Josh's Homecoming!

On August 20, 2011, Josh came home from his second deployment to Afghanistan. Here are two of the banners we made for him! There was another one that got hung at the squadron, but Josh ended up flying into HNL and we were able to go pick him up there!
Kristen and James were SO excited for Daddy to be coming home!
Since he was returning from a combat deployment, we were able to get special passes to meet him at the gate! He we are waiting for the plane to land.

There it is!

They both RAN to hug him. Kristen first, then James realized who it was and he ran too!
Here's Kristen telling Josh about the pictures she made for him that were waiting at home.

She loves her Daddy. :-)
James thinks it's pretty cool to be just like Daddy.
Family Photo. All Together again.
I will also add that it was an answered prayer that I wasn't holding our new baby in this picture! We met Peter together two days later, at one week past his 'due date.'

James's words at 26 months

James just came up to tell me about "Go-wy-wif" and his "swing."
(that would be Goliath and his sling.) I asked if James was David, and he went off to shoot him, with his toy trains of course.

Typically James speaks really clearly. And enunciates every single consonant. He can say 'Rs' really well, but not 'Ls.' (see above)

I think it's really cute to hear how he pronounces words he doesn't quite get yet. I still know what he's saying almost always. Here are some examples:
Potato/Tomato = "Pay-toh-toh"
Airplane = Er-peen
Sprinkler = Spinkwrerer.
He used to call Kristen "Tih-ten" but now he says "Kit-sen" (which I think is adorable). This past week it started sounding more like Kristen, but still not quite. It's usually Kitsen.

And he just out of the blue said "Today is Fursday. Today."

He loves to sing "Happy to you! Birthday, to you!" He and Kristen both love to wrap presents (their toys) in blankets or boxes and sing Happy Birthday. Then I get to blow out the candle open them.