And then there were three...

Lt. Smith has left us again for more training out in the field.
This time for only a month.
Is it strange that I was excited to hear it was only a month??
Last night at dinner Jack said, "Daddy leaves so much."
...insert heartbreak here...
Poor guy is getting old enough now to realize when Harrison is gone.
Hopefully one day he'll understand how important his Daddy's job really is.
But until that time we'll make paper chains to count down the days until his return.
Maybe it'll help me too :)

A Post of firsts

Jack made his first trip to the dentist last week. I was talking it up to him all morning trying to get him excited (or trying to get myself excited, since I had an exam too, for the first time in....a long time). And he LOVED  it!  They didn't do much - just got him used to sitting in the chair and showed him what the dental tools did.  The dentist counted his teeth and he was so proud to tell everyone that day that he had "twenty teeth! Ten on top, ten on bottom!"

 

And in late December, Jack made his first visit to a different kind of doctor...in the ER.  He swallowed a dime!  He was sitting at the table drinking chocolate milk, and I was in the kitchen with my back to him, and I heard him kinda mumbling to himself, "money, money, money..." Then I heard a tiny gag - it sounded more like a little cough, and he starting whining a little bit and looked really nervous. I asked what was wrong and he said, "I ate money!"  So using my mothering detective skills I grabbed a bunch of coins and asked him which kind he ate. He picked up the dime and said, "the little one."  I was trying so hard not to laugh at this point (he was fine, people, I promise) and I asked him how he ate the money.  He said, "It wanted to swim in his chocolate milk." Oh boy...

A quick trip to the ER to "take a picture of his tummy",  make sure it would pass through him okay, and a few days later we found this little surprise in the toilet.  Yes, we cleaned it, and yes...we're keeping it.

Mr. Jack turned three yesterday, and I have no idea where time has gone!  He makes us laugh all the time as he comes up with new expressions, phrases, and dance moves constantly.

Happy birthday little man, we sure do love you, and we're so glad you've been sent to our family!

2011 Tribute

If you didn't get our holiday card this year...

..It's because we didn't make any.

It didn't quite make it to the top of my priority list this year.

Having a newborn, I chose sleep instead, silly me.

Crossing my fingers for next year.

But I LOVED getting all of yours.  They are all on my fridge, where they will remain for many weeks to come because I miss you all so much.

2011 was the craziest, most uncertain [at times], challenging, wonderful, most traveled year to date.  

And I loved it.

Our moves across the country looked like this:

We have loved living by nearly every member of both the Smith and Poulson families at some point during this year.

We loved living in Las Vegas and celebrating Jack's second birthday there.  He hit so many milestones this year: potty training, moving from his crib to a big boy bed, learning all his letters, shapes, colors, and numbers; and speaking in full sentences, constantly. He'll be three in just a few short weeks.

The Army then took our little family to Fort Benning, GA - my first experience of southern living.  Once I accepted the humidity and ginormous cockroaches that could fly I absolutely loved it.  We also traveled to Savannah, GA, Tybee Island, GA, Hilton Head, SC and Nashville, TN in the 6 months we lived there.  I still miss the southern summer thunderstorms, the "yes, ma'ams" and the gorgeous greenery.

Harrison completed a lifelong goal of his - Ranger School. 

Watch this video so you know how studly he really is.  Ranger School is one of the hardest schools in the Army and he did so well, I am so proud of him.

While he was there, Jack and I spent a few months with my family as we welcomed the best part of our year, Fisher Vaun into the world. He is such a sweet, cheerful baby.  Harrison missed the birth by 36 hours, but we have seen many blessings come from that experience for which we will always be thankful.

Now we have ended 2011 in our new home near Fort Lewis, WA.  Unlike when we lived on-post in Georgia, we're about 10 miles south of the military base in Lacey.  We are loving it here, and even more excited that all of 2012 will be spent under the same roof.