My kids.....

So I love being a Mom, most of the time. I used to always secretly, ok not so secretly, wish that I had had at least one girl. But obviously God had other plans for me when he blessed me with three beautiful baby boys. Who knew that the next 11 years of my life I would be blessed with all the disgusting things boys love to do, eat, say, and act out.

DJ has had his moments over the last 11 years, dont' get me wrong. But I think he is finally at that age that he has calmed down somewhat in the disgusting factor. Although he still loves to watch some disgusting things on TV, that whole Dirty Jobs show gets me everytime. God has a special place in heaven for the people that do some of the jobs we've seen on there.

Adam I guess is just Adam. He doesn't really anything too disgusting I guess. He loves to watch a lot of shows on TV that involve animals and thier disgusting habits. I know he loves anything to do with animals. But they can be disgusting as well. But he did the funniest thing yesterday. He wanted a hard boiled egg like Daddy was eating and asked if he could peel his own, so we of course said yes. He comes in the living room a few minutes later, and says I think there is a chicken in my egg still...all freaked out. We were like what?? So Bruce goes in there to check it out, he apparantly got a raw egg out of the carton instead of the bowl of hard boiled eggs sitting in there. He managed to peel a good portion of it before he cracked the whole thing. We couldn't stop laughing...

Jack on the other hand, is a whole story in himself. God gave this kid the funniest sense of humor, he is always making us laugh. His comedic timing is perfect. I really think that John Ritter had to have been like Jack when he was little, with as physical with his comedy as he was. Jack is the same way. But lately he is on this kick of how to best totally gross out Mommy and everyone else around me. He has become a farting machine. How a little kid can fart on cue is beyond me. Not only does do it constantly but really smells like something crawled up in him and died. He doesn't eat anything different than the rest of us, so I really don't understand. Now yesterday he has decided that everyone in the house needs to come in and see what he has produced in the toilet. I know this is way too much info, but really he is cracking me up. I try to get mad at him and tell him how gross it is, but I'm a wee bit outnumbered in this house on the gross factor!!

Oh the joys of living with all of these boys.....and I'm including Bruce in that too!!!

All I want for Christmas is three well behaved little boys who are not constantly doing something to gross me out!!!

It's My Blog...

And I think this is funny.... :)

Life Post Deployment....

I feel like most of the time the past year I only wrote on here to complain about something, or how much it sucked Bruce was gone. Or I wrote about what the boys and I were up to, so Bruce could keep up with our day to day stuff, even though it turned out he couldn't pull up this website. :) Now I am not sure what to write about. But I love the idea of writing on here, so I will continue to bore you all with my ramblings. :)

We have been having a good time with Bruce home. We are finally getting into a groove of sorts with him home again. I got so used to him being gone, I didn't really worry about what his schedule was. We were talking the other day and he mentioned it was hard getitng used to four other people's schedules he has to worry about instead of just himself. So we are on the same page with that for sure. It's nice not having to run the boys everywhere all the time by myself now. The boys are wanting him to do stuff for them instead of me. Adam insisted that Daddy warm up his pop tarts the other day because surely I didn't know how to do it. Nice huh? But I know it is just him enjoying having Daddy home and wanting him to do stuff for him, instead of me. It's ok, it hurt my feelings a little at first, but I understand better now. And honestly it's kind of nice. :)

We went home for Thanksgiving. We hadn't been home for that for a long time. At least 5 years or more. Overall it was a great weekend. It was a bit of a rough start but ended up being a lot of fun. I got to see my favorite cousin and his lovely wife, whom we hadn't seen since the last Thanksgiving we were home I'm sure!!! It was so nice catching up with them, and I hope we get to see more of them in the future. We will have to plan a weekend to visit them next summer, I know you may be reading this Jess, so I'm inviting myself, hope you don't mind. :)

I went shopping on Black Friday for the first time ever!!! It wasn't nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be. I got everything I went out for and a few things I didn't go out for. :) Lori showed me the ropes, and my three nieces joined us, it was a lot of fun. Most of you know I hate to shop, but it really was a blast. I enjoyed hanging out with my nieces too, and my SIL of course. And hey we stopped by Starbucks for a pick me up half way through, so that is always good. :)

It snowed here a lot the past few days, and it's beautiful outside. Cold and lots of snow, but beautiful, since I don't have to drive in it. :) We all went up to Thompson Park and went sledding yesterday, but of course I forgot my camera, :( and I would have gotten some great pics too. So Bruce promised to go another day so I could take pics. The boys had so much fun sledding. Jack even went on the big hill, he went flying down, his sled flipped over in midair, a somersault if you will, landed and went down the rest of the way. What does he say when he gets done? "That was totally awesome!!!" He is such a litte daredevil that one!!!!

So all in all we are adjusting well to having Bruce home and are looking forward to the holidays!!!

Also for those that don't know, though all who read probably already know. :) We are moving next summer!!! Bruce got orders to Ft McPherson, in Atlanta GA. So we are super excited to be close to my brother and sister in law and niece and nephew!!! And we have really close friends only a few hours away down at Stewart!!! So we couldn't be happier, and so we are enjoying our last winter here in the North Country!!!

Check back in a few days, I will be posting more pics of Bruce's homecoming last month, and pics of our trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express, that the two little ones and I are taking tomorrow with some friends!!!

Mean People Suck!!!

I really hate it when horrible things happen to the nicest people!!! So I just want to put it out there that I think mean people suck!!!

That's all for today!!!

What to write about today???

We are all getting used to Bruce being home again. It's amazing and sad how we all got so used to him not being here. I know that might sound harsh or whatever, but you do what you have to do when he's gone. The boys still keep coming to me to ask everything, even if Bruce is sitting right next to them. Just because they are so used to asking my permission to do everything. The one thing that is super sweet though, Jack has been having a toothache the past few days and really only wants Daddy to comfort him, even in the middle of the night, poor Bruce. They are all coming around. DJ brought home a test the other day that he had to have signed and I went to do it and he said no I want Daddy to do it, you've done it for the last year or so. I was a bit taken back, but understood. So even though we are super excited Daddy is home, there is som adjustment time for all of us. Bruce is having a hard time making it through the day without having to take a nap. It's hard to get his sleep schedule on track with ours. I had DJ wake him last night at 5, after a 3 hour nap after church, and he told DJ he'd get up at 6, so I woke him then. He thought it was 6 in the morning and wondering why DJ was up so stinking early. Poor guy. He's doing good though. It's just so nice to have him home. I went to the mall the other night all by myself, and I have to tell you it was so nice. Even though the boys are at school all day, it isn't the same as knowing they are home with Dad and I can just relax and not have to hurry home to pay a babysitter. :) Anyways, I guess I've rambled on enough. Will have to think of new things to write about since most of the time it was all about Bruce being gone. :) It's still Life on the Homefront, it's just life with our soldier by our side again!!!

Veteran's Day Story

So we were all so excited that Bruce finally came home, and on Veteran's Day no less!!! What a more appropriate day right? So the boys all went to school on Wednesday, and Bruce and I are sitting there and we get a call from the principal from Jack and Adam's school. I'm thinking, oh goodnes, what now??? First thing he said was "This is Mr. Friend, the prinicipal at (school), everything is fine, and this is a great call. I asked the kids if they had any Veteran's Day stories they'd like to share with the school to please come to my office and tell me. And Jack came down and told me about how his Dad had came home yesterday and he was so excited and wanted to share with everyone. We do the TV announcements in all the classrooms every morning and I'd really like Jack to do the morning announcements in the morning and tell his story. And I'd love to meet your husband" So of course Bruce and I thought that was great so we went in the next morning and dropped off the boys and then snuck into the resource room, we didn't want Jack to know we were there. So for some reason the principal wasn't there, who normally does the announcements, it was one of the teachers. So he said of course Jack can do it. So here we are waiting, I've got my camera ready to videotape the whole thing. Since this teacher didn't normally do it, he didn't think to pick Jack up so he could be seen completely in the screen, which was so funny!!! But if you know Jack at all, this is so him, so it's alright!!!



We are so proud of him that he wanted to share this with the whole school and it is so neat that it's on the TV so all can see. Of course once Adam heard what Jack said about him and his brothers crying they were so happy, he was sooooooo mad at Jack. LOL He said I can't believe Jack told everyone I was crying and it isn't even true!!! :) You gotta love kids!!! But I thought you all might enjoy this little video of Jack!!!!

He's Finally Home!!!!

For all who follow my blog and have read my crazy rants the past year I just wanted to share with you the good news!!!! Bruce came in @ 12:30 on Veteran's Day. Couldn't have picked a better day than that one. Thought it was very appropriate!!! I videotaped him marching into the gym for the Welcome Home Ceremony. He is in the very front row marching in right in the middle!!!

Make sure to pause my music I have playing on the blog, down on the right side of the screen first, before you play the video!!!

Such sweet friends....

I have the very best friends. :) One of my friends, who shall remain anonymous, she hates to be called out :) was so sweet and came over and gave me a pedicure last night as a surprise. I was telling her and a few other friends how I didn't have time to get a pedi before Bruce came home and my heels were so rough they kept sticking to the bedsheets, that's romantic huh? :) So she thought that I needed one before he came home and came to my house with everything you'd need including a foot spa. It was so sweet and unexpected and I loved it!!! So thank you, you know who you are.

Then today, since Bruce didn't get to come home like planned I had 4 friends invite me and the boys out for lunch or dinner just to keep our minds off of things. Then I got a few offers to hang out at thier houses or they'd come to mine. I'm truly blessed in the friendship department!!

I love you all and I truly appreciate each and every one of you!!!!

Gotta love the Army.......NOT

So Bruce informed me last night that there has been a change in plans. I guess I don't know why I'm so suprised, that should be the Army's motto. Instead of Army Strong, it should be "Surprise Changes Around Every Corner"

Apparantly they are switching some things around, whatever that means, so Bruce won't be home this weekend now. He has been delayed a few days. I know it's not that many, but we were so excited and of course we've told everyone. All the boys' teachers yesterday at their conferences said "you must be so excited, (insert son's name here) only talks about his Daddy coming home this weekend." so now of course they will have to go in Monday morning and answer all the questions now.

We've waited for 14 months, I know a few more days isn't going to kill us. But it does suck that is for sure!!!

A New Era in America...

Those of you who know me well, know that I have had some pretty strong feelings about this election. Though I may have not posted so much on my blog about it, it's about all I could talk about these past few weeks. I know there are many of my friends that read this blog that don't necissarily agree with my political views and that is ok. That is the great thing about living in this country, that we have the freedom to have our own views and religion choices. We don't have to agree on everything and we can still be friends. As long as we are respectful of one another.

So, though I am not happy with the outcome of this election, I will still respect the office of the Presidency and ask that you should do the same. I won't lie, I was bitter yesterday when I woke up and heard Obama had won. But then I had a good friend remind me, that ultimately God is still in control of this world. He knew that Obama was going to be elected. So I remember this verse.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future


God has a plan for each and every one of us. We may not know what that plan is just now, but take comfort in knowing that God has a purpose for everything.

I was very vocal about my dislike for Obama around my children, so they were disappointed about him winning. They were so excited because I took them to vote with me and they helped me do all the buttons in the voting booth. I had to explain to them, just as my friend did to me though. We will be respectful of him because he will be the next President of this country. We will be respectful to those who voted for him, since my youngest Jack is so vocal to anyone who will listen to him how he didn't want Obama to win.

I wonder how this will effect my life in the future and my kids lives, but I have to remember that God holds our futures in His hands and He knows what He is doing!!!

We Can See the Finish Line!!!

Our time of waiting is almost over. Bruce is returning this weekend from Kuwait/Iraq and the boys and I couldn't be happier. I can't believe we made it through this deployment. I have to tell you it so nice coming out the other end of this long tunnel. It didn't seem like we'd ever see that light at the end but glory be to God, we see the light and we are so close to walking into it. Thank you to all my friends and family who have lifted us up this past year!!! I know I've said it before but it's worth repeating, you have no idea how much it's meant to my family and I all the prayers and thoughts you have had for us this past year. In a few days I will have homecoming photos to share I am sure!!!

The Final Countdown..

I know I haven't posted in awhile, life has just been crazy. And my lovely friend introduce me to Facebook which has been a lot of fun and addicting to tell you the truth. :) I'm loving the scrabble game feature!!! :) But I have missed being able to just write out a post and pour my heart out, so I'm back!!!

I know a lot of you have followed me through these past 14 months, you've cried with me, and been there for me, and supported me and you've prayed for me and my family. I just wanted to thank you all. It means the world to me and we can feel the love and prayers coming in all around the place.

I am happy to announce that we are on the final countdown to Bruce's return home!! We have only a month left give or take a day here or there. The boys and I are so excited for his return home we can hardly stand it!!!

Bruce is actually in Kuwait right now, one step closer to home. He is filtering guys through who are headed home, which is great, but also hard for him watching everyone come and get on a plane back to Drum. But soon it will be his turn to get on that Welcome Home Plane. Then soon after I will be posting pics of his welcome home ceremony!!!

Thanks again for all your support and prayers over the past year!!! I love you guys!!!

Fall...my favorite season!!!

Top 10 Reasons I Love Fall!!!

10) The crisp air.
9) Jeans and sweatshirts all the time
8) Changing of the Leaves
7) Playing in said Leaves
6) The start of the holiday season
5) Halloween
4) Carving pumpkins with the boys
3) The start of Christmas shopping
2) Anything pumpkin

And the number 1 reason I love fall...




Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks!!! YUM!!!

Our Broken Hearts....

Our hearts are breaking this week at our house. For the last 8 years we have had the best little friend with us,our dog Blue. This past Tuesday we had to say goodbye to her. She was such a good dog and we loved her so much. She started getting sick this past Sunday and wasn't any better by Monday so I took her into the vet to get her checked out. After blood and urine checks Blue was diagnosed with diabetes and her pancreas was not functioning properly. After much discussion with the doctor we chose to have her put down as opposed to being in any pain or discomfort for the rest of her life. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Two of my friends went with me on Tuesday when they actually did it. She was so sweet and and kept giving me kisses and rubbing her head on me until she fell asleep in my arms. It was so sweet and so sad at the same time. We are going to miss her so much!!! We love you Blue!!!

hmmm....

I sat down this morning thinking I have time to write something on my blog. Got up early today and the boys are all up and moving. They are almost ready for school, just finishing up breakfast now. Which leaves 45 minutes until we have to leave for school. I now have time to sit and write something clever or amusing and what do I have? Nothing, nada, squat!!! I got nothing to say today I guess. I know hard to beleive huh?

I guess have a great day!!!

7 Year Anniversary

It's hard to believe that it has been 7 years since the tragedy of September 11, 2001 took place. We will never forget or never stop praying for the loved ones of the victims on that tragic day!!!

Here is what I wrote a year ago with the same feelings as I have now. And with a husband who is still deployed fighting this fight.



Every generation has that EVENT in thier lives that is always associated with that generation. That question of where were you when...... For my grandparents it was where were you when Pearl Harbor was attacked? For my parents it was where were you when JFK was shot? For my generation, it will be where were you when the first plane hit and the second....




A day that will forever live in our memories. Yesterday marked the 6th anniversary of that horrific day. The day that terrorists attacked our country on our soil. Even though I didn't know anyone that perished that day, it is a day that changed my future forever.





I was working at The Mulberry Bush with my friend Patty when we heard the news. I was sitting there rocking a baby, when Patty came in and told me what had happened. I believe by the time we'd found out, the second plane had just hit the World Trade Center. We sat there in disbelief listening to our radio for any word on how they were doing. Patty and I sat there and prayed immediately for all those that had died and all the children that were now without a mom or dad. The day just progressively got worse, with word that the Pentagon had been attacked and then another plane that crashed in a PA field somewhere. I remember being confused and not completely understanding what was happening. I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea that we were under attack.





I called Bruce at Ft Campbell and asked how he was and what was going on there. He just said everything was nuts, and they were bucklin down Campbell as is if it were it's next target. It was so scary and all I wanted was to see him and hug him. There were huge lines to get on post that day, people were waiting up to 4 or 5 hours to get on post, so I didn't know what I was going to do. Adam was only 3 months old at the time and I knew we couldn't stay in those lines that long. So we ended up spending the night with Patty and Chuck.



I remember just crying for days after it happened, and still to this day it brings tears to my eyes thinking about all the life that was lost. It was so senseless and stupid. Watching the people on TV looking for thier loved ones with pictures posted on the wall to find them. It was just too much to watch, but I couldnt' tear myself away either.




It changed life on post for us for quite awhile as well. We had to stop and get our cars checked for day, and we had to start showing ID which, we'd never had to do. OUr sticker on our care was good enough. Then there were the humvees on every corner with armed soldiers all around them. That was not easy to explain to my then 4 yr old son DJ why they were there. We had to pass them everyday on the way to school. It was just very eery all over post.

I can't believe that it has already been 6 years since that day happened, when you see the images on TV it takes you right back to it all, like it was yesterday. They held a Memorial Service yesterday on post and they had some amazing shots from that day that I wanted to share with you.





No matter your political view or which side of the house you are on, I believe these images are the reason Bruce is where he is. So please continue to pray for him and all the other thousands of troops that are deployed right now. May God Bless you all!!!

Busy Time of Year...

It's that time again. With school starting up and all of the boys' different activities getting back into full swing again. We have most our week nights full of sports, piano lessons and scouting. With soon to come gymnastics and hopefully art classes. I promised DJ he could sign up for soccer since football fell through this year, those practices start next weeek, with games on the following 6 or 8 Saturdays I think. When I signed him up, Jack wanted to play too so now we have 2 games on Saturday and 2 practices, of course different nights. DJ is scouting on Monday, Jack's is on Tuesdays, which I'm the leader of this year. Go Tiger Cubs!!! Can you see me as a Cub Scout leader? Should be loads of fun I tell you!!! Then on Wed DJ and Jack both have piano lessons. Adam will hopefully be starting gymnastics soon, I have to talk to the teacher about a good time, she only had one time slot on Sat. in the middle of the day, and that just didn't work for us. Also, I was excited to find out she is also going to offer art classes. Which will be awesome, Adam's been wanting them forever. We just haven't been able to find anyplace that offered them. So I'm hoping that works out for him and then I am done!!! that will surely fill my entire week with activities. That does't even include my two bible studies I'm doing during the day while the boys are at school!!! Yes it's getting to a busy time again.
Which will make time fly and Bruce will be home before we know it!!!

Have a great day my blog reading friends~~~

Pics as Promised

So I finally downloaded pics and without further ado, here are the boys on their first day of school!!!

New School Year

So all three boys started school yesterday. Woohoo!!! We made it through the summer with no major issues. :) None of them were very excited to go to school, but they didn't have a choice. Mommy had a breakfast date with friends to celebrate the first day back, no chance of me missing that for sure!!! :) I still need to download the photos of them then will post them on here. Having pc issues with my new printer and downloading. Go figure!!! :) Anywhoo, DJ is riding the bus again and still in the same school as last year along with the same teacher. She looped over to the next year, which was great because DJ really likes her and so do I. Adam and Jack are walkers still, which translates into me driving them because if we actually walked we'd have to leave an hour and a half before school started since I have the slowest kids in the world. Adam seems to like his new teacher, she's an older teacher but seems very nice and appreciated Adam using his manners all day long. So doesn't seem to be any problems there, though he never has teacher issues, he's a great kid. Jack got Adam's 1st grade teacher from last year that we adored. She is young and just had her first baby in April and we didn't think she was coming back, so that was a pleasant surprise and she is really nice. Jack is already smitten with her. I wonder what they are expecting when the get a younger sibling of a previous student. Because let's face it, Adam and Jack are completly different. They are both good, and are no trouble at school. But Adam is much more subdued and quiet than Jack, so it's always fun to see what they think of it. :)

After dropping them off it was my turn for fun. I met a friend at Cracker Barrell for breakfast and while I was waiting ran into a friend from PWOC who was dancing in the store celebrating school starting too. So we all decided to sit together to celebrate, it was so much fun!!!

Part of me was sad to leave them, but the other part was like woohoo!!! I feel like the fact that they go in there without any issues and are well behaved and they thrive in school is some reflection on how Bruce and I are raising them. So proudly and a little selfabsorbed maybe I'm giving myself and Bruce little pats on the back for raising such great boys!!! They all have thier moments, what kids don't, but for the most part they are great kids and I love them and I'm so proud of them!!!

I'm Excited...

I'm getting super excited about this election. I'm loving McCain's VP pic. I wasn't real sure at first since I had never even heard of Sarah Palin. But the more I hear about her and what she's done in Alaska the more I'm impressed with her. She seems to be a great mom and just a great person in general. I'd love to sit down and just have a chat with her, she seems like she is really down to earth and cares what she can do for this country along with John McCain. It's going to be an interesting few months for sure!!!!

Let's Get Real

OK, why is it people can't just say what they mean? Grow a pair and move on. Why can't people just be honest with other people? Life would be so much simpler. Why does everyone have to like everyone else? Newsflash they don't. And those people who don't like everyone aren't bad people just because they don't like you or care to be around you. Try looking in the mirror sometime and seeing what the problem is, because it's looking you right in the face.

Newsflash, I'm having a bad month. So the fact that I'm venting on my blog and writing what I feel doesn't make me a bad person. Like I said in a previous post I'm not always Miss Sunshine and never have a bad day.

Today was one of those rough days. Bruce left one year ago today. Part of me can't believe it's been a year and part of me is like it seems like longer. I look back on the past year and at the ups and downs there were and say hey, I survived it. We (my boys and I) we survived it. Even though we still have a few months left we are on the downslide. There is an end in sight and for that I am thankful.

DJ brought home a paper today that he had to fill out part of and I had to fill out part of. It asked what his Hopes and Dreams are for this year. He wrote that he hoped his Dad didn't get extended in Iraq and that he had a good school year. A lot of the time I think of how deployments effect me or more so my little guys because they are the ones that get emotional and really talk about it. DJ not so much. Occasionally one of his brothers gets him going when they are upset, but for the most part he's pretty strong. And in my mind that is a good thing, he's being strong and courageous. Then I see this statement and I remember he's just a little boy, though he'd disagree at 11 that he's a little boy. But really what other kid, minus all the kids around here of course, have to worry about wether thier Dad is going to be able to come home from Iraq after 15 months or if the President is going to say they need him longer? This is in no way a bash on the Pres, because I'm not even going there. :) DJ should be enjoying the fact that he is starting 6th grade and excited about what this year holds in store for him. But he is worried about wether his Dad will be home when he is supposed to. I just love this kid and his tender heart. I hope he never loses it.

Summer Colds...

They suck....that's all.

Give me a break...

Not 6 months ago the Clintons were telling the country how they couldn't trust Obama to run this country and how he was the wrong person for this job. And now they want everyone to believe that he is the one that is going to save our country from the last 8 years. Give me a flippin' break!!! Enough said!!!

Missing my husband...

I am really missing Bruce tonight. Doesn't help when someone sends me a link to the Soldier Wall, at http://www.soldierwall.com/wall.php I remember going and looking on here when our friend Jay was deployed last year. I was sad for his lovely wife Kristin and thier kids, but it is so different when it's you. I'm missing him tonight and this song that Mark Dakota wrote is so moving. We are on the count down now, and I know time is gonna fly these next few months. I just can't wait, I'm so ready for my husband to be home. Don't get me wrong I love technology and being able to talk on the phone and on email, but it just isn't the same as being face to face to talk. Pray for me please that I can make it these last few months and for strength for Bruce to finish up his tour over and come home safely to us!!!

I miss my best friend.

Kimmarie Tagged Me....

If you are tagged, you must first post the rules:
* Write 7 strange characteristics about yourself. They interest us all!
* Tag 6 other people at the end of your Post.
* Visit everyone that you have tagged and leave a comment on their blog to let them know that they have been tagged.


1) All three of my sons were delivered by C Section
2) I have a tattoo on my left ankle, that surprises most people
3) I don't know how to say "no" to people very often, but I'm working on it
4) I feel guilty a lot, about a lot of things, things I shouldn't feel guilty about
5) I can dance like there is no tomorrow and love it
6) I am way too nice sometimes, and people are shocked when I'm not, I have bad days too
7) I'm super shy until I get to know you and then you can't shut me up

So now I have to tag 6 people, who will the lucky ones be?

Kristin, Krystin, Jolene, Trisha, Beth, Nicole

Love ya girls!!!

End of Summer Survey

End of Summer Survey!
Remember everything you did this summer!

Did u go to the beach? We just got from a beach on a lake

Did u have a summer romance? On the phone and internet, does that count? :)

Did someone tell u they loved you? Everyday

What is your favorite summer moment? Hanging with family in friends the whole summer

Did something awesome and cool happen this summer? My boys and I all turned a Yr. older ?

What is the best movie you saw this summer? What Happens In Vegas, hilarious!!!

Did u read any books this summer? Not much reading this summer, a few Karen Kingsbury

Had any all nighters? I'm too old for all nighters...

Had any sleepovers? We were gone all summer so we sleptover a lot of places


went to any pool parties? yes, and itw as awesome

Went boy/girl watching? uh, NO


Make any new friends? No new friends, but grew closer to some other friends

Was this the summer before college for you? No

Did you watch Camp Rock on Disney Channel? No, but I did listen from the other room a few times...

Did you go anywhere besides the beach? Visted friends and family in VA, GA, and IN and just got back Camp of the Woods, great summer!!!

Did you see The Dark Knight? Nope, and don't plan on it either

Did you kiss someone this summer? Only my three little men to be...

Any hearts broken? DJs when he found out he didn't weigh enough to play football, broke his Mom's heart too

Do you wish you could change anything? I'd have Bruce home to enjoy it all with us

Are you ready for the school year? Oh yeah, definately, escpecially when the kids are fighting...

Do you think this summer was better then last years? No, because Bruce was home last year

In one word describe this summer? Traveling


OK, I'm tagging my blogging friends out there, if I have a link on my blog to yours you are tagged!!! :) Not naming names as you know who you are!!!

Going on vacation again....

I know, I know, I just got home. But we are off again for another adventure tomorrow. :) Tomorrow we are headed to Camp of the Woods.

http://www.camp-of-the-woods.org/About/COTW-About.shtml

It's a Christian camp with all sorts of fun things to do. Think Dirty Dancing except it's run by Christians and there is no Dirty Dancing. :) We have a room right on the lake and we get to go white water rafting, canoeing, hiking, zip line. It should be loads of fun, and great photo ops I'm sure. Just wanted to let everyone know where we were headed so you weren't wondering why I wasn't posting for awhile. :)

Especially about our Awesome American Athletes over in China right now who are kicking serious butt in the medals race. GO USA!!! :)

Was great seeing USA take Gold and Silver in the woman's all around last night, another night of staying up too late watching all that stuff!!! :)

GO TEAM USA!!!

I will see you all back in a week!!!

Later gaters!!!

Stay out of trouble while I'm away!!! and if you don't make sure you post about it on your blog so I can read all about it!!

XOXOXO

We Live In Hope...

One sunny day in 2008, an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Ave., where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Obama." The Marine replied, "Sir, Mr. Obama is not the President and doesn't reside here" The old man said, "Okay," and walked away. The following day the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Obama." The Marine replied, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Obama is not the President and doesn't reside here" The old man thanked him and walked away. The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Obama" The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr.Obama. I've told you already several times that Mr. Obama is not the President and doesn't reside here. Don't you understand?" The old man answered, "Oh, I understand you fine, I just love hearing your answer!" The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said see you tomorrow Sir."

This guy is amazing...

I can't even imagine being so young and yet accomplishing so much as Michael Phelps. This guy has done it again, winning gold medals number 10 and 11 yesterday. Makes your proud to be an American doesn't it?




I tried not to stay awake last night and watch the girls gymnastics. It was on so darn late. I DVRd it to watch this morning, but as soon as I started watching I couldn't stop. I cringed everytime one of the girls messed up and cheered everytime they stuck a landing or did a cool move. Which to me is pretty much everything they do. How they jump on that balance beam w/o falling off, most of the time, is amazing. I know they went there for gold, they all did, but silver isn't so bad!!! So kudos to all those young ladies who did a great job!!!

A Fun Layout

Here is a layout my friend Patti did for me. I gave her this pic of Jack from down in GA to scrap. I knew she would do it justice. We were all playing poker and he had my sunglasses on like he was a player. He is such a nut and Patti did such a great job with it. I just had to share it with ya'll~!!! Thanks Patti!!!

The Olympics

So we have been watching the Olympics every night staying up way too late. I hate that all the sports we want to watch aren't on until 10 or later. I guess I should start DVRing it all so I can watch it the next day. I'm so tired the next day that I've been falling asleep and taking naps.



Two nights ago we stayed up and watched the American win the relay race and I was screaming so loud I woke up Jack who had fallen asleep. I was so excited to see them win and see how excited the four of them were. I loved the looks on all of thier faces and how proud they were. Then when they do the medal ceremony and hearing our national anthem, it always chokes me up. I'm so proud to be an American and I'm so proud of these athletes that are over there, I feel like I'm there when I hear that song. And my heart just flows with joy and pride for each of these young men and women representing our country.

So last night we were watching the men's gymnastics, well Adam and I were anyways. Adam asked me who I was rooting for. He thought maybe I was rooting for the Chinese since they were so impressive. I told him of course not we are rooting for our own country Adam. So we had to have this whole discussion about pride for your country and patriotism which I'm not really sure my 7 year old understood. Everytime one of the guys messed up on one of the aparatus' I just cringed and felt so bad for them. I feel like it's me out there and my heart just goes out to them. I was so excited when they were leading, then got so nervous as they started slipping. But they never gave up and the kept going and going up the very last routine and they still medaled. The underdogs that they didn't think would medal at all and the earned the bronze. So kudos to the men's gymnastics team!!!

Then of course there is the much talked about Michael Phelps. I kind of felt sorry for the "Fab Four" from the relay race, as all the buzz was about Phelps. He tied the record last night with the most gold medals of any olympian, very cool. We will definately be watching him go for the record of 10 and 11 tonight.

So just a proud American here posting about her fellow Americans who are doing our country proud!!!

OK OK I owe you an update!!!

So, I've been getting in trouble left and right for not posting an update to my blog. :) So here goes. Life isn't really all that exciting though. So I'm giving your fare warning, you may want to stop reading now. :)

The boys and I headed out of Indy Tuesday morning and drove the entire day until we got to New York around 7 pm. The thought of stopping at a hotel and getting out and getting the boys out and the dog, don't forget the dog, was overwhelming. So we trucked through and made it in one day. It wasn't all that bad. The first three hours were not much fun. It was pouring down rain so bad that I considered turning around about 30 minutes into my trip to go back to Mom and Dad's. I'm sure my knuckles were white for the three hours we drove in that mess. It was really bad, the worse I've driven in ever I think. It was barely visible in front of us. But at last it lightened up and the sun started to shine for us. It still rained off and on all the way, but nothing like the beginning of the trip.

We haven't done anything exciting since we got home though. We've pretty much layed around and been rather lazy, in fact our clothes are still packed in our suitcases. but that is ok, because they are clean as I washed them all before we left Indy. I actually left the house today to get groceries for the boys, they were dying for some milk, poor guys. :)

We are actually having some friends come in tomorrow to visit that we haven't seen in a little while. So that should be fun, she is bringing her little boy to spend the night so he can hang out with my boys. So we have been trying to clean today so the house isn't a total disaster when they visit.

I'm hoping to scrap this weekend although my room is a mess. I just sort of dumped everything when we got home from Indiana. I need to unpack as I got all sorts of new goodies from shopping and our annual crop that my Secret Sistah totally spoiled me with. Thanks Kelli!!! I'm still trying to flatten those papers you gave me. I will try and see if I can post a pic. :)



We had a lot of fun visiting family and friends this summer. So thanks to everyone who let us stay at their homes for numerous days and put up with all of us, including Blue!!! :) (Special thanks to Chuck for that) :) I have all my other pics on discs and those are still packed up so I will have to post more pics from our summer late on.

So that is what we have been up to since we got home. Boring huh? Can't say I didn't warn you!!!

Greetings from Indiana

Yes, we are still in Indiana. Can you believe it? No one has killed each other yet, and I don't think we are getting on each other's nerves, too much anyways. :)

We've been having a lot of fun just hanging out. Mom and I have been doing a bit of shopping and scrapbooking. While the boys are either playing outside, playing the Wii or just having a ball with thier cousins. DJ has spent the last 2 nights there actually. Tonight we are spending the night with Aunt Nicole and going to see the free movie tomorrow morning. Will probably pick up the girls to hang out with us.

Since my last post Mom and I took an adventure along with her long time friend Cathy. We drove down to a B&B in Kentucky for a scrapbooking weekend with some of our SBO Sistahs!!! We had so much fun visiting with everyone and getting great new ideas to scrap with. Thanks to Celeste, we all made a bunch of cards to send to Bruce to pass out to his guys to use while they are over there. I think there ended up being about 40 cards or so. I also managed to get a few layouts done too, I need to take pics so I can post them in my gallery at SBO. It's always a good time when we get together. I'm sure we get a lot more giggling and laughing done than actually scrapbooking, but hey it's totally worth it.

While we were away Dad and Dan took care of the boys for me. So sweet of them. Dan actually took Adam and DJ out to the girls house to take care of thier horses while they were away for the weekend. Adam loved getting up early and helping Dan get the horses out and take care of cleaning up the stalls and feeding them. He can't quit talking about it actually. DJ got to do the not so fun job of cleaning up after the horses, he hasn't said too much about it since. :) Jack had a great time with Dad it seems. He loved having papaw all to himself. They ate out all weekend, and went to play Putt Putt and went to church together, where Jack as always, made quite an impression. As he does everywhere he goes. :) After church they drove out to the cemetary so they could visit Uncle Jack's grave, which little Jack had requested to do. Dad said he was a bit emotional, but they prayed over his grave and then went on to visit other family members, like my grandmother who passed away before I was born.

All in all it was a great weekend had by all!!!

Since getting home from there we've just been staying close to home, other than our shopping trips, and our visits to Mexico for margarita night of course. :) This past weekend we did go to my Mom's family reunion. I know she had a great time visiting her aunts and cousins, but the more we go it seems the less people we know. Mom made the comment if all of us hadn't gone, which was 10 there wouldn't have been too many people there this year. It gets smaller and smaller that's for sure. It was nice seeing the aunts and uncles I do know, and got to visit with. We did miss seeing our cousins Little John and Jess though!!! Maybe next time!!! :)

Last night we went to Mexico for the Mariachi band, I took Adam and Jack and they really enjoyed it. It was a bit loud though, so funny. Jack asked if they knew any Elvis songs, sadly they did not.

I haven't downloaded my photos the past few weeks, but I will and then I will post some photos from the summer.

Take care and I will see all my NYer friends soon!!!

July 16,2002

That is a date I will never forget. It's the day that we went from being a family of 4 to a family of 5 with the birth of our little man Jack. When I first found out I was pregnant just 4 short months after giving birth to our second son Adam, I was not real excited about the impending arrival of this new little person in our home. Six years later and many many many laughs I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. He has brought so much joy into everyone's life that knows him. You can't spend five minutes with this kid without smiling or laughing. God must have known our family of 4 wasn't quite complete. Here is a pic of Jack, that is just so Jack.



This particular date holds another special place in my heart. As I was going in that morning for my scheduled C-section. My dear friend Dorothy was going into the hospital as well, for a kidney transplant. Dorothy was my boss at The Mulberry Bush, a daycare I worked at in Clarksville. You couldn't ask for a better boss than "D" as we so fondly refer to her. :) Not only was she my boss, she was a wonderful friend who I still call my friend to this day!!! "D" had problems with her kidneys for a long time and they were getting to where they weren't functioning that well at all. Her amazing husband Gregg was her living donor. That is one loving husband!!! We used to joke all the time about "D" and her kidney transplant, and no one had a better sense of humor about it than she did. Her and I would joke about it all the time. To the point that some of the other employees didn't think it was a laughing matter. But that is typical Dorothy style to laugh it off. I love that about her. My favorite memory of her is at my last Christmas Party right before I left Ft Campbell and we were all opening up our gift exchange presents and I was Dorothy's secret santa. She was so suprised to find out that I'd had her. We had to give gifts the whole week before and some of the gifts I gave her was a can of kidney beans, a pill box (for all her pills she has to take for the rest of her life) and some other gifts that were funny and light. Dorothy got the biggest kick out of all those gifts and thought it was the funniest thing. For her final gift I'd given her a scrapbook with a poem that I had written to her and I can't remember everything I wrote in it but I know the final lines on it were something like this...

" July 16th was so wacky and wild, you got a new kidney, I got a new child"

The look on her face was priceless. She was crying and I was crying. I literally left from that party and drove out of town for our next duty station, so I was a mess. But before I left, Dorothy, Patty and a few other girls stood up and sang me "That's What Friends are For" I will never forget as long as I live how sad I was to leave Clarksville TN. I know that people there loved me and they knew how much I loved them. It was our very first duty station in the Army and one I will never forget. That is because of the amazing people I met there like Dorothy!!!

I love you Dorothy, even though we don't see each other very often and don't talk all the time!!! You will forever be in my heart and every year when we celebrate Jack's birthday I will always be thinking of you too my friend!!!

Happy Birthday Jack!!!

Happy Birthday to Dorothy/Gregg's Kidney!!!! :)

After a loooong drive....

I finally made it down to Patty and Chuck's new house down in Virginia. Was worried I'd never make it. We got a really late start on Friday and then on the way out of town a friend noticed a nail in my tire. Great!!! So after stopping by Goodyear on the way out of town to have that taken care of, we finally got on the road at almost 7 that night. I had every intention of driving as far as possible to make the rest of the drive on Saturday a little more bearable. I drove until around 11:30 and stopped at a not so nice Lodge, but was cheap and took pets... I called Patty and gave her the 411 on our location in case the boys and I were never heard from again. :) After getting a good nights sleep we got back up and headed out around 6:30. Uneventful drive yesterday thank goodness. It was beautiful out.

Got to Patty's around 4 and was pretty beat from being in the car for so long. Got the 15 cent tour of her house. It's gorgeous, and I love all of her color choices. We hung out for a bit and then took the kids swimming at her old apt complex, they had so much fun. Patty and I were talking about how awesome it is that we haven't seen each other for exactly a year and the kids just pick up like they saw each other last week. We always hope these kiddos have this connection with one another. We've decided it helps since thier Moms do too.

We are hoping to take the kids to a water park today, they are going to be so excited. Will try and get some pics to post on here before I take off. We are all so excited to be here finally.

I love that no matter how far away we move that I know we will always have lifelong friend with the Bartlett's.

Will post more on our adventures later!!!

Late nights....and cell phones!!!

I hate nights like this. It's almost 1:30 in the morning and I should easily be passed out in bed. But here I sit surfing the web wide awake. It's been a long time since I couldn't sleep. Maybe it's the new meds the doc put me on for this allergic reaction thing or maybe it's just me. The boys were having a rough night going to bed tonight and Jack comes out crying how much he misses Daddy and asks if we can call him. Bruce got a cell phone not too long ago and we can now call him when we want. Except that Jack came out at 9:30 which is 4:30 the next morning for Bruce. I kind of gave Bruce a hard time about getting the cell phone actually. But now it seems so worth it. It was so nice to be able to pick up a phone and be able to call him and let the boys hear his voice when they needed to. Even though the boys were still upset when they got off the phone they were able to get to sleep. Bruce was a trooper even though we woke him up. He's such a good daddy!! I thought it would be easy for me to lay down and go to sleep too, but I guess not. Thank goodness for our modern day convienences though, I can't imagine going through this deployment without emails and phone calls.

So does anyone have any good websites for to check out? :)

Father's Day!!!

Yesterday was Father's Day and it was a hard day. Not only do I not get to see my Dad on that special day this year, but my boys didn't get to spend it with thier Daddy either. Add to that it was Bruce's first Father's Day he couldn't pick up the phone to wish his dad a Happy Father's day and to be so far away from all of us who love him so much. It was a rough day on him I'm sure, not that he would ever let us hear it in his voice. We did get to talk to him twice yesterday which was nice and he sounded in good spirits. We had a great service at church yesterday, totally dedicated to our Dad's. It was very emotional for me and for a lot of people there. DJ had a rough time for a little bit but he got through it. Adam and Jack did just fine, which I'm happy for that and sort of sad. It's totally true the old saying "Out of sight out of mind" I'm not saying we don't think about Bruce all the time and we don't miss him everyday, because there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him or mention him to the boys. But I think for the boys it is just a coping mechanism. It really hit me though when Adam, who believe it or not is the one that has the least emotion when it comes to talking about Daddy brought home his gift from school to send to Bruce. It was a poem that he wrote and in it he says his favorite thing about his Dad is that he only has to be in the Army for 5 more years and then he gets to stay home with him. It broke my heart and made me realize that he is effected a lot by Bruce being gone even if he doesn't show it. I just wanted to wish all the Dad's in my life a very Happy Father's Day and I love you all.

Here is a pic of Bruce that he sent me of him and some local children at a opening ceremony of a youth center for them:

Rough times for 1st BDE

It's only the 9th of June and 1st BDE has already lost 5 soldiers. My heart goes out to all these families and to everyone these losses touch. Which is pretty much everyone I know. When you hear about a death your first instinct is to think of your loved one that is over there. Wether it's your husband, your son, your brother or sister. I know it sounds funny to say I feel lucky. I feel lucky because for the most part my husband stays behind a desk out of harms way 99% of the time. For some of my other friends, thier husbands are in infantry units which is obviously more dangerous. My heart aches for them and what they must be feeling. My good friend's husband is a chaplain and has had to deal with so many deaths since he's been there and though I don't know him really I think of him often and pray for him. For the things he's seen and heard, and what he must be going through as he does memorial ceremonies for these young men and women. I see how it effects his wife and I worry about her, how much she can take. Not only does she have to deal with her husband's safety but worries about his mindset with everything he goes through. She is so strong through it all and I really admire her for that. I know that she couldn't do it without Christ to cling to during this. That's how we all make it through each day. We put our husband's in His hands to protect them and keep them safe. Not only thier bodies but thier minds and thier spirit as well. I know for me personally it makes it easier for me to get up everyday and focus on what I have to do back home, while he is over there.

So to all my fellow Army wives I'm so proud of you all and I love you guys and pray for you and your husband's everyday. HOOAH!!! :)

Saying Goodbye...

Last night I went to a going away party for a friend who is moving to a new Army post, aka PCSing in the Army world. We had a great time sitting around eating dinner and just talking. Someone made a video with pics of our time together with beautiful music. It was just a great time of fellowship. It got me to thinking though of all the friends I've made along the way in this Army journey I somehow signed up for when my husband signed on the dotted line. I've made amazing friends at every post we've been stationed at. This is our 5th duty station since Bruce and I got married.

It's never easy to move to a new place and have to meet new friends. But there is a women's ministry at each of these posts I've been at called PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) a women's bible study group. I found this group on our 3rd duty station in Maryland. It has truly been a life save for me. You go to this group and it's like you have built in friendships just waiting for you to show up. Obviously you don't always click with everyone, but it's just been so great at how wonderful this group of ladies are.

The ladies at Ft Drum are no different. I've been here for three years and I've made some really great friends, that I know I will be friends with for life. I've been so blessed to have made friends like this at each duty station. To all those friends you know who you are, I love you guys and you all hold a special place in my heart!!!

So to the Voyles family who are leaving tomorrow to thier next chapter in the Army world good luck and know that your family will be missed!!!

The Garden

So I DO NOT have a green thumb. I can't keep plants alive for anything. It's a miracle all three boys are still breathing. :) Just kidding!!! So I had sort of decided not to really do anything with the garden this year, since Mr. Green Thumb himself wasn't going to be here. Well since plans changed so did the garden idea. :)




Bruce spent a lot of time while he was home and the boys were at school working on the garden and the yard. He and the boys planted a garden on the side of the house growing, carrots, radishes and of all things corn. Three of the boys faves. :) Then he took out all the rocks we had before and put in timbers that look really good. He then planted beautiful flowers and he put the bigger rocks in the middle and painted some things around the porch. Then we got a lovely garden statue from Mom & Dad and Jon & Lori, that looks great in there.

So after much hard work this is our garden after Bruce finished it:

Adam turns 7!!!! Where has the time gone?

So my middle son Adam had a birthday this past Sunday, June 1st. He is now a 7 year old, YEAH!!! We sort of ended up celebrating his birthday a few times actually. We had a surprise party for all the three boys the night before Bruce left to go back to Iraq. We figured it was pretty close to all three of theirs and Daddy was home so why not right? :) Here are a few pics from that night:








Then we went home to Indiana and had a celebration with my family. The cousins and uncles and aunt!!! We had so much fun!!! It's always nice being with family on our special days!!! Here are a few pics from that celebration:





Then for his actual birthday, we got up Sunday morning and went to church and came out and it was sprinkling outside. But I said what the hey, let's drive down to Syracuse and hopefully the weather will clear up and we can go to the zoo down there. The one in Watertown is a poor excuse for a zoo. So the further we drove sout the better the weather got. It was a perfect day to go to the zoo. It wasn't busy, it a was a bit cloudy, but still warm. But not so hot you were miserable and the animals were out. So it was a great day and Adam said the cutest thing. We were walking up to the elephants I think and he said " Mommy I just want to thank God for making animals, because if He hadn't made animals there wouldn't be animals for me to love" Is he sweet or what? He got super excited when I told him the Adam in the bible is the one that got to name all the animals, he thought that was really cool. Just goes to show you we picked the perfect name for this kid!!!







Happy Birthday Adam, I love you Sunshine!!!!

Slide Show

Here are a few pics of our month:

Where did May go?

I can't believe I didn't post a single thing in May. It was a busy busy month for us. As some of you know, Bruce's dad passed away unexpectedly the beginning of May and he flew in from Iraq to attend the funeral. Thank you to everyone who sent cards and prayers and good thoughts.

With the heartache of why Bruce had to come home, we did get to spend a few more weeks with him that we weren't expecting. So that was a blessing in disguise. He came home in January for his R&R so we weren't expecting to see him again until Christmas time. It was good for all of use to see him again. I think the boys were starting to get missing daddy crazy, so he came home at a good time.

Bruce and I went to Maine for the funeral for a few days and my dear friend Rachel watched the boys for me. She is such a dear. Then we came home and spent the rest of his 2 weeks leave just hanging out with the boys. We took the boys fishing, to the park, we went out to eat, and we played games. It was so nice to be in a normal family setting again. That is what I miss the most when he is gone, our family time together.

Jack got to do the Drake tradition and got his first shooting lesson with Daddy. Bruce made sue he took each one of them and spent one on one time with them. It was so nice for all of them.

After seeing how rough it was in January when Bruce left and how awful the boys were I thought we needed a change of scenery, as my friend Leslie called it, and I decided at the last minute to go home to Indiana for the long Memorial Day weekend. We actually stayed a few extra days to boot. It was the best decision. The boys had so much fun hanging out with grandma and papaw and thier cousins. And Uncle Jon and Aunt Lori too. Uncle Dan took them to a movie and played football with them and we all played the Wii together. That was fun and made my arms sore the next day.

We took 2 days to drive home and we decided to stop at Niagra Falls to stay the night. DJ had been to the falls a few times and I've never been and neither had the little ones, so we went. We just went to the American side, since we didn't have our birth certificates with us. It was a lot of fun and it was really pretty there. We really want to go back sometime and go to the Canadian side.

I just wanted to give everyone and update with what is going on with us. May was a crazy month for us for sure. The rest of the summer is looking like a lot of the same business. But that is alright with us, if ever there was a time we wanted time to fly it would be NOW!!!

TO all reading thanks for not giving up on me and I will try to be better about updating what is going on here!!!

Have a great week!!!

Thank You

A big thank you shout out to two of my friends who have been so sweet to me today. Just coming over and hanging out, when I've had such a bad day, a bad week. Thanks for coming over and helping me out and just hanging out with me. :) Love you girls!!!

I'm Still Here.....Don't Lose Hope....Keep Visiting Often...

I know I have been so bad about keeping up with my blog lately. Sorry to all my friends who actually read it to get updates on our lives. I’m so bad about calling people back lately, or emailing. So if that is one of you my dear friends my deepest apologies to you.

I guess the main reason no new what nots is there isn’t much to tell. Life has been relatively boring lately. Which really is a blessing right?

Bruce is doing really well. I just talked to him today and he sounded in good spirits. He got good news that he is moving from the BN at the end of the month to Brigade to be the new Public Affairs Officer. Which will be great for him since that is his new MOS now. He is really excited to get the opportunity to do this. It is the job he had when he was in the Marine Corps and he loved it, so I’m really excited for him. It’s not often he sounds like he’s in a good mood when he calls so that was nice. The boys all got to chat for a few minutes with him and tell him about their report cards, that was good. Sometimes he can only get a chance to call while they are at school.

The boys and I went to PA last weekend to scrapbook with some of my friends from SBO. Special thanks to Kelli and her Mom for letting us invade their home. We had a great time. The weather was beautiful the whole time, so the kids could actually play outside, which was nice. It was a wee bit warmer there and no snow, as Adam kept pointing out.

The boys got their report cards this week. They all did really well. DJ got straight A’s again, first time in 5th grade. He’d always gotten straight A’s up until this year. He did well before, but it’s nice to see him working up to his full potential that I know he can do. Adam got all great checks where he was supposed to and is doing really well in his reading and his writing. He is very imaginative in his writing and loves to draw pictures with his stories. Future writer maybe? Then there is Jack, who also got great marks everywhere he is supposed to as well. He is actually a year ahead in his reading and his sight words. He knows a lot of Adam’s words from this year, will work with him over the summer probably. My favorite thing on Jack’s report card was in the comment section where Mrs. Oliver wrote, “Jack always walks in each morning with a smile, and always makes me laugh.” Is that our Jack or what?

I took the boys to the dentist this week and two of them walked out in the cavity free club and one did not. Even though when Jack walked out he proudly proclaimed “No Cavities” today Mommy!!! All the while the nurse behind him is shaking her head at me. It appears that he was confused when she told him he didn’t have to have anything done today with them. He has lost a few of his fillings that he’d received before. The hygienist said he is a handful isn’t he? I was like oh yeah. It’s so funny that everyone has that first impression of him. She had a hard time cleaning his teeth because he wouldn’t quit talking to her and asking a million questions. Yep that’s Jack alright. He gets that from Bruce obviously right?

It looks like we are going to be heading to Indiana next weekend to stay with my parents for a week while we are on spring break. Unfortunately it didn’t work out to go to TN to visit Patty and Co. Hopefully they will be able to come up and visit with us while I’m home.

Had fun scrapping with a few of my friends today, though I didn’t get anything done. It’s always nice to sit around and just chat and hang with good friends.

Well I guess that is about it for now. I hope to get some pics off my camera and loaded on here in a few days.

Bruce is the best Dad ever

The boys got a package in the mail today from Bruce. He sent them some new movies and letters and two special friends. He sent us two little stuffed puppies, Spike and Tracker. Along with the pups he sent a CD that we put in the computer and it's a book that he wrote for the boys about the two pups along with his voice reading the book to them. It's so cute, and the boys loved it. Here are the different pictures in the book that he used:




Welcome to the Story of Spike and his day in Iraq. Here is Spike’s house in Iraq. It is small and made of metal with two windows and a door.




This is the inside of Spike’s room in Iraq. See how his bed is made nice and neat. Spike likes a clean room to live in.




In the morning, after he wakes up, Spike likes to go running with his friend Tracker. Tracker is another dog that Spike works with in Iraq




After Spike runs with Tracker, he goes to work on the computer. Some days, he is on it from morning until night.




After work is over for the day, sometimes Tracker comes over to play games with Spike. They both like to play chess. Sometimes Spike even lets Tracker win!




Some nights, Spike and Tracker play Poker like their friends Marti Drake and her Mommy, Grandma Heck. Spike is going to win this hand.




After the games are over, Spike knows the best thing is for him to get a good night’s sleep so he can work the next day. Soon he’ll be home in New York with his friend Tracker. Until then, it is best to say Good Night for now and may you also have pleasant dreams.

The beginning of my adventure....

So most of you know that I went on a Superbowl Cruise with my parents and my brother Jon and his lovely wife Lori. We had so much fun. But first I have to say a humongous thank you to my dear friend Rachel who watched my little guys so I could take this fabulous vacation. I really missed Bruce a lot while there who couldn't go because of being deployed. But I already signed us up to go next year after he gets home. He's gonna love it and it will be nice to be a couple.

It was a trip that almost didn't happen. I got stuck in Syracse when I was trying to flyout to FL at first due to weather, than to mechanical failure on Delta's part. Something to do with thier deicing equipment on the plane. So Delta was great to me, put me in a taxi with a nice older gentleman and drove us to Rochester and put us up in a nice hotel, and gave up vouchers for dinner, breakfast and lunch. Took us to the airport in the morning to flyout, only to find out my flight was delayed. OY!!! But at last I got to New York Kennedy just in time to catch a flight to FT. Lauderdale. I landed at about 2:20 and had to be on the ship by 3:00. Luckily the airport is close to the docks, and I made it. And my lovedly family and friends that I met up with, FINALLY, had drinks waiting for me!!! gotta love that :)

This is the Navigator of the Seas, the ship we were on:






So the cruise was amazing, I'm so glad I went. I had so much fun. I was a little seasick the first night at dinner because our table was right by the window so we watched the water go by. Makes me dizzy now just thinking about it. But other than that I did pretty well with it.

Of course we sailed the rest of Saturday and just hung out by the rails upstairs and watched the land disappear. Lori and I did a little Electric Slide with the dancers on the pool deck. So much fun. Then of course Judy got a piece of a$$ from the dancer guy on board.!!!



Then Sunday was the SuperBowl of course. :) We had so much fun hanging out in one of the lounges watching the game. I thought for sure my brother was going to get into a fight with all the Patriot fans around us, he was being a wee bit obnoxious. :) Lori of course had gameday goodies for everyone. I ended up with a football necklace!!! I wore it proudly, as I rooted for the Giants. Although at halftime, we'd had all we could take of the Pats fans, and Lori, Denice and I headed out to show on board of music from the 70s and 80s, which was awesome. At the end of the show the cruise director came out and was talking and his cell phone went off, and he was like excuse me please.... then said " I thought you all might like to know that the New York Giants are the new Superbowl Champions"




So of course we were screaming and hollering and high fiving each other. Others were cringing. :) I heard we missed a great end to the game though. Oh well, the Giants won and that was the important part. :)

My Jamaician Adventure

Monday we pulled in Jamaicia Mon. :) The weather didn't look very promising, very cloudy. In fact while we were walking down the plank thing we got poured on. It rained for a little while, but a warm rain. Then we found our tour guide, Phil, boy was he a talker. So proud of his country and all the flowers and plants. We learned lots we didn't want to know or could even remember. He was super nice though!!! He drove us into Ocho Rios (Eight Rivers) and we went to the famous Dunn River Falls.



It was scary looking but we all conquered it without anyone getting seriously injured, one guy lost a toenail, but that was pretty much it. We actually climbed up the water falls. I didn't think I'd be able to do it when I saw it.

We all did a great job though. They actually stopped quite a bit, as we waited for those in front of us to go. There were some spots that were scarier than others, and we stepped in a lot of holes, and lots of slippery rocks. Thanks goodness for our water shoes. It was great!! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!!!



After climbing the Falls Phil took us to a nice little off the road type place to eat.

We had real Jamacian food, all kind of different meats, and fried bread, and well it was delicious. And some Jamaician rum, that was really strong.






After we left the Falls, Phil drove us into a not so nice part of Jamaicia and I was a little bit nervous. Especially when he stopped because of people blocking the road. I've seen way too many movies and could just see the guys coming out with machine guns and killing us all or kidnapping the Americans. My imagination ran a little wild. :) But all was good as he took us to another part of Dunn River to go tubing down it. That was a lot of fun too.



I of course was the only one that flipped over in my tube after I ran into a big rock. Luckily I was right by the edge and grapped a tree root to stop, then out of no where this man jumps in and saves, regular day Robin Hood. He helped me get my tube back and got on it, and I contiued down the river where everyone had left me. :) They couldn't help it, the current had taken them away.




So then we got out for a bit, and jumped off a cliff into the water, right where the guy had jumped in to save me. I can't believe that my Dad actually jumped off the ledge too, I was so proud of him, and worried about his back. But he did great, and wasn't sore at all. Here we all are after we jumped in:



We finished up in Jamaicia with a little shopping before we got back on the ship. I bought a few souviniers for the boys and that was about it.