It's that time of year...

So I want to be honest and state that Christmas is really not my favorite holiday. However I am learning to appreciate more and more about this over commercialized date. I realized one of the biggest reasons I don't get to excited about Christmas is because I am OCD. I want it all, and I want it all done right! You know pretty and fun with carols in the background while I do it:) But since that is just a dream and not life I am learning to make the most of what I can have. I didn't even want a dumb tree this year how Scrooge McDuck was that! Yet my husband the perpetual postive one was insistent on the whole tree experience right down to chopping it down with hand saw! I know I will look back on the pictures of that day with delight, so why do I fight it going in?

I want my children to have as many happy memories of the holiday as I have to I strive to do all the "fun" things I can think of. One of them being this years "Advent Box". This is a pretty box that I am using to help the kids count down the last two weeks till Christmas. Every morning there is some little activity, craft, or candy in the box to help us stay focused on being a family this season. Yesterday's box held little mugs, hot cocoa packets, christmas shaped marshmallows, and cookies so we could have a hot cocoa party. Today we decorated foam chrismas trees with foam sticker ornaments. I also have dragged out all the Christmas books I have been collecting since before the kids were born, I almost have enough to read a different Christmas story every night till the actual date. We put up what little decor I haven't tossed in my efforts to have as little as possible to move around the country. Overall we aren't doing anything monumental or life changing this season. What we are doing is making the most of a holiday that celebrates the birth of something that was life changing!

T is for Thanksgiving

It is almost Thanksgiving and I have been doing a LOT of complaining. I am sure none of you are shocked by this if you know and love me, however I thought I might try something along the more grateful track. So since I love a list...

T is for:

Thanksgiving!- The one day a year when you are encouraged to eat till you hurt:)

Travel- I love a good road trip and my family and I are headed on one this Saturday.

Time Off- My favorite guy in the whole world has 10 days to devote nothing other than his family.

Turkeys- Some many kinds of turkeys to love! Handprint, Cooked/Basted, Little edible ones made out of Candy/Cookies. I think coming up with a different kind of Turkey might become yearly activity for us.

Traditions-Don't you love repeating something that brings up good memories? I especially love thinking up new ones for my kids to hopefully savor one day:)

Do you have a favorite T word, leave a comment and share it! Happy Turkey Day:)

Funny Family

I just wanted to post to say that I have the best family EVER! You are all so funny and witty and every post made by one of you makes me smile in some way. I love that Clare can make me tear up yet laugh about fries from Jack in the Crack. Katy has got to be the best witty writer ever and if she doesn't get into whatever college she wants that is there loss! And my hilarious Aunt makes me grin often over her daily occurrences and her opinion of them. Please Auntie Dawn take that as a compliment and DO NOT make me eat candy corns!! I love you guys and hope you all forgive me that my blogs aren't as entertaining or amusing, however that is just me. By the way Mom don't think I forgot you or don't appreciate your blogs, I DO. You just haven't posted as recently and yours tend to be more thought provoking that amusing. Plus I just happen to read Clare's, Katy's and then Aunt Dawn's blogs in that order. I thought my views on their blogs was to long to post in a lil ole comment box. Keep 'em coming girls!

All Duh

I am all duh...that would be how my daughter said all done when she was younger. I am tired of the Army get to play games with my emotions. My spouse has been gone to long and I just want him back. He was supposed to be home possibly as early as this past Monday. Well being the pessimist I am I knew better than to expect him home early, so I wasn't surprised when that didn't pan out and we went to the original date of the 15th. Well when they pushed that back to Sunday night, I still wasn't surprised but nor could I laugh as I did the first time. However when he called last night to say we are now looking at Monday I lost it. I have two little people who are desperate to see their dad, I am trying to live a life normal while in limbo, and mostly importantly I am just done! I fought the good fight, I know I CAN do it, I just don't want to! How would you feel if 2 days before Christmas someone said "Hold it, wait, we are actually not going to allow you to have any type of Celebration on the 25th, all celebrating will take place on the 27th." Would you handle that well? Maybe if you are like me and could live with or without Christmas Hoopla, however in that case I beg you to put some date of importance in the example and work with me here! Nonetheless I will keep hoping Monday pans out....

Cookin' with Carson

Since my last post was so dismal, I thought I would post a happy little blurb. You probably all know that I have had the privilege of watching my 4 year old niece (Josie) and my 18 mo nephew (Carson) while their parents are on Vacation. Tonight while the "big" kids were happily engrossed in a movie. Carson and I decided to whip up a batch of brownies. Carson's official jobs were taste testing the chocolate chips and cleaning off the spatula (with his tongue!). He also thought that wearing the batter was as good as eating it. You can see by the following photos he was a very happy little sou chef, and I have to admit this was the most fun I have had in the kitchen in a while! Our brownies turned out well, although Carson and the kitchen were a little worse for the wear. If you want to recreate our master piece cut and paste the following link:
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=28489
Happy Baking:)

Blah, Blah, Blog

I hope nobody gets to excited that I am blogging again, unfortunately I don't have much to say. However I do LOVE reading everyone's blogs, and feel I shouldn't benefit without contributing.

I wish I had something witty to write about, but I don't.
I wish I could think of a list to share with you but I can't.
I wish I had tried a great new recipe to pass along, but I haven't.

All I can think about is that I am done. I don't know how I got through the last 11 months, yet this last month of deployment is DRAGGING. I just want to feel whole again, I am tired of managing alone. I really do think I have learn alot about myself and my kids this last year. Even Steve and I's relationship has grown, however I am all done learning and growing. I just want to be a family.

I know this is quite a depressing way to come back in to blog land. However just getting this off my chest has helped. I know all things work together for His good, I just wish things would work a little faster:)

Out of the Mouth of Babes

I would love to think I will always remember the endearing things my children say, however I know I am already losing my mental capacities. SO I am putting them here so I can savor them at a later date. Keep in Mind these are the actual words that came out of my sweet children's mouths the last week.
1)
Gideyon "Mom, do water towers actually have water in them?"
Gillyan "Yes! Hence the name WATER tower" in her most condescending six year old voice.
2)
Gillyan "Mom we should go get ice cream to celebrate Grammy's birthday since it's her favorite!"
Bear in mind that we live 2400 miles apart, but the girl will work any angle to get ice cream:)
3)
Gideyon"Mom when I grow up can I not brush my teeth so that they will rot and then I can get gold crowns on them like a pirate?" Do not ask me how that boy's brain works!
4)
Gillyan"My hair is kinda curly and wavy like Grammy's. I like Grammy's hair, it's pretty!" Translation: I can't tell you that I love my own hair that would be vain, so I will just tell you how much I love Grammy's because my hair is just like hers!
5)
Gideyon"Mom if I pay for them can I eat the whole box of PopTarts?" The child has a serious addiction to those frosted things!
6)
Gillyan "Mom when I grow up and have my own house, you can spend the night as much as you want" Let's pray she always feels that way:)

These little quotes and phrases may not mean much to anyone else, but they will definitely remind me of the personalties my little people had at this time.

Sorry ...20 years Late

OK, so sometimes personal experience IS what it is all about. Along those lines I would like to share some things I have experienced as a Mom that have made me say in my head "I am SO sorry Mom that I did this to you".
So this one's for you Mom:

• I am sorry Mom that no matter how many times you asked I never cleaned my own toothpaste blobs out of the sink. Don't worry Gilly and Gidey daily remind me of this sin previously committed.
• I apologize Mother that I never allowed you to own or even know where your scissors or scotch tape was. I now also am the owner of MIA office supplies.
• Please forgive me for all the times I tattled on the most trivial of matters. I didn't realize that I was only making you feel like a full time referee. I now feel most days that I should where only black and white, with a whistle.
• Accept my sincerest apologies on the matter of clothing: Not caring what you liked, not ever keeping things neat in my drawers or closets, or even for that matter getting the dirty ones where they belonged! Gillyan alone more than pays me back for this one on a daily basis.
  
• Can you find it in your heart to forgive all the times I didn't give a care how a job got done because it didn't effect me? I now realize how much MORE work my carelessness made. Gideyon is the master of a speedy yet sloppy job so I comprehend this one fully.
  

And just think I have had all these revelations in the last 6 years! By the time my guys are teenagers hopefully I will have realized the complete extent of my transgressions and apologized profusely! In the mean time I will keep loving my two, and thanking God that my Mother is not a grudge holder:)

5 Faves

I haven 't done a list in while and I do so adore one. So out of sheer boredom here are 5 of my current "new" favorite things:

1. Scent- Green Citrus from Bath & Body. This is such a clean fresh scent that I have it everywhere from my air fresheners to my body wash!
2. Drink- Izze Apple. Everytime I go in to be seen I get a lecture on staying hydrated, so in search of something I could down quickly I found these guys, and I have to say I actually love all the flavors but Apple is my favorite.
3. Shoes- My new beaded coral flops from Target! They go with like half my summer clothes and I swear they make my legs look tanner:)
4. Music/Song- Innocent by Stellar Kart. Everytime they play this song, I have to sing it and it makes me want to try a little harder to be less like the world.
5. Book- My new bible study book: Me, Myself & Lies by Jennifer Rothchild. I never realize how hard we as women are on ourselves but this study has been eye opening. I am growing in places I didn't know needed watered!

Ok, so you are now current on all my trend setting favorites. Hurry out and duplicate them all so you to can be as fabulous as me!

Bedroom Makeover

Yeah for Kelly! Who wisely advised me to forgo my Firefox browser when uploading pics, and instead use Internet Explorer. So Thanks again Kels!

Ok with the respects paid and out of the way. I can go forward about my blog pics.

The above pics are of my newly redone bedroom. Before Steve came home I went on a house cleaning spree, and ended up painting both the kids bedrooms and mine! I have to admit mine is my favorite. I had been saving my new bedding and such from Christmas until I could redo the entire room. I was hoping to have a new bedframe and a for once in my life a matching dresser. However as you can see from the pics that didn't happen. In fact I for went the bed frame entirely since it was perched on books and just put the mattress and boxsprings on the floor! Still I am entirely pleased with the overall look. I was a little timid about the gray paint on the walls but I now I am in love with it! I didn't buy hardly anything but the accessories so the whole room cost under $100 dollars out of my pocket:) Maybe oneday, someday I will add matching black furniture to the ensemble.

P.S. Lara if the lamp and table look a little familiar, we thank you for your donation:)

Blog Frustration

So I have actually been trying to post all week, but even my blog is against me! My layout page won't let me add anything, and my post page won't let me add pictures. So in frustration I have not put up the two original post I had planned, instead (lucky you) you get this whiny one. One day I am going to be technically savvy enough that a little ole blog posting will be cake, but until then.... And if you know me at all you know that if I can't do it right I just won't do it at all. So this blog thing may be coming to an quick end! That's it for now, aren't you glad you waited a month to read this?

Rain Request

Hello All 3 of my faithful readers:) I don't normally do unusual things on my blog, in fact I don't usually even blog! However we have received three straight days of rain including today and my heart is full over it. I simply love the rain, it doesn't make me sullen, nor do I grouch when I have to go out it in. I just revel in the fact that God sent it to me. So that is where my unusual request comes in. I have been looking out my window this morning wishing I knew some verses that pertained to rain so I could pray them. Would you all be willing to look up one verse about rain and send it in your comment so I can refer to them? Thanks I would really appreciate it! I look forward to what you all come up with.

Proof!

I have always feared in my heart that my children hate me, in fact sometimes I think they get together in the middle of the night and plot ways to make me crazy. The past few days have given me concrete proof. Proof you say? Yes in the form of..... CONFETTI & GLITTER! Yes you read that right I have decided that the way my children want to make me commit myself comes in a form most people sprinkle for decoration.

See it started innocently enough, someone gifted my daughter with some body glitter and a scrapbook kit complete with confetti. And at first the confetti on the table was annoying and then trying to wash body glitter out of her hair made me mad, but then they took it to a whole new level. Yesterday I walked in to my son's room and what looked like a Libby Lu party gone wrong (if you don't know what a Libby Lu store is consider yourself blessed!). When I asked why there was glitter and confetti from here to kingdom come they politely explained that they had simply been playing Peter Pan and that you can't fly without Pixie dust! OK, so I guess I can do a little sweeping in the name of imaginative play, however today I changed my mind. As I vacuumed all 6 rooms in our home and the hallway I kept finding the dang stuff! And NO people even my dyson is no match for the plague that is glitter. I tell you every single room and each carpet that is in my house had some form of shiny substance on it. Not happy Bob, Not happy!

All this is just to vent a little and keep from making threats to my children that I don't intend to keep past their 8th birthday. Just in case though you should take it in your head to send me a card in the mail, do me a favor and send money not confetti!

Behavior Board

So as most of you know, my husband is currently out of the country. This leaves me for the time being as a single parent. Now that has been going pretty well until recently. Within the last two days my fairly obedient children have become whining, fighting, fussy, lazy, talking back little beast! I tried all my usual tactics without success: time out, revoke privileges, etc. I was at my wits end yesterday and sent them to bed early, praying today would be better.

So as for my solution (besides giving them to their Grammy:). I went to the dollar store and gathered some supplies and came up with this board:

The idea is that everyday of the week except Sunday they start out with 4 sticks. You lose a stick for bad behavior along with a punishment. Each stick has a specific punishment, for example lose the first stick go to bed 1/2 an hour early. In addition at the end of the week if you have more than 20 sticks total you are allowed a special privilege such as going to get donuts, extended DS time, or play a board game with the family. I am hoping this system of punishment and rewards will grant me at least a week or two of peace. I will try to keep you posted as to the effectiveness, however if you don't hear from me more often assume the board was a bomb:)

Lack of Winter Blues

So I know that people get the winter blues, however I am sure I have the LACK of winter blues. The weather here in Texas has been an average of 70 all week. So while I have enjoyed throwing my children in the backyard as much as possible, I am crabby that I can't wear any of my winter clothes! Not only that the dumb weather wrecked havoc on my menu plans, I mean how much fun is it to eat beef stew or chicken chili with the air conditioning on. So for those of you that know and love me please pray for cold. I not talking a snow storm or anything (although I would take that!) I would just be pleased if the temp dropped in to the 30's. So if you are complaining that you wish the sun would come out, or that it is no fun to run errands in the snow, just remember the grass is always greener in Texas!

Home Again, Home Again

Well Folks I finally made it home and hope to manage to stay here for more than two weeks this time:)

No really I loved seeing everyone, and I know that keeping busy was the only way I made it through the holidays without Steve, however I truly am content to be home. The kids are a little lost without so many people and so much activity, but I am sure that soon enough we will fall back into routine. I have been really yucky sick with sinus junk and such, so I haven't quite got back into my groove yet. On top of that I had like 4 appts my first week home, and then car issues! However all that chaos serves to remind me that there really is no such thing as routine or normal.I am expecting company already tomorrow, so I am sure that next week will prove to be a little busier than usual. But all these distractions and dates to look forward to allow the time to speed by somewhat faster as I count the days.

My Birthday is this week, and I both look forward to it and dread it. Not just because I am getting older, but because birthdays in our family are the most special day of the year. And I had finally "trained" Steve in almost all our traditions and he won't be here to help make it special. In fact that night I have a mandatory Town Hall meeting to attend, how un-birthdayish is that? Oh well next years is a big one for me, so hopefully Steve will be home to make much to do about it:)