The end is near!

That speaks true for two things.

A new year begins in just a few short hours. Though it's just another day it marks the beginning of a new adventure for our family. Joe leaves tomorrow for Afghanistan. What a way to start of the new year huh?

2008 was a great year for the Hudson Crew. Bryson turned 6 and now reads and loves Star Wars. Carter turned 3 and learned how to ride his bike with no training wheels. Joe became a captain, and together we created a new life.

Though I am anxious for 2009 to begin for each passing day brings Joe closer to coming home. I fear leaving the safety of 2008.

Please pray for him and for our family.

A day with his boys....all three of them!

On Sunday Joe and the boys had a full daddy day.

The got up that morning and took a drive to pick me up some Starbucks and then on to McDonald's to pick up the boys breakfast.

He then took Carter to the commissary with him. For some reason Carter loves going to the commissary with daddy. I think it's because Joe lets him buy junk food I usually wouldn't, daddy's are so special. Bryson stayed home with me and played the Wii. He is addicted to Mario Kart.

Once Joe and Carter got back they all ate lunch and then off they went to golf. They played nine holes and took turns driving the cart. Bryson has a natural talent when it comes to golfing and Carter does not. He hits the ball more like a hockey puck. Bryson at that age could already hit the ball pretty far so I will have to work with Carter.

After golfing they went outside to ride bikes and scooters and then Joe took them to dinner. Carter wanted to go to the Mockey-Moley(Guacamole) place. It's a Mexican restaurant called Mi Casitas and Carter loves the guacamole there. He just can't get enough of it.

When they got home their day was over and they took a man shower and headed off to bed. I think they all had a great day!

Once the boys were in bed Joe sat down beside me and I placed his hand on my belly. His little son was quite active and Joe was able to feel his boy move for the first time. It was a special day here in the Hudson household.

***What was I doing this whole time you ask?? Absolutely Nothing!!!***

So...Were you Naughty or Nice?

We had a great Christmas this year. We all must have been very nice because we really made out.

Santa brought Bryson his Nintendo DS that he asked for, and let me tell you that's like a Christmas present for me also. My mom, Mimi bought Super Mario Brothers for it and I am on the last world, world 8 and I am having a blast with it. We bought Bryson the Star Wars game and he loves to play that as well. Bryson also got quite a few new Lego sets, some star wars figures, a new scooter, and various other things.

This year Santa brought Carter a bike with pegs. He asked Santa for a bike with pegs so that he could do tricks like his brother. Poor Carter has already fallen and hit his face. Though it wasn't because of the tricks it's because he can't stop the bike. It's an 18 inch bike and the brakes aren't the pedals they are on the handle bars and he can't quite get his hands around them. I am going to practice with him on how to grasp the brake probably when Joe leaves. I will have more time then.

Carter also got his beloved GEO Airport which he absolutely loves. He has been playing with it non-stop. He got a leapster with some games, quite a few Buzz Lightyear toys (which one is broken already), a new scooter as well since his old one was stolen, and various other little things.

Santa brought our family Mario Kart for the Wii and that has been a blast. We all have had fun racing each other and seeing who is the fastest.

Checking out all the loot.

My Nintendo DS!

Opening his scooter from Aunt Michelle.

Getting ready to open his GEO Airport.

He was so excited!
Carter on his bike with pegs.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve the boys opened up their one present that was filled with Christmas PJs and a special book. It's a book that Joe himself wrote and I added pictures and had made into a hardback book. It's something very special that I hope we will have forever. We had also forgotten to put the angel on the tree when we put it up so we thought we would just wait and put it up on Christmas Eve so that's what we did. We started out letting Carter put the angel up but he couldn't quite reach so Bryson finished up.

Merry Christmas

I have this set to post at a scheduled time so right now we are probably opening up presents.

Merry Christmas Everyone!! I hope you all are with those you love and are opening up so cool gifts.

This is what I did yesterday and thought you would love it.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I will write more about our Christmas later.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday. I am sure it has to be hard to have a birthday so close to Christmas. You usually don't get two gifts but one combined one.

I am so lucky to have a mom like her. I love her so much and wish we were able to see her on a daily basis. Mimi, you are a great grandmother and my boys love you dearly. We can't wait to see you in April.

Happy Birthday Mom, I hope you get two gifts from everyone.

The day Joe got back.

He was gone for a total of 71 days. When he leaves in January we will have 179 days to go. It seems like so long.

Joe came back with four bags, a backpack and his riffle. It's a little scary thinking about him carrying this gun with him when he leaves. Bryson really wanted to check it out, but we told him maybe later.

When we got home we let Joe blow out the candles on his brownies and open his presents. He was so excited and surprised.

Then Joe wanted to show the boys some of his gear. The funnest part was when the boys put on daddy's bullet proof vest. It weighs about 30 pounds. Carter kept giggling it was so heavy.



Growing up I never tried on a bullet proof vest, that I can remember. No need to, didn't know anyone with one, it didn't even cross my mind. Here my boys are 6 and 3 and they don't even realize how important the vest is, and what it's job will be for the next 6 months.

Boy have we been busy!

Joe has been home now for 8 days and we have been in and out of the house all week. Sorry I have not been able to update much it just takes time and we don't have a lot of time with Joe before he heads off to war.

I have a lot to post about so it may take awhile to update. I did want to share with you all us putting up the tree. We waited to put it up until Joe was home so that he could help. Though wouldn't you know we forgot to put the angel on the tree and always seem to remember once the boys are in bed. So she is sitting on the end table right next to the tree watching over it. I guess we might as well wait until Christmas eve now. Drink some hot chocolate, put the angel on the tree and open up their Christmas eve gift.

Double Trouble

I just had to spank both the boys.

I spanked Carter for unrolling the toilet paper. Something infants do not 3 year olds, and then I spanked Bryson for watching him do it.

Then Carter said he was mad at me but not daddy.

That Carter is something else.

So, Carter watches TV in my room everyday. Not a lot but he no longer takes naps so he has to rest for a little while. He usually is pretty good back there. I don't hear much from him and if I do he usually runs out to tell me he loves me and then runs back into bed.

Last night I went to bed rather late, late for me which so happen to be 11pm. I was up watching a great lifetime show and even though it would replay this morning I just had to watch it last night. Back to going to bed...I walked into my room and spot a bottle of KY on the floor in between my bed and my nightstand. I pick it up and the top is popped and the bottle is empty.

I have no idea where the contents are. I can only imagine what fun he had squeezing the bottle and letting the liquid shoot out like water from a water gun.

Now that I think about it I haven't looked on the ceiling.

Happy Birthday Big Daddy!

Update: I was informed it has been 8 years and not 7. Sorry I can not count!

I am sorry you were not here to celebrate with us. It isn't the first time and I am sure it won't be the last, but it is a little sad that you weren't able to celebrate your 30th with family and friends.

It has been wonderful to celebrate the last 7 birthdays with you, and boy has a lot changed in that amount of time. We have grown so much and learned so much about each other. I can only imagine what 50 more will bring us. I have so much to thank you for. I can see two sitting right in front of me and the newest one kicking in my belly. I can't believe that we will miss half of this year with you, what a big milestone we are missing. You will be missing my milestone as well. Maybe next year we can turn 30 again??

I wish you would have been here today.

We had breakfast with Santa and then I dropped the kids off so I could do some Christmas shopping. If you would have been here I am sure we would have found other fun things to do, but this is the military life huh?

I love you

Pregnancy update

Here is the photo you all have been asking for. It's not the best. It was taken on top of a box on a self-timer.

*My belly is starting to get bigger.
*I feel great.
*I can eat meat again. Though in very small amounts.
*I still love fruit.
*I have already been having braxton hicks contractions.
*I am 21 weeks.
*I am still in shock of having another boy.
*I have another ultrasound in 11 days.
*We still have no idea on a name.

Do you want to know what my boys are watching?

I signed up for the free trial for Netflix on Monday. I was flipping though all the movies and there were two that caught my eye. Two movies I can remember watching as a child myself. Who cares what they want to watch this is what I want to watch. So, I put them on the list and guess what? They were in the mailbox today. Just 36 hours after I signed up.

I am so excited that they are watching the movies I can remember getting so excited about and watching over and over with my siblings. Have you ever watched these?

This is what they are watching right now.


and this is what I told them we would watch later tonight so I can watch with them.

A new NEPHEW

My newest nephew was born this evening at 6:32 Mountain time. He was born 26 days early but gave his mom trouble back in October. She was on bed rest and medicine for quite some time. They have not taken his stats yet and when I get them I will update. UPDATE: Beau was 5lbs 5oz and 18inches.

I also have no idea when I'll be able to post a picture, as I will have to wait on others to send them to me. I have a small picture that my mom sent me on my phone but that just won't work.

Happy Birthday Beau Olden Turner!!

Our Thanksgiving Weekend

We drove up to Virginia to visit my old college buddy Mandy and her three boys. Boy was it crazy to have 5 boys in one house hold. *note to self...stop at three* Anyways the boys had so much fun together. The two three year olds liked to pester each other every once in awhile but other than that all was good. They behaved pretty well for going to bed so late each night and waking up so early each morning.

I had so much to be thankful for this year that we had two Thanksgivings. One with ham on the 27th and then one with fried turkey on the 28th. Actually the truth is that I screwed up!!

I brought the turkey fryer up from home and when it was time to get the oil going I realized I had forgot the most important thing. Well, everything in frying a turkey is important but I had forgot the thermometer. How am I suppose to fry a turkey when I can't tell how hot the oil is? Mandy had two friends over for thanksgiving as well and they took off to go get one from the girls house. They come back and the thermometer only goes up to 190. Well, that won't work!! We search the neighborhood with no such luck. Then the girls take off to Walmart to find one. About an hour later they come back with a thermometer that goes up to 350. I put it in the oil and the oil was so hot that it popped the top right off the thermometer and it drops down into the oil. Broken!!

I was so mad at myself. Thankfully the girls had brought over a ham so we had Thanksgiving with the ham, and all was well. The next morning I braved the crowds in search of a thermometer that would work and found one at a cooking store at the outlets where I waited 40 minutes for a parking space. I was determined to have a fried turkey. I found one and later that day I fried up my first turkey. Our family has been frying turkeys for as long as I can remember. I can't even remember ever not having a fried turkey. Okay one year my mother baked a duck and I can remember not eating much that year, but other than that all fried turkeys.

Even though we have been frying for so long I have never been in charge of the controls and actually standing out there babysitting the turkey. I did a great job and it turned out wonderfully. It was so good that I can barely wait until Christmas.

Mandy and I with the fried turkey.

Before we had our second Thanksgiving on Friday we did go out to the beach and tour a lighthouse. All the boys had so much fun and on our way back to the car Dathan (Mandy's 6 year old son) screams out that he has been pinched by a crab. After all was calm it was pretty funny.

Dathan, Bryson, Carter, and Chance

Bryson and Dathan playing football on the beach. One of the many falls they had.