ryenn's a mommy...

ah...my baby has her own babies now

izsak has to assist of course

they got in the dollhouse on their own,

the kids swear its true!

they're still not so sure of us and hide under the bed

this is Gaiden (as in short for Ninja Gaiden...a ps3 game ryenn can't even watch)

and this is Sweetie.

Their both boys and we got them from a grandma neighbor lady a block over. There were only the two in the litter and she wanted them to stay together and we acquiesed. we're crazy. advantage (flea rx) for four pets will be something! Looks like the puppy will come next week instead of this one which is probably a good thing. so far old dog sparky hasn't even been curious. he hasn't officially met them, but he hasn't really been concerned about cat smells about.

Its so exciting adding animals babies to our family! Maybe one day we'll get a lizard... :)

a typical afternoon

so yesterday this is what i saw in the backyard...

they were playing a "nuke game"--i guess izsak was saving the world post fallout

ryenn was a sniper who shot sleeping darts to put zombies in a coma. let it be known she described her position as a "sort of archeologist"

course...izsak has learned to say he's just stunning people because i don't encourage killing...but who are we kidding...they're not putting zombies in comas..
this is ryenn and i trying to get izsak to do an authentic smile

but of course the digital camera can't take action...stupid camera. i'll gladly take donations for the $800-1000 digital/manual camera i want. :)

what's happening now...

izsak in the sand...we love the coast...

all three building sand drip castle thingys...heck if i know...

oh hey. its me. i'm normally behind the camera so i had rob take a pic...

miss ryenn, goofing off in the car while awaiting for rob to get our room....
izsak never cooperates for a picture. he's a boob....
izsak taking a pic of me--look at ryenn in the background!

pretty sunset in lincoln city. even august one never knows what the oregon coast will do....

the gorgeous next day after a rainy one. ryenn in the sand...

ok people...still trying to figure out how the heck to load pictures in order on this site. please forgive the backwardness of it all.

what the heck is going on with the neills?? izsak started 6th grade and here that means middle school. ryenn is in 2nd. with the move they are both going to new schools and making new friends. they're the friendliest kids and so far so good. both love the new digs.

we've had the greatest fortune of having my mother in law here for a month and that has been so fun. she split her time between here and rob's cousin's. sadly she leaves on wed the 10th. i shall miss her.

i have finally and truly graduated with my bachelor's degree in history. there was a hiccup after spring term and i had to take summer school. but all done now and hope to be getting that diploma in the mail by october. then in december i'll apply to the graduate history program for my MA. its paid for by the VA so why not?

in the meantime i shall be taking the year off. i don't have to work unless i want to, so that gives me the opportunity to help rob with learning to manage his ptsd better. he is already doing awesome, but it is a constant process. i plan to keep myself busy however researching about historically how families dealt/experienced ptsd in combat vets. that way i have the bulk of a thesis already researched and written before i even start the program. and i cannot tell you how ridiculously easy it is to get a PhD in history. so i'll probably go for that too someday. i think i can do it all by 40. :) so for the time being i shall be a historian and rob is "retired".

we will be adding to our family next week. on sept 15th we will be adopting two kittens and on the 17th we will be picking up our puppy (courtesy of rob's sister mandee's dog) at the portland airport (mandee lives in nv). i hope poor sparky can cope. :) the puppy is izsak's dog and the kitties are ryenn's, so he shouldn't feel too neglected or threatened. i hope. :)

so that's what's going on...au revoir!

here we are

in july we bought a house. yes. its pink. but it shant be forever. we love our house! we've been busy changing things cosmetically so its our own.

the "tv" room used to have walls of tealish green and pergo floors. we painted it "nugget" and added carpet.

september's project is the bathroom. :)

we absolutely love owning our own home and having projects. everyone is welcome for a visit! eugene is gorgeous.