Merry Christmas!

William's first time at karate!

William is going to officially start karate the first week in January, but we get one trial! He was so excited, but wanted a uniform! I am so glad he gets to be in Tre's class for a few months before Tre moves up to the next class!

Jack is 35!

Our main man is 35! It's so hard to believe we met when he was 26! Time flies when you are having fun!

Funny kids!

Our kids are infamous for ruining surprises.

Example 1: Jack asked for the new Modern Warfare 3 game for Christmas. I wrapped it with William and while doing that, I told him how this was a surprise and not to tell! Lo and behold, the second Jack walked in the door, William went straight to the present and said, "Look daddy! We got your an xbox game!! It's the war one!" FAIL! Jack laughed.

Example 2: William and I went shopping for Reese's christmas present. We settled on a Strawberry Shortcake house. We went to Marcy's that night and I lectured William on keeping it quiet. Sure enough, the minute we walk in he says, "Reese, we got you a strawberry shortcake house!" All the while, I predicted the throw up of the mouth coming and yelled and made silly noises so that Reese couldn't hear. William was persistent and kept trying to spoil it, so I ended up threatening to take one present out from under the tree every time he blabbed. He's been quiet since.

Example 3: Yesterday we went to order a cake for Jack. The kids LOVE to pick these out and I like to make it a surprise for Jack. Jack called as we were walking out of the store and Tre wanted to talk to him. I told Tre NOT to ruin the surprise and he promised. First thing he said? "Dad, we got you a cake, but I won't tell you what kind!" Well, that only half way ruined it. Next sentence? "and we are going to surprise you with breakfast in bed on your birthday!"

AHH... well... what's a mommy to do!

Sorry this video is shaky. William insisted on sitting on my lap, which made things a little more difficult. This one is Tre's favorite poem. I think it's funny that he's behind the rest of the class, but he didn't care. He just kept going at his own pace!

Grandparents day!

It was Grandparents day at school today. Unfortunately, Jack's parents don't live near us, but thankfully my parents do so he had some fans in the audience. It was so sweet, I nearly cried. I choked back the tears because I know it's a little ridiculous! I just can't help it. My little man is growing up too fast! He's the sweetest thing and was so shy and nearly whispered the songs. I could tell he enjoyed every second though. His cousin and best friend, Grant, was actually able to watch too, so that was a joy for him too!

Tre reading his first book from school...

Tre came home today with his first book from school. He read it front to back and you can tell how proud of himself that he is... as he should be!

We are so proud of Tre!!!

Parenting can be hard....

... and heartbreaking. Yesterday, Tre and I were riding bikes and he found a friend, Blake, that he's been playing with at home and at school. Recently, he told me that he doesn't play with Blake at school anymore, but he won't tell me why.

Back to my story... so yesterday Tre and I were riding and he was so proud of himself for getting on his bike with no training wheels. He saw Blake and wanted to show him, so we rode over to him. Tre said, "Hi Blake!" and Blake didn't reply. So Tre said, "HI BLAKE!" even louder and again no response. He must have said hi ten times and Blake kept ignoring him. It was heartbreaking to see the disappointment and confusion on his face. I whispered to him that we should go. I said Blake wasn't being very nice and that Tre shouldn't play with kids who aren't being friendly. I told Tre that it was never okay to act that way and he should never do that to anyone. Thankfully, he seemed to get over it quickly and hasn't dwelled on it! It was still very heartbreaking for me!

I know this is only the beginning and there will be many an instance like this. :(

Bike riding!

Tre is FINALLY confident riding his bike without training wheels! HALLELUYAH!!! He's been able to ride his bike without training wheels for a while, but too scared to get really good at it! The kids in the neighborhood all ride their bikes and Tre just wanted to ride the plasma car and couldn't keep up! Today, Tre and I rode our bikes together and even went into a neighborhood next to ours! I told Jack it was the reason I wanted a bike. I had so much fun riding with him!

Williams name

William is jealous of tre's homework, so I create some for him. I told him to write his name knowing he'd need help! Instead, a couple minutes later and no questions asked he showed me his finished work! I was quite impressed with his ability since he's only 3!!!!

New blogger app!!

I Just discovered the new blogger app for my phone so be ready for more updates! William had his Halloween party today at school. It's fun to see how he interacts and behaves at school. Tre is so quiet at school and never in trouble and that doesn't surprise me. William is never on trouble either, but that kind of surprises me knowing his silly spirit! Today he was so well behaved and quiet it was almost weird. I'm glad he realizes that there is a time and place for silliness! He's such a sweet fellow!

Tre's Teacher Conference Report

I couldn't be more proud of our biggest boy! He is doing so well in school and we want to brag. I tried taking a picture of his "conference notes" but it didn't turn out so well. So I am going to write it:

Yes, usually, sometimes, or no categories:

Doing well in all areas: yes

Follows rules: yes

Attentive in class: yes

Follows directions: yes

Actively participates: yes

Works well in groups: yes

Keeps distractions at the minimum: yes

Polite: yes

Behaves appropriately: yes

Treats others kindly: yes

Great attitude: yes

Avoids hitting/kicking/pushing: yes

Gets along well with others: yes

Notes:

WOW- Tre is a very smart little boy. He is very eager to learn and is doing very well with the newly introduced skills.

Tre is a "PERFECT" (underlined twice) student. He is very attentive and always finishes his work quickly and quietly. He is also a great helper who is always willing to help his classmates if they are struggling.

Tre has really started to come out of his shell this year. He is making lots of new friends and always plays with different people. He is such a sweet, mature little boy who is always helpful to his classmates. I feel blessed to be Tre's teacher.

Awesome work Tre! Keep it up!

Tre is the cutest, sweetest thing. When Tre is happy about something, he always tries not to smile and puckers his lips in his effort. I got home from the conference and read him the notes and he was puckering so hard it looked like his smile was going to crack. In the end, he did bust into a smile and a giggle. He was so proud of himself... and he should be!

questions

Why does an apple have a stem? Why do grapes have a stem too? Why can't we press pause on the tv like we did in NOLA? Why don't we have Cartoon network on the playroom tv? How long did we live in NOLA? Why is there no Monkey room in Lafayette? Is someone going to build a Monkey Room in Lafayette? Why not? Can I cut his apple for breakfast tomorrow? What are calories? Who got this McQueen and Mater? Why aren't they from Disney World when they have this Disney sign?

Tre is FULL of questions. These are just a few of the ONE MILLION he's asked me in the last hour or so!!! It got to the point that I literally laughed every time he asked another!

William's FIRST Soccer Practice

Well, William started Soccer today. At home, he was VERY excited! He could hardly wait. Then we got there and he wanted nothing to do with it! Go figure!

After a little bribery with his Powerade, I got him going and he did GREAT! I think he really liked it, but I also think he will be happier when it isn't so hot!

Reno crash

I'm totally freaked! Jack was at the Reno Air Races this afternoon having fun until a plane crashed right into the VIP Box seats he was sitting in. He dove away from the grandstand and thankfully, is safe. He said he saw more than he ever wanted to see and was hit with some debris. He seems shaken but okay. After this and a jet crash in his squadron (pilot safely ejected and aircraft destroyed), I'm totally freaked! I always appreciate my favorite guy and wonderful kids, but these things hit too close to home for me!

On a side note, we said an extra prayer for our awesome daddy tonight and Tre said, "what about my awesome mommy!" He's the sweetest!

Tre's First Day of Kindergarten!

It started a little rough. He's been dreading going, but in the last few days, he's seemed more open to the idea. This morning, however, he definitely was not! First he refused to get out of bed and we I finally got that to happen, then he refused to get in his uniform.

I finally got him dressed and then we had a knock on the door. Grant and Mouse (my sister Marcy) came to see him off. The minute he saw Grant he perked up. I think it helped to see that Grant had the same uniform on and it certainly comforted him that he will be going to the same school.

He seemed nervous when we arrived, but was brave. My mom, Allison, and Becky came to greet him at school. He didn't say much but he did whisper to me, "This school is WAY bigger than Fishers!" I think he was overwhelmed with all the kids and busses.

When we got to his classroom he seemed to relax a bit. The first thing his teacher said was that they were going to talk about their mommies and daddies. She said that she found Tre's daddy has a really cool job and Tre yelled out that he flies F-18's. I think that was enough to win him over! HAHA! I almost cried right then because it's so sweet how much he idolizes Jack, but I didn't.

I'm so proud of our guy, but so sad that he's growing so fast!

Kindergarten

Tre starts kindergarten in 9 days! AHH! He's all ready... uniforms bought and shortened and school supplies bought. We don't know his teacher yet, but from what I hear they are all good. One of them is my childhood friend and neighbor and I'm kinda crossing my fingers he gets her.

I didn't think I'd cry, but then one of my friends posted a picture on FB of her child's first day. I got teary just looking at him and I only met him once! Unfortunately, Jack is going to be out of town that day, but my mom is going to come with us and be the picture taker.

Tre's not ready. He says he doesn't want to nap. I keep telling him that he can just lay there and not sleep and that nap time isn't very long. I reassured him that I'd pack his lunch and put all his favorites in there.

I'm most nervous about him going ALL day. He's only gone to school for 3 hours in the past! This school day will be 7. I know he'll be fine, but still. He's such a shy child (to strangers) and not overly social. I just hope he has a good experience and makes some friends!

Kindergartners don't go when everyone else starts. School starts Monday, THursday the girl kindergartners go and Friday the boys go. Next Monday they all go.

I'll be so anxious to hear how is first day goes!!!

Jack flew into Lafayette

We got a TOTAL treat today! Jack flew his F-18 into Lafayette. He attempts to do that often for training, but always seems to have a broken jet! Not a "really" broken jet, but something small always happens that makes him need to turn around or not take off at all. I'd rather him be safe than sorry, but it's always such a treat when the kids and I get to see him in action! It never gets old watching him do what he loves!

Dodge Ball at Karate

This is Tre's favorite part at karate! They pretend to be dodge strangers. He's gotten so so much better at dodging! In this video, he was the last one out and that doesn't happen often! He was so proud!

Sweet Boys

William is such a lover. He'll wake up a couple times a night just to come in our room, wake me up and say, "I just wanted to tell you that I love you so much!" I'll say, "I love you too William! Night Night!" He'll say night give me a kiss and walk back to bed. He's the sweetest.

Nightly, I ask the kids what their favorite part of the day was. Almost every night William will say, "hugging and kissing you and..." whatever else happened that day!

Tre says, "having my vitamin and..." HAHAHA!

The Navy can be Cruel

So, we found out a couple weeks ago, Jack wasn't promoted within the Navy (again). We weren't surprised. But then, last night we checked the mail to find a letter from the Navy congratulating Jack on his promotion. It wasn't a generic letter. It was specific to his circumstances. It was odd! Why wasn't he on the list, but now getting this letter?

Jack spent a few hours trying to get in touch with people that might have the answer, but had no luck. Tonight, however, a Commander called him back to profusely apologize for the mistake and inform him that a new letter will be mailed soon.

What kind of company would ever write a congratulatory letter of promotion only to say, "OOPS!"? The Navy, that's who!

I've really had a lot of pride in Jack serving. Somehow though, through the last five years they've really made me cynical and angry at the "big" Navy! I just wish I didn't feel that way!

no camera

I promise we've been busy all summer, I just don't have the pictures to prove it this month. My camera's screen went out on me (second one for no reason) and since I was smart enough to get the warranty this time, Best Buy was trying to fix it! Three weeks later, they FINALLY tell me that it's not fixable and I get a new one! However, the new one is on back order! I'm hoping to get it next week. I miss my camera!!!!

As I write this, I can't help but laugh at Tre's forcast on his current poop.

He's talking to himself, or maybe me, but regardless it's funny.

Tre: My poop won't come out!

... long pause...

Oh! I got one!!!!

...even longer pause...

Nope. No poo!

update...

I'm not even sure the last time I've updated this thing on our personal lives!

Things in the Stewart household are going well. Our new house is pretty much all "done" and we are settled and everyday that we live in it, the more I love it (I think Jack does too). It's our 3rd house and by far the best. I feel like we've gotten all the things that were always on our "wish list"!

Unfortunately, Jack's job has him traveling A LOT, but thankfully, me and the boys are close to my parents and sisters and they help keep us busy and help me with the "honey-do's" when Jack isn't home to help me with the must do's. I don't think Jack loves being out of town so much, but we are always looking at other options, so we shall see.

The boys are out of school for the summer and I've been loving that. They are at such an awesome age and I really have fun with them. I am also watching my nephew, Grant, this summer, so Tre is LOVING having his cousin here regularly.

Tre starts kindergarten this year and I'm anxious. He's excited. I don't think I'll cry, but I will miss him. He's never gone to school till 3, so I am sure it will be an adjustment. He is going to the same elementary school I did and some of the same teachers are still there. It is a great school and he will love it!

William will be in the 3 year old class. He is so super smart and so funny! He gives me quite the challenge when I put him to sleep, but he 's so cute, I can't help but laugh at him sometimes. He also learned to swim this summer with no float, which is pretty impressive. Both he and Tre graduated from level two swimming at swimming lessons. William isn't quite as good as Tre, but he's darn close and seems to keep up with him and Grant just fine!

That's all for now. My camera is in the shop. I learned to always get a warranty, knowing me and how my electronics break, so thank God for that! However, the lack of camera means lack of pictures and videos! I hope to get it back soon!

When I'm an Adult...

Tre: When I'm an adult, I'm gonna play adult video games with Daddy.

Me: What are you going to do with mommy?

Tre: Cook. :)

Tre face paint

William getting his face painted

The kids saw that other kids were getting their face painted and the immediately wanted in on the fun! I thought for sure, especially Tre, would want to wipe it off right away, but I was proven wrong! It made their night! Mine too! It's so fun to see your kids so happy!

R

Rhythms on the River happens in the Town Square in mom and dad's neighborhood. We get on their golf cart with our wine and the kids and we listen to live music and entertain the kids with face paint and clowns that make balloons, etc. The kids LOVE it! It happens every Thursday in the Spring and Fall and it makes us love Lafayette that much more :)

He messes up on this one, but he's still the absolute cutest thing I've ever seen! So proud of my big boy and happy for him that he's gonna go to Kindergarten, but sad for myself. I've LOVED having him home with me most of the day :)

Singing!

He was so funny at the program. He yawned about 20 times, almost as if he was bored! HAHA! While everyone sang, it seemed he more mouthed the words. O'well. He did great and made me proud!

Coordination

Tre's end of the year preschool program was today, and boy, was he so sweet and cute. He's come so far this year, with his handwriting, coloring, drawing, and word recognition. He's such a quiet and sweet spirit and is going to be such a great student. I can tell. His "evaluation" had nothing but "S's" throughout and his comment from his teacher was great too.

In this coordination video, they had to jump on the feet and put their hands out when their feet were out and in when their feet went in!

Just Dance for Kids.

Remember the Just Dance for Kids game I talked about earlier. This is Grant and Tre dancing to B-I-N-G-O. Soooo DARN CUTE! This video just makes me smile :)

Dance moves!

Grant's, my nephew, favorite movie is High School Musical! Particularly, he likes to dance to the song, "Boys are Back," and has recruited Tre into his performances. It's quite comical!

Keep Trying...

I love this! In case you can't hear, they are singing, "keep trying, keep trying! Don't give up! Never give up!" So sweet!

Just Dance

We got the game Just Dance for the wii and the kids loved it so much that the Easter Bunny brought them Just Dance for kids :)

Tre and basketball.

I love how excited he gets!

The goal is a little one, but it didn't matter. It was perfect for Tre. Bebe and Bepa got Tre a real basketball goal for his birthday and, although it's too tall, he still seems really interested in the game. We got him a smaller ball for his taller goal and it seems to help :)

sliding

The boys loved the slide at our hotel pool :)

Jedi Training

Tre really wanted to participate in the Jedi Training Academy in Hollywood Studios and since we heard it was wildly popular, we got to the park 30 minutes before it opened, stood in line and when the gates opened, we literally ran with two strollers to the sign up desk. We were there early enough to be in the second show! :) Tre was so happy.

This is just a short clip, but it was the climax! I was nervous he'd be too nervous or scared when it came down to it, but he was a champ! We were so proud!

Is Lask a bad word?

Tre: Is Lask a bad word?
Me: Can you use it in a sentence? (because I knew what he was getting at...)
Tre: Like I know when you say, "kick your little lask"... that's bad, but is lask a bad word?

I laughed so hard! The other day he got in trouble for saying that to William. I asked where he learned that and he said Spiderman. I'm not so sure about that but we might have to boycott Spiderman anyway!

Happy Easter.

Happy Easter!

We had a great day of family, church, and relaxation.

We started the day around midnight when William discovered that the Easter bunny left a trail of M&M's. I heard something, so I decided to check it out, and I found William in the hallway eating all of the M&M'S! What a stinker! I put him back in bed and it wasn't even a couple minutes later and he was at it again. I put him in our bed after that to make sure he didn't escape. Around 5am, he asked to go back to his bed and didn't bother the M&M's again.,

Tre and William woke up around 7:30 and Tre was super excited. He was the most thrilled that the Easter bunny hid a whole bunch of candy filled eggs around the house, but he loved everything he left him too. William, took a while to get passed the trail of M&M's and ate them all. THEN looked at his basket! HA!

Church was nice. We just got a new priest after, what seems like, years looking for one. It was our first service with him there and we like him. :) The kids went to the Nursery since Sunday school wasn't happening today, but they came in after Communion and the priest blessed Tre since it's his birthday week. I could tell he liked it.

Then we went to lunch with my parents and two of my sisters. The Easter bunny was there (with the worst costume ever) and Tre was so excited. He kept wanting to go find him and tell him "Happy Easter" again. Allison said he couldn't talk and Tre said, "yes he can. I saw peach on his neck, so he really just has a mask on." I was wondering if he'd ask more questions about that, but he didn't.

Then we came home for naps, washing cars, and pool playing. It was a great Easter if you ask me!

Tre's first t-ball game!

So... watching Tre play T-ball was pretty entertaining. I'm pretty sure he's the youngest one on the team since he only made the cut off by 3 days. We really want to expose him to all sports, and if he likes them, great. If he doesn't, we won't make him do it again (after the season is over, of course). He played soccer in the spring and only kicked the ball one time through out the whole season, but he had fun so we'll sign him up again.

Baseball might be the same way! He does like to bat. The coaches pitch it a few times and then they let them use the tee. Tre needed the tee every time. He'd hit the ball immediately and then just stand there! HAHA! Everyone would encourage him to run to first base and he would be in no hurry and walk. When the next batter would go and hit the ball, Tre would stay on first until someone literally nudged him to go to second. He'd literally stroll there. At one point the kid that batted after him passed Tre up on the bases! HAHAHA! I really just don't think he understands the point of the game, but he'll get there.

On the way home I asked him what sport he liked better, soccer or baseball, and he said he likes all sports. We shall see how the rest of the season goes. Regardless, it's super entertaining to watch.

Tre's first t-ball practice.

Tre's so super sweet and such a good kid. Although he sometimes gets in trouble at home, he is NEVER in trouble at school. From watching him at Karate, Soccor, and now T-ball, I imagine him to be one of those kids in the classroom that just goes with it. Minimum complaining, not much talking, but not answering many of the teacher's questions either. I think he plays with other kids sometimes, but is fine playing by himself too. He's just a "go with it" kid and I love that about him.

He has his first t-ball practice this weekend and he did so well. He certainly wasn't the worst or the best, so that was good, since we haven't practiced much baseball. Again, he didn't talk to the other kids or the coach, for that matter, but he did as he was told and seemed to have fun. Towards the end of the hour and a half practice he was hot and tired and told me that he was too skinny and needed to sit down.

We got in the car and he said he wanted to play soccer again. I thought that was pretty funny since he never even kicked the ball in any of his soccer games. We'll give t-ball a chance and see if he learns to like it a little more!

Tre funny!

Tre cracks me up!

Conversations as of late:

At T-ball after an hour and a half -

Tre: I'm too skinny. I need to sit!

Talking opposites -

Tre looks at Jack and says: Oh wait! I know! No hair and yes hair!

Tre: What about Poo poo: pee?

Tre: Mom, will you marry me!?

Me: I can't! I married to daddy, but you'll find someone you love like your daddy found me.

Tre: (in his angry voice) If you don't marry me, then I won't marry no one!

Rascal Flatts Concert

Jack and I had a date night last night in NOLA to see Rascal Flatts in concert! It was a blast!

My favorite part was when Jacee Badeaux came out to sing God Bless the Broken Road with them. He is from my home town and was the last guy to be kicked off of American Idol during Hollywood week and before the top 24. He's a local celebrity now because of how he handled himself o well on the show. The crowd screamed louder for him then they did for the entrance of Rascal Flatts. I couldn't help but be so happy for him. I am sure it was a dream come true to sing with his favorite band and in front of so many people. You could tell he was nervous and even laughed in the middle of the song in (what seemed like) disbelief that he was standing where he was. It was a cool moment to witness!

Trumpet player!

This just makes me happy! The boys got a horn at the Mardi Gras parade and LOVE IT! I know some people might find the noise annoying, but the joy it brings our kiddos makes that annoying sound a wonderful sound.

I love our little guys!

Happy childhood

I'd like to think that Tre and William will look back at videos like these and remember how happy their childhood was.

This is Tre and William's favorite thing to do. Don't worry, I'm always there looking for cars!

Sidewalk Chalk!

So before you look at this image, I have to say I debated posting it in my mind over and over, but in the end, I decided it was too funny not to share.

William got sidewalk chalk for his birthday, so we went outside and I decided to trace their body. Then I told Tre to draw a face, and when he was done with that I told him to draw some pants! After a few minutes, I looked and this is what I found:

I asked him what that was and he said he wanted "super hero pants"! I was speechless!

P.S. I have NO CLUE where Tre learned to draw anything like this!

P.P.S. After I showed Jack when he got home, I hosed it off so the neighbors didn't think badly of us! :)

P.P.P.S Jack thought, "Eh, that's anatomically correct!" HAHAHAHAHA!

Jack's facebook status...

So, William just walked into the bathroom to go potty in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, I think he was still asleep because he left a puddle on the floor opposite the toilet. A for effort. F for aim.

It's Jack's sleep in day, but when I wasn't looking Tre snuck into our room, woke him up, and asked Jack, "Will you take me to the birthday party instead of mommy!?" How can you resist that, so Jack woke up, and didn't get to sleep in and is taking him to the party.

It should hurt my feelings, but it doesn't. Our poor guy misses his daddy because he's gone so much. I don't blame him for wanting to go with Jack instead. I miss him too!

Funnies

So today I took Tre to get some new pj's since he only has two pair and even those are kind of short on him. Plus, it's pj day tomorrow at school, so I thought it was perfect timing.

Anyway, on the way home, a black Camaro wasn't letting me merge and she was quite blatant about it. I said, aloud, "what a B-i-t-c-h!" Not my proudest mothering moment, but at least I spelled it! A couple minutes later, Tre said, I don't like weird people that don't let you in the other lane!" I laughed a little and said that they were, in fact, weird! He said, "Yea, so lets call them a whole bunch of letters like N-o-s-e-p!" HAHAHAHA! I'm glad he can't spell and I'm glad he thought I just called the "black Camaro" a bunch of letters!

On another note, we had a casual dinner tonight and I told the kids if they ate all of their food they could have two cookies. Our crazy Tre said he only wants one cookie and will save the other one for tomorrow. What kid saves cookies? I thought they were all about instant gratification!!!!

Dear God...

Me: Okay, Tre, Say your prayers.

Tre: Now I lay me down to sleep... (he finishes)

Me: Do you want to add anything?

Tre: Like what?

Me: Like, Dear God, Please let Tre have a really good day at school tomorrow.

Tre. No. Like, Dear God, Please let Tre not have to go to school tomorrow.

Clever.

Thank you for my donut!

William is seriously sweet. Jack took the kids for donuts before school because he was going out of town. There were some in our fridge, but I guess they wanted fresh. Anyway, they get to the place right by our house and it was closed for the New Year week. Tre was super upset, but William comforted him with, "It's okay, buddy. We have some at home!" Jack went to another donut place anyway and this is a video from that.

P.S. Put a hooded sweatshirt or jacket on William and he won't take the hood off ALL day!

Goodbye 2010

On January 1, 2010, I had NO IDEA we would be out of the Navy and in the civilian world, living in Lafayette, in a new house, with a new job, and (pretty much) a new life. In January 2010, we were living in New Orleans, thinking we had at least 2 years left in the Navy and predicting a pretty uneventful year. It quickly changed and turned out to be a roller coaster ride!

January: Oblivious as to what's to come.

February: Found out Jack was selected for a year IA to Afghanistan

March - April: Trying to sell our house! (SO STRESSFUL)

May: Sold our house, moved to Lafayette and said goodbye to Jack

June - August: Jack was deployed, we found out he was getting out of the Navy and coming home.

September: Jack comes home and starts job search

October: William has surgery on his neck and Jack finds a job in Lafayette

November: Jack starts his job and we buy a house

December: Ahh... things have finally settled down and we are looking forward to staying in the same place for a LONG time for the first time in our married life!

We are looking forward to a boring 2011 (let's hope, anyway)!!