The first post.

Time to start a family blog like every other sucker on the internet, since Chad will be running off to the middle east (should I capitalize that? I don't want to) once again this year. He'll be gone for a year this time. I'm *hoping* (HINT HINT - hi Honey! I picked the background just for YOU!) that Chad will also join me on this thing. Then he can post updates and photos here from Iraq, Afghanistan or from wherever the heck he's going to fly off to. (The destination isn't set in stone yet.)

Hopefully if you're reading this you already know our family so I'm not going to start by offering a description of us. You already know we're crazy and that's all that needs to be said!

Things we've done lately:

(Click on the picture for a bigger, better view!)

The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.

Emma caught a huge lizard and carried it around for a few hours, shoving it into any unsuspecting person's face that she could.

Emma and I picked wildflowers in the field behind our house. (Go ahead, say it. We DO live in the middle of nowhere.)

And Emma and I released 1500 ladybugs into the aphid-infested rose garden. (Which, by the way, is in desperate need of an overhaul.) Can I just tell you how unnerving it is to have about 100 of those crawling up your arm?

Chad has been gone for the last month to a school for his E7 promotion so he's not with us in any of these pics!

It's not always easy knowing that your husband is going away for a year to a combat zone, but I'm trying not to think too much about it. To help matters, we decided to plan a week-and-a-half-long trip to CA in June/July and we're SO excited! Hotel reservations have been made, time has been taken off of work - we are READY especially since this will be our first real vacay since the beginning of The Dreaded Nursing School Experience of 2006. Expect more pictures then too!