Our Family :)

Alexander Marcel Hafner

2010-08-15T07:18:00.000-07:00

Born July 12th, at 11lbs 4oz and 20.25". He's a month old now and weighs over 13lbs and is 21.5". :D
Lots more pics on Facebook.

Alexander

2010-06-08T07:09:00.000-07:00

Currently weighing at 8lbs 8oz!

I will definitely be asking the doc about inducing me this week!

We're in NC!

2010-06-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

We've finally arrived in NC and are already throughly enjoying it! Here are some of the fun things we've done so far. The first pic is Athena exploring our temprary housing unit, then her playing piano at this base's CDC, then some pics of us at the Children's museum and finally some of Athena bowling with Daddy. =)

Visit Family in NE

2010-06-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

On our way to NC, Athena and I stopped in NE for two weeks. Here are some pics; more to come when we finally settle in our new house and I can get the rest off our camera. :)

Mommy's Wedding

2010-06-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to see pictures of my mom's beautiful wedding: http://rickandsuesweddingatthegrove.shutterfly.com/
I wish we could have been there.

Random Pics

2010-04-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

The first pic is our anniversary pic - 5 years! We went out for a nice dinner and then to a comedy show. The comedian was hilarious!

The next three pics were from our date last weekend. we went out to eat and then to a movie - Clash of the Titans - great flick!

Then there's one of my big baby belly. Athena was playing with her sticker book and I was tired, sitting on my recliner when she got the brilliant idea to decorate my belly with her stickers. I thought it was cute.

Then there are a couple more pictures of her at gymnastics and finally two showing off her newly pierced ears. She's growing up so fast!

Easter Egg Hunt at Heather's

2010-04-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

Swimming Lessons

2010-04-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

The City of Las Vegas offered free swimming lessons for kids during spring break, so we took advantage. Athena turned out to be a natural! We had so much fun!

Playing with Friends

2010-03-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

Athena at Gymnastics

2010-03-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Athena has so much fun at gymnastics! And it's so amazing to see what amazing things she can already do! i love taking her there. This time both of us were able to take her, so one could always take pictures. Here they are. Enjoy!

Brian at Creech Appreciation Day

2010-03-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Pics of Brian posing on one of their HMMWVs at the Creech Appreciation Event yesterday.

It's A Boy!

2010-02-27T21:10:00.000-08:00

Here are the ultrasound pics of Alexander Marcel. It was such an awesome experience and I'm glad Brian got to be there for it this time. These were taken on 2/23/10.

Athena Playing Outside

2010-02-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

Just some random pics of Athena on her "new" outdoor toy. :)

Athena's New Bike

2010-02-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

Brian felt a need to spoil Athena, so we took her to Toys R Us and she ended up with a new bike. She was so excited to help Daddy put it together and even more excited when she got to ride it! Too bad, I ran out of memory on the tiny card I had in the camera at the time. Here are the pictures I did get to take. :)

Dec '09

2010-01-10T13:26:00.000-08:00

There's a lot here. Brian ran the Las Vegas Marathon on the 6th, Athena's 2nd birthday was on the 16th, my mom and sister came to visit for a few days, then we visited Grandma and Grandpa Hafner for a white Christmas in Colorado Springs. Then we came home and opened even more presents. Thank you, everybody for all the wonderful gifts!

What a great finish to a busy year!

The pictures taken from a very low perspective were Athena's. She loves taking pictures. :)

Leighann & Aba

2010-01-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

Pics of my sister visiting my dad (Aba = dad in Hebrew).

Brian and Athena in NE (11/2009)

2010-01-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

Honeymoon in Hawaii

2009-11-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hawaii is soooooo beautiful!! And the people there are so friendly, it's an amazing place! We hiked through the rainforest and a bamboo forest to see a waterfall, biked down a mountain, snorkeled with the fish at Hanauma Bay, surfed (twice a sea turtle almost came within my arm's reach while surfing!), rented a really banged up Chevy Tracker and drove all over the island, visited the pineapple plantation and walked their huge maze, found great places to eat all over the island, visited a replica of a Japanese Buddhist temple, enjoyed the beautiful scenery, plants, flowers, animals, experienced a Hawaiian luau with Hula and fire dancers and a guy who climbed to the very top of a huge palm tree without any kind of safety gear, walked the beautiful beaches, and on and on and on... we had a lot of fun. :)

Halloween Party

2009-11-14T08:32:00.000-08:00

Just a few pics of the characters that showed up. :)

The next day, Athena found my shoes and decided to try them out for herself. She did actually walk in them!

Trick or Treatin'

2009-11-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

Athena was a strawberry fairy - cutest kid on the streets! She had so much fun trick or treating. Not once could I get her to say that though. That's OK, she learned very quickly to grab as much candy from the bowl as possible and stuff it into her bag, just like the big kids. Even after coming home, she wanted the candy out of the cauldron (meant for the trick-or-treaters), and put it in her bag, too! :)

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

We did some pumpkin carving friends Jess & Rob, and their two boys, Jackson and JJ. Athena loved drawing on hers. Brian took the longest because his pumpkin was really hard to carve. I mean REALLY hard.

Our trip to WA

2009-10-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

Brian's dad's family had a little get together in WA.

Homecoming Pics!

2009-10-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

So, it took a little longer than expected, but here they are: Brian's homecoming pictures. Enjoy! :)

Brian's Home!

2009-09-13T08:55:00.001-07:00

Pics coming soon. :D

2 out of 3 (sisters)

2009-09-06T20:25:00.001-07:00

My sister came to Vegas with some friends over Labor Day weekend. We hung out a lot more than we had planned, but we had a great time together. Too bad we only remembered to take a few pics of us.

Out with the old and in with the new... windshield!

2009-09-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

Brian's truck's windshield has had two big cracks in it for quite a while, but it wasn't until our "neighbors" across the wall threw stones at it, creating 9 more holes, that I finally got around to getting it replaced. I didn't even feel safe driving with it, so I had a guy come fix it right next to our house. And he did it for less than others advertised! The collision center that fixed my car referred me to him. I like them. They help me with everything they can. Just in case you're curious, or you need your's fixed, they're called Ultimate Collision and are located on Rancho Blvd. Enjoy the pics. :)

Brian in the News!

2009-08-29T13:46:00.001-07:00

I'm so proud of Brian! Check out the news article: http://www.balad.afcent.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123164919.

Packing up to move up

2009-08-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

I finally started packing some boxes today, 14 sofar. We're moving to a brand new, bigger house on the other side of base. I can't wait to get into it! There are so many cool things about it, like a built-in water softener, a big garage with lots of storage space, a master suite with walk-in closet, 2 1/2 bath, carpet throughout the house, a bigger kitchen, ...you get the idea . The only not so cool thing is that the grassy area of the back yard is considerably smaller than our current one and the fencing will probably cost a fortune.
Anyways, I'm excited to move. Unpacking is like opening presents, you never know what items you forgot about last time, plus you get to redecorate! And this time I hope to sell alot of the stuff we don't use in the new house and use those profits towards debt. New house and pay off some debt. Can't get better than that! :)
Except when you add a honeymoon the month after. Now, really, try to top that! :D

Grandma Gero's

2009-08-14T19:38:00.001-07:00

Grandma Hadenfeldt's

2009-08-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

Camping in NE

2009-08-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

The family camping trip after Grandma's and Grandpa's 50th anniversary. It was a blast! For chronological order, read from bottom to top. Enjoy! :)

Grandma's & Granpa's 50th Anniversary!

2009-08-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

So much to be excited about!!!

2009-08-13T16:07:00.000-07:00

OMG! I'm so excited about so many things!!
- we just got back from two great vacations to see family!
- ever gonna fix that bumper on your car?
- YES! The other girl's insurance covers everything, plus a rental car!!
- and now we get to move to a new house!
- no, nevermind, that one won't be available after all, wanna bigger one?
- YES!
- can we wait to move 'till Brian gets home?
- YES!
- when does he get home?
- LESS THAN A MONTH FROM NOW!!
- Honeymoon?
- YES! I'm booking it right now!!
AAAAAAAAAAAHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm sooo excited!!!

Tough Times And A Good Pic

2009-07-12T16:57:00.000-07:00

Last week was a bummer in many ways.

First, my friend's good friend's son died. He drowned on 4th of July. She is very close to them, so her heart braking almost made mine brake, too. We were going to drive down to LA for the funeral, but it turns out, she couldn't make the trip after all. Nicole, I still feel for you, and I miss you.

Then a lady backed her car into mine as we both tried to get out of our parking spots on base. The insurance companies will make their decision on the accident this week.

Then two things happened on Friday:

I found out one of my uncles died. Worse, we couldn't get a hold of his children right away to notify them. They know now and they're trying to find a way to get everybody from MO to NY for the memorial. Luckily, many have already offered help.

While dealing with that, I also found out that another friend was abused by her husband. She and her daughter are ok. I'm helping her any way I can. At first, it seemed like they'd let her husband come home by tomorrow, but luckily that has changed. Her husband isn't allowed to come home until certain things are set in place, and she's getting out of there anyways. So, they're safe and are getting help from many places, too.

With so much bad news all at once, I asked Brian to call more often, so I'd know he's ok. I'm happy to say, he's called me once every day for the past few days and that makes me feel so much better.

But things are turning around. I've heard no bad news today, and in fact I was able to have a great time with some new friends yesterday and today. And I'm, starting to look forward again to our upcoming trips to see family and Brian coming home shortly thereafter. Everything is fleeting, even the bad times. Sometimes it's just a little harder to see through that fog, but it's lifting now. :)

Here's a great picture of my mom and her fiance:

Visiting Family in Colorado

2009-06-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Some great pictures from our trip to Colorado, starring:

Athena

Dad

Aunt Cami

Grandma

Good News of Good Health :)

2009-06-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you, who knew I was getting tested for PKD (it runs rampant in my mom's side of the family), the results are in: Ther is "no evidence of polycystic kidneys". So for now, I can go on as usual. I'll get tested again in a few years, to make sure I'm not just one to develop it later. :)

A Glimpse in to the Mind of a Toddler

2009-06-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

As I rocked Athena to sleep the last few nights, something I haven't done in a while, I had the privilege of "listening" in on her bed-time thoughts. As she babbled herself to sleep, she also signed some of her words/thoughts. She signed and said "airplane" every time she heard one fly by. She signed "where" and "birds", because she couldn't hear the birds we usually hear, over all the airplane noise. She signed "Mommy" and "Daddy" and "ball", probably remembering what she'd done that day. It was so wonderful to see what she was thinking and remembering. Seeing all this makes me realize, more than anything else, how smart our children can be, and how much they have to say, even before they can talk. And of course, she touches a very special part of my heart when I see her thinking about Daddy. Ohhh...

NE

2009-05-29T21:56:00.001-07:00

Fort Lost in the Woods

2009-05-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

Driving thru MO

2009-05-28T14:56:00.000-07:00

St. Joseph, MO

2009-05-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Our Trip to NE & MO

2009-05-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

Ok, so this post is way overdue, but I think you'll enjoy it. Here's the story. If you're just looking for pics and video, check out the next post. :)

Our trip started with a stop at Grandma Teresa's in NE. Of course, we also got to see Grandpa Kevin, Uncles Bob and Steve, and Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, Aunt Kara and her baby, Aunt Lana, plus some friends of the family. Athena learned to ride a tricycle and showed off her throwing skills. Her and Grandma also baked cookies, as you've already seen in the last post. The flights there weren't the best. They were red-eye flights, the stewardess were less than helpful, and we were still a little sick, which made the descent a hell.

A few days later, my cousin Charity and her son, Micah, picked us up and drove us to Fort Lost in the Woods (aka Leonard Wood), MO, to watch my sister, Josie, graduate from Army bootcamp. It was getting hot, and so was the car. The car actually overheated only a half hour from our destination, making us that much too late to enjoy family day with Josie. But we got to see her graduate the next day, so all was good and we got some rest. At the graduation, we also got to see Josie's hubby Brandon, Grandma Sue and Grandpa Rick. The buynch of us went out for lunch and again for dinner with that day and we also stop by a Goodwill while Josie and her hubby had some "alone time". The kids also had a great time jumping all over the beds in the motel room and playing outside on the motel's big porch.

After that was all said and done, Charity, Micah, Athena and I continued on to St. Joseph, MO, where we stayed at Charity's place for the remainder of our vacation. On the way, we stopped at a half-sized replica of Stonehenge at a University en route.

Charity's house needs quite some work, so we helped her anyway we could, sanding and painting walls... . We also got to see my other cousins and their families, most of which I had never met before. It had been at least 8 yrs since I'd seen any of them. My cousin Faith's oldest was just a baby then and she now has four more cuties. We enjoyed a family picninc at a big local park that also had animals, which the kids enjoyed feeding and watching, and Charity's step-dad played guitar and sang, and her niece sang, too. We also went to a pizza parlor with most of the family where Charity's step-dad's band played live. How cool! We also got to visit with my cousin Sydney and meet his wife.

That's it. After that, we flew home, then we got sick. Now we're feeling better and here we are. Thanks for reading. :)

Making Cookies with Grandma :)

2009-05-10T11:45:00.001-07:00

For Mother's Day Athena and Grandma made no-bake cookies, a batch of which is being sent to Daddy to enjoy. :)

And here are some of her playing around Grandma's house.

Random Fun

2009-05-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

Savannah helping me clean house.

AJ pushing Athena.

Bed time.

Coloring. She's becoming quite the little artist. Most mornings, she'll ask to color after breakfast and won't want down for at least half an hour. I enjoy the peace and quiet. ;)

My New PIANO!!!!!

2009-05-08T08:28:00.001-07:00

I got a new (used) piano yesterday!!! And it sounds great!!! And I love playing it!!! AAHHHHHH, I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and Athena enjoys playing it, too. :)

Pay It Forward

2009-05-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this blog will receive something made by me.

However there are some limitations
1. I make no guarantee that you will like what I make.
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done this year.
4. You have not clue what it is going to be, poetry, shoes, bags or a little invention of my own. I may bake something and mail it you . Who knows? Not you that's for sure!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. It may blow your mind!
Here the catch, if you choose to do this. You must post this on your blog (or email or website - you get the idea) and be ready to make something for 3 people too. This will be fun! When you receive the fabulous item I make you, you must post a picture of it on your blog.

Vacation Coming Up

2009-05-05T22:40:00.000-07:00

We're getting so excited about our upcoming vacation! Or shall I say, I am, since Athena doesn't have a clue...

We'll be visiting Mom (Brian's mom) and more family in NE, then my cousins and their broods in MO, and we'll get to see Mommy (my mom) and her fiance at my sister Josie's boot camp graduation (Army).

All of this will take place between May 9th and May 19th. Quite a trip, ey?

Daddy Doll

2009-05-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

We got our daddy doll this week. Athena's reaction was soooooooooooo cute! When I showed her the doll, I told her it's daddy with words and a sign. She studied his face, and you could tell how much she misses him, and then she said and signed "Daddy" and gave him a big hug and lots of kisses. Ohhhhhh...

Now she'll walk around with Teddy and Daddy, taking them anywhere I'll let her. And, of course, we lay daddy right next to her, so he can watch over her every night. :)

P.S. Daddy (the doll) has a little voice recorder in it with a big play button, that has a message Brian recorded before he left. (Thanks Trish!!!!) Athena (or I) can hit the button anytime to hear Brian's voice. Whoever invented these dolls is a genius!

Here are some other pics. Don't we love pictures?

A little message to Brian:

2009-04-30T21:55:00.001-07:00

Athena's Amazing Update!

2009-04-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

Athena has amazed me this month. She now has a signing repertoire of 24 signs! And she can say almost 20 words, too! (As compared to the 7 signs and 7 words from April 6th.) She seems to pick up a new word or sign almost every day! I'm just astounded!

So, now I bet you're curious about which ones she knows, right? Well, leave a comment. The more requests I get, the sooner I'll post the list. ;)

Brian was quoted in the news!

2009-04-23T21:48:00.001-07:00

Here's the link: http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=32649

Laughter is good. :)

2009-04-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

This is a funny email I've gotten at least twice now, but it makes me giggle every time.

Why I was Fired

For the last company picnic, management had decided that, due to liability issues, we could have alcohol, but only one (1) drink per person.

I was fired for ordering the cups.

So, in light of this, I decided to find something else funny to look at and found: www.funny.com . Check it out, it IS funny!

Jumping

2009-04-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

Athena enjoying a round of jumping on our bed.

FCC Spring Fling

2009-04-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

We went to the FCC's Spring Fling this morning. Athena had a lot of fun.

Random Fun

2009-04-16T22:12:00.001-07:00

At the Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant. I thought the photographer had some pictures of Athena with me ther, but if so, hasn't posted them yet. The food was awesome! The service, too! They even did a coffee ceremony for us, but Athena and I couldn't stay for all of it. We did though get to watch them roast fresh coffee beans on a portable gas stove they had set on the floor. Athena's interest was peaked - and mine, too. :)

Athena eating olives off her fingertips.

Athena enjoying a beautoful, but windy day outside.

Standing in one of the sinks of one of our favorite restaurants' bathrooms ("Viva Zapata's").

At the Airman's Attic. She had just watched the other girl spin on the toy and had to try it herself.

Savanna helping Athena put on some shoes.

Playing with AJ and Savanna

AJ helping Athena put her shoes on.

And enjoying a moment's rest together - these are rare!

Can't Get Enough of Playgrounds!

2009-04-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

All in a day's fun. Or two, or three. Since I can never get this thing to put my pictures in the right order, there are some of other days in the middle of those for one day. Oh well.

Anyways, Athena decided she wanted her goldfish snack, but got distracted by the playground. The solution? Carry them around with her the whole time! :)

At another playground at a friend's goodbye party:

And abck to the other day. :)

As you can see, she is no longer afraid of heights or the holes in the playgound surfaces as she once was. Now she's all about adventure! And, btw, she did eventually make it to the top of that top step, but not without a little setback (fall) first. That's how she got to slide down the big slide in the picture before.

*No children were harmed in the making of this story - just her mommy's nerves. ;)

Potty Update - no it's not dirty!

2009-04-11T22:43:00.001-07:00

Athena is well on her way to the Potty Trained station. She peed in the potty once every morning, until today. Today she peed in the potty twice! I'm so excited!!! She enjoys sitting on the potty now, as you can tell from the pictures. We had a great time with her hair. :)

Supporting the Rhineharts

2009-04-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

Shawn Rhinehart came home last week. We went in support of them and to take pictures. Here are the few that we had on our camera. Of course the date on them is wrong.

Below: the Paparazzi, uhm I mean the news crews...

Potty Training Adventures

2009-04-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought potty training could be such an adventure?! Athena has been in official potty training for two days now. :)

Athena's Amazing Resume!

2009-04-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

Objective

To become a wonderfully smart and loving individual.

Profile

Energetic, sociable, charming, smart, talented, bilingual and cute!

Skills Summary

- Climbing obstacles

- Building 5-block towers

- Putting “babies” to sleep

- Brushing teeth & hair

- Using fork & spoon

- Crayon art

- Sign Language

- Cleaning up toys

Professional Experience

Communication:

Baby Signs: "hi", "bye", "eat", "sleep", "more", "please", "shhh".

English (verbal): "Mommy", "Daddy", "doggy", "please", "thank you", "yummy"!

Climbing:

Scaled the dining room table and the diaper pale, climbs into bed, pack & play and next to the fish tank.

Education

Mommy's School – Las Vegas, NV (GPA: 4.0/4.0)

- Can show you where her tummy, head and nose are, where Mommy's tummy, head and nose are AND where "baby's" tummy, head and nose are! Currently working on: more body parts, more baby signs, shapes and potty training.

Family and Friends' Schools - nationwide (GPA: 4.0/4.0)

Hobbies/Extra Curriculars

Exploring, talking on the phone, going outside, dancing, reading, bath time.

Likes

Teddy bears, dolls, watching airplanes, phones, noodles, stickers, books.

Dislikes

When other kids don't share.

Art Time!

2009-03-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

Putting babies to sleep

2009-03-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I couldn't turn the video around. Wasn't thinking about it when I took it, but it's the cutest thing ever!

Learning to brush her teeth

2009-03-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Our JC Penney photo shoot

2009-03-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Sarah, who works at one of the JCPenney Portrait Studios here in Vegas, we've now got tons of beautiful memories to keep. And here they are for you, too. :)

Thanks Sarah!!

Convention! 3/21-3/25

2009-03-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Passion Parties convention this year was AWESOME! The only thing that could have made it better, is if Brian had been able to attend. I was astounded at how many husbands were present to support their wives! Go Passion Spouses!

The pictures are in reverse order (sort of); I couldn't figure out how to move them around efficiently.

Some of the events that I don't have pictures of include the actual awards ceremonies, the Keys for Cash contest and winner (of $10,000!), speakers Jack Canfield, Brian Biro, and our Million Dollar Club members, the awesome product displays, the rest of the amazing meals we were served, and more. There was just so much going on!

The final awards ceremony and banquet. Like the souvenir?

Learning the ropes, uhm, pole! This wasn't and officical part of the convention, but lots of fun, non the less! Thanks, Stacy, for showing me my new pole trick! :)

During a lunch break in one of the girls' room.

Learning from the best! Our team had the opportunity to hang out with our very own Million Dollar club member and "First Lady of Passion", CJ Haynes. She's amazing! Can you believe it, she makes $32,000 per month as a consultant? And she's not even the top paid consultant!

Thanks, CJ, for all the good business advice (and the pizza)! :)

Even the food looked awsome; just check out this humble salad!

At the first awards banquet.

The Chippendales were there, too!!!!

Our President of Passion Parties, Pat Davis, speaking.

Look at that crowd! It numbered in the thousands - all of them dedicated Passion Consultants. :)

Sue Johanson, sex educator since the '70s, was hilarious!

The Chocolate Factory

2009-03-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

We visited the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory a while ago. It was kind of disappointing. There was also a cactus garden attached, that we walked through. We didn't take too many pics, as you can see.

My favorite sign hanging in the factory.

Randoms

2009-03-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to catch her sillines on film, but of course, once I started recording, she just gave me the "mom this is dumb" looks.

A few pictures from before Brian left

2009-03-26T22:36:00.001-07:00

Riding Horses

2009-03-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

A photographer cought on camera!

-----------------------------------------------------------

And she can ride, too!!!

The After-Cookies-And-Frosting Bath

2009-03-16T19:03:00.001-07:00

Making Cookies

2009-03-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Cookie artists: Trish, AJ, Savanna, Ila, Athena, Jess.

The New Athena Update

2009-03-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the newest version of the Athena Update everyone!

From now on, I will regularly post updates on our family blog with pictures you can download and videos, too. I will send out a link to everyone to let them know about the the blog - that's probably how you got here (I know, I read your mind!). You can subscribe to the blog by clicking on the "Follow" button on the right, or if you'd like reminder emails, just let me know.

Hope you enjoy!
Jess