Take 2

Last week's Italian cookies

This week's Italian cookies

Ah, the sweet taste of success. With a few modifications, I finally perfected the Italian cookie I so dreamed of making.

I'm Scared...

3 Eyed Monster

Nice Weather We're Having

Tyler Says the Darndest Things

Tyler: Did you have a good sleep last night, Mommy? Mommy: Yes, I did. Did you? Tyler: Yeah! I slept like a stone.

He said he was having a car show.

Steve in Rhodes, Greece

It's official!!! Steve is on his way home!!! However, before arriving home in a few weeks time, he will have one more port visit. His ship made a stop a couple of days ago in Rhodes, Greece. Here are his photos:

If at first you don't succeed...

The other day I was going through my recipe box and I came across this recipe that I completely forgot I had. It was actually a recipe given to me by one of our Sicilian friends just before we moved. She brought over these delicious cookies one day and I was hooked. For the past few days I've been really excited over the thought of trying the recipe out and using my new cookie press to make them look like real Italian biscotti. Unfortunately, something malfunctioned with the recipe and the cookies turned more like flat blobs. LOL However, they still tasted incredible!!! It'll take a little experimenting with the recipe, but I'll eventually figure it out. I have them displayed in the dish she gave me with the cookies she made for us.

Pool Partay

Tyler and I just got home from a terrific pool party our apartment complex was hosting. This is an annual event they provide for their residents. There were tons of fantastic food, a D.J. playing music and MC'ing the party, tons of games, and a raffle draw with lots of terrific prizes. Originally, Tyler and I had planned on staying only for about an hour just to make an appearance, have dinner, and maybe win some prizes, but we ended up staying for the entire party. We had so much fun! Tyler participated in a couple of games, the hula hoop contest and the limbo. This was his first time trying both games and he really enjoyed them. My neighbour, Jamie, was talking about how she was going to get up and do karaoke at the party. And sure enough, she didn't only do one song, but two. LOL She did a great job!!! It was wonderful getting together with all our neighbours having fun. We talked and laughed. Meanwhile, Tyler had a blast with all his buddies swimming in the pool. He really thought it was cool to stay out until dark. By the time we came home and he had his nighttime snack, he was more than ready for bed. It was way past is bedtime. Overall, we had an awesome time and I'm so glad we stayed for the whole party.

Special Friends

This afternoon we had a delightful visit with some of my favourite people here in Virginia. Sandra, Mike, their son, Danny, and Sandra's mom, along with the newly beautiful addition to the Sosa family, Samara, came to spend some time with Tyler and I. This was the first time meeting precious 7 week old, Samara. I couldn't believe how tiny she was as I got to hold her in my arms. She is just sooo adorable!!! Tyler and I also got to meet Sandra's mom for the first time and she is just as sweet as her daughter. We had a really nice afternoon talking and eating Joe Joe cookies from Trader Joe's. I've missed Sandra so very much. We haven't seen each other since before I left to go to Canada in April. Sandra is one of those special friends who I love so much and I'm so happy to have her in my life. Meanwhile, Danny and Tyler had fun playing cars. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming over to see us. I so look forward to our next get together. :)

Froggy Friend

While at the pool today, we discovered we had a swimming buddy with us. Enjoy the following videos I took recording the developing relationship between Tyler and "Kermit".

For the Birds

On the way home from a swim, we stopped and fed the ducks...

National Ice Cream Day

Thank you dear ice cream for all those delicious moments you provided for us, and for those days you made us feel happy when we may have been a little down. There's no other food quite like you. Today we honor you and we want you to know how much we love you.You're the best!!!

Virginia Grown

We made our first visit to our farmer's market today. I've seen the signs along the road and today we finally set aside the time to finally check it out. It wasn't as big as I thought it might be, but it was definitely worth the trip. The prices were pretty good and we also got to see what the farmers grow around here. The one thing I was surprised to see them grow was cantaloupe. They had a great selection of tomatoes, watermelons, squash, zucchini, and even peanuts. Everything looked so fresh and tasty, but we didn't plan on buying much today so I asked Tyler to pick out one thing. He chose a watermelon. On the way out, I noticed the peanuts and picked up a bag. They are raw, so Tyler and I are excited to roast them as we've never done that before. Overall, it felt great to support the local farmer industry. We'll be back again, no doubt.

Surprise in the Mail

After we left Nanny's and came back home to Virginia, we noticed that we forgot to bring back one of Tyler's favourite storybooks. Nanny promised she would send it back to him and today we received the parcel in the mail. However when we opened the box, we not only found the book but some other surprises; two monster trucks and a stuffed skunk. One of the monster trucks is a Spider-Man kind and all Tyler kept saying was how he always wanted one of those. The skunk is actually mine from when I was little. The Easter Bunny brought him to me. LOL Nanny knew Tyler had a "friend" name Skunky Skunk and so she thought Tyler would love the stuffed skunk. She was right! He immediately said how much he loved him and even brought him with him when we went out in the car this afternoon. Thanks so much, Nanny!!! We love and miss you.

Tyler Says the Darndest Things

While at the playground... Mom: Be careful going on the monkey bars, Tyler. They could be really hot from the sun to hold on to. Tyler: They're not hot, Mommy. They feel just like bathwater.

Simple Things in Life

This afternoon we got some much needed rain. Even though it didn't last that long, it was still a refreshing feeling. It started to rain when Tyler and I were out on the balcony, so we decided to stay out and enjoy the fresh rain air. Tyler felt the rain by putting his hands out between the railing. He laughed as his hand got wet by the rain drops. This whole experience brought back a wonderful memory of the time when Steve and I lived in Sicily and we sat out on our apartment balcony one afternoon to watch a thunder and lightning storm over Mt. Etna. Sometimes it's often the simple things in life that are the most precious.

Pool Fun

Seeing Double

Slurpin' on a Slurpee

It's National Slurpee day! To celebrate 7-11 store chain's 83rd birthday, they are giving away free Slurpees to their customers. This morning we headed straight down to our 7-11 store to grab our free cool drink. Tyler was quite excited about the whole thing, and I must admit I was excited too. Ever since I remember hearing about Slurpees, I've always wanted to try them but where I lived in Canada we never had a 7-11 store. So today, I got to full fill my Slurpee dream. However, after a few slurps I was disgusted by the taste. LOL It just was not my thing I guess. Tyler, on the other hand, loved his Slurpee. Yay for freebies!

Double the Fun

Today at our woodworking workshop we made this ball and cup game. We had double the fun with this project as we had fun building it, and fun playing with it after it was all finished.

Steve in Jordon

Steve's ship made a stop in Jordon for a few days. While there he and his shipmates got a chance to do some incredible sightseeing. They got to float in the Dead Sea, see the Jordon River and where Jesus was Baptized, and took a trip to Petra. Here are some of his photos. Enjoy!

Making Marvelous Morning Muffins

Every time I make banana muffins, Tyler always suggests that someday we should make it with apples instead. LOL So today, we made apple muffins; of course, I used a new recipe that actually called for the use of apples. Tyler loves to bake and he is a terrific helper in the kitchen. Whenever there needs stirring or pouring, he's the guy! He mixed in those apples just right today, helping to produce delicious tasting apple muffins. Lately, we've been making muffins for our breakfast, so these fit right in for tomorrow morning. We had a little taste test this afternoon during snack time and yes, they are scrumptious! These will surely become a regular fixture on our breakfast table.

Kids Bowl FREE ALL SUMMER

We recently signed up for the 'Kids Bowl Free All Summer' program thanks to my sister in law, Chellee and my friend, Rhia! The program gave us coupons we can use everyday during the summer for 2 free games each day. All we had to pay for were the shoes. I first received an e-mail from my sister in law, Chellee, detailing all about the program and I was highly interested in it. Then the next day, my friend Rhia, told me about the same program, so we signed up our kids and today was our first time trying it out. Considering it was his first time bowling, Tyler did an awesome job. He scored a 68 the first game and then came in first the second game by scoring a 92. It was funny watching Tyler bowl because the ball was so heavy for him that when he would roll it down the lane, the ball would take forever to get to the pins. He had a great time though bowling with Georgie and his older sister, Sara. They all did a great job today. We're definitely taking advantage of this awesome offer this summer and we already made plans to bowl again on Friday.

News Story

Steve's ship recently conducted a fire and rescue drill. Click HERE to see the news story Steve produced.

I Love Modern Technology

Steve's ship is now docked in Jordon for a few days. And whenever their ship is in port is somewhere, it usually means that we get a chance to talk via webcam or phone. Yesterday we attempted to try the videochat, however the internet was way too slow because of the number of sailors and marines using it. However this morning, most of them were at work when Steve tried and the connection was much better. We were so very happy to be able to see Daddy and hear his voice as it had been way too long. It was awesome!!! Just another month or so and we'll get see, hear, and give him lots of hugs and kisses. Soooo can't wait!!!!!!

Celebrating Independence Day

Today we attended some 4th of July celebrations. It officially kicked off with a terrific parade, then followed by opening ceremonies that included entertainment by several bands. There were also food vendors, games of all sorts, pony rides, paddle boats, inflatables, remote control boats, and petting zoo. The parade was great fun to watch. It was one of the most enjoyable parades I've ever seen. Tyler got a ton of candy and stickers. His favourite part of the parade were the blue antique cars. In fact, there were a lot of antique cars in the parade. My favourite part of the parade were the tiny cars that you could drive. I so want one now. LOL After the parade, we got some corn dogs and funnel cake and had a little picnic, while we watched the egg toss. Tyler went in the bouncy tent after we ate. Then Tyler wanted to try the remote control boats. He had so much fun with that. Afterwards, we went over to the petting zoo and Tyler saw all the animals up close. He fed the cow, which he really liked. LOL He then wanted to go on a pony ride. His pony was named Thomas and this was Tyler's first pony ride ever. Too bad my camera battery died just before. Finally it was time to go back home. Tonight, they are topping the celebrations off with some fireworks, but we opted to skip the crowds and spend a quiet evening at home. Who knows, maybe we'll get to see some from our balcony.

Group Photo

Tyler got some of his buddies down from the top shelf in his closet and asked me to take his photo with them.

Happy Canada Day

Today Canadians and friends of Canada are celebrating Canada Day. What is Canada Day, you may ask? Why, it is the nation's birthday! The Great White North turns 143 years old! Unfortunately, I'm not in my native land to help celebrate, so Tyler and I had to create our own festivities today. We started off by putting on our Canada t-shirts. Tyler's was presented to him by his Canadian friends back home last year. They custom made it just for him to remember them while we are here in the United States. So what next? Where should a Canadian go on Canada Day while they are in the U.S.? Why not find the nearest Canadian donut shop that is not only just a donut shop to us Canadians, but it is much a part of our culture. Most Canadians make Tim Horton's a part of their daily lives. Not too many days go by without a trip to the nearest store, which happens to be on just about every corner. Bizarrely, a Tim Horton's, which is quietly making it's expansion across the border, just opened up right here on Steve's base in January right after we moved here. Crazy, eh? To continue on with our Canada Day celebrations, we ventured out to "Timmies" where after we placed our order and I was waiting for my cafe mocha and Tyler's hot chocolate, the sandwich guy comes from behind the counter and wished us a Happy Canada Day and shows us his Canada pin. Then after we sat down and were enjoying our drinks and maple cream donuts, I noticed a family walk in all wearing red and one girl wearing a Canada t-shirt. So I walk up to them and ask if they are Canadians and low and behold they are! In fact, they are not just Canadians, but fellow Maritimers from P.E.I. And the woman's mother is from River Bourgeois, which is located on Cape Breton! What a small world! It was so nice meeting some fellow Canadians. It just made my Canada Day even more special. Tonight, we wrapped up our celebrations by having Kraft Dinner for supper. In conclusion, it was a pretty good Canada Day even though I couldn't be home to enjoy it.