Kendall Family Blog

Cox's Farm

2010-10-18T04:32:00.004+02:00

A few weeks ago we went to Cox's Farm for a little fall fun with our cousins in Chantilly/South Riding...Amy, Mark, Robin and Rachel. We had a great, yet random hayride, rode lots of slides and picked out pumpkins!!

the beginning of our hayride!

wes had to ride down with mark because the first time his little body got stuck half way down!

Soccer Time

2010-10-18T03:56:00.006+02:00

These 3 year olds are so cute to watch as they learn about soccer! Wes, Mitchell and Becca are playing soccer once a week! Probably could have waited another year or two, but at least they are getting exercise!

Myrtle Beach

2010-08-25T01:56:00.008+02:00

Gram trying to remember how to play "kings on the corner" so she could teach Brett!

Rainy evening entertainment

Hailey loves to sit in Gram's lap! She is getting more snuggly by the day!

Surfing USA!!!!

Not sure who this cutie is!

It's ok...don't cry!

A glimpse into the sweet nature of a big brother!

Wes loving the ocean!

He loves them, he hates them. Can't stop talking about roller coasters. This one was kinda shaky!

A Visit with The Felsens

2010-08-23T07:07:00.003+02:00

The kids and I headed down to South Carolina for a week at the beach, stopping first to visit good friends from Germany just outside of Charleston! The boys had so much fun together, and Hailey kept right up. The boys actually all just about fought over Hailey's doll stroller! It was great to see Jenny, get caught up, and we even had a chance to run together! Hope it works out for me to get down there in December for a 1/2 marathon on Kiawah Island! Jenny has a wonderful new company, http://thefunkybee.com/ She monograms and/or makes the cutest designs with the cutest fabrics...you should check it out! Plus, Hailey is on the front of her website...in a tutu!!! more pics to come with that!

He just couldn't resist!

Fun at the sand table!

Watering the grass!

Luke was such a little baby when he moved...such a big boy now!

At the aquarium, listening to the ocean!

All four vegging out! We had to make Hailey a cozy spot because she kept trying to lay down with Luke.

I found Hailey sitting on the train table, happy as could be!

Arts and Craps...as Wes calls it! The boys were so cute, they moved their chairs to sit at the end of the table together!

Tooting noises

2010-07-28T05:39:00.003+02:00

Wesley and either Brittany or Brooke...no explanation needed.

Swimming with Daddy

2010-07-08T14:12:00.004+02:00

We love our neighborhood pool! Since John has been away, we have been there almost everyday. It would be challenging to not have the pool access during the 90-100 degree days! Hailey like to be in the water, but she also loves to walk around and take toys from other people. She carries them back and forth to the pool, which keeps her very busy! Wes is still a little fish! He can swim under the water for about 5 long seconds, comes up for a breath and goes back under...needing something to hold onto after 10-15 seconds. He is talking private lessons at this pool and group lessons at my gym.

Cousin Robin's Birthday

2010-07-07T06:29:00.005+02:00

Cousin Douglas, "Uncle Scott", and Wesley

The Birthday Girl!!!

Trying to think of a wish! We had blue teeth after eating cake!

Uncle Scott couldn't resist buying the cousins a treat from the Ice Cream Man!

Even Hailey Belle got her own ice cream samwich!

Little Rachel with her bomb pop!

2010-07-05T23:16:00.003+02:00

Dear Grammi and Grandpa,

I really love my new clothes and my new 4-wheeler that you bought me for my birthday. I just don't care to wear them while riding. Thank you for my new watch. I think it is pretty cool and wore it to the Be a Pilot Day with Daddy!

I am very excited to see you this week!!!

Love, Wesley

A Visit from Kentucky!!

2010-07-05T22:59:00.003+02:00

Gram, Auntie Deborah and the kids came to visit us last week!! We had so much fun going to the pool and playing at the house! We had ANOTHER little birthday party for Wes while they were here! I would say that this was the week Hailey decided she wanted to be just like the big kids. She became very vocal about what she wanted and even more so about what she didn't want!

The kids brought this stroller to Hailey! She loves to push it around...almost running! She gets quite upset when it gets stuck and she can't navigate a way out!

Wes wearing the Hoochie shoes of the girls'. Notice his hand as well....

~Gram and the kiddos~

Party bags!!! yogurt covered raisins!

Lollies and a whistle!

Wes' gift from Auntie Deb, Uncle Dennis and the kids!

Big girl sitting with the big kids!

Fourth of July in Virginia

2010-07-05T06:24:00.006+02:00

The Huzzard Family took such good care of us and other friends today! I loaded up the children this morning and dropped them off so I could go for my long run of the week....4 miles! Wasn't great, wasn't terrible. It was almost 90 degrees! We let our kiddos play together, fed them lunch, and then it was naptime! The highlight of the morning was talking to John on Skype!! He's doing really well and although we miss him lots, we feel the situation is pretty good considering.

Hailey and Ava in the play Diner.

Jacob emptying water out of the pool.

Our sweet little ones.

It was so cute when Hailey took Ava by the hand and led her to the pool!

Sweet Brynn!

Crowded around a little caterpillar! Didn't think the thing stood a chance, but Benjamin let him go!

Once again in his shark swim shirt!
Pee Pee and a popsicle anyone? Moments before, Mitchell was also reading a book and eating the popsicle on the pot!!! He had his first dry day today!!! YAY!!!
Reading about Independence Day! They also made their own Flag Books! go pam!!

Hailey LOVES her popsicle!

Watching the sparklers!!! It was so cute to see them siting there!

Mr. L. Ron was such a trooper today! THANK YOU!!!

Our grand finale! A special sparkler!! Ava wasn't amused:(

Fourth of July in Kabul

2010-07-05T05:58:00.006+02:00

June 28th; Jeremy Renner. Came by to sign photos and took the time to talk to each person for a bit. I didn't want to wait in line...
Today, July 4th; Sen's John McCain and Joe Lieberman. Their arrival was not announced, I just happened to be out taking these photos when they arrived for a short briefing.

Today, July 4th; Gen Petraeus. Bad photo (the camera isn't the greatest), but he came by with the Senators on his second day in country.
Sen McCain on his way out, drove right past me.

The Base

2010-07-05T05:43:00.008+02:00

Runnng in a 5K. Picture is taken outside of the dining facility.
My roommate.
The main drag. The trees are very nice, makes me feel more at home than anything else. My house is down on the right behind the wall.

Sign for the med clinic. A bit of a tease...

Flag poles that fly the flags of every country taking part in this mission. Mountains in the background.
My room. My locker on the left, a TV on the left that doesn't work, and my bed. My roommate's stuff is to the right. You can see his locker.
The house. In the back is the house, we live upstairs. Downstairs is office space. The building on the right (Park Place) is where I work. IG is upstairs, contracting downstairs. These are just sea shipping containers converted into offices.
The office. 6 of us sit in here, I sit in the back left. My flight chief sits in the back right. We have 4 contracting officers that sit in there with us, and 2 civilians that sit in the office next door (total of 8 in the section). We turn about 190 contracting actions a week.

Another area on base where they are converting shipping containers into office space. This will eventually become the same setup as my office. Every possible area is being built on at the base, I hear there are 4 pools that used to be here, they have been filled with buildings put on top of them. Real estate is at a premium due to the surge.

John's Trip to Kabul

2010-07-05T05:27:00.004+02:00

Manas, Kyrgyzstan--My last beer for 6 months!

C-17 flight to Bagram--I got a wall seat and had some leg room.

Hop to Kabul. Small plane; I was in the back!

Here!!!

Kendall's Animal Kingdom

2010-06-25T21:36:00.005+02:00

So I've heard that during deployments, crazy things happen. I thought my problem was going to be our temperamental garage door, but I was wrong....at least for now. This morning, we were in the basement and I opened the door and saw one of the baby birds from the nest under our deck on the ground. I tried to stand on a chair to put him in his nest, but I couldn't reach. I wasn't in the ladder hauling mood, so I hung off our staircase and put him back. A few hours later, I peeked into the nest to check on them, only to find a black snake curled up the side of the chair waiting for lunchtime. @%#^!!!! This is NOT funny, snakes are NOT my friends. Snakes are often not where they are supposed to be when it comes to my life. Refer back to about Feb of 2008 for instance....Bahamas trip, snake in the house....

Anyway, I called my kick ass neighbor and wonderful friend...Turns out she and I share the same sentiments on snakes. So we headed down the street to the construction sight, with our chests protruding a tad and found a very nice worker to help us. He asked if we wanted it killed our just shooed away....well, duh!!! He brought a shovel. And gloves. Chasity went all the way back to her deck and I refused to go into the fenced in yard. I shrieked each time he whacked the snake, just hoping that it wouldn't slither away. I forgot that snakes continue to move without their heads. But I remembered that they don't spontaneously regenerate them either. Thank goodness!

Upon inspection of the dead, still moving snake, I saw a little birdie had made it's way down to the patio. I placed it back in the nest, and got the heck out of there!!

The man gave me his business card. John, I might let him do some painting.

Dead snake, with head about decapitated.

Operation Rescue

Home, sweet home!

Wes has a meltdown

2010-06-22T14:16:00.000+02:00

This video is from a few months back...check out the youtube link!

See, sometimes they do get along!

2010-04-06T05:48:00.003+02:00

This video was taken on February 13th...Wes is being a good big brother!

A Day in DC

2010-03-09T03:32:00.005+01:00

We had a great day in DC on Saturday! Went to both the American History Museum and the Natural History Museum, walked around "The Mall", and Wes rode the carousel!

Wes and Lisa

2010-03-02T23:04:00.003+01:00

Wes and Lisa had so much fun playing together yesterday!! They've become the best of friends; Lisa even got to attend school with Wes today! Where did they meet??? I guess in our family room! See, Lisa is actually a little frazzle-haired doll that I picked out of a friend's Goodwill box prior to dropping her things off. I wanted a few things for my nieces to play with when they are here.

I kept hearing Wes talking and figured he was just talking to himself...until I saw Lisa going for a ride on his bike!! He was practically sitting on her! The next time I saw her, he had put her on the step at the bottom of his bike!

Wes and Lisa in Daddy's office...standing on the desk, showing her John's coin collection. BUSTED! He knows he's not supposed to be in there.

Wes and Lisa on the playground. What a beautiful friendship.

Thomas' Visit!!

2010-02-26T03:47:00.003+01:00

We had a very special guest in our home last week!!! Thomas came down from Maine and stayed with us for 3 nights!! Many moons ago, I met Thomas and his family when they moved to Maine. I taught him for 3 years: kindergarten, first and second grades. I mention this because Thomas begins HIGH SCHOOL next year!!! CRAZY!!!

Wes was so happy to have Thomas' companionship and Hails loved playing with him on the floor. I am quite proud of Thomas and it is so neat to see how much he's grown each time I see him!

This summer, Thomas is going to visit for a week and we are looking forward to lots of fun!

A Visit to Arlington National Cemetery

2010-02-26T02:11:00.006+01:00

John's beautiful Grandmother, Aura Charlene Kendall passed away in May 2005. She was buried in Arlington National Cemetery and we returned to visit her burial site with Grandpa, Aunt Karen and Uncle Vern, Hailey and Wesley over the holidays.

These special moments don't begin to capture the love that Grandpa has for Grandma. I teared up watching his journey through the headstones, thankful that the snow had melted the day before. I can't imagine living a portion of my life without John by my side, or vice versa, and my heart aches for the losses that my mother and grandparents have endured over the past years.

Grandpa says Hailey Belle has a smile that reminds him of his Lady. A true compliment. John's "Mammo" was a remarkable and beautiful woman, wife, and mother from every account that I've heard.

The little storm before the 2 big storms!

2010-02-26T02:07:00.002+01:00

"I can't move!!!!"

"hey you guys...look at me!!"

these crack us up...we laughed the whole time on the playground

Weirdo...

2010-02-21T22:22:00.003+01:00

"I not need to sweep in my bed. I need to sweep on the floor". Everynight, for the past few weeks, Wes has added a new step into his night-night routine. What will he think of next? Why does this provide him comfort?? We just laugh and think he's weird. Whatever works, right??

Air and Space Museum

2010-02-12T03:38:00.003+01:00

A few weekends ago we went with our good friends, the Huzzards to the Air and Space Museum. It really was designed well and all--- probably and Air Force guy's dream day of looking at planes.

The boys had so much fun, even though John wanted to read everything and Wes just wanted to look!!

Wes is all about space-shuttles now!

Jacob signed airplane for the first hour!!! Precious!

The proud owner of a new space shuttle and Planets and Stars glow in the dark stickers for his ceiling! Our little guy had lots of fun and a great nap!

Hailey and Wes

2010-02-11T15:27:00.001+01:00

Tabu...the color of our kitchen!

2010-02-11T15:20:00.003+01:00

More snow came to our area, so we decided to paint the kitchen. It is now a sage gree. I had a tough time getting shots with good lighting, but here are a few...

The Making of Our Cornice--We did it!!!

2010-02-06T16:17:00.004+01:00

Mom came to visit after Christmas and we put her right to work...kind of! We had a wonderful, relaxing visit...until Deb and family came (totally kidding!!!). Ha, ha, I crack myself up. Anyway, after months of thinking about window treatments, fabrics, and colors, we decided to make our own cornice and save hundreds of $$$$$! John and mom were instrumental in getting this project completed in ONE day! We couldn't believe we finished it. I tried to help, but with 2 little ones, I often tended to them! We are so proud of this project and in the next post below, you can see the painted room....now on to furniture!!! And lots more painting!

Painting and snow...

2010-02-06T15:52:00.003+01:00

This weekend has brought a record breaking snowfall/storm to the area. The snow is beautiful and plentiful...over 20 inches so far! More pics to come...

The snowy weekend provided a much needed opportunity (in my mind) to begin painting our new home! After trying a few samples, we went with my mother's original recommendation, Vanilla Brandy.

Clearly a before shot...

and after.....ta da!!! Just waiting for Wes to start painting on the walls. He loved to hold the brush with me and paint, although he really just wanted to do it himself!

And she's off!!!!

2010-02-03T03:01:00.005+01:00

Hailey loves to push this toy around the basement. When she started this at 8 months, I quickly decided to let it be a special activity...as in, I don't encourage mobilization at this age!!

Dive Day!

2010-01-24T06:56:00.005+01:00

Our first dive was a sunken ship...The Carthaginian, which was about 100 feet underwater.

This was one of my favorite views. Loved floating on my back and looking up...

yikes...see the shark??

I lost track of the number of sea turtles we met!

Hi DAD!!! Thanks for a wonderful day! And thanks to Mom for watching the kiddos!

Hailey in Maui

2010-01-24T06:46:00.007+01:00

Yummy!!

Princess Hailey has gone to sleep!

With one of her godmothers, Auntie Katie, who she got to meet for the first time!

This is sweet. It is next to impossible to get a perfect shot of them!

Our sweet baby girl...turned 8 months the week we returned:)

Wesley in Maui

2010-01-24T06:35:00.004+01:00

Wes' first visit to Maui, age 6 months!!

Second visit to Maui...age 2 1/2

Wesley loved walking on the beach and digging with his shovel. The water knocked him over a few times...and then he was quite afraid and wanted distance between him and the water!

Aunt Kristi, Wes and his Sting-ray from the Aquarium

Watching the sharks with Grandpa at the Aquarium in Maui...he is very interested in marine life, especially sharks.

Loving a ride in the hammock!

Watching fishies with daddy!

Family Shots from Maui

2010-01-24T06:30:00.002+01:00

Visiting Family in Virginia Beach

2009-12-07T06:38:00.005+01:00

Over the weekend, I drove the kiddos down to meet John in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area, where he's spent some time taking a class. My cousin Zach and his wife, Sara, and their daughter, Izzy live in Virginia Beach and we spent the weekend with them. My Uncle Greg and Aunt Beth were also in town!! We had lots of fun and great laughs while visiting with them. Sara is a wonderful cook and took such good care of us! The weekend was very relaxing and well worth the wait! We have been looking forward to this for the past year and a half...since getting our orders for Virginia! Can't wait to see them again!

Our Sweet Little Cousin, Izzy!!

Wes loved putting on Sara's boots! Walking proved to be a challenge!

Hailey up on all 4!! She is crawling and almost able to get into a sitting position on her own!

The Virginia Aquarium was lots of fun!!

Yikes! Big Sharks!!

We had barely left the parking lot when Wesley fell asleep!

Ticonderoga Farm

2009-12-07T06:07:00.003+01:00

Last weekend we headed to Chantilly, VA in search of our Christmas tree for our new home. After scoping out the field for a few minutes, we found a beautiful blue spruce for John to cut down. Wes enjoyed yelling "timberrrrr" with me. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed a hayride, watching Wes and Daddy slide, the petting zoo and play area, and roasting marshmallows! Stay tuned for pics of our decorated tree!

Wes was quite reluctant to see Santa, until the child in front of him received a candy cane from Santa!

Mason Lake

2009-10-25T16:51:00.003+01:00

Gammi (now Grammy) and Grandpa (sometimes called Grampypa) have a beautiful home on Mason Lake in Washington. We were able to spend a day out at the lake and play on the jet skis and boat. Wes had fun throwing the ball into the water for the dogs, finding pine cones and rocks, and taking a nap! I had a great time taking the kiddos on the jet ski and then going for a fast ride by myself. Once I came back, Wes wanted to go out again and decided to "pat, pat, pat" like the Little Einsteins to "blast off"!!

Swimming with Grammy and Grandpa

2009-10-06T07:20:00.003+02:00

The children and I are in WA visiting with John's side of the family for a few weeks! We are having a great time and loving the time we have with family! Wes had a blast at the pool while Hailey loved watching him! Grammy said she kicked her feet the whole time they were in the pool.

Get back into life...with Depends!

2009-10-06T07:14:00.002+02:00

Funny thing happened yesterday...we were visiting with Aunt Karen, Uncle Paul and Ben when Wes disappeared into the family room and I heard a few grunts. No problem, I thought, until I realized we were out of his diapers!!! Lucky for us, Aunt Karen's mother has a stash of Depends at their home...phew...we were back in business!!! It worked out great...we made it all the way home without wet pants! No wonder that astronaut used them for her drive...they really do hold a lot!

Hailey's First Cereal

2009-10-06T07:01:00.002+02:00

With barely a funny face or wondering what we were doing to her, Hailey took her first few bites like a pro!

Although she looks a lot like my cousin Katherine, I think she looks like me (Becca) in the above pic. She's wearing one of John's baby bibs, which was made by his grandmother.

So funny when she grabbed the spoon from me!

Wes Words

2009-08-22T17:34:00.005+02:00

I know it's been a long time...but here are a few recents....

*I was trying to get Wes to take a nap in our bed while the movers were here and he was all but interested in sleeping. I cracked up when he was rambling on and on and finished with "mommy has orange underpants".

* I was pumping milk for babycakes when Wes came in and said "mommy making milk for baby Hailey".

*I was feeding Hailey when Wes, ever the opportunist took advantage of the situation and separated a pile of post-its. I figured he was safe and occupied so I let him continue. Here is the conversation that followed:

Me: Wes, did you make a mess?

Wes: Yes

Me: Will you clean up the mess?

Wes: after quite the pause..."No"

*We were talking about Grandpa and Gammi and Wes says Grammy. I said to John, "that's what he calls her, I'll go with Grammy". Wes took my hand and said "no, mommy home"!

*Trying to prepare Wes for the movers to be here and the house to be empty was easier than I expected! "Guys put toys in boxes, take to night night ginia (book Goodnight Virginia), it's OK!!!"

Gymnastics Camp

2009-08-22T16:37:00.006+02:00

ta-da!!!

getting "yummy bears" on the last day of session 1

push ups to make stronger muscles!!

up and around the bar!

Wes will really miss Coach "Jimmy". We had to walk all the way up 2 flights of stairs when leaving the commissary yesterday to see if she was there. Unfortunately for Wes, she was "sleeping under the bars on the blue mats".

Our Movers have come and gone!

2009-08-22T16:12:00.003+02:00

Wes thought it was funny to eat on the boxes instead of our table, which was wrapped in cardboard like everything else.

Once the boxes were gone, he ate on the counter.

Most cuteness!

Wittlich Pig Fest

2009-08-22T15:05:00.003+02:00

Wittlich (pronounced with a "V") is about 20 minutes down the Autobahn from us and every August they have Pig Fest. Here's an explanation of the festival that I found:

According to legend, Wittlich was once a walled fortress constantly under attack by invaders. One evening, a guard in charge of locking the gate to the besieged town could not find the peg to secure the fortified door. All he could find was a large carrot to wedge in the door. Later, a pig ate the carrot, the gate opened and the enemy came in. After the enemy ransacked the town, the angry townspeople herded every pig into the town’s market square and roasted them. Since then, the town of Wittlich has been known as the town of the pig burners. Once a year, the community of Wittlich holds an annual festival that attracts thousands of visitors.

This year, we pretty much stayed close to the rides for Wesley! He loves to drive!! His favorites these days are Thomas the Train and Cars movie with Lightening McQueen and Mater. Imagine his delight when he got to drive McQueen!!! Notice how he held his arm off the side of the car!! Too cool!

See his little head in the "chop chop"?? See the little bar?? No seat belt in there...I was a nervous wreck that he'd get scared and jump out. I almost made John run around in circles to catch him if he tried!!

Daddy's Girl

pics of hailey 12 weeks

2009-08-22T10:23:00.003+02:00

Hailey and Murphy, who is only 2 weeks older than she! So cute when she started sucking on his arm! Murphy is Wes' buddy JP's little brother.

Hailey started sucking her thumb and twirling her "hair" this week. She spits out her paci to get to her thumb.

Hailey, Murphy and Beau (Jack's little brother)

Trittenheim Wine Festival

2009-08-22T09:37:00.006+02:00

The Trittenheim Wine Festival kicks off the Season of Wine Festivals. It was quite small, which worked out well because we took the children with us. We used this occasion to test out our new doggy harness for Wes. With our upcoming trips back to the states, including Vegas and me traveling alone with the little ones, I broke down and bought the dreaded leash for Wesley. So, Dad, even when you are away from your dogs, you can walk your grandson!
After making it past the killer geese, all I could do was hope that Wes didn't hop in the river. Looking back, I guess John could have just pulled on the leash to get him up in case he did jump in!

Picking "just one" grape on the Mosel River!

Once the band started, Wes was a crowd pleaser...showing off all of his fancy dance moves!

He even got the wine princesses up on the stage!! Notice he is airborn!!

Our sweet baby girl:)

Girls Trip to Epernay, France

2009-08-22T09:13:00.002+02:00

This was my 3rd trip to Epernay, France and we had such a great time!! Just the girls--talking, laughing and sipping Champagne in the region of Champagne! Couldn't get any better than that! Well, maybe if we had treated ourselves to a gourmet meal then Heather would have been happier! But when we arrived it was almost 10pm and with Hailey and a big day ahead of us, we settled for the Hippopotamus...or Steak and Shake, as Heather called it!

I'll never forget my and Hailey's first girl trip...although she has!

Heather caught in a rare moment in time!! She LOVES champange, so this was a special trip for her! She could have led the tour and added to it!

I guess I haven't mentioned that my dearest friend, Heather, came to visit from Kentucky for 10 days this summer! We had the best of times! She and I have been friends since she was born 2 months after me!

Meredith, me, Charlotte, Kristen and Heather at Moet and Chandon

Our Sweet Girls...Morgan and Hailey

2009-08-05T22:09:00.003+02:00

Taking a dip in the Nattenheim water supply...

Hailey is almost 11 weeks...Morgan is 3 years!

Sweet Ladybug dress from Gammi and Grandpa!

More Photos from our Evening Walks!

2009-08-05T17:29:00.001+02:00

Wesley and Heather Feather!!

Silly Wes

2009-07-25T19:29:00.003+02:00

The other day, Wes began eating with his eyes closed...without being prompted to do so. He is full of wit and silly ideas!

Hailey and Daddy

2009-07-23T16:56:00.005+02:00

The Simple Life of a Boy, His Dog and 2 Sticks!

2009-07-23T13:55:00.003+02:00

Hailey--8 weeks

2009-07-19T15:03:00.002+02:00

Flower Power!! Hailey at 6 weeks

2009-07-10T14:00:00.004+02:00

Memories from the Krankenhaus

2009-07-09T14:50:00.011+02:00

Wes and Daddy outside of the OB's office.

Here we are outside of the delivery room.

Dr. Wetzger was my OB until I had early labor with Wes, although she still saw me on occasion and on the ward. She also delivered Wes! Come on pushing!!!
Dr. Bugala saw me on the ward during early labor and for random visits with Hailey. She walked in the room to deliver Hailey as soon as Hailey was born...meaning, she missed it!

Midwife Suzanne delivered Hailey...she's a dear person!

The Chief, Dr. Jerono...best OB ever!!! I'll miss everyone dearly and wonder if I'll ever receive the same care again when we are back in the states.

Goodnight sweet boy...we love you!

2009-07-07T23:13:00.000+02:00

Hailey is smiling! and sleeping like a pro!

2009-07-07T22:10:00.003+02:00

Wes is thrilled!

Kristen

2009-07-07T17:06:00.006+02:00

Here's a shout out to my friend Kristen! She and I have been through Germany together pretty much from day 1. We met in the Temporary Housing Media Room through our sponsor while I was online one day and have been there for each other every step of the way. From the beginning, we uttered things about life in Germany that weren't very nice at times. Her husband deployed and I think we saw each other everyday for at least a month. I'd fall asleep on her couch while pregnant with Wes and snore. Many lunches shared, bowling, OCSC, movies, shopping and many more fun things!! Then Wes came along and she fell in love with his cheeks. She captured great moments on her camera and we were so grateful for that. After we hopped to the states together and back again, I was so relieved that she was with me! We embarked upon more travels together: Mallorca, Sardinia, Med cruise and The Bahamas! So much fun...so many wonderful memories. Then Hailey was born and Kristen has helped me so much and has fallen in love with more cheeks from the Kendall family! Wes has been a trooper about sharing his "KiKen", but he has no idea that in a few short months, she will not be within a drive away. As we both prepare to move-who knows where she'll end up- we are barely able to talk about it, and I can't think about it without a tear. Thus is the military life. I have a handful of other friends here that I'm very close to and pray that we can remain close. But the impact of parting ways with such a dear friend as Kristen will impact our entire family and for that I am fortunate to have found someone that I love so much and saddened to say "see you soon". I love you, friend...and so does my family. THANK YOU

2009-07-07T16:54:00.003+02:00

The other day we went for a walk down to visit our friends, Meredith and Jamie. They are housesitting a bunny, so we thought Wes would have fun terrorizing it! He did just that. Then we went outside to sit on the patio, but our guy found the rock pile and had a blast. Talk about entertainment for a 2 year old!

"zoo park"

2009-07-06T20:46:00.004+02:00

Wes' "Blankey" now goes wherever he goes...upstair, downstairs, walks, zoo park, base....luckily it stays in the car when we go to the pool!!

He popped this dog balloon within a minute! With his teeth...

3 Generations of Kendall Men!

Pool with Gammi and Grandpa

2009-07-06T20:31:00.001+02:00

Wes finally got to share his favorite place with Gammi and Grandpa and Aunt Kristi (behind a camera!) and show off his swimming skills!!

"Grandpa big splash!"

Wes Turns 2!!

2009-07-06T14:01:00.006+02:00

Our little boy has turned 2!! We celebrated with family and friends a few weeks ago in a dual party for Wes and his friend, Jack! It was great to have Gammi, Grandpa and Auntie Kristi with us for the party--making it even more special!

Sweet Baby Girl at 4 weeks old!

2009-06-23T18:11:00.012+02:00

Gammi, Grandpa and Auntie Kristi!!

2009-06-19T09:45:00.007+02:00

A Few Recent Pics...

2009-06-19T09:14:00.005+02:00

A boy, a blankey and breakfast!

So sweet! Wes is doing much better with Hailey! Now he tries to help by rocking her in her carseat (whiplash is imminent) and swinging her in her swing (more whiplash!)

Hailey in an adorable outfit from our good friends, The Bourdeauxs! 3 weeks old

Eifel Park Gondorf

2009-06-19T08:29:00.005+02:00

Last Saturday we went to the Eifel Park and had a blast! There are animals to see and many fun things to do. We didn't get to see 3/4 of the park, but Wes really enjoyed the slides, balls and more!

Not sure what to think...but as soon as they stop....

He wants more already!

The trampoline is for ages 1-99...

This is how I roll now!

Wes loved jumping in and all around the ball pool deck!

Getting ready to go on the Alpine Slide Roller Coaster!!

Note the green sign...

I am so bad at these things! Wes wanted off and I couldn't get back to the dock!

Naptime

2009-06-07T18:21:00.005+02:00

Wes has had a tough time adjusting to nap time without mommy by his side. We used to sleep 2-3 hours daily...until Hailey came along! Most days, I hope he falls asleep in the car on the way home or else he takes an hour or 2 to fall asleep. This totally stresses me out, as I am often very ready for a nap also. If he could promise to not hurt Hailey, he would be welcome to sleep with us. As of yet, he is unable to comply!! So today, after at least an hour, this is how I found him...

Wes Gives Icky a Bath

2009-06-06T19:09:00.006+02:00

Hailey decided that sucking her thumb was the way to get through bathtime with Wes running the show!

sweet babies

2009-06-05T12:28:00.004+02:00

gram and hailey

2009-06-05T12:12:00.005+02:00

we miss you gram!

Hailey 1 week

2009-06-04T21:04:00.004+02:00

Wes--23 months!

2009-06-04T17:03:00.005+02:00

Do you think we look alike??

2009-05-27T13:16:00.001+02:00

Wes at 3 weeks and Hailey at 3 days!!

Newborn video

2009-05-24T21:59:00.003+02:00

Here is some video of Hailey when she was 20 minutes old.

More photos

2009-05-24T19:47:00.004+02:00

Outside the delivery ward

Hailey was delivered in the exact same hospital and delivery room as Wes

Being held by Gram

Wes being a good big brother and rocking his sister

The midwife who delivered Hailey made this bracelet for her

Big brother...more interested in something other than little sister

Wes playing with Morgan, and she is letting him know what she thinks of the situation

More photos, Hailey's first day

2009-05-22T21:41:00.002+02:00

Wes giving Hailey a kiss...he was nice to her, but not too interested.

Wes got sick of the hype surrounding Hailey, and decided to move in with the dog...

Hailey Lauren is here!

2009-05-22T03:26:00.003+02:00

Our little baby girl was born this morning, 22 May 09 at 12:33AM. She weighed in at 8lbs 14 oz, and is 22 inches. Hailey and mom are doing well, they are currently getting their rest! Later today (when Wes wakes up) we will take him to meet his sister...we are excited to see his reaction. Here are some photos!

Our little skirmish

2009-05-17T19:56:00.003+02:00

So the other day I was mowing the lawn when Becca commented that she didn't like the pattern I was making. For some reason she wouldn't let it go, and we got in a big fight. It was so bad that I walked away, and told her "I don't care if you are pregnant or not, if you want the lawn mowed, you can do it yourself". So she did...

Just kidding...but I'm sure that is how it looked to the neighbors. Here is Bec in her 40th week of pregnancy (on her due date) trying to expedite our new arrival through exercise. Unfortunately it didn't work, as here it is the next day, and still no baby!

Random photos

2009-05-17T13:09:00.005+02:00

Looking at the cows

Pumping water

Wes walking the dog...she is on leash, and stays right with him. He feels like a big boy, pushing his own car.

What a happy family!

Too cool with the shades on.

Wes wanted to wear his rain boots the other day without pants...he should be a fashion model!

He is now interested in what toilets are for...

Here he is reading with cousin Michael

Enjoying another good book with Gram.

Here is Wes and Mommy on Mother's Day

Wes and "Ickey"

2009-05-15T22:47:00.003+02:00

Wes is getting ready to be a big brother. He understands where the baby is, and calls her "Ickey". Here is some video proof...

A little family basketball

2009-05-15T22:21:00.002+02:00

Here is a little montage of Wes shooting hoops.

38 weeks! Never thought I'd make it this far!

2009-05-05T21:03:00.004+02:00

The Lawn Boys

2009-05-05T18:00:00.004+02:00

Aren't my yard men such lookers??

I could stare at them all day!

Wes at the pool

2009-05-03T20:58:00.003+02:00

We shot this video during the first week of April 09 during our trip to Portugal. Every day we went to the pool, and during this trip Wes started jumping into the pool on his own, as well as kicking and paddling with his arms. Another good one...enjoy!

Wes' 1st Birthday Cake--only 10 months belated!

2009-05-03T19:29:00.008+02:00

We apologize for sitting on this video for so long...this is Wes' first birthday cake experience. It was shot at his first birthday party in Jun 08 and is sure to be a classic. The video is almost 10 minutes long, but there really aren't any sections that can be edited...you really need to relive the entire cake eating experience. The better quality version would not upload, so this one is a bit grainy, but you still get the idea... Enjoy!

Wes torturing our dog...

2009-05-03T14:31:00.002+02:00

Here is a good one of Wes scaring Morgan, our dog with his plastic shopping cart...

Finally...home videos!

2009-05-03T13:53:00.003+02:00

So I finally took the time to figure out how to use our JVC camcorder on a Mac. It took some research and software downloads, but it finally works. After sorting 2 years of home videos and taking some online iMovie tutorials, I'm ready to start video editing. There is a lot of old footage that needs to be edited and posted, so I'll work on it as I can. For starters, here is a video of Wes playing basketball; with a little sound editing! Enjoy.

John

Around Town

2009-04-28T19:03:00.003+02:00

Wes loves walking the dog and visiting the cows and saying hello to the fish!!

He likes to stop and smell the flowers and when he's on foot, a walk can take a long time! Our German neighbors like to give him chocolate, which I don't mind at all!!

He's trying to kiss the cows...great! Totally cracks up and keeps talking about the middle calf (they are being weaned) who jumps (bucks around when scared).

Block Party on Base

2009-04-26T08:36:00.005+02:00

April is the Month of the Military Child! Yesterday the base sponsored a Block Party for the kiddos and since we live in Germany and never have anything to do, we thought we'd check it out! Wes loved the bouncy castle once he was able to stand up in it! He had to be lured out by a balloon promise!

Playing at the sand table and planting a sunflower with Ms. Ellen, his teacher from Monday's playgroup! He loved the dirt and would get a scoop from one tub and move on to the next!
He is totally cracking up in this pic because there were kiddos doing a tumbling demonstration in front of us to the loud music!

36 Weeks

2009-04-23T12:47:00.004+02:00

The pics of Wes above demonstrate a few of his favorite pastimes...climbing up and "working" on the computer, and playing basketball!

Last Saturday, I made it to 36 weeks! After spending 3 nights in the hospital the previous week, my early labor was stopped and I've just been taking it easy. Hailey weighed about 6lbs last Thursday, which is great. Chasing around a toddler while being preggers is certainly a good way to not gain a lot of weight. At this point with Wes, who was delivered at 36 weeks, I weighed 178...right now I'm at 160...I don't mind gaining weight at all when I'm pregnant, but I'll take it!! I find that I'm drinking a lot more water, and I think that helps...

Wes and Dad go to Belgium

2009-04-23T09:21:00.007+02:00

On Saturday, April 11, John and Wes headed to Belgium to see the grottos and wildlife park!! I was excited for them to spend this time together and see the cool animals and caves. I was excited for me, because they were gone from about 0700 until 2000 (8pm)...I was going to scrapbook, relax, watch Australia and Vicky Christina Barcelona.

Well, I helped them get out the door and never could go back to sleep. I had breakfast, cleaned out the hall cabinet, and started to watch a movie, when I realized I was having contractions. Since I was only 35 weeks at the time and had gone into early labor with Wes, I ended up going into the hospital and they said I was dilated to almost 2 and still having contractions. I ended up staying for 3 nights, but all is well now!!

John and Wes had a wonderful time in Belgium. Some of our friends ended up being on the trip, which was great!! I know some of you (DEB) could care less about the animal pics, but We s loves to get on the computer and look at our blog! John and Wes ended up spending a lot of time together and came to visit me everyday at the hospital. It was a good trial run for Hailey's arrival! I was afraid he would cry when it was time to leave me, but he stayed long enough until he was ready to go and just said "bye bye mommy". What a relief!

Playgroup Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-10T14:04:00.006+02:00

So cute to see these toddlers searching for eggs! Wes' M.O. was to find an egg, open it, eat the contents, go down the slide and move on to another egg! As you can see, we've had some beautiful weather over here!

Algarve Coast, Portugal

2009-04-09T21:12:00.008+02:00

Our last trip as a 3 person family was perfect! We went to an all-inclusive resort in southern Portugal and we couldn't have asked for anything more...well, maybe warm outdoor pool water! We played, relaxed, ate too much, and swam lots and lots! Besides taking walks to the beach, the only time we left the resort was for our afternoon of sailing!

Like father, like son!

The outdoor pools were so cold, Wes found a nice footwash to swim in! A few moments prior, he went for the real deal and jumped in the big pool! We've never seem him swim so fast to get out of a pool!! He was quite cold, so we let him go with just a swimmie diaper!

His little buddy from England.

We went on a sailing trip out of Albufeira for a few hours! The coast of Portugal is truly beautiful!

"up on daddy!"

SHELLS!!

Picking up more shells with Daddy!

This is my favorite!! He brought me flowers!! And was so proud!

Where there's a dog, there's Wes!!

34 weeks!!!

2009-04-09T20:33:00.004+02:00

All is well over here! Belly and baby are growing!!

Leo Marquez Award Winner...John Kendall!!

2009-04-07T21:45:00.006+02:00

A few weeks ago, we attended the Maintenance Professional of the Year Awards Banquet. John had been nominated for the Air Force Leo Marquez Award for CGO (Company Grade Officer) Aircraft Maintenance category. The award, named in honor of retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez, recognized maintenance operations in the categories of Aircraft, Munitions/Missile and Communications-Electronics Maintenance. The award is presented to maintainers who have demonstrated the highest degree of sustained job performance, job efficiency and results, job knowledge, and direct sortie generation involvement.

This is impressive because John has only been in the maintenance career field for the 2 1/2 years we have been in Germany. His actual career field is contracting, which he'll return to upon our move to Virginia in the fall.

John Heads to Budapest!

2009-04-06T19:51:00.005+02:00

Back in February (MLK weekend) while Bec and Wes were in the states, I headed to Bratislava, Slovakia and Budapest, Hungary with my buddy James Runner. It was a very cold weekend, and once we got there we realized that neither of us brought a camera. I spent about $30 on a disposable, which explains the "grainy" nature of these photos, and the lack of any really good ones...

John's Trip to Egypt!

2009-04-06T14:43:00.009+02:00

Here are some highlights from the recent trip to Egypt...

Me on the largest of the 3 pyramids

Kristen & Jed as their camel is standing up...notice Kristen's face...

Why yes, that is a man-purse!

Apparently Napoleon's Army used the sphynx for cannon target practice.

At Saqqara pyramid, the oldest human structure on earth.

Abu Simbel.

An illegal photo I snuck of the statues inside Abu Simbel.

I dared swim the mighty Nile, and have no new bacteria to speak of...

Our sailboats.

Typical view of Egypt, this trash is right outside a children's school...

Some carvings...

Another "illegal" photo from inside King Ramses IV tomb...

And another...

And another...this is what the hieroglyphs looked like all colored in (original)

Here is one of "the artist formerly Known as Prince"

We got yelled at for this photo, but I got a snap before the guard got to us...

The amazing temple of Karnak...my favorite sight...look how small the person is...those columns are huge!

Wes Words

2009-03-31T22:37:00.003+02:00

I have taught Wes to say "I poop Momma" when prompted with a question such as "Did you poop, Wes?". Well, this morning I woke up to a noise and then "I fart Momma....fart." Great. The battle begins. I think "toot" would be much better, but John has clearly worked very hard to introduce this word to our son.

Wes misses Daddy all day long, asking about him before he even gets out of bed in the morning. "Daddy at work, oh no. Daddy home. Base. Eat (with) Daddy. See Daddy." Yesterday we had to pick John up from work so that we could go pick up the Jeep from an oil change. I asked Wes if he was happy to see Daddy because he kept smiling and laughing. He kept saying, over and over "Happy Daddy. Happy see Daddy". So cute!!

Wes says "Danke" instead of "Thank you" over 90% of the time. It is so cute to hear him say "Danke Daddy" or "Danke guy" and people think it's pretty cute to hear!

Wes had gotten out of bed Sunday morning and John didn't know. When he went to put the dogs out; Wes said "boo Daddy" and actually scared John! He had hidden between the wall and a bureau in the hall. (I, of course, heard him get up!!)

When we get to the gate on base, Wes always says "Bye guy" to the gate guard!

Loving his colors, numbers, and letters! Counting, sounds, and color blocks, paints and crayons are big hits these days! Go WES!!!

Wes has learned that J says "J" like in John, so I thought it was time to teach him our names (hoping he would still call us Mommy and Daddy). He spent a good part of Sunday evening telling us my name was "broccoli". When asked tonight, he said "Becca" clear as could be!

Wes will pull up my shirt and kiss my belly and say "hi baby"; then immediately pull my shirt down and say "bye-bye baby". I know he'll be a great big brother, but I really think he will say "All done, Baby" and try to put her under my shirt a few times at first!!

Hailey Update--33rd week

2009-03-26T20:38:00.002+01:00

I'm almost at 33 weeks (Saturday) and our little princess weighs just over 4 pounds! We spent a few hours at the doc's today, signing paperwork, being monitored for contractions/heartbeat, ultrasound and getting our flight letter for our Portugal trip next week. Hailey is really growing! Our doctor remeasured a few body parts to confirm how much she's grown; he seemed surprised. He amended our due date officially to May 16, which I'd done a few months ago anyway! Her ultrasound estimated arrival date ranges from 30 April to 15 May!!! YIPPEE!! I only had one little contraction while being monitored, which was a relief. At this point in my pregnancy with Wes, I was admitted to the hospital for early labor; contractions and dilation. I'm going to keep taking the magnesium pills until after our trip and then I'll stop! He told me I could stop taking them now, but I'd rather be safe and take them until we get home! As I write this entry, my belly is moving all around; she must know I'm writing about her!!

Beda Fest

2009-03-22T23:44:00.005+01:00

This weekend has been so much fun! We've had visitors from Kentucky (Bec's Uncle Allen and Aunt Anne) and Amsterdam (Bec's cousin Eliza and her girlfriend Laura)!!! On Saturday we went to a wine probe in the darling town of Trittenheim, which is on the Mosel River. From there, we had a great dinner with some friends that joined us on the wine probe. Today, we went to Bitburg for the annual Beda Fest (the old celtic name for Bitburg).

John, Becca, Laura, Uncle Allen, Aunt Anne, Eliza and Wes!

The Steinbocks posing with the Bitburg steinbocks!!

Wes loves balloons (they freak me out because I'm always waiting for them to POP!), so these were really the highlight of his day!

When the ride was over, he kept asking for more...so of course we said OK!! When the second ride was over, he still wanted more, as you can see him signing and saying "more" in the picture below! Our little guy was pretty sad as we walked away from the train:(

Doner Kebabs are John's favorite, so this is where we ended up for lunch! He and Uncle Allen had kebabs, while we shared a pizza!

Hailey--28 weeks

2009-03-04T13:36:00.004+01:00

Our little Hailey is getting bigger! Her head is down and she's moving all around! Great news came yesterday that my mommy is coming for 3 WEEKS!! We were originally going to get her for only a week.5, but I think she feels sorry for me because my good friend Kristen will be in the states for all of May and 1/2 of June! Thanks Mom! You don't even know how much relief you gave me yesterday! Oh, and sorry Deb, I know you'll miss having her around!!

Harbour Island Highlights

2009-03-03T15:16:00.006+01:00

Out to lunch with the ladies...our little ladies man!! Saw some Chicago Bulls player...Noah or Ryan??

Watching Mama Mia...or not!

Kristen enjoying some sun!

Just starting to keep glasses on for a min or two!

Our new baby, Hailey

Sharing Craisins with MeMaw (he calls her MeMe)

Peeping Wes...He's even taken her swimsuit!

Out to dinner...

This is how Wes rolls..."Go Mommy, Go!"

Searching for Dave Matthews...we went about everywhere looking for him again...