Collections

I have collected several different things over the years. I usually tire of them and move on to something else. My schrank is full of things I have collected on our travels throughout the world.

Today I spent my morning in class--I can quit worrying about my post test as I made a 92!

This afternoon I spent helping my mom (minus the hour I was gone for microdermabrasion) clean out a few files in her computer room.

If anyone knows my family, we have a hoarding problem (my SIL was disappointed that they couldn't genetically screen for this during her pregnancy, lol). If there is a horizontal surface it will have a pile. Our family knows what is in those piles and can find anything in a moment's notice. Well sometimes.

While I was helping my mom organize (aka downsize) I realized what her true love is.

My mom collects three rings binders.

The bigger the better. Not just wimpy 1" or 2" binders, we are talking 5"+. They are all different colors, all different styles, all with a different story.

Not just one binder. Not just two binders. Over 30+ binders, all empty. I know that there are more in the house. I wonder what the final count will be.

New Blog

I met my friend Marcie when we worked a hellatious job together in Washington State.

Being the quiet, shy, reserved person that I am, I never really talked to her much.

Then we started hanging out and I realized I had met someone just like me. Kind of scary, I know.

When Gunner and I went to NYC, Marcie came down to visit. When we went to St. Louis for Christmas we ventured over to Illinois to hang out with her and her family. I miss her terribly and wished she lived closer--you know Marce, they have Air Force at Hood and I'm sure the kids would love the hustle and bustle of Central Texas living!

Check out her blog here.

Sleep

I am tired but couldn't sleep in this morning. This past Wednesday I had a post test for the class I am taking and we get the results back today. I had to improve in order to earn 15 points of my grade. I did pretty well the first time, and then they stuffed my head with all of this information and I am just hoping I didn't screw up. The real test is on the 23rd of February so I will spend all next week continuing to study.

Maybe I will go knit till I have to leave or until Junior wakes up.

We didn't get a phone call from the Girl Scout leader so I am assuming that Abs did okay last night. She was SO excited and tried to carry her things to the tent but all the big kids came over and carried them so she tried to help her sister. Em forgot the bags to put over her boot so I hope it doesn't get filthy before Gunner gets out there today.

The daycare provider that flaked on my yesterday morning left me a message last night that she wanted to take Junior for me. You've got to be kidding me. I'm leaving him in the center.

Daycare III

The daycare dilemna is over. Finally.

I called the FCC office this morning...again. They told me that someone just came in and was going through her USDA training and lived in my neighborhood, was brand new and had an infant slot and would take Junior. The FCC provider would call me as soon as she got home. I was relieved.

It can't be that easy can it? Nope. She came home and called me to tell me that she got home and there was a voicemail that said someone wanted that spot and so if they didn't follow through she would call me back and let me know. I wouldn't want that spot if she couldn't keep her word. So I called the FCC office again to tell them the girl flaked and I needed more choices. They gave me a few more, I left a few messages and heard nothing all day.

I called back to central registration and they told me about the CD homes. So I called one and she said I had to get a referral from the waiting list lady. So I called the WL lady for about the 20th time this week. Left a message. She never calls back as usual. So I called back and explained the situation. She agreed that it was absolutely ridiculous so she found Junior a spot at the center. So he starts on Wednesday and I feel relieved.

We still have paperwork to do on Tuesday as well as the orientation.

I won't post on my daycare woes anymore, I promise. I'm sure I'll have new issues next week, lol.

And darn spellcheck still isn't working so no idea how many mistakes are in here.

Camping Forecast

Junior and Gunner are opting out and just going to drop them off tonight and go back tomorrow during the day. Can't blame them.


Now through 12:00 PM CST February 15, 2008

Isolated showers or sprinkles can be expected this morning across north Texas ahead and behind of a cold front. Rainfall accumulations will be less than 1/10 of an inch with any activity. At 10 AM...the cold front extends along a line from Gatesville to Hillsboro to Sulphur Springs. The cold front will continue to move slowly to the south throughout the morning. Rain chances will increase across north Texas this afternoon and tonight.
This Afternoon

Cloudy with a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 60s...with slow falling afternoon temperatures. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent.
Tonight

Rain and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 50s. Northeast winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.
Saturday

Thunderstorms and showers. Some thunderstorms may be severe with heavy rainfall. Highs in the lower 60s. East winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the southeast in the afternoon. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
Saturday Night

Showers and thunderstorms in the evening...then partly cloudy with a chance of light rain and isolated thunderstorms after midnight. Colder. Lows in the lower 40s. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80 percent.
Sunday

Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 50s. Northwest winds 10 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph.

At least it should be nice by the time we pick them up.

Daycare Part II

So the FCC provider just called me to tell me that her infant slots were full and she can't take Junior. Apparently she thought she could have two in addition to her one, but she can only have two total. Now I am back to square one.

I swanee. About ready to say screw it all and drop them off with my Mom every day. LOL Just kidding mom!

Daycare, Bulgogi and Passports

I am on the waiting list for daycare on post. I have finally agreed that I will try a FCC provider. I've just talked to her on the phone and will meet with her tomorrow and let Andrew get a feel for the place as well. She seems really sweet and I am sure he will be immersed in Spanish, which in Texas is not a bad thing at all. I'll try her out for a while and see how he does, but they are pretty monitored so I feel pretty good about this. I'm sure it has to be more fun than hanging out with me all day!

Gunner and I were supposed to go get Em's passport today and I met him at the post office with all the paperwork and no Em. I didn't know I had to take her along! So now we have to wait till tomorrow to do it. Hopefully we can get it completed tomorrow and mailed off and it will be one less thing to worry about.

Since we couldn't get the passport Gunner and Junior and I ran over and had bulgogi for lunch. Junior was devouring the side dishes, so the waitress kept bringing him more and more. We went to the doctor after that and he had packed on some weight since he was there two days ago. Junior got the all clear on his ears which is good and he prescribed something new to try on the cradle crap that we are still battling off and on.

Tonight the VLA theatre is putting on Dream Girls and my friend Amanda and I are going to since it is free for military spouses. Gunner has no interest in going. Even after 13 years I am still working on him.

Deployment is looming over our heads and our To Do list keeps growing every day as I think of more things that we need to take care of before he leaves. Hopefully it will all get completed and we can kick back and spend the last few days relaxing. Time is going by way too fast.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Andrea over at Sgt and Mrs Hub is having a Valentine's Day Love Fest. You are supposed to write a story about how you met the love of your life....or your husband. Just kidding Gunner!

I was in college, my senior year and wasn't dating anyone in particular, just having a good time and trying to get out of school in 4 years! I was in a sorority, thanks to my friend Catherine (who always leaves such nice comments!). My "big sis" was a little girl named Michelle--she must have been about 4'10" tops. She was a great friend and she introduced me to Gunner at a party. She wanted me to meet him, but I saw him before she introduced us and I knew I wanted to meet this guy. He had on a white tshirt, black jeans, black boots and was kind of scruffy on the face and had a high and tight. I'm still a sucker when he gets a high and tight. Not a very exciting story at all.

We met, and he asked me if he could call me the next day. I said sure, but told him if he couldn't say my name correctly when he called I'd hang up. Not very nice I know, but I figured if I was important enough he could learn to say my name correctly. He asked me when I got out of class and I told him I would I had to stop and get lunch from the cafeteria, walk across campus, etc. and gave him a time to call. He smiled and said okay. I left thinking I would never hear from him again.

After class the next day I ran to get lunch and then to my apartment on the off chance that he might actually call. He called--exactly on the dot, a man after my heart from the start--and slowly pronounced my name....correctly. We talked for a bit and he asked me out.

I didn't know much about the army. Gunner was from California but had grown up as an Air Force Brat. He had been in the reserves but finally went active duty. Lucky for me.

Gunner showed up wearing a brand new shirt and I had gotten all dressed up for him. The next day he showed up again (he lived on post, which was an hour from me) in another brand new shirt. Finally after a few dates I broke the news--I told Gunner that I was an umbros and tshirt girl and an all you can eat buffet. Hey, I was on a budget in college so we loved buffets plus my metabolism was much higher than it was today. It was at that time that Gunner admitted that he didn't have very many clothes so he was showering after work and running to JC Penney's to buy a new shirt before he came over or met me somewhere. Poor guy!

Sometimes my friends would want to go dancing at one of the country places so Gunner would meet us halfway. When I met him he and his roommate were each taking dancing lessons--not as a couple though, lol. We weren't that bad together and I guess he gave up on the lessons.

I wanted to take Gunner home to meet the family for Thanksgiving, but my dad figured I would have a new guy by Christmas so he said no. Gunner was still around for Christmas so my dad agreed that he could sleep on the couch but that they weren't going to buy him anything big, just one small present. He then wanted to know what he drove--an Isuzu pickup with no air conditioning, in Texas. (Told you he needed me in his life!) My dad was relieved he didn't drive an American car.

So we went home for Christmas and on the way Gunner's fuel filter cratered and we chugged all the way home. As soon as we arrived my dad and my brother took Gunner to the auto repair shop, bought the part and then installed it for him. No telling what other ideas they installed in his head! A few days later, by the time Christmas rolled around, my parents had put a few more presents under the tree and my sister added one to the mix. It was probably the most presents he had seen in years. We left and my parents told him he was always welcome there, even without me. Thanks Mom!

A few months later, he proposed. He did ask my dad's permission which my dad loved. Score one for Gunner.

In the meantime I graduated from college and set out to enter the work force. Gunner was going to get out of the army, but I got a wild idea that I wanted to go to Germany and with very little convincing he reenlisted and I moved to Temple to be closer to him. We had a wedding date set in March 1995, but had to move it up with the introduction of orders. We got married December 17th, 1994, in Houston, Texas. I was 22 and he was 24. We were young, naive and in love.

Now 13 years later, 3 year long deployments and another one coming sooner rather than later, we are still here. We have three cute, energetic, spirited children--Em, Abs and Junior. Still happy albeit a lot more tired than we used to be.

Happy Valentine's Day! Now what's your story?

Wordless Wednesday

I want to hold your hand.....
Junior and Spider Monkey at the zoo. The monkey looks puzzled in the last one.

Good People

I was at a meeting today and one of the ladies has a son who is a firefighter. He is also in the reserves, and shortly after moving to town, buying a house and starting his new job his unit was activated to deploy to Iraq. His wife is a teacher and without the new income of his job and the decrease in his pay, it would have been extremely hard on them financially.

His fellow firefighters took every single one of his shifts during his deployment and his wife continued to receive his paycheck.

There are good people in this world.

Weekends

Gunner's weekends are limited so he is trying to make the most of them. I spend Saturday in class and then on Sunday I usually try to study. This gives Gunner Sundays to plan something special to do with the kids since I am in and out on Saturday. Em, Abs and Junior really look forward to these times. Armed with three children, a camera and a picnic lunch they set off on their "big adventures".

Last week it was the drive through animal park and this week it was the zoo. Always exciting stuff to a 10 year old, 6 year old and 19 month old.

Here are pictures from the zoo. This weekend he is going camping with the girls' GS troop and taking Junior along for the ride. I'm sure that there will be something to blog about from that trip!

An Open letter to the lady who sighs too much...

I heard you today.

I heard the first sigh, the second sigh, the third sigh, the 10,000th sigh.

We were stuck in a medium sized waiting room. Our doctor was running late. The same doctor that your husband was seeing. Because my daughter had this appointment, my son had to miss his nap and only caught a short 30 minute one on the drive over. He was tired. My daughter did not sleep last night and was tired. I was tired.

There was enough room for my daughter to push my son in the stroller around in a square pattern. It wasn't hurting anyone. I could have let them sit in the chair next to you and scream instead. Trust me, I was tempted.

Each time as they passed you (remember you chose to sit next to me out of all the seats that were vacant), my son would say "Beep, "Beep". You would sigh. The next time you would sigh louder. I was glad to hear him repeating words since he hadn't said much before the last two weeks. Abs would say "Hi Mommy!" and that would also cause you to sigh. I know she can be kind of loud, and I did remind her each time to use her inside voice. I bet you didn't know that when she was born she didn't respond to any sounds at all. We took her to the pediatrician and they got no response. We had extensive tests run on her ears and brain to finally learn that she was okay. I'm glad she can talk. (Well most days)

When we sang twinkle twinkle 3 dozen times, including hand motions, your sighs could have at least kept time with the beat of the music. It's my son's favorite song and before my husband leaves for 15 months I plan on taping him singing that song with his son. It will be a memory for both of them.

When I brought out the snack of Scooby Doo graham crackers in the shapes of bones, I thought your "sigher" was going to overload and break. No such luck. Yes, my daughter did give a little bark each time she put a bone into her mouth. Yes, my son copied her. They are lucky that they have a sibling with which to go through life. Not to mention they could have been screaming if I had forgotten to take a snack.

When Junior threw his binky down on the floor and it landed near your feet you really started sighing again. That binky was a lifesaver for me when my husband was gone and my son had colic and would scream. It would help calm him down. That binky is my best friend.

So my kids talked, they sang, they played, they ate and they tried to determine if the lady sitting on the other end was a lunch lady at Ab's school. They were children. They were pretty well behaved. I wasn't a horrible mother.

You were only next to us for about 30 minutes. Next time move or keep your sighs to yourself.

No Bodystep

I was pumped and ready to hit the gym this morning for Body Step. I misread the calendar and it is tomorrow while I am in class. So I ran.

I am sure that me running is not a pretty sight, so I hang out in the cinema where it is dark and no one can see me. The only drawback is that I can't watch the news. I actually started running years ago after Abbie was born because of the news. I was trying to lose the weight from being pregnant and I would hit the gym after the kids were in bed. I started walking and watching the news. But I kept getting mad at the tv. I didn't feel like making a scene and yelling about how idiotic people were, so I just kept increasing my speed....and increasing....and increasing. I am still not a very fast runner, but I do love the way I feel after I am done.

I thought about the whole political system and how everything works. There is no doubt I will support the Republican nomination. I remember when I was in junior high and high school there was a girl named Amy Anderson and she was going to run for President in 2008. She'd probably be too liberal for my tastes as well.

Junior has discovered Little People so I am able to sneak a shower in now while he is awake. Thankfully with my curly hair I don't have to worry about styling....

I wonder if she found one

We have a for sale list in the local area.

This was posted today.

Looking to buy a tame ferret and cage for my hubby!!! I have lil ones so i am
looking for one that is tame around kids....if u have one u are looking to sale
please email me pics and price and info about the ferret thanks

I died laughing when I read it and since the girls were up I asked Em to look it over. She read it, looked at me and said "Why would she buy a cage for her husband?".

Don't even get me started on the way they used the word "sale".

No, oh no

Woe is me.

Wordless Wednesday

I wish I remembered the park where this was taken. My parents came over to visit while we were stationed in Germany and Em was about 7 months old. In our little hooptie we sped all over the autobahns taking in the sites. This was a park in Salzburg that we came across, probably after eating since our family seems to plan our trips around meals!

Em fit so nicely in the basket, we couldn't help but plop her in. I wonder if it would contain Junior for 15 seconds?

Today

Today I was a reading teacher. I loved it. Tomorrow it is first grade...wish my luck, lol. I am hoping since it is the 100th day of school that there will be plenty to keep them busy.

Em saw the ortho doctor today and she has to stay in her boot for the next month, on crutches for a while, and then she can walk more on it with very little pressure. I sure hope this heals and is not a problem for her big trip this summer with my mom!

Gunner took Em to the doctor and he said that the doctor was a jerk! He was really nice to Em and to him, but to his staff he was yelling and barking orders. One of the nurses came in and said "I hate mondays." The doctor told her to get a job at the hospital (he's in the clinics). Sad to think that people put up with this or have to. I had a horrible boss once and it made life miserable. Not to be confused with the great boss I have now. Hi Mom!

I went to body pump and body step tonight. I might not be able to move tomorrow. Maybe the class can count the 100 bones that creak when I try to move about the classroom.

He was so young...

This is Gunner when we were stationed at Kirch-Goens. He must have been 25 in the picture and he was headed out to Bosnia for 12 months. I remember them telling us how Clinton was only going to have troops there for a year--ummmm, yeah, we see how that worked out. His chain of command told us they would never have to deploy for a year again, not even to Korea (it was supposed to count as a one year hardship tour). Ha!

He left two days before our first anniversary and one day before his Opa was buried there in Germany. They got to Hungary (they were the first ones down there--1995) and camped out in the snow next to a hotel that was full of reporters. The CO got twelve 3' Christmas trees and handed one to each group with directions to decorate them so they could increase morale. Mandatory Fun. What's a Soldier to do? They made ornaments out of duct tape and then hung pictures of their family all over them. His group came in 3rd. I wish he had kept an ornament to add to our tree here at home as a reminder of that Christmas.

At one point during that tour they handed out Olympic tshirts to everyone, put them in a huge room and told them to scream and be happy. Apparently they had arranged to show how morale was so high during that time and the guys were having a good time. Bonus points for Clinton I guess.

Anyway, I miss the old BDU's and boy was Gunner young....

Soldiers

Em wrote this for school:



Soldiers are brave, helpful, admirable, honorable, kind, true and loyal.

These heroes protect our country and keep the United States of America safe.

So we should appreciate what they do for us.

They let us have freedom to go to school and be proud of who we are and where we live, in the USA. These special people are only normal people who live in the world where they make a difference.



By: Em H.



Thinking back, I really had no clue about the military when I was her age. I remember I used to have nightmares about the Russians invading us and WWIII, but with everything that was going on, that's probably not too surprising. I remember when the first Gulf War started I was a freshman in college at Baylor. My best friend Catherine, whose dad was in the Army, called me to let me know that the war had begun. My roommate and I watched for a while and then went to dinner with my friend. I still remember how directly it affected her, but I couldn't even think of someone that I knew personally, that was serving at the time. Fast forward 18 years (geez, I am old) and I am about to send my husband off for the third time to Iraq. I have spent more time stationed in Texas than he has. Looking back I was so clueless about what was going on in the world even in college, and now I'm not.



When 9/11 happened (I found out because my friend Peggy called me and told me what was going on) we were stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. My husband was in the field and was on standby and not getting very much information about what was going on. I went on into work (groceries had to be bought, and there could be a nuclear war and my company at the time would have insisted that it was still okay to get in there and work). After I picked up the girls, I had to travel from North Fort on to Main Post and Em wasn't even phased about the new security system that they had in place. There were Soldiers everywhere with their weapons, and a plethora of other security features everywhere. Her military daycare had increased security as well and nothing seemed out of the ordinary to her. I had talked to Em about what was going on in 4 year old language and she said something to the effect of "my Daddy will go get those bad guys and make sure they don't hurt Americans". Her dad was and still is her Hero. Even then she knew that he had an important job and she was proud of him.


From that time, Em has grown in her understanding of what is going on in Iraq and other places throughout the world and why. I can't say that she would know or understand this much if she wasn't the daughter of an American Soldier, but I would like to think that I would have taught her. Abs is not far behind in her understanding of the War in Iraq and how she also plays a role in this because of her love for her dad.


Since Gunner is a lifer, and the girls are at an impressionable age, the choice he has made to serve in the Army will continue to have an effect on them and shape their thoughts and views of the world around them as they grow.

My sock

I would post a picture of it, but it is a sad state of affairs.

Sunday while Erin was holed up in the hospital with her son, I went over for sock knitting lesson #1. I think I need another hundred. I usually knit at home while I watch tv or in the car while we are on a road trip, but now I had 4 needles in front of me. I did okay, not great, and finally had to go home, back to reality. I pulled it out the next day and Junior came along after I set it down and rippedit apart. My fault, but it was a mess.

Luckily you can start all over again with knitting and I remembered how to get the initial part done but I screwed up on the joining. I looked at books, websites and tried to create my own way. I have proven that there is more than one way to join, and my way did not work. I am going to continue on though and at least get done, because a little practice never hurt anyone.

I think I might need to start with socks for Junior instead of me but since the yarn is pink (although it would match the cowboy boots and hat in the previous picture) I will get it done. I love a challenge.....