Perhaps this venue should be an annual thing for me. Apparently I don't keep up with it and I just won't stress myself out about keeping up with it. Though I thought it would be a nice way for my family and friends to keep up with me. WHEN I MOVE ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE PLANET AWAY FROM ALL OF MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS. This should happen sometime before the end of the year. It's a PCS. (Permenant Change of Station). Our first. And only, I hope. I can't really say that because it may be a fantastic experience that I will wish to do over and over again. But probably not.
I'm excited about the "New" I will experience and I'm always up for an adventure. These are the things I do NOT look forward to:
1. Not being able to plan on anything.
2. Renting out our house while we are gone.
If anyone has advise on military moves feel free to comment. If anyone has advice on renting out your house, again, please comment.
The End.

This Too Shall Pass!

So, um, I'm really, really going to try to keep up with this bloggy-thingy. I'm not trying to force myself to keep up with something I don't have time for, I think that it's that I'm not very computer savvy and things that require more than one step I find tiresome. I have that Deer-in-the-headlights look when a recipe calls for more than three steps or four ingredients. (Thank you Nanny for my 3 Ingredient cookbook, my children eat dinner on a regular basis now.). I think awesome thoughts and quickly forget them so honestly, this is why I would like to make a better effort to record my musings. Reason #2: Mailman Bob (my hubby of 13+ years) can keep up with the craziness all the way from Afghanistan. Yep, that's right folks. Mailman Bob is in the good ol' National Guard. He's been there for awhile and he's got awhile to go before he comes home. Note: Fun Operation Security Rules Apply. I may never reveal information that may give the Bad Guys a head's up. Dates, places and people's names will be changed to protect National Security. So I'm going to have fun with it and give them all fun names.
That's about it for this minute, I'm about to put our monkeys to bed...I hope they stay there.

Marching On

I can't believe it's Spring. I've heard others wonder about the very same thing and I have always thought how silly it was of them to say this. I mean, Spring happens every year at the same time. How could it "sneak up" on us? I think I ignore so much of God's amazing world all too often.
I have mixed feelings about the arrival of Spring. In some ways I feel refreshed and energized by the warming weather and the budding trees, etc. In other ways I feel a small panic well up inside of myself. Like I've wasted the entire Winter sitting in front of the TV or computer. More than likely I had my nose in a book. Anyway, I feel like I've got to "catch up" on the things that I planned out during the Winter. I should have already tilled the garden bed, started seedlings indoors, caulked the windows, weatherstripped the doors, etc. I just started the seedlings today. I'm a month late. It's been so windy I haven't pruned anything either. Oh well. Don't stress out. If Jesus doesn't come tonight, there's always tomorrow. LOL. (My Nanny used to say that about dirty dishes left in the sink. I use that philosophy all the time now.)

So, one more thing to think about: Lent. I've never observed Lent before. I've tried to fast from things, without much success. This year our church is really on the band wagon so I decided to hop on. I'm giving up sugar. Anyone who knows me knows what a total sacrifice this is for me. So, pray for me...and someone probably needs to check in on the children...

So, the weather is AWFUL but I am singing God's praises today. (And EVERY day.) We are BACK in our "Old" house. That is to say, we were approved for our loan modification. We can now afford our mortgage payment without me having to find a job working nights. Ha.
Just thankful to be out of an 875 sq ft. box with a floor furnace.
Also, we are actually looking forward to tax season this year. We should be receiving a nice refund. Praise The Lord!!!!

Back from my Blog Vacation

I know, it's been over a year. I've been busy. My year in a nutshell....ready...set...GO!
Ice Storm Christmas '09
Lost my job. Happy New Year 2010!
1/10 Hubby joined National Guard
3/10 Hubby goes to NG training...out of state
4/10 Same.
5/10 Same.
6/10 Slowly falling financially behind due to NG pay "errors" and loss of my income.
7/10 Same.
8/10 Choose to Home school children for 1st time EVER because of hubby's crazy schedule.
8/10 Meet hubby's 19 year old daughter for 1st time. GREAT experience. Love her.
9/10 Join Home school co-op and teach art. LOVE it.
10/10 Begin to realize we can't afford our mortgage with me not working and pay "errors"
11/10 Try to sell house, move from 2300 sqft. to 900 sqft. 1 bth, 2 bd. 5 people. HATE IT.
11/10 Enroll oldest 2 in new school. 1 HATES IT. Prefers to be home schooled.
12/10 Miserable. Financially panicking. Emotionally panicking. (sigh)
2011 Happy New Year. It can only get better...right?
1/11 Waiting on 2nd attempt at loan modification to be approved this time...Please, God...Help.
Only You can keep us sane in this tiny house. Please help us get back into our home!
1/11 Found out good friend from college has cancer. She's only a few years older than me and she has young kids. This isn't fair. At. All.
So, now you know. Roller Coaster year. Fun times.
I know God provides. I know He alone is my strength. My Peace lies in my relationship with Him. Not my house. Not where my kids go to school. Not even my husband's presence. That last one is hard for me to write.
Five more days of January. February is going to be SOOO much better than January, right??? Ha!

"Where, Oh Where Has My Little Time Gone?"

Oh where oh where could it be? With my nights cut short and my days cut long.... ha! Thought that was funny. But, then again, I crack myself up when others just sit and stare... Anyway, I digress.
My official first day of school went rather well, considering I made the girls "tuck and roll" instead of walk them into their class. Emily was rather miffed about this. Morgan was nervous. But, I had to be at work early that day and I had already taken Drew to daycare and SaSa to High school. I didn't take their picture on the first day of school. Well, I did, but it was AFTER school. They were still cute. They're my kids after all. I'll probably make a first-day-of-school fuss again when Drew goes to kindergarten. I did make a special breakfast bread for them. Neither of them ate it. They wanted Frosted Flakes. I didn't have any. They wanted Pancakes. Too bad, I didn't have the time. They got toast and Corn Chex...with like five spoons of sugar in the bowl. See? I'm a good mom. A bad mom wouldn't let them have ANY sugar.

Mo Monkey is playing the violin this year. She's so funny. I think Karma came to visit me...she is so LOUD when she practices. I don't remember being that loud. Plus, I've played the violin so I am trying to teach and not criticize. This is very difficult for me.
Emily has already introduced herself to the school staff, including the new nurse. Emily loves the staff at her school and enjoyes the fringe benefits of her visits to the office.
For instance, when she walked to the office to tell the secretary she had missed the bus on the first day of school she was allowed to get a sucker from the candy jar while the office staff fell all over themselves trying to flag the bus down to wait for her. Last year, the nurse kept Pop Tarts in her office for those with an "upset stomach". Emily was often plagued with an upset stomach last year.
Morgan (as usual) was very excited and loved, loved, loved her new teacher and wants to do everything very well.
Emily loves... well, we don't know what Emily loves.
The girls also had their first Girl Scout meeting. We love Girl Scouts. I can almost smell the Thin Mints....
Drew started his new school. He loves his teacher's whistle-necklas. She uses it often. I think he sees it as an object of power. He's asking for one all the time now.
SaSa is a little overwhelmed by the new American High School. In Germany they don't have extra cirricular activities like sports or cheerleading. Not even Student Council. They don't have a graduation ceremony or prom. Yuck!!!!
Well, that's enough for now!

Count Down to Victory!

The 2009-2010 school year begins August 20th. I am so thankful for this for so many reasons. I know summer isn't officially over YET, but we are winding down and I can smell the scent of fresh crayons in the air. Let me pause to count the blessings of the new school term...

1. LESS DAYCARE COSTS! Don't get me started talking about my internal struggle with someone other than myself raising my child. I think about it daily.
2. A MORE ORGANIZED HOME! Children at home with a 16 year old babysitter = a really messy house.
3. New work hours! Yes ladies and gentleman, I am now working 32 hours a week. Perfect hours for a mommy with school aged children. 9-3. I drop them off at 8 go back home and put on my make-up, drink a cup of tea, watch the morning news...all...alone...in peace and...quiet. Then I'm ready to face the day.
This is such a fabulous arrangement that I will have to think very seriously about keeping these hours even when the recession is over and my boss announces that I am welcome to work 40 hours again. I think I will say, "No thank you."
So, the point being to this is that I will be able to attend all of my children's Monday Morning Assemblies. I will be able to get back to the school library and shelve books and keep in touch with my new found PTA friends.

Okay so these are the top 3 reasons I cannot wait until the school term begins. Yipeeee!

Oh, P.S.- Morgan did not come out of this summer vacation entirely unscathed. She came back from a visit in the countryside with a tick hitching a ride in her ear canal. We had to make a trip to the E.R. The whole ordeal was very disturbing for myself. Morgan took it like a champ. She screamed bloody murder but didn't move a muscle. You would have had to knock me out with a heavy sedative and strapped me down to the bed if you had told me you were going to dig in my ear with a, "small scalpel". What??!! Okay, I have to stop thinking about that right now...

Lights Out!