Happy Halloween

 #1 with her costume.  I am SO happy she was happy with it.  Even though it wasn't perfect by any means.

 #2 In her fairy outfit.  She decided she wanted her hair done like Fawn.  Well... you know how it goes.  =)

#3 in his Chicken Little outfit.  No hat with the red rooster stuff.  If you look close at his bum, you can see his rooster feathers on his outfit.  TOO CUTE!  Love him up!

All Hallows Eve

Want to know one of the best things about being LDS?  

   Having trunk or treat on a non-Sunday no matter what day Halloween falls on! 

Alas.... tonight will be a Tri-Ward Trunk or Treat for our little munchkins.  Since we have an awesome Activities Chair - You Rock TARA! - we will be having a little carnival for the children as well. All homemade of course.... lots of really fun games for the children to enjoy before packing it up and taking it outside for the children to make their rounds "Trunk or Treating".  Clue:  Some people will decorate the trunks of their cars in the parking lot and then have the children come by for candy.   Bottom Line:  No need to worry about the candy in that bag, it's all safe AND no one will be darting out across streets or getting lost, they are all in the parking lot! 

Tonight's line up, you ask?  

#1 - Tinkerbell - her outfit isn't perfect, but the best I could find since I am a HUGE procrastinator.  It will be dark green velvet, with lime-green wings.   Go figure.  

#2 - Fairy - she wasn't too particular about which fairy, so she will just be your average one tonight.  

#3 - Since I got all of the stuff from the thrift store.... YESTERDAY.... I found this really cute "Chicken Little" costume in little man's size.  Not really thinking I will figure out the head part.  

All of my children will be missing accessories to their ensembles and will look incomplete.   My opinion ?   OH WELL!   I vow every year once trunk or treat is over to make the cutest costumes ever.... and each year, I let it slip away from me.  Maybe we will try again for next year.  Any ideas?

Hard

There is a saying that says, "there is a time and a season for all things".  (not a direct quote... cut me some slack, I talk to children 5 and under day in and day out!)  Unfortunately, this "season" of my life seems to be one void of joy and happiness.  Every day that passes,  I am more certain that I was not cut out to be a mother....or any form of nurturer.  Shocking?!  I know, right!?  Honestly, I don't really think it is all that shocking.  Why? 

 *Most of my career as a "mother" I have gone it alone.  Yeah, sure, there was a paycheck coming in from the other side of the world.... but in the grand scheme of things... what I really needed was help.  The Lord blessed me in many ways with some amazing friends to help me along the journey of the "single parent".  But, the first sea tour in the military for us has left me severely damaged.

* I have an obsession with wanting a nice, respectable looking home.  I envy those with the talent of interior decorating.  I pretty much don't have a gift in that area.

* It is that obsession that drives me over the edge when I get to add another task to my housework list instead of maybe for once having some time to make something for the house.  We don't have much, but I am trying with what we do have.

* Laundry piles, that get chucked around in other bins (or closets) to be folded another day.  Ever wonder why we never have pressed shirts/pants?  Yeah... if I don't have time to fold, you can bet I haven't dusted off the iron in YEARS.

*  We own a dog that is not potty trained, and maimes herself if we stick her in a kennel - as well as pottying in the kennel creating HOURS of work to scrub and clean.  I can't own a nice rug - because she'll ruin it!

* I believe that I should be given the kind of children that behave as I did as a child, which according to my parents was great!  My childrens CONSTANT misbehavior is very bothersome.  Lots of time in their room. 

Is there hope for me?  I feel that I lack friends because I am the mother to the children with the leash, whining and running away in the store,  teach bad things to sweet - angelic children,  and who can never sit still when we go out to eat.  Will there ever be a season of "happiness"?   I am honestly buried in housework, punishments, dog doo, laundry,  depression, and extra weight.   Could really really use a vacation - to a place where there are no children.

FOUR

My #2 turned 4 today.  I can not believe it!  Definitely seems less than 4 years that I was in the hospital waiting to meet her, with my sweet husband desperately trying to reach me.  It was truly a blessing that he was able to figure out where I was and talk to me not quite 2 hours after I gave birth to her.  She is my blossom amidst adversity.  Being born on Friday the 13th,  her superstitious mother would think she has a hard life ahead of her.  I am amazed to see her rise above any trials thrown her way.  Not only does she have one of the greatest smiles, she has one of the purest hearts I have ever had the blessing of being around.  There are many more life lessons that I am sure she will teach me.  We are very grateful to have her in our family.  Happy Birthday!! 

Beauty and the Beast

Tuesday was the most recent debut for one of my all-time favorite Disney Classics.  For those of you who do not know, Disney has this awesome thing they do each time they release a new movie.  You simply visit their website and click on special promotions.  I am also a Disney Movie Club member, so I think that may help a little.  Anyway... I paid $13.99 for the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack of Beauty and the Beast.  Wanna know how I did it?  First, I went to BJ's.  They had $4 knocked off the regular price ($27.99) which put me at $23.99.  Then I used my $10 off the combo pack in addition for a grand total of $13.99.  That is an even better price than buying just the DVD!   Dork that I am, I just LOVE getting a deal, don't you?

Nook App

I realize I am VERY behind the times.  However, my husband and I have been eying the nook as of late.  Who knows?  Maybe he will even get it for Christmas...... right Santa?!  Anyway.... they have an app available for your pc so that you can enjoy having a book ready to read without it taking up valuable space in your home (and without having a nook..... yet).  Those military families out there know what I am talking about.  Anytime you move (which in the military is supposed to be VERY OFTEN yet in my case is HARDLY EVER) there is a weight limit.  Anything that goes above that comes out of your paycheck.   That is right, we have to pay for it.  I don't know about you, but I would rather spend that valuable weight on household items (beds, tables, kitchen ware, etc) than on books, and plenty of them.  I have had to try to find places to stash books to keep down on the amount of bookshelf space we need.  If all goes well, we may just have an extensive ebook library instead of taking up space (and weight) to correspond with our love of books.   Come to think of it... books seem to be my only friends these days.   Maybe it is because you ignore them when you aren't reading them, instead of them ignoring you.  Interesting.....

Ward Campout

We headed to the ward campout friday night.  Got there about dark, set up our tents (we got a small 2 man tent for the girls to sleep in - worked out beautifully) and visited with the others that attended.  Overall it was fun interesting, but boy did we realize what a mistake it was for the dog to come along.  My hubby really wanted to bring her... help her have outside time...blah blah.  Except she barked and woke up the baby, (yup...he was asleep already) and then continued to growl for about half an hour or so.  Baby slept with us for half the night and because my hubby just wanted to pack a long sleeve t-shirt (and no layers/pjs to keep him warm in the 50 some degrees it was that night...) he FROZE and kept trying to snuggle up to me.  Since I am a really awesome wife though, i had a change of underwear and shorts and multiple shirts for the next morning. Yeah, I realize I am complaining a little bit.  The campout experience this year (first year with my hubby) was kinda hard for me.  In more ways than what I wrote.  I have a lot of changing/growing to do I guess.   Oh yeah, sorry, no pictures to share.

Living the Doldrums

So, yet ANOTHER day to notch on the calendar as a rainy one.  Pretty much ALL last week was full of rain, to only give us a break for about 48 hours.  Honestly, if #1's school is closed for the THIRD school day in a row.... I think I am going to scream.   Oh yeah, did I mention that rainy day = dog not wanting to go out = "accidents" on the fake wood floor = mopping, AGAIN. 

yucky day

Today it is raining.  Yucky rain. I know that it keeps plants growing and all that jazz, but really!?? I do not like those rainy days, I do not like them Sam I am. Apparently, this is supposed to go on for most of the week. Ugh. Although all of this was supposed to start Saturday night and it didn't until yesterday afternoon. Maybe there will be a few days without so much "wet". Here's to hoping. Really trying to find the motivation to get up and start cleaning - instead of wanting to read a book blog.

New Book (series)

I have finally decided to give in and read the Hunger Games series. Honestly I am a bit apprehensive about it and probably still will be as I hit page 100. I was finally able to finish the other book I was reading to make way for this series. I am grateful that I have some friends with the books to lend out! I will review it once I am finished with the series for any of you who are still holding out.

FINALLY FINISHED THE SERIES!  You'll just have to read 'em.

New Project

I have put my nose in another project (of course) and am really hoping to finish it before the rain arrives this weekend. Today I will have to do a little sanding (only a little) and a LOT of painting. I am trying to flip an old dresser and paint it/re-hardware it and get it ready for my girls room. After it is done drying and we put it in the girls room we are going to stamp/stencil butterflies and flowers all over it and then run with that idea for the rest of their room. I think that theme can stick for a few years at least. I plan on doing so much! hmmm..... all the tasks I seem to take on. What am I thinking?

Thoroughly Enjoying Julia

I realized that the previous post didn't shed light on the fact that I can actually enjoy my time with my middle child. I am here to state that indeed I CAN and DO enjoy my time with her. The other day we sat down and played food (she occasionally calls it "tea") and then had a quick game of hide and seek. I have really enjoyed having the time to do simple things with her. Most of the time she is playing on her own or I am busy doing house work. I am just so happy that I decided to take the time to be with her. When she plays food ("tea") she doesn't spend anytime eating, but rather tells you what to eat. Always concerned with her guests I suppose. When she plays hide-n-seek, she will hide and as you get near to her hiding spot and ask, "hmmm.... I wonder where my Julia could be!?" She'll pop out and show you!! No surprises there. Thank you Julia for showing me what life is about, love you!

Hurricane Julia

Some of you are aware of the Hurricane by this name that lives in my house. Others of you may not be aware of the Hurricane by the SAME name in the Atlantic right now. It is an answer to our prayers that it shouldn't be found hitting the US coast at any time in its future. Especially since we already have one IN the US. I am sure she could give the real Hurricane a run for its money.

Doggone Mess!

I have a confession.... I am a VERY MESSY baker. I really enjoy baking, yet I can't seem to keep things clean as I spin my way around the kitchen. Today I was throwing together a double batch of chocolate chocolate chip cookies (a favorite of Jeremiah's coworkers) and in the process, an item fell from above the microwave, tipped my bowl of flour and cocoa powder and most of the cocoa landed on the CLEAN DOG. Lately, Keela will lay down on the rugs in front of the refrigerator or the oven. She had had a bath not 30 minutes earlier and was now covered in powdered chocolate! Poor thing had to be hosed off AGAIN and dried and then I had to proceed to clean up the kitchen, living room rug (which she promptly ran to and shook off on as soon as the accident happened) and the floor between the two. Today was most definitely a doggone day in baking.

Best part was.... I laughed the whole time! There IS hope for my sanity.

Newest Project

Betcha didn't know my hubby was good with some woodworking tools, huh? NEITHER DID I!! I found some really great ideas and plans at Ana White's Knock-off Wood. There are plans here for people of every skill level. I think I might go outside, get me some power tools and try my hand at making something too. We left out the wheels and I still need to add a protective clear coat as well, but the girls are LOVING it. I told them they don't have to play on the floor anymore, and so that is what they tell others about their new table (naturally)! We decided on the red, not quite sure why.... just for some fun maybe in a completely white walled house (that I may have to remedy later).

Bubby's 1st Birthday!

Little man @ the hospital after his birth
Bubby (little man) had his first birthday on the 10th. Some very good friends invited us over to have a double celebration. Their daughter (a Beehive in our ward Young Women program)shares a birthday with Hunter. She turned 14. They were kind enough to make him a birthday cake which he REALLY loved. You may notice in the photos that half of the cake is missing, we finally cut off half so he could dig in a little better. LOVE how the pictures came out. The diaper the next day was tons of fun.


Little man on his big day

-Little man has been such a tremendous blessing in our lives this past year. I can attest that he has brought me lots of joy the past 12 months. It is wonderful to see a personality forming in him. He likes to laugh and play. Now that he knows how to get around, he doesn't enjoy being held very much - but would rather crawl around on the floor and get into trouble. We generally throw him in his walker to help exercise those muscles, sometimes he gets upset. His mother appreciates it though so her somewhat clean house can mostly stay that way. HOORAY buddy, you are ONE!!!



Bubby and the birthday girl - Courtney

First day of Kindergarten

My darling #1 had her first day of Kindergarten today. When I dropped her off this morning, I walked down the hall with my hand outstretched so she could hold it and she kept ignoring it. Silly me! I should have remembered that she was a big girl and didn't need to be seen with her mother holding her hand on the way to Kindergarten. When it was time for me to go - she came over, gave me a hug and "high five on both hands". I pick her up in a few minutes and we'll see how her first day was! Then on to MY homework - the never ending pile of paperwork!

Last Shot at Summer Fun

Yesterday was the last day of "summer" for us. We decided that we would end the summer with a bang. Off we went to Busch Gardens for a day of "hopeful" fun. The last time we took the kids to Busch we were sadly disappointed with children who did not want to ride anything due to fear. This time around was much different. I was so relieved and I think that a season pass may be in our future. #2 took a trip on the tea cups with a bunch of total strangers and had a blast while all of the other kids yelled her name and waved. #2 also loved the roller coaster while #1 looks around as though she isn't sure if she should smile or grimace. In the Sesame Street area of the park, we saw Grover, Zoe, and Abby. Of course they needed to be hugged before moving on.

Overall, we had a really great time and I was happy we could be together as a family. Hooray!

climate blues

I absolutely abhor hot weather. Honestly, I really really dislike it which is why my children have been out to the park (located in our backyard) maybe 10 times this summer. I do not want to sit out there in the heat and watch them play while I fume about all the things I would like to get done inside the house. When I actually get them out of the house and try to go do something "fun" we all end up grumbling about how hot and sweaty we are. Let me tell you, my little family, when hot and sweaty is REALLY not pleasant. Oh... and that also is with myself included. I have decided recently that since my back door pretty much overlooks the playground in entirety, I would very much enjoy staying inside and doing the cleaning, while my children make a tornado welcome at the playground. I know that I suffer their cleanliness, but... a tub every night in exchange for the opportunity to clean some house? DONE! I love the fall and winter months much more than those pesky hot summer days where the bees hover over you if you even smell remotely of a bouquet.

My dream place to settle (if I ever attain the dream) would be somewhere where it is either 65-75 degrees everyday of the year with maybe 60 days of rain each year. That is at least a good rain per week. Either that or the summers range from 65-75 degrees with fairly mild winters that see enough snow for a couple snow days and to make a snow fort and snowman. That would be the life. Oh and I must mention the near to zilch population of flying bugs. I do not like sharing the outdoors with them.

I LOVE Christmas, and it can't come without snow. There have been far too many green Christmas' down here. I am ready to see some white come Christmas morning! Most of my favorite things are those that happen during fall and winter. There is hot chocolate, pumpkin pie, roasty fireplaces, snuggling on the couch with a warm blanket and awesome book, cozy socks, warm pjs, and jeans. I really miss that about my slightly "yankee" upbringing. I love having seasons that actually feel like the seasons should! Bring on the fall weather and let's have it stay!

Got good books?

I am in dire need of some FABULOUS childrens books that would keep the attention and feed the imagination of children 5 and under. My brain works HORRIBLY when it comes to remembering authors and book titles, most times our trip to the library consists of me browsing through the books and trying to pick ones that "look" entertaining. Having three small children does not allow for much time to actually READ the books before checking them out. Most trips include a short play time (while I pick out books), checking out, and dragging everyone home. This of course cuts down on the time they have to fight with other children (or for other children to try to fight with them). When they get a little older...... *dream*

Little man under the weather

My poor baby boy is feeling a bit under the weather. He has a little fever and has just felt awful the past few days. I, of course, am loving it up because that means he is easier to get to sleep while I cuddle with him. I hope that it is due to teething, the poor guy has only 2 teeth and is going to have a 1st birthday within the next two weeks! My girls had pretty much all of their teeth by the time they turned one!

Little man is so fun to watch. I LOVE to watch babies learn. So much joy comes from watching them crawl, learn how to hold things, learn how to stand on their own, try to walk, play, etc. Most of the joy in my life has come from watching my children learn.

We are just so happy to be his parents. The spirit that he brings to our home is wonderful. He has so much love, laughter, and curiosity to make the whole family feel appreciated.

BI-cycle

I taught my 5 year old how to ride a two wheeler by herself this morning. It has been a gradual process. In May we got her a bicycle with training wheels a little earlier than her birthday to coincide with a family trip. Anyway....she got pretty good at riding with training wheels. Shortly after getting our dog (in June)I realized the best way for me to enjoy walking the dog would be to take her on bike rides with us. Every morning we hop on our bikes and ride around the neighborhood. Since she has put so many miles into her bicycle these days, her training wheels are pretty beat up. They are so much so that most of the ride, I watch her balance on the tires and her training wheels don't touch the ground. This morning, I decided now was the time to take those babies off. Off they came, and on she rode! Stopping and starting is a little more involved, but she is catching on quickly. Wow... she beat me at riding a bike by about 2 years. GO MEL!

More importantly though - I felt such a HUGE sense of accomplishment. Even more than I do with watching them take their first steps. I TAUGHT my daughter how to ride a two-wheeler! From the time I put into our walks in the morning, I was helping her learn how to ride without the assistance of training wheels. SO SO SO SO proud of her. I couldn't stop smiling as I watched her ride around the block. Her sense of accomplishment probably much matched mine as she wore a HUGE smile on that little face of hers as she showed her mom AND dad how she can ride a bike. Being able to say that her father was there to see her ride for the first time without training wheels is something that means so much to me. I am immensely grateful for that blessing.

I will snap a photo and post it soon.

Disappear for a day

Some days I just want to pull the covers up over my head and sleep. In doing that I give up my mommy responsibilities until I choose to wake up and conquer the day. The days that I wish I could do just that are:

* When it is over 100 degrees outside
* When the family has been up FEWER than 30 minutes and already there is fighting
* When you head to the gym and everyone and their brother seems to be cutting you off - WHILE ON THEIR CELL PHONES!
* When I vacuum the rug for the 5th time that day due to dog hair. (white on red.... not so good)
* When there is so much laundry to fold that it would take the better part of an hour and a half
* When your husband is deployed and if anything is going to get done, it is ALL up to you

Silhouette Giveaway!

There are a few blogs giving away Silhouettes within the next week. If you are desperate for some fun ways to spend those hours you'll have away from your children come September.... take a look at How Does She - they have a list of the VERY lucky host sites.

There are SO many different kinds of things you can do with a Silhouette. Check it out!

Good luck to all those who have entered. There will be at least half a dozen winners of Silhouettes this week. Below is a list of 6 ways to enter.

#1 #4
#2 #5
#3 #6

Dressing up

Julia came trotting into the back room at our friend's house wearing this:


Melanie came waltzing out in a Minnie Mouse getup - we didn't get a picture of that one...hmmm... the need for me to have a much smaller camera for moments like this is pretty much - NECESSITY right now!

Sidenote: this photo is courtesy of my friend's iphone.

Our Black Hole

We are going on about 3 weeks worth almost with this hole in my ceiling. It all started when the ceiling in my living room started to crack. Maintenance finally came out and determined (after creating the hole in my ceiling) that my duct was leaking. They sent out some contractors about a week later and they determined they think the leak is coming from the upstairs duct that is dripping directly onto the duct downstairs here. There is absolutely no insulation there and it's now been an open hole in my super pristine house for nearly a month. The contractors said that it would probably be about 2 weeks before they could get back and everything would take about 2 days. Did I mention that they are going to have to rip down a wall in my bedroom? Yeah... my room is a DISASTER!! My dear husband thinks that since no one is supposed to be in our room... that it doesn't really matter what it looks like. There are heaps of stuff that has been on his dresser pretty much since we moved here (I don't dare touch it - since I would get in trouble if I threw something away I thought was trash).

Loathe my phone

Pretty much since the day I got this phone (refurbished) I have had problems. So stinkin fed up with how crazy it gets and how quickly it will lose charge as well. In the past I have had pretty good experiences with LG's - this time... they crashed and burned! I have AT&T, any ideas on how to get a better phone (didn't check to see if I can upgrade yet) without having to also get the internet option?! I feel that I already pay too much for internet (THANKS local provider) and have super slow computers that take forever to load the stuff. Oh well..... I really am going to stop complaining!

My Best Friend's Wedding

I took a whirlwind trip to PA this past weekend to play my role as Matron of Honor for my best friend's wedding. (I am writing this while I listen to my three children fighting and screaming about who knows what downstairs) It was beautiful and I am so excited for the new Mr. & Mrs. Amoss. Here is my best friend:



ISN'T SHE GORGEOUS!!!



This is my favorite picture. All day long I was pretty much the shadow of the photographer - trying to get my own shots. Most of the time I was able to get some really good ones. This one cracked me up!!! My best friend with her "fish". (She was Mrs. Amoss by the time she got this picture taken)

And this is the speech I wrote for her on her wedding day (to which I made everyone cry apparently..... including her DAD! He said he didn't cry walking his daughter down the aisle, but he cried for my speech) Hmm... maybe I have a new profession in the making??? Nah, just got lucky this time I think.

First I want to give a big THANK YOU to everyone here. I know that you being here today means more to Erin than you’ll ever know. Thank you to all the bridesmaids and family members that have helped with the wedding preparations that I couldn’t living two states away. Most of all, thank you Erin for allowing me the great honor to serve as your Matron of Honor on the most important day of your life.

Erin and I met in High School. I was the bitter teenager whose parents moved and forced me to attend my junior and senior years in a new school. I vowed to myself that I wouldn’t make any friends. Boy was I wrong. On my first day in English, I noticed a girl in a tye-dyed field hockey shirt sitting behind me. She had a huge smile on her face. Anyone who knows Erin knows that she has ALWAYS been full of life. She talked with me and made me feel welcome. Actually, I think she was the first person that had talked to me, and this was one of the last classes of the day. I had almost gone an entire day without a single person saying hello. Regardless of what others say and do, Erin is the first to welcome a new face and pull them under her wing. That is exactly what she did with me.

The first time we hung out was a result of a misunderstanding. She was talking to me about making cookies. I thought she was asking me to make some cookies for her. Although I hadn’t ever made cookies all on my own, I found myself saying, “Well, sure…. I guess I could make you some cookies….” Laughter filled the air and she said she was inviting me over to make some cookies. That’s pretty much how our friendship took off.

We were in quite a few classes together those last two years of High School. We always had a blast in English and just loved torturing our poor Trig teacher, Mr. Shuman. She was involved in Field Hockey and Student Council (which is proof of how friendly and likeable she is) as well as track during the spring. With Erin at my side, I made it through my last two years of high school with many great memories.

Outside of school, we enjoyed spitting awful tasting jelly bellies out of the window of her buick, learning squirrel calls, and scaring children on bicycles when I poked my head out of her car wearing a pair of goggles on my face.

Becoming a teacher has been a dream come true for Erin. I don’t think that there could be a better profession for her. Everything about Erin screams Teacher. She is nurturing, patient, kind, and has a great outlook on life. Words cannot express how proud I am of her. She is going to bless the lives of the children she teaches. All it takes is one fabulous teacher to inspire a young child to be a teacher. I guarantee that the new Mrs. Amoss will be that inspirer.

In thinking about this speech, the word that kept coming to mind was loyal. Erin truly is loyal to those in her life, but even more so I feel that she is devoted. She has always been devoted to everything in her life. She has never done half of a task, but rather always sees it thru. It is because of the great qualities that she has that will make her a wonderful wife and future mother. Brian – she will always do her part in being your life companion. She chose to spend the rest of her life with you – that is exactly what she’ll do. Just as she has never let anyone down in her life, make sure that you don’t let her down. Thank you for bringing her the happiness that I know she deserves.

Please raise your glasses to my best friend, Erin. A true gem that I know everyone in this room cherishes. Brian, may you keep her as happy as she has made all of us just by being a part of our lives. May your marriage see more happiness than sorrow, and may your love grow deeper each day for the rest of your lives. Here’s to Erin and Brian Amoss.


That wasn't exactly how I said it, and I made a lot of edits to it before the reception. I'm pretty proud of myself.

Cannery Trip

We had a great trip to the cannery today. We were really able to get a lot of canning done. As always, it was done pretty quick and I look forward to the next time we get to go. If only the traffic in this state wasn't so crummy! It seemed like it took us forever to get there and to get home because there was so much going on on the roads. I wish I would have gotten a picture of us all in our hair nets and aprons. Unfortunately it was very poorly attended. Only 3 of our youth showed up. Tisk tisk!

Dreams

I sometimes get in a sentimental mood and really enjoy watching stories of success and fulfilled dreams. Not quite sure if it's because I feel that I have a lack of fulfilled dreams or lack of success. Honestly, my attitude on life is probably the one that needs adjusted. ANYWHO....watching those stories/dreams makes me think about the Lord's hand in things. There must have been a lot going on at that time to help these things happen. I know that there are many of those stories out there in the world, many that haven't been told. Most of the stories that I have are sports related. Do you think the Lord enjoys sports? Do you think that He even cares who wins? Today in one of the files of my million file mind, I decided that He does. There are great leaders in this world that have a lot of life lessons they can teach. In sports, there is a lot to learn - and some of life's lessons are best taught on the field/ice/water/court. Being part of that process must be an amazing experience. Just think about our founding Fathers! Wow, one can only imagine how strong the spirit was at that time, in those meeting places, on those battlefields. This is a wonderful land, a Promised Land, a land where dreams are made and fulfilled.

Welcome Back IKE!

I have a lot to be grateful for today. Today was the homecoming of my husband's FORMER ship (another thing I am grateful for). A good friend of mine's husband is unfortunately still stuck on that ship. The great news is that he was reunited with them today. I know what it is like to finally have the missing member of your family home again. I know there are thousands of others that are also home with their families tonight that haven't been since new year's day. Welcome back and we are grateful for your safe return. JTBJM Enjoy your daddy/husband/family time!!!

Furthering Education

One of my hubby's big goals while he is on shore duty is to complete a college degree. He is well on his way to getting started. I think he is only a few credits away from an associates degree.... all from just taking clep tests and the credits he gets from his military training. In the excitement of helping him get a good plan for himself that will be fruitful and will work with our family's goals.....I have revisited the option to finish a degree myself. A few years ago when I got online to BYU-I to see if I could attain an online degree through them, they didn't have one available. When I checked the other day, they finally have one! I attended college 7 years ago with the intent of getting a degree in health science. My only option for an online degree through them is one in University Studies. I know, it isn't glamorous, but it will fulfill the need for me to have a degree of some sort in the event of an emergency situation. It will also provide me the option on continuing to further my education in other areas and attaining my dream - becoming a personal trainer. I am continuing to research my options, but am very hopeful all will work out and who knows... maybe my husband and I can do school together!

It's on

Me and the hubby started a little weight loss challenge today. I'm gearing up to win (hopefully). Since my hubby has a million and one things he wants (the list is constantly getting longer and being edited) that usually add up to a million and one dollars..... it's tough trying to appease those wants. In my desperation to not only help him get healthier/stay healthy after getting off the boat, I thunk up a challenge. You see, on a boat of the size he was on, you are ALWAYS walking FLIGHTS of stairs. Up, down, up, down, down, up...etc. Since he is now on shore duty, he doesn't have all those steps to climb. He walks to work and that helps a little (we are pretty close) he needs that swift kick in the pants. Not to mention, I need the same. It's tough to continue to work hard with weight loss when you know you still have a child to bear in the future. At times I really want to be done with childbearing so that I can just work the weight off and keep it that way. OH WELL. One day I will be done with childbearing. Unfortunately, today is not that day.

I will let you know who wins in the end (not that you care) and show pictures of the prize. My husband's prize is going to go along with the 2nd amendment, mine is still a bit undecided.

Happy Birthday #1!

Ok, so I am a horrible mom and #1's birthday was Saturday. She turned 5. We threw a little shindig (and I mean little) but we had great fun. Hello Kitty was the theme of choice this year.

I can't believe that it has been 5 years since she joined our family. She has become such a wonderful girl. #1 is always willing to lend a hand, is usually compassionate, tries hard to learn, all almost to a fault. Sometimes she is a little too hard on herself. I see a lot of me in her. Hopefully she doesn't turn out to be like her mother, or we'll all be in trouble. We are so proud of you #1 and look forward to the years ahead.

WHOOPS!

There were a couple days that I definitely forgot to post something for. First being the 19th- my best friends birthday! Erin, hope your day ended well, glad we could talk on the phone for a little! My best friend is just that, the best! I am so blessed to have her in my life. Her brother chose to get married that day as well. He is the closest I have to a brother and I wish them both the best. Congratulations and enjoy that honeymoon!

20th - Another good friend's birthday. Happy birthday Cheryl! It was also Father's Day. I want to thank the wonderful fathers in my life, my father, husband, grandfathers, and many others who have influenced me for the better and been a wonderful example.

21st - $0.99 Rita's Italian ice day! In commemoration of the first day of summer, Rita's was having a sale on their regular size Italian ice. We stopped by for a treat and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Keela

So.... we got a dog. Yeah, I know. Finally took the jump and got a dog. The girls have been asking forever and since things weren't going as well as we wanted with getting a new car (basically, we haven't gotten one yet because we can't figure out what we want) that we decided to do the dog first.

We headed to the SPCA after Sissy's graduation on Friday, saw Keela and J said he really liked her. So, we interacted with her, things went well and so we said we wanted to adopt. Off we flew to the nearest Petsmart to get her the necessities and then we picked her up Saturday. She is such a great dog. I think she has come to accept us as her family and I hope she loves us a lot. She seems to. I love the exercise too. J and I take turns walking her. He usually gets the evening walk, I get the morning. No sleeping in for me ever I guess! Oh well. Maybe we will switch again once J starts work. This morning I took her for a 3 mile walk. She did great. Running with her isn't too easy, she keeps swerving back and forth. Until she gets used to it I think it might be slow going.

Her first day here, she fell asleep on the couch for a bit and Sissy put a blanket over her to keep her warm. It was the cutest thing.

 

Moving On..... aka Graduation

Sissy (little momma) "moved on" from Pre-K on the 11th. I tried to get some good pictures of her teachers, but.... most came out fuzzy.

The children sang a few songs, got their certificates and we all got to munch on some cake (at 10 in the morning).


This is Ms. Padgett - Sissy's Pre-K teacher. Ms. Barnes was her assistant for part of the year, as was Ms. Reid. I wasn't able to get great pictures of either of them though. We loved all of her teachers and feel that they were all very kind, loving, and HUGE helps in helping Sissy to learn a lot this year!

A Surprise

It has been a little while since I blogged. Mostly because we have had so much going on and I have had so little time on the computer. First.... J surprised me by coming home early. Some of our best friends here surprised me by bringing my husband home Friday night! He told me he wouldn't be home until the 7th and lo and behold, he shows up on the 4th!

Our time with him so far has been spent going to the zoo (and finally riding the train), looking for cars, running errands, looking for dogs, more errands, watching movies, and hanging around. Let me tell ya, we are never more lazy than when Daddy first comes home. But... the laziness is most definitely under the category of "quality time" as well. =)

J showed up very late on the 4th, some of my friends kidnapped my kids to give me a chance to "clean house". They all knew my husband was about to pop through the door. I come home, get ready to start cleaning, and the doorbell rings. I go to it thinking it is my friend, Stephanie picking some stuff up for the kids overnight and there is J staring at me - mustache and all! I couldn't believe it! Naturally, the kids didn't see him that night, so we planned a dinner for the following day with our friends so that Jeremiah could sneak up and surprise them. little momma was HILARIOUS! She looks at him, says... "Hi Daddy...." then it clicks. (Wait... Daddy isn't supposed to be home....) "DADDY!!! Did mommy pick you up??" While this was going on, destructo girl was already not paying attention, we had to turn her focus on him before she noticed, got a huge smile on her face and said, "Daddy!!" and smothered him with hugs. Little Man wasn't really sure what to do. He was already a little tired, he sat with J for a little while before he went to sleep.

We talked this past Sunday at church. Since our stake has stake conference this Sunday (Father's Day) we celebrated it on the 13th. Our topic was Fathers and the primary children sang. J had me tearing up a little bit when he thanked our Home Teachers and Friends for helping to make his job easier by knowing his family was taken care of. It is very nice knowing that you have people to call to ask for help in any way when your spouse is away.

Friendship

Melanie had a little (less than 30 minute) music concert last night at school. Kindergarten and Pre-K classes were the only ones to perform. Melanie and the rest of the Pre-K performed 2 songs. I was able to capture the first one on tape. You have to excuse the blurry parts and those where I completely move all over the place. I needed to hold Julia (because we were rapidly losing seats with all the friends and family that showed up) and so there were quite a few "operator difficulties". At one point you will hear Julia say she wants to go dance with Melanie. So yeah... my 3 year old trying to crash the party. GO FIGURE. I thought Melanie was HILARIOUS and am very proud of her... even if she doesn't know the words.

Numb

Once again, I am numb. That's the third time in a month!! Finally was able to get my gimp tooth filled. Things could go well with it, or badly. I am really hoping after spending as much as I have on the thing, that it will be good. The filling is fine, just that the cavity exposed a pin hole amount of pulp and that could either be good or bad. The bad resulting in a bridge, and a yanked tooth. Not extremely thrilled about that idea. All that is left now is to pray and hope that the Lord will bless me. (please!?)

Camping Out

 

This past weekend we were lucky enough to be invited along on a camping trip with our best friends. We went to Pocomoke River State Park for Memorial Day weekend. It was a little stressful at times (with three crazy kids and their dad not around to be stern) but overall, I had a BLAST! Tara helped the kids find a "tarzan swing" that they got to swing on a few times. I wasn't able to get pictures of that (and some other things obviously).

The weekend was full of bike riding, walking, swimming, smores, popcorn, campfires, yummy food, lots of bathroom trips, treats, birthday cake, and even some ticks! Melanie and Julia each had only one tick. I have yet to find one on Hunter or myself. We will keep looking though just to be sure although we were pretty thorough.

Julia fell off a scooter during our trip and scraped up her nose pretty good. Poor girl... thank heaven it did not break! Hunter was really great. He sat around in his pack -n- play most of the time or was held (aka spoiled) by someone in the group. He slept pretty great all three nights and had a rough night at home last night. Go figure... hopefully we'll get the routine down in the next day or two.

Special Treat

We headed out to the Tides game last night (yeah... I know... I am crazy) for Military appreciation night. Where we sat next to a cross dresser (man dressed as woman) and my kids took about a million bathroom breaks. Even with the kids being kids we had a really good time. It was too bad my "honey" couldn't make it. The game was mostly uneventful, they lost (BUMMER)terribly, however... the night was redeemed when we had a chance to enjoy our first fireworks display this year (minus new years). Our seats were so close to the fireworks that the cardboard came flying down on top of us.
They had a Hummer out front for the kids to check out while we waited to get into the game. It was pretty fun watching the kids climb around in awe. Oh yeah, there were quite a few HUGE smiles as well. =) Get those terrorists!














These were from before the game. Instead of their normal uniforms, the Tides wore the camo uniforms in support of our troops! Go USA!








Treats the kids got for hanging in there half way through.






Julia got so sticky from her cotton candy, we tried pulling her hair up. Tara did a "Tinkerbell" do. LOVE IT!

Bike

Melanie finally earned getting her bike a month and a half early. I had to take pictures because she was so excited. Plus, she TOTALLY matches!! Check it....


oh and please ignore the small detail of me actually cutting the grass, but not sweeping it off the pavement. =) hey... hubby is deployed, you just have to take shortcuts sometimes!

Projects and a Book

There was a day last week that I was able to spit out quite a few projects (yay). Granted, they are small projects that don't take much time. However, when you are mother of 3 small children AND your husband is deployed, it makes for very little time to get away and sew/project. Here are a few pictures of what I have gotten finished lately.

Ok... so very primitive looking bunting. I made this for Hunter because it was annoying the blazes out of me when his blankets would get eaten up by the stroller on our walks. So, I just button him up in here, strap him in the stroller and off we go! No dragging blankets, and still the luxury of cozy toes.


The recipe holder I made for my craft swap. I always save the worst looking one for myself. (if you ever get something from me... know you are getting better than what I have) I like it, but I want to tweak it a bit too.



Lastly, the diaper/wipes clutch. I tried to applique the "C" on there and did horribly. I am pretty sure my bobbin was all messed up for this one. (not to mention off center...) I like it, I made a few more for some new mothers (like I mentioned above).




Now.... on to the book. I finished a book recently titled, "Don't Cry Wolf" by Clair Poulson. He is a mystery writer and his books are sold at deseret. I really enjoy LDS books. I recommend this book if you like a little mystery and a little bit of romance as well. I am grateful to the Bishop and his family's library of LDS novels. It makes for a great library check out - especially since we aren't blessed enough to live in an area where LDS books are available at the local library.

My lucky day..... sort of

Yesterday I had some dental work done. Long story, but to keep it short - a tooth I had damaged as a small child (bicycle accident) finally decided to cause more problems. Now I have stitches and everything, not to mention feeling the way that the godfather looks (saggy cheeks). I have swollen a little bit due to planning complications. I hope that goes down soon. It is hard to really want to eat anything that isn't super mushy.

The Lucky part of my day was when I went to walmart to get a big girl bike for Melanie. We weren't planning on getting it until her birthday - but we are getting ready to go camping and the people we are going camping with are all bringing bikes. So.... we decided to do it a little early. As I was walking down the bike aisle, I see the bike she wants (16" disney princess one) ON SALE!! I grabbed the matching helmet and knee pads and off we went. Saved at least $25 on the whole shabang. VERY excited. She got to test drive it today... pictures to be uploaded soon.


Overall, pretty impressive day.

Life.... happens

Little man and his FIRST Oreo!! LOVE IT!

Apparently, as the years have passed, I take less and less pictures of my children. Why? Have NO clue! I really wish that I had taken more... hmm... maybe a smaller camera purchase is in my future!? I sure hope so! I get so irritated with the flash on my canon (yet, it still is wonderful). Ugh. I think I will get myself a nice little portable one so that I don't have to make extra shoulder room for my camera strap. Just pull it out of the purse, click and go. Anyone have a money tree I can borrow? So wish money grew on trees..... or maybe that's just the US mint. I get a little confused these days.

Back on track. I needed to order (and i mean needed or I would lose what I paid for) some prints from snapfish and realized I don't have a bunch of documentation of little man's first 8 months of life! GASP! The HORROR!! I am making a new resolution to do better and take more pictures (no matter how silly). Maybe I'll get lucky and I'll even be able to be in a few. =)

Check it... whaddya think?

Apparently this isn't the first song this kid has done. Ellen apparently twittered that he will be on tomorrows show (for those of you who watch). It is truly great that kids these days actually still practice their instruments. Hallelujah!

P.S. My favorite part is the girls in the background, whispering in amazement, and looking at him like... hey... maybe music geeks are kinda cool! LOL

Down in the Mouth

I feel pretty stinking lucky these days with how things are generally turning out. Times like these truly make we worry about what is ahead. My life has just gone that way most of the time. Things will be really bad, then get really great, to then happen across something that puts a bump in the road. This bump in the road has to do with my "gimp" tooth. Why "gimp" you ask? Well, it doesn't really fill the normal job description of a tooth. I don't get to chew on it much since it didn't have the opportunity to come in the whole way. So, it just sits there and causes problems (different story entirely). The dentists didn't even really know what to do with it when I first came to them. "Oh, well, we'll keep a close eye on it and see what happens". Being it is EXTREMELY rare - so much so that my dentist had never seen something like it before, it is pretty much a learning tool. But, it finally did something. It decided to decay - but had this funky hole in it that goes the whole way down to the bone. Apparently there is some hope for it. I will have to consult a specialist to find out for sure, or else, it's my first trip to the oral surgeon and a fake (permanent) tooth for me! It's amazing how we get these teeth for free and then spend the next 80+ years spending 100s-1000s of dollars on upkeep and preventive measures. Plus... the way I got this gimp tooth was by falling off my bike nearly 17 years ago. BEWARE THOSE VICTIMS OF BICYCLE CRASHES - you may be in for some hefty dentist bills! I will keep you posted (not that you care.... I care mostly for posterity's sake). Maybe in the future dentists will finally realize that we all should have a full set of dentures, instead of paying out the wazoo to keep ONE tooth!

Finished the book

Finally finished the Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society (excuse the poor grammar.) Anyway.... the verdict





ya ready???





ABSOLUTELY



LOVED IT!! =) It was fantastic. I thought Juliet had the best sense of humor and a great love of life. She paralleled Elizabeth in so many ways. It is too bad that the author passed away before she could finish the book. I would have loved to hear how she would have ended it (not that the general outcome was horrible). Her writing style and ability to keep the readers interest in spite of just reading a bunch of correspondence letters was amazing. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely lend it out to anyone who would love to enjoy a great book. Thanks again Jenna!

Poor baby boy

Doc appointment for my little man today. (6 month well baby for an 8 month old man) Life gets a little crazy around here. Anywho... found out the poor little man has nummular eczema. Pretty much a chronic thing, but will have periods of flare ups and where it is under control. We'll just have to figure out how to control his. I thought it was ringworm and had been treating it for about 2 weeks now - and it totally isn't ringworm at all. But... the doc said I wasn't too far off, because this type of eczema presents like ringworm but isn't. So... he now has special soap (which isn't soap) and topical steroids to help his break out disappear. I love him and hope that it isn't a huge problem for him throughout his life. Sorry bud!