Somebunny Loves You!

Hoppy Easter from Flat Daddy!

Flat Daddy Does Fat Tuesday

Tonight Asher and I went to a Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday potluck at church. However, it is a rainy night in Iowa tonight, so Flat Jake had to stay home. He does have some rain gear (a clear plastic garbage bag), but I just didn't want to risk him getting wet...therefore, he remained at home.

Still, we made sure he could join in the fun. Asher let Flat Daddy borrow his beads & mask for a few minutes, just so he wouldn't feel left out of the fun.

Doesn't he look festive?!

~Emily

Flat Daddy Love

Asher's been very "into" Flat Daddy lately. The other morning he wanted Flat Daddy so I asked "Would you like him to eat breakfast with you?" Asher replied, "No, I want Flat Daddy to watch me." So, he did.

Yesterday morning he was carrying Flat Daddy around and wanting to play with him. This is precisely one of the perfect things Flat Daddy was created for, however, with a rough and tumble 3 year old boy and a precariously thin cardboard neck on Flat Daddy, I do tend to be a little overprotective...

This morning we got a few minutes of Skype time with Jake. Asher's face just lit up when he saw his Daddy on the computer screen. We were about to set it up so that Asher could talk to Jake while he ate his breakfast...Asher even stuck his bare feet on the table and Jake pretended he could smell his "stinky feet" all the way in Afghanistan. And then....he had to go quickly and all the fun was over.

After that, Asher had his breakfast and wanted to play with Flat Daddy again. He picked up the cardboard cut out (which is about as big as him) and said, "Flat Daddy's gonna fly like a Blue Angel!" and proceeded to carry him around the living room as if he were flying like a jet. There were also copious amounts of smoochy sounding kisses from Asher to his Flat Daddy. He also ensured that Flat Daddy got a kiss from me, too. Asher also made note of something very typical of his real Daddy that Flat Daddy also has....rosy cheeks. He said, "Flat Daddy has rosy cheeks. We need to clean him." I tried to explain that Flat Daddy is NOT very good at taking baths or going swimming...so he needs to leave those fun things for Asher to do by himself.

Later, Asher climbed onto my lap and told me, "I love snuggling." So we snuggled for awhile. Then he told me, "I want to lay with my Flat Daddy." So he did.

Look how his precious little hands are resting right over his Daddy's heart! I love this little one!

~Emily

Dessert (Non)Disaster!

Third times a charm, folks!

Check out THIS dessert (non)disaster! Looks pretty fabulous & delicious, doesn't it?

It's a banana sour cream cake.

I'm hostessing bible study again tonight...and as you may remember my two previous dessert disasters?

Well, tonight I'm serving a (non)disaster dessert!

Won't they all be so surprised?!

...when they find out my fantastic mother made it for me?!

Thanks, Mom, for always being "practically perfect in every way" and for always being there for me whenever I need you! Aaaaand....the cake was a HIT! They gave mad kudos to the baker extraordinaire!

See...even Flat Jake was pleased!

~Emily

Bedtime with Flat Daddy

Asher is usually a pretty good boy about bed time.

Sometimes, though, we need a little "reinforcement."

Daddy almost always was daddy on duty for bathtime at our house, and we often took turns at reading stories and putting the little man to bed. Sometimes I miss having Jake here to take on those responsibilities. Some nights I wish he were here so that our precious boy had his daddy to tuck him in. And sometimes I wish we could all snuggle into the race car bed and giggle and read stories together. Soon...very soon.

So, tonight, Flat Daddy made an appearance for the bedtime routine.

First there was some general silliness in the kitchen.

"You can't see us...we're camouflage!"

Then there were some kisses for the BEST.DADDY.EVER!

Next was a little jumping on the bed like two little monkeys.

And then time for Daddy to read a story...and he did.

This book is one of the Hallmark books I mentioned called Guess How Much I Miss You. Jake was able to record his voice reading the entire book to Asher, so almost every night, he "reads" this story to Asher before he goes to bed.

And finally it was time to settle in.

Night, Night, Flat Daddy, we LOVE you!

~Emily

He's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!

Flat Jake Brings Some Cheer

Did you know Flat Jake makes house calls? Well...he does!

He recently came bearing cheer & some beautiful flowers to make a dear friend Carole feel well.

Carole had had some surgery, and was on the mend at home with her loving husband John & sister who was visiting from California. Carole & John have 3 beautiful daughters, Karen, Emily & Laura, all of whom I went to high school with. My mom had whipped up a delicious dinner to take to them, and...you could say John & Carole are "big fans" of Flat Daddy Jake. So, packed into the car with the tasty vittles were my mom, Asher, Flat Daddy Jake, and myself. As we stood on their front porch, basket of dinner in hand, Asher excited to ring the doorbell, we propped Flat Jake up in front of me so that it looked like he was standing there. He had come bearing flowers for Carole.

The excitement that poured over from John when he opened the door to find us there was contagious. He was pleased for the dinner, and to see Asher, my mom, and myself, but he was REALLY excited to see Flat Jake.

See how they're doting on their favorite Flat soldier?


I'm no Doctor, but I'd say Flat Jake's visit to Carole really lifted her spirits and made her feel a bit better!

~Emily

Daddy's in Afghanistan

Cuddle Time on the Couch

I can't wait 'til this is real again.

~Emily

I Saw Mommy Kissin' My Soldier Daddy

After he saw the picture of me kissing Flat Jake while ringing in the New Year, Asher said:

"That's a my mama kissing my daddy. He's a
shol-jer. And he's strong too. She's kissing my shol-jer
daddy."

I love that boy!

~Emily

Flat Jake Goes to Comedy Sportz

One of the most fun and entertaining places in the Quad Cities is Comedy Sportz. Jake and I love to laugh together, so this is a favorite place to enjoy with friends, family, or as a date night together.

Last evening we celebrated Dylan's 16th birthday, as we have for a number of years, with a bunch of his friends at Comedy Sportz. Flat Jake was able to enjoy the entire show from a front row view! However, he did miss the amazing Huckleberry's pizza that we enjoyed...those hungry 16 year old boys ate it all! And, after the show, the players themselves allowed us to snap a picture posing with our favorite hero.

Sounds like a "date night" to Comedy Sportz is just what we need for a good time when he's home on R & R in a few weeks!


~Emily

Sweet 16

Thirteen years ago, when Jake and I began dating, my baby brother Dylan was just that...a baby. He was a toddling 2.5 year old... Actually, Asher & Dylan are basically the same age difference as Dylan and I were...so when Dylan was the age Asher is now, I was the age Dylan is now. Whew. That was confusing.

Anyway, Jake has always been around...for as long as Dylan can remember, Jake has been a part of our lives. He was like a big brother from the start...always there to play and teach Dylan, and someone for him to look up to.

Here they are...on our wedding day.

When Jake was deployed the first time, I was completing my senior year in college. Right after I graduated, I had kidney surgery. Jake was still in the United States and hadn't deployed overseas yet, so he was able to come home on emergency leave for 72 hours to be with me. Dylan was finishing up 4th grade, and when Jake came home, he decided to surprise Dylan at his school. When the kids came in from recess, Jake was sitting in Dylan's chair. Dylan was so shocked and surprised he sobbed & ran into Jake's arms.

So, Jake and Dylan have a pretty special bond going on. They talk about beating each other up, but really it's a "guy cover" just meaning that they really like each other.

Now Dylan is probably just as tall as Jake, and may one day pass him up. Dylan talks about his dreams to attend the Air Force Academy once he graduates high school. He's SO not a baby anymore.

Today on his "sweet 16" we had fabulous steaks and delicious mac and cheese, and even a little chocolate chip cookie cake to celebrate. A celebration these days is just not complete without Flat Jake making an appearance...

I'm sure if he was here, or able to contact us, he'd have wished Dylan a VERY happy birthday!

~Emily

Ringing in the New Year

Well, it wasn't midnight here in Iowa (I only lasted until 10 PM), and it wasn't REALLY him, but here's to hoping that 2011 brings us peace, joy, love, and togetherness again.

~Emily

Heard Around the House...

Well, in the midst of the Christmas fun, I accidentally left my camera on the floor. A very curious little man who will remain anonymous decided to force open the lens of the camera, thus breaking it. Thank goodness for the Black Tie Protection and the hottie Geek Squad guy who helped me get this taken care of. The good news, it's "free" to get fixed, and my camera will return. The bad news, I'm without my camera to capture any Flat Daddy moments for the time being.

Asher has taken to Flat Daddy. Flat Daddy is usually propped up in the kitchen or dining room of our house, and I have found myself getting creeped out only a few times by the large man "standing" there in the room (when I catch him out of the corner of my eye). Today Asher mentioned how large Flat Daddy's head is. Ahhhh yes, like father like son, my dear boy!

On the first morning after we received Flat Daddy, on his way out the door to daycare, Asher called, "Bye Flat Daddy!" Didn't take long for Little Man to love his "stand in" Daddy.

Flat Daddy has also made sure to "remind" Asher to keep his feet off the table during dinner time, to not chase Sadie with the plastic bat, and that yes, he does in fact, have "stinky toes."

Flat Daddy cannot, however, join us in the fun that we have swimming at the YMCA or playing in the snow, but he does join us for dinners at the table frequently.

Flat Daddy joined us for Christmas fun, and even my parents' dog Husker noticed his presence. As we were decorating the cookies, from the next room came barking. When we went into the dining room to see what was going on, Husker was barking...at Flat Daddy/Jake, who was propped up at the CELEBRATE! plate!

Sometimes Flat Daddy will hang out in his recliner while Asher plays in the living room or watches a video. It's not uncommon for Asher to look at me and say, "That's a my Daddy. He's a shouljer. He is very strong. He's in Af-ghan-is-tan." *SIGH* I wish our 2 year old didn't know the word Afghanistan.

Tonight, after many "daddy stories," Asher, bucking bedtime, had once again busted through the baby gate attempting to keep him inside of his room and made his way down the stairs. He stood at our side door, trying to jostle the child proof door handle free. He looked at me with his precious little face and said, "I want to get in the car and see my Daddy in Afghanistan." So do I, little one....so do I. Just a few more jellybeans (a month!) and we will both be in his arms again.

~Emily

Flat Jake Celebrates Miss E

A few years ago (because it'd be bad karma to tell her age), a pretty fabulous gal was born. Here she is. Miss E. The birthday girl, with her wonderful mom, Linda, looking on.


And here's her cheerful looking hubby, Justin, who arranged for a little "surprise" wine party at The Grape Life.
It was a great night. A small group of us gathered to drink and laugh and talk and celebrate. Delicious appetizers and yummy wine made for a fun birthday celebration.

Hoping not to upstage the Birthday Girl, I did bring along Flat Jake. It's been decided that when he is with Asher, he is certainly Flat Daddy...but when he is with me, that might be a little weird...so, with me he is Flat Jake. So Flat Jake had his first trip "out on the town" with me tonight, and we had a smashing good time, if I do say so myself.

And here's the Party Princess snuggled up to my hubby. Looking good in your new scarf, E! Here are the guys...being sure to "act natural" but also sharing the love, and the vino, with their buddy.
What a hip party! The Moscato was divine, and the birthday girl was fabulous, as always! Check out this fancy group... And just for good measure, in case you didn't notice him, here's the "Hey, look who showed up to Miss E's party" pic! After paying for my good time, and speaking with the owners about Asher, my Flat Jake, and my real Jake it was time to head home to put my little man to bed. As I was walking out the door, the owner pressed a bag into my hands and said simply, "To get you through the holidays." I rushed a "Thank you so much," my head spinning at this thoughtful gesture. Once inside my car I peeked inside the bag...Moscato D'Asti. Heavenly. We'll be sure to make an appearance back at The Grape Life when Jake's home on leave! Can't wait to enjoy it together!

~Emily

Flat Daddy Jake

Recently an article appeared in the Nationwide Parade magazine about a family who had a "Flat Daddy" join their family while the husband/father was in Iraq.

Soon after, I received a note from some friends who asked if they could gift us with a Flat Daddy. I was so touched at their offer, as I figured it may be very helpful for Asher, and also a fun way to "include Jake" in many of our activities. I accepted, and the ball began rolling.

I had to upload a picture that was appropriately sized and with good enough quality to be blown up into a life-sized version of our favorite hero. The problem I ran into was that none of the photos I had of Jake in his uniform fit the specifications...so I tasked him, in Afghanistan, with getting a great picture of himself for Operation Flat Daddy!

Soon he & some cohorts delivered, and off went the photo file. A few confirmations later, and I had a note in my inbox saying "Flat Daddy is on his way to you!"

And today...he arrived.

Here's my Flat Daddy, Mom! Let's open it up!"

Look at those excited faces!
" What do you see inside?" "That's a my Daddy!"
Even Sadie's glad to see Daddy!
Then it was time to make sure daddy was sturdy, so he's tough enough to hang out and play, so Grandma Taxi helped make sure he was pressed & as flat as a Flat Daddy can be!

Here we are...a family of 3 (sort of!) once again! Thank you SO much to our wonderful friends who presented us with this fabulous opportunity. We are so very grateful for your touching gift.

Speical thanks to Aunt Ash...for playing paparazzi for us tonight.

Stay tuned for more adventures with Flat Daddy!

~Emily