The Real Thing.

Boxy snow.

2010-01-04T09:39:00.000-06:00

I'm waiting on the moving company to come today and pick up all our boxes and packing material. I can't wait to have all the space back in the garage!

It's lightly snowing now - large, beautifully crystalline flakes that are so, so fluffy - but I think I'm going to head out there anyway. There's less than a 1/4" of new accumulation on the driveway and sidewalks, but I'm going to try to move the huge mounds of snow along the side of the house to... somewhere else? (I'm not sure where, but it just feels ominous where they are at right now. I mean, it's packed up as tall as me, and we've only just begun the winter season. If it's not moved, where will we put the new snow?)

It's 5° right now, but the wind is blowing less than 5mph at the moment. I don't think we've had winds that low since we arrived in North Dakota. Add in that we should stay in the above 0° today, and it's all the better to take advantage of it!

Edited to add: Whee! Philip just came home for the day (already, and it's not even 10am!), so now we're going out together. We should be able to knock out a lot of this! :-)

Funny expletives are issuing forth from the living room.

2010-01-03T23:54:00.000-06:00

*chuckles*

Whatever Philip is doing in his game on the XBox 360, he's really getting frustrated. He keeps exclaiming out loud, and it's kinda funny here in the office. I know he's playing online with a few of his NE peeps, so it sounds like they're getting their tails kicked!

Speaking of XBox, our unit began with the "red ring of death" last week sometime. Now, this is the second unit to do this, but I love Microsoft's way of fixing it: they send us a brand-new one! The first unit lasted a year, and then they sent us a new one. This second one lasted a little over two years, and we're sending it back tomorrow. They'll be sending us another new one, and I am grateful that Microsoft recognizes this "ring" as a glitch (not user-manipulated), and that they take care of it.

In the meantime, however, Philip had wanted to get a second XBox 360 for the boys to use in the basement playroom. He went ahead and bought a new XBox 360 Elite, and then the new replacement one will go downstairs when it arrives. I'm just happy I won't have to keep hearing the ditzy theme music for "The Bee Movie" game - heehee!

As for me, I'm playing with my new toy: Windows 7. I've got the software to upgrade our Vista now, but I've not yet installed it. I'm trying to decide whether to do an "Upgrade" or a "Custom Install." Do I want the newness of a 'fresh start' and the hassle of moving all my files and junk over to our external drives in the process (which is bound to make things even faster, as all the bogged down/unused registry files will be gone)... or do I want to just 'upgrade,' leaving all my files and stuff intact? I really can't decide, so for now, I research a bit more and look longingly at the green box.

For now, I'm off to enter some more Coke codes. :-)

Baby's drinking Coke at the Hobby Lobby.

2010-01-03T01:50:00.000-06:00

There's only one day left of the boys' holiday vacation, and I know they're sad for it to be over. However, they're very excited to go back to school and begin riding the bus for the first time! All of their snowgear arrived on the 22nd, but their last day before the break was the very next day. That didn't give me enough time to 1) unpack the items (the movers didn't leave that night until 6:30pm), and 2) go to the school to let them know to add them to the bus schedule (which meant I would've gone in on Tuesday morning, and they would've had only the ride home that day... which seemed kinda silly). So, I'll take them to school again on Monday, and while I'm there, I'll head into the office to fill out the bus paperwork. They'll begin riding the bus on Tuesday...

... and I'll begin the jammied, goodbye-kisses-at-the-door! Wheee! (Yeah, I may be even more excited than THEY are! *wink*)

We need to find a larger size 'plate holder' for one of my Coca-Cola® trays in the dining room. We've hung the other ones on the wall, but the largest size we could find was adjustable from 11"-18". My tray is about 20" in length, so no dice. I had the idea of extending the stretchy brackets with zip-ties, but that didn't fully work either. (Philip tried for a good while, too.) We'll find or figure something out, I'm sure.

Speaking of Coca-Cola, we took two of my large puzzles to Hobby Lobby today to be framed. I put these puzzles together about 15 years ago, back in my freshman year of high school. In fact, Philip helped me to make one of them while we were dating. I've carried them from home to home for years, and they've never been on display. I am über-excited to get them back in a couple weeks and put them up in my dining room. Depending on how much I love them (and I'm sure I will!), then I'll take my largest puzzle in to be framed as well. It's about the size of Jack, so it'll be a pretty penny, I know. Still, Hobby Lobby was having a 50% off sale on custom framing, so I figured it was a great time to get them done.

Poor Baby kitty is so frightened of the main level of the house. The living room and the large office both have high ceiling fans, and she is just scared to death of them. Honestly, to see her expression, you'd think there was a giant monster with 200 teeth coming after her. It's been three weeks now, and she's just not warming up to them. The kitties have had their food, water, and litterbox down in the basement, but today, we moved the food up to the office. She has stood in the hallway and mewed at us in the most pitiful voice, and we keep inviting her to join us in one of these rooms. Philip and I have both brought her in here several times to show her the location of the food, calmly petting her and trying to reassure her. The last time Philip did so, she ate about four little kibbles. She'll get there, I know she will, but it's pretty pitiful to see right now.

Kiki, on the other hand, is perfectly happy anywhere now. She was cautious near the fans for the first week or so, but now she's very content. She's currently sleeping on my Coca-Cola bin near the windows while I'm here in the office.

I found a neat, wrought-iron plaque on clearance at Hobby Lobby yesterday with a cut-out design on it, as well as the text, "HOPE." I really waffled on buying it though, as I could see a small scratch in the finish. Philip and I tried to rub it out in the store, and it was almost gone... but I could still see where it was. Even though I thought we might be able to do a better job of it with a cleaner or a special pad at home, I walked away from it. I figured it just wasn't meant to be. I will be keeping an eye out for the perfect "HOPE" decoration this year, as I wanna celebrate and commemorate my word!

I've received a ton more Christmas cards, but I've been remiss this last week in thanking so many of you. Thank you to donnajean2277, hermioneluna, m1x3d3m0t10n5, and scarletharlot52. A special thank-you also goes out to tabbyfoo!

I'm not sure what the day holds tomorrow after church. Maybe I can get all my guys to sit around the table on our new chairs in our gorgeous dining room and play the new game I picked up - Milles Bornes! I loved that card game when I was growing up, and I hope they like it, too. :-)

Happy New Year. :-)

2010-01-01T14:24:00.000-06:00

Let me be the millionth person to wish you happiness as we sashay into this new decade!

I was VERY excited for the New Year's Eve blue moon last night, but alas... the clouds were much too thick, and we couldn't really make it out. You could see where it was, to be sure, but there was definitely no photographing the bugger. Shucks.

I spent NYE with my family. If you'd asked me before I left Nebraska, I would have told you I'd loved to have a big party with oodles and oodles of friends (and I'd have flown Heather and her family in for the occasion). But I have a small frame that hangs in my bedroom, and it reads: "I have learned that being with those I love is enough."

And it is so true.

We spent the evening eating together, and then we saw our "reward movie" for unpacking the house - Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. We came home and spent the last half-hour or so waiting on that big ol' ball to drop, and then we headed to bed. We kissed, and Jack noticed that everyone was kissing on TV. "Why are y'all kissing?"

"Because it's what you do on New Year's Eve. It's fun!" Philip said.

And now it's 2010. Or 'Twenty-Ten.' Or just '10. Whatever you want to call it, it's the beginning of a brand-new year, a brand-new decade, and a chance at a clean slate. For us, it's still the beginning of a brand-new life in a brand-new place...

My friend 1grl_revolution likes to adopt a word for the year, and I think it's a neat-o idea. I'm taking a cue from my angel-friend Isaac and his family, and I'm going to keep "HOPE" as my word this year.

But I'm happy to share HOPE, too. *wink*

Telemarketers.

2009-12-29T15:06:00.000-06:00

Like I'm really going to answer a number on my phone that's labeled: "Professional Telemarketing."

Riiiiiiiiiiight.

*rolls eyes*

30 is as 30 does. (Nope, it's not a post about my age. grin)

2009-12-29T13:24:00.000-06:00

Well, the local news last night said that we received right at 30 inches in that Christmas blizzard - wow! I guess now we understand our drifts a little bit more. *wink*

Here's some pics from after all the shoveling was finished. Well, another 1/2" or so had drifted over on the driveway, but you get the idea.

From the front door to the entry walk.

The other side of the door.
Those are about 6' banks up to that top stair, too.

The wall of snow on the kitchen side of the house.

The driveway.

A different view.

We got the garage and storage room squared away yesterday. As it turns out, the storage room inside the garage is even much bigger than we'd thought it looked. We were able to put the pieces of the shed into the back, and then all of our regular shed items in front of them - and there's still room to spare! It looks soooo nice in there now. Also, today was Trash Day - yay! All we have left is to wait for the box/material pick-up from the moving company, and then we'll be golden.

Philip went back to work this morning. He's still finishing up training for this base, and then he's home in the evenings. I'm making a mental list of things to pick up tomorrow while we're out (gonna be seeing our 'reward' movie!), and I also want to find a quilt shop somewhere. Philip's looking for a small engines repair shop, as the starter is out on our snowblower, too.

Alrightee, I'm having some lunch and then getting back to work. Toodles!

Unpacking under the movies and the mail.

2009-12-28T01:56:00.001-06:00

So. Much. Unpacking.

It feels like it will never end! Realistically, however, it will be done late tomorrow or Tuesday - I can't tell just yet. I am so very much looking forward to calling the moving company and asking them to come back and pick up all their boxes and packing material! (I'll have space in my garage again - whee!)

My dining room is just gorgeous and huge. I still cannot get over all the space in there. That, to me, is the most drastic difference between our old house and this one. I love the fact that it's not situated off the main garage entrance into the house, and it's not near a television of any sorts. It's awesome, truly.

The plan tomorrow is for Philip and I to move/unpack all the stuff in the garage. See, the movers unloaded all our shed and garage items directly into the garage, so we've got to unpack everything and get it moved into its proper place in the storage room in the back. Philip already took apart our shed, and we'll put the pieces in our "renovation space." (When they renovated this house, they built on an extra room along the basement wall, and they entered through there, bringing all their equipment with them. Once they finished, they closed off the room and left a large access flap. We can easily open it via the flap, and it's an 8x10' space, at least.) While we're doing that, the boys will be playing hard in the snow. Once we're done, we'll have all our space back in the garage, and we'll move all the boxes and packing material to the breezeway until pick-up. Trash Day is also on Tuesday, and it'll be great to have all that gone, too. (Gosh, but moving creates a lot of excess trash!)

Depending on how long we're out in the garage tomorrow, we'll work on the office afterwards. It's the only room left, and that's because I considered it the lowest priority of all the rooms. I mean, *I* love this room, and I practically live in it sometimes... but everything I really need (computer, bills, filing cabinet, etc.), I can already reach, and we brought with us ahead of time. What needs to be unpacked are the bookshelves and lots of Philip's military memorabilia and knick-knacks. He heads back to work on Tuesday, and I can finish this room by myself, if needed.

As a reward once ALL of the unpacking is done, we plan to go see Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. The boys are dying to see it, and I think it looks pretty cute, too. I thought the first one was good, and I'm sure this one will be about the same. The boys are also anxious to spend some of their Christmas cash at the mall, too. *wink*

Speaking of movies, we all went to see New Moon last Friday. It was the boys' first time seeing it, Philip' second time, and my seventh time. I probably won't see it again in the theatre, but it was just as good this time again. A quick rundown of the showings I've been to:

1st - with Marissa as my 'date' to Amy's midnight premiere party (11/20)
2nd - with Marissa again on Sunday afternoon (11/22)
3rd - with Liz on Sunday night (11/22)
4th - with Philip the following Tuesday (11/24)
5th - with Cheyenne on Thanksgiving night (11/26)
6th - with Aimée on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (11/28)
7th - with the family (12/21)

We also recently saw The Princess and the Frog (on opening day!), and we all loved it. I cried a little near the end, but it was wonderful to see the old-style animation again. And - I was so surprised when the first song began! I'd almost forgotten how the older Disney movies always had original songs - how sad is that?! I thought the characters were very charming, and I really hope the movie does well enough that Disney will do another one in this style again soon.

We saw Disney's A Christmas Carol in 3D, too. I found it to be much darker than I'd imagined, but the effects were amazing. Honestly, though, there were parts of it that unsettled even me, and I don't think I'd let younger children see it yet (though the Disney Channel promotes it constantly). We were late to the game on this one, having been planning on seeing it ever since we rode the official movie train back in August (what a neat experience, too!). After seeing the movie, we bought my favorite as a young girl: Mickey's Christmas Carol. I didn't have the movie growing up, but I had a record of it, and I played that over and over all year long. I still have most of it memorized. :-)

I'm hoping to have mail tomorrow, but I'm not terribly optimistic. There was, of course, no mail yesterday in the face of this major blizzard, and then today was Sunday. Philip and I did watch some lady trudge through all the snow with her key, falling down in the deep drifts and then crawling on her knees atop them to get to the box, only to open it and find it empty, of course. We learned long ago (in both Alaska and Nebraska, actually) that even though the post office's motto is, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," that isn't always the case. We've had numerous times with no mail delivery due to inclement weather, and on a day where no travel is advised, I'm surprised that anyone would think there would be mail.

Perhaps she didn't check her box on Christmas Eve, then? *nods* We'll go with that. :-)

The Christmas blizzard.

2009-12-27T15:33:00.000-06:00

Snowed in, for sure.

On Christmas Eve day, the snow started falling. And blowing. And falling and blowing some more. By 4:30pm, we knew that a Christmas Eve church service wasn't possible. By 11pm, travel warnings were issued everywhere.

Christmas Day the snow fell nonstop - from midnight to midnight. It didn't stop snowing until yesterday around noon, and thankfully, the winds let up a bit then too. The accumulation wasn't nearly as crazy as the DRIFTS. Philip shoveled twice during the snowstorm, but by the time we woke yesterday morning, you couldn't tell he'd done a thing!

The TV channels turned to static in the morning, along with a message alerting us that the road conditions were RED. No travel was allowed on base at all, and everything was closed. Fine by us, as we didn't need to be anywhere, either!

He shoveled for hours and hours yesterday. We had much higher drifts than our next-door neighbor, and when he was done with his own house, he helped Philip for another hour-and-a-half, at least. I still can't much see out of my windows, but I expect that's just how it's gonna be for a while. ;-)

Drifts up to our office windows.

A sideways view out the window of the front lawn, including the completely buried front three steps.

The drifts up to the dining room window.

Looking out the kitchen window, the drifts blocked the garage and part of Philip's truck.

The view when we opened the garage door...

The solid wall of snow from the garage door to my kitchen window.

The view from our master bedroom deck.
This is a picture of our back-yard neighbors. The house on the left is the same floor plan as our own. Those neighbors were SLEDDING down their steps - that's how high the snow was!

Last night, Philip and I glanced out the dining room window just before I was going to start dinner. A beautiful dog was leaping through the snow, looking lost. Philip went to the front door and called, and the dog ran right to him. The dog had no collar, and Philip pulled him into the mud room for warmth. He had snow on his little nose, but he was just gorgeous. Philip and the boys sat in the mud room for over half an hour and loved on the dog. Finally, the police arrived to take him back to the squadron to read for a microchip, and they let him go.

The lost 'Snow-Dog.'

Yay, cards!

2009-12-21T16:35:00.001-06:00

We received a ton of cards in today's Monday mail, and I'm loving it! Several were from fellow LJers, including mayna, laurushka, posthaste, butterflymama3, dottey & kechara, and desertmommy. Thank you all!

I'm even more amazed that so many of these cards are coming addressed to the new house, rather than being forwarded. Look how on-the-ball you all are! :-)

Moving: Our stuff is here!

2009-12-21T09:02:00.000-06:00

Wow! Color me amazed!

Last night, I wrote that I hoped we'd hear from the moving company about our household goods. At best, I was hoping they'd arrive today, and that we would be able to *squeak* in a delivery by Wednesday, the 23rd (they're off the rest of the week for Christmas Eve & Day, and they don't deliver on weekends).

But they just called ten minutes ago! And they're on their way right now! And they'll be here in an hour or so! Yay!

And now, it's time to become a "Nicole Tornado." Too-de-loo, my friends!

Advent, and we wanted to make it.

2009-12-21T02:00:00.000-06:00

Philip woke early this morning, and he ran to the Shoppette to get a copy of the base newspaper**.

**Side tangent: the base paper is an awesome one here. It reminds me of the hey-days of the great paper at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. It's chock-full of stories, happenings on base, etc. It even has a TV guide in it for the upcoming week!

/tangent

He got a copy of the paper, and he also picked up some grape and apple juice for breakfast. We looked at the church directory, and we decided on a Lutheran church (Missouri Synod). Services started at 11am, and so I went back to snoozeville while the boys ate breakfast and Philip showered. Once he was out, we all got ready for church.

We left in plenty of time, and thank goodness for that! Philip had thought it would be about six minutes away, but it ended up being closer to sixteen. He dropped me and the boys off at the door, and we walked in at 11 on the nose. I noticed a guest book to sign, but as soon as I picked up the pen, the organ began playing. I told the boys we'd sign it afterwards, and I ushered them inside... down to the first few rows. You know, folks always joke that Baptists sit in the back, but let me tell you - those Lutherans had left 3-4 rows empty at the front of each of the three sections, too! We sat in the third row, and Philip joined us a moment later.

The church was much larger than we'd imagined, and they were presenting their childrens' program today. It was cute, and the congregation sang along here and there. Jack got a kick out of using a hymnal again (we usually attended the Contemporary service in Nebraska), and I enjoyed singing the alto harmonies of several of my favorite Christmas hymns. The church was extensively and beautifully decorated, and I couldn't help commenting on it. A very nice couple then introduced themselves, and we chatted with them for over an HOUR after the service...

... but that was because today was Jesus's birthday party, too! The fellowship hall of the church had been decorated with balloon centerpieces on every table, and each child received a birthday goodie bag. The younger children received red plastic mugs, and the older children received white stone mugs. They were filled with cocoa, candy, and stickers, and everyone munched on cupcakes, frosted brownies, and ice cream. The couple we had been talking with in the sanctuary introduced us to many, many folks (there is no way I can remember all those names correctly!), and one of the youth directors joked with A.J. for a while. He was grinning from ear-to-ear, and then she introduced him to a handful of other sixth graders, too.

It was a wonderful experience, and now we'll have to decide whether we want to try a few more churches, or go ahead and commit to this warm, welcoming congregation. Even if we don't end up joining this church, I feel very blessed that God has led us to what will be a wonderful congregation to share our Christmas Eve together.

After leaving the church around 1pm, we grabbed a bite for lunch. We stopped at Barnes&Noble for a quick return, and then we headed home. With a full tummy and in the warm car, I was dozing before we reached the base again. Once home, Philip set up the air mattress for me, and I was down for a nap (around 3:30 or so).

I didn't wake until 6:30! Baby kitty had joined me for sleeps, and I think we both needed it. We had easy dinners tonight, and then after the boys went to bed, I began the wrap-fest of Christmas presents. I had intended to do it tomorrow, but I got a jump on it instead tonight. I'll run some errands tomorrow instead because I ended up finishing all the wrapping in one go - yay!

And now, it's 2am, and I'm back to bed. Here's hoping we hear from our moving company about our household goods tomorrow... *fingers crossed*

The Year in Review.

2009-12-20T00:07:00.000-06:00

~ meme that's been making the block

Jan - It's very quiet in our house lately.

Feb - Open your Paint program. Close your eyes. Draw a cat!

Mar - Yes, THAT movie.

Apr - I can cry at the drop of a hat today.

May - I'm so very tired of being so stupid with maps and directions.

Jun - I've worked my frustrations out in the earth today, and I will sleep well tonight because of it.

Jul - Remember when my iTunes directory went kaput a few months back?

Aug - We're finally back!

Sep - We can't find Vanilla Coke™ anywhere lately, and after several weeks of looking, I was frustrated!

Oct - Normally, I love Hallmark.

Nov - I have been working, working, working, and working some more lately - craziness!

Dec - We're officially homeless now!

Lazy security in Alaska.

2009-12-19T23:06:00.000-06:00

We received more cards today, including ones from hetterrific and flyingwolf - thank you both!

Today felt mostly lazy on my part. You see, since our household goods are not here yet, we have no washer & dryer. It had been a week since we did laundry on our last night in the TLF, and we all were down to having no clean pants. The boys and I bluffed the day away in our PJs, while Philip headed out to the base laundromat, only to find it empty. He also had to take money out of an ATM, but then find a nice store that was willing to give him a couple rolls of quarters. Once he had the laundry washing at a laundromat downtown, he headed over to Napa AutoParts for a new oil cap for his truck. Then back to switch the laundry to the dryers, and then out to pick-up the BIG. NEW. TV!

Meanwhile, the boys played and watched a few videos here at the house, and I unpacked the cleaning supplies. It was the last box of stuff we'd brought with us in our U-Haul trailer, and I wanted to find my cleaners so that I could give my red kitchen trashcan a good scrubbing (we used it to haul items during the move, too). I made lunch for myself and the boys, and then I set about ~~destroying~~ fixing my computer.

I bought and installed new security protection, but in doing so, I then had to make sure that I had all the Windows Updates I needed. I didn't, and that took a couple HOURS to do - ugh. But now everything is running smoothly, and I'll have it do a deep scan tonight while I'm snoozing.

I also paid all the mid-month bills, paying a handful of them way, way ahead, too. I love the feeling that comes from sending $800 to a bill instead of the $100 it asks for. We are so blessed to have come so far in our finances, and I'm thankful every day for that. Also, I discovered a mistake on the Air Force finance side of things... I'm sure no one who is/has been military is shocked by that one. It always happens. Philip will go to Finance on Monday and let them know what we've found. Until then, we've moved the $1888 error to a side savings account so that we'll have it to pull from when the military then sharply deducts it from Philip's pay in the future. Wouldn't it be lovely if Finance could ever get anything right the first time?!

I took an evening bath/shower, and then we all headed out to dinner at Alaska Alder Grill. (I've just looked, and I can't believe they don't have a website!) It was very reminiscent of our times at Alaska Wild Berry, except that it was a food place, not just a chocolatier. Among the store area, we looked at a huge buffalo, a white ram, a cougar, a hyena, a wolf, and many deer heads. I loved all the beautiful wood carvings and stone pottery. It was a neat experience.

Now we're home, and the boys are headed to bed. I've culled the receipts that stacked up everywhere during these last two weeks of moving, and I feel much better about the state of things now. I still need to get my holiday cards in order, and I need to pick out a "Card Wall" here and get it going... :-)

It's here!

2009-12-19T12:22:00.000-06:00

Our new TV has arrived at the store! Philip is on his way to pick it up right now, and we are SO EXCITED!

Holiday-ing.

2009-12-18T12:38:00.000-06:00

Whew, I'm beat!

Philip and I began the day earlier today than we have all week, and I'm bushed tonight to show for it! We had decided today would be the day to finish up the Christmas shopping, as he will begin working here on Monday, and it was best to take advantage of the full day with the boys in school. So, we dropped them off at 9, and then we were on our way into town!

We did all of the rest of our holiday shopping VERY early this year, knowing that the confusion of moving would put things into a tailspin. I'm so very thankful for that, as it's been a comfort to only have the boys left to shop for. We bought everything, I wrapped it all, and then I shipped it to everyone via UPS waaaaaaaay back on Nov. 7th... I think if those folks haven't received their packages by now, it's safe to call them lost. ;-)

For the boys this year, we had decided on one thing: A.J.'s gift would be easy, and Jack's would take a bit more searching. We purposely did no shopping for them ahead of time because we didn't want the movers to pack any gifts, and we had no spare room in our vehicles for packages, either. See, we've had things stolen from each move, and I figure a wrapped holiday present is just *TOO* much temptation, ya know?

I cannot WAIT for Christmas morning, as I'm so excited to see A.J. open his gift. He has a small handful of gifts, as well as his Christmas stocking, but that's because his main gift will be...

... his very own netbook!

Not just his own computer, but he's receiving his own mini-laptop! His mini comes with Windows 7, and I'm so geeked to set him up with his own email account. I've got a pocket full of addresses from several of his gal pals back in Nebraska to set him up with, too (they all made sure to give me their emails on the night of his band concert, and it was so sweet to see their *goo-goo* eyes). I just know he will have so much fun with his new computer. And probably the best news of all - he won't have to share it AT ALL. We're going to set a very strict rule: it is A.J.'s computer, and A.J.'s only.

That may sound harsh, but the reality is that my boys have to share practically everything. It's been this way since Jack was born, and I think that lately, it's really starting to affect A.J. how he never has his "own" things, and he really gets very little personal space from Jack. Sure, he can go to his room for alone time, but he still ought to be able to have some things that are his alone, and this will be one of them. I know he will be stoked, and we'll have to work with him on not gloating, even just a little.

As for Jack, he'll still have use of the secondary computer. It is on a LAN with mine, and it's what the boys currently use on a desk in A.J.'s room (which takes even further from A.J.'s personal space, but that's where it fit in our old house). Here, we'll either set up a smaller desk in the office with our computer, or we'll put one in our large dining room. Either way, A.J. will be free to use his bedroom desk for just his own computer.

So we were shopping today mainly for Jack, as well as for stocking stuffers. Along the way, I ended up with a new wardrobe. Now, I hate shopping for myself, but I badly needed to, and Philip insisted. In fact, Philip was encouraging me to "just get it, honey" with almost every single item I picked up all day. As a result, I came home with a LOT of goodies. I kept saying, "But what about you?" He just insists that he's got something in mind, so don't worry about it.

Hmmm...

So the shopping is finally complete, and I have a ton of wrapping still ahead of me for next Monday and Tuesday while the boys are in their last days of school before holiday break. Right now, all the packages and items are hiding in the cabinets in the basement. See? I'm using them already! ;-)

In addition, we returned home to two large packages of Christmas gifts from our family, as well as a host of cards. These included ones from happysmiles01 and adiasplat. Thank you!

Squirrelly girl.

2009-12-18T00:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Kiki!

My Kiki girl kitty is 11 years old today. She won't be celebrating with a party and cake this year (I know you'll never forget that, hetterrific!), but we love her even more.

What a fuzzy, sweet presence she has continued to bring into our lives. :-)

Moving: House pictures!

2009-12-18T00:23:00.000-06:00

Since everyone has been dying to see... here are the pics I snapped when we got the keys to the house. They were taken at dusk, and I've not done anything to brighten them up, but you can still get a "sorta" feel to the house, I think.

ALL of the pictures are located HERE. I tried to caption them with descriptions, too.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have as you look through them. I know it's hard to understand floor plans just by looking at pictures, ya know?

The bigger, the better!

2009-12-17T17:12:00.000-06:00

As a Christmas/housewarming gift, Philip's parents have ordered us a new TV. Mind you, our current TV is still in excellent condition (it was a Christmas gift from my parents a few years ago when we did not have a working one at all), but his parents have been introduced to the HDTV age, and they insisted that we must have one as well.

The day after we took keys to the new house, the new TV was ordered, and it is still on its way. A 52" RCA LCD flat-panel TV that is so flippin' huge that it didn't have a chance on fitting in our current entertainment center. Soooo...

... the current entertainment center will go downstairs (when our household goods arrive, that is), along with the 32" TV from my parents. We have been carpeting the basement (in a tiled pattern, and I'm doing it slowly - I keep taking breaks!), and one half of the basement will be a relaxing area for the boys (entertainment center, TV, carpet, couch, and several of their toys). The other half will be my scrap/craft room, complete with the sink and all those lovely, lovely built-in cabinets.

We bought and built a beautiful new entertainment center to house our new TV in the living room. We subscribed to digital cable again, but for the first time, we joined a new club: those with DVR. We never really felt we needed it before, but it was only a couple bucks more with our internet/cable packaging, so we sprung for it. It's only been a day now, but I think Philip loves it already. ;-)

Merry Christmas to us, indeed! Now we just wait for the TV to arrive!

More cards!

2009-12-17T16:16:00.000-06:00

Today's regular and forwarded mail brought only Christmas cards - yay! Nothing but the good stuff! :-)

Among those received were ones from ashen_butterfly, 1grl_revolution, and sdaisyk - thank you!

New school.

2009-12-17T16:13:00.000-06:00

The boys have had almost a full week in their new school, Dakota Elementary. This is their first time attending an on-base school, and I gotta say: it is super-nice. The security from knowing the school is under more protection than a regular school, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that each and every one of their classmates understands and lives the same hardships, difficulties, family separations, etc. is golden. I wouldn't trade it away for any price right now.

In addition, the school is brilliant. I love the stage in the gym - the fact that their new school can hold their own concerts and assemblies without traveling away. I love that the get to experience a "true" school cafeteria, complete with sliding their trays down metal beams while their food is served. Near the front of the building, there is a special place for the pick-up children to wait - it's called the "Snow Den." The classrooms for grades K-3 have bathrooms inside, so there's not much instruction time missed for a potty break. The student ratio is a bit smaller than our their last school, and that's always a plus, too.

Their school day is now from 9am-3:15. I was surprised to hear that, having always seen schools start between 7:45-8:15 or so. The later start is great for these darker mornings though, and I have appreciated the extra minutes of shut-eye myself. We had to purchase school supplies over the weekend for the first time (our old school district supplied them), and the boys had fun picking out certain colors of their items. The breakfast and lunch choices are FAR superior, and I love that there is no set pattern in the lunch menu. Philip and I were reading the monthly menu, and even then, *we* each picked several days we'd like to join the boys for lunch, if only for the great selection!

The change in weather between Nebraska and North Dakota is apparent, and not in the least on the playground rules. Back in Nebraska, the boys had outdoor recess at school unless is was below 20°. In their new school, the school operates with outdoor recesses unless it is -5° or the windchill is -15°. Wow! Due to these regulations, students are required to wear full snow gear for recess (boots, snowpants, gloves, hat, coat). All students are provided bus transportation too, but they must wear the full snow gear while on the bus. This week, we have been dropping off/picking up the boys, as we're waiting on their brand-new (tags still attached) snow boots and snowpants to arrive with our household goods. They are SO EXCITED to ride the bus for the first time, and I'm excited to turn in my years of driving them for a bit of jammy-clad, kiss-'em-on-the-cheek goodbyes at the door. ;-)

Both of the boys have been placed into the Gifted & Talented program at school. A.J. had previously been in the HAL program (High Ability Learner) since 3rd grade at their old school, and they simply transferred him over. Jack had been pegged for the HAL program by his other teachers, but was waiting until next year to start. (He's in 2nd grade, and the program does not begin until the 3rd grade.) At this new school, however, the Gifted program begins in the 2nd grade, and he has already easily tested into it. In addition, his teacher has placed him in a special math club for advanced students. She also will be supplementing his reading curriculum with material from the 5th grade classrooms (that is where he has level-tested now). With all the extra reading he does at home, I'm not surprised in the least!

A.J. will be playing a bit of catch-up in band, as the school here began instruction in the 5th grade, so his classmates are one year ahead of him. I hope he is able to hold his own, but I'm encouraged by how well he enjoys playing his instrument.

The boys don't break at the same time as their old school for the holidays. Instead of having their last day tomorrow, the 18th, they will continue until next Tuesday, the 22nd. They return on the 4th, which is the same. We also noticed fewer breaks throughout the year, but they have a solid 90-day summer vacation, and I am very happy for them for that. School won't begin next year until Aug. 27th - which will be the first year A.J. has ever celebrated his summer birthday (the 23rd) by NOT already being in school. He is ecstatic over the news!

All in all, we have no complaints with the new school, and we have only joyful news to share. What a blessing!

Cards!

2009-12-17T15:25:00.000-06:00

I've received several cards, but the majority are still slowly trickling in due to mail-forwarding. For example, the ones we received yesterday were originally postmarked the 7th of December, and it never took 10 days for mail to reach us state-to-state before.

But thank you to prosodic, gardenmama, and niftybabe313 for the cards we have already received. I haven't decided on a 'Card Wall' here in the new house yet, but you can bet I'll be deciding soon. ;-)

Now that we're here and have an address, I'm going to work on my own holiday cards. We don't have our household goods yet, but I figure that just means I'm *supposed* to really buckle down and do cards now - hehe!

Another one for the vault.

2009-12-10T22:18:00.000-06:00

For the umpteenth time, I nearly killed myself trying to walk around the far side of the bed in our room in the TLF. Why? Because there is a warm lump of a cat, hidden from view under the bed comforter, yet sticking out in the way. I have tripped over said cat many times and grappled to the wall to spare my face a floor-smack.

Me: *walks into living room*
Me: I'm going to kill the cat soon, I swear.
Philip: What?
Me: I'm going to kill the cat. If I don't, she's going to kill me.
A.J.: Which cat?
Me: Kiki. She keeps sleeping in hiding on my side of the bed, and I'm tired of falling over her.
Philip: *laughs*
Me: I don't get it. I keep scooting her over under the bed so that I won't step on her... why does she do it?
Philip: Because she can't fit under the bed?
Me: No, she fits fine, 'cuz I scoot her under it with no problem.
A.J.: If you kill Kiki, I'm going to secede.
Me: *confused look*
Philip: You're what?
A.J.: I'm going to secede from this family.
ALL: *laughs*

And as I type this, Kiki *merps* into the room, purring and acting all adorable and sweet. That cat, I swear. *shakes head*

Moving: we have a house!

2009-12-10T16:53:00.000-06:00

We have a house!

We looked at two, and we fell in love with one, so now it's ours. It is HUGE and spacious, and gosh, I don't even know how I'm going to fill all of it! I'm pretty sure we need to go "stuff" shopping now, just so it won't look so bare. ;-)

Guys, I have prayed and prayed over this. We have agonized and worried over the housing situation, having been told we'd have to wait over a year for a house on base (which we learned upon arriving was very WRONG information - the wait list is only for those who need a 2-bedroom unit). I cannot believe how blessed we have been, and how God has answered my prayers with a house more wonderful than anything I could have imagined!

Here are several of the perks:

gorgeous, genuine hardwood floors throughout the entire house (not just the hallway, like our old house)

TWO large family/living rooms. One has an elevated ceiling, and the other has a cathedral ceiling. BOTH have beautiful ceiling fans, and we can't decide for sure which will be the "official" family room yet.

a large, large kitchen (twice the size of our old house, at least). It also has an eat-in bar attached.

gas stove

ice-maker in fridge/freezer

an arctic entryway/mudroom before entering the foyer

two gigantic picture windows. One is in one of the living rooms, and the other is in the dining room. (Both my full-size Christmas trees can be seen from the road!)

a massive dining room (easily twice the size of our old one)

more closets than we can figure out what the heck to do with

a storage closet IN THE GARAGE (which is bigger than the shed we bought ourselves years ago and have been using)

an indoor storage space which we have NO CLUE what to fill with (about the size of our old laundry room)

four doors to the outside, plus a garage door (in other words, tons of entrances/exits)

beautiful tub in the main bathroom (I love the built-in hooks, shelves and racks)

much larger shower in the master bathroom, plus storage

a private DECK off the master bedroom (!!!)

old-timey crank windows (I think those look so nice!)

a full basement (One side has a kitchen's worth of cabinets installed, as well as another complete two-sided sink, and the other side has cable hook-ups, etc. It screams 'Craft room!' to me.)

I just really can't imagine how we're going to fill up the space. It seems SO BIG. I'm sure I'll figure it out, though - hehehe. The housing office told us we're welcome to come by and pick up keys again before our move-in date, in case we'd like to get inside again and measure anything or take pics, and I think we'll take them up on that. I know a couple people that would be interested in seeing the inside. (*coughs in Grammy's direction*)

As for actually moving in, we called up the TMO today, and our household goods have not yet arrived. When they do, we'll set up a delivery/move-in date, and then we'll be set. It should be no later than next week, though. I'll check with housing tomorrow to see if we can go ahead and snag our mailbox key though, so we can stop our temporary mail forwarding and begin permanently forwarding. :-)

Also, we picked up our mail at General Delivery on base, and it's a peace of mind that the temporary forwarding has gone according to plan thus far. Philip will begin in-processing tomorrow, and now that we have a house, we know which school the boys are zoned for, so I will be registering them tomorrow. Their first day should be next Monday, and they'll be attending Dakota Elementary here on base.

We're headed to the commissary in a bit to pick up some foodstuffs for make-shift meals here in the TLF through at least the weekend.

What a great Thursday!

Moving: Tearful Jack.

2009-12-09T22:03:00.000-06:00

Upon hooking up to the 'net in our TLF, I saw in my email that "I" had been tagged in four photos by our next-door neighbor back in Bellevue. I saw that the pics were of our old house covered in snowdrifts, and that our neighbor girl, Natalie, was at our door. I called Jack to the computer to see, and he was looking over my shoulder. We read the captions together:

1) Natalie wanted to show Nicole their old house. (of Natalie trudging through drifts in our driveway to get to the front door)

2) "I wish Jack and AJ really could come and play." (almost to the door then)

3) Ding dong. :-( (of her ringing our old doorbell)

And that's where Jack turned, and I spotted the tears in his eyes. Within minutes, he was full-on crying, saying and wishing that we didn't have to move. Philip and I both tried to console him, but his heart is a bit broken right now. Finally, I got him to come around by showing him a special, funny postcard that I had purchased *just* tonight *just* for mailing to our friends. He got a smile out of writing a special message on it, and we'll stick it in the mail tomorrow.

We miss our friends! :-(

It's tough to know whether you have the correct weather, ya know?

2009-12-09T20:02:00.000-06:00

Since so many folks are interested in our weather forecasts, here is the best website for checking on Minot AFB (which is 15 miles north of Minot).

Tonight seems nice. We encountered no winds as we ate dinner and checked out the BX. We drove around and looked at holiday lights and located several empty homes (*insert excited squeeee*), and we are optimistic about tomorrow. Also, I'm excited to meet Michelle at the Youth Center. It seems like she and I have talked on the phone a ton in recent weeks while we got the boys registered for the youth programs, and while getting Jack enrolled in the indoor soccer league which starts in January.

And speaking of weather, this TLF unit has a super-effective heater. I keep turning it DOWN, and we're still HOT!

Moving: Made it!

2009-12-09T19:49:00.000-06:00

We're here, and we're all snuggled into our TLF. We even have hi-speed internet, so I'm über-glad we brought our desktop. :-)

Tomorrow, we'll be checking in with housing and then finding out about the boys' school. Philip may in-process in the afternoon, and then he'll have eight days off before beginning training. My fingers are crossed for good news tomorrow!

ETA: My mouse seems crazy-fast right now, and I've got no clue why. I even went into the Control Panel and adjusted the speed down two more settings. Hmmm.

Before I forget...

2009-12-08T23:33:00.000-06:00

Did everyone pick up their copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince today on DVD? If you're not moving, you have no excuse. Heck, even if you are, you still don't!

I can't wait to crack it open and watch the extra features. Oh, but as luck would have it, my license plate frame cracked on Sunday afternoon - the day before we hit the road. I was gonna save that puppy with my "SLYTHRN" license plate. Boo.

I've got a fantabulous idea for my next plate, though...

Oh, and speaking of all things fangirly, did I mention that I've now seen New Moon SIX times? I know I mentioned it over on FB, but yeah. Oooh, I swear it gets better each and every time.

/geek to bed

Moving: Makin' it.

2009-12-08T23:24:00.001-06:00

We're on the home-stretch now: 530 miles down, 208 left to go. We will make it to Minot AFB tomorrow!

A la Kevin Smith, I yelled as we passed the border: "NORTH DAKOTA, I am IN YOU!"

*giggles*

Now the knowledge is out in the open, and that feels nice. Even so, it still gives me a great little thrill that we kept our moving news so locked down for six months to just a handful of special people in real life. I love that folks didn't know until I chose to let them know. For the sake of the boys and their church/school situations, it made things much simpler. Thank you, my LJ friends, for keeping mum on the subject since June - hee!

And it sounds like our friends in Nebraska have had more than a bit of snow since we left. We got some on Sunday night that put us in a tizzy over whether to leave or not... but we decided that we couldn't wait and then risk being trapped by the larger storm system due on Monday night. Apparently, we made the VERY RIGHT decision in leaving, as they have been nothing but blasted by snow since we left.

Meanwhile, I'm not a great big ol' fan of South Dakota. There was hardly any accumulation going on along the interstates, but the 3-5" of snow that was already in place was whipping across the lanes, and we felt as if we were driving in an intense fog. For most of the roads in SD, we were buzzing along at 35-40mph... in an area with a speed limit of 75mph. Philip's truck pulled the U-Haul, and he was the one equipped with our GPS, so I was lolling afterward. At one point in the afternoon, he was at 1/4 tank of gas, and I had a solid 1/2 left plus Jack and both kitties sound asleep. We made the decision for me to whip on and find a place for dinner and 'free time' for the kitties, and then it took Philip another 40 minutes or so to catch up to us.

I was super-nervous this morning when we hit the blustery roads, but by mid-afternoon, I was asking Philip to go faster. I'm more than a little proud of myself for keeping it together and pressing on. :-)

Philip just brought me a hot fudge sundae from McD's while I'm down here in the hotel lobby using the computer. Mmmmm!

My friends have more than kept me occupied with texts and Tweets. Thank you, all of you, for checking in so frequently. If nothing else, I catch up on potty breaks. ;-) Oh, and kerryblaze, thanks for the LJ gift, too!

hearts_refuge, did you get your box yet? Mailing that sucker out involved being a party to the most RIDICULOUS conversation ever. Seriously, I was shaking my head in bewilderment and looking around for a hidden camera.

kp_nut, I received your Christmas card in our last day's mail. Anything else should be forwarded right now, but yours came just in time. Thank you!

On a side tangent, our hotel tonight has the best showerhead ever. Goodness, it was relaxing to stand there forever after the chilly parking parade. I also love how hotels have neverending supplies of hot water. Philip jumped in with me, and then afterwards, Jack took his bath. We were dressing in our jammies and giggling, listening to Jack singing, "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" while he bubbled away in the tub.

I can't wait to download some pictures. I've not taken any of the trip, but I have several from before that I think will be keepers. We were SO PROUD of A.J. in his very first band concert last Thursday night. I was so tickled that we were able to stay until that point (the next day, Friday, was their last day of school), and that he enjoyed it so much. We sat in the second row, and I took a bunch of snaps. He is one of six clarinet players, and he clearly knew his stuff.

Even better, he surprised the heck outta me when we arrived back at the TLF that night. I had watched Mr. Holland's Opus with the boys the previous weekend, and A.J. had been particularly interested in the clarinet player's struggles (which I expected, and which is the reason I suggested the movie, besides just loving it to pieces myself). He told me he wanted to play something for me, and he pulled out his clarinet...

... and then he played THAT TUNE from the movie! He played it by ear, having guessed and practiced it by himself all week. I was ASTOUNDED! I told him he's really got a gift, and that not many folks can "hear" notes like that, and especially not just three months after beginning to play an instrument. He just grinned and played it over and over, working on figuring out the next note as he went. Wow!

I should probably get moving here. No one's waiting on the computer, but I would like to get a long, lazy sleep in, and that means I should start snoozing soon. 'Night, all!

Moving: Homeless!

2009-12-04T14:15:00.000-06:00

We're officially homeless now! Our house passed the final inspection this morning, and we've been staying in the TLF since Monday night. We have just a few more days, and then it's bye-bye, Bellevue!

I'm at the base library right now to "play internet" while Philip is finishing up some more out-processing. We'll be picking the boys up from their last day of school here in an hour, and I'm already sad about that. They took special treats to school with them for their friends - Hershey® chocolate bars that they wrapped in special snowman wrappers and signed their names on. The wrappers ended up being a bit large, so Jack helped trim each one as we went.

Speaking of which, I think everyone knows that Jack is left-handed. He's the only lefty in our family, and has been the only lefty in his class since preschool, even. However, he uses scissors with his right hand, and he uses them perfectly. What a trip!

I have yearbooks from last year ready and waiting in the wings for the car trip to North Dakota. I bought them without the boys' knowledge, and I've been saving them. I know that A.J., especially, is having a stressful time with the move, and I hope that being able to spend a few hours remembering his friends will help. We also plan to split the boys in our two vehicles, giving each of them lots of special one-on-one time with us. The kitties will be entirely with me in my car, though. ;-)

And the kitties have tranquilizers, too. That's a first for us, but poor Baby was just trembling for even the 3-minute ride from our house to the TLF a few nights ago. I hope the meds help to mellow her out for the ride so she isn't traumatized TOO badly. We also bought new carriers for them, as well as super-comfy mats to put inside, and we've had them open in the room, allowing the kitties to become comfortable with them. This morning, I tucked a bit of catnip in the back end of each one, and they had to crawl inside to nom their treats. I really do hope they move as well as the cats did years back on the 10-day drive/move from Alaska to here.

I ate lunch at the boys' school one last time this past Wednesday, and I'm really gonna miss all their sweet friends. We had dinner with our dear friends, the Thrasher family, that night. There was food, fun, chocolate fondue, and lots of laughing. The kids played their hearts out, and before we knew it, the time was 10:30pm... on a school night! Jack crashed in the car in just minutes on the way home, but I'm so glad we were able to spend the time with them before we leave. We had A.J.'s band concert last night, and we said goodbye to several of his friends then. We are spending the evening tonight with the Petersons, then tomorrow night with the Gettys, and then Sunday night with the Bradleys. We've got a lunch date with the Vassers tomorrow, and hopefully, we can get together with Marissa's family on Sunday afternoon, too. I am physically exhausted at the end of each day from all the running around and visiting, but I wouldn't waste a minute of our time left by not seeing friends!

Moving: Almost gone.

2009-11-29T15:03:00.000-06:00

The movers come tomorrow to pack us. They'll be loading our truck on Tuesday, but we begin staying in the TLF tomorrow night, so tonight - Sunday - is our last night in this house.

:-(

Our phone/cable/internet goes off on Wednesday morning, but since we don't have a laptop, I can't promise how "present" I'll be in the next two days anyway. Of course, moving goes hand-in-hand with chaos, rushing, and lots and lots of last-minute errands.

I've got no forwarding address. I hope to rectify that tomorrow, but we have had no luck with the Minot AFB post office yet. This worries me GREATLY, I should add.

Right now, we've received word from the Minot housing office, and they're telling us to expect a 12+ month wait or more. It's not been good news, and that just adds to my worry. Where's ashen_butterfly? I'll give her some of my worrying, for I know she's so darn good at it. ;-)

We leave Nebraska on Monday, the 7th. I've got a doctor's appointment that cannot be switched or made any earlier, and Philip has an out-processing appointment that morning as well. We will leave after lunch. The tearful goodbyes have already well-started with several folks I won't see again before then.

If you didn't make the switch back in the summer and have been meaning to get around to it, PLEASE change my email in your books now: sncleghorn at gmail dot com

Thanksgiving menu.

2009-11-24T17:45:00.000-06:00

Befores:

- chips & salsa
- pepperoni & summer sausage
- colby jack, cheddar & mozzarella
- Ritz crackers

Durings:

- roasted turkey
- mashed potatoes & gravy
- sweet potato casserole
- stuffing
- green bean casserole
- homemade mac 'n cheese
- store-bought mac 'n cheese (Andy wanted a stand-by, "just in case")
- yeast rolls
- corn
- jellied cranberry sauce

Afters:

- mini pumpkin pies
- pumpkin pies
- pineapple upside-down cake
- spice cookies with cream cheese frosting
- white chocolate tarts

And of course, there'll be sweet tea, soda, and eleventy billion choices of hot cocoas. :-)

Lunches and feasts.

2009-11-24T11:55:00.000-06:00

Philip and I both headed up to the school for lunch today, bringing with us Subway for a treat. We can't go tomorrow on our usual Wednesday routine, as the boys' school is out for Thanksgiving break, so we bumped up a day.

When I asked them last night, no one was sure of the lunch choice for today. Because of this, we opted for lunch brought in, and they collaborated and chose Subway. Fine by me - I love subs! When we walked into the lunchroom, we found the school lunch to be hotdogs, seasoned potato wedges, milk, fruit, and a chocolate chip cookie. That choice is pretty decent - bummer!

Now I am STUFFED, and we're fixin' to head out shopping for all our Thanksgiving feast supplies. We've got two folks (and a guest) from work coming over to celebrate with us, and Philip also has a troop coming over. It should be good, and we'll be sending most of the leftovers home with all of them. :-)

Vacation 2009 Tweets.

2009-11-22T23:40:00.000-06:00

One day, I'll get around to the photos and stories, but for now, I wanted to get these cleared off of my phone. You may have seen all of them on FaceBook back in "real time," but this is a decent record of our vacation. :-)

7/22/09:

- is full after a yummy dinner at Bob Evans. We laughed 'til we cried over the meal, and then just bought a new iTrip (our current one must've just died today?).
- says we have passed so many flippin' fireworks stands in Missouri!
- wonders why moms are gifted with a super-power for identifying the 'tooters' claiming innocence by their unique smell. But yeah, I'm a pro.
- says Philip keeps chuckling at me as I belt out songs in the car. My voice cracked once, even - Brady Bunch, anyone? "When it's time to change..."
- is cracking up! I just turned on the light to find my tatting piece firmly clinging to the shoulder of P's shirt. NO clue how it got there - hilarious!
- just stopped at Kum&Go's - yes, two of them. A Kum&Go directly across the street from a Kum&Go. We came and went. *grin*

7/23/09:

- just saw a cow stampede! Cool!
- walked the streets of Branson in the early morning. Now we're Memphis-bound!
- is OMG! Shipley's Donuts! Best donuts in the world, and I haven't had them since I left Texas almost 15 years ago! Dude, we're getting donuts!
- is surprised - Arkansas has trolleys! How quaint!
- Bliss! Hardee's for lunch, followed with Shipley's for dessert!
- just shared an awesome tour of Graceland with my boys - all three of 'em. I'm so excited to share the Guynes family Elvis love! :-D
- is on a riverboat dinner cruise. Live blues band and gorgeous scenery - the boys are loving it! :-)
- will be stopping outside the Memphis-side of Nashville for the night. 'Night, y'all!

7/24/09:

- is on the road again! Breakfast in Nashville, and then we're headed to eastern Tennessee.
- just finished up a great breakfast of Chick-n Minis at Chick-fil-A... thanks, Bri!
- is lunching at the Huddle House, and all the guys are 'huddled' around the jukebox, selecting songs for our meal.
- #872 Thing I Love About the South: every eating establishment has sweet tea... and all made the "right" way - with sugar added when hot!
- thinks Tennessee ivy is the 8th wonder of the world!
- *squeee* We're taking the boys on a skylift over touristy Gatlinburg! So high!
- we had 'old-tyme' portraits taken together, and now we're eating at Hard Rock Cafe Gatlinburg. This is the second pin A.J. has added to his collection this vacation. :-)

7/25/09:

- is in Cleveland, TN right now, but only passing through. *waves at Annie*
- is almost to Atlanta, and we are all wondering why we see no peach trees in GA yet. Shouldn't they be lining the interstate for viewing?
- says that Philip creamed an innocent raccoon last night. Poor guy just exploded under the tires - eww. :-(
- we are touring the 'World of Coke' in Atlanta. Yeah, I'm in heaven!
- thinks the museum was great! I loved trying new flavors in the 'Taste Factory' - the Starberry was yummy! :-)
- is at the beach!

7/26/09:

- has survived the first beach outing. I went under - and I mean *UNDER* and could not recover. P finally noticed and rescued me. Having fun!
- is tiiiiired. Oh my, but I think the road trip has finally caught up with me. That, or almost drowning - hard to tell. Sooooo sleepy!

7/27/09:

- is sitting at a quiet table with her journal.

7/28/09:

- just finished up at the beach (Ocean Isle) for today, and is now headed to Myrtle Beach to cuddle with baby tigers!
- is stuffed after a birthday dinner for BIL Tom. P, me and Jack are now headed home - Jack fell asleep at the table at T-Bonz. He's just too exhausted.
- is amused. Jack says that, "Pond turtles must be some of the 'shyest' little critters!" :-)

7/29/09:

- is eating at Big Nell's Pit Stop. SIL Shel says it's the local, famous 'Greasy Spoon.' :-)
- just got a hole-in-one on Gold Course Hole 3! (It took Philip seven tries - hehehe!)
- just got another hole-in-one on Hole 4. :-)
- can't seem to find Hard Rock Cafe Myrtle Beach - GPS keeps taking us to the wrong place...
- got her ice cream on at the Ocean Isle Creamery. Cherry vanilla with chocolate syrup - mmmmmm!

7/30/09:

- is breakfasting at 'The Purple Onion,' and A.J.'s blueberry biscuits look and taste amazing! he was served before the rest of us. :-)
- on our way to the Intercoastal Waterway Cruise. *fingers crossed for dolphin sightings*
- saw dolphins today, and I also got my first facial sunburn, too.

7/31/09:

- just got back from the beach for the last time. :-( On the bright side, we're going jet-skiing on the waterway in an hour. Gotta hang tight to P while he drives - eep!
- is sipping on a Cheerwine - mmmmmm!
- is pretty much awesome at mini-golf. I just won two more hole-in-ones here on the island course, playing with P, Grammy and the boys. :-)

8/1/09:

- is on the road again. Bye-bye, beach! First stop: the local post office. We've already amassed a TON of souv's, and we're mailing 'em home.
- has the 'Oobi' theme stuck in her head.
- wants to get her rings professionally cleaned again soon.
- thinks the clouds are being boring in this stretch of road. I can't seem to find *any* good shapes in them!
- it's snowing in August in Atlanta! It looks *so* life-like, but really, a down pillow fell off a truck in front of us and has exploded on the highway! :-)
- I've been tatting it up on this trip - missing you, Lizzles!
- says that Philip is jealous of my mad Bee-Gee's singability skillz.
- Convo... Jack: Dad, my scar hurts. Philip: Does that mean VoldeMonkeyBars is near? Jack: No, just VoldeBars! *impish grin*
- is less than 5 miles away from AnnieMcFranniePants! I can't wait!

8/2/09:

- tidbit from Jack upon leaving Annie this morning: "Ahhhhh! It was nice seeing an old friend again!"
- awesome! Just slowed down for a pic along the trail in Smoky Mt. Nat'l Park, and a black bear cub walked right across the path *right* behind us!
- Jack just got a hole-in-one on the 1st hole at Adventure Golf. He won a free game!
- all my guys got hole-in-ones on #12. (I sucked this game - yowzers!) In fact, each of the males managed TWO h-i-o's in this course. :-)
- here's me, pooped out - sitting in the largest, most gorgeous Pizza Hut I've ever seen, waiting on our order, and all the boys are hoofing it to 'Star Cars.'
- 'Star Cars' is a museum showcasing famous Hollywood vehicles. It's about one block away, and I'm chilling in the upstairs loft of Pizza Hut.
- we're staying in an idyllic little lodge here in Gatlinburg tonight. I swear, G-burg has quickly become my favorite 'find' on this vacation!

8/3/09:

- is leaving Gatlinburg. *sniffles*
- says, "Move over, Shipley's." We just ate breakfast at a locally-owned Dippin' Donuts in Knoxville, and it was the BEST donuts I've ever had.
- is at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville. :-)
- just spent the last hour+ walking the streets of Nashville. Stopped in the Hard Rock Cafe, then checked out the Charlie Daniels Museum, too.
- is petting stingrays, and next we're dining in an aquarium - eating right under the fishies!
- is getting ready to watch G-Force. We've all been waiting for this! This is our wind-down event for the evening. :-)

8/4/09:

- just left Tennessee and has passed into Kentucky.
- is so full. Steak 'n Shake chili and a Snickers shake - mmmmmm!
- is in St. Louis - Gateway Arch, here we come!
- is at the very tip-top of the Gateway Arch!
- has been to Hard Rock Cafe St. Louis, all over Union Station, to dinner, then swimming at the hotel. 'Night!

8/5/09:

- eek! My first Tweet of the day just woke us up (thanks wendywoowho)! Wow, our room was *very* quiet, dark & comfy, and we must've all been exhausted!
- Pay-It-Forward in action! Jack gave away his earned free golf pass a few nights ago, and a lady just handed us 2 free kid passes to the park!
- is at Six Flags Over St. Louis amusement park for a day of rides, fun, and perfect weather!
- is watching the boys get their game on in the arcade, and then we're headed for dinner and swimming at the hotel. Prizes ain't fun to carry!
- the downside of jet-skiing? The burned scalp peel-a-thon about four days later. It looks like I have giant dandruff tonight. :-/

8/6/09:

- is homeward bound! We should be home by early evening. :-)
- has roughly 3.5 hours 'til we're home.
- We just took a touristy picture next to the road sign as we finally crossed back into Nebraska!

My team has not changed.

2009-11-21T17:17:00.000-06:00

I stated on the first read of New Moon that I was all about Jacob/Bella. This hasn't changed, even in reading Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I still wish things had worked for my pairing, but I enjoyed the series anyway.

BUT - the onslaught of "TEAM JACOB!" is now crazy. I'm proud to say I was an original Jacob fangirl - before he had short hair and crazy-good abs of steel. I'm very happy to see Jacob now getting the gamut of attention he was always due...

... but I still want an eensy-teensy kiss. Is that too much to ask? *sigh*

I've seen the new movie twice now, and it is even better the second time. Philip and I will be seeing it sometime as well - probably mid-week next week, I imagine. I'm already revved to see it again, so I hope he doesn't fall asleep in non-Twerdy boredom.

B-A-K-L-A-V-A.

2009-11-18T13:29:00.000-06:00

Because I know you are all so very worried about my sugar consumption... (you weren't? YOU SHOULD BE!)

I wanted to inform you that I have already devoured my first piece of baklava for the season. In fact, I had three pieces over a week, and even then, it was about ten days ago.

Yummy.
Flaky.
Sticky.
Buttery.
Goodness.

Screw "baklava." No, from now on, I'll gonna call it "YFSBG," because it'll help me to remember how truly wonderful and delicious the stuff really is. ;-)

Reading, lunches, and the boys' friends.

2009-11-18T12:32:00.000-06:00

This morning was 'Breakfast & A Book' again at the boys' school. We all went, and while there, I also gifted their teachers with some cute, homemade goodies (to be shared about in a separate entry). I then walked the halls and gave the rest away to other teachers that happened to be milling about, as well as the entire office staff and the librarian. Then A.J. headed off to class, and Philip and I brought Jack home for a little bit.

The boys had their regular dentist check-ups yesterday, and Jack needed to go back this morning to have some sealants done. He's got the same substantial "grooves" on his molars that A.J. did years ago, and they want to prevent cavities in those grooves by sealing them now. I took him to that appointment, and then back to school before 9:30. While in the office, another teacher was asking me about the goodies, saying she'd already heard about them from several folks. Fun!

Then I went back at 11:00 for my regular Wednesday lunching with the boys. I'd forgotten to look at the school menu, so I had all my fingers crossed that it was something good... TACOS! I can always support tacos. ;-) A.J.'s group of friends was particularly talkative today, and that was fun. I had put a special, sealed bag in his friend Jade's desk early that morning, and she was BEGGING me to tell her what was in it. I shook my head, and promised her it was worth the wait! Then Jack's group of friends is always so much fun, and I love knowing all of them by name, and continuing individual conversations with the kids from week-to-week. Today, I let his friend Noah Dettmer know that I had *just* spoken with his mom and RSVP'd for the fun 'Mystery Theater' birthday party he's throwing this Saturday. He was very excited, and was *fist-pumping* the air. :-)

As I headed to the office, I was stopped by a few more folks, asking about the goodies. I apologized, saying I was now fresh out, but they still wanted to know how to make 'em. Then it became a baking jamboree discussion in the office, and I love that so many are so interested!

A.J. asked if we could head to Borders after school, and I've got a Bath & Body Works birthday giftcard burning a hole in my pocket, as well as a birthday giftcard to Wheatfield's, so... sounds like a plan to me!

Tales From the Kitch.

2009-11-14T11:21:00.000-06:00

From the kitchen audiofile library moments ago:

A.J.: Mom, what are these little brown things in the fridge?
Me: They're part of the special dessert I'm making.
A.J.: Do they go with the marshmallow stuff you were doing, too?
Me: Nope, that's a different one.
A.J.: Are they for the cookie cutters we bought?
Me: Nope, that's another one.
A.J.: Wow. Then these must be some REALLY SPECIAL desserts if it's taking you a couple days to make them!

*grins*

I'm in the kitchen, I'm baking up special things, and I'm having loads of fun. Love this! :-)

All the Ways That I Love You.

2009-11-13T22:37:00.001-06:00

The cat's out of the bag now. ;-)

For her birthday, we gave Heather a special gift... one that she would cherish, but that would really best be given to her children. (But aren't those some of the best gifts? The ones that make your kids smile, and in turn, make you smile even wider?)

We picked up a copy of All the Ways I Love You, and then we recorded into the book all of our voices reading the story. She will forever have the boys' young voices, and her kiddos will always have a story that can be read to them. They will know how much we love them and think about them every time they pick up the book.

I almost cried while reading my line at the end. So here, have a listen. And while you're at it, wish my fellow Zippy a happiest of birthdays on this glorious birthday that we share!

VoicePost
231K 1:15

(transcribe)

Silky.

2009-11-13T22:35:00.000-06:00

I just made the creamiest chocolate cake batter ever. Seriously. It was just a boxed mix, but dang - it was SO.SMOOTH. coming out of the batter bowl.

I hope it tastes as great as it looks right now. Next, though, I'm going to crumble it all up. ;-)

Going, going, going.

2009-11-07T09:22:00.000-06:00

I'm on my third load of laundry already, and it's a gorgeous day out. I hope to take advantage of this by being extremely-very-majorly productive today.

I started the day with a quick call to my bestie to tell her that I missed her. That always puts a smile on my face, too. And I could hear little Catherine in the background saying, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Love that little girl, I do.

I did some more holiday shopping last night, and now I've got a dining room FULL of gifts that need to be wrapped and boxed for shipping. That's high on the agenda today, but I need to swing out to the store to get some shirt boxes first. I'm considering baking cookies while I'm wrapping, too.

I'm paying bills right now (well, I was... then I stopped to make an entry, that is), and I'll be heading out in just a moment. I am excited and happy for this big, beautiful day!

A holiday update.

2009-11-05T20:27:00.000-06:00

Jack and I headed out this evening to begin our holiday shopping. We worked very hard for over two hours, and we made a lot of progress! I'm now happy to report that gifts have been purchased for six special people. That means we only have, let's see... um... six just-as-special people left to buy for. We're halfway done - YAY!

At the very end of our shopping, we passed a makeup section, and Jack was all, "OOOOOooooooh!" He wanted to show me the LipSmackers that his teacher sometimes uses, and he was super stoked to find a Dr. Pepper flavor one. I let him have the 85c chapstick for being such a big help to me in picking out gifts, and he is over the moon tonight about his flavored lips. What a funny guy!

As we were piling purchases into the car, I scouted the parking lot for a cart return. I spotted one, but it was a few aisles over. After emptying out the cart, I let Jack return it, but I warned him to walk slowly and look for traffic constantly. I then started the car and crept alongside him. He did exactly as I asked, being very vigilant in looking for cars, and then he politely pushed the cart all the way inside the return, as the beginning of the next neat row. He then hopped inside the car with me, and I navigated the rest of the parking lot.

"Why were you looking at me with that funny look out the window, Mom?" he asked.

"Hmm?" I questioned. "What are you talking about, bud?"

"You were watching me real close with a kinda smile on. Did you think I couldn't do it by myself?"

I sighed a mother's sigh. "No, sweetie. I knew you could do it. I just look at you sometimes, and I can't believe you are as big as you are, and that you can do all the things you now can. You are just growing up so very fast, you know?"

"I know, Mom," he said knowingly, nodding in the rearview mirror. Then he smiled that loopy smile of his, and he gazed out the window into the clear night.

Random is as random does.

2009-11-04T22:05:00.000-06:00

I have been working, working, working, and working some more lately - craziness! This week, I should pull into overtime again, too.

I've gotten back into the beta'ing bug again for my dear friend kataclysmic. Even if just for one story, it's been fun, and I've realized how much I've missed this in the last couple years. Dramione, how I still love you. ♥ ♥ ♥

I bit the fingernails on both of my ring fingers much too short yesterday morning, and they were both SO SORE all day yesterday. Today, they're not as sore, but they do feel awful funky as I click away on this keyboard. My poor left middle finger should be worried, as he's the next to go.

** Yes, I bite my fingernails. I always have. I could care less whether you find that disgusting because I find it to be the best way to cut as very, very, VERY close as possible, and I loathe taking care of my nails, so I prefer to do it the least often possible... meaning it needs to be TO.THE.SKIN.**

I need to begin my Christmas shopping. Last year, I was on top of things. In fact, last year, I was sickeningly jolly in my holidayness. I had all our gifts purchased and/or made, already gift-wrapped and stacked decoratively in a corner, and photographed (for PROOF!) on this day, November 4th. And then I sent it out to most everyone I knew. After all, how can you properly hate me without knowing the full extent of my awesomesauce? ;-)

This year, I've got diddly-squat done so far. Okay, okay - that's not entirely true. A couple gifts have already trekked out to AnnieMcFranniePants (the_mommy_in_me), but that's it. There are, however, a few in the later stages of being made, so I suppose that's something. But I desperately need to get out there, get shopping, get back here, get wrapping, and get shipping. QUICK!

We got the boys' school portraits a couple weeks ago. I should probably share those, right? I know, I know... "this post is useless without pictures" is ready and waiting in the wings of the comments, so I'll just cut to the chase and share 'em:

Eh? Love 'em? I'm think they are both good pictures, but I also know that neither of those smiles are genuine for my boys. I guess I'm happiest that they save up their very best true smiles for me! ;-)

(It DOES make you wonder though, doesn't it, if the photographer even CAN center a child for their picture. I mean, GAH.)

No zoo for you!

2009-10-22T12:07:00.000-05:00

It's my day off. My day off is usually on Wednesday, but it is Thursday this week because I had volunteered to go to the zoo with Jack's 2nd grade class for a field trip. I chaperoned this same field trip for A.J. in the past, and I was excited to do it again for Jack.

But it was drizzling all day yesterday. In fact, A.J.'s class had a field trip yesterday (no chaperones allowed, however) to a farm, and it was canceled then. And by early evening last night, it was raining.

And it hasn't stopped.

I charged my battery packs, cleared my memory cards, and made sure sack lunches were ready last night. I was up, getting ready, when the phone rang this morning. It was Jack's teacher, Miss Wiebers, informing us that the field trip was canceled due to the excessive rain.

Darn, darn, darn!

I hope it's rescheduled soon, but I'm not overly optimistic. A.J.'s class went on this trip in late September, and it's already late October. The way I figure it, they probably will try to reschedule the field trip for next spring. That makes me just as sad, because then Jack will miss it entirely. :-(

O-nions.

2009-10-20T18:09:00.000-05:00

My hands smell like onion. I actually quite like the smell, and I'm always up for working with them, when possible. But in the last day, yeah... I've peeled, sliced, dipped, and chopped a lot of onions.

Book-a-licious.

2009-10-14T08:06:00.000-05:00

I just returned home from the 'Pastries for Parents' breakfast event at the boys' school. Once again, the turnout was extremely low, but Philip and I were both there (he had gotten it approved to be half an hour late to work today). We ate our muffins and drank our juice, and then we began browsing the book fair.

I love books. :-)

We're all excited for the boys' conferences this afternoon. After school, while we're waiting for their conference time, we'll shop the book fair. After conferences, we're headed out to Borders to pick up A.J.'s reserved copy of the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. He's been waiting for weeks and is excited to get it.

Should be a very book-ish day!

Hallmark killed me today.

2009-10-11T19:28:00.000-05:00

Normally, I love Hallmark. I love everything about the store, and I could easily drop a few hundred bucks every time I visit (but I don't).

But today? Today, Hallmark killed me. Man, I have never left feeling so deflated and saddened. I can't give more details yet, because I've got to rear the last of my hope into my projects, get them out to the recipients, and then PRAY FOR THE BEST...

But dang, Hallmark. My poor spirit. Why do you hate me so?! *wrings hands*

Bah humbug. :-(

My heart is hurting.

2009-09-29T23:56:00.001-05:00

I do not want tomorrow to come.

Tomorrow, my very bestest best friend moves away. She's moving to New Mexico, and I know, I know... it's not the end of the earth. It's not even a different country, and it's not halfway around the world.

But it's too far for me. It's too far for me to call her and say, "Hey, I'm gonna drop off those pictures/boxes/gifts/papers/random objects you wanted, and I'll see you in a minute, okay?" And it's too far for me to run over and snap pictures of Catherine's first days of preschool/kindergarten because I'm just as excited and happy and thrilled for her as she is. And it's too far for me to take my kids trick-or-treating like we've done every year because her neighborhood is more awesome than mine. And it's too far for me to be there for John's first birthday in time. And it's too far for me to make Thanksgiving dinner and give her some of our ham because she never makes it herself, yet she craves it sometimes.

And it's too far for us to throw silly birthday parties together for our joint-birthday. And it's too far for me to do all the tours and house-shopping with her. It's too far for me to help her unpack her kitchen and put everything in just-so places, and for us to see a rainbow together while doing so. And it's too far for me to see Catherine stomping around in her froggy shoes, and for me to teach John all the wonders of Coca-Cola. It's too far for me to get to hug their little arms and kiss their little cheeks. And it's too far for me to baby-sit her precious kiddos while she runs an errand, and to feed them too many mandarin oranges. It's also too far for me to kitty-sit for "Hidey" Milo and "Escapee" Tasha.

And it's too far for us to go on vacation, and then bring back Chick-Fil-A for each other, dropping it by each other's house on our way back home. And it's too far for her to make it to all the boys' school concerts. And to all their book fairs. And their carnivals. And their birthdays. And now I'm just being selfish again...

It's too far for me to fall into her arms when I need her hugs - her special, 'we-don't-do-it-all-the-time-but-she-tou

ches-my-soul-when-we-do' kind of hugs.

This past Friday, the 25th of September, marked seven years to the day that I first walked across the street and introduced myself to Heather. These seven years have been the very best and worst times of my life, and she's been there for every second of it. I can't imagine any of it differently, and I can't imagine it without her. She's in every part of my scrapbook, every part of my life, and she holds a very, very special place in my heart.

Two weeks ago, Catherine and I chatted on the phone. I'd been talking to her mama, and she wanted to say something special. When she was ready to get off, she said, "I love you." And I know I will get to hear her say that on the phone now, but I'm sad for all the goodbye hugs and sweet, goodbye kisses on my cheek that I'll miss.

And I know that New Mexico isn't the end of the earth. I know that I'll trip to see her, and she'll trip to see me. And I know that we'll have to pick certain events/holidays to travel and share with one another, and that we'll always have internet and phonecalls.

But it's too far not to still hurt, and to hurt so deeply.

Lastly, it's too far for me to ever have a chance at being even half the friend and family to her that she has been to me. She is my sister, and she's not too far away to love.

From DL, with love.

2009-09-21T22:41:00.000-05:00

I got a postcard from Disneyland from 1grl_revolution today! How fun!

200!

2009-09-19T16:54:00.000-05:00

I doubt anyone checks back to this older entry, but this is worth announcing:

JACK HAS READ 200 BOOKS THIS YEAR!

He's had lulls here and there, and he's had months where he just goes crazy with reading. His skill level is amazing, and we couldn't be prouder of his progress over the summer months! He received a progress report home on Thursday, and the news was insane: to be classified at the 'Advanced' level for second grade, he was expected to read 78 words-per-minute. His score:

192 wpm

*cartwheels* We are just blown away! Looking ahead, he should be reading 117+ wpm by the end of the school year to still be classified at 'Advanced.' I've got an idea that's gonna be NO problem. ;-)

School pictures.

2009-09-19T16:13:00.000-05:00

I have paid for the boys' school pictures online. Their picture day is Monday, so I'm now prepared. This wasn't on my (short) to-do list today, so now I've gone and overdone it - heh.

Being sick sucks.

2009-09-19T14:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I have gotten dressed today. I'm still hacking up a storm, but that is more progress than I've made since Tuesday. I'm going to push through laundry today (though I won't be putting it away), and I'm going to pay bills. Lofty goals, I tell you.

We'll see how this goes...

2009-09-18T20:15:00.000-05:00

I just coughed until I puked. I've been on the verge of doing it for days, but tonight it's finally happened. I've got a strong feeling it's not the last time this evening, either...

My coughing has intensified SO MUCH today. I've not eaten a thing all day, in fact, because it seems that I can't stop coughing long enough to even *think* about making something. There's no soup in the house, and Philip is already at work (nightshift).

I've been making cups of tea in the microwave, and I've had two of them today, plus a swallow of water this morning for some headache meds (headaches which are caused, I'm sure, by violent hacking, as they pound more profusely during that time than any other). I know it's not enough, but I keep coughing out the few drops I've tried to suck on, so I'm sure food wouldn't have a good chance either.

:-(

I'm ready to fast-forward to next week. I'm sure I'll be fine by then, and I just wanna get there.

Flu.

2009-09-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

There's been a heckuva a lot of snivelling, snotting, hacking, coughing, fevering, sweating, and aching around here the past 48 hours.

And it's all been me.

Hello, flu. How nice to see you again. What's it been... 19 months? My, how you haven't changed.

I pulled my shoulder out this morning in a coughing spasm. One of those sudden, 'I'm-sleeping-*choke*-oh-look!-now-I'm-f

ighting-for-my-life' coughing jags that happen from time-to-time.

I am bone-weary. Though I'd already logged 22 hours for the week by Tuesday, I was off work today. And tomorrow, a meeting has been cancelled due to my absence, and Philip will work my 3-hour lunch shift. I'll find a high schooler to replace me for Friday (they're out of school that day for inservice), and I'm off on Saturday anyway. So I have until Sunday night for my body to recover.

*collapses*

Philip is out right now, helping a friend move some furniture. On his way home, he's picking up The Lost Symbol for me, the brand-new novel from Dan Brown. I hope I have enough energy between near-constant naps to really get into it...

Quenched.

2009-09-11T21:27:00.000-05:00

We can't find Vanilla Coke™ anywhere lately, and after several weeks of looking, I was frustrated!

So Philip is on security patrols tonight in our neighborhood, and he was stopping by the base shoppette for a snack. I had an idea, so I asked him to grab two things and bring them by on his route. He did.

And now I'm happily sipping a homemade Vanilla Coke... made with Coca-Cola® and A&W® Cream Soda™. Perfect!

Camping crafts.

2009-09-05T23:10:00.000-05:00

The boys are all camping outside in the new tent Heather gave A.J. and Jack for their birthdays. The tent sleeps seven, so they've got TONS of room in there. They have a fan, my iPod and speakers, flashlights, and tons of books - they're camping so "thoroughly modern." I gave them water bottles, and they've been out there since 9:15pm. At 10:30, Philip texted that the boys were *still* reading - no interest in ghost stories yet. Heh, our little bookworms. :-)

Meanwhile, I'm feeling crafty. It might only last for tonight, but the feeling is definitely there. Now... what to do?

Beginning band.

2009-08-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

Philip and I were both "band geeks" in school, taking it all the way through graduation, and even taking multiple classes. I was always first chair and section leader for my flute section, playing all the solos and piccolo parts, and I took three different band classes during my senior year. I even taught lessons a couple years. Philip was a percussionist, and took two classes his senior year as well. We practically lived in the band hall - in fact, that's where we met our freshman year!

Last Tuesday, we attended a beginning band class orientation for A.J.'s grade. He's been excited about this for most of the summer, and we are definitely encouraging his enthusiasm. The students were asked to pick list three instruments they were most interested in, and then the band teacher would test them on all mouthpieces, consider their favorites, and send home a recommendation. The recommendation would be based on the strengths of the student, as well as the needs of the forming band class.

A.J.'s picks, in this order: 1) clarinet, 2) trombone, and 3) flute.

Now, my mama heart began flip-flopping at seeing his listed choices two weeks ago, and I wasn't sure how to handle things. You see, if he was truly interested in the clarinet or the flute, I didn't want to discourage him from choosing it. However, I didn't want to hype up either, thinking that he might be choosing the flute because he thought it would make me happy, or because we already have two of them (which wouldn't have mattered, as we'll be getting him a new instrument of his own anyhow, but he didn't know that). And the trombone? Well, Philip actually played that for a year before switching to percussion, and A.J. knew this, so I hoped that he wasn't picking it because he thought it was what his dad would want.

But... *quibbles* ... it's just how it is, but the flute/clarinet are generally perceived in school as "girly" instruments. At least, that was definitely the case in my schools in Texas, as well as our school in West Virginia - I can't be sure of anywhere else. There was one boy clarinet player I could remember, and cripes, he had so much fun made at him! My mama-bear instincts put up a guard the moment I saw "clarinet" on his paper.

Yes, I know that some of the world's most accomplished clarinet/flute players are men. I do. It has always irked me, as a flautist, that male players have so much more ease in playing, just by having longer fingers, and I'm sure the case is the same for clarinet players. But I also imagine that those same male players have suffered much ribbing, especially in their earlier years. And I was so nervous of how A.J. would handle the negative attention, should it occur.

At his orientation, he really perked up at seeing the baritone. He had never heard of, nor seen one, and he thought it was so much more interesting than the tuba. He still thought the trombone was pretty slick, and I was inwardly praying, "Go brass!" Not that playing a brass instrument is any easier, but because I know that A.J. doesn't have a tendency to let jokes "roll off his back," and I was so worried. While A.J. was checking out something else, Philip and I briefly discussed our concerns with his band teacher, and then left, hoping for... well, we weren't sure, really.

Over the next few class days, the band teacher tested all of the students. Today, she sent home recommendations, and we are now to begin shopping for an instrument. On A.J.'s paper?

"CLARINET"

I have been enthusiastic for him, and he is just elated to have received a recommendation for, "my first choice, Mom!" Oh, but my tummy is doing cartwheels, and my heart prays that he won't have additional challenges because of his instrument choice, but that if he does, he grows to effectively handle them. Music has been such an important part of my life, and playing an instrument has been a great joy...

I wish for that for my sweet A.J. in his new adventure.

A Love Story Remembered.

2009-08-25T17:21:00.000-05:00

I receive a paper newsletter from Focus on the Family. I find valuable insights for my heart, soul, and mind inside each month, but the issue from June touched me so deeply that I am still remembering it over two months later, thinking of the 'story' each day.

And I really want to share this beautiful love story. I realize that not everyone in my friends' list holds the same beliefs that I do, so I will put the long entry behind a cut. Originally, I was going to type this out myself from my paper newsletter, but when I set forth just now to do so, I found an exact online article already existed. Still, I will put it here for myself, too.

This is a love story. It is Christian, but it is, ultimately, a tale of undying love.

A Love Story Remembered

by James C. Dobson

June 2009

Dear Friends,

The Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "Oklahoma!" includes a song that asserts "June is busting out all over." Indeed it is. This is the month celebrated in Western nations as a time for love and marriage. It seems appropriate, therefore, that I share my favorite romantic story with you in what I believe to be the 350th monthly edition of my letter, going back to 1978. I think you will be touched by what you are about to read.

The year was 1934. A beautiful, young girl named Myrtle was being courted by a struggling artist who had just graduated at the top of his class from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He had come home again to pursue his hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, the Great Depression was underway in the United States and in most countries around the world. It was a scary time in American history, when huge numbers of people were out of work. Businesses failed, banks closed, and opportunities were few and far between. (Sound familiar?)

Jimmie was one of the millions of Americans who couldn't find a job of any type — much less one in his chosen profession. He was finally hired at a Texaco service station out on the edge of town where cars rarely came. It was his job to pump gas and wipe windshields. He earned one dollar per day. It was a humbling experience for a man who wanted to be another Leonardo da Vinci.

What was more distressing to Jimmie was his unrequited love for Myrtle. He couldn't seem to get anywhere with her. She toyed with him and treated him badly. One night when they were together at her parents' house, Myrtle was especially insulting. Jimmie was a proud man and he had finally had enough. He stared at her for a moment and then quietly got up and walked out the door without saying goodbye. It was over and they both knew it. Destiny hung in the balance that night.

Jimmie later recalled that when he was about a block away, he heard the patter of bare feet approaching from behind. Myrtle had experienced a sudden change of heart, and she was running after him. She would adore this sensitive, lanky (6-foot-4-inch) man for the rest of her life, and when he died many years later, she literally grieved herself to death. But I am getting ahead of my story.

Jimmie and Myrtle soon began talking about marriage, which seemed impossible. He hardly made enough money to feed himself, much less support a wife, and they certainly could not afford to rent an apartment. Finally, the couple decided to marry secretly and continue living with their respective parents. For three months, they maintained the charade. Not a soul knew they were husband and wife — that is, not until Jimmie was at Myrtle's parents' house late one evening, sitting together in the living room.

Everyone else in the house was asleep except for Myrtle's elderly father, who was worrying about the chastity of his pretty daughter. He sneaked out the back door and crawled onto a fence to see what was going on in the living room. There was nothing much happening by today's standards, but Rev. Dillingham was so shocked by what he saw, he nearly fell off the fence. It must have been a hilarious scene, with the old man wobbling there and witnessing what he imagined was leading to his worst nightmare. He came tearing through the front door to confront Jimmie, who informed the good Reverend that his daughter was now Jimmie's wife. Rev. Dillingham was over 70 years of age at the time, and the two severe shocks he received that evening could have been fatal. It wasn't long, however, before Myrtle's family embraced her husband as a son. Soon after, Jimmie became manager of the Texaco station, and he and his new bride were able to rent their first little apartment and begin married life together.

Have you guessed by now that James C. Dobson Sr. and Myrtle Georgia Dillingham were my father and mother? I came along two years later. I was born by cesarean section, and my mother was advised not to risk another pregnancy. That is why I was an only child. But if you think that was a liability, look how great I turned out!

The most serious problem that my parents faced in their early marital life was spiritual in nature. They had both been raised in Christian homes but weren't living out their faith. In fact, my dad had a secret that he had not shared with his wife.

He was fighting a call to the ministry. He had wanted to be an artist since he was 3, and that ambition had became a god to him. Then one day as he walked along a street during his 16th year, he seemed to hear the Lord speaking to him. It was not an audible voice, of course. But deep within his soul he knew the Almighty had addressed him. It was a simple message that conveyed this thought: "I want you to set aside your great desire to be an artist and prepare for a life of service in the ministry."

My father was terrified by the experience. He replied, "No! No, Lord. You know I have my plans all made. I want to be an artist."

He quickly argued down the impression and convinced himself that his mind had deceived him. But when he got it all resolved and laid to rest, the urge would reappear. Month after month, the nagging thought reverberated in his mind that God was asking — no, demanding — that he abandon his dream and become a preacher. It proved to be one of the greatest struggles of his life, but he shared it with no one.

For two years this inner battle went on. Then toward the end of his senior year in high school, the time came for him to select a college to attend in the fall. His father told him to pick out any school in the country and he would send him there. But what was he to do? If he yielded to the voice within, he would have to attend a college that would prepare him for the ministry. But if he followed his dream, he would go to art school. Would he obey God, or would he have his own way? It was a terrible dilemma.

One morning a few weeks before graduation, he got out of bed to prepare for school. But the minute his feet touched the floor, my father heard the voice again. It was as if the Lord said, "Today you will have to make up your mind." He wrestled with that issue all day at school. After his last class in mid-afternoon, he came home to an empty house. He paced back and forth in the living room, praying and struggling with this unrelenting demand of God. Then he suddenly turned his face upward and said, "It's too great a price, and I won't pay it!"

My dad had his way, and instead of going to seminary, he enrolled in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. On graduation day, his paintings were on display with a large banner marked "No. 1" draped over them. As he walked down the aisle to receive that award, the Scripture rang in his head, "Except the Lord build a house, they labour in vain that build it" (Psalm 127:1, KJV).

For seven years, my dad lived in spiritual rebellion before reluctantly attending a revival service at their church. He and the family arrived late, and every seat was taken except those on the front row. As they traipsed in, a woman was singing a song that touched my dad's heart. Instantly, he yielded to the call.

Then the Lord seemed to say, "Son, are we going to do business again?"

My dad said, "Yes, I want Your will in my life."

The Lord spoke again. He said, "Then we'll pick up where we were on that afternoon in the living room."

My dad said through his tears, "Yes, Lord."

From that moment forward, my dad was absolutely committed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It carried him through all the trials and challenges of the years to come. The wonderful thing is that after my father accepted the call, the Lord gave him back his art, and for the rest of his life, he used his talent in the ministry. You can see some of his paintings in a gallery located at Focus on the Family when you visit our campus.

Here is the most incredible part of the story. Right at that moment when my dad had been desperate for a career break, the president of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh wrote him a letter and offered him a job as an instructor at the unbelievable salary of $300 per month. It was precisely what he had dreamed about since childhood. But somehow that letter became misplaced on the president's desk. The man later found and mailed it with another note saying he had wondered why my dad hadn't even done him the courtesy of responding to his offer. But by the time the second letter came, my father had grown sick of his lofty dreams and was committed irreversibly to the call of God. If he had received that letter, I would not be writing to you today.

But what about my mother? How did she receive the news that the ground had shifted beneath her? Well, she had her own little spiritual rebellion. She brazenly told the Lord there were three things she would never do. One of them was to marry a preacher. Actually, she wound up doing all three, although, technically, she married an artist. It was quite a jolt to find out that her husband was going to be a minister, and she was to be the preacher's wife. So much for dreams of marrying another Michelangelo. Once she accepted that reality and made her own peace with God, she never questioned it again. Mom served alongside Dad until the day he died, and I never heard her utter a word of complaint about it.

This couple remained devoted to each other until the tragic day of his death 43 years later. Throughout those four decades, my mom, whom Dad called Myrt or Myr-teel, built her entire life around this one man. And he treated her like a queen. He also taught me how a man should love and respect his wife. I saw their relationship "up close and personal," where it is impossible to hide the truth. What they had together was pure gold.

After committing themselves to the ministry, my parents quickly embarked on this new journey as a lowly, inexperienced pastor and his wife, a new mother, in a small, struggling Nazarene church in Sulphur Springs, Texas. It was an inauspicious beginning. I learned just how difficult their lives were from some old financial papers and various writings that I found after my mother died in 1988.

Sulphur Springs was still locked in the Depression, and many of the surrounding farms didn't even have electricity. The church consisted of 10 members, which my dad said wouldn't have been so discouraging if they had not always been the same 10! No one had any money to spare. My father received 55 cents after preaching his first sermon, and averaged $8 per Sunday for the next 52 weeks. He led 18 people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ during those 12 months, which thrilled him. He was paid $1 for presiding over his first funeral. Dad earned a total of $492.82 during that initial year in the ministry and, remarkably, gave $352 back to the church. He and my mother lived on a small inheritance that came to them after my grandfather died in 1935. Throughout their lives together, they would give more than they could afford to the cause of Christ, and were an easy touch for anyone who appeared to be more needy than they.

What a godly man my father was. One of his dear friends was a man named Noble Hathaway. He was 16 years old when my dad went out to a dirt-poor farm where Noble and his parents were trying to hack out a living. My father knocked on the door, was invited in, and soon introduced this humble family to the claims of Christ. Every one of them became believers. Noble stuttered so badly that he could hardly talk, and yet the Lord called him to preach. He and my dad served together as best friends in ministry for many years.

Noble came to visit Shirley and me after my parents were gone, and he told us wonderful stories about them during that first pastorate. He indicated that Dad was known in the little town of Sulphur Springs as "the man with no leather on the toes of his shoes." It was true. He wore out the toes before the soles, because he spent so much time on his knees in prayer. At 24 years of age, he felt totally inadequate to lead his flock unless he spent many hours every day in prayer. The Lord must have been listening, because He blessed my father's ministry abundantly. The church in Sulphur Springs had grown to a congregation of 250 four years later, before my family moved on. I was towed along behind.

Time and space do not permit me to tell the entire story of the intervening years, except to say that the love affair between these two devoted people continued uninterrupted for more than four decades. But all too quickly, it ended. There, within my mother's diary, we found her account of my father's last full day on earth. He had suffered a massive heart attack 80 days before, but seemed to be recovering. He had recently been released from the hospital and was enjoying life to the fullest. Nevertheless, Mom lived in terror that her husband would suddenly be taken from her. She would not let him out of her sight for fear he would be stricken again. He chafed a bit under this scrutiny, but usually yielded to his wife's anxieties. This is what she wrote to the memory of her husband exactly 12 months after his death.

My precious darling. One year ago today you spent your last day on this earth. One year ago we spent our last night together. I have recalled our concluding activities throughout this day. You wanted to go to the shopping center to take your daily walk, although I thought you really wanted to look at the fishing rods. We window-shopped for a while, and then you said, "Myrtle, you have to let go of me. Let me be free to go in and out of stores by myself . . . just to wander about free and alone." I took your arm and said, "Go where you want, but let me go with you. Just let me walk beside you." You shrugged and allowed me to tag along for a while. For nearly three months I had been with you constantly. I seemed to know that you were to be taken from me suddenly, and I wanted to be there —perchance I could do something to keep you alive. But a few minutes later you said, "Look down this long mall. You can see to its end. I want to walk down there and back again."

With that, I relented. But wouldn't you know, you took an escalator to one of the upper floors of the mall, removing you from my line of sight. Frantically, I finally found you coming toward me with a grin on your face. You took me to a furniture store on the third floor and showed me a new chair that you had selected for my Christmas gift. It was your last day. Your last big fling.

The following afternoon my father suddenly crossed the chilly waters of death. This is how Mother described his passing:

On Sunday, December 4, 1977, you dressed early and then went downstairs to sit in your chair. I spent the morning upstairs. I wonder what you did those two hours. I know you read your Bible . . . what else? If I'd come down, you would have talked to me about it. Later we went to Bud's house [their nephew] in Kansas City. You looked so handsome in your sports coat and beige slacks. I sat saying nothing, just watching you manipulate your long arms, legs and body. You held the baby . . . not too gracefully . . . since it was never easy for you to hold an infant. At the table, you sat by me and told a funny story about us. You prayed, and then gently, quietly, leaned toward me. Then your head and arm touched the table. They laid you on the floor. Bud breathed for you. He said you smiled once . . . your only sign of life.

What did you see? Where did you go? My only comfort is that your last act on this earth was to lean toward me. You had said in the past, "When I'm sick I know you'll do everything possible to make me well. You'll know what to do . . . who to call." I know I kept you alive again and again. But, my darling, I couldn't save you this time. You went so quickly. I wanted to be near you, but they wouldn't let me. Others were trying to save you . . . but you slipped away.

The years that followed were marked by indescribable grief and loneliness for my dear mother. She simply could not cope with his passing. Her writings during those painful years are devastating to read today. I sat on the floor after her passing and wept as I read and comprehended, perhaps for the first time, the depths of her love and the agony of her loss. These are her words:

One day I realized that he did not exist anymore. His name was removed from the church register. The bank took his name off our checks. Our home address was rewritten to include only my name. His driver's license was invalidated. He was no more. Then I recognized that my name had changed, too. I had been proud to be Mrs. James C. Dobson Sr. Now I was simply Myrtle Dobson. I was not "we" any longer. I became me or I. And I am alone. He was my high priest. Inside I'm broken, sad, stunned, alone. My house has lost its soul. He is not here!

Shortly thereafter, some disturbing physical symptoms appeared that resulted in a five-day stint in the hospital as a medical team searched for a diagnosis. Two physicians then visited her bedside to say, "It's not your physical ailments that are destroying you, Mrs. Dobson. It's your grief and sorrow. And they will kill you if you cannot release them." She couldn't do it. She never did. She loved too deeply, and her life was too entwined with her man to ever extricate herself from his memory. Soon, she would be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, followed by a long, slow decline.

Some would see a contradiction between Mom's inability to harmonize her dependence on God with her emotional and romantic needs. I do not. God was the author of my mother's love for my father, and He melded the two of them into "one flesh."

I do not believe the Lord blamed her for those deep longings for my dad and the life they had shared together. Remember that Adam enjoyed the company of the Creator in the cool of the day, yet God pronounced his situation "not good" and crafted a human companion to meet his needs. In Mom's case, she called her specially designed companion "Jimmie."

My mother's writings continued throughout the long months, including this note I found on a simple yellow pad:

People have told me the first year was the hardest. It's been one year and three days since you died, and tonight I am frantic with longing for you. Oh, dear God. It's more than I can bear. The sobs make my heart skip beats. I cannot see the paper. My head throbs. The house is lonely and still. Visions of you have been as real as if you were here and had not left me. Today, I thanked God for letting an angel watch over me. But how desperately I missed you!

It is very cold outside. Last night a sleet storm covered the earth with ice and then froze into a solid crust. The streets are slippery and dangerous. I hate it. It makes me feel blue, frightened and alone. I dread the winter to follow. It will last for three more months.

I moved into the smaller bedroom today. I wish you were here to share that room with me. There are precious memories there. When I was ill four years ago, you prayed for me in that bedroom during the midnight hours. You lay on the floor, agonizing in prayer for me. We both knew the Spirit was praying through you. Later, the Lord led us to a doctor who helped me find my way back to health. Oh, how I loved you. I love your memory today.

Benji [my father's little terrier] misses you, too. He sits on the bed with ears pointed upward. His eyes are fixed on the stairs. Sometimes he growls. Sometimes he barks loudly. Sometimes he walks to the head of the stairs and stands motionless, as if he expected someone. He is puzzled by your absence.

In 1980, my mother moved to Pasadena, Calif., to be near Shirley, the kids and me. She found solace in the Bible in those years and seemed to struggle to her feet, momentarily. For example, she wrote in her diary on December 10, 1980, that the Lord had given her a Scripture in the middle of the night. One of the verses she loved was as follows:

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy (John 16:20-22, NIV).

My mother obviously held tightly to these promises of God throughout her final years of struggle, especially those relating to eternal life. They are precious to me, too.

Because of those promises of life beyond the grave, my parents' love song did not end in tragedy. It concluded with a shout of victory. The wretched disease that held my mother captive soon lost its paralyzing grip on her mind and body. The tubes and bandages and medications fell aside, and she was swept into the loving arms of the Savior. You can be sure my father was there to meet her on that day, too. I know he embraced her in one of the great reunions of all time. And they will be forever with the Lord!

Now, why have I told you about my parents' great love for one another? It is because on June 13th of this year, they would have celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary, had they survived. How I wish that could have been possible. From another perspective, however, I think they celebrated the occasion anyway in the Great Beyond. They are no longer experiencing suffering, or tears, or disease, or pain, or loneliness, or grief, or separation, or death. Their spirits are free, never again to be shackled in a fallen world. The beauty and grandeur that they are enjoying today cannot be expressed in human terms.

My parents are waiting now for the arrival of the rest of our little family on Resurrection Morning. We will be there. I promise you that. We will be there.

Do I, you might ask, really believe in this "hope of glory" beyond the grave for those who have been covered by the blood of the Lamb? You can be certain that I do — with every fiber of my being. I have banked everything of value to me on the certainty of that promise. Isaiah laid it out for us in unmistakable terms: "Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For you will be covered with the morning dew, and the earth will bring forth the departed spirits" (Isaiah 26:19, HCB). What a magnificent promise for us all.

I draw comfort today from the fact that I closed out my years with my mother and father with no regrets nor bad memories to be suppressed. There were no bitter words, no wounded pride, nothing for which to apologize or seek forgiveness. Nothing transpired between us but mutual love and appreciation. How sweet is their "presence" in my mind.

It was my pleasure to share "a love story remembered" with you this month. I will admit that I was very emotional when writing this letter, because of the precious memories it evoked. Perhaps you found it relevant to your own family as well, whether regarding your parents or another loved one. I chose to write about this true story in hopes that it would help inspire greater commitment and devotion within marriages. Marital harmony is still possible today, even when a man and woman come together as imperfect individuals. Genesis 2:24 tells us that it is God's plan for a man to leave his father and mother, and to be joined to his wife as "one flesh." I know there are those of you reading these words who are struggling to make that union a reality, but I urge you to give it priority. If you and your spouse are having those difficulties, I pray that you will find divine healing from the Creator of families.

Blessings to you and yours. May your own love story be one that your children will remember tenderly.

James C. Dobson

(online article found here)

Montana dumplings.

2009-08-24T17:12:00.000-05:00

I've had chicken, veggies, and gravy simmering in the crockpot all day, and it smells so delish! I'm fixin' to add the dumplings in just a few more minutes. Yummy dinner in an hour!

Meanwhile, I have to take a moment to confess how much I really do love Hannah Montana, the Movie. And the TV show, but especially the movie. I'm a sucker for Disney channel shows, and this one is no exception. No, I'm not in love with Miley Cyrus, but I do love the character on her show, and I love all of her amusing counterparts as well.

I watched the movie myself last night, but the boys have been watching it this afternoon. It'll wrap up just in time for dinner, but I'll probably have "Boom-de-clap-de-clap" stuck in my head for hours afterward. ;-)

MCR = FTW!

2009-08-22T18:19:00.000-05:00

Once again, Coca-Cola Rewards are awesome, and I'm so appreciative of all the folks who contribute to our collecting!

Last week, I was entering a Sprite® code. Now, I have no way of knowing whether that particular cap is from a bottle we drank, from my neighbor, or from a kind soul that mostcurious might know (ll codes that are currently in my 'to-be-entered' stash), but I entered it just the same.

And won an instant prize - a $50 online VISA gift card!

I had held onto this prize for a little while, wondering how best to use it. The only caveat with a prize gift card is that when you use it online, you have to be very careful not to go over the amount ($50), or the transaction will be declined. So I pondered it and kept it stashed.

Last weekend, I cleaned out Jack's closet, removing a 28-gallon tub of clothes he had outgrown and giving it away. It took hours for him to try on every stitch of clothing, and I wasn't able to then do the same cleaning-out ritual with A.J. in his room before bedtime. But we worked on it for a few hours today, and we got his closets squared away as well. I had been back-to-school shopping two weekends ago, and I had bought almost three times as many clothes for A.J. as Jack (because they are both August babes, and Jack is able to wear all of A.J.'s hand-me-downs in the appropriate seasons), but even still - once his closet was cleaned out of too-small clothes, he was left with a gap in his fall/winter selection.

11 long-sleeved shirts/hoodies, as well as one dressier sweater (for church or school concerts)... and that's it - yikes! He was also very sad about having to pass on some of his beloved shirts, but I promised him that we would go shopping soon just for him, to 'beef up' his warmer gear.

*enter online VISA gift card*

Just a bit ago, in decluttering my desk, I had an idea: why not use the card for a few more shirts for A.J.? So I went online, did some shopping, and in about five days, A.J. will now have a box arriving with five more shirts (three henleys & two hoodies). And the total transaction was $46.92 - not too shabby!

I don't feel bad about wasting/losing that little bit online, and A.J.'s closet will be in better shape. WIN!

ETA: Even better, I just used up a bit more on LJ Virtual Gifts. Now I can toss the paper, knowing that I'm only missing out on 13 cents from the original $50. :-)

2009-08-22T11:03:00.000-05:00

I have an intense headache. :-(

bubbles

2009-08-20T21:29:00.000-05:00

I believe I'll go take a bubble bath now, thanks.

You can only handle so much excitement, you know.

2009-08-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

This morning, Philip took the boys to school on his way to work. I wasn't scheduled until 11am, so it was my one chance to sleep in. I took it.

Until 10am, that is. Then my cell phone rang, and it was the store, needing help with the daily bookwork. *sigh* So I got up, got ready, and popped in early to straighten things out.

It was a mild lunch. We had stormy weather for a bit of it, and the rushes are always down in those conditions.

Once getting home, I changed into jammies again. I'm just feeling... off, somehow. Philip was already home by that point, and I lounged in the recliner chair in the living room. He picked the boys up, and then we all watched the Disney channel for a bit. I dozed a while, then finally moved to the bedroom for a more proper nap.

Philip woke me at 7:30, wondering what to make for dinner. *sigh* By the time I had gotten up to pee and wandered to the kitchen, he was making fish sticks and fillets. If I'd left things alone, that probably would've been it, too (balanced meal?), but I jumped in, adding cut-up tomatoes, lima beans, corn, and broccoli cheddar pasta to the plates.

Now it's bedtime for the boys, and I'm still kinda tired. And that, my friends, is my exciting day for today.

The Mustache Men.

2009-08-19T23:31:00.000-05:00

We babysat Catherine and John on Friday evening for a little. When Heather and Shane came to pick them up, we gathered up their belongings, said our goodbyes, and off they went to load up in their car. At that exact same time, Philip had stopped by the house on his security patrol, and after popping inside, he walked to the front door and asked me, "Why is there a mustache on the ceiling?"

...

... excuse me?!

...

I'm sure my bewildered look instantly told him that I didn't have the faintest idea what he was talking about, so he led me into the dining room, pointing up at the jamb between that room and the kitchen. First, I almost jumped - it looked like there was a gigantic black caterpillar hanging above my head. But Philip reached up and pulled the sticky mustache off, and then we walked to the door and out to the driveway just in time to catch Heather and Shane as they were about to leave. Philip yelled, "Shane, you forgot your mustache!" and the two of them began laughing. I guess Shane had hidden it, and was curious to see how long it might take us to find. (If it had been just me, probably a loooooong time!)

And then the boys wanted to play with it for a while, each modeling the new mustache. It was hilarious, and I had to take a few pictures. :-D

The Mustache Men.

Later, on A.J.'s way to bed, he kissed me goodnight, then piped up, "Oh, Mom, I put your Coke in the office on the desk for you, too." We'd all been watching the Disney channel together in the living room, but I usually do get on the computer once they're in bed and Philip's gone, so it was a kind, thoughtful move on his part. I put him to bed, followed by Jack, and then I got comfy in my office chair. Probably ten minutes later, I reached over for my can of Coke...

... AND JUMPED AND SCREAMED! That little twerp, he had wrapped the fuzzy mustache around my can, and I hadn't noticed! He came running from his bedroom, and I was laughing by then. I explained that he had gotten me GOOD, and then he was laughing so hard he was on all fours! He said Jack had known about the prank too, but by that time, Jack was far into snooze-ville already.

Oh, that mustache. :-}

F...

2009-08-19T20:36:00.000-05:00

As if I needed another time-suck, I've found one that's just hysterical. No thanks to welfy for this link, as I'll never get caught up with anything now. ;-)

F My Life

Hilarious!

Knitty love!

2009-08-19T18:14:00.002-05:00

Look what was waiting for me in a box from mostcurious when we returned from vacation:

She sent me a ton more Coke codes, another little collectible bear-in-tin, and handmade knitted socks in 'Slytherin' yarn - how cool! And the socks were a perfect fit and are so soft and warm. I'm wearing them right now, in fact. ;-)

SOCKS!

Seriously though... don't my feet look just so happy? :-)

Cheesecake and brownies and salad, oh my!

2009-08-19T17:51:00.002-05:00

It's college season, and that means that several of our peeps at work are heading off for the year. It's my tradition to make a special dessert for anyone leaving, and last week I took in both Patric and Chad's requests.

Chad wanted cheesecake, and that's easy. It feels like I make those all the time. My springform pan is really starting to fritz though (it won't hinge-lock, therefore it's not a tight seal), and while it was baking, I called up my Pampered Chef® consultant and ordered a new one. I made two cheesecakes, and I gave 1.5 of them away, saving just three pieces for us (Philip doesn't like cheesecake). Chad received half of a cheesecake, and it was a TON on the plate. And even though I cut the cakes into eight pieces, they were still too large and too rich to eat in just one sitting - eep! Chad yummed his cheesecake up with strawberry topping, but I like mine plain, thank you.

Classic Cheesecake.

Patric requested Brownie Cookies, which I'd never heard of before. I feared that he would only enjoy a family recipe - "Gram's Trusty Brownie Cookie" - or something of that ilk, but he promised me that anything I came up with would be wonderful and appreciated. So I set about researching recipes. In the end, I settled on a super-rich recipe: Double Fudge Brownies, and then I added three types of chocolate - Hershey's® Special Dark™ (one of those really large bars), a tin of Godiva® Dark Chocolate Pearls™ (about the size of my palm), and Nestlé® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (half a bag). The batter was very thick to work with, and when I scooped out the dough, it looked like I was serving up chocolate ice cream!

Close-up of the scoops.

And the final result, which the author suggests pairing with an ice-cold glass of milk:

Brownie Cookies.

I also made up a batch of Snickers® Apple Salad for Allison. It wasn't her last day, but I have a ton of leftover Snickers bits, and it's so easy to make. I ate a small serving of it, and Philip liked it enough for two bowls' worth, and then I took the rest to work for her to have. I believe she claimed her tastebuds were dancing. ;-)

And now Dan has requested me to make Butterfinger Brownies for him, and also a girl in the National Office has agreed to do a payroll item request for our store, but only IF... and she was very clear on this... I agree to make Peanut Butter Cup Brownies and mail them again!

First day of school.

2009-08-19T16:17:00.000-05:00

Last Wednesday was the first day of school for my boys, and I can't believe it's already been a week since! My goodness, how behind I am!

A.J. is in the 6th grade this year, and I still shake my head at this, finding it impossible. How is it that he is already in his very last year of elementary school? *weeps* He has been placed in Mr. Loomis' class this year, and we are all very excited about the changes that his first male teacher may bring. This is his teacher's first year at the school, but he's no young'un: he's a retired Air Force officer with four grown children and eight grandchildren! He seemed very nice the evening we met him before school began, and I hope for good things this school year. From the get-go, he received props: for the first time in all A.J.'s school years, his items were labeled with "A.J." - not "Aaron," as usual. Success!

(As a child who never went by my first name, I can tell you what a monumental difference it makes to feel like a teacher actually CARES about you enough to get your chosen name down correctly from the very beginning.)

Jack is now in 2nd grade, and this is a bit easier to digest. After all, we kept him back for an extra year of preschool many moons ago (I'm sure some of you remember the tears involved in making that decision!). He is so bubbly, so confident, and so very excited about life in the 2nd grade. He snagged Ms. Wiebers for a teacher, and what a blessing - we are already very familiar with her from our church, as she is one of the most involved participants in the childrens' ministry! She had already labeled all his things (lunch card, desk, etc.) with 'Jack,' and that's a big plus from the start (usually things have 'Jackson' on them, and we only say that when he's in trouble!). She had also already heard his preference, and she gave him an orange-colored lunch card... WIN! The night before school started, she gave each student a large 'test tube,' asking them fill it with "something about their summer." Jack was ecstatic to pick something from our huge vacation and share with his class!

And now, on to pictures! :-)

A.J., the big 6th grader.

Jack-a-roo, the bouncy 2nd grader.

Here's to another fun year!

At pick-up at the end of a great first day.

Jack's 'test tube.'

(Filled with a seashell from our vacation, Jack was to use his 'test tube' for Show'n Tell. However, his teacher explained that the tubes are not really 'test tubes' at all - they are 2-liter bottles. They are shipped to the factory in this smaller size, then blown into shape, and later filled with cola. Neat! Neither Philip nor I had ever seen/heard that before!

Now... I've seen a large handful of "first day" pics over on FaceBook, but not over here. I wanna read the stories that go with the pics too, people! Get writing! *cracks whip*

This just in...

2009-08-19T07:57:00.001-05:00

So I'm sure many of you already know this, but...

man! FaceBook is a huge time-suck!

I can't forget that LJ is my first, my true online love. This is where my memories are written, where I first "met" a large portion of even my FB friends.

I need to be here more.

A slice.

2009-08-13T23:34:00.000-05:00

Do you want to know one of my very favorite things about our vacation?

The silly "self-portraits" that Philip and I took together most places we visited. They're not focused well, the lighting is always off, our heads are crammed together, and you can never see whatever picturesque thing we're standing near...

but they are ours. They are us.

And I love them. :-)

More important than I'd imagined, it is.

2009-08-12T15:52:00.000-05:00

I twisted today just a smidgen, placing a gallon of poppyseed dressing to the side, and scrrriiiittttttchchch!

My bra broke.

While out in the open, I wasn't really in a place to properly "inspect" it, so I felt around a bit, lifting my girls and making sure that I still had some support. I knew something was wrong, but I really thought maybe a side stitch or something had ripped.

Until I came home, shed my shirt, and looked in the mirror:

(°/ (°)

^^ That's a visual of my boobies up there, by the way. ^^

God blessed the female population when he gave the idea of underwire to the inventor. Yes indeedy, it does a job! (I'd pondered and questioned it's real function before, you see...)

Meet-the-Teacher.

2009-08-11T15:02:00.000-05:00

This afternoon is the last day of summer break for the boys. We'll be headed to "Meet-the-Teacher(s)" in an hour, and then tomorrow is their first day back to school.

How do I have a sixth grader and a second grader already?!

I can't wait to see what they decide to wear tomorrow. I took them on a big clothes-shopping trip a day or so after we returned home from vacation, and they have tons of new digs. For the first time I can remember, they're both picking out their own outfits for the first day.

*crosses fingers for no major clashing*

My guys are just getting so very, very big!

Home!

2009-08-06T21:40:00.000-05:00

We're finally back! We extended a day or two while gone, but we've finally returned!

And we're off.

2009-07-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

We'll be on vacation for 15 days. We don't have a laptop, so any internet use will be extremely sporadic. I'll be updating Twitter along the way, but that's it.

If you need me, text it! (Info is found from my 'First Post' on my userinfo, if you don't already have it.)

See you on the flipside!

2009-07-20T16:19:00.000-05:00

My best friend Heather is the very best, best friend in the world. She really is.

An afternoon away.

2009-07-18T23:01:00.001-05:00

I am so in love with this new song. Truly.

Today was a happy day. My friend Liz called me just after 1pm. Her husband had taken the kids to the zoo, and she was up for chatting. Chatting turned into a discussion of tatting, and then the discussion turned into an excursion to get more supplies for my vacation tatting projects.

We stopped by Runza to get a reimbursement check I was due, and then to the bank, and then we set out for our impromptu afternoon. We lunched late at Qdoba (a first for both of us) and enjoyed the best burritos either of us had ever had, and then we shared a brownie. Next, we drove to Mangelson's, where we both stocked up on nifty thread colors we can't usually find. Leaving, she spotted a Bernina sewing store in the same plaza, so we popped in for her to pick up a few more bobbins and needles. Then we headed down to Hobby Lobby for more shuttles and even more thread for me (I was looking for a very specific teeny thread). I also found a tatting book, and I bought it straight-away. (In my experience, tatting finds are so very rare that I've learned not to walk away from them for a "next time.") Liz found a new basket must-have for her thread collection, and then we called it quits - we put locks on our wallets!

We returned home just after 6pm, too. Who knew that a phonecall would turn into all of that?! I began one project within half an hour of walking in the door, and Philip and I quasi-watched a TV show while I worked on it. (I was propped up on the pillows, and he was propped up on me.)

I have a VERY long, very tedious, very difficult tatting project "idea" milling about in my head. I sketched out some pieces of it last night, and I showed it to Liz. Of course, she's my tatting cheerleader and somehow thinks that I can do just about anything, despite my efforts to explain to her my very basic skills. So... we'll see if that "idea" ends up turning into a real project, or if it'll just stay in my head for years to come - eep!

Countdown to vacation: T-minus 5.5 days.

2009-07-16T21:55:00.000-05:00

I need to sit at the computer for a while, but I have absolutely no desire to. I need to pay a bill online, to clear up the receipts on the desk, to finish up some photos, to check out prices/fees for all the different places we're heading to on our vacation...

so.much.stuff.

We're very nearly at crunch-time, and it feels like there's just SO MUCH to be done before we leave. We'll be gone for 15 days, so the house stuff really has to be taken care of, too.

- oil change
- brake light appt. (we got a letter about a recall in the mail)
- bank (travelers' checks)
- packing (which includes laundry)
- gift-shopping (already have the cards for three birthdays, plus one gift - need two more)
- gift-wrapping
- finding a boarder for Tuck
- scheduling one mowing with a lawn service
- working every day before we leave (which makes the other items difficult)
- deciding on our meal for the condo (and food-shopping accordingly)
- arranging flower care for two weeks
- cleaning house

We don't have a laptop, so we'll be extremely sporadic with internet access. Because of this, I bought a small journal, and I hope to record things. If I feel really ambitious, I'll consider typing out entries once I get back. ;-)

Half-Blood Prince.

2009-07-15T03:41:00.000-05:00

The movie was great, the company even better. :-)

Pastries!

2009-07-11T11:37:00.000-05:00

Like I said, I was giddy with glee that the pastries turned out so well. :-)

First up: Baked Apple Pastries.

Puff pastry layered with homemade pastry creme, fresh apple slices, and topped liberally with cinnamon and sugar.

Next up, I made the pastries I had most been looking forward to. You see, I fell in love with a seasonal item at Panera®, and they haven't brought it back since the fall of '07. But now? Now I don't need them! I can make my own!

Second: Caramel Apple Pastries.

Puff pastry topped with pastry creme, layered with fresh apple slices, dusted with cinnamon & sugar, then liberally coated with caramel sauce. Fresh out of the oven, I sprinkled them with powdered sugar.

The final attempt was Strawberry Pastries. I first baked a few with the berries on, but those didn't turn out so well. They tasted fine, but the strawberries lost their bright color and firmness in the oven, and they just weren't very aesthetically pleasing (hence, no photos). So I baked a couple more without the berries, and as soon as the timer went off, I pulled the hot pastries out and popped the fresh berries into the moist creme in the center. Ta-da!

Third: Fresh Strawberry Pastry.

Puff pastry layered with pastry creme, then topped with fresh strawberries and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Lastly, and not really planned, I baked a couple "plain" Cheese Pastries. I dusted the creme with a bit of cinnamon & sugar before baking, and I took a picture of them alongside the Strawberry ones. A.J. really liked these. :-)

Success! I will definitely be making these again. :-)

2009-07-10T18:15:00.000-05:00

I am absolutely giddy that my pastries are turning out smashingly. :-)

Strawberry Tarts.

2009-07-09T23:24:00.000-05:00

I made these for dessert last night, and they were phenomenal. Seriously, just SO.GOOD.

Puff pastry
Homemade pastry creme
Strawberries tossed in warm Red Raspberry preserves
Homemade whipped cream

I got the idea from here, but I wasn't able to find the puff-pastry shells the author mentioned (and showed, in pics). Instead, I bought puff pastry sheets, cut them into quarters, and then formed each quarter into a cup in the well of a muffin pan. I then baked them at 400° for 15 minutes, and then I followed the rest of the original directions. I also used a different jam/jelly, and the raspberry flavor gave mine a bit of zing! that was wonderful. :-)

Restored.

2009-07-07T02:20:00.000-05:00

Remember when my iTunes directory went kaput a few months back? I've worked on it here and there, and finally - as of tonight - it is fully restored.

Added to, even.

*contented sigh*

loves

2009-06-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

My kiddos are really great, ya know? Nothing in particular, they just make me very proud. Oh sure, they have lots of squabbling moments with each other, but on the whole? Good boys.

Today, the memories that make my heart tug and swell:

- As soon as I woke up this morning, Jack was by my side, asking if I had to work. When I told him that yes, I was subbing for someone today, he looked very sad and said, "But Mom, you've been working so much now. I didn't even get to *see* you yesterday! (And it made me teary-eyed because it was true.)

- A.J. found a turkey feather at Catherine's party at Gifford Farm today, and he graciously gave it to her as a gift. He kept re-finding it after she would drop it (two-year-olds are easily distracted, especially at birthday parties), and then he would give it to her once again.

- Jack entertained a group of tiny boys by chasing them around a sign and playing Peek-A-Boo. It kept the tykes laughing, and it gave all of their mommas a few more minutes of chatting time. He did it on his own, and it was sweet of him to play with the "babies" like that.

- A.J. and I whispered secrets back and forth to one another behind our menus at dinner. Of the two of them, he's definitely got my sense of humor.

- The two of them have spent the last hour hatching farm animals from "growable" capsules (as Jack calls them). We keep checking on their progress, and in the meantime, the two of them are listening to a "Draco & the Malfoys" CD in A.J.'s room while playing with Pantominos together.

I'm so very lucky. :-)

2009-06-26T22:16:00.000-05:00

I am so ridiculously tired. Totally going to bed right now, and not even planning on turning on the TV or reading a book or anything.

I'll be snoring in two minutes, I'm sure.

Also, lesliepear? I'll be dreaming of how thoughtful you always are. :-)

Caught up.

2009-06-16T14:06:00.000-05:00

I'm completely caught up on entering Coke codes right now. I actually have no more codes anywhere - not real caps, or emailed codes. Crazy!

I've not been caught up since receiving the package with hundreds of codes from mostcurious several months ago. Then, right as I finished up entering those codes (which took six weeks to do, as I can only enter 40 codes/week), another box arrived from her - with TONS more!

But now I'm all caught up. I do need to take pictures of our cute little bears from her, though... ;-)

Wha??

2009-06-15T23:24:00.000-05:00

This afternoon, the boys got out of summer school as scheduled. I was still at work, so I assumed that Philip was getting them (he was off today). He thought I was off earlier than I was, so he assumed that I was getting them and was mowing the yard.

Do you see the problem here?

I got home at 3:40pm, and a neighbor kid was waiting on my front step. I asked if he was waiting on the boys for something, and he said, "Yeah." So I walked in, called to the boys to tell them their friend was waiting, but didn't hear a response. I went to pee really quick, and then called out to them again. No response.

The doorbell rang then, and I answered. It was the friend, and he wondered, "How much LONGER?!" I told him that they must already be outside in the backyard with their dad because they weren't anywhere in the house. I walked through the house, to the back door, and yelled out to Philip in the yard, "Where are the boys?"

He cut off the mower. "I thought you were getting them?" I replied, "I thought you were getting them. ACK!" And right then, the home phone rang. It was the school secretary, and I quickly explained the conversation that had *just* happened, and told her I was rushing straight down.

So I pulled up, and out came my boys. I had glanced at all the phones, and the school never once called the house, mine or Philip's cell phones, or our work numbers. The boys had been waiting all that time outside the school, and no one ever called!

I couldn't believe that they had waited outside in the sun for 45 minutes before ever asking the secretary to make a phone call. They have all our numbers memorized, and it would've been easy. A.J. said that they almost started walking home (which they've done in the past, but only 3-4 times - crazy kids, they BEG to do it often and treat it like it's a privilege!), but then decided to just wait because they didn't have permission from this morning to do so. We felt so badly for them, but it was a complete accident. :-(

Moving: Changing email.

2009-06-13T11:53:00.000-05:00

Since we were given six months' notice, I want to be proactive in changing as many things over as seamlessly as possible. First on my list? Making sure all email is received, as it is the center of communication - between friends, between accounts, between bills, extracurricular activities, etc.

Must. Get. ALL. Emails.

Over a year ago, my ISP (Cox.net) began blocking content from LiveJournal as spam. To get around the problem, I created a Gmail account for LJ, and then set my Gmail to forward directly to my Cox.net address. Now, I've removed the forward, and I will spend the next few weeks adding all my email addresses to my Gmail address book at my leisure. I've also already switched addys for our banks and bills online.

So, to wrap up: if you have me in your email address book, you might as well switch my info to the new address. It should be good for the future, regardless of any other moves, I'd imagine.

sncleghorn at gmail dot com

A big change.

2009-06-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

Last night, Philip received orders to Minot AFB in North Dakota. We'll have to be there by December 15th.

...

I really can't express my thoughts in words right now. I'm in a tailspin, to be sure. I mean, we've been here for seven years now, and it's unimaginable to leave. And I love my job. And I love the people. I love everything.

But I always knew this day would come.

Please, keep it quiet for now. We won't tell the boys for a few more months, so it needs to stay mum (hence the locked entry for now). Don't mention it over on FaceBook, either (I have coworkers there, and we're not telling just yet).

Berry-Pickin'!

2009-06-10T00:55:00.001-05:00

Oh, today! Today was a blast! I'm glad it turned out so wonderful and fun, as I had originally planned to take these four kiddos berry-picking on Sunday afternoon. I called up the farm, however, and I learned that Saturday night's mega-rainfall had flooded the fields, and they were closed. The farm is closed on Mondays, and I wasn't available yesterday either, so I was bummed that I would have to wait until Tuesday - today, but at least the weather looked promising (clear, a cool 68°, low wind)...

until this morning, when it began raining. AGAIN. And it was a heavy rainfall for quite some time. I was lamenting while I worked that berry-picking just wouldn't work out this year (strawberry season is over in just a couple more days, the farm had told me on Sunday), and I was bummed. :-/

But by the time I left work, I was really thinking that maybe we could swing it anyway. It hadn't rained in a few hours' time, and the skies looked okay. So I set the plan back in action, and Aimée sent over her kids. We all headed to the fields, and ALL the kids were excited: A.J. and Jack because they were so stoked to share the secrets of the farm with Drew and Natalie (who'd never been there before), and the other two because they were getting to do something entirely new! And *I* was so giddy that the plan was working out that I became distracted once we made it to the farm myself! I was pointing out this and that, and I completely forgot to park, driving right into the farm entrance and walkways - OOPS!

And then we all set to work! The boys had their Berry baskets, and I had pulled a Medium Fruit basket for Drew, as well as a Collector's Club Gathering basket for Natalie. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I picked baskets with the same volume (as we learned later on in the weighing process), and that was pretty nifty. :-)

Jack was the most dedicated about filling his basket with berries. I'd promised the kids they could have lots of time to play in the farmyard once we were done (there's a cool zipline, lots of hidey-holes, lots of climbing structures, swings, playhouses, and more), and by golly, he wanted to be sure he got to do so! He finished filling his basket with berries first, and then he helped Natalie finish hers. Once she was done, the two of them split into "teams," with Natalie helping A.J. finish up, and Jack helping Drew to finish his basket.

Along the way, I took pictures. I took a handful as they began picking, and then I put the cam away. I then helped pick berries (and I might be the reason why we ALL finished as timely as we did! *wink*). When the kids were almost done, I pulled the camera out for some last-minute shots, too. Natalie was an absolute ham, always wanting me to, "take a picture of me like this, Miss Nicole!" I was happy to oblige, and it was just SO MUCH FUN!

While picking, we had some great conversations. I explained the meaning of "crop dusting" (yes, we talked about tooting - hey, there WERE kids involved in this adventure, remember?), and Natalie spoke of her holiday Barbie® collection. A.J. and Drew would retreat to the back of the fields and talk about "boy stuff," and Natalie would say, "Oh, they're just being boys again, Miss Nicole. Aren't boys funny?" A.J. cupped a berry in both of his hands and shouted, "Hey, mom! Look, I'm making a mini-Twilight cover - see?!" And all the kids pretended that the red berry juice staining their fingers was blood, and they'd chase each other across rows. And, of course, we all spoke in "Berry Talk" (remember 'Strawberry Shortcake,' the cartoon? "Berry" instead of "very," etc.)

I loved it. :-)

When all baskets were filled, we walked back up to the weigh station, and we were all surprised to learn that, though the baskets were very different shapes, each contained three pounds' worth of berries. We had picked TWELVE POUNDS altogether! The kids couldn't wait for me to pay for them so that they could begin snacking! Everyone chose a soda, and we settled near the play area for some yummies.

And oh, the berries are good. Heavenly! Warm, fresh, bursting with juicy deliciousness. They are tiny strawberries, to be sure, but they pack a wonderful punch. Andrew and Natalie each ate close to 1/4th of their baskets before I made them stop, warning them that their mom would kill me if I let them completely ruin their dinner appetites!

The kids decided to play a game of Hide-and-Seek, and of course, no one wanted to be the first "It." I volunteered to get the game going, but I told them I wouldn't close my eyes - I wasn't done eating berries, so I turned my back to the play area, and I mumbled numbers to 30 with bites of strawberries in my mouth. Finally, I set off to search for them, and wow! They were well-hidden! I found Natalie first, then Jack, then Drew. At long last, we had to call for A.J. to show himself, as none of us had been able to find him - he was that good! The kids all continued playing for a while longer, and I just enjoyed the cloudy sunshine, the fresh air, and the yummy berries.

Perfect.

And I have pictures to share, and how! I wish you could all experience the fun we had, but these pictures are the best I can offer you. :-)

Our great berry-picking team.

The fruits of our labor.

Jack was so very dedicated.

A.J. was deep in the fields.

Andrew was picking in the foreground, and then the other three all decided to run out to "the Motherload!" And off they went!

Natalie shows off her berry-juiced hand.

Drew is hard at work.

A.J.'s mini-'Twilight' cover.

Natalie - what a photo superstar!

Jack.

Drew and Natalie.
(I took this picture especially for their dad, as he is currently deployed.)

And the crazy, goofy crew poses at the signs as we leave the farm with our berries.
And if you want to see all of the pics, you can find them in a slideshow HERE. :-)

dances

2009-06-09T22:08:00.000-05:00

I took the boys and our next-door-neighbor kiddos strawberry-picking, and I'm currently working on the pics. I can't wait to post 'em - they're so freakin' FUN!

Gardening: it does a body good.

2009-06-02T23:21:00.000-05:00

I've worked my frustrations out in the earth today, and I will sleep well tonight because of it.

Ahhhhh. :-)

Going unplugged.

2009-05-22T16:57:00.000-05:00

Alrightee, it's that time again. I'm going unplugged for the weekend, so no more computering. If you need me urgently, feel free to call the house or my cell. You're also more than welcome to text me, too.

I'm hoping to 1) enjoy the holiday weekend, 2) get several projects done around the house, and 3) give my right elbow a break, as it's developing a pretty intense repetitive stress injury from both work and constantly using the computer mouse.

See y'all on the flip side!

A.J.'s new look!

2009-05-19T16:39:00.000-05:00

OMG, he's SO excited about these! Then again, I can't blame him, because I remember myself what it was like the first time I put on glasses and could see CLEARLY again!

I'm glad he likes them. It makes the transition so much easier. He picked out a special case, and he's happy to have them. It's only been an hour, and he keeps running up to say, "Mom! Guess what I can see from here now! And from here! Oh, and I can read this from all the way over here now!"

GRR.

2009-05-17T17:17:00.000-05:00

In writing down all of my receipts and whatnot, I'm not balancing with the bank website. I'm off by $2.

$2.00 even.

It. Is. Driving. Me. Crazy!

I'm giving up for now, but I'm sure I won't be able to help trying to find it again a bit later. I like to be exactly even, thankyouvermuch, and this is super-irritating.

Philip on the news.

2009-05-15T17:03:00.000-05:00

lilmissriss called me a few days ago to let me know that her dog, Nanuk, had run away from the family that is watching her while her husband is deployed and she's out of state. Nanuk is their only dog, and Philip has been actively searching for her these past several days. He's been to the house several times, calling for her, and hoping she would have tried to travel back home, but no luck. He's also gone to the Humane Society to search among the 'found' dogs (and he said that was heartbreaking).

But Nanuk is still missing.

Marissa contacted the local news station, and they agreed to run a feature on the missing dog. Marissa gave them our information, and for the past two days, we have had nonstop calls from the news station, reporters, tech guys, and more. Philip printed pictures for the reporter to display and use of Nanuk, and the website is sporting a family photograph I took for them last spring. The story aired last night. Some links for you:

Online print story: here
Video footage from last night's story: here

Man's Best Friend Is Missing While The Owner Is Defending Our Country

Bellevue, NE -The past five days have been very difficult for the family of Sgt. Brian Woods, who is currently deployed overseas. While his wife is staying with family out of state, their dog ran away from the dog's baby-sitter. Sgt. Phillip Kleghorn is one of a handful of sergeants stationed at Offutt Air Force Base who has been looking for the Woods' dog named Nanuk.

There is a special story behind the dog. About five years ago, Sgt. Woods and his wife Marissa were stationed in Japan. They were both active in animal rescue there. That's when they rescued the abandoned dog. Nanuk took to the Woods family, and they adopted her and brought her 7,000 miles to the states to live with the family. The dog has been through enough, and now they are afraid something bad has happened. "Their greatest fear is that the dog will never be found. It's like a family member for Marissa, so it's like losing a kid, says Sgt. Kleghorn.

The dog weighs about 50 pounds, has a microchip, and is wearing red and silver tags around her neck.

If you happen to see this dog, please contact Sgt. Kleghorn at (402) 291-0619 or the Nebraska Humane Society at (402) 444-7800. Reported by Devon Patton, devon@action3news.com

As you can see, they've butchered Philip's name, and they also videotaped him in a few moments that he didn't realize (the angle taken from his sunglasses was while the cameraman had the equipment in his lap - sneaky!). As of this afternoon, I've gotten a few phone calls, but nothing that sounds terribly promising. Hopefully, Nanuk will turn up soon!

Playing with our food.

2009-05-15T14:32:00.000-05:00

Last night's dinner was about food play. I crushed up walnuts and cereal, then rolled chicken fingers into the mixture for the main dish. And we all had a TON of fun with dessert - Dirt Pudding!

Nutty Chicken Fingers and Dirt Pudding.

Mmmmm, gummy worms. :-)

After eating his dinner, Jack wanted me to take a picture of him next to the pudding. So I did. And he was a goofball, making a funny face. Gah, but he looks SO DIFFERENT with all this longer hair now!

It was so very yum, all of it. I paired the Nutty Chicken Fingers with fresh tomato slices, green beans, and cottage cheese, and everyone gobbled it up. Then the dessert - oh my, was it rich! But so wonderful! It's been YEARS since I've had dirt pudding, and I'm not sure I'd ever made it myself before! :-)

The dish was so full that the "dirt" fell everywhere when I tried to dip a serving for Jack.

In case you can't tell, I'm having a great time with meal planning lately. :-D

Playdate with the next-door neighbors.

2009-05-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

The boys played all afternoon (in their hats!) with the next-door neighbors. As evening approached, we had Andrew and Natalie come over for a movie, dinner, and dessert. Tonight was Jack's Choice in the meal plan, so he was super-excited to share.

Mouse-in-the-House Cupcakes.

(butterflymama3, I'll put the recipe for the Cupcakes in the comments for you.)

Jack had chosen to make Tic-Tac-Toe Pizzas. The ingredients needed were simple: pita bread (we chose wheat), pizza sauce, mozzarella string cheese, and toppings (we used green pepper strips for the X's and pepperoni for the O's).

Jack poses with his pizza.

From left to right: Andrew's, Jack's, Natalie's, and A.J.'s pizzas.

From top to bottom: Philip's, then mine.

All the kiddos before digging in.

And Jack's cheese was super-stringy!

They were watching Hotel For Dogs together (none of the kids had seen it yet), and we stopped it halfway through to assemble the pizzas. Once they were baked, the kids ate them on the floor in the living room. Once finished, they each picked a Mouse cupcake for dessert.

There were two Cupcakes with each color "eyes.")

Our boys had a great time, and Andrew and Natalie were so sweet and well-behaved. I'm sure we'll get together with them again soon! :-)

LOL - a pic for mom.

2009-05-10T14:49:00.000-05:00

Check this out - hilarious!

A pic for mom.

~ yanked from Ashton Kutcher (Twitter)

A real-life internet story.

2009-05-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we were trying a new recipe. Lasagna made from scratch, but in the slow-cooker instead of the oven. All afternoon while it baked, I worried about whether the top layer of noodles would really get soft or not. Philip and I were discussing the probabilities of this, but I was in the kitchen, and he was in the living room.

Even as I was taking the lid off the dish, I was explaining why I thought certain little "points" of noodles might not be. Then I paused, realizing that he wasn't seeing what I was, and that he wasn't going to understand what I meant (or, truth be told, even be interested... because, really? What guy cares about the way in which his lasagna cooks, only that it is cooked, right?). But I stood there for just a moment, and then I said:

"Why don't you come in and look at this? 'Cuz this conversation is useless without pictures."

And we laughed together. :-D

My costumeers.

2009-05-10T13:43:00.000-05:00

The boys play outside every single minute that they can. On weekdays, this means from about 3:30 (after we've gotten home and they've scarfed down a snack) until dark (or dinner, whichever comes first). There are times that we have to call one of them in for soccer practice, but then they'll happily go right back out as soon as we've gotten home again.

Yesterday, they both quite quite pink from the day's play. *insert Mom guilt* Today, they're outside playing with sunscreen on, as well as wearing hats. They were given choice of their own hat, but it had to be one that covered the face and ears.

A.J. chose his Indy hat. (Of course.)
Jack chose his leprechaun hat, but then promptly switched to his pirate hat. (Both were adorable.)

Such cute guys they are out there, romping around and being the only children in hats. :-)

What are we going to do with this cat?

2009-05-09T20:48:00.000-05:00

Tuck has been pooping outside of the litterbox.

It first began about three years ago. I wrote back then that we were frustrated to no end, that he was pooping right in front of the litterbox, but not IN it. He would pee in there just fine, but he would only poop outside the box. We would clean and clean the floor, as well as use the pet odor neutralizing sprays. The spray only succeeded in him pooping in a slightly different spot than the time before. At the time, we had one very large box for all three of our kitties, and several folks suggesting that he might no longer be willing to share with the girlies. We bought another giant litterbox and immediately all was well.

Until about a year ago, when he began doing it again. By then, we had moved into this house. Once again, we used the sprays and cleaned up everything immediately. We had also begun buying completely new boxes and rugs for the cats' room (they have a rug beneath the two litterboxes, helping to catch the litter from their paws before tracking it all over) every six months. When he started with the behavior last year, we realized it was about time to replace everything again, and we did so. He immediately began using the boxes again.

A little over three weeks ago, he began pooping outside the box again. Twice a day, he would poop in either the office or a little-used corner of the living room. We replaced the boxes and rugs - no success. We tried extra positive attention and loves. We would literally talk to Tuck throughout our entire day, and we would constantly call him up onto the couch or bed to snuggle with us, ignoring the girl kitties in the process. It didn't help at all, either.

And it wasn't like something was physically wrong with him, as if he just couldn't hold it any longer. No, each episode was well-planned. For example, he would come meowing into the office, and I would invite him into my lap while I worked. He would snuggle with me for an hour, and then when my legs fell asleep, I'd move to the floor to be with him some more. Then I would begin reading a book on the floor, and Tuck would settle into a catnap. Then - oops! - the phone would ring, and I would leave the room to get it. When I would come back less than two minutes later, he would have pooped right where we had been sitting, and he would be hiding somewhere else.

Another time, I camped out in the office in the afternoon, and A.J. sprawled on the living room floor to do his homework (instead of the table in the dining room). He purposely was in the living room so that he could keep an eye on Tuck if the cat decided to go in the corner again, while I was on the watch for him to enter the office. In that instance, Tuck chose to poop in the dining room instead.

I practically tore my hair out, I swear. And Philip was just as, if not more frustrated. After almost two solid weeks of him pooping twice a day somewhere in the house, we began to shut him into the cats' room while we were away. I was working from, roughly, 10-2, and I would shut him in the room right before I left the house. Then when I arrived back home, I would set him free once more (and the girl kitties would RUSH into the room, having been forced to hold their own pees and poops in the process!). I would love on Tuck for half an hour, and then I would leave to pick up the boys from school...

and he would poop in the house in that fifteen minutes while I was gone. Doing so AFTER he had just been shut in a room with his litterbox for OVER FOUR HOURS.

So one night, right after another incident, Philip put him into the garage. We were upset, and we'd intended to leave him there until morning, but I felt so guilty as we talked about it in bed, and I was crying. We caved, and we let him back into the house within just a couple of hours, and he slept soundly on our bed most of the night.

And we woke to poop in the office in the morning.

This pattern continued for about two more days. On Tuesday afternoon, I was helping A.J. to make his dessert for that night in the kitchen, and Philip was watching television in the living room. Tuck wandered in, and Philip called to him, trying to get him to snuggle on the couch. Instead, Tuck only walked by for some petting, but then sat a few feet away from Philip on the floor. When Philip "watches" TV, he really falls asleep, and within minutes of him drifting off, A.J. and I were suddenly assaulted with the smell of fresh poop. The dining room windows and the living room sliding screen were open, and there was a massive draft - it alerted us to the poop almost instantly.

I yelped as I discovered it in the corner of the living room, and Philip jumped up from the couch mid-doze. He was groggy, yet mad. Tuck was nowhere to be seen, having hidden immediately (as he'd been doing). Philip found him in the cats' room, and he pulled him from his hiding spot. As he picked him up to take him straight to the garage, Tuck struggled and scratched Philip's left arm with one of his back claws. Philip nearly dropped him, and sort of "squatted" as he went down, in order to get a better grip on the cat. Instead, just as he reached for a better hold, Tuck turned and bit Philip fiercely on his right hand and arm, several times. Philip dropped him completely, and then had blood running down his arms and all over the carpet.

He had serious puncture wounds to attend to, and I was frightened. A.J. had been doing his homework at the table during this, and he was distraught. He saw Philip bleeding everywhere, and he began crying, asking what would happen if Tuck tried to bite poor Kiki or Baby?

It took over 40 minutes for Philip to get the bleeding under control, and in that time, I was on the phone to the vet. I was frantic, and I called the one closest to us, rather than the one our kitties had seen. After fully explaining the situation and speaking to the vet for half an hour, we'd devised a plan:

- leave the cat alone for 48-72 hours. No one was to handle him, and we were supposed to basically ignore him. We were to give the cat a chance to calm, settle down, and mellow out a bit.
- because a bite was involved, begin a 10-day at-home quarantine. Do not introduce the animal to new pets or people. (This was easy, as all our cats are completely indoor animals.)
- buy a giant new litterbox. (The vet explained that some male cats just really become sensitive to odor as they age, and that the covered-style boxes hold the odors in. We were to buy a large Rubbermaid container and just forget the lid.)
- try pheromones therapy. (The pheromones would mellow all the cats the same, but we specifically wanted to try them in the hopes that whatever was stressing Tuck would be alleviated.)
- bring the cat in on Friday for a behavioral consultation.

Philip was already ready to head to the Urgent Care Clinic for treatment of his puncture wounds, and the vet definitely recommended it as well. He left, and returned about two hours later.

With a different game plan, as per military regulations:

- take Tuck to the vet on-base for the first appointment the next morning

(And, by the way, I was so aggravated to learn that the military docs did not prescribe Philip antibiotics for his puncture wounds, nor did they even wash/sanitize them! Grrr. WTF did he even go for, then? Oh, right - because we both knew that puncture wounds are potentially serious biz, and because you can't be too careful with them. Guess the UCC team didn't get that memo. *mad*)

...

We were both concerned. Not only had the one vet told us not to bother Tuck for a few days, Philip was quite chewed up, and I didn't want him to risk getting hurt further trying to put Tuck into a kennel the next morning. Also, having seen the wounds and having been the one who scrubbed blood out of the carpet for an hour, *I* did not want to risk getting hurt trying to kennel him myself, either. But we had no choice, so we hoped for the best.

We headed out to get the giant new litter "box", and returned home with two huge Rubbermaid bins with no lids. These things are so much larger than what we had, even though we had the biggest litterboxes available. We readied the boxes and fed the kitties. Tuck would not come out for food, and he stayed well-hidden under our bed.

The next morning, Philip somehow managed to crate Tuck, and then he left for work. (This was at 4:30am.) The boys and I got up for school a few hours later, and I entered the dining room to chat with Tuck while they dressed. He was meowing so very sadly, and he had tears in his eyes. I choked up, feeling so bad for him, and knowing that he was so scared. I dropped the boys off at school early enough for breakfast so that I could be at the base vet right when they opened at 8am.

And everything went downhill from there. :-(

Because Tuck had bitten someone, we had to prove his rabies vaccinations were current. I didn't bring anything with me (I didn't know I had to, and I'd not even been told that by the other vet when we were discussing the original plan). Even so, I'm a crappy keeper of kitty records (I know, I know), and Tuck doesn't wear a collar because he is 1) an indoor cat, and 2) is such a large, large kitty that collars always rub off the fur on his neck, and it looks painful. So I gave them the name of the clinic we take the kitties to, and they called.

Only to find that the clinic had NO records for us. Well, that's not true. They had records for us for a cat named Max, and that's useless - we have NEVER had a cat named Max. I called Philip to be sure of the correct vet, and he knew it to be the one that I had mentioned. I also called Heather, and while she thought it might have been this other one, I was still SO CONVINCED that I was remembering it correctly. The receptionist was kind enough to call a handful of places, but she had no success. And because records couldn't be located at all, the base regulations require a 10-day quarantine at a boarding facility, meaning that we had to surrender Tuck to the Nebraska Humane Society.

And it had to be done immediately. As in, I couldn't even take him home while I worked and then take him in later that afternoon/evening. No, now - RIGHT now. I called both Philip and Heather sobbing while the vet did some more paperwork before sending us over. I felt SO BAD for Tuck. I knew he was scared, and I felt terrible that now he'd been packed up in his fear, and he wasn't even going to get to go home. I was being forced to strand him. :-(

I cried all the way out to the Humane Society (the receptionist was sweet and printed me directions from Mapquest). I fervently hoped that treehuggies would be working right then. At least then, I would feel like Tuck would have a friend on the inside, and I would be able to take some much-needed hugs from her as well. But when I arrived and asked for her, she'd just gone home sick for the day. :-(

I sobbed while filling out the paperwork, having to sign papers that also talked about destroying the cat if not picked up on the appropriate day, etc. It was heartbreaking. I talked and talked to Tuck, and he looked so very sad and so very scared. Too soon, a lady said she'd take him, and I couldn't even choke out the words. I tried to say, "Goodbye Tuck, I love you," but my throat closed completely over after the "bye."

And so he's gone for 10 days. We can't pick him up until the 16th, and we're not-so-patiently counting the days. I've called to get a status check each day (it would break my heart to hear that he's so scared he's not eating or drinking), and he's doing alright. They say that he stays smushed in the back corner of his cage and just stares, giving everyone the "evil eye" as they pass him, but that he's eating well.

Poor, poor Tuckster. Stuck in jail, and I'm sure, wondering why we just deserted him. :-(

When I arrived home again after work that afternoon, I tore my office apart looking for some sort of file for the vet. Sure enough, it was EXACTLY the vet I'd been sure it was earlier. And I called for an hour to get through (it was busy forever), and then chewed them out royally for losing our records.

Meanwhile, Kiki went to the base vet the very next day to get her records re-established and current, as well as to get micro-chipped, and Baby has an appointment next Thursday for the same. And I started a new file system for the kitties, and have been tracking down information from here to Alaska (where we adopted Kiki and Tuck), trying to rebuild their files. I've also called and been extremely angry with the vet clinic that lost/tossed records, and the best they can offer is, "We'll keep an eye out for your files, and we're sorry."

Meanwhile, we went to Petco and bought the pheromones stuff and have it installed now (and I am *not* a fan of the smell), as well as new collars for all the kitties. We bought Tuck a small dog collar, and hope that it will fit him a little better, and we'll never be without current tags and vet info again.

*sigh*