Ryan, Mjo, Julia and Tim
Family Albums
Camping at White Lake 9/3/2010 What a beautiful state park! It was Labor Day weekend so the place was full, but it was nice nonetheless. It's only a half hour from home and we will surely go back. Julia and Tim loved the amazing playground the best, but also loved the tall slide at one of the older playgrounds. The beach and water was incredible, but the air was windy and cold so we only swam a little bit. The water is warm, though! There were two nice fields for kite flying, and Ryan and Julia went fishing in the canoe (and in her pajamas). We also had plenty of fun just hanging out at the campsite.
Melissa and Mo come to visit! 8/27/2010 This time the City Mouse came to the country. We had a great time! Mo wanted to plant a tree, and we wanted to plant some fruit trees, so we got two pear trees and planted away. Mo also taught Julia Backgammon (and refreshed my memory somewhat though we never did get to all play together) and we had a campfire for marshmallows. Sunday we went canoing and kayaking. Tim was enjoying it so much he jumped right out of the canoe. He was not so impressed at decided he liked it much better in the boat. Later, you will notice we celebrated with some ice cream. Overall it was a great visit and we hope to do it again!
Beach! 8/15/2010 Our annual trip to Scarborough. It was great fun! Julia was loving the waves and Tim liked the seagulls, except when they flew away. Mom loved the lobsters. Yum!
Lake Winnipesaukee 8/8/2010 We went to the McCarthy's cottage to see the cousins. It was Christopher's birthday. Julia got to drive the boat and go tubing with daddy. Tim loved the steering wheel and big whale, except when he fell off.
Lake Warren 8/7/2010 We went to visit Wylie and Willow and of course Auntie Sirkka and Tim. We swam and kayaked and saw frogs and turtles. Julia also caught her first fish!
Water Fun 7/18/2010 Wow, what a day! Julia rode her first jet-ski and then had her first sailboat ride. We swam all day long. It was great! First we were at Margie and Jean-Michel's, where we had lunch and used the jet-ski. Then we went over to Hidden Lake to have a private b-day party for Clarkie since her party was while Julia was away. We swam more and used the sailboat and then ended the day up at Clarkie's house. It was just a very enjoyable summer day.
Camping 7/5/2010 This year we went to Stillwater State Park in Vermont, so that Uncle Chris could come over and spend time with us, too. It was a very nice campground (and the site cost less per night than one spot at the kennel back home). We didn't take any cameras in the canoe for obvious reasons, but we canoed over to Boulder Beach State Park a few times and swam, had ice cream, and flew a kite. The weather was very hot and humid and it only rained once the whole week, when we were packing down. There was absolutely no cell signal and I was forced to completely unplug. We even spent one 24 hour period without ever seeing a watch, clock or otherwise knowing the time. It was a very good and needed vacation.
1000 Islands, NY 7/4/2010 Time for the annual reunion on the St. Lawrence. It went by really fast this year! Julia and Tim were both very good and had a blast.
Dance Recital 6/19/2010 These are a bit subpar picture quality wise. Some are from the rehearsal and some the recital. The Wolfeboro high school is being renovated this year so we had to settle for the Paul School. I went to video the whole big number and managed to not have it record the whole time. So I am still waiting on the official DVD from the dance school. Meanwhile, I was not taking still shots because I thought I was video taping. I did get the last bit where all the dancers come out to do We Are the World Together. Anway, the kids were cute and Julia did a great job.
Even More New York 5/30/2010 We went out to Great Neck for the annual Memorial Day BBQ at Melissa's parents. George is a master with the grill and it's an all day food extravaganza. George reminds everyone to "pace themselves."
New York 5/27/2010 We went to NY see Aunie Melissa and Mo. First we went out to Great Neck and Port Washington and saw Aunt Jean and Uncle Mark and Aunt Di.
Pride Day! 5/15/2010 I just love Wakefield Pride Day. We were on the St. John's float this year and took second place. Julia and Clarkie had fun running around after and having ice cream.
Visit with the Fosses 4/24/2010 What a great day! I know we heard all about what an amazing recovery Rebecca has made in such a short time, but it's hard to believe without seeing. If we can raise half as much of a delightful daughter, we will be good parents, indeed. We had a great time, many laughs, and much, much relief seeing Rebecca doing far better than any book will ever tell you can happen so soon. Can't ask for a better day. We all hung out a bit, hit the beach, and then went out for ice cream. Tim was prepared with his Maine lobster sweater (hey, the ocean there is cold this time of year). Julia and Peter found some hermit crabs on the beach that ran around on their hands and also played in the dollhouses upstairs for a bit (Julia wasn't leaving without this, she's obsessed with their dollhouses). Julia and Peter also planted the lettuce and radishes together and I wish I had gone to get the camera. By the time I did it was all over and Julia was playing shy. But it looks like Peter plants a Tim. Then Ryan and I take credit for that which we had nothing to do with. All in a day's work.
Twice the Fun 4/17/2010 Twice the Fun in Dover is a new indor play area. It's also Twice the Exposure, and I'll be happy when this cold is over. Ryan likes the subversive pictures of Julia bouncing against the tide.
Battle of the Fischer Price Karaoke Machines 4/10/2010 The only thing worse than one child with a karaoke machine is two. Must we fight over this? The answer, of course, is yes. Even when we manage to concoct a second machine complete with microphone, we then need to fight about who gets to sit in which plushy chair. Do not mistake this for sarcasm, these are obviously matters of great importance.
Easter 4/4/2010 This is Julia's birthday proper birthday this year. 4 on 4/4! She's a wee bit burnt out of the b-day thing already, If you can't tell. We tried to get our annual Easter family photo, which was a disaster, as usual. We had lots of fun with the McCarthys in Laconia, also as usual! Both are solid traditions, it seems (the failure to get a good picture, and the fun in Laconia).
Birthday Party! 4/3/2010 Lots of fun! Too much to write about. We had her party at the museum again this year, but we were in a much better room. She LOVES, and I mean LOVES the locket. It's got two pictures, one of the 4 of us, and one of her and Tim. She's been asking for a locket ever since she saw A Little Princess. She is THRILLED. And you can find ANYTHING online. This is perfect for a 4 year old, in fact it even cost $4! SHHHHHHHHH!!!! As for the party, that went wonderfully, too, as the pictures tell.
Godparents Party! 3/27/2010 Julia had a birthday party at Margie's with her Godparents circle. It was lots of fun and very nice to have us all mostly back together again to mark the occasion. It's been too long. Peter, Linda, Rebecca and Tom got to join us on speakerphone, now back from London, to sing happy birthday. Tim had a blast trying to throw Fossy Moose onto Jean-Michel's head and roaring at him.
Mardi Gras! 2/13/2010 Tim wasn't feeling well, like earlier in the day ice skating. He looks a little off, yet he still rallied to make it a bit of a party, and you can see his sense of humor in dancing and playing Candy Land. He's long since been running around since I've last posted pictures, but here you will see some of his very first independent steps, which was very exciting at the time! In case you are wondering, this was dubbed a Mardi Gras Game Night.
Ice Skating with Clarkie on Hidden Lake 2/13/2010 We went up to Hidden Lake with our friends Judy and Tom (Julia's best friend Clarkie's M&D). Julia was not exactly happy about the actual ice skating part. But we cooked lunch over the fire, went sliding on the ice with the sled, checked out a beaver house, and other fun things. We hope to do this again next year!
Sleepover! 1/30/2010 Clarkie and Julia in all their glory! I wish I could have taken 5 times the pictures, but we were pretty busy! Clarkie was a true joy. The girls had a lot of fun and the very few growing pains were short lived. We look forward to doing it again and I think we will all sleep well tonight! The pictures aren't really in order. It starts out with Julia doing Clark's hair and then ends with it, too. In the middle, the kids go outside and play on the swings, walk the Bunny Trail to Mr. Tree, find the bunny tracks, checkout how the Fairy Houses are faring for the winter, make some heart decorations, use the computer, and dance. All without a nap.
Tim's First Birthday Party! 1/30/2010 Yay, Tim! Tim's most wonderful Godparents and Grandma E came over for ice cream cake and singing, and Julia had her friend Clarkie over for the occassion. It was very relaxed, even for me, and we all had a good time. Most especially, Tim! He had been at the table a lot for dinner so I was worried he'd not be up for the highchair for cake so soon. But he LOVED it! The pictures tell a good story of a very happy one year old. They start off earlier before Clarkie came over, and end with him pretty happily wrecked and ready for bed. He's one happy little boy and we are so lucky to have him. You'll notice they aren't in order. I have never figured out why the camera does that, but I'm not renaming them all! So just follow the trail as best you can. ETA: Yes, that was Tim's very first all out kiss, planted right on Uncle Dave's face! It was so sweet!
Tim's Birthday! 1/29/2010 But not the party yet. Today we just opened two gifts when we got home from work. Tomorrow is the party. But Tim loved the gifts! He was tired from school but in pretty good spirits and he and Julia both had fun.
Julia's First Time Skiing! 1/16/2010 These aren't very exciting. We were too busy trying to enjoy and manage it all to ever pull out even the phone camera. Julia had her first ski day, went up her first chairlift to the top, and accidentally went over her first embankment. Trooper that she is, she is excited to go again! And Daddy-o and I will make fewer mistakes.
Xmas Odessey 2009 Video 12/25/2009 This really deserves more explanation, but it wouldn't make any sense, anyway. Some of you will appreciate it. Both videos are identical, I was just providing it in whatever format is most convenient for you.
Christmas Eve at Home 12/24/2009 This is both before church and then later, after the party. Julia opened her new PJs and a book and then it was off to bed. Before that was getting ready for church, and playing with the "horsicle stick."
Christmas Pageant 2009 Last year Julia had the audience in tears with her sweetness. This year she was laying down on the altar and when I mouthed for her to stand up she mouhed back "NO." So much for sweetness. But she was very good the rest of the time and considering how long it took, she did pretty well. Tim was adorable but hadn't napped and was pretty darn tired by the time the pageant started.
Thanksgiving with Ryan's Family It was a great time and the cousins had fun together. Tim was sick and managed to vomit like a volcano during Thanksgiving Dinner, but it was otherwise a fabulous time.
Boo! Halloween on Buttercup 10/31/2009 Julia's two closest friends live out in the boonies, and we have a good street for trick-or-treating, so they came over to trick-or-treat together here. It was great fun, fabulously comfortable and spooky weather, and we made it back just in time for the rain to start! We also made it to Grandma E's, a favorite Halloween tradition. I forgot the camera by then so those pictures are on the phone camera, and Julia was well baked by then, too. Tim was fascinated by the fireplace. Overall, a wonderful Halloween!
Trick-or-treating with St. John's! 10/30/2009 Ryan was still home recovering from surgery, but he braved it and went along with the school trek. I hear Tim slept for a bunch of it. Julia had fun as a "beautiful butterfly." The dress has fiber optic lights. Leave it us to have the kid with the fiber optic costume. Tim was adorable as R2D2.
Farm Life 10/10/2009 Here are the rest of the pictures from Julia's time on the farm in Vermont. They fed a lot of cows, visited the farmers' market, did puzzles, played games, and made fairy houses. Julia had a wonderful time with 3 generations of Margie's family and, of course, Jean-Michel.
Family Fun 10/27/2009 Still recovering here. The kids are doing great again, though! Much better than last night! One of Julia's most amazing qualities is that she is really, really wonderful with Tim. She just loves him to pieces. She is everything we could hope for in a big sister and more. Lately they play and laugh hysterically together and it's obvious he is thrilled with her, too. We are very lucky. For now.
Pumpkin Carving 10/26/2009 Our annual pumpkin carving time. Ryan and I are both still recovering from surgery. Ryan's is fresher but mine also not going so well. The kids were pretty cranky this night, too. And with all the craziness, I couldn't figure out how to get a decent crisp shot with the flash off. The shutter stayed open too long. So no great jack-o-latern pics. Oh well. We survived the ordeal and that's what mattered.
Art and Computer Time 10/19/2009 Kids at the art table and at Julia's computer. Tim could not be kept away from her mouse and keyboard. No shots of that because there was too much intervening. Nice to see Tim standing!
Julia on the Farm! 10/10/2009 I hear there's a whole CD of pictures to come, but so far we have these few. Mom was getting her face rearranged with some massive sinus surgery, so Julia went to Vermont on a leaf peeping trip with Margie and Margie's Mom, to see Kristie! Julia got to feed cows and supervise milking. She is still raving about it!
Fryeburg Fair 10/4/2009 We went up to the Fryeburg Fair, and wow, was it a lot bigger than I was expecting. Even much bigger than Deerfield's fair, with a gorgeous scenic drive and more pleasant surroundings. We definitely want to go again, but next time with more time and planning. We missed the animal petting area, unfortunately. There was just no way we were going back near the rides once we got away, and we had assumed the petting area was with the 4-H animals like at Deerfield. Anyway, among the things we did get to do, Julia had her first ferris wheel ride! Other rides and animal fun as well. The pictures are not in order, so bear with the first shots and the first ones of the ferris wheel. Some of the better ones are not in the beginning. Ryan is of course a very stand up guy. There's no way I was getting on that ferris wheel. But Julia loved it! I was worried she'd panic at the top, but nope. She and dad did great. Better them than me. Tim and I had fun on the ground.
CROP Walk 2009 9/26/2009 This was Julia's FOURTH CROP Walk and Tim's FIRST. Together we raised $110 to help stop hunger locally and around the globe. We also had a lot of fun, despite some uphill climbs and balloon poppings.
Church Picnic 9/20/2009 The picnic was mostly over and I hadn't taken any pictures, and then all the kids decided to go swimming, as is. That's Olivia and Rebecca on the rock with Julia.
Home 9/19/2009 Random pics of Tim and Julia. Julia was simultaneously playing doctor and crash victim.
Fiddle 9/18/2009 Julia's fiddle is here. She loves it! And she's almost better than me!
Tim's Baptism! 8/30/2009 Tim's special day was great fun! We just missed Hurricane Dan, and lucked out with a beautiful day. Seth Austen played fiddle, and even had us square dancing! Sqare dancing? Really? Yes, and it was a good time. We missed a few people who got pulled away last minute, but it was very nice to enjoy the time with those that could come.
Beach Bums 8/15/2009 Our summer trip to Maine. Julia did lots of dancing and chasing seagulls. She wasn't too big on the waves this year, but she got into the jumping over them thing after awhile. Tim was a really good sport, considering it was the hottest and sunniest day of the summer thus far.
Playdate with Clarkie and Katie 8/9/2009 Playdate with Julia's two BFFs! We just got back from a weekend on Cape Cod and both Tim and Julia seemed out of sorts, but it was a very nice time. It was good to get the girls together outside of school and let the grownups hang out.
The Basin 7/11/2009 On the way home we stopped at the Basin in Franconia Notch. One of our favorite stopping points. Julia was old enough to really appreciate it and have a good time, and Tim was his usual cheerful self. There are some great pictures of Ryan, Julia and Tim. And FM.
The Granby Zoo 7/10/2009 This place was amazing. It's a huge zoo, amusement park and water park, all under one admission. We did the zoo and water park, though we should have just done the water park. I've never seen Julia have so much fun in one place! We could have spent 3 days there. We spent too much time on elephants and whatnots first, so Tim was pretty tired byt he time the water park time came. Ryan kept the camera while I took Julia in the water fun, and he was tucked int he shade with Tim. So, no pictures of water fun, and lots of pictures of Tim in the grass. And of course of the zoo animals, too. Julia bumped her nose the night before, and while there was no blood, she insisted on a bandaid. She wore it all day and wouoldn't take it off.
Lake Magog Beach 7/9/2009 Here Julia made friends with a little girl named Maria, who only spoke French. They had lots of fun in the sand, though it was confusing at times.
Campground Playground 7/9/2009 Julia's favorite place. I've learned that no matter what, all roads lead to the playground. It was very hard to pry Julia away. She and Naomi became friends. Naomi is 5 and speaks fairly decent English, which helped incredibly. Julia kept looking for her all over the campground.
Camping 7/6/2009 It was pretty wet, but we eventually got enough dry weather to get a campfire going.
Riverdance 7/3/2009 Julia was using the wall as a radio, and she kept going to the radio to put on different types of songs to dance to, and then gave a dance performance for each. Then she decided to be the dance teacher, and Ryan was the student. There are some good Daddy blackmail photos here..
Dinner 6/28/2009 We haven't had any really messy pictures of Tim before, so it was time.
Pop-a-Tot 6/27/2009 The camera is back and fixed! Sadly, I took a whole round of the best smiles I've ever seen Tim do, before realizing I hadn't put the CF card back in. Total loss. Anyway, some of these are in the pop-a-tot. According to Ryan, not to be confused with a whack-a-mole. Coolest baby gear, ever. It's essentially a portable exersaucer that folds out with one hand and easily goes in a bag just like a folding chair. Hoping it helps on our trip. There are also some super cute pictures with Ryan tolding Tim.
Dance Recital Videos 6/20/2009 This was also a loaner video cam. We have one of our own, but can't find it. This one is FAR superior to ours, anyway. I stripped as much out of the video as possible and then compressed/encoded it two ways. The Quicktime MP4 format is the smaller file size. It's still 60 MB and might take 7-10 minutes to download unless you have a super sweet connection. If you don't have Quciktime 7, you can get it here: Quicktime 7 Download. The Windows Media file (WMV) is the exact same content, but will take longer to download, as it's about twice the file size. It's also crisper and you can see Julia's facial expressions better.
Dress Rehearsal Videos 6/19/2009 Same video file explanation as for the recital, only it's the dress rehearsal. Quicktime (mp4) is faster to download but less quality than the WMV file. Julia was in a better mood then and less nervous and stressed and the looser atmosphere made it a little more fun. Pardon the photograpghy, it was a crash course in using the camera.
Julia's Dance Recital 6/20/2009 I was using the video cam, so Ryan was using the loaner. Miss Cindy asked everyone to use flash sparingly, and Ryan was having issues figuring out how to get a good picture without it. So they are what they are. It was great we had a camera at all, and also a nice treat to take video, too.
Trains 6/14/2009 It was yet another rainy Sunday and we were going stir crazy. I thought I would make the train go all the way around from the living room, over the gates, through the hall and back into the living room. Ryan thought I didn't have enough track. I had JUST enough straight. Anyway, Julia was napping and Tim loved it.
Exersaucer 6/14/2009 Our camera died while taking these pictures. Out of nowhere, in between two pictures, with no warning. It's now in New Jersey for repair.
PB & J 6/6/2009 Julia fell hard asleep while eating a sandwich at the counter.
Julia and Tim 5/18/2009 I put Tim on Julia's bed so I could help her get ready, but then of course she was eager to play. They were cute.
Tim's First Pride Day 5/16/2009 Ah, I have so come to love Wakefield Pride Day! It's so much fun. It's all very silly, but you get to walk around and see all your friends and be in the parade where the biggest problem is figuring out which group to go with. The kids are in high demand! Bake some cookies, see what else is going on in Wakey, what causes people are working on, and what everyone has been up to over the winter. The parade is great. Ryan noticed a trend- that whatever float Julia is on is the one that wins first place. This year we were on the church float and Penny did an amazing job with it. A lot of work! Anyway, it was a good day and this year the weather held out nicely. It's a great town to be in and the people are wonderful. Yay, Wakefield!
Bouncy Bouncy! 5/16/2009 Tim loves the jumper! Some great smiles. He's pretty happy with his sister, too. Now that he knows she can bounce him, he's realized she is very useful. Of course she is more than happy to bounce him, too. A little too much so.
More Exersaucer 5/13/2009 The kid just loves it.The slot machine is his favorite part and he's quite good at trying his luck.
IVF Baby 5/10/2009 It's been one year this week since we started the IVF cycle, and not only was Tim successfully conceived and born, he is now big enough to wear this cool shirt! It's also Mother's Day.
Team GeoTrax, All Aboard! 5/2/2009 We hear this phrase about 1,000 times a day now. Anyway, it's the phone camera, but Julia had her blue stripe engineer's hat on, and her train whistle in one hand while using the remote in the other. The GeoTrax favorite thing to do is to go to Grand Central Station and get a "soda."
Julia's Dance Class 4/9/2009 These are just with the phone camera, but still cute. Her class does ballet, tap and gymnastics. They skipped gymnastics this day so they could try on the recital costumes.
Tim and Julia 3/31/2009 Julia was sick so she looks a little under the weather. Tim is fascinated by the ceiling fan.
Christmas Pageant 2008 The baby is Rebecca's and is also wearing a sheep outfit. Apparently it was too big for Julia's baby, which is fine because she was excited to hold Rebecca's. She was the hit of the pageant. Not that I'm biased or anything.
Thanksgiving 2008 These are all mixed up thanks to the way Vista assigns picture names, and it's just not worth the time to hand fix once it's done. Anyway, it was a very nice for the cousins to play.
Trick-or-treating with St. John's 10/30/08 They start out a little slow, but get better. Julia's friends Katie and Sammie are the skunk and pirate, respectively. Gavin is in the purple and black but I have no idea what or who he is supposed to be. It got pretty cold by the time we got back to St. J's, but Julia had a good time and we even ran into Margie on the way. There was a little Halloween party at the school when we got back.
Crop Walk 9/14/08 Julia was really sick this day. I regret taking her and should have just kept her home in bed because she was so much worse afterwards. But she made good on her word and earned her pledges. Okay, Ann pulled her the whole way in the wagon. Does that count?
New Driveway 8/15/08 This was the day after the paving, so we didn't have the new dirt and grass in yet. It looks a lot better now.
Air Julia 8/9/08 These are just a few of the beach pictures. I just really liked how Ryan got so many of her not even touching the ground. She was having a lot of fun!
Children's Sunday 6/15/08 This is the first time Julia got up there by herself with all the kids, without me going up with her. She did great!
Camping at 78 Buttercup 6/7/08 So, we're the neighbors that turned their backyard into a campground. Okay, just for a couple weekends. And in NH, that doesn't differentiate us. We are trying to get Julia acclimated to the camper before we go anywhere. This is a whole day/weekend of pictures, from bathingsuit time to swing set to toasting marshmallows. There are many, but they are really cute.
Car Wash 6/4/08 These are adorable. Daddy's helper. Also some pics from right after we finished (I should say Ryan finished) the swing set, though we are still working on the grass and just moved a small tree from behind it.
Party at Margie's House 5/25/08 Julia got to go for a canoe ride, though we didn't get pictures of that. She's still talking about that and the party hats!
Sandbox 5/16/08 We've since fixed this. We hadn't filled in underneath the box, so it started to collapse in on itself and look smooshed. We moved it and filled in the bottom and now it's all better. She loves it!
It's a Zoo! 5/10/08 For Grandpa's 75th birthday and Mother's Day, we went to the Charmingfare Farm. Daddy had to work, but Julia had a great time! She got to ride a pony, was nearly trampled by goats, and slipped into the llama pen. She also saw "loud" sheep and reindeer that were all wearing "moose hats." She chased a duck (look carefully and you'll see the two shots when it took flight from her) and fed lots of animals. The big mud puddle and the slide were probably the biggest hits, naturally. That always feels good when you look at what you spent on everything else. The smiles were worth it, though.
More Fun Swing Set Building 5/8/08 It's getting closer! Daddy added the periscope and the captain's wheel. What's left is the mountain climbing wall that goes up the front, the tire swing, and the rope ladder on the side (we're going to put a rail up on that side, too, till she's older). Oh, and the wood roofs! The wall and roofs will take a bit but we are SO close! These pictures are great. Julia has some brilliant smiles toward the end. She's wearing her friend Gavin's shirt because Mommy only packed an extra long sleeved shirt for school, not short. Oops. I must say, his shirt is really cute on her!
Slide! 5/7/08 Now we've got the slide! Wheeee!!! Also the back ladder. The weather hasn't been great but we are making slow and steady progress. Whenever we mention the slide, Julia says "Thank you, Dadda!"
Swing Set! 5/4/08 Well, we got the part with jsut the two regular swings up and Julia loves it!
The Church Ham 4/27/08 Some of these are great. By the end she was a little walking riot! Though I think my favorite was from before that, #11435.
Hurry up, Daddy! 4/26/08 This thing says it will take 4-8 hours to build. I think they mean 4-8 years. It started by taking down trees. We still have to roto-till and level the area. We showed Julia a picture of what it will look like, and she is SOOOOOO excited. Maybe we will finish this weekend!
New Camper 4/19/08 The original plan was to buy this in the fall, but then the fall went south. Better late than never, and we ended up going with one better than we planned thanks to Ryan's eye payoff. So now we can joke about it being his eye-loss present. I put a few pictures of just the camper in the mix (in whatever order the camera named all the pictures) because I know a couple of you wanted to see what we got. Of course there are lots of Julia pictures, and there are some really sweet ones of her and Ryan. We worked like crazy this weekend, and when we finally got the camper home, we were exhausted and punchy. We opened it up to have lunch and try to relax before diving into more work getting several loads of brush to the dump, raking gravel back into the driveway, and picking up a winter's worth of Tater and Kermit. So we were pretty shot but still had a lot of fun, too, and Julia loves the camper.
DNY Reunion 4/5/08 These were fun pictures. We went to a DNY reunion in Keene. I don't know which Julia loved more- the motorcycle (the "Shiney," as she calls it) or the pinata. It was so funny, she took to beating that pinata like a duck in water. No shyness as the crowd laughed and roared.
Julia is TWO! 4/4/08 Julia's Second Birthday! Okay, okay, we'll probably get admonished for these pictures. Julia has sweet and sour sauce all over her shirt, pizza on her face, and her hair is the left over effects of a long day at daycare with a ponytail. We never changed her shirt after school, or dinner for that matter, and I guess we should have wiped her face. At least for the pictures! It didn't see that bad without the camera flash. In our defense, it was a long week and she hadn't napped well at school and Ryan got in late, so we knew we had a narrow window to enjoy her birthday in, and she was so cheerful we weren't about to do anything to ruin it. And does it look like she was suffering any? On the plus side, she had a fantastic time (so did Mom and Dad). We kept it simple to just the 3 of us and it was very good. She loved her gifts and she blew out the candle on her cake. She started dancing to the singing. If you ask her how old she is, she says TWO! and shows you her hand with all 5 fingers out. She's improved some since then. Anyway, it was a great birthday time. The mess probably even helped. So, our little girl is now TWO! We are so proud. She even started potty training the week before her birthday, and we haven't had an awake accident in a week. I can't believe she potty trained by two years! We didn't expect or push for that at all.
Just Being Super Cute at Church 2/17/08 She LOVES the crocs. They are just like "Mommy's shoes" and it's hard to get her to take them off. We have to have a little ritual of where to put them so that she's okay not wearing them to school.
Cookie Party! 2/9/08 Penny threw a cookie party and Julia had a blast. She decorated a box to bring them home in with Daddy and decorated the cookies with Mommy. She thoroughly enjoyed it, though she was pretty tired! Who can't rally for cookies?
Christmas 12/25/07 We didn't take any pictures while she opened presents because we were just enjoying watching her and playing with her too much. We don't bring the camera out as much anymore and spend time playing and laughing instead. She loved all her presents. As you can see, she especially liked her Home Depot set.
Angel of Death: Christmas Pageant 12/23/07 If looks could kill. Poor kiddo wasn't feeling well and was not amused about dressing like an angel at all. She obviously does take after me. We had to make a quick exit from the pageant itself when she started screaming, so there's only one picture of her actually participating. She did smile a couple times, but mostly she was pretty mad about the whole thing, as you will see.
Christmas Party at St. John's 12/4/07 She was pretty sick the night of this so if she looks off, that's why. We decided she was better enough to try, but she wasn't really thoroughly herself yet.
Sorry, but none of these Halloween pics are really in order. The camera sometimes assigns the filenames in a semi-random fashion and it's just too much work to re-alphabetize them. So they are all over the map, but you can figure it out.
Visiting After all the Halloween Fun 10/31/07 We made a very quick stop at "Grandma E's" and the church. Julia was wrecked at this point. So were Mom and Dad. She went home and straight to bed. Long day! And I am very happy to put Elmo away and see Julia without the costume again! I might be pictured-out for awhile. I can't believe I finally caught up.
Trick-or-treating at Home 10/31/07 It starts out with some pictures inside that don't make much sense, but it was when Tater first saw Julia in costume and was chasing her around the kitchen trying to sniff her butt. Then we did the trip up and down our street. She was falling over tired and her bucket started to get so heavy it was pulling her over to one side and she'd fall. She got the hang of the trick-or-treating really fast though, and enjoyed it. Oh, the power of candy.
Hanging Out at St. John's and Halloween Party 10/31/07 After morning trick-or-treating there was normal school time, and a little Halloween Party. I stayed and it was so good to see Julia and how she interacts at school and some of what they do during the day. I am very happy with St. John's and how Julia is doing. She is really thriving there! That helps so much as it is so hard to leave her. Just watching, I am certain she is getting a lot more out of being there than she would if one of us were home full time. I can only assume everything depends on both the daycare and the particular child, and Julia and St. John's are a really good fit. Even if one of us stayed home, I would want her to be there part time. She's getting so much out of it that we couldn't otherwise offer.
Trick-or-treating with St. John's 10/31/07 I took the day off to trick-or-treat with Julia's school. It was great! Exhausting. Elmo had fun. It's a treat for me to share these and the above pictures. You can picture some of the school and see how comfortable Julia is and how well she plays with others. She's become such an independent and happy little girl! It was crazy at first, trying to get all the little ones ready to go with all the costumes. Julia decided she wanted to be Princess Elmo at one point and we had to pry someone else's hat away from her.
Boston Peace March 10/27/07 I'm getting a little out of order but I had these and the rally pics sitting waiting to process. I'm going to upload more Halloween right now, so it's just a quick jump back. Elmo shall return shortly. You really can't tell from the pictures because we were at the very front, but this march was HUGE. Mind boggling.
Boston Peace Rally 10/27/07 It was a wet day, but the rain stopped just long enough for the rally and march, and even so, it was a warm sort of wet. We got very lucky!
Halloween Sneak Preview: Elmo Comes to visit! 10/23/07 Some of the best shots unfortunately were before we figured out how to get the costume on her her just right. By the time we got it right she was a little tired of it. BUT, she loves it! She was dancing and playing and laughng at herself in the mirror. When adjusted right, it's just like she IS Elmo.
Open House at St. John's 10/26/07 St. John's had an open house! Unfortunately, my camera battery died so I only got the very beginning when Julia was in a performance at the Parish Hall. I didn't get any shots from over at the school or of her artwork. :( The artwork was great! She even did a self portrait. She's the only toddler that got to use "hair" (yarn)! They also used pompoms for noses, and she got to "pick her own nose." Anyway, she did great in her big show. I felt like I should have been waiting with a bouquet of roses. They were sitting in the circle, reciting a song and doing the hand motions. Julia was right with it! Sometimes she did the hand movements a little later, imitating the older kids, so some shots are a little out of sync. But most of the time she was right on cue and she was definitely having a blast!
Bedtime Storytime at St. John's 10/24/07 St. John's had a bedtime story telling time last Wednesday night! Julia loved it! She was a little tired by then and also not big into sitting still for the story, but she was definitely happy with the cookies.
CROP Walk 9/30/07 Julia's Second CROP walk! She didn't raise as much as last year, but it was fun.
Deerfield Fair 9/29/07 Deerfield Fair. My batteries died so I didn't get many. It's too bad, last weekend we went to the Farm Museum's "Apple Day" and I had no camera at all. Julia's been busy petting lots of animals lately but there aren't many pictures.
Making Cookies 9/8/07 What do you do when your life turns to shit but you also have a beautiful toddler? Make cookies, of course.
Margie 9/5/07 We went away for a few days in what seems to be an annual life sucks event and Julia stayed with Ann and Margie. She looks like she was obviously tortured!
Maine 9/1/07 This isn't a blog and I don't care to explain, but it's been a bad week. Caught some R&R in Scarborough and had some delicious lobster. No picture of that- if you aren't fast with your fork you lose it around here.
Walking With Daddy 9/1/07 More Scarborough pics, but these are my fav ones with Daddy-o. They look so much alike and as if they are having some deep conversation!
Kennebunkport Peace Protest 8/25/07 From the pictures of the march it might look small, but actually it was the largest march ever held in Kennebunkport, with as many as 4,000 people if you read the right paper. I tried to find the back once and it was just enormously long and I never found it. Ryan was holding the banner at the very front row of the march, since he was with the Iraq Veterans Against the War. I was shortly behind with Military Families Speak Out (Veterans for Peace were inbetween). It was extremely hot and humid and we were at the rally for 2 1/2 hours before the march started and there was no shade, but Julia did great. She was slathered in sunscreen and we kept her well hydrated. The Nilla Wafers helped. I carried her the first half and Ryan carried her the second half. It was a little over 4 miles, from downtown Kennebunkport to across from the Bush compound and back. Cindy Sheehan spoke and the Indigo Girls sang. Good day all around. We were glad we went and Julia was fabulous. She slept like a rock afterward.
Company Pool Party 8/23/07 Ryan couldn't attend, and I couldn't take pictures of the best events- swimming and the hot tub. They keep the hot tub at a mildly hot bath temp, and once Julia got in I couldn't keepher away from it. She obviously is Ryan's daughter. She liked swimming, but had little interest after she realized how much more she liked the hot tub. I did get some pictures of the next biggest hit, which was petting the chickens.
Church Fair 8/11/07 We picked up a stupid little toy for $.25 and we call it the "Daddy Doll." Can you spot it?
Cousin 7/1/07 If only the camera hadn't accidentally been on the wrong setting. What amazing pictures these would have been!
The Great Outdoors 6/2/07 I know there are a lot of these, but I think they are worth it. In between the water fun shots are two legs of a long trek home. It's hard to tell sometimes whether she is trying to walk or disco!
Julia Goes to the Zoo 5/26/07 The Moose exhibit was especially nice. And then Julia really started having fun once we got to the petting zoo part. That helped a lot.
The Big Apple 5/25/07 Nothing fancy. Relaing in Central Park, walking for bagels, Columbus square. We just took it easy. We didn't get any pictures from Times Square, but she liked the big M&Ms screen.
Manhasset 5/25/07 There are a lot of these, too, but the smiles are great. And at the end there are a few gems with a maple leaf on her nose.
Wakefield Pride Day! 5/19/07 Julia rode on her first parade float, among other fun things. It was cold and damp but the rain held off! Dad had to work. Her favorite part of the day, which I sadly didn't get pictures of, was the "travelling barnyard." She got to go in the pen and pet some sheep and goats and real, live ducks! They look different than in the tub, but she got the idea. And she chased a few chickens.
Klepto 5/5/07 This was at Jo's Party. Julia kept trying to make off with Jo's purse, but it must've weighed 1000 lbs or so. Poor Julia was trying so hard to pick it up or drag it off, to no avail.
Look Who is Walking! 4/29/07 These are a really fun bunch. Sunday morning she really took off. She could take 6-10 steps before, but she didn't truly "get it." Now she's off and running and oh-so-pleased about it. She drops her mouth in surprise and excitement and looks a whole lot like the only toddler pictures I've seen of Ryan. It's a trip. Just imagine darker hair. (Maybe it's the "boy phase" haircut?)
Corn on the Cob! 4/28/07 We cooked a separate veggie for her because we didn't think she was ready for her own ear. She was transfixed watching us and then started demanding her own. We gave her my unfinished ear and she knew just what to do! She torn right in with a very satisfying crunch and tear. Those 8 teeth are very effective. From now on, she gets her own. Unfortunately, Daddy got the camera and there are some shots of Mommy's corn eating skills, and personal commentary on being photographed, too.
Julia's First Haircut (and lollipop!) 4/28/07 You know it's time for your daughter's first haircut when someone refers to her as "mullet girl." So, we took her. Of course, now people remark she is going through her "boy phase." That's what we get for taking her for her first haircut to a barber shop. But, while Daddy got his hair cut first, she discovered the lollipop drawer. At first she didn't know what they were and was just drumming, double fisted. She's pretty sharp and it didn't take long to figure out, and it made for a pretty tolerable first cut.
Julia Sing in the Choir for Easter 4/8/07 These are a must see. Julia spent most of the Easter service with Ryan in the choir loft up front. There are also other very nice Easter shots. Keep in mind Julia was sick and hadn't napped and just wasn't feeling herself.
Just Born! 4/5/06 It's a little late, but it's her birthday so maybe a fitting time. I never put these up last year. They are some of the pictures from right after she was born.
Julia's Birthday, Part III: Cake! 3/31/07 She LOVED the ice cream cake. I didn't know you could pick a piece up and eat it like that! These are very out of order, but it was too much work to rename them all. Sorry. If you dig through, you'll see the candle blowing, and Julia and cake before the mess, etc.
Julia's Birthday, Part II: New Car! 3/31/07 She ran herself completely over once and we had to lift the car up to get her out, but otherwise she loves her new ride! These are out of order, too. A few are from the next morning when she got to discover her new toys all over again.
Seeing Red 3/23/07 I didn't know how else to title this. Just playing around in the kitchen in her red top.
Aunt Margie's 2/10/07 These are a little old. Back in February Margie had Julia for the day and they had fun.
Julia Dines at our New Dining Table 3/3/07 Bought this set from a very nice family via Craig's List. It needs a little TLC but is mostly in great shape and honestly the pictures don't do it justice. The flash and night lighting make it look darker and accentuate the spots we need to touch up. We absolutely love it and it's exactly what we were looking for! Perfect for what we wanted. Very homey.
Miscellaneous Fun 2/26/07 You may be wondering at our odd new color scheme. Don't worry, it's not finished. We'll let you know when to worry.
Julia Child 2/23/07 Julia got a new kitchen! We'd been wanting to get her one because she loves the one at St. John's so much, but it's ridiculous that you could take out a second mortgage for a child's hunk of plastic. We got this used at the kids' consignment shop and she is thrilled! We are, too!
Hanging Out at St. John's 2/21/07 Okay just to be clear, no, we don't dress her this way for school. We always provide a bag of spare clothes each week, and when she spits up or gets dirty or has a blowout, they put whatever is left in the bag on the part that needs replacing. Sometimes it's pretty silly when we pick her up.
Musical Bears 2/17/07 Who knew that bears love Mozart? We put on her bear suit and she went right for the Mozart cube and started playing it. And tasting it. Mozart tastes very good. Or she just has very good taste.
Somebody get this barn out of my way! 2/17/07We figure if we make the books as inaccessible as possible, it will make her the most avid reader ever. Maybe it works, as she absolutely loves her books. They are her favorite toys of all.
Busy Playtime 2/9/07 If you find yourself exhausted looking at this, imagine chasing after Julia in the time they were taken. As you can see, our living room is not yet as baby proof (that's an oxymoron I am realizing) as it should be, so we have to be super on top of things. She's a busy little girl! There are a lot of these, but some gems if you browse all the way through.
Say "grilled cheese!" 2/9/07 She doesn't look too enthusiastic here, but grilled cheese really is one of her favorite foods. She also likes scallops, fish, and yogurt, but ice cream cake is her all time favorite. Kermit isn't so picky.
Busting a Gut 2/9/07 I have other pictures waiting but I had to post these first. I may be biased, but if these don't make you laugh there is something very wrong with you. I know there are many, but they are well worth browsing all the way through. She was laughing so hard she made herself spit up all over and she was reaching for her ribs because they hurt. It was great to watch! The pictures get much of the effect but not all. She was just in a total laughing fit. Ryan sat her in the big people's chair and gave her the shape sorter ball. She kept throwing it to the ground and we kept giving it back and she thought that was just the funniest thing ever. I think 1033 was the climax where she started reaching for her ribs, but she kept having aftershocks. Look at those cheeks!
Who Says Teething Can't Be Fun 2/4/07 Julia's teething like mad and pretty fussy, but having some fun, too. We are still sicker than I thought and Ryan's got the stomach bug going around. Not the best of weekends, but hey. She's still really cute.
I Love My New Chair! 2/3/07 We've all been sick for just about two weeks now, and Julia's second top tooth just popped through. So pardon the mess in the lastest pics! We're almost all well, so it's just about time for Julia to bring a new bug home from daycare.
St. John's 1/26/07 You'll see in some of these that Julia now claps, and really enjoys it! Mom and Dad have been very, very sick all week. Julia is mostly better after a very rough time, but now she has 3 new teeth coming in. Still, she's happy and clapping, pointing, getting into cabinets, climbing, inching along holding onto things, saying Mama, and all that fun stuff. Her favorite foods are grilled cheese and yogurt, but she really doesn't like sippy cups.
Anyone Want a Julia Basket? 1/21/07 Please forgive the runny nose. She just popped her first top tooth and she's been utterly miserable. The worst we've ever seen her! She's since turned a corner and is doing somewhat better. These pictures are from when she really felt crummy.
Quack Quack 1/16/07 I didn't realize there was a sub-plot to all of this I was missing at the time. If you look carefully, Julia spit up on the Leap Frog table, and played with it a bit (the spit up) and then Kermit came along and ate it. How I failed to notice this at the time is beyond me, though when I saw Kermit licking at the table and keep going back to it, I assumed something tastey was involved.
Turkey Dinner Part II 11/18/06 Julila's first truly all adult meal! Instead of baby food, she had mashed potato, mashed squash, cranberry sauce, a little turkey, and she LOVED the pumpkin pie! Just like the rest of us!
Get the Kitty! 11/18/06 Julia is after Alpo. This would have been better if I had the camera a moment earlier. At first they were side by side looking out the door.
Silly Julia! 11/5/06 If you look closely in these, you can see Julia's first tooth, which cut through on Thursday!
Julia's First Crop Walk 10/15/06 Julia raised $110 to fight hunger, a cause close to her heart. Often at odd hours. She started out full steam ahead but she was a little tired by the end.
Retarded Doggies 10/15/06 Try to follow all the characters here. This is what we go through trying to get Julia a little floor time. There's a wee bit of jealousy going around. Ryan is the only one lookng completely unphased.
Fuzzy Sweater 10/13/06 There are some in here of another St. John's field trip to the Charming Fair. She's had a busy week!
Little Mermaid? 10/1/06 These are kind of dumb but that's okay. We had Julia in a sleeper that was a hair big. She woke up very unhappy and a perplexed Ryan brought her downstairs. A few moments later we discovered both her legs were in one leg hole. How she managed it, we have no idea.
Sunday School 9/24/06 Don't worry, this is an odd moment of her not being held there. She loves the singing and waves her hands in the air like when we do the "duck dance" at home.
Burp! 9/22/06 I really like these. This is what she does when I burp. I kid you not- she drops into hysterical, full belly laughs. I'm sore from burping for her now.
Spit Up 9/9/06 This is one of the Mt. Washington pics but I had to include the larger size so you could look carefully. The second it was taken I went "ewwww!" Then when I downloaded from the camera I saw Ryan captured the precise moment! 9/9/06
Mt. Washington 9/9/06 We wanted to get a shot outside on the summit, but when we got up there, a thunderstorm hit and there were 80+ mph winds, severe hail, and visibility of about 10 feet. We weren't allowed to leave the building so an inside shot was the best we could do.
Ryan with his New Glasses and Julia 8/4/06 His first pictures after the accident. The glasses are a blank prescription just to protect his remaining eye. The swelling still needs to go down some, but it looks amazing considering it happened only a week ago! He still wont see out of it, but we are adjusting pretty well. We call him "Three Eyes" with the glasses.
"Future So Bright..." 6/23/06 It's my last day of real maternity leave so I really had to make it count. There will probably be fewer pictures, now. Sorry. :(
Miscellaneous 6/16/06 I haven't been so great about taking pictures due to strep and tonsillitis, but here they are.
Bath Time! 5/30/06 Remember those "Hidden Pictures" in Highlights Magazine? See if you can spot Kermit.
Happy Baby 5/29/06 She is very happy this morning! And look, she's now able to grasp her binky for awhile!
Keene 5/26/06 It's officially not me. The viewfinder on Ryan's camera simply is not in sync with reality. I caught on and overcompensated, and it STILL chopped off the head in half her pictures. At least in the future I can use the LCD panel or use my camera, so this should be the last of the head choppings.
Just Born! 4/5/06 It's a little late, but it's her birthday so maybe a fitting time. I never put these up last year. They are some of the pictures from right after she was born.
Ryan's Deployment: "Operation Iraqi Freedom" (whatever, I don't make this stuff up)
As posted by Mjo
If they load too slowly, use the "resized" links for smaller versions of the same pictures.
- HOMECOMING!!! It's OVER!!! 2/2/05
Christmas in Abu Ghraib, Baghdad 12/25/04
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ASO 12/21/2004
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- Morale Booster 1/13/05
Umm Qasr 11/12/2004
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Micellaneous: Baghdad, Bucca, ASO, etc. (November, 2004)
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Miscellaneous 11/17/2004
- Ryan after his FNX care package
- Ryan took our license plate to Baghdad
- Go Red Sox!
Ryan on Leave! Yippee! October, 2004
- Ryan on leave! October 1st - 16th
- Much better shots on Mt. Washington (Yay, Ryan's home on leave!) 10/4/04
- Mt. Washington (sort of- this is the month before leave) 9/12/04
- Leaving Kuwait 9/27/04
Baghdad: Brigade, Fishing, and Abu Ghraib (September, 2004)
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Convoy to Baghdad (September, 2004)
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Micellaneous Iraq (August and September 2004)
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Doha, Kuwait 8/26/04
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Shaibah 8/22/04
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Camp Bucca (August, 2004)
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Umm Qasr Port and ASO (August, 2004)
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Navistar 8/11/04
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First Platoon Trailer 8/7/04
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EOD comes to clean up UXO 8/4/04
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Basra 7/24/04
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Camp Bucca, July 2004
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- Homeless Funny Land Rover at Bucca
Arifjan, Kuwait (to pick up new uparmored humvees) 7/26/04
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Convoy from Arifjan 7/26/04
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ASO and Towers, July 2004
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Gate Duty, July 2004
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Navistar 7/15/04
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Burma Gate and Night ASO 7/3/04
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Corona Gate and Navistar 6/18/04
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Random ASO and Camp Bucca 6/9/04
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ASO, Gates, Towers and Convoy Escorting 5/31/04
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Training in Doha, Kuwait, 5/4/04
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ASO, Gates, Towers and Convoy Escorting 4/30/04
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Baghdad: Abu Ghraib, International Airport, and Burger King 4/3/04
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- Camp Bucca Patrols 4/6/04 (high resolution)
- Camp Bucca Patrols 4/6/04 (resized)
- More Navistar Pictures 3/26/04 (high resolution)
- More Navistar Pictures 3/26/04 (resized)
- Supply Convoys to Navistar 3/26/04 (high resolution)
- Supply Convoys to Navistar 3/26/04 (resized)
- Baghdad: Brigade HQ and a little Abu Ghraib 3/12/04
- Convoy to Baghdad 3/12/04
- Camp Bucca Area 3/12/04
Living Quarters in Iraq 3/4/04
- Camp Victory, Kuwait 3/1/04
- A night off the week before departure 2/17/04
- Desert Training at Ft. Dix 2/17/04
- Miscellaneous Squad Pictures 1/26/04
- Deployment Ceremony 1/6/04
