines and on the home front.

Today, I am thankful for my brave husband, for our friends and loved ones who have sacrificed so much and continue to sacrifice for this great nation. Soon, Dan will inevitably be heading overseas to once again fight for the freedoms we hold so dear. When that day comes, Noah and I will be very proud to help him pack his bags and stay behind to pray for him.

My sweet friend, Meryl, is about to send her husband Rob off for 6 months and I thank her for her service in Virginia as she not only stays behind to raise their boy, Rowen, but she does what she does best: save lives as a doctor (she's one incredible woman! I encourage you to read her awesome blog.)

You will never understand what it means to be thanked for your service. So today, I encourage you to thank a member of the military or a family member of a military man or woman who has sacrificed so much. I cannot describe the gratitude one feels when they are thanked for their service.

1 Month Left

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We still have no orders but now that Dan's major exercise is over, we are down to the business of MOVING. We literally are down to 4 weeks... with no pack-up date at all. However, we did get a date to ship our Camry off island to LA yet we still have to sell the SUV (boo - but that means new car when we get to LA: yay!). We also were able to book a luxury suite (chargeable to the Air Force!) at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for our last 2 weeks on island. That will be awesome to look forward to since we ship our animals back to the Mainland mid-June and then ship our car and pack up our earthly belongings in a matter of 3 days.

We also are going to Maui the first week of June and cannot wait! We are staying in an incredible resort there for 3 nights/4 days, are going to spend major amounts of time on the beach and go to the Maui Aquarium. In addition to our luxury resort experiences in Maui and Oahu, we are going to be spending a lot of time on the beaches for Dan to surf, as well as spend a ton of time with our dear friends - all of which we will miss way too much. Thus is life...

Noah is at the perfect age for us to really enjoy him and being in Hawaii for one more month. He loves to go to the beach, play and really enjoys being outside here. And for how hard he plays, he sleeps just as hard! I have been worried because he's been sleeping upwards of 15-16 hours a day total; but I think it is because he's got a huge molar (his last of the 1 year molars) popping through and he's been growing so much. This growth spurt has taken him well into 2-3 year clothing and almost size 7 shoes (that is HUGE for 15 months). So, 2 naps a day + 12-13 hours straight at night: BRING IT ON!

Here are some sweet photos from the past few days.

Pepsi and Chatter

Dan's been able to get home before Noah goes to bed (he's such an early bedtime kinda guy!) which is really unusual. Dan's been having to work 2 weeks straight, 14 hour shifts so he's been getting home at around 6 pm allowing us all some time to hang as a family.

With the long hours, Dan loves to come home and have a beer (or 2 or more!) and Noah, wanting to do everything his daddy does, wants to have one too. So, we put a cold Pepsi - or whatever is cold in the fridge - into one of Dan's koozies and without even having to open it, Noah pretends that he's drinking a big boy drink! After every fake "sip," he lets out a long and loud "mmmmmm" - which he's started doing for everything he puts in his mouth.

As you all know, Noah is a talker. He's got his own language and many are amazed how much the kid talks and how many words and phrases he already uses at 15 months. In the video, you can hear him saying "come here, Beaux" (he's still calling every dog "Beaux" since our trip home in March).

He's amazing: he says so many things like "ooo, pwetty" when he sees something he likes; "cheese," "peas" still for "please," "dank oooo" for "thank you," "kitty, kitty," "bah" for his bottle or cup, the list goes on and on. Dan calls him the "Fifth Element" because in that movie, Milla Jovovich's character literally has her own language and we are daily learning that Noah does too.

Here's the link and I promise to get some more footage that shows him talking more than this one does: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcjhrmWxK5Q

Cute Childrens Clothing

Everyone knows I am from the South. And it is expected of us "good Southern moms" to dress our kids in smockings and monogrammed, seersucker outfits year round. However, I have been living in Hawaii where on our best day around the house, Noah is barefoot and in a diaper (that he will never leave on!).

We live on an island where if you have a wall unit A/C then you are lucky. And while we have 3 wall unit A/Cs, we refuse to pay $350+ a month in electricity bills because we don't want to sweat. So, our child lives in whatever clothing makes him comfortable and cool. Yet when we move back to the South at the end of next month, changes have to be made. A barefoot, diapered child tends to lead one to believe that the parents are negligent and don't clothe their child on purpose.... Wal-Mart baby, anyone?!

A while back, I noticed the status update of a friend of a friend on Facebook. She said she had just bought her little boy the cutest monogrammed shortalls online for ridiculously cheap prices. I always promised myself that I would NEVER be one of those moms who dressed her little boy as though he were a sissy anywhere past age 2. However, I have moved that age up to 2 1/2 because I have been living in Hawaii and haven't had a chance to do what all good Southerners do!

Anyway, I bookmarked that site and have browsed it several times with the intention of ordering Noah some outfits yet never really had a reason to actually purchase anything. So tonight, I perused the clearance section of this site and ended up getting 3 monogrammed shortalls and a blue/white piped shirt for less than $100. That is ridiculously cheap for those mommies out there who want to dress their kiddos in cute monogrammed outfits but don't want to have to sell your diamond rings in order to do so!!

If you are in the market for adorable smockings and monogrammed clothing for your little ones but want to shop within a budget, then click here. They are having a big Memorial Day sale right now too that discounts 20% on all regularly priced clothing. Check it out!

Bedtime Story

I just put our boy down for the night yet the tears that were flowing because of the story that I read to him refused to stop. Noah loves to pick out his bedtime story and usually it is either "Courdoroy" (from Aunt Annie!) or "A Pig's Tale" (one of my 2 favorites from my childhood - my Mom-Mom used to read it to me). But tonight, Noah chose one from the "top shelf" where the most special books are placed. **Note: those previously mentioned 2 books are also from the top shelf... Noah's got great reading taste!**

Noah's Grandma Carol (Dan's mom) is a school librarian in Virginia so we can count on the best of the best children's books to be given to her first (and so far, only) grandson. One of the sweet books she gave Noah for his 1st birthday was "On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman. Tonight, that was his pick for his bedtime story.

Dan finished bathtime and Noah and I were ready to read as we settled into the rocking chair for his bedtime story and prayers. Let me tell you: that book is by far one of the most precious, touching bedtime books a mother can read to her child. Here are a couple of excerpts:

"On the night you were born,
the moon smiled with such wonder
that the stars peeked in to see you
and the night wind whispered
'life will never be the same.'
Because there had never been anyone like you... ever in the world."

The book ends with the most touching part of the story:

"Heaven blew every trumpet
and played ever horn
on the wonderful, marvelous
night you were born."

I was becoming very emotional as I read that to Noah because if I ever had to put into words the emotions I felt on the night he came into this world, they would sound a lot like the words in the conclusion of that sweet story.

Thank you, Carol, for sharing your wonderful taste with our Noah. I know that the books you give to him that we read to him daily will help shape him into the confident and loved man of God that we all pray for him to become. Thank you for your love of the written word and thank you for giving Noah one of the most precious books that we will ever read to him. This story made my night!