Settling Into our new Home!

We love our kids, they are the light of our lives. They are precious and as you can see below, they are wonderful. These pictures were taken today during playtime outside.
























































































What more can I say, I needed a bath, is that alright with you?

Moving forward

Anna and Cole in Hinesville riding "Anna's" tricycle.


Things are good and getting better. I have to admit, that we are slowly adjusting to Hinesville, GA. We have great neighbors and just up the road lives Craig and Jennifer Rhyne, Craig is my collegue at the hospital where we have a good relationship. I think that as time moves on we will grow to more and more like this place.

Lori is such a great girl. She has got the house looking very nice. This is a nice house. We have great landlords in the Ruckarts out of Florida. They are very nice and soooo helpful. We got our furniture that we bought from Havertys yesterday and it looks nice. We started to hang pictures on the wall so that is nice. I enjoy having more time to spend with the family. I don't think I have ever had this much time to spend with Lori since we have been married.



Cole Corbin Partridge at 9 months

Anna Grace Partridge 2 1/2 years of age.

Hinesville, GA

Hinesville, GA 31313

















Well it has been about a week that we all have been here and I have to say, this is a small place and like anyplace will take some time to get used to. This is a great neighborhood that we live in and we feel very safe to be in the Barrington estates, however, other than base, they are the only two places that one really wants to visit..... at this point but that will all change!

Time will tell!

Today is the day we are all in Georgia

Well, it has been along time since I actually wrote in this thing.....all summer I have been away from the family, Lori and the kids....how I have missed them. Everytime I call home I can here Anna saying she wants to talk to Daddy and also Cole trying to talk. It was a long summer and time away is never good but draws one closer to the things that matter and that is Lori, Anna, and Cole. I can't believe that we are finally going to be here. I have been here now for 5 days trying to get this house ready here at Fort Stewart, Georgia. I will pick the family up and welcome them home with love. I know it has been soooooo hard on Lori to struggle with two very young kids. I know that she has missed not having a place of her own. It must have been hard to feel like she was imposing on someone all summer, but how thankful we are to our family, especially my mother who took them in all summer and helped out sooooo much. I know next time I have to be stationed away will be easier as the kids will be that much older and hopefully sleeping more through the night. Lori is so strong and how I can't wait to take care of her and my kids by showing them their husband and father is here to help at every second. I love them tremendously.

Good to have them back!

Almost done

I realized the other day that I have not written in the blog all summer. I wanted to give an update on what we have been doing. We moved out of our house on June 21st. It was a full weekend. We went to Corbin's banquet on a Saturday and began cleaning and boxing things up on Sunday. We finished the moving on Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning Cole, Anna, Grandma Barratt, and myself flew to Utah. Anna was sick and so we were up the night before with her, but we made it to American Fork late Tuesday night.

Corbin drove to San Antonio for officer training. Although we have been separated for the summer I think we have managed okay. I miss Corbin so much and can't wait to be together again in our new house in Georgia.

Here are some highlights of our summer in Utah:
-Anna completed swimming lessons with flying colors. She is now officially a fish. We are just waiting for her gills to grow.
-Steel Days in American Fork. I think we have the record for going to every event (it seemed that way). Cole was in the baby contest, but somehow he didn't win. Anna danced when every float went by at the parade, and caught some candy, too. We loved the Diamond Rio concert and Cole especially loved the fireworks.
-Attending concerts at the Scera Park. Anna can still tell you about the lady who got mad at her for rolling down the hill. Grandma Barratt is still trying to recover from trying to stand-up on a hill while holding Cole.
-Taking a lot of drives in the afternoon. This was the only way to get Anna to take a nap.
-Cole learned to crawl and got two new teeth.
-Cousin Tanner stayed at Grandma Barratts for a few days. Anna took good care of him.
-The Esplin Reunion. Anna got to ride a four wheeler, hay wagon, pony, and cow all in the same day. Anna also got to ride the school bus with her cousins. It was good to celebrate the 100th birthday of Grandma Esplin. She is a great example to our family. It was fun to see lots of Esplin cousins.
-Maynard Dixon art show. This wasn't very much fun for Anna and Cole, but something I have wanted to do for a long time. I had so much fun talking to artists and looking at paintings. I hope I can come back next year.
-Going to school to surprise Grandpa Partridge. We didn't want to leave without saying good-bye to Grandpa and Anna loves to be at school.

Look at all of the fun things we have done and we still have a month left. I am sure we will have more things to all to our list.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

Congrats.....I recieved my certificate from IU School of Medicine for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. It was along four years but a good four years. I will miss my co-residents the most....Tracy and Gabe were great guys to work with but with all things, life goes on.

GOODBYE SAM PARTRIDGE

SAM WAS A GREAT FRIEND AND WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED!!!!





Goodbye Sam!!!!!
You will be dearly missed!!!!!!
Sam passed away tonight. It was soooooooooooo sad, I am very upset. I think it was for the best, but it is hard to say goodbye to such a good friend. He has been with me for a third of my life, 11 years and some. He was such a great friend. I will miss him dearly! Sam was such a good thing for me in my life. He was more than just a dog, he was a part of this family and a part of me. For 11 years, when people thought of me or asked me how I was, they always thought or asked of Sam!!!!!! He looked peaceful as he went. I loved him dearly and will never forget the joy and companionship he gave me.....a lump in my throat will always accompany me when I think of him!

Two and a half!!!!

Today Anna made me realize she is actually 2 1/2 years old......if you understand that you understand everything!

Cole is six months and learning to eat and eat and eat like a big kid!

Less Than Two Weeks

We are on the count down until we move. I (Lori) will be in Utah with Anna and Cole for the summer, and Corbin will be in Texas. We have anticipated this for awhile and we are both ready for it to happen. I am excited to get settled in our new home in Hinesville. Corbin has worked so hard in his residency the past four years. It is amazing the changes that have happened in our family during this time.
Anna is growing-up. I used to wonder if she would talk, but since she has learned our house is seldom quiet. She is learning so many things every day. It is fun to watch her change. She likes to watch movies and dance to them. She likes to paint and sing songs. She loves to go places in the car. She will love having her Grandmas' around because she loves both of them dearly.
Cole is also growing up. At six months he weighs in at 20 pounds. He is sitting up and loves to play with toys and watch Anna. He is so happy all of the time. He is getting his top four teeth. He is learning to eat food.
Corbin gave me a camera for a gift. I am excited to learn how to use it this summer. He is a great Dad and husband. I will miss him so much this summer.

Cole's Eye Surgery

Cole had surgery today for a blocked tear duct. I took him to the doctor on Monday to have it examined and they were able to fit him at the end of the week. Cole couldn't eat after midnight, so he was hungry in the morning, but he still stayed happy. All of nurses came in to see him, because he was so cute. We went to surgery at 10:00 and was back at 10:30 ready to eat. I fed him and then we went home. Cole was tired when we got home and took a long nap. I am proud of how well he did.

Family Fun

Well, tonight we all went to a Regional Track Meet at North Central High School. It was quite fun. We all got there about 6pm for the start. Lori and Cole had to leave early to get him home and put him to bed but Anna and I stayed for the whole thing. She loved it....she would clap and yell at the runners..."RUN FAST!" It actually took me back to the days when I used to run. Those were good days, however, I would not trade my life now for anything. I feel soooooooo blessed to have Lori and the kids in my life. I do love them dearly...they mean everything to me.

Poopy Experience!!!

Well, it has now been quite the experience....Lori tried to potty train Anna with no luck....however, we have noticed one new aspect that is not so promising....twice now in three days Anna has decided to take manners into her own hands (literally tonight) and either take her diaper off and get crap all over in her room or as she did tonight, run in and grab me from her room to tell me she went #2! Well little did I know that she had been finger painting with the crap that was all over her hands, which she decided to put stick into my mouth before I could realize what had happened....needless to say, that was not very tasty....we are trying, but I think she is winning.

Cole went to the pediatric opthalmologist today, who stated that he needs his tear duct (lacrimal duct) probed, as it is clogged, hopefully we can get that done before we have to split for the summer. He is such a cute little fellow, and there is no doubt about it when you look into his beautiful brown eyes.

We just got back from Utah, as Lori will write about, as Cleve passed on from this life. Lori said he seemed peaceful, and I am happy for that. The trip was nice, under the circumstance and it was nice to see the family and let the families see the kids. Anna and I spent a night with my father in Panguitch, which was a great time. She enjoys Dad and Kaelyn. They enjoy her. Now I think I am just along for the ride, it is all about the grandkids, which is should be.

I posted some cute pictures from this last week.....finger painting, time at the zoo, bath time and little princess.....

Good bye Grandpa Esplin

On Mother's Day I got a call from my sisters saying that my Dad was in the hospital. Each day I would call to check on him and every day it seemed more things were wrong. Wednesday evening, May 11th, I got a call in the evening from my Mom. She said my Dad's blood pressure had dropped and they thought he would die that night. My family was there, except me. I cried and cried that night, because I wanted to be there with my family to say good bye to my Dad. Corbin got tickets to fly to Utah the next afternoon. When I called the next morning they said my Dad was doing better. He was still critical, but his blood pressure was up. We flew out Thursday morning. My family decided to remove all life support that day and we weren't sure how long he would survive. We were about 10 minutes from the hospital and my sister called to say that my Dad had died. Corbin dropped me off and took the kids to my sisters. My mom and sisters were around the hospital bed when I arrived. The first thing I wanted to do was hold my Dad's hand. His left hand is missing the ring finger and was obviously unique to him. I guess I wanted to make sure that was still the same. It was after midnight and the hospital was quiet, except for room 333. We were all laughing and telling stories about Dad. Finally around 2:00 we thought we should go home and get some rest.

On Monday we drove to Mt. Carmel. I went to Kanab to help my family dress Dad for the viewing. That evening we had a family viewing and burned the brand on his casket. Everyone told stories about things they remembered about Dad. I told about how Dad would bring home doggy lambs for me to feed. We would keep them in a box by the stove to keep them warm and I would give them warm cow's milk several times during the day and night. I guess Dad thought this was something I was good at, because I seemed to be the family member how always got this job.

Tuesday was the funeral. I got a chance to see so many people that I had not seen in a long time. It was really good to find-out where people were at and what they were doing. Ann, Eric, and Kline talked. They all did a great job. We buried Dad in the Mt.Carmel cemetry under a pine tree facing the mountains. I think Dad will like this spot.

The rest of my family had to go back home after the funeral, but Corbin and I were able to stay with my Mom for a couple of days. It was nice for me to spend some time with my Mom. I have often felt like I didn't know what to do for the family when someone dies, but having my Dad die has helped me see how to help others. People were so kind to our family. People provided food, cards, kind words, flowers, hugs, and telephone calls. All of them were appreciated. We will miss Dad, but I know he is happy where he is at.

I ran the Half Marathon Today!!!!

Well, today I did it, I ran the mini-marathon in Indianapolis. It was quite an experience. I am not in running shape AT ALL. I have to admit, I am in pretty decent shape as I do the stairmaster for 40-50 minutes four or five times a week but that is far short of being in shape for the mini!!!! I ran it with one of my co-chief residents at the OMFS program and I did finish it in 2 hours and four minutes, however, the last 80 minutes of the run was totally in pain as my feet were killing me. There were two problems that I noted:
1. My shoes are five years old and have many stairstepping miles on them
2. I have not run forever!!!!

Eventhough that was the case I finished it out, however, every muscle in my body now aches, I don't look forward to tomorrow!..

New Teeth

This week we discovered that Cole has his two bottom teeth. He likes chewing on anything he can get his hands on. He likes to swing and got for walks in his stroller. He is trying to roll from his back to his stomach, but he can't quite get there, yet. Anna's new thing is playing the drums. She likes to pound on anything that makes a sound and pretent she is playing music. She plays the drums on the trash can, the sidewalk, and the car. She also thinks Dad can fix anything. If anything is broken she thinks Dad will fix it. This includes pretzels, noodles, pictures, and the list goes on.

Great Weather

Well, the weather has finally turned "nice" as Anna would say.....this weekend was sooooo beautiful. Anna and Dad went to Purdue University to Springfest, which is a big thing they put on with bugs and animals. Anna had sooooo much fun. She got to do so many things. She went to two types of petting zoos. One that was of big BUGS and the other of animals. She loves adventure. She is such a great little gal, we had soooooo much fun being on a daddy daughter date. The big thing for her was when we were feeling inside a stomach that the Vet School had created and the cow went "pupu." She has not gotten over that yet. It is great!

Cole and I had some quality time together yesterday as we put up the old swing on the front porch and he just would swing back and forth, laughing as he always does. Now at church we get to spend it all together as Lori is now assigned to nursery....better her than me!


Life is going by fast.....what can I say, the weather is nice and we are happy!

Welcome Back SAM!!!

Well, today Anna and I went and got Sam from Martinsville. Anna loves Sam now, he is her buddy, all day since we have picked him up, it has been Sam this and Sam that....it is soooo cute. Sam has not missed a beat. As soon as we got back, he slowly moved (as he does) upstairs to lay down beside the bed as he does....I have to admit, I am soooo glad to have him back. I have totally missed the little guy. He looks great, has lost some weight and seems as happy as ever.

Today was the first day that we broke out the old lawnmower, it was quite a chore just to get it running. I did however and got the lawn mowed. Nothing like the first day one mows the lawn and the smell of freshly cut grass!!!! Welcome back spring!

Moving On

Well, it has been quite a time these last few weeks! We did get the house sold and were ready to move when at closing, the lady who bought our house offered us the opportunity to stay in the house for a few extra months. This was great!!!! This was great because we will be saving about three thousand dollars and only having to move once instead of twice. Also, it is actually cheaper than when we were paying a mortgage, as we are now only paying her mortgage.

Anna and Cole are growing up and Lori is such a good teacher to Anna. I can't believe the new things she says everyday and the new things she can "only do herself." She is quite the gal, does not like to miss out on anything, especially at night at bedtime. Cole is starting to maintain his growth as I think now he will just start to lose some of those rolls and lengthen a little bit. It is exciting to see them grow.

As far as Lori and I are concerned, we are doing great, we don't get alot of time together, however we try hard. We went out to the "Bonefish" and ate after closing on the house. It was for sure the best meal we have had in awhile. We both got the Ahi Tuna and it was very nice. We are excited about moving on as I have only two and a half months left! Good stuff.

Home Alone

Corbin is in South Carolina for an exam, so Cole, Anna, and I have been home alone. Corbin has only been gone since Saturday night, but I already miss him. I will be excited to see him Monday night. I was hoping to be able to go for a walk today, but it is so cold outside. We didn't do much today except go to church. I talked to Corbin and he said his exam went well. He loves Charleston. It makes me more and more excited to move. We have had a good week. Anna is really growing and changing. She is talking a lot more and is starting to like Cole a little. Cole is so happy. He loves to be right where things are at. He is afraid something might happen without him. I took him to the doctor last week and he weighs 15 pounds 10 ounces. He is a big, solid kid. He is very handsome. I love to take him places, because people always comment on how cute he is.

Family Pic Day!