O BRAWNER, WHERE ART THOU?

Jealous.....

2010-02-18T18:49:00.000-08:00

I seem to spend more time than I'd care to admit

on Facebook these days.

However, it's truly a great place to catch up with old friends

and when you're a military family, to keep in touch

with ones all over the world.

Last week I was a little jealous of

all my friends and family in Texas

who got between 6-12 inches of snow!

I know right?!?!

Snow! In TEXAS! It's unheard of!

None the less it happened and it made me sooo

miss the snows we were able to enjoy in

Washington the past 3 years.

Pictures after pictures were posted.

For some of my friends it was the first time

they had ever seen snow,

even more so this much!!!

It made me think back on the first time I saw the

gorgeous white flakes.

It hurt my eyes, so bright and pure!

To be totally honest

I'm not sure if it was the actual snow I was jealous of

or the family time we spent with one another

after all the hustle and bustle of the world halts.

When 1-2 feet of snow happen everything stops...

school, dance, gymnastics, scouting,

my volunteer obligations, all of it.

The road leading into our little subdivision would be closed

due to the sharp incline leaving it impossible to pass.

We would be stuck in our little cul-de-sac for hours and hours

of vehicle-less play...not a sound you would hear

but the giggles of kids playing.

We would all bundle up and play

as long as we could humanly handle the snow...

head in to warm up and then go out again!

I miss seeing the rows of wet clothes hanging from the stair's banister,

the piles of wet socks,

gloves and hats at the front door.

I miss the hot chocolate rings all over the counter

and the reiminants of the cocoa powder

from where the kids have missed their mugs.

I miss the time we had to pat down little trails in the snow,

the kids following me like little baby ducks

in order for us to make ways for the pups to go to the bathroom.

I miss the snowball fights in the dark

just because

we didn't want the day to end.

I've missed this part of the winter when the world stops

and it's all about time with the family....

it's all about giggles and no bedtime curfews....

yep, that's all it was...totally jealous of their snow...totally.

It's Girl Scout COOKIE time!!!

2010-01-22T15:52:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already had the pleasure of a cute little girl knocking at your door with cookie pre-sales yet I'm sure it's only time! I think I love cookie sales just as much as Celeste does! She's such a go getter and oh how I enjoy watching her confidence soar as she walks up to doors and people within our community; to see her eyes light up as she introduces herself and "sells" the real meaning of Girl Scout cookies. Yep, there's ALOT more to it than just a box of cookies from a girl...

The Cookie sales are more than just a fundraiser, it's a fun way for girls of all ages to earn the money that fuels their dreams and troop activities throughout the entire year. It's also a powerful, hands-on leadership and entrepreneurial program. Celeste will learn to inspire change with donations made through this season, DISCOVER how her sister Girl Scouts can make a difference right now in our ever changing world, CONNECT with people in her community, and TAKE ACTION not only in her own neighborhood but far beyond with the amazing donations made by our friends, family and community! She will learn responsibility, communication skills, financial and math skills, self-confidence, teamwork, honesty and integrity through the next couple of months and will spill over into the rest of her life. Celeste has set her personal goal of 500 boxes in lieu of a week of Girl Scout summer camp as well as $50 to spend at the Girl Scout store. Last year her troop donated almost 500 boxes of cookies to Operation Cookie Drop a Gift of Caring to our military troops overseas. This year our Troop (#871) will be donating cookies to the Ronald McDonald House of Pensacola, FL http://www.rmhpensacola.org/.The general population may not know that with one box of Girl Scout cookies ONLY 28% goes to the cost of the cookie...the other 72% ALL goes back to the Girl Scouts through camps and out of this world programs! No one is getting a pay check out of cookie sales, no money is going to anything BUT the girls!! So, if you get that knock at the door or you see those cute little girls at their colorful table in all sorts of weather....support our Girl Scouts...our future girls with courage, confidence, and character, who are striving to make the world a better place. http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/

Pensacola Beach

2010-01-09T17:04:00.000-08:00

Today the family was able to venture down to the beach. It was in the high 30's but with the wind...WOW...you could say COLD! That didn't stop our fun! The kids were still able to fill their buckets with shells...we have brilliant white shells and a sink full of sand to prove it! We chased the birds and they did some serious dive bombing us for food at times..and we didn't even have any! Guess even the birds can hope! We walked the super long, very windy, unbelievably cold pier. Celeste loved that she was "in the water" and Lance thought it was scary...course he did find something interesting at the end...

The best part of the afternoon was that we were all together....and it didn't cost a dime!! Even FREE can be fun when you're with the most important things in life! Now I have my moments of "ugghh" due to the military but oh how lucky are we that the Navy takes us places with amazing views like these!

Christmas Day

2009-12-25T18:36:00.001-08:00

Gosh..what an amazing day. We started off with breakfast around the table Bible study and reading from Luke and Matthew about this special day. Since we're leaving for Texas tomorrow I decided yesterday morning I would go ahead and prepare our big Christmas meal. Truth be told there's nothing better than leftovers...yum, yum...and this gave us the chance for just that!! So...today was easy..heat and eat kinda day. It sure gave me the luxury to slum around the house and just enjoy the family. Makes me kinda wanna prepare the meal every Christmas Eve. Of course we ALL did what we normally do...we eat so much of the "can't live without" spinach dip that we're full before the main meal is ready!But then there's always room for dessert....and a one of a kind dessert it is...Course we all had a great time opening presents too...A GOOD DAY! MERRY CHRISTMAS YA'LL!!! :)

I Give up....

2009-12-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

So I keep waiting to post current things in our lives until I catch up on the blogging past. I've come to the conclusion that it AIN'T happenin'!!! So...instead of just getting further and further away from EVER posting I'm diving in and keeping you in the loop! Hopefully...in my dreams...I'll back track at some point and fill in the blanks!

Fall is Upon Us....

2009-10-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

So many of my friends are pulling out the fall recipes...soups and crock pot yummies. Got me thinking about this one..one of my all time favs! I like to use this on day 2 of leftover Thanksgiving turkey then we can't make ourselves eat another cold turkey sandwich. It's also REALLY good with chicken...all over rice....yummmmmm!

SOUTHWESTERN TURKEY

1 Tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1 1/4 pounds turkey breast tenderloins, cut into 1-inch cubes.
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with Mexican seasoning, undrained (I use ROTEL)
1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook turkey in oil 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown. Eliminate this step if your using your already cooked leftover Thanksgiving turkey. :) Place turkey in 2 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker.

2. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over turkey.

3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until turkey is no longer pink in center.

*I add one can of southwestern corn.

1 Serving: Calories 125 (Calories from Fat 20); Fat 3g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 60mg: Sodium 350mg: Carbohydrate 5g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 23g.

ENJOY! :)

We've BRIDGED to the next step...

2009-09-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well after 5 months the mid-evil lookin' contraption is out of Celeste's mouth! HOORAY! She now has a fancy retainer she wears at night...of course none other than hot pink with black glitter molded into it...who knew they could get so fancy!She was sooo excited to finally get it out!! Of course I guess she needed a reminder of what it looked like cause for some reason it came home with us!!! WHY IN THE WORLD do the techs ask children if they want to keep those things!?!??!So...step one down! Now we're ready to bridge over to the next money pit...retainer for a few years then braces. I know I'm just getting started, but I have a feeling that it's never ending with kiddos!!! GOOD TIMES! ;)

Jam, jam, jam!!!

2009-08-30T01:15:00.000-07:00

Even after 3 years I'm still floored on all the wild blackberries that grow here in Washington. I remember the first trip we made into the mountains just about two weeks after we moved here. The weather was cold compared to the 103 degrees we had just came from but gorgeous none the less. People were out everywhere! Apparently everyone else had the bright idea to head out of town too. The little two lane State highway was backed up and at many times at a dead stop. Every time we would come to a halt I would jump out of the car and fill up this water jug we had with as many blackberries as possible. I'm sure I stood out like a sore thumb as a "tourist" but we were just amazed at the blackberries...I mean, right there lined up on the road side just 8 feet away from the car door!!! Well, we STILL love the blackberries just as much now. Last year the weather didn't quite cooperator with us and we didn't have a super productive berry season...this year has been a whole different story. I had already warned the family that we would be doing some SERIOUS picking this summer as to stock up before we transferred to Florida in November. Well guess what we've done two days this past week? Yep...some 25 cups of blackberries....all waiting for a yummy dish. Most of it has gone to blackberry jam and some is waiting for a bowl of vanilla ice cream and others are waiting for cobbler!!! I need to grab a towel and clean up the drool now...

Of course picking berries sometimes comes with casualties!!! And YES my neighbor has already pointed out my lovely fashion statement in the making!

It REALLY did hurt...and it was WAY worse than what this picture is showing! OUCH! Love the stained berry hands...not sure which is berries and what is blood!

My mouth was already going crazy smelling it!!! Good thing the cook gets to sample!!

But of course the end product is the BEST! Canned and ready to head to Florida (or where ever the Navy decides to send us)!!! And more importantly these berries were picked with love and will be eaten...all with love!

OH MY GOSH!!!!

2009-08-24T00:25:00.001-07:00

Seriously!!! I knew we had a busy summer but geesh...I'm NEVER gonna catch up on blogging about it all...and I'm only tryin' to hit the highlights!!! I'm up to June...hang in with me!

Trails, falls, and summer time hikes...

2009-05-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

We started the summer out trying to visit a new hiking spot every weekend. Since this is our last summer here in Washington, we are taking advantage of all the views with some amazing family time with one another. This also happens to be the ONLY summer Michael has been home and not out at sea with a ship since we've been stationed here!

BOULDER TRAIL HIKE.......

WALLACE FALLS.......

"M" is for the month of May...

2009-05-30T21:19:00.000-07:00

...or MAJOR baseball games!!! We live on the diamond some where in Snohomish County....lots of clothing layers, sunflower seeds and hot chocolate as bribery..okay, so a few nice sunny days in the mix! These are just a few shots through out the month....

Another Girl Scout camping weekend

2009-05-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

We loveeeee Girl Scouts. Maybe not so crazy about Washington state but it's amazing how active the Girl Scout community is around here. There are so many new and different experiences in the area that we may never have the chance to do in Celeste's Girl Scouting years...so we're grateful for that. This trip took us to Camp Robbinswold in Lilliwaup, down on the Hood Canal.
Opening Flag Ceremony for the weekend...

What a gorgeous view to wake up to. It was so quiet and calm that morning...I enjoyed the peace God granted me....BEFORE all the girls got up!

He's STILL visiting...

2009-05-01T18:06:00.000-07:00

Yep, our dear front porch frog is still visting us. I know at some point we're gonna go out to check on him and he's gonna be gone....but not yet. Oh...and I'm sooo gonna miss the night time music he makes for us. Our friend Abby. Can you guess where Mr. Frog is hangin' out???

Spring is finally HERE!!!!

2009-04-27T22:34:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you acclimate to Washington weather....the sun comes out and we all feel a little less like Southern folks and a little more like vampires!The plus is that it never takes long to adjust to GORGEOUS sunshine and BEAUTIFUL cloud free days! We took every single one of these pictures (plus a bunch more) in all of 10 minutes! You just can't help but bounce around the yard and feel blissfully WONDERFUL on a day like today! I can't wait for these days to happen more and less days of clouds and rain...okay...maybe a little rain...I want the grass to stay green and the water bill to stay low!I remember one day last year we had a Sunday much like today and we rushed home from church to take some pictures in the back yard while the sun was still a sunnin'. Lance was going through this phase where he would normally give this most serious face with not much of any expression when taking his picture. Well, this particular summer day he was smiling so big you couldn't even see his eyes!! I kept asking him to not smile so "crazy" and he answered, "But Mom, it's sun shiny today and it makes me smile BIG!" It's true...the sunshine not only seems to make our family "smiley" but the birds, the frogs, the flowers, and every other living creature around us. WE LOVE IT!!!Even Ashley was bouncing around the yard! Most of the time she was moving so fast I couldn't even get a picture of her! A ball of energy that little chi-chi is!!!I was like a kid in a candy shop watching my tulips pop up out of the ground. What a wonderful feeling to see life grow right before your eyes...Lance cracked me up as we had to stop and pose for this picture.....next to the "RED" plant so it would match his "BOOMER SOONER" shirt! The boy has Sooner pride BAD!Apparently we're past the "serious face" in pictures these days......Hey...so we may not have had the whole day to bask in this goodness but we did manage to stop and smell the flowers if only for a few moments. Oh how we enjoyed them! :)

I LOVE SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-20T23:39:00.000-07:00

Here in Washington the weather is still back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth AGAIN. But....our days are filled with more light and the air is getting crisper everyday! Today was one of the first days that I had a reminder on why I love this season so much. We had a little frog hopping around our front porch trying so hard to get in the potted plants. Lance, Michael, and myself felt so sorry for him that we ever so gently placed him in the pot; in the process scared the daylights out of the poor little thing I'm sure. A couple of hours later....RIBBIT...RIBBIT...RIBBIT...a sound I could so easily fall asleep to!!

On top of that, a couple more of my tulips have bloomed!!!! YEAH FOR SPRING!!!! :)

Easter Weekend Starts....

2009-04-12T01:37:00.000-07:00

So we started off on Saturday afternoon with the city's egg hunt. It was COLD and CROWDED, but they DID have HOT CHOCOLATE and COOKIES so that made it all better! I can't believe how fast kids can clean up a bazillion eggs off the ground!! We waited about 10 minutes for the egg hunt to start and it was over in what seemed like 45 seconds! AMAZING! Good thing I had "the talk" with the kiddos on the way there...."Look guys this is not what Easter is all about. This just to have a little fun...not to fill your buckets to the top...just fun. And we're gonna be happy with whatever we get...right?!!?" (I bet every parent can hear that speach in the back of their brains)I think Lance was still trying to convince himself that he was "happy with what he got". Poor kiddo...it's hard to get eggs when he's clumped in with the 12 year olds! They both did well.

Come evening time we headed to church. We're the traditional Sunday morning people but last week the church asked the regular attendees to come Saturday so to leave Sunday open for our "Easter guests". It was a little odd feeling going to church in the evening but I must say.....I'll enjoy sleeping in on Sunday morning!!! The kids and I discussed the real meaning for Easter and talked about the baptisms that took place at church that evening. This was such a treat for me. We read the Bible, have studies, bible stories and such but there getting older. They're wanting more details of the story...and their starting to apply Christ to their own lives. It makes me cry inside with joy. I'm excited about this change...this understanding that there really is something bigger than what we're living right now. With age comes change....comes knowledge and understanding. I can't wait to see what lies ahead and I pray for the strength and guidance to lead them down the right path!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's egg hunt...... :)

Reason #1....

2009-04-10T01:28:00.000-07:00

This is one of those reasons why we are snapped back to reality and don't want any more kiddos! They seem to cost a little money.....Apparently the word is, Celeste's mouth is too small on top.....you'd NEVER guess with all the noise that comes out of her!!! Thankfully this little girl is a champ! I though for sure we'd have 10 tons of drama....not yet any how! The orthodontist tells me that this is the most tolerated mouth device, better know as a mid-evil torture thingy, in children. Thankfully this is expected to be a short treatment! :)
Hang in there CHAMP! You're doing a wonderful job! :)

We got one....

2009-04-07T01:17:00.000-07:00

A nice day of ball!! I even wore flip-flops!!! AMAZING....since we had snow like a week ago!!! This was a great day of ball...even won our first game...and Lance made a run!!!! YEAH PIRATES!!!! Way to go LANCE! :)

Wal-Mart list...

2009-03-31T00:46:00.000-07:00

So I have a shopping list (or should I say the one stop shopping place where you can go in and spend an entire paycheck...Wal-Mart list) that is always a work in progress. When you use the last of something, write it on the list; when you want something, write it on the list. If it's on the list and can make the monthly budget then it's purchased. Not on the list, not purchased. Well it's taken like 10 years to train my husband on this concept and only 6 to train my son. I guess I should be happy with small improvements!

I have to show you the list for a couple of reasons. One, because it's just so stinkin' cute that Lance is actually following my requests and putting items on the list. Two, because not only am I excited but Lance is beside himself that he can read and write. I'm amazed at the leaps and bounds he's made this year in Kindergarten!

Michael is the Cinnamon roll king in this house! When you smell those sweet, gooey rolls it's a true sign that Dad is home!! I DO NOT make them...AT ALL! It's a special thing that the kids and Michael share with one another. Well, Dad came home from sea and the first weekend he had at the house they made the cinnamon rolls. That same morning I noticed the list...

(I must also add that Celeste added the milk, colored paper and eggs!)

I think he's ready for Dad to be home for a little while...he's stocking up! Hey, the word is "somewhat"phonetically correct AND he did it all by himself! What else can I ask for!?! He was so proud of himself! Even more proud when the list payed off... Thank you Lance for bringing a smile to my grocery list! :)

Take Me Out to The Ball Game...

2009-03-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

Lance is sooo excited that he is able to play baseball this year. It's his first year to play on a team sport. He's been our little gymnist kiddo the past 4 years. I'm just excited for him to stay busy 3 days a week. Hopefully he'll use up some of that crazy energy he has!!!

I though for sure when we showed up to his first game in the pouring down rain he would HATE baseball. He stood out there in that cold like a CHAMP! It's amazing how well the 6 year old handled it and how the much older person who drove him to the game wanted to go home for hot chocolate! It was cold people! However....we did go home for HOT CHOCOLATE!!! Told you it was cold! We can only hope for better weather at the next game! :)

MY New FRIEND!

2009-03-12T21:13:00.001-07:00

I was lucky enough to meet a wonderful blogger, who happens to have the whole surfing thing down and fortunately found me! Yes, They are all mine has OFFICIALLY posted her 200th blog! WOW! That's only a little flicker of light for me....one day right? Well, she is having a give away in honor of her blog work. You will be AMAZED at what she is giving away! A gorgeous pair of HAND KNITTED socks....by Evy herself!! I have personally held the yarn she is using to make these beauties and boy is it soft as ever!!

What to know how I was lucky enough to "test out" the yarn? Well, my new blogger friend opened her home and heart to me and my family. Lance and I went over last week and met with some of her family and had a YUMMY lunch! How blessed I am to have met a wonderful woman and a wonderful family! Thank you Evy!! :)

The rest of the family...

2009-03-10T23:37:00.000-07:00

I think something in the world all aligns and animal people some how end up with WAY more animals in there lives then they could have ever thought about. I feel like we are one of those houses that are pit stops for some and resting stops for others.

When we moved here to Washington almost 3 years ago we had Banjo, the mini-Daschund, in our 4-legged animal clan. We also had a small aquarium with one fish, Cletus, who traveled across the United States with us in the back of our van! Then some how a rabbit found it's way to us, SEVERAL more fish, and a kitten who unfortunately finished it's short life out with our family. Then came Cracker, our orange haired tabby who TOTALLY out weighs the rest of our animals all put together! It's also the only pet that we adopted from the shelter that Dad said we would NEVER own again. What can you say when a little boy asks for 3 simple things on his birthday; a monster truck t-shirt, a pair of handcuffs (the real ones), and a kitten. Over this past summer Celeste FINALLY got her little doggy. Ashley (can you tell we let our children name the animals) the Chihuahua, came from our Texas visit. Celeste was told 3 years ago she could get the dog.....we tried hard to change her mind...guess who lost!
Our pets are so very much a part of our family. We are so thankful they love us unconditionally and love each other too! Life...nor my lap...would be the same without them. :)

MAKE IT STOP!!!

2009-03-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Okay seriously! Enough is ENOUGH! Not that I don't truly enjoy the snow but come on....I want the kids to go to school!!!! Another 2 hour late start this morning! All because this happened last night..... The last day of school is now around June 16th!! REALLY! For my sanity and the kids welfare NO MORE SNOW!!!

Even AFTER the kids left for school it continued!

She FINALLY did it!!

2009-03-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Celeste has patiently waited since December for her new haircut! Today she FINALLY got her wish! Unfortunately she was still fighting the stomach bug and we had to leave before it was all done (we wanted it a little shorter in the back) but overall she is VERY happy! There's NO question it fits her personality! The girl is just too big for her own good! :)

I DID IT!!!!

2009-03-03T12:30:00.001-08:00

As silly as this may sound I am SOOOO proud of myself!! I finished the book I was reading on Sunday afternoon!! It was sooo good and have come to the conclusion that I CAN still read and I CAN actually finish one too!!! I have figured out the key...read a book that you may actually have a chance to like and not one that you picked up JUST because it's on the best sellers list!! So maybe you all knew that....apparently I'm a little slow on that lesson!

So guess what I did yesterday? Went and bought the next two in the very long series at the used book store! I was so proud of myself!

I'll start reading it as soon as I have TWO children who stop vomiting all over the place!

.....and I wonder why I never read?

Well that didn't take long!!!

2009-02-20T14:59:00.001-08:00

Okay so remember that OTHER tooth I was talking about? Well, it too is a goner! Side Note to Lance for future reference: If you want the stinkin' Tooth fairy to visit then I would hold out showing Mom the bloody tooth 2 inches from her nose an hour before her alarm goes off!! Quite the awakening!

Oh and apparently the pile of paper towels are still the key to removing teeth! :)

ANOTHER first for Lance!!

2009-02-18T21:49:00.000-08:00

Well, Lance is just meeting all sorts of milestones this month!!! He's had these two wiggly teeth for what seems like FOREVER and he is just scared to death to pull them out! I keep trying to sneak in "hard" items in his lunch thinking it will do the trick...no such luck. Apparently tonight was the night to PULL one out! He was in the bathroom for a really long time and Celeste keep running out to retrieve an abundance of paper towels for him. I guess paper towels are the key to pulling teeth! Any who, HE DID IT!!! He also thought it was funny to spit puddles of blood into my trash can but he did it! According to Lance it's cool to see blood...that's a boy for ya' right!??! Now if we can just get that other tooth!!! Oh wait...I guess one at a time is good...the Tooth Fairy may need to scrounge up some more change before then! :)

Reading....Really?

2009-02-18T21:20:00.000-08:00

So most of you know that I live a VERY busy life. I color code my stinkin' calender so I can keep up with who needs to be where and when. It's a little ridiculous but I absolutely LOVE IT!! The down side of it all is that finishing a monthly crafting magazine, in the SAME month it actually came out in, is normally a big feat in itself. Well, I was laying in the floor a couple of days ago and saw the extension cord that I had yet to remove from the Christmas lights. Right next to it totally crammed in the corner between the armoire and the wall was a nice big stack of books that have been collected all with good intentions to be read...someday! I just start reading and I want to fall asleep!! I can't even seem to make it past the 1st chapter!! A girlfriend of mine suggested a thriller series (I LOVE suspense) that may actually have a chance to be read...versus collecting dust in the corner. It was right on top. I decided to grab it on a whim and start reading. Amazingly enough I made it to chapter 3!!!! THAT'S A RECORD FOR ME!!! I'm sure part of it was that it was in the middle of the day and not when I'm totally exhausted and ready to crash (however I still fell asleep). None the less, I have really gotten into it. Now I'm not planning on making some record and finishing the book before the weekend (I can't imagine how people finish them in a day) but I will say that there are moments I actually CRAVE to read it. I can't wait to find out what happens! This is a REALLY big deal for me guys!! It's probably been 12 years since I've finished a novel! I know I can't WAIT for chapter 32....for a couple of reasons!!!!! :)

Celeste's Vocabulary

2009-02-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

So today Michael and I received a vocabulary lesson from our 7 year old daughter. Apparently there are two different types of "hot"....

Hot: Means like, it's hot outside or the food is hot from the oven.

Hott: Means like, I'm hott. (Otherwise know as "cool" and "stylish" to us old people). Scary...huh!!!!

His First

2009-02-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

Last night Lance had his first ever Kindergarten Concert. He had been talking about it for 2 weeks now stop and was beyond excited for the night. With Michael being done this past month Lance's only concern this time around was if Dad was going to be home in time for the concert. Lucky for ALL of us he made it home with a few days to spare. Before the concert he went over all the titles of his songs and informing us which one was his favorite..."Hat and Mittens". He also made a HUGE deal on what he was wearing to the concert....he had to be "cool". So we finally arrive and Lance hops right into his spot on the stage. Celeste was so excited that she even took HER small video camera to record every minute for him...it didn't matter that Dad had the camcorder and I had the camera...that wasn't good enough for her or her little brother.It was a great night and we were ALL so proud of him.

IT Arrived!!!

2009-02-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

Normally it's my kiddos that get packages in the mail so needless to say they were excited when we checked the mail and found a small box. Guess what? It wasn't for them it was for ME!!!!!!! I know right away what it was and couldn't get home quick enough to get in it! Sure enough, it was my gorgeous tote made by the Green Fairy herself at Green Fairy Quilts. It looks better in person than I could have ever imagined. QUALITY WORKMANSHIP 100%!!!!! Thank you Judi!!!!

Green Fairy Quilts Update......

2009-02-04T08:10:00.001-08:00

Oh mY GoSh!!! I won! I won! I won! I just can't bEliEvE it! I am so ExCiTeD to be receiving the quilted tote (and fabric) from Green Fairy Quilts! Judi is an aMaZiNg quilter with more iDeAs in her pinkie FiNgEr than I could eVeR imagine!

http://greenfairyquilts.blogspot.com/2009/02/some-things-i-love.html

Make sure you stop by her site and check out the latest and greatest designs. You won't be disappointed!

Have I mentioned how ExCiTeD I am?!!?!? Oh My gOsH....I rEaLLy WoN!!!!!!!! ThAnK yOu Judi!!! :)

Another great giveaway!

2009-02-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

You guys have got to see this adorable site.....nothing but cute little girl things!!! They are officially having their first ever giveaway. Stop by to join the fun! Of course I must say I'm hesitant to tell you all about it because I want there to be a better chance for ME to win!! There's my line of honesty! :)

http://allthingsribbon.blogspot.com/

Ten Things Tuesday (on Sunday)!

2009-02-01T12:39:00.000-08:00

To learn about the inspiration for this carnival, please read "The Hostess With The Mostest".

It's amazing what you find while surfing BLOGGER! Today I came across this wonderful idea. It's always easy to list 10 things you're thankful for at Thanksgiving or on a big holiday...I mean heck...it only happens once a year; it's a different story to STOP with the rat race of life and list 10 things you're thankful for on a weekly bases. I am going to do just that and I challenge you too!

1. Great friends..and making new ones.
2. The sun is out in Washington today!
3. My wonderful children (today anyway).
4. Getting a chance to finish a craft project today!
5. My favorite candle from Tyler Candle Company.
6. One less day before my husband comes home!
7. Tylenol
8. The kids let me sleep in this morning!
9. The dogs let me sleep in this morning!
10. The patience I had when the cat DIDN'T let me sleep in this morning!

Okay so I'm cheating a little and making this first post on Sunday. I'll actually follow the rules and start on Tuesday next week.

Hope to hear from you all soon!

Green Fairy Giveaway

2009-02-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Go Here for a really great giveaway. She is giving away a quilted tote and ohhh is it cute!! Also make sure to check out her blog and her patterns. They are really great. If only I was that talented of a quilter!!

The Big Night!

2009-01-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

Celeste reminds us on a weekly bases why she goes to dance....for the RECITAL!! That girl is nothing like her father nor myself when it comes to the stage. She hunts for any reason to soar in the spot light. Her winter recital was originally for December 19th but due to all the snow it was unfortunately postponed until January. She was so bummed to have to wait but we tried to think of the positive and that this delay would give her a couple of extra practices so she and her group would be better prepared. Thankfully that worked! As she said, "Oh yea Mom, we're gonna be awesome!"

For every recital I have been the backstage Mom with Celeste's group and every time I ask myself why? Why in the world would any sane person force themselves to go back stage with costumes, hairspray, makeup, and wigs flying every which way? Well maybe that question just answered itself!?! Hey, here's a plus to it all....I save $7 on the purchase of a ticket (or lack there of) in the audience and I truly get use out of the extremely over priced DVD of the recital! No really...who could say no to those curls and big blue eyes that girl bats at you!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

This year instead of running all over town or to different parties we were able to stay right in our neighborhood for the big night...or maybe I should say the cul-de-sac. All the families in the circle got together with some great food and great friends and brought in the New Year. After all the snow and slow moving around here it was nice to have a night full of entertainment and laughs!
Now this was the BEST New Year's KISS I could EVER hope for!!!!! Little man is such a sweetie....wonder where he gets it from!?!?! I pray for many more years just like this! :)
Thanks KATIE for all the pictures!! :)

Who's excited about Santa?!?

2008-12-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

So it's 7:30 am Christmas morning and I'm hearing voices...nope...I'm not dreaming! Where is that boy at? Michael and I jump out of bed and head to the living room with expectations of finding Lance talking to himself and awing over the presents Santa has left. Again...nope! I try to quietly move up and down the hall in search for Lance and his conversing. Unfortunately I trip over the doorstop and boooinggggg...not so quiet. The talking stops. Michael and I giggle under or breaths and start to his room. There is Lance laying in his bed having a nice conversation with himself! We asked what he was doing and he complained that he couldn't go back to sleep because he forgot to turn his lamp on last night (have no clue). Then we ask if he had gotten up to see if Santa had visited us yet. "No I haven't." "Well are you going?", I say. He jumps out of bed and briskly walks to the living room. He has this blank stare. Then sees the gold! He lifts his little knee up and slaps it with his hand as he yells, "Oh sweet! Ben 10 Creature Creator!" I remind him that he has a sister and he takes off down the hall yelling at Celeste to get up. I think it's funny that we had to get the kids moving this morning. I'm not sure from the their reactions but Michael and I were EXTREMELY excited about Santa's visit!! Wanna see why????Not only did we have a great visit from Santa; we had a white Christmas too!! We were even lucky enough to get out and do a little sledding in between snow falls.
We had a great meal and even more so it was eaten on disposable plates...Merry Christmas to ME!!! We had dessert (lots of it) and finished the party singing Happy Birthday to Jesus. What a fun day!!!

So as I'm finishing up today's blog Michael was putting Lance to bed. He has a conversation with him that goes like this:

Dad: So Bub did you have a Merry Christmas? Did you have a good time today?
Lance: Yea. (in a solemn voice and then with a pause) I wish I could be a kid forever.
Dad: I wish I could be a kid forever too cause it's pretty fun when you're a kid but if I was a kid forever I would have never had you 'cause kids can't have kids. So what cha' gotta do is have the most fun while you're a kid and enjoy life as a kid. Okay?
Lance: Okay. (all skippy sounding)

You see kids, if we didn't have you guys then we'd probably look kind of stupid playing Rock Band all by ourselves! Thank goodness for kids! I love toys!!! :)

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

2008-12-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

Okay so here we are 11 days after my first post on the snow. We got more snow last night! That puts us around 17-19 inches in a weeks time!!! There are some negatives to say the least (like I haven't received any mail since the first snow) but overall we are truly having a BLAST!! We've got this great hill next to our house that the kids have been up and down sledding their little hearts out! Okay....so Michael and I both have been sledding away! I'm just so glad Michael has been able to enjoy the snow this year. In the past two years we've been stationed here the ship has always left just missing it all. I have to admit, I'm glad he's here to help dig out the driveway too!!I've had such a wonderful time watching the kids smile and giggle and having such spectacular views all around us! The evergreens just glisten with the snow and when the sun sets it's just breath taking!

USS LINCOLN'S Christmas Party

2008-12-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

We were finally let out of the house without children! Now I love our kiddos but oh how nice it was to just check out for a break! It was the first time Michael and I had a night out since prior to his deployment....so over 300 days...but who's counting..right!?! The party was held at the Tulalip Casino and boy was it grand! With Michael's career on submarines and small ships we've never experienced such a huge party as on the carrier. There were some 2,200 people and over $15,000 worth of prizes and drawings given out. (Unfortunately we didn't win a stinkin' thing) WOW is right!

We were so glad to be able to share the night with good friends! It was also a great chance to meet new people and a lot of Michael's division. He has some hoots that's for sure!

Okay so I have to talk about "the shoes"! I saw these shoes in September and just couldn't resist!! So when it come time to pick an outfit for the party I KNEW it had to work around the shoes!! I had so many people give compliments on them at the party. They were a conversation or two for sure! I was so happy to wear the zebra printed shoes that night.....of course the next morning my feet DIDN'T quite agree!

Now there was one more thing I was truly excited to wear...my early Christmas present from my WONDERFUL husband! Look around my neck...see it? Yep...a gorgeous 3.14 ct Journey diamond necklace! He's making sure to say out of the dog house for a while! I'm so stinkin' lucky to have him!

WHAT A GREAT NIGHT!!!! :)

Look what's happening right now!!!!!!

2008-12-13T01:43:00.000-08:00

So all week the weather dude has been saying to prepare for snow. I was truly hoping to see lots of it this year. One, because after 2 previous years of practice I feel somewhat safe in it now--well at least I can continue to function. Two, because we only have one more year here in Washington and I want to make sure to take advantage of "real" seasons while I can.

Today I was waiting in the driveway for the kids to get off the school bus so we could head out to the grocery store and post office. So at this point my pantry is stocked, bills are paid, and we have gas heat so we're guaranteed warm! Every few minutes I walk past the window to pier out....guess what I saw at 1 am (Friday night for me still)??? SNOW!!! It's been going for about 45 mins now-----KEEP SNOWING!!!! KEEP SNOWING!!! Let's see what it looks like in the morning....I mean, after I go to sleep, LATER in the morning that is!!! :) This picture was taken after 15 minutes. By the current pile of snow on my deck I would say we're up to about 1/2 an inch. It's only 34 degress right now so I'm not sure how much will stay on the ground; however it's supposed to continue all day tommorrow. Our high for tomorrow is 34 and the low is 22 so I'm feeling pretty positive we'll be out sleding down the hill sometime this weekend!! :)

Hat Day!!

2008-12-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Apparently today was "Hat Day" and I wasn't invited! My children decided to go get themselves dressed after lunch. (Yes that means we were still in PJs at lunch time) I could hear them doing some talking in the hall but really wasn't paying that close of attention. Around the corner they come all decked out....

I guess my invitation got lost in the mail..... :)

Annual Ornament Party

2008-12-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

For the past 6 years I've hosted an Ornament Exchange for the ladies to just detox and kick back. With so much on every one's plate these days it's sometimes difficult to get away and give ourselves breathing time. I LOVE hosting these parties every year and I'll have to admit I use my dear friends as guinea pigs! I normally always have some new recipe that I want to try but never have a good reason to make some 10 pounds of candy or huge cake that only 3 people in our house will eat. So a Christmas party sounds like a great reason to me! It's also a good thing I out different items because I have friends like Aimee who remember exactly what my menu included from the previous of year--thanks Aimee! :) It's my friends that keep me on my toes and require me to push forward...make everything...and be so stinkin' perfect (inside joke)! Thanks girls!

I had such a wonderful time with the ladies who were able to make it out this year. I can't wait until the next one! Could we do Christmas in July? Okay...okay...maybe February!

Celeste and Girl Scouts

2008-12-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

This is Celeste's 4th year in Girl Scouts and my third year as her leader. I think each year as we learn more about the organization we get more excited and have lots more fun! Today we had our Troops Court of Awards Ceremony. It's a time for each girl to be honored on all the events, service projects, and awards they've earned over a certain period of time. This particular ceremony covered items from June '08 to November '08. Celeste had a wide variety of projects she had accomplished. We are all so very proud of her.

A few of the items she received patches for are Piston Cup (box car races), Food Drive where she went door to door and collected food for our local food bank, 3 weekend camping patches where they learned how to put up their own tents, cook with dutch ovens, and completed service projects by cleaning up the camp grounds. She also earned patches for Save Our Sound with is an environmental group we helped out by protecting the Puget Sound in planting native trees around water ways. Some 700 trees were planted that day! Celeste received her Summer service star when she completed a service project by picking up trash along CR 479 in the blazing summer heat of Texas for 1 mile. She received patches for marching in the July 4th parade with our local VFW sponsors and completing 30 hours of reading over the summer months (that was TASKING). Girl Scouts earn triangular patches called Try-Its where the scout must complete 4 tasks associated with the each badge. Celeste earned 5. They range from writing our troop pen pals in England, learning to eat right and stay healthy with food, and exercise as well as manners and cooking! Celeste has worked with extreme diligents and has gone above and beyond to complete her list of accomplishments! WAY TO GO CELESTE!!

Mt. Baker and Friends

2008-11-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

We were so very lucky to be able to take a day trip up to Mt. Baker with some family friends of ours-the Yorks. It's always nice in the middle of the hectic holidays to just "check out" and go have some fun! It also amazes me how quick the weather can change in such a short amount of distance! It was a gorgeous drive all along the way with short stops from the bottom of the hill where it was around 46 all the way to the top of the mountain where the temp dropped to around 28!

However nice it was mid-way up the mountain it didn't even compare to the coldness just a few minutes up at the top....... needless to say warmer clothes are A MUST next time!!! You know...something that will TOTALLY cover my entire body and resemble the little boy in The Christmas Story!! :) It was a GREAT day with GREAT friends and GREAT family!

Christmas Card Photo Shoot of 2008!

2008-11-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, pictures!!! (Hear the sarcasim in that?) No really--I love taking candid snapshots of the kids while their playing or just doing daily things, but getting us all set up for family pictures is a whole 'nother ballgame!! It's kind of like pulling teeth--to say it nicely! With the ship coming home in October and Michael on some extended leave we decided to take family Christmas pictures early this year. Okay, truth be known, it's so our snot isn't freezing into cartoon characters on the side of our face in December! Well, and that Michael also wanted some facial hair for a change!!! I know--I know, but he's got to show it off while he can! We all get ready and thank our lucky stars that it's NOT currently raining at the time in the lovely state of Washington, then head out to the swamp grounds I've scoped out PRIOR to 5 days of straight rain--another big yeah! The wind is blowing my hair and it's sticking in my lipgloss, the sun is going down, and it's starting to get quite cold---come on kids---quit goofing off and smile for me! YOU TOO MICHAEL! I don't care that your sitting on a rock that's crammed 2 inches into your butt! Let's just get this done!

So, a couple hours later and the idea that shooting myself in the foot sounds like more fun; we have our pictures! At least I think so........

Next year, instead of going somewhere to HAVE our pictures taken, I'll be asking myself all over again why in the world I do this! Hey, at least this year I remembered to take the tripod and didn't have to prop the camera on the top of the van!!! Baby steps, Bob; baby steps!

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!!!!

2008-11-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

After years of pulling and prodding I am now in the blog world!! WOO HOO for me!!! Thanks to some of my dearest friends Jessica (The Ottely Crew) and Jenny (Once Upon A Lusty) I can now stay connected with the whole world all behind a computer!!! Thanks girls for helping me find something else to be addicted to! Just what I needed right?!?!?! :)