Lucy

This has been a crazy month for our family with animals!  At the beginning of October a cat arrived outside our house.  We fostered her for several days, and then we had to return her to APET on base.  She was a beautiful white kitten, but she started hissing and Ryan was very allergic to her.  On Thursday of this week, a puppy arrived on our doorstep.  She is about 6 weeks old with white fur and black markings.  She is very tiny, probably about 2 lbs.  We don't know if we will be able to keep her, but we are enjoying her in the meantime.  Her are some photos of her sleeping in my lap!

Ryan's 4th Birthday Party

Our little boy turned four on October 2nd, which happened to fall on a Saturday this year.  We invited all of his friends to his birthday party at the Jungle Zone on base.  Ryan wanted to have a "Diego" themed party, because we were going to be in the jungle and Diego likes the jungle.  It was a great time with friends!

Ryan's First Hike - Devil's Punch Bowl

Shortly after Ryan turned 4, we decided to take him for his first hike.  Hiking is not by any means new to Ryan...  He has hiked a few mountains and strolled on many trails.  This hike was his first walking by himself with no stroller in tow.  Enjoy the photos (when I get them uploaded!)

Emily's Second Birthday

Ryan and Emily's Preschool Photos

Antelope Valley Poppy Fields

Over the past weekend Mimi, Ryan, Emily and I went to the poppy fields that are located not far from our house.  Here are a few of the photos from our trip.  It was a gorgeous day!  Enjoy!

Ryan wasn't feeling very photogenic...

This is not a postcard - My Mom took this!  Beautiful!

Snuggling and One of Callie's Creations

Thoughts of the day both Religious and Political...

Although not widely popular topics of casual conversation amongst my fellow generation X 'ers, two of my favorite ideas to discuss and ponder each day are Religion and Politics...  What is happening in our world, Who, What I think, How I feel, grow and change, Where, and Why...  How to live a Christian Life...  Walk with God...  This is where my mind/heart is wondering today.

God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His will,
That I may reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

- Karl Paul Rienhold Neibuhr
 Serenity Prayer

Reinhold Niebuhr
Born	Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr June 21, 1892 Wright City, Missouri
Died	June 1, 1971 (aged 78) Stockbridge, Massachusetts
Education	Elmhurst College, Eden Theological Seminary, Yale Divinity School
Occupation	Theologian, professor at Union Theological Seminary (1930-1960), magazine editor (1941-1966)
Years active	1915-1966
Known for	Christian Realism, Serenity Prayer
Religion	Protestant
Spouse(s)	Ursula Keppel-Compton Niebuhr
Notes 1964 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient

And what are Religion and Politics without a little History too?

Emily's Easter Photo Shoot 2010

Emily Anne

Butterflies

Mommy's Shoes

Mommy and Emmy

Can we be done already?

Second Wind

You are My Sunshine

More photos - March 2010

Emily Anne in Lisa's Lap

Emily, Lisa and Ryan

Ryan waiting for his caterpillar cupcake

New House

Here are some photos of our new house in Rosamond, CA.  


We will not be moving into the new house until June, but we are super excited about living off base!  The house has 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, laundry room upstairs, fenced in backyard, completely landscaped, 3 car garage, formal living and dining rooms, an upstairs loft, and a sprinkler, intercom and alarm system.  The house we purchase was a model home, so we bought it fully decorated with paint and pictures on the wall.  All of the house plants came with the house as well.  25 house plants!  I  am going to be very busy watering!  Enjoy the photos and come and visit us!

Just pictures...

Daddy and His Kiddos

There is a very special relationship between Eric, Ryan and Emily...  It is based completely on love!  Whenever Daddy is gone, it is always "Where is Daddy?", "Did Daddy go to fly
 airplanes?", "Where did Daddy go?", "Is Daddy at Test Pilot School today?", "I miss Daddy!"....  I love this photo of the trio (even though I cut Eric's head off!)  Enjoy! (We sure do!)

Emily and Eric Halloween

Eric, Ryan and Emily C-17 Fini Flight

The Hammock

Three peas in a pod

Our friends the Odom's hosted a birthday party for their youngest daughter Ava Claire on Sunday.  Ava Claire's older brother Jackson, his best bud William, and my oldest Ryan played so nicely together all afternoon.  They entertained  themselves by going on a "Bear Hunt" in the bouncy castle (thanks Jules), playing in the sandbox, eating cupcakes, and finally - playing "peek-a-boo" in the family's hammock.  These 3 and 4 year old boys just giggled when we all took their pictures and told them how sweet they were.  It was another one of those special moments I was glad to have gotten on film!  Thanks for the invite Jules!

The Very Hungry Little Caterpillar

This picture captures the theme Ava Claire's mother, Jules came up with for Ava Claire's second birthday party.  Jules had created a very beautiful caterpillar with green and one red cupcake for the children to enjoy.  As you can see, Ava Claire really enjoyed her cupcake and the birthday party with all of her friends!  She is just as precious as can be!

Emily's Day at the Park

A Trip to the Park

The Red Tunnel

"Mommy, Mommy can we go to the red tunnel park?"  "After your nap, Ryan."  "Ok Mommy."  So here is Ryan in the red tunnel slide... a gorgeous Southern California day in the desert.  Ryan travels down the slide like he normally does, then trips when he lands - and ends up hurting his bottom.  Ryan to Mommy, "Mommy will you kiss my bottom?"  Mommy to Ryan, (trying not to laugh and cry at the same time) "How about I give you a kiss on the cheek instead?"  "Ok Mommy!"  We kiss and Ryan runs away and plays with the other little boys on the swings...  These are the moments I treasure!  They grow up so fast!

A day spent with Mommy

The Ice Cream Trick

As with many other required tasks in the life of a 3 year old, Ryan required a bit of incentive to allow the hairstylist to cut his golden locks... Mommy decides chocolate ice cream is the bribe of choice - and it works! Here is Ryan enjoying his post-haircut treat!

The Dreadful "Spikey" Tennis Ball Head...

The class project is to take a member of the Flat family (in our case, Spencer) with our little one on everyday errands around the base and greater community. Ryan chose to take Spencer with us to get his hair "trimmed." I, his loving mother, instructed the hairstylist to trim his golden locks and make him "look nice" for his up coming Easter photos... I think she got a bit scissor happy, because Ryan wound up with the same haircut as his pal Spencer! I tried not to cry in front of him... He seems to really like it! He laughs and says, "Mommy it is spikey!" Next step - head to the BX to find a suitable hat!

At the house with Flat Spencer before the haircut...

Ryan and Emily's Current Relationship and a Mommy's Love

Here are my two beautiful, remarkable, wonderful children of 18 months and 3 years - Emily and Ryan Bippert, respectively.... Mostly the two get along will with only about 25 small scuffles a day about things ranging from: Mommy's lap competitions, who gets the toy first, who gets the toy period, which car seat to sit in during a trip, which book to read, who gets out of the tub first... and so on... I love them so much and it is a privilege to call them my babies!