Boys will be boys

There is a bit of a mix up in this house. Levi thinks that he is six and Bruce acts like he is two! I would much rather them act and be like their own ages!!! Levi argued with Nana about this over the phone. She said, "How old are you?" he replies with, "6". She says, "you aren't six, if you are six, why aren't you in school like bubba?" and he comes up with, "I home school".... Haha. Bruce, however, doesn't act the cute and funny parts of two, he acts like the "terrible" part of the twos. I will say though, he is getting much better lately. I just remind him to act almost 7, not almost 3.

Bruce is suprising me with his drawing skills! The aren't  the most clear pictures, but he draws very creatively and really shows the scene that he has in mind... He very much reminds me of me. He used to not remind me of myself too much, but the older he is getting, I am being reminded of the good and bad things from when I was a kid. He is nosy, and I too was very nosy. He is very creative with story telling, people think that he is telling a real story! He loves cucumbers (both boys do) and that was and is my favorite summer time veggie to eat! Bruce also is like dad too! He uses silly excuses to try to get out of chores! ;)

Levi is growing too quickly! He is only 7 inches shorter than Bruce and 14 pounds lighter, yet there is a 4 year age difference! He brushes his teeth about 5 times a day on the average day, and he washes his hands consistently too. His pictures of people really look great and his coloring is very well for his age, but he usually uses just one color per coloring page. He already has some mad arguing skills. I have no clue where or who he got that from! ;) And he blames other people for things, because he thinks it is funny. For example, "Levi, why did you mess in your pull up?" "Not Levi, daddy"! Um, I wish it was daddy, but he is a bit far for that... hahaha. And he always says it with a smile and a laugh, then says, "No, not daddy, me".

My hands are definitly full! I do feel like I have two of the same age a lot of the times, because Levi wants to be just like Bruce and they do a lot of things similar... I love being a mother though, and I wouldn't change it for anything else in the entire world! We are trully blessed!

I would update on Matthew, but since he is deployed, I will wait to update on how he is and what he is up to until he is home.

God Bless!

A topsy-turvy sort of month

I have been MIA this month in the blogging world. I actually love to write and blog and get it all out... However, I am not even sure if my words are read, I don't mind though, I like to look back regardless! This month has been very up and down as far as good and bad days, good and bad news and everything in between!

I found out this month that I will have to have surgery in December, which I am happy about, but also very nervous and anxious about too. First thing, I have no clue when Matt will be home and if he will be able to be here for me and the boys during that time. Secondly, he was going to be here for sure, on advon, but something bad happened (not to him) and he can no longer leave early. I was upset at first, but I know that everything happens for a reason, and that just because he won't be here for sure on time, doesn't mean he won't still be here either way. Another reason I am nervous is because the last time I was put under for surgery, I was 7, for my tonsils. Also, it will be just days before Christmas... I don't want it ruined for anybody, so I hope and pray it goes down without a hitch.

Halloween is Monday. Another holiday that Matt will miss this year. So far, he has missed our anniversary (that's the day he deployed, father's day, his 28th birthday, both Memorial day and Labor day, the Fourth of July and soon to be Halloween and Thanksgiving. It could be much worse, so on holidays, we still celebrate them the same way we would if Matt was here so it is almost like he is here still anyway. We just feel bad that he misses out and still works and such while we can celebrate.

Christmas present shopping began in September! We will have the shopping done by Thanksgiving, so December can be used to relax before my surgery, get the house together and bake lots of goodies!

I just wanted to update on me, I will update on the kiddos and the husband later!

God Bless

My Doctor Appointment

Yesterday I finally got to go back to my off-post Doctor. I had wished that they would have referred me back off post a month ago when I was in, but things happen for a reason. If they would have done that, I would have most likely had the surgery this month or next. I am glad we are doing it, nervous, but glad. I will have the surgery on December 19. Which means that it will be easier to deal with because I won't have to worry about bed times, going to the bus or waking up too early while I recover. Bruce will be on Christmas break for it!

I am really nervous to be put under and have a tube down my throat, but I know that in the end, things will be fine and hopefully we figure out what the next step will be after this. This is possibly only my first of a few surgeries, but we won't know for sure.

God is watching over me, Matthew and the boys. I know we will all be alright.

God Bless

Morning time

Here at our house during the week, when Matt is home, the adults are awake between 5:00 and 5:30 am. The kids are awake between 6:30 and 7:15. We are early risers, and I love having time to myself before the kids are up; to shower and get dressed without hearing, "are you done yet" or "open up, I need to talk to you momma" (but all they "needed" to say was hi or I love you). I love seeing the sun rise, hearing birds chirp (when they do chirp here), seeing the dew on the lawn and the frost too in the winter. I love watching the news and drinking coffee and just having peace and quiet for a few minutes.

But, I especially love being awake and hearing "Good morning mommy" followed by 2 hugs (one from each boy) and then I ask them how they slept and they good! That is what I enjoy every morning, I am wide awake and love being able to enjoy the peace and quiet so I can equally enjoy the precious morning moments that the boys give me!

God Bless!

Having boys is a joy (most of the time)

I always say that I have 3 boys technically! Even though Matthw is a grown man, he acts more like the boys sometimes (especially when they are all playing together). I love being surrounded by my guys! They smell, they make butt jokes, they do gross things that girls would never even think of doing and they act like they are confused or don't listen all of the time when I talk!

But, they are the sweetest, cutest, most loving and protective boys! They may pick on me, being the only girl in the house, but no one else can! They are ornery though, that is for sure! You never know what is going to happen. For example, the other day Bruce was using the restroom, so I took Levi out of there so he could have privacy. Levi apparantly snuck back in because I heard, "Momma, Levi is...." I couldn't hear what he was saying that he was doing, so I went in and understood that Bruce said, "Momma, Levi is trying to wipe my butt for me"! And there is Levi, toilet paper in hand trying to reach back and "help" Bruce! I asked Levi what he was doing and he said, "Bubba needs Levi's help"! We both said, "NO he doesn't" at the same time! I had to hold my laughter in so he wouldn't think it was ok, but oh my, it was hilarious! I would have never done something like that when I was a kid!

They also have a new thing! They take every pillow, blanket, sheet, stuffed animal and anything else they can use and make a hide out! Levi likes to say, "hide out" and then him and Bruce proceed in making one. No girls are allowed, they tell me! Except mommy! Then they piece it together and hide! It is so funny and cute to see the random ways that they can entertain themselves and each other! They are always racing, building, fighting (play fighting usually), pretending to be soldiers, talking about girls (unfortunatley, yes, this young) and just general horse playing!

I wouldn't trade my boys ever! I love how wild and ornery they can be! I thank God for my 2 wonderful little boys and my 1 wonderful big guy, aka, husband, everyday!

God Bless

Some days

I wake up smiling. Every. Single. Morning. I have a dream everynight (just about everynight) about Matthew. I wake up happy because he is on my mind. I am nauseating with my love for him, or so I have been told! Sappy and sweet songs, that is the soundtrack to my life! Anything about love, happiness, life, God, any childrens song, etc... those are on my compilation disc! If there was commentary to what I do or think everyday (like many TV shows, books or movies do) then it would be a happy, cheerful voice with uplifting advice and positiveness. I am not faking my joy, I really feel this way. If you are reading this, and you really know me, then you know that I am this person 98% of the time. Even when I am being grumpy or irritated, I am still optimisitic, or cracking a joke to laugh about it!

Some days, very few and far between, I just want a hug from my husband and sons, a foot massage and sleep... Usually when I am sick (about 3 or 4 times a year) or if I stub my toe 8 times instead of 7 (again, if you know me, you know how klutzy I am and that I am not exaggerating)!

I am a random person! I am a planner too, so you see how strange I am! Those that love or like me, embrace me and accept my crazy, happy, loving and random self!

By the way, today was one of those few and far between days, but it was still a good day all in all, even though I didn't get anything on my list except my little boys hugs (and those were great too, definitly made me feel better)! God Bless!

Getting this out there...

Sometimes in life, you can be a happy person and be positive. But, that doesn't mean that negative stuff doesn't happen to you. What matters is how you react to the not so happy moments, and not let them get you down or change your sunny outlook!

I see myself as a happy, positive, caring and loving person. I try to make sure everyone is happy, and good and especially my kids and husband. I would do anything for them, and I love that my job is being a mom and wife! I wouldn't trade it for the world... I do have a problem dealing with issues though. Medical issues to be exact. My own... I always told myself, as I was growing up, that I wouldn't be like my mom. That is a loaded phrase, because there is more than one way that I don't want to be like her! But, for this topic I will stick with the fact that I don't want to be like her and have so many medical issues that I can barely function...

So far, in the past 2.5 years, I have had a scare of almost Cervical Cancer (which is cleared up and gone now, yay!), a cyst and I have been diagnosed (not officially because that requires surgery) with endometriosis. All female issues, and all scary things to deal with. The first problem, there was no pain, and no evidence of it at all, so there is much relief now that that is good (after surgery and multiple thing). The cyst cleared up on its own after I started birth control again. However, endometriosis is an uncurable disease. It is treatable, but there is no cure...

I now have pain from it more than ever, but at least it has taken a year after the intial diagnosis. With Matthew being deployed, this has been difficult to deal with. But, I am proof that staying positive isn't hard once you stop being negative about things!

God bless! I know he blesses us!

Top Ten List

I like to make Top 10 List from time to time for fun. I usually don't post them, but I thought this would be a fun one!

My Top 10 Facebook Pet Peeves

10. If every picture you have added is an upclose pose of yourself, maybe you should get off of facebook and make real friends and take pictures of them (or with them).

9. Complaining about your friends or family, you know, the ones that are on your facebook and can see what you just put... Facebook is not a place to have a holiday type family fight, save it for Thanksgiving!


8. Sister, brother, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, best friend, worst friend, cousin three times removed and parent weeks! When this is all you post, it shows that you have no mind of your own to just post something nice about said person without a mass status.

7. Also only posting; politics, military, anything complaint wise, media, anger, funny chain status updates, when half of the time they don't even sound correct, nor are they!

6. Most parents are proud parents, but if you post 18 updates a day about them using the potty (pee or poop) or complaining about their potty or diaper habits, it isn't cool.

5. Violating OPSEC (google it if you aren't sure what that means). Even if you don't think it is violating OPSEC, it probably is, and you probably shouldn't post it!

4. Deleting people, then readding them, then deleting them, then blocking them... Well, you get the point.

3. Only complaining ever, or putting how depressed you are, or FML every 2 hours. No body has a life that is that awful. Look at the positives in your life, maybe having a FB with friends can be one of your positives if you can't think of any!

2.  Complaining about your spouse or significant other publicly.

1. Complaining about your spouse or significant other publicly and then saying they are the best, then complaining, then saying they are the best, then saying you are breaking up with or divorcing them, then saying you are getting married or renewing your vows, then complaining, etc, etc, etc.

Beach Pictures

My typical non weekend day!

My days consist of pretty much the same things:

Levi wants to scare, sneak up on, tickle and tackle Bruce. Bruce has to tie his shoes 5 times before we leave the house to get to the bus stop, and before that, it takes an hour to eat breakfast that should only take 10 minutes! Then, after breakfast they have to pick their own clothes to wear, which momma vetoes their choices and pick for myself with their help. Then, we have to sing the Mickey mouse clubhouse song, at least twice. After that we are off to the bus stop, which is about a 3 minute walk somedays. Levi gets mad if Bruce "beats" him, so he yells at Bruce to hold my hand, so he will be slowed down and then, "beat" Bruce.

After we get there, we have to hug and kiss Bruce and tell him bye 8 times or so, then wave at him (although half of the time he doesn't even look because he is so busy talking). Then we talk to our neighbors as we make our way back to our house. After that, Mickey Mouse is on, and Levi watches that. Then I hear, "no pirates, go away pirates" as he does not like the new Disney show about Pirates! Then, he needs a snack (and yes, it is about 8:45 and he thinks that after eating breakfast just over an hour ago his belly needs a snack)! Then, he needs milk, like the book, if you give a mouse a cookie, he will need some milk and so on and so on. Levi is just like that mouse! Then he helps mommy clean the house, he uses a baby wipe, I use lysol or windex wipes! After our morning is over, we like to play! Build house or play with the jungle. We must take every puzzle apart and put them back together.

After that, I am told by Levi that I need to leave and shut the door, so that is my time to clean! I do my house cleaning and grocery list, and etc. Then, it is time for lunch... And Levi usually doesn't want lunch, so he takes a nap. I finsih cleaning or doing whatever and then when he wakes up, it is time to pick up Bruce! We must check the mail (although half of the time it hasn't come yet) and then after we do that we wait at the bus stop. Levi hugs his favorite neighbor and then he has to yell that the "school bus" is here. Then we wait...

After they argue about who will make it home first, we make it home at last. Then, they play together (until next week which will mean homework time for Bruce), and I start dinner. We eat, we play, then it is time to get ready for bed and read a story. We pray and tuck in, and say goodnight at least 4 times a piece and then we start all over the next day!

*Just a little glimpse into my day as a SAHM to a toddler and a First Grader*

God Bless

16 weeks down

I haven't updated that much during the deployment. I wanted to, but between Opsec, the kids and being busy I haven't had time. Or, for that matter, much that I could say on here.

Now that Bruce is back in school, a first grader, I can take a moment and update our progress. The boys were going to bed at 9:00 this summer, but they are back to their 7:30 routine, and that helps me keep my routine as well.

We have been very busy since May. I have barely had time to think, let alone blog, but I am glad for that because it was a busy and sometimes rough 10 weeks this summer. The boys are definitely good at keeping me on my toes! They are mini Matt's most of the time, with a little touch of me. Everyday is something new with them, and I am so grateful for them!

Bruce is in first grade now! He is starting to look older and get a bit taller finally! He loves to read and he is getting so much better, as long as he is reading a book that he hasn't memorized (like I used to do). He is starting to get more chores to do, he still has problems with doing them because he thinks it is my job to make his bed and clean up his toys, but we are slowly working on that. He is so good with Levi and they miss each other each day, but they are also glad to have a break. He really misses Dad, but he prays for him everynight, and he talks about him a lot! He is a sweet child and I get told that he is so nice and sweet by everybody, especially the people from church!

Levi is 2.5! I cannot believe how big he is. He comes to Bruce's shoulders now and he just keeps growing! He can spell his name and reconize letters of the alphabet, plus we have flashcards with numbers and shapes and he is getting so good at counting. He says new words and talks better just about every day! He misses Dad too, but he doesn't quite understand how long he has been gone, but he loves talking to him when he can. He is so sweet and loving! He argues already, and sometimes it is so funny! He tells me every sunday that he learns about Jesus and he is just so old for a 2 year old!

I am doing pretty well. What is getting me through this deployment is staying positive. I see the brightside in everything, at least most of the time. I don't sit here and dwell on the fact that Matthew is far away, instead I think of ways to better our relationship, or better myself. I take care of the boys and make sure they still have fun and learn things, even though this time in our lives are different. I try to take care of Matt still, as best as I can with him being so far away. I send him 2 packages every week or two and I write emails a lot. I try to send cards and little things to him to make him feel at home. We talk as much as we can, and I hold onto those moments and I know he will be home eventually.

We just went on vacation this past week, it was a lot of fun, just missing one thing. I will upload pictures later to this blog, but I wanted to give a quick update!

God Bless

Long time...

I really need to update this more. I don't get how I'm so busy! Matt is gone and Bruce is out of school for the summer and I'm busier than ever! The boys go to bed between 7 and 7:30 during the school year, but lately since it's summer they have been going to bed around 9:00 during the week! I don't have that much time now to do things on the computer and such, but I'll start finding the time.

I really needs to put pictures up, so I may do that in the next few days! I have a lot of pictures!

Wee are now 8 weeks done with the deployment! Almost 2 months down now. It is crazy how some days the time flys and on other days it creeps like a snail.

The boys are getting bigger by the day. Matthew already said that he barely recognized Levi.:(
They have both been doing more and more things lately, it's hard to keep up with them!

I will update this blog more and continue to update my other blog also.

God Bless!

Summer rain?

It has been hot here. Record temperatures, virtually no spring this year except for the pollen and blistering sun. We have wildfires here, quite a lot. I can't remember the exact statistic, but we are in the top 7 or something with states with wildfires. We experience very humid, very dry temps here and we go through a lot of periods with no rain, or very little (the sidewalks stay dry as it rains). We have had a few times that rain has been heavy, which is always a blessing from God!

We have had a tornado in April, which caused damage and a ton of heavy and fast rain. We had a windstorm Saturday, with really no rain (ok, maybe a few drops). And, we had a huge storm last night. When I say huge, I mean that we had quarter size hail, showers, sideways blowing rain, drifts of water and a second bout of hail that was dime sized. Our road (we live on a cul-de-sac) was completely under water, my back yard was drenched and my house once again flooded. Not a huge flood, but standing water in the dining room and the master closet and bathroom.

I cleaned that up, at 10:45 when it happened, then I called the housing office and left a message. They showed up as soon as they opened today, the carpet cleaner came shortly after and then the contractor right after that! Hopefully they will fix the issue tomorrow and no more heavy rain will come unless it trully does get fixed!

God Bless (and thank you God for the rain)!

June is almost over?

Where has the time gone? You think that with one less person in the house, we would be less busy and I would have more time to update this, but that is far from the case. I usually go to bed at 10:00pm, and still get the blog done, dishes and chores finished, relaxing time and more... But, lately I haven't been hitting the hay until 11:00 or so, and not accomplishing everything I want! Having Bruce home for the summer, when he has been at school since August has been an adjustment! And having Matthew gone for the last 5 weeks has also been an adjustment! We have only had a few days here and there where we haven't been busy, but that is changing! Today, we ran to check on my friends house while she is out of town, and grab an APO box from there, and that is all! We got to stay home, even though I planned not to. That is what I need to do more often! I am a planner, an organizer and a well thought out person most of the time, but I am learning to be more flexible! That is something good to be able to be when you are a military wife. In this life, we never have set in plans until they are already in motion, but even then they can still change!

My goal is to update this blog with pictures and/or text at least every other day. And, I want to start a food blog! I will see how that goes!

God Bless!

What can I say?

I love updating this blog, I love writing and getting things out, even if nobody reads it. But, Matt is a soldier and he is deployed. Without talking about him and that, that takes out a big chunk of my life and a big chunk of what I would write about. He doesn't want me to write about the deployment, no year in the life of... or anything to do with it. He is very much about Opsec, and so am I. He is so strict with it, even if it isn't really a violation, he still doesn't want to talk about it on the internet.

The boys are a big part of my writing the blog too, but it also requires talking about the "D" word a lot...

Either way, I will still update, put up pictures and videos and share stories, but I don't know if it will be everyday like it was... I will try harder to update a few times a week though. And I am starting a food blog; healthy and easy recipes!

The life we live.

Matt was in JRTC the month of March. I was lucky enough to have him here on my birthday, he left a few days later. He was home the entire month of April, and we had block leave and a few extra days to have family time. Then, we had 2.5 weeks in the month of May to have him home with us before he left.

He landed in Iraq his time Wednesday morning. This is his third deployment. This is mine and the boys first. We told him goodbye at midnight, on our third anniversary. It was a hard goodbye, but we know that he is doing his job, he will be back sooner than it seems and we knew this day would come. I am proud of Matthew and Bruce and Levi are proud of their dad.

God bless all of the troops, regardless of branch, rank, gender, etc. Watch over them and let them know that they are ALL being thought of.

May flowers.

I love life, I love nature, I love all four seasons, I love beauty and I love that all of that came from God.

May is one of my favorite months, not just because we got married this month, but also because of the beauty. March winds bring April showers and that brings May flowers. The flowers are so pretty, the bushes, the trees with buds, the random wild flowers that grow on the ground. I smile every time I see a pink, red, blue, purple, etc flower blooming.

God bless

Fun times in a cabin in the woods!

Our vacation was last week, we went to Bryson city, NC, which is where the Smoky Mountain National Park is located on the NC side! We went there last Monday and stayed until Thursday. We woke up early on Monday morning and finished packing our things, loaded up the car and went on our way. 6 hours later, after passing and driving through/on beautiful mountains and scenery, we arrived to check in. We got the information for the key and the directions to our cabin and headed that way! After getting lost due to the signs being labeled wrong, we finally got to our cabin. It was better than the pictures and my imagination! We pulled up and saw the hot tub, the wrap around porch with a swing and rocking chairs!

We walked in and the smell of woods and the feel of the cabin was just wonderful! Skip to the next morning after breakfast, we drove throught the town of Cherokee and saw some waterfalls. Then we headed to the SMNP and started on our first hike! It was easy and straight, and we got to see 3 more waterfalls. Levi rode in his new backpack carrier and Bruce did a great job walking the whole time! We rested up and ate a snack and headed back to the cabin! We made our plans for the next day and then we all got in the hot tub. The boys spent a few minutes in it only, but they loved it!

The next day we headed to Piegon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN. It was raining and we were sure that we wouldn't get to hike, but after we ate lunch it cleared up completely and we still got to hike! Gatlinburg was a wonderful little town, but we didn't know that and had no time to stop and check things out, but we plan to go back again. This time, the trail that we decided to go on was busy! The parking areas for it were filled up so we had to walk at least .5 a mile up the hill on the pavement to get to the trail. The whole trail was bumpy, steap and next to an overhang so we had to stay on one side and be careful. It was tough, but we made it all the way to the waterfall! On the way down, we saw a bear! A real and big black bear, but he was in a tree and we got a picture, it was neat and the boys loved it!

We also took a ton of pictures of the mountain, it was breath taking and beautiful!

We had a wonderful time, and we miss the cabin and can't wait until we go back!

God Bless!

Vacation

Matt is currently on block leave and we are enjoying our time relaxing and just doing very little but spending time together. Bruce is in school this week, but he has spring break next week, so we are starting our family vacation Monday!

Easter is Sunday and we are planning on getting dressed up, going to church and then coming home for dinner! Then we will hide eggs and find them and give the boys their Easter treats. Then we will work on the finishing touches of our packing for our trip! We are heading to Bryson City, which is in the Smokey Mountains! I am so excited for the breathtaking beauty of the mountains, the seclusion of the cabin and the celebration (early) of our third wedding anniversary! Plus, I really enjoy our drives, we get a lot of quality talking done! We will arrive early evening/late afternoon time on Monday and stay until Thursday afternoon. Fireplaces, hottub, grill, deck, views and fire pits! I am so excited and the boys are too!

We are looking forward to some family time outside of our neighborhood for once!

God Bless

Flashback...

May 3, 2003- Tornado hits Carl Junction, Missouri (the small town that I grew up in). I was 17 years old, a junior in HS and school had 2 weeks left to go. It was a Sunday afternoon and I was at church. We left church to seek shelter (me and the other 4 who were there) about 3 minutes before the church was destroyed by a tornado. My small town was pretty much destroyed and it devastated everyone.

May 2009- Straightline winds hit Carl Junction, Missouri. My aunt was in her "house" when the winds hit it and destroyed it. Her, my uncle and her grand daughter all survived, but the house did not. It was devastating to see a house that I did a lot of my growing up in (I lived there with her 2 times growing up) in pieces and then to see it bulldozed down.

April 16 2011- Tornado hits Fayetteville/Sanford/Fort Bragg,etc... North Carolina- I told Matt that the clouds and the air looked like we might actually get a tornado here, but I have a "gift" (if that is what you want to call it) to predict the weather and I am pretty accurate a lot. Well, since we know that it isn't common weather here, we still decided to run into town. While we are in Target, the electricity went out, and for about a minute it was pitch black in there before the generators kicked on. Both of the boys handled it well, no noise or freak outs! We decided to leave the store since there was no point to be in a store that had no electricity, and then we realized that the power would be out in the streetlights as well, but Matt decided to try other routes home. As we were driving, on the other side of Fayetteville a tornado touched down (or more than one, I am not sure yet) and caused a lot of damage to trees, businesses, houses, power lines, streets, apartment buildings... There was one death and 83 reported injuries. This was nothing new to me, but it brought back bad memories from when God saved my life (that part wasn't bad, but the tornado itself was) and told me to leave before something happened to me and the four others. Thank God that more damage wasn't down and that we were completely spared.

Tornadoes are no joke, and to the people that say that they are no big deal, they must not have ever witnessed the devestation of one. God bless you all.

A few pictures from the ball

We didn't get as many pictures as I wanted because it was so dark in there, but here are a few of the ones that we did manage to get!

Our first picture at the ball!

Matt and all of his guys, minus one.

Blurry Matt.

We look nice!

Me.

Matt's SCO.

Me again.

Our friends, Jennifer and Shawn

Another Jennifer, Matt's PSG's wife.

2 of the ladies at our table.

And another of me. Can you tell that Matt had my camera in his pocket?!

Matt, having fun!

A ball...

We went to the 1-73rd  Cav Ball thursday night. It was my very first ball (not Matt's though!) It was interesting for sure. My neighbor and friend watched the boys for us, and we are so glad that she was there to help us out so we could enjoy a night out alone! I knew that balls were known for people drinking, but I had no idea that so many would be drunk before it even started. And most of the drunk people were older, in their mid-twenties and thirties. I was just so shocked by how careless so many were, and how a lot of people made BIG fools of themselves.

Matt and I had a glass of wine to do all of the many toasts, and then in true ball style, there was a grog. It was mixed with so many different types of alcohol, it was hilarious. I tried the grog, and it tasted like Vodka more than anything, and after one sip I was done! Needless to say, the Chaplain, myself, one of my friends and Matt were probably the most "sober" people in the whole place. I helped "carry" two drunk ladies up stairs and got them back to the table so they wouldn't get lost. We had to find one girlfriend who got lost outside and was wondering around aimlessly, and I had to shush an older soldier sitting next to me more times than I could count because he was yelling out during the Squandron Commanders speech. All in all it was fun, but I did feel like the mom of the table!

Matt ordered us steak, and it was really good, but it wasn't steak! It was 100% roast beef! They showed pictures of Haiti and JRTC and videos of JRTC on 2 big screens, and that was really nice because Matt was in just about every other photo! We got garters during a garter ceremony, and then we got our pictures taken! Hopefully they will turn out well, because about half of the time my eyes end up closed! Matt grabbed me a center piece and we took our name cards for a memory too! We didn't get as many pictures as I anticipated, because it was so dark in there, but we did manage a few!

It was a fun time for the most part, and I am glad that we went! It was great getting my hair done and dressing up! I felt like a princess!

*I was trying to upload some photos from the ball, but it is telling me that the server is rejecting them, so I will try to put some photos up later*

God Bless

Pictures of dad and the boys!

Bruce is sliding in a crazy way!

The boys enjoy playing with each other (most of the time).

Walking home from the bus stop yesterday!

Throwing a fit because he tried to go outside by himself and I told him to wait!

He has much more fun at the park this year, but when did he get so big?

Trying to give mamma a heart attack!

Running away from dad!

Taking a breather!

He has to tie his shoes a lot, but he will learn to tie them more tightly eventually!

Mid-slide...

He wanted daddy to sit in the baby swing!

He likes to sit backwards on the jumper so his feet can touch!

They were all trying to beat the other home!

Bright sun!

Sometimes...

April has been a month that we have been anticipating for a while. We knew that Matt had JRTC (pre-deployment training) the whole month of March, so we have been wanting April to get here because it meant that he would be back home, it would be the ball, spring break/block leave and vacation. We are not looking forward to April coming to an end, and it seems that this month is already going by more quickly then the last 3 months did...

It is storming here today, so the plan is to stay inside with Levi while Bruce is in school and Matt is at work. Tomorrow I have a dentist appointment and Matt has a jump, thursday I am getting my hair done and then we are going to my first ball (finally get a chance to go to one)! Friday Matt may have off, and Bruce does have off, so we are going to have family time. This weekend is busy filled with friends, fun, family and relaxing! Then, next week marks our vactation time! As quickly as this month will go by, it will be filled with fun and good times!

Here is to hoping that April may slow down a little!

God Bless

March winds bring April showers?

I think that North Carolina may have that mixed up, because tomorrow and saturday calls for wind and yesterday and today called for rain showers...

When I was growing up I always loved the month of March. It was my birthday, yes, but also because it brought spring! In March it started to warm up enough to wear jackets instead of coats and t-shirts instead of sweaters. It was the begining of a new time of the year, and it brought beauty and sunshine. I still love March, but this year I am looking more forward to April, which starts tomorrow. Matt is done with training and he shouldn't be in the field, or ranges or doing too much this month. He has block leave and we are taking a vacation to the mountains! We will be staying in a cabin that has 2 bedrooms, 2 fireplaces, a full nice kitchen, living room, dining room, pation and hot tub! It also has a yard and a fire-pit. We will besically be relaxing, hiking, cooking and exploring the mountains!

We will also be celebrating our third wedding anniversary early as well. April is going to bring a lot of family time and a lot of good memories! So, I say, bring it on April, showers or wind!!!

God Bless!

Spring cleaning...

I never really understood Spring cleanning. Why not just keep your house picked up all year long so you don't have to do one annual cleaning? Well, this year I got it! It isn't that your house is dirty or unkempt, it is, to me at least, a time to do a major cleaning of things that don't need to be cleaned regularly. For example, I just cleaned every baseboard in the entire house, who knew they got so dirty? But, they aren't dirty every day or even every week... Closets too; front, storage, bathroom, linen... They get dis-organized and need to be cleaned up, but maybe not very often. And Spring is the time to put out the winter and bring in the cooler clothes of the spring and summer months.

Our house is clean almost always. It is lived in, but it gets picked up (minus the playroom) every night. But, after the last two days of cleaning walls and base boards our house smelled clean! Not like febreeze or candles, or fruity, but clean like sanitary! I am turning into a cleaning freak I think!

God Bless

March is almost over, here are some photo's...

Levi put on Bruce's jeans!

Totally clueless, had no idea I snapped a photo!

What a cheesey smile! 

He stole my seat and was acting aloof.

Here is a sequence of photos with Levi and Spot aka Spot baby.

Levi was drinking some milk and wanted his baby at the table with him.

Levi decided to get up and give his "baby" a drink of milk.

The final photo, he got in the chair with Spot, put him on his lap and "fed" him the milk!

What a sweet boy!

This face screams ornery!

Finally a smile from Bruce!

A brotherly hug!

The boy's were coloring together.

Levi didn't want to share the markers and was throwing a fit!

Now he is happy and they are back to coloring!

Both of them are concentrating...

Levi is sitting in the drawer of the train table, I guess he can reach it better from the drawer?!?!

Playing at the park, he is so much bigger this year than last year!

Playing with his friend.

Bruce and Cody (my cousin). He came down here to have dinner with us!

Levi didn't care for Cody at first, but he warmed up eventually!

Levi brought a stack of books, his chair and Spot to the living room.

He said he wasn't tired, but I went to check on him when I laid him down the other day and I found him in the chair in their room like this! He is dead asleep!

Bruce with his cheese grin in the play room!

We hoped that you enjoyed the pictures and you have a great end of the month! God Bless