Goodbye 2011!!

Well, another year is about to go into the history books and I'm so glad its behind us! 2011 wasn't exactly a bad year, not even a particularly long one, but its been one of the hardest (if not THE hardest) year of my life! I have always been proud to be an Army wife but never so much as I am after surviving a deployment with "2 under 2!"

I have learned so much about myself this year and become such a stronger person. I have made some amazing friends and sadly had to end two of the longest friendships of my life. But, these friends have all contributed to making me who I am, and therefore I am so thankful that all of them have been a part of my life!

Now that the hubby has returned we can focus on the future. I have a few very exciting events to look forward to this year, from dear friends welcoming their long awaited babies, to finishing my MAS... finally!! lol As I enter this year (my last in my 20s!)I am finally able to look back and be completely happy with the path I've taken thus far and with what I see for my family's future! Most of all I've learned some very important lessons from a very unlikely source, Kate Gosslin! (But to hear those you'll have to wait until I have the time and energy to write that blog! ha!)

I Must Be Crazy!!

From the time Will and I got married we agreed we only wanted two children! (I had grand plans of having twins- 1 boy and 1 girl so I could get it all out of the way at once! lol Talk about naieve!) Well, now we have two amazing little boys and I am so grateful that God has given me these little blessings. But, I've been coming more and more to the conclusion that I want another!

Its not so hard to understand why the Duggars have so many children. I  would gladly keep going and having children until I was officially cut off, but I am not nearly as patient as Michelle Duggar, nor are we financially able to afford that many children, especially with the military lifestyle! Could you imagine living in on post housing with even 8 kids?!?! I have friends who have 4 or 5 and its tight and they usually live off post just to have room for everyone! So, now I am working on getting my husband to agree to try for a third, and he's not putting up much of a fight! :)

I had a friend ask me today about us wanting a third, since she (as well as most our friends and family) knows we've always just wanted two. But, even after going through a deployment with "two under two" I have to say I want another. I figure that's the best indicator that I am not going to pass on this feeling!

So, we are currently looking to start trying again in about a year. It will give us about 3-5 months to get me pregnant before Will's next deployment. We are aiming for him missing most of the pregnancy and being home for the first year. (Since deployments are going down to 9 months!) We do know timing is everything and pretty much if I get pregnant any time other than the month he leaves then he will more than likely miss the birth, but we want him to be here for the first year! (And he wants to miss the pregnancy since I have reletively easy pregnancies other than the long lasting morning sickness and become mega-bitch!)

So, with this plan in mind, we have a year before we really have to decide if we are going to go for it and have number three. For now I will pray that God gives us the strength and wisdom to know what is right for our family!)

I'm Thankful For...

As we start the month of November and close in on Thanksgiving I am going to write something I'm thankful on each day of the month. I'll admit I'm not original in this as I had a bunch of friends do it last year on their Facebook pages, but I don't want to clog up everyone's FB, so I'll do it in a post here. I will update this every day this month with what I am thankful for each day! I'm sure they will range from sappy to funny, to sarcastic! But, here goes nothing!!

I am thankful for...

1. Having my husband home!! He arrived home on Oct. 22 and we are all adjusting to him being home pretty well!

2. Having amazing friends!! This morning we had a great breakfast get together and surprise baby shower and this afternoon I had girl time with one of my closest friends!

3. My Mothers! Today at Mops our devotional was about the story of Ruth and getting along with our mothers in law. If not for my MIL my husband would not have been born, so I am thankful for her giving me the gift of a lifelong love and friend!

4. Bedtime! I love my boys with all my heart, but some days they are a handful, like today! I am thankful for bedtime, when we go through our routines and calm down from the day. James still only has a very short bedtime routine, but Keirnan's is one of my favorite times of each day! We get his allergy meds, then read 3 books curled up together in his bed. He picks the first, and then we follow with "That's Not My Plane" and "My Daddy and I." We give each other a big hug and kiss and as I leave I hear "Night Mommy, see you in the morning!" There is nothing more darling thn hearing that from my 2 1/2 year old!!

5. Date Night! I am thankful for having some alone time with my hubby for us to reconnect and just be together! Tonight we are going to Umi's Japanse Steak House and wandering around Target to finish James' birthday shopping! I am excited to spend my Saturday evening in this way. It may be pretty tame, but it suits me just right!!

6. Clothes that fit and a good body image! I don't know how I've managed to, but I am overall very happy with how I look. There are small things I would like to work on, but when I look in the mirror I usually like what I see!!

7. Today I am thankful for the CDC. Its costing me $10 for a no show fee, since I scheduled the boys for the wrong day and didn't take them, but I'm glad we have the option for hourly care!

8. Today I am thankful that the Commissary is almost finished! Now I just need to figure out where they've moved everything!!

9. Having the money to not only buy diapers for my boys, but to reorder them when I get the wrong size!! (And that I got Keirnan's in the wrong size so James can use them instead of the other way around!!)

10. Today I'm thankful for healthy babies!! Keirnan is exactly 2 1/2 today! We found out a good friend is pregnant, and another finally had her gender reveal!! With all this talk of babies, we have of course, been talking about the possibility of going for a full house! (In other words, a girl!!) I am thankful for both my boys, and that God has blessed our family with them!

11. Girls Night! I am thankful for having a husband who is willing to take on the boys at their witching hour and putting them to bed so I can go out with the girls. I am also thankful for having friends to go out and have an enjoyable evening with!

12. I am thankful for treats! Even though I am so thankful for having the opportunity to take my boys trick or treating, I am so thankful we are down to one piece of candy, or as Keirnan says, treats! It is a new experience for us to have him go this crazy over something! And I am ready for him to understand that they are gone!

13.  That my boys are healthy! It is flu season and I have a lot of friends whose children are being knocked down by the flu. I am so thankful it hasn't reached us yet! I am being cautiously optimistic that it won't come through the house this year!

14.  Lazy days at home!! Today was a much needed rest day for all of us after James' birthday party yesterday! We did a whole lot of nothing and it felt great!

15. Today I am thankful for James having a good doctor! His 1 year appt was today and she was great! She said he is developing and looks great. The only worry is his height and weight have fallen off the charts. He is barely bigger than he was between 3-6 months ago! She said its probably just a high metabolism since he eats like a cow, but she ordered a blood test for him and put in a referral to see a dietitian to help me make the most of what he eats!

Wow, I guess I really slacked on that one! lol Oops! Well, overall I am thankfully for everything I have in my life; my husband, my children, my parents, and my friends! I am truely blessed!

Homecoming!! Aka Deployment Over!!

Well, we did it, we survived another deployment!! It has been such a wonderful day. The ceremony was at 11am and we were there with a friend of mine at 945. This was my first homecoming ceremony. Last deployment I was at Advance Camp (Warrior Forge) when Hubby's unit got home, so he elected to come home (to Germany) via the boat, getting in a month behind the main body. Time wise it made sense for us! Anyway, it was quit the experience to get to be there for it. Well, really it was nice having friends to talk to and the kids to watch play that last hour while we waited.

So, when we got there we were told to grab a seat in the floor seating section on the side. My first thought was "great, I'll never find him from the side/back!" BUT, how awesome is this, he ended up coming in and was right in front of us in formation! Not only did we get to watch him walk into the building and directly toward us, but then got to enjoy making faces at each other until the were dismissed! Thankfully, there were no long speeches or anything so it was all very quick!

My friend Kendra just started a photography business this past year and wanted to get experience in doing Homecomings and I needed someone to take photos for me, so we helped each other out and she got to watch her first homecoming ceremony! (Yes. She is a military wife also, but like me, circumstances have kept her from attending one before!) I am so excited to see the pictures!! She did the boys last pictures (Keirnan's 2 year and James' 6 month) and they were just amazing so I know these photos will be just as great! And anyone who really knows me will agree if not for having Kendra there, there would be no photos since I have an amazing talent for remembering to take my camera everywhere, but forgetting to use it! lol

The boys did great with Will from the get go! Keirnan was a little shy about it when I pointed Will out from our seats. He sat in his seat with feet dangling (so cute!) and just smiled a little unsure. But, when the guys were dismissed and Will started walking over I told Keirnan he could go get Daddy and he took off! Just like at R&R he gave Will the biggest hug and wouldn't let go for awhile! James did so well also. He went to Will right away and was happy to be held with brother and laugh at me making faces! He didn't even mind when he got squished between us in a hug!

So, after our hugs and waiting for it to clear out a bit so we could get the stroller back out the door, we loaded the boys up and drove across the parking lot to get Will's bags and give his special 'gift' to all his soldiers he could find. They were all very happy to receive a Bud and a shot of Gentleman Jack! (Jack for then, and the Bud to go!!)

Finally we got on our way and headed to Manhattan Chili's for lunch! Yum... The afternoon was spent at the train park for a little bit before heading home for naps! The evening has been a bit difficult as Will came home with a cold, and combined with the lack of sleep and his thrown off schedule, he isn't feeling so well tonight!

But, I have my other half safely home. So even sick, I'm thankful to have him. Especially since he came bearing gifts!! I now have a beautiful wool sweater from Ireland and the boys have Ireland rugby (I think) shirts!! My sweater is the good gift though, its just so pretty and I can't wait for it to get just a little colder so I can wear it! The company website is www.sweaters.org if you want to check them out!

Christmas Update!

Over the past few weeks I have been working on our Christmas trip and presents, etc. This is the first year that I am actually ahead of the game and have everything not only figured out, but paid for and ready ahead of time! So, for my own figuring and for the fun of it, here we go!!

Day 1:  Home to Mt. Vernon, IL (12/16/11)
Day 2: Mt. Vernon, IL to Marrow, GA (12/17/11)
Day 3:  Marrow, GA to Orlando, FL (12/18/11)
            - Check-in to Disney All Star Music
Day 4: Orlando (12/19/11)
            - Magic Kingdom
            - Chef Mickey Character Breakfast
            - Fantasmic at MGM in the evening
Day 5: Orlando, FL (12/20/11)
           - Sea World
           - Captain Jack’s  @ Downtown Disney
Day 6: Orlando, FL (12/21/11)
           -  Animal Kingdom
           - Character Lunch  @ Tusker House
Day 7: Orlando, FL to Clearwater, FL (12/22/11)
           - Check-out Disney Hotel
           - Character Breakfast @ Hollywood & Vine, MGM
Day 8: Clearwater, FL (12/23/11)
Day 9: Clearwater, FL (12/24/11)
Day 10: Clearwater, FL (12/25/11)
Day 11: Clearwater, FL (12/26/11)
Day 12: Clearwater, FL (12/27/11)
Day 13: Clearwater, FL (12/28/11)
Day 14: Clearwater, FL to Panama City, FL (12/29/11)
Day 15: Panama City, FL (12/30/11)
Day 16: Panama City, FL (12/31/11)
Day 17: Panama City, FL (1/1/12)
Day 18: Panama City, FL to Athens, AL (1/2/12)
Day 19: Athens, AL to Mt. Vernon, IL (1/3/12)
Day 20: Mt. Vernon, IL to Home (1/4/12)

• Disney Trip; includes Hotel, Tickets, and Dining plan. $950
• About $1000 for Gas and hotels round trip between Kansas and Florida. (3035 highway miles)
• Hotel in Clearwater: Queen Suite (Bedroom separated by door) $500
* The dogs will be about $600

Disney is completely paid for already and money has been set aside to cover the dogs and the hotel in Clearwater! That only leaves gas and hotels during the actual trip, which will come out of Will's TDY money and regular month pay.

As I have said before gifts are figured out all except for a few family members. But, I budgeted $100 to cover them and have found something for them that will fall within the amount and I think/hope they will all like! I just have to order it all! I think I am going to supplement the parents' gifts with similar items also!!

That leaves only figuring out what to get my husband!! I currently have to figure out his birthday gift as well! He wants the windows of his truck re-tinted so I'll probably tell him to get that done for his birthday! lol (I'm not even going to try to get the logistics of that figured out alone! Though maybe I'll enlist Ashley and Justin's help when they get here next week! Hmm...) Ok, still stuck on what to get him for Christmas!! Grrr.

We did get the Sears Heroes at Home gift, but we won't know how much that is for until the beginning of December, so its going to go to the boys' presents leaving that money to go towards Will's gift! Yay! Now off I go to start trolling the Internet for some idea of what to get my wonderful hubby!!

Recent News Story

Yesterday I saw an article, but didn't get to read it until today, that really had me shaking my head!
The article was about a teacher in San Francisco who apparently started docking points from his students' grades for saying "God Bless you." After reading the article, like so many other sites, there was a section for people to write their views and comments. This made me shake my head even more than the article! (I only read about the first 4-5 comments!)

The teacher's side of the story is that the he felt his students were disrupting class by continually sneezing and saying 'bless you.' He also felt there was no reason for them to be saying it since its original meaning and use no longer applies in our society. (Now its just good manners!!)

The other side of the story (I'm assuming the students) was that he was punishing them for doing/ saying something that is considered manners, and to many is so ingrained that it is a reaction.

The comments ranged from 'how dare the teacher offend the students' religious beliefs,' to 'how dare the media, etc. try to keep the teacher from controlling his classroom!' Really people think about it, most students have disruptive days. I remember being in classes where we would do something very much like this to the subs! (I don't remember an actual teacher pissing us off enough to disrespect them so much!) And I remember how upset they would get.

My dad always said there are 3 sides to every story; yours, mine, and the truth! And I think this is one of those stories! Common sense says the kids probably were being disruptive and took it to a level that upset the teacher, but instead of dealing with just the one outbreak, he punished the entire class, to include those who really sneezed and those who really were just being polite!

I think its sad that our society has come to such a point that this is actually in the news!!

My Hand in God's

I grew up in a Masonic family. As such, my childhood and teenage years are full of Rainbow memories. One of those memories is of one of our competitions, called God's Rainbow. It is a beautiful ceremony that includes a poem that runs through my head various times a week. It is something that I can recite by memory and often helps me in times where I feel like I am losing control of my life! For your viewing pleasure I give you:

My hand in God's

Each morning when I wake I say,
"I place my hand in God's today;"

I know He'll Walk close by my side
My every wandering step to guide.

He Leads me with the tenderest care
When paths are dark and I despair--

No need for me to understand
If I but hold fast to His Hand.

My hand in His! No surer way
to walk in safety through each day.

By His Great Bounty I am fed;
Warmed by His Love, and Comforted.

When at day's end I seek my rest
And realize how much I'm blessed,

My thanks pour out to Him; and then
I place my hand in God's again.