Brandon left this morning for 2 weeks.  He is going to spend the first week at Fort Dix being a leader and instructor for younger Civil Air Patrol cadets, and then he is going to spend a week at Ranger school.  We have been preparing for this time for months.  The past couple days of helping Brandon to pack have been so busy that I really haven't had time to stop and think that my baby isn't going to be home until July 16th.  This will be the first 4th of July that I spend without Brandon since he has been born.  This morning I said to Brandon as he was getting ready to go, "what am I going to do without you for 2 weeks?"  He replied, through teary eyes, that he was praying the weeks would go by quickly and that he didn't know what he was going to do without his family for 2 weeks.  That did it....we both just cried.  Brandon has a new favorite song and it will be playing on my blog until he comes home.  The words to the song are great so I put them at the bottom of this post.  I am going to miss him so much.  

Take me into the beautiful, won't You take me back again

With a love unexplainable, come fill up this dry land

Let it open our eyes to see a world we've never seen

Let it open our hearts up to see You inside of us

You're here inside of me

Take me into the beautiful where the rivers flow

Where the love that never ends

Oh I wanna go to the beautiful - lalalalalalala

Take me into the beautiful where the faces glow

Where the lights that never dim

Oh I wanna go to the beautiful

Come on and take me again

Take me into the mystery, gently lift me with Your grace

Make the chaos a chorus, with Yourself come fill this place

Cover me with Your mercy, come and cover me with love

Cover me so that all might see that it's You not me

It is You that I am singing of

Take me into the beautiful where the rivers flow

Where the love that never ends

Oh I wanna go to the beautiful - lalalalalalala

Take me into the beautiful where the faces glow

Where the lights that never dim

Oh I wanna go to the beautiful

Come on and take me again

A love that's brighter than diamonds when I'm with You

A love that always invites us to be with You

Your love is brighter than diamonds now that I'm with You

Take me into the beautiful where the rivers flow

Where the love that never ends

Oh I wanna go to the beautiful - lalalalalalala

Take me into the beautiful where the faces glow

Where the lights that never dim

Oh I wanna go to the beautiful

Boardwalk treats and photo dump....

Last night at around 9 pm, Chris and I decided we felt like taking the family to the boardwalk for some coffee and something sweet to eat.  Truly that is one of the things that I enjoy about living where we do...being able to hop in the car and drive to the beach whenever we feel like it.  Fortunately, the boardwalk was pleasantly not overcrowded last night and we were able to eat, walk, and play a little goonie golf. 

The twins had bubblegum flavored water ice....

Trevor and Joshua shared a funnel cake (their first ever;)).... 

Brandon had a fried snicker's bar (his first one ever:)).... 

The weather was beautiful and the sound of the ocean is always so relaxing.... 

The older boys played a round of goonie golf while the twins watched.  They are soooo cute.  They were sooo happy just watching their brothers play, walking around with mom and dad and Elli.... 

Reagan was sooooo HAPPY he declared "Mommy take a picture of me hugging you!!" 

I love that little face!!!!

Chris might kill me for putting this photo in, but, he and I got treats on the boardwalk too. I had the most amazing Macaroon cookie, and he had coffee and a giant white chocolate cookie crunch cup....it was waayy too sweet for the twins and I. Jason, Reagan, and I each had 1 bite and declared it was enough. Chris ate the rest - with Elli - and then declared he felt sick!!!

We will be working out extra hard this week!!! ;)

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Ok photo dump time....

I have sooo many cute pictures that I have failed to blog about that I am now just going to dump....

Reagan pretending to be a Vulture in a giant nest....

Joshua and Elli ready to do yard work.... 

Joshua wearing his "bobby" hat to the dentist - he loves that hat!!! 

Elli in her cute little pink baseball hat - notice how long her hair is getting.... 

Another cute picture of Elli taking a bath in the sink.... 

Jason with McGruff the crime dog at the Egg Harbor Township Police Fair for All.... 

Jason and Reagan got a ride in the EHT Patrol vehicle with Brandon's friend Jordan (I have to say that I thank God that Brandon met Jordan - he is an awesome kid).  Can you guess which photo is Jason and which is Reagan....not sure that I can ;) ....

The legs in the second picture are smaller so I am thinking the top is Jason and the bottom is Reagan;).

Brandon going for a ride with the US Coast Guard.... 

Elli looking soooo sweet in her beautiful bow that my friend Lucy sent her..... 

Sunrise at the beach....

Chris and I woke up super early this morning and drove to the beach to watch the sunrise.

Elli came along for the fun....

It was beautiful!!!!

Bath time...

Elli loves her bathtime....only if it is in the kitchen sink ;).  She learned that from her cousin Lily ;).  What will we ever do when she gets too big for the sink?

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

My husband is a character. 

Some of you know him as this character....

He is sometimes known as this character.....

and....he is very often referred to as this character in our house....

Mostly, he is just a character....

and we love him more than words can say.... 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY CHRIS!

Fairytales....

I am a sucker for fairytales....at 40 years old, I will read or watch a fairytale any day over anything else.  Today I am thrilled to tears to have watched, prayed, and played even a teeny-tiny part in this FAIRYTALE COME TRUE!!!  It made my day to see this video and to know that Mia Kareen has a family and a home and no longer has to live in the confines of an Eastern European orphanage!!!!

TGIF!!!!

Fridays are a BIG deal in this house.  It is our big dessert night, our "all-nighter" night (which usually lasts till about midnight - earlier for the twins;)), and we always do something fun - movie, games, wii - it is our FAMILY FUN NIGHT!!  Tonight is Cowboy night.  Chris is a big fan of True Grit - the ultimate cowboy movie - soooooo, tonight is True Grit Cowboy night.  Funny thing...I saved this cowboy table cloth from when Trevor had a cowboy birthday when he was little ( I am telling you I am the ultimate recycler!!!)....had no idea that in 2011 we would be living in New Jersey and having a cowboy family fun night!!! 
Everyone is dressed up and ready to BBQ burgers and celebrate Cowboy night...YEE HAW!!
(You will have to pause the player at the right to hear the sound on the movie)

Saturday fun....

It has been so long since we had a weekend with everyone home and no commitments to CAP or Boy scouts that we decided to spend the day together at the zoo.  The Cape May zoo is a free zoo and it was such a beautiful drive, with really beautiful weather....we had a sweet, relaxing day!!!

The twins loved riding on their brother's shoulders, and Daddy took a ride on Joshua...See Joshua, your PE with your mom is making you stronger ;)....

Elli peered through the bars of every exhibit, she loved seeing all the animals....

I have to say, though, that I think she enjoyed seeing all the babies at the zoo.  Not the animal babies, the human babies.  She made sure to point out and announce "baby" every time she spotted a baby - even the ones bigger than her.... 

Jay and Ray took a moment to reflect and salute at the American Eagle exhibit.... 

You can see the eagle right above them in the pic.... 

The last time we were at the zoo the crocodiles didn't move once, and we all had our doubts as to whether they were stuffed.  This time, they put on a show for us....