Such is life in the military.

Well, we are halfway through this deployment and I think that time is finally starting to go quicker.  The kids are back in school and the two younger ones have just started soccer.  Soccer season lasts until the middle of October and Jonah's already talking about wanting to play flag football when soccer's done.  Having a routine and schedule is so helpful!

We also found out this past week that our big move to California and Germany is no longer happening.  For reasons that I'm still trying to fully understand, the military has cancelled our orders and we are staying here in Oklahoma City until further notice.  I am trying very hard to find the bright side in this turn of events.  We were all looking forward to the change and the chance to become a family again in a new place.  But what can you do? 

The kids are currently trying to persuade me to get a second puppy to add to the household.  After looking at puppies from the local animal shelter's website today I have a feeling that I won't be able to hold out until the hubby comes home in a few months.  Wish me luck in that endeavour!

I am really really trying to keep up better on this ol blog but life has a funny way of getting in the way of my good intentions.

The last month in a nutshell.

Wow it's been awhile since I posted.  In the month that has passed I have driven myself, 3 children and one dog from Oklahoma City to Charlotte, NC; Charlotte to Daytona Beach; Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach; West Palm Beach to Goose Creek, SC; Goose Creek back to Charlotte; and Charlotte back to Oklahoma City.  I attended not one but two family weddings, met some new family members, saw old friends, and made new ones.  It was a long trip, but I am very glad we made it.  My sister made a beautiful bride and I couldn't be happier for her, my niece and my new brother.
During my first stay in Charlotte I recieved a phone call from my deployed hubby informing me that when he gets back from the desert, we will be moving to the West Coast for 6 months and then from there we will be going to Germany for a few years.  We are so excited! 
We're almost two months into this deployment.  It seems like he's been gone so much longer.  I'm hoping time starts going quicker once the kiddos go back to school.
Today though I got a big surprise from my hubby.  A HUGE bouquet of flowers.  Little things like this make me smile and really help me get through the days without him.

Get back on track.

Wow.
I can't believe it's been a full month since I last posted. SO MUCH has happened since I last updated. I will go more in-depth throughout the week but here's a quick recap:

Hubby came home from TDY number one. The next day we celebrated Jonah's 8th birthday with a great party at the hockey rink. Day after that we headed down to Dallas for our only family vacation this year- a tour of Cowboys Stadium and an overnight stay at Great Wolf Lodge. Expensive, but so much fun! Pictures to follow soon!

Hubby left again about a week later and was gone for 5 days. In that time we realized that Jonah's minor twitches that he'd been having were getting much more severe. I ended up taking him into the ER fearing he was having a seizure. We were given a preliminary diagnosis of Tourette's Syndrome and have an appointment in April with a pediatric neurologist.

Hubby got back about a week and a half ago from TDY number 2 and things have slowed down some. We're getting back into somewhat of a normal routine (which will fly out the window come 25 March when he leaves, yet again, for another two weeks).

Oh, and we also found out last week that four days after hubby gets back from his third TDY, we are being moved into another home on base so that our current home can get remodeled. Pain in the hiney: yes. But a very welcome one! Our current house is around 60 years old and I honestly don't know how it's survived the winds we have here in Oklahoma. We have had nothing but headaches and problems since we moved in last year. Our new house was built in '09 and has a TON more square footage than our current place. Noah is thrilled because our backyard in the new house will back up to the yard of his best friend. And we also realized that one of Sophia's buddies from school lives on the same street so she'll have a friend right away too. (I also really like his momma so I'm relieved as well, since I'm not a huge fan of most of the neighbors we have now).

So that's where we're at right now. Lots to take in and deal with, but we're doing it. I promise to come back and add recipes on Mondays (I've got a load of goodies tried out from Pinterest!), upload pics from Dallas and our upcoming trip to Nashville, and keep you up-to-date with Jonah's diagnosis once we've seen the Neuro.

New Year, New Goals

I've never been one to set New Year's Resolutions...even as a teenager I thought they were kind of lame. I've seen so many people set them and fail, and it just never appealed to me.

But this year is different. This year the hubby will be TDY/Deployed for most of the year. I have found in previous deployments that the best way to get through every day is to have a routine. So I'm challenging myself to keep on top of things. And I think that by setting these few goals for myself, it will make me a better mother, wife, and person.

This is my plan for the year and I'm going to use this blog to keep myself accountable.
*Be more positive. I'm a huge pessimist. Always have been, just ask my mom. But as I said on facebook the other day, this year I am forcing myself to think of at least one positive thing every day, and write it down so that I don't forget what I'm blessed with. It's going to be a long hard road for us this year and I think that keeping a gratitude journal will help me stay upbeat despite hard times.
*Be more organized. I found a printable blog planner online, my notebook for keeping track of Etsy orders and of course I have my planner that I cannot live without. I intend to spend a few minutes at the beginning of every week planning my blog posts, days that I need to run errands (so that I'm not going to the same stores every.single.day like I do now), and I'm hoping it will keep me better on top of my Etsy orders so that my turnaround time is faster.
*Keep my house in guest-condition always. I have made dry-erase chore charts for the kids, and I am also going to make a weekly chart for myself. It will have one or two major tasks a day so that I'm not spending an entire day just cleaning the house.
* Complete one project each week. Whether it be for the kids, my house, or a gift...I want to have something to keep me busy and creative aside from my Etsy shop.
*List 1-3 new items every week in my Etsy shop. I would love to be able to list something new every day, but lets be honest...I just don't see that being feasible when I have orders coming in. And I know that some weeks will be busier than others, so at least one new listing may be the only thing I can do once and awhile. But I think that giving myself a reasonable goal will be much better for my shop!

You are all given permission to get on my case if I start slacking. I plan to post pics of completed projects each Saturday, and I will have a What's New series with links to new items in my shop. So if you see that I go a week or more without updating, feel free to nudge me back into reality!

Meet Zoey!

My kids and hubby talked me into a new family member over the weekend. She's a 10 week old Catahoula-Retriever mix and she's really cute and so far very well behaved. I'm praying it stays that way and I don't come to regret this later!

Addendum to "Proof"

Because our lives aren't busy enough the next month, Jonah's coach decided to add Wednesday evening practices. Now I'm at the ball field every. single. day. Farewell, day-off-of-baseball-Wednesdays. I miss you already.

Proof

Just in case you though I was exaggerating about how busy life is here:

I'm a slacker.

According to the hubby, I am severely slacking when it comes to the blog.
He's right.
Life is busy but it's not exciting. Just the normal, day-to-day stuff.
I have been raking in the Etsy orders so that keeps me busy daily. There's always housework to be done. And kids to shuttle to and from school and baseball practice.
Did I mention that all three kids are playing ball this spring and that all three kids are on different teams? Starting next week we will be at the ball fields 4 nights a week. Our only non-baseball weeknight is filled with the hubby coaching a once-a-week hockey camp for the next month.
I'm also planning Miss Sophia's 4th birthday bash...we're going to have a circus in our backyard!
And then in just over a month, we will head out for our summer vacation...kids to the grandparents house in Florida and the hubby & I on our much-anticipated cruise. Then we'll be heading to South Carolina for a week to see friends back there.
So I promise I'm not slacking...life's just been pretty busy and routine lately. I promise though, as soon as games start and the party day arrives I'll be posting more pics. Pinky swear.

So have ya missed me?

Wow. I can't believe an entire month has gone by since I last updated the 'ol blog. I seriously feel like it's only been a week or so. Here's a quick recap of the last month of our lives. *Spring Break with a fun trip to the zoo with out-of-town friends. *Multiple trips to the dentist for the kids. Their mouths and our wallet need time to recouperate! *We moved out of our apartment into base housing. *We've had 2 barbecues in 2 weeks. One was a bigger one and one was small scale. But the first was mere days after moving into the house. The hubby says it was his subtle way of getting me to get the boxes unpacked. *Noah has had 3 track meets for school. Now we're getting ready for Easter and baseball...all three kids are playing this year. Oh, and the hubby was told by a neighbor about a base hockey team. I have decided I do not like this new neighbor. ;) Needless to say our busy life is about to get LOTS busier. Bring it on.

To sum it all up...

Holy Moses it's been a crazy week. I have been insanely busy and it's not going to let up anytime soon I'm sure.

Here's a recap of how my life has been recently:
* While my Etsy sales are down compared to this time last month, I still am working on something Etsy related every day. The Post Office staff know me by name.
* The kids had a 5 day weekend and the hubby came home from training over the holiday for a 4 day weekend. We also had a couple of guys from his training class come up for Thanksgiving since they weren't going to be going home to their families.
* I spent Wednesday night and all day Thursday cooking.
* Thursday was spent watching football (darn Lions lost again!) and eating.
* Friday was spent recovering from Thursday. We did some shopping but nothing exciting for Black Friday. 'Cuz this momma is D-O-N-E done shopping for her babies!
* Saturday we did more errand running and then went to our dear friends' home for some super tasty food and more football. I love me a Southern oyster roast and college football rivalries!
* Sunday we once again recovered from the food consumed on Saturday.

So far this week I have busted my hump working on Etsy orders that I didn't even look at over the weekend. And today I need to run a couple errands (Post Office, I will see you soon!), finish a blanket, and clean my house. Because tomorrow morning before the buttcrack of early, I will pile my sister and kids in the car and drive 2.5 hours to see my man graduate FLETC. Then his parents & niece will be making the trip up to our house to spend some time with us before we move. The remainder of my week will be spent sewing and entertaining, and hopefully getting some answers on when we can start scheduling movers to come. We hit the long road to Oklahoma City in just three weeks!

So I will do my darndest to keep up with this here blog, but I apologize in advance if I cannot! My life is just a big 'ol barrel of busyness right now.

Yes, I'm lame.

Okay last week was a sparse posting week, this I know. I do have a recipe to share, and I do have a Friday Finds to share. But I was busy. Friday my oldest baby turned NINE! So all day long I was shopping and baking and cooking and decorating. But all my hard work paid off and the Halloween Costume Birthday Party was a HUGE hit. I am currently loading pics from the shin-dig and will be showing you all very soon. Like, later today soon. Promise.

And I will do a double Friday Finds post this week too so don't forget to check back!

And the Mom of the Year Award goes to...

Someone other than me.

Jonah woke up this morning and called for me to "come here a sec". I walked into the room and he held up his bright blue splinted finger and said, "Hey momma, didn't I fracture my other finger?" I looked, and sure enough, last night after his bath I had re-wrapped the WRONG DANG FINGER.

*bangs head against computer desk*





(In my defense, however, he DID in fact break the finger that was wrapped...that was just a few months ago, and had long since healed.)

Changes.

So I know you were all anxiously awaiting my Friday Finds on Etsy post, but once again, life got in the way. I had one of those crazy weeks. Let me sum it all up for you.

Tuesday: Took Jonah to the doc because he hurt his finger over the weekend (on the other hand this time). And, you guessed it, he broke it. That makes 2 broken fingers in three months. Poor active kid. There was a few tense hours while we waited for the doc to call us back that afternoon because the xrays showed that the fracture was right along his growth plate. He wanted to have the head radiologist take a look to see if the plate was affected. If it was we would've had to go to the Orthopedic clinic on base and see what the course of action would be. Thankfully, the questionable area in the growth plate was from normal shifting for his age, and the fracture did not extend.

Thursday: I got a phone call from the hubby (he's still at school down in Georgia) and he informed me that the new assignments were doled out. We are being sent to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma City. It is NOT the assignment we were expecting or hoping for. Quite the opposite, actually. We were figuring we'd head back overseas and we were really pulling for that...the hubby wanted Germany or Alaska (somewhere cold & snowy) and I was praying for Hawaii, Japan, Guam or another equally wonderful beach locale. We were both disappointed. So my Thursday evening was pretty much a wash at that point. I didn't even cook dinner...just piled the kids in the car and headed to Chik-fil-a.

Friday: Just before I was about to head out to do my routine payday errands running, I recieved a text from the hubby saying that we had to be in Oklahoma no later than mid-January. Knowing the date was so final for me. I mentally calculated how LITTLE time I have left here in South Carolina...a place that I DO. NOT. WANT. TO. LEAVE. I fielded calls/texts all day from friends saying they didn't want us to leave. Trust me, I don't want to go either. But what can you do? Then I tried to be positive and proactive and deal. But that night when the hubby got home for the weekend, I had a meltdown and cried like a baby.

Saturday & Sunday: The hubby & I spent quite a bit of time figuring out the logistics. The BAH rates are not close to what we're making here, and from the rental rates we saw of the size homes we would need it's going to be impossible for us NOT to live on base. Luckily we have friends stationed at Tinker (although they will be PCSing themselves just a month after we arrive) and she has been so helpful already with sending me phone numbers and giving me info. We also decided that we will be moving our family in December, while the boys are on break from school. It will make their transition so much easier. And while it's the last thing I want to do...spend Christmas on the road or in a hotel...I have to think of what's best and easiest for my sweet babies.

So my friends, my life is in a state of upheaval. Add all this stress to the normal October-through-December chaos (birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas), my continuing Etsy orders (thank the Lord!), the hubby still at FLETC until December 1st, and trying to figure out how my live-in sister will get back to Florida and you have a borderline basket case. So I apologize now for any big delays in posting like I had this week. It's just crazy right now.

Ever have one of those mornings?

I drove the kids to school AND went to Walmart like this today. Didn't even notice it until I got home. Thank goodness Walmart is virtually empty at 7:30 in the morning.

Wednesday Routine

Some people go out for dinner. Others go to small groups or Bible studies. Want to know what I do on Wednesday nights?

Yep. I'm a hockey mom.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: To Be Continued...

Okay, okay, I know it's Monday and you're all expecting a great recipe. Well, here's the thing...I can't find my cookbooks! The hubby packed them in a box and I haven't found that box just yet. I am searching- I promise!

So as soon as I find them, you WILL be getting a tasty recipe. Cross my heart.

Life is Crazy.

So I realize that I haven't been a very good blogger lately. But in the few short weeks that it's been 2010, I have been on the go non-stop!

We brought my baby sister back to Charleston with us when we came home from Christmas, so that she could start classes at Trident Tech. Pretty much all last week I took her to get supplies, books, etc so that she'd be all set.

We also decided right before Christmas that we wanted to move offbase. There's alot of drama going on around us and I don't want to subject my kids to anymore of the craziness. And since we have at least another year here in Charleston, we've gained another adult in the household, and BAH rates went up, now was the time to start looking. We were approved on a great house in Summerville and just as soon as we get our funds flowing from the finance office we're moving in! I have been cleaning and organizing like a mad woman all weekend. We're praying that everything will be in place for us to move in THIS WEEKEND, since it's one of the few weekends we're actually in town and not away for hockey. So the old saying "running around like a chicken with my head cut off" totally and completely describes me right now. Frazzled is another good term.

I will be posting a new recipe tomorrow and trying to post when I can this week, but forgive me if I'm MIA for a few more days. And when we're all settled in I'll be sure to post pictures!

I haven't forgotten you. Honest.

Hello? Anyone still follow this blog? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't...I've been a bad blogger.

It's been pretty crazy around here. Seems like from October through March my house is always in upheaval. Not only are we in the middle of the holiday season (can you believe that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK? I can't!), we are also in the middle of hockey season. Hubby coaches a squirt travel team (8-10 yr olds), assistant coaches a high school varsity team, and also helps out with the coaching of Noah & Jonah's termite house league team. In case you're wondering, the answer is yes, he is at the rink almost every day of the week.

But there are fun things going on for me right now too. I am busily preparing for a craft show on Saturday. THIS Saturday. The 21st of November. I found out about it just two weeks ago. So I've been sewing and crafting my butt off. My kitchen counter is covered with ribbon, hair clips and hot glue sticks. The dining room table holds my sewing machine and piles of fabric cut for skirts. Our bedroom, which now doubles as my craft room, has all of the finished products laying around ready to be put in the Rubbermaid for transporation Saturday morning. My hubby is counting the days until this show happens. He wants his house back.

Anyway, if any of you blog-readers are in the Charleston, SC area, come to the Holiday Bazaar at Stratford High School in Goose Creek on Saturday 21 November from 9-3. I'll be there with bells on!

Ok, not really with bells on, but maybe if you're lucky I'll have some bells somewhere...it's a Christmas show afterall!

Did ya miss me?

Once again, I have been a bad blogger. And once again I have an excuse :)

Honestly, nothing blog-worthy really happened last week. We left on Thursday and headed down to Florida for the weekend, to attend my niece's 2nd birthday party. (She's 2 today- Happy Birthday Gianna!). We stopped off in Savannah,GA to have dinner with some friends there, and ended up staying overnight because the weather was horrific. We left on Friday morning and went to Daytona to stay with the in-laws. Hubby golfed and I hung out with the kids by the pool. Saturday was spent driving to West Palm Beach and attending the birthday party, and of course watching the NCAA Final Four. Both my teams won, so now I'm going to be torn tonight during the finals! Sunday morning we woke up early to drive back to Daytona so that hubby & his dad could squeeze in another round of golf. After a yummy turkey dinner, we got in the car and battled the elements to drive back home to Charleston. Now it's spring break and I'm trying to entertain my children indoors because, you guessed it, it's raining.

Oh, and I left my camera down in West Palm Beach (Eeeeeek!!!) so my posts will be picture-less until I get it back. Hopefully it'll be here in a couple days because my momma promised she'd priority mail it to me today. I need it for the Easter egg hunt on Saturday!!

Slacker

I have been a bad blogger. A week of no posting is not cool, I get that. But I do have some very valid excuses, so hear me out!

Not only did I have my normal babysitting gig for an almost 2 year old, I also had another little munchkin in my house last week. A 2 month old who's momma was TDY here. Add in my 3 crazy kids and you get the idea.

And then there was the fact that I was reading some books that you may have heard of before.

That's right. I got sucked in. And I couldn't put them down. I read all 4 of them in less than 2 weeks. I would've had all 4 finished in 4 days but I had to wait on the library to get them in. Yes, I know that they're juvenile fiction, but they're so well written that it was hard to remember that tiny little fact. Seriously...I loved these books!

Then over the weekend we had to go to Raleigh for hockey. It was a long week, so please try to cut me some slack, kay?