Sealing

I posted about Jason and my wedding anniversary but forgot about a very important day in our lives.  It happened 1 year ago plus some.  The date was August 14, 2010.  It was a beautiful day and a very hectic crazy morning.  A morning that should have stressed me out to the max.We were in Sand Diego, saw the Mormon Batallion museum, Sea World and downtown San Diego.  It was an awesome weekend.Then on the 14th, a Saturday, we headed to the San Diego temple.  It was wonderful an amazing day that I will never forget.  There was nothing about that day that went the way it should.  But it was beautiful and I wouldn't change anything for the world. 

Now I can say that my family...Jason, 3 wonderful boys and I will be together forever.  I know that no matter what happens to us while we are here on this earth...after this life we will still be a family, my boys will still be mine and my Jason and I can be together forever.  There is no greater feeling than knowing that after we pass from this life I will still have my family with me. 

18 months

I don't know how it happened but my baby is 18 months old.  It has been so bitter sweet with me.  He is my baby and my last so part of me is so excited that he is getting bigger and more independent BUT he is my baby and I don't want to give up the baby stage.

I have been working on taking pictures without auto.  I would love to be able to take a photography course but we shall see how and when that will happen.The other day it was a nice comfortable evening and Garrett loves to go outside and play as much as possible.  He got a hold of the boys nerf guns and went to town figuring them out.  I took that as my cue to grab the camera and take some pictures.

Thanks to the adorable girl next door I actually got a few pictures of Garrett with some smiles.

He is one of the four most precious things in my life.  Without him, his brothers and their father I don't know what I would do.

Garrett, at only 18 months old, is growing into his own.  He knows what he wants and he knows how to get it.  He has started temper tantrums, is running everywhere, crawling up and down stairs like there is no tomorrow.  He has gained more sounds.  He isn't really talking but he has added to his sound vocabulary and it makes me want to cry.

Just recently, now that Jason is gone, I was sending or reading a text to/from Jason and Garrett points to my phone and says "Dada".  I love it.

While we were out in Connecticut he was grabbing his Auntie Monica's phone and putting it to his hear and then would say "Hello".  He is definitely growing up so fast and I am loving and hating it at the same time.

9 wonderful years

I can't believe it but today marks 9 years of marriage for Jason and I.  Seriously, 9 years already?  Where has the time gone?  It doesn't feel like it has been 9 years already.  Although every day hasn't been a walk in the park, it has been wonderful and amazing.Thanks to Jason being in the Air Force and being told he has to go to this special class, at this particular time, we won't be together this year.  It hasn't been the first time and I doubt it will be the last.Today is Wednesday so we set out to meet friends at a local park (something we have tried to do every Wednesday during the summer).  Afterwards I had to run an errand.  While at the store I received a phone call I almost didn't answer.  I am really glad I did though.  It was a delivery for me, he basically wanted permission to leave flowers on my doorstep.

Aren't they beautiful.  Jason sent me flowers for our anniversary.  He even picked flowers with my favorite color.I love him so much and feel so blessed that he found me. 

Missing

 

 I think I mentioned it in my last post.  Jason has left us.  ;)   Since he was promoted to Technical Sergeant (TSgt) this was always in the cards we just didn't know when.  It finally happened.  Jason left yesterday morning to head to what is called Noncommissioned Officers Academy (NCOA).  It is a 6 week course where they ask that family does not come to visit so the NCO/student can devote full attention to the class and assignments.It is always a difficult adjustment.  I have been through 2 month deployments before but never as the wife or a mother.  Last summer we spent 4 weeks/month away from Jason and it was difficult but we did make it through it.I am confident we will make it through 6 weeks.  Do I want to go 6 weeks without being able to hold my husband, give him a hug or a kiss?  No, but when I married him I knew what I was getting into.  Or, at least I thought I knew what I was getting into.  When you meet someone and fall head over heels in love with them you end up with rose colored glasses and you see any obstacle as an ant hole.I know many military families that made the military career decision as a family.  When I met Jason he was already in the Air Force (I think part of that is what attracted me to him).There will be many more posts to come, I am sure.  I tend to have too much time on my hands to think when Jason is gone.  Hopefully I can use that time to be productive, like posting more and creating more.

Berretta Rd.

I am going to be bridging the gap between my last post and today's post.  But I did want to get a post up so I decided to get going with the freshest thing on my mind.Last week was a very busy week for us.  We were still getting used to the fact that we were no longer on vacation.  But seeing as how Jason was scheduled to leave for 6 weeks to Colorado for the Non-Commissioned Officer's Academy (NCOA) we decided to get in as much family time as possibl.e  I think we had one maybe two nights where we actually home early enough to get all the boys in bed at the normal time.On Saturday we decided to get together we some good friends and shoot up some targets.Of course, our boys love to shoot guns and have been asking for a long time for a gun of their own. 

Cody and Wyatt at the beginning of the day while we were still setting up everything.  They couldn't wait to get their hands on my .22 Henry Lever Action rifle.

Garrett and I at the end of the day.  He isn't ready for the shooting excursions.  I think next time we head out there we are going to look for a babysitter.

While we were out there a herd of cows decided they were going to take a stroll just to the right of us.  Not sure what they were hoping to find our if they found it but they were there.

At the end of the trip I wanted to get some pictures of the flowers.  The "spot" was much more overgrown then the last time we were there.  In a way it was a bit difficult to recognize but I do love it and glad it was introduced to us.

 

Behind

 

No, not mine, please not mine, gross!!!This blog is so far behind.  I don't know how I am going to be able to catch up.Jason will be leaving for 6 weeks for training/class.  Hopefully with that and the older two boys starting school mid-way through Jason's class I can get caught up on a LOT of things.So, stay tuned for so many wonderful updates on the happenings of this part of the DeTullio family.On another note...can you believe that htis year is half over that the summer is only a month from being over?  It makes me so sad.  I wish time would slow down. 

Circle B Chuckwagon

So to continue with our Memorial Weekend, we went to the Circle B Chuckwagon.  We had big plans of letting the boys go on a pony ride, shoot guns, wrangel some calves and have a chuckwagon meal with show.That is not what we got when we arrived.  I don't know if we got there too early in the day or too early in the season but we didn't see what we expected.  There were trail rides and after over hearing a telephone converstaion pony rides are for 6year olds and up and must be accompanied by an adult.  

There was no one shooting guns, there was a calf and rope so the boys got busy with that, 

 playing on a playground and  

smooching with the locals. I have very few pictures of Custer State Park to share with you next.  Apparently we went the wrong way.  We went up and around, near Mt. Rushmore.  The best way to go to see the locals there is to go down.  You can be sure we will be going that way next time.

1880s train ride

Finally sitting down to write this post.  After spending Friday in Deadwood we trekked down to Hill City where we caught an 1880s train ride to Keystone.Jason and I absolutely loved the trip.  The boys got bored fairly fast.  I think if we had been able to ride when they were older or even younger it would have been better.  Garrett, as always was a trooper and fell asleep on the way back to Hill City.

This picture was very, very dark so I had to do some editing.  Still not happy with it but at least you can see their faces.

I had to take a picture of the seats.  This is part of the reason why I wanted to sit in this car.  I wish I had thought to get a picture of the outside cause it was just as neat and old fashioned as this.

The engine wile taking a turn.

I couldn't  believe this.  Garrett actually grabbed Cody and pulled him really tightly to him.  I love how much he loves his brothers and his brothers love him.

If you look you can see "George" on the porch waving at us.  One of the brakemen mentioned him to the boys several minutes before we came up to him.  We were told he lives to way at the kids on the train.

Cody was very sad to discover that "George" is not real.

The train station

We ran into these guys on our way to a Chuckwagon place (I will talk about that the next time).

Thankfully Jason remembered the lesson learned in Alaska (while driving down the highway and you see someone stopped always look to see if there is something to be looking at).  This time these guys were up on the rocky mountain on the other side.  When I got out to show Wyatt the people we saw stopped said these guys were on the road right where we were parked earlier, what luck.

If you look too, you can see they are collared.  Jason also explained that the reason they look so poorly is because they are shedding their winter coats.  Once the winter coat is gone they will look clean and fluffy again.

That is about it for the train ride.  More next time.  So much to catch up on I hope I can do it in a reasonable time.

Deadwood

As I promised a week ago, the rest of Deadwood.  We have been busy since I last posted so hopefully I can get caught up on everything.Here goes the rest of Deadwood, SD...I can't wait to go back 

Mr. "Wild" Bill Hickok himself

"Calamity" Jane, all she wanted was to be buried next to her best friend.

If you have seen the HBO series, this is the sherriff.  There really isn't much about Marth and I believe the series took some huge liberties with their story.  I would like to find out more about Seth and his wife.

Seth Bullock and his wife aren't actually buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetary.  You have to hike a steep hill about 700+ feet to see their gravestone.  Poor Wyatt had to go to the bathroom REALLY bad on the way back down.

Whenever it is my time to go, I don't care where I am buried (or cremated) as long as I am left with beautiful scenery.

Jason took this picture.  It was left on Seth Bullock's gravestone.  He told me the caliber but I forget, it does supposedly suit the office that Seth Bullock held.

If I remember correctly this is the Post Office in Deadwood, I could be wrong though.

Wyatt wanted me to take his picture, as always, so I tried this out.  I LOVE it.  A picture of me and yet

 not :)

We first saw this on the way to Deadwood and no idea it existed.  A National Cemetary.  I do hope to be able to stop in and honor those who have lost their lives and served our country. That is it for Deadwood.  Next we headed to Hill City to take a train ride on an 1880s train.