THANKS WINN FAMILY

Julie mom (Jess' mom), Aubrey, and Andrea flew out here on Tuesday! They're going to watch the boys while we're on our cruise. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! They are hilarious and Kade is so excited to have "3 mom's" while we're gone.
The other day when we came home from Karate I couldn't find anyone...then I hear Lukes little voice coming from behind the shower curtain...and little laughs--he's not the best at hide and seek. (that explains the picture of the three of the in the shower!) The boys LOVE them! YAY! Thanks again!
Also...here's a cruise weather update:
So...turns out there's been hurricane action down in Florida right? Well, the port we're leaving from was closed yesterday....but re-opened today! YAY! So we're good to go cause the weather is moving away from our area.

KARATE

So Jess and I are starting Karate! (We're super good so far--just trust me!) :) We're both so excited! Anybody else done karate and have tips for beginners? We learned a few blocks and self defense moves and cool stuff with the bo....we love it so far!

Our Scooter!

My SCOOTER STALLION!!!

So I LOVE OUR COOLEST NEW SCOOTER! At first I was totally lame on it and it made Jess so nervous when I drove it. He'd say, "just please try not to tip it" I couldn't make any promisses but I didn't want to do that either! Anyway--I didn't tip it once, and I'm not nervous to drive it anymore! I love it! YAY. SCOOTERS ARE AWESOME!

Kade's First Day of School!

So Kade just started school on Monday! He's been excited for like a year so it couldn't have come sooner--for him. I was so worried and just wanted to tell the teacher, "now listen, he's so special and you need to spend all your time on him and make sure he's happy all the time....." but I refrained. I followed him around all morning with the camera and when I dropped him off at school I just couldn't stop! I love being so excited because he's so happy!!! I know I would have stayed in the foyer all day if it hadn't been for my dentist appointment. I just wanted to watch him interact with all the kids ALL DAY LONG! At any rate he loved it and loves going everyday. His schedule is Mon-Fri from 9:30-1:30. He's most excited for tomorrow because it's "Fun Friday" and they're making pancakes for a snack. He sounds so grown-up sometimes, yesterday he said, "you know, Mrs. Nikki wore glasses the first day, and didn't today....that makes me curious." It made me giggle. Anyway--He loves school!

Happy Birthday To Me!

So Friday was my 26th birthday. First off, I just wanted to tell mom--thanks for doing all the hard work, and second, thanks mom and dad for all the hard work that came after the pushing! My entire life has been so happy and I owe it to you both! Thanks for all the patience and love and trust. I love you sooooooooooo much!!!

MOM AND DAD (BOOGIE BOARDING WITH US IN CALI)



FLYING KITES! (I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING...'WOW CARI, THOSE WERE SOME ROUGHER DAYS HUH? HER MOM WAS AMAZING TO LOVE HER ANYWAY! (IT'S TRUE) MOM'S SO PRETTY HUH?!)


DANCING WITH DAD AND UNCLE HAROLD'S WEDDING


ME AND DAD HIKING THE NARROWS IN AWESOME TIME!


CANDID WEDDING SHOT WITH MOM (I LOVE YOU!)


MOM, ME AND KADE ARRIVING AFTER LONG HOURS IN THE CAR DRIVING TO CALIFORNIA TO LIVE




YOU BOTH ARE INCREDIBLE AND I OWE YOU SO MUCH.

Andrea Got her Mission Call!!!

HIP HIP HOORAY FOR ANDREA! Jess sister Andrea FINALLY got her mission call last week. She's going to England!!! And for anyone who knows her--that is PERFECT. She leaves October 31st for the MTC out there. WE LOVE YOU ANDREA!!!



Also, we got a SCOOTER the other day!!! YAY! SCOOTERS UNITE! The pictures will be coming soon! It's soooo fun and totally not lame--if you thought they were goofy--you're TOTALLY WRONG! Cause seriously, we love it.
Also, me and Jess are going on a CRUISE August 23rd. YAY!! Anyone have any tips? We're first timers. Plus, I've been known to get motion sickness so...any tips there, as well, would rock.

A Visit from my Sis!

My sister Nikki and her kids came to visit us last week. It's an annual tradition that we invade the others house for a week or two and let all craziness break loose. It's AWESOME. She has Michael-3, and Jax-1. I think we commented a half-a-dozen times how bad we feel for mothers with 4 under 4. The boys laughed and played and hit and cried with activities like Jump City (LOVED IT), backyard pool (LOVED IT) finding all sorts of wild life in our wilderness of a backyard (in the picture above Kade is holding a jar with "Sarah" the frog they found-walks--bike riding (Michael learned while he was here! YAY) and lots of HOT HOT weather. They like to fight over movies to watch-computer time, the hose, playing on the top bunk and really anything once they got tired. AND IT WAS A BLAST! As for me and Nik, we squeezed in scrabble games, pedicures, card games, Nik read almost all the Twilight Series (for those who have read them, a few days is all it takes!), and I read Rebekah, and talking until way later then we should at nights. I loved it Nik! Thanks for coming.

Summer Life with the Winns

This morning our ward had a 4th of July program and breakfast. The opening song made me ball like a school girl. I've never really paid attention to the last verse in Star-Spangled Banner, and it's amazing. I'm sooooooooooo blessed and thankful to live in this free land that is blessed by God. Here's the verse:

Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

The boys both loved the fireworks last night on Base. Luke was worried at first and just cuddled with Jess until he was ready to watch. Kade loved it though. We got them glow-in-the-dark swords which they loved....and had tons and tons of snacks. Turns out the show was only like 10 minutes so...we'll probably go somewhere again tonight.








Let's see, Luke can count to 30 (prety much...it get's a little crazy for bit in there but overall--he's awesome. He loves singing his alphabet and is so good at it. He loves doing ninja moves with Kaden and playing with play dough. Jess and I love listening to him talk now with so much personality--it just keeps coming and coming with that one--he's hilarious!
Kade read his first real book this week. "When Sheep Sleep" and now is all excited about reading. He loves math and counting by 2's, 3's, 5's and 10's. Not to mention he's awesome at cartwheels and round-offs and is literally on his head probably 10% of the time.



So I look like such a nerd in the next picture--but I'm teaching myself to ride a skateboard. Our neighbors had a yard sale last week and we bought a skateboard for $2. The boys really like it....but I sneak my turns in there way more.
In January when I went snowboarding in Utah-- it made me realize how much I missed it and this is the next best thing right (except the whole--pushing yourself on the skateboard--I like the "lift" idea of snowboarding.)
Anyway--we have a really calm neighborhood which makes it great for riding bikes and skateboarding at night (when the heat drops and we can bare being outside). Besides the fact that I look so incredible "awesome" being 25 and learning to ride...I love it. If anyone has any tips or ideas to share about skateboarding--feel free. I could use it!

Oh, and having a yard---YIKES! I'll have to get some pics in the blog next time because our yard/dirt and rocks with some green crab grass--is out of control! So wish us luck with that. The back yard hasn't been mowed yet because it's taken us FOREVER to rake the rocks out....turns out it takes a lot more work then just mowing and watering a lawn--WHO KNEW? That's our main project right now on the house. Super fun :)


Jess has started taking his camera around more and he loves it. He loves photography. He's been slowing getting as much information and taking short classes on how do take a good picture. I've loved the ones he took two nights ago. For Christmas he wants a flash, and he can't hardly wait.

In Jess' eyes

(here is Jess' promised blog entree! You're awesome baby!)

We moved. It was worse than puberty. And anyone who knows me remembers that my teen years were unpleasant for everyone involved.

Moving, for those of you who are lucky enough to not have endured it yet, goes like this: You put everything you own into boxes. These boxes are required to stink, but just a little bit. You tape the boxes shut. The required tape is available for purchase at several fine retail locations. It is the stickiest substance on earth, with the single exception being when combined with cardboard. It does not stick to cardboard. It will tear the skin right off your bones if (heaven forbid) you get in on you, but closing boxes with it is like trying to push a rope up a hill. Once all your belongings have been placed into stinky no-stick boxes you put it all in a truck. The interior temperature of this truck will be hovering right around 200 degrees. This is a convenient feature provided by the moving truck company to make sure all the liquid in your body exits via the armpits. Your belongings will not all fit into the truck. This is physics in action. Driving to the new place of residence is usually uneventful. The top speed of the furnace/truck is nine miles per hour, so plan ahead. You will arrive at the new house and unload your things. This has basically the same effect as dragging wet garbage into your new house (it will rain the day you move, guaranteed), provided the wet garbage has a hefty helping of tiny cardboard fragments, which you will find in your house until two weeks before you move again. Once the belongings are safely stowed in the new house there is a mandatory two-week waiting period before you can unpack the stinky no-stick boxes. I think this rule is tied to the 72-hour handgun laws. The stinky no-stick wet garbage cardboard boxes will have had time to infuse your clothes with the cardboard stink, so hang them up. The remainder of you stuff can sit for who knows how long in the attic/garage/backyard because you'll be a monkey's uncle if you're ever going to move again. It's a pretty straightforward cycle.

You know what? If I was in charge, we'd never leave here. I would get old in this house and demand to be buried in the back yard under a headstone that says, "Now you may move, but I'm still staying put."

However, I'm not in charge...I'm not even close to in charge. The latest Gallup polls show me in fifth place for "Boss of the Winn House." (I'm neck-and-neck for fourth position, just behind the lizard that lives somewhere near the front door!) We're going to have to move again someday. I'm preparing for that day, and I've compiled a little collection of notes to myself to help reduce the number of inevitable coronary episodes I'll experience next time we relocate.

Hopefully by sharing the small lessons I've learned I can alleviate some pain for any of you who get roped into moving someday. Here's the skinny:

- Get the insurance on the truck. I came so dangerously close to buying a severely damaged U-Haul that I was literally thinking about which organs I don't really use very often so I could sell something on the black market. (If you're curious, it was pancreas, followed closely by left kidney...head's up lefty...) I banged up the side of the truck pretty seriously, and destroyed a fence in the process. This is entirely Cari's fault. Maybe one day she'll tell you about how she caused the incident.

-Get to know the missionaries. They're easy to please, and they're usually in pretty good shape; they had my stuff out of the house in less than an hour. Plus, FREE!

-Have a back up plan. My back up plan was: panic. This was not a concise enough back up plan. Next time I'm going to involve a decision-making process and then panic. I'm betting I'll be much better prepared. We ended up having to stay two nights in hotels because the closing on the house didn't go as planned. Flip side: we destroyed a housekeeping cart that got left outside the door. No more buying tiny soaps and cheap shower caps for the Winn Family!

-Strap explosives to your body. This lets people know you're serious. No threats, cause that's a crime, but having explosives (I'm pretty sure...) isn't illegal.

-Remember you love your family. Someday the move will be over, and you'll be sitting in a beautiful, new house with a stunning wife and little boys who have been better than angelic through the whole experience. Whatever angry, frustrated, fed-up feeling you have about moving five years of junk from one place to another on the hottest day of the year, keep it to yourself. Nobody wants to hear your stupid, whiny voice complain about how bad it was. Just sit back with your baby, cuddle with your boys, and enjoy the feeling of being in a place where you can finally feel "home."

Moving/Homeless/New House

So..our move was exciting. Jess will detail it to everyone soon...but since I don't know when "soon" is, I thought I'd give the basics and later you can be amused by his mad writting skills! I've made a list of the good and bad experiences from moving. Here we go:

NOT SO GOOD:

On closing day (the 30th of May), the letter from the termite guy had not been approved by the underwritters---closing delay-till Monday (and then Tuesday...then Wednesday...then Thursday.)

Jess missed his promotion ceremony (He's a Staff Seargent now! WOO WOO)

Cari get’s stung by a bee--and falls down the hill (it really did look awesome)

Jess wrecks the Uhaul and our apartments fence (no insurance on the UHAUL)

By Tuesday..we've been assured that we'll probably be closing--we get all moved out, still no closing...so we pile it in the new homes garage.

Had to stay in Hotels for two nights

Didn’t close until a week later then planned

GREAT:

Our plan was to move on Tues. anyway so the delay wasn't soooo bad

I really probably did look AWESOME falling down the hill grabbing my neck from the bee sting--and talking on the phone. (just ask Jess-he was cracking up)

Awesome friends helped out with kids and watched them during much of the moving madness.

The Uhaul and Fence cost drastically less than imagined!

The fact that we got to put our stuff in the garage at all was awesome.

Good friends offered their homes to us so we didn't HAVE to stay in a hotel. (Jess has a thing about intruding–but it was nice of them to offer anyway.)

Free continental breakfasts!(I love those!)

We got to eat out a ton!

We played with our boys sooooooo much!

Jess and I learned from their amazing spirits and attitudes–smiling and laughing all the while...

We got to take the kids to Kung Foo Panda– Luke was hilarious to watch--doing his version of Kung Foo through out the film---complete with volume. The boys loved it and it was fun to watch them and the movie.

Jess and I saw sides of each other in stressful situations that were beautiful.

So ya--all and all--it was awesome! And we love love our new home and other then sprinklers that are positioned outside the fence and squirt the fence directly...no negative surprises! It's been wonderful and we're so so so blessed. We love you all!!

Our 2 Year Old!

So in commemoration of Luke's birthday this last month--I thought I'd write a bit about him and the joy he spreads! First--you should know, he's crazy! Just crazy. Always running and pirating, making exciting messes to clean up, and just being Luke!

Seriously–Luke has this power over my heart though. He could do the worst thing ever...and when I try to discipline him–he smiles, gives hugs, says--"I love you mommy", and looks at me with these sweet eyes–and I just melt. It’s ridiculous. Kade never tries to get out of anything like that–but Luke–oh my...it’s almost like his eyelashes are literally fluttering all the time. Goofy kid. I’m in tons of trouble though with him and I know it. Cause see, he’s going to try a lot... he’s so sneaky and so curious--and, I might have mentioned this before--he's just crazy. And ya know what–I already know that he’s going to get away with most of it. AHH-I’m going to need a lot of help with this whole mothering thing.

He’s so funny–the other day I was getting the boys breakfast ready while they were playing in their room. I hear Kade yell, “MOM–Luke's doing something bad!!!” So I ran upstairs and see a solid white child. Luke had covered his body in Desitin...oh so so covered. It was so funny though cause he was just smiling and continuing to smooth it all out after he saw I was there. And here is case in point to his getting away with anything-- I said–don’t touch anything–I need my camera-and ran downstairs...
After taking a few photo's and realizing that it was ridiculous to tell a two-year old covered in bum cream not touch anything–and then turn my back–I put him in the bath. LAME-O! He he, I’m a nerd–a cream that’s purpose is to keep a child dry–is more then likely water resistant–he he, so after fighting that thought and scrubbing his stomach for 5 minutes with soap (thinking–“really....–it’s really not going to work?”) then I took him out of the bath and just took a towel and rubbed him down. I can’t believe how much he had on him! He he, it made me and Kade laugh so much. Silly kid. (Because of my awesome “discipline technique” on this last one–he probably still thinks it’s a fantastic idea to have more desitin fun tomorrow! I’m awesome.) -(ewww, this is what happens when you wait a minute or two before taking care of a problem--on the lips! gross)
Here’s the thing though–he’s always doing stuff like that. Jess found him in the bathroom the other day, wearing jess' glasses--and brushing his teeth with everyone's toothbrush's--complete with toothpaste everywhere! (He’s always trying to break out the toothbrushes–he LOVES brushing his teeth. I think it’s hilarious that I have to limit him to 3 times a day–he'd do it all day if I let him.)
While waiting to fall asleep the other day he was just shouting letters out in a random order to a random song. It doesn’t sound strange until you imagine it–just all by himself–shouting....so loud–he he. Oh, he totally knows all his letters! He surprises me so much–cause he learned it without me. (If anyone wants motherhood lessons--I'm totally open!:) That's what ya get for being the second child I guess. I'm pretty sure it came mostly from Kade and the “Word Whammer” on the fridge that Grandma gave Kade for last years birthday. Oh, and he can count from 1-20 (well, 16-19 sound mostly exactly the same...)
Anyway--I love him sooooooooo much and I am just so much happier because I have him in my life! FUN!


At the zoo last week with our friends the Livseys for Hayden's birthday. They're showing their STAMPEDE faces!

Luke turned 2 on Sunday! woo woo! Sunday after church and naps--Kade hid Luke's presents, and was so excited for Luke--when I asked him why, he said, "because he'll good some good stuff and maybe he'll share with me."
And Luke did--and he's trying to share--I'm sure of it(Luke just hit the "MINE" stage and it's not always so pretty) At any rate we sang "Happy Birthday 4 or 5 times cause Luke kept wanting to blow out the candles and it was fun. Then on Monday some of his friends from the neighborhood had cake and ice cream with us.
Luke wanted a sponge-bob square pants cake for his birthday so that's what I made (I know he's only 2 but it's just so cute to hear him say his whole name.) Mom Adams gave Kaden a musical book at the beginning of the year with a bazillion songs about sponge-bob. Now Luke knows all the songs and is a HUGE fan. Anyway--it was nice and easy and now he's 2! FUN.







There's a place called Phinizy Swamp Nature Park about 15 minutes from our house. Jess and I took the kids to it a year and a half ago--and it was winter--and it was ugly. But I kept hearing good things about it and took the kids last week. IT WAS GORGEOUS!

They loved walking around and we even saw a water snake, regular snake, and tons of turtles.(and a hiker said there were two otters in the lake area and a biker said he kept seeing an alligator, but we couldn't see either.)

Anyway--this time around it really was so pretty and we loved it.

Jonathans Home!

WELCOME HOME JONATHAN. I am so so so happy. My brother-in-law Jonathan has been in Kuwait for the past year and was finally able to come home yesterday and I'm soooooo excited for all of them!!! Welcome home and thank you for your service--We love you guys!!!

Camping & The Masters

A couple of weekends ago we went camping and it was sooooooooooooo fun! here's the thing. If it were up to me, we would have brought EVERYTHING. Toys, DVD player, tons of food, tried dutch oven cooking....I have learned something huge from Jess:

That way's lame.

Jess lives the simple life. This was our trip: We packed the tent, mattresses, and sleeping bags, Packed p'j's and poptarts, pick up a pizza on the way to the camp sight and that was it. APPARENTLY...nature is a good entertainer. Who knew? Anyway it was so fun and our first family camp out. The boys loved it and because it went so well, odds are we'll do this again--with Jess' way of packing (which apparently is from Dad Winn's influence...so thanks! (you're so smart).






Yesterday my friend Sarah and I went to the Masters Golf Tournament (well, kinda--we sorta just asked a guy outside to sell us a cheap ticket to just see the grounds on one of the practice round days.) and it was gorgeous! I also learned that I probably wouldn't be a very good golf spectator....Apparently it's a "quiet watching sport". Any more questions? I've never once been mistaken for a "quiet" type person. I'm more of a screamer--I accidently screamed once...you know...like a wooo hoo (cause it was a great hit--is that what you'd call it, a hit--a shot--a clubb'n???) that was a little too much I noticed very quickly. he he...ooh, Cari you might be saying--you're a big nerd.--Oooh, the lessons you learn. But the grounds were awesome and we had a great time!


The LAWN MOWER TRAIN