Phines Family Updates

April 02, 2010

Family

I come from a large family. It is strange to some people how we function. EVERYONE but Colton (who is in the Army) and me live here. All within a couple of hours of my mom's house. Growing up there was a lot of fun to be had. As we all grew older it was like having a bunch of brothers and sisters...for me they are all little brothers and sisters as I am the oldest out of all 12 cousins. Coming home is always a reminder of what I am leaving behind. Josh just shakes his head at some of the things I do...like coming home for Morgans HS Graduation, listening to an ENTIRE basketball with play by play over the phone for my cousin (I actually didn't have a cell and ordered one just for the games LOL), not being able to even stand to talk to one of my sisters (AKA Bridezilla) but then loving spending time with her a few months later. My kids have been so lucky to be a part of this crazy life and family. Here are just a few examples of what we are all like!!!!

From Cierra B-ball

CIERRA'S FAN CLUB!!!!

From Cierra B-ball

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

LET THE FUN BEGIN!!

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

MY SISTER STEPH AND HER FIANCE CURT

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

MY SISTER CHELS AND HER HUBBY JOEL

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

OH THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN LOL.

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

BROTHERLY LOVE

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

KACI AND HER AVERSION TO FEET...I THINK CHANT WAS HELPING HER TO GET OVER IT :)

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

CIERRA IS READY TO GO BOARDING!!!

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

I AM PRETTY SURE UNCLE ED WAS IN ACTION HERE LOL

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

GRANDPA AND HIS KIDS!

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

ENDING THE NIGHT WITH MUSIC

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

JAKE, GRANDPA AND I

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

GRANDPA WATCHING OVER ALL THE FUN AND ENJOYING HIMSELF

Life....

Life has thrown lots of fun things our way while we have been living here. From a helping a new baby come into this world to watching my babies grow, to spending time with my 82 year old Grandpa and time with my cousins and aunt and uncles, sisters and BIL's and of course my Mom and Dad it has been a time of growth and reflection for all of us. Baby Emma (my cousin's baby) made her entrance into this world, Savannah did a cheering routine, JT has made lots of new friends, and Jake is starting to read. We spent a ton of time watching my cousin Cierra play basketball (her senior year) We have graduations coming up and of course a visit from Josh. Along with all the fun things, the kids have been growing like crazy! It seems like every time I turn around I am buying new shoes or clothes. The weather is warming up a little and we have even gone out on the boat. I have a feeling that before we know it, a new chapter will be starting in Ft Riley, KS, and so we are going to try to fit as much into this chapter in our lives as possible! My goal is to now keep up to date and write the story of our time here in Montana.

From Baby Emmas Birth

From Savannah's 7th Bday

From First Day on the Boat

From Christmas at Aunt Gwens

From Cierra B-ball

Winter Wonderlad

Well when we left Alabama/Georgia it was raining and not all that great. By the time we hit the midwest we were seeing a little more snow. Then we got home!!!!!! Out come the snowpant, on go the boots, hats, and gloves. Of course moving from the south to the Rockies we had no snow gear except for what my mom had saved which was enough to make it to Christmas :) The kids are now outfitted in Bogs, North Face, and Columbia. Thank goodness they have warm clothes because a lot of time was spent enjoying the outdoors!

From Jan 2010

December 2009 Update

Lots of cookies...playing...and family. One of the best decisions we have made was for me to move home! The smile on my kids' faces as they are surrounded in love is the best gift I can have.

From Christmas Time 2009

Savannah got her American Girl Doll, JT got his knife and Jake...well got everything he wanted LOL.

From Christmas Time 2009

WOW!

It has been MONTHS since I last posted. Lots of life changes happened after we put the house on the market. The kids and I are now living in Montana. We decided to move home to help the house sell...the few days before the movers came, a collapsing retaining wall was discovered. So home I came anyway. I am now headed back down next week to get the house ready to rent. With the market the way it is, we feel it is better to rent and keep it then sell it for a loss. Josh will be home soon on R/R...well in a couple months anyway LOL...I guess that is soon in the grand time frame of things. The kids are growing and I am now going to be posting LOTS of updates!

November 14, 2009

Well 2 months later...

Things have changed dramatically. Josh has been gone for 2 1/2 months and we are all well adjusted to him being gone. Our communication is unbelievable and we talk almost everyday sometimes 2 or 3 times a day depending on how late he stays up and if he has missions the next day etc etc LOL. It is SO much easier than last time in that sense. Josh re-enlisted indefinite on Sept 22nd and so we have 8 1/2 more years left in the Army LOL. It has been decided that we will be staying at Ft Riley, so our plans have drastically changed!
We have our house on the market!!!

From 2009-10-23

The movers will be here on the 9th of December to pack up our stuff and the 10th or 11th to pick up. My cousin flies in on the 12th and we will start driving on the 15th or 16th to Montana. Yep thats right I am going home!!! I have always sworn that I would NEVER move home during a deployment, but this seems to be the best for everyone. The kids will be going to the school I grew up in and Savannah will have my Auntie as her teacher. My mom is right there too so it should be an easy transition. I will be able to continue my school work and have some help with the kids. We will then move to Kansas next summer sometime!!!

So soon we will be living in the land of snow instead of land of heat hehehehe.

Now to leave you with picture catch up!!!!