Welcome the Newest Baldwin

We finally got a truck that'll grow with us. We're sad to say goodbye to our Jeep - but it's just time. Well, not if you look at gas prices, but...oh well - at least now we can fit company and ourselves into one vehicle! We're very happy with this purchase. It's a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe LT. White...why are they always white? I've never wanted a white truck, but oh well, when the price is right!

She does like it...honest. She has leg room. She calls it "Aunt Mimi's truck" and the guy that owned it resembled Uncle Nick, so she's constantly asking us when we're going to pick up Uncle Nick.

It's got so many bells and whistles - tons of things that can break...am I my dad's daughter or what?

Since today was Saturday, we decided to spend some family time at the beach...love that little chub! We brought the dogs because they've been stuck in the house for days - poor dogs. If they only knew how good they have it!

Galina was steady trying to bury the dogs, one bottle-cap full of sand at a time, so I told her to ask Brian to build a sand castle.

They worked on it for a bit, but really just ended up with a sand mountain that Brian dug a tunnel through and Galina filled in with sand from whatever side he wasn't working on.

Throwing sand. Good grief, we'll never get it all out of her hair, or the boys for that matter.

Before the beach this morning, we went to visit "the statue," as Galina calls it. Anytime she sees a picture of the Iwo Jima monument, she says, "It's the statue! It's the statue! Let's go see the statue!" Which means, let's go to the front gate and see our base's own Iwo Jima monument. Since 3rd and 4th Marine regiments, which are based here, fought at Iwo Jima they have their own and call it the Pacific Memorial.

Galina likes to walk around it and talk - literally just talk, not really about anything or to anyone. There are also several airplanes, jets and two helicopters on display - today her main statement was, "Mommy (or Daddy) I need to get my tools so I can fix these planes so we can fly on an airplane."

One thing Galina has been saying a lot lately is, "Well...nevermind." It's usally used like this:

Galina - "Mommy, I want a cookie."

Me - "How about some grapes or a yogurt?"

Galina - "Well...nevermind, I will just have a cookie."

She also says, "Oh jeez" a lot. She's gotten into the habit, too, of saying, "Mommy, Daddy says, "Knights of Columbus!"" or "Daddy says, "Oh my goodness!"" It's kind of scary and makes you instantly race through your mind of all the not-so-great things you've said in front of her. She tells me all the time, "Those dogs are aggravating. They make Mommy mad."

We've always called George, 'Georgie-Porgie' and Galina has taken to calling him that too (if she's not yelling at them to either "stop licking" or "go" or just "NO!") but she's also decided that Bing needs a nickname, so Bing's name is now, according to Galina, "Bingham-Wingham."

She's so much fun! Everyday is an adventure and I can't wait to post her Easter pictures with the baby bunnies!! I'm also making her an Easter dress that is...hmmm...interesting...hang in there!