Mini Me

This picture is for my parents. I considered putting up the matching one of me when I was this same age so that everyone could see why my parents (and maybe Jes) will tear up when they see this, but I think I'll pass and just let Jensen have all the naked glory on this one...

While Al  was gone Jence and I caravanned with Jen and John to see the Najdawis. Jensen had so much fun in a house with big boys in it!

The onsie twins watching the boys play Halo...

Ahh, boy time...

Jammie kids.

This is the load of food and toys that I took for Jensen in the car... The trip may have only been three hours, but I wasn't taking any chances!

Little monkey waiting for me after a good night's sleep...

Another picture of the sweet little monkey on a lovely morning... and a window into my world...

Jensen is a daddy's boy, until mom walks out of the room... 

Or until Jen leaves. Or when he has to come home from Roswitha's house...

Okay- maybe he's more of a "love the one you're with" kind of guy...

Ticklish doesn't quite do justice to Jensen

I know I've put one of these putting-shoes-on pics up before, but every time I see it I have to resist the urge to grab the camera- I think it's hilarious. 

Now get ready for this... 

Soon after Al got home from WLC we had a squadron family run. I only agreed to go because every single blog I've ever seen has pictures of people running a race on it.  So not to be outdone...

Here we are, running our 2K!  (Pay no attention to the folks sauntering with their small children behind us- this was grueling!)

Here's the big radio station bird to congratulate us for winning the race...hehe...

Al with his remaining friends.

Some play place pictures. Of course we can no longer get Jence to eat a bite while actually in the restaurant...

For some reason this time he wouldn't go down the slide, but up was do-able.

Exit strategy; crown + cookie.

Bedtime story.

On our way to church... don't be fooled by the tranquil exterior, we had already had a few tantrums, on the drive I got butter from my toast on the front of my skirt, and then we sat down in the chapel and immediately had to go do an emergency diaper change- the fumes were about to clear the building, came back and 1.5 minutes later the fumes were back.  Al took him out and came back informing me that there was a leak in our security and Jensen had mess through to the outside of his pants and up his back. We packed up the diaper bag and left church after 20 minutes.

Aunt Becky was afraid he wouldn't like Baby Einsteins...  No fears there, Boo!

Tonight Jence and Kennedi took a drive through the PX parking lot for FHE.

K denied Jence the first kiss request.

But as we know about the squeaky wheel...

Daddy's Home!

Al finished his WLC course on Thursday.  We went to the graduation ceremony and then got to take him home.  As I was remise about posting our goings on while Al was at his boy scout camp, I have included an overview here.

Jen, John and Miss Kennedi came to the ceremony. 

Melissa, Savannah, and Ashton were there to pick up their missing piece too.  We spent a lot of time together while the guys were gone.

Jensen and K out for a walk.

Look how this cute little girl is growing up!

Al took Jence outside when we got home to play with the sidewalk chalk.

So, going back a month.  The weather was finally almost nice enough to go play outside.  These balls belong to the boy upstairs and he leaves them in the yard- so every time we pass by we have a "BALL!?" panic attack.

Checkin' out the garden.

Jensen, Holly Plotts and I drove down to the Black Forest to get a cuckoo clock.  It was a three our drive each way with the monster in the back seat.  He kept pointing to Holly and saying "this, this!" We never could figure out what he was talking about.

But I have a really cool clock to show for it.  

This is the giant (working) cuckoo clock outside the store we went to. (Jence wasn't happy...)

Holly and Jence.  Holly has some more pics... I might get them up someday...

One night we popped some popcorn in daddy's new Whirley-Pop, (I'm sure Alex didn't mind us opening his present...;) ) got in our jammies and watched Aladdin.  Good times.

Mom and Jence in a little self photographed session....

(This is my favorite-- look at his little hand under my chin...)

A new garage has been discovered...

A traditional Jensen breakfast.  I hear him calling to get up in the morning, I walk in and say "Hello!"  and he says, "Nana!?" or "Bed!?" 

Yeah, love you too, kid...

News Flash: couch cushions are mobile!

I told Jensen it was time to change his diaper- then turned around to find him "missing"...

Pay no attention to the boy behind the camp chair...

Meet the Garners

The whole Garner clan has been in contact with a reporter who wrote our story in a nice article for Soldier Magazine.  It's now been published and if you want to read it it's at http://www.army.mil/soldiers/.

Mommy's First Bite

Jensen decided the other morning that the clothes I got out for myself would look better on him...

What would a blog post be without a classic Jensen laugh face?

Ready to go!

Yeah, I know.

The toy basket has become Jence's numero uno playing location...  See how it's bowing out at the sides... I'm setting aside the 16 euro to go get a replacement any day now...

This is through the screen of my front window, hence the foggy look- but  I wanted to capture how cute Bruno was out there this morning.  I need everyone to note the green watering can by the front wheel.  I got my camera out initially when he was using it to wet down the car, but missed the picture.  It was so funny!  Grow little car, grow! They really are amazing, look at that lack of waste!  He washes the car like you'd wash your kitchen counter, wetting it then wiping it down. And then there's me, while cleaning the bathrooms, reminiscing about the Bolivian Jungle where we would fill up huge buckets of water and just throw it over everything in the bathroom...
Aaaand last but not least.  Here we have the bite mark left over from Jensen's afternoon tantrum.  He was in time out (sitting- read: kicking flailing screaming like a wild banshee, on my lap on the entryway rug looking at the door) and while sounding like the baby who turns into the demon at the end of The Incredibles the little bugger bit me!  First- and last- time for everything. I should take another picture right now, two hours later, it looks a lot worse.

 Can I be honest and confess that I love that he hates time out?