A Southern Girl's Guide To Life

99 things I ought to have done...

2010-03-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

So there's a pretty good chance that anyone reading this who also reads other blogs will have read it somewhere else. However, in order to quell that itch within me for writing, I have chosen to add this...silly maybe...introspective, definitely...

99 Things I Ought to Have Done

Instructions:

Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris (twice, and hoping to move there in two years!)

13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (does teaching oneself Photoshop count?)

15. Adopted a child (no, but I am adopted!)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (twice)
20. Slept on an overnight train (no, but would LOVE to do this...)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching --no, but dophin watching, yes...
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma--can't. we're tainted since we lived overseas..
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London (quite overrated. better at the Tower of London)
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life--Devyn's. Twice.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby (twice even!)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (does a sweat bee count? otherwise, no...)

Apparently, the girl got schooled. Or not.

2010-01-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

Today I had the vast pleasure of getting to hear about how our government should stop helping countries in the midst of enormous disasters (Haiti, yall) and should concentrate on what's important: ourselves. Well, shoot. That makes all the sense in the world! After all, we're meant to live in a self-righteous shell, making ourselves MORE comfortable and thumbing our nose to the world and it's people. Thank you for that formidable education. Can't believe I missed the boat on that one!

Um, hello. I'm a Navy wife. I've been one for ten years and before that I was a Navy girlfriend for two years. THEN I was told that I should get my facts straight about what goes on in our military, because our men and women are being denied their basic freedoms and it's likely that I don't know what goes on because I haven't had to deal with a deployment. Now THAT, yall, made me laugh out loud! For the record, and in case anyone is checking, here's our track record:

1 Mediterranean deployment (6 months in length)
4 Middle Eastern deployments (three at least 2 months, 1 lasting nine months)
1 deployment due to arrive later this year lasting at least 5 months
Countless weeks here and there, countless days spent apart not due to a deployment

So I've got experience. I've got a TON more than I would like to say I have. I know there are those folks who feel that we should not be helping our neighbors, and while there are instances and occasions that I feel the same way, let me just say this:

Our God commands us to help the "least of these". We, in the military, are in no way, shape, form, or condition, the least of these. At all. Does the job just reek sometimes? YES. Does the separation we experience cause us to feel physical heart ache and pain? YES. Am I thankful to live in a country where freedom of speech are rights that have been ensured not by our government, but by our men and women who have fought since 1774 to keep it that way? You bet. Am I concerned that our deployment scheduled for later this year could start MUCH sooner with an unplanned deployment to Haiti? Oh...mercy, yes. Here's the thing, though. I have always told D & A that their Daddy fights for the children of the world who can't fight for themselves or who don't have a Daddy who can. If Hubs is called to Haiti, I will stand with pride and wishes of Godspeed on the pier, maybe not seeing him for who knows how long.

So, that said, maybe that's why I make a decent military spouse--it's the Southern in me. In the South, we help each other without regard as to what it will cost us. We're always the first on the doorstep with a casserole when someone has passed or someone's been born. I understand the need for the military to GO to these places that are struggling and heaving with despair. My parents gave to others--and still do--and that's instilled in me. Whether it's Collards from the garden for our neighbors for no reason or sending my sweet husband to a place where he is so vitally needed, I give. And sometimes I get tired of it, but I do it because it's my job. I'm God's child and a Navy wife.

Movin' on up...

2010-01-12T13:59:00.000-08:00

So, yes, I realize that it's been a while. Ok, a LONG while...I said in one of my previous posts that there were some changes a-comin to the home of the Fab Four+Cat and sooo, without further ado...

1. Carrie (me) is going to school. Again. Got the Associates, got the Bachelor's...shoot why not have a complete mid-thirties life-shift and decide to do what I've always wanted to do? Why the heck not? Because it's CRAZY, that's why. CRAZY yes, but WOW...I started a year ago just taking one class and I am now in my second semester of Anatomy and Physiology...in order to...one day...before I die...become a Nurse in Trauma, Emergency Medicine or Obstetrics. More on that later...

2. Mike (the hubs) and I have decided to take the very BIG leap of trying to go for another overseas tour. This time in...wait for it...Berlin or Paris. AHHH!!!! Again, more craziness! There's a TON to be done with that, but all in God's timing. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen and we will go where we're sent, but man...three years in Paris? Who would pass that up? Not I, not I...

3. Said Husband will be deploying for six or seven months this September and this will mark the first Christmas we have ever spent apart--VERY rare in this Navy world of ours. So prepping for that, and still carrying on soccergymnasticskidsschoolmyschoolchurchlifefamily and SUCH is a big, well...interesting to say the least...

Sooo, as if that's not enough, I suppose that's all for now...of course, there will be more much sooner than later!

4 Hokies in Atlanta

2009-09-08T05:25:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, we set out on a nine hour road trip to Atlanta to see the Hokies play the Tide. I was QUITE nervous about this little road trip--the last road trip of any length we took was when we lived in London and drove to Edinburgh. That was insane. Anyway...

The Kiddles were Fan.Tastic! The $100 we spent on the portable dvd player was seriously some of the BEST money we've ever spent. We stopped in Augusta for the night since we didn't leave until 1 pm that afternoon and let me just say for the record, Georgia has just about the nicest Waffle Houses on the planet. Waffle House is kind of big in our little family--Mike and Devyn and Aiden die over the pecan waffles and I've never had a better patty melt. We ate SO much--but ohhhh was it wonderful! We drove into Atlanta Friday morning, dropped our stuff at the hotel and took the kiddles to the Georgia Aquarium...

From there we went to World of Coca-Cola and hung out in Centennial Park for a while. We met friends for dinner that night (if you haven't had the Ahi Tartare at Cheesecake Factory...mercy...run, don't walk! It's truly fabulous...

We spent Saturday morning at the pool and then donned our Hokie Best and drove to the Georgia Dome. We tailgated and afterwards, headed inside to watch the boys bring home a victory. Sadly, it didn't happen that way. Alabama exhausted our defense and we lost a very valiantly played game. We, however, had a blast. The kiddles were troopers, and although exhausted by 11 pm, they continued to cheer on the Hokies and promptly fell asleep in the car before we left the parking lot. The nine hour drive back home was eventless and thankfully the only mishap occurred when my sweet husband baptized his phone in the jacuzzi at the hotel. But it was a small price to pay for all this...

Ok, absence duly noted...so something to sweeten the deal...

2009-08-25T13:22:00.001-07:00

I have taken the summer off, and in getting back into the swing of things, I've got a recipe for you! Here you go...some changes at the O home...more to follow!

These rocked our socks off...Let me know if you like them too!

Salted Nut Bars

Yield 28 bars
Total time : about 45 minutes plus cooling

1 lb peanut-butter sandwich cookies, coarsely crumbled.
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Topping
2 cups of peanut butter chips
2/3 cup of light corn syrup
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract (the real stuff!)
2 cups of miniature marshmallows
2 cups of dry-roasted peanuts
2 cups of Rice Krispies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

Pulverize (love that word!) cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter, and process until crumbs clump together. Press crumbes into prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes or until golden.

Melt peanut-butter chips, corn syrup, butter and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth, about 5 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup of the peanut mixture over crumb base.

Top with marshamallows and return bars to the oven. Bake until marshmallows puff, about 2 minutes, then remove from oven. Don't let marshmallows brown or they'll turn crunchy.

Toss peanuts and cereal with remaining peanut mixture to coat. Drop spoonfuls of the topping over the marshmallows, then spread with a spatula (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking). Cool bars before cutting with a knife coated with nonstick spray.

How many ways can you think of...

2009-05-06T05:16:00.000-07:00

to get out of a dentist appointment? I have my six month check-up today. I expect I'll be no worse for the wear when it's over and done with, but MERCY. I have gone through two c-sections, one with 15 hours of natural labor, had my house broken into while I was in it, and many other things that would knock the fear of God into people but nothing strikes freaked-out fear into me like going to the dentist. At this point, Maury, Tyra, Oprah or Dr. Phil would ask, "Did something happen to you when you were younger that might have caused this fear"? Um, YES. My dentist was pure, unadulterated evil. Ok, maybe not evil, but he was nearly blind, and let's just say everytime he would use the Grim Reaper Tool (that hook looking thing that is most definitely formed from the bowels of Hell) he would miss. HE WOULD MISS. And subsequently get my gum tissue. Awesome. Thanks, Dr. Doom who forever formed my terror of dentists.

So. Six months ago I finally went to the dentist after a VERY long absence. I paid the price too, with needing some dental work that was long overdue. However, Dr.Doom did NOT do the work. I had the most funny, the most gentle, and the cutest little dentist (I can say cute--even if I'm happily married, right)? I didn't allow the use of said Grim Reaper Tool and things went much smoother, even though I did sit there for five and a half hours.

Today is my check-up. Will not do the flouride treatment. Would rather have my eyeballs licked out by kittens. Hate it. Will not allow the Grim Reaper Tool. So what we have here is me, the freaked-out patient who dictates how they're going to do my treatment and the cute Saudi dentist who puts up with me for Lord knows what reason. I've been trying to think up ways for the past few days to get out of it. However, I know what comes from that: those blessed five and a half hours in the chair. Rock on. I guess I'll just put on those gawgeous plastic glasses and lay back and watch Maury while they whittle away with some awful tooth polish flavor at my teeth. Awesome.

Thoughts for the day...

2009-04-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Not much to blog about today, so I thought I'd just write my random thoughts...

1. There is something incredibly refreshing about hearing a three year old sing "You Are My Sunshine" at the tippy-top of his little lungs during the school Spring program. I love that kid--any kid--who steps out of bounds and truly projects his whole soul into something like that.

2. There is also something refreshing about HAVING a kid like that--our Aiden--who rocked our faces off with his rendition of "Rockin' Robin" with his white sunglasses and inflatable guitar during his classes' performance...

3. Wouldn't an inflatable guitar truly be considered an "Air Guitar"? Discuss...

4. I am on an organizing kick. So far, it's a slow process...

5. My current favorite character on tv is Bethenny from the Real Housewives of New York City. How funny is she?! Cracks me up. Every time.

6. Why is it, that at 33 years old, I am still getting zits? Can someone please explain this to me? All I know is that we, as teenagers, were LIED to in Health Class when they told us, "Oh, breakouts stop around 19 years old". Hello, LIAR. And there's only so much Extra-Strength Neutrogena face wash one can absorb through the skin in a day before our Blood Alcohol Level starts rising uncontrollably...

7. Land of The Lost comes out on June 5th. That's the night of brother-in-law's rehearsal dinner. There's a movie theater right next to the restaurant. Five bucks says I'll be enjoying my salmon sitting in a Regal Cinema enjoying Will Ferrell battle the SleeStacks. Don't judge--it was my FAVORITE show when I was little and 27 years is a LONG time to wait for a movie to come out...now all I need are The Jetsons 40 feet tall and I'll be fine as wine...

Off to get The Girl off the bus...enjoy your Wednesday!

Consider it a vent...

2009-04-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've had two experiences with vents in the last week. The first occurred when my grandma's wedding ring, which I wear with mine, plinked, plinked, plinked from the top of my jewelry chest onto the floor, then plinked, plinked, plinked DOWN THE AIR VENT. Here's what followed:

1. Panic.
2. Panic.
3. Absolute PANIC.
4. Mike, Sweet Hubby, arrives.
5. Children scatter on a mission to find every single flashlight we own.
6. Mike puts his hand down the vent and announces that he's got a penny.
7. Fabulous. We're wealthy now!
8. Instead of said penny, Mike pulls out Helen's wedding ring.
9. JOY, ELATION, SCREAMING, and Bursting into tears.
10. Return to calm, and sending many prayers of gratitude upwards.

Here's the other vent:

Everyone has people in their lives who are rude, inappropriate, and just plain mean. They revel in getting in little digs here and there and just genuinely being nasty. I have one of those people. I have the esteemed pleasure or spending time with this person in regular occurrences. It's AWESOME. Sarcasm, anyone?

I'm learning how to deal with this person. It's not easy to say the very least. Frankly, it's miserable. But, I also know that I'm the better person for not absolutely having a down home conniption. What I need to do, it to pray more. Pray for patience and strength. And grace. And that that person might have the opportunity to move. Very, very far away. Is that bad? Hmmm...I'll just stick to grace and strength and patience...

Ok, 'fess up...

2009-04-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Someone's been here. Ok, a FEW people have visited but THIS particular person is in my Feed-It as being in Roanoke, Virginia. ROANOKE, people. Ring a bell? MY HOMETOWN! I fully expect a comment from said person...whoever you may be! ;)

This morning merrly rolled along until I went to stretch. Seven hours later, here I sit, a heating pad wrapped around my poor neck. About once a year, I tweak my neck. It just so happens that this time, it's two days before Lindsay's (my soon to be sister-in-law) shower that I'm hosting. So tonight must be Mike's lucky night, because it's up to him to finish filling the 10 gift bags for each guest that has to be done tonight...lucky, lucky man!

Welcome to the zoo...

2009-04-21T07:09:00.000-07:00

I have a sign in our hallwall leading from our front door that says just that, and it's very fitting. Especially lately. Life, in all it's glory has been an absolute ZOO. Last week was spring break for the kiddles--fantastic, wonderful Spring Break. Of course that doesn't mean the week slows dwon a great bit, just a wee bit. The activities still go on...

Monday: soccer
Tuesday: gymnastics
Wednesday: soccer AND gymnastics
Thursday: soccer
Friday: gymnastics
Saturday: TWO soccer matches

Madness. Add to that the trip I took back home on Friday to help my mom and dad with an estate sale from my grandfather's estate and the drive--normally 4 hours--took seven AND A HALF--by Saturday morning I was whooped. And just for the record, people who quibble over ten cents are wackadoodle. So from 8 am until 5 pm on Saturday, I was part of another zoo--only one that involved people who will literally buy ANYTHING if it's 25 cents or less.

So Sunday I drove back home, and yesterday morning the zoo was in full swing again--back to school, lunches to make, dinner to make (thank you Hubby for the new crock pot!), soccer,etc. This week I'm preparing the bridal tea I'm hosting for my to-be sister-in-law that will be held this Saturday. Mercy, heavens...life is kind of in free fall mode until school is out.

On top of THAT, and the wedding in June, I'm finishing up my first class and I'm trying to map out the next two years--classes to take, nursing schools to apply to...

OHHHH...and the BIG news that we're thinking (seriously) of applying for a job at the Embassy which would begin in three years in either Berlin or Paris...which would mean we'd take the zoo across the pond for three years...

And then we're thinking of putting our house on the market this summer...any takers? I can make sure the elephants are OUT of the backyard and the tigers mostly stay in the garage...

Holy Wookie Cookies Bat Man...

2009-03-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

I made peanut butter cookies Sunday afternoon. Did you get that? I.MADE. Peanut Butter Cookies. While this will come as a surprise and a shock to the people who know me best, the rest of the world is left wondering, "Peanut Butter Cookies? Ok, so what"? So what. SO WHAT?!

I love, love, LURVE to bake. Only I don't do it all too terribly often because:
1. It's time consuming.
2. My children don't need any more sugar.
3. I will eat it. ALL. Whatever IT is, I WILL eat It.

However, I was in the mood for a little sweetie dish over the weekend and so Sunday afternoon, and when I found a VERY simple recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies, I decided it was high time for some artificial goodness in this house.

Oh.My.GAAAHHHHH. Seriously? The BEST FLOURLESS peanut butter cookies EVAH. I've included the recipe here because, honestly, if I can't share the fruits of my labor, what good am I? That, and they're gone now, and Mike, nor the kids ate the bulk of them. So if I have three extra pounds on my hips, then I just figure yall should too. Aiden told me, "These are not p.b. cookies, Mama. These are so good, they're what Chewbacca eats. You should call them Wookie Cookies". Hence, they became the Wookie Cookies. Enjoy. And just so you know, they'll rock your face off. You've been warned. If you do make them, let me know what you think!

Wookie Cookies
Makes: 2 Dozen Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 12 minutes Cool: 20 minutes

1 Cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 Cup of sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
parchment paper (I just sprayed my cookie sheet with Pam)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. (If you'd like to throw in some chocolate chips, do it now, to the tune of 1 cup).
2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Cool on a cookie sheet on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack and let cool 15 minutes.

Now, that's a little bit of Heaven right there...

Virginia Born and Bred!

2009-03-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

I am a lucky girl. I am something like a seventh generation Virginian. My parents were born here, their parents and it just goes on and on. I have ancestors who fought in the Civil War. I have a great (x5) uncle who played for the Washington Senators waaaay back in the day (1905-1910). Apparently he was recruited by the Yankees but would not play for them, simply because his mama had a FIT when he talked of going to the "North". We won't speak of mama's boys at this juncture, but I understand her point. Up North is like an entirely different planet from Down Here. There are parts of it I LOVE and would move to in a heartbeat; anywhere around Boston, Lexington, Concord, et cetera is fantastic. I don't know what they would do with me and my crazy drawl that most times I manage to put a lid on!

See, in the South, we're taught to love our state--and just for the record, Virginia is NOT a state. It's a Commonwealth. I digress. It becomes part of who we are. We even have our very own little comment about it:
"To be a Virginian either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one's Mother's side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from Above."---Anonymous

I love my home. I love that within three hours you can be either in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, in the nation's Capitol, or at the very center of the Civil War. It's remarkable, really. We have things that are truly ours--the pineapple for hospitality came directly from Colonial Williamsburg. Seven presidents. The ending of both the Revolutionary War and the Civil War happened right here. The Virginia Reel (had to learn it in middle school gym class). History comin out the wazoo. We even have our own STORE yall, and it's called Virginia Born and Bred. They're on the web if you want to check it out.

I wish that everyone could stand in the middle of Mabry Mill in the fall while the leaves are changing and just take in how breathtaking it is. I wish everyone could go to St. John's Church on Church Hill in Richmond and listen to Patrick Henry's speech, "Give me liberty, or give me death" where he orignally gave that speech. I wish everyone had the opportunity to walk the grounds of Arlington National Cemetary on Veteran's Day. Any day, it's moving, but Veteran's Day...that'll bring it home for you. I wish you could stand on the sand at Cape Henry where the settlers landed and planted a cross in the 1700s before the travelled to what would become Jamestown. Virginia is a remarkable place, and I and blessed to call it my home.

Walking into the past...

2009-03-19T04:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, the kiddles, the man and I drove to my parents house four and a half hours away. We went to help them price items that we're wanted by any of my other family members from my Grandaddy's estate. Walking into his house on Saturday morning was like taking a bullet train back in time, and the emotions of going through his and my Grandma's life were quite unexpected. I had the assumption that the house would be empty except for the larger pieces of furniture that were going to be sold in the estate sale. I was so wrong...

Walking into the kitchen, sitting on the counter, was the spoon rest my Grandma used when she would cook. It's not just any spoon rest; It's a piece of china that's molded into a girl wearing a beautiful pink gown and within the skirt of the gown are the slots to hold the spoon. I remember playing with her as a little girl in my grandma's kitchen. She is now sitting next to my stove and has had a proper cleaning after all the years of use had all but consumed her, and she is perfectly spectacular.

When my grandad married again after her passing, none of us--my parents, my cousins, no one--could find my Grandma's things. We were pretty darn positive that his wife had thrown most of those things out. Her missing cookbook really pained me the most. Knowing that she had developed those recipes that she had fed us with and had perfected them over many years and that that account might be gone for good was just about too much for me. I can't tell you how many times I've mentioned to Mike over the past 12 years how much I wished I had her Coconut Cake recipe. Just as we were about to leave, I gave the kitchen one more once-over and there just as plain as day was her cookbook that she started keeping in 1959. Well that just about did me in. Leafing through it, I found so many of her favorites: Ice Box Biscuits, Hummingbird Cake and yep, in her handwriting, Coconut Cake. One funny note, Mike also found her apple and pear butter recipe. Which makes FIFTEEN QUARTS. Holy smokes. I can't recall it in it's entirety at this moment, but the one thing that sticks out in my head were the FIFTY POUNDS OF SUGAR it called for. How do you even BUY fifty pounds of sugar? Mercy. I remember it though--and it was so sweet you could chew it. As she would have said, "That's called seasoning Sugar (her name for me). In the South, we season our food".

Saturday was a difficult day. Mike, in going through their file cabinet found their marriage certificate from December 28th, 1940 and their original birth certificates. We found letters that my mama had written to them before I was born telling them how much each of them meant to her that she thought were lost forever. I found the letter I wrote to them from summer camp when I was Devyn's age. And my two babies walked away with something from the great-grandparents that it just seemed were meant for them: Devyn, my rocks and minerals collector was given two authentic arrowheads that my Grandaddy had found on his farm. (Next to the farm on one of the ridges were two Indian caves dating to around 1740--no kidding). You should have seen the girl's face light up! They're perfect . And Aiden was given a ceramic horse that had belonged to my grandma, complete with saddle and bridle. It was important to me that they each have something from two people who molded my life so profoundly.

I could go on and on about the things we found on Saturday. My mama and I cried our weight in tears and when we left I felt like we had just had the incredible privelege of walking through thier lives--their love for each other and their children and grand-children, and their great-grand-children. Everett and Helen were amazing people. I hope that in my life, I'll make them proud.

Trade Me Tuesdays!

2009-03-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's not Tuesday. Duly noted. However, my beautiful Whitney, owner and operator of www.whitneycarolinedesigns.com is offering a GREAT deal right now for anyone who will trade her a slow-cooker recipe for a 10% off coupon! I don't necessarily want the coupon, BUT, this is a good opportunity for me to pass on one of my favorite recipes AND get her business "out there" in the process. Enjoy Sweetie!

Easy Crock Pot Gruyere Chicken

ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts
1 package of stuffing mix (Stove Top Chicken)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/4 lb of Gruyere cheese, sliced
1 1/2 C of chicken broth or water
1/2 C of grated Parmesan cheese

Place Chicken Breasts in crock pot and cover with the sliced Gruyere cheese. Combine the soup, broth, and stuffing mix and spread over chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cook on high three to five hours.

Voila! One of my favorites, and one of the easiest CP recipes of all time!

I hang my head in shame...

2009-03-11T05:14:00.001-07:00

because I have no excuse for not updating for so long! My Lindsay has been after me--in not so subtle terms--to get my rear in gear and post something. Anything! So, here I am, six weeks later. Not a lot has happened really in that time, but it is good to be back here. Spring is starting to "sprung" in Virginia --now really, can you say "Spring is springing"? Um, no. So, it's "sprunging". It's slowly getting warmer, the birds are singing a little more and the days are longer. I spent the most spectacular weekend at my girlfriend's family's lake house in South Carolina this past weekend--ohhh...Heaven! Now, I should explain at this point, something about the area of Virginia we live in. It's very diverse. People from just about every state, every nation are here in some capacity dealing with the military. Therefore, southern culture kind of gets a little lost. If my true accent comes out around here, I would turn heads like a naked celebrity on the red carpet. My "Hi" would come out as it normally does when I'm back home: "Haaaa" (very short "i"). But I will tell you this: I was in my element this past weekend. I was with MY people--people who talk like I do, who thoroughly enjoy a good fried green tomato, who fully enjoy doin nothin but sittin on the porch with a glass of sweet tea and watchin the world go by. My girlfriend from South Carolina and I are VERY much alike--so much so that I think our other girlfriends who went with us--one from Arizona, one from Michigan, one from Ohio and the last from Texas--were gobsmacked that yes, we enjoy Fried Okra. We loooove our collards. And when I was making a thank you note for my girlfriend's grandparents, and wrote "Thank Yall"--my little Arizona girl said to me, "You spelled it wrong--shouldn't it say 'Thanks Yall'?" Yeah...no. Needless to say, it was a most wonderful weekend and the nine hour drive was completely worth it. I love my girls--and I'm looking forward to next years adventure to Lake Keowee!

The Baby Test

2009-01-22T18:37:00.000-08:00

In the past year, six of my sweet girlfriends have had six--sweet baby girls--all girls! In the next three months, there will be three First Birthday Parties--one each for Lilian Ashleigh, Kylie Eliza, and Makailyn Thea. Then later on this year, our little group will celebrate the First Birthdays of Laynee Adele, Eden Avery, and my sweet Ruby Eileen. In addition to THAT, there will be Savannah Katherine's second birthday, and all our the little boys...there are three, no four of them! We are so blessed to have our amazing friends, and it got me thinking how perhaps we should all have taken the following test BEFORE the one that gives the two blue lines, because this is the best darn estimation of what the first years of having a child are truly like (minus the beautiful little gummy grins, the sweet smell of their little heads, those little chubby arms reaching up from the crib and SO many others...)
(Oh...and at least two other babies will be born this year in our group!!) Note to self: don't drink the water!!
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Are you considering having children? To determine whether you are truly prepared for the experience, we suggest you take this set of simple tests...Naturally, one must multiply these by the number of children you have, if you're a multiple Mommy!

MESS TEST
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in the wet flowerbed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST
Obtain a 55-gallon box of Legos. (If Legos are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks or broken bottles.) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream (this could wake a child at night).

GROCERY STORE TEST
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop at the grocery store. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

DRESSING TEST
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a stout cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal (such as Fruit Loops or Cheerios) into the mouth of the jug while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8 to 12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 8:00 PM begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 PM. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 PM. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 AM. Set alarm for 5:00 AM. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for five years. Look cheerful.

PHYSICAL TEST (WOMEN)
Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10% of the beans.

PHYSICAL TEST (MEN)
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

FINAL ASSIGNMENT
Find a couple who already have a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training, and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run riot. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers.

Now, about this cold...

2009-01-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

It's currently 34 degrees. The local weather dudes are reporting this as, "bone-chilling" and "frigid" and "icicle-like". People are dressing like it's the South Pole and cars are being warmed up in the morning like it was Fargo. WHAT?!! People. This. Is. Not. COLD!

This is what it was like every stinkin winter when I was a child. Forget that--it was bitterly--and I do mean bitterly, cold. I clearly remember walking to the bus stop in 4 degree weather. FOUR DEGREES YALL! Mike was fondly reminiscing of the days when treking across the Drillfield at Virginia Tech meant having bodily fluids being FROZEN to your face when you got to your destination because 1) Blacksburg can get cold as a witches t** in a brass bra and 2) the Drillfield itself is just pretty much a beautiful, glorified wind-tunnel. You put buildings made of limestone on the perimeters of a concave field that big and see what happens. People walking just get blown over. One girl, walking near me on my way to McBride one day just up and disappeared when a big ol gust came and took her away. (Kidding, but you get the picture).

I, for one, would think that those good people up there in the Northwest where it's oh, say 32 below ZERO like it was yesterday would tend to get a wee bit torqued to hear a two-bit transplant to Virginia, who's likely from, oh I don't know Texas say that 32 degrees is a bit chill-inducing. 32 is balmy, Friends. BALMY.

So here's what I have to say. Buck up. To all my Southerners whom I love and adore, BUCK UP. Buy a scarf for once in your days. Put on a toboggan (yes--a toboggan is a hat--a sled is a sled). Gloves people. And quit yer yappin. It will soon be just the way we like here in the South: hot, muggy, humidity-laden and moquito infested. Yep, July is lookin better already. I'm going to go enjoy my hot chocolate while I can.

p.s. If you happen to live in Texas, please don't take offense at the aforementioned comment. It's just an example.

Take a Big Whiff...that's the smell of change Baby!

2009-01-13T16:17:00.000-08:00

So things they are a-changing in the fam. What, pray tell, could usher in even MORE change than we've already had? Plenty, dear friends.

1. We have made the (tough) decision to enroll Aiden and Devyn in a different school next year. Lots of reasons really. Primarily because God has blessed us with the opportunity to educate them in a manner we always wanted for them, so we are taking Him up on the offer. In addition to that, Aiden would not have had the same first grade teacher that Devyn was blessed--and I truly mean blessed--next year. She now teaches 2nd grade and while Devyn's teachers have been great following her first grade year, they have NOT been a Mrs.J. She.Is.The. POO. It breaks my heart that Aiden wouldn't have her next year--so, due to that and the aforementioned reason, the kids are both moving to a different school. Together, which they're very stoked about, I might add.

2. Mike has a new job in Naval Warfare. We are headed to an LHD, or Landing Helicopter Dock in the terms of a Naval Assault Ship. This means, NO BAHRAIN IN SEPTEMBER!!! WHOO HOOO! Hallelujah and praise the Good Lord.

3. I am venturing back to school to take a class in the language of medicine, which may be a stepping stone to a new career for me...I'm merely getting my feet wet right now, but so far it's a good, tepid temperature, and not too shocking to the spirit! When I was three years old, my "Grown-Up Job" was going to be nurse. That's all I wanted to be. Then, when I was around 16, I went insane and decided to major in something else entirely and I mean ENTIRELY different. I enjoyed it, but still, it's not where my heart lies. There is still a very, VERY large part of me tht wants to be in the medical field as an RN, so that's what I'm pursuing. Trust me, I'm scared to bits. I don't know what lies ahead of me...but, I do know I'll regret it for the rest of my days if I don't give this a good hoo-ra. I will either come out completely crazy as a June Bug or a bonafide Registered Nurse--either in Pediatrics or Obstetrics...

there's more, but it's bedtime for the kiddles...

The Wish List

2009-01-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

Remember when the Sears WishBook was ACTUALLY a BOOK and not a pamphlet? Such a travesty. Nearly ruined Christmas this year when the Target Wish Book was MUCH bigger than the Sears WishBook. I digress...

Wishes for this year...and there are nine of them...

1. That the scheduled deployment to Bahrain will be 90 days and NOT 180. Read: 3 months. NOT SIX.

2. That the Hokies will actually win a Bowl Game tonight. Because it's rarely happened before. I love them, but BOY do they choke when it matters.

3. That I will continue on my quest to truly simpfly our family life and spend more time together doing silly, fun family stuff.

4. That my children's confidence will continue to grow, and their understanding of God's love for them, as well as ours, will grow..and grow...and grow...

5. That the endeavour I am about to begin will be fruitful, and won't leave me shaking my head...

6. That my husband will continue to have a fulfilling Naval career...

7. That my extended family will find peace after losing my grandfather last month.

8. On a selfish note, that the four of us will be able to travel to London this fall after our scheduled trip was cancelled when the last deployment was extended.

9. Finally, for laughter, joy, sadness that makes us grateful, anger that makes us mature, and melancholy that makes us comfortable to fill our home and the lives of the four of us.

Happiest of New Year's to you!

That's a Wrap...

2008-12-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

Today is New Year's Eve. The end of a rough year for the O's (that's us). While my parents were here last week I remarked to my mom that Mike and I had only spent three weeks together since LAST Christmas; she,thinking I had to be wrong, went to the calendar to count it up. Sure 'nuff, three weeks. Do I keep harping on this deployment? I certainly think I do. Just one more reason I'm glad to ring in the new year. It's often said that we can't truly look forward without looking back to realize the lessons learned. So, with that, here are 2008's lessons learned for me:

1. You should always, ALWAYS ignore the screaming dude in the celica with the Tennessee plates in the WaWa parking lot. Because he's wackadoodle.

2. Neighborhood conflicts are best left alone.

3. Tornadoes are not,NOT your friend.

4. Wisdom imparted often comes from the children in your life, and not the adults.

5. You should never be afraid to have no idea what you're doing when the thing you're doing is seemingly the craziest thing you have ever done.

6. No matter how many times you steam-clean the carpet, you'll always have to do it again. And again.

7. Nothing is stronger than good prayer and good coffee.

8. The plumber can be your best friend. Especially if you call him three times in three weeks.

9. Nothing is sweeter in this life than simply being in a room with the people you love. Who cares if you're not doing anything at the time. Just breathe them in.

10. It all boils down to family. They are the Heaven God gives us here on earth until we get there.

That's it. Tomorrow will be the things I hope for in 2009. Here's to Hog Jowls, Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Boiled Cabbage. None of which I've ever eaten. I'm Southern...not crazy!

Cornbread Dressing, Gorgonzola Prime Rib, and Pumpkin Pie Fantasy

2008-12-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

And that's part of our Christmas supper menu. The rest?

Spinach Salad with Feta and pears
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Mango Cranberry Relish
Spirited Eggnog
Southern Iced Tea
Cranberry Prosecco

and for baking goodies for the neighbors and mailman and (yes) the trashman,
Peanut Butter Balls (not Buckeyes. Cover the whole thing in melted chocolate for cryin out loud. That bare spot is just a mean teaser).
Bourbon Rum Balls
Molasses Oatmeal Cookies

This is me trying to keep my mind on other things. Nine days ago my Grandaddy passed away after a ten year presence of Alzheimer's Disease. I drove home and sat with him in the hospital to give my mom a break, then after MUCH deliberation and convincing on the part of my family, decided to go ahead with Mike's and my trip to Las Vegas for the weekend (Well--LATE Thursday to EARLY Monday). His funeral was held the day we flew out. Hello, Family Guilt. Not that I got that handed to me; but it was I that felt guilty. But it was my mom's best friend who reminded me that I was there with my family when no one else was--when all the other family was elsewhere, and that my husband had been gone the better part of the year--that I needed to be with him and cultivate our marriage. She was so right. Mike and I had the most spectacular time. It was very, very needed and for the first time in a really long time, I found myself relaxing.

Now, however, it's "back to reality...whoops there goes gravity..." and the fall-out from my Grandaddy's death is beginning to rear it's ugly head. I'm not going to go into specifics here, but let's just say the Hatfields and the McCoys have nothing on us.

So, for that reason, I'm thinking on other things...things that are good, and pure, and right, and true and enjoying my darling, precious family. And I'm just thankful.

Tomato Soup Cake and Lives Saved...

2008-12-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this is to formally put any and all speculation to rest. Two of my friends who read my blog have asked me to explain Tomato Soup Cake and how I ended up saving Devyn's life twice. Now, I'm going to include a recipe for the cake; however, it's NOT the recipe my mother-in-law has perfected. I don't have that recipe because it has some secret ingredient in it and I think you either have to have kissed the Pope or been Brule by blood (my mother-in-law's family name), or to have been French Canadian by birth. So! Here we go!

Tomato Soup Cake is a very Southern dish. Go figure, because my mother-in-law is originally from New England, and hard-core Northern at that. Her great-grandfather was Whaler, and her mother still has the craziest strongest accent from Fall River, Mass, EVER. Anyway, she makes this cake once a year. It's a spice cake with nuts and fruit (raisins usually). It's ridiculously moist and although the name conjures up probably some really yuck stuff, if it's done right, it will BLOW YOUR MIND. Here's the recipe from allrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS
Combine the tomato soup and the soda in a bowl, and let it stand.
Cream sugar, egg, butter, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix in tomato soup and soda mixture, and then flour. Stir in the raisins, and pour the batter in a greased baking dish.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until done. Cool the cake, and top with cream cheese icing.

Ok, now...how I managed to save Devyn's life. Twice...
She was about ten months old and she and I were in the kitchen while I was making supper. She was in her high chair and was happily enjoying some Zwieback toast while babbling to me about what Elmo had done that day on Sesame Street. She pretty well stopped babbling immediatly and I thought something had caught her attention, but when I looked over, she was very slightly blue. I grabbed her out of the highchair and threw her over my knee and started doing infant Heimlich on her back. It took about 15 seconds before the piece of cookie that was stuck in her throat shot across the kitchen. So. That was experience number one. Experience number two was much, much more magnanimous...

We had been in London about two months and Mike was off playing soccer one evening (it was a Monday--how do I remember that?). Devyn was 23 months old and I was again, in the kitchen cooking her supper. She was having chicken and green beans. Again, weird how I remember that. Now, it should be noted that the temperature in London during the summer can reach about 99 degrees, no breeze. Oh and no one has air conditioning. Read: miserable. Because of that, we had both french doors open and our windows, which were not typical sash windows. These had a handle that you turned and the windows opened inward from a side hinge. Hope that makes sense. Anyway, Devyn walked past the kitchen and said, "Mommy, I go play, k"? and made her way into the living room where her toys and the t.v. was. I brought her dinner in about 5 minutes later and sweet girl wasn't in there. So, I thought she was probably in her room playing or we had just launched into a game of hide-and-seek without my knowing it. I started playfully calling out to her, "Devyn...I need my baby bug"! Five minutes goes by without her answering and I was starting to get nervous...I had gone into every room of our apartment, which added up to five without finding her. I decided to go back into our bedroom and as I'm walking past our master bathroom, I hear her little voice..."Bye bye Mommy, I go fly now". I swear it was like slow motion. I looked in the door of the bathroom and there is sweet girl, standing in the open window (there was no screen) waving to me. We were on the third floor. She was standing on the outer ledge of the window on brick, three stories above concrete. I don't have to tell you that my heart stopped. I very, very carefully and calmly told her to look at mommy and stand as still as she could. I made it over to her (only about four steps, but honestly, it felt like a mile), managed to grab her wrist and pulled her as hard as I could. She fell onto me and we both fell back onto the tile of the floor. I held her more tightly that I think I ever had.

She was afraid of windows for a long time after that, but thankfully has no memory of the event. I however, will still close my eyes sometimes and I can see her falling out of the window, even though, praise the good Lord, she never took that fall. Mike thinks I had some post-traumatic stress afterwards and maybe I did. Whatever the case, God allowed me to keep my calm and keep her safe twice.

Ok, story told. Or stories apparently!

Thanksgiving...and all it's drama...

2008-12-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Seriously. Madness. My poor sister-in-law-to-be. My poor little girl. The following is a SHORT account of Thanksgiving weekend...proceed with caution...

Friday, 4:30 pm
Arrive at my in-laws for Thanksgiving with the whole fam--anticipating Tomato Soup Cake (doesn't appeal? Fine. More for me. You don't know what you're missing!), copious amounts of Sweet Potato Souffle, NCAA Football (yeeeahh, Hokies!), good, family bonding and just generalized relaxin.

Friday, 4:59 pm...
Hell is about to be unleashed...

Friday, 5 pm.
Hell, unleashed. There is a bark from the family dog, a horrifying scream and Mike grabbing Devyn and sprinting to the bathroom.

Friday, 5:01 pm.
Realization that dog has bitten Devyn. Square on her face and caused a rip on the bridge of her nose about 1/2 an inch from her eye. Subsequent injury to the side and underside of her nose.

Friday, 5:05 pm.
We whisk Devyn off to see Mike's aunt, who by the grace of God, is a plastic surgery nurse. Sweet Aunt cleans Devyn's wounds and fixes her up with six or seven suture strips and Derma-Bond. We go to Mike's family's home and eat a lovely dinner of Italian food. I collapse at the end of the night, exhausted, physically and mentally.

Saturday, 7:45 am
I start making two loaves of Pumpkin Bread. Which. Was. Wonderful.

Saturday, 9 am
Soon to be sister wakes with a killer stomach ache, which turns into poor girl in bed all day, fending off the demons of a possible stomach flu or food poisoning.

Saturday, 3 pm
The Hokies win the Commonwealth Cup, beating UVA. Yeah Hoos...Hoos your Hokie now?

Saturday, 7 pm
Thankgiving dinner with the family, enjoying copious amounts of Sweet Potato Souffle, Fort (don't ask me to explain what this is--it's a VERY French Canadian dish that's a family tradition), Turkey, three types of peas (to please everyone) and Tomato Soup Cake. There was much rejoicing...

Saturday, 8:30 pm
Family dog lunges at Aiden. Family dog is removed for the remainder of the weekend into a back bedroom.

Sunday, earrrrly...
poor sister to be is in the bathroom all night, probably pleading for her death.

Sunday evening...
We arrive back home, no worse for the wear (well, maybe I was worse for the wear), but ready to start another week. Sans drama.

Ruby Friday...

2008-11-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

So my sweetie friend Stacy was a lifer. A Pregnancy Lifer, anyway, or so we thought until this past Thursday night. See, she was POSITIVE she was going to be pregnant FOREVAH with their third baby. Thursday night at 6:56 pm, our phone rang, and it was Stacy, "Yeah, well, we're going to go to the hospital" (read the non-excited tone in her voice--they'd been four times prior in pre-term labor). But there was definitely something different in her voice this time; maybe it was nervousness, maybe it was anticipation. Whatever it was, I knew that this would be THE night.

I should interject here that Stacy was graciously going to allow me in the delivery room with her and her husband due to the fact that I'd had two babies the using the surgical method (i.e. flat on your back, covered in a sheet, while people use instruments to remove said baby) and I'd never witnessed a "Push Em Out, Push Em Out, Waaaay Out" birth. Mike and I sat through the evening most likely watching football, although I can't really remember and no phone call. Then, behold...at 10:31, the phone rang. It was her hubby, "We're going to the fourth floor. Wanna come"?

I got dressed probably quicker than anyone has EVER and drove through the dark coastal Virginia night to the hospital only to wait in the waiting room with TWO screaming children until 11:30 pm because Pregnancy Lifer was getting her epidural. Now, WHO in their RIGHT MIND brings a ONE YEAR OLD to a maternity waiting room at darn-near-MIDNIGHT to witness the miracle of his screaming mother bring his sibling into this world? Holy smokes. Said child was EXHAUSTED. His aunt was CHASING him around the waiting room and three women whose water had just broken while he cackled into the Fox News Channel filled room. Anyway, I digress...

We thought Stacy would deliver relatively quickly because her other two had come shootin out of her like bullets out of Annie Oakley's gun. Not this stubborn baby. After 5 hours of no sleep, ice chips, vomit, poor hubby trying to sleep in a chair, iv's, internal monitors, Turbutalain, Pitocin, rapid heart beats, water breaking and taking guesses at what the baby's weight would be, at approximately 4:01 am, Stacey started pushing...

and at 4:09 am, a little face was staring at me while I watched her amazing mama push her the rest of the way into this world. It. Was. Spectacular.

Ruby Eileen weighed a healthy 8 lbs, 2 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. And she was TICKED OFF. She was MOST unhappy to have to come out of her nice warm sauna and she made sure everyone knew it. Mike always joked that she would have to be born on a Tuesday so he could call her "Ruby Tuesday". Sorry honey. She was most definitely a Ruby Friday.

I walked out of the hospital at dawn to go home and promptly called her Daddy. I'm sure he thought I forgot something. Not really. I just wanted to tell him to be sure and tell Ruby that it snowed on the VERY early morning she was born. It never, hardly ever snows here. Just another miracle to add to the one God had given her mommy, daddy, and me by letting me witness her birth thirty minutes before.

99 Things...

2008-11-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

So my girlfriend Nash, who is, without a doubt, the POO (meaning good!) has this listed on her blog; because it's been a bit of a stressful day (more on that tomorrow), I'm taking it easy tonight and simply keeping in the spirit of Nash's blog. Thanks, Sweets, for the award! Youdabest!

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Here is a fun game I found at Nash's blog -

Play along if you want -

Bold the things you’ve done and will admit to:

1. Started your own blog - duh!

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world - Disney World, a few times.

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis - don't kill them, it's against the law.

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped (never!)

12. Visited Paris --twice!

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child - no, but I am one!

16. Had food poisoning - yes, from homemade ice cream when I was 18. OH. My. LORD...

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train .

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - oh yeah.

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon (ha!)

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice--amazing! Thank you Marco!

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. Yes--Italy and Germany. Breathtaking!

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (who does?)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris--twice--once in July when it was SLEETING.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching--does dolphin watching count?

63. Gotten flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma--can't--we lived overseas and now we're "tainted".

65. Gone sky diving (yeah right!)

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check -oh...so embarrassed...

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy Absolutely--I'm crazy sentimental!

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial--I think it's in a Virginian's birth certificate that one MUST. Many, many times. Love the Jefferson Memorial too!

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating --sort of--I used to help my dad skin his deer when I was little for the program he participated in called Hunters For The Hungry.

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life --my little girl's--twice.

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby (

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

We did it...

2008-11-15T05:48:00.000-08:00

It's over. Completed. Done.

24 hours from right NOW I will be leaving to go pick up my best friend, my love, my sweet husband from the airport.

We did it.

Tomorrow, when I finally hug my husband again, it will mark nine months to the day that he left. Nine months. It has been a long road, one marked with tears and struggles, but just as many smiles and happy moments--only now, the happy moments will once again include Mike. I cannot convey in words how crazy proud of my family I am. Devyn and Aiden have endured the last nine months with patience, humor, sometimes (lots of) tears, and love. They have made this time THAT much easier for me and Mike and tomorrow they will get the best surprise of their little lives....

They don't know, yet, that their Daddy is coming home tomorrow. My reasoning for this is quite simple: if something happens, and Mike's flight is delayed by a day (or two), I don't want them to go through the devastation of knowing their Daddy could be home, but isn't. The surprise will come tomorrow morning, when they're dressed to for church and we just happen to drive by the exit to church...they'll notice, I'm sure, and only then will I reveal the news.

If you've read this blog since it's inception nine months ago, thank you. Thank you for the supportive messages and the prayers you've offered our way. My husband will be home safely, and if you prayed for him, you had a direct hand in that. I will continue to blog about our military life, and I do hope you'll come back, because this is in no way where our story ends. There will be more deployments, the next one beginning next September, but I'm not thinking about that now. Now,I'm thinking of the following things:

1. Finding the adorable handmade bow to match Devyn's dress she'll wear tomorrow.
2. Having dinner with my girls tonight at Abuelo's in celebration.
3. Watching my little boy's face as he realizes he's looking at his best buddy again tomorrow.
4. Holding onto Mike's arms and knowing he's really here.
5. Praising God for bringing us through.

24 hours, 12 minutes, and we will be a family again...

Molasses...honey...snails...slugs...time...

2008-10-25T10:02:00.001-07:00

It's like an episode of the 100,000 Dollar Pyramid. And the answer is:

THINGS THAT MOVE SLOWLY.

Seriously. Could these last few weeks move much slower?

I haven't blogged lately for several reasons:

1. Three sets of house guests for three weeks. Loved 'em all.
2. Continuously trying to clean my house. It never ends.
3. The Boy's birthday party that went off without a hitch.
4. Still trying to kick anemia's butt and finding that it's kicking mine.
5. Four hours last Friday in the dentist chair. I don't want to talk about it.

And honestly, just watching the clock tick...t.h.i.s.s.l.o.w.l.y...

I don't have a date yet for Mike's return, but it's all I'm thinking about these days. I can tell you this much: three weeks from now, more than likely, my husband whom I haven't laid eyes on in 8 months and 10 days will be with me again. It's like that line from a Fighting Gravity song that keeps playing through my head:

Why do days just creep along when times flies by so fast?

The perfect hero

2008-09-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is the week that tests my humanity and sanity. Truly. In the past five days, I have:

1. Been diagnosed with anemia
2. Bought four baby gifts, and three birthday gifts
3. Planned one birthday party (for my sweet boy)
4. Sat through a nor'easter yesterday and LOVED every second of it
5. Paid a plumber a good sized bill to fix a pipe that flooded my garage
6. Seen the most gorgeous pictures of my friend's honeymoon in Tuscany (hello...SO going to Montepulciano)
7. Come down with a massive head cold-allergy-sinuses of death thing

WHAT IS GOING ON!?!!! Done now. Perfectly, happily done now with all the junk. The junk has my permission to end. NOW.

So here I sit, on a Friday night contemplating a cup of tea from the tea arsenal we brought back from England and watching the second season of Friends on dvd.

You know, I use this blog as a vent--a way to express my feelings, thoughts and emotions surrounding this whole deployment. However, it's all about me. I rarely have expressed what my husband goes through, because honestly, I don't have any idea and it pains me to think about it. I can't imagine...I can't fathom not seeing our children for ten months. I can't process not holding them and having them hug me back, or reading my paper in the morning. It must be so incredibly hard; harder than anything I've ever been through and I think that needed stating.

Mike, I know you read my blog and I need you to know how much I appreciate everything you do for us. I appreciate the sacrifices, daily, monthly and by the minute that you make for our family in order to give us what we need. Thank you for doing this job that at times is miserable and unimaginably ridiculous. You are, and always will be, my best friend and my most perfect hero.

Buy something made with love...

2008-09-23T17:08:00.001-07:00

Buy handmade this holiday season and support an artisan or craftsman!

My handmade website:
www.carrycarrie.etsy.com

Enjoy!

Sweatah Weathah...

2008-09-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

I love, love, LOVE Autumn, Fall, whatever you want to call it. I LOVE IT. I love the cooler weather, the crispness in the air, and everything that comes along with it. However, I have some new favorites that just happen to coincide with the season. Because I'm a little bored, and a lot tired, I'm going to list them tonight...

1. The new Ralph Lauren fragrance, Notorious. Ralph and I have a thing, in that, the man fits me. His jeans fit me better than any jeans I've ever, ever owned (and that's not an easy task). His swimsuits look better on me than any other, and his perfumes just smell like a can of heaven exploded in my bathroom (which happened once, when I accidently broke a bottle of Glamorous and our bathroom smelled like Heaven exploded, for like, oh a MONTH). I LOVE RALPH. And I love this new perfume, Notorious.

2. Cinnamon Swirl Folgers.

3. Mad Men. Seriously. The best show on tv. Period.

4. My other favorite new fragrance, Burberry London. Smells just like London does. Honestly.

5. The fact that I have now learned how to make Burgundy Beef Stew.

6. Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks.

7. Fuzzy slippers, like the ones I found today at Target, even though I'll probably always be a socks girl.

8. Aiden's new slippers. Giant, white Speed Racer racecars on his feet. Wearing them, he's either going to fall over from being bottom heavy or if he goes outside in them, ducks will notice and follow him around like he's their Mother Ship.

9. Igor. GO SEE THIS MOVIE! Best kids (and adult) movie I've seen in a very, VERY long time. FABULOUS!

10. The fabrics I've found for my handbags. The most gorgeous ones I've seen in a long, long time!

11. My renewed love for fabrics and design and creating. I have an internal need to create--I've always known that, but I put it away for a long time, thinking that I needed to focus on being a mama (and I did, and I love it). However, feeding this need I have to create something with my hands that incorporates my heart and soul and is very, very me, fulfills a place that I hadn't filled for a very long time. If you're so inclined, check me out at www.carrycarrie.etsy.com.

Here's to hot cider, fuzzy socks and slippers, Ralph Lauren, and Sweatah Weathah (lifted from Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph from an SNL sketch)...

The North isn't all bad...wink, wink...

2008-09-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend Nash sent me this! How cool is she?!! You can check out her blog at

www.ayankeeintennessee.blogspot.com

This doll is proof that good things do, from time to time, come out of the north! She has got to be one of the coolest people I've never met--in person anyway. Thanks Nash!

213

2008-09-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

Today is day 213, and the seven month marker of this deployment. Seven months ago today, I kissed my husband.I watched my children hug his neck tighter, I think, than they ever had before. I looked in his eyes and told him that he was going to be ordered to do a lot of things but his one order from me was to "Come home". I stood helplessly as he tried to keep it together while he held his children. I listened as one of his chiefs told me kindly as they walked away, "We'll take care of him ma'am". I heard myself respond, "You better". I held my two sweet little ones as they crumbled in the parking lot. I felt the cutting wind on my face as we walked to the car, and I drove away slowly, staring at the jet that would take my husband, my best friend, away from me for a time.

Looking back over the past eleven years that I have been with this incredible man, I sometimes think how my life could have been. See, I was that girl who came from a small town, who probably, if following due course, was never going to leave her town. I was going to raise my children and marry the safety net. The safety net has a name, and he was one of my closest friends for many years. He fit the bill...on paper. On paper, he was everything that would provide a good life. He came from a wealthy background, had a good family upbringing, had a good education and had his future laid out for him. I would never want for anything. But I did.

I wanted unpredictability. I wanted adventure. I wanted the most ground-breaking, passionate love that I had ever experienced. One man held that, and one man did not.
Enter Mike.

From the get-go, Mike was unlike anyone I had ever dated. He was daring, comical, gracious, and grabbed life by the horns. He was everything that Safety Net was not. He presented a life that would be changing, swirling, adventurous--a roller coaster versus a merry-go-round. I fell hard for the roller coaster. The thing is, when you take a ride on a merry-go-round, once is usually enough, and you're done. When you take a ride on a roller coaster, with it's speed and dips and hills and crests, you want to go again and again and again. Once is never enough, at least it's not for me.

Marrying Mike was probably one of the tremendously scary things I have ever done. I knew that it would mean countless days and nights apart, navigating a marraige where we would be apart more than together. It would mean learning how to not just be a wife, but a Navy wife--something infinitely more insane than just being a wife. I didn't know what was going to happen to us, but looking back on it now, I realize that I didn't want to marry a safety net--I wanted to find safety in someone amazing. And now, even when he's 8000 miles away, I've felt safer than I ever have in my life because I found safety IN him, not BECAUSE of him.

Seven months. 213 days. 5112 hours. Only a bit more to go...

A Whooped Cookie...

2008-09-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

...is exactly what I am. I have been through nearly every possible event during this deployment. I've survived projectile child-vomiting, fevers, raging nightmares, tornadoes, tornado warnings, a tropical storm/hurricane, varmints, critters, soccer season, ballet season, one vacation by myself with both kiddles, and countless other things. I had hoped I'd seen the worst of it. Not so. Sickness. Illness. Massive allergies. Me. Ugh.

It happened Friday night when I started feeling icky. I was pretty sure it was allergies--I suffer from SUCKY seasonal allergies--but when I woke up yesterday morning, my head weighed more than my body. Mis.Er.Able. I spent the whole day in bed, except for the 40 minutes the kiddles and I loaded in the car and went to Costco specifically to buy Claritin which usually helps. Popped one while standing in the line waiting to pay for the thing. It. Didn't HELP!!!!!! How is that possible? The one thing that always works, failed to work, on the one day when both kids were at home and wanted attention and I couldn't give it to them. I tried, and I kept trying but I knew things were going downhill quickly when Sweet Girl looked at me and said, "Ohhhh Mama. Just go to bed". So I did that, and then I did that again on Sunday. And this morning after taking Aiden to school. And it's only 2:30 pm. I'm definitely coming down with something...

Oh...the humanity...

Open House...

2008-09-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

Got this idea from my buddy Nash. Thanks girly!

Listening to… Wedding Crashers, the movie.

Thankful for…my dear girlfriends--my sisters! My sweet girl who looked after me today in my yucky state of sick.

In the kitchen…two fish, Rockstar and Irene.

Sewing… CarryCarrie Distinctive Handbags. Check out my website at www.carrycarrie.etsy.com.

Reading… Royal Affairs: A Romp Through The Extramarital Adventures That Rocked the British Monarchy (Leslie Carroll),A Covenant Marriage (Gary Chapman) and as always, my Bible

In the yard/garden…grass...bunnies, squirrels and doves.

Praying for… my love, my children, and November 4th.

On the iPod today…Big and Rich, Pat McGee Band, Fighting Gravity, Blue, Westlife, Matt Nathanson

Thinking about…my whole head aching,my nose not working properly, and how I hope Qatar is pretty cool...

Looking forward to...NOVEMBER!

Hoping…my head doesn't explode and we can make it to church tomorrow.

Freedom

2008-09-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

I stay out of political discussions regarding this war. I have many emotions and feelings regarding what we're doing in Iraq, and they have been magnified greatly over the past seven months based on my family's very personal connection to one serving there. Tonight, I had the experience of describing to my daughter why her class observed a moment of silence...why the flags were flown today at half-staff...and when she asked me why some people would be so awful to do what they did to people who didn't do anything to them, I didn't have an answer. But then, my sweet girl responded:

"That's what my daddy's over in Iraq for isn't it? He's trying to protect people who don't have anyone to protect them from the bad people." Before I had a chance to answer, she said, "I hope my daddy know how good he is and how much I'm sure those people and kids in Iraq need him and his friends. I hope they get their freedom soon".

And isn't that what it's all about? I know there are lots of people in this country who oppose what's going on regarding our involvement in the Middle East, but I wish people could understand that when they fail to support the sailors' and soldiers' missions that they are actually failing to support the troops. You can't have it both ways.

In 1964, my daddy returned from two years in the Army in Germany. His tour had ended and he left Munich two weeks before his batallion reported to Vietnam. He landed at JFK Airport (back in the day when you actually walked from the plane across the tarmac to the terminal) and walking in his uniform, thrilled to be back on American soil, he felt something hit him. And then something else. And then something else. It was rotten tomatoes. And rotten potatoes. And corn cobs. And rotten melons. He walked through it, all of it pelting him, protestors spitting at him, calling him a murderer, a liar, and a coward. He said nothing. He held his head high and walked through it. He's only told me about it once, and not since then, but I know it damaged him. How could it not? How could that not scar someone?

I wish people who are not in the position of the military family could walk a mile in our shoes. I wish protestors could experience not holding their babies, their little children for 6,7,9, 12,15 months...or more. I wish they could live the life we live, not because I don't think they shouldn't protest, but perhaps they would change their tone. Perhaps they would know the pain we feel, perhaps they would understand the sacrifice we make...but I support them. My husband supports them, because he fights for them. His guys fight for them, and our family sacrifices for them. I just hope they can truly appreciate it, and appreciate the freedom they have to do so.

I'll never forget the searing fear and pain I felt on this day seven years ago. I remember so clearly the attitude of Americans was to get the bastards at any cost. But when that doesn't happen as quickly or as swiftly as we all would like, we bail.

Anyway...we need your support. The servicemen and women need your support--in every form. The families need your love and your help. After all, we're just doing our jobs.

Varmints...

2008-09-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

Main Entry:
var·mint
Pronunciation:
\ˈvär-mənt\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
alteration of vermin
Date:
circa 1539
1: an animal considered a pest; specifically : one classed as vermin and unprotected by game law

Let me note at this point that we do not live in the country. You know the country (otherwise pronounced "cuuuntrrryyy" by good southern folk)...it's the place where the stars are so bright you can nearly reach out and grab them in deep, dark, cuuuuntryyy night...it's the place where the homemade lemonade is SO good you can basically chew the sugar that's in it...it's the place, that hallowed ground, where people sit on their porch on a swing and watch the day yawn into the evening dusk, and it's the place that comes with names that you only hear in books like Spoon River Anthology. It is ALSO the place where VARMINTS reside. I grew up with varmints like possums (and no--it's not o'possums), minks, foxes, weasels, beavers, ground hogs, and BIG VARMINTS--deer, bear, wildcats and the like.

However, there's something strange in the water here in the CITY. We. Have. Varmints.

Last week, while sitting on the porch in the evening with my neighbor, a FOX a-scampered down our street. Apparently, he's out every night just roaming the neighborhood. Doing what? Looking for chickens in Ma Kettle's hen house down yonder? I walked out three nights ago to get something out of my car and a skunk was staring at me. Needless to say, I sat in my car until Pepe decided to mosey on down to another yard. And last night, I was peeking out the front window when I saw some BEHEMOTH animal varmint cat puma fox thing wander onto my neighbor's porch across the street. It was dark. It was large. It was a dark, large mammal and it was nearby. I watched in a stunned stupor when my neighbor pulled into her driveway and honestly, it was like something out of a B movie--there I sit at 9:30 last night talking to the window: "No! Don't walk up on that porch! There's a critter on that porch"! However, said critter had apparently left already, because my neighbor walked into her house, unharmed.

So, anyway. We have varmints. And yes, I do know those places I spoke of like the ones in Spoon River Anthology...my daddy grew up in Flatwoods...my mom lived in Sugar Tree Hollow (pronounced, with pride, "holler"), my grandma was from (beautiful) Goshen Pass, and my grandaddy came from Eagle Rock. I am a proud conglomerate of all of those. Holler!

Save the drama for your mama...

2008-09-04T09:12:00.001-07:00

I have a sign on me, I'm convinced. It says, "If there is drama involved in your life, lay it at my feet because I will swim in it". Seriously. It's either Neighborhood Drama, Life Long Friend Drama, and to add to the vat o' drama, there was Husband Drama yesterday; nothing serious--he injured his ankle while at work and it was all swollen and elevated last night. Still though, that counts I think.

Our neighborhood is having issues. I am friends with two women in our neighborhood, however, they are not friends with each other. Apparently, there was a throw-down at the bus stop today (I wasn't present for, but WOW did I get the 411 on it). Then, after I got home from dropping Aiden at school, one member of the throw down showed up on my door to tell me her side, while my mobile phone was ringing--the other member of the throw down was calling to tell me her side. Ho.Ly.Smokes. I left high school, oh, about 15 years and 3 months ago. Enough!

On top of that, my closest childhood friend is going through some major relationship drama and I hear about it. A lot. Not that I don't want to help her, and listen to her, but it's getting to the point where it's a bit much.

This is one of the joys of deployment. Not only does everything hit the preverbial fan, but the fan is buried in it, and can't rotate. It's madness. It's also expected. With every deployment, it's basically six plus months of Murphy's Law. However, enough complaining. Below are some good things that have happened this week:

1. Devyn and Aiden love school, and I'm so elated for them!
2. I am not yet tired of making lunches.
3. The new 90210 was not as bad as I thought it would be.
4. Sarah Palin.
5. Sarah Palin.
6. Sarah Palin.
7. Hurricane Gustav spared Nawlins.
8. I found a Gymboree outlet close by. Must.Stay.Away...
9. I got all the laundry finished. Almost...
10. The dvd player is working again!

And to end on a funny note, Aiden introduced me to two new little friends in his class on Tuesday. Two sweet, lovely little girls. He asked me in front of them if he could have a playdate with them and I said we'd have to talk to their mommies. They jumped in and said ,"Oh no, we want to have a sleepover with Aiden"! Again, I said I'd have to talk to their mommies. So we got in my car to drive home and I asked him, "What do you think Mama would say to you having a sleepover with two girls"? He said, "You'd probably say that's not a good idea". I told him that was right, and then I asked:

"What do you think Daddy would say"?

"Daddy would say...Way to go"!

The MOST wonderful time of the year...

2008-09-01T17:53:00.001-07:00

I've been singing all day. Scratch that. I've been singing since last Monday when the end was blissfully in sight. And now it's here! The MOST wonderful time of the year!

THEY'RE GOING BACK TO SCHOOL TOMORROW!!!!!

I love, LOVE being with my children. I love it. I love summer for the relaxed feeling, the lack of schedule, the lazy days and heading to the beach. However, I LOVE Back to School. I love shopping for new lunchboxes, bookbags, the school supply list, packing lunches and writing little love notes to the kiddles on them and yes, I even love waking up at 7 am. However, there is that pang of melancholy that my babies are growing up, one school year at a time...

Devyn will begin third grade tomorrow and I still so clearly remember her first day of preschool and peeling her little fingers off the doorjamb. Here we are on the eve of Girlfriend stepping into a new frontier of elementary school. To top that, she trusted me enough to pull a baby tooth tonight (note: this was not a pain-staking process--said tooth was hanging on in there by nothing more than air, I'm convinced). She is growing up and quicker than I'd like.

Aiden will start pre-k tomorrow and is THRILLED. He can't wait. He picked out his clothes tonight and chose khaki shorts with little green frogs on them and a green t-shirt with dinosaurs on it. He's ready, to say the least!

With that, here's to the new school year!

Part Two...

2008-08-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

We were whisked up to the delivery suite only to know that we wouldn't deliver there; our baby was breech and soon enough we'd be in an operating room. We finished up signing papers, most of which read something like "we promise not to sue this hospital if either mother or baby perish". Riiight. Contractions continued during this time and I clearly remember clutching Mike's hand while he dialed my best friend, who then asked to speak to me...I think I got two words out before I couldn't talk anymore and had to hand the phone back to Mike. It was at that point that the nurse came in and wheeled me away and told Mike she'd come get him one "we were set". I so clearly recall being on that operating table and feeling completely surreal and out of place. I wasn't ready for this, and it certainly wasn't how it was supposed to go in my head. I had this all planned out, and so far, none of it had gone according to plan. I started to panic a little when I saw my sweet husband's (calm, but freaked out) face and I managed to calm down a little.

He sat at my head and stroked my hair and I think I told him to talk to me about something...anything, I didn't care. He chose Monty Python. ??? It worked, because it did get my mind off the task at hand...

It took about 20 minutes and I felt this little pop and then there she was, this little teeny (really! only 5 lbs, 11 oz) and Mike and I were unbelievably overcome and overwhelmed. I got to quick her for a very quick second before Mike and the nurse took her to the nursery. I went into the recovery room where 15 minutes or so later Mike appeared at the door and asked me "Would you like to meet your daughter"? That very question terrified the poo out of me, but at the same time, I couldn't say no. I'd never in my life wanted to hold anything more. He brought her to me and there was this amazing, perfectly peaceful little rosebud of a girl wearing a little pink and white knit hat. I believe (and I don't exactly recall because I was out of my mind on painkillers) the first words I said to my little girl went something like "Wow, you're so pretty and I like your hat"!

That day is burned in my memory. There have been many days that will stand out and have stood out since then, but the only other one that even comes close is the one when Aiden was born. It's special for so many reasons other than the obvious ones, but those are deep within my heart and they'll stay right there, but I will end saying this:

This sweet girl is my first born. She is one of the most beautiful creations I've ever laid eyes on and continues to be so. She's special for so many, many reasons, but perhaps she's most special because of one very simple reason: She made me a mother, and she's blessed me beyond explanation.

Happy birthday Ladybug!

Eight years ago...part one...

2008-08-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

I was, exactly at this time, sitting on our couch, watching the finale of the first season of Survivor. Mike had duty, and thus would be spending the night onboard the ship, so it was just the tv, the cat, and one very, very pregnant me. Mike called about this time and he was watching the finale as well and asked how I was feeling. I think my response was something like:

"Weird".
"What do you mean, weird"?
"Dunno. Can't explain it. I just feel weird".

I didn't feel sick, or tired, or even achy, just weird, as if I felt this looming feeling that something big was about to happen.

I woke up at 1 am the next morning STARVING. I went downstairs and ate some chips and salsa and happily waddled back to bed (I think it took a solid five minutes for me just to make it up one flight of stairs). I went back to sleep, only to wake up very early (like 7:30-and yes, that's VERY early for me) feeling like poo. I felt like I was getting the flu, or at the very least, a summer cold. I called my mom from bed and told her how I felt and she said, "Call your OB". To which I bristled, because after all, it was just a cold! However, to make my mom feel better, I did call my OB and talked to the nurse:

"I have a cold".
"Ok, describe this cold". (??)
"I feel like I have a fever, my back is killing me and I have a sore throat".
"Hmmm. (pause). Carrie, have you had any contractions"?
(pause....longer pause) "Um...yeah! (and that's me just now realizing that I had) I have! About every eight minutes or so"!
"Ok, you need to come to the hospital. NOW".

I called Mike and of course couldn't get in touch with him, so I asked to speak to a friend of ours who was on the boat with Mike. Here's how THAT conversation went...

"Hi, Jonas, it's Carrie".
"Ohhh...Heeeey...Caaaarie" (in a very laid back manner) "Whaaat's uuuup"?
"Jonas, I need you to find Mike. I think I'm in labor".
"Ohhh...okkk...you're in labor...cooool".
(pause. me--WHAT?)
and then Jonas...
"Wait. Labor. LABOR? HOLY CRAP"!
and hung up on me...

We lived about 20 minutes from the base. Mike was home in about 12 minutes flat. We got in the car, and started driving to the hospital...I think I looked at him at one point and said, "If this isn't IT, I'm really, really sorry..."

Our doctor looked at us at the hospital and said, "Well, we're going to have a birthday today"! That's when I knew...this WAS it...

Bars, Beam, Floor, Vault...

2008-08-19T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today, in an attempt to channel Girlfriend's never-ending energy, I scheduled a "try it" class at our local gymnastics gym. (Is that what it is? A gymnastics "gym"? Wouldn't that be redundant)? Anyway...I digress...

I was sure Girlfriend would freak out. In fact, I was so sure she would NOT even ATTEMPT a cartwheel, that I would have placed money on it. I. Was. Wrong.

Baby Girl RAN down the steps to the gym...had more determination on her face then I think I've ever, EVER seen and started stretching...from there she went to work on the uneven bars--she swung and got her legs into some contorted position that actually had her legs then over the bar and swinging...

from there she climbed the rope (I felt kinda funny...like when I used to climb the rope in gym class...sorry, random Wayne's World reference) and she got almost to the top--eight times!

From there it was onto the trampoline, the floor and handstands. I couldn't believe it. I sat there with my mouth open, just sure she would balk at something, but no. NO! She revelled in it. She soaked it up. She LOVED it. My mom called while we were there and when I told her where we were, she went into the Retro Zone, recalling my five years of gymnastics. "You were a natural" she said. Ha. I DID love it, but the balance beam scared the dickens out of me. Are people aware that that thing is FOUR INCHES WIDE? I was honestly scared to death. I can still recall being 8 years old and doing a back handspring on the beam and almost pooing myself because I was so dang scared of missing my footing on the beam. That's all it took for me. I knew that going further in gymnastics meant facing that fear and at the time I wasn't prepared to do that. But enough about me. Come to find out, Devyn's friend Sara is in Gymnastics at the same gym and Devyn would be in her class. We're talking about it...Devyn made a list of pros and cons and then we'll talk to her Daddy about it. I know this much, though. Sweet Girl walked in that gym and it was like she had found her niche. Maybe I'm being naive, but it looked to me like Devyn had found her home...

A p.s. to my Sweetie--Happy Birthday my Love! Here's to a champagne-worthy 34th year. I love you!

Methods of Survival...

2008-08-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

I've always said that those involved in a deployment get through it anyway they know how. Some spend insane amounts of money...some journal...some turn to other members of the opposite sex other than their spouse, and even some turn to members of the same sex to, well, yeah, I've known those too. August has been a hard month thus far. We celebrated our ninth anniversary (I spent the day cleaning the house), Mike's birthday is tomorrow and Devyn's is Saturday...my parents were here for two weeks, my granddaddy is not doing well, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I could honestly yap all day long, but I'm not going to do that. Instead, I try to focus on means of survival. I've always had three: prayer, coffee, and red wine. Good red wine. Life is much too short to 1)not pray, 2) drink bad coffee and 3) drink bad wine. Of course, the kids help me get through, but those are my little joys I look forward to--the coffee and prayer every day, several times a day, the wine about twice a week. I have a new method of survival. I'm even slightly embarrassed to admit this, but I do have a certain level of pride about the whole thing as well. I now, since yesterday, am the proud owner of one kangaroo Webkinz.

So here's how it happened. I started helping Aiden play the games in order to teach him how to do it and I started thinking that the games would actually relax me and take my mind off things. Before long, I was playing the games with no child in sight. To beat that, I started playing all the"daily activities" on their "pets". The kiddles got annoyed. Told me to "get my own". So I did. Now don't go thinking I sleep with it and make little houses for it and what not. It ain't like that. It's just something easy to do in the evening after my brain is goo. I was asked today when I told someone about this new venture, "With all the games on Yahoo, you actually purchased something so you could play your own games and daily activities? On a four year old's website?" Yes. I did. No apologies. Casper and I are very happy together, thank you very much.

You think that's bad? There's still three months to go. Just wait until November...

Alex P. Keaton, circa 2008

2008-07-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

Two nights ago, my brother-in-law proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes! I'm not surprised in the least; he is an amazing guy and she is equally so. I'm thrilled that they have found each other and that she makes him so blissfully happy. He has that look on his face (probably permanently) that just sings of complete contentment. So yesterday when he called to talk to The Kiddles, I kind of knew what was up...

Devyn started right in and asked if she could be their flowergirl. She's been doing that for the past three months I think and I've been trying (fruitlessly) to impress upon her that she doesn't just ask for such an honor! Although apparently her boldness worked in her favor because they did ask Girlfriend if she would be so inclined. You know that cartoon where the cat in on the ceiling, hair sticking straight up it's so wired? That was Girlfriend. She was screaming. Then, my brother-in-law asked to speak to Aiden. What follows is an account of how that blessed event went down (keep in mind I'm just hearing one end of the conversation):

Aiden: Ring Bearer? (pause) Ring Bearer? You want me to be your Ring Bearer?
(pause)
Wow! Cool! Yeah, I can do that.
(pause)
Wait. Wait. How much does it pay?
(Brother-in-law: How...How much does it pay?)
Oh, I don't know. I don't like pictures so much.
(pause)
Oookkk. I can do thaaat. Thank you for asking me.

As soon as we hung up, Dude looked at me and said,
"I cannot do this job".
(Me: Why not?)
"Because. I'm not a bear"!
(No, no Sweetie, you don't have to BE a bear or dress UP like one!)
"Well, what do I wear then"?
(You'll wear a tuxedo).
"Ohhhhh NO"!!
(What's wrong? You'll look great!)
"I won't be a bear, but I'll be a penguin"!

So when I told Mike this morning on the phone about Dude's comments, he said, "Oh my gosh. You know who he is right? He's Alex P. Keaton with that 'How much does it pay' remark"! It's actually not a bad idea--both he and Devyn are so darn cute I'm thinking about renting them out for weddings as the Ring Bearer and Flowergirl. It could work!

The Original Lindsay...

2008-07-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago, a dirty, cleat-wearing, adorable athletic chick walked into a dorm room to find a spastic, prissy southern girl lighting up a lightbulb in a microwave. These two girls were introduced to each other and each was thinking, "Oh. My. Lord. This is my soon to be roommate? You've got to be kidding".

Four months later, these two girls moved into their apartment together, not really knowing each other at all. The bonding didn't happen right away, but one afternoon, the adorable athletic chick (no longer dirty) asked the spastic prissy girl if she wanted to go to WalMart with her, so they rode to the only Wal-Mart in town into the adorable girl's Volvo (appropriately named Swedish) and thus began a friendship that the likes of which has not been seen since, and will probably never be seen again.

The adorable girl is my Lindsay. We have been through a POO LOAD of shtuff together and she is and forever will be the closest thing I have to a sister. There are two women in this world I truly consider my "soul mates" and she is one of them (Amber, my lovie, you're the other!).

Lindsay is one of those people who will answer the phone at any time of day and listen to absolutely anything I have to say, gripe about, yell about, yak about or just whine. We have a lot of differences, but she must be my yin and i must be her yang. I really don't understand the yin and yang thing ,but I know that they're opposites ( I think) but that they balance each other ( I think). Either way, we're sometimes very opposite, but we balance each other greatly. She has stood with me at the most important moments of my life:

1. She held my head and hair back the one and only time I got a little drunk (or a LOT drunk) in college when I was praying for my death over the toilet and promising my Lord and Savior I would never drink to that extent again.
2. She celebrated with me during a most intense academic situation my senior year and had chicken nuggets and a frosty with me and my parents the day it was all resolved.
3. She was my Maid of Honor and cried more than I did on my wedding day.
4. She was the first person I called (after our parents) when I found out I was pregnant--I still can hear her VERY acute screams over the phone.
5. She held me and let me cry profusely in the days prior to us moving to London because I was going to miss her so much--and she was the strong one, telling me it would all be ok.
6. She fed a squirrel some Icee off a spoon in Regents Park in London when she came to visit.
7. She survived a looming hurricane with me in Miami and only told me to "Shut your Pollyanna mouth" once when I was being a bit TOO positive about "at least having 42 hours of vacation" as opposed to 4 days. I totally needed to be shut up. Love her for that!

We have been through so much more and she honestly (I think) saved my butt this Spring by doing a most amazing thing for me when she witnessed me at the end of my deployment rope. I will forever be grateful and indebted to her for that. There are just a few things that I look back on my life on when in times of crisis, people have selflessly and unbelivably bailed me out--she did that for me.

Last night was one of those moments at 10pm when I called her about something that was bugging me and in no time she had me laughing and realizing how insane the situation is. She just gets me in every way. I am so very thankful to my Lord for her and what she has brought to my life. She is a gift in every possible way and I hope she knows how much I treasure and love her.

Lindsay. I hereby promise to never buy you a bird as a pet. I promise to never sneak orange flavoring into any food or drink you may consume. I promise to defend your right to think that a cat's tounge is gross (even though you're wrong). I promise to always sit with you however long it takes for you to pick out a Burberry hat. I promise you that you will forever and always be The Original Lindsay and to take our little silly secret stuff to my grave. I promise you that even though we don't get to see each other as often as we like, that you will always be my sister and I will love you til I die and beyond. Youdabest Baby!

Oy...

2008-07-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not jewish, however, I firmly believe in the power of the oy. The kiddles and I spent five lovely (HOT) days in Florida and got back to our lovely home tonight. OH! My ear just popped from the last flight--love that! We spent one day with the Mouse--one day because I honestly think that's all we could stand from the heat. We did get to do the things we missed out on last year including:

1. Stitch's Great Escape
2. Monsters Inc Laugh Floor
3. Aladdin's Flying Carpets
4. Mickey's Philharmagic
5. Cinderella's Golden Carousel
6. Tom Sawyer Island
7. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
and
8. The Haunted Mansion

Now, it should be noted that The Haunted Mansion is, hands down, my all-time, whoop-it-up, shamalamadingdong, slap your mama favorite theme park attraction. EVER. I love the kitchiness of it and have since I first rode it when I was seven years old. Last year it was closed for refurbishment (funny how something that's "in shambles" needs refurbishment, but I get it) and I missed out on taking my two little sweeties to my most favorite thing at WDW. This year, however, I made SURE it was open. We got off the monorail and made a BEELINE to the back of the park to blissfully find that it only had a ten minute wait! I nearly cried with glee. The Girl and The Boy went in and throughout the ride, Aiden was stonefaced. Not an expression, not a word was muttered from that child. Devyn was a little more vocal, but seemed to be enjoying herself. THE MINUTE we stepped off the ride and into daylight, Aiden had a total meltdown, screaming and crying about what I had just "made him endure" according to him. I will say though, that that special moment I will always remember as one of the worst (but a little humorous) moments of my parental life was when he looked at me and told me, "You've actually ruined my perfect life"! Oh, the humanity...

The rest of the time spent in Florida was spent at the pool at our hotel and one day spent at the Downtown Disney Marketplace, where upon leaving said Marketplace and returning to where our shuttle would be, I realized that our shuttle had LEFT US, an HOUR AND A HALF EARLIER THAN THEY SAID THEY WOULD. Here's what was going on to make THAT moment even better :

50 mile an hour winds
sheets of COLD rain
CRAZY Lightening
CRAZY THUNDER
Black skies
and
HAIL

THANK GOD for my friend Lisa who informed me that the shuttle had abandoned her and her husband too. We managed to hail a cab, but only after my two sweeties were quite literally shivering and trembling and all of us looked like we had just jumped in the Seven Seas Lagoon. And what's better? Her sweet husband paid our cab fare ($40!!!) because in his words "Your husband is fighting for our country. It's the least I can do". Love him!

All in all, it was a good trip. We are beyond tired and spent, but I am so thankful that I have two little good travellers who listened and paid attention to me, and beyond thankful for a husband who supports me doing crazy things like taking two small children to a crazy place by myself. I'll end on a funny note: everytime I've gone to the Magic Kingdom, I've seen some mad crazy stuff. This time was no exception: the first was the man in front of me at the entry gate who had his head shaved into the silhouette of The Mouse several times over, and the other was the dude riding the Teacups wearing a shirt that said "I'm in love with a stripper".

Oy...

Me, Two Kiddles, and A Mouse...

2008-07-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

No, we did not have a mouse in the house. Tomorrow, the kiddles and I will leave for five days in Orlando, hence "a mouse" being THE Mouse. Since we did Disney last year with the family, the kiddles and I will spend one day at the Magic Kingdom doing the things we did not get to do last year for one reason or another. Normally, I wouldn't undertake something of this magnitude--a vacation with two children completely on my own--BUT...I work for an amazing company that offers the reward of a paid all-inclusive vacation for hard work and I earned it in April! So...that brings in the decision to take the kiddles with me to Florida. The only thing I'm really worried and concerned about are the flights. The kids will do fine--they've flown several times before and Devyn's an old pro at flying by this point, but my concern lies in transporting two children by myself through three airports. Yeesh...

It will be fine. I've got good little travelers with me. The house has been cleaned, the last load of dishes is in the dishwasher, I managed all but one load of laundry, the cat is taken care of, the bags are in the car and I'm finally relaxing by watching Project Runway (a rerun from the other night, but it's always better the second time around). 7 am will come early!

35 minutes...

2008-07-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Today the kiddles and I spent 35 wonderful minutes in an office at the base talking to my amazing husband through a video teleconference. I was a little hesitant about this whole thing because I felt like it would be like it must be in a prison--in that we would have a pane of glass between us and we would just not have a connection. I couldn't imagine what we would have to talk about for 3o minutes because it's been so rare that we've been able to talk that long in the last five months. I was apprehensive but excited. I didn't know what to expect...

I walked into that office today at 11:20 and saw my precious husband sitting 6207.90 miles away. I didn't make a lot of eye contact with him initially because, in all honesty, I had to compose myself. I didn't want to cry in front of him, or seem sad at all. That's not what I was there for. The only thing I wanted to do was somehow morph myself into air and travel through that tv screen to where he was. Even though that wasn't possible, I was determined to make those few moments we had the best few moments we'd had in the past five months. It went too quickly. It seemed like almost as soon as it began, I was told we had two minutes left. How do you convey the love you have for someone in two minutes? How can you tell the person you love more than anything in the universe that you're miserably sorry that you argued yesterday? How do you apologize and not close it by hugging that person so tightly that you can feel their breath on your hair? How do you let your eyes speak what's in your very soul and somehow let them know that nothing else in this world matters except being with that person? How do you show the joy in the moment that you're with that person and not show signs of the constant stomach ache you carry until that person returns? I suppose it's impossible not to. I can only hope that Mike saw the sheer bliss I had at seeing him for the first time in five months.

Five months tomorrow. One hundred and fifty some days. One hundred and fifty days in which I have slept alone, fixed an alarm clock, drank over one hundred and fifty cups of coffee, shorted out the microwave about five times, gotten my hair cut twice, hosted friends and family in our home four different times, sat through two nights of projectile puke with Aiden, sat through three different fevers through the night, finished two school years (one with each kiddle), attended two soccer parties, one ballet recital, been nearly killed on the interstate by crazy drivers four times, hired a lawn guy, earned a trip with my company, had three doctors appointments, washed approximately 18,000,000 loads of laundry and painted and redecorated one bathroom. Through all that, I have grown more in love with my husband, questioned my own strength and sanity and managed to not get liquered up every evening. It's been a long road thus far, and I don't expect it to get any shorter quite honestly. It's going to be a long road even though (hopefully) we're more than halfway through at this point. The end result is what's important and that's all that matters right now...making it through the next four months and watching a plane carrying my husband land and feeling his breath on my hair again. That's the goal. One hundred and twenty days...

Oh...it's a vicious circle...

2008-07-13T18:33:00.001-07:00

So. The littlest kiddle had two birthday parties to go to this weekend, and his big sister was invited to the one today, which gave me a nice two hours to scarf down a sandwich and a cup of coffee and go back and get them. Big Sister and I had a nice time out on our own yesterday while Aiden was at the first birthday party. Now, let me tell you...this birthday thing is getting a tad out of control. It's like the ante is up and you never know what you're going to get when you walk into the home where the party is being held, which has likely been transformed into a five year old's dream come true on crack. It's madness. And then you travel to the backyard. Walt Disney wouldn't have even come up with something like this. Everywhere you look, there are bouncyjumpyhouseythings and bouncyjumpywaterslidethings and swingsets and a freakin smorgasboard of every possible food imaginable--everything from gummy bears to macaroni salad, ribs and a kegger for the parents (because let's face it--that's the only way most parents get through these things--good and liquered up)...children are running manically around in the accepted uniform of swimsuits and swim masks and everyonce in a while a child will randomly launch him or herself off the top of the blowupwaterslidethingy to the shreiks of the parents who scream through the kegger induced haze "HEY! WAAATCH IT!". I kid you not. It's a sight to behold.

Now, because I'm one of "those" parents (read=annoying), I drop off said kiddles at these parties so as not to lose what's left of my mind. It just ain't my thing. And I fully expect when it's my children's parties, that those other parents will feel free to drop off their children for two hours and go maintain some sense of adulthood.

So, after my two hours of sandwich scarfing and coffee guzzling, I returned to said homes to pick up the kiddles. What IS it about the "gift for coming" thing? I'm all about the goody bag--you get like a Twizzler, a sheet of stickers, a punch balloon and a whistle. Heck, when I was a kid you didn't even get that. You took your gift, ate some cake, pinned a tail on a paper donkey and left. Now, it appears, things have changed. Drastically. Yesterday, Aiden came home with a baseball bat and a ball. At first I thought he had nicked them off the birthday girl's big brother, but, um, no. They were his. GIFTS. Um. WHAT? Seriously? Geez. Fast forward to today. Upon leaving, Aiden, my polite, uber-good with manners says to the Mama Host, "I'm leaving now. Thank you for having me. Can I have my present now"? I nearly puked in the macaroni salad. As I was leaning in to tell him "Sweetie pie, we don't ask for gifts. You have a very nice lollipop right there", Mama Host says "Oh! I almost forgot! Here you go, Doll". A beach towel. A Brand New Beach Towel from the Disney Store. Was she kidding? I was praying she was kidding. But no.

Now, don't misunderstand, I'm not being ungrateful. I just don't understand where this is coming from--this "thank you gift" bit. It's like the $30,000 gift bag the celebrities get who present at the Oscars. We're now in the Gift Bag Game of preschool, and if you ask me, it's out of control. Who sends the thank you note in that case? The kid who got the birthday gift or the guest who got the gift for coming? And then where does it stop? Do we, as the receivers of the bat, baseball, and beach towel now have to reciprocate with a more mamajamma gift? If that's the case, by the time they're twelve, we'll have basketball hoops and jacuzzis in our back yard. Maybe it's not such a bad idea after all...

Either way, both my kids guests at their birthday parties this year will get gifts as well. A little goody bag, complete with Twizzler, a sheet of stickers, a punch balloon and a whistle.

The Glitch...

2008-07-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

There's now a glitch in the plan. The original plan was that Mike would be home in the early fall, putting this at a seven month deployment. Scratch that. I found out on Monday that the plan is now that Mike will be home closer to the holidays at the end of this year. Mike was the most upset I've heard him while we were on the phone talking about The Glitch. I, while not surprised was definitely sucker-punched by this news. It was something that I knew was a strong possibility, but I couldn't think about it. I had to get through the moment at hand, although an extension was always in the back of my head.

So. In all honesty, I've spent this week being slightly sick at my stomach. The kids took The Glitch remarkably well--they honestly taught me a lot about faith and grace in the moment. They were much more concerned that Daddy would come home safely rather than when he would come home. I thank God for those two every day--they are the sweet in what has been a very bitter week.

I am very blessed with wonderful friends. As soon as I sent out the "FYI email" to our close friends about The Glitch, I got a phone call from one of my dear friends--her husband is currently deployed also--and she was honestly sick at the stomach FOR me. She's just too sweet! My best friend was angry and just very clearly ticked off at the government and I love her for that. I know that I could call her in the middle of the night if I needed anything from her. She's amazing. Our families are just upset. There's no other way to describe it. My daddy told me the stories of him praying every day not to be extended during Vietnam, my mother-in-law was speechless, my brother-in-law was angry, and my aunt-in-law was just over it. It's so nice to have people who are sad for us, as well as for themselves.

So, the reason I refer to this majorly annoying moment in time as The Glitch is because it's just that and only that--it's a glitch and glitches get worked out. Mike will come home. Through all our deployments, we've now gone the longest amount of time without laying eyes on each other. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night thinking about him, wondering what he's doing. I'm a nightowl, so at 11:30 every night, I'm thinking of him waking up about then. The fact is, I will continue to think about him every minute for the next 120 (or thereabouts) days. I think I'm babbling now...as I've said to myself many times over the past five months, this too, shall pass...

Holding on...

2008-07-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

When I walked into Aiden's room last night to kiss him goodnight, this is what I found:

The giraffe's name is Zeebee (courtesy of Aiden) and the night Mike left, we put Aiden's favorite picture of him and his daddy in Zeebee's tummy. That giraffe has seen more love and affection in the last 5 months than I think it ever had before. He's never far from Aiden' side and you can see how lovingly Aiden hugs him every night. It warmed my heart, but pricked it a little too. I noticed last night for the first time how worn the picture is, the cracks that are in it and how many times it's been loved on and quite obviously talked to...

Mike, I know Aiden doesn't talk a lot on the phone when you call, but you can rest assured you are talked to every night...

A better day...

2008-07-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that today has been a better day. I'm very tired, but it's more from actually having a productive day than being emotionally worn out. The kiddles and I got the bedrooms and the den cleaned, I completed their July chore charts, and they got a play date with our neighbor's daughter when her mom and I went to dinner. Her husband is deployed as well, and it was so nice to sit down and talk to someone who just "got it". I got to talk to my dear husband, who was experiencing the worst sandstorm they've had there and ended the day reading to my sweet kiddles before bed.

More good days will follow this one, as will more difficult, trying days, but we can do this two and a half more months. We've done nearly five. How strange and bizarre it is to think that I haven't seen my husband, my best friend, in five months. How crazy is it to say that I have no idea of what my husband's living conditions are like? That's just nuts. It may be nuts, but it's our life. It's my life. As much as it's sucked, it has done several very key things for me and my family, and my marriage:

1. Mike and I appreciate each other (I believe) so much more than other couples might.
2. We have a level of communication that we might not have had if we didn't have the life we have.
3. We value the time we have together and with our children more than we might if we didn't spend substantial time apart.
4. We know, perhaps better than anyone what "alone time" actually is.
5. We know, perhaps better than anyone, that "alone time" is completely overrated.
6. I know that if everything I own on this earth disappeared this minute, as long as I still have Michael, Devyn, and Aiden (and yes, our kitty Tux), I would have everything I would ever need to make me fully content, and I wouldn't look back.

Here's to the next 2.5 months.

DONE.

2008-06-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

Warning: This post is intended to be a vent, and nothing more. It is not an attack on anyone, or any comments anyone has made to me. That said, enough said.

I am tired. I am done. I am tired and DONE. What, exactly am I tired and done OF? Well, let's just list it, shall we?

1. "Wow...this deployment thing must just suck for you".
Really? You think? No, it's actually fabulous.

2. " We just can't wait until Mike's home".
(and hearing that over, and over, and over again from the same people in a two day span). I want him home too. More than all of you combined.

3. "I don't know if you should be doing that".
(I've been managing this long...and with three deployments behind me, I can manage just find thank you).

4. "Can you call me? I have a huge problem and I really need someone to talk to about it".
(Great. I'm here for you. But understand that I might only have 10 minutes to talk before my kids need me. And don't get upset with me because I have to go).

5. "I know it must be hard, but at least you have the kids to keep you busy".
(Seriously? Is that supposed to help me in some weird way)?

6. " I would really appreciate it if you would talk to me about your problems, and not Mike. He doesn't need anymore stress".
(Wow. That's so RIGHT! How selfish I've been! Cause I'm just sittin here riding a great big cream puff of JOY for seven months without any stress at all and I can't WAIT for more time to try and do everything on my OWN).

7. And this one is my absolute favorite:
" How often do you talk to Mike"?
(I talk to him for about 15 minutes once a day).
"WOW! You're so lucky!"
(Yes, I get that we are very fortunate in that regard, thank you).
" Oh, I just pray for him every single day. He's always on my mind".

Period. End.

Wonderful. I covet prayers for my husband, but there is a huge, huge part of me that wants to say to these people (and I've heard that literally 6 times in the last 2 days), "I appreciate that so much, thank you. Are you praying for my children? Are you thinking of them waking them up in the middle of the night crying for their daddy? Are you thinking of me when I'm completely overwhelmed and exhausted at the end of the day because I'm just emotionally spent and don't know how I can keep this up for more, MORE months? Are you thinking of us then? Are you praying for US? I want to just scream that at those people.

My parents visited last weekend. I got to hear for four days how many people at home were asking about Mike, praying for Mike, wondering how Mike was, hoping Mike was ok, concerned for Mike, I GET IT. I'm overjoyed, truly overjoyed that Mike is getting so much emotional support. I flat out asked my parents if anyone at home is asking about me and the kids, praying for us, concerned for us....they honestly got it in that moment. The answer was 'no' and they understood.

Make no mistake, our soldiers and sailors and airmen need ALL the emotional support and prayers they can get. I have never, ever been in the position any of them are in and I don't envy them at all, BUT...

there are wives and children left at home who are forgotten. In praying for our troops, in putting that yellow ribbon on the back of our cars, we must remember that there is no ribbon that says "Pray for the families of our troops". There is, in most cases, no pinch hitter for the temporarily single parents that exist, or even the permanently single parents that have been created by this war. There are children who will wake up on their birthday with the missing link of having a parent missing. One of my children will experience that on this deployment. There are couples who will be separated, likely for more than the first time, on their anniversary. We will join that group for the third time through this deployment.

Everytime a ship returns here from a deployment, it is usually televised. Everytime, I cry. I don't cry for the one coming home. I cry for the one standing on the pier who has had to carry the weight of maintaining a home for their sailor to come to. I cry for the burden that has been lifted, for the little children who will have a "whole" world again, for the reconnection that will happen. I cry because I know that while they are coming home, somewhere else, there is someone who is just leaving to replace them, and their wife is hugging him goodbye, hoping to take in enough of the scent of him so that it will last more than half a year. I cry for that mother who holds her babies at night, even if her babies are eight and four when they don't understand their circumstances. I cry, because I understand.

Ok, enough. Vent done. No more.

The gifts that don't come with bows...

2008-06-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

I am a crazily upbeat, happy, person 99% of the time. My best friend has gone so far as to tell me on one occasion when we were trapped in the Miami airport with an impending hurricane upon us, to "Take your Pollyanna Happy Perky Attitude and Eat It". Probably the best single piece of advice I've ever gotten from her. However, there are those times when even I can't see the forest for the trees. Life is like that a lot sometimes, as in "Here's your dirt sandwich...would you like a mud milkshake to wash that down"? It's been like that a bunch lately. Through all the multiple goings-on with just keeping our heads above water in this deployment (or so it seems...we're really floating on the surface), it's been easy for me to lose sight of what's truly important. The best gifts in my life have been ones that were confusing, muddling, back-breaking, heart-breaking, and mind-blowing, and they've all been given to me by my most gracious God. There's a lot going on right now in our family, none of which I'm going to go into here, but it's caused me to take my focus off the vital: that through it all, God deserves all, ALL the glory. That has been my prayer through this deployment since it started...that Mike and I and the Kiddles would bring God glory, but I lost sight of that.

Then, today, after going through another one of "those" days and hearing that my sweet husband had gone through one of "those" days, I saw this, and everything changed. It's eight minutes, but it blew me away. Again, one of those gifts that I didn't expect but that got me back to the heart of it all:

Sometimes the things we want most in this world, and the things that maybe more importantly we DON'T, while those those are experiences we don't understand and don't accept, are the VERY things that will bring GOD the GLORY he so deserves.

This little, simple 8 minute video brought it home, loud and clear...

One fish, two fish...

2008-06-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

I will, for my entire life, be a lover of all things Disney. Walt Disney World IS the Happiest Place on Earth. No question. However, the Anheuser Busch company is freakin amazing. We are very fortunate to live close to not one, but TWO AB Adventure Parks and they do this AWESOME thing...they give all military families (up to 4 people) free admission to one of their parks every year. On top of that, they give it to families whose Active Duty servicemember is deployed or serving overseas. A lot of companies don't give military discounts to spouses when that's the case. Don't get me started. Total discrimination. Anyway...

Today I took the kiddles to one of the water parks near where we live. I had been there once before, when I was all of 15 with one of my girlfriends and her parents. I didn't remember anything about this park, least of all what they had to offer little children. I seem to recall being only interested in scoping out cute boys in Billabong shorts. I digress...we met my girlfriend and her two little girls there and spent the day in the water. The weather was perfect (and that RARELY happens around here in June)...85 degrees, zero humidity (sorry, Honey). I thought that Devyn and Aiden might balk at the big slides and choose to hang out by the kids activities and the wave pool. I. Was. Wrong. We spent the afternoon riding things called "Big Daddy Falls" and the "Aquazoid" and the "Malibu Pipeline". The floats were honestly bigger than Aiden...so you can imagine my sheer glee at seeing his Big Sister helping him carry his up the steps AND carrying hers at the same time. It touched me in such a huge way...she's always gone out of her way to look after him and make sure he's ok, but to see her barely maneuvering hers and then to see her take his on as well...well, it just about made me crumble on the spot. On top of that, both of them ended the day with going on the "Hubba Hubba Highway" with my girlfriend's daughter, who's also seven years old. Now, upon first inspection, this appears to be your everday, normal, calm lazy river ride. And then....no. The kids went in while I watched from the sideline and as they were coming around the last bend, I said "Ok...time to hop out". Of course I got the "Noooo. It's so coooool. We want to stay innnnnn". I disagreed and told them to get out at the exit that was coming up. I walked over to the zero entry exit to get them and there was not a sign of my two little fish and friend. I tend not to panic in those situations--well, not immediately panic anyway. I looked around (there's only one way out) and looked, and looked some more, only to come to two possiblities: they got out and I didn't see them and have disappeared, or they went around again. I decided to go with the second option, as the first one would put me into an absolute tailspin or panic. So I got into the water at the exit and waited. Five minutes goes by and my heart was beating faster now...and then, then I see this little girl about the same size as Devyn struggling against the current to get out. It should be noted that there are no floats in this particular ride--just you, your life jacket and yourself walking or floating in the current. I figured it out then--and just as I managed to breathe again, there come four little bobing heads with the MOST freaked out looks on their faces and all at once they see me and yell, "WE'RE SORRY"! As I pulled them out, they recounted to me how they all let go of each others hands to get out the first time and then the current maneuvered them back in. Devyn was most upset. She told me that she had let go of Aiden's hand to grab the wall and looked back and saw him floating away. She let go of the wall to go grab him and the current took them both. She looked me dead in the eye with more conviction than I've ever seen in her and said, "Mama, I HAD to get Aiden. I'd do anything to keep him safe! I'd give my own life for him Mama. I'm his big sister, that's what I'm supposed to DO". She floored me in that moment. I hugged her and told her it wasn't going to come to that, but I'm glad she looked out for him so much. Then, HE came to me and said "Mama, I couldn't protect Devyn! I'm so sorry Mama". Seriously, how did I get so blessed as to have these precious children? I remember thinking when I was pregnant with Aiden that I just hoped they would like each other even just a little bit. Wow...I'm so glad and thankful that it's more than that. That seemed a pretty good time to end our day there. We walked back to the Kritter Korral (yes, with TWO K's) and the kids played a bit while we got our belongings together and left the park, happier and wetter than when we arrived. I love days like that...ones you wish you could relive a million times over. There's a day like that coming sooner than later...it's called Homecoming.

Beyond that, the day was wonderful, exhausting, exhilirating and exhausting. We are all worn out, but will happily sleep the night away. Oh, and Mike, the kids now know that the park is open through the end of September...and they have deemed it necessary that you go next. Aiden says "Daddy needs to go to Big Daddy Falls"!

On a side note, we have completed four months of this deployment. 120 days, 16 weeks. In some ways, it seems SO much longer and in others, it seems like it's flown...if the next 100 will go as quickly, that would be lovely. The four of us are four months stronger, four months more resolved, four months more tired of being incomplete and four months more in love with each other. Three to go...three...

Three Weeks Later...

2008-06-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

Wow. Three weeks since I've posted. That's what happens when life runs away from you! Five days from now will mark four months since Mike left for Iraq. Four months...12o days...16 weeks, or there abouts. The last three weeks have been the hardest, the most emotional, the longest. It's been just generally madness. Hopefully the kids and I are through the woods and looking out to the other side. I keep thinking that one of my favorite movies, The Princess Bride, has it's very own definition of those "woods". If you've seen it, then you know I'm referring to the Theives' Forest with the R.O.U.S.--or the Rodents Of Unusual Size. Life, and deployment in particular have their own R.O.U.S. and they don't really need rehashing now, but things are better...

I am revelling in the fact that my sweet boy LOVES game shows. Praise the Good Lord. He and I have so loved cuddling up together on the couch in the afternoon and chilling with the Game Show Network. Whatever happened to great tv like the game shows of the 70s? Here's my take on things: if there was more Card Sharks, Let's Make A Deal, and Match Game today, people would be a LOT more relaxed. Seriously. People dressed like giant playing cards would get $50.00 if they could produce a paper clip on demand. Now that's some stress I could live with. Today, Aiden and I watched Gene Rayburn from Match Game try to kill a fly on what was then, live national tv. Haven't seen Mark Wahlberg do THAT on his show have you? The one where the person's life is ruined by being caught in a lie? I'll admit that I've been sucked into that one...but honestly...some things are better only known by those closest to you.

I remember watching game shows when I little during the day....that and those other wonderful shows like Kaptain Kangaroo and The Carol Burnett Show. Ahhh...those were the days...

All In The Family anyone?

Time Flies When You're Really Freakin Blessed...

2008-05-22T06:08:00.001-07:00

Six years ago today we landed in London to begin our tour at the office of the Commander in Chief for the United States Navy in Europe. I remember that day--it's etched in my memory...

We landed and met a driver from the estate agency that we were letting our temporary flat from...a quiet, brooding, Middle Eastern man named...something. Mike sat in the front seat with him as he whizzed from Heathrow into the West End of London and Devyn and I sat in the back seat, her in her carseat and I clearly remember thinking how surreal this all was...how far away we were from our family, how Mike was just as happy as he could be, Devyn was completely oblivious, and I cried for the entire 20 mile trek into the city. I leaned over to Devyn, tears just pouring down my cheeks and whispered, "We'll be ok"...looking back I told her that to vocalize it--to convince not her, but myself, that we would be ok. I didn't believe it, but saying it outloud made it more of a possibility.

The flat at 79M York Street was teeny, as are most flats in London, but our bed, holy moses...that bed rocked. I have no recollection of what we did that day...I think we walked to a little market on Baker Street and bought the essentials...coffee, creamer, cereal, milk (that the next morning we would discover was completely different from any milk we'd ever encountered because sitting on TOP of the milk was the cream...non-homogenized milk thank you very much). We went to sleep that night--or Mike and Devyn went to sleep--and I sat in the family room flipping channels and writing in my journal. I found Ally McBeal on the telly around 12 am and happily watched, thinking, "Ok, I've found a link to home...this is a step in the right direction". I called my daddy that night, crying the whole time, thinking how badly I wanted to go home. It honestly was an ache--a physical pain that just consumed me. I finally fell asleep that night...it was a long, long night.

More days like that would follow where all I wanted was to just go home. Just get a cab to Heathrow and buy a ticket. Things slowly got better and I found little joys in random things--this yogurt I'd buy at the market that had yogurt on one side, and the most wonderful little "add-ins" on the other--the BEST was the Raspberry Pavlova--Raspberry yogurt with white chocolate bits to mix in. I found myself looking forward to those every night. Hey, you find happiness in little things, right? I remember after we'd been there for about 5 days, Mike was at work and Devyn and I ventured out--we landed at the Marylebone Train Station and wandered into a little store called Cards Galore--the British version of Hallmark. Of all the things we had packed, clothes, toys, neccessities to last us the 5 weeks until we got our stuff, we had forgotten a lovie for Devyn. She focused on this little tabby colored kitty and I couldn't say no to her--we were crossing Marylebone Road when I asked her what the kitty's name was and she proudly announced: "NUMMY"! Nummy has been her constant companion ever since.

Those first days and weeks and months in London were difficult for me at best. However, I would not trade them for anything this world has to offer. Those days caused me to lean on my husband, something I had rarely done, for support. Not once did he ever tell me to "Get over it" or to "Suck it up" when I was having "a day". That's one of the most amazing things he's ever done for me, and he's done quite a lot of amazing things.

I sat on the porch at our home before we left for England and looked at the dark Virginia sky and pleaded with God. I asked Him specifically, "What could you possibly have to teach us THERE that you can't teach us HERE"? Here's a hint: EVERYTHING. I learned a very important lesson through this (well, a lot of lessons actually): Don't ever ask God questions. He'll answer them.

I cried the entire flight from our home to DC where we boarded another plane bound for London. I cried the entire flight from DC to London. I cried on the ride from Heathrow to our flat, and I cried for the better part of the next six months. I got over it. There were a few moments, actually huge occurrences that God used to smack me in the head as if to say "Girl. Do you KNOW how blessed you are"? Thankfully, I got it. I fully realized how blessed I was and I got over it. And then, 25 months later, I cried on the way to Heathrow, and I cried on take-off. I cried throughout the flight, thinking how far we had come...we came to England a disjointed family of three, not really knowing where any of us belonged, and we perservered and not only that, we thrived, and fell in love with our home...we left England a family of four, a strong intertwined force to be reckoned with. Briefly, here's a list of things we took with us :

a love for fresh cod and chips

a love for Regents Park and specifically the Boating Lake and Queen Mary's Rose Garden

a love for Magnum Bars

a love for John Lewis Department Store (maybe that's just me)

a love for Hamley's Toy Shoppe (the craziest seven floors of controlled chaos one has ever encountered)

a love for Footie (soccer--and OH YES...Alan Shearer)

a love for 201 Waterdale Manor House, 20 Harewood Avenue, London, NW1 6JX ( our home for two years)

a love for our adopted homeland

a renewed love for our natural homeland

a thriving and living love for each other

I am so thankful for the past six years and specifically for those 25 months we were ex-pats. It was incredible and often I find myself longing for that time again, but I wouldn't trade our lives now for anything. We are where we are supposed to be, and I am thankful and beyond blessed.

It's just something new every day...

2008-05-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

So Monday, I'm taking Abbey Road (our new little pug) to the vet. I should mention that we live in a diverse, but fairly conservative area. This IS the South, after all...anyhow, I'm pulling into the shopping area where our vet is located and this sign catches my eye:

Open Now: Hookah Lounge and Bar.

Ok. Nice. WHAT? I'm as open-minded as the next open-minded person, but I came home and googled hookah straight away--it's a pipe. Ok, knew that. Apparentely ,it's a type of tobacco pipe and they flavor the tobacco. Good news--today's flavor is Peaches and Cream. Apparently hookah is gaining in popularity in several cities around the nation. Right. Getcha Hookah On!

I probably pretty naive. There are things that surprise me every single day--i'm not one of those people who will say, "Ok, now i've seen everything".... Currently, here are a list of my favorite surprises:

1. The Hookah Lounge.
2. The poor kid at Aiden's preschool who, at their spring program was dressed like Adam Rich from Eight Is Enough--down to the LONG bowl haircut and saddle oxfords and knee socks. Did I mention it was a little boy, and oh yeah, he was wearing a SMOCKED green a white all-in-one with BUNNIES on the front? Mercy. That kid is doomed...
3. The woman at Target yesterday BEHIND me in line to get the kiddles Slushees and she honest to goodness walked right past me and took her place at the register. In front of me. And then proceeded to argue about the price of a hot-dog. Needless to say, we came back after our shopping and completed our sale of one Crushed Melon Slushee and one Sour Cherry Slushee.
4. The whole Brangelina thing... Seriously confounds me.
5. American Apparel. Really? And they're making money off this stuff? People, you're being robbed...
6. Decaf Coffee. A big, fat WHY????
7. The thought that anything other than diet and exercise will lead to weight loss. Seriously people, fresh veggies and fruit, protein and a good episode of Shimmy off of Fit TV will do the trick. I'm not always the best at it, but I get it...
8. Jewelry TV. Have you seen this? I think it's filmed out of the basement of a VFW in Georgia somewhere. These people are nuts.

More to come later...

A peek into a day...

2008-05-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

I know that in 5, 10 or 15 minutes, I'll forget most of what gets said in this home on a daily basis, so I'm going to make note of it here, in an effort to record it so it won't be forgotten...

Aiden, put down that spoon before you poke your toe out...

No, we're NOT going to do double back-flips over the back of the couch at the SAME time...

Aiden! PLEASE answer the phone!"
"But I'm doing something Mommy"
"Yeah, what"?
"I'm making sure Bugs Bunny gets across the road before the evil Elmer Fudd hits him in the head with the hammer. It's GOT to be done, Mama".
(And there I am, rubber gloves on, elbow high in CLR having just cleaned the bathtub--and the phone is sitting in Aiden's LAP).

Yes. The cat's poop is like the dog's candy bar. (ewwwwwwwwww)

All I need is five minutes you guys...five minutes...just me and my flat iron...that's all I ask...

Mama. MAMA! Applesauce is MANADATORY! (yep...no misspelling there)

I promise you guys, if you don't straighten up and fly right, there WILL be a listing on Ebay with a very LOW buy-it-now price with BOTH your names on the listing...

Watch what you're doing because I am NOT going to the Emergency Room this morning. Or this afternoon. Or at all today.

Devyn. PLEASE do not hang upside down off the slide...

Aiden. We don't swim in the sandbox.

and my current favorite:
Hi, remember me, your mother? The one who laid on a table and gave birth to you in a manner MOST unlike any way I had planned and one that was MOST against my will? Remember that? No? Wanna see the video? Then...yep, THEN you'll be thankful...

And today's conversation over dinner went like this:
"Ok guys...if you were a super hero,what would your name be"?
Aiden : I'd be Super Indiana Jones Captain Aiden.
Devyn: I'd be Amazing Crazy Devyn.
Me: I'd be Super Wicked Cool Mom.
Devyn: Maybe you should be Squishy Mom.
Me: Why Squishy Mom?
Devyn: Cause you're just the teeniest bit squishy.
Niiiiiiiceeee.....

Week two of the Healthy Eating Plan begins tomorrow. And one Shimmy class. And NO chocolate...

The diet man cometh

2008-05-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

I've finally committed, or I'm about to BE committed...either way, today was Day One of The Healthy Eating Plan. It's not exactly a diet per se...it's more of, well, a Healthy Eating Plan. So far, it hasn't sucked, and I'm not dead, and I've survived and I'm not foaming at the mouth, or curled up in fetal position sucking my thumb. Day One down. Here's what I ate today:

One bowl of cream of wheat with slivered almonds, cinnamon and a packet of splenda.
One cup of coffee with creamer.

Lunch was tuna with lowfat ranch dressing and pickles on wheat toast.

Dinner was a Boca Burger on a whole wheat bun with ketchup and mustard and tomato.
One Banana
Seven french fries. (I know, I know, but come ON...sweet sweet carbs...)

One lowfat whipped key lime yogurt.

Three glasses of water.

Not too bad, and I'm NOT starving by the way. I'm doin ok! I might actually make it through this...and just for the record, I who MUST have some morsel of chocolate every single day, did NOT have even a chocolate chip. How bout that!

She spins and she sways...

2008-05-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

I took this picture from my phone yesterday at Devyn's ballet rehearsal...isn't she stunning? I know it's grainy, but you can still see her. The recital piece is to Steven Curtis Chapman's Cinderella and I got teary just watching her. It breaks my heart that Mike won't see her performance in person, but I know that it will mean just as much to him watching it on tape. This is "their" song...I love that they have such an amazing relationship. She adores him as he does her and I'm so thankful for that. I have a great relationship with my daddy, and I always wanted that for my daughter. Devyn is very clearly Daddy's Little Girl and he's wrapped around her little finger (unless she needs some parenting). I love that...and I love them more than anything...

By the Grace of God...

2008-05-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

I pitched a FIT tonight. All over some stupid gold flower hairbow that went with Miss Devyn's ballet costume that was lost in the fathomless abyss that is her closet. It was bad, y'all. And Sweet Hubby called in the middle of said fit. Looking back on it now, I must have sounded like some crazed, mosquito infested buffoon as I was ranting and raving and spitting into the phone. At one point, I think Sweet Hubby said "I know. I understand" to which I answered, "Oh. DO YOU"? Ouch. I'm sorry honey. I know you understand. I was just being a class a jerk. We never did find that gaudy flower bow thing. We went to ballet, hung our heads low as we went in sans bow, only to find that Devyn's teacher had extras. God bless that girl. We still have to find the flower bow thing for her recital, but I'm honestly just thinking of fashioning something out of the floral department at Michael's. How hard can it be to jimmy up a gold flower bow thing with a big sparkly rhinestone in the middle?

I got to thinking tonight how I was raised in the presence of two very devout Southern women--my mother and my grandmother--and how they never really got angry a lot, but when they did--Oh Lord...the fits that were pitched. I was in a whole messa hurt watching my gram throw a hissy. It was not a pretty sight. I think I saw three. That was enough for my 21 years before she passed away. She was not a woman to be trifled with. Which got me thinking...I remember three fits from her, but countless ways she showed me her love for me and our family. When I was around 7, we went to the farm for Sunday dinner and everyone was having whitefish. I detest whitefish (except Cod--as long as it's fresh). I think I must have looked totally dejected at the announcement of fish for dinner...until she took me over to the oven and showed me what was in it...an individual serving of lasagna that she had made just for me. I felt so special, and so loved in that moment. I hope that's what Devyn and Aiden will remember of me when I'm no longer on this earth--that I pitched a few fits, but I had the most overwhelming love for them, and that hopefully, I took a lot of opportunities to make them feel special.

On a different note, I had someone ask me the other day, "What IS Southern, anyway"? Mercy. I nearly choked back tears when I heard that--what a sorrowful state of affairs, when someone has to ask that question. So incase anyone out there HAS wondered that, here's the quick and dirty:

Southern is not a location on a map. It is not a collection of states that formed and were once known as The Confederacy. Southern is, by all accounts, a state of mind and a way of life. It's chivalry on the part of a gentleman, and acting like a lady on the part of a woman--at ALL times--and YES, you CAN be a lady and still dance on a bar. It's learning your manners from the womb--Yes Ma'am and No Ma'am, Please, Thank You, Y'all Take Care, Come Back To See Us, Bless Your Heart, and Well, I Swanee. It's Sweet Iced Tea (and Hardee's Sweet Tea does NOT count), and Hoppin John and Mint Juleps and it's sitting out on the porch in the morning and the evening and just talking while the world goes by. It's not getting caught up in the world, but enjoying your little corner of it. It's having mints in your grandmama's purse, and Hu.Mi.Di.Ty. It actually being able to smell spring when it arrives in late April and listening to the Cicadas and June Bugs on august evenings. It's about family, and family, and family. It's back door friends and wood stoves and boys who grow up hunting and going to barn parties in high school. It's wanting to be just a little like Scarlett if you're a girl, and really wanting Rhett to show up at your door. It's about faith, and good old hymns and pot-luck suppers and warm, inviting homes. It's everything I grew up with...including a Daddy who pretty regularly will say, "Now looka yonder at that fella in that Corvette. Doen't he think he's in high cotton"? And a mama, when ever I would date someone would ask three questions:
1. Who are his people?
2. What's his daddy do?
3. Where do they go to service (church)?

If you're not thoroughly confused, here's a list that I found on the blog of someone who visited mine...she claims to be a yankee living in Tennessee, but I think it's only right that those of us lucky enough to be born and raised in the South adopt her as one of our own. Thanks, Nash, for the following. Love it!

Southern Livin'

Southern women know their manners:
"Yes, ma'am."
"Yes, sir."
"Why, no, Billy!"
Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions:
"Y'all come back!"
"Well, bless your heart."
"Drop by when you can."
"How's your Momma?"
Southern women know their summer weather report:
Humidity
Humidity
Humidity
Southern women know their vacation spots:
The beach
The rivuh
The crick
Southern women know everybody's first name
:Honey
Darlin'
Shugah
Southern women know the movies that speak to their hearts:
Fried Green Tomatoes
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Steel Magnolias
Gone With The Wind
Southern women know their religions:
Baptist
Methodist
Football
Southern women know their country breakfasts:
Red-eye gravy
Grits
Eggs
Country ham
Mouth-watering homemade biscuits with momma's homemade jelly
Southern women know their elegant gentlemen:
Men in uniform.
Men in tuxedos
Rhett Butler
Southern girls know their prime real estate:
The Mall
The Country Club
The Beauty Salon
Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins:
Having bad hair and nails
Having bad manners
Cooking bad food

More Suthen-ism's: Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit , and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.

Even Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.

All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!

Only a Southerner, both knows and understands, the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.

A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines, ... and when we're "in line," . we talk to everybody!

In the South, y'all is singular, all y'all is plural.

When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!

Only true Southerners say "sweet tea," "sweet milk," and "light bread". Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it -- we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk. And "Light bread" is white bread.

And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say,"Bless her heart" ... and go your own way.

And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long time, all y'all need a sign to hang on y'alls front porch that reads "I ain't from the South, but I got here as fast as I could."

Counting My Blessings...

2008-05-11T18:08:00.001-07:00

I spent the majority of last week feeling absolutely miserable. I was feeling sorry for myself and I was probably miserable to everyone around me. I must have had a lot of people praying for me, because I woke up Saturday morning with a totally different outlook, and that outlook remains: I am insanely blessed. A lot of people say that, and a lot of people believe it. I am one who embraces it. This being Mother's Day, I am going to count two of my most treasured blessings:

Devyn Ainsley

Devyn was born at 12:47 pm on a Thursday. She was this gorgeous, tiny (5 lbs,11oz) little thing that brought out the most incredible feeling in me. I remember the night she was born and our family had all left to go to dinner and it was just she and I in the hospital room. I remember clearly thinking "I haven't seen your feet yet"...so I unwrapped her and I couldn't get over how she was still all curled up and she looked just like a little lady bug. I think I started calling her that right then...my little lady bug. I looked at her and felt in that moment that my heart honestly was looking back at me.

Before I knew it, she was 2 years old and I was dropping her off for her first day of preschool. She cried, and cried...and cried some more. I knew it would be good for her, and honestly I needed a break, but on my way out of the building, I peeked in the window of her room and made sure she was doing ok. She was pretty happy at that point, but her curly little head was still happily clinging to her teacher, Shabana. She came to love her school, and her teachers, as she loved the Boating Lake at Regent Park in London. Looking back on it now, I would love the opportunity to spend one more day with 2 year old Devyn...

And now she's seven years old. SEVEN! How did that happen? Honestly, it was like I blinked...on her birthday last year, I was perhaps the saddest I have ever been. I picked her up out of her bed and laid her in bed with Mike and I and I just held her all night, hoping to hold on to her for just a little while longer...

She's amazing. She is what made me a mother. She is my entertainer...the singer of our family, the one who's always dancing, and jumping around and doing cannonballs in her bathtub (when there's not water in it) and she puts a smile on my heart everyday. She loves her kitty cat, Nummy, the color purple, and dresses. She would honestly wear a dress everyday if I let her! I look at her and realize how much she has taught me; to love the moment, whatever the moment is...to tell the people you love them how much you do, every day...to sing no matter the circumstance and to embrace life completely. I thank God every day for her...

Aiden Bryanston

Aiden, unlike his sister, was planned. If she was the most wonderful, shocking surprise, he was the miracle. After he was born, on a Monday morning at 10:13 am Greenwich Mean Time in London, I read in my medical report that he never should have survived the pregnancy. Apparently, his heartbeat was very low and our doctor wrote"...pregnancy not expected to survive. Baby has low, weak heartbeat and heartbeat is expected to weaken..." Well. It did not weaken. He survived and was born this gorgeous, tiny (5 lbs, 10 oz) little boy who slept beautifully and ate like a champ. He had a very bad issue with Reflux for the first year of his life and I recall one day where I changed shirts SEVEN times. He gave his first smile to his big sister as she was watching Cinderella and they've been best friends ever since. He had one tooth in his head for six months before he got another. He wouldn't eat baby food for anyone but me (and I secretly loved that...)and started giving kisses and hugs at 9 months.

He has opened up a whole 'nother world for me. I knew how to "do" girls--I know what little girls like to do, what they like to play with, how they operate, because I am one! I was terrified to learn we were having a boy. Terrified. I knew nothing about boys. Now, four years later, I can "aarrrghh" with the best of the pirates that are out there, I can get Jack Sparrow up a zipline on his pirate ship in a nanosecond, and I can hold my own with MarioKart.

Aiden has taught me to lighten up. To just laugh for no reason, and to love reading. I always enjoyed reading, but he has reawakened that in me because of his love for it. He's incredibly talented and humorous, and makes me laugh every time I turn around. Beyond that, he's taught me to play. To take time out, every day and just play. We have played more rounds of Scooby Doo and the Haunted Mansion and the Magic Kingdom game than I can count, and I wouldn't have it any other way. He is generous and concerned for everyone and I thank God for him every day.

I am so grateful that the Lord trusted me and Mike enough to loan these two sweet babies to us. I am reminded regularly that they are not mine...that it's our job, Mike's and mine, to raise them as God would have us. I'm just like every other mom who loses her temper at times, and questions what in the world I'm doing. But I keep praying and every once in a while I get a glimpse that I'm doing something right. And the rights are Devyn and Aiden. They are what I'm (currently) doing right.

A Child of the 80's...

2008-05-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

I make no apologies for what I am. I am a 100%, bona fide, dyed in the wool Southern girl. I am also, by the grace of God, a child of the 80s. I heard the most awesome song on the radio the other day...the lyrics got me immediately and there I was in the car going "YES! That's my life"! And Devyn followed it up with, "What're parachute pants, mom"? Oh...the humanity. Anyway, here are part of the lyrics to "19 Something" by Mark Wills...

It was the dawning of a new decade
When we got our first microwave
And Dad broke down and finally shaved them old sideburns off
I took the stickers off of my Rubix cube
Watched MTV all afternoon
My first love was Daisy Duke In them cut off jeans
A Space Shuttle fell out of the skyAnd the whole world cried
It was 1980-something In the world that I grew up in
Skating rinks and Black Trans Ams
Big hair and parachute pants
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh, man did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
It was 1980-something

See! Isn't that genius?! When I was in elementary school, every Friday afternoon I would carry my 75 cents in the little orange envelope I had and board the school bus to go to Star City Skating Rink. It. Was. AWESOME. In honor of my childhood, I've decided to make a list of my favorite things from the 80s. It's totally gnarly and you won't be begging to be gagged with a spoon.

1. Strawberry Shortcake
2. Puffalumps
3. She-Ra
4. THE SMURFS!!! (I choose to remain naive and believe that they were not gay. They're just little blue elves that are three apples high that live in Mushrooms and are tormented by an evil wizard named Gargamel. As if that's not strange enough)!
5. Card Sharks
6. Let's Make A Deal (Did you know that was filmed at the Hilton in Las Vegas)?
7. The Cosby Show
8. The Golden Girls
9. The Dukes of Hazzard.
10. Dallas. Best. Darn. Show. EVER.
11. Banana Clips
12. PARACHUTE PANTS
13. Circus Of The Stars
14. USA Dance Party
15. USA Cartoon Express (USA had it goin on!)
16. The bath soap that came in a shell shape--although I can't remember the name of it.
17. Actual, ringing, dial telephones.
18. Annie.
19. ET
20. Press Your Luck (whatever happened to really good game shows?!)
21. Blue Eyeshadow.
22. Barbie.
23. Fluppy Dogs
24. Add A Bead Necklaces
25. Double Knit Polyester suits that my mom would wear for Christmas parties.
26. One word: Izod.
27. Feathered Hair
28. Jelly shoes!
29.Showbiz Pizza--where a kid can be a kid!
30. Spaghetti and Meatballs (an 80s cartoon)
31. Shirt Tales
32. Pandemonium (yet another cartoon)
33. My parents white and burgundy 1980 Mercury Monarch. That car was the POO.

I could honestly go on and on. In a lot of ways, I wish Devyn and Aiden could enjoy the simplicity of life the way it was for me, but I suppose they consider their lives to be pretty simple. They'll probably look back one day and say, "I wish my children could enjoy life when it was simple--when all we had was the internet, digital cable, webkinz, Wii, and dvd players in the car".

And so it goes...but I'm still singing "It was 1980 somethin..."

Airing it out...

2008-04-27T15:53:00.001-07:00

I'm a little bit miffed this evening, so pardon the vent. That said, you've been fairly warned...

When this whole deployment thing started, I had lots of people tell me, "If you need anything CALL ME. I'll be there, whatever you need". Funny how that goes out the window when I do in fact need something.

I was asked to speak at a training event for my business tomorrow--I should note I haven't been asked before, and it was an honor to be asked now. So. I phoned up someone who had told me "I will be THERE in a HEARTBEAT...whatever, WHATEVER you need" and asked them ONE WEEK AGO if they could watch the kids for me until I got home tomorrow evening. Actually, I asked the person they are married to--that person told me they would give the person I was actually asking the message. A week goes by with no response from said person, or said person's spouse. I thought that was a little odd because that's not like them not to call me back. So. Because I'd rather have a sitter on the backburner than depend on one person, I booked a sitter from the agency we use..."just in case". Today I still hadn't heard anything from Said Person, so I phoned up Said Person. Who knew nothing about my plans tomorrow. Which means that Spouse of Said Person never gave Said Person my message. One week ago. Said Person said they would check with Spouse and get back to me.

Should be noted (if I haven't already) that Said Person was one of those who said "Whatever you need...whenever...I expect you to call me". It should also be noted that it's really hard for me to ask for help from people. I'm fiercely independent, probably to a fault, so asking for help from anyone is not something I take lightly. I'm stubborn and independent. Now you know.

So. Said Person called back thirty minutes ago and said that Spouse reminded Said Person of prior arrangements that had been made. Like over a week ago. Back a week ago, I asked Spouse if they had plans for tomorrow. No prior arrangements were noted at the time, or else I would not have asked in the first place. So that means that a sitter is coming to watch Devyn and Aiden for my all-day training event. I won't get home until after they're in bed. Wouldn't be a big deal if Spouse of Said Person AND Said Person hadn't offered "...anything at anytime...whatever you need". Now, I feel terribly let down. Oh...and Said Person mentioned right before I got off the phone, "If you need something again, please call me". Yeah. I'll get right on that.

Here's the thing: If you offer to help someone, be ready to help them. Help isn't always needed when it's convenient for you. Help is needed when it's needed. Don't offer if you don't FULLY intend to follow through.

So with that, rest assured I will not be asking for help anymore from anyone at anytime, except for a very, VERY few select people. I know who means it when they say they'll help me. And I know who doesn't.

Thanks for letting me vent. That's not something you'll hear from me too often, but without a sounding board named Mike here, this is my outlet. I'm done now. Thanks for listening.

A song in the storm...

2008-04-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

Last night we had a thunderstorm. And at 11:15 pm, a tornado watch flashed across the screen. Now, yall know I don't do so well with the words "Tornado" and "Watch"...even worse with the words "Tornado" and "Warning". You might as well tell me the sky has been swallowed up by dragons and we're all gone die. (Southern speak yall...keep up)!

So I laid there in bed for quite some time, completely preparing myself to head for the bathtub with the mattress on my head while towing the kids (likely sleeping) in there with me at the first sound of "A freight train comin through the house" or something of the like. I looked outside the window at the rain as it was falling down and the trees sitting very still and had flashbacks of The Wizard of Oz and Miss Gulch flying past my window on a bicycle. Seriously, wouldn't you think the first time that part scared me, I just wouldn't have watched it anymore? But noooo, no, I had to watch it every year. And look where it's gotten me. 32 years old and trying to figure the mass times volume of a queen mattress and how I can manage to get it into the bathroom. If a tornado doesn't kill you, the heart attack you have lugging said mattress into a loo certainly will. Anyway, I digress...

It was about 1 am (and of course I couldn't sleep) and the thunder is booming and lightening is crackling and rain is whipping the house and in a little brief moment of a lull, I thought I heard a bird singing. I listened for it again between the thunder claps, and yes, it was definitely a bird singing, and I knew exactly which bird it was.

We have been blessed every Spring to have House Finches build nests on our porch--either in the wreath on the door, the hanging basket, and this year, the flower bucket on our front door. There are three precious little Tiffany blue eggs in there, and while the mama watches from the flag pole most days, I know that she sits on the nest at night. It was the Mama Finch singing. Now, whether she was actually shrieking out of fear of impending doom and it just sounded like singing to me is not really important. God reminded me in that moment, that even in the most dire of circumstances, when the rain is pelting your home and your sweet, fragile babies are depending on you to keep them safe, and when you don't know if you'll be able to fly in the morning, you can, and should still sing.

There are so many blessings we have in this life, and we all know what our individual ones are. I am not saying we don't have our struggles--we definitely do, and if wishes were horses, we'd all take a ride (something my grandma used to tell me, when I start out with "I wish...") but our circumstances should not overshadow our gratefulness, our thanks for what we've been given. I've been blessed with more than I could ever possibly have hoped for or wanted, and they're not things...they're relationships...

Deployment sucks. There's no getting around that. But just like in golf, how it's all in the swing, joy comes from an attitude, a song that can't be silenced just because the rain falls. It's a concious decision we make everyday, and although we can't be happy all the time, we can still sing.

His eye is on the Sparrow, and I know He watches me...

Artistes Splendido!

2008-04-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

That would be "The Splendid Artists" in Italian...

Devyn and Aiden have shown this week that they have some mad artistic skills. The first picture below is one Devyn did in her art class of a lemon and lime still life...

The second is what Aiden colored today in his class at church.

I love it! Art is like life to me and here are my little two...making the world a more beautiful place, one piece of artwork at a time...Enjoy!

My makeover!

2008-04-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

So I have this friend, Jen. Jen and I met when we were both sent to England on our husband's coattails within a week of each other. She and Jay had Jack, who was seven months old at the time, and Mike and I had Devyn, who was 21 months old. The first time I met Jen, we were walking down opposite sides of Baker Street on our way to eat lunch with some of the other wives from the guys' office. We ended up sitting next to each other at Wagamama and I knew that this person was someone I would probably be friends with for the rest of my life.

Jen and I have been through some truly wacky, yet precious moments together...she was the first one of my girlfriends to hold Aiden in the hospital after he was born...we kept Jack when she and Jay went to the hospital to have Annie, and then they returned because Caroline Anne had decided not to make her arrival...yet. Jen was the person I had my first Full English with two days before we left England and moved back to Virginia (it took me two years to have a Full English Breakfast!) and Jack was the only child to date, who has literally thrown up in my hands.

I just love Jen. We don't get to talk all that often, but we've kept up with each other over the internet. She was really the one who got me into this blogging thing--she inspired me through her and Jay's journey in adopting sweet Ben from China last October, and she continues to inspire me today!

She has just started a new business, and it's AMAZING. You're looking at her work! The Art of Living is Jen's new website design company. If you like what you see on my blog, PLEASE check out her website listed below.

Jen, thank you so much for knowing me so well, and putting what you know (and thanks for leaving out the "bad" stuff!!;) ) to good use on my blog. I appreciate so much what you've done--it's absolutely gorgeous. Love ya girl!

32

2008-04-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today is a somber day... one spent remembering and honoring...specifically remembering Erin Peterson, our initiate brother who was lost in the shooting in Norris, and Reema Samaha, our brother Omar's sister, who was also lost in the same classroom as Erin. A year ago today, everyone who has an association with Virginia Tech either by being an alumnus, a student, a family member or friend was changed forever. There's much more to say, but it doesn't need to be said today. Today should be about remembering and honoring the fallen and the heroes of that day.

Reassurance and the Seven Year Old

2008-04-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is me just talking this out...getting it out of my head...
I was on the phone with a good friend tonight and she mentioned the picture of Mike I have on my blog (the most recent one) and I said something to the effect of, "Yeah, he's such a hottie. I'm so fortunate I get him". She laughed, I laughed, we all had a good laugh, or so I thought...

Fastforward to 8 pm and I'm putting Devyn to bed. She looked very sad and I asked her what was bothering her. She silently walked over and shut her bedroom door (whoa) and I knew something was up. She told me she needed to talk to me, but she didn't want me to get upset. I told her I wouldn't get upset as long as she was honest with me...so this is what Sweet Girl says:

Well, I heard you on the phone tonight talking about a man that you said you thought was cute. Who were you talking about?

I was talking about your Daddy!!

Oh. Because L (her friend) said that cheating is when you like someone while you like another person at the same time. Are you cheating on Daddy?

My mouth literally dropped open. I was stunned into silence--not angry, just completely stunned. I knew I had to reassure her and convince her that of COURSE I wasn't cheating on her daddy...

"Honey. Your Daddy is my very best friend and I would never cheat on him and he would never cheat on me. We love each other very, very much and we respect each other and we'd never do that to each other".

She said ok, that that's what she thought, but honestly when we began this deployment, of all the concerns I thought she would have, I never, EVER thought that would ever enter her mind. I pray everyday that God will show me how to be the mom He designed me to be and that she'll have the knowledge that her parents love her and cherish her more than anything. So after tonight, I suppose I should start praying a little more for her confidence that mommy and daddy will be ok and stronger every day and especially at the end of all this.

Ok, enough for tonight...I'm off to kiss my babies...and to whisper in their little ears that everything will be more than fine...

Pat McGee & Me

2008-04-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

This time of year always reminds me of Pat McGee and his band. They're a band out of Richmond, Virginia and I always had a thing for their music when I was in college. I can so clearly remember watching them play on College Ave in Blacksburg my senior year, and on the main stage at Senior Day the weekend before I graduated--standing there in the pouring rain and listing to "Shine" and "Rebecca". Now when I listen, it takes me back to my senior year at Tech and one song keeps coming into play as a part of my life just as it did then.

Mike was away doing Navy stuff (Nuke School, Power School, Prototype, etc...)and I was in Blacksburg, finishing up what was a heinous end to my college career. Whenever I was having one of "those"days , I would put in Shine by Pat McGee Band and just immerse myself in it--the melodies, the lyrics, and it all seemed to disappear for a little while. There was one song in particular that I would listen to off that album whenever missing Mike became a little too much, and I remember thinking "I can't wait for the day when we can be in one place together for more than a weekend". And here I am again, thinking the same thing, only on broader terms.

I was driving down the road today on my way to pick up Aiden from preschool when I found my Shine cd stuck in my cd case. Waxing sentimental, I popped it in and listened to "Shine" "Rebecca" and "Gibby" before landing on that song...and there I was thinking again about how much I wished I could be with him.

Deployments are different for every service member and every family member, and we all get through them different ways. Some go into survival mode, managing to get by one minute and one hour at a time, while others patientely bide their time, knowing that Homecoming is one day shorter than it was yesterday. I think that's the mode I'm in. Tomorrow will have been two months since Mike left. I'm two months wiser, two months more tired, and two months more sentimental about the moments and days that led up to his departure. Two months ago tonight we sat holding our children and just talking and laughing and dreading the inevitable, but I am not longing for that night. That night was 7 months away from when Mike would return. Tonight is just 5 months, and for that I am so grateful...

So Pat McGee managed to put into words and lyrics and melodies how I feel and I am transported back to Blacksburg everytime I hear it. I was so different then! 10 years ago next month will mark that day on College Avenue when I was just a few days away from graduating without any idea of what I was going to do after that. I really didn't care. I knew I wanted to just revel in that moment and I'm glad I did. I am such a different person now, but looking back, I'm exactly where I wanted to be then. Married to the most amazing man, mom to the most incredible children and more than happy. I'm content. I miss my Michael so much that there's a hole that can't and won't be filled until he comes back, but I'm ok, and I'll be ok. I've been cryptic long enough...here are the lyrics to "that" song...

As I lie here in bed, your smile fills my head
And I'm using this pen to talk to you, from a southern way
It's been weeks since I've seen you last
The time away from you ain't moving too fast
Wishing my summer away just to see you again
I'm there by your side, lookin in your eyes
Seeing you with me, what else could there be?
If I could get away I'd be there today
You'd be wearing that smile
Haven't see you for a while
I wake up everyday, go through the same routine
Go to work, come home, what does it all really mean?
Check the mail just hoping to find, another note from you could ease my mind
It's 5:15; I can picture you driving home from your same old scene
In five you'll hear the phone ringing,
have to settle for talking again
I can picture you now, you're standing outside your house
The breeze is blowing off your northern shore
Now I'm loving you more
I long for the days when there are no goodbyes
Wish I could see you, I'd wipe the tears from your eyes
Tell you everything's all right, lay you down
Say to you goodnight
I'm there by your side, lookin in your eyes
Seein you with me, what else could there be?
If could get away, I'd be there today
You'd be wearin that smile I haven't seen for a while
Haven't seen for a while...

By the way, you can check out Pat McGee Band at patmcgeeband.com.

Does it get hotter than this in the desert?

2008-04-14T18:53:00.001-07:00

I seriously doubt it...I miss you and I love you so much!

Came.Saw.Conquered...and Left

2008-04-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

It was a long weekend. A loooooooooooonggggg weekend. Roscoe the dog came to visit on Saturday at 12:30 pm. Tonight, at 6:30 pm, he departed for his foster home, happily wagging his tail all the way. That was not how the weekend went.

I think poor Roscoe was miserable the moment he walked in the door. He spent the days laying on the couch, the nights howling and crying, baying and howling, crying and baying. He came from a foster home that homed eight dogs--EIGHT DOGS--and had been there for a while so it's no wonder he was depressed. After spending two nights trying to make it better, it became very apparent that Roscoe the Beagle was better off at his foster home. So today, after 52 hours with us, Roscoe bounded out the house, happy to be on his way to his home. We saw him leave, and in seeing how happy he was at that moment, we knew we had done the right thing. It took a moment for Devyn and Aiden to readjust, but they are very pleased to know that tomorrow we're on our way to PetSmart to pick up not one, but two new pets. Tomorrow, two Beta fish will become a part of our family--one for Devyn, one for Aiden.

Those are the perfect pets for us right now. It took me exactly 52 hours for me to finally figure out what I've always known--that I am a cat person. I always have been ,ever since Midnight, my very first cat that I had when I was three. Dogs are wonderful. But the honest truth is that I am not a dog person. I like those little fluff balls that sleep at the bottom of the bed on my feet, lick my hand with the little sandpaper tounge and don't cry throughout the night. It's just who I am.

Coming up for air...

2008-04-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Tired. Bone. Body. Soul. Tired.

The past week has been a good one--no major drama to report, but between visits from both sets of grandparents, Aiden and his projectile vomit (yeah--he finally did), soccer pictures at 7 am on Saturday morning (which I'm convinced is some sick way to legally do a parental bloodletting...more on that in a sec) and finding a dog to adopt, I. Am. TIRED.

So. Saturday morning soccer pictures. That whole experience was just priceless, and not in a good way. The kiddles and I were out the door at 6:45 am. Devyn's pics were scheduled for 7:30 am (we had to be there at 7) and A's were scheduled for 8:30. Oh, and it was raining outside and 41 degrees.

We arrived at the school cafeteria, better known as the holding cell to wait for our turn in the gym. Now, every other soccer team in the league (there are 72 teams in all) has their pictures taken that day, and EACH child has his or her picture made as well. You see where this is going. Devyn's pictures were finally taken at 8;30, Aiden's at 9:35. We got home at 10:15.

The bonus in all this was that I stopped to get the kids a hot chocolate at Starbucks and picked up a Berryblossom White Tea for myself. This stuff must be the nectar of the gods, if there were gods, which there aren't so that just means more for me. That one Tall White Tea dissolved the stress of the day, of the week and of the past 8 weeks. It was just me, my sweeties, and the tea.

Since then, I've had three more, and I'm currently sipping one as I write. I think the point is, no matter what it is, we have to find our diffuse switch in life; that thing that melts it all away. Our own personal Calgon if you will. I'm still tired, but I'm thinking about what the British midwives would bring me after I had Aiden--always with a smile, I'd get tea and wheat toast at 1 am (they knew that's when I couldn't sleep) and they'd pat my arm and say "Here you are Dear...the English fixall".

It's still fixing all...those Brits really know their stuff!

The doggie is coming home tomorrow, but I'll post about him later. My tea is calling...

The Sweet Life...

2008-04-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Aiden's school about an hour and a half ago that I knew would come someday, be it with either Devyn or Aiden..."Hey Carrie, this is Tammy at Aiden's school...you need to come pick him up...he's pale and glassey-eyed and we think he's going to throw up any second".

I figured it would come some day (the phone call to come get one of them) because doesn't that call come to every parent? I thought we were just biding our time...it should be stated that in nearly 8 years of parenting, we've only had one experience with vomiting when Devyn was 3. After that, nothing...and nothing from my sweet boy yet.

I got to school and Sprout was lying on the floor on a nap mat and started crying when he saw me. He was very pale and just crawled in my lap and cuddled in...I drove home and laid him on me on the couch and he was asleep in under 5 minutes...He's now switched positions and is laying with his fuzzy Diego blanket, Kitty Cat Squeak (his stuffed kitty) with his little head half under a pillow.

So why did I call this post "the sweet life"? Because it truly is. I am so blessed to be able to hold him, to cuddle him, to make him feel even a little better...I wouldn't trade a day like today for any other because it causes me to slow down and just be what he needs me to be. The laundry will get folded, the floor will get vaccuumed, my business will be taken care of, but today I need to sit and be with my little boy for whatever he needs. He's only four once. Ending with a picture of my two boys taken on Christmas morning...Aiden's laughing at a book that I gave Mike for Christmas. I guess there's something funny about the complete unabridged works of Shakespeare! How great is that!

The Great Tooth Caper Update

2008-04-01T11:37:00.001-07:00

We found Devyn's baby tooth! After giving up and thinking "it will show up one day", there it was...right in the middle of the space between the wall and her bed. The Tooth Fairy was very happy to finally have a tooth to add to her collection, so she rewarded Devyn with 50 cents (she'd already left $1.00 for her) and Devyn quickly added that to her bank.

The whole experience reminds me of a scripture I love, so I'm ending now with that...

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Luke 11:9

A sight for tired eyes

2008-03-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

This just proves there are handsome sights in the desert...

Mike, you just know what I need...thank you! I love you, love you, love you!

The Royal Navy Ball in London

Conversations with a four year old

2008-03-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

Aiden is completely conversational. And in being so, he tends to use these big words that he understands, but takes completely out of context. Take this morning for example (ok, 5 minutes ago):

In talking with the kids about getting a dog, I showed them some pictures on the akc website of certain breeds and they told me which ones they liked. Here's how it went:

A: I like that little dog. He's very available.

Me: Available? What do you mean sweetie?

A: He's available! You know!

Me: Yep, he is available--we might get a dog like this one.

A: NO! YOU KNOW! AVAILLLLABLEEEE.

Me: Ok. What?

A: For Tuxie (our cat). He's available.

Me: (totally stumped now). Ok. So he's available for Tuxie. What does that mean A?

A: Dogs chase cats. It's what they dooooo. He's available to chase Tuxie, although he probably wouldn't because he's completed.

Me: Completed? You mean he wouldn't chase Tux because he's finished? (WHAT?!!)

A: Ughhhhh. He's completed Mommy. Like how he runs in races and jumps over things like on that show you watch on tv that you made me watch?! (Note: I don't make him watch anything--once, when I thought he might be interested in something, I lightly suggested he sit down with me and watch it. And he did. And he liked it!)

Me: Ohhhh...you mean the canine competition on Animal Planet. Riiight. He competed.

A: Yep. He's available and he's completed.

The thing is, I LOVE having conversations with Aiden. He can talk anyone into anything, or he can talk to anyone about anything. He loves people and most of the time enjoys talking, except if he's on the phone. He doesn't dig that, and I think it's because he can't be himself--he's animated and lively and I think he belives the phone takes something away from that quality in him. Still though, he's a riot. He's definitely our talker, our conversationalist, and Devyn is absolutely our entertainer. She communicates best that way, I think...either dancing or picking out a tune on the piano or being her silly self.

Either way, they're both such little blessings. I thank God every day that He made me their mama. Ending with a few sweet pictures of them that I just love...

November 2003 January 2005 July 2007

Ahhh...Spring Break

2008-03-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

There is something loverly and wonderful about Spring Break. Just the name alone conjures up images of bunnies chomping merrily on green grass, bluebirds singing while waving happily to the passing sparrow and my neighbors mowing their yards for the first time of 2008. I LOVE SPRING BREAK! While all the above is wonderful and accurate (ok, except for the super chipper birds), there are other things I adore about Spring Break...

1. Sleeping in until 8:15 am and leisurely getting my cinnamon swirl folgers in my favorite coffee cup.
2. Watching cartoons on tv until odd hours in our pjs with Devyn and Aiden.
3. Not wearing makeup for a solid week and not caring!
4. Catching up--for five days--on Days of Our Lives--and then completely losing track again.
5. Cleaning the house at a steady pace--and not in a mad rush.

However, there are things about this Spring Break that are very prevalent:
1. I miss laying my head on Mike's chest while he watches March Madness.
2. I miss watching the spring Red Sox games with him...
3. I miss observing Devyn & Aiden playing soccer with their daddy in the backyard.
4. I miss smelling the grill in use at dusk while Mike fixes the chicken, or steak, or chops. It's not the same when I do it.
5. I miss Mike. I miss him ribbing me about the tv I choose to watch, watching him tucking the kids in at night, and seeing him walk through the garage door in the evening and seeing the kids run to greet him.

I tell Aiden when he asks "how long" that we have to go through Spring and then Summer. Well, it's Spring and we've made it this far! It's a small victory, but one I'm very proud of. In 5 days, we'll have gone the longest apart that we have in 6 years. Six years! Six years ago at this time, Devyn was just starting to call me mama (she mastered "daddy" long before)...we were on the verge of moving to a new country...she was this curly headed little doll who loved banana pudding and squash and apples. She's still that same little doll, but we've added a prince, two different cars, a different home, a cat, we've visited 5 countries and come home.

What a crazy, amazing, severly blessed ride...and I wouldn't have it any other way...

Pictures for my hubby

2008-03-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Mike, the kids and I took these tonight...I asked Devyn to take a picture of my hair now that it's a new coiffure (fancy French word, take note), and then they both wanted a picture, and of course Dramatic Devyn had to get in on the action. Enjoy! We love and miss you madly!

The 'do

the beauty

if you look close enough, you can make out the peanut butter

Breathe...

2008-03-24T13:58:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I have to remember that life is about breathing. I know that sounds so primary, but at the core of it all, it's just about breathings...taking slow breaths during the happy, wonderful times and just soaking everything in and enjoying it all, and then trying not to hypervenilate during the times when you just want to collapse into a ball and roll into the corner. As women bringing children into the world, we're reminded that everything will go so much easier and less painful if we make a concious decision to breathe, because at times the pain is so great we can't think of anything else. At other times, we're reminded to breathe because we're holding our breath like a little child at Christmas... waiting to rush to the tree and discover all the gifts waiting there. We tear through them without taking a rest, and then at that moment of exhalation when we're through, we look around with complete disbelief, wondering where that time went to and looking forward to it again with desperate anticipation, only to sit in the midst of the letdown.

At this point, I've taken a breath and I'm just submerged in cold water. Sometimes I feel like I'm swimming against the current, struggling to just keep up and other times I'm in the midst of the waterfall, plummeting faster than the water.

I suppose I shouldn't be so dramatic...Easter has been a tough time of year for me for a while now, and especially now that Mike is gone. I've said many times that Mike teaches me how to breathe--to take one moment at a time and not get ahead of myself, and I feel like I'm relearning that lesson every day. I honestly feel myself catching my breath sometimes--it's just gotten that literal. A lot of people have told me they're upset with me for NOT calling them to help. What am I supposed to call them for? The mundane? The everyday? I get that these people want to be helpful and I understand that. They ARE helpful--just by telling me that. In all honesty, I just manage to do the everyday stuff and handle things as they come my way. If I can't handle trying to fix my microwave, if I get too dependent on people, then I think I'll become rather bored. I need challenges to keep me occupied--to keep my mind busy. Mike says he's working a lot because otherwise he'd sleep all the time he's off. That, I understand. You have to keep yourself busy--your mind busy--in order to not lose your mind.

In doing that, I do remind myself to take one step at a time, one day at a time. Today marks 5 weeks and 1 day...I think. 5 weeks, 1 day less...only a lot more to go.

Breathing...

The Woodwork...

2008-03-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Why is it that the moment a deployment begins, the cracks in the woodwork appear in the form of everybody needing something...and everyone does not even remotely involve Mike, the kids, or me? There are definitely times I wish I could go back to that deployment when Devyn was 16 months old and there was no one who needed something, other than her. Those were a blissful 4 months, even though I was sick the entire deployment. Now, the phone rings almost all the time...or an email is received...and I welcome the distraction, but at some level, I just want to scream LEAVE ME ALONE! It's not my business...that I love and would welcome anything dealing with that. It's other stuff...school stuff, science fair stuff (and yeah, that's mandatory--um, hello? she's in second grade), church stuff, and yes, I love doing church stuff, but honestly, I'm just not going to be there every time the door is open. I will be available when my schedule allows it, and if I need to just sit and rest and relax, I'm going to do that. Other things are just going to have to get done when they get done.

What really gets me is the people who expect something who have no clue how a military life, much less a deployment works. I am not available all the time. I have two priorities--Devyn and Aiden. If other things get done along the way,then that's just a bonus. I have 80 billion things to do everyday that just revolve around maintaining our home and children. I honestly just have a lot of things that I'm at the point of not doing that I've volunteered to help for because I can't give what is required. Is that quitting? It may be. And I know that everyone has things that go on every day and that everyone has priorities. I understand that. However, in a lot of cases, I just want to say, "Give me a break". I will do my best and that will have to be good enough. If it's not, then there's nothing I can do.

Ok, vent is officially over. There won't be too much of that. On to less venting, more smiling. :)

Tuesday Musings

2008-03-18T17:26:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot to write tonight, so here are some Carrieisms to amuse you with...

1. There are few things in life that good, authentic pasta cannot fix.
2. Crosswords are wonderful, but always better when done with someone you love.
3. Never underestimate the power of good wine, and good coffee.
4. Dessert is overrated.
5. There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women (courtesy of Madeleine Albright and found on my Starbucks cup from today).
6. Disney World IS the happiest place on earth.
7. Thanks to Dancing With The Stars, I now have a thing for Cristian De La Fuente and I don't have a CLUE who that is.
8. Life continues only, I'm convinced, because parents go into their children's bedrooms at night, they see them sleeping and like magic, the little rotten ones have transformed into the sweetest angels, and we parents suddenly have no memory of EVER having a rotten one, because in that moment, that sweet angel has NEVER been rotten.
9. Green and Blacks Organic Chocolate is what the angels eat in Heaven. It's just THAT good.
10. I can now fix a non-working microwave, a broken alarm clock and a constantly running toilet. I am neither electrician or plumber.
11. My favorite two places on earth are both parkbenches; one in Regents Park in London in front of the Boating Lake, and the other in Paris behind Notre Dame in a gated garden.
12. My favorite book is Wuthering Heights.
13. My favorite song is In My Life by The Beatles.
14. My favorite designer...HOW do you pick ONE? Ralph Lauren and Dana Buchman.

Ending tonight...Devyn has a dr's appointment in the morning to take care of the dermatitis above her lip. The poor sweetie...it looks awful, like she's burned it on something-badly. I managed to slough off all the icky skin tonight and coat it in Neosporin Lip Treatment, but that hasn't worked so far...hopefully it will be better by Easter!

One Month Later...

2008-03-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today marks one month done of this deployment and I can pretty well say that at least on this side of the water, no one is worse for the wear. Of course, we've had our moments, and those we've managed, but all in all, it's been a relatively quick month. In said last month:

I've had two (ONLY!!! two) meltdowns

Devyn has two less teeth in her head (courtesy of pulling them--not from a result of either meltdown)

Aiden's had one haircut

the grass has been mowed

we've been under three tornado watches and one warning

we've gotten a LOT of rain

the cat has thrown up twice

I've STILL not bought a People Magazine, and yes, at this point I'm beginning to twitch ever so lightly

I've watched a LOT of BBC America

I've prayed a LOT more than I normally do

one of our friends has delivered a baby

I just found out that TWO of our couple friends are expecting

and I've never been happier to hear my husband's voice than when he calls.

Mike, if you're reading this, please know how much I love you and how proud I am of you. I miss you endlessly, but the thought of you is never apart from me, nor are the prayers I petition for you. You are the love of my life, my best friend, my Calvin, my partner in crime, my absolute joy in life. Faith, hope, love!

To commemorate this event I'm leaving you with a picture I took about 10 minutes ago (3:15 est). Love you!!!

A message to someone very special...

2008-03-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

There is someone who reads my blog pretty regularly who's had a bit of a rough go of it lately, so for that person, below are some words of wisdom, whatever they're worth...but I do hope they're comforting...

1. You are stronger than you think you are.
2. You have more strength, spirit and resolve than you think you do.
3. People will try to bring you down if they see you succeeding. It does not mean they'll be successful.
4. It depends on how you respond to them and their remarks that determines your success.
5. You are in the position you are currently in to do amazing things--all of which are part of God's plan for you. And they don't, I think, involve basketballs. And even if they do, they'll be amazing basketballs...
6. Those people who are trying to bring you down are in God's plan as well--I fully believe that--in order to refine you and to make you a greater witness for Him.
7. As everything in life, this too shall pass, and all this for now is only temporary.
8. Keep talking to me...I feel closer to you that way and it helps me to be able to help you.

You are such an amazing and incredible person and you inspire me every day, not because of what you do, but because of who you are. Everyone we know is praying for you--for your spiritual and physical strength and well-being and when you're in the depths, you have to hang on to that. You are loved--incredibly and massively loved. I'm leaving you with Scripture tonight that I've prayed for you today...I think it's very fitting right now.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

and this...

But I call to God and the Lord saves me.
Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress
and He hears my voice.
He ransoms me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.
God, who is enthroned forever,
will hear them and afflict them--
men who never change their ways
and have no fear of God. (Ps. 55:16-19)

You are loved. Greatly, immensely, loved. I love you more than I could ever communicate to you. Faith, hope and love.

Notes from The Princess

2008-03-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

Today was the Princess Brunch at our church...Devyn got dressed in her Royal Finery, dressed her Kit doll in her Royal Finery, and we set out in the Royal Coach (read my Pacifica) and arrived at the Princess Brunch promptly on time. Pancakes were served, along with bacon and juice and a chocolate fountain with PINK marshmallows to all 150 Princesses and their Royal Servants (read: moms)! The Princesses and Servants stuffed theirselves silly, sat back, fat and happy and listened to a story about The True Princess, and then had their Royal Portrait made by the Royal Photographer, who charged only a pesant's wage at $5.00 for a 5x7. Fun was had by all, and we returned home to the castle approximately at 12 o'clock--pm, not midnight, or I may have turned into a pumpkin--and in time for peanut butter sandwiches and grapes for The Prince. Said Princess and Prince are now at the park with the Royal Grandparents and I am revelling in a cup of coffee. Alone. Sweet, sweet joy! Ending with a picture from today--Princess Devyn and Princess Sara.

Three weeks, three days

2008-03-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

We've managed that long so far. In some ways I think about it, it's gone very quickly...in other ways I think "Three weeks? JUST three weeks"? Everyone finds their different way to cope during a deployment. The simplest way is to just find what works, and do it. You learn to fight your battles, and you learn that you're capable of a lot more than you originally thought. Here's a brief list of what's gone down over the past three weeks, and three days:

1. I've played countless games of Magic Kingdom Board Game with Devyn and Aiden.
2. I've found a way to clean my bathtub to sparkling--and if you know me, you know that that was going to be the death of me. It wasn't enough that it was sprayed down with clorox bathroom cleaner everyday. Enter the Black & Decker Scumbuster X-Treme. God bless Black & Decker!
3. The kids and I have taken up playing Clue Jr. at night after dinner.
4. BBC America is the POO! (Meaning good)!
5. I've begun making a concerted effort to eat healthier--carrots for snacks, 100 calorie ice cream sandwiches, etc.
6. Aiden tried spinach for the first time and ate it UP!
7. I done approximately 14 billion loads of laundry...
8. I washed approximately 18,000 loads of dishes...
9. I've not bought one People magazine, and I'm NOT in withdrawal...
10. I've figured out how to fix the microwave that wouldn't cut on when everything else in the house worked (hence, it wasn't just a case of the electricity being out)!
11. I've taken apart an alarm clock circut board and put it back together when two little someones decided they would "see what would happen if they just pushed that button as hard as they could and hold it for THAT long"...and the alarm clock is good as new, thank you very much!
12. I've gone searching through the house looking for whatever "fell" and caused a large thud, only not to find anything at all. Twice.
13. I've Google-Earthed Iraq 14 times showing Aiden where Daddy is.
14. I've spent approximately 8 hours awake in the middle of the night with Aiden.
15. I've put together two "Daddy Books"--photo albums for each of the kids with pictures of Daddy. Both Devyn and Aiden sleep with them under their pillows.
16. I've given Aiden a stuffed giraffe with a picture frame in it's tummy which frames a picture of Aiden and Daddy. The giraffe has been named Zeebee and is never far from Aiden's side.
17. I've spruced up one very loved, very old teddy bear, sewed his ears, given him a new neck ribbon and presented him to Devyn. He was her Daddy's bear, and he's never far from HER side. His name is Teddy.
18. I've gone to sleep, and woken up for 24 days about 8000+ miles away from my sweet husband.
19. I've looked at the sky countless times and wondered what the sky looks like where he is.
20. I've prayed for his safety continuously.
21. I've cried four times.
22. I've thanked God for this opportunity and for us to come out stronger and better for it.
23. I've had the support of people I never thought would say to me "Call us if you need anything" and mean it.
24. I've loved Mike three weeks and three days longer than I did before he left.

24 items for 24 days. I tell the kids every morning, "It's one day closer to Daddy coming home". And today is no different. 24 days down. Only a bit more to go.

She's a Winner!

2008-03-11T05:59:00.000-07:00

Allow me to brag for just a second...both Devyn and Aiden are so special, and I am so blessed to be their mama! We went to Devyn's school's Reflections Award Assembly last night...Sweet Girl had won third place in the contest in the Visual Arts Category for her painting following the theme "I can make a difference by...". Devyn completed the sentence by adding "...helping new students when they arrive at our school". She was very proud of herself, as she should have been, and Aiden was proud of her as well, yelling "YAY Devyn" when she went to receive her medal. I've always said, if these children had humps on their backs, wore bags on their heads, and spit rocks, I would still adore them; not for their accomplishments, but for the little people they are. They always know how to put a smile on my face! Ending with two pictures from last night...one of Devyn receiving her medal, certificate and gift card to Barnes and Noble, and one of my sweeties.

A Baby Tooth in a Haystack...

2008-03-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

Well, not quite, but it feels that way...my baby girl pulled out her tooth tonight! Her sweet little self went and got all brave on me and told me, "Nope, I can work on it" when I asked her if she wanted me to wiggle it. I read a bedtime story to Aiden (Horton Hears A Who)...LOVE that book...and she came in about 10 minutes later and grinned. Missing a tooth! Super Brave Girl held it in her hand...this little, tiny tooth in her hand...she ran off to grab her Tooth Fairy Box that was on a shelf in her room and came running back into Aiden's room panicked. "Mama! I lost my tooth"!

She had been standing on her bed reaching the Tooth Fairy Box on her shelf and she said the tooth fell from her hand. We spent the next 20 minutes searching for a very tiny white tooth on a very pale taupe colored carpet. No luck. Sweet girl went to bed without the tooth under her pillow. She was sad, but I ensured her that I would find it tomorrow. So, armed with flashlight in hand, I'll be back in there tomorrow morning searching for Baby Girl's tooth. And the Tooth Fairy will visit tonight. Because that's what the Tooth Fairy does!

First day of preschool,

January 2003

She's just growing up too fast!!!! Always my baby girl though!

High School Memories relived on TV Land

2008-03-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of reality tv since it's very inception...way back with The Real World on MTV in 1993. It's come a long way, baby. I have a whole spewing list of reality tv I watch...most of which Mike just loves. Note sarcasm. He makes that puking face every single time I turn something of the the reality genre on. Of course HE watches reality tv as well...it's just in the form of NCAA Sports, and any soccer game on tv. That's a whole 'nother story though...moving on...

I'm hooked on a new one...High School Reunion on TV Land. Now, I watched the British version of this when we were in the UK. It's add.ic.tive. Gotta love it. It raises the question, would I want to go back and live high school all over again. Um...NO. I know those folks who say high school compiled the best years of their lives. Sad, really, in my humble opinion. What can possibly be good about raging acne, broken hearts, catty, backstabbing friends, stupid boys, insecurity, and all the other WONDERFUL things that came between the ages of 13 and 17? Yeah, seriously, high school just sucked. My mother keeps convincing me I should go back to my high school reunion. I didn't go to the 10 year, and I've got 5 years before I have to choose whether or not to go to my 20 year. The reason I wouldn't go is this: I highly doubt the majority of the people I suffered through high school with have changed much. Some have, and for that, I give them tons of credit. But I do know that a lot of them still live in the same small town and have the same friends that they did in school. There's honestly not a lot of people I would want to see. Maybe 5. 5 out of a graduating class of 173. Wow...

Anyway, I don't have any major revelation based on that siloloquy above...just me going on about thoughts in me head...as Mike would say, "It's all in me 'ead"...

I will end, however, with a list of my favorite reality shows:
Rock of Love (I was really into Poison in high school...please don't tell anyone)!
Top Chef
What Not To Wear
Project Runway
The Real Housewives...
America's Next Top Model
The Millionaire Matchmaker
Flipping Out

I could go on and on...and probably on, but I will say (in hopes to redeem myself) that I am really loving the History Channel right now too...although I guess high school is history as well.
Thank God!

Don Slater, Tornadoes, and 3 am

2008-03-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

Last night, after putting the kiddles to bed, this little ticker runs across the bottom of the tv screen and said something like "Tornado Watch until 3 am for the cities of James City County, Smithfield, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach"...etc. Ok, now I will gladly cop to the fact that I probably watched The Wizard of Oz one too many times as a kid. That probably has everything to do with the wretched fear I have of tornadoes. I've never seen a tornado, never been through one, but ANYTHING that comes through town that dictates you have to duck in a bathtub, lower northwest corner of the house with a MATTRESS over your head CANNOT be good. I sat up until about 11:30 watching weather reports, and finally fell asleep with the complete faith that we would be fine...God's hand of protection was, and is over us.

Fast-forward to 1:30 am and this WICKED wind is whipping the house. I literally sat bolt-upright in bed and turned on the tv, only to find Don Slater, one of our weathermen, on tv talking the freaked-out 1:30 am population who were awake at that time through the storm. Thank GOD for Don Slater. I could see the storm moving and knew that it would be out of the area in about an hour. I didn't go back to sleep, but I did relax a bit.

2:30 am and I hear Aiden calling, panicked, "Mommy! I need you Mommy"! This happened the night before and knowing that he probably had a bad dream, I went in to stay with him for a moment. Poor kid was terrified. I brough him into bed with me and he STILL wouldn't settle down. Then, I hear him whisper to me, his voice cracking "Mommy...I hoped my Daddy was here so I could cuddle with him". And now he's really crying. The only thing I could do was pray for him and just hold him and talk to him about how much his Daddy loved him, and that he didn't want to leave, but he had to go for his job and that he'll be back. "How many days Mommy until Daddy comes home "? Oh boy...I told him it would seem like a long time, but that Daddy would be home. He was so upset...I asked him if he wanted to write Daddy a letter to tell him how he felt, and he said yes, so at 3 am, Aiden and I sat in my bed, writing a letter to Daddy. I think that helped Aiden to settle down, and he managed to fall asleep around 3:40 am, and I think I fell asleep around 4:15. A long, tough night, but I'm happy, and relieved to say that no tornadoes touched down, and damage was minimal. Thank you Father, for keeping us safe!

On a funnier note, I am more determined than ever to NEVER live in Kansas, Oklahoma, or Nebraska. Tornado magnets. No thank you!

Closing with a sweet picture of me and my sweet boy, on the Teacup Ride at Disney World last July:

Aiden, and his goofy smile!

A Right Royal Monday!

2008-03-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

Not a great picture, but Bath, by the River Avon, September 2002

It's so fitting that in this day of deployment, I've found on ABC a 20/20 episode on the Royal Family of Britain. Now, anyone who knows anything about me and the fam, know that Britain, and specifically London, is our second home. Having lived there for a few days shy of 25 months, I can unoquivocally say that place has a special place in my heart like none other. Here's a few things that happened to us in our London:

1. Devyn, at 21 months, hailed a cab on Baker Street. From her stroller. On the way to see the Queen's Golden Jubilee Parade.

2. We were robbed in the middle of the night while we slept.

3. We fell in LOVE with fresh cod and chips, our most favorite being from Seashell of Lisson Grove Fish and Chips, one street over from where we lived. If you want to check it out, you can find it at: http://www.seashellrestaurant.co.uk/history.aspx. It's truly incredible stuff.

4. Mike sat directly behind Prince Charles and Princes William and Harry while at St.Paul's Cathedral for the one-year anniversary service of 9/11. And did NOT bring William home to me. Huh. Something about him (Mike) being in uniform and possibly going to prison.

5. I stood 4 feet from Princess Anne at Royal Ascot Race Course when Mike and I went. A once in a lifetime event, but seriously overpriced. However, the one bet I made, I came out $8.00 richer! Small victories, you know?

6. Our precious, sweet Aiden was born at 10:13 am, GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) at the Portland Hospital for Women and Children on Great Portland Street, London, by one Mr. Charles Wright. Yes, Mister. Surgical physicians go by Mister. Teaching dr's go by Professor, GPs, or General Practitioners, by Doctor. I will honestly never have another baby unless it's at the Portland. It was downright amazing.

7. Devyn loved feeding the ducks (as did Mike and I) at the Boating Lake in Regent's Park. That place will always, always have my heart. It's the one place that reminded me of home when we first arrived and I was so very sad, and the place that brought me the greatest sadness when we were leaving after 2 years.

8. It's where we made the most wonderful friends--my Amber, our David and Emma, Devyn's preschool teachers like Shabana and Hema and her first two little friends, Lois and Tabitha.--all our Brits who are so very important to us, and the American friends we made there who thankfully have all stayed in our lives in such a special way.

8. It was on a bus at 10:30 pm, travelling through Kensington that Mike and I made a promise to each other in April, 2002, when we first visited to scout it out (we'd be arriving a short three weeks later for good) that we would do everything we could to make it that we could come back every five years. We want Aiden to be familiar with his homeland (and it really is--he's got a British birth certificate!), and we want Devyn to always have that constant memory of the first place she remembers as home. And Mike and I want always to have that place that is so dear to us in our hearts...the place that brought us together as a couple and as a family.

Sweet Baby Boy, May 2004, looking out at his London, and specifically the trains at Marylebone Train Station, next to our aparment building.

With that promise comes the reality that we are travelling back a little earlier than expected, by God's grace. We'll be arriving in London the Monday before Thanksgiving this year, and we'll be able to stay a week. We are SO excited! I can't wait to visit our church, to see our lovely friends, to take Devyn to her first school, to sit in Regents Park no MATTER how cold it is, to take the kids to Harrod's to see Father Christmas, to do all the things that make it London, and Home, in a sense for us. I can't WAIT to just be us in London again, the way we did then.

In Windsor Castle, January 2004 (Devyn and I)

Devyn and Mike, Warwick Castle

September 2002

Sunday, bloody Sunday

2008-03-03T06:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, that is NOT an allusion to how Sunday was...only "bloody" in the British sense! In other words, last night was hard. Mike called on his way out, and knowing that it would be the last time I would talk to him with any regularity, I got pretty emotional, but tried to swallow it so Mike wouldn't hear it and worry. It almost feels like this deployment started last night, even after he's been away for two weeks. I'm taking the day off today--I just need a day to decompress and relax.

Sleepy Saturday

2008-03-01T17:53:00.000-08:00

Today's been one of those days when I just want to stay in my pajamas all day long. I don't feel like I'm getting enough sleep, and it's starting to wear on me. Of course, there's so much going on with the kids' schedules, I don't really have a chance to do nothing. Both started soccer practice today and unfortunately, both took a ball square in the face. No harm, no foul. They both came out of it with no lasting effects. We went to eat at Friendly's tonight--the kids' pick--not mine! Although I can throw down some ice cream!

Mike called tonight, and things are changing quickly with his location...he shipped back his cell phone tonight because he won't be able to call us for quite a while. I've really gotten accustomed to his 11 pm "goodnight" calls. I'm sorry that I won't have those to look forward to anymore. He said it really hit him tonight that I won't be just a phone call away, and I feel the same way. It's so much harder when I don't hear his voice--when I know that I can't pick up the phone and just leave him a message.

It's starting to really sink in with Aiden, I think. I read tonight in his little journal that he wrote, with Devyn's help, that "I really miss my Daddy, and I worry about him a lot". It breaks my heart that his little mind worries about his daddy--he's only four! He hasn't vocalized it to me, but I know he misses him. I just pray that the Lord will enable me to provide them with what they need until Mike comes home.

I guess I've written enough tonight. Maybe I'll be able to relax a bit.

Eleven days in...

2008-02-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

Sweet hubby deployed exactly 11 days and 5 hours ago. Things are moving along swimmingly so far, except for the fact that soccer season is upon us. Both Devyn and Aiden have played in the past and Mike and I had a conversation about said soccer season when the deployment was announced. It went something like this:

M: I'd really like both of them to play this spring.
me: Oh...right...soccer...
M: I know I'll be gone but I think you can probably do it without too much of a headache.
me: (It's official...sweet hubby has lost his mind...)Sure...I think I can do that. (SUCKER)...

This may not sound like a big deal. However, here's how it works:
D&A play on practice on two different fields, 2 different evenings a week. Then, on Saturdays, the each play a match on two different fields, at EXACTLY THE SAME TIME. Now, seeing as how it's been a while since I morphed into a clone of myself, that means I stay for 1/2 of one game with D, get in the car, drive to the other field 3 miles away in time for A to play the last 1/3 of his match. Did I mention they're seven and four years old? Madness. But still...I agreed.

Fast forward to this evening, and Devyn's first practice. It's 38 degrees, and no kidding, it started snowing and raining down ice pellets--not sleet, mind you--ICE PELETS, whilst sweet children were passing and dribbling. We parents were passing and dribbling too...passing OUT from the cold, dribbling SNOT from our faces. Thank goodness Aiden stayed in the car--don't freak out on me...I was next to the car the whole time. 15 minutes in, and after we'd received our purple team shirts, I made a beeline for the coach and pulled Devyn out of this misery. Misery for me, mind you. She was frozen.

I'm not so sure I can swing this anymore. Her practices are Friday nights. FRIDAY NIGHTS. The ONLY night in which I do parties for my business!!!! I'm booked solid the next 6 Friday nights! Are you KIDDING me? And then Aiden will have practices on Wednesday nights, followed by the dash and run session of Saturdays. Oh, and they've outlawed oranges as snacks we can bring the team. Something about them being a diuretic. Whatever.

Beyond that, I'm not sure they'll really, truly enjoy soccer this season with Top Dad. He was one of Devyn's coaches...and both their biggest fan. Besides me. He's played since he was 6, and he wants them to play. I get that, and understand it fully. Honestly though, if I'm being completely truthful, there's a lot of things I want...lots of diamonds, another kitten, him home from War. Those aren't going to happen in the near future...so maybe I should just resolve to fight the good fight at home and on the soccer field.

Lunchboxes can tell a mom a lot...

2007-07-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

I was shopping with the kiddles the other day when I decided to go ahead and buy both of them lunchboxes for the upcoming school year. I hadn't really thought about what types they would want; I just naturally assumed that D, my six year old princess would want, well, a Princess lunchbox. Or Barbie. Or Hello Kitty. I was wrong. My sweet little angel, who is SUCH a girly-girl, walked right over to one and it was as if she heard angels singing Hallelujah. She picked up the High School Musical one, turned to me, and in a dramatic moment that would make the Academy members proud, announced with clarity and determination, "THIS, MOTHER, is the ONE!!!!!!!"

Really? High School Musical? Really? You don't want the sparkly one with the princesses, or the shiny Barbie...

MOM. THIS IS IT.

Ummm...ok...well, now A, what kind of lunchbox would you like? Certain my three year old would choose Little Einsteins for his beloved peanut-butter-and-strawberry-jelly-sandwiches- cut-into-four-squares-lunches, I picked up the L.E. one and handed it to him, only for him to tell me, "No, Mama, I want the Piwates one".

Pirates of the Caribbean. Yipes. He's never even SEEN the movie! How could he want the lunchbox? Nononononono. He's not growing up that quickly. Offer the Diego one. NOW.

How about the Diego one sweetie? You like this one, huh? Look, it's got a cool compass with it!

Mama. No. I want the Piwates one with the red and black and the piwate like in Disney World. Pwweease, Mama. Pwweease.

We came home that day with two lunchboxes: one High School Musical, one Piwates of the Caribbean. I was excited for them, melancholy for me. Where had they gone, these little babies of mine? They're only six and three! How can this be happening? I made dinner and got over it, and myself. Well, I sort of got over it. I went into tuck them into bed that night and while I watched them sleep, I noticed something about each of them: D had lined up her favorite doll beside her in the bed and was clutching her tightly while she slept; A was snuggled under his baby blanket (yes, he still sleeps with it) hugging his precious stuffed kitty. Sure they're growing up, and definitely a lot quicker than I like. I can't help but think while I watch them sleep, she'll always have her doll, he'll always love his blankie and his kitty. I'll watch them grow, but I'll always see glimpses of those tiny little babies I held and rocked to sleep every night. No matter how big they get, they'll always, truly be my babies.

Why in the world...

2007-07-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

I'm trying honestly to figure that out myself. Why would I blog? I suppose just to having a running commentary with myself about my life (and any and everyone else for that matter). A little about me...I am the following:

married to the best man EVER

with children (2 who are super-cute and SUPER-smart :)

a Christian

owner to one Tux, the Wonder Cat

a Hokie!!!!

a Southern Living at HOME Consultant

a pianist

a lover of Disney World

a watercolorist

a former resident of the following cities: Roanoke, Blacksburg, Richmond, Portsmouth, all in VA, and London, England

a lover of all things British and Italian

best friend to two amazing women (you know who you are!)

an avid reader of historical fiction and chick lit

a coffee addict

a former cheerleader and dancer

I am NOT:

a UVA fan

a lover of foreign films

a beer drinker (bleeeeaaagghhh)

a liberal

a crazy, mad sports enthusiast, though I do love a good football, soccer, or baseball game

and a lot of other things that are silly and not worth posting right now. HA! Oh, and I do laugh at my own jokes.

That's enough I suppose. On to more thought provoking blogs later. :)