Father's Day Surprise

 "Happy Father's Day To You"....

Chris was working all day, and as he leaves long before anyone else is up and isn't home until it's bedtime, the kids wanted to surprise him at work. To be able to see more of him on a day like this, the motto was - "if the daddy can't be with the kids to celebrate, the kids need to go to the daddy". He would never have thought we would do anything like this, as this isn't a workplace where you just "go and pop by to say hello", we have never been there during work before. I didn't won't to spoil his surprise either by calling ahead, so I said that we take the chance, if he has time for us we are lucky and if he is very busy on call or out and about we might have to wait.

We were lucky though, and he was sitting behind his desk in the office, and we got a little bit embarrassed as he wasn't the only one that got to listen to our beautiful singing voices, but there were about 10 other marines in the office just finishing up some paperwork/brief...Hmm, our little ones got quiet very fast when they saw that he wasn't alone. He was so happy to see us though, surprised, but very happy!! We didn't expect it to be so many people in the office, and therefore I had not brought more than 6 cupcakes for him and maybe for the kids to eat there, but there was no time for us to eat with him, as he soon had to get back to work, but the cupcakes were left at work and he got help to eat them.

 My Hubby - My Marine

He walked us out and that was it. The kids were happy to have seen him, and they were very impressed with his belt with so many attachments. The uniform they see daily, but the gun, teargas and all the other things he of course never takes home.

 One of his work cars.

Before we left the base again, we went to the Exchange. The store on base that normally should be pretty cheap, as you don't pay any taxes on base, but clothes and shoes are pretty expensive anyway. I did find a few shirts for the kids that they picked out. They had also gotten a much bigger tween/teen section since we were there last time, so Cassie wants to go back soon again, when there is more time.

At home we spent a quiet afternoon and had dinner before Chris came home from work. Then the kids were eager to bring him their bags with presents/gift cards. They had colored so nicely and especially Isabella did great coloring within the lines. Gift cards as: Breakfast in bed, Help clean the garage, Take out the trash, Wash the car etc. Some will be turned in next weekend I'm sure!

After the opening of three bags, I managed to take a few pictures of my love and the kids. As always, there is always someone that isn't looking in the camera lens, but still, I'm happy with the outcome! Ben had been playing knight (what else?) and instead of his swords, he was carrying around his bow and arrows, and he refused to give them up for just a few minutes. So to get him to stay in the pictures, I let him keep his "weapons".

Even if we didn't get to spend more than a few moments with him on his day, they were very much appreciated. He loved the surprise visit and he had already texted earlier after eating. "That Tortellini was AMAZING! Cassie did a GREAT JOB!" That comment made her day!

Three happy kids with their daddy!

Our little knight choose to hold on tight to his bow and arrows...

 Big Squeeze!

Have to finish a boring photo session with a silly face picture!!

Lunch For Daddy

Yesterday, Cassie came up with the great idea to cook something nice for daddy to bring to lunch for Father's Day, as he was going to be at work all day. We searched the freezer and what we had in the pantry, and her choice fell on "Cheese Tortellini in a Vodka Cream Sauce". Easy to make and easy to warm up (which always is a must for the microwave at work).

She did pretty much everything herself, I helped chopping the shallots, but everything else, she did herself following the recipe. She even made some changes and suggestions to the recipe, as we didn't have any vodka in the house, and instead of crushed tomatoes, we only had tomato sauce. Instead, she chopped up a ripe tomato and added a little bit more chicken stock instead of the vodka. The kitchen smelled delicious and needless to say, it tasted wonderful!! She did want to surprise him totally, with not letting him know what she cooked, but she couldn't wait and wanted to see his reaction. He was so happy and looked forward to lunch very much the next day. He didn't even try last night as he didn't want to spoil the surprise of how it tasted!

 Well, it doesn't look that great in a tupperware container, 

would have been nicer to serve it in a nice deep plate with fresh basil on the top, but at least it tasted wonderful!

For the dessert, we bought nice chocolate cupcakes, daddy's favorite. Found some that were nicely decorated for this special occasion. We didn't tell him that though, as we had another surprise planned for him for today.

3 sweet cup cakes - from 3 sweet kids!

Sunkissed

Slowly but surely, we are getting a tan here in Yuma. Well, some of us are very tanned already, like Chris who only needs to think about the sun and he gets a nice tan. Cassie has the same skin with lots of pigment, that the sun carefully turn to a darker shade, without burning or getting red (needless to say with a high sunscreen too). Ben and Bella are pretty tanned already, even if I use high sunscreen on them at all times, and also mostly use UV protection t shirt in the pool.

But, as I never really take any pictures of myself and here today at the pool when Cassie said that "Mom, you are getting a tan", I had to take a picture (or two), and as you can't see much of the phone screen out in the bright light, I was surprised when I saw the pictures here tonight. I do look pretty tanned, to be me that is. I'm normally the one that gets a light goldish tan, but never really dark. Sure, I see the bikini lines/tank top lines, but it's nice to get an all over sun kissed look!

It's funny, we live in the desert and have sun pretty much all year around, but I never really lay out in the sun to get myself a tan anymore. It's too hot here, and as we normally spend more time inside than outside, I don't really pick up the tan anymore, as I would have before. But now, spending a couple of days by the pool, I do see a difference!

We were pretty late getting to the pool this afternoon. We came back late from the activity in the morning, picking up Cassie from her sleepover and at home, I needed to get some house cleaning done before we left. So we were not at the pool until around 4pm, which was just perfect. Not much people again this time, and to be able to spend two hours in the pool before going home and have dinner, bath and bedtime is just perfect. My battery was running low, so I didn't take any pictures inside the pool today, only the ones here taking a break, drink and a snack. 

 

 Leaving around 6pm, sun still high in the sky and 108F/42C.

Honeymoon

What a beautiful photo!

It seems like big news in Sweden, where Madeleine and Chris are spending their honeymoon. I can totally understand that they are frustrated with the press that has leaked their secret location. On the other hand, shouldn't they be frustrated with the staff working there? Or other guests? I mean, if it such a secret special location, and as it seems several celebrities have celebrated honeymoons and vacations there before, it should really be in the hotels interest, that they can "guarantee" privacy. 

The location would be easy to leak, as there is several people involved with the trip, staff during the flight etc. But that pictures have leaked from the location, must be staff or other guests. So if they really want to get to the bottom with this, it shouldn't be too hard to find. 

Still, it's also understandable that the press will be interested if they get this information and I could only imagine that they paid a pretty good price for those picture that they published today. For a poor person that works there, who maybe has left family behind to work for months without seeing them, only to support them back home, any extra cash would be needed. On the other hand, if it comes out, they most likely would loose their position, as I can only assume that the hotels have these kind of privacy policies. Still though, it must be tempting...

The Swedish press though, should really be able to respect their privacy. As I can recall, Victoria and Daniel were left alone on their honeymoon, and also were given privacy from the press - I'm sure they asked for them to respect their privacy - when their daughter was born. Why couldn't the press in Sweden give them just the same respect? If the photos would have been published by other press in Europe or US, that would be a totally different thing, as they most likely wouldn't care at all to respect anyone's privacy, but that the Swedish press didn't do it, is pretty bad.

It also really gives people something to be bothered about, when the price tag is attached to their stay. A ridiculously high price/night, and of course it's easy to say that they could have spent that money differently. BUT, as Chris is pretty wealthy himself, and doesn't get paid from the Swedish taxpayers, no one should really care what they and what they intend to spend their money on. 

The best reaction to the press pictures, is to give them some to publish on your own, then you have the power to select tasteful pictures and avoid too reveling ones,  and hopefully avoid having to stay in the room for the rest of their vacation...

This and the picture above are both borrowed from 

Princess Madeleine of Sweden's Facebook page.

Now I'm curious, where did YOU celebrate your honeymoon?? We unfortunately, didn't have one of these typical beautiful paradise honeymoons. The time wasn't there for Chris to go on honeymoon, after almost 3 weeks of vacation in Sweden around the wedding. That he got 3 weeks in one go, is pretty remarkable in the first place, as it's really stretching it in military means...

But, the main reason of course was the money. We didn't have the budget for it. With the Visa applications, move and starting our lives in the US in the near future after the wedding, there was no money for such a trip. I still hope that I one day, will be able to enjoy such a beach. That would be the ultimate vacation for me - a dream come true! Maybe in 2016, when we've been married for 10 years??

Library Activities

As I've written about many times before, I love the library and all it's activities that they organize, all for free! Every week, or as soon as we don't have other plans, we go there Wednesday and Friday mornings for Toddler time and Pre School time for the kids. Singing, story book reading, playing and lots of fun flashcards to practice colors, shapes, numbers and letters. My kids love the flashcards, and we practice a lot at home too, and they are really good.

Every Saturday, they have all kind of activities, also often for older kids/tweens/teens. Recently, they had a Saturday of Play organized. PlayDoh/Duplo/Lego for the little kids and Wii games for the older kids. Lots of fun, and they had lots of new Duplo sets and it's a great way to see if the kids are interested and how good they can follow the instructions before buying all the stuff on your own. '

Last Saturday, we met up with my friend Sharla and her daughter Katherine, and guess if the girls were happy when they found their favorite Disney Princesses in Duplo sets. Isabella found a set with Ariel and Katherine with Cinderella. The younger sets for boys were all taken, but Ben was happy to play with the girls. They did good, even if I had to help telling them to look at the picture in the instruction booklet to see what piece comes next. It was so much fun, that I had to use a lot of convincing to leave when it was over, as they didn't want to go home. I hope that they pull out these toys soon again, as my kids are there so often and would love to do this over again.

Pool Date

Last Sunday, we were invited over for a pool date at Claudia's house. This is the lady from Toddler time that invited me and the kids with a bunch of other ladies to a pool party a while back. This time, it was only me and her and our kids, and it was really nice. Their pool is great, really warm - read almost too warm- and the kids played nicely. Cassie joined us, and had a good time too, enjoying the pool.

Again, we met up at around 10am, which is a perfect time to go, as it's not too hot yet, and then you can enjoy some playtime before lunch.

Claudia and Lily

Isabella swam/kicked herself from one long side of the pool to the other! Ben was close by to make it as well, before he gave up and started playing instead. Cassie was cheering him on here above. I'm so happy that they are not scared of the water and that they enjoy the swimming and playing. It makes it so much easier for me to take them on my own to these pools, as if one of them would be scared and crying and having to hold that one and trying to still interact and play with the other one..Not always easy holding two wet and sunscreen-slippery kids while getting in and out of the pool.

I still have to carry them to and from the pool, as the concrete is too hot to walk barefoot on. Then when they are in the pool, they are happy!

Platoon BBQ

Driving into the sun rays.

Tonight, we went for a platoon BBQ on base. Chris had with some of the guys put together a BBQ, to get the platoon for an evening of hanging out - much needed team spirit and to boost the moral in the lately "troubled" platoon. 

Not all guys showed up, and not all the civilians that are working with them either, but at least some of them were there. It wasn't really planned to be with families, and Chris could have stayed there on his own, as he was anyway on base all day....but we talked about it and I suggested that we come along and head out together, setting an example.

He was off today, but as always on his off days, they rarely come with being off work. Early this morning, he went in to work to do the quarterly fitness test that were scheduled really early before the heat sets in. Running 3 miles, pullups, pushups on time. He did great, and managed to get a 1. Class PFT, which is the absolute best you want to get. Then he came home around 9.30am and we saw a little of him before I took the kids to the Toddler time at the library. When we came home around noon, he had already left to go back to base to turn in uniforms that had to be updated with ribbons etc for next week when some "high profile" members of the USMC pays the base a visit. Chis also got selected to play golf in a tournament on base, and on some days off, he has his games that he needs to do. So, he was just getting done around 5pm, back home here to shower and change and to pick us up and we left here around 6.30pm to go to base again.

 First sign of the base at the turn, picture taken from the moving car. Note the fence..

 Sign at the Main Gate. No photos of the guards on duty for security reasons.

The Main Gate is where every person entering the base needs to pass. Driving up to the Marines on duty, the MP's (Military Police Officers) are standing guard. They check each and every one that comes through those gates. Every Military ID is checked and scanned. Random checks of the cars are held at the side where you get pulled over to check the cars for mostly guns and drugs. Dogs are standing duty as well. When Chris is working, he is in charge of the MP's at the gate and all the security checkpoints on base. He is the platoon sergeant in his MOS. Even if they all know each other at the gate, they still check and scan every ID...

I just realized that many of you probably don't have a clue about what the "job description" of a MP is, so I will make a special entry about that later.

 Driving on base, the Flag is still flying high. Colors has yet to be held.

The BBQ was set up at one of the BBQ places on base, where they had grills and tables. One of the guys were in charge of the meat and got the grill going when we arrived. There were not many children there, but after awhile, some more people showed up and some had kids too. 

Even in the sunset, it's hot in Yuma!

Ben has finally grown into his shirt with Cars that we bought last summer in Flagstaff, AZ. 

Tonight we were told from one of the guys that the Disney Movie "Cars" were made and scenery filmed from just outside of Flagstaff.  I don't exactly know how he meant it, as "Cars" is a cartoon, but somehow I guess the inspiration has to be taken from a real setting..

 Hotdogs, Watermelon and Chips..

Luckily the kids had dinner at home before we left to be sure that they wouldn't be hungry, so this was just snacking for them.

Hanging around the BBQ pits. 

I'm not comfortable with taking pictures of any of the guys or their families, therefore only one from far away where you can't really see any faces. I did meet one of the civilian officers and his girlfriend and they were both very nice. We talked for a while and it was nice just to socialize for a bit. The kids were running around on the field playing with some of the other kids. When it got darker, the Netflix over the iPhones worked well to keep them occupied before we left at around 9pm.

Before packing up and before the sun went totally down, it was another beautiful sunset here in Arizona. It's truly amazing. I just wish to be out in the open to be able to see the whole sky light up in all the colors from dark grey, violet, darker purple, orange, pink and yellow. It's just so beautiful. Cassie was the one that actually got my phone and walked over to the side to not get the fence in the pictures and the ones below is the ones she took with my iPhone. No filters, no extra or/added colors. Just the way it was. They are a little bit unclear in the contrast, as she zoomed in a bit and as the phone isn't as good as a real camera, it's not as sharp, but still, I think she did a wonderful job capturing this sunset!