Life's Been Busy!!!

Can you believe how busy it is around the holidays? I have tons to write about but no time to sit and actually type it all out. So will be back soon to get that done. So keep checking back and I promise there will be an udate soon!!!

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and wishing you all a Happy New Year!!!

Shoveling Snow....

I hate it.....that's all!!!

Christmas Tag stolen from Patty's Blog

1. WRAPPING PAPER OR GIFT BAGS? For Christmas, I always wrap more fun to watch them rip it open, for birthdays I do a lot of bags, just becaue I'm always last minute

2. REAL OR FAKE TREE? Fake

3. WHEN DO YOU PUT UP THE TREE? Whenever I can find the time and energy to do it, we put ours up just last weekend this year

4. WHEN DO YOU TAKE THE TREE DOWN? Sometime after Christmas.......

5. DO YOU LIKE EGG NOG? It's alright, not my fave

6. FAVORITE GIFT RECEIVED AS A CHILD? I remember getting the Atari, and not being able to play it because we were grounded from the TV

7. DO YOU HAVE A NATIVITY SCENE? I have 2, a Home Interiors bear one and the Little People one and I would love to have the Willow Tree set!

8. HARDEST PERSON TO BUY FOR? DJ since he's getting older he doesn't really do toys much anymore.

9. EASIEST PERSON TO BUY FOR? Adam because he loves so many different things

10. WORST CHRISTMAS GIFT YOU EVER RECEIVED? It must not have been too bad as I cant' even think of one that I've hated. I do remember really disliking these jeans I got with Minnie Mouse on the back when I was too old to wear them. :)

11. MAIL OR EMAIL CHRISTMAS CARDS? I mail them, but I'm way late this year

12. FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIE? A Christmas Story, "you'll shoot your eye out kid"

13. WHEN DO YOU START SHOPPING FOR CHRISTMAS? I'm always late, so I'm just now starting

14. HAVE YOU EVER RECYCLED A CHRISTMAS PRESENT? I'm sure

15. FAVORITE THING TO EAT AT CHRISTMAS? How much nicer people seem to be, if only they could keep it up all year round

16. CLEAR LIGHTS OR COLORED LIGHTS ON THE TREE? Clear.

17. FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG? Mary did you know?

18. TRAVEL AT CHRISTMAS OR STAY HOME? We alternate, since Bruce is in Iraq this Christmas we are headed home

19. CAN YOU NAME ALL OF SANTA’S REINDEER? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen,Comet and Cudid, Donner and Blitzen and then there's Rudolph. Yep, I can name them! ( I couldn't but luckily Patty already did it for me )

20. ANGEL OR STAR ON THE TREE TOP? An angel that a friend of my family made for us from the materials she used to do our wedding flowers, I love it and use it every year

21. OPEN THE PRESENTS CHRISTMAS EVE OR MORNING? Christmas morning

22. MOST ANNOYING THING THIS TIME OF YEAR? How busy life gets

23. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT CHRISTMAS? It's one of the few times of year people actually think about Jesus, and what He did for us


24: FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TRADITION? Reading out of Luke in the bible about Jesus' birth and then we also read The Polar Express, going on 6 years I think this year, someone different reads it every year, then we write inside the book who read it and a little tidbit about that year's Christmas

25. UP OR EARLY OR SLEEP IN? I love getting up early, I'm normally waking the kids up

26. DOES SANTA WRAP YOUR GIFTS? Yes, but I'm thinking of not this year

27. DO YOU TELL THE CHRISTMAS STORY? Absolutely

The Busiet Best Day

So we had a jammed packed day yesterday. We started out going to the battallion Christmas Party which was a huge success. We had over 100 people there with kids. The kids crafts were great and the food was yummy, even my dump cake that Adam accidently stepped on top of in the car. Santa came and passed out presents to all the kids, it was fun. Then we had to run to the Boyscout Christmas party, which we ended up missing most of due to the first party. Then ran back to the BN party to finish up with Santa and help clean up. Then we got to go see this good looking guy on TV:



We did our VTC (Video TeleConference) with Bruce in between parties. We got an hour to sit and talk to him and just be able to see him. He looked great. I thought he looked skinny, but he said he hadn't lost any weight. Must have been the short hair cut. He's anxious to come home for R&R though. He will be home for 18 days, I can't wait. The boys don't know when he's coming it's going to be a surprise, all we know is it will be sometime in January. I really missed him yesterday after we left, the boys did absolutely fine. I cried all the way home, silently of course so the boys wouldn't notice. It just sucks he is gone, and yesterday I was feeling it.

Anywhoo, here are a few other pics from yesterdays festivities!!!


This was at our BN Christmas Party!!!




Then we had our PWOC Christmas party which was dress up. Everyone looked beautiful and we had so much fun. The food was delicious and the games we played were hilarious. :)

30 isn't OLD, not that Old anyways...

This is what I keep telling my good friend Marie. We had a little party for her last Monday for her 30th birthday. We had a good time, for the most part. I was in charge of food, so I told her I'd make my chicken enchiladas. Which I did, and then on the way to the car I promptly dropped on my kitchen floor. Not one pan but two, it was not my day!!! So with a quick stop to the local Mexican restaurant we had a little party at the community center on post. Here are a few pics from the evening.






HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANOLA GIRL!!!

Time for Thanksgiving!!!

I know this is really late in coming, life has just been so crazy busy lately it seems. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. It's hard when Bruce is gone to enjoy the holidays much, but we have some wonderful friends who invited us to stay with them at West Point that made it a great one. We have known Brad and Angela for 5 years almost now. We were stationed together at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland a few years back. In 2005 Bruce and I headed off to Ft Lee Virginia for a few months before ending up here in New York. Brad and Angela stayed a few more months in Maryland then headed off to Bloomington Indiana for Brad to get his Master's degree. This worked out nicely, because whenever we would go home to visit Mom and Dad we still get a chance to hang out with the Fenske's as well. Then last summer '06
Brad graduated, and they headed to West Point so he could teach. Turns out West Point is less than 5 hours away from Drum. You gotta love the Army in that respect anways, you always get to run into old friends. So last year Brad, Angela and the boys came up here for Thanksgiving, so they hosted this year. Here is a pic of all of us right before we enjoyed our Thanksgiving feast!!!




I'd never been to West Point before last week, and I can't believe how beautiful it is there. We took a tour on Friday and the views are absolutely breathtaking. It is in the Hudson Valley and thier is one spot that looks over the Hudson River that I was amazed at it's beauty, and of course you know me, I wanted to take pictures forever there, but it was particularly cold that day. We also visited the Cadet Chapel, where obviously the Cadets that attend there worship, it's architecture was gorgeous, and again the view from there unbelievable. Here are a few shots I got of the campus.





After we ate dinner on Thursday, since it was so warm out we took the boys down to the football stadium where the Army Black Knights play. This was definately the highlight I think for DJ. He is so into football right now, it's unreal. So we went down there and they played forever. I even got in on the action a little bit.
Unfortunately these pictures didn't come out all the great, but you can see the action in them.






So we all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as you can see. I just wanted to thank Brad and Angela again for welcoming us into your home for the weekend, we had so much fun. And I loved learning how to play Settlers.

Where are those boys?

So I went in to check on Adam and Jack before I went to bed, and low and behold their bed was empty. No telling where they could have wandered off to. So I didn't have to look far. I peekded in DJ's room and sure enough there they were. They had snuck into his bottom bunk and fell asleep together. But how cute are they? I can totally use this pic as black mail one day, I can't wait!!! See they do love each other even if they have to be asleep to prove it. :)


And here is big brother on top, grinning because I just caught him watching Monday Night Football instead of sleeping. Little goof!!!

Bravo Company Bulldogs

So Bruce's company mascot is a bulldog. So last week at our FRG meeting we decorated ornaments to hang on a bedsheet with a painted tree on it. I took pics of the kids then printed them off while we were there and they decorated frame ornaments and then I hung them on the tree. The tree turned out so cute, and I'm going to be sending it to Bruce to hang up in the company area over there. Just wanted to share a pic since it turned out so cute. Make sure to notice our tree topper!!! :)

Bruce and his guys

Bruce sent me a picture of him and his guys in front of their company sign outside thier office. Just wanted to share with you all. Is it me or is Bruce looking tiny? He is really losing weight, I better send him some cookies or something to fatten him up some!!! :)

Scrapping with friends...

This past Saturday I got to spend the whole days scrapping with girlfriends, minus kids. It was wonderful. My friend Rachel and I drove to Oswego, a little over an hour away, to hang out at my dear friend Patti's house. She had a crop and a little Stampin Up demo while we were there. I got to hang out with a sistah from SBO, JulieAnn also, and met Patti's neighbor Jen. We had so much fun just hanging out chatting and I actually got a few LOs done too. It's been forever since I scrapped anything. Just wanted to share a few pics from yesterday!!!

I've been tagged...

I almost forgot. My friend Krystin from SBO tagged me on her blog and I promised her three days ago that I would do this. So sorry it's late sistah!!! So here goes:

I have to list 6 random things about myself.... If I can think of 6 things that you don't already know.... I'm like an open book...

Here goes:

1. All three of my beautiful baby boys were born by C Section

2. I got a little tipsy one night in Hawaii and got a tattoo on my left ankle.

3. I met Bruce in a bar on April Fool's Day, so I now always refer to him as my fool.

4. I love being an Army wife, and actually like moving around meeting new people, even though it's hard to leave the friends I've made behind when it's time.

5. I would do anything for a friend, all they have to do is ask.

6. I went to Europe the summer between my junior and senior year of HS and marched in the French Bicentennial.

I know I'm boring, what can I say.

but now I have to tage some people, so here goes:

I'm tagging Trisha, Marie, JulieAnn

Now it's your turn ladies, to post 6 random things about yourselves. :)

House Upgrades

So I just love having a house. Most days anyways. My friends who are just wonderful, and you know who you are ladies, and gents, have been so helpful this past week. They have been over helping me paint and get ready for the new carpter that I ordered last month. It was crunch time and I was painting like a mad woman that last 4 days, along with my good friends, trying to get it all done before they came in with the new carpet and flooring. Well I didn't get the one bedroom upstairs done, but the carpet came today. I am so excited. I got new carpet in the two bedrooms upstairs and the stairway that had the ugliest carpet piece on there. it is beautiful. And it looks really great with all the new paint we put on. My stair case is sage green with white trim and the carpet is a tan color. It looks fabulous and I love it!!! I can't wait to get stuff moved back in the bedrooms now. It is so nice and comfy under my feet, it's great!!! I will have to take pics after I get everything moved back into the appropriate rooms. That of course knowing me will take a few weeks I'm sure. And besides I sitll need to finish painting that one room. Just have to be extra careful with the carpet in there. DJ actually started it for me last night and did a great job, as far as he could reach up anyways. They come tomorrow to finish the floor in the bathroom and then I can put my new vanity in with double sinks. I'm super excited about that. Who knew I'd get so excited about some home improvements? :)

Update on Bruce....

So Bruce is doing well. He is really looking forward to his change of command which is scheduled for 16 December. I talked to him this morning and he sounds great. He said only 30 days left so I know is ready to move onto the next thing. He also got some great news that he will be switching his MOS. Which for you civilians is basically what his job description is. He is going to be going back to Public Affairs, which is what he did in the Marines. Anyone who knows my darling husband knows that this is the job for him. The man is a talker and loves the Army, so what better place for him than doing that. This also is good news for his family. When he picks up Major next year or the year after instead of moving to Kansas for a year of Major's course, it is only 4 months at Ft Meade, which is a lot closer to Ft Drum than Kansas. The family would probably stay here in our house until he gets done with the possibility of a return assignment to Drum, or possibly our dream of getting back to Campbell depending on what is open at the time. I'm just so happy for him because I can hear how excited he is in his voice when I talk to him. There is nothing worse than talking to him and he sounds exhausted and just really down all the time. Today he sounded happy and upbeat and was even joking around with some of his soldiers in the background. I just thank the Lord he sounded so great. I worry about him a lot less when I know he is in a good frame of mind. So please just continue to pray for him and lift him up, that the Lord would just continue to give him encouragement and safety all of his days there. Thank you all, we love you!!!

Life has been so busy...

It is that time of year again when things just start passing me by at warp speed it seems. I can't believe that Bruce has already been gone over 2 months now. Time is really flying and that is a great. But everything else is flying by too. So much has been going on since I last posted, I don't know where to start. One big thing was I got to go to Fall Focus with the ladies from PWOC, but that whole trip will get it's own post, too much to write here. :)

My Dad came to vist for about a week and a half at the end of October and that was nice. It was nice having family around. Poor guy I worked him like a dog. He did so much stuff around the house for me. Working on all sorts of projects for me. He got the gararge cleaned up and organized, Bruce will be thrilled when he sees it. I can actually find stuff out there now. And the car, snow blower and lawn mower all fit in there so that is a good thing. :) He did a lot of cleaning and builind stuff in my basement to help me get organized. Built shelves in the boys' closets and built a whole shelving unit in the bathroom that is way more functional than what was in there before. He fixed my front door handle, and built shelves in my back entry way, which is great for the boys and thier boots and stuff this winter. So special thanks to my Dad for all his hard work while he was here. He is the best. Though the hardest work may have been watching the boys for me while I was away on my ladies retreat. The poor guy ate McD's 5 times in 4 days. That is what grandpa gets for letting the kids pick. :)

Bruce Update...

I almost forgot to update everyone on Bruce, duh!!! :) I talked to him yesterday afternoon. He actually called not too long after I'd picked Dad up at the airport. So Dad got to talk to him for a few minutes, which was nice. He is doing great, he is just getting over a nasty ear infection, and just feeling crappy in general. He sounded awful last week when he called, but sounded great yesterday, so that was a pleasant change. He found out he is changing command December 16, which means he will no longer be a company commander, which in turn means I will no longer be the FRG leader. I've met some great ladies that I know we will still be friends, but I can't say I will miss being the FRG leader. That is not an easy job by any means, and bless everyone who steps up to do it. But more importantly Bruce will be making the next step in his career, and he is excited about it. He thinks he will still be working with the same battallion just in a different postition, but he isn't 100% sure yet. He's hoping to get up to brigade staff, but we will see. So if you could just continue to pray for him, his health and just for his well being mentally as well. Keeping a positive outlook is half the battle!!! Thanks for all your prayers you've spoken over him already, and thank you for the ones I know you will continue to pray over him. I'm so proud of him, and love him so much!!!

Thanks everyone!!!

Another sleepless night...

It's one of those nights again. They seem to keep happening more and more often lately. I'm wide awake. Frustrating really!!! Though I've gotte a few more loads of laundry done, so that's not so bad I guess.

My Dad got into town yesterday. He flew in to help with a few things around the house. He is also going to be watching my boys for me next weekend while I head off to PA with some girlfriends from PWOC for our annual conference. I'm so excited, I can't wait to go. I know the boys will have fun with Papaw, I just hope Papaw survives. Please pray for him. :)

Dad and I have been very productive so far. He is going to help build lots of shelves all over the place, help me redo my bathroom, and help get my basement into shape. And let me tell you that is no easy task. It's a disaster down there. I was actually just down there working on things for a little bit. It's amazing how much junk we have. I've got a whole corner dedicated to trash, sad really. I've still got lots to do tomorrow, but I wanted to take a break.

We also went to Lowes tonight and ordered a new vanity, toilet and looked at some new flooring. I'm wanting to put a dual sink in my bathroom. Since it's the only bathroom we have it will be nice, especially when the boys are in there arguing over who's turn it is to brush thier teeth. Driving mommy crazy.

Tomorrow I've got people coming to measure the two bedrooms upstairs for carpet, I'm hoping they can get it in next week while Dad is still here, but we shall see. I'm also going to ask if they can put new flooring in my bathroom too, before I get all the other stuff put in. It's going to look so nice when everything is done.

My good friends Leslie and Marie came over Wednesday night and helped me clear out those rooms and rip up the carpet so they wouldn't charge me to do it. Save some dough where I can. They played clean sweep while we were at it too, so I've got all kinds of trash bags out for the garbabe men in the morning, along with all that carpert. They are going to hate me I'm sure!!! I feel like I should buy them donuts and coffee or something.

I'm super excited about tomorrow night. I'm having some friends over for a little jam session. My friend Susan is bringing over her guitars and banjo so her and Dad can play, and then a few others are coming over too. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Nothing better than some food, fun and friends, except maybe food, fun, friends and some good music.

I will try and get some pics to post tomorrow of everyone jamming out!!

Night all!!!

Warrior Walk

All of 1st brigade is doing what's called the Warrior Walk. We made up teams of 10 walkers and we have to try and get to 5785 miles total. That doesn't seem like that much until you start breaking it down. That is about 580 miles per person in a 15 month time period. So that is still over a mile a day for each person. So it should be interesting to see what we actually accomplish. There are prizes for the first teams to get to the half way point and those who finish the whole thing. It's nice because the kids can get involved too. We had a big kickoff for the walk this past Saturday on post. We walked through the woods on Ft Drum at Remington Pond. They told us it would be a 3 mile walk. But the whole time I was walking I kept thinking this seems a lot longer. I was so proud of my boys. DJ and I both finished, and Adam and Jack made it about 3/4 of the way before a van picked them up and took them back to the gym where my friend was waiting for them. So DJ and I finish together only to find out they had miscalculated the distance of the trail they had us go on. It was really a 5 mile walk. So Adam and Jack made it about 3 miles, before they just couldn't go any further. I just wanted to share some pictures from our walk. It was a beautiful day for it too. :)

I got a card....

It's like Bruce knew I was having a bad week, even though we haven't talked. His email is down at work, so no contact there either. Boy is he gonna get an ear full when the net comes back up over there though. :) wonder if I can delete an email already sent? I'm guessing no huh? :) Anyways, I was getting very annoyed that I hadn't had any contact, and just feeling bad, and then I get a card in the mail today from him. Such a sweet card too. One that reminds me of why we are together and that we are truly meant for each other. It's all part of God's plan, me being all the way in New York, a place I'd never have chosen for myself to live. Thank you to my husband for knowing exactly when I needed a word of encouragement and love. I really love that man!!! And thank you God for bringing him into my life. :)

Feeling overwhelmed...

I can just feel the stress building up right now. It doesn't ever seem to go away. It's always something. There is always something going on around me that doesn't directly involve me, but somehow indirectly I get involved. Sometimes I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders, and I'm so sick of it. I want to bury myself in a hole somewhere and just not come out. I don't want to answer my phone or my door, I just want to stay home and do nothing. Do you all ever get that way? Is it just me? I'm normally a pretty upbeat person but lately I'm just aaahh!!! All over the place. One minute I'm completely fine and the next I'm in a bad mood for no apparant reason. It's one of those nights again, the ones where I can't sleep. They are happening more frequently. The doctor gave me something to help me sleep, but wants me to try it out on a night I don't have to get up too early the next day and be somewhere. Yeah well that is never. So I hate to try it just in case the boys wake up and need me. Especially with them all passing this stomach bug around. I wish I was one of those stress cleaners. You know, we all have a friend like that. They clean to help relieve stress, I so wish that was me. I'm trying so hard to get this place just how I want it before Dad comes to visit, and something inevitably comes up. I'm thinking of staying in the house for the next week and not coming out. But that wouldn't work, I have a few commitments I can't miss. Such is my life. I guess I should probably go clean, and make use out of my insomnia.

You know if I just heard from my husband once and awhile that would probably help you know? His email doesn't work very well I guess, and his phone calls are few and far between. I can just feel it that he is having a hard time over there, maybe that is why he doesn't call. I'm just being sensitive and emotional I guess. Nevermind I'm just being silly. I just really miss him...

It continues....

We are having a rough few weeks here let me tell you. It seems like we've taken care of some of the conflict that was gripping us emotionally and doing great. So what does Satan have left to do since he can't get to us mentally. Let's attack them physically. And boy has he. More people on the board are sick than not, and if they aren't sick then their kids are sick. All three of my boys have come down with whatever is going around, it's DJ's turn now. I've had an upset stomach the last few days, and it's isn't getting better. My good friend Rachel is in the hospital with pneumonia, although she is doing much better now, she really went through the ringer. It just seems to be one thing after another with us. I'm hoping tomorrow I have something more uplifting and positive to post. Just keep praying for us all, especially for our health!!!

Spiritual Warfare

It seems like everytime you start doing well, Satan jumps in and messes everything up. No worries friends, I'm doing just fine. It seems many of my friends are being attacked by Satan lately. Most of it is going on within my PWOC group. Satan does not like that we are all praising our Lord and he is trying to take these ladies down. We had several ladies today that are just broken and Satan is just taking this oppurtunity to get in there and take full advantage of thier weakness. Another person thinks there is evil in her home and keeps hearing things even though no one is there. I just ask that you would pray for the entire body of PWOC at Ft Drum. Each one of these ladies need prayed over and lifted up to the Lord. We had an awesome devotion time today about this very thing and it is everywhere right now. Please just pray for us!!!

Triple Threat

I had a much better weekend. I've been really down that Bruce doesn't get much time to call or write, but I was blessed three fold this weekend. Yesterday I got a letter in the mail, this morning I woke up to an email, and then when I got home from church he called and we actually got to talk for like 30 minutes. It was great, he'd been calling on the MWR phones and those calls get cut off after 10 minutes. So it was nice to be able to talk and not feel rushed.
He is doing well over there. The weather is getting better and they aren't burning up anymore. He said at night it drops to the 70's so it's comfortable to sleep, and during the day it's in the mid 90's right now. So that is great, anytime it's under 100 it's good.
He is getting ready to take over for the unit that they are replacing that is headed back home to Hawaii soon. He said that they had done a really good job and that the transition has been a rather easy one. He has been super busy signing for all of the equipment that he will be responsible for, for the next 15 months. It's almost done and that will relieve some of his business. I know it's stressful for him so I'm glad it's almost done.
Here is a picture of the place he will be living for the next year or so. It's a little bare, so I told him we'd make him pictures to hang on his walls. He's doing his laundry in his room too I guess as you can see his socks and such hanging in the window drying. It's kind of depressing to look at I think, so blah and boring. I need to send him a cheetah comforter or something and spice it up. What do you think?


Anyways, I was so happy to hear from him today. Hearing his voice is really a comfort for me. I don't think I posted, but the last time I talked to him, last week I think. We were interrupted with a siren in the background with a quick I gotta go I love you bye from him as he hung up the phone. It was really scary and that never happened his first deployment so it really freaked me out. But it turned out to just be a drill thank goodness. But it definately made me think about how dangerous it really is over there. So please continue to pray for him, just for safety and strength while he is over there. And for me with y patience with the boys. Though this was a much better few days than last week.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, I'm thinking I'm gonna have a great one!!!

Pray for me please....

I am being totally vulnerable here, and laying my heart out to all of you. My friends and my family. I'm just having a really tough week, and I keep thinking next week will be better. And it just isn't. I've been more emotional this week and I think I've been in my entire life. I've cried more in front of people I don't even know than ever. I think I've always thought of myself as a strong person, fairly independent and able to handle things. But Satan is attacking me these past few weeks, and he is doing it in the form of my beautiful children that God has blessed me with. Satan knows where to strike me at and he is taking full advantage of it. My fear is that my kids are going to hate by the end of this deployment, especially my oldest, DJ. I hate myself these days for the way I react to them. I can get so angry in like 10.5 seconds it scares me. I don't even know where my anger comes from. I'm having a hard time with the boys listening to me. It's like Bruce has left and their ears went to Iraq with Daddy, because they don't even act like they hear me sometimes. And I just snap from complete calm to so angry and yelling at them. This is especially true when we get in the car, Satan loves to attack me and the boys when we are in the car and there is no where for us to run for cover. I know that this is a problem. And several of my friends helped me talk through some of this morning at PWOC but I'm just asking for prayer from you all too. I believe in the power of prayer, and through Christ all things are possible. I know this to be true, I just need to put this into practice and have faith that God will heal this relationship that I have with my sons. Thank you guys, I love you all!!!!

That's What Friends Are For.....

I started this day out not feeling so great about myself, and really feeling sorry for myself and my whole situation. I just started this great new bible study called Becoming a Vessel God Can Use by Donna Partow. It sounded great when my teacher was telling all about it, and she totally had me psyched to do it. Then I started it, and today really hit me, and I felt horrible about myself. I know it is truly the Holy Spirit working in me and convicting me of many things in my life. I jokingly told my friends today, that I could hear God talking, I just didn't like what He was saying. I was really honest with myself today, and I didn't like what I saw. I need to have less self and more God. It sounds so easy right? Seems like an easy lesson to learn. Easier said than done I think. But at least I know it's a problem, and I'm going to be taking care of it!!! I was really feeling down this morning and in a fit of tears, and I get a call from one of the ladies from the FRG and she is sharing more news that was upsetting me (Bruce is fine no worries)and I had just had enough. I wasn't going to leave my house today, I wasn't in any mood to be around people. I'm not gonna lie, I was straight up foul. But of course my friends wouldn't take no for answer. So I went anyways, because honestly it's way easier than arguing with them, and truthfully they scare me a little bit. :) But of course once I got around my girlfriends, they had me in a fit of laughter and tears running down my face. There is nothing greater than hanging out with some girlfriends and playing games and just laughing together!!! Thank you ladies for cheering me up today, you know I needed it!!! I love you for it!!!

Family Country Line Dancing...

We had the best time last night!! Every Friday night at a place called The Winner's Circle on post they do Country Line Dancing. And they want you to bring the whole family. It was so great. Not only do they do the dancing but they give you the dance lessons for the dances before each of the songs. Of course there were a lot of songs we already knew. They did the Hokey Pokey, and the Limbo, and the Macarena and the Chicken Dance, Electric Slide, all the standards. Then they showed us some new dances. It was just a great night to get out and have a good time with the kids. And it gave us a chance to get out and do something new for a change. Five different families went in together. Between the 5 of us we had 14 kids, those poor pepole didn't know what was coming when we came through the doors I can tell you that much. I'm so glad that we all decided to go out and do it. We are totally going to be doing it again sometime too.

I was kidnapped....

Two wonderful friends came and kidnapped me yesterday. For a day full of fun and adventure. Kristin and I drove down south and met Patti at a scrapbook store that Patti just found recently. And the store if awesome!!! They had so many great things for a pretty good price. Patti just got picked up for thier design team, are they lucky or what? After we got done shopping til we dropped, we picked ourselves up with lunch at a chinese restaurant!!! It was delicious!!! Nothing better than good company, good friends, and good scrappin supplies!!! Thank you so much for a great day ladies!!! I had so much fun, and I really needed to get out of the house for some fun!!! Patti, thanks again for the snowflake and the goodies to go with it, and Kristin I love my little traveling pants and all my goodies. Especially my girlfriend coupon book. I'm so gonna be cashing some of those babies in my friend!!! You ladies truly blessed me yesterday!!! I love you girls!!!

Jack is a riot...

So I got to school early yesterday, and with camera in hand I hid so Jack couldn't seem me when he came out of school. Kindergarteners get out 5 min before everyone else so Jack is supposed to wait by the tree for Adam to get out, then together walk to the corner to meet me. So I was ready to see what Jack really did while he was waiting for Adam. I got some great candid shots of him running around the yard in front of the school. He apparantly he is popular with the ladies, as little girls were chasing him everywhere. :)

Knew it would happen.....

The other one finally came out!!! Daddy, Adam wants you to know he can drink out of a straw now with no problems!!! How cute is he?

Letters from Daddy!!!

We got home last night from PWOC and checked the mail and a nice little surpirse was waiting for the boys!! I called them all into the living room and said boys we need to have a talk. Of course they are like what did we do? Adam said I know we have to clean again. Which is normally what our little talks are about!!! They were so excited when I yelled "mail call" Here are some pics of them reading their letters from Daddy!!!

Another One????

OK, so Adam lost his two bottom teeth a few weeks before Bruce left. They'd been loose forever, and he finally let my pull them out. Then in the past few weeks three of his top teeth have gotten really loose. One of them so loose I've been trying to get it out for days, for fear he will swallow it in his sleep. Well Sunday night he had a little mishap at AWANA and ended up falling flat on his face, ended up with a bloody nose, two fat lips and hit teeth were all bleeding. Of course his mouth hurt so bad he wouldn't let me get near him to pull the extremely loose tooth out. So I let him go to bed, and sure enough, Monday morning he wakes up and it's missing. I'm thinking oh great he swallowed his tooth and now he's going to have to pass it, this should be lovely!!! About an hour later as I was making the bed, I flipped the sheet and I heard something clink on the floor. Sure enough it was his tooth!!! Yeah he didn't swallow it!!! So I took a pic of him this morning with his ever growing toothless grin!!! I'm figuring by Christmas he's gonna be asking Santa for 5 teeth instead of just his two front teeth!!!

Bon Voyage...

We had a great weekend with some really dear friends this past weekend. We've known the Corneliussen's for almost the entire two years that we have lived in New York. We met at church through the AWANA program, when James was the Commander and I volunteered to be the Sparks secretary. I just started my third year of doing the secretary and now James has taken his family and run off to Germany!!! They spent thier last weekend in town with us before I took them to the airport Sunday morning to bid them farewell, for who knows how long. Our kids are the best of friends and were together a majority of the time. Wether it was something going on at church or when the kids were spending the night at each other's houses. It was nice because they have three and we have three so it was always an even swap of babysitting duty. We have a lot of great memories with James and Suzanne and the kids over these past two years. Memories that will forever be cherished. We love you guys and wish you all the best in Germany. I know you will bless many people while you are there!!! I just wanted to share some pics I took while they here this weekend and a few from the past few years!!!

Photos from Kuwat

So Bruce has finally gotten a chance to send me a few photos from when they arrived in Kuwait. He is in Iraq now, but spent about a week in Kuwait doing some training exercises of some sort. And also trying to get acclamated to the drastic weather change. He is doing fine and has been extremely busy preparing for the rest of his company to join him in Iraq. Which is good for them, but unfortunately it means he doesn't have much time for phone calls home and emails. He has been gone 2 weeks tomorrow and we've only talked twice on the phone and a hand full of emails. I know he's really busy so it's ok. He still isn't to his final destination yet, so once he gets there and gets settle and into a routine he will have a little more time to keep in touch. Such is the life in the Army. I was feeling a bit down the other day and pretty much guilted him into writing a few lines of an email. It was just a rough week!!! But we are all doing well, and starting into our second week of school and we are all adjusting. It just takes time to get into a routine. Anyways, here are a few pics that Bruce sent to me. He isn't in any of these photos since he was taking the pictures. Enjoy!!!

PWOC Kickoff

We had our kickoff for PWOC on Thursday, and it was a HUGE success!!! For those who don't know, PWOC stands for Protestant Women Of the Chapel. It's a weekly bible study for all the spouses on Ft Drum. It is a great time to get out and meet new ladies and fellowship and just praise the Lord together. This years theme is Preparing for the Bridegroom. So we decided to throw a wedding reception for our Bridegroom.


The fellowship hall was beautiful and really did look like a wedding. I heard several ladies say their own weddings didn't look this nice. Everyone on the board worked really hard to put this thing together. I'm so proud of each and everyone of them and proud to call them my sisters in Christ and my friends. I'm so excited about what the Lord has planned for this year's PWOC and our board, and each of the ladies that serve on the board. God is truly working in and around us, I can just feel it. I know so many women are going to be blessed with the bible studies we are offering, myself included. Here is a picture of these amazing ladies that I'm so fortunate to get to serve with this year.



Here are some other fun pictures from that day as well!!!