New Uniform

While Steve was deployed, the Navy changed their uniforms. The "working uniform", required to wear while working in D.C., used to be all black, but now the shirt is khaki and the pants and hat are black. He is looking really good...but then again, he always does!!! :)

Happy & Healthy

Tyler had his 3rd year checkup today. Since we were in Canada for his birthday and for the past year, we had to wait until we came back home. Better late than never! Tyler was a super good kid during his appointment. Doctor Harrington just adored him! He was smiles all through out the process. Anyway, she said he was in really good health. I told her about the tummy pains he gets after he eats sometimes and she said that he may have acid reflux, which runs in the family. She prescribed Zantac to try and see if that makes a difference. He weighed in at 33.6 lbs and I believe his heighth is 38 inches. She did say he was quite tall for his age. Afterwards, we went down to Immunizations and thankfully he was all up to date on them already, so no shots today.

Naval Air Museum

It's been awhile since we had a caching day, so we decided today we would get a few done. Over the year that we've been gone, there were several in the area that had been published. One of the caches we went to do was actually one that had been published for awhile, but we never got around to doing it. It was located at a navy air museum. We weren't sure if we had to pay to see the display of airplanes where the cache was hidden, so we went into the building where it turns out there were many more displays. We got a tour and Tyler even got to try out sitting in one of the airplanes himself! Tyler was in awe of everything. He asked a ton of questions. The whole exhibit was really interesting. Did you know that Singer, the sewing machine company, did their part in helping out during the war era by building simulators to help the pilots train? Cool, huh! Anyway, after we finished our tour inside we went to view the planes outside and try and find the cache. Turns out the plane that had the cache hidden on it was in the hangar getting a repaint. The cache was disabled yesterday after we downloaded the cache...just our luck! Oh well, it was the best "did not find" we ever did! It gives us an excuse to come back and see the museum again too!

Afternoon with Ute & Anthony

Coming back home and not having our good friends, Ute and Anthony, living beside is sad. They were great neigbours and we miss seeing them on a daily basis. However we are thankful that they didn't move far. Today we went over to their new house to visit. Their house is absolutely beautiful! We ate lunch on the deck in their gazebo that they used to have set up in their backyard here. It was really nice sitting out in it again. Then after lunch, we decided to go inside where Tyler watched a Winnie movie and we talked some more. Since we've been away, their family increased in size. Their newest member of the family is Pepper, an adorable toy poddle. Pepper had on the cutest dress and even had her nails painted gold. She is so cute and you can easily tell that she is very much loved in her new family. It was a wonderful afternoon and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing our dear friends again. We're sure that we'll be seeing them again soon!

Home & Garden

This afternoon we started pulling out all the unwanted things from our garden. Tyler, of course, was a great help to me. He picked lots of weeds and put them in his bag and when the bag got full he put the bag in his dump truck...LOL While we were out, we met our new neighbour. Ute and Anthony moved out while we were gone :( Then tonight after work, Steve brought home some flowers for us to plant. Most of them got planted tonight, but we still have some left to go. We're slowly getting things back to the way they were. It's just so nice to enjoy our own yard and home again!

First Day at Play Date

Yesterday my friend, Chloe, who lives across the street came over and invited Tyler and I to go to the play date that she brings the children that she looks after to. Of course, we jumped at the chance to go. Today was our first day. The play date is similar to our playgroups that we use to attend in Sydney, except they aren't as structured. We basically meet at a playground and let the kids have fun and then we stop to have a little picnic lunch that we bring ourselves. The playground is fantastic. It has two parts, one for the older kids and one for the younger ones just learning how to walk. The jungle gym is huge! I've never seen one that big. It's great because us adults can go on it to ensure the safety of our little ones and it's big enough so we're not bumping into one another or having to wait for a turn. There is a pretty big attendance at this group. Besides the huge jungle gym, there are tons of things to do including several slides, swings, a bouncy car, and a merry-go-round. After lunch, we went back for some more fun before having to go back home. Tyler was having so much fun that he really wanted to stay. If it wasn't so hot, we probably would have. We are so thankful that Chloe told us about this play date group because we were planning on looking for one here since Tyler really enjoyed his group in Sydney. Tyler often talks about playgroup at Nanny's house. He really missed going. This play date group is only 5 minutes from our house. We had so much fun today that we are definitely going to make this part of our weekly routine. The group meets every Wednesday. Stay tuned for lots more play date stories.

Metro Crash

Just to let everyone know that we're OK. We rarely take the Metro. If you haven't heard the recent news from tonight's train crash in D.C., you can read about it HERE.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all you dads and grandpas out there. This morning, Tyler and I wished Daddy a Happy Father's Day by giving him his cards and a gift of a polo shirt. We got in last night from our drive back from Florida, so we didn't feel like doing too much today except get groceries and clean up the house and the yard. Then tonight I made Steve is favourite meal, pork chops. Overall, it was a pretty good Father's Day, though the best part was being together, just the three of us. Happy Birthday to our good friend, Larissa!!! *throws a huge piece of double chocolate fudge cake at her* I didn't say I wouldn't get you on my blog...LOL

Heading Back Home...Again

After saying our goodbyes to Mom, Jim, and Brian, we are now on the road on our way back to Maryland this morning. We left at 6am and Emily, our GPS navigator, is giving us an ETA of 6:30pm. Of course, we'll be taking our time and stopping along the way to make our trip more enjoyable. We thank everyone for a wonderful time and we already miss you all!!! We have a new passenger coming back with us. Spot the Dalmatian is Tyler's newest buddy given to him by Grandma. We are sure that he will like his new home in Maryland.

Final Friday in Florida

On Friday, we met up with Dad and Judy for lunch. Tyler stayed home with Grandma as he was up late the night before. We met at a local Chili's restaurant for good food and great conversation. Dad and Judy have the same passion for traveling as we do, so we spent most of our time talking about past and future travel endeavors. It is always wonderful seeing Dad and Judy and we hope that they come to visit us soon!!! Thanks so much for lunch!!!

Mmmm...Alligator

We were too tired from our trip to Disney the day before to go to the beach, so instead we hit downtown Winter Park and grabbed lunch. Steve decided to order alligator as an appetizer so I could try it for the first time. It was actually really tasty. It was similar to chicken, but a little rubbery texture. I would definitely get it again!

Disney Day

One of the perks of having family in Florida is being able to go to Disney when we come to visit. We even have connections to the magical theme park; Grandma just happens to work for the mouse, so she can get us in for free. Also Disney has a special promotion where military members can get in for free. But before we could take part in all the fun, it was important to start off the day with a good breakfast. Daddy took us to Disney's Jambo House at Animal Kingdom for a fantastic breakfast featuring foods authentic to Africa. After we ate, we walked around the resort grounds and saw the giraffes and some other animals. Finally after a full breakfast, it was off to the park. We had some time to spare while waiting for Grandma to meet us at the park, so we thought it would be fun to ride the monorail around. Steve asked the driver if we could ride in the front. It was really neat to get a front view instead of just seeing the sides. When we were going around the turns, it felt like it was going to come off the track. We really enjoyed the ride and when we got off the driver gave Tyler a co-pilots license card. When we met up with Grandma, she got us in the park and she rode with us to Mickey's house in Toon Town Fair. Tyler was really excited to get on the train to get there. He sat on Grandma's lap while she pointed out all the neat stuff we get to see in the woods on the way there. We saw deer, horses, alligators, snakes, and indians camping out. When I asked Tyler after our day was over, what his favourite part of the day was, he said sitting with Grandma on the train. Unfortunately, we said goodbye to Grandma when we reached Mickey's. The park was a little crowded and the temps were hot, but that was to be expected for this time of year. We went on the Pirates of Caribbean ride, Winnie the Pooh ride, carousel, and went in the Tiki Room to see the show. After lunch we saw Goofy and had our photo taken and Tyler got collected his autograph in the special book Grandma gave him. The best part of our day was when we met Mickey and Minnie. We had to wait in a long line up but the wait was definitely worth it. The mice took the time to social with us and play around a little with Tyler. This was the first time we waited in the long line up for them. It was quite exciting to meet them! Another first was getting Tyler's his mouse ears with his name on them. Mommy also got his a pink pair with her name. It was quite a full day with tons to see and do, so it was no surprise that with all the excitement and with the day coming to an end that Tyler finally fell asleep in the stroller when we made our way over to Epcot. We got something to drink to cool off and Daddy and Mommy walked around a bit more before heading back home again. Grandma, thank you so much for getting us in the park!!! As Tyler gets older, it is more fun to go see the mouse. Even though this is Tyler's third time going to Disney, the magic just keeps getting better and better.

Family & Friends

All of Steve's brothers and sisters got together for dinner at Steve's mom's house. Also a few of our Florida friends came too. It had been about a year since we were altogether. Since we were away both of Steve's sisters gave birth to beautiful babies, so it was wonderful to finally get to meet them. The other children had grown so much and had fun playing in the pool. Overall, it was a great night to be together again! (The photo above is of the family minus the children. Other photos to be added soon.)

Night Swim

Tonight after I got his bath ready I went to go get Tyler, however he was already outside with Grandma and in the pool. So instead of having a bath, Tyler enjoyed a fun splash in the pool tonight. Grandma and Tyler had a blast splashing each other, meanwhile we had a good laugh because Tyler's Pull-ups were so full of water that he could only waddle. This was probably the most fun he had ever had while getting cleaned up.

We have arrived at Grandma's house!!!

From Spruce Trees to Palm Trees

This morning, we got on the road to start our trek to Florida to visit our family and friends. The weather was great, despite a few small rain showers. We are definitely in a "shorts wearing" climate now. Tonight we ended up in Bluffton, South Carolina and we should arrive in Florida tomorrow morning. We are very excited to see everyone and meet the new babies in the family.

A Warm Welcome Home :)

After our long drive from Rhode Island back home to Maryland, we were quite exhausted. However when we arrived back home we were greeted to a beautiful flower and balloon arrangement. It was given to us by our good friends and neighbours, Becky, Curt, and Zach. It really cheered us up to come home to such a nice surprise. Tyler went crazy over the balloons. He wanted to know whose birthday it was...LOL. We are so ever grateful to them for all that they have done for us while we were gone. They looked after our house and everything for us for the whole year that we've been away. We are so thankful for such great people in our life!!!

A Day at the Zoo

Grandpa and Grandma took us to visit the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island. At first, the weather didn't look too promising with the looming gray clouds, but we were lucky that the rain held off the whole time we were there allowing us to enjoy this fantastic park. This was the first time Steve and I had ever been there to visit and we weren't disappointed. The park had bison, elephants, camels, giraffes, kangaroos, monkeys, bears, antelopes, turtles, and several more animals. It was a lot of fun walking around the park and seeing the animals up close. Tyler's favourite part of the zoo was the elephants because one was swaying back and forth and he said it looked like he was dancing. There were a lot of animals that we had never seen before in real life. It was really neat! The walk through the animal park gave us an appetite and we decided to stop for lunch. After lunch, we headed on over to the butterfly exhibit. We found these neat giant wooden frogs outside of the exhibit and we couldn't resist a photo of us sitting on them. The butterfly exhibit was amazing! There were many different types of butterflies and the walk through the flower garden seeing them all around gave us a sense of peace. Wanda and I had a field day tying to capture lots of photos of them landing on the beautiful flowers. Overall, we had a fantastic day at the zoo. Thank you so much Grandpa and Grandma Smith for taking us there!!! We miss you so much and we hope to see you again this summer :)

A Nice Visit

Also on Wednesday after our trip to the zoo, we had some visitors arrive to Grandpa and Grandma's house. Wanda's grandchildren came over to see us. It was so nice to see Cameron and Mya again. Tyler had a blast playing with them. They could have played all night long if we let them. It was cute to see them together. Then Steve's cousin, Sue, and her adorable son, Teddy came over. It had been a long time since the last time we had seen them. Sue and I were really excited to get our boys together since they are so close in age. They had fun watching Grampa's trains downstairs. Aunt Nancy and her friend, Sita, joined us as well. It is always nice to see Aunt Nancy. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see Grandma Smith while we were in Rhode Island because she wasn't feeling very well, however we did get to talk gto her over the phone.

Grandpa's Trains

Heading Home From Home

Our early morning departure was delayed a bit because Heather was still not feeling well. We managed to get on the road and make it all the way down to Bangor, Maine. We are looking forward to stopping in on Grandma and Grandpa Smith in Newport, RI tomorrow. We already miss Nanny back in Sydney. Nanny took really good care of us over the past year. Tyler will surely miss her most of all. See you again soon, Nanny!!

Biker Dude

Our friends, Simone and Roger, invited us over their house for dinner. We had a wonderful time!!! While there, Roger showed us his motorcycle and Simone took Tyler's photo. I love the look on his face...LOL!

Family Vacation: Cabot Trail

After playgroup on Monday, we left for a little three day family vacation for just the three of us. Normally Steve and I would get away just the two of us at one of our favourite spots, the Sea Parrot, but since Tyler had been separated for so long from his father, we didn't have the heart to leave him home. It was also a good practice for my mom for after we leave here. Tyler had a great time at the Sea Parrot. They had a couple of swing sets set up as well as a sand box for Tyler to play in. The next day we hit the road to go on a little adventure to a place none of us had been before, Meat Cove. But before that we made a few pit stops along the way. One of them being, Cabot Landing Park. The park is in dedication of early explorer, John Cabot, and it is believed he discovered the continent known as America in this region. There was another special reason why I wanted to visit this park; I remember my dad saying he drove all the way up here to pour cement in the park. Meat Cove is the most northern community in Nova Scotia. It is remote and the roads are mountainous and mostly unpaved. The views were spectacular. After a drive through, we stopped at the community tea room for some lunch. Adjacent to the tea room was a boardwalk that led us through the woods for a 10 minute hike to a beautiful cove. We spent about an hour here taking photos, videos and taking in all of its' beauty. We got in our car and headed back towards the Clucking Hen Restaurant for dinner, however we took our time as it is along the beautiful Cabot Trail with several breathtaking locations. We stopped at the Black Brook beach for another break. We spent a good amount of time here playing in the sand and just relaxing. Overall, we had a fabulous family vacation that we definitely needed after spending so much time away from each other. We couldn't have asked for better weather. Each day was absolutely gorgeous which complimented the beauty of this island even more. Tyler had a great time, especially at night when we would get to pick from a selection of movies we could borrow at the Sea Parrot. The best part of all was that I made a lot of great memories that I will hold dear to my heart. We are so happy to finally be together again!

Sad Day at Playgroup

It was a sad day at playgroup. During the past year, we have made some great friends who we looked forward to seeing each and every Monday morning. One of my dear friends, Dena, surprised me with a "Happy Travels" cake. It was such a sweet surprise and a nice way to end our last day at playgroup. Tyler and I are really going to miss our Sydney playgroup. Over time we really got to know one another and they helped me countdown the days until Steve's return home. This was the first real interaction with other kids that Tyler took part in and it was a very positive experience. I hope that we can find another playgroup to join when we return back to Maryland. However the Sydney group will always remain dear to my heart. We exchanged e-mail addresses so I hope to remain in contact with them and when Tyler and I return again for another visit, we will definitely be coming back to see everyone again.