We're Alive!

Hello Everyone! Are you finally ready to see Grant all grown up, crawling, with two teeth?! A lot has happened since the last update. It has been an eventful 4 or 5 months.

We left California in November on Emily's birthday and headed to the Grand Canyon. It was the first time seeing the canyon for Emily, and it was a wonderful experience. The whole family went on a helicopter ride to see the sights!

We then zig-zagged across the country seeing family in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Alabama and South Carolina before getting to our final destination, Jacksonville, NC. It was great to see so many loved ones. Grant got to meet all five of his living great-grandparents. We got video of each meeting! He also had his first horseback ride (thanks, Fred!), his first helicopter flight (as mentioned above), his first Cesna flight and his first commercial jet flight.

Grant was a champ throughout the trip. He put up with a lot. That poor baby stopped sleeping well during the move and didn't sleep through the night again until he got his own crib in is own room in his new house! But we're skipping ahead. Nutmeg, who was on probation before the trip, won back a special place in John and Emily's hearts. She is an exceptional traveler and did very well.

When we arrived in NC, we stayed in a hotel for a while. Then we lived with some dear friends in New Bern for a few weeks. We were also invited to have Thanksgiving with some fine people at Carolina Beach! Some of those wonderful pictures will have to be uploaded later. We spent Christmas in AL with Em's family. We've also had quite a few visitors here already.

It took a while to find a home to buy, but we finally chose a new construction on a beautiful piece of land. There are woods, a creek and plenty of room to grow and play. We had to wait two long months, however, before the house would be ready to move in. Em and John thought it was the perfect opportunity to live on the beach one last time, so we lived in a rental for a couple of months. A mini-move in the midst of a big move! We finally got into our home in early February and have taken our time getting settled in. Some walls are painted, most of a fence is built, and plenty more will take place over the next few years.

John's work got going quickly. He started in a Cobra squadron, but got selected for a MEU (Marine Expeditionary Unit) and "chopped" to a 46 squadron for that. He is doing work-ups for an upcoming deployment, but we'll leave out specifics of dates, etc. The east coast squadrons are certainly less laid back than the west cost.

Emily and Grant are doing well. We have a lot of friends in the area and try to get together for playdates from time to time. Em is starting a Bible study that she will host so she can get her friends to come over more often!

Grant is Eight months old! He's doing all the normal things that a little boy his age should and is keeping Mommy on her toes! Babyproofing is the new priority. Grant loves being tickled and says "Ba Ba Ba" all the time. For those who have heard it, he is still growling but enjoys making other sounds now too.

More later on things we forgot to tell you and new news! Love, Us!

(Pics below are in no particular order. One is from the squadron Christmas party. One shows how Grant loves his books. Seriously, we have to read him about seven books before bed each night or he protests!)