B2B-Day3: Why are men stubborn?

This week I will be participating in a Back to Blogging challenge hosted by SITS girls for a chance to win an Electrolux Washer/Dryer set sponsored by Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath and Florida Builder Appliances.

Each day this week there will be a writing prompt, Today's is: A Post Title You Are Particularly Proud Of.

Here is mine, posted on Feb 15, 2008:




As most of the nation is nice and cold this day after Valentine's, and I don't have any new Fashion or Knitting news, I'll give you a good girl power story. We just recently started traveling as a family (probably because there is only one child left in the house) we decided to drive to Loveland Colorado to visit my brother in law and his family. As we left Indio (Palm Springs) California it started to rain, so I stopped about 30 miles out and asked my husband to change the windshield wipers. He insisted that they were still good. I stood my ground because I was the one that would be driving for 24 hours and didn't move until he changed my windshield wiper. We hit more rain, and then snow and more snow, and all the time he couldn't see anything out of his side of the windshield. The picture is actually at a good point, at times it would get a million times worse. But all the time I could see just fine. enjoy the pics, And remember stand your ground.

Sonia

I love this post and it's Title - It was one of the first couple of posts I did. If I were to write this now I would really expand on it, and add lots more pictures. (I don't have time tonight) I will try to redo it. I would have taken more pictures especially when the window was really bad - there was a point when his side had about an inch of snow on it and my side was clean! That was a great trip - I think I'm going to save my pennies for another one. That drive was so beautiful!

B2B-Day2: 101st Airborne Div. -Fort Campbell

This week I will be participating in a Back to Blogging challenge hosted by SITS girls for a chance to win an Electrolux Washer/Dryer set sponsored by Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath and Florida Builder Appliances.

Each day this week there will be a writing prompt, Today's is: A Post You Wish More People Had Read.

Here is mine, posted on Nov 6, 2008:

101st Airborne Div. - Fort Campbell
I drove Michael to Fort Campbell very early Mon. Morning. It was dark, and there was a short blanket of fog. As we drove onto the base I could see ok thru the fog. There was lots of empty space between large buildings. I was focused on the directions Michael was giving me so that I wouldn't get lost on my way out, and out of the corner of my eye, I thought I had seen a small grouping of soldiers, poised in combat position. I recall seeing a grouping of helmets, and the points of guns, thru the fog. It was a strange feeling. It felt like I was driving thru the middle of a military operation. All I could think was - it can't be and if it is then they are training.

I dropped Michael off, and drove back to Nashville. The Sun came up as I was driving. And again all I could notice was the wonderful color scheme. I stopped and took some pictures. I thought to myself I can use these in an color excersice that Susan does, where you pull color from a picture.

So here it is before:



And the color scheme I pulled:

and another picture that would be good for the excersice.

Michael called around Noon, so I drove back out to Fort Campbell to pick him up. I couldn't stand the not knowing about what I saw that morning so I asked him. "Is there a field out here where I might have seen a Military exercise this morning, I remember seeing helmets and riffles thru the fog"

He said no, but there is a new memorial that has soldiers standing on a large grassy field. It's just around the corner, want to go. I said sure!

It wasn't the picture that I conjured in my head, but I can see how I would have taken key elements of the memorial and created a different vision in my mind.




Michael is part of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, they have had some high honors in most war's the US has been involved in.

The Marbel itchings were stunning:







And it was surrounded by soilder's names from all war's after WWII as they were new in WWII.





The statue's had such attention to detail that Michael was able to point at all the gear and tell me what everything was used for.


I was so glad that I asked. We then drove home (hotel) had lunch there, then went to the Mall and walked around. Then went to Target, and bought the game of life, we like board games. By then it was time for dinner so we went to dinner, and then came back home (hotel) and played the game of life. Michael and Stephanie wrestled they like to do that. They jumped on the bed. Like I said it feels like I still have 4 year olds. Then we went to bed, as I was going to have to drive Michael back to the base, before we drove out to the airport. We had two great days.

What follows for Michael is a tough adjustment period. He will be at Fort Campbell for 90 days before they let him get out. That will be a homecoming. Until then all we were able to due for him, is make him feel like home for a couple of days.

At this point I had been blogging for almost a year, I'm a very reserved person. My life is mine to deal with and not to be told around town, was and to some degree still is the way I think. Michael coming stateside after being in Iraq for 12 months was very emotional and I was having trouble telling people around me anything, so I chose to express some of it on the blog. This post gives a small insight as to my family life that's why I like it. but I love it because of the great history that exists on most military bases they are museums in and of themselves.

Keegan and Lexi

There has been one positive that has come from my mother's illness. I see my niece and nephew almost everyday! I don't get to sit and chat with my sister any more, because when she's taking care of mom I don't want to be there (i'm off) and when I'm taking care of Mom she doesn't want to be there (she's off).

The first thing they say after playing with the dog is 'eat'. Most of the time they've already eaten and my sister would prefer that I not feed them again, sometimes they haven't and that's when they ask for food by name. Yesterday they had just had breakfast. So they wanted to sit on the stools just because.

My daughter had lots of different tea sets growing up, and all we have left now are pieces of each, because she actually played with them and toys get either lost or broken. I save the pieces in a wire basket of sort. Well they found them and pulled them out.






Oh don't forget to notice his SuperMan cape, we made that in about 10 minutes, I put it on him to try it on, and he wouldn't take it off, it still needed ironed and to slip stitch the opening used for turning closed!

Keegan also loves to pick up my camera and walk around the house taking pictures. He's going to be a good photographer when he grows up. It's odd to see that he takes pictures with purpose. Every now and again he'll get some of nothing.

Don't mean to gross you out but the dog got sick (because it ate something green) and Keegan thought it was interesting - only a 3 year old boy!

My new Wheels.

My mom bought me a new lawn mower. Yes, the roles in our house are completely back wards. I'm ok with that, I don't like to cook and clean.

She was getting tired of paying $20 to have someone take care of her yard and that was just the front yard - the back yard was starting to look like the cornfield of weeds.

Now I just need a new weedeater and to figure out how to fix the sprinklers because I'm getting dry patches, the entire lawn is getting wet, maybe not wet enough for this heat.



Don't miss my Doggie in the window.

Now off to do some sewing I have a couple of projects I want to finish today and a wedding dress that needs alterations.

I'm 40 years old

I turned 40 years old yesterday. For about half the year my family kept asking me what I was going to do for my 40th Birthday.

I had wanted to go to DisneyWorld in Florida. I put that as a plan in the back of my mind and started saving, the savings didn't add up to much. Then my brother asked if we wanted to go to Hawai'i. My daughter had never gone (neither had I but it really wasn't on my To do list) and my husband had been to all the Hawaiian Islands except for the Big Island which is where my brother was suggesting we go. I agreed we went and had a wonderful time - there are plenty of blog post to prove it.

So after that trip I knew that there was no way we would be able to go to Florida for my Birthday, heck I still can't seem to recover from Hawaii.

I put my Birthday out of my mind, didn't make any plans or invite any one over. Then finally my sister said on Sunday we have to at least have cake!

Sure but I want Chocolate! We have never been able to buy chocolate cake for Birthday cakes because my mom doesn't like chocolate cake. They bought me a chocolate cake and then they made vanilla cupcakes.

It was great, all you need to mark a big occasion is family, friends (that come even if you invite them last minute) and chocolate cake.

We lit the candles 3 times one for me and then for keegan because he just has to blow out the candles and his tia lets him do anything he wants and then poor chris started crying so he got to blow them out also.





Then there is always someone trying to make you have cake on your face, I'm not a joker so none of the adults tried it. My nephew Adrain wasn't scared of me - he told me to smell the cake because it smelled funny, mind you he wouldn't smell it first, so I smelled it just for kicks but only because I knew the frosting was slick and wasn't going to make a mess out of my face! He got a real kick out of it. He has kind enough to take the candles off of it first, that kid is growing up way to fast!



Tell me what did you do for your 40th Birthday or what do you plan to do for your 40th Birthday??

Not a mommy Blog??

So my daughter walks into my office a couple of days ago and I'm reading Top Mommy Blogs.com and she says to me 'Yours isn't a mommy blog you haven't posted about me in a long time!"

Well my child - first of all your not the only child! And 2nd of all if you would like me to post to the world the mistakes my children have been getting themselves into - I can do that!

Stephanie came home from her freshman year at college for the summer, to find a job, buy a car and save some money to go back to college.

Well she didn't find a job because she couldn't figure out how to drive stick shift, so my spoiled rotten child was waiting until after our Hawaii vacation to come home and figure out how much money she had so she could buy a car and then go find a job.

Well she came back from Hawaii with $100. That doesn't buy much of a car! So she did learn how to drive Stick shift! This was your accomplishment for the summer honey! Good Job, not being sarcastic really!

And she has announced she's not going back to college! And darling child of mine - for the whole past year my children have been telling me to get a life! I did I got one and then you guys came back - sorry it doesn't work backwards! You are all grown up.

But you are still my life - and this blog is also about my life! So I'm sure when something comes up that is all about Stephanie I will blog about it!!! Sorry you are feeling left out. Just for kicks I went through and labeled your Blog posts and Michael's - Stephanie that number is a little high compared to all the rest of them!

Plus my dear Stephanie you also have a blog - why don't you do us all a favor and do a blog post and tell us all why you are not going back to college we would all love to know because I'm really not fully understanding it. Then come back and put the URL in the comments!

Stephanie I love you - and this is a Mommy Blog - it just belongs to a Mommy that for a whole year didn't have any children that were communicating with her on a regular basis because they were busy!

Happy 4th of July 2010

What a year! Nothing about the past 6 months has felt 'normal'. The year is half over and I still can't seem to recover from Christmas.

I hadn't thought that turning 40 was going to be any different than turning 30 or 35 or 39, but I find myself analyzing things I never did - like retirement, It had never been more than the thought 'I hope my husband doesn't die before I do' and now it's like a really big thing! Like I need to find a job with benefits and a retirement plan because I will bearly have 20 years to put in before I turn 60. Well getting a 'real' job with benefits isn't in the plan - I would probably die with all the structure and supervision and in an office with other people, done it before never lasted more than a year.

So my retirement plan is going to have to be as unique as I am! I'm sure I'll figure it out, hopefully before my head explodes.

I had wanted to go to DisneyWorld for my 40th Birthday, But that is not going to happen. 'The Family' decided we are going to Hawaii. I really need to learn to make more concrete plans so that I am not so easily swayed. Actually it wasn't so easy for my brother to get me to agree to go to Hawaii, but off I go for the benefit of the 'Family'. I'm sure I'll have a great time! I am going to spend at least one whole day wondering around a 'National Park', I would like to visit all the 'National Parks' in the United States before I die. That is the only thing on my 'Bucket List'.

If you will be in Hawaii, We'll be easy to spot - we'll be the RedNecks in denim shorts - and yes I am wearing running shoes and there is a pencil in my bun. I'm always ready to run and work - I can't drop those habits.



I hope you all have a Wonderful 4th of July!!!

A hint of Red Neck

I hope everyone had a Happy Father's Day - especially the Father's. Ours was a good one - not one of the better one's but not as bad as some!

Here is my husband doing what Father's do. My truck needed new brakes and my husband has always changed them, since his first suicide attempt in Aug of '06 he's never been as strong as he used to be. He is a million times better than he was in '06 but not half as good as he was before then.

Any who! He woke up and said "Today I'm going to change the brakes." In these last 4 years I've learned to not put him down or we start a down ward spiral - not good to go there. I said "Yes, Honey." I then walked in my daughters room and said follow him and don't let him out of your sight.

About an hour into it - she came in huffing and puffing and then I had to ask Michael to go 'stand by'. I'm not really sure what happened out there. but in the end the Canopy was up. Randy my husband was supervising. Michael was lending a hand, and Stephanie was doing the work.

I really would have loved to be the fly on the garage wall.





I'm glad my daughter is going to school to be an Engineer on a ship. She has spent her last semester in a dirty oily engine room on a ship - the brakes were no big deal!

My Baby is 19!

I thought I wasn't going to get to have Stephanie home for her birthday, She was supposed to be on a ship exploring Asia right now. She changed her major and wasn't able to complete a class that she needed to make the cruise on the TS Golden Bear worth the time and expense. So she will go next summer.

I'm so lucky to be able to call my family and a couple of friends and give them a day's notice that there will be a party and they all show up.







The best part they all chipped in and Stephanie got her own camera. Which should mean that I don't have to keep going hunting for mine.






And better yet, she should have no excuse not to blog while she is away at college. DID YOU GET THAT STEPHANIE?

I have never been photographed so much:







The children decided they all wanted to learn to take pictures.

And then I realized that I was surrounded by all of my Nieces and Nephews plus my daughter. These are all of my Mom's Grandchildren. She wasn't feeling good so didn't come over. (she lives next door)


Yet after the party was over they all migrated to her house to say a quick hello, and not add to her Migraine.