Birthday Reflection

So this has been a great birthday week for me!  Although Langley has given me the glorious gift of hand, foot, and mouth this year, I am always very thankful for her on my birthdays.  I am so lucky to have a sweet little girl to take care of each day.  This was even more evident to me this year, as this week I have been thinking a lot about a another military family who is experiencing a tragedy right now.  The instructor pilot was involved in a T-34 crash last Saturday and after searching several days, yesterday they found his body and confirmed him dead.  He has an amazing wife, two beautiful daughters, and a baby on the way...no words can really describe.  We have been military for nearly 7 years now, I read in the papers weekly of those who have died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and this is the second time someone in Gregory's community has died...yet I have never really let their ultimate sacrifice resonate in me.   The uncertainties that they must hold regarding their loved ones deaths and the sorrow they must feel knowing that their fathers/mothers won't see their children grow up must be so difficult to overcome.  I was so encouraged by his wife and her response when she found out her husband was missing.  She posted this on her facebook page, "If you are a believer in faith and miracles I encourage u to read  Psalm 91. Thank u for all the support and prayers. It doesn't go unnoticed. We serve an amazing God and I trust him."   So often I become discouraged with Greg being away or fear that something similar might happen to him...forgetting to trust in God's amazing protection over us!  Seeing her trust in God in the most difficult of times has truly encouraged me right where I am.  Her situation makes the millions of miles between Gregory and I not seem so far and the time not so long...for she and her family are enduring the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  Getting a phone call from Gregory yesterday and seeing Langley talk with her daddy on the phone, saying "playdough" over and over was the greatest birthday gift I could have ever had.

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Just found this on Facebook if anyone is interested in giving to his girls...
http://www.airwarriorcourage.org/donations.html
 ****When giving online, YOU MUST place in the comment field, "LT. CLINTON WERMERS FAMILY" ******* or it will NOT get to Shannon & the girls.

Sick Little Langley

We figured out Sunday that Langley has hand, foot, and mouth virus. You don't want to get this!! Poor Langley has a rash, blisters on hands and feet, up and down fever, and the worst part is blisters in her mouth. This adds up to not much sleeping, not much eating, and lots of whining! :D But we are hanging in there with the help of "elmo" and "bankie"! I think we must have watched Sesame Street 5 times today!

Thanks to my creative mommy friend, I had everything to make a macaroni necklace with Langley. This helped us forget about being sick for a little while. Yeah! Thanks to Hazel and Lisa!


I am so happy about my "pretty" necklace!!

My first popsicle!

And mom's you have to check out the ice cream cone and popsicle stick holder --- it worked great! Gosh, do they have an invention for everything?? I am not sure where my mom got this.

Wild Animal Park with Aunt "Indy"

Langley and I met Aunt Cindy for a fun day at the Wild Animal Park on Saturday. Langley has been so excited that she is able to say "indy" now! Since Cindy left Saturday night, we have been hearing a lot more about "indy"! "indy zoo" and "indy cook" (since langley spent a lot of time showing cindy her kitchen)

Checking out the Elephants

Rainy Day Activities

This week has been a wash out here in San Diego! Langley has loved feeling the rain! And we have braved it a few times...just to get practice for our move back to Florida. But for the most part we have been staying busy at home.

Playdough really came alive to Langley this week. She hasn't been into it much in the past, and now she is asking for it all the time. Today we finished up lunch and I asked her if she wanted to do playdough. She said "now, now, now, now, now"...over and over until it was ready...and then maybe one "please" along with all those "now's"? "Now" was her new word today too. :D (not sure if I like that one!)

Langley wanted to put her bathing suit on yesterday as it monsooned outside our house...so we tried this. She thought it was so funny!

Langley loves reading books to her babies....she doesn't want her mommy to help at all!! :D

Snuggle Buddy

I can't believe how soft my new giraffe is! Thank you Uncle Todd for my new snuggle buddy! The first couple days I wanted it to sleep with me in my crib. But then mommy wouldn't let me, because it was so big that it would wake me up from my sleep...and that is not good!

Parachute at the Park

We met our mommy group at the park for some parachute fun!

Sneaking into her Closet

I was cleaning house and I came back to check on Langley is this is where I found her.

Once she found her blankies she was ready to come out. Blankies are like striking gold!

Beach Day

Langley and I hit the beach one Saturday and it was so nice! We almost had the place to ourselves.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Now that the decorations are put away, my family has gone, and all the holiday pics are up-to-date, I am finally getting to saying HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! And cheers to one year of blogging! What an exciting year it has been, full of adventure, joy, and anticipation! It is hard to believe that this time last year Langley was only 6 months old, and we were just giving her first bites of rice cereal! Now she is running everywhere and her personality is bursting with energy. I love that she understands so much and is letting us know more what she is thinking and feeling(in good ways and bad!). It is so fun to see all that she learns each day. This time last year we were just settling back into our old stomping grounds after our cross country move from Pensacola. We have loved exploring San Diego again! Greg has stayed very busy at work this year as the Air Handler on the USS Bonhomme Richard, but has also managed to find a little time to enjoy some of his favorite things like surfing, taking his motorcycle out to the desert, and eating fish tacos. I have been so happy staying home with Langley...one very lucky mom. We have met a lot of awesome moms and babies through our mommy group that keep us very busy. And have enjoyed taking trips to see family and friends during Greg's work-ups on the ship. We especially enjoy our yearly trip to Chuatuaqua Lake, NY. As a family we have enjoyed trips to the zoo, beach camping up in san onofre, celebrating langley's first birthday and baptism with our friends and family, and watching amazing sunsets over the cliffs-just down the road. How lucky we are! The anticipation part of this year...is waiting for Gregory to get home from deployment! We definitely miss husband and daddy and look forward to seeing him early April. He is doing very well overseas, working hard every day, and looking forward to a much needed port visit soon. We are also anticipating the orders of his next duty station. Sounds like we may be headed to Jacksonville, Florida sometime this summer! So the adventure will definitely continue into 2010!! We praise God for each of you in our lives and wish the best for everyone this year!

Love,
Greg, Sarah, and Langley

Ocean Beach Family Video

We had some pictures taken down by the beach before Greg left for deployment. I decided to finally figure out my video editing software and put them together into a video to send him for Christmas. It is a bit long and overload of family photos...but I thought some of you might enjoy it! Turn up the volume...

Post Christmas Fun!!

Riding to see the Christmas lights on Garrison Street.

Every house goes all out!

Having fun at the Big Balloon Parade downtown!

So excited to run into some snow at a playground downtown!

This is the first snow Langley has seen. We need to make a trip to the mountains!

Oh Dear Oh Dear Mommy not the Carousel!

I never knew a Carousel full of fun animals and music could ever be so terrifying! Poor little Langley was not warming up to this idea! This was her second ride on a carousel and the first went much better than this. So I guess at 18 months Langley has shown to be a pretty cautious little one! :D Probably taking more after her momma, since her daddy is flying planes and riding motorcycles...although he is quite the safety buff himself. I know one day she will definitely get a kick out of these!

Mommy why are you making me do this?! Reaching for Grandma and Grandpa! I thought for sure this kitty cat would win her over...but it wasn't working! :D

Blankie to the rescue and we decided to sit in the swaying sleigh. I started to get a couple smiles!

All worn out from our ride. Mommy, I think I have had enough for today.

Langley was so proud of herself after it was all done! Yeah!

We had a nice picnic in Balboa Park.

Checking out the fountains!