Dry Spell

As you can tell, I'm going through a blogging dry spell. We all experience it. I do have a lot I could blog about, but it's hard to find the time, paired with the energy, and the coherent thought to post anything other than the occasional update. I know it won't last. It's just that life is taking up most of my energy and intellect, and nerves and patience to boot, to have to worry about writing about it. So, please excuse the hiatus. But I will be back with something worthy of updating you on. Hope you're all enjoying your holidays and each other's company. Happy New Year!

Merry CHRISTmas

Just wanted to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas. I hope you all travel safely, enjoy those you love, and, most of all, remember in your hearts the reason for the day, the birth of Christ, our Lord. Love you.

Stolen from Not Always Right.com

The Fourth Is Not Strong With This One
Hotel Traverse City, MI, USA

Me: “Thank you for calling the [hotel]. How may I direct your call?”

Customer: *in a British accent* “I need a room for tonight.”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but we are booked.”

Customer: “Why?”

Me: “It’s the 4th of July. We’re always booked on the 4th.”

Customer: “I know the date! Why are you booked?”

Me: “Um, it’s July 4th.”

Customer: “Listen, just give me a room!”

Me: “I’m sorry sir, we are sold out. The entire town is sold out.”

Customer: “The entire town? Why?”

Me: “Sir, it’s the 4th of July. Independence day.”

Customer: “Independence from what?”

Me: “Um, England.”

Customer: “Oh bloody h***!” *click*

Time is a figment of the imagination.

I know, I know. The date stamp on my pics is off. I'll try to remember to fix that next time I pick up the camera. Thanks for pointing it out.

It's Snow!!!

I bet you didn't know that it snows down here in NM. Sure, it's not comparable to the snow in Utah, which comes hard and often. But, once in a while, we get surprised. In Utah, we would drop the kids off at school in a foot of snow. Here, it snows 7 or 8 inches, and school is cancelled. And since I am working for the school district, work was cancelled too. But the timing was fortuitous because Little Man has been running a fever and it peaked today at 102.2. Thankfully, the doctor was able to see him and he prescribed some medicine which should help.

But, before all the fever drama, Little Man and Tiny enjoyed a little of the snow. He was too little to enjoy it last year, but he didn't want to leave it when it was time to come in. Tiny has been hoping for snow for a while now. Looks like she got her wish.

Starting the Season Off Right

As we were decorating the Christmas tree tonight, we were listening to Christmas songs. My favorite came on and, after we were done decorating, I had to go in and play it again. I love this song so much and feel that it is the very definition of what the season is all about. Christ and the love that God has for us. This version by Martina McBride is also my favorite because it has an air of reverence to it. The video has the words of the song and I think it is so important to pay attention to those words. They are so beautiful and mean so much to us as children of God.

My favorite part is when it says:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;...

So beautiful. Please enjoy and welcome the wonderful spirit of the season.

13...and Cute!

Week Full of Blessings.

As I mentioned before, Mister is turning 13 tomorrow. It amazes me. He still seems like a little boy to me. I can see the internal struggle in him sometimes, that pulling between boy and young man. Halloween, for example. he was reluctant to say he wanted to trick-or-treat, like he was starting to feel like he was too old for it. But once he saw a costume he really liked, he jumped on the chance to go. And while we were out treating, he steered clear of a house because there were some older teenage boys in front. Ah, the struggle of childhood and growing up. I catch glimpses of maturing in him from time to time. But I'm glad he still plays and has fun.

He chose to have a family party for his birthday and we did it last night. I think we had almost 40 people over for it. The kids ran wild while the adults talked up a storm. Mister made out like a bandit with a pocketful of cash, a lot of Star Wars toys, a Wii from my folks, and Guitar Hero from me, H, Little Man, and Holly. It would be an understatement to say that he was happy with the day.

After everyone left, we hooked up the Wii and the Guitar Hero, well....I hooked it up because I was a little anxious to give it a try. I've only played it once, and it was the drums, not the guitar. When it was my turn, I was pushing the buttons on the guitar arm and the notes weren't playing. I couldn't get it to play. After about a minute of this, Mister came over and let me know that I needed to strum the front too. So I said ok and it worked. Tiny looked at me and said, "Yeah, Mom. If you were playing a real guitar, it wouldn't make noise if you just did the notes with your left hand." Oh yeah, she's a smart one. I had a rioteous laugh with that one.

Other than Mister's bday party on Friday, we had a great Thanksgiving on Thursday at my grandma's. We also had a surprise baby shower today for a cousin. It's been great to get together with the family, especially two cousins that came to visit with their families from out of town. I've felt really blessed this week.

So Much

Oh, I have soooo much to blog about. My Mister is turning 13 on Sunday. 13! We had his party today and I will post about that, Thanksgiving, my family, and my first attempts at Guitar Hero. So much fun coming your way, soon. Too tired. Must rest. Goodnight.

Wow

We got soooo much done today. My mom and I cleaned, painted, and rearranged two bedrooms. The kids will now have their own room and we all have a little more room. For those who didn't know, we've been living with my folks since July. At the same time, my older brother and his girlfriend have also been living here. So, that's a total of 9 people in the house. Yeah, a bit tight at times, but do-able. Anyway, my brother and his girlfriend were finally able to get a place of their own this week. So, that is why we were redoing the rooms.

My mom picked out a brown color with a slight rosy-ish tint for the rooms. It, quite honestly, looks like makeup in the can. But, on the wall, it's a pretty warm color that looks good, especially with the southwestern decor they already have going on. It's pretty amazing how much difference it makes. I'll see about taking some pics and sharing them with you. I'm just really glad that the kids have a room to themselves now, a place to store their toys. They won't have to sleep in the den, although they do like the couches a lot.

My poor mom will likely decide to stay in bed all day tomorrow from all the work she did today. She always overdoes it. And Little Man and his cousin both passed out when it was bedtime, didn't even put up a fight. They had a busy day.

The kids and I will all be home for the next week. They don't have school and, since I work for the school district, I don't have work. I've been working consistently for about six weeks now and am still enjoying it. I am in the human resources office for the district and I really like the ladies I work with and I like the work. I do a lot of filing, application intakes, database updates, copying, and helping everyone catch up on and organize their workloads. It's satisfying work. But this week, I get to relax a bit with my family. We have some cousins coming in from Nebraska and some from Arizona. We will likely be getting together a lot over the next week, and eating a lot of really great food.

In addition to all this, Mister will be turning 13 next Sunday. The big 1-3. We're going to have a birthday party for him on Friday, followed by a movie night/sleepover. I hope it goes well. He's such a good kid and he deserves it. I don't know if I mentioned this, but when the school year started, he was bringing home a lot of grades below the C-level, including a F. Well, after a few talks and some teamwork, he has really kicked it into gear. Last week, he brought home a progress report with all A's and B's. I was so proud of him, I almost burst. I have such good kids.

Well, I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and can enjoy your families and friends. Happy Thanksgiving.

Cha cha cha

The other day, I was in the kitchen and Tiny and her cousin were playing. Something her cousin said reminded me of a commercial and I said, "Cha cha cha chia." You know, for the chia pet. Tiny looked at me and asked, "What's a cha cha cha chia?" Too funny.

Word for Today

Ever come across a word over and over and you don't know what it means and it bugs you to no end that you can't figure it out? Well, I do, often. So, that is why, occasionally, you will now find a Word for Today post. Today's word:

Peripatetic: (adj.) 1. of or relating to walking. 2. of or relating to the philosophy or methods of teaching of Aristotle. (n.) 1. A person who walks from place to place; itinerant. 2. A follower of the philosophy of Aristotle; Aristotelian.

New Look

I was toying with my blog layout a few nights ago and that is why it looks a bit different. I didn't plan to change it, but I was catching up on the Fab 4, some friends from our previous military lives, and I was admiring her layout. It reminded me of the scrapbook pages I always admire, but never have the budget and time (and patience) to do. So, I followed the very noticeable link on the corner of her page and perused the many fancy layouts. After picking one, I couldn't find a banner that I liked. So, I found one of my own by just doing an image search. I found the typewriter picture and had to have it...for a little while anyway.

I'm not sure if I will keep it the way it is or change it up again, but Heidi at Fancy Feet likes it...and I like that.

I think

Our house finally sold yesterday. All the papers are signed, recorded, and filed. It is a short sale, so we were basically just getting out from under it. We haven't been able to afford it for almost a year now. The lady that bought it seemed to really want it for her own. She even chose to repair the roof, replace the carpets, and make some minor repairs...all before she was even approved for the loan. All I know about her is that she teaches piano, and that she now owns our house.

I told the kids that the house finally sold. One of them asked, "Is that good news?"

I said, "Yeah." And while I walked away, I whispered, "I think."

Halloween Preview

The kids got dressed up in their costumes to go to the Fall Festival at Tiny's school. Little Man is Superman, Tiny is a Clone Trooper, and Mister is Jengo Fett. They had fun playing games and eating a lot of sugar. I would have taken pictures of the festivities, but the camera batteries didn't last long enough. Some highlights of the night were Mister creaming the principal with a whip cream pie, right in the face. It was great. Also, Mister and I played Guitar Hero, he was on the guitar and I was on the drums. I've never played it before and can see why it is so addictive. We rocked out to "Eye of the Tiger" and it took me most of the song before I could consistently play 3 notes. Before that, I could only play two. The kids complimented me on my skills and said I did great for my first time. They're the best.

Bringing home the bacon...the cheap brand.

Just a quick update. I'm substituting now and for the last week I've been working at the school district HR office. I am helping the ladies in the office catch up on filing, typing, and any other extra work they are behind on. It doesn't pay as well as the teaching, but I really like the work. I stay busy all day and it's a lot of organizing, which I like. The ladies are really nice and they seem to like my work because they want me to come back next week, and they said that they would see about the next week after that. I never considered that I would like office work, but I do. I don't think this will turn into a permanent job, because there is a hiring freeze in the school district right now for new jobs. But, I'm liking it for now.

Not much else going on right now. Just watching Paul Blart: Mall Cop with H and chilling. Hope you're all having a good weekend.

Loved and Blessed One

Some friends of ours have lost their dear little boy, before he was able to greet the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

“In my leisure moments I have meditated upon the subject, and asked the question, why it is that infants, innocent children, are taken away from us, especially those that seem to be the most intelligent and interesting. . . . The Lord takes many away even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man, and the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on earth; therefore, if rightly considered, instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil, and we shall soon have them again. . . . All children are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the moment that children leave this world, they are taken to the bosom of Abraham. The only difference between the old and young dying is, one lives longer in heaven and eternal light and glory than the other, and is freed a little sooner from this miserable wicked world.”Joseph Smith, Teachings, p. 196-197

In Loving Memory of Thomas, Jr.

You're not gonna believe this.

I got an email from my recruiter last night to let me know that the AF Commission Board has moved the next admission board from January 2010 all the way back to July 2010. Yep, I won't even be able to apply to the AF until next summer! Just when you think you have some control over the course of your life, it kicks the legs out from under you and says, "Haha, that's what you thought!" So, 7 months has been added on to the deadline I was working toward, studying for, getting excited about. And what can I do? Just live with it and hope that I am able to use this time wisely and productively towards my goals.

Any ideas?

Hope you all enjoyed your long weekend. The kids had a four-day weekend from school and it was a nice little break for them. I started substitute teaching on Friday and I, unfortunately, picked up a bug my first day. So, my weekend was spent hacking up a lung and feeling cruddy. My throat is finally clearing, but now my nose is dripping like a faucet. Nice. Tiny also came home today with the early signs of everything I've had. Hope it's not as bad for her.

Other than that, we've been spending every Saturday for the last 5 weeks celebrating birthdays for family, oh, and one Sunday too. And I don't think we're done. Did I mention that we have a large family? Well, now you know. Better go for now...naptime is upon Little Man.

Ugh.

I got an email from my recruiter. The medical folks want me to request some medical records from when I was 2...way back in 1982. Ever wonder where your medical records go after 27 years? Well, if you were a military dependent, they are now stored in Washington D.C. So, I have to see if they can track down a record from 1982 that is likely thicker than a great American novel. Not sure how long that will take to find, copy, and mail to the recruiter, but I can't get my physical without the "all clear" from MEPS. My biggest worry is using up all of my application prep time hunting down said medical record and then waiting by the phone to get a simple physical. I was sincerely hoping that this long ago hiccup in my medical history wouldn't come up, but it has and it is apparently not enough for them to look at my recent medical history that says I am very healthy and normal (well, physically normal, anyway). So, once again, I ask that you please keep sending good vibes my way. I may really need them.

Tick Tock, Chocolate, and Dismembered Mannequins

Still waiting for the recruiter to call to schedule my physical. He was going to check on it this morning, but since I haven't heard from him, I'm guessing that it's not time yet. I am so anxious.

I will be finishing my required observations tomorrow in order for me to start substitute teaching. The process to do it in NM is a lot more involved than in UT. But, I think it will only help me be a better sub. I am hoping to start subbing on Friday.

Tiny is participating in a school fundraiser, selling chocolate bars. I gotta say, selling chocolate is a LOT easier than all of that other fundraiser crap (i.e. gift wrap, candy tins, cards, etc). We went up and down my parents' street, knocking on neighbors doors, and she sold the whole box (50 bars @ $1 each) before we finished the whole street. So, tomorrow, she is going to bring 2 boxes home, 100 bars. Her goal is to sell 30 boxes of chocolate by the 22nd. If she accomplishes this, which I think she will, she will get every prize that the company offers. She's amazing! No fear, she just walks up, tells them what she is doing, presents her chocolate offerings, thanks them (whether they buy or not), and walks back to me with cash in hand and a smile on her face. She's a natural at everything when there is a goal she wants to meet. I loved being with her to see her accomplishing the steps to her goal. Sometimes, one moment can compensate you for every day of this job we call parenting. It's awesome.

She told me that there is a boy in her classes that has already sold two boxes ahead of her. She also let me know that it's the same boy that has the highest score on an internet math game that the class participates in (she is in 2nd place). I told her, "I guess you have some competition, huh?" and she smiled and said, "Yeah." Too funny sometimes.

Little Man and I walked about 2 miles this morning, just strolling through neighborhoods nearby. I definitely need to bring the camera along on these walks though. If you would look at some of these streets as a whole, they look kinda shabby and old. But, if you look carefully at each house, you can find some real gems. They are some of the oldest houses in town and they have a lot of Victorian influence. Some are not so grand, but are well taken care of. And then you also have the oddball houses that seem normal, until you notice a full-body mannequin stylishly posing in the corner of the yard, or a disembodied mannequin head peeking out of an attic window. Yeah, expect some blogworthy pics soon.

Hee hee.

From notalwaysright.com:

Hard Drugs And Harder Pharmacists
Pharmacy Mount Holly, NJ, USA

(A teen approaches my cash register very slowly.)

Me: “Can I help you?”
Customer: “Gimme all the medicine!”
(Teen pulls out an airsoft pistol with orange tip still glued to the front.)
Me: “The pharmacy is in the back of the store.”
Customer: “Oh…okay.”
(He holsters the air-soft gun in his belt and darts down the aisles to the back of the store. My manager comes out of the back room because of the commotion.)
Manager: “Who was that?”
Me: “Some kid looking for drugs. He went back to the pharmacy.”
Manager: “Why didn’t you call the police?”
(The teen runs screaming from the back of the store out of the front door followed closely by the pharmacy technician, a 35 year old boxer built like a fridge.)
Me: “Doug started working today.”

Update

Amazingly enough, the recruiter did receive the medical record, at the right address. The hospital must have just put the wrong address in their computer, but still sent it to the right one. So, he submitted all of my files and information to MEPS for review. They usually take 3-4 days to review it all and approve me for a physical. He will call me as soon as he hears that I can schedule the physical. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

We Will Dance Our Truth

"We Will Dance Our Truth: Yaqui History in Yoeme Performances" is a new book that has just been released for sale. It is written by my cousin, Dr. David Delgado Shorter. You can read all about the book here and you can learn about David here. We're pretty proud of him. He is currently teaching at UCLA. He is the first to receive a PhD in our family, but certainly not the last. I have another cousin who is working on her degree as we speak. Did I mention that she also is a mother of 4 and teaches kindergarten? Yeah, we have some pretty impressive folks in our family.

TMI...in the mail.

Minor setback. The last medical record that I was waiting for my recruiter to receive? The last one I needed before I could FINALLY schedule my physical? Yeah, the hospital mailed it to the wrong address.

So, somewhere in the 5000 block of Patterson Way in El Paso, TX, someone is looking at an ECG of my heart and wondering why in the world someone would mail that to them. They are probably calling the police, thinking that someone is sending something obscene in the mail. Hopefully not. I'm hoping they will simply notice that it is not addressed to them, that they are not the listed AF recruiter on the envelope, and they will just return to sender.

On the positive side, the hospital is doing a redo and will, I hope, be mailing out the record to the proper address in the morning. I won't hold my breath. Ironically, the hospital said that I needed to fill out a new release of information in order to be HIPAA-compliant. Makes me wonder if it's HIPAA-compliant that some stranger in El Paso is having my medical information hand-delivered to them. I might find this all funny when the recruiter finally receives it.

Living in Limbo

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I'm not one to sit around and wait patiently when something I want is right in front of me. I want to act, work toward it, and seize it with both hands. But, this is something that I am learning to do. I am really excited about my application to the Air Force, but there are still a lot of steps between now and the finish line...and right now, they involve waiting...and it won't be the last time.

I am still waiting to schedule my physical. I am waiting for my recruiter to call and let me know that he has received the last medical file that I requested for him, and then MEPS (the doctor people :) ) will need a few days to review my medical prescreen and my medical files. Then, I will be able to schedule the physical. Thankfully, if what I've been told is correct (and with the AF, you have to ask a few times to be sure), I should be told the same day if I am physically fit to serve. I will let you know when this is all finally scheduled so that you can PLEASE send some good vibes my way, since they worked so well last time.

After my physical, I will start putting the actual packet together, which will include, but is not limited to:

5 letters of recommend

my AFOQT scores

personal statement

transcripts

application forms

credit check

medical evaluation

...and so much more, I am sure.

Whenever I start thinking about my future career, I want to jump up and say, "All right. Let's get this going. Let's get on with it. I'm ready."

But, for now, I must wait. I hope it will get easier to do.

In the meantime, I have other things to entertain me, like my nephew setting the clothes on his bedroom floor on fire with his hookah pipe and the fire department hosing down his room and his clothes on the front lawn. Yeah, that's something he will never live down...especially in our family. I should start carrying a camera with me everywhere I go. Hee hee.

My Little Man...with a little less hair.

Just You Wait

Little Man has experienced a huge milestone...his FIRST HAIRCUT. Just you wait...I will post pics.

One of Many Firsts

While we've been staying with my folks, Little Man has been experiencing a lot of firsts. His most recent is his first donut. He had a glazed donut and he first licked the glaze off of his finger. Then he immediately grabbed the donut out of my hand and went for it. He loved it.

I would say it was a successful introduction.

Not Always Right

I got this off of notalwaysright.com. It's a blog of customer stories. Some of these are really funny.

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Pregnant Woman Scorned

(A man comes to my register with a mint chocolate candy bar.)

Me: “Anything else?”

Customer: “Can you break a $100 bill?”

Me: “Actually, I can’t. We just opened and I haven’t gone to the bank today.”

Customer: “Oh, no! Do you know anywhere I can get change? I need this candy right away!”

(At this point I notice his panicked look. Coupled with the fact that he’s buying the most unappetizing candy in the store, I jump to a conclusion.)

Me: “Sir, these aren’t for you, are they?”

Customer: “No.”

Me: “Did your pregnant wife send you out at 8 in the morning to buy this candy?”

Customer: “Yes.”

Me: “For the love of God, man! Get these home to her before you’re in even more trouble! You can come back and pay me later!”

(The customer bolts out the door. He later came back, visibly calmer, and paid.)

In all shapes and sizes

Have you seen this picture that has caused so much buzz lately? Glamour magazine had an article recently about women's body confidence and this model is Lizzi Miller. She is a plus-size model (by the industry standards...by real standards, she is the same weight as the average woman today) and she is comfortable enough in her image to pose for the article, imperfections and all.

And I love it. I love that she is not airbrushed. She is not hidden. She is not cinched into a corset. And I love that she is smiling so confidently, as if she is saying, "This is me. All of me. And I love it."

I especially love her stomach. It's a real stomach. It's not the airbrushed 6-pack you often see in so many articles. I think I also love it because I have one just like it.

I won't lie and say that I love my stomach. But I am comfortable with it. It helped me carry and nurture three healthy babies. It's the stomach of a woman, not a little girl.

So, I shared this article with someone close to me in the store the other day. I had mentioned it previously to her and she agreed with me about the need to portray women more realistically in the media. But as soon as I showed her the picture a couple of days later, the first thing out of her mouth was that the woman was pretty but "the only problem is her stomach." It made me sad to hear her point that out so quickly. But that is how we've been trained by years of "perfect" bodies in movies and print. We point out the negative immediately.

The articles that followed after this picture was released stated that the magazine was receiving hundreds of positive letters from women, thanking them for finally portraying women as they really are...flawed, beautiful, and confident. Let's just hope they take it to heart and keep this as as a standard. I know I would rather have my daughter read a magazine that shows women come in different shapes and sizes.

Life...I'm loving it.

Not much to report. The kids are back in school and seem to like the new schools okay. Mister was able to get into Orchestra and will be playing the cello for the third year in a row. He enjoys it. Tiny is in a class with two of her cousins and seems to like that. She also has another cousin in the school that is a teacher. Little Man is making up for the two others being at school by getting into EVERYTHING, all day. He's doing well too. Learning new words and the fine art of temper tantrums. He's got it down; the pouty lip, the tears, and throwing himself on the floor. Ah yes, he is my child.

As for the AF application process, I am awaiting some medical records to be delivered to my recruiter before I can set up my physical. Will let you know when I set that up and how it will go. The physical may be the biggest obstacle I face. Not that I'm not healthy. But I had an illness when I was 2 that put me in the hospital for a bit and caused some things that may scare off the review board. Hopefully, they will focus on the tests and exams that I have had recently that show no current problems from that long ago illness and that I am in great health. Pray for me, cross your fingers, and send me good vibes. I know it definitely worked when you did it for me before my test. Love to all.

I DID IT!!!

AFOQT update: I NAILED IT!!!

There are 5 main sections to the AFOQT: Pilot, Navigator, Academic Aptitude, Verbal, Quantitative.

The first two sections don't matter much since I'm not trying to become a pilot. But I needed a minimum combined score of 150 in the last three. The recruiter told me to shoot for 220-240 to be competitive in my application process. My score........................drum roll please....................235!!!!!!!!!

That felt awesome to see those scores. Those are some hard-earned numbers and I'm really proud of them. I hope they will give me an advantage. Just wanted to share.

Walking Tall, Feeling Proud...and REALLY Tired

A quick post to let you know how I did. I won't get the actual results for 10-12 days, but I can say that I feel that I did pretty well. There were three sections that were the most important for my application, and I feel really confident about those sections. Thanks again for all your well wishes and prayers. I'll let you know when I get the actual score.

AFOQT

I will be heading down to El Paso, TX tomorrow to take the AFOQT. I have been studying for over a month now and feel about as ready as I can be. My math skills are good, just slow. The test gives you just over a minute for each math question and I'm taking much longer for some of them. But I have practiced as many as I can and will just hope for the best. My vocabulary has expanded exponentially in the last few weeks and I am more confident about taking that section of the test. There are other sections of the test that I will be taking, but will not have much impact on my application since I am not trying to become a pilot, navigator, or mechanic. But, just for the record, I was pretty proud that I scored well on the mechanic's practice test. I guess being a mechanic's daughter, and driving my share of clunkers, has paid off. So wish me luck as I jump off this cliff as prepared as I can be. Love ya!

Just Inching Along

Not much new. Still studying for the AFOQT. I'm focusing on the vocabulary right now and can't believe how many words there are that I just have never heard. And there are a ton of words that I have heard and thought I knew, but now know that I was very mistaken. I really hope that I can do well on this test. Standardized test are not my favorite.

The kids are doing well. Little Man said Tiny's name today, but I couldn't get him to do it again. He is a lot more vocal lately and I'm sure he will be talking a great deal.

There have been a few new developments in the area of H's job search, but I won't elaborate right now. I will wait until something is more concrete. Prayers for direction would be really appreciated.

Hope you're all doing well.

OWW!

Brain...hurts....from...all...the...studying.

Castle Calendars

Some great friends of ours have started their own business selling baby scrapbook calendars. They make it easy to scrapbook and document your baby's first year. Not the crafty type? These calendars make it easy to record your baby's first holidays and milestones. They make great baby shower and birth gifts. Check out their Etsy site, CastleCalendars, enjoy, and spread the word. We'd much appreciate it.

34 and 1

My brain is tired. I promised myself that I would study every day starting this week for 2-4 hours a day for the AFOQT. And I successfully studied for 3 hours today. But now my brain and my eyes are killing me because I tore my last pair of contact lenses on Friday. And my glasses are about two prescriptions behind. Apparently, my prescription expired in April, so I have to get an exam before I can order more contacts. Have you tried to schedule an eye exam recently? It's ridiculously booked...even in a larger city an hour away. The soonest appointment I could book is on August 3rd. And do you know how much it's going to cost?!? Let me just say...thank goodness for parents that care or I would be part-blind for a long time.

But, on to the happy things. Last week was H's and Little Man's birthdays. For H's 34th, we visited the NM Museum of Space History. It is in the little town that we are staying in and I have never been there. Mister was really excited about it. Everyone enjoyed it. FYI, at the museum, HAM, the first astrochimp, is buried under the American flag. There are also a lot of different rockets and spaceships components on display. We all stood in front of two separate, large satellite dishes. If you whisper into one, you could hear it in the other as if the person is talking loudly right next to you. It was really awesome. Later, we had dinner with my family and H ordered some Chinese that he likes. I usually make a cake for the birthdays, but I thought it might be hard to find one H would like to eat that doesn't have eggs, milk, butter, or oil (part of his diet). I'm sure you can see the dilemma.

The next day was Little Man's bday. He woke up in the morning and had a huge smile on his face. I sang him "Happy Birthday" and couldn't believe that my little guy was one year old already. Later, we had a party with a bunch of family over. We had bbq, potato salad, chips, dip, cake and ice cream. I was going to make the large cake, some cupcakes, and a mini-cake just for LM. However, halfway through decorating the large cake, I realized that the hot NM weather was not conducive to successful cake-decorating. The cake was too sticky, the icing was melting and the layers kept sliding. So, after creating a large crack in the cake, I gave up. We bought a cake for everyone else and I had better luck with the mini-cake. So, if you ever find yourself baking and decorating a cake in NM on a hot day, here are the instructions:

1. After baking cake, stick in freezer to chill.
2. After chilled, spread icing between layers, then stick back in freezer to chill icing.
3. After chilled, spread remaining icing all over cake. Stick back in freezer to chill whole thing.
4. After chilled, decorate quickly. Then stick in fridge until ready to serve.

Now, I know why Tiny's cake did the same thing on her first bday. A castle cake doesn't look quite right when it's turrets are sliding sideways.

LM really dug into the cake and ate a lot of his lunch. He got a lot of new clothes and toys. Three gifts into it, he just wanted to sit and play with the new toys. He partied and played and shared with the other babies. And at the end of the day, he was pooped. He had a good birthday. I will post the pics in the next one for you to enjoy.

"Old Person" Camping

I am learning something really important from my studies for the AFOQT...I don't know nearly as much as I thought I did. I may have an English degree, but I don't know a lot of words. And I may have a lot of math practice from helping Mister with his algebra, but I can't figure out how to determine the uneven number of dimes and nickels in $2.20. I found myself asking the same question that plagued me through high school...when am i ever going to need to know this stuff? Well, I guess I have my answer...I will need it when I decide to apply for officer commission in the AF. So, I have a lot of studying ahead of me.

As for the title of this post, my parents had a camping trip planned this weekend and we are going to tag along. Now, when I think of camping, I think of tents on the ground, sleeping bags and a campfire for all the cooking. My parents, however, have decided that camping for them will be a large cabin, hot tub, pool, and beds. In other words, a bare-bones hotel. But, hey, I ain't complaining. I was never terribly fond of using leaves for toilet paper and sharing sleeping space with a moose (yes, it's happened). So, this weekend, we will be high in the mountains, enjoying the air and catching some fish. Catch ya later.

Do I Dare?

I have decided to apply to the Air Force as an officer. I'm almost afraid to put that out there because I have so much to do to apply and qualify and it will be quite a while before I know anything. I had to travel to El Paso to talk to the officer recruiter, which is 2 hours away. The recruiter was really friendly and helpful. Right now, I need to study to take the AFOQT, the officer candidate test. As soon as I feel prepared enough, I will head back down to El Paso to take the test. I will also need to pass a couple of checks, have a physical, get some letters of recommend, and put everything together in a packet. Then we will submit the package to a board for approval. That will take a few weeks. So, as you can see, there is a lot to do. I will have until the end of November when the board meets to submit everything.

Now that you know that you know the what, I will tell you the why. First, I have always wanted to join the AF. I had planned to join after high school, but life took a different route and I chose to stay home with my kiddos. And now I find myself in a position to try to fulfill that goal. Second, the benefits are impressive...full medical and dental insurance for me and my family, free base housing and utilities, free tuition assistance, GI Bill, and quite a bit more. I will also get job training and experience. We did a pro/con list of my joining the military and the only con we could come up with is the possibility of deployment, which varies with each career, and the fact that I won't be a full-time stay-at-home mom anymore. But the work schedule would be very manageable and consistent. Military also gets weekends and almost all holidays off. They also get a lot of vacation time off.

So, there are a lot of pros and I will be working hard for the next while to apply. So, wish me luck, keep your fingers crossed, send good vibes, etc. I would really appreciate it.

FYI

We are now in NM. We decided to head back west since the job in NC seemed that it was not going to add up to much money for all of Henry's long days, working hard. So, we are spending some time with my folks and trying to figure out our next move. We have a couple of ideas that we are toying with and I will probably share more on that soon.

In other news, our house didn't sell. After four months of trying to sell it to some friends, it fell through at the last minute. So, our agent is listing it again...bless her. And it seems to be a waiting game now to see if it will sell or if the mortgage company will just decide to foreclose. We'll have to wait and see.

Despite all of the upheaval and uncertainty, we are doing well. Safe, fed, healthy, etc. Hope you're all doing well too.

Update

Heya! Quick update. We are headed to South Carolina in July. The company is sending the team to a different office in Greenville and so we are pulling up the stakes and heading south for the last month of the summer. H is contracted to work until the end of August, so we'll be in SC for about 6 weeks. It's only a four hour drive from our current abode and the kids will both be done with school. So, I'm hoping that it will be a smooth move.

Other than that, the computer is still kaput, but we have a tv now. H is working hard. Little Man is working on his 5th tooth and is walking everywhere. Tiny is finishing up school. Mister has begun his summer relaxation. And I am taking it all day to day. I get a bit homesick sometimes, and definitely feel cooped up most days. But the other ladies here are great and the kids keep me plenty busy. I'll try to update with more pics later. Hope you're all doing well too.

Lest you believe...

that I have succumbed to all the bad news in my last post, I figured I should update. Nothing has really changed, other than successfully staving off mastitis. Which I give no small amount of thanks for. But, I'm hoping that my outlook on everything else will be changing for the better. I've noticed more and more lately that I am becoming a very negative, whiny, unhappy person. And I realized, after reviewing some recent conversations during which I complained quite a lot, that I would hate to have to be around me everyday. People that only focus on the negative and constantly complain would definitely get my sympathy and a prayer of hope that thing turn around for them, but it might cause me to avoid them every once in a while. Because, let's face it, they bring you down.

Well, I certainly do not want to be someone that even I wouldn't like hanging around. So, I am going to be trying harder to better at this. So, if I put up any whiny posts, call me on it.

Big news: Little Man is officially walking. He's been taking random numbers of steps for the past few weeks, but something just clicked for him today while we were at church. It was like he figured out that he could do it and stood himself up and went for it. He went longer than ever before without falling or having help. And when he did fall, he's stand righ back up and do it again. It was awesome. I'll have to post a video of it soon. He'll be 11 months in a week.

He is also putting the phone (toys, bottles, brushes, and his hand) to his ear and saying, "e-loooo." (That's "hello" for those not fluent in baby.) It's so cute. He is also waving hello and goodbye. He's becoming such a little man.

Happy update: Tiny turned 9 this week. She is growing into such a wonderful person. On her birthday, we had a special breakfast with pancakes and bacon. She got a new outfit and new coloring books. Then she had to go to school, but after, we surprised her with a huge dollhouse that her Mamaw and Papaw send her. She was so surprised and I got it all on video. We took her to the science museum, one of her fav places. H took the day off to spend it with her and she liked that a lot. That night, I made her fav dinner, chicken and dumplings, and we had carrot cake. She went to bed with a smile on her face. Saturday, she had her party. We rented the theater room here at the apartments and she had four friends over for a movie, popcorn, pizza, cake and ice cream. They had a great time. I think she was pretty pleased with her celebrations this year.

I have so many more pictures that I want to post, but it's 11:24 p.m. and I need to head back to the apartment. I sooo miss my computer.

Roller Coaster Ride

Good news: I may be able to salvage the computer if I can get a new monitor to hook it up to.

Bad news: Our house isn't selling, like we were told last week. Instead, the buyers are scrambling to get a new loan approved.

Good news: I sold H's car and have a little money for Tiny's bday this week.

Bad news: I am trying really hard to not succumb to mastitis. If you don't know what it is or don't have kids, don't look it up. The search result pictures will be burned into your brain.

Such is life.

Quick Post

Little Man is getting ready to cut his third tooth. And he took his first solo step yesterday. We're on a non-stop train now.

Just so you know...

The computer is completely dead. Let's just say there was an unfortunate incident involving a frustrated kiddo playing a computer game for way too long and that in the anger, the computer lost and is now no longer functioning. So, posts will be even fewer and far between. Hope you are all doing better than me.

Letting myself feel a little at a time.

I miss my house. I can think of so many reasons why I shouldn't be missing it, but right now, with people drinking and talking loudly out in the hall at an unthinkable hour this morning, I miss my house. Most of the other employees that are staying in this apartment complex are young, in the 18-21 range. So, I can understand that they are just blowing off steam from the week and having some weekend fun. But I just wish that I could put up a sign or put out a flier that informs them that there are 3 kiddos in the house trying to sleep and so is their overworked, stressed-out mother. And to please BE QUIET!

The first sign I had that I was feeling the pangs of separation from my house was when we visited the library. I wandered through the aisles, familiarizing myself with the layout, and I stumbled on the home decorating/design section. Normally, I would plant myself on the floor and peruse each shelf in this section, load up on at least 7 or 8 books and enjoy them slowly at home. I would search eagerly through the pages to find some new inspiration, interesting color palette or unique space-saving technique to apply to my own home. As I stared down the long shelves of the decorating books, it hit me...hard. I don't have a house any more, no home to decorate, to paint the walls whatever color I choose. I can't even hang a picture in our place without fearing a fine. What would be the point of checking out any of those books? It would just be a reminder of what I no longer have. And, for the first time, the weight, the heaviness of what we have been and are going through settled on my chest and heart. I have not let myself feel the full weight of it, I have not let myself wallow. But for that moment in the library, I did. And all I could do was shake my head in acknowledgement of my pain and move on to the next aisle...which was gardening. Not much better, but getting there.

Time to play catch up on some posts, while I have a few minutes anyway. First, my birthday last month. I turned 29. My last year in my 20s. While there were some great blessing this last year, I told H that it was also the hardest year on me physically. Having a baby at the end of my 20s is a bit harder on the body than having a baby was at the beginning of my 20s. I was already carrying around about 15 extra pounds of stress weight before I got preggo and it was just compounded after that. The weight is not the only sign of our recent stressful situation. I have added more wrinkles to my face than I have ever noticed before. Wrinkles and aging, I don't mind. I just don't like that they came so quickly in such a short amount of time. The loss of income and some stability in our economic outlook has increased these unwelcome developments much more than I like.

So, the last year of my life has been full of blessings: a new baby, a healthy family, a roof over our heads, food, warmth, friends and family. And I try to choose to dwell on these things, not the extra 20 lbs. or the lines around my eyes and across my forehead. Yeah, I could still do without those though.

My birthday, itself, was a good one. H made me a cake, made dinner, and I got a nice, long nap. The kids sang happy birthday to me and it took all my lung capacity to blow out the candles, and there were only about 12. But I enjoyed a relaxing day and some great cake for a couple of days.

Mother's Day. We went to Nag's Head Beach for Mother's Day. Sunday is the only day of the week H has off, so we briefly attended church and then headed east. The beaches on the outer banks are about 3 hours from us, so we arrived there at about 3 p.m. We changed into our swimsuits and since the ocean was really cold, we only waded in up to our knees. The kids collected hundreds of sea shells and we strolled along the beach, squishing the sand in our toes and savoring the feel of the tide rolling over our legs again and again. It was gorgeous. Little Man did not like the sand on his feet and it took a while before he would even touch it with his hands. One dip of his feet in the water and he shivered enough to let us know that it was too cold for him. It was great to see him reaction to the ocean though. I think that he thought it was a big bath. He also sucked on some of the large seashells. After the beach, we drove by the Bodie Island lighthouse. It was already closed for the day, but it was beautiful to look at. We are hoping to go back soon and spend more time up and down the outer banks.

So, that is an update. Also, Bree is finally here and it's nice to have such a wonderful friend nearby. We are planning a trip to the science museum tomorrow. Tiny is off-track for the next 3 weeks, so I am trying to come up with ways to entertain her. Both the kids love that Bree is here. They adore her. I am hoping to upload some videos and more pics soon. Take care.

Heaven Help Us

Little Man is cutting his second tooth. And can climb. And just figured out how to open cabinets. Oh boy.

Exercise+Brownies=Not a lot of progress

Sorry, I have not had another opportunity to sit and let myself muse the next bit of my story. The stars were really aligned the other night when I wrote that. The kids were playing, Little Man was asleep and the house was clean. So, I'm hoping that I will get to write again soon.

I did get up and exercise this morning, something I haven't done in a looooong time. It felt really good. H and I are working out an exercise schedule so that we are both assured some workout time each day. He is now in the 190's and I am back below 140, thanks to the long cross-country trip without the luxury of brownies and cookies. My goal is to get down between 120 and 125...and I want to be comfortable in my bathing suit. Of course, I say this as I'm snacking on homemade brownie. But I'm not shooting for supermodel status, I just want to lose a few pounds and still be able to eat the things I like. I love my husband, but I couldn't take on his diet of only fruits and veggies.

Little Man cut his first tooth Saturday and proceeded to bite my chest on Sunday. A surprising "ouch" and "no no" from me stopped that though. He can also climb on low things. This makes me glad that we're not in a house with steep stairs anymore.

Mister is enjoying his classes, has made friends and is proud of the budding hairs above his upper lip. Yep, he's fitting in well at the middle school.

Tiny is still sporadically homesick and misses her BFF. She was invited to a campout sleepover this weekend though. She had a lot of fun.

The weather here is getting VERY warm and I think the humidity is creeping closer to 100% everyday. I'm afraid of how hot the summer will be. The pool is supposed to open soon at our apartments though. Can't wait. Little Man is proving to be quite a water baby. I know he will love the pool.

Yesterday, we attended church and were then invited, along with a few others, to an ice cream social at a church member's house. It was great to meet some new people, chat, and let the kids run wild and play.

Well, I better go before Little Man wakes up. Have a beautiful day.

The beginning of something

The following is something that came out of me when I had the sudden urge to write. Please let me know what you think. This may be the beginning of something.


I walked along the gravel-covered ruts through the cemetery. The stone markers were haphazardly strewn throughout the grass, as if the earth were rejecting their intrusion and the intrusion of those they marked. The wind breathed through the tall grass and stirred applause from the millions of leaves on the trees. I couldn't remember the last time my life was this still. Everything around me was speaking, reminding me that it was all alive.

I almost become lost in their voices until my eyes fell upon the rough headstone. SILVER. "It is better to have loved and lost than to never have...ah, what a load of crap." He always did have a strange sense of humor. Like the time we met. I was staring at a poster for the theater group's production of Moulin Rouge on the community board of the campus when his voice interrupted my thoughts with, "Why go and see that when I can just tell you about it right now. They all sing a conglomerate of 80's pop, fall into forbidden love, and the girl dies a tragic, but beautiful, death. There. Now you have that night free to have dinner with me."

I turned to see a mischievous smirk upon the face of a man who could only be described as boyishly charming, as cliche as that was. But I had heard enough pickup lines to know that I shouldn't give in too easily to a witty remark and its accompanying smile, no matter how cute he was.

"What makes you think that I don't happen to love 80's pop, or that I would go to dinner with you, a complete stranger?" I asked him coyly, using emphasis on the word strange.

"Are you kidding? One, nobody likes 80's pop. At least, not enough to sit through two hours of it. And two, I would think it would much more exciting to spend those two hours enjoying dinner with a complete stranger than any length of time listening to an odd blend of Madonna and The Police."

I had absolutely no comeback to this and he stole the advantage by quickly adding, "Great. I will meet you outside of Henley Hall, 7 p.m., Friday."

"Wait. How did you know I live at Henley Hall? You don't even know my name."

"Sure I do. Barbara."
He waited for my reaction, and must have seen my confusion.
"Sara? Beth?" That same smile spread across his face again. "Ok, so I don't know your name. What shall I call the lady that will be haunting my thoughts for the rest of my existence?"

"Paulette. But you still didn't tell me how you knew where I lived."

"Ah, that I will save for you until our date. Until then, I think I will just let you go mad trying to figure it out. And just so we're not on uneven footing, the name is Charles, Charles Silver." He walked away, slowly picking up speed, but still managed to look back once more with that same grin on his face, like he definitely had a secret, and I was it.

INTERNET...Beloved is thy name.

Not to sound sacreligious (sp?), but I have offered a thanks heavenward for our new internet connection. I've felt a bit cut off not being able to read the news, check my email, and update my facebook. On top of this wonderful development, we have also obtained a washer/dryer, and have finally been paid some of our travel reimbursement money. Things are looking up a bit.

H has begun installing alarm systems and is actually going to try his hand at sales. Sales has always been his preference and he feels that this will fit him better. At this point, the installers can't do anything until a sale is made, so I think he will be able to do more selling. We'll see, but I would request some good thought from you all that he will make a go of it and we may actually see some income. I have faith in him.

Let me tell you a little about my days here in NC. I wake up at 5 a.m. to get Mister up and ready to catch the bus before 6. In our area, there are really only year-round schools. You have to travel to another area about 15 minutes out to go to a traditional school. Well, we toured both versions of the middle schools and elementaries. Mister decidedly resolutely that he wanted to go to the traditional school farther out because they offered more electives and it seemed to be a nicer school. Even after we informed him of the really early bus pickup and even earlier wake up time, he insisted that that was the school for him. So, he is finishing up his first week there and is taking Orchestra Strings (cello), Painting, and a NC myth and folklore class as his electives. The last two were not his first choices, but he's pretty happy with them.

Tiny wanted to also choose the farther away, traditional school, but I couldn't make myself comfortable with the idea of her so far away. Her schedule would also have been 2 whole hours behind Mister's because of bussing. So, I chose for her to go to the year-round school right next door to us. The track she's on will not end until the end of June, and Mister's ends at the beginning, but I felt better with her nearby...and Mister is getting old enough to make these decisions for himself.

So, back to our days, after he catches the bus at 6, I am sometimes lucky enough to slip back in bed for another hour. At 7, I wake Tiny and walk her to school a little after 8. After, H and I have been taking Little Man on morning walks with the dog. We found a great trail with a large pond hidden behind a cemetery down the street. We actually saw a salamander, tons of fish, an easygoing turtle swimming to us, and a mother duck with her ducklings. We see something new each time. We then run errands or I clean around the house. H heads to his meeting and then off to work at around 2 p.m. He usually doesn't get back until after 9 or 10 p.m. I pick up Tiny from school at 3 and Mister usually gets off the bus and is in the house when we get back. We hang out, cook dinner, take walks, and they play. The last few days I have been heading to bed earlier and earlier. Getting up at 5 a.m. is not easy.

But I have found some great blessing in our early mornings. I am able to chat and spend time with Mister while we wait for the bus and I get to chat with Tiny on our walks to and from school. I find that I am enjoying my family a lot and counting my blessing more. We live in a great area and the weather and landscaping are incredible. I am really liking it here.

I will post some trip picks in my next post and some of our new surroundings. Take care and hope you are all doing well.

Alive and Well

We are still alive. We made it to North Carolina and it is beautiful. Green and trees everywhere. I told H that this state probably started out as a land of endless trees and they had to clear patches just to build each new place. Our apartment is really nice, brand new and fits us well...especially with 90% of our stuff in storage in Utah. We don't have internet yet, so we have to traipse to the library right across the street to use it or I can access a few sites on my phone. The kids are getting underway with school and we are settling in. H should be starting work any day and I am trying to get our apartment in order.

The people here are really friendly and it's a great neighborhood. I am, however, experiencing a little bit of culture shock and homesickness. I'll live...which is a good thing because that means I will be back soon with lots to update you with and pics from our cross country trip. Take care, all!

FYI

We are in the great state of Idaho until the weekend. That is why I am so sparse. Is that even grammatically possible? Anyway, I'm not sure if I will post again before we take off on our long adventure to North Carolina. If not, take care and I will post pics of our trip as soon as we settle in. Later.

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. --Victor Hugo

I rarely watch American Idol. Usually the auditions are enough for me and I already know who is going to be in the top 3. But I happened to catch it tonight and I'm glad I did because they were covering Motown hits. And it got me in the mood for some oldies. Also, Smokey Robinson was on there too. I love that man.

Those who know me well, know that I can sing old country and old R&B songs like nobody's business. The reason? As a kid, we took a lot of road trips and before the wonder of individual CD players, and waaaaay before mp3 players, we had to listen to the tape (yes, I said tape) player. And who was in control of those dials? You guessed it, Mom and Dad. And what did they like? Country and oldies. And they had tapes like "Greatest Hits of..." and "Best Country Hits". So, after 4 hours minimum of these tapes, I had a strong grasp of every word of every song. And I loved them...but I don't know if I ever really admitted that to them.

“Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.”--Benjamin Disraeli

I have not liked moving since I was 15. I have moved about 15 times in my life. Sometimes to new towns, sometimes to new houses, and sometimes back to previous ones. I was born in Alamogordo, NM. We moved to Spain when I was almost 2, then TX less than a year later, then to Clovis, NM when I was 4. We stayed in Clovis for 10 years and then moved back to my mom's hometown in NM when I was 15. I hated it. I had planned to graduate with all the people I had started kindergarten with, but didn't.

At 16, I moved to TX to live with my sister and moved back to NM less than a year later. After marrying H, we lived in one house for 2 years and then another for 2 more. At 23, H and I, with the kids, moved to UT and have been here for 5 1/2 years. Within that time, we have lived in 3 different places. And now, we are moving again. We've been in this house for 3 years, the longest we've lived in one house since we married ten years ago. The kids have been in their school for 4 years, the longest they've been in the same school.

So, to say that leaving will be hard is an understatement. But I am looking toward our trip as a great adventure. A sojourn that few people with three kids get to take. A flight of fancy, if you will. Ok, that may be taking it a bit far. But it will definitely be an adventure in that it will be something very different and far away from all we know.

I am tackling the packing with a renewed vigor and am making some headway. I am getting tired, but at least the sealed boxes are multiplying and the stuff in each room is diminishing. We will visit some family in Idaho for the first few days of April and then we will set out on our trip to NC. We are giving ourselves a full week to get there and we will have a long weekend to settle in before H has to start work and the kids start school.

The trip will be from UT to Cheyenne, WY. Cheyenne to Lincoln, NE where we will stay with some cousins. Lincoln to St. Louis where we hope to sight-see a bit. St. Louis to Louisville where we will stay with some friends. Louisville to Charlotte. And then Charlotte to Raleigh. It will be a long trip and I have no delusions that it will be easy. One trailer, two cars, three kids, a dog and over 2,000 miles. Not the easiest of equations.

In the meantime, I must finish packing this week. I also have a baby shower to help with, a potluck, a bbq and many goodbyes. It's going to be a busy week. I will try to post again, but if I don't, you know why.

Life's a garden. Dig it!

Corny, but "Joe Dirt" is funny. I bought it for H a couple of weeks ago because we've seen it so many times and I figured we should have it. Another movie I like is "Sahara". Not because it's a great movie, or even because Matthew McC could melt the buttons on the remote. No, I love the soundtrack. Songs like "We're an American Band" and "Sweet Home Alabama" make me wanna rock out.

Moving on...I had a pretty successful yard sale yesterday. We still have some extra stuff to get rid of, but definitely less than before. Having a yard sale isn't as fun as it was before. It's hard to keep an eye out for yard-salers when I'm trying to play with, feed, and put Little Man to sleep. The kids helped a lot though.

So, we're about T-minus 3 weeks from heading to North Carolina. We finally got to look up what apartments we'll be staying in and they are really nice and brand-spanking new. We'll be getting a 3 bed, 2 bath and it also has washer/dryer hookups. Anyone that has had to haul laundry for 5 people back and forth to a laundry room knows how much it sucks and how great it is to have the hookups. The complex also has a theater room, a volleyball court, a workout room, and a dog park. I'm looking forward to seeing it. I'm really glad that we'll be able to take the dog. I can't imagine how lonely it would be without her.

Today was a nice slow Sunday. After church, the kids and I hung out while H was at work. Later, we headed to the park and fed the ducks and geese. Tiny had brought her basketball and, of course, managed to bounce it in the lake. Thankfully, the lake is mostly drained right now, but it still landed in a good-sized amount of water. Mister and I were trying to figure out how to get it out and noticed that it was not stuck and was floating. So, he and I started throwing large rocks behind it and created enough ripples to move it where we wanted it to go. It took a while and I still had to step one foot in the water before the ball floated into a drain, but we saved it. The things we do for our kiddos. It was fun though, trying to figure something out and working with Mister to get it. I've got some smart kids. And finally, that elementary science came in handy. Now, if only the math was useful...joking.

sahara