t13 week 5 Things I have never done

I had no idea what to write this week, so after reading my friend Deb's list I started my own list in my head.

1. I have never been outside the United States.
2. I have never been to the Pacific Ocean.
3. I have never broken a bone. unless nose counts and then I broke that 4 times in two years. and Yes that is 4x. I had some blood sugar issues which caused me to pass out and I kept using my face as landing gear.
4. I have never met my half brother. I was adopted as a baby and have met my birth mother and half sister but not David nor my father.
5. I have never had success making any products with those packets of yeast you can buy.
6. I have never been on a mission trip. I REALLY want to go...........I have had two opportunities but family issues both times caused me to have to pass at the last moment.
7. I have never been thin since I hit the age of 10.
8. I have never understood how someone can plan to and harm a child.
9. I have never played a competitive sport.
10. I have never been in a fist fight.
11. I have never been deep sea fishing............but I would love to!
12. I have never tried octopus, alligator or buffalo.
13. I have never felt more protective of my family and our time together than I do now. Time is so precious.

Anne

Anne arrived last night and is so very sweet. I think she is going to fit into our family nicely. We spent the morning at the school getting her classes then went uniform shopping, then shoe shopping. We did not find shoes or shirts so we are still on a hunt for those items. We came home then the girls swam and Anne suffering from jet lag napped for a bit.

He is HOME

safe and sound. So very good to be able to see him, to touch him, to watch the kids with him. Zoe is his shadow and the poor guy can not even sleep without finding her standing over him just to make sure he is still here. Today he had an errand to do and Danielle cried at the door since he went without anyone. It is so good to see the kids enjoying him being here. Kendra with her pre-adolescent ways I can't tell as much. At times she seems a bit put out but she tends to want to be in the same room too. She even came in the bedroom a couple times last night and crawled into bed between us for a few moments....then other times she rolls the eyes and walks off. John is not sure how to handle this more mature female under his roof. In ways she is still a little girl in other ways she appears to be more mature at least temporariy until she throws a put out attitude. She wants the attention but at the same time is embarrased and unsure about receiving it from him. He is trying to find his way with her. Hopefully the next 48 hours will be smoother than the last. We have had a great time just want everyone to feel comfortable, loved and that they all have a important position in the home. This was the case when he left so it should be easy to fall back into.

will post lots of pictures later............the camera batteries are recharging right now.
We took a few at the airport, the park, reading stories over and over and just hanging out.

Volunteering

Can you over do it? Sometimes I think maybe. In the last year, I have started the Angel Food program here in our area, became head moderator for Freecycle, worked with the FRG as a key caller, taught a homeschool co-op class, babysat 2 little boys, started a food pantry, became Missionary president and church secretary. I started most of these thing while hubby was home but handling them all plus my kids gets tiring. I love being busy but lately have found the business takes time away from FREE time. Those spur of the moment down times when you can actually do something fun. All other times is full of cleaning, kids or projects. We played hooky from church today to make some time. We played at the pool in my neighbors yard all day. It is 7:57 she is keeping my two oldest, the baby is down for the night and I am free to go to sleep. I will too as it is storming and John will be calling sometime after midnight with an update as to his arrival in the impending future. Could be days or hours won't know until midnight or so. Seems like something has to go at the moment. Trying to weigh what God wants most from me and what his plans are. Sometimes that is not so easy. All of the things started out as a mission, where I felt I was serving Christ in some capacity but some are now chores and lack appeal but I can not go by feelings alone.

Hurry up and wait

This has to be the Army motto. Unwritten, unsaid but a very constant everyday occurence for almost every military family I know. Very recently I was told hey schedules changed I will be home sooner on R and R. Ok! Cool...not by much but several days. Then guess what........oops. Stop.... Hold up. Delays and sitting in unknown places on hold pushing back the schedule to the original it not later schedule. Oh the Army got to love it at times.
Then also his troop movement from a FOB to a Patrol Base happened not too long ago....for what we are told will be the rest of the time. To hear a few weeks later, guess what we are going back to from whence we came. What in the world? Can't the Army make up their minds? Driving me nuts with suspense.

T13-Week 4 Things I am thankful for this week

This is a bit late but I got preoccupied with making house arrangements.

1. Karen, Tory and Amie..............they came over and helped me move the crib, bunkbed and straighten up the house today. Preparations for our exchange students.

2. My hubby who despite my faults loves me for who he knows I can be.

3. Kendra who has a heart of gold.

4. Dani who is learning to potty train. We have had a fairly successful week at it.

5. Zoe who loves to cuddle and give hugs.

6. Debbie who always reads my blogs.

7. Airlines that can bring my man home to me.

8. Tricare who approved my two surgeries in full!

9. The internet that keeps me connected to hubby so very far away.

10. Clean carpets.

11. Nice clean sweet smelling sheets.

12. a swimming pool in the backyard that helps with this Georgia heat

13. the ability to homeschool my kiddo She may drive me nuts in the process but as Karen reminded me today I do not have to retrain her from what she is learning incorrectly or things that are inappropriate for a young lady at the school.

Peer pressure Tot Style

This morning the girls were playing nicely together in the garage and I snapped some pictures. They played for quite awhile while Kendra and I did some housework. I went back in to change the laundry and found Danielle stripping. Nothing new....the child loves to be naked. About 20 minutes later, I go back in and found two bare naked ladies having a tea party. Peer pressure got to Zoe I guess.

Time is slipping away

Kendra went to work today with my neighbor and her daughter. She went along to help in one of the three stores they own. Kinda odd to think of her possibly having a real job in just a few short years. Good experience and something different. I expect she will come home bored! Time is slipping away quickly when it comes to how much this child has grown in the last 10y 7 months. I blinked and she is almost as tall as I am.

Her going on this outing has allowed me to have some one on one time with Danielle this morning as Zoe is still sleeping. Guess what she wanted....... story time (like her sister did last week on the Mom and Me date) and to be held and cuddled. So we are sitting here in my chair, with a sleeping toddler (19 months) and my laptop. I do not want to put her down as she is so cute and cuddly. smells like a baby after lasts nights late night bath. No playing in the dirt smelly kid (She got into the baby bath by reaching up into the basket and shampooing her own hair while supposedly going to sleep in her crib.) She had other plans for me. When I went in to do my final check before I retired, I found her with a soapy head and whimpering. So it was off to the sink for a hair washing....not what she wanted she cried for the bath but that would have entailed toys and more work as the baby bath was in her hair in a thick layer! My fault to some extent as we were working on moving the beds around and I pushed her crib within reach of the basket of "goodies".

I will not be able to sit and hold her soon. My abdominoplasty and lifts are just a few short weeks away. I am excited about the possibility of no extra bounce to my body. I figure 6 weeks will be rough in the holding squirming toddlers aspect. I know I will try anyway and try to do too much but that is just me...as my girls are big on affection and number one in my responsibilities as John is required to go back while I am healing still. After I have healed however it will be good to go I am sure but for now Time is slipping away. I am so thankful that Jenn is coming to help take care of all my girls (all 5 and me of course) after John leaves. It will be great!

It's Potty time!!!!!!!!!

This morning when I lifted Danielle from her bed............she once again had removed her diaper. This is a common occurrence as she does not like wearing them (or clothes for that matter)! This time however, she said Poop! I said do you need to go potty and she shook her head yes and said Si! Si is Spanish for yes. Dora and Mommy must be teaching her something there. But I digress..........So, I put her on the potty and she takes care of business. What a big girl! Where did my baby go? Just 18 months and this already? My baby is growing up way too fast.

t13-week 3 Some of my Favorite things

1. Bill Cosby Chocolate cake
in helping a friend rationalize a dinner her daughters' had one night..I mentioned this clip.

2. a nice long relaxing hot bath complete with candles and a book (WITHOUT LITTLES) this has not happened in years but I do dream about it......

3. walking barefoot in REAL grass not this stuff they try to pass off as grass here in the south. I wish to walk without fear of burrs or red ants

4. The beach...the sound of the surf crashing and seagulls crying and children splashing

5. lying down at night with the feeling that I actually accomplished a lot that day or made an impact on someone

6. The song ">Testify to Love by Avalon

7. I love tea........both hot and cold. Green, Black, flavored
My friend Deb got me hooked on EGGNOG TEA.......I know it sounds scary but man does it taste like it and since my gastric bypass I can not do the real stuff. It is a guilt free holiday treat now.

8. I love to swim. I hate to sweat....this is my kind of exercise.

9. I love to travel and visit new places. I especially like the sound of an amusement park.

10. I love to scrapbook but not happening much these days. The littles take up way too much time or want to help and I tend to have to drag it all out.........

11. The sound of my girls without prompting or wanting anything.....EARNESTLY telling me that they love me

12 My husband's voice after a day of work saying honey I am home.

13. The sound of the ice cream truck

Preparations

Yesterday, I decided to start some preparations for the girls arrival.......Yes, I know I have been weeding but little things like dresser space, etc.....needed to happen also. I was able to clean out two complete dressers for them after all the weeding I have done the past week. We also went to WalMart last night and bought them each a new pillow of their own. Who wants to sleep on someone else's pillow. I don't.....YUCK! so they each have a new one without anyone else's slobbers, feet that have been on it or dust mites. After making that statement maybe I need to switch out all of ours...
I started weeding out toys also so that the garage does not look so messy. I could probably spend A WEEK out there sorting thru the totes we use for storage but the kids area needed done badly. I took a whole moving box out of toys even Dani has outgrown now. She never did like baby toys........and I had Kendra sort her Barbies etc and get rid of any with bad hair or her least favorites. What a difference that made. I actually think the dog cages can fit out there now! and still have a laundry area, a play area and a storage area. Double garages are great for that.
It was a good day..we babysat two little boys last night that were just darling. Kendra is preparing to babysit in the near future and is getting some practice under my watchful eye. She has always been great with her sisters and helps me constantly with them but knowing what to do for someone else's kid is another story. She does not like nor wants to change a boys diaper yet. A little more maturity in that aspect has to happen or she just needs to suck it up and deal with it.
I think we may work on welcome home signs today..........and welcome to America signs and finish up the toys in the garage...and work on laundry too. UGH busy day ahead.

I taught Zoe to do the one handed sign for I love you and she has it down pat now and is thrilled about it. You should see her smile.....hmmm...I think you will let me grab the camera and take some pics.

Encouraging words

Be Encouraged by God’s Word


For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
— Philippians 4:13, NLT

Do all the good you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
— John Wesley


All through this day, O Lord, by the power of thy quickening Spirit, let me touch the lives of others for good, whether through the word I speak, the prayer I speak, or the life I live.
— Anonymous

The other day, a lady I met because of Angel Food Ministries......she helped the first two months get it going.......called just to tell me I had been on her mind and she had been praying for me. How sweet was that? I absolutely loved it and so very much appreciated it. The phone call came just in the midst of trouble with the landlord..........and things are looking up there. The Army will allow us to stay to be grandfathered in and allow us to fulfill our lease if the landlord agrees. Even though they have been blacklisted against use by soldiers. We will not know the response from the landlord until after the 22nd though..........so keep praying. We love the house and want to stay as we will be leaving at the end of the school year anyway................

Anne and Adri

I think it is almost totally official. We will be getting two foreign exchange students within the next three weeks. Anne is from Germany and Adrienn is from Hungary. Just need one more paper accepting Adri at the local high school and we are all clear. Except for another doc from the parents stating they accept the double placement. However, we have their flight info already. We also have all been chatting via email for a few weeks now. I am so looking forward to meeting them in person. Their emails so far have been very nice and enjoyable to read. Kendra is so looking forward to the older kids being in the house. She is tired of being the only BIG kid....as the littles gang up on her at times. This will help this school year pass quickly. I have butterflies in my stomach from the sheer excitement of it all.

Junk in my trunk

Recently I have been on a kick to remove clutter and excess from our home. After my fire in 1998, what I did not need I immediately disposed of. My thoughts were if I do not need it it will only serve as kindling. The only thing I did keep was clothes for Kendra to grow into. Everything else went.....until I got married and then I realized more kids could be in my future and then I starting keeping stuff I knew Kendra would grow into and then out of for more possible little ones. This had started a trend. And we have dragged stuff from military house to military house. My husband has been the same way with some things. Yesterday I removed 4 (make that 3 as one was threadbare towels and sheets and stained washcloths) bags of things I have never used....last week I removed 7 bags of clothes from weeding out the girls closets, dressers etc. It helps that they are almost in the same size now. Except shoes...big difference there yet. Today I am going to tackle my room....all those clothes I have no need for or do not see myself wearing after my upcoming surgery are going to go. I have no idea what size I will be after they remove my excess skin but I figure it is about 4 sizes smaller. Seriously! I can squeeze into a size that is 3 sizes down if I pull my tummy up or fold it in. But I can not breathe, move or sit down and it is by no means comfortable. Gross huh? So without it in the way, I hope for a smaller size like maybe a 10. So I am in the middle of shedding many unwanted things. In the process though, I appear to be making a mess of the room in order to declutter. But the upstairs girls room, the bathroom and the linen closet are now done. Today it is my room. Then tomorrow we start downstairs!!!!!

THE PERFORMANCE

HERE ARE SOME PICS FROM OUR DAY......WE STARTED OFF WITH THE LITTLES AND I PURCHASING FLOWERS FOR THEIR SISTER. THEN WE HAD TO HIT THE CAROUSAL. THEN OFF TO THE SHOW........

written by the littles

Daddy I love you....... to which Dani shook her head yes. Daddy I am Princess. The monster is all gone. I dance. Run around and come back. Run back now. We miss you.
That was my middle kid's request to blog. Pretty good I think for a three year old.
May the monster (which I guess is her term for the WAR in Iraq) be truly over soon so all our men can come back to their waiting families.

Sleeping Beauty play practice at the Sherrill's

We all have a good time going over to the Sherrill's.... the littles love to play and as Zoe says I love my Miss Karen. Kendra was unsure of her ability to remember her lines and wanted to practice with the girls......so we brought some stuff over to contribute to pizzas.....both veggie and meat........much to Shannons chagrin but my delight. and were able to fellowship together while the girls ran lines over and over.

Mom and Me time

Zoe started being clingy yesterday and I suspected she did not feel well........tell tale sign of stuffy nose and a cough clued me in along with the extra weariness she showed. This morning, I knew it was going to be a ROUGH day as she was so clingy I had to pull her hands away to pull on my clothes. At that point, I decided to try and make the most of it and give her some undivided attention that she obviously was craving.
So we decided on some things to do together. My thoughts were the park (which she loves) and to the local coffee joint for some hot tea (which she really loves). She calls that place the Tea Party place. After we dropped off the big girl at play practice and Dani at Karen's, we followed her new suggestion and headed home so I could hold her and read stories. She picked out three...and her flashcards. After finishing these up, we changed her clothes, trimmed her bangs and took off for the little coffee shop. While there, we shared a chef's salad, drank green tea, and then bought a apricot bar to go. Then we ended our official date. She is such a pleasure to be around and always happy if not overtired. We just have to work on her lack of patience. When we arrived at Karen's she played with her sister for a bit then was able to take a GREAT NAP in the girl's room while I ran to get the big girls. I believe she ended up sleeping for about 2 1/2 hours!!!!! Well needed too.

Charlie Teddy Bear

our new puppy...actually we have had him for a bit now. He was born May 6th. sometime between midnight and 2 under my bed. I think he was the third born of this litter by our Rosie. We think the Dad is Cody (formerly Ben). As the coloring is identical. He was the only male born....the other 5 were females. Originally Charlie Teddy Bear went to another home but was returned to us a week later. We were ever glad that was the one my girls really loved. They all liked for a time a different puppy but when personalities started popping out this was the cuddler and the smallest. They were so very happy when they realized he was home with us. Kendra was away at camp and she was so surprised when she got in the van and he was with us.
He is very cute and playful. For being such a little squirt when he barked yesterday it scared him and almost sounded like he was a big dog. It was so cute. He gave himself the shivers and came running to me and wanted held. He cuddled in and went to sleep. He is still very tiny. I think he will always be. His Mama is part Papillon and Terrier and Dad is Chihuahua and Dachshaund.

t13 week 2

1. Kendra is Troll #2 in the Missoula Children's Theater play Sleeping Beauty so it has been a week of back and forth travels

2. I think we have finally finalized everything for our two foreign exchange students to join our family in the next few weeks. I am so so EXCITED. What an adventure!

3. someone stole our PORT...we have had computer issues all week in staying connected etc. Phone logs with the phone company ended up having to send a level three tech out and he explained that someone stole our port whatever that means. I am simply glad I am connected again.

4. Dani finally has another tooth on the bottom.........at least now when it grows in she will have a matched set. 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom plus 4 molars. We have gaps in between but at least it looks more even now.

5. My surgery was totally approved by tricare and is set for the first Wed in Sept.

6. Weeding out is fun to do but I tend to make a mess of the house when I do so.

7. I am so looking forward to giving away my clothes after my surgery knowing they will always be too big for me and that I will not see those sizes again.

8. Zoe has really stinky feet. This hot weather certainly does not help that cause when she prefers to wear tennis shoes and socks vs sandals.

9. I Love crabmeat and found an awesome place here in town

10. It seems I never have enough iced tea in the house this summer...even my littles want my glass

11. My hubby will be home in short order.........I am counting the days

12. Dani seems to be musically inclined. She loves to sing and dance and runs for the piano at church and my friend

Karen

's.

13. My middle kid is so excited about seeing Daddy that ever conversation is filled with "when Daddy sees me do this he will be so happy" and I say OH YES HE WILL with a smile in my heart knowing how close she feels to him despite the fact that he has been gone for 9 months. I am glad that she feels he is a daily part of our lives despite the fact he is not with us physically. I have done a better job of that this time around and I think all three of the girls recognize his authority and figure in our household. He is gone but Mom has not stepped into his spot this time. I think this will help facilitate a smoother homecoming in 2009.

Cardboard Testimonies

How would your sign read?

In thinking deeply about mine, I might need two.......or three or four.

1. Mom died when I was a teen......lost my way
flipside
Became a Mother........found HIM again

2. Very Independent Single Mom
flipside
being created to be hubby's help-meet

3. Fire stole everything
flipside
burnished my faith in HIM

4. So weak at times
flipside
thank goodness he gives STRENGTH

Thursday Thirteen Week 1

Thursday Thirteen would not post just realized it was saved as a draft
1. I am presently in NC on my way back to WV.
2. I have to go to court to get out of our lease.
3. I miss my hubby something awful and cannot wait until the end of the month when he is supposed to be headed home for R and R.
3. Our foreign exchange students start arriving on the 30th of this month. The next one may not arrive until near the end of August though.
4. I have in my possession my new WV license. YEAH!!
5. Children damaged by abuse and neglect as seen by me this week are a LOT of work as they do not know how to handle stress of new situations, people, places, etc.
6. I hate to pack.....we have a lot of weeding out to do...
7. I have entertained thoughts of moving back to WV
8. I have entertained thoughts of sending Kendra back to public school
9. I need to call to set up my surgery date.........
10. I am teasing Kendra that after my surgery I will be wearing her clothes.....as we share shoes now. Yes my kiddo has a big women's size 10 foot at 10 years old.
11. I taught Kendra how to shave last week...was it not last year that she was learning how to walk?
12. Dani finally cut another front tooth..........took her long enough. She has molars already but only three bottom front teeth.
13. Working on the confidence that GOD has this whole living situation in his hand and he has a plan....I know he does but I am anxious to know what it is and where we are going.
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