Beginnings and Endings

In all fairness it's not really an ending but it kind of is. I know horrible grammar. Today was Nathan's team party for his spring t-ball season. This was his first t-ball team. It was a lot of fun for him and fun for me to watch. He's grown so much in learning about teamwork and that the world doesn't revolve around him. He has a week off and then he starts summer t-ball next Monday. Jacob's t-ball team party is on Thursday.
  Today was also the first day of swimming lessons. I'm excited and I think the boys are too! Jacob had a little bit of a difficult time sitting still when his instructor asked him but it was kind of nice to let go and watch his instructor deal with it. Although, I must admit it's hard for me to sit back and not  take over when he's not doing what he's suppose to. One of the hardest things for me as a parent is letting go of the control (which of course I don't really have in the first place).

Happy Memorial Day!

   I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day! I spent mine with my boys doing paperwork here at the house. We did have hot dogs that I popped in the microwave. And I made this delicious version of fruit pizza with flag sugar cookies and whip cream. Yum! The boys had fun playing on the Wii and watching TV. This evening we broke out the sprinkler and slip n slide and the boys had a blast playing in the water. Swimming lessons start tomorrow....

My Honest Thoughts for Today

   My hubby, my love, and my hero. Memorial Day is one of those days that are bitter sweet for me. I'm grateful for those who have laid down their lives for me and mine. I live in a very blessed country.
   On the other hand it doesn't take Memorial Day or Veteran's Day to remind me of the sacrifices that military service members and their families make. I live it every day and I think my boys are the ones that are ultimately effected by our decision to serve this country in this way. I just hope that one day they understand why we've made the choices we have because there are sacrifices that we make that I can't even begin to put into words when you are a military family. Spoken for all the military families out there.

Girl's Day Out

   Today was fabulous! Two t-ball games this morning to round out my boys spring season. Then lunch and manis and pedis with some army wives. Fun! Then some shopping to finish off the day! Good thing I have an extra day this weekend to get some things done so I could have some fun today!

Memorial Day Weekend

   Looking forward to having a fun and relaxing weekend with my boys. Going out with some other army wives tomorrow which I'm looking forward too as well. When I was growing up my family went on the same vacation every year over Memorial Day weekend which was lots of fun. This weekend I'm just going to cherish time with my sons and my own little family :)

Fellowship

   There is something about fellowship that is just refreshing. Even when I was a child at home and growing up I remember having cell group every Wednesday evening. We met at our house for the majority of my growing up years. It was a time of Bible study and prayer and fellowship with others. As kids we usually hung out in the basement and we would have an older single adult hang out with us until we got old enough to go play soccer in the backyard by ourselves or capture the flag. There is something about just meeting together with others that have the same relationship with Jesus. There is a closeness that they've got your back.
   I love that my church started small groups about six months ago. Perfect time for Adam and I to get plugged in before he left for this deployment. There is just something about knowing there are others out there that have your back!

So Much to Say but I Just Don't Feel Like It Right Now

   It's been a pretty good day. I've had a lot of things go through my head. But right now I'm pretty tired and just want to relax so for now I'm saying goodnight.

Friends, Storm, and a Good Movie

   First off, I must say it was nice to be back to work today and do my job. Today is one of those days I remember why I love doing what I do. There is a lot of hard stuff that I'm confronted with through my job but overall I do enjoy what I do (and some days I have to remind myself of that). However, it felt great to get back to the routine a little bit today.
   However, I missed my Zumba class tonight. We had storms and tornado's in the area so my class was cancelled and I stayed in my warm cozy house with my boys. I also had a friend come over who lives in an apartment to just hang out together and make sure she was okay too. Perfect reason to cuddle up with blankets, have some good girl convo, and watch a chick flick (and don't forget the hot chocolate, Oreo's, and popcorn!). I do love these moments in my life journey.
   Sometimes, it takes me taking a step back, relaxing a bit (I'm on the go constantly and always trying to do to much), and just enjoying the moments (and yes that means it's okay to put away my camera and phone and sit and watch a movie with no distractions after the boys are safely in bed. I love how my boys are confident about being safe even though Daddy's not here. It's perfect how well our Daddy God takes care or our household. So glad to have wonderful family and friends to share life with.

A Day of Rest

   I took today off work and got somethings done around the house. I was sick yesterday and still feeling under the weather today so I decided I would rest up and recoup before getting back into the work week. It was nice to have a quite day at home all by myself. It might be nice to get them a little bit more often.

Night Out

   Sometimes a girl just needs a night out. I always feel great about my boys being with the sitter because I have found sitters that do awesome with my boys and they do fun things with them while I get my me time. Tonight I took time out with my mother-in-law and went to dinner and a movie. It was overdue and we had a fun time.

It's the Weekend

   I love the weekends! Time to get some things done around the house and spend some fun time with my kids. However, tonight the boys were in rare form. I'm hoping a goodnight sleep does us all wonders.

Taking the Day Off

   Today I took the day off work to go on a field trip with my son's class to the zoo. I was in charge of him and two other boys. It was really fun and no I'm not making that up! I enjoy getting to see how he interacts with his classmates. This evening was fun too, McDonald's, park, and t-ball practice. Then after all that I played the boys on bowling on the Wii and beat them! That was a great feeling! Back to work tomorrow for one more day until the weekend.
 

Small Things

   Tonight's message at church was about small things making a big impact. I'm thankful for the people that have taken the time to speak into my life. I want to be able to be a light to others during their dark times. I'd settle to just be an encouragement to others during their good seasons.

Some times you just need a break, even if it is just a little one.

   The last two days have been full of work and paperwork. Tonight was Zumba which was fun. The boys broke out their water guns to have a little water fight. My favorite part of the night was sitting out on the porch working on paperwork. I also watered the flowers, great to have just a little downtime!

Paperwork

Busy day of work and paperwork. Now time for bed.

Fun Weekend

   Crazy fun weekend. Had an awesome time with family and friends this weekend. I wish I could take time to hang out like this more often but for now just thankful I did this weekend. So refreshing!

Celebrating Nathan's Birthday

   Wow, what a day! Two t-ball games, zoo with the boys and a friend, Chucke Cheese for Nathan's birthday party, and a sleepover! Craziness! I'm glad my boys had fun now time to get some sleep before another day tomorrow. A little calmer tomorrow but still busy.

Happy 6th Birthday Nathan!!

   Yesterday was Nathan's, my son's sixth birthday. I'm into taking pictures (if you know me, you know this about me). So we went to the park and got some pictures of him and his brother. Then when I got home I was looking through pictures of Nathan since he was born. It's amazing how much he has grown so here are a few of my favorites of my little man (that keeps getting bigger). I love getting to watch him grow :)

                                                                   My laughing baby.

                                                              His first Christmas in Pa.

                                                          Smiling boy on vacation in Texas.

                                                                      Toddler time!

                                                         He's always loved to do puzzles.

                                                                     Fun in the sand.

                                                                      3 years old

                                                                   Contemplating life

                                                            Vacation with Grandma Cindy.

                                                                    Picking flowers.

                                                                       Fun at the cabins.

I love you Nathan! Happy 6th Birthday! You bring so much sunshine into our family!                    



Birthday Traditions

   Every year for the boys birthdays I let them pick out the cake mix and make a cake with them. This year we did something different. I saw these ice cream cupcakes that one of my facebook friends made for her sons birthday treats. So we spent the evening working on them. I even made a cream cheese icing to go on top of the cones but I'm not so sure about how they turned out. We shall see. At least the boys had fun making them.

Birthday Festivities

   My oldest son is turning six this Thursday. This afternoon I went shopping to get his gifts and cake and cupcakes to make. It's hard to believe he's going to be six. It's exciting at the same time. Fun times.

Fighting the Mower and Dinging Cars

   I must say I had a great day at work today. I accomplished what I wanted and needed too. I knew I had a lot of things I wanted to tackle once I got home but things took a different turn than I intended. I went to pick Nathan up and dinged someones car (it was a little windy). Anyways, he wants me to pay to have the ding fixed. I'm glad I was wearing sunglasses because I was taken off guard (although I'm not sure my hubby would be much different). So, I gave him my insurance information and we'll see what happens. Then I come home to my house to find a strange guys sitting in front of my house stranded with his truck and mower because he locked his keys in his vehicle. He has just finished mowing the neighbors yard. I offered him my condolences because let's face it I don't have much to offer in getting keys out of a locked vehicle. Then I decided to take him a nice glass of cold water but he had just got his keys out and took off before I got to him. I guess it's the thought that counts.
   After all that enjoyment, I hit the gym to workout my hour in between work and home, just a weird one for what it counts. After the gym I came home and decided to mow my yard which needed it after being neglected for a little over a week again, while my dinner was in the oven. I'm not sure why but the mower decided it didn't want to start. It has done this once before to me and I thought I was just about crazy because I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it and then when my friend came over to look at it for me it started up just fine for him. My guess is that something is amiss on it but I've got no patience for it and since mowers aren't my speciality I've thrown in the towel and decided to call in lawn service....after all part of my lesson this deployment is learning to let go. Now my Tuesday better not have crazy moments like today in it. I could use a mellow day throughout tomorrow, better put that in as my prayer request before I go to sleep tonight.

Happy Mother's Day!

   Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there. I have a wonderful Mom that has always been there for me. And I've had some wonderful ladies come alongside me and mentor me throughout my life. My hubby sent me a Mother's Day card together that was sweet.
   This morning at church the kiddos got to give flowers to all the Mom's. Nathan got upfront and got to tell everyone why he thinks I'm special. Too cute. Then this afternoon the boys and I went out to lunch and to the park with my mother-in-law. It was a fun day.

Training

   I spent my day at a training for work, nothing to exciting to say about that. However, I got to hang out with the boys and my mother-in-law tonight. It was nice just relaxing and hanging out. I can already tell this weekend is going to fly by.

Breaking the Rules Can Be Fun For Something Different

   All the rules went out the window tonight. I have a pretty structured routine at home for the boys and I in the evening and to get ready for bed. However, tonight since it's Mother's Day weekend I decided to throw the rules to the wind and do something a little different. I thought the boys and I could use a little bit of fun after this crazy and hectic week.
   So after picking the boys up, we went and got their haircut. Then Nathan had t-ball practice and team pictures. We had a light snack before all the activities began but still needed something to eat. However, I thought seeing a movie would be fun so we decided to do that and didn't have time to get something to eat in between, so instead we got popcorn and soda to enjoy during Rio, which was great if you are wondering. Then to top off the night we stopped by Cherry Berry and had some yummy yogurt and toppings. Not bad at all! This is why I enjoy structure with flexibility :)

Crazy Day = Quality Time with My Boys

   Wow, what an intense day! So what did I do after I got off work? I hit the gym for an hour workout and read my kindle while I walked. Then picked up the boys took them out for dinner. Spent some time with my youngest at t-ball practice. And then since I felt especially grateful for my two boys I took them out for ice cream and spent some time at the park with them. Days like this remind me what really matter, family, so grateful for my hubby and boys. I really am blessed!

Grace and Weakness

   I've learned in this life that I don't always have the answers. I'm thankful I don't have to just rely on myself and that there is grace in this Christian life that I'm living. Also, life has a way of keeping me humble. When I think I finally have things together there comes another curve ball. Guess it's good I don't always have things together because then I know I'm not the one that needs to be running my life.

Skype

   I love Skyping with Adam. The boys and I got to talk to him tonight on Skype. Skype is great to keep in contact. I also enjoy skyping with my sister while we scrapbook too, although we haven't done this in months. This is one thing I definitely love about technology.

paperwork and sleep

Paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork. Now time to get some sleep before geting up in the morning.

Not Sure What to Say

   I'm kind of speechless. Osama Bin Laden is dead! Just wondering how this is going to affect troops overseas and us here in the USA. It's been a long time coming and I feel kind of bad saying but I'm glad that he's been taken care of. Now I pray that everyone is aware that God is in control, end of story.