We are Alive!

I know I know. I haven't posted a blog update in 3 months- my longest lull in 3.5 years! During those 3 months the girls had their birthdays and turned 1 and 3, I ran a marathon, we drove to 4 houses in 48 hours during Thanksgiving, all the Valdez girls got bronchitis then the flu, our BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT (Greg!) came home, the girls were petrified of Santa, and Greg, Justin, Jessica, and I went to Hawaii. Whew! I'll post some of the highlights today and the next few days before I resume my prerequisites for Nursing this Friday. I am taking Anatomy and Physiology II this Spring. It works out perfectly because Greg does not have to work Fridays till this Summer so he is watching the girls while I am in class on Friday and Saturday mornings. The girls are excited for their Daddy Date days. Pictures are chronologically in reverse order.

Gypsy Chicks! This will be hung in the guys' ready room.

Girls so excited that their Daddy is back for night time routines.

Whole Valdez Family together again!

Hyper Elves with their Nanny

The Gang is back together. We get 6 months of all 4 of us living down the street from each other before the Browns move to Monterey California in June.

Our Hero!

Momma Dukes- Couldn't have gotten through deployment without her!

XOXO

Whole family thrilled to gather to welcome Greg home!

Miss Ellie was scared of Daddy at first but quickly become buddies again with him when he offered her food.

BLISS.

Here he comes!

Here they come!

GiGi keeping Ellie warm

Not even bitter artic temperatures will keep us from seeing the fly in!

Here come the swordsmen!

Kitty my Gypsy Chick partner in crime during deployment!

My rocks during deployment, Jess and Jen.

The guys got coolers of beer embroidered with their call sign when they got home

Gypsy Chicks sign that is getting hung in the ready room

Babes are ready

Sword decorations on base

Gypsy Chick Tacky Christmas Party

NOT a fan of Santa.

Letter to Santa

Who is this man!?

Ava walking the catwalk at the Children's fashion show

Gypsy Chicks put on a Children's fashion show at a local Assisted Living Home for Christmas

Ohhh Ellie Bean...

Gunslingers

Buddies

God Parents wearing out the knuckleheads

Valdez Thanksgiving

"Don't Judge me I am starving!"

My wild Turkey!

Gypsy Chicks Half Way photos

Halfway Picture for Greg

Would you like some cake with that icing Ellie?

So excited for Cake

cries when we take it away to cut

Bang it up Bean!

Sheep

Little Bo Peep

Crazy Corn

Cowgirl and Indian

Little Indian

Running the marathon celebrating BMom and Grandma Bath

Thank You to all our donors who helped our team "Dummies running for our Mummies" raise $5000!

Most importantly, Thank you to our Moms who inspire us to be strong and determined women.

Autumn time!

She destroyed her cake

Miss Active

Joint Birthday Present- Playhouse!

Thank you to Dad V and Uncle Matt for taking three hours to put it together!

DIVA

Gypsy Chick Halfway Party!

Out smarted....

I have tried a new parenting technique to get more sleep in the morning. I am now not getting the girls out of bed till 7:30 AM. This particular morning the girls woke each other up at 6:30. The goal is for them to read, play in their room, have girl talk until I come in to get them. Well Ava and Ellie DID have girl talk. Ava decided to throw ALL of Ellie's clothes out of the dresser, put a ton of random things in her crib, and then somehow get in the crib with her. I couldn't help but laugh. Every day after this WAS a success at least.

Greg's Guests...

Greg sure does miss us but it hasn't been dull lately on the Truman for him. Here are some pictures sent out to us from the past two weeks.

Retired astronauts Capt. Jim Lovell, Capt. Gene Cernan, and Commander of Apollo 11 Neil Armstrong stand on painted footprints to commemorate their “Legends of Aerospace” tour aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). The astronauts visited the ship to meet with Sailors and Marines during the Morale Entertainment sponsored tour.

Retired astronaut, Commander of Apollo 11 Neil Armstrong, speaks to Swordsmen of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA 32) during the “Legends of Aerospace” tour aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

The XO Vinny gives Neil Armstrong a VFA 32 Hat

Neil Armstrong addressing the ready room

The singer and designer, Jessica Simpson came on board to entertain the guys.

Sadly, within a few hours of being on the ship she got violently ill with the ship flu that has been passed around to everyone. She had to have an IV inserted in her arm!

Unfortunately, Greg was flying the majority of the time Jessica Simpson was feeling well enough to visit on the ship and he didn't get to meet her.

bringin out the big guns for her!

Happy Halloween From Little Bo Peep and Her Sheep

Girl Talk

Ohh Bean. Nothing can tame her!

Then they decided it was a serious horseback riding lesson

When Ellie naps Ava and I have "Girl Talk" on my bed. She tells me about her day, what her current favorite song is (the happy day song learned at Preschool), and then we read. It has become a nice afternoon ritual even though she would like this ritual to begin at 6 AM some mornings.

Ellie's attention span is short, just like her legs.

Sissy Talk Time

Mom I don't want to be a cheerleader I want to be the Quarter Back!

Is this edible?

Needless to say, this car is probably more noisy than a 6 lane intersection.

New Dress from Jane Berry!

This was a "tame" day of sleeping. She is so her father's child.

Nascar time

Visiting the Queen of Sass- Miss Audrey Haselton!

The girls looked so cute for church that day that I realized I needed to take a picture before lunch. Found the beautiful flowers but didn't have the foresight to see that the girls would drench themselves in the fountain.

They just so happened to match Uncle Matt that day too

Bean was mad because I wouldn't let her eat rocks or dirt. So she threw her shoes in the fountain.