One Year Ago Today

I became an aunt!

I'm not sure at the moment where my pictures from the day she was born are, but she was absolutely beautiful! I can't believe it's been a year already.

My sis took the day off work today to spend the day with the little Birthday Girl. I called this evening to sing Happy Birthday to my little booger. I can't even begin to explain how incredible it is to be a part of her life, especially after being gone so long. It's more special than I could even begin to describe.

I love you, my little booger, and look forward to spending lots more time with you!!

Busy Schedule

We have a busy schedule for the next few weeks. I didn't really realize it until I was talking to my mom Tuesday night, and then again when we got an invite from some new friends to visit them in Virginia.

As those of you who read my blog know, we were in Denver last weekend. This weekend we're going to be in Raleigh for the Battalion's Annual Training Conference (ATC). Friday night and Saturday night will be fun, but other than that, not a whole lot for me to do, especially since I refuse to sit through a day's worth of spouse training this year. Call it a bad attitude if you will...I don't care.

The week after our weekend in Raleigh is my baby niece's birthday party. My little sister is doing a pig-pickin for the family to celebrate the occasion. Should be lots of fun! I just have to find the perfect gift for my little booger!

Then the next weekend a girlfriend of mine is coming to spend the weekend with me. I've known her through email communications for about nine years or so, but we'll be meeting for the first time in person this Veterans' Day weekend. I'm so excited about this visit, I can't even explain it!

The weekend after Veterans' Day weekend is the weekend my mom is getting married. I can't believe it's coming up so quickly, and I know it's hitting her even harder. I still have to find a dress since I'm her Matron of Honor. I found one last week that might work, but I think I'll look around while I'm in Raleigh before I commit to anything.

And then of course the following weekend is Thanksgiving. Wow! Never a dull moment around here! I love staying busy, though. Gives me something to look forward to, which really is something I need these days.

So that's an example of what our schedule looks like for the next month. I'll try to put up pictures of all the upcoming events as they come and go.

Back from Denver

Well, we went to Denver this past weekend and had a pretty good time, considering the fact that we didn't really have time to do much.

Friday we ended up being delayed in Charlotte for over two hours. The crew that was flying us to Denver was delayed in NYC because of weather. So it was almost midnight by the time we got checked into our hotel in Denver. And the hubby and I were hungry, because we had been trying to eat light while traveling, but had we known about the delay in Charlotte before we got something to eat, we'd have gotten something a little heavier. After we got checked into the hotel, we decided to find something to eat. We found an IHOP, which was just about perfect for the time being. After eating, we headed back to the hotel, and it was about 2 a.m. Colorado time by the time we got to bed, although my body thought it was 4 a.m.

Because of getting in so late, we slept in a bit on Saturday. I think it was about 10 or so by the time we got up, and it was somewhere between 11 and 12 when we had breakfast. After breakfast, we went downtown to try to do a little sightseeing. But we had very limited time, so just went to the 16th Street Mall which a friend had suggested we check out, and walked for a little while. We did get to check out a local Restaurant and Brewery; we love trying out local breweries like that.

Then we went back to the hotel to get ready for the awards ceremony. It lasted about an hour, if that. The fact that we were flown out there for that hour just blows my mind. I'm not complaining...I'm very happy I got to go along, but that's just crazy!

After the awards ceremony we went back downtown for a while Saturday night. I had noticed the signs for the Coyote Ugly, and wanted to go check it out. I visited the one in Nashville with some friends last summer, and thought the hubby might enjoy going. So we did, and he enjoyed it. We really enjoyed the opportunity to party for a little while Saturday night without worrying about babysitters and things like that, since the kiddos were with his folks.

When we got up on Sunday, it was snowing! The weather had been just gorgeous on Saturday...nearly 80 degrees. But when we woke up about 7:30 on Sunday, this is what we saw out our hotel room window:


Then about an hour later, after I finished getting ready, this was the view out our hotel room window:


It made me miss Germany again for a little while, but I have to admit that I was happy to be back in North Carolina last night with warm weather again.

Update on Hubby's Trip

Well, I get to go with him to Colorado after all!

He called me yesterday afternoon after we'd had lunch to let me know that they'd managed to get approval for spouses to go along. I was really excited! I've never been to Colorado before, and that's one place I've been wanting to go. When he got home and I asked him about his day, he told me that USAREC decided to revoke the approval for myself and the one other spouse from our company after it had already been approved. Needless to say, I wasn't happy. He also told me, though, that Battalion was trying to find a way for us to be able to go. After all, the arrangements had already been made...plane reservations, hotel, etc.

Today he told me I get to go after all. Talk about a roller coaster here! So we're off to Denver tomorrow afternoon, and I can't wait!!

Last Minute Crap

Man, it's been a long time since I wrote here. And here I come to complain. Sorry...I'll get better soon. Lots has happened since my last entry, including a trip to Myrtle Beach for the Fall Bike Rally. Yep...I'll write about that later.

Right now I just want to complain for a minute. Got an email from the hubby today letting me know that it looked like he was going to have to go out of town this weekend. He has to go to Denver, Colorado, for an awards ceremony because his company is being presented with an award of some sort. So why am I complaining? Well, his Brigade has apparently known about this for months, the Battalion just found out about it late yesterday afternoon, and he learned about it upon opening his email box this morning. So now he has to reschedule what he already had planned for the company this weekend, AND get all his travel arrangements made. Talk about frustrating! Guess the kids and I will have to find something fun to do.

Ouch!

My little guy turned 9 on Wednesday, and we had his birthday party today. The boy LOVES to skate, so he wanted to have his party at the skating rink like we did last year. I used to love to skate when I was a kid, too, so I usually skate with the kids when we go. Well, I must admit that I wiped out pretty good toward the end of the skating session. I'm thinking I may have bruised my tailbone...it HURTS! There's no photographic evidence, though, so nobody can prove it actually happened!

I'll have pictures from J's birthday party, as well as A's from July. Yes, I know I'm way behind. I also finally found my battery charger, so I'll take some pictures of the work we've done outside here at the house. I'm really proud of the way the yard looks, as well as everything else we've gotten done.

Patriot Guard

I've actually been a member of the Patriot Guard for almost a year now. Up to this point, though, I haven't been able to participate in any missions. I wish I could say that was because there had been none to attend, but unfortunately, there have been.

Hope Mills, the town I live in, lost a soldier last week. His name was SPC Steven Elrod. When I first learned of this, I thought that this might finally be my opportunity to stand for one of these brave soldiers who so fearlessly fought for us. Then last night the hubby told me he was going to be gone all day today. The Patriot Guard mission was today. Darn it.

My mother-in-law called me this afternoon, and I took the kids to their house this evening. On my way home I passed a few bikes that were obviously returning from the funeral mission for SPC Elrod. One bike had a large American flag mounted to the back of it, but it was wrapped around the flagpole...those flags aren't great for highway speeds. I saw another bike with the Patriot Guard banner mounted to the windshield. All I could think about was that I wish I could have been there with these PGR members standing for this young man. One day I'll be able to particpate.

Week Off

I am enjoying this week off between classes. It's nice not having to worry about a paper I need to be writing, or research I need to be doing, when I have so much other stuff around home to worry about. I think that the first thing I'm going to do when I finish my degree (after resting, of course) is to finally finish taking care of things here around the house that I've been neglecting since we moved in. Mostly I have to finish organizing my bedroom and the bonus room upstairs. I worked on my bedroom some last week, so there's not a whole lot left to do in there, beyond getting rid of things I no longer need and hanging things on the walls. The bonus room, though, is a huge project. I had started in there several weeks ago, working a bit each day, but the kids have completely messed up what I started. Ah...the joy of kiddos!!

Tomorrow is my kids' last day of school for the first nine-week term. Starting tomorrow, they have three weeks off, not going back until October 9th. They're really looking forward to it. On a downside, I discovered last night that my son's been lying to me about his homework. I think he accidentally let me in on it. I trust my kids to bring home their homework assignments and do them the way they're supposed to. He told me last night that he didn't get to go to recess yesterday because he had to scan in his math. I asked why he had to miss recess for that, and he gave me some excuse that I can't remember right now. Basically what it boiled down to is that he hasn't been bringing his math home to complete his homework, so he had to miss recess yesterday because of it. I guess he thought I was going to give him some sympathy. Sorry, not gonna happen. So I lectured him, yet again, on the importance of doing his best in school and doing his homework. I think I scared him when I told him that if he didn't do his math homework and really apply himself (if you'll recall, math was the portion of the End of Grade test he had difficulty with last year in spite of the fact that he had As and Bs in class), he was going to end up failing and have to repeat fourth grade. Well, if scaring him was enough to make him take his homework seriously, then it was worth it. He also got grounded for the rest of this school week. He brought his math homework home and did it today, though. He also told me today that he's going to have to work on math over the break. I had intended to have him work on his multiplication tables anyway, since that's still an issue for him.

I'm getting to spend the entire week with my niece this week. My sister's mother-in-law is on vacation, so I get to have her all week. She's such a joy to have around, and a reminder of how fun babies are. She'll be 11 months old next weekend. So of course she's crawling everywhere, pulling up on everything, and seeing what she can get into without me telling her "no." She's getting to the age where she hears "no" a lot. She's such a good baby, and my sister is very blessed, but I keeping teasing her, telling her that her next baby is going to be a pill. After all, that's what happened for me...the boy was just about as close to being a perfect baby as possible, while my daughter was, well, NOT! I love her with all my heart, but she was a very difficult baby. She's mellowed as she's gotten older. She still has her moments, but they're very rare compared to her first years.

The hubby's been a bit under the weather this week. There's been some kind of virus going around. His 1SG had it last week, and apparently he picked it up from him. I just hope he doesn't give it to me. I am usually able to avoid getting these things...I guess my immune system has benefited from all my years of working in the health care system...but every now and then, a bug manages to get me down.

I guess that about covers it for what's going on here lately. My final course starts next Tuesday. Then five weeks later I'm done. REALLY done. I still don't really believe it.

One More to Go...

I finished up another class tonight. Now I have a week off and then have one more class to go. Can that really be possible? Can I really be only one class away from finishing up my degree? After all this time, it's nearly impossible to believe.

Here's how I put it to some friends of mine earlier tonight. For so many years, it seemed as thought I couldn't even see the light at the end of the tunnel. Now, all of a sudden, it's blinding me! It seems like I've been working on my degree for so long now (3 years by the time I'm done), that I don't know what I'll do with myself when I'm actually finished.

Maybe life will get back to normal...whatever that is!

Never Forget

The memories of this terrible day have been heavy on my mind and heart for the last few days. Today I remember those who lost their lives in the terror attacks six years ago today, as well as all of those who have lost their lives since as a result.

Never forget.

Distractions

So here I am trying to work on one of my papers and dealing with all sorts of distractions today. For example, I had to share my computer with my son so we could get a part of his Social Studies project done...this part is due tomorrow. I'll write a bit more on this later.

Anyway, this evening the hubby has been trying to get the kids to leave me alone so I can concentrate on what I'm trying to write. I haven't been able to convince them yet that Daddy can answer question for them as well as I can. For that matter, sometimes I still have to convince Daddy of that. Sometimes they'll ask him something and he'll look at me. I have to teach him that he is allowed to make decisions about the kiddos...haha!!

Well, the kids have gone to bed, and I'm thinking that finally I'll be able to finish this paper with no more interruptions. Well, a couple of weeks ago, the kids had dinner out with my mom and her fiance', and his two younger grandkids went too, because it was the little boy's birthday. My kids came home with a couple of balloons. They were the foil kind with helium. Well, they lasted a long time, and would startle me every time I heard them scrape across the ceiling when they would move. The hubby took them down tonight and cut the bottoms off.

Can you see where I'm going with this?

Yep, he decided to inhale some of the helium and talk to me. So of course, I start giggling and can't stop. He inhaled some more and continued to talk. At this point I've got tears rolling down my cheeks. I beg him to stop, after all, I'm trying to write a very serious paper. After some urging, he convinces me to do it too. So I did, and before I could get the second word out of my mouth I cracked up. So then he starts fussing at me for "wasting the helium by laughing!" Crazy thing!

So that was our excitement for the night. It doesn't take much to amuse me.

Back to my paper...

Just Don't Get It

I spent the better part of this afternoon and evening helping my son clean his room. We just haven't been able to get him to grasp the concept of taking out a few things to play with and then putting them away before pulling something else out. And to make matters worse, his sister has a tendency to go in his room to play, bringing along toys of her own and helping him make a big ole mess, but not wanting to help when it comes time to clean it up.

When we were in Germany, I bought these racks with buckets to sort their toys. I thought that having a way to keep them sorted would help make cleaning up easier. After all, that's sort of how daycares do it, and they would help clean up at daycare without any problems. Each time we move, I sort their things into their buckets and put them on the racks. It doesn't take long for everything to get all messed up again.

So today I went in to help him. It had just gotten to the point where it was overwhelming for him. He would come down and tell me that he was finished, and I'd go up to check and things were just shoved against the wall, up next to his bed...I guess pretty much to get it out of the middle of the floor. Is this a boy thing? Then when I told him again this afternoon that it wasn't finished, he just got so upset. So that's when I knew that it was time for me to step in. So I went in there and together we took out all his buckets, sorted everything out and organized it again. Then when we got the majority of his room mostly finished, I took his mattress and boxsprings off his bed. The bed is really low to the floor, and the only way to clean out from under it is to take it apart. I still haven't figured out how he manages to get so much crap shoved up under there...not to mention all the crap between the bed and the wall. Blows my mind! So we got that cleaned out, I vacuumed under the bed and moved it over as close to the wall as I could get it to try to keep so much stuff from getting down there, and we put everything back together.

So now his room is nice and neat again. I guess we'll just have to see how long he can keep it that way. I try to tell him that he has a birthday coming up (in less than three weeks), and he's going to be wanting new toys for his birthday, so he needs to take care of what he already has and keep things put away when he's not playing with them. Both the kids were impressed with how nice it looked when we were finished, and how much room they had, so maybe that will be at least some motivation to try to learn good habits.

Shoot, I'm still trying to improve my habits!

Hit and Miss

I know, that's how my blogging has been lately.

I'm just having a hard time getting motivated to write much of anything these days. I have about a month and a half (actually a little more) before I'll finally be finished with school. So any writing I've been doing has been for that purpose, and it's not exactly the kind of writing that I enjoy. I enjoy writing here when I can take the time to do it. Let me get through these last two courses, and hopefully I'll be able to find the inspiration to start writing here again.

The hubby and I are heading to Myrtle Beach the first week of October. The fall Bike Rally is the 3rd through the 7th. We avoided the Spring Rally, in large part because of the crowds. From what we've heard, the fall rally is much nicer. So my mom and her fiance' (they got engaged this week) are coming to stay with the kids so the hubby and I can have a vacation alone. The nice thing is, it will be sort of a birthday present for me since my birthday is the 8th. I can't wait! I'm also glad my mom will have the opportunity to spend that time with the kids.

So that about sums up what's been going on around here lately. I'll just be glad when I'm finished with school and can start focusing on other things.

Making a Difference

I was finishing up a paper for my current class tonight. It was a critical thinking assignment, and we were supposed to use the "Critical Thinking Problem Solving Model" provided for us, which my husband was sure to remind me was based on the military's problem solving process. Can't remember what he called it, but ok.

Basically, we were supposed to identify a problem in our work environment that we had been involved in finding a solution for using the problem solving model, or a current problem. Considering the fact that I'm not currently working outside the home, I chose to write about the first problem that came to mind from my job in the clinic in Vilseck. It had to do with the EFMP screenings that family members had to go through anytime they were coming to, leaving, or moving within an overseas duty station. Those of you who are or have been in the military system (especially overseas) know exactly what I'm talking about. Those of you who don't, google "EFMP" or "Exceptional Family Member Program" for more information.

Anyway, as I was writing this paper, I had to consider my role in ensuring these screenings were accounted for in my clinic. They took up a lot of time by the nurse responsible, and were not accounted for before I started working there. Once we decided that these visits needed to be accounted for, we then had to decide the best way to report them.

As I was proofreading my paper, I was trying to read it as an outsider would read it. Not to sound conceited, but the process sounded quite impressive if I hadn't been the one writing it. I talked to the hubby about it as I was writing it. I told him, "wow, maybe I did make a difference, even in a small way." My main goal in that job was to make sure that our soldiers and their family members were taken care of to the best ability of the clinic, and that the care was reported as accurately as possible. When I told him that, he said, "I'm glad you finally see it."

Did I make a difference? I don't know. I hope so. Our Soldiers (Marines/Airmen/Sailors) and their families deserve the very best our military health care system can provide. And part of that includes ensuring statistics are reported as accurately as possible to ensure the care only gets better. Did I help in that goal? I can only hope so.

Been a While

Wow...I haven't blogged in a while.

Been busy around here. I still need to take pictures of the work we've done around here. Still haven't found the charger for my camera battery. I haven't really looked for it, though...been focusing on other things.

I have about two months left before I'll finally be finished with school. I can't believe it. There was a time when I thought I'd never finish my degree, and now here I am on my next-to-last class. So most of the writing I've been doing lately has been for school, and I haven't felt much like writing anything else. So that's why I haven't been blogging lately. Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things when I finish.

I've been neglecting the blogs I've been reading for the last year, too. Boy am I gonna have a LOT of catching up to do!! I'll get caught up with you all, I promise!

Isn't it Kind of Early for This?

My phone rang this afternoon, and I didn't recognize the name or number on the Caller ID.

I answered the phone, and it was a little boy asking to speak to my baby girl. I told him she couldn't talk at the moment because she was cleaning her room, but that I would be sure to tell her he had called. He was very polite.

So I called her downstairs.

Mom: A, who's D (the little boy's name)?
A: He's a boy that rides our bus
Mom: So are you giving all the kids our phone number?
A: (Looking concerned) Mommy, he ASKED for it!

I couldn't help but laugh at this point.

Mom: So, is he your boyfriend?
A: (Looking embarrassed now and bumping up against me, sort of pushing me) No, he's just a friend!

Then my son decides to chime in. "Mom, remember she has a boyfriend from Kindergarten in Germany?"

How do they remember these things? I reminded him that's been almost two years ago now.

A: Yeah, I'll probably never see him again.

So I told the hubby about this tonight. He said he guessed he'd have to start keeping a shotgun in the house now.

Funny...I can remember at least one occasion when a boy came over to the house my daddy was sitting in the living room cleaning his shotgun when the boy came in. Aaaahhhhh memories!

Request

I got an email today from a friend of mine I met through blogging. I'm not sure where this woman gets the energy to do all the things she does for our servicemembers. She's a working mom, regularly sends care packages to our troops overseas, and now is involved in a charity for wounded heroes.

I'm behind on reading my favorite blogs, or else I'd have posted something about this earlier. Fortunately, I got an email from her today asking me for help. All she's asking for is a couple of minutes of your time to vote for the charity.

America's Wounded Heroes is a new charity. You can find their temporary website here. Yes, you can donate there, and I know they appreciate donations, but that is not what they're asking for at the moment. But you can read their mission statement there.

They're currently involved in a contest to win funds for the charity, and they are depending on votes. All you have to do is register at the website, and it's free, in order to be able to vote for America's Wounded Heroes. All it takes is a couple of minutes, and is a small price to pay. You can go here to vote. America's Wounded Heroes is about the eighth down on the list.

Thank you all!

Ugh!

My allergies are giving me a fit today. At least I hope it's just my allergies. I've been sneezing all day, my nose is stopped up, and my asthma is acting up a bit (which only happens when my allergies flare or I get sick). I REALLY hope I'm not coming down with something. I really don't have the time or patience for that.

I've been tired and cranky all day, which I thought was just because I didn't sleep well last night. I got a bit too much sun while outside helping the hubby with the fence all weekend, so had a little difficulty getting comfortable. My own fault, I know, but it still hurts! But maybe my crankiness has more to do with my allergies or whatever it is I'm trying to come down with.

The idiot drivers around here didn't help matters any today either. I went to meet the hubby for lunch today, and was sitting at an intersection getting ready to turn right. I had a red light and the left turning lane facing the same direction I was facing, as well as across the intersection, had a protected left arrow. Meaning I had to wait for the people turning left from across the intersection to clear the intersection before I could make a right on red. Well, the idiot behind me blows his horn at me wanting me to go. Then, a little ways down the road, the car in front of me needed to make a left turn. We were on a two lane road, one lane in each direction, and of course the car in front of me had to stop to wait for traffic. I stopped behind him, and the car behind me stopped as well. A pickup truck two cars back from me decided it would be a good idea to come around everybody on the shoulder, nearly taking off my mirror. You know, with everything I have been through with my car, I would have had a hissy fit, let me tell ya! So I was fuming by the time I met the hubby at the restaurant, which didn't make me very pleasant company for him.

Then I came home and tried to get some rest before going to meet the kids at the bus stop. My baby girl didn't get off the bus at the stop. This is the third time this has happened in about two weeks - not with my kid, but another little girl who rides the bus has missed the stop a couple of times. Isn't it the bus driver's responsibility to make sure the kids get off at the right stop? I had a few words with her this afternoon, especially when she tried to use the excuse "some of the kids just don't want to get off the bus." Yeah, I don't THINK so! It happens again, I'll be up in the school office before she even has a chance to get back with the bus. I really miss the bus driver the kids had last year...he was great!

So that's what's going on around here. I still need to take some pictures of what we've done here at the house, but I have to locate my battery charger first. Can't remember when I had it last...imagine that!

Not Funny

The hubby and I were sitting here trying to relax last night after the kids went to bed. We had just decided to go to bed just before 11 when we heard what sounded like a gunshot. The hubby hit the floor and sort of crept over to the window to look out while I was hollering wondering what it was. There were a couple more explosions, and I could see a flash out the window from where I was sitting. Turns out somebody (probably some kids from a nearby neighborhood) had decided to put firecrackers in our next-door neighbors' mailbox and blow it up.

Like I said, we didn't think it was funny at all. Most of the neighbors nearby came outside to see what was going on. Nobody saw who had done it. One of these days those kids are going to mess with the wrong person. I just hope somebody manages to catch them soon.

More Improvements

I really need to get outside and take some pictures of all the work we've done out there over the past couple of weeks. Well, last weeked it was the hubby doing the majority of the work outside, but that's really mostly because he was putting trees and plants in the ground. If I mess with plants, they die.

He had to go in to work for a while today. It was a processing Saturday, which is usually the Saturday before a mission day. Then after he came home, we all had lunch, and he and I went outside to get to work putting up the privacy fence. The materials for the fence were delivered on Wednesday. The good thing is that it was almost 20 degrees cooler today than it has been all week. When we went outside a little after 1 this afternoon, I think the temperature was about 86. Thursday and Friday we had temps of about 112. Crazy!

I had gone Thursday to get the permit we needed to put up our fence. I ended up having to go to three different places. Well, the first was because of an incorrect assumption on my part. I've always considered Hope Mills as a sort of subdivision of Fayetteville, so I went over to Fayetteville City Hall to get the permit. They told me Hope Mills has their own Town Hall and Inspections Department. Duh! So after having lunch with the hubby, I go over to Hope Mills Town Hall to apply for the permit, only to find out that we're just (barely) outside city limits and don't need one from Hope Mills either. So I called over to County Inspections, and found out I had to get a permit from them. So I went over there to get the permit, and was actually able to get a clearer copy of the plot map from them too, which was great since our copy was awful. We could barely make out the numbers. So armed with the permit and the clear plot map, all I had left to do was call for the utility companies to come out and mark the yard so we didn't hit any lines while digging. I did that when I got home, and they came out and marked the lines Friday.

So today the hubby and I went out to start on the fence. I know the part we're working on right now, putting in the posts, is the most time-consuming part. We got most of one side done today before having to stop. It's hard work, but I know will be worth it when we're finished. Even more so right now considering the couple of vegetable plants we have out there right now. We have two tomato plants and a couple of English cucumber plants. All the leaves on both tomato plants had been eaten off, and we found rabbit droppings in the yard. I was not happy, nor was the hubby! Hopefully the fence will put a stop to that. The tomato plants had just put out a bloom each, too, so I don't know how this will affect when I'll have tomatoes. We can't figure out, either, why bunny ate the tomato plants and not cucumber. Oh well.

I'll try to get some photos up soon!