Brayden and Oliver Hicks

2009-05-16T12:22:00.003+10:00

Brayden singing at his his pre-K Mother's Day ice cream sccial.

He is the youngest in his class but the tallest.

2009-05-16T11:43:00.002+10:00

I'm stuck and I'm SCARED!!

2009-05-16T11:06:00.005+10:00

Day at the playground......

2009-04-21T15:35:00.001+10:00

The kid never stops smiling.

2009-04-12T21:53:00.006+10:00

Happy Easter!!!

Brayden hunting eggs in our yard.

2009-04-12T21:18:00.005+10:00

Obligatory posed Easter pictures. Or as posed as you can

get with a 4 year old and a 7 month old.

2009-04-12T21:03:00.004+10:00

We went to the Piti village Easter egg hunt at the church.

Waiting for the hunt to begin!

2009-04-12T20:59:00.001+10:00

Brayden was pretty disappointed he didn't get the most eggs,

or the golden egg. But he made a new friend

that cheered him right up....

2009-04-12T20:49:00.002+10:00

But apparently noisemakers and a juice box makes it all better.

2009-04-12T20:35:00.005+10:00

What Brian and I have been up to.......

2009-03-30T20:46:00.002+10:00

Okay.....someone can stop time now.

2009-03-30T20:42:00.000+10:00

They are really starting to enjoy one another.

2009-03-30T20:38:00.001+10:00

HOUSTON: We have a TOOTH!!

2009-03-11T19:06:00.002+10:00

Okay!! I have been neglecting the blog once again...I guess I didn't realize that having two kids is so much more time consuming! We are doing great, we had Brian's parents out from Michigan last month. We had a great time, Brian and I got some much needed alone time, Oliver got to meet his grandma and grandpa and Brayden was just thrilled to have someone to play Uno with 10 times a day! Brian and I completed our Advanced Open Water scuba diving course while his parents were here. I think it is safe to say that we are both a little obsessed, we have purchased our own gear (gulp, that one hurt the bank account!), and we have been trying to dive as much as possible. We can't wait for someone else to come visit the kids so we can take off and go diving in Palau or Bali. Oliver is 6 months old, he is sitting alone, trying to crawl and sleeping in his own crib (thanks for getting that started for us, Beth and Bob!). He is adorable, of course. Brayden is hilarious, some of the stuff that he comes up with is unbelievable. he is doing better in his class, learning to share, etc. He is starting to read small words, as well as add and subtract (a little bit). He's a smart kid, but let me tell you he keeps us on our toes. Brian is doing well also, working swing shift right now (blah) and sneaking in night dives after work. I am busy with Oliver (of course), going to the beach, diving, getting massages on the beach, etc. I know, you should feel sorry for me, my life is HORRIBLE. :) We are really starting to think of Guam as home, and are toying with the idea of staying here for 5 years instead of 3. It is a beautiful, family oriented island and a major plus is that Brian's ship hardly ever moves, so big long deployments are virtually unheard of. So a lot to think about when the time comes to decide. It's weird to think that we have been here for 10 months already! We are planning on trying to take a Space A military flight home to Washington this July!! I hope it works out, because no matter how beautiful and relaxing this island may be, it still lacks all my favorite people!! We miss you all so much, take care, I PROMISE to try to update this thing more than once every 6 weeks!

2009-03-11T18:49:00.005+10:00

A day at the park.....

Ollie isn't sure about the swing.

2009-03-11T18:38:00.001+10:00

Brayden trying out our new scuba gear.

2009-03-11T18:23:00.003+10:00

6 months old!!

2009-02-08T20:55:00.000+10:00

Whoops! He's been 5 months for awhile now....

bad slacker mommy!!

2009-01-05T14:41:00.002+10:00

Happy New Year!! I am so sorry I haven't updated the blog in over a MONTH! A lot has been going on the past month or so, Brayden turned FOUR (I cannot believe it, my baby...)! We also had a visit from my mom and my brother Adam for Christmas, we had a great time. It was really nice to have them here on our first Christmas away from home. We had a big Christmas dinner with some friends who's husbands are deployed, and we went to the beach, parasailing, and just enjoyed having each other's company during the holidays. I am starting SCUBA classes tomorrow, it's very exciting, Guam is one of the best places on Earth for diving, and Brian is going to take a refresher course since he was already certified a long time ago. We are looking forward to Beth and Bob's visit later this month, Brayden is excited having all these visitors, he wants to show them "his island". He is doing well, still going to preschool, not getting in as much trouble as before but still having his moments. Oliver is screaming at me right now to get off the computer and play with meeee! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and have a even better 2009!!

2009-01-05T14:05:00.006+10:00

Some pictures from the past few weeks.

2009-01-05T13:38:00.002+10:00

Adam and I parasailing.

2009-01-05T10:22:00.006+10:00

Opening presents Christmas morning!

Look what Brian got me for Christmas!

I must have been extra good this year!

2009-01-05T10:08:00.002+10:00

Obligatory holiday pictures.

2009-01-05T09:59:00.001+10:00

So we now have a four month old and a four year old...

no wonder I never have time to update this blog!

2009-01-05T09:22:00.006+10:00

December 13th was Brayden's 4th birthday. We had a small party at the base pool, and although his cake got smashed in the car, we couldn't get the candles to light because of the wind, and Brayden somehow smashed his EAR in the cooler (your guess is as good as mine, how)....he had a great time! Hard to believe it has been 4 years already. He is a smart boy, sweet and rambunctious. I guess this means we are keeping him.

2008-11-20T17:21:00.000+10:00

My how time flies.......

2008-11-10T17:55:00.000+10:00

Oliver's first trip in the ocean! He LOVED it.

2008-11-02T08:58:00.000+10:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope everybody had a great time. Our neighbor tried to tell us how big of a deal Halloween was in our neighborhood, and we grossly underestimated......we ran out of candy in about 5 minutes. There was literally 2-3 thousand people in our neighborhood (apparently it is the place to trick or treat on the whole island). There were haunted houses all over the place, people making snow cones for the trick or treaters, giving out bottled water to keep them hydrated, giving out beers for the moms and dads, it was CRAZY. Brayden had a blast, Oliver did okay for the first hour or so, then I took him home. There were cars and people everywhere, I think he got a little overstimulated. The night before Halloween, we were just hanging outside when we heard music, and there was a random parade coming down our street, people with torches, etc. It was the mayor of Piti, campagining for re election, we got to meet him and he gave Brayden a big ol' bag of candy. He lives just down the street from us. Local politics are a huge deal here, because though Guam has delegates for the primaries, they don't get to vote in the general election. I can't believe it is election time in a few days, I feel like I am perpetually stuck in July. Anyhow, get out and vote (unless you are voting for McCain/Palin, did you know they changed the election date to the 5th?)!!! Be well!!

2008-11-02T08:16:00.001+10:00

Partners in crime fighting......

2008-11-02T08:07:00.000+10:00

Ollie's costume was made of felt, so we took it off to

go trick or treating, had to leave the mask though!

2008-11-02T08:02:00.000+10:00

Our Pumpkin. B named it scary pumpkin man, but

had to sleep with it in his room for a few nights.

2008-11-02T07:57:00.000+10:00

Why must you make me so so saaaaad?

2008-10-23T17:10:00.000+10:00

Ollie is 2 months old! 12 pound 5 ounces, 23.5 inches long.

2008-10-23T16:37:00.000+10:00

Brotherly love.....

2008-10-23T16:05:00.000+10:00

A walk by the beach.....

2008-10-23T15:57:00.000+10:00

Cosmic bowling!!

2008-10-08T20:53:00.000+10:00

He is loving his play mat!

2008-10-08T20:42:00.000+10:00

B is really into computers right now, we

didn't even have to teach how to use it!

2008-10-08T20:26:00.000+10:00

Ollie in action, smiling at Daddy!

2008-09-30T10:39:00.000+10:00

Ollie is smiling and cooing!!!

2008-09-24T22:02:00.000+10:00

Hello everyone! T can't say much, because typing one handed is not all that efficent, and this kids eats all the time! Can you believe Ollie is a month old? We had our first visitor to Guam, my mom. We had as good of a time to be expected with a 2 week old in tow. I have posted some pics, but my time is pretty occupied these days, so if you want to see all 900 pics, call her! Everything is going well, the rainy season is in full swing....seems like we moved here to get away from that!! I hope everyone is well, we miss you all very much.

2008-09-24T21:54:00.000+10:00

Bros.

2008-09-24T21:47:00.000+10:00

The Guys.

2008-09-24T21:29:00.000+10:00

B got a new house!

2008-09-24T09:25:00.000+10:00

Bathtime with Nana!

2008-09-24T09:05:00.000+10:00

Submarine adventure with Nana and Daddy!

2008-09-19T13:34:00.000+10:00

Hey everyone! I am slowly uploading pictures from my Mom's visit. We sent her home with over 900 pictures so you can imagine it is a daunting task. I will be putting more up every few days, so check back. I could do it now if a certain someone didn't eat every 2 hours!! :) Stay well!

2008-09-19T12:52:00.000+10:00

Mom and I went on a dolphin watching tour....

so relaxing, swimming in the middle of the ocean, watching dolphins,

and bananna boats!

2008-09-14T21:42:00.000+10:00

These were taken in and around Nana's hotel. Brayden

is like the David Hasslehoff to the Japanese. They LOVE him,

must be the blonde hair.

2008-09-03T19:07:00.000+10:00

Oliver's first bath!!

2008-09-03T19:03:00.000+10:00

I really didn't like that....

2008-09-03T18:55:00.000+10:00

Hangin' with Daddy.

2008-09-03T18:51:00.000+10:00

Napping with mommy.

2008-09-02T15:20:00.000+10:00

We went to a Labor Day celebration at the beach.

2008-09-02T15:06:00.000+10:00

Fun with clowns!!

2008-09-02T14:44:00.000+10:00

They had a water slide.......

....but B changed his mind once he got to the top.

Twice.

2008-09-02T14:32:00.000+10:00

I'm the cutest!

2008-09-02T14:23:00.000+10:00

Ollie trying to eat my face!

2008-08-30T17:51:00.000+10:00

Hello everyone! A little update on us, we are doing great. Brayden has adjusted to a new guy in the house pretty well, he likes to kiss and hold Oliver all the time.....not that there hasn't been more tantrums and acting out, but at least he is nice to his baby brother. I am healing nicely, it was pretty hard to get around those first few days, but now, a week later, I am feeling pretty good. Brian has taken two weeks leave, it has been so nice having him around the house. He and Brayden have been doing "big boy" stuff, Brian has cooked, cleaned, changed diapers and taken care of me while I was recovering. Kudos to Bob and Beth for raising such a great son, I really couldn't ask for a better husband (okay, maybe for his feet to stink less, but that's it!). Oliver is a peach. He is sleeping through the night (hopefully it will last), he rarely cries and he loves to snuggle. He loves to eat and stare at the fan......both Brian and I feel like he has already changed a lot since he was born, and it feels like he's always been here. We are so happy he is ours. My mom is coming next week, so come back and look, I am sure there will be a thousand pictures of our activities. I hope everyone is doing well.

2008-08-30T17:46:00.000+10:00

Brayden was caught reading Consumer Reports while doing

his busines....he is really going to hate me someday when

he sees this blog!

2008-08-30T15:13:00.000+10:00

2008-08-30T14:55:00.000+10:00

Hangin' in my lounger!!

2008-08-26T09:33:00.000+10:00

New pics! Sorry, no commentary today, we are on our way

out the door!!

Baby has jaundice so we have to put him in the sun.

2008-08-23T00:14:00.000+10:00

Introducing Oliver Robert Hicks.

8 pounds 14 ounces, 21 inches long.

Born August 20th, 2008

12:52 pm

2008-08-22T23:52:00.000+10:00

Mommy and baby.

2008-08-22T23:23:00.000+10:00

Up close and personal with Olliebob.

2008-08-22T23:13:00.000+10:00

When B met O.......

2008-08-22T22:58:00.000+10:00

Proud papa and view from our hospital room.

2008-08-22T22:49:00.000+10:00

Going home!!

2008-08-22T22:40:00.000+10:00

Flowers from Nana.

2008-08-09T11:57:00.000+10:00

My new mommy mobile.

2008-08-03T20:21:00.000+10:00

Oliver Robert's nursery!!

2008-08-03T20:12:00.000+10:00

I've actually never been more comfortable......

riiiiight.

(35 weeks)

2008-07-27T20:52:00.000+10:00

Hafa Adai everybody! Sorry I have been a slacker in the posting department, but a lot has been going on these past few weeks. Brian's ship ended up going to Hong Kong for 3 weeks, so Brayden and I have been hanging out, going to the beach and the pool. Brayden also started preschool! He is having fun there, he only goes 3 hours a day (we will see if he starts to go longer once baby brother gets here), just trying to get used to all the RULES. Brian got home on Saturday, so things are getting back to normal. I met my doctor (finally) and everything is looking pretty good. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes but apparently it will go away after Oliver gets here, and it is not a severe case, so that's good. Oliver's head is down, he is ready to go! The doc estimates that his weight is about 6 pounds, so I guess I am on track to have another big boy! Sigh. As you can see, Brayden is starting to adjust to life on Guam, he loves the frogs.....me, not so much. He is getting excited to see his Nana in a month or so, and Brian's parents visiting this "winter". It is going to be extremely weird celebrating Christmas at the beach. Everyone is doing well, I suppose, I am the most tan, which is nice!! Both Brayden and I have been making friends, always a relief......I don't know what I would have done without my new friend Marie these past couple of weeks, I have had numerous doctors appointments and nowhere for Brayden to go, and she graciously offered. So nice! Brayden also met a little girl at the beach today, he said he is going to marry her. I don't think I am ready for him to be thinking about girls yet!! I hope you are all doing great, don't be afraid to call you can just call our old Oak Harbor number, and it will ring here and just charge you for the call to Oak Harbor. Anyway, we love and miss you all......keep your fingers crossed for a easy labor......I am going to have to change the name of this blog to hicksbrothers.com or something!! Love ya!

2008-07-27T20:10:00.000+10:00

I know most of you have been curious to see where we are living, so here are some pictures of our new house! I didn't take any pics of the bedrooms because Oliver's isn't ready, and Brayden's is a mess, and our's still has boxes in it!!

Front view of our house.

Front yard.

Backyard

Dining Room

Living Room.

Kitchen.....only downside, no DISHWASHER!!!

2008-07-27T19:53:00.000+10:00

Our favorite pastime, going to Gab Gab beach!

2008-07-27T19:14:00.000+10:00

Today we went to the War in the Pacific memorial, which is right up the street from our house. It is to remember the 16,142 Chamarro and American casualties on Guam during WWII and the Japanese occupation of Guam from 1941-1944. It is on top of Nimitz Hill, which is also where we live. It is a beautiful place, except for the fact that people keep stealing bronze plates from the memorial to sell for scrap. Very sad.....put the parks service is working on replacing the missing plates.

2008-07-27T19:03:00.000+10:00

Riding his trike in the pouring down rain.

2008-07-27T18:58:00.000+10:00

He said "Take a picture of my muscles, mom!!"

2008-07-27T18:41:00.000+10:00

B and I checking out a carving Brian bought in Hong Kong.

Neat scroll Brian got in China.

Hicks Family.

Casie, Brian, Brayden and Oliver......

2008-07-01T19:54:00.000+10:00

Hello everyone!! We got the internet today (finally!). I have uploaded a few photo's but our house isn't quite in order yet, so I will post some as soon as it doesnt looklike a tornado hit it. Everyone is doing well, we hope you are too. Love you all!

2008-07-01T19:52:00.000+10:00

Coming down the hill to our house.

2008-07-01T19:48:00.000+10:00

The veteran's cemetary up the hill from our house.

2008-07-01T19:35:00.000+10:00

We decided to check out some of the beaches on base, this beach is called

Gab Gab. Apparently, the Navy has the best beaches on the island.

Lucky us!!

Brayden is getting to the point where he is floating and putting his head

under, he will be swimming any day now!!

2008-07-01T19:30:00.000+10:00

Brayden's new hobby is riding his bike in the driveway.

The sun sets here by 7pm every night, great for convincing him

it's BEDTIME!!

2008-07-01T19:27:00.000+10:00

Brayden's new best friend, and resident bug eater.

2008-07-01T19:22:00.000+10:00

View from our "new" hotel. Pre and post rain!!

2008-06-21T22:13:00.000+10:00

Hafa Adai from Guam!! I'm sure most of you got my email with the first pictures, but we have been pretty busy the past few days, sorry there wasn't a faster update! I think jet lag is a thing of the past, Brayden has had a little stomach bug, but nothing serious, even being sick doesn't slow that kid down for long! We have found a house, but we have to wait until the Navy approves it before we can move in.....probably sometime late next week. We are also going to get a new cell phone on Monday, so look for an email with our new address and phone number. Otherwise, everything is going great. The heat was overwhelming at first, but just like anything else, you get used to it fast. Brian has checked into his ship, and seems to like it. I have met a couple of friends, which is nice, especially when we are all in the same "boat". Guam is a great place, the people couldn't be nicer, and it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I think our family will be very happy here.......I can't believe that in less than 80 days, our family is going to get a new person. Wow. Brayden is excited for his baby brother Oliver, he keeps trying to buy him stuffed animals. We miss our friends and family, but our new house has 4 bedrooms, so feel free to come visit!! I hope all is well for you all. Adios (which is also goodbye in Chamarro as well as Spanish!). Love.

2008-06-21T22:07:00.000+10:00

We made it down to the beach today. Brayden doesn't like it when his

feet don't touch. The water is SO CLEAR, we had angelfish swimming

all over around our feet. Beautiful.

2008-06-21T22:01:00.000+10:00

I went and had a massage in a cabana near the beach.

I don't believe I have ever been that relaxed.

Foot bath, aromatherapy and a massage all in one day?

No wonder they call this place paradise.

2008-06-21T21:56:00.000+10:00

Brayden made a new friend, Lizard Lizard. He caught it

himself, but then his tail fell off.

2008-06-21T21:55:00.000+10:00

Jet lag makes preschoolers disgruntled.

2008-06-21T21:47:00.000+10:00

We ate at a place called the Jamacain Grill.

SO good.

2008-06-21T21:45:00.000+10:00

Getting used to the heat.

2008-06-21T21:41:00.000+10:00

Playing ping pong with Daddy.

2008-06-17T12:27:00.000+10:00

My brother Jason had a bbq the day before we left.

2008-05-22T05:15:00.000+10:00

Oh wow. I had NO idea it had been so long since I updated Brayden's blog! I'm sorry! We have had a lot going on around here lately. Right now I am updating (on our new laptop, yay! So fast!) from the Oak Harbor Navy lodge, tomorrow Brian checks out of his command for good and we are heading to Wenatchee to visit everyone before we say goodbye June 15th. We can't believe that it is finally here. It's very strange to have such a mix of excitment and adventure with sadness and trepidation. Brayden has been at his Papa Fletcher's for the past week while Brian and I got everything ready for the move. They came and packed up our stuff on Monday and we cleaned it all out and now we are homeless!! I signed us up with relocation company in Guam, they take care of everything, including giving us a temporary cell phone and a realtor. So we will be living in a hotel when we get there, but I have seen the hotel's website, and I, for one, really don't care if we ever find a house, this hotel looks like paradise!! With all this going on, I really haven't had a chance to think that in 3 short months, our family is going to grow by 1/4th! It's in the back of my mind, but I keep telling myself one thing at a time. Everything looks good as far as the baby goes, I had another ultrasound last week, and he already weighs TWO POUNDS. At 23 weeks. Sigh. You can tell by my pictures below, he is going to be a big one (either that or they missed one!!). We are all getting excited for these changes, except of course for the airplane ride.....I am thinking about just giving Brian a Unisom so I don't have to deal with him too!! LOL. Well, I have talked your ear off, so hopefully I will get to see you all before we leave. Adios (which is apparently how they say goodbye in Chamarro, also)!!

2008-05-22T05:06:00.000+10:00

A whole bunch of pictures from

Brayden's week at Papa's.

2008-05-22T05:05:00.000+10:00

25 weeks!!

I think we are on track for another

10 pound baby. Jeepers.

2008-05-22T04:59:00.000+10:00

Carnival pictures!!

They had so much fun, but Brayden

wanted to ride the "big ones!".