The Toy Box Years: The Museum Through Nani's Eyes

The Creators of the Toy Box Years

The creators of the Toy Box Years are my two beautiful daughters and wonderful, handsome soldier husband.

"Nani" (our oldest) is a 11 year old 6th grader who loves Taylor Swift, ballet, books, fashion designing and sewing. Ask her what she wants to be when she grows up and it changes daily to anything from "an artist" to "a teacher" to "a singer/dancer". Nani is also currently fighting a battle against brain cancer -- recently diagnosed in June 2016.

"Nudgie" (our youngest) is a very smiley, very happy, very giggly, very spirited 8 year old 3rd Grader who's favorite toys are anything that gives mommy an anxiety attack - ladders, stepstools, the climbing wall at the playground. Like her sister, she has a love of reading and coloring, loves gymnastics and still provides mommy lots of snuggle time!

"My Marine" is my high school sweetheart. We've been married over 20 years and met when we were 17. (You do the math....) His favorite toys are Blackhawk helicopters, the lawnmower, our steam cleaner, and microbrew beer bottles. My husband is also my hero in that he proudly serves his country as a Blackhawk crew chief (hence his favorite toy!). And need I say that there is nothing hotter than my man in uniform!

All About Me......

Once upon a time I had a career and worked in the corporate world. Once upon a time, I dreamed about leaving that all behind to follow my true calling -- being a wife and mommy.

The first part of my calling was fulfilled in 1995 when I married my Marine (now soldier) and my love. Little did I know that being a military wife would change me in so many ways and that because of that, I would have an extended family all over the world from Japan, to California, to North Carolina.

The second part of my calling took a little doing, but I finally achieved that dream in 2004 with the birth of our first child, followed 4 years later by her baby sister.

So now, when someone asks me what I do for a living - I simply smile and say proudly that I'm following my calling - I'm a mommy and a wife -- and I couldn't be HAPPIER -- I'm living in the Toy Box Years!!

On Sunday, I took my dad and the girls to the Denver Museum of Science and Nature. We haven't been there since before I had Nudgie and daddy had never been there at all.

We stopped for breakfast first and then headed out - getting there shortly after they opened at 9am. (I'm an early bird and love going to attractions as soon as they open to avoid most of the crowds!) Turns out that it was a Free Day that day, so no admission! BONUS!

I took our big Nikon camera with me and also had our little Olympus too. (My Marine calls it the "battle cam) While I experimented and played around with our big camera, I gave Nani the battle cam and told her that she can take pictures of her visit to the museum. Her little face lit up and she was so excited to be able to take her very own pictures!

She was so cute to watch! We'd stop at every exhibit and she'd take pictures of EVERYTHING! Funny thing was -- at the end of the day, it was HER pictures that turned out better than mine. I had a bit of an exposure issue, but hey - I'm learning, right?

Anyway - here are a couple pictures from Nani's day at the museum!