Ms Jacqui Momma

Wordless Wednesday!

2012-01-25T18:11:00.000-05:00

Christmas 2011

2012-01-24T13:10:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe that it has already been a month since Christmas and I still haven't gotten around to blogging about all the fun we had! We spent Christmas here in Alabama with Nana and Cheez and then headed on down to Florida to spend time with lots more family!

The Hairston crew drove in from Maryland and we got to spend time with them doing lots of fun stuff. I love how no matter how long these kids are apart, they always fall right back into being the best of friends...or "brother cousins" as Isaac would say. We had a great time at the Jacksonville Zoo. We got to ride the train, feed sting rays, and ride the merry-go-round. The weather was absolutely perfect and everyone had a great time, I don't even think we had one melt down or tantrum the whole day.

After the zoo, we headed over to Neptune Beach, Florida to dine at the fabulous Mezza Luna Pizza Parlor where the kids got to make their very own pizzas. Uncle Charlie's good friend worked their and showed us a fabulous time...he even picked up the tab which was totally unexpected and very nice! The kids had a blast. The fella helping them was awesome and even showed them how to toss it in the air and catch it. Delainey was a little apprehensive at first but ended up being a pro!

The food was absolutely delicious and the kids loved eating their very own creations. Isaac made a cheese and pepperoni pizza, while Delainey made hers with cheese and mushrooms. I really didn't think she would eat it with the mushrooms on it, but apparently a long day at the zoo makes her want to eat!

We even got to spend some time with Aunt Kerry, who drove out to meet us for dinner. I may or may not have pinched Marcy right after this picture was taken....

After spending time with Kerry and the Hairston crew we went back to Nana's house for a few days for some rest and relaxation. It is insane how busy and crazy the Christmas season can be. It was great to just have a few down days to lay around the house, watch mindnumbing TV (think kid shows!) and feast on Nana's home cooking! After we were good and relaxed, we decided to jump right back into the madness with a family trip to Sea World. It was insane! Apparently, everyone and their mother had the same idea.

We literally raced from one show to the next in order to get a seat. I have never seen Sea World that crowded in all my life. Apparently, the day before New Year's Eve is NOT the day to go! Luckily, we didn't pay to get in (thank you military discount) and we still had a blast despite the large crowds. We even got to meet Elmo, well Delainey and I did anyways...Isaac politely declined!

After Sea World, we headed on over to spend some time with Luke's side of the family for a few days. We spent the night at Uncle Matt's house and enjoyed an awesome breakfast the next morning made by our nephew James. After we said our goodbyes, we headed down to Rockledge to spend the day with Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Bart's family. We had planned to go to the Brevard zoo but it had closed early due to New Year's Eve festivities so we decided to try out a new local restaurant instead. The food was so good. It just happens to be owned by Luke's little league coach, Ernie, so it was really neat going back and getting to visit with him. Plus, did I mention the food was awesome!

After we ~~stuffed ourselves silly~~ I mean ate, we went to the park to run off some calories and let the children play. Sweet little Gabby is almost two and Delainey had a great time mothering her and getting dirty! We had such a great time just hanging out and spending time together.

After we visited with Grandma and Grandpa for a bit, we headed back to Nana's house for the night and so we could spend some time with Uncle Rye and Aunt Jenn. They drove in a few days early just so they could see us! We had a great time in the very short time we were together and unfortunately didnt get any pictures. We then had to say goodbye to our time in Florida and get back to normal life here in Alabama. What a blessing it was to get to see all our family this year. We left Florida with happy hearts and a desire to visit again soon!

Where in the World Is...

2012-01-15T23:07:00.000-05:00

Tegucigalpa, Honduras?

Don't worry, I don't know either. But I will. Soon enough, I will.

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to help others. I love the satisfaction I get, as selfish as that sounds, when I can make someone else's life a little easier, their smile a little brighter or their heart a little happier. I have felt the call on my own heart for several years now to get more involved with missions. I really have felt led to step out in a big way and be the hands and feet of Jesus. And as the Lord would have it, I am finally getting the opportunity to do just that!

A week ago, I was sitting in church praying to the Lord to make this the year I grow in him in a big way. I prayed that in some small way He could help me understand His plans and purposes because in lieu of recent events, I was really started to question my faith and what I believed in. I prayed that he would surround me with strong Christian friends that would lead me in the right direction and guide me when I felt like I was completely lost and without hope. After I prayed, I happened to notice that we were sitting not too far behind the man that runs the missions at our church and I began to think about seriously approaching him and asking him about some of the upcoming mission trips our church would be involved in. I began to pray about it and asked the Lord that if it was His will for me to get involved in this way, that He would make a way. I felt the Lord in that worship service that morning, something that hasn't happened to me since leaving NC and we ended the service with my very favorite hymn, Victory in Jesus. It was a great Sunday morning and I felt at peace in my heart and excitement for whatever lay ahead.

The next morning, after my run, I got an email from my old neighbor in NC Katie. I was excited to hear from her and even more excited to read that she was writing to let me know that her and her husband were going on a medical mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras later this year. I immediately wrote her back, "I want to go!" I figured I would formally write her back later being that I was still sweaty and gross from my run and needed to eat some breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, I get a text message from Katie that reads, "Are you serious? That would be totally awesome...I will ask the leader and see if you can, if you are serious?" It was completely unreal and blew me away that within 24 hours of praying about my faith and how I would step out of "the boat" this year, the good Lord literally dropped this into my lap as a gift! Not only do I get to go on a mission trip, something I have wanted to do since high school...I get to go on it with the church I adore and two of my favorite people and best neighbors ever, Katie and Jason. I cannot even begin to describe what this has done for my heart. I am so excited about this upcoming trip that if they asked me to leave tomorrow, I would.

Thirty minutes later, I get another email, this time from the man coordinating the trip, stating that they would love to have me accompany them. I was blown away. I immediately began to pray and thank the Lord for blessing me! I immediately called my mother to see if she would be willing to watch the kids for me during the 10 days I will be gone and she said, no problem! Yahoo! Two days ago, I mailed out my signed forms and my check to reserve my spot. The Lord and His ways are truly...

Amazing.

So without further ado, I am pleased to announce that this summer, from July 28th to August 4th, I will be serving alongside my friends from Liberty Church in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and becoming the hands and feet of the Lord! I am overjoyed and truly excited about this trip and the opportunity for me to grow in my faith as well as reach out to others while sharing my faith. God is Good!

Psalm 89:1
1 I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

SURPRISE!

2012-01-05T20:05:00.068-05:00

Today, we celebrated Luke's 34th birthday. Isaac really wanted to give him a surprise party so we tried our best to pull it off without Luke finding out. Which is totally impossible with a 3 year old girl who spills everything to her daddy the night before..."Daddy, we got you a big box (stand up tool box) and a book (a fancy new leather bible) and there is going to be a big party, for you daddy!" Luckily, Luke played along in good fun and didn't let on to Isaac that he knew anything!

Luke has been wanting a large, stand up tool box for years but they are so expensive and his birthday is so close to Christmas that it just never works out. This year though, I figured we might as well go for it since we have tools all over the garage and the tool box would be a great way to get everything organized and off the floor. Plus, his reaction was totally worth the jaw dropping price tag...even if we will be eating Ramen noodles for the next 3 months!

I know it sounds cheesy but this party was one of those memories I always want to hold near and dear to my heart. The kids were so excited to plan a party for Daddy. Delainey choose Phineas and Ferb napkins and blue plates...she said those were Daddy's favorite. We hunted for just the right ice cream cake, cookies and cream, also one of Luke's favorites. We blew up balloons and hung up a banner, all things Luke could careless about but that the kids thought were important for his party. Isaac made sure we had party poppers to use for when Daddy walked in the room to add to the element of surprise. Luke smiled the entire time so I think our party was a huge success!

Happy Birthday Luke, we love you so much and are so thankful to have you in our lives!

Jingle Bell Rockin!

2011-12-17T16:01:00.000-05:00

Delainey Doodle had her Christmas recital this week. She was so excited and looked so adorable in the cute little Christmas tree leotard I made for her, thank you Pinterest! I guess I should have tried it on her before we got to the recital since it was a little big around her leg area and her panties kept hanging out. To make matters worse, she refused to take off her socks and instead pulled them up as high as they would go! She is definitely my child.

Here is her class all ready to dance! The Christmas recital is really informal, they save the big recital for the spring. These ladies are all three and four and just started taking ballet in August. They all did such a great job and were such a joy to watch!

Unfortunately, our sweet dance teacher, Mrs Kate, is moving early next year to Germany so this was our last performance with her. We wish her the very best on her new adventures but we are going to miss her so much. She is such an amazing lady that has the patience of a Saint and is never without a smile and a kind word!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

2011-12-01T18:54:00.002-05:00

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving this year down in Florida with Luke's family. We had such an amazing time hanging out with family and spending time with all of the cousins. My kids have the best cousins! It never seems to matter how long in between visits, when they are together, its like they see each other all the time! Delainey was super excited to see her "friend" Madison and finally have some girls to hang with while down in Florida...thank you Uncle Bart!

Isaac got to spend the night with his cousins and Delainey got to have several slumbers with Madison in the most girly, pink princess room she had ever seen. I seriously thought her head might explode...the girl has a five story Barbie mansion! Delainey was in heaven!

Even Isaac found something fun to do in a house full of girls!

We also got to check out the Orlando Science Center with our boy cousins. What a neat place. We even got tickets to an IMAX movie but I didn't get to see it because SOMEOnE had to pee as soon as we sat down, even though she swore she didn't have to go before we got into the theater! It worked out OK though, because we got to wander through the interactive play area which was probably a better idea for her than a movie about underwater sea creatures. We even got to try out a wind tunnel...I think there was about six of us in here...can you see Delainey all the way on the bottom!

A big huge thanks to Jannacy and Matt for putting on such an amazing spread for Thanksgiving at the last minute. Everything was delicious and I loved that there was chocolate cake! Thanks to Bart and Jackie for allowing us to take over your home. We had a blast getting to know your girls! And a big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa McDowell for being flexible with us and changing their plans so we could all be together for the holiday!

PLUS, the biggest and best part...just a few short days later, Matt and Jannacy found out that after three boys, they are with out a doubt...expecting a baby girl! Yay! so excited for them all! God is good!

What doesn't Kill Us...

2011-11-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning I ran my first ever ~~Fool~~ Full Marathon. It was intense, amazing, spiritual, brutal, hip popping, blister inducing, mind altering and a great way to learn what I am really made of. I will admit, the first 18 miles were the amazing ones...after that, the "f" word remained on the tip of my tongue and I wanted nothing more then to sit down and cry. At first, I prayed and asked God to help me find the strength to finish, then I started begging and pleading with God to just hit me with a bus. When that failed, I started begging for a park bench to magically appear out of thin air as my sign to just sit down and wait for a ride. Yeah, that never happened either! I have read in my Runners magazines that there is a certain point on longer runs where your body basically just can't go on anymore and they call it "hitting the wall." I can honestly say, I ~~ran~~ limped head on into that wall at mile 18. My body went from hot to cold to hot to cold, I was tingling all over. My left leg would periodically just buckle and collapse when I put any weight on it. I remember thinking I would rather do 26.2 hours of natural childbirth then run this far EVER again!

I will be honest and say, I really thought I would have done better. After about mile 15, it really felt like I had gone into this run with no prior training. Like I had woke up that morning and said, today, I will run a marathon! When I finished, I was angry and disappointed and really felt like a failure. I also swore, I would NEVER. EVER. do that again. Do you know how damaging it is to watch an elderly speed walker crush you on mile 23! However, now that it has been a few days since the race, I feel like I should give it another go further on down the road. A lot of people have told me that I have accomplished something not a lot of people even set out to do (and I do know that is true) but I still can't help but be disappointed in my body for breaking down on me, especially since our training runs went so smoothly and led me to believe I was ready. Mark my word Marathon...I will be back!
Overall, now that I am not so emotional about the whole experience...ya'll would not believe how emotional this whole experience was, I am pretty darn proud of myself for setting out and accomplishing this lifetime goal! Seeing my husband, parents and kids at the finish line was amazing! It comes pretty darn close to wrapping your arms around your husband's neck after a year long deployment, except for the fact that even smiling at that point hurts! I could not have done any of this without my dear friend and running partner, Katrina! She truly was the kick in the pants I needed to even attempt this crazy idea and my constant encouragement and inspiration! ~~If I ever do another marathon again~~ When I do my next marathon, it will no doubt be with this chick! The only other girl I have ever met, as crazy and determined as I am!

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Hebrews 12:1

I'm Back!

2011-11-04T18:40:00.000-04:00

I had really high hopes of posting everyday this month as I usually do for NaBloPoMo and I was all rearing to go until....I threw my back out and spent the last 4 days sprawled out on the couch popping narcotics every four hours like it was my job! I am happy to report that I am feeling better after non-stop heating pad action and the first four seasons of Dora the Explorer! Actually, I am not really sure if I am better or tolerating the pain so that I don't have to see the fifth season of Dora! Anyways, since I missed the first few days of NaBloPoMo I have decided that I will now instead spend the month of November exploring all sorts of Turkey day crafts with my kids as I find Thanksgiving to be the middle child (or red headed step child if you will) of the holiday season! Stay tuned for more awesomeness!

Ballerina Baby!

2011-08-15T13:28:00.001-04:00

This week, Delainey started Ballet. Lord have mercy, if it's not the funniest, most adorable thing to watch! Ms Kate, who is this elegant, beautiful, slim blond who is so graceful and calm teaching three little girls who are anything but graceful and calm. One is screaming, one is doing what I can only describe as break dancing while my little princess is making machine gun noises and jumping up and down like a wild woman! It just tickles my soul to think, one of these little girls could quite possibly grow up to be an amazing dancer and it is humbling (and quite funny) to see that they all have to start somewhere!

The Bead Incident of 2011

2011-08-14T11:46:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I took mothering to a whole new level when I got the rather awkward and interesting to opportunity to blow a bead out of my daughter's nose. Oh Delainey doodle, I fear we might both may need some therapy after this bizarre turn of events.
It all started yesterday morning while I was at a doctor's appointment and Delainey stayed home with Daddy. Luke told me, he was still sleeping when Delainey walked in and sat on the bed next to him. He opened his eyes and saw her smiling at him and heard a strange whistling sound. Luke asked Delainey what was making the strange noise and just as happily and carefree as can be, she replied, " I put a bead in my nose Daddy!" After further investigation, Luke did in fact retrieve a bead from her nose with a pair of tweezers. He told her not to do that again and she ran off about her business.
Many hours later after Luke had headed off to work. The kids were getting ready for bed and I was updating my blog when Delainey walks up to me with a pair of tweezers. Smiling sweetly she says, "Momma, I put a bead in my nose. Can you get it out?" It took me a minute to understand what she was saying because I thought, surely she would not have stuffed another bead up her nose after her father had just hours before told her NOT TO!
I tried to get her to plug one side of her nostril and forcibly blow out of the other but that plan totally backfired when she sucked in instead of blowing out. Oy Vey! I then decided to laid her flat on the couch to see if I could possibly see it clearly enough to try and retrieve myself. I could see nothing. Super! I told her we would have to get dressed and go see a doctor. Lord have mercy, all hell broke loose! She started kicking and screaming for her daddy. Hollering like a wild animal about how Daddy could get it out with the "weezers." Unfortunately for all of us, he was flying nights and the Internet said head straight for the doctor's office. So, I packed up the kids and we drove into the local ER. I prayed all the way there that we would not have to be there all night but the timing did not look good as it was already 8:30pm on a Friday night. However, by the Grace of God, there weren't many people in there and everyone was more then friendly.
(Side note: several of the other folks around us in the ER were there for spider bites...I would much rather have a bead in the nose!)
The doctor we saw ~~could totally feel my pain~~ was more then understanding and as he has a little girl about the same age as Delainey. He was amazed at how far she was able to get it in her nasal passage and walked out of the room to retrieve some alligator pliers but he did mention he had his doubts that they would work. After he left, I began to pray that God would give me the courage and the strength I needed to get through this.
Several minutes later, the doctor walked back in empty handed and told me there might be one other way to retrieve the bead, if I was willing to try it. I was all ears, thinking ANYTHING had to be better then strapping her down and shoving a metal object into her head. The solution was to lay her flat, plug one side of her nose and forcibly blow into her mouth (think CPR) and the theory was the bead would blow right out. I was a little skeptical but thought it worth the try. Delainey was so sweet and did not question any of it. And just as luck would have it, one blow and that snot covered bead hit me right in the side of my face. I truly felt relieved...and violated!

(You better believe that bead is taped securely in her baby book!)

Just Beachy!

2011-08-12T19:30:00.015-04:00

Last month, we were blessed to spend a week at the beach with my parents. It was an amazing week full of laughter, relaxation, fishing and fun! It was absolutely awesome to wake up in the morning and walk along the shoreline. Hear the waves crashing outside our window. Watch the kids' faces full of excitement while they tried to out chase the waves! I read an entire book that week, something I haven't done in a very long time. I sat and watched my children splash and play for hours on end. I even got hours of uninterrupted time to visit with Luke (thanks Mom and Dad!)while he fished from sun up to sun down. It was a glorious time and we all felt incredibly blessed to have had the time together, to just be together without any stress, deadlines, appointments or obligations.

Luke caught a lot of fish that week. Mostly catfish but he did get a trout that we fried up and ate (it wasn't awful) and a couple of reef sharks. He even got to teach Ise how to fish...something he has been wanting to do for a long time!

The best part, Isaac's first catch was a reef shark!

Luckily Luke isn't easily phased and did all the shark handling. Delainey refused to even come within a mile of it and Ise stood just close enough so I could get a picture of him near the shark!

After Isaac caught the shark the kids really didn't want to go back into the water right away so they had fun building sandcastles, digging giant holes and collecting seashells.

Luke totally didn't seem to mind though and continued on throwing his net and wading out to waist deep water to fish. I have never seen the man happier then fishing on that beach!

Even Cheez got in on the fishing. I think he caught two or three catfish as well!

Every morning, my parents, Delainey and I would take the dogs for a walk on the beach. Major thought he was in absolute heaven getting to run along the beach unleashed and greeting folks from all over. I swear if that dog was human, he would be a Wal-mart greeter!

Delainey loved to walk with my mom and pick up the seashells. She fell in love with the small, beautifully colored clam shells that when abandoned by its occupant would looked just like butterflies. I was fascinated by the thousands of living clams that would appear when the waves came in and then would bury themselves back into the sand once the wave passed. I had never seen anything like it before, all the beautiful colors and the way they would appear and then just disappear. Truly amazing!

We even saw dolphins late in the afternoon some days. They came so close the shore that the kids had a front row seat to watch them jump and dive into the water.

There is just something about the ocean that makes everything in the world seem better, more beautiful and really helps me put my life into perspective. You can't help but feel the power and strength of the hands of God when you sit on the sand and watch those waves crashing onto shore and the sun setting somewhere out there over the great beyond. Oh beach vacation why did you have to end! I seriously hope and pray we get to retire someday somewhere near a beach. Until then, I can't wait to do it again next year!

TetraBrazil Soccer Camp

2011-07-25T10:22:00.000-04:00

Isaac got the chance this past week to train with the Tetra Brazil Soccer Academy. It was a great opportunity for him to enhance his skills and learn from some of the best soccer players in the world. We all know Brazil knows soccer! I think he had a good time despite the hot and humid weather conditions. And oh BOY was it ever hot!

A few girls from Isaac's class where there as well.

I don't think he would admit it but I think he was happy they were there! (I think the evidence is all over his face!)

At the end of the program, the coaches gave each child an evaluation. Here is Isaac's,

"Man! You have potential. Keep practicing and you can be a good player! You are brave and strong but you gotta practice more your passes. Hope to see you next year.
Best regards, Coach Gabriel and Coach Gabriela"

Ise receiving his gold medal status certificate from the coaches,

Posing with his coaches, Coach Gabriel and Coach Gabriela

A Surprise Party, Fireworks, and a Goodbye!

2011-07-20T20:01:00.017-04:00

We had an awesome 4Th of July weekend here at Fort Rucker this year! We started the festivities with a surprise 3rd birthday party for our sweet little friend Aly or as Delainey likes to call her, "Gally." Her reaction was priceless. She looked at us all like we were crazy and then ran off to play in Delainey's room. Love her sweet little face,

After we feasted on pizza and Sponge Bob cupcakes, we went outside for some pinata fun. Mr. Will was in charge of the pull string action and gave those kids quite the challenge. The kids were cracking us up trying desperately to hit that darn thing while wearing my towel wrap on their heads...it was the only thing I could come up with for a blindfold. However, the little kids pulled it up so they could see, so really it just looks like we made them wear a turban to play!

When the kids got tired of trying, we let "Uncle Weller" take a swing at it and boy did he deliver!

We celebrated 4Th of July Texas style with one of Luke's buddies and boy was it delicious! WE dined on smoked meats of all varieties, enjoyed the best homemade guacamole I have ever had and while sipping on homemade sangria...seriously, those folks in Texas know how to party! After dinner, the kids got to each decorate their own cupcake, which was a big hit all around!

After we stuffed ourselves silly, we walked down to the Freedom Festival here on post. It was a pretty decent showing for this tiny little post. They had vendors, bounce houses, a kid size army obstacle course, a petting zoo and best of all, Gary Sinise and The Lt Dan Band as our entertainment! If you know me at all, you know I love me some Gary Sinise! It was such a great time and the fireworks did not disappoint!
We went up close to get a look at Gary Sinise...I am pretty sure he winked at me!

My dad, Luke, and Ise watching the fireworks!

Our neighborhood crew...couldn't ask for a better group of folks to celebrate with!

We had the best weekend but unfortunately it had to come to end at some point and we had to say goodbye to our most excellent neighbors. I will never get use to that part of the Army life. In fact, truth be known, I would rather hide under a rock with a stiff drink and wallow in my emotions then have to actually say a face to face goodbye. It sucked, everyone cried. Luckily though, these are the kind of people that you know you will be lifelong friends with and will one day see again. Miss you Wahler crew!

From the Mouths of (my) Babes!

2011-06-17T11:52:00.005-04:00

DelaineyYesterday, Delainey came running up to me crying because she hurt her armpit. I knelt down to kiss her and I said, "I'm sorry baby girl. I hope it feels better." She quit crying and looked at me and said, "Its not your fault momma. I hit my armpit jumping on you bed."

IsaacWhile accompanying me on a swim suit shopping trip. "Mom, you look real beautiful in everything but that bathing suit makes you look like Minnie Mouse."

DelaineyStanding on top of the rocking horse instead of sitting. "Delainey, sit down before you hurt yourself!" "Not yet momma, I being dangerous."

Isaac"Mom, who was your favorite Mayor?"

"I don't really know any Mayors buddy."

"You have never heard of any of the mayors? Like George Washington? The guy who won the Civil war? (He was completely serious and dumbfounded that I was so clueless.)

I replied, "those are presidents Ise, and George Washington wasn't around for the civil war."

DelaineyLast night, the kids and went to the park after the pool. I was pushing Delainey on the swings while Isaac played on the playground structure. He slipped and banged his head on the beam over the slide and started to cry. Delainey turned around in her swing and shouted, "Momma, get over there and save my Bubby!"

School's Out for SUMMER!

2011-06-02T09:39:00.008-04:00

This morning, my baby boy left the house as a first grader...

and came home a 2nd grader! We are so proud of you Isaac!

YAY FOR SUMMER VACATION!
This past week it has been like pulling teeth just to get out of bed in the morning and make it to the bus stop on time. The temps down here in southern Alabama have already spiked well into the 100s and by 9am its already too hot to move. And don't even get me started on the humidity. Thankfully, we have a fabulous neighborhood pool that offers a heavenly oasis in this sweat box of a state! We are so ready for lazy summer mornings, day trips to the beach/pool, cook outs and late family walks around the neighborhood. I love how relaxing and laid back summer can be and we are so ready to just chill!

Holy Cow...

2011-05-25T13:55:00.010-04:00

How can it be? Sweet Delainey Rose is 3!

Three years ago today, you came into our lives. A gorgeous, sweet, petite bundle with dark hair screaming at the top of your lungs...very much the same way I have been told I came into this world. You were so tiny that your binky nearly covered your whole face! You are so big now and growing everyday.

You are sassy. You are silly. You are beyond sweet until you are not! You are a nut bucket to say the least. You drive me crazy at times but mostly you are a sweet hearted girl, with an infectious smile and a flair for the dramatic. You love to dress up in clothes you have picked out. You never wear two of the same colored shoes and rarely do you put your shoes on the right feet.

You adore your big brother, whom you call Bubby and he pretty much adores you too. You should know that you hit the jack pot as far as big brothers go. I highly doubt any other seven year old boy out there would be as patient, as loving, as tender as he is with you. I am quite certain, most days, you believe yourself to be a seven year old boy. If Isaac is doing it, you sure as heck are gonna do it too. I love that you two look out for each other. I can't tell you how many times your brother has brought home a wand, or a bubble necklace or something girly he thought you might like from the treasure box at school. And in the same fashion, if we are out and about and someone offers you a lollipop or a sticker or some other treat, you always grab two and say, " I need one for my Bubby!" As your momma, I can't tell you how much happiness this brings me. I pray daily that you two will always remain the very best of friends!

I love watching you blossom into the little girl you are becoming, so beautiful and confident. As your mother, I am learning new things from you daily about life, how it's meant to be lived and how I can make the most of it. You are so carefree and full of life. You have little to no fears. You are also very stubborn and strong willed. Which again, as your mother, is difficult some days. However, I try and remember that if we guide you the right way and teach you the things that are most important, these traits will serve you well later on in life.

Just remember baby girl, Momma loves you and will always be your biggest fan!

Week In Review!

2011-03-27T23:04:00.012-04:00

Delainey's well on her way to becoming the next big fashion designer...or maybe not, but she is having a blast picking out clothes and mix matching them to adhere to her very own style. Work it girl!

Isaac took a header into the neighbor's TV stand the other night and is now the proud owner of his very own goose egg, complete with a bright red gash! I have never in my life seen a bump on someones head quite that big! I wasn't there when it all went down (thank God!) but Luke said he barely even cried!

Delainey decided to rearrange her room a bit. Yes, that is everything the child owns stuffed into her crib! I guess she comes by it naturally though since her brother did this when he was about her age!

Isaac made his very first goal ever this past week. It was pretty incredible. I did the whole screaming like a crazy person and even teared up a bit! He also moved up two levels in reading. He started at a level 6 at the beginning of the year and is currently at a level 18. I am not too sure what the levels mean exactly but the goal for the year is 18 and he is already there! Plus, I love the fact that he reads to Delainey...and she seems pretty happy about it too.

We are also in the middle of potty training hell! Delainey has the concept but refuses to do it unless she is in the mood. We went two straight days with her using the potty and having only one accident to her peeing/pooping in her pants non stop! I have put her back into a diaper for now and I am reworking my game plan for this week!

All in all, the kids are doing great! Growing like weeds and keeping us all busy. Aren't they freaking adorable!

For great is His love toward us...

Psalm 117:2

Momma's Little Kick in the Pants

2011-03-04T00:53:00.007-05:00

Tonight I was telling a dear friend how my Tutu Kani (grandfather) would sometimes lovingly refer to me as, "a real kick in the pants!" It's funny that I never really understood what he meant until I met this precious little gal,

oh wait, I meant to use this photo...

Delainey Rose, you are my little wild child. My very own crazy haired, joyful, attitude filled, kick in the pants! I love you sweet girl!

The Most Fun!

2011-03-02T22:03:00.015-05:00

The Mother Ruckin Houligans have officially been deemed RUGGED MANIACS! Last weekend, three of my dear friends and I loaded up the truck and headed on down to Green Cove Springs, FL to participate in the Rugged Maniac 5K. It was honestly the most fun I have had in quite some time. The coolest thing about this totally awesome all girls weekend was that two out of the four girls just recently started running. Like in the past few months! We trained for a little over a month and I am so proud of all of us. It is so amazing and cool to watch people try new things and accomplish things they never thought possible!

We named ourselves the Mother Ruckin Houligans because we figure we are mothers, from Rucker and are usually always hauling our little houligans. Clever, I know! We decided on tutus because, well, it was just fun and girly and who doesn't like to sparkle! The course was designed with the help of Navy Seals and was quite fun...until we ran through over a mile of pure sugar sand. We didn't see that one coming and quite frankly, it was a little bit of a let down as it was boring! The obstacles were fun and challenging and totally tutu accessible. (We got lots of compliments on our tutus!)
There were four of these walls in a row!

There were several of these vertical hills,

We were all pumped about the water slide but sadly, it was not nearly as cool as we envisioned. They only had one hose going so the surface was no where near slick and we actually ended up having to "paddle" our way down it.

Low crawling through the mud pit was a lot of fun!

We also jumped fire!

We are seriously thinking about taking on the Warrior Dash in May somewhere down in Georgia. We will definitely be able to kick some serious ass next time now that we know what to expect, how to train and how rugged we are!

After the race, we had a girls night out at Applebees, where we drank adult beverages, laughed so much our abs were aching and ate our meals without any small children in site! I do believe my favorite thing about that whole night was my rather large glass of sangria!

Who knew you could have that much fun at Applebees!

We had so much fun! I can't wait to do it again. Although, none of this would be possible without the assistance of my awesomely handsome and helpful husband. Who not only keep the kids all weekend, but cleaned the house and taught Ise how to ride a bike! Hmm, maybe I should leave more often...

He Can Be Taught!

2011-03-01T23:25:00.004-05:00

Last fall, I tried desperately in vain to teach Isaac how to ride his bike. I tried the "calm, encouraging approach," the "I will buy you a Wii approach," the "YOUWILLLEARNTORIDETHISDANGBIKEIFITKILLSUSBOTH approach" and none of it worked. None of it! He flat out looked me in the face and said ever so calmly, "Mom, some kids just don't ever learn to ride a bike." I was floored! I seriously thought every child had a desire to learn to ride a bike. Plus, I'll admit, it was a little embarrassing that my child was the only kid in the world that couldn't ride his bike yet. Yeah, I did just admit that here for everyone to read. Total mom fail for sure. I know I shouldn't care and I know that each child develops at their own individual rate but he wouldn't even try!!! It was quite the frustrating predicament that I eventually just dropped because apparently all my pleading and sobbing and bribing was simply falling on deaf ears. Flash forward to this past weekend when I am off living it up on a girls weekend in Jacksonville. The little stinker apparently just jumps on the bike, assisted by his father, down the driveway and then just takes off as carefree and natural as a bird in flight! Luke sent me the video via text and I literally burst into tears. I suppose the kid was just waiting for the perfect timing and for me to step aside and let him be. This momma couldn't be more proud (or humbled!).

Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Dear Ise..

2011-02-25T21:35:00.000-05:00

Holy cow you are seven! Seven years old. This poor momma can't take it! You are turning into a young man and it is happening all too quickly. I love you son. You make me so proud and I sometimes can't believe that you are mine. I have no idea how your father and I created something so perfect and so amazing but the fact that you look so much like the both of us is proof enough I suppose. You are a lover and a serious deep thinker. You love Jesus. You have the softest soul and the biggest heart of any little guy I know. You ADORE your baby sister and she thinks the world of you. You bring home prizes out of the prize box that you specifically picked out for your sister! This brings me the greatest joy of all. I love that you two are the best of friends and that you look out for each other and truly love one another.

You are all boy. Your thoughts are deep and well thought out. You are a worrier and a perfectionist. You love to play soccer, ride your scooter and you just learned today how to ride your bike! The fact that you want to wear a button up shirt and tie whenever you can cracks me up. You are a ladies man. I watched just the other day as a crowd of girls rushed you on the playground when I dropped you off at school. You are awkwardly shy but yet you love to entertain a crowd. You are stubborn as all heck. Your smile can melt the hardest of hearts and your giggle is highly contagious. You are silly, funny, smart and adorably handsome! I am still in shock that you are now seven. SEVEN! There is not one ounce of baby left on you. I know, because I checked. You are no longer the chubby cheeked little momma's boy who I thought would never leave my side. You have blossomed into an adventurer, who loves a good joke, reads books unassisted, aces spelling tests and plays Star Wars in the front yard with his buddies for hours on end.

You take your job as big brother very seriously. I love how no matter how old you get though, you always let me kiss you goodbye, you still let me snuggle you and hold your hand and you always make sure to tell me I am the best mom a boy could ever have. You are also quite the smooth talker. You roll with the punches, you love God and you make your momma and daddy so very proud. I love you so much baby boy! Happy, happy Birthday Isaac!

Hangin Tough!

2011-01-22T10:17:00.003-05:00

A few girls from the neighborhood and I have signed up for the Rugged Maniac in Jacksonville, Fl next month! The course looks amazing! The three mile course takes you through the woods and a motocross track (think steep inclines!). Plus, the track is full of challenging obstacles like barbed wire, fire, (FIRE!) tunnels, mud pits, pools of water, barricades, cargo nets, scrambles, swinging pendulums, and a host of other obstacles that make this course one rugged gauntlet of glory. So fun!

Our team name is The Mother Ruckin Houligans and there are four of us! So proud of these girls for agreeing to do this with me! It is going to be one heck of a girls weekend in Jacksonville!

It's So Hard...

2011-01-14T12:24:00.014-05:00

To say goodbye,

to

that

sweet

binky

face!

Hit the road bink!
Yesterday, kind of on the spur of the moment, I decided it was time for binky to make it's exit from our household. I figured I could convince Delainey to toss it the same way I convinced her brother...good ole fashion bribery! My initial idea was to take her Target and let her pick out whatever toy or doll tickled her fancy in exchange for forking over the pacifier. I figured I would have her leave it on the shelf in place of the toy she choose so that she would remember that she made the trade and left it there. It was all going just according to plan until we turned to leave and she realized that binky wasn't coming with us. I have never seen a sadder face in all my life then that of Delainey when she realized binky wasn't coming home. In order to escape Target and stop the blood curdling screams I convinced her we would take both Belle and binky home with us. I stuck the bink in my purse, her face cleared up, the screaming stopped and she clung to Belle like white on rice! When we got home, I cut the nipples off two binks and left them in plain sight so she could find them. Just as I thought she would, she picked them up and tried to suck on one. When that one didn't work, she tried the other. When she realized they were busted she said, "these are busted momma." To which I replied, "Oh man, they sure are. What should we do with them?" To which Delainey said, "put them in the trash momma?" Which worked out perfectly since she was the one that came up with the idea and tossed them! At this point, I was feeling quite accomplished!
Cue nap time. She was not pleased about going in her bed without bink and kept asking for one. Needless to say, she didn't take a nap that day but instead yelled and screamed about wanting her bink until Daddy caved and let her out (sucker!). However, this also worked out perfectly, because when bedtime rolled around she was too tired to even care where her bink was and went right to bed! And she has been binky free and tearless since! Way to go Delainey, I sure do love that baby girl!

Plus, going bink-less isn't all that bad, because now I get to see a whole lot more of her sweet face!

Which I can never get enough of!

Plus, Delainey scored a sweet princess doll out of the deal!

Did you know her tiara doubles as a carrying handle?

Tuesday Ten!

2011-01-11T23:53:00.004-05:00

1. I always sit down to write my Ten on Tuesday and usually can't think of 10 things to write and give up around number seven or eight. It seems like an easy task until I sit down and actually try and think of 10 things worth reading about.

2. The neighbor girls and I tried out a quaint little bakery today called, Cupcakes Y'all and it was fabulous! I had a turkey and cheese panini and a brownie sundae cupcake, DIVINE!

3. I made sure to hit the treadmill before we went to Cupcakes Y'all so I could fully enjoy the experience. Although, that cupcake was pretty dang good, so I am sure I owe about another 5 miles for all its yummy goodness I devoured!

4. Isaac had a basketball game tonight and did quite well. Although I did have a sweaty pits moment when I heard the coach yelling Time Out due to a baby running across the court. Yeah, that baby would be Delainey! She apparently ran out to get to her brother while I was engaged in conversation with a friend about the awesome cupcake I had eaten earlier in the day!

5. Luke made me watch the most disturbing movie last night on Net Flix. The movie was called Frozen and was about three friends that get stranded on a ski lift over night. It was a stupid movie, that I couldn't stop watching and the ending was lame.

6. You should see me play the Michael Jackson Experience on Wii...I have mad skills!
(Please note that I seem to be the only one really feeling the moves and that I threw my back out shortly after this move!)

7. Oh number seven, we meet again. This is where I usually get stuck and give up and go to bed...not tonight though. Tuesday ten, I will complete you!

8. Last night, I awoke to Isaac screaming. I jumped out of bed to investigate and found him standing in the shower, pressed up against the wall. The cold water was running and he was crying. I got him out of the shower and asked him what the heck he was doing. He replied, " I just can't beat this game. I try and try and try and I just can't do it." Crazy kid!

9. Yesterday, I told Delainey that I loved her. Her response, "No momma. I not want to love you today...ok momma (said in her sweetest voice and with a hint of a smile!)

10. Can I just say, that watching Luke play dollhouse and sit through Strawberry Shortcake with her, makes me fall in love with him all over again!

Whew, I did it! Although, four minutes too late...dang it!

What a Weekend!

2011-01-09T21:54:00.003-05:00

We had such a fabulous weekend. On Saturday, Ise had his first official basketball game. His coach up and quit shortly after the third practice, so various people from Youth Services have been filling in to coach the team. We played a very skilled team from out in town that looked like professionals compared to our poor team. The kids did great and played till the bitter end but it was a little heart breaking to watch at times. It was so bad in fact, that the officials stopped giving the opposing teams points because they were that far ahead of us!

After the game, I took a short run and then came home to shower and get ready for a lunch date with some friends. I had the pleasure of finally meeting some fabulous ladies I met awhile ago on the Internet. We all belonged to a chat group centered around Aviation spouses and we actually had a blast getting to know each other over pizza. One of the ladies actually lost her husband in a helicopter crash two years ago and has become quite an inspiration to me. We laughed, we cried, we swapped spouse stories and generally had a fabulous time getting to know each other. The Aviation community is such a fun group to be a part of and I have had the pleasure of meeting some really awesome people through it!

Later that evening, our fabulous neighbors kept the kids so Luke and I could have a date night to celebrate his birthday. We went to Longhorn Steakhouse and had an awesome dinner, much, much better then the raw chicken I served him on his actual birthday (yuck!). Dinner dates are so much more appreciated these days since usually we spend the dinner hour correcting children, wiping up spills and talking over children. It was such a special treat just getting to spend sometime together, feasting on steak and drinking adult beverages! After dinner, we went to the movies and saw Tron. I had never even heard of the movie but Luke was pretty excited about seeing it. The movie actually wasn't too bad. Although, I will admit I didn't completely follow some of the video gaming lingo. The main character is rather easy on the eyes and the special effects and animation was pretty neat. Plus, I kind of owed Luke for having to sit through the Rockettes on our anniversary.

Today, we all slept in until 10am! It was a rather relaxed day but very much needed. Luke and Ise went and watched some races and rode around the race track, while Delainey and I stayed home and did some house work. Oddly enough, school was canceled here in Southern Alabama for tomorrow due to freezing rain and ice. So it looks like tomorrow will be a pajama fun day around these parts! Which I am totally okay with. It'll make the ending of this weekend that much easier to handle!

2010 Recap!

2010-12-31T15:36:00.038-05:00

I cannot believe 2010 is already over! Wow, what an awesome and crazy year it was too! I can say it truly was a year full of love, laughter, tears (both happy and sad) and a whole lot of fun! I find myself ending this year feeling truly blessed and happy. Content where I am and anxious to see where we are heading!

JANUARY
We started 2010 off with a bang when we welcomed Blue Daddy home from Afghanistan for his R&R in January! We rented a cabin up in Asheboro, NC and enjoyed a late Christmas, celebrated his birthday and trying out our belly sledding skills!

FEBRUARY
In February we celebrated Ise's 6th birthday with a Lego style bash at a bouncy house place. I was once again in disbelief that he was another year older, but as always found myself continually amazed at the young man he is becoming!

MARCH
March found us anxiously getting ready for Blue Daddy's return from Afghanistan! We did our very best to stay busy and focus on the great things that April would bring! I must admit, I don't even remember much of March...looking back it was nothing but a road block to April, HA!

APRIL
Finally, April came and we celebrated Easter down in Florida with Nana and Cheez and enjoyed a little rest and relaxation that Spring Break always seems to bring. We had expected Blue Daddy home right around the 5th of April so we made a mad dash back to North Carolina to get everything ready. Well, little did we know that political unrest half way around the world mixed with Iceland's stupid erupting glacier-covered Eyjafjallajokull volcano and sprinkle it with misinformed, non-communicating commanders and you get a military wives' most painstaking waiting game of a lifetime! Luckily, we all made it through that ordeal relatively unscathed and the wait was totally worth it in the end!

MAY
In May, we celebrated Delainey's second birthday by spending some time in Wilmington Beach, NC. We had so much fun checking out the area, playing on the beach with the kids and just enjoying the sun and sand. It was so nice to be on a trip as a family of four with no worries of Luke having to jet off to anything Army!

JUNE
The month of June found us sorting, purging, and packing for our move to Fort Rucker, Alabama. It was also a month full of family time and getting reacquainted with one another, as a year is a very long time to be apart! Daddy regretting that choke hold he taught the kids...

And we can't forgot that rocking hair cut Mommy finally let Ise get to start the summer off with a bang!

JULY
July came before we knew it and we sent the kids down to Florida with Nana and Cheez until the move was complete. Boy did we ever work our fingers to the bones getting that house spic and span! But, I guess it worked as the house rented within one week of us moving out, so I suppose all those bloody knuckles and blisters were worth it! It was bittersweet to say the least since we were leaving behind our incredible neighbors who had become family, our church home and our quaint little neighborhood filled with awesome people!

We did get to squeeze in one little last hurrah with the neighbors before we left. We took our trucks and headed down to Wilmington Beach to camp on the beach. It was so peaceful and nice and just the right way to enjoy our last weekend together!

AUGUST
July quickly ended and turned into August! We were barely settled into the house before Ise had to start school at Fort Rucker...seriously, who ever heard of starting school the first week of August!!! It actually helped us get into the swing of things and made the transition easier on Isaac, since he instantly made some friends on our street at the bus stop. The kids seemed to take to Rucker from the start and the move was quite seamless!

SEPTEMBER
In September, we kept busy and cool with daily visits to the community center pool. We found out that Delainey was part fish and loved to swim. The kids were tanner then they had ever been in their lives and all the fresh air did us all a world of good. Ise also started back up in soccer and had a great season playing for the Green Alligators! We also had our first visitors, Luke's mom and brother and some of the nephews. It was fun showing them around our little town and enjoying some time with family!

PLUS, Uncle Rye and Aunt Jen got MARRIED! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and so much fun!

OCTOBEROctober finally brought around some cooler weather and the beginning of Fall, which is my absolute favorite month. Its not nearly as awesome down here in Rucker as it was in Carolina, but still it was nice to finally be able to breathe outside and not come in from the park drenched in sweat! The kids had a blast making Halloween decorations and various crafts I found off the internet. We also had a Halloween block party and went to several Fall Festivals here on post.

I also ran the Inaugural Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon! It was a night time race, which I loved and was set on Disney property, so we got to run through and by all kinds of awesome stuff. I would so love to do it again, although the shirt was totally ugly and cut for a man and I would love to do it without the runners trots (google it!)

NOVEMBER
November was another whirlwind adventure! We had two Thanksgiving celebrations this year, one which I cooked all by myself (thanks to Pioneer Woman and my mother!). We spent the actual holiday down in Rockledge with Luke's family and feasted on delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and asparagus! We had a blast hanging out and being together! We then ended the trip with a quick stop in Jacksonville to see my sister and her family, who recently moved to Maryland (stupid Maryland!). We had a great day at the beach and even snagged a family picture, thanks to my lovely and talented sister!

DECEMBER
I, for one, am still in disbelief that December is already over! We had a blast this month, making cookies, gingerbread houses, ornaments! Ise performed at the Milk and Cookies event here on post with the first grade chorus and did great! Luke and I made had a quick but much needed 9th Anniversary getaway to Nashville, TN. We made it back the night before Christmas Eve to celebrate Christmas at our house, with Nana and Cheez. We had a quiet but fabulous Christmas! We went to our church's Christmas Eve candle light service and enjoyed it very much. We then had homemade pizza and garlic bread for dinner along with our Root Beer Reindeers! For Christmas day, we feasted on Cornish hens, ham, green beans, twice baked potatoes and champagne! The rest of the day was spent watching the children enjoy their haul!

2010 was an amazing year! It reunited us with Blue Daddy, took us out of the deployment cycle and gave us quite a few months of much needed family time! Can't wait to see what 2011 will bring! Happy New Year everyone! May you be blessed beyond your wildest dreams this New Year!

DISCLAIMER: This post took 2 hours to create, please excuse all grammatical errors, wrong verbiage and any other errors you may find!

Anniversary Adventures in Nashville!

2010-12-30T21:54:00.021-05:00

Our anniversary is right before Christmas, three days to be exact, so usually it's celebrated with a simple dinner date minus the kids. This year, we decided to do it up right and go away for a few days. We settled on Nashville because it is close by, has lots to do and because I had my heart set on seeing the Rockettes! We stayed at the Opryland Hotel which only recently reopened in November due to the devastating damage it suffered in the massive floods back in April. The hotel is HUGE and absolutely amazing! It was beautifully decorated and everyone was incredibly friendly.

Plus, everything we booked to see and do, was right there on the grounds of the hotel or there was a chartered bus to get us there. If you ever get the chance to see ICE, GO! It was awesome! They give you this huge blue parka that you will definitely appreciate. But, if I may make one suggest... bring gloves, and a scarf and a face mask! It was freaking freezing! (After we exited, we learned that they keep the entire exhibit at 9 degrees!) We didn't bring gloves, or a scarf, or a face mask. My hands were frozen stiff by the end of it. So frozen in fact, that I couldn't even take a final picture on the way out because I couldn't move any of my fingers. At the end, they sell hot chocolate for $3.50 a cup. I told Luke, they could sell it for 5 bucks a cup and people would buy it, if for nothing else but to warm up their hands! The theme this year was Santa's Coming to Town but I LOVED that they ended the entire exhibit with the Nativity! It was breathtaking to say the very least.

This picture, really doesn't do the Nativity justice. The statues were probably 8 feet tall and looked like they were made out of crystal...truly amazing!

This picture was on our way out, I was completely frozen!

Later that day, we headed into downtown Nashville to tour the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was nice actually being able to leisurely wander about, reading the information and not constantly worrying about where the kids were (thanks so much Nana and Cheez!)

Checking out the local fashions...that shirt was 119 bucks!

After the County Music Hall of Fame, we wandered down to Margaritaville to have some lunch and an adult beverage or two! We had a great meal, great service and a great time. The lady that seated us asked Luke if we were there for the Garth Brooks concert, he said no. She then asked if we were in town for the Vince Gill and Amy Grant concert, which Luke said no to as well. She then said, well what are you in town for then? Luke told her just to see the sights...but then later told me, he was not about to tell her he was in town for the Rockettes!
(This is me, one drink in! Such a light weight for sure!)

The best part was when a Sugarland video came on the TV and Luke asked, so how long have Tim McGraw and Martina McBride been married anyways! HA!

I was super excited to see the Rockettes, who were performing in the Grand Ole Opry House! We had awesome seats, just off to the right on the front row of the mezzanine. The Opry House had also just reopened as well and other than the fact that they have pew like seating and the pews are pretty well jammed in there, it was pretty neat. I like to think, even Luke enjoyed himself! We weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the Opry House. The show had a Santa theme to it and those girls are pretty impressive. This show also ended with a living Nativity, which I was pretty moved by. Something about watching Mary riding on a donkey pregnant to then give birth to our King, it gets me every time!

The next day, we slept in, checked out of the hotel and went on The General Jackson's Dinner Cruise. By far, our favorite attraction on this trip. The food was great, the entertainment was hilarious and fun and they not only celebrated the reason for the season, but thanked the troops! It was such a great way to end our trip. We sat by the neatest families and had great dinner conversation over an awesome meal. So fun, and I highly recommend it!

It was such a great trip, and we couldn't have done it without Nana and Cheez's help! The kids were in great hands and I suspect they never even knew we were gone! Thanks so much for making our anniversary so special this year, we really had a great trip and can't wait to do it again next year (wink, wink!).

Merry, Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T13:13:00.008-05:00

What a wonderful Christmas season we have had this year!

I would love to post all about it, but for now I am going to snuggle up on the couch with my loves and watch Beauty and the Beast (thanks Aunt Jen!). Plus, I have about 27 lego sets to help the little guy with! Merry, Merry Christmas!

Its the Jingle Bell Rock!

2010-12-13T17:11:00.000-05:00

For Crying Out Loud!

2010-12-08T22:10:00.004-05:00

Seriously! I have been sitting here for two hours trying to figure out how to creative a fun, festive header for my blog! Can anyone else see those darn birds in the upper left hand corner...I have no idea where they came from or how to get rid of them!

Now, for a whole bunch of random rambling,

I am so anxious for Christmas break! Between Luke's schedule and Ise's school/sports schedule it will be so nice to have two long weeks to just rest and rejuvenate! Plus, we have family coming into town to visit and a romantic 9th anniversary getaway to Nashville planned!

It snowed here today in lower Alabama! Nothing stuck but it was pretty to watch the snow flurries falling from the sky. Plus, it definitely made it feel more like the holiday season!

Delainey started gymnastics this week and LOVES it! She bounced and rolled and crossed the beam and swung from the rings. I swear that child would have hung on those things till her arms turned blue!

Isaac started basketball this week as well. I get such a kick out of watching that kid try new things. He has come a long way from that screaming mamma's boy that's for sure. He says he loves basketball, but I am not sure if that is because the girl of his dreams is on his team or if he really does love the game...only time will tell I suppose!

Yesterday I was clocked in the head hard enough to see stars by the damn curtain rod I hung in Delainey's room. The chunky square decorative part on the end came crashing down on the back of my head and I thought for sure I had a concussion. Seriously, what are the odds!

Delainey has started calling me Jacqui. I am not sure why but she does it all the time. Yesterday she walked up to me, handed me a container full of beads and said, "Can you open this Jacqui?" You also has started saying, "Told you Momma" like she is the voice of reason around these parts! Crazy, sassy girl!

Today was my day to volunteer in Isaac's classroom. I help the kids go through their belt words...site words that they study each week and as they can read each list, they earn a different colored belt. When I called Isaac back, he walked over very sad and slow and then proceeded to vomit repeatedly! Nice. So, now he is home resting on the couch and watching The Never Ending Story. Poor little guy, not only is he sick, but he has to miss his big chorus event tonight as well.

Dancing Delainey!

2010-12-06T09:48:00.000-05:00

Delainey had her first dance recital this week! I say recital, but it was more like five little girls all under the age of three doing their own thing. What a hoot it was to watch. Miss Delaine was a superstar! Apparently all she was waiting for was an audience. There was no hesitation, and better still, no tears!!! Just Miss Sassafras doing her thing..with a big ol' smile no less!

The big Snow Angel finish!

Thankful for Great Help!

2010-11-16T23:20:00.000-05:00

We Done Good Vern!

2010-11-09T21:18:00.002-05:00

A few nights ago, while playing at the park, Ise came over and placed his arm around my waist. He then casually mentions to me that this is how moms and dads like to stand together when they are in love. (Where the kid comes up with this stuff is beyond me!) I told him, they indeed do like to stand together while admiring their children laughing and playing. I told him that is what brings a mommy and daddy their greatest joy! Jokingly, I squeezed him into my hip and said, "We did good Vern, we did good!" (Where I come up with this stuff is beyond me!)

Flash forward to tonight where I was walking down the hall with Isaac to put the kids into the bathtub and came upon Delainey squirting all the shampoo out of the bottle and into the tub. My first reaction was to scream, "DELAINEY!" while Ise walked up beside me, wrapped his arm around my waist and said, "We done good Vern, we done good!"

Beyond Blessed!

2010-11-07T20:04:00.003-05:00

Where would I be without the ones I love...

This sweet girl makes me laugh. Everyday. Sometimes because she is so funny, other times out of frustration, but mostly because she is the craziest, silliest, most adorable baby girl I have every met. Sugar and spice and nothing in between with this baby girl!

These two make my heart swell with pride. The big one because he is an amazingly talented man who loves me no matter what and can always make me smile. He is a great daddy to our kids and loves me even when I don't. He is tough, silly, lovable, and my best friend. The little one is an affectionate little guy who loves his mommy so. I seriously doubt there is a better big brother in all the land! He is handsome, he is sweet and has a killer smile!

"There are three things that remain - faith, hope, and love - and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Move Over Harrison Ford...

2010-10-23T21:39:00.006-04:00

There's a new Indie in town!

Isaac mentioned, in, oh...AUGUST that he was going to be Indiana Jones for Halloween. He has always been a planner that boy. I told him that sounded like a splendid idea and that we could probably make the costume. He was super excited about the idea and said as long as he got a whip (cause duh mom, you can't be Indy without a whip!). I thought for SURE this would be a no-brainer and much better quality after researching Indiana costumes on the Internet.

I could not find a khaki colored kids button up shirt anywhere! Plus it doesn't help that I am NOT a planner and only started to piece together the costume the day before we would need it...UGH! Any who, I had the novel idea of taking a man's shirt and sizing it down to fit Ise. Of course to some this is a simple task that would have taken mere moments...it took me TWO HOURS! However Ise flipped and couldn't say thank you enough, which made those two hours totally worth my time!

We found a picture online that Ise liked and based our design off the pic!

I ended up having to take off both sleeves and reattaching one sleeve after trimming it down quite a bit. I also cut out quite a bit of fabric at the seams to make a man's size medium shirt fit a size small kid! I was all flustered and worried about the seams and hems and sewing it straight until I remembered Indie is an outdoors man, an explorer and has been through a few tussles so after ripping out my seams (for the umpteenth time) I just decided to leave it rugged and ragged (for effect of course!) Again, Ise was very pleased with how it turned out!

The whip is also pretty darn cool if I say so myself! Did you know you can make a bull whip out of duct tape? Neither did I until my friend Google brought it up! Its basically brown duct tape braided together and then attached and taped to a handle...could that have been any easier (or cheaper)? I think not!

The canteen is one Ise got a couple Christmas' ago from Cheez attached to Luke's old belt and then draped across him. We also got him a cheap cap gun and holster, although Cheez is working on getting him something less orange and fake looking! Overall though, I think it turned out pretty good and lots of people told him how awesome he looked today at the Fall Festival...score one for mom!

Have Helmet, Will Travel!

2010-10-20T15:06:00.003-04:00

(She got that helmet on all by herself!)

Super Girl Love

2010-10-19T21:07:00.006-04:00

Super Girl is always busy...always running, always looking for adventure,

Full of piss and vinegar and a zest for life she finds trouble, I mean adventure around every turn!

However, she always takes the time to stop and smell the flowers,

but usually not for too long...as there is always something else that requires her attention. So it is onto the next adventure she goes...

Oh Super Girl...how you make me smile, you make me laugh and you make me proud! Watching you grow is an adventure in it's self and I know I am blessed to be on this ride with you!

She's Crafty!

2010-10-17T21:19:00.007-04:00

I have always loved the creative fun that surrounds Halloween. However, my husband is not a fan of Halloween so this year I thought I would try and do a few homemade crafts with the kids while they were on Fall Break instead of purchasing decor. Most of the stuff we already had laying around anyways and it allowed us to spend some quality time together getting crafty and having fun!

I fall in love with this wreath when I stumbled upon it online and knew I just HAD to make it! All it takes is a Styrofoam wreath, a glue gun, black duct tape or ribbon to cover the wreath and about 3 bags of candy corn...which by the way I scored for free with CVS coupons! We may have been able to use a little less if the ratio hadn't been one on the wreath and two in the mouth, Isaac Andrew :) The kids and I had a blast making this. It was fairly easy, even sweet little Delainey helped a little. Plus, it looks absolutely stunning hanging on our black front door, if I do say so myself.

We also found a fun way to decorate the front porch with milk jugs painted to look like Jack-O-Lanterns! Also an easy, cheap project that the kids LOVED! All you need is about six white milk jugs, a black sharpie and some Christmas lights. I would recommend washing them out really, really, really well because some of them were DISGUSTING when we cut the backs open to place in the lights...YUCK! Ise had a blast placing them just so in the order he wanted them. I even let him draw a few faces and he had the idea of using a red sharpie on a few to make blood.

Another fun thing we tried was spooky faces, which is super simple and loads of fun! All you do is place a colored sticky note over the flash of your camera and it turns your picture the color of the post it. We used orange and green, but the orange worked the best...

Next up is tie-dyed pumpkin shirts and pumpkin carving...so fun!

The Highs and Lows of the 1/2 Marathon!

2010-10-04T09:47:00.011-04:00

Your son giving you a big hug before you leave and telling you, "I hope you win Mom!"

Having your MP3 player sit in a cup of water 6 days before your 1/2 is devastating! Having to ask the guy behind you on the bus how to work the volume on the Ipod Nano you borrowed from your mom is embarrassing!

Finding your friends who came from NC to run the race in a crowd of 12,000 is pure pleasure and a miracle!

Having your parents drop everything to join you for a weekend in Orlando at the last minute to wrangle your children because your husband had to bail is a true blessing (and loads of fun).

Placing your hydration gum in your sports bra instead of purchasing a running belt is a huge mistake. By the time you need it at mile 9 the wrapper will have dissolved due to sweat and your boobs will be a gooey mess.

Apparently it is possible for a female to pee standing up. I had the distinct horror of watching a girl run to the side of the road, pull her shorts to the side and pee. I am not sure this is proper etiquette since there were port-a-johns everywhere and not to mention BUSHES!

Running smack into the back of a burly sweaty man who decided he needed to come to a complete stop in front of me when grabbing a cup of water at mile 4.

Feeling like you are going to soil your shorts between miles 8 and 11 is the WORST. There is no real options when this happens except to pray and breath through it!

Running through Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios and Epcot at night is absolutely incredible! You will not set any PRs taking the time to walk a bit in order to take in the beauty of Universal Studios main street but you will never regret doing so!

The sheer joy and excitement you feel when seeing the last mile marker...there is not much that can top it. Its almost the same feeling you get when watching your soldier walk up the green ramp back from deployment...almost!

People who walk the last mile to the finish line HAVE NO HEART! And if for some reason you do need to walk...GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THOSE STILL RUNNING!!!

Having your dad wait 2 1/2 hours in the car in the dead of night is a true act of love!

Puking your way to the car and skipping out of the free wine and cheese is pretty lame.

Waking up feeling accomplished and sore is the best! Driving the six hour drive home tired and sore with a pissy two year old is not!

1/2 Marathon Chip Time 2:27:13
Overall Place 2854 / 7275
Gender Place 1416 / 4598
Division Place 311 / 945
Age Grade 44.7%

Tiny Dancer

2010-09-30T14:23:00.008-04:00

Delainey is taking a dance class here on post this fall. It took a little convincing to get her to wear the tutu...nothing a few M&Ms couldn't handle! She was very excited about going but was a little bit timid and shy once we got there. I think once she warms up a bit she will have a blast.

All ready to go,

Perfecting her twirl,

Delainey and her friend Aly,

Wordless Wednesday...Dancing Machine!

2010-09-29T21:07:00.004-04:00

Dancing!

Dancing!

Dancing machine!

We had Company!

2010-09-08T10:48:00.014-04:00

For Labor Day weekend, we enjoyed the company of Luke's mother, older brother and two of our nephews. We met them in Panama City for lunch and then had a glorious day at the beach! It was fun having company in the house and getting to show off our home for the first time all put together.

Uncle Matt let Delainey taste an oyster for the very first and much to my dismay, she seemed to enjoy it! First she licked off all the Tabasco sauce and then chewed up the little slimy critter like it was candy! It made me cringe but Luke was beaming with pride!

Panama City Beach...so glad to be back near the Florida coast!

Ise and Blue Daddy,

Marquis, Ise and Christian,

After the beach we all headed back to our house to enjoy the rest of the weekend. Grandma was kind enough to treat Delainey to a pedicure which pleased Delainey to pieces!

So cute, I know Grandma loved treating Delainey to pretty toes!

The following day, we took everyone to the Ft Rucker museum, which is always a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Ise really liked this airplane because he said it reminds him of a transformer!

Me on a Chinook, picture courtesy of Isaac Andrew!

Uncle Matt and Delainey!

Just us girls, Grandma, Delainey and me.

Uncle Matt, Luke, Marquis, Christian and Isaac.

The kids, Marquis, Isaac, Christian and Delainey.

We had a great visit and can't wait to do it again!

Biking It!

2010-08-28T19:00:00.005-04:00

I had decided once we moved down here to Alabama that I would start training for a triathlon. However, upon moving in I found out that the only indoor pool readily available to me was being torn down and rebuilt. So, that has kind of put that dream on hold for a little bit, but I did go out and purchase a hybrid bike to ride around until the pool is rebuilt.

I purchased used from a reputable and very nice bike dealer down here in Dothan. I wanted something that I could ride in a triathlon if I ever do get to do one but also something that I could feel comfortable on riding around in the neighborhood while towing a small buggy full of kids. The man was very nice and explained to me that my only real option was a hybrid since it would be very dangerous to try and tour with a road bike. I did spend a pretty penny on this bike but I love it and we have gotten some real good use out of it already and its only been a month! Its a Trek Hybrid and I love it...plus, the kids are always willing to hop in for a ride and adventure out to find new parks and trails!

So far, I have taken the kids on several excursions to various parks on Ft Rucker, driven to the library, PX, soccer practice and the mini mall. Both kids fit in the little buggy and love to go for a spin on the bike. I love that it saves gas and gives me a bit of a workout as well! Luckily, our new neighborhood isn't quite as hilly as our last but I will say the few hills that we do encounter are quite substantial! The first trek we went out on, we attempted to go up one of these almost mountain hills before I started to see little white specks. Ise convinced me to just turn around and go a different way. I was grateful for the suggestion and until I realized that the hill I was attempting to climb lead back into a valley and there was a hill just as steep on the other side! At one point while peddling up the hill the sign that records your speed starting flashing and was reading that I was traveling 16 miles per hour. I was just about to be highly impressed until I realized that it was registering the car approaching behind me that I couldn't hear due to the rapid gasping for air I was doing!

The bike has turned out to be such a fun way to get around. Pretty much everything we ever do on post is accessible by bike. The only down side is that the side walks in some parts end in cliff like curbing so that has been interesting at times. The other day while trying to get into the library parking lot, we ended up holding up traffic because I couldnt get the buggy up onto the curb. I ended up having to get off the bike and shove it from behind...the guy in the shiny black BMW didn't think it was nearly as funny as the kids and I did, Oh well!

We Got a First Grader in the House!

2010-08-26T14:09:00.008-04:00

Ise started the first grade this year and is attending the primary school here on post. I think he was rather happy to start school again, although he would never admit that! Since we moved mid summer, it was probably best that school started the first week of August so that he could get back into a groove and start making some friends. Apparently he has done rather well at that as he got a yellow light the second week of school for talking (must take after his momma!)
Here he is all dressed and ready for his first day,

(I realize the picture quality isn't all that great, but the humidity here is insane and it fogged up my lens...which I didn't realize until later when I uploaded the pictures!)

In front of his new school,

(This picture makes me laugh, because my parents made me take a picture in front of my middle school marquee when I was in eighth grade because my name was on it for student of the week. I was so embarrassed and humiliated that I threw the tantrum of all tantrums to try and get out of it. It didn't work and they still made me stand in front of the sign, red faced and snotty from crying...I wish I had a copy of the picture, its a classic for sure! Luckily, Isaac was much more willing and this shot was drama free!)

I only cried a little this time after dropping him off. I tried to get a photo of him at his desk but he politely declined and told me I better just go before I embarrass him (WHAT!) He is getting to be such a big kid these days. It sure does make a momma proud, but geez oh pete it is all going by way too fast!

Fun with Daddy!

2010-08-26T13:45:00.009-04:00

The kids have really been enjoying having daddy around so much these past few months.

They have been pumping iron,

Wrestling every chance they get,

Grocery go carting,

and lounging about enjoying each others company!

Mommy likes this a lot too because it ensures that she can cook dinner without any one screaming at her feet. She can wash the dishes without fear of the two year old helping with the knives! And she can even be in a few pictures every now and again!

Sweet Child of Mine

2010-08-21T19:33:00.008-04:00

If you ask Delainey what her name is, she now says Lane Lane. She loves it when anyone passes gas and will sell you out in a heart beat. Also, if she is the one that happened to pass the gas, she will squeal with laughter and blame anyone but herself. Her latest phrase is, "stop it mom" and she uses it all day long, whether I am doing something or not. It cracks me up that she calls me mom...I can just picture her in a few more months rolling her eyes and saying, "that is so lame mother!" Her brother is her favorite person and she tries her best to do whatever it is he is doing. Whether that is jumping into the pool, running around the room or building spaceships out of Lego's.

She is very bossy and specific. I think she may either grow up to be a Marine drill instructor or a gym teacher.

On the flip side of that though, she is (or might I say, can be) a very sweet, loving, adorable child who wants nothing more then to gently mother everyone around her. If she is given something, she demands..I mean, politely asks for one for Isaac as well.

I love how she is starting to develop a girly side. She loves all things princess right now, but can make blowing up noises with the best of them. She loves to push around her grocery cart full of babies and wear high heel shoes and have her toe nails painted. However, she also is quite content elbow deep in the dirt, wrestling her daddy and brother and collecting bugs!

She is silly and fun and loves to have a good time. She can sing songs off the radio and loves to make you laugh. She is full of piss and vinegar and her moods change like the wind. She is pretty much everything we could have ever wanted in a baby girl!

Tuesday's Ten on Wednesday!

2010-08-18T21:22:00.003-04:00

1. Do you have an innie or an outie?
An innie, its so deep I think if you stuck your finger in it you could tickle my spine!

2. What kind of milkshake do you order?
I usually don't order milkshakes as they have a way of making me regret them for several days after, but if I do, its usually cookies and cream from Chik fil a or Mocha from Arbys!

3. How often do you repeat outfits at work?
Everyday, since I work at home...I usually find myself still in my work out gear after lunch when I finally get a moment while baby girl is sleeping to take a quick shower and change.

4. What are your feelings about thank you notes?
They are very much appreciated and well received, and should be done more often!

5. Do you like spicy food?
I am sure my idea of spicy is very different from others, but no, I am not a huge fan!

6. How many toilet paper squares do you use?
Too many, judging from the frequency in which I clog toilets.

7. Were you in Girl Scouts?
I sure was! I met two of my very best friends while in girl scouts. I think I made it to Juniors before I decided it was too dorky for me. I have wonderful fond memories from being a girl scout!

8. Notebooks/Journals: College ruled? Wide Ruled? No lines? Spiral Bound? Plain front? Decorative?
Oooo... I love journals and little notebooks. I prefer college ruled with a decorative cover.

9. Do you snack throughout the day? What do you pack for snacks?
I much prefer snacking to large meals. My favorite snacks are fruits, pretzels and granola bars.

10. What is your favorite month? Why?
Hmm, I love April because its my birth month and usually the start of spring, but I also really love October because it means cooler weather and fall activities are beginning!

Picture Post!

2010-08-04T14:47:00.002-04:00

This was taken the first night in our new house! The kids were having a blast going through all their things and taking inventory. They both came running out of the back of the house wearing costumes and asking me where the masks to them were. I told them I had no idea and that I assume they would be in one of the many boxes we have all throughout the house. Ise didn't even skip a beat, he said, "its okay, I will just be Wolverine on vacation," and then slipped on some shades! Ha! I love that kid! And since Delainey can never be out done (or left out) she slipped some on too!

School's Out for Summer!

2010-06-26T16:17:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, while out running around with the kids, I noticed that Ise's hair was getting a little shaggy,

We had an appt for Delainey to get her haircut later that afternoon and decided perhaps a little trim was in order for Ise too!

Somehow a little trim around the edges turned into this,

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-06-23T19:02:00.001-04:00

It's Clear Who Wears the Pants in this Family!

Tuesday Ten!

2010-06-22T18:17:00.003-04:00

1. We have less than 30 days left in NC, the way I feel about this changes on a daily basis.

2. A dear girlfriend told me REALLY REALLY REALLY good news last night...like the super duper awesomeness news ever...so happy for her! Wish we were both sticking around these parts to enjoy the good news together, but such is the Army life!

3. I made a huge life altering decision this past week, only to wig the freak out and change my mind again, and then again, and then finally again...apparently I am not ready for anything that life changing just yet, if ever. Thank God, the Lord placed enough sane people around me to keep me on an even keel.

4. Baby fever has hit me like a ton of bricks! It could be the fact that every single person I know is currently pregnant (while not every single person, but darn near close). Some days I am quite thankful that Luke says absolutely not and other days it makes me quite sad to think we will never have another slimy, screaming bundle of joy to love all over and squeeze!

5. I gave my blog a face lift...I wish I was more savvy in that area, but this will do for now I suppose.

6. I absolutely hate flies!

7. Both children are covered in spider tattoos. Delainey has a love for all things tattoo...I suppose I could careless how many she is currently sporting, as long as they always stay fake.

8. I bought a bikini...WHAT? I know right. It actually doesn't look half bad and is my motivation to keep on keeping on in that gym! Luke is searching pretty hot and heavy for a boat to purchase and I want to debut that baby on that boat!

9. The air is still out in my car...which makes for quite a grand entrance where ever I go. I am not so sure the wind-blown look is in this year! It's amazing the little things we take for granted!

10. I am strongly leaning towards racing in the Crab Trap Triathlon this fall. The only issues are, I don't have a bike and haven't swam in years so it would take some training and require a bike purchase but I would love to check that off my life list. Once the dust settles from this move, I hope to pursue this further.

I Pray...

2010-06-21T15:44:00.006-04:00

You two will always be friends,

You will always find joy in one another,

and you will always be there for each other!

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time."
Clara Ortega

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T22:59:00.002-04:00

In honor of Luke being the greatest Blue Daddy in the entire universe, the kids gifted him with homemade cards and breakfast in bed. We made pancakes and bacon, since the year I made bagels was a complete disaster! The kids were beyond excited to wake up daddy and show him his cards!

We made it to church, had subs for lunch, everyone took a nap and then we played outside till the sun went down! A much needed, and appreciated day full of laughter, love and good times!

Happy Father's Luke, I am incredibly blessed to share this parenthood journey with you my love!

Pretty Much Sums Up Parenthood!

2010-06-17T22:43:00.002-04:00

I heard this song yesterday while driving the kids home from a long day out and about and totally cried like a baby! Seriously, this child rearing stuff is a mixed bag...some days you stand around thinking, Lord have mercy when will she grow out of that, how much longer will this phase last, will the screaming EVER stop!!! And then other days, you are dumbfounded by the fact that your babies are growing up and changing on a daily basis and its all happening so darn fast you can barely keep up! Being a mom definitely has its ups and downs, but its the greatest and most fulfilling journey I have ever been on!

Mark Harris - Find Your Wings

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold
The plans that heaven has for you
Will all too soon unfold
So many different prayers I'll pray
For all that you might do
But most of all I'll want to know
You're walking in the truth
And If I never told you
I want you to know
As I watch you grow

Chorus:
I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind
That leads you through your days
And may conviction keep you strong
Guide you on your way
May there be many moments
That make your life so sweet
Oh, but more than memories

Chorus:

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

Wordless Wednesday: Everyone Smile!

2010-06-16T16:34:00.003-04:00

Tuesday Ten!

2010-06-15T10:53:00.008-04:00

1. I bought a new shredder and am having the time of my life shredding darn near everything in the house! I have two full paper bags of stuff that has accumulated over the past two months when my old shredder died!

2. I ran the Army 10 Miler last Friday and did really well for little to no training for it! To be honest, a friend emailed me and asked me to run it with her. I immediately said yes as I read the email as saying a 10k, which is 6 miles. Boy was I shocked and a little frightened by the fact that it truly was a ten mile run! I did really well considering though and had a blast running it! I even did better than I thought I would, ten miles in 1 hr, 37 minutes! Oh, and I might lose my big toe nail, which would be totally disgusting but also a badge of honor (HA!)

3. Ise is attending football camp this week. He looks freaking adorable in his mesh shorts and baseball cap and is tanning up quite nicely! I can't believe that kid is going into the first grade already!

4. Delainey doodle has showed an increasing interest in potty training lately. Twice now she has come to me and told me she had to pee and then peed on the potty! She is such a hoot that kid! I would love to have her potty trained before the end of the summer.

5. We are schedule to be out of North Carolina by July 22ND! YIKES! We had a lead on an incredible house down in AL that both Luke and I fell in love with but the seller had already accepted an offer when we submitted ours. However, that exact same day, the housing office called with a brand new, single family home that she was willing to hold for us if we could be there before August 1st, which I take as a sign from above! We can always move off post later on, but with the quality of homes listed on the market down there currently, neither Luke or I are willing to purchase a house just to own one.

6. I recently made both the Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake and her enchiladas and both went over HUGE with the family! The sheet cake was enormous though so I recommend making it for a party or sharing with several neighbors or friends! Its probably possible to eat the entire thing, which is another reason I totally recommend sharing with others!

7. Today, the kids and I piled into the car and drove to Cary, 45 minutes up the road to have the a/c in the Jetta fixed. Forty-five minutes in the car with no air, blasting the radio to drone out the screaming child in the backseat that hates driving with the windows down will definitely due irreversible damage to your nerves. However, the real fun didn't start until he told me the sticker price to fix the air conditioning...lets just say it was more then 1/2 of what the car is worth! Soooo, I piled both children back into the car, after having had to entertain the little darlings for two hours in the waiting room and forking over $127 dollars for the pleasure of having them tell me the issues and then got the privilege of driving home, the exact same way we got there! OY VEY...I need a drink!

8. The kids are having a blast outside in the blazing Carolina heat! All they need is a plastic pool, a couple of squirt guns and a running hose and they are content for hours! I love the summer, especially this year, Daddy is home, the kids are all big enough to enjoy the water and I know its my last one here in NC. As much as I complain about the heat and bugs here in NC, I know that AL has a whole lot more of both ready and waiting for me!

9. Just realized that Alabama schools start a COMPLETE month before I thought they did, which is putting drastic restraints on some of our other plans!

10. I can't believe my baby brother will be getting married in 3 short months! I am super excited about the wedding, Delainey is the flower girl and Ise will escort her (Lawd have mercy, how cute will that be)! I can't wait to see all of their hard work and planning all laid out, knowing Jen, its going to be FABULOUS!

A Schmorgesborg of Events!

2010-06-12T21:09:00.011-04:00

We spent the Memorial Day holiday at Fort Fisher, NC and had an absolute blast! The weather was perfect, the beach fabulous and other than our accommodations (I saw a roach crawl across my pillow the very first night, YUCK!) it was incredible! Ise was a boogie boarding manic and Delainey took a while to warm up to the beach, but once she did, she was ALL about it! Luke and I even got to sneak off to a little joint called The Little Dipper for a very fun and romantic night of fondue...so amazing!

Memorial Day Weekend at Fort Fisher Beach!

Fort Fisher Aquarium

Fort Fisher

Happy Birthday Baby!

2010-06-02T22:31:00.009-04:00

Delainey recently turned two! (It was a week ago, but better late then never I suppose!)

Big brother ready to roll with the customary birthday muffin!

Rise and Shine Sleepy Head!

Still not really awake and probably wondering what the heck we were doing!

Here's our happy girl, diving into her birthday muffin,

Enjoying breakfast with Bubby!

I can't believe she is already two! If the past two years flew by this fast, I can only imagine how fast the next two will go. We are all incredibly blessed to have this sweet little girl in our lives, even if some days she is more sour than sweet! She is full of sass, cute as can be and has personality to burn, complete with a total mess of blondish brown curls...but she is incredibly loving, awesomely determined and independent and as stubborn as the day is long! And as trying and aggravating as that can be in the moment, I know these personality traits will serve her well throughout her life.

We love you Delainey Rose...you crazy little nut ball of fire!

Thankful Thursday!

2010-05-20T21:36:00.003-04:00

It is amazing how fast we have fallen into step since Luke got home. It honestly feels like he was never gone. I can't say I have ever been happier than I am right now. After almost nine years of being married and 6 years of parenthood, I finally feel like I know what family life feels like! Our move to Fort Rucker is rapidly approaching and we are working diligently to get everything in order by July. We recently took a trip down to Alabama to begin the search for a house but came up empty handed. Hopefully in the next several weeks, a house in the perfect location, in the right school district with awesome neighbors in our selected price range will hit the market at exactly the right time! I have to say, my feelings are all over the map about this move. I am excited to start a new chapter, live full time with my handsome husband, and be a whole lot closer to family but am feeling more sadden then I expected about leaving my current homestead. I never thought I would ever consider North Carolina my home but in the last couple of years, I have really settled in and made it so. It's incredible to think that when we moved here, Ise was younger then Delainey, just ten months old and now he is just about a first grader! Delainey might not ever remember living here but I know Ise will have some very fond memories and dear friends he will forever cherish. I have never really been fond of change, but I know the Lord has his hand on this next adventure and I know he will place the right people in the right places at the right times in Alabama just like he did for me here in North Carolina!

Wordless Wednesday..Delainey Style!

2010-05-19T21:29:00.006-04:00

The Good Life!

2010-05-02T21:30:00.006-04:00

This two parent family thing is really working out quite well over here! Seriously, do you know how much easier, enjoyable, and fulfilling it is to have a partner in crime! Whether its picking a place to eat, throwing the football or taking a family walk around the neighborhood, Blue Daddy just makes everything more fun! The weather here has been pretty awesome, although the heat wave is on its way for sure. I will definitely will miss our amazing yard and front porch when we move! I love sitting on the porch sipping a cold beverage while the children play in the kiddie pool or just run wild in the grass. Here are some shots from this afternoon, the kids are still wearing their church clothes!

Delainey loves this lawn mower! It blows bubbles and she only pushes it while running!

Reunited...

2010-04-26T18:07:00.015-04:00

And it feels so good! Blue Daddy made it home Saturday afternoon and we have been having so much fun getting reacquainted with him!

Our Welcome Home banner, that hung for a complete week before he ever made it home...I guess you can never be too ready!

Waiting patiently, the kids were super excited and both looked fabulous!

Fancy toes to match her dress!

In our arms at last! Delainey was not to sure what to think about all the fanfare but quickly nestled in with Blue Daddy once we got her home and rested!

Mission Complete!

Take It on the Run Baby!

2010-04-22T14:36:00.001-04:00

Patiently Waiting...

2010-04-20T21:38:00.008-04:00

We are still anxiously anticipating the return of Blue Daddy...soon, hopefully soon, he will be back in our arms and this entire nightmare will be a distant memory!

I have so many things running through my head, none of which I can formulate into anything intelligible enough to read! So here are some pictures to show how we have been occupying our time while we have been waiting!

We have been loving this awesome spring weather...we have been outside for countless hours and love it!

Painted the front door red, LOVE IT!

Got the pool up and running,

Pulled some dandelions,

Took pictures of the clematis plant for Nana,

and worked diligently on keeping happy hearts and positive attitudes!

Running On Empty!

2010-04-15T20:49:00.003-04:00

Today was my birthday...it was ok but I had hoped for a special delivery that has yet to arrive. I didnt let it get me down, too much. I will admit, first this was funny, then it seemed like a cruel joke and now its just completely out of hand! I found a verse the other night while reading and I have it embedded on my brain, I repeat it to myself over and over and over and over and over and over and over and...well you get the point!

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

I know he is coming. I know the wait will be worth it. I know that this will soon be in our past and we will anxiously be working on our future together. However, the emotional toll that this is taken on the kids and me is overwhelmingly exhausting! I can only imagine what it is doing to my husband! UGH! At this point, I do believe I have exhausted all my reserves and am now nearing the Wacko Jacko stage!

You Take the Good, You Take the Bad...

2010-04-11T21:56:00.002-04:00

The Facts of Life!

Seriously, I am starting to think someone is playing a cruel, sick joke on us! I am doing my best to maintain a level amount of joy, patience and faithfulness but there has been several things this weekend that I was NOT prepared for!

For instance, the complete, picture perfect aviation family that showed up at the zoo just as we did! A vivid reminder of what we still don't have!!! However, I do believe I handled it professionally and with grace and only winced once when I heard the little boy say, "Daddy, daddy, look a camel!"

The amount of sadness that Isaac is carrying around due to the fact that this makes no sense to him when he has pulled all but three rings off the deployment chain and we still have no idea when his Blue Daddy is due home! I have to constantly reassure him that if Daddy was able to be here he would be, and that Blue Daddy is sitting there thinking about him, just as much as he is thinking about Blue Daddy!

The emotional roller coaster I feel each morning as I grab my phone hoping and praying for good news, only to be greeted each morning with no news or worse news then before.

I am working over time to maintain a happy heart and a joyful spirit if not for my kids but to simply convince myself that this will all be over soon. I am finding it best to pull my strength from those ladies that lost their husbands and will never have a homecoming. I find it much easier to wait another day when I think of those brave and amazing women that have no choice but to carry on and I find it makes me appreciate what I have all the more.

I truly believe the Lord works on us through our trials and tribulations and I think I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am all part of a greater plan and that I have absolutely no control in the situation. This is huge for me, as I sort of like being in charge! There is a peace of understanding that has washed over me with this realization and I praise the Lord for his steady hand on my shoulder and his constant reminders that he is leading me whether I come peacefully or kicking or screaming.

Please pray for the people of Russia, please pray for those men and women that are stranded in refugee camps all over the Middle East waiting on rides home to their loved ones, pray for the family members that are trying their best to be patient but may be struggling with stresses that come with not knowing, and because they always weigh heavily on my heart, please pray for those families of the soldiers we lost...I can only imagine this is a very difficult time for them as well.

Aloha Zoo

2010-04-10T21:42:00.009-04:00

Today, the kids and I joined the Schubert family for a trip to a local zoo. It's literally 8 miles from my house! It was a family owned zoo on 60 acres and was the perfect thing for filling up a day. There was a variety of different animals to feed and pet and view from the train. Both kids had no qualms about walking right up and feeding a horse that stood 21 hands high or letting the camel lick the feed right out of their hands. I, on the other hand, stood at a safe distance and took pictures!

Isaac and Mallory demonstrating how there is such a thing as too much cheese!

Ise feeding a baby camel!

Delainey loved the baby goats...she squealed every time one would eat out of her hand!

Delainey and I on the train ride, she wasn't to sure about it at first!

This horse was HUGE! He stands 21 hands high and weighs 1800 pounds..neither one of the kids were phased by those facts, however!

I think I liked the baby cow the best. She was very sweet and there is just something beautiful and sincere about their eyes!

Delainey taking in all the animals from the train ride!

Thanks a Pantload Kyrgyzstan!

2010-04-09T22:27:00.003-04:00

Welcome Home sign for your beloved hero...free with shipping
Welcome Home outfits for the entire family...100 dollars
Welcome Home pedicure and haircut...98 dollars
The impeccable timing of a revolt in Kyrgyzstan dissolving all flights home indefinitely...FREAKING PRICELESS!

I am however, refusing to let this upset me. I have realized that being a military wife sometimes takes the strength, the faith and the patience of Job and seriously, me getting all upset and worked up does nothing for the situation, except give me a headache and awakens my faulty bowel! So, the kids and I are just patiently waiting, getting done some last minute chores and enjoying the final days of spring break. In past weeks, I have learned that everything works its self out and the only powers I possess are prayer and positive thinking so for now, I am patiently waiting, praying and enjoying the beautiful spring weather with the kids. I kind of feel like the only only powers I possess in this situation is positive thinking and prayer. So for now, I am busting my butt to correct the damages done by Easter chocolates, pruning hedges and chasing children! I am also no longer saying, this will be the last time I (insert chore) here...cause it looks like this week I will again be mowing the grass, sitting in church alone, and making suppers that no one wants to eat! Oy Vey!

Cake

2010-04-07T16:31:00.005-04:00

It's what's for dinner!

On the Horizon

2010-04-05T20:55:00.006-04:00

I turn 29 in 10 days, YIKES! This puts me at a year out from turning THIRTY! As a kid, I seriously thought 30 was ancient and still can't picture myself uttering the words, "I'm thirty." I am working on embracing it but can honestly say, I am not quite there yet! In my attempts to embrace it, I am working on a list of MUST DO's before I turn 30!

1. Take trapeze lessons. Seriously, I have wanted to do this forever!
2. Compete in a Triathlon
3. Learn to scuba dive
4. Vacation in Tahiti (Summer 2011...we are so there!)
5. Buy 3 rental properties
6. Run the Army 10 Miler
7. Read the entire Bible...cover to cover!
8. Sleep under the stars
9. Go on a mission trip
10. Go a month without take out or fast food
11. Take cooking classes
12. Have Luke teach me how to tinker on cars...I have always wanted to rebuild a classic with him!
13. Get a concealed weapons permit!
14. Get fit enough to wear a bikini...this is a must for Tahiti!
15. Learn to ride/drive a motorcycle

Granted, these might not all happen before I am 30 but I am going to try real hard to accomplish the majority of them before then!

Ten on Tuesday...Cause All the Cool Kids Are Doing It!

2010-03-30T21:34:00.003-04:00

1. The kids and I had a fabulous weekend...one for the record books for sure. The weather here has been amazing and I am finding that sitting on my porch with a glass of ice water watching the children frolic does my soul good!

2. Seriously, since I got the Blackberry, I never turn on my home computer anymore. Its evident by the bills stacking up next to the computer, the lack in blog posting and the fact that I have lost another pound...no lie, I can type and run on the treadmill at the SAME TIME!

2. Delainey has returned to her normal, amazingly awesome, happy go lucky little self! THANK GOD...I was seriously debating FedEx-ing her to my sister's house...she always wanted a daughter!

3. Isaac Andrew desperately wants to lose a tooth. He sits there wiggling, pulling and twisting his teeth all day anxiously trying to get one to move. In fact, he has informed me that, he is the ONLY one in the entire kindergarten that has not lost one yet...he sounds a lot like me when I was a kid (MOM! Everyone in fifth grade has a Billabong jacket, EVERYONE that is except ME!)

4. Luke is so close to being home I can almost feel him. Every time I drive by where we are to pick him up, I swear my heart flutters! I am so stinking excited its all I can think about! Isaac said I can have him the first day but after that, he gets Blue Daddy for man time, no girls allowed.

5. I am starting to get anxious to move. I have hauled off quite a bit of stuff to Goodwill, am painting out the rooms one by one and have been pursing the Internet for our next home. I can't say I am as excited to leave here as I once thought I would be but still will admit I am super excited to be finally living a two parent lifestyle!

6. I painted our front door cranberry (kind of a burnt red). I really wish I had done it sooner because I love it! I think it adds a little spice to the front of the house and it was SO easy to do and for only ten bucks!

7. I fixed the lawn mower ALL BY MYSELF! No man required and it actually works! Its the little victories in life that mean the most!

8. I haven't had mango salsa in 3 weeks.

9. Every single piece of laundry in this house is washed, folded and put away. Seriously, mark this down because I can almost promise you, it will never happen again!

10. I am so stinking proud of my two kids. This past year they have continually amazed me with their strength, their resilience and their ability to keep on keeping on. I know how deeply it affects me having Luke so far away but I can only imagine the impact of it on the kids...especially my little deep thinker son. I can't wait till he no longer has to include, "and please don't let the bad guys kill my daddy" in his prayers at night!

When Wilson Philips Has All the Answers...

2010-03-28T21:05:00.004-04:00

Have you ever had those times where it seems like everything seems to be falling apart at the same time? Seriously, the last few weeks I swear the devil has been riding my rear like ugly on a gorilla. Every step I make, every decision, every word, every feeling he is right there telling me how much I suck, how I will or have failed or how I just don't measure up to much. And when you add on top of the the stress of the last few weeks of a year long deployment, a almost two year old that refuses to sleep...EVER and a pending move with a house that seems to have one thing breaking after the other, oh and an added bonus, a spastic and faulty bowel...its easy to fall victim to the devil's handy work. I seriously was at my breaking point a few nights ago as I lay slung over the toilet, my head ready to explode from the pressure of a blinding headache with a child mere inches from my face shrieking like a dying bird because I wouldn't (couldn't) hold her. At that very moment, as lame as this sounds, I heard Wilson Philips singing (I must have seriously been delirious) "Don't you know things can change, things'll go your way, if you hold on for one more day." As odd as it sounds, it gave me just enough get up and go to get up and gently and lovingly calm down the screaming child and make it through the rest of the day!

2010-03-26T16:06:00.006-04:00

Since the time change, Delainey has decided she no longer needs sleep. She has given up on all naps, except for the occasional catnap in the car and bedtime has now become quite a scream (literally!). Delainey, since about three weeks of age, has always been an amazing sleeper. Nightly, I would lay her down at 8pm and not hear a peep out of her until 8am the next morning. Since we all sprung forward our clocks, I am lucky if I can get her down by 10pm or 11pm and she is back up at 4am!

I tried the Super Nanny's technique of putting her to bed and then going in every 5 minutes to lay her back down gently but that had no effect except to ensure the screams became even louder every time I left the room.

I am usually very much against the cry it out method but being that the child knows how to sleep, she is almost two, has been fed, changed, rocked, loved on, given her bunny, her bink and a sippy cup full of water, letting her cry seemed like the best bet for both of us!

The first night she screamed and cried for about 2 hours before I fell asleep. The next morning she woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed so I figure she will not be scarred for life. Since the first night, and that was three nights ago, she has steadily cried less and less but still screams and cries her way to sleep. I guess its in her nature as my mother said I did the same thing when I was her age.

I say all this to say, yesterday I had a haedache so bad that I could barely even see straight, let alone listen to the shrieking screams of Delainey Rose. All I wanted was to lay down for a few minutes and pray that when I woke up, my head would stop throbbing. Delainey refused to comply with that plan, even though she was beyond exhausted and I know for a fact, had she stopped screaming for 15 seconds and laid down, she would have been asleep instantly. Finally, I decided to just lock her in my bedroom with me while I slept. I gave her a snack, her babies, her bink and turned on Nick Jr for her. Of course, she decided it would be more fun to completely dismantle the bedroom but whatever, she was quiet and I got to sleep off my pounding headache. When I woke up, this is what I found....

She's Not

Even

Tired!

And you better believe I left her just like that!

Momma's Free Spirit!

2010-03-20T07:22:00.004-04:00

This is how I always want to remember Delainey...

Wild and crazy hair, no cares in the world, yelling, "help momma, help," so I will come boost her up onto the jungle gym slide. Running wild and free in the backyard under the afternoon sun, laughing and giggling as her and the dog explore the great outdoors. One little princess band-aid on her skinned up knee from the spill she took on the drive way running out to greet her brother fresh off the school bus. Her soft and squishy little toddler arms peeking out of her brightly colored sun dress with just enough dirt on her to make it impossible to consider her a girly girl! Oh how I adore this little sunshine girl!

Sunshine Day!

2010-03-14T22:13:00.002-04:00

The past several days around here have been absolutely gorgeous! The kids and I had a fabulous weekend. We rested and recuperated (AGAIN) from the blasted stomach flu, had a great lunch at Chili's, saw a movie, played in the yard, picked up all the pine cones, had a picnic in the yard and spent lots of quality time together. Now that our weekdays are so busy, its so nice to have the weekends to unwind and relax. We opted out of church this morning for fear of infecting anyone else or bringing home a new germ! The entire household linens have been washed, the doorknobs, remotes, and hard surfaces have been wiped down with bleach. The air has been polluted with Lysol and the kids are now on chewable acidophilus pills and vitamin c! I pray to God that is our last bout with the darn stomach bug!

By The Numbers...

2010-03-13T20:34:00.002-05:00

4 days till St. Patrick's Day!

6 days till Girl's Night Out!

17 days till the Redeployment brief!

18 days until April!

21 days till Jack's 7th birthday!

22 days till Easter!

24ish days till Luke is US bond!

33 days until my 29th birthday!

My ticker is set to my birthday because God willing, I will be spending it with my husband, on a date, that includes alcoholic beverages, lots of hand holding and maybe some chips and salsa! I never thought I would ever be this excited to turn 29!

Baby Girl...

2010-03-10T21:32:00.002-05:00

Puked in her bed this morning...and then twice in the car and once in her highchair.

I am praying she wakes up feeling brand new tomorrow...I hate it when my babies are sick!

This Weekend...

2010-03-07T21:07:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Ise's sixth birthday at the Jump Zone with 35 of our closest friends and family!

I screamed out loud when I heard some awesome news a friend shared with me...a blessing from God no doubt!

The sun shined high up in the sky making for perfect out doors play weather.

I attended both Sunday school brunch and the church service and left both feeling blessed and rejuvenated!

I fell completely head over heels in love with my husband all over again!

I got a Blackberry and finally feel like I am part of the 21st century.

I can officially say we are within 30 days (give or take) of a reunion!

10 Months

2010-03-05T08:35:00.000-05:00

It's hard to imagine that Luke left 10 months ago today! Seriously, that day he left feels like a lifetime ago. I have to say this deployment has not been as hard as the past ones have. I think there must be a progress to these damn things...the first one I was in bitter denial (he left when I was 5 months pregnant and didn't return until the baby was almost 10 months old!) the second one I was bitter and angry and deeply depressed! This one I decided long before I said goodbye that I would make the most of it, and I truly think the kids and I have done just that. I guess I finally came to grips with the fact that a year is still 365 days no matter if you are happy or sad! Thankfully, I have a great family that supports me and lets me go off when I need too. They never judge me or hold my outbursts against me! I also have several very close friends that are trucking along right along side me and lifting me up when I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. It also doesn't hurt that Luke and I have come along way together and apart and we never let the distance come between the love between us. I always get annoyed when I hear people say that long distances relationships don't work...clearly we could be the poster models for that because the majority of our relationship has been from a distance.

His return will mark the end of one chapter...endless stupid deployments, at least for a little bit and will lead us down a path of togetherness. It will be so amazing to be able to pick up the phone and call him. To have his hand to hold in church and in the long drives to Florida. To have a second option in the house when I don't know how to handle the kids. To have a man around for Isaac to pal around with and for Delainey to be able to kiss (instead of slobbering all over his picture on my phone!) Just to have adult company after the kids go to bed will surely be a dream come true! This deployment has not be as difficult as the past ones, but I have never missed him as much as I did this past year. Come on April...my 29th birthday is looking like it will be my best one yet!

Totally Cool Video!

2010-03-04T13:03:00.004-05:00

I saw this video on Dooce earlier today...its definitely worth watching!

Wail and Wahoo Wednesday!

2010-03-03T21:25:00.002-05:00

Wahoo: Today was a snow day and the kids and I had a GREAT day together!

Wail: Today was a snow day and that means they will start adding days to the end of the year...NOT COOL!

Wahoo: We only have 6ish more weeks to this deployment...Can I get a WOOT WOOT!

Wail: I this stupid deployment over NOW...but in true military wife fashion, I WILL DO THIS!

Wahoo: I have been getting my run on in the gym...I think I need to register for another 1/2 marathon...a girl's gotta have a goal right?

Wail: My run time currently blows! However, I am busting my butt working my time back down, slowly but surely I will get there again!

Wahoo: Did I mention we are ALMOST done with this deployment!!!

Wail: What is there to wail about...we are ALMOST DONE!

21 Months!

2010-02-28T21:17:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Beanie Boy!

2010-02-27T09:20:00.003-05:00

Drink up! You have reason to celebrate!

Happy 2nd Birthday Skylar Dillon aka Beanie!

Ise's 6th Birthday!

2010-02-26T20:01:00.008-05:00

We had so much fun celebrating Isaac's birthday yesterday! We started the day off by surprising Ise with breakfast in bed! He really didn't want to wake up but once he realized what we were doing he got super excited!

I sang him my best rendition of Happy Birthday (through tears mind you, yes, I am a dork!) And then presented him with his birthday present!

I surprised him again, when I delivered Spiderman cupcakes to share with his class. His face was priceless and his teacher noted that for once he didn't seem to mind being the center of attention! I think the Lord's hand was truly all over the selection of this teacher because she is so understanding, committed and loving towards Isaac. She even gave him six birthday whacks on the bottom with a stuffed fabric flower and a pinch to grow on! He loved every minute of I might add!

Later that evening, we celebrating with our neighbors with pizza and strawberry cake with chocolate icing...per Ise's request. It was actually really good!

I really tried to make his birthday extra special because he has been missing Blue Daddy a lot lately! The night before his birthday he got a little sad and weepy because his Blue Daddy wasn't going to be with us to celebrate but when I was tucking him into bed that night, he said it was the best birthday a boy could ever have!

A big thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for the Kinex set...it went over HUGE and to Uncle Ryan and Aunt Jen for the dump truck Lego set! He absolutely loved getting both packages and had them both assembled in no time! Thank you so very much for thinking of him!

Happy 6th Birthday My Boy!

2010-02-25T07:46:00.000-05:00

Holy Hannah, my boy is six! I have thought about this post a lot in the past week and I am still at a loss for words to describe how amazing and awesome my sweet boy is. He is growing up so quickly and changing so fast its hard for this old mom to keep up! This past year he has had to take on an awful lot, more then any five year old should. He has handled it all with such determination and grace that sometimes I forget that he is only five...well, now six.

He has helped me so much with his daddy being gone, and a better big brother you would be hard pressed to find. Delainey definitely hit the jackpot in the big brother lottery!

There is a song on the Christian radio that reminds me of Isaac every time I hear it. I usually have to wipe away tears when I sing the chorus,

Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You're going to do great things,
I already know,
God's got His hand on you so,
Don't live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don't forget why you're here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say

I know the Lord has big plans for my boy, and I am beyond blessed to get to experience this life looking and learning through his eyes! Daddy and I love you so much Isaac Andrew and we could not be more proud to call you our boy! XOXO

WHY?

2010-02-23T21:52:00.002-05:00

Apparently our household is VERY susceptible to the stomach flu. It seems like we get it at least once a month. SERIOUSLY!

Yesterday, after a great morning at the gym and running errands with Delainey, good times turned to bad times ( as Isaac Andrew would say!) While waiting in the drive through at Subway, I turn around to hand Delainey my new magazine to look at to keep her busy, just in time for her to power puke all over it! Oh and it didn't stop there...the puke just kept on coming. The smell was beyond description and the poor sweet girl was covered, the backseat was covered, she was shaking from the trauma of it all and because I had the window down so I wouldn't hurl next! I so do NOT do vomit! We finally made it home where I cleaned us all up, scrubbed out the car, tore apart the car seat and washed that all out, just in time for me to become ill! SERIOUSLY! Ugh! Luckily, I have amazing friends who will bring me dinner, pick up where I left off running MOPS and check in on me to make sure we are all still alive! Now flash forward today, where I managed to get Ise to school, pick up several much needed items at Wal-mart and then flapped back onto the couch where I slept for 4 hours. Unfortunately, Ise Andrew got sick at school today and I never even heard the phone ring! So not racking up any awesome mom points today! I had to drive to the bus stop because my head was pounding so badly and my legs were like noodles. Poor Ise got off the bus wearing some other child's gangster pants that were two sizes to big for him. Ugh! Poor kid, he didnt seem to upset by it all but I hate that I wasn't there for him when he needed me! Stupid stomach flu!

Why Big Brothers Rock...

2010-02-22T21:44:00.005-05:00

They will share their Fun Dip with you when they think Mom isn't looking!

Damn YOU Paul Newman!

2010-02-19T14:13:00.004-05:00

Holy Hannah, Paul Newman's Mango Salsa is my new nightly craving!

(I stole this photo off the Internet, those are NOT my pink doilies...I don't even own a doily!) I should have cropped out the pineapple salsa, because it doesn't even compare to the mango!

Seriously, this mango salsa might be the very thing that is standing between me and those skinny jeans but I don't EVEN care...it's that good! Last week, I decided my salsa cravings where getting way out of control and I strictly forbid myself to purchase another jar. I cut myself off cold turkey from the sauce as they say, but unfortunately it didn't last long. My dear friend gifted me a jar of this crack in a jar and a bag of tortilla chips as a thank you for watching her children while she was sick. Oh man, its so good! Seriously, I can eat the whole jar... by myself...in one sitting...I don't even need a chip, I can eat it with a spoon! Its THAT good!

Myrtle Beach 2010

2010-02-14T21:14:00.008-05:00

The kids and I had a blast down in Myrtle Beach for the weekend....it snowed! On the beach! Crazy, but very beautiful!

We made a quick stop at the Ripley's Aquarium...where Delainey loved petting the horseshoe crabs and stingrays!

Isaac wasn't too sure about the stingrays but ran himself ragged in the play land!

The best part of the aquarium was when some college aged kids were trying to pick up some of the horseshoe crabs and the teenage boy working there had to tell them to only pick them up if they are ALONE...the faces on the guys were classic when they all took a glance around the tank and realized what the ones that were hooked together were doing!

The Army set us up in a decent hotel on the beach and the only trade off was that we had to sit through several classes on The 7 Habits of Effective Families. Luckily, my friend Dustin went and we had a blast, although I am not sure either one of us did much listening!

It was a great weekend getaway and I appreciate the Army so much for treating us to such trips!

Nothing says Love Like...

2010-02-07T21:45:00.003-05:00

Big

Squishy

Bear hugs!

Little Miss Sassafras!

2010-02-06T19:18:00.000-05:00

Delainey is what my Tutu Kani would call a real kick in the pants! He called me that once and I never quite got it until I met Delainey.

She is quick to laugh, quite to scream, quick to love and quick to fight. She is a tiny ball full of laughter, love, screaming fits, slimy kisses, mad slapping hands, and intense bear hugs!

Her screams can be heard a mile away and I have no doubt if put to the test, they could also break glass! (She totally looks like Luke here!)

Thankfully she is just as happy as she is sassy and her laugh is quite infectious! Luckily (for her), she is pretty darn cute...which I can assure you has saved her life more then once!

Ta-Da!

2010-02-04T19:39:00.004-05:00

Lately, I have been reading craft blogs like they are going out of style! Now that I have both kids sleeping through the night in their OWN beds by 830pm my nights get pretty lonely and boring. I have been feeling pretty crafty lately so I decided to take a swing at some of these amazing ideas from the blogs I have been diligently stalking night after night! I love the way this turned out, especially how the craziness of his hair is captured! I have always wanted a silhouette picture done of the kids but they are so pricey, however not even remotely hard to make! I think it turned out awesome and as soon as I can get baby girl to stand still long enough standing sideways to snap a picture, I will make one of her as well!

As you can see, Isaac was no where near as excited to stand for this picture as Delainey was...which is funny seeing as how she will never cooperate and stand for a picture when I want one of her!

It's Getting Crafty In Here!

2010-02-02T19:20:00.005-05:00

Check out these adorably awesome (if I say so myself!) Lego invitations I made for Isaac's upcoming 6th Birthday Lego Bash! I found a similar idea on a craft blog and then just modified it to fit what items I had!

On the reverse side, I printed the party information on cardstock and then just glued them on. I also found a really cool idea to build a small lego wall and write the party information on them and have the guests create their invite but I wasn't too hot on having to pay special for postage on all of them!

Snow Ice Cream!

2010-01-31T12:08:00.006-05:00

We are on day two of house confinement...thanks snow! In an attempt to not go stir crazy and have a little fun, Ise and I made snow ice cream.

First, you must gather 2 quarts (or more) fresh, clean snow!

Then you add 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and milk...just add milk until you reach the desired consistency. We used whole milk because whole milk makes the yummiest milkshakes!

A handsome and helpful assistance also comes in handy,

And just for fun, we added a little blue food coloring...which Ise was totally impressed by!

Then cause we are fancy like that, we added little fancy umbrellas and enjoyed our tasty treat!

Snow Day!

2010-01-30T19:38:00.012-05:00

Its snowed!

Anxious to go out and play!

Delainey sporting Isaac's hand me down Elmo sweatshirt and hat!

She's up!

She's down!

She never seems affected by the cold, even though by this point her hands were like blocks of ice!

Brr, it was cold out there!

This picture cracks me up....it took her about 5 minutes to get back up after she fell!

Two of a Kind!

2010-01-28T20:58:00.004-05:00

This is me as a young babe clomping around in my Daddy's running shoes,

and this is Delainey clomping around in Luke's ~~running~~ tennis shoes!

Perhaps this is a sign that she will be a runner too?

It's Back!

2010-01-25T17:01:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately, with the departure of Luke comes that huge heavy brick that seems to lodge itself right on my chest and makes it hard to fully breathe or relax. Other then the stressfulness that separation brings, we are actually doing awesome. In fact, to some people it might be worrisome how quickly we were able to revert back to life without Blue Daddy. We are all counting down the days until Luke is safely back here in NC, taking his place as head of the household and leading the way. Thankfully, we are finally headed to an assignment that will allow Luke to be around, day in and day out for at least three years! Shortly after his return from over there, we will be packing up our stuff and moving to Ft Rucker, AL! We are all so excited and can't wait to finally start our lives together as a family of four. Plus, as an added bonus, we will be much much closer to our families and lots of fun places to launch our boat...a gift we will be giving ourselves for making it through this past year! I cannot even tell you how many hours a day I spend daydreaming about being together, on our boat, fishing and tanning and having fun! We are so close to the end of this thing, I can't even stand it! It's getting harder to maintain the pace, much like runners block, deployment block is a beast! However, we will power on and make it to the end, with our heads held high and our hands raised in victory...while some of us may do it kicking and screaming and others may need constant reassurance that we will in fact make it...we will make it nonetheless!

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
(Isaiah 40:31)

Young Love

2010-01-24T20:51:00.003-05:00

Today while driving to a friend's house with another friend and her kids, we overheard this conversation from the backseat between Ise and Mallory.

Ise: Before we can get married, I have to get a job

Mallory: Just kiss me

Ise: You can work for a little bit but when you have our babies, you can stop working.

Mallory: Kiss me Isaac

Ise: I will be a boxer and beat people up for money and you can take care of the kids

Mallory: Will you just kiss me

Ise: I can't kiss you until we are married!

And Then He's Gone!

2010-01-20T22:18:00.010-05:00

Blue Daddy left this morning...back to the desert he goes! R&R was beyond awesome and I am so happy and feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams to have just had two weeks with my precious little family all under the same roof. I know Luke was bored at times, but enjoyed getting to play with the kids and just take it easy. Afghanistan is a much faster paced, more stressful way of life then our household apparently. The kids were very pleased with having Blue Daddy around and both of them will miss him very much, as will I. Thankfully, with the culmination of R&R we are now on the fast track to this season of our lives coming to an end. We are all so excited about our upcoming move this summer and with it the prospect of stability and a whole lot of family face time!

We had a fabulous time in the mountains, it was freezing cold but absolutely gorgeous! We found the most perfect hill to sled down

...although Delainey and I spent most of the time watching the boys from the toasty warm Bronco!

We also went to the Ashe County Cheese Company...it got great reviews in all the brochures that were in our cabin. Um yeah, turns out its just a large window that looks into a garage size factory...Luke was totally wowed!

Even Major got to come to the mountains, he had a blast playing around in the snow!

I seriously hate that our two weeks is already over but am so thankful that this mission is almost complete!

Ain't It Grand!

2010-01-06T19:57:00.003-05:00

Luke made it home safe and sound for his two weeks early Monday morning! We got to meet him at the gate and I can't explain the weight that dropped off my shoulders as soon as I saw him! The kids were so funny to watch. Ise started to walk towards him, then thought twice about it and started to back into me and then ran to Luke. Delainey was totally unsure of what to do so she just went with the death stares she is known for. The poor guy was exhausted and after a few good hours of re-connecting with the kids, hit the hay for about 14 hours! We were able to celebrate his birthday briefly before the poor guy got food poisoning! Unfortunately, Luke's little bit of rest and relaxation has started off with a bang to say the least! Either way, we are so happy he is home with us and that we can touch, talk, snuggle, wrestle with whenever we want too! Hopefully, once he is feeling better I will be able to get some pictures! Love to you, we really do appreciate all the thoughts, prayers and kind words! Seriously, the past eight months would have been much more painstaking had it not been for all the love and support! XOXO!