2012

2011 has been an insane ride. In one word: Rollercoaster.
I've been as high as I think I could be and as low as I think I could be.
I am so thankful for a new baby on the way...a boy nonetheless. So Thankful that my string of lows have turned into some highs.

I dont know what 2012 will bring... Baby, New President maybe, The end of the only life I've known while being married..the Army. I'm going to have to learn how to be a civilian, which scares the bajeeves outta me by the way.

I don't know where we'll end up, I don't know where we'll go, I don't even know if we'll have an income. I don't know where we will live. I know nothing about what our lives will be like in 6 months. Again, scares the bajeeves outta me.

I do know that I'll have my husband, my two precious girls and my handsome, new little man and I hope and pray that I will finally be close to family. Close enough to call my mom when I'm sick and need help instead of just dealing with it. Close enough to send my kids to grandma and grandpas for a night. Close enough to invite them over for weekly dinners.

There will be no party tonight..no bubbly..I don't even know if I can stay awake until midnight but 2012 here we come!

Pregnancy, Orangutans, and vibrating toothbrushes

I never claimed to be the smartest while pregnant. I tend to lose all my memory and sense while pregnant and this didn't start happening until the second either.

Like with Little girl, I was walking through the grocery store and saw a certain fruit, decided to test the ripeness of said fruit to see if I wanted one and ended up sticking my finger through the fruit..which was gross. So I call my platonic husband (Whose husband was deployed also) and told her that it was soo gross because my finger had just gone through an Orangutan.. To which she was very quiet and said "you stuck your finger in an orangutan???) And I said "yah, ya know, those fruits, like a watermelon but not really, they are yellow)............."You mean a Cantaloupe??" ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..yyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a Cantaloupe.
(I still haven't lived that down........)

Let's see...I forget my address quite often. Literally had to get out a bill the other day to see what my address is...


And the other day I was brushing my teeth, I have one of those really cool battery powered vibratey toothbrushes, I was just brushing away when I saw a smudge in the bathroom sink. So I took my hand off the toothbrush and let it just rest in my mouth, teeth shut, in my molar area so that I could use my hand to wipe away the smudge and as I'm wiping said smudge my head starts spinning, my vision is blurry, and I feel myself getting dizzy and I start freaking out thinking "Oh my gosh, I'm dying! This is what a brain aneurysm feels like, I really am dying, I can't die yet!!!" ( I was honestly very scared)...........until I realized that it was my vibratey toothbrush vibrating my head because it was still 'resting' in my mouth.............



I'm done having kids.

New year, changes, and an announcement

It's all over and done. Time to put away the tree, the lights, the decorations..Christmas is over and what a Christmas we had! It was chalked full of excitement, stress, and chaos at every moment, but wonderful.

The beginning on the year is a big turning point for us. New baby just a few months away and then we are uprooting our lives, doing a complete 180 and saying Goodbye to our time in the Army. I am so mixed about that, I know it's what's best but I am so mixed. This has been my 'family' the last 8 years. We have no job, no clue where we are going, and will have 3 kids to care for. Many other things will be taking place in the next few months and I'm trusting it is all for the best.

We found out 2 days before Christmas that we are having a little BOY!
I cannot believe it!! The past 19 weeks I 'felt' boy but I honestly thought it would be a girl, why don't I listen to myself?? When we saw those boy bits I was shocked...I still am shocked. What am I going to do with a boy?? I didn't realize how badly I wanted a boy, for Hubs. For him to have a son. A boy. I still can't believe it. Blue and trucks and sports. Little girl is already saying "beebee bubba" Big girl doesn't say much, I think she's still a little disgruntled that it's not a girl. haha Next thing on our list is to make our registry. After 2 girls I'm saying "blue?...whats that?" haha

I got spoiled rotten this Christmas. I didn't deserve it all!

Here's to a New Year that brings So so many changes!!

Christmas is about giving

We did something a few days ago we have never done before. We gave money to a man on the side of the street, they stand around at nearly every corner here. Why? I'm not sure. Because it felt right, because his sign was ledgible and was gramatically correct, because he looked truely greatful, because everytime someone gave him money he made the cross sign and kissed it, because he claimed to not smoke or drink? I'm not exactly sure why we did it, we've never done anything like that before, ever, it just felt like we should. So we did.

I didn't think much about it until hubs put something on his facebook, as that was so unlike us to do that and the responses astounded me. Angered me, saddened me. Even today, after hubs deleted it from his facebook because of the responses it still bothers me. These people not even knowing whether we gave me $1, $5, $20, or $40. After seeing what people said I'm GLAD we gave him the amount we did.

We got the following responses:
Good job, now he'll go buy booze
He'll still be a bum, even with the money
Great, now they'll all take advantage of you
That's good I guess, but he was probably lying

and so forth. There were a few people who didn't say anyting rude or against what we did but the majority did. This time of the year it saddened me to see so many people, so many people who I thought were friends with such a stingy attitude.

Here's the bottom line, it was a GIFT. We WANTED to do it. What he did with it is out of my hands. So what if he decieved us? So what if he did buy booze? That absolutely does not affect us or our lives. We did what our hearts told us. We didn't NEED that money, but he might have and if he did I hope it brightened his day, his week even.

It's Christmas time. Isn't Christmas about giving? How does him, possibly, not using the money "right" (when you give a gift you can't specify how someone uses it so I dont know that there is a "right" but whatever) How does that affect me? It DOESN'T. It doesn't affect me at all. We gave the money and followed our hearts. If he took that money and blew his nose on it, so be it. I honestly don't care. If he lied then that is on him. Not me.

When did Christmas become about how much I can get, rather than Giving???

Tuesday's 10..a day late

1. Sorry. I was too tired to think of 10 things yesterday.. too tired and feeling way to pregnant.

2. TOMORROW, TOMORROW I LOVE YA, TOMORROW, YOU'RE ONLY A DAY AWAYYYYY. OMG, I can't believe we find out what LT is tomorrow!! Of course, we aren't tellin till Christmas though..bwahahahahahaha

3. I had cheetos and icecream for dinner last night. It was incredible

4. Christmas is 4 days away!!

5. I still have so much baking to do..yikes.

6. I didn't want to make dinner last night, but did anyways, Taco Pizza... I accidentally burnt the crap out of it. Lesson learned: Don't cook when you aren't feelin it.

7. Hubs and the kids ate the middle 'not so burnt' part and I had cheetos.

8. I *heart* cheetos

9. After this I'm going to shower and then get busy...I swear.

10. I love it that hubs is working 1/2 days until the new year.

The War Is Over

http://news.yahoo.com/last-us-troops-leave-iraq-war-ends-043431802.html



The War is over. I can remember watching on Tv in my bedroom the 'Beginning' of the war. The day it began. March 20, 2003. Little did I know how much my life would intertwine with this war and how deeply it would affect me and my, then, future children. I had no clue. The last thing I ever thought was that I would marry a soldier. I remember sitting on my bed, it was a Wednesday night, watching the footage on Tv. I remember it very vividly to this day.

Thousands of lives lost, thousands injured, thousands changed forever. Mentally, physically, emotionally. I know so many people who were changed. Some gave the ultimate sacrifice, Some injured outwardly, some changed inwardly. I can't help but remember those who lost their life. Especially one, inparticular, a young man I knew from back home, a young man who wasn't just an Army friend, a young man whom I spent time with him and his sisters before I was ever an Army wife. It hits close to home.

Here I am, almost 9 years later, my husband has give 2 years of his life to the Iraq war, I've given up my husband for 2 years.

May we never forget those that gave their lives and those injured. Also, never forget those who were changed inside and bare no physical reminders of the war. For many who served and came home the war still goes on.

Even though the war is over let's not forget our troops. Brave heros that went and did their job. I can honestly say I don't know one soldier who would say they regret serving.

Happy Birthday Santa Baby!

Baby girl,

You are 3 today! I can't believe it! Where does time go?

You have made the last 3 years so much fun. You're mommies girl. Ever since you were born you have been stuck to my hip, which made it very difficult when your dad was gone. You're ornery, funny, and oh so sweet, but girl, do you have a temper!

I can't imagine my life without you in it. I wasn't expecting to be pregnant with you but, my dear, you were the best surprise ever and a wonderful addition to our family.

I love hearing you say "mommy" and "love you" Even now, your favorite place to be is on mommies lap while I scratch your back. I love all your little hugs and kisses. I love having a little Santa baby who walks around saying "ho ho ho"

I love you more than I could ever tell you! You are such an amazing, beautiful, wonderful addition to our family!!

The past 3 years have gone by so fast. Soon you'll be going to school.

My sweet, precious one; how did you go from this:

To this:

so very, very quickly!

I love you, my little girl!

Love always and forever!!

mommy

Epic Christmas Movies

What are some of your families Must watch Christmas movies every year? We have quite a few:

A Christmas Story (RAAALLPHHIEEEE)

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (I didn't watch this one until I was married but I LOVE it)

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

ELf (duh)

The old Frosty and Rudolph movies

Fred Clause

and I try to watch all 3 Santa Clause movies with Tim Allen in them.. LOVE those!

Give me some new ones, what are your favorites?

Christmas Rules.....according to me

1. Thou Shalt always wrap gifts in beautiful paper and put a huge bow on top.. No bags.

2. Thou Shalt always have more desserts than normal food.

3. Thou Shalt put ribbon on the tree

4. Thou Shalt eat sugar from the moment you get up until you go to bed on Christmas Day.

5. Thou Shalt watch A Christmas Story as many times as possible. One of those times must be on Christmas day

6. Thou Shalt watch Elf as much as possible

7. Thou shalt eat sugar cookies with Hot chocolate

8. Thou Shalt go "ooing and awwing"

9. Thou Shalt have a beautiful Christmas table cloth

10. Thou Shalt be JOLLY

11. Thou Shalt always have beautiful sparkly wrapping paper (refer to rule #1)

12. Thou Shalt have yummy candles going at all times

13. Thou shalt make sugar cookies with kids (ok, I don't do this because I don't have the patience, but SOMEONE should)

14. Thou Shalt hit the stores Dec 26th for the 1/2 price Christmas decor for next year (Dec 26th is MY Black Friday)

and last but not least:

15. Thou Shalt sing Christmas songs the whole month of December

Tuesday's 10

1. I woke up feeling sooo pregnant. My feet hurt, my back hurts, I just want to sleep.

2. Im trying to make a grocery list but nothing sounds good except sugar cookies and french fries

3. I asked little girl what was in my tummy and she goes "beebee" then put her hand up there and looks at me with big eyes and goes "YAHHH MOMMA! BEEBEE" lol

4. You are richer than you think you are! There are so many people this year with not enough food, let alone being able to provide Christmas for their kids...In their eyes if you have money for everything you NEED, you are RICH! Remember that this season!

5. Im getting my new replacement phone today, mine fritzed, the only downside is it's white. I hate the color white. My vehicle is PEARL..not white.

6. My baby girl will be 3 on Sunday! Where did the time go??...crap..I gotta find her a cake

7. We taught Little girl to say "gracias" hehe it's really cute

8. I really do like the management in our apartments. They are so so nice!

9. Ribbon just 'makes' a Christmas tree
ry b
10. I'm hoping to get my Christmas wrapping done in the next day or two. I'd love to have it done before my very busy week next week

The Parenting Dilemma

Something happened yesterday and it's still bothering me. I don't know if I'm in the norm or if I'm just a crazy momma bear but at the laundromat yesterday the old Asian woman started correcting my kids because they were touching a dryer. Now, had I noticed them touching a dryer I would have stopped them.

Here's what bothers me; unless you are a family member do not correct my kids or get after them if I am around. Talk to ME about it. Then I can handle my children but to stand there and 'click' at them and wag your finger and get onto them in front of me..uhh no ma'am. Don't ignore my authority. Maybe I had told them to open the dryer for me, I don't know. But let me handle it. This lady literally stood right by me and got after them so she obviously knew I was there and they were close by me and had forgotten the dryers by that point.

In my opinon, uless the child is under the care of you or about to harm or injure them or another peson, there's no reason for another adult to confront a child and 'get onto them' Talk to the parent. Sure, if the parent isn't there then by all means, step up as an adult, but if the parent is there be an adult and talk to that parent.
"Excuse me, your child keeps hitting mine, would you mind stopping it"
"Pardon me, ma'am, but we don't allow children to touch the equipment"
"Excuse me, but your child is bothering mine and she doesn't feel well, I'd hate for your child to get sick"

What's so bad about that?!? There's no reason for "hey, kid I don't know from adam, stop it" Maybe that parent has different rules than you, if those rules don't line up with yours, if they don't parent as you do, so what. get over it. Ignore it. Are you the King of parenting where all your rules are the rules that BE?

You won't believe how many times random people have corrected my kids. I know I may be young, I may look even younger, but for Goodness sake I KNOW how to parent my kids. My kids do not run wild, my kids do not disrespect. Don't just assume because you are 50 that you can take over my parenting duties.

Now, granted there are times where, yes, I would like another parent to step in. Bullying, if my kid were to hurt themselves or someone else, or if I wasn't around, but for the rest of the time..Step. off. I keep a very close eye on my kids while out.

I just don't understand why some parents feel the need to overstep another parents 'voice' right in front of them. I would never dream of correcting someones child while in front of them. Not my kid. If something they are doing bugs me I put on my big girl panties and deal with it or I remove myself from the situation.

So there you have it... momma bear at her finest. "

Fun Foto Friday

I totally almost forgot it was Friday. In my defense I've had a pukey kid and another who says her tummy hurts. I really miss my own washer and dryer when I gotta do puke laundry. Anyways, I digress, welcome to the first "FUN FOTO FRIDAY"

This is how we left Ft. Hood to come here. I miss that house so much! It was so hard to walk out that door. I actually cried a few tears walking around the house remembering all the memories there..Sappy I know.

This is how we slept for 5 wks, while we waited on the Army to get their crap together. It sucked

Rain, Rain

And Lastly, a picture of us at the Ball last week

The Joy of Christmas

YAY YAY HIP HORRAY! It's almost CHRISTMAS! That lovely time of year, gifts, wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, sparkles. I love wrapping presents. It's one of my favorite things to do. A big pile of presents and a big pile of wrapping paper, bows, tags, do-dads, it's incredible! Don't cheat and use bags, that's no fun. I would gladly wrap presents all day. I've been known to wrap presents, start disliking that wrapping paper, unwrap all presents and rewrap in new paper...no joke.

I'm really feeling the pressure this year though. We are SO far away from family, I'm pregnant and tired, and I feel totally rushed in everything. I'm trying to balance what I have to do daily with the don't over do it's that I am getting. Along with trying to finish Christmas shopping, planning, wrapping, shipping, ect. At this point I have no clue what we are having for Christmas dinner, I have no clue who, if anyone, will be here with us. I have no clue when I am going to get all the shipping done. Fair warning, family, if your gifts come late, please forgive me!! Christmas cards..I've addressed many, Let's see if I can get them out on time.

Christmas dinner... I am really considering Pizza. Is that bad of me? Is it any less bad if I make homemade pizza ?? Or make something in the crockpot..What could I make in the crock pot that's "Christmas worthy" I just don't know. I can almost guarentee the pies are coming from Village Inn as I'm already obligated to make our Family Christmas cookies, per hubs family tradition. I'm willing to take any ideas. Or if anyone wants to give me the gift of Paula Deen this year that would be lovely too, just sayin...

I'm really trying to find the FULL joy of Christmas I usually have but all I feel like doing this year is eating oranges, slushies, and pie. (is that a bad Christmas dinner?)

Not even Christmas music is getting me in the full holly jolly Mood. Don't get me wrong, my mood now IS pretty holly jolly, but I tend to go above and beyond on Christmas. I've even watched my fair share of Christmas movies.

This baby is really messin with my jolly!

Christmas List

What's on your Christmas list this year? I don't normally ask for things for Christmas because I don't really know what I 'need' I really don't need anything. Nor do I normally just browse at the store for things I'd 'like' So when someone asks me what I want I am usually stumped and say "ohh I don't care" or "don't get me anything"

This year though I actually have a Christmas list! I'm really proud of myself..as is Hubs! He doesn't normally get me anything because I tell him not to.

On my list I have a pair of Black Sparkly Toms (I love glitter and sparkle), a magnetic 'hold it to the fridge' thing for my Ipad ( I don't remember what it's called but I remember seeing it and thinking I needed one bc I'm always using my Ipad in the kitchen for recipes or music and it's a trial not to get it gooped), a gift card for Kindle Books and a Motherhood Maternity Gift card.

See!! I'm really proud! I have more than one thing on my list! go me!


So what's on your Christmas list??

Sorry I've abandonded You

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. I've been in a funk. A Christmas Funk. No real reason why, I just feel down. I'm blaming the pregnancy.

I thought I'd share a few funnies from my kids to help lighten my mood and give ya'll a laugh at the same time.


My kids hate tapioca pudding. We found this out while eating at a Chinese resteraunt. One taste had both my kids gagging and letting it drool back out their mouths and little girl literally made herself throw up to get the pudding out of her mouth. Yah, It was a sight. 2 tired parents trying in vain to catch as much tapioca pudding spewing out of our kids mouths with a grand total of 2 paper napkins. Looking back it's hilarious to me beacuse I, too, hate tapioca pudding. The really yicky part was that Little girl had just eaten Red jello before that. Red jello puke looks like..er...blood. It was bad.
That was also the meal that hubs decided to try octopus. Whole...octopus. It was nasty. It squeaked when squished. I almost threw up. He didn't like it. Thank Goodness. I left that resteraunt quite grumpy. We aren't a fun family to go eat out with..honestly. We aren't. Unless it's Peter Piper Pizza, then we're a blast.


Big Girl told me if I behaved she would buy me cupcakes (Can you all tell what I bribe my kids with?) I'm hoping I behaved. I do know for a fact little girl apparently did not behave because I heard Big girl tell her "You don't get cupcakes. You're not 'bein have'"
She told me she would buy the cupcakes with the money she had in her hands...unfortuantly she only had 2 dimes, a penny, and a Peter Piper Pizza token. I'm kinda sad. I don't think I'm getting cupcakes.



I'm going to try to get back into my blogging mode and get over my funk. I am going to start "Fun Foto Friday" I have tons of pics of my phone that I can't wait to share, so be watching!

Tuesday 10. SPECIAL EDITION

This weeks Tuesdays 10 will be a special dedication to hubs as it's his birthday on Friday.

The Top 10 Reasons Why I Love You:

1. You make me laugh. More than any other person ever has

2. You are an amazing father.

3. We've been through hell and back and you haven't given up on me, you haven't stopped trying

4. You've sacrificed so much to be with me and sacrificed so much for our family

5. You never let us go to bed mad. (really, he doesnt..unless he's deployed)

6. You've been such an amazing helper the past 5 months and really been the MAN I've needed

7. You have lotsa muscles :-)

8. You always have time to listen to me complain or whine

9. You love me like nobody ever has

10. From the day we met you've felt like a part of me. A part of my life. Like you always belonged in my life. Like my life wasn't complete until we met.


Happy birthday big daddy! We aren't at the marital peak yet...but who is...I am glad we are on this journey together. Day by day..hour by hour at times..we are fighting our way through this. NEVER EVER GIVE UP. I heart you.

The Dates Of My Babies

I don't know if it's normal or not but I remember the very day that I took my pregnancy tests and found out they were positive..with all 3 of my kids. Dates don't normally stick in my brain like that but these dates definatly have.

With my oldest, it was New Years Eve.. We were about to go to a New years eve party and I wanted to see if I was pregnant so I could know whether I could have a glass of champagne that night. No Champagne for me! :-)

My 2nd - I found out I was pregnant on my grandma's Birthday, who has been in Heaven for 8 years now. We weren't even trying to get pregnant so the fact that I thought "Hm, I think I'm going to take a pregnancy test" was out of the ordinary. I didn't even have any signs or symptoms of pregnancy but for some weird reason I felt the overwhelming desire to take a test and I just happened to have one at home from #1. And what do ya know, #2 is here now. I like to think it was a little gift from my grandma.

And lastly... LT, I actually 'knew' I was pregnant a week before the tests were even showing positive. I took a couple and they were negative but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was pregnant. I even told one of my good friends that I thought I was pregnant days before. I just, knew, deep down. I took that test 2 days after my oldests 4th birthday! A belated birthday present to her.

Holidays are hard for me. I miss my grandma terribly. I hate the fact that she never got to meet my babies. I tell myself that God let her snuggle and hold each of my babies for a bit before He put them in my tummy. Maybe I'm wrong, but whatever. It's what I tell myself to make it 'okay' and not wallow in sadness.

So there you have it.. Am I weird? Am I the only one that remembers such dates vividly.

I hate this stupid dishwasher

Does anyone remember my rant about my dishwasher last week on Tuesday's 10. Wasnt washing correctly, called the apartment fixer people and they came in and oh so brightly turned it on for me and left. ya, that one.

Here's where I stand now. I'm going to rip out the dishwasher, toss it down the stairs and then drag it into the office for them to fix. Any and all wanting to see the show should grab your lawnchair and plant yourself outside my apartment. As it stands now, I have a sink full of dirty dishes, a dishwasher full of dirty dishes, that have been run through the wash cycle twice, and a dishwasher full of water...and it's 2 days before Thanksgiving.

Which means, dear ones, that I have to stand my pregnant hiney at the sink for hours on end hand washing all these dishes to even have dinner tonight. Which won't happen because I'm busy with an appointment until at least 4 and won't get home until 5 probably, add in the time it'll take me to wash the dishes....... I estimate we will eat about 10pm.

I hate handwashing dishes. Hate it with a passion. I'd rather do laundry then handwash dishes and we all know how I feel about laundry. I'm seriously considering throwing out all the dishes and buying more. Like...seriously.

Who thinks it'll get fixed before Thanksgiving? ......... (crickets chirping)........... ya, exactly.

I knew I should have taken my dishwasher from my old house.. I -did- buy it, but nooooooooooooooo I wanted to be all 'nice for the renters' (because I'm a nice landlady)

playing catch up

Day 19: I was thankful it was Saturday...sad that I had a sick baby though!

Day 20: I am thankful it's almost the holidays


Day 21: I'm thankful for sleeping in and chocolate chip pancakes

All you need is love

I read a blog last week and, let me tell you, it was one of the best things I've ever read. It touched me deeply. Only those that know me well know just how deeply and WHY it touched me the way it did. I won't out the what/why, ect because it's no ones business but I posted it on my facebook wall and I'm going to post it here. If you haven't read it please take a minute and do.

http://www.danoah.com/2011/11/im-christian-unless-youre-gay.html

I've wanted to share this on my blog since it came out but was having trouble finding the right words to say. I still don't know that I have the right words, but I'm going to try because this needs to be said. Reading this brought tears to my eyes, it made me smile, it touched me. I believe every word that was written here.

I'm a christian. Been a Christian all my life. To all the other christians out there let me ask you, Who did Jesus hang out with? Did he hang out with the 'holy ones' of the day? No. He hung out with the sinners. What does the Bible say about judging? uhh, something along the lines of, leave it up to God. The Bible also says to love one another.

My point is this, you can dislike the choices a person makes, whether it's being of a different religion, whether it's being a different race, whether it's the choices one makes for their life or whether it's being gay, but...BUT, You can love the person. You can love the person and be friends with them.

I've had friends that were different religions, had no religion, been gay, Did drugs and so on and even though I may not agree with their choices for MY life that doesn't stop the friendship or the love. It doesn't touch the friendship. It's their life. It's not my life. Being friends with someone different than me doesn't change me because I know who I am but hating, disliking or bashing them for THEIR choices does affect me. It hardens my heart.

I don't judge people for their choices. I just don't. What they do with their life is their business, not mine.

I didn't always think like this and it breaks my heart that years ago I thought and acted differently. It breaks my heart to think about the people I missed being friends with or the relationships I missed out on.

You don't have to agree with someone's sin to be friends with them. Their life, their choices, but why should that stop me from a friendship? We all sin, whether it be big or small. Whether it be murder or a hard heart. It's all sin. Should we all lose love and support and friendship because of sin?

To you: You know who you are: I love you! I accept you!

If you are interested in seeing a follow up to the above post, from danoah.com you can check out this link:

http://www.danoah.com/2011/11/powerful-responses-to-im-christian-unless-youre-gay-blog.html

Cinderella

It's that time of year. Military ball time! I am so stinkin' excited! We've only been to one other ball in 8 years, thanks to deployments. I am so happy they are having a ball before our time in the Army is over.

Now comes the hard part..finding a dress. Hair, makeup, shoes, dress.. basically, looking amazing. I found my dress today actually.. at Ross. Oh yah. I did. a $90.00 dress for $20.00, brand new, tags still on it!

Ladies, let's not look trashy. Don't let your tata's hang out, don't let your booty show when you bend over. Military balls are about CLASS and beauty. Not who is sexier. It's a fine line between looking classy and trashy. Nothing is worse than the NCO wife who has her lady bits hangin all over.

Military balls are about tradition and elegance. It's about being Cinderella. Keep your bright pink eyeshadow for the clubs, Keep those tata's for your man. Keep that booty covered. Also, if at all possible, keep as many tattoos covered as possible.. Now isn't the time to show off your new butterfly boobie tat.

Here's the thing....your spouses superiors will be there, every last one of them. Your behavior reflects your spouse. Especially if your spouse is an NCO or has a Command position, what you do, how your act, and how you look reflects on them. So getting schnackered at the bar then grinding up on your husbands friends, well, let's hope you're friends with them too if you're gonna be doin all of that, Probably isn't the best idea.

Enjoy being Cinderella...Not Betty Boop.

17 & 18

Day 17: I am thankful that I didn't have to get out of the house to take big girl to school or pick her up! It was lovely! Also got a wonderful nap!

Day 18: I am thankful that I finally get to start Christmas shopping today!

Say no to Yams!!!!!

Day 16: I am thankful that there will be NO yams/sweet potatoes or otherwise at my Thanksgiving table

:-D

Tuesday 10

1. Day 14: thankful for good deals at Albertons and a military discount

2. Today I'm thankful that big girl has a meeting from 6-7 at her school that i am going to all alone. One hour of adultness and I get to miss the chaos of dinner,bath,bed. I'm really looking forward to it, even though the topic is a snoozer

3. After a 3 day weekend we are back to school today. YAY

4. I've hit the 2nd trimester energy burst. My family is pleased

5. Dinner is already in the crockpot..yay

6. Attempted to start Christmas baking yesterday and ruined the gingerbread cookies. They still taste good but have more the texture of bread than cookies. Hubs soldiers will be happy later today bc of my mistake

7. Big girl had zero homework this weekend. It was beautiful

8. She also has all next week off for Thanksgiving. I think that's a bit excessive, don't you.

9. I put in a work order to have my dishwasher fixed...they came and turned it on, watched it for 10 mins and left .....I'm not sure what this accomplishes since I do that daily anyways and it's still not washing correctly

10. I also have a spot in my kitchen floor that's sinking...their fix was to redo the tile...with tile that doesn't even match the rest of the kitchen. The floor still sags..worse that before and now it looks ghetto because the tile is completely different. They did no good.. They actually made the floor worse..the tile was never the problem, the actualy floor IS. Whatever, if I fall through the floor I'll sue.

What Can We Give This Year

Thankfulness...this year it's becoming real to me; its been on my heart a lot. I am trying to show and teach my kids how to give and truly being thankful for what they have. We are so so blessed in this country. We have so much and appreciate so little. We always want more and more stuff, but in the end what is it besides just stuff.

Today big girl asked me about her Christmas presents because we had went to the store and made a registry for the girls' Christmas gifts and I asked her what about the little boys and girls who dont have anything? Her response was "well, we can go get them some. We will just go to Target and get them some new toys after we sleep". My mommy heart was beaming!

I want to teach my girls that it's better to give rather than receive. To be kind and generous.

It's November, the month of thanks. I challenge everyone to do something you wouldn't normally do to give to someone who is less fortunate than yourself. Money is tight for us this year but even so we will be buying toys for the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico and we will be a part of giving food and clothes to those less fortunate in El Paso.

This holiday season let's make it about what we can give, rather than what we can receive.

12 and 13

Day 12: I am thankful we were able to take the girls to the circus!! It was so much fun.


Day 13: I sm thankful for a really good day today. Tonight is Sisterwives, Border wars and pizza..all cuddled up on the couch with hubs.L O V E

Thankfulness Update

Because of my Mini vacay, being sick, and two little munchkins that broke my laptop cord I got way behind on my thankfulness..I know you all will forgive me and let me restart to today..because you all are so awesome. :-)

Today is Veterans day..a special day in our family. Many men have served this great country. My dad, my great uncle, and my husband.

So today, on Veterans day I am thankful that my husband came home alive after 3 year long deployments. Everyday isn't a guarantee. Everyday I lived in fear of what I could lose. Everyday I prayed I wouldn't lose him. The last thing I ever wanted to be was a war widow. I never wanted my kids to grow up without their dad.
I, personally, know a few brave men who laid down their lives for this country. I absolutely cannot imagine dealing with a situation like that.

I am so so thankful that my husband returned home safe to me.


Happy Veterans Day to all those that served, are serving, or have laid down their lives for this country.

Tuesday's Terrific 10

1. I'm way behind on my 'thankfulness' .. Thanks to my mini vacay (no pun intended. ha)

2. We're going to the Circus this weekend. I ..can't.. WAIT!

3. I'm so excited to take the girls. It'll be their first time.

4. Hubs and I watched Stupid, Crazy, Love last night. It was really good. I really enjoyed it. It was a good movie for those who have been married awhile to watch.

5. I got my bedroom cleaned today. I'm really proud of myself

6. Santa Fe was COLLLDDD. It snowed. My toes are just now thawing.

7. Big girl had a major barfing, fever sort of issue while in Santa Fe. It, of course, happened when hubs and I were out on a date night. Next mornign she was perfectly fine though. No clue what bug got her.

8. Baby Lisa Irwin's mom..She knows more than she's saying about her babies disapearance. Whether she did it or had something to do with it or whatever,she knows SOMETHING. A mom who knows nothing about her child being missing does EVERYTHING in her power to find that baby. If my baby were missing you could hook me up to whatever polygraph you wanted, ask me any questions you wanted, you'd have to lock me out of the Police station. People who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.

9. Little girl was SO cranky today. Drove.. me...NUTZO

10. 1 minute until bedtime.. WOOHOO

Day 4 of Thankfulness

Day 4:


God knew I still needed a grandma when mine died so He allowed me to marry a man with 2 AMAZING grandmas that have adopted me as their own, love me as their own and are the 2 most caring, sweetest ladies I know!

So, I'm thankful I Still have a grandma figure in my life.. TWO grandma figures.

After losing my grandma I know just how precious that figure is in ones life.

Everything you Ever Wanted to Know about Banana Bread.

I remember being a little girl going over to my my great grandma Owens' house and her having a loaf of her delicious banana bread on the stove cooling. It was, by far, the BEST banana bread I have ever eaten.. (PS, if anyone has her recipe I would like it, please!)

Over the years I've tried many different recipes. I've hit a couple of good ones. I tried a new one today and it was really good. More Cakey than fluffy bread, but still good. I got it from Kraft.com. It was chocolate chunk banana bread but you could easily leave the chocolate out if that isn't your thing:

what you need
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Walnuts
Make It
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl; set aside. Stir eggs, bananas, oil and milk in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Stir in chopped chocolate and walnuts.

POUR into greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.

BAKE 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Cut into 18 (1/2-inch-thick) slices to serve.



Now..Some tricks: I just used reg. chocolate chips, tasted fine. In my 2nd batch I put about 1/2 a cup as a whole cup was too much.

Also, to get the best taste you need -nasty- bananas. All black, mushy. It will be the grossest thing you have ever seen but to get the correct flavor that is what you have to strive for. I let mine get nasty black and then freeze them. The day before I use them I thaw them out, peel them and put them in a lg. Ziplock bag. Then when it comes time to mush them (or whats left to mush, yes, so black that there isn't much left to mush) you just gotta squeeze the bag a few times. I always use more banana than the recipe calls for but I like a nice strong flavor.

#3: DO NOT..I repeat...DO NOT over mix your batter. It leads to thick, heavy, yucky bread. You just need to mix it until it's barely mixed. No beaters, no wisk.. Think old school...Wooden spoon.


And finally: After my bread is done I let it cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then I take some saran wrap, dump the bread out of the pan and wrap it in the saran until it's FULLY cooled! That helps keep the moisture in the bread. It's a trick I learned when doing another banana bread recipe and now I use it for all.


Enjoy!

Thursdays 10 and Thankful Thursday

I missed Tuesday's 10 because it's been a really busy week. So I'm moving it to Thursday for this week.


1. We leave for Santa Fe TOMORROW!! YIPPEEEE

2. Today I am half way to 50......I'm not sure how I feel about that.

3. Yesterday my oven fritzed. It chose pumpkin cookies to fritz on. I hate that oven

4. I cannot wait to walk down the streets of Santa Fe without a care in the world. *sigh*

5. It's been about 2 1/2 years since I've had any sort of vacation. It's about freakin time.

6. The girls had SOO much fun Trick or Treating. Big girl wasn't scared at ALL and ran up to every house! I was surprised.

7. Tonight for my birthday dinner I am making parm. crusted chicken hooters and creamy garlic rice. mmmmmmmmmm

8. I love the phrase "Chicken hooters"

9. I'm offically in the 2nd Trimester. I'm feeling LT nearly everyday now. I love it.

10. LT LOVES cheese! I didn't used to like Kraft mac and cheese and now I can eat a whole box. I didn't used to like 'raw' cheese, only melted, but now I will eat any sort of cheese I can get my hands on. mmm especially queso, even though that's kind of a nono, But I don't eat it often



and for Day #3 Of Thanks:

I am thankful for my mom. I know how hard it is to give birth to a child. I know how hard it is to raise a child. I fully understand the struggles and stresses parents go through. I understand the trying, tired moments.
So, Thank you mom! Thank you for giving birth to me 25 years ago today. Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for always being there. Thank you for being an amazing mom! I love you more than I could ever express!

My Most Treasured Things

I know you really aren't supposed to treasure 'things' but I was thinking the other day what do I have that I would absolutely NOT part with given that I had to sell or leave everything. Things that I just cannot buy again.


One of my most favorite things is the picture I have of Josh and both girls when he was going back to Afghanistan this last deployment. I snapped the picture of them walking away and one of my friends jazzed it up for me. It's absolutely gorgeous. My most favorite picture I have in my house. I've gotten so many compliments on it.

Another treasured Item is the glass yellow rose my dad got me one year for Valentines Day. My dad would always give me a yellow rose on special occasions, a tradition we've started with our girls. It's a real yellow rose that was embossed *or whatever you want to call it* in glass. It's stunning. The detail is stunning. The meaning behind it is even more amazing. He mailed it to me one year for Valentines Day and I believe it was the only present where I have actually started crying big tears when I opened it. I will have to be medicated when and if it ever breaks.

Another prized possession I have is the statue of a Soldier I bought for hubs as a welcome home present after his first deployment. The thing is stunning. (The price was stunning too, but that was before we had kids so we could just blow money) The artist only made 500 of these, so it's a fairly rare statue.

I think the last treasured item I have is the cedar chest my dad hand made for me. It means the world to me. It's gorgeous and the most beautiful piece of furniture I have. I don't know that I could ever part with it. It's housed everything from my wedding dress, to blankets, to pictures and now it's my Tv stand.

What are some of your most treasured items? Am I the only one who has treasured items?

30 Days of Thanks

For the next month I am going to blog..er..try.. daily, stating something I'm thankful for everyday.


For yesterday: Day 1: I am thankful that I get to live in a place that is warm and has mountains. I still can't get over the beauty of seeing the mountains everyday.


and today: Day 2: I am thankful for the constant blessings in my life.

To All the Chronic Horn Honkers

Never in all the places I have lived have I ever been bothered by people and their car horns. Then I moved here. I do not understand for the life of me what is up with people and their need to lay on their car horns all hours of the day.

Lay on the horn if, Lord forbid, someone pauses 15 seconds before going through the green light, Lay on the horn if the other driver isn't where you think they should be, Park outside someone's house and lay on the horn to let them know you are there. Constantly. For minutes at a time. That one really baffles me. Do they not know you are coming? Could you not call them on your cell? Could you not wait, oh, 15 seconds, after pulling up to start layin on your horn? I kid you not, I have heard someone come INTO the apartment complex alreadying laying on their horn 2 buildings from where their destination is. 2am? no problem, let's lay on the horn over and over again. It's not like anyone sleeps at 2am or has kids sleeping at 2am.

Lay on the horn if YOU'RE in the wrong while driving because, ya know, it's OUR fault you're making an illegal turn. I've heard people lay on their horns and have no clue as to why they are doing it. I've just stopped caring or paying attention to horn honking. I'm telling ya, there's going to be a time when I'm gonna have to take a baseball bat to someones vehicle.

Let's all just do the world a favor and if you are a chronic horn honker, Stop it!

Update on the Piggy Bag

For those who read my Parental Homework blog I thought I would give an update on our piggy bag.

Not bad huh?

Don't ask why Mr Pig Bag has some sort of Herp issue on his mouth and yes, I realized after I drew the mouth that the 'flap' on the bag was the mouth. It's chin fat jowel now. But you can kinda tell it's a pig though, right? I drew, Big girl colored. I even aced the Overalls. I rocked it!

Hubs wasn't home to help me so I did it this morning while rushing to get everyone ready so we could go to Big Girl's confrences. I was so proud of myself. I did it. Homework is done. Fist Pump!


Then I go to confrences.................. I did the freakin' bag wrong. Are you KIDDING ME?! It's supposed to be a bag, not a freakin puppet! DRAT. Luckily I didn't tell/show her teacher and make more of a fool out of myself. She just happened to mention it. So, I had to hunt down more stupid bags. Luckily I found them at my first stop but I had to buy them in a pack of 40. What I'm going to do with 39 bags is beyond me. Hubs is doing this bag tonight. I'm not messing with it. I've done my duty.

Tuesday's 10

1. I had a day full of preggo rage yesterday. I ripped the curtain rod and curtains off the window yesterday. It was a really cheap curtain rod beacuse that's the only kind the window would hold, bc the apartment sucks, and it was breaking and it made me mad. I don't have curtains now.

2. I also ruined the miniblinds yesterday too..on accident. I was closing the window and a few of the little slatty things got stuck and ripped because the mini blinds are cheap as crap..because the apartment sucks. After living 1/2 a day with zero outside light coming into the apartment I just now crazy glued them and fixed them.. I'm pretty sure it'll work. I can't live without sunlight. I just can't. Yes it's ghetto but it's all I can do to fix it at the moment.

3. It was either do that or end up ripping those down too.

4. We have mysterious spots showing up on our carpet. It's brown carpet but in our bedroom they are random spots as if someone has splattered bleach onto the carpet and they just show up, randomly. No bleach or ANY chemical has come into contact with those spots since I've been here. Pleaes, someone tell me I'm not crazy! They are seriously randomly appearing.

5. I sound like a crazy preggo chick but I swear it's all true

6. Big Girls Parent Teacher confrences were today. I'm so proud of her. She is doing wonderfully but needs to work on not losing her focus and going off into her own world.

7. I Love Nicholas Sparks. Amazing writer.

8. I really detest Apartment living.

9. I have no clue what to do for dinner tonight. I'm really not in the mood.

10. 10 days until Santa Fe!! I ..can't.. WAIT! Plus the money just came through so that we can totally go and not have to worry about anything..AND leave was approved! Oh HAPPY DAY!

Seasons of Life

For a long time I was just a mom and a wife. Babies, spit up, formula, tantrums (the kid, not me) That was all that I thought I was and during that time I enjoyed it. I look back now and think fondly of the days where I had a 15 month old and a newborn and Hubs was deployed. Yes, I think fondly of those days. Those were really easy, fun, simple days. Spending my days with my babies. No attitudes, homework, fighting, hitting. I was content in that season of life.

Then came a time when I was 50lbs overweight. 2 toddlers and a soon to be deployed hubs..again. I wasn't happy. I didn't know who I was. What I was. What I wanted. I hated who I was becoming. Which is how this blog got started. I wanted an outlet, I wanted somewhere to 'be' that I fully mattered. That people enjoyed what I had to say. That I could say things besides "quit throwing your food on the floor"

Hubs left and I set out to change my life. Find who I was and what I wanted. I needed to find my voice again. I lost 50lbs, not for anyone BUT myself. I hired a babysitter so that I could have ME time. Everyday as I would go to the gym and run I found a little bit more of myself. I found a little bit more of my voice every mile I ran. I can honestly say I did find myself. I found my voice. I know now what I will stand for and what I won't and I'm not ashamed to be me. I know what I will put up with and what my deal breakers are. Moms, especially, need to not lose themselves. Be selfish. It's OKAY to be selfish! I enjoyed that season of life.

There are seasons in life. There's seasons in marriage. There's good times and bad times. Just because you are going through a 'good time' doesn't mean you got the marriage book of life down, married 2 or 20 years nobody knows it all. Just because you are going through a bad time doesn't mean you are failing. Anyone who has been married more than 3-4 years knows that there are seasons and just because you are in one season doesn't mean that the next day you will be in the same season.

I've been told numerous times that there's a '5 year itch' so to speak, in marriage, where things are rough. Really rough. I believe it. So, what do you do? Do you run away and say screw it all because life is tough. Or do you stick it out, grit your teeth and push through. Kinda like labor.. it can be scary at first, then the pain starts and it gets to the point where you say 'Please kill me now!' The pressure starts and you really really wanna die, It's hard work, Blood, sweat and tears. (unless you had an epi.. pansy! hehe just kidding) so what do you do? You grit your teeth and push through it and at the end is an amazing amazing gift. If 5 year itches are anything like labor then I'm willing to stick it out; to get to that amazing gift because it's WORTH IT! Over and Over again!

Right now I'm going through a tired season. I'm physically tired, mentally tired, tired of crayons and fighting and homework and hitting and attitudes, tired of doing it all for 16 hours a day. It could very well be my hormones. It could very well be that it's the weekend and I'm still 'doing it' and I'm so ready for the weekend but regardless it's time to stick it out.. deal. Get through this season. Push through and don't run away. The reward is great!

Parental Homework

I read numerous blogs. One that I read, Twinisms, *You can find a link to her page over on the ride side of the screen..check her out, she's awesome* had a hilarious story yesterday about how her twin boys came home from school and had to make costumes out of paper bags. Go read it. It was really funny! I giggled all day at it, not that it was just purely funny but because that was -so- ME! 1,000% ME! So I spent the day yesterday radomly giggling about that story because I sympathized with her. I don't do crafts. I hate them. What I want to make never turns out like I want or like it should. Glitter makes me gringe.

That is the last time I ever, EVER giggly, sympathize with someone because what did my little Pre K sweetie bring home from school yesterday....... a freakin paper bag that I have to help her decorate into her favorite storybook character. For instance if she diggs the 3 little pigs I have to turn this stupid bag into a Pig. Are you freakin kidding me?!?! ACK! Not only do I have to help her do this crap I gotta have it done by Tuesday. It's Friday. I have a very busy weekend ahead, ya know, shopping, birthday parties, air shows, string cheese eating ect, and I have to find time to squeeze in making a Pig bag and help her with a book report. A book report. In Pre K. This parental homework is for the birds. Us parents have bigger things to worry about, like growing babies and string cheese with cake.

OCD..or NOT

I've had people tell me that my cleaning is a bit..uh..OCD, to put it nicely. I really don't think it is. Honestly. I've taken time, looked at my house and really thought about it and I don't think I have issues. Wait, is that like asking a chocoholic if they eat too much chocolate ? hmm

It's not that I'm OCD..I just enjoy cleanliness and I can't stand clutter. Most of my OCD is mental OCD, meaning my house can be messy but everything that I need to do and should do is rolling around and around in my brain and it rolls and rolls until I explode. Not literally.

Like, for instance, toys. Toy boxes make my head spin. Billons of little toys humple jumpled in a box where nobody can find anything. Barbies mixed with blocked mixed with toy food. Makes me go crazy. I actually have a system now where the girls' big toys are in a large colored rubbermaid box and their smaller toys (barbies, blocks, ect) are in 2 1/2 gallon Hefty zipping bags. Each are labled and are in another colored rubbermaid. That way they can get one bag out and everything doesn't get humple jumpled. Genius. Not OCD.

Then, there's my dirty floor issues. I cannot stand to be walking around barefoot (because I don't wear shoes) and step on some sort of misc. piece of whatever. Dirt, grit, paper, goop, stick. Plus, it just looks tacky.

At the moment I'm sitting here looking around my house at my messy kitchen, my messy livingroom, the laundry that needs folded, the dusting that needs done... *sigh* See, Mental OCD. I need to just get busy. If I really got busy and did it it would only take probably an hour, at most. *yes, that is my type of 'messy'

Okay, I'm gonna do it. I really am. Ya'll would be so proud!

ONWARD AND FORWARD I GO TO GET MY OCD UNDER CONTROL!

Tuesday's 10

1. I ask the munchin heads what they want for breakfast...oatmeal they say, I make oatmeal... Then I get whines about how they really really wanted pancakes... I give up! I'm not a short order cook and I'm tired of wasting food because they won't eat it.

2. I feel so behind..laundry, dishes, dusting, cleaning, mopping.. I'm behind on it all. I need another me!

3. Anyone volunteering to be another me can apply via this blog. Thanks!

4. That round, metal thing in the kitchen with the lid...... That's the trashcan.. Let's use it.

5. This whole parental homework that get's sent home from big girls school is a crock of crap. The reason I'm so behind is because I'm busy doing parental homework.

6. I cannot wait to have my own washer and dryer again. I'm so over this apartment life.

7. Hubs is so close to putting in his appication to a certain PD where I really really want to go... I'm excited!!!

8. I'm so tired of spending money.... seems we are always out of something or needing something or getting another bill

9. I think the amount of water that is allocated to us in this apt. complex is crap. They must have set that rate by apartments with only 1 person in them. It's a crock of crap.

10. I also think it's a crock of crap that I am paying 2.25 per load of laundry. A family of 4, one a soldier and one in school equals a lot of laundry! I need to find a laundromat that doesn't charge as much.

Moms, I need your help!

I'm tired...like, really. I am. The last time I had consistant full night sleeps was 4 1/2 years ago. People lied to me. They said "6 weeks and they'll be sleeping through the night" If I could remember who told me that I'd go punch them but I can't because I'm too tired. Then baby 1 came, she slept fairly good, waking every 4-5 hours, then I get pregnant with baby #2 6 months after #1, hubs deploys which throws toddler 1 into a sleeping tailspin and baby #2 is born, baby #2 slept max 3 hours at a time...Then hubs deploys again, before this deployment we were in a wonderful 2 month span of everyone sleeping 7pm-7am..it was bliss, for 2 months..Then hubs deploys which, once again, throws the kids into a tailspin of no sleeping. We're talking both awake every couple hours crying for daddy..It sucked. We've never gotten back to that bliss.

My next issue... Big girl has the metabolism of a rabbit. It's insane. For Halloween she's going to be a starving refugee child. So, big girl eats dinner, eats a snack, drinks milk all before bed and her freakin metabolism wakes her up hungry anywhere between 11-2am, then 3-5 shes up again. I refuse to cook the child a meal in the middle of the night so we compromised and she gets a glass of milk then back to bed.. It has worked so far. She sleeps, I'm up approx. 2 times a night, not the best situation but I deal, she's not hungry in the night.

My final issue...Totally just clicked that I'm about to have a baby in 6 months (shut up, I know, I'm slow) ..also just clicked that babies get up around 3-5 times a night. Add 3-5 times a night for the baby plus 2-3 times for the other kids and that equals me up anywhere from 5-8 times a night....... THATS..EVERY..HOUR! What in the world am I going to do??? I'm not going to survive. Nor sleep...EVER AGAIN! I totally understand moms lose sleep and I'm okay with that, I am, however, not okay with being up every hour for the next umpteen years.

I get it, I shouldn't have started the milk thing but she was hungry and I can't bare to let my child go to bed hungry and I didn't know what to do. It was the best option at the time. I really don't know what to do.. let her be hungry? which could possibly just keep waking her up again and again. Or do I just suck it up and deal and spend the next 3 years of my life on no sleep at all? It's been suggested to me to try giving her a protein shake, milk, protein powder, but I'm not sure if I wanna go down that road or what, if any, effects it could have on her.

Moms, I NEED YOUR HELP! Have you ever dealt with this? What can I do? I'm positive that 80% of it is her metabolism and the other 20% is just habit. I can't bare having her hungry but I really really need some sleep in the next year.

Par-TAY!

My Little Blog hit 5,000 views!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!! Thank you thank you all for reading!!!!


PARTY OVA HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY for you guys!! Ya'll Rock!!

To celebrate tell someone about my blog and share the love!!!

Things I learned Today

1. Now that I am pregnant I should and will use the Expectant Mother Parking at the Commisary. It's much easier than dragging my tired, 'I really really have to pee' self and a toddler all the way from the last parking stall because I'm dumb enough to go on Payday.

2. Make sure I have a pen when going grocery shopping. The last two times I've been penless. Last time all I had was a small nubbins of a blue crayon, which was annoying because it was an inch long. This time I at least had a full sized black crayon but little miss kept taking it and not giving it to me because it was 'her' crayon..I shouldn't be aruging with a toddler in the Commisary about needing the black crayon.

3. I find it annoying that Colonals have their own parking spot up close..I didn't see 1 Colonal in that Commisary. I'm sure it was a wife parked in that spot. That's annoying to me. If hubs were a Colonal I would park in a normal spot...seriously. It's not my rank. And, for real, how many Colonals go to the Commisary at 1 in the afternoon....

4. I had no pen in my purse but I did have 4 crayons, 2 little people, 3 chapsticks and a toy car.

5. Walking 3 loads of laundry across the complex then going grocery shopping then making at least 4 trips up and down the stairs makes preggo very very very TIRED.

6. Specifiy a downstairs apartment next time.

Promises of a Military Couple (EDITED with the Author!)

I had the Author contact me and now I know who wrote this! yay!!! I edited it to reflect her name and website! Now we all know who to give credit to when we repost this wonderful piece!



Promises of a military couple

A Soldier's Promise ...

I cannot promise you every night of my life. I cannot promise to be beside you for every difficult moment, every trial, every hardship. In truth, I can promise you that I will not be with you for most. I will leave you at inconvenient times. I may miss the births of our children. Any special date to us may be tainted with the anniversary of the death of one of my friends. I will ask you to take over whatever life we have built together for months and years at a time. And will then crash back into that life that you have used your sweat and your tears and your heartache to keep together and try to take it back as I knew it before. I will shut you out at times because it will be the best way for me to hold it together at that moment. I will lie to you. I will tell you I don't know things when I do. I will not always tell you where I am going, when I will be back, or who I am with. I may not call you for weeks and months and you will not be able to call me. You will ask questions that I won't answer. You will know answers to questions that you will hope you never need. I will share things with my brothers that you will never understand. They will know things about me that you never will. They will be a support to me in some things that you cannot be. I will miss birthdays. I will miss anniversaries. I will have to get to know our children over and over again. I may need time to process things that seem natural to everyone else. It will seem that someone - or something - will always take precedence over you. You may lose me long before you ever thought possible. I will uproot you and ask you to re-establish our family anywhere in the world, in any season, at any time - over and over again. Sand and mud will be tracked through your halls from the boots I am too tired to take off. I will leave you when you beg me not to. I will stand at attention while you cry beside me. I will not turn my head and I will walk away. I will knowingly break your heart. And I will do it again - and again.

I cannot promise you all of me. I cannot promise that to our children. I cannot promise you much of anything.

But if you will have me, I can promise that as I march away from you it is not without sharing your heartache. I promise you that every time I break your heart I will be breaking mine. Every time that I cannot answer you I will be protecting you. Whenever you want to call and you have no number to dial I will be wanting to do the same. I will protect everything that we have created together with every fiber of my being while you do the same back at home. I will honor you in everything - every moment that we are apart and every moment that I am with you. I will fight harder and push further knowing that I do so for you. I will see the faces of our children in every life that I protect. And I will carry you with me in everything until my sandy boots once again sit just inside our door.

An Army Wife's promise ...

I cannot promise that I will not become frustrated when you leave me and the world seems to fall apart around me. I cannot promise that I will not curse those who sent you when the dryer breaks, and the transmission needs to be replaced, and the dog eats the couch all in the same week - most likely the week after you deploy. I cannot promise that the sand and mud that cakes my floor will not cause me to give you harsh looks and rude thoughts. I cannot promise that my heart will not be torn in twelve different ways when you march away from me. I cannot promise that I will not let my anger show when you refuse to answer questions. I cannot promise to understand why you share things with your comrades that you will not share with me. I cannot promise that there won't be times when my heartache makes its presence known before my pride can mask it. I cannot promise that I will not show my worry and my concern when it is best for you not to see it. I cannot promise to understand why you do so many of the things you do.

But I can promise that for as many tears of sadness and frustration and anger that are shed there will be double that of tears of pride. I can promise you that for every time you are away from me, I will learn to cherish the times that you are with me. In everything I will honor you and honor your sacrifice. I can promise to teach our children to do the same. I will use every moment that you are not with them to show them the amazing man that you are through my actions and my pride. I can promise that there will never be a night where you are not the subject of my final prayer and the keeper of my dreams. I promise to try to be understanding that there are many things I will never understand. I promise to keep you with me in everything and to do my best to keep grace in this life. I will be strong for you as you are strong for me and I will carry you with me in every moment until your sandy boots again sit just inside our door.

Written by Megan Williams
http://toloveasoldier.blogspot.com/2011/02/promises.html

Microwave no more!

Hi, my name is Erica and I don't have a microwave. I'm dead serious, I don't. I did but it was attached to the house and we kinda had to move so I left it, not really thinking that I would need one. Fast forward, we arrive at our new apartment and there's no microwave. And I'm cheap. So I said "Suuure, we can manage without one" The first couple weeks were rough, I'll admit.

GOOD NEWS: I don't miss my microwave! I really really don't. Ok, so there's the box of microwave popcorn I have in the cabinet and everytime I see it I want a microwave but I can't justify spending $70 just to pop some popcorn. Then there's the occasonal fatty TV dinner I see at the store and think "mmm..that'd be good" but let's be real, yah, it'd be good but they have zero nutrional value and are full of fats that will just find their way to my butt anyways so I'm not paying $70 to help my butt get bigger than it already is. So when push comes to shove, I don't miss my microwave!!

Granted I go through some trouble reheating leftovers. Turn on oven, heat food, wait 15 mins but whatever, start early enough and it's no problem. I cook all the veggies in a pot on the stove or I steam them in my rice cooker/steamer. I'm learning to cook smaller portions or freeze so that I don't have to spend every afternoon with my oven on heating up leftovers.

Some people say microwaves kill your food and send like..radiation or vibes or something into ya, I dunno about that but if it's true then I'm safe...another plus.

I will say that when we didn't have our household goods and I had no pots and pants (because I was too busy packing teapots and picture frames) I did miss a microwave..It was really, really hard to cook. I cooked in pie plates in the oven, yah I brought the pie plates with the teapot, don't ask me when the last time I made a pie and some hot tea..because I do neither, so I have no clue why I brought those things instead of pots and pans, I think it was the vibes from my old microwave that caused the brain issues. I cooked my veggies in the teapot. Worked great, ruined the teapot but worked great. That's okay, I didn't use the teapot anyways, it was just decoration.

I'm really proud of myself for being so...new age..and not having a microwave!

So here's my challenge to you: Don't use your microwave for a week. Just try it. It's pretty liberating! I dare you. Ok, If you can't do a week, just try a day or two. Really. I mean it.

Tuesday's 10

1. I love peanut M&Ms..They are by far the best M&Ms ever.

2. The new pretzle M&Ms are pretty darn awesome too!

3. Every night for the past 4 nights I've gotten horrible headaches. Today it started at 1 in the afternoon and finally let up around 4 and now at 7 it's starting again..ughh..It's gotta be some weird pregnancy thing

4. or maybe Im starting to get sick..I dunno

5. Today was big girls first school picture day! She looked beautiful and I can't wait to get her pics!!

6. I really really miss living in a house

7. I'm meeting my parents in Santa Fe in less than a month for a long weekend right around my birthday. I'm SO excited! I told J if he could take off those 4 days that can be considered my birthday present. I..can't..wait! Mini vaca, vacation house, really good food...I'm stoked

8. I am SO PROUD of big girl! She is growing up so much and learning so much and becoming such a big girl. I just want to cry and hug her close and not let her get any bigger.

9. Lil miss on the other hand has hit some terrible 3 sorta syndrome

10. I'm in the middle of a really good John Grisham book...I also have 2 more really really good books waiting on me.. I'm a bit stressed by it. Between daily life, pregnancy, kids, husband, ect it's really hard to find time to read and if I do read -something- goes undone. I'm stressed.

and a bonus..because I love you all:

11. We're going to White Sands this weekend. I'm excited! I haven't been there since I was little. The mounds upon mounds of bright white sand is just beautiful!

LT update

LT is rockin' and rollin! Had my very first Dr appt last week. I got a little sneak peak at LT. It was so exciting and made it so real! I was just in awe. LT was rockin around in there. I got to see LT kick 2 little legs, swing 2 little arms and bop his/her head all around. I've never seen any of my other babies rockin like that. It was so funny and so incredible to see. LT is a bit tiny, only measuring around 9wks. I'm trying to not let my mommy brain worry. I know when LT was concieved and that does not equal 9wks, more along the lines of 11wks. I'm sure everything is fine but all mommys know how we can worry sometimes.

My queasiness is gone and the tiredness is slowly letting up. Very slowly. I'm already suffering from back pain and hip pain if I sit for too long. I'm tellin ya, the more kids you have the more it weakens ya. None of my pants are fitting. Even my biggest pair of jeans is getting uncomfortable and I have a grand total of 4 shirts that fit. The only time I look pregnant is if I wear a dress. If I wear pants then I just look fat. I'm even growing out of my bras..ACK! It's ridiculus!

We did the ring test the other day. Where you dangle your wedding ring over your tummy. If it spins in a circle it's a boy, if it swings back and forth its a girl......... Ring test says BOY! Ring test was right with both girls..we shall see.

Cravings...Let's see... gravy, slushies, banana splits, chicken fried steak, potatoes. LT is very hungry lately. When LT wants to eat, LT wants to e-a-t. Not so good for momma though. I really need my platonic husband here to take me on death walks to keep me in shape. I stayed in great shape while pregnant with lil girl, thanks to Mandy. That girl had me hiking up hills pushing a stroller while 7 months pregnant. She is a great platonic husband!

I don't go to the dr again until Mid November. And we find out if LT is a boy or a girl 3 days before Christmas! My favorite Holiday! HOHOHO

The Things Moms Say

1. Get that crayon out of your diaper

2. Stop trying to eat your sister

3. No, you cannot have a baby in your tummy right now

4. Yes, you can have some hair product (yes, my oldest knows the phrase 'hair product')

5. No, you may not tell Mr. Ray (the Bus driver) about your sisters poop

6. There aren't any scary monsters in our house

7. Eat your chicken or you aren't getting dessert

8. no, you may not play on my Ipad.

Deployments: What you don't know

Disclaimer: This blog is not for the faint of heart. If you are going through a deployment or about to I suggest you not read further. This is one of my blogs that is raw and emotional.

I've just completed my third deployment in 6 years. Deployments are a roller coaster ride. The scariest roller coaster ride ever. It doesn't start the day they leave, It starts months beforehand. The rollercoaster of emotions and tears and anger and denial. You're given briefs beforehand,. Your Soldier is given briefs beforehand. Everyone knows that you must be feeling sad, scared that your Soldier may not come home, nervous, ect. Things I haven't shared with anyone non military, things I haven't felt I could share until now. Things I wouldn't share without my Soldiers approval. Now that I am done with deployments and my Soldier is home safe I finally feel like I can share this stuff. This may not be everyone's experiences, I'm not sure wives would talk about it if it was, but it was my experience.

Here's what you don't know..................


I've spent coutless evenings sitting around listening to "this is my will" Being read a will. Being told "this is how I want my funeral" Having that conversation is one thing, but to have it right before your soldier is going off to a war zone. It messes with your emotions big time.

I've been told what to say and what not to say should there be a mass casulty situation and the press starts sneaking around.

I've been told about the risk of being captured. This last deployment was different than the other 2. Scarier, riskier. More at stake.

My soldier was sent home from a brief and was told to tell their spouse about what they should do if the soldier was captured by insurgents. What do to if they were captured and threatened with beheading. Who to contact. Who to talk to and who to not talk to. Talk about emotions. "bye babe, see ya in a year, oh here's what to do if I should get beheaded" We've all seen on T.V pictures of insurgents having captured a soldier..Now imagine if that were your spouse. This conversation is one of them that kept me awake at night, brought countless tears and countless moments of panic.

I sat at a brief and was shown a map of a 'base' "There's one small chainlink fence protecting your soldier from the rest of Afghanistan" (Think: backyard fence) and "we're using this hummer here as a 'gate', nobody IN the hummer, just a hummer, but don't worry about your soldier, they are in fine hands"

The things I heard. It's surprising I didn't have to be medicated.

I've been told time and time again about who makes notifications about Casulties. Who and how and what and why. Lord forbid UPS knocks on my door without me knowing.

Did I let myself go to that 'dark place?' At times. I couldn't get past 'what if there's a knock at the door' At that point I had to stop myself. I couldn't and wouldn't let myself go any further. Instant tears. It's an unspoken rule with the Army wives, you never ever show up unexpected.

I remember one time, my Soldier was due home very very soon. I was busy doing housework and piddling around and Big girl hollers "mom, theres someone at the door" So I peek out the window and all I see is ACU uniform. I couldn't see their face. My heart stopped. Every one of my bodily functions stopped. I opened the door, of course, and it was just one of my husbands Soldiers stopping by to see if he was home yet. I shoulda smacked him. Granted, looking back, my Soldier was safe because he was due home so soon but it still stops your heart.

Everyday is a roller coaster. Everyday you are up or down or both, or hourly. Getting a call from your soldier and all of a sudden you hear sirens and "Oh crap I gotta go!" (Click) and you are left there sitting at home with the what if's, the emotions, wondering if that time it was for real. Will he call back? When will he call back? What if he doesn't. What do you do?........sit and wait?

My first 2 deployments weren't this raw. Number three was a different story. Number 3 tested my resolve and will and strength every step of the way, up until an hour before my soldier was home. Why was I told all this? Wouldn't it just be easier if I was kept blind? yeah, it would have been easier but that's not the smartest idea. You never know what might happen.

Our time in the Army is up soon. In less than a year. I'm sad to leave. I'm sad to leave my Army family. I'm sad to leave this. My heart, mind, sprirt, and marriage are on the line though. Not getting out would require another deployment in a year. I go back and forth, could I or couldn't I do another deployment? Could I? Ultimatly, yes. I physically -could- do 4 deployments in 8 years. Is that what's healthy for me, my kids, my family, my marriage..... I'm not too sure about that. If it were in the cards for us to be in a non deployable unit for a few years then without a doubt we would stay in, but at this moment that's not what's happening for us.

Bullying

I just read the most amazing Memoir. Some of you know Dan, over at www.danoah.com Amazing blogger and writer. He just did a piece called Bullied: The Forgotten Memoirs. It was an account of his experience being bullied as a child. It's quite a long read but a good one and well worth the read.

As a mother it pulled on my heartstrings. It made me ache for him as a child. I can honestly say I really haven't given bulling much of a thought until now and I'm ashamed of that. I'm sitting here at the kitchen table while one of my babies is asleep and another is at school and I wonder 'is anyone beig mean to Big girl? Is anyone bullying her? Is, Lord Forbid, she bullying anyone?' I would like to say that I think she would tell me and I would never ever think my child would hurt or be mean to another child. We stress that in our family. You be kind, you be generous, you be patient, you be loving. We never ever hit. If I found out my child was bullying her hide would be t-a-n-n-e-d. She'd have to deal with me, deal with her father, and you better believe at the age of 4, even, I would walk her hiney to that childs house and make her apologize. Aplogize to their parents and Aplogize to the school.

Would she step in if she saw someone being mean to someone else? Would she tell an adult. I would hope so. I would hope and pray she would tell me or her dad if someone were bullying her or anyone else. What if she didn't though? What could I do to prevent that?

I never told my parents about my days of being taunted and teased in middle school. I had a safe, loving home..why didn't I tell? Maybe because I was embarassed, I'm not sure. Mine wasn't near as bad as many have had it. Rude words, jeering, taunts..the reason? All because I didn't wear name brand sport shorts/shoes/shirts to P.E Class. I wasn't the type of girl who cared whether or not I had name brand stuff. Even after the teasing started I still didn't care whether I had the 'right' clothes. I was embarassed that I wasn't perfect. I was embarassed that I didn't fit in. I was embarassed I wasn't 'right'

Why didn't I tell? I was embarassed partly. I also didn't want to cause trouble for my parents. I had sufficient clothes, why ask for $15 shorts just to sweat in and use more of their money? Had I said something yes, they most likely would have gotten me whatever I wanted, But I didn't want to be a burden.

How can we stop this cycle? I try to make sure my home is safe and loving for my kids and that they can always tell me or their father anything but will that be enough? It's our job as parents and adults to protect our kids in any way that we can. It's our job to protect kids, whether they be ours or not. It's our job to stand in the gap when we see things that aren't right and not turn a blind eye to it. If my child were being hurt I would expect an adult seeing it to step in and protect my child. If my child were the one hurting I would expect that same parent to lead my child home by her ear.

Kids don't do the right things all the time. Kids brains aren't fully developed and matured. It's up to the parents to step in. It's up to the parents to be watchful and aware. Use your parental intuition. If you feel like something is amiss, it probably is.

I'm only 24. I don't know it all. I don't have the know all parenting handbook figured out. I do know "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" I do know that should my child be hurt another adult should step in. It's not rocket science. It's common sense.

So over the Stupidity

I'm really just about fed up with the stupidity of people. Really..I am.

-- Don't boast at orientation that all parents should come to the parent meetings and seminars, ect because book credit is given and then at a special ceremony your kid will get books.."its all exciting and the kids that don't get any are sad and leftout" *for real, they said that* THEN you send home the freakin flyers and you only have your stupid classes in the morning and it says "NO KIDS" uhm, what am I supposed to do with BOTH my kids because 1 is in afternoon class..the other is always with me. Then you finally have one in the afternoon I could go to but it says in bold NO KIDS.. you..SUCK! Now my kid wont get freakin book credit. I'll just buy her books if you're going to be dumb like that. I have no babysitter at the moment..working towards it, but it hasnt happened yet.

-- 2 idiot teenage girls in a car, speeding, tailgating me with a baby on the passengers lap.. Need I say more.

-- Dont sell me a package of taco shells that are 1/2 broken. Get some better padding in there.

-- Don't call a Police call for 5pm.. That's dumb. PS: for you non Army folks 'Police Call' is code for go outside and pick up garbage and crap because at the age of at least 18 and above soldiers can't figure out where trash goes.

-- Every day my oldest can't figure out how to put on her underwear or socks..ever..friggin..day. everyday it's a battle....why's it this hard?

Tuesday's 10

1. I got a nap today!! YAYY!!

2. I can't figure out what to do for dinner tonight.. do we gotta eat? Maybe birthday cake and icecream..It's gotta be somebodies birthday..somewhere.

3. unfortantly the nap has done nothing for my motivation level.

4. I wish it would just rain already...

5. Last night I made PW Chicken spaghetti...it's amazing! Make it. Now.

6. I could eat it for literally every meal..it's delish!

7. It's Tuesday, which means it's Famous Daves, Kids eat Free night..But I'm not holding out hope on that..certain people don't get home in time for us to do that before the munchkin heads go to bed.

8. I heard if Rick Perry get elected as President he wants to send our troops to Mexico to help fight the drug cartels......I do not have enough energy to share the stupidity of this.

9. I'm totally not on the ball when it comes to Hallooween costumes this year...ugh.. Can I just buy a bag of candy, eat it all myself, and call it good?

10. I bought a candle at Bath and Body works..It's called Marshmellow Fireside..... o..em.gee .. yuummm!!

I'm Weird

--I'm a texture eater

--I have burning candles and 'looking' candles.......I plan to change that though

--I hardly EVER pick up the phone and think "I'm going to call so and so" I may love the person DEARLY, but I NEVER think to call them. It has nothing to do with them or our friendship, the thought just never occurs to me..unless it's something huge. It's even the same deal with Hubs too, I never ever think to just call him unless it's an emergency.

--I'm not a huge phone person. If someone calls yes I can and will talk all day but If nobody ever called me I wouldn't pick up my phone... I'm weird.

--I love vacuuming.

--I can't finish a book and then directly start a new one. I have to wait at least a couple days to 'process' before I can pick up another book. I absolutely cannot finish a book then start another the same evening.

--Don't talk to me during the first hour I wake up in the morning. Don't make loud noises either. Don't ask me to perform any tasks either.

--Washing my face before bed (to get rid of makeup) really annoys me..I rarely do it....... I'm bad..I know. ( I DO always wash my face in the morning though)

--I think I'm allergic to mascara..after wearing it all day my eyes start to itch

--I hate lipstick. I hate feeling like I have wax lips. I wear lip balm or nothing

--Speaking of makup, I don't wear much makeup anyways.. Makes my face feel thick. I wear enough to cover my dark circles.

--I shoulda been born italian. I can eat pizza, pasta or lasagna every night.

--I have a low tolerance for stupidity...very low.. very..very..low.

--Grossness really, REALLY grosses me out..even my kids grossness. like, dirty hands, snotty noses..ect. It more or less makes me annoyed.

--I like melted cheese but not non-melted cheese. I could eat melted cheese all day but 'raw' cheese makes me wanna hurl. It coats my mouth with a weird wax-y cheesish.

--sweet potatoes always have and still do make me gag. fries, baked, mashed..Nope. sorry. Not happenin.

--I WILL eat my great grandmas sweet potatoe rolls, but I think that's because it doesn't taste like sweet potatoes.

Carpe Diem

It's not often that I don't have the words to express how I feel but I am at that point now. I have no words to share with you what's going on inside me. My heart is grieving. Crying. Hurting because a person who is going through a terrible loss, shouldn't be. Life isn't fair. Maybe it's my preggo hormones, I'm not sure. I have shed a lot of tears for a certain family. A family I didn't expect to touch me as deeply as they did in such a short amount of time. I met this lady and I said "I want to be like her"
A beautiful family that deserves every bit of happiness in this world.

So, tonight, Hug your babies a little longer. Don't be so quick to holler and yell at them. Hold them a little tighter. Time goes by so quickly. One day they are little babies and you turn around and then they are heading off to school. Time goes so, so quickly. Treasure the moment you are in.

Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

My Life As An Army Wife

That -is- the name of my blog so I thought I would share with you my day.

Thursdays are typically "family day" and they get off at 3.....ya..okay. right. That's a pretty dream someone thought up..but play along for a second will you..... (This is all texty talk also..that adds another annoyance factor)

I've heard:

"yes I'm getting off at 3"
"nope, I'm not"
"maybe"
"I'm in training and blah blah blah must be done first" (he didn't say blah blah, I did because it was all Army talk)
"training is done"
"ohhh sorry, they threw last minute stuff on me at 2:50"
" disregard..I gotta just talk to Sfc blah really quick" (more Army names and talk)


Now, Let's recap lunch.........
He was going to take lunch....he forgot
"I'll just skip"
"ok just bring me something"
"nevermind, just come here and we'll go get something"
so I go..and I wait...and wait..and wait.
"sorry, still in training..be done soon"

5 minutes later................

"yah, just go get something and come back"

So I do..

"I can only grab the food and go" so I prepare to lob Tacobell out the window as he comes to the car just to hear:
"nevermind..I can stay a bit"

*whimpering*..............basically I just respond with an "ok" and all is good. Not worth the energy to get upset or stressed over.........

Semper Gumby!!!

A job at Walmart where he HAS to clock out at a certain time is starting to sound real appealing at the moment........................