I thought I'd continue with a Sunday list of things I am grateful for.

1. Phone calls from Baghdad.
2. I had two rest filled nights in a row. (Thanks Ella, you know I needed 8 hours!)
3. My girls think they are apart of the McBride clan.
4. My toddler doesn't question getting out of her room during naps or at night time (just a shut door, nothing more to keep her in).
5. Music. I especially love the BYU Men's Chorus ...."Praise to the Lord, Almighty", one of my favorites.
6. My little toddler asking her little friend "Ash-en, say amen", when she didn't hear him say "Amen" after the sacrament was passed. (She kept asking him until his Dad had to lean over and say "Say Amen, Ashton")
8. Two parks within a few miles from our house.
9. My camera. I love capturing every second of life on film. (Hummm, we don't use film, shall I say "on memory card"?)
10. Nana flies in today for a week! Can we keep her for good??

113 days to go....we're counting down, Casey!
Here was my little helper.

It surely took awhile to link all these together.

Today was a beautiful Saturday morning. We woke up to the house nice and cooled off. The house dipped down to 73 degrees, I am happy. I flung open all the widows and let the breeze come in. The girls feet were cold (I like that)...Suz wore socks for the first time in 6 months. It didn't last longer than 9am, that's noteworthy.

I am also happy because I didn't wake up with Ella at all last night. I nursed her at 10pm and the next thing I knew, it was 6:30am! Uhhh, finally. This is the first night in weeks that I've been able to sleep longer than 4 hours. Mama felt good, the weather felt good...so we celebrated and went to the park.

Suz went down all the slides (including this tube slide) all by herself! Well, there was no other option, I had Ella but Suz didn't mind at all. She's really growing up. The hat....I love this hat. This is a hat Maddy and Lizzy both wore. (I've secretly been eye- balling it for awhile now....wondering when Liz would finally out grow it...shhh!) Alisha recently passed it down to Suz. What a nice surprise in the mail! I was happy that Suzanna requested it for our early morning adventure to the park.

Thanks sweetie...we'll make sure it has many uses...there are 2 more little girls who can use it down the road!

Before Suz realized I had the camera, I was able to catch her reading to Ella.

Right before Suz started to gear down for naps, I put Ella down on the bed and went to toss the dirty diaper in the trash can. As I was cornering the hallway I heard Suz reading. I took a peak, unnoticed, and saw her reading to her little sister. Ella sat there, and in fact sat through a few different books. I love how much they get along. I've always had special connections with my sisters, I hope they will continue to have one of their own.

Do you see where the misquotes ate Suz's little legs? I know they are tasty, but come on...that's just wrong!

Casey emailed and I thought I'd post this section of the letter. It made me laugh.

"In my room the AC unit is in the window which is right over my bed. You would think that being in Iraq, this would be a good thing. Well, they have it CRANKED up. It's so cold! My feet get cold when I have to step on the floor barefoot. It's usually not that bad sleeping, I have two covers one being a blanket like the one Diane sent from Korea. The real problem is getting out of bed and coming back from the shower to get dressed. I feel like I'm back in USMC Combat training at Lejuene during the February of 2000. I would dread getting out of my sleeping bag because I was so warm and it would be so cold outside. Here I am moist from the shower standing in the direct fire of this fridged air. I guess the reasoning is that it has to be either off or on blast because anything in between makes the room smell like vinegar. Soon enough, the guy I'm replacing will be gone and I will take over his corner of the room and all will be swell."

The girls were pretty excited to go on our evening walk tonight. The weather was pretty cool and Suz kept asking to see the fish. We have a neighbor in the big loop who has a man-made little pond with fish inside. We walk the whole neighborhood and on the way back stop by and see the fish. Ella seem more alert to her surroundings today.
Here's little half-pint watching the cars go by off the street. This time of day everyone is coming home and there is more traffic than normal. Even though we've had nice weather this week, the humidity index is still pretty high. Suz's curls look more and more like Shirley Temple's. They are so full and bongy, I love them. I just realized I've been pulling her hair back in pony tails since it is long enough but haven't really just let the curls down. I tell you it is much easier just putting in a clip than always trying to wrestle her down, make a part and hope the pony tails are even.


Side note: It is overcast and she requested her sun glasses. Oops...Mama left them in the garage, sorry sweetie. I like how much she loves her sun glasses and actually keeps them on her face. Now if I could only get a GPS system on them so I don't have to worry about loosing them.
And the shoes were her choice. She likes her hot pink shoes....like me when I was in High School, huh Mom? You're always reminding me of that....with a chuckle. Maybe florescent will make a come back, you think?

We've had nothing but clear skies lately. Here's our home.
I love the cloud formations here in Illinois.

Here are the girls. Ella is 3 months old today. It's her 1/3 rd birthday.
I love how much Suz kisses her little sister. She also told Ashton "No touch" when he was trying to tickle Ella's feet. I love seeing my little girls love each other. They miss you too, weetie! We're saving up our kisses for you!

It's been a quiet evening without Casey chasing Suz around the house or winding up the girls before bed time. Here is what tonight looked like, Weetie...in case you were wondering.
6:45 p.m. I started to read and sing songs to Suz. 7:05 p.m. Suz is asleep already (little one yet again didn't nap). (Casey, I had to hide the piano or she'd be playing it all night....she loves how the piano keys light up in her pitch black room!) I nursed Ella and by 7:15 it's me time. As I walked outside to go and pick up the mail, I was greeted with a brilliant sunset.

I absolutely love the Illinois Fall sky. I must have forgotten all about it.

Casey safely landed in Qatar . His flight went well. He writes:

"I forgot how it was to travel so far, it's literally like one really long day. It was a semi-full flight crossing the Atlantic but I ended up having someone sit next to me. So I played Sudoku and listened to about a days worth of Dave Ramsey. I watched three movies total between here and Chicago.
The British airlines flight to Bahrain had video on demand (on a small screen in the headrest in front of you) and great food. The American Airlines also had the small screen in front of you, but they were scheduled movies. The food really wasn't that good. AA is really lacking on the amenities part of their service.
I absolutely loved hearing the British accent. I would sometimes say "What's that?" just to have them repeat it. They really do sound smarter. For the short time I was in London, it really made me wish I could live there, at least for a short period of time. NGA does have some positions there, but they would be hard to get.
This base is pretty nice for those who are deployed here. It wouldn't be bad to stay here for a little while but I'm anxious to get there and start work. It reminds me a lot of the AFB in Okinawa only with semi-temporary structures (and not on base golf course)."

He soon leaves for Iraq (perhaps tomorrow if there is a flight). I told him to take a lot of pictures, but he said there is really nothing to take pictures of. I told for all of us who have never been to that part of the world, it would be exciting, even a picture of the sand.

We miss you dearly, if you read this sweet pea....we love you!

I'm going to list 10 things I am grateful for today.

1. Both girls went to bed at 6:30 last night (one didn't wake up until 6am).
2. Church was relaxing. One girl went to nursery and the other in the arms of my friend.
3. Both girls are healthy and happy.
4. Ella takes to the pacifier (beautiful thing).
5. The house has A.C.
6. Owning a Volkswagen. I love it, my absolutely favorite car!
7. We have ceiling fans that make the room feel nice and cool.
8. Ella was blessed 2 Sundays ago, family was there.
9. We have a safe neighborhood and fenced in yard.
10. Helpful visits from family.
+ N.G.A. deployments aren't as long as Army deployments.

Thank you Mimi for coming! Thank you for blowing bubbles with me, running around the house with me, teaching me new songs, giving me a bath, changing all the not-so-good diaper surprises.....and THANK YOU for being my special Mimi.

I love you.
You love me!

Your SUZ
XXXXXOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOX

I tallied up the results and here is what you came up with.
Don't worry about getting out the glasses...here is an up close.
Thanks to all that voted!

Our last evening with Casey was spent at the park. We had really nice weather last week and this week we've had high 90 degree weather with humidity. It was fun, Suz wore herself out...and all three of us girls got bug bites.
Mimi and her grand babies.

We're off to the airport tomorrow midday. It'll be four months in Baghdad for this trooper. We'll miss you weetie!

Mimi had a fun game where Suz would go play hide and seek Elmo.
She's counting 1-10. My favorite is when she says "four".

Abby came over for a play date today. This is the first time in awhile (since Ella was born). The girls have changed so much, they now say each others names. It was really cute. Abby brought over her Elmo, and although Suz has a few of her own (three to be exact) she really liked Abby's. Can you tell by the picture Suz is wanting to snuggle Abby's Elmo. Suz also saw for the first time a Big Bird doll (Abby's) and kept saying "Mama....mine" and she'd hold it up. I'm not sure if she was trying to get a reaction from me or just trying to see if Abby wouldn't miss it if she stuffed it under the bed or something.
They chased each other around the kitchen and dinning room with the carts and each with their own Elmo doll. Can you tell who they love??

Ella was blessed today.
This is the $3.00 D.I. dress I found in Federal Way for Suz. Oh how I love that store!! (Sniff sniff)
Ella is 2.5 months old.
Looks like she is a snow angel, we had to post this picture. This baby loves to relax. We call her our Tennessee baby. I must have a confession, I think we have some of the cutest girls in the world. As Alisha would say, we know how to bake 'em good!

I love watching Suzanna curl her little toes as she reads. She is such a little book worm, she could entertain herself all morning reading book after book.
We have a Daddy's girl on our hands, or shall we saw little velcro toddler. She is all about Daddy, many times she calls me Daddy accidentally.

One of her favorite past times.....bubbles. This was taken after church.

As we were playing outside (might I add in the nice Fall weather) Suz kept saying "Um-ere Mama, hand....hand", that is her saying "Come here Mama, I want your hand". So, she lead me to the little house on the deck. She proceeded to ask me to go inside and even wanted me to sit on the little toddler seat. I had to laugh, these buns can't fit in that little seat.

Feeling safe at home because of the few far away....
Waking up to the majesty of Mount Rainier..... I think I could keep going, but I'll end with these three that bring me the most peace in life.