A Safe Place to Land...

BASKETBALL & HOCKEY!!!!

2011-02-22T10:30:00.006-06:00

We love sports in this house, obviously, and right now we are obsessed with basketball and hockey (roller & ice)! All three kids are playing basketball and we are watching a lot of it on tv to help the kids learn about the game! Here are some photos of Sami and Patrick playing on their teams and I am hoping to have photos of Jonathan next week.

We have both boys in roller hockey so we love to go catch a UNO Mavericks Ice Hockey or the Omaha Lancers games when we have a chance. So here are some photos of Jonathan's roller hockey and of a few of the ice hockey games we have made it out to.

Pretty soon basketball and hockey will be behind us and we will have to fill the time with.......BASEBALL!!

Skating Fun

2011-02-07T11:46:00.002-06:00

We had a skating party for school this last week! It was a great time hanging out with friends. It was a competition between our school and a neighbor school, whoever gets the most people there wins! We promoted it through out the school and pumped the kids up! We had the best turn out in years and the kids had so much fun meeting up with friends from the other school! My kids skated for two hours and were exhausted by the time we got home. The night was perfect after two snow days and being stuck inside!

Wonderful two days

2011-02-03T06:40:00.002-06:00

The kids had two snow days and we had a great time, basically. Jonathan was sick on Tuesday with a fever so he and I cuddled all day watching TV in our pjs and Sami and Patrick made cookies and dinner for us! YEAH for them, and Patrick went out and shoveled the driveway all by himself while Sami cleaned two bathrooms for me! Love those kiddos! I have wonderful friends who offered to try and drive over here during this horrible weather to bring medicine to my sick buddy, luckily we didn't need it because his fever broke before it got too high. THANKS AMY AND SHAUN!!! Then WEdnesday we slept in, took two hours to work together and clean the whole house, lounged and watched more TV and put a puzzle together, went to Roller Hockey, Sami had her guitar lesson, rented a movie and watched it while eating Texas Roadhouse take out! What a wonderful two days! Now we are back to reality and going to school! We are having a school skating party tonight so if I remember to take a few photos I will try to get them on here tomorrow! Here is a photo of Jonathan while he wasnt feeling well, pathetic but quite adorable!

Snow Day

2011-02-01T05:08:00.002-06:00

I remember being a kid and no matter how old I was I was still excited to have a snow day. Last night all the kids activities canceled for weather and we were just waiting for the word on the schools. At 7pm Sami announces in a very grumpy attitude that there is a snow day, the boys jump up and down and screaming YEAH! Sami truly was disappointed because she doesn't get to go to school, what 13 year old does this? It is great from a parents stand point but then I keep thinking is there something wrong here? Then I decided that it is not my fault, nothing to do with her home life, it is the schools fault! They make it way too much fun!!!! She loves all of her teachers, has time to have fun with her friends while still learning, and she is doing really good with her grades. I have figured out that she is not the only one of her friends that is disappointed, thank goodness!

The boys will have a great time hanging out today and Sami will sit and text her friends endlessly all day! Maybe we will see how bad the roads are and find our way to the movies! Of course they will fight over which movie to see but we will still have fun!

Murphy's Law

2011-01-31T13:30:00.002-06:00

Things go wrong while my husband is gone.....always! Tomorrow it will be only two weeks that he has been gone and so far both cars have had warning lights come on, a snow storm with 7 inches of snow, an ice storm this morning, tomorrow we are supposed to get another 6-12 inches of snow (of course none of the news channels here can agree on the amount), and a few emotional choices that have been hard to make. This is all on top of the normal junk that happens when you have kids - colds, arguments, little household things break, and trying to work out the kinks of our system while he is gone just to have it down in time for him to come home. Pat is great and when he calls he listens to me complain even though it is difficult for him to listen and know he can't do anything from where ever he is at the time. So we are looking forward to him coming home so he can be here with us but I need a break from all these things, especially all these snow days! Thank goodness that we got him a snow blower this year, unfortunately I will probably be the only one to use it this year!

Comfort foods...

2011-01-23T20:50:00.003-06:00

I always have the best intentions when Pat leaves to lose weight and be good about eating, working out, and just making better choices. I start out strong and then somewhere in the middle I falter and by the time he comes home I am a complete mess. Ok, maybe that is a little dramatic. I usually just end up having ice cream every night instead of the salad I tell myself I am going to have. So if you haven't guessed it, ice cream is my comfort food, vanilla with chocolate sauce and pecans on it.

I have had a great week, the kids have been good, activities were fun, and we have accomplished what we had planned to. It has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, which is normal here so instead of having my husband to lean on, I will lean on the ice cream. Tonight I was better, I did Pilate's first, OOUUCCHHHH!

Does anyone have any comfort foods that are not fattening? But it has to taste as good as the ice cream!!! Let me know of any ideas!!

Working out

2011-01-20T21:48:00.002-06:00

I have forgotten how good I feel after working out! I have been lazy and not worked out for a few months and it is starting to show on various parts of my body, so I decided that I would get back to it. 25 minutes a day is not too much of a commitment and it is do able! I of course have to figure out when is the best time of day for me to workout but I think that will be night time after the kids have gone to bed and I have time to myself. I have forgotten how the stress just rolls off of me and I can then take a shower and I fall asleep better. Why do I never remember these things when I am procrastinating a work out? Oh that is right, because it is so much easier to sit and watch tv instead. The iPad is helping me though because it is so much easier to read, watch a favorite show or movie, or play a game while on the treadmill with this amazing piece of technology! Yes, I am addicted to the iPad. Well, wish me luck that I stick to my new routine, it will help me not kill my kids while their Dad is gone for a little while! ;)

Let the craziness begin!

2011-01-18T16:28:00.002-06:00

This part of the year is always crazy busy for us, and every year we chose to do this to ourselves so I am not complaining! I love it! The kids love it! We are starting two nights a week roller hockey for each boy (different days of course), one night a week and one game a week of basketball for Jonathan, two nights of practice and one game a week of basketball for Patrick, two days a week practice for baseball for both boys (thankfully together), once a week tumbling for Sami, once a week of guitar lessons for Sami, two nights a week TKD for Sami and Patrick, Sunday School for all three, and every school day basketball for Sami! We will be busy but the time while Pat is gone will fly by and the accomplishments will be great in this house! I love watching them participate in these activities and accomplish goals they set for themselves! Cheer for all the kiddos from where ever you are!

Photos from Summer

2011-01-18T16:02:00.004-06:00

I got a new phone this fall and I have used that for my pictures lately, that means I have not used my regular camera for a few months! I was looking at the photos on the storage card and found some cute ones from this summer. We were in Michigan and we took a trip to the zoo with my brother and his family and of course my Mom!

The First Basketball Games of the Season

2011-01-16T20:18:00.002-06:00

Both boys had their first games of the season this weekend, I love it! Jonathan is still in the younger group and they can't do as much as he would like but he is surviving. He did great, no baskets but plenty of rebounds. He is definitely one of the brutes on the team and has no problem climbing over or shoving people out of the way. Patrick on the other hand is my sweet child who doesn't want to hurt a fly so he has a harder time fighting over the ball. He is up in the leagues when they are playing ball completely. The other problem for his team is they are joining a league late because of a goof up at the youth center and the contract they had with another league so they are playing with kids that started playing games last month. Needless to say Patrick's team lost but they were starting find their grove by the middle of the second half. They were doing good on defense they just need to get the confidence to take more shots. We will be spending the next few months playing basketball and I have to say I am very excited to be able to go watch Sami play some bball also! She made the intramurals for her school, looking forward to having some more info after Tuesday.

TaeKwonDo

2011-01-15T07:38:00.002-06:00

Most of you know most of the family are active in this sport, Pat, Sami, and Patrick. Pat loves it even though his body does not most of the time. Sami tolerates it but would rather be enjoying other things in her life, the other sports she participates in mainly. Patrick only goes at this point to see his friends. I like the confidence it gives them but I also understand how they feel, Patrick over the course of the year plays select baseball, football, basketball, just started roller hockey, and also has to practice his trombone everyday. Sami has a guitar and clarinet to practice, basketball, tumbling, and hopefully cheerleading soon. I am on the verge of letting them quit TKD because they are finding other enjoyments in life and lately I am feeling like I should get a part time job just to cover the cost of TKD. In the course of a year we spend $3000 for TKD, but I spend about 2/3 of that for ALL the other activities for all three kids! That total for TKD doesn't not include all of the little trips to include all the referee, self defense, instructor courses, or the testings that get throw in there that they strongly encourage everyone to attend. I enjoy the people in this class but I know that because I chose not to send my kids all over the Midwest to attend these courses that I am then labeled as not willing to put TKD first. For the past two years we have chosen to visit family or take an actual family vacation instead of attending TKD camp and I have been made to feel like a horrible person for choosing other things over TKD. Most of it is in a joking manner but man after three years of saying no to some of the trips they have definitely made me actually consider if I am making the right choice, sometimes I say yes just so I don't have to hear it. This is very heavy on my heart right now, I am not sure what the right decision for my kids and for my family is. I think what it will come down to is after the kids take the instructors course here in two months, that is mandatory and very expensive, my kids will be able to make a choice and we will stick to it. Pat will be able to continue to attend the class but the kids will be able to enjoy their other activities and not made to feel bad about it. Hopefully, this will be the right choice but this is the wonderful job of parenting, trying not to screw up your child while they are growing up.

Ipad

2011-01-14T16:58:00.002-06:00

I got an iPad today and so far I am loving it. Of course I have only used it for a little while today and it will take some getting used to. Wish me luck during my exploring, that is if the rest of my family does not take it from me.

First Reconciliation & Basketball Tryouts

2011-01-13T22:32:00.003-06:00

Jonathan is in second grade and in the Catholic religion that means First Communion and First Reconciliation. He had to have his first confession of sins today and he was incredibly nervous. He has worried about this for months and in the last week has broken down in tears over it a few times. We have tried many times to explain that it is not a bad thing and it takes about two minutes. He still was nervous when we showed up at the church today but he was going to soldier through! He was second in his class to go, they gave him a cheat sheet to help with prayers in case they mess up (which he needed, too nervous to remember that prayer he knew before we left the house), he went in, knocked it out, did his penance, watched Patrick do his confession, and then left the church! I was so proud of him for putting his game face on and powering through!

Sami has not participated in any school sports activity ever! So I told her at the beginning of this year she needed to participate in one, I didn't care which one as long as she did one. She chose basketball, the sport she hasn't played in 8 years, but she is tall, maybe that will help. I waited patiently for tryouts to come up and finally they came this week. She gladly told me about them, which is a switch because every other sport she told me about them a week after, so I saw this as a good sign, she is kind of interested. We went shopping for the appropriate accessories, of course, then she tried out today. She had a great time, played in 5 of the 6 games they played and just had fun. She is excited and we are looking forward to finding out what team she will be on, tomorrow sometime, and it will be Varsity, JV, or Intramural. She doesn't really care which team or level because she had a great time and is looking forward to just playing basketball! YEAH! I am so excited, I have a child who is playing school sports and I get to attend the games and cheer her on! Yeah, I am one of THOSE moms!

To celebrate every one's accomplishments today we switched things up and had ice cream from Culver's for dinner and the beef stew that was in the crock pot ended being dessert!

Sami

2011-01-12T13:26:00.004-06:00

I can not believe that she will soon be 14!! Where has the time gone?

Bedtime

2011-01-12T13:08:00.002-06:00

It is always a little crazy around here. We have a child that goes right to sleep, a teenager(that is enough description), and one that fights it completely. We spend many nights having to go up stairs numerous times every night to put him back to bed, argue about anything and everything, and explain why he doesn't need another _____(fill in the blank). Pat and I have come up with a solution, maybe??? We are going to spend the first ten-twenty minutes after we have turned off the lights, upstairs doing whatever so that there is no temptation to get out of bed. So we tried it for the past two nights, it was successful kind of. The first night was amusing but frustrating, we shut his door because he came out and then he spent the next 20 minutes talking, whining, yelling, crying and screaming to us. We heard how he was sorry, then he wasn't sorry, that it was the worst night ever, he loved us, he just wanted to talk to us, he missed us, and many more. We have learned that if you don't talk to him then he stops sooner rather then later so it was amusing to sit in the hall and just listen to the things he thinks about while trying to get our attention. Last night went much smoother and he went right to sleep but I think that might be because it was just him and I at home so he wasn't missing much, never the less, I take that as a victory! Tonight will be the next challenge and I will stay positive and say we have started a new trend!

SUMMER FUN!

2010-08-27T11:43:00.005-05:00

Baseball, Mt. Rushmore, baseball, Grandma's house, more baseball, and hanging out with friends, oh and more baseball! Here is a few photos from our wonderful summer!

Summer Vacation...

2010-06-23T08:24:00.002-05:00

I can't not believe that a month of our summer vacation has flown by already. We have been crazy busy but are loving every minute of it! The boys took summer school classes this year at school and Patrick had a blast but Jonathan was not really excited about having to get up in the morning! He had a great time during the day but we had some rough mornings, not any different from the school year. Patrick's class was a PE class all day and he LOVED it. Sami stayed home from summer school, even though her school had many really good options she chose to take this time to catch up on her sleep from the school year. We also had a lot of time to hang out and have girl time which is very rare in this house of three testosterone filled guys!!

This summer has given us a visit from friends who moved two years ago but occasionally come back for surprise visits and we love to see them even if it is for just a day! Their boys are all around the same ages as our boys so the only odd one out is Sami but they fit her in pretty good. We have also had a visit from my Mom, brother, and his wife during one of Patrick's baseball tournaments and the team took 2nd place in that! YEAH! The visit was a blast and we found out who was really good at Just Dance on the Wii!! We have also made time to go down to KC for a day to go to Worlds of Fun and finally use those summer passes we have. We are knee deep in baseball this season and the end of the season is fast approaching and we are very excited, we will be off on all our adventures after baseball. Mount Rushmore, Grandmas, Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun, KC Royals Baseball Games, Omaha Royals baseball games, visit MN, and of course the pool!!!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful summer because I know that we are. The next few weeks we are taking it easy, sleeping in, playing baseball in the evenings (LOVE THIS), and hanging by the pool during the day! If you are in town and want to get kids together gives us a call because we would loved to see everyone before we hit the road and don't come back until school starts!! :)

FRUSTRATED...

2010-05-05T14:11:00.001-05:00

Does anyone out there in the military get their child a same day appt ever? Instead of these appts at the end of the school day and you have to take all of your kids out of school early!! Yuck!

Visitor

2010-04-28T22:24:00.002-05:00

We had a visitor last weekend while Pat was gone for two weeks. GRANDMA!! It was wonderful to have her come and visit and keep us from going crazy! We had a roller hockey game, a football game, four baseball games, and TaeKwonDo class. So we might have tired her out but we all enjoyed having her here to see all the games and spend time with the kids. I loved having her here to help me out and the kids really liked her being able to see their activties. She apparently had so much fun that she is coming out again Memorial Day, with my brother and sister-in-law.

Police Department Tour

2010-04-28T22:17:00.003-05:00

Jonathan's Den Leader from Cub Scouts arranged a tour of a police department for the boys and they had a great time. They walked around and saw all the offices, the jail, the interview rooms, the garage, the cars, the evidence room, and many more places. It was very informative and the boys were very grateful for the police officer that offered up his time for this activities. We did find out that handcuffs will fit on Jonathan's wrists, his hand is too big to pull it through the cuffs! Enjoy the photos!

Hockey and Basketball

2010-04-12T22:23:00.002-05:00

Jonathan is as always busy playing sports and tries to run his Mom ragged getting him to all the activities. He finished up a great season with basketball and then rolled, literally, right into roller hockey. He was very excited to start this new sport and he has done really well. He is skating much better and learning all the hockey terms. He has also started flag football and will begin the next session of hockey in a few weeks. He is a busy beaver and it is a lot of fun to go and watch him try very hard to learn something new, especially when he is doing pretty good. Every sport he goes into I have small expectations, no pressure in our house, so for hockey it was that he would be able to score one goal and he has accomplished that goal. The new expectation is to be able to cross his feet while he is turning, it makes the turn much faster and sharper. These kids amaze me and I love going and getting into the sport with them!

Easter

2010-04-12T22:09:00.002-05:00

We had a great Easter this year. We spent the day together and got some things done around the house. It was a beautiful day so the kids talked us into finally setting up the trampoline. They then spent the rest of the day on the tramp and it took a little prodding to get them to come in for dinner.

Omaha Beef Game

2010-03-30T10:03:00.003-05:00

We received tickets to the Indoor Football League, Omaha Beef, and we skipped out on our Pack meeting and decided to go and see how these games are. We have been to the college hockey games, college basketball games, and USHL hockey games. It has been a lot of fun and now we can add an IFL game. We only stayed for the first half and half time because it was a school night but we had a good time, except for Sami! She was ready to go home before the beginning of the second quarter but she stuck it out and we got a good photo. I am not sure we will make it back to another game this year but maybe we will try and go to a game next year but we will definitely make sure it is on the weekend.

Durham

2010-03-30T09:47:00.002-05:00

This past month we went to a museum in town with some friends. The Durham is an old train station and we have never been there in the seven years we have lived here. It was a lot of fun to visit history of the this area, the history of the boy scouts, and to visit the exhibit of all the wonderful places to visit in the United States. We spent time in the traveling exhibit to ask the kids what they would like to visit in this beautiful country of ours. Of course we had many different answers but it was fun and is still fun to talk about and figure out what are family vacations will be as a family!

Conferences...

2010-03-23T06:43:00.002-05:00

Last week we had our Parent/Teacher/Student conferences. It is a crazy week with the book fair for the PTA and two kids conferences at one school and then one conference at another school but that student has 8 teachers. We always look forward to these days and finding out how the kids are doing in their classes, good or bad. We always have good communication with all their teachers regularly anyway but it is nice to sit down face to face and discuss anything that needs to be taken care of. Of course I wish my children were perfect but I am under no illusion that they actually are perfect so it is nice to know if there is anything going on that we need to know to rectify any situation.

So with all that said, we had Sami's conference first and Pat was here for that one. Last time we spent an hour and half at the school talking to everyone, so this time we were a little shorter on time so we tried to spend the majority with her core teachers. She has great teachers that expect the best from her, some times they push, which is great because she can deliver! She has gone up or stayed the same in every class except for one and we got to discuss what the problem was and she set goals for her self to correct the situation! I was so proud listening to her explain what went wrong and how to fix it all by herself. She took the blame and worked out the solution with out help from Pat or I. Now with all that said her grades were good, ALL A's except for the one that is a B+ that she has a goal for herself to get that back up because she had an A in it for the first half of the year, so she is capable of an A in that class. Sami also was excepted into the National Junior Honor Society because of her academic abilities and her outside class activities. This has been a great year and we have many things to be proud of Sami for, she is amazing me all the time.

The boys conferences last about 15 minutes because the teachers have a lot of students to get through in two short days and Pat was not here for those because he was off to DC for a few days. Patrick was first up and we have had some problems in the past that we thought were improving but it would nice to hear what the teacher thought about it. We sat down and during the conference we heard many YEAH's from the teacher! She was excited to let Patrick explain his grades and show us which ones are up from the previous quarter! He has improved quite a bit and he has also improved his behavior in class, YEAH! Not as much talking, more listening, more time management, no homework missing!!!!! He does have to work on asking for help when he is not understanding something but that is going to happen soon because he is doing extra work at home until he learns to ask the teacher or his parents for extra help before the test. Again, he has all A's except for one that was an A and it will be an A again before the year is over because he has set goals for himself also!

Jonathan was the last one on the list and he is a very interesting guy. He has been on a chart system for behavior because he has a tendency to get off task easily, so we have been working with the teacher and Jonathan to improve that. We found out at conference that he is doing so much better that he is now off the chart system because he is doing so much better. YEAH! He has also improved on reading a little bit, but that is not a huge concern for me because my other two had problems reading until fourth or fifth grade and then BAM, they took off and love it! So we will continue to read and he will get there eventually. He is doing better with his spelling and his math is wonderful. The problem with this grade is that so much is tied into reading that since he is slowing working into reading everything else is slow going but again not too worried. The other two had the same problems and it all came together in the end. He is having to read a little more then the other kids in class at home, do a few worksheets a week at home, and we make him read more when we are out and about so he can hopefully have it all click soon but you never know when that will happen.

All in all we had great conferences and these kids amaze me everyday with the good and the bad. It is wonderful to be in a school system that keeps in contact with the parents so much that I am not surprised by anything at conferences. The teachers are amazing and they are wonderful at getting the best out of my kids. I am not going to be ready to leave here when and if Pat gets orders because it will be hard to leave a place that has had such a wonderful impact on our family!

Luck of the Irish!

2010-03-17T17:03:00.002-05:00

Yep, It's Official...

2010-03-09T13:06:00.001-06:00

Basketball Season...

2010-03-09T12:53:00.002-06:00

We love our sports around here! It is basketball season and the only one playing this year is Jonathan! At the beginning of the season we went to see a Creighton basketball game and Jonathan was pumped up and ready to play the game! He is having a great time and really learning how to play the game. He is usually bored beause when they are young the don't teach them too much about the game, except defense in the box and shooting. He was ready for the coach to teach them some different passing plays and a big one, how to share the ball!!! He even got to have his Dad sub for his coach one weekend! Does it get any better then that when you are a 6 yr old boy??

Blue and Gold...

2010-03-09T12:46:00.002-06:00

In February we went to the Cub Scouts Blue and Gold ceremony, to watch the older boys cross over to Boy Scouts. It was an important ceremony and Jonathan enjoyed watching these boys be the center of attention. During this ceremony Joanthan also recieved his Tiger Cub pin and patch! YEAH! He finished all of his requirements and earned some belt loops at the same time. We have not talked to him about what he plans on doing next year but since he plays roller hockey, flag football, baseball, and basketball he might have to make some choices!

The joys of a babysitter...

2010-02-18T10:43:00.001-06:00

Pat and I have always made time for ourselves to go out and enjoy time alone. We tried making sure we had a night out once a week but we would fall short sometimes because of the kids schedules and our crazy routine, it was often a last minute decision but by then it is usually too late to find a babysitter. Well, no more for us! We have a babysitter at home and who conveniently wants to babysit all the time! The last two months have been great! We have been going out with friends about once a week and we are loving it. We have been to hockey games, bars, dancing, dinners, early morning breakfasts, and just anything we want! With all this time we have even taking more time out with the kids and had a blast! I think we are refreshed from our time together without planning or discussing the plans, dropping off or picking up the babysitter, making sure the house is clean before they come over, all that stress is gone! We just have fun, it is no work now and we are loving it! Now, we only go once a week because I don't want to over use our new babysitter, even though she asks us to go out all the time because she wants more money, we have restrained ourselves. Again, just to clarify, WE LOVE OUR NEW BABYSITTER!!!!!

Samantha...

2010-02-18T10:40:00.002-06:00

Wow! She amazes me all the time! Recently we got a letter in the mail from her school, she was nominated by her teachers for the National Junior Honor Society for her grades and her accomplishments at school. I am so proud of her! She works hard and continues to always give her best. We filled out the paper work and we will see what happens but I am glad that someone else recognizes her efforts besides just her mom and dad!

Our neighborhood...

2010-01-27T17:40:00.002-06:00

This is across the street from our house! I love this about our neighborhood, we have deer and turkeys all over the place. After 6 months in the house I am still thrilled with our place, the wildlife and the house. Everytime I come down the street I am thrille to be coming home!

Pinewood Derby...

2010-01-27T12:35:00.003-06:00

is interesting. This was our first year experience it and I am not too thrilled for next year. It is a lot of fun to hangout with friends and to see the boys excited but I could live without all the competitiveness with the parents. The boys are just excited to see what creation each one has and to watch the cars go down the track but the parents are a different story. Some parents go all out and spend way too much time and money on making sure "their" car is the fastest and then there is the ones who let the boys do it all by themselves. I had a hard time this year because Jonathan can't really do any of it, he watched a lot. He watched Pat cut it out, he watched Pat use the dremel, he sanded with sand paper which got very old quick, and he helped paint it. The weights Pat had to do also.

All in all Jonathan had a great time with his friends and his car was the slowest car but since he won with his boat earlier this year we were all ok that he didn't win this. He didn't even say anything about losing, it was funny, I don't think he ever noticed. The Den also got to post the colors for the first time and that was adorable! They did a great job, especially since they had never done it before. Way to go Tigers!

Money...

2010-01-26T18:08:00.002-06:00

Jonathan's class has started working on counting money, they also have a homework packet that they have to return in about three weeks, it will help them practice. This weekend we decided to start it and knock out a few pages, he ended up doing ten pages in about ten minutes because as he puts it, he knows his money! He said it with a little attitude and everything, boy are we going to have fun as he gets older!

Just another day...

2010-01-22T13:06:00.002-06:00

On the way home from school I always ask the kids how their day was and they are all very good at talking about what their days are like. In the Junior High here they have groups for the different grades. Sami is in the navigators group but they also have travelers and explorers. She was telling us on the way home the other day that the travelers group go on field trips all the time, more then any of the other teams. Jonathan pipes up from the back seat, "Well, duh, that is why they are the travelers, because they travel!!!"

I love my kids and their thoughts!

Omaha Symphony and more...

2010-01-18T19:14:00.002-06:00

This last two days have been a lot of fun and painful. As a family we went to the Omaha Smyphony with the Cub Scouts. Pat and I have been there a few times and Pat loves it, I enjoy it but not as much as Pat. It is truly amazing to watch all the instruments combined together to make the beautiful music. This particular event was designed for kids to understand music and what it can do to you and for you, like inspire you to keep moving towards your dreams. The conductor, our favorite one, was immensly entertaining for the kids as well as the adults. Jonathan was a little antzy but Sami and Patrick really enjoyed it.

Pat is a Dallas Cowboy's fan and I am not, I will watch them and even cheer for them because of Pat. I however love Jared Allen on the Vikings team, and will cheer for him all the time. So yesterday the Vikings and the Cowboys played in a playoff game, of course we had to watch it, so we recorded it and after the Symphony we made it home to watch the game. It was a little painful for Pat to watch but I was happy in the end, the Vikings won, BIG TIME!

I went to the doctor to get meds for a sinus infection and found out I also had an ear infection. So off to the pharmacy I went to get antibiotics and allergy meds to see if that helps keep the infections away. I guess they don't like it too much when you have a sinus infection once a month. Now, like a good girl I took my antibiotics right away and then my allergey stuff later right before I went to bed. When I woke up in the morning I found that one side of my face was a little puffy, was more then the other side. Not enjoying this wonderful feeling, I have decided to not take the allergy meds for now and see how things go. Luckily things have calmed down a little and maybe by tomorrow I will not have any problems.

After this wonderful day of hanging out and not accomplishing anything but some laundry, we are getting back into the routine tomorrow. YEAH! School, work, tkd, basketball, baseball and PTA!

Basketball and more basketball

2010-01-17T10:23:00.000-06:00

We spent yesterday being immersed in basketball and it was fun! While Pat spent the morning and early afternoon at a state PTA board meeting, Jon had his first basketball game of the season. While we are still working on the concept of being on a team and sharing the ball he did great! He grabbed numerous rebounds and sunk three baskets! His dribbling has improved immensely and he is of course having a ton of fun. After the game we went home for some quiet time because of the late night before. When Pat arrived home we were off to the Creighton University mens basketball game vs Witchita State University with a group of friends. It was a lot of fun because some of the friends cheered for Witchita and I was cheering for Creighton, it is always more fun when you can trash talk in a fun natured way! Of course it is more fun when your team wins by one point! Way to go Creighton! Today is a doctor appt for me for a sinus infection, church, symphony for the whole family with the scouts, and then home to watch the recorded Viking/Cowboys game. We are in for a lot of fun today!

Tired, very tired....

2010-01-16T08:15:00.000-06:00

Pat and I went out with a few friends from tkd to celebrate one of them turning 21! It was a lot of fun hanging out with them, watching Pat do karoke, being the DD while they got real giggly, and yes even dancing with my husband. it wasn't even too bad not getting home until about 2 in the morning, but now I am exhausted and having to go to Jonathan's first basketball game and the Creighton Bluejays game this afternoon! I am thinking a nap is somewhere in their also!

Procrastinating

2010-01-15T14:56:00.000-06:00

I LOVE to read, as much as I can! The thing is, I read for pleasure, so it is usually just the books I enjoy. This time that I carve out of very busy days are very important to me so usually try to be very picky about those books. I love book stores and libraries because of all the possibilities, so when I get THAT book I can't wait to open it and dive in. This week is a big change for me, I have a book(and 3 follow ups when I finish the first one), but I am dreading having to start it. Sami is getting to that age where I have to watch what she is reading, what content is in the books, the YOUNG ADULT section! She is wanting to read, Twilight! I know the first book is okay but I have heard iffy things about the content down the line so I have to read them to figure out what is acceptable and what is not. These books are ridiculous, so if you are a fan, but I am not. So off I go venturing into teenage land, a place that I have grown out of, in an effort to keep my child still a child while I can! Wish me luck and I am sure that I will be out to talk to adults before too long so I can have drama free conversations!

2009-12-04T06:57:00.002-06:00

I know I am a little behind but I am going to try and catch you all up on what has been going on around here.

These are a few of the photos I have from Pat's testing in October. He did awesome and now he is a Third Degree Black Belt. After many years of work he his working his way up in TKD. He was also given the position of Armed Forces Director for the United States TaeKwonDo Federation. He is very excited about this opportunity.

Bobcat Ceremony

2009-12-03T07:33:00.002-06:00

Jonathan earned his Bobcat at Cub Scouts this week and here is a photo from this fun evening! Pat got to paint Jonathan's face and then it was Jonathan's turn to finish up with painting a strip on Pat's face!

Wishin....

2009-10-29T18:52:00.000-05:00

life would slow down and we could enjoy it a little more. The kids are doing great, school is keeping them on their toes and their activites are still challenging them. We had conferences this month and everyone is doing great grade wise and we are working on a few issues with Patrick about remembering to bring his homework home and not talking in class. Thank goodness we are in constant communication with his teacher so she is being a huge help getting through this rough patch. We love the kids schools and the teachers are outstanding! I am still having a blast taking care of a friends baby during the week. She is adorable and the kids love helping with her, it is like giving them a baby sister without actually having to have a kid! Pat tested for his 3rd Degree Black Belt and passed, so he is now starting to think about 4th Degree, which is 3 years away, atleast.

We are already for Halloween here and the kids can not wait to go trick or treating in our new neighborhood, it is all wooded and dark-perfect for this Holiday, it will set the mood nicely!

We have....

2009-09-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

a 2nd place sparring medal, a Class B referee for TKD, a flag footbal star (according to him), a clutzy girl on crutches, and a very tired Mom who is there for everything.

Pat is preparing for his 3rd Degree Black Belt testing next weekend so we made our way to a tournament for him to get some experience for Referring, a requirement for his testing. We will have his parents, sister, and nephews here for the big day. We are all looking forward to this, Pat has worked hard for it.

Samantha smacked her knee into the car door jam getting out of the car, that's the clutzy part. She has been on crutches for two weeks now and going in for a MRI this week to try and figure out why she is still in so much pain. The xrays the past two weeks have shown no break, but I am told that doesn't always mean there isn't one in there. ??? She obviously did not participate in the tournament but did get to use her referee skills for the first time.

Patrick got a 2nd place in sparring and was thrilled with that! He is having some difficulties in school this year. He forgets homework and forgets to bring things home for me to see. The school here puts a lot of emphasis on responsibility and accountability starting in the fifth grade. I love it because come JR High there is no one checking up on the kids, they have to learn this stuff before they get there. So the teacher and I are working extra hard for Patrick to learn this and excell!

Jonathan loves playing flag football and has learned that even though there is more work in 1st grade it is still fun. He had a field trip to the zoo on Friday and I was able to accompany him. It was a lot of fun and I love that I am able to be there for him. He has stopped participating in TKD because he is enjoying all the rest of the sports and will possibly join again in a year or two. He has also joined Cub Scouts this year, so we will see how this goes!

I have watched the baby for two weeks now and we are starting to get into a routine. I have had a lot of fun and she is very good, even though we go all over the place, doc appt, picnics, shopping, PTA stuff, lunches, and all kinds of things.

You are now updated with our family and we will have more to tell you by tomorrow, I am sure of it!

Lovin' it....

2009-09-13T15:32:00.000-05:00

I went and woke Jonathan up this morning.

J: Is it a school day?

M: Nope.

J: Then why are you waking me up SO early? (It was 8:30)

M: We have to go meet your Sunday School teacher.

J: WHAT? I have to go to school on SUNDAYS?

I am not sure but, I think he is a little upset by this.

Exciting Stuff

2009-09-10T22:20:00.000-05:00

Coming up...
Sleepover
Boy Scout Camp
Cub Scout meeting
PTA meeting
Football game for Jon
Football Game for friend
Dinner w/friends
TKD, TKD, TKD
Birthday party
Pancake Man
Visit from brother & nephew
Start watching 2 month old
Football practice
Another sleepover
AND
all by myself because there is a trip to Korea in the picture!

Always fun times in this household! Thank goodness for wonderful friends to help cart kids around!

Airshow...

2009-09-03T16:41:00.002-05:00

We went to the Airshow this last weekend and had so much fun! It was the perfect weather and we had our nephews here, so we were set for a great weekend. The Blue Angels, Golden Knights, and many more were here to delight the people of Omaha. Since we live out by the base we were actually able to see the airshow four times, during practice, the special needs airshow, and the two days of the actual airshow. I love that no matter how many times the kids see these planes flying around they are always amazed at what these pilots can do. This year I think the highlight for Jonathan was the Golden Knights. He was totally enthralled with the fact that these people jump out of the planes. I think he has found a new career to pursue, although it will definitely be against Mom's wishes! The photo is the kids reflection in a war bird's propeller. I am sure that Pat will be disappointed with me that I don't remember what the planes name is but I know that it was an old plane.

Changes.....

2009-09-02T11:00:00.000-05:00

Life is always changing at our house and this year is no different. So you know we have moved from base housing to a house off base. Just in case you didn't know it, WE LOVE IT! We have doubled our space, the kids all have their own space, we have wall to wall carpeting, tile that is less then fourty years old, and a backyard and deck that is huge!! We love it.

The kids started school already and it is nice having them have a place to go, besides driving me crazy! I do miss the quiet of the summer schedules but it is nice to have the quiet during the day to get things done. Sami started junior high and that was hard on me, not her. She is having a great time and enjoying her independence. She loves her teachers and thinks it is great that they all trust her to do her work w/o checking on her. Little does she know that Mom checks every week online to make sure she is completing everything. The boys are having a great time at school. They both love their teachers and love seeing all the friends they missed over the summer.

Sports are always a top activity at our house and this year is no different. Patrick tried out for the select baseball team and made it! Sami tested for her black belt and got it! (I will post photos as soon as I can) Jonathan has quit TKD because he doesn't like that interfers with baseball, football, basketball, and golf!

The boys have both shown an interest in scouting so we are trying that this year. Patrick will do a few things with a friends boy scout troop and then might join them next year when he is the right age. Jonathan is going to be a Tiger Cub and since they don't have a leader yet I will be there fearless leader until someone else is willing to do it. It should be a very interesting year, Thank God for Stephanie who is willing to help me out in this whole thing.

Pat and I are still having date nights once a week but it really nice now because Sami is our babysitter. She does a great job and we don't have to argue over who has to take her home! YEAH! We are having so much with the kids and spend time together as a family.

For a few months this year I will be helping out some friends by providing childcare for their 2 month old. I will care for her during the day while Mom is at work until January sometime. I am looking forward to it and the kids are beside themselves with excitement!

Our New Home!

2009-08-20T16:35:00.021-05:00

So we have officially been in the new home for 3 1/2 weeks. I love it! I love the neighborhood, the house, the space, the yard, the rent, the space, the neighbors, and the space! I can not explain how much I love this place and how much I do not miss the old one. We are still trying to get all unpacked but it is taking a little longer because life is still taking all my time but one day I will be unpacked! Here are the photos and please remember that I did NOT clean before I took them because I wanted to show the blogging world my home as soon as I had a moment!

We got so lucky to find this house! It is less rent and the house is in amazing shape! Someone was looking out for us!

Master Bath! I LOVE IT!
Basement, behind the camera is a storage room also.
Garage, with both cars!
Laundry and Main Floor Bath
Family room
Other Half of Deck
1/2 of deck
Backyard
Dining Room
Kitchen
Entry Way
Living Room/Kids Play Area, video games, kid's computer, and toys.
Hallway Upstairs
Master Bedroom
Kid's Bath
Sami's Room, sorry photos a little too dark.
Patrick's Room
Jonathan's Room

More wildlife..

2009-06-28T15:39:00.002-05:00

in my yard! Here are the baby birds and the baby ground squirrels. We still have the regular squirrels, cardinals, crows, finches, doves, and all other kinds of birds. We love it and we will miss it when we move!

TBall

2009-06-28T15:28:00.004-05:00

Jonathan LOVES sports and I think that Baseball is his favorite! He is all about hitting, catching, and running the bases. It is amazing to hear all about the game from him and his take on what the teams should and shouldn't do, according to a 6 year old. This year he is playing tball and he is supposed to play it again next year but the sports director has decided that he can move up to coach pitch next year because he has a great understanding of the game, and not bad skill either! Yesterday he was thrilled because he got to field the ball for Patrick's team during their practice. He was beyond excited about telling everyone he got to play with the big boys!

OOOPPSSS! Swung the bat a little too hard! :) Mom had a great laugh and was thrilled that I had the camera ready!

Military Convoy

2009-06-26T15:54:00.004-05:00

The Military Convoy across the country stopped in Gretna and we met up with a bunch of friends to go and see all the old cars and trucks, the blackhawk was pretty cool also! It was a lot of fun to hang out with friends and talk to these military vehicle enthusiats!

Family...

2009-06-26T15:44:00.003-05:00

It is so nice having our family together again. Here are a few photos of the family hanging out, riding bikes, and walking the dog. We have been very busy but we always find the time to spend time together. Jonathan is learning to ride his bike without training wheels, Sami is really wanting to be able to take Dozer for a walk so we are working on both of them listening, and Patrick is always trying to helpout!

The Party

2009-06-26T15:26:00.006-05:00

Here are some photos from the promotion party! We had a great time with family and friends. Thanks to all for the well wishes and congratulations. Pat and I feel so blessed having so many friends that care about us. With our life in the Military it is not always easy to find friends that you can become close to because everyone is always moving. Here we have friends in the military, retired, and normal people ( you know civilians) :)! It is a wonderful community and we will be very sad when it is time to move!

Whirlwind...

2009-06-19T07:05:00.000-05:00

is the atmosphere around here. I know that I promised pictures but with my new camera the pics are too big to post here quickly so I put them on facebook instead, if you would like to see them find me on facebook! We are busy all the time around here! Pat has come home, we started baseball and tball, the kids are finishing summer school, it has finally felt like summer so we are going to the pool, starting swim lessons, golf lesson after swim lessons, camping, fitting TKD in because Sami is testing for black belt on July 10th, and hanging out as a family. We also had to put down our black lab, Brandi, because she had so many problems due to being old. So we are now a one dog family and hoping our current dog, Dozer, is okay being the only dog. We are working on making sure he doesn't get lonely. I will keep you all posted on our life as much as possible but it may be a while between posts because of our schedule.

Weather...

2009-06-07T23:37:00.002-05:00

is always a lot of fun no matter where you live and definitely keeps you on your toes! The Midwest is no different. We are in the thunderstorm season and I usually love this time of year. The smell of a fresh rain, the rolling of thunder, and all the beautiful sights of lightning. I can handle it all while my husband is away because I know what to do in case of severe storms. The thing I miss the most though is having someone help me run out and collect all the stuff in the yard that might blow away, or Pat being able to run out in a storm and move the truck into the garage, or the person that will help me rearrange the stuff in said garage to fit said truck in! Tonight I got to run out and move all the rental stuff from Pat's party to the other end of the garage so that I could fit the truck in. 46 chairs, coolers, and tables take a little time to move by yourself.

On a side note: We had a blast during our trip and lots of fun with friends and family during Pat's promotion party!

Photos coming this week!

Coming soon...

2009-05-20T22:25:00.000-05:00

is lots of updates but for now I am going on vacation. I will be back later and sometime around the 1st I should have updates. I have been to Kindergarten Celebration, Field Day, Sixth Grade Celebration, High School Grad parties, Awards Ceremony, Talent show, Jonathan's birthday, and our 14th wedding anniversary. I have made it through all that with some tears, lots of laughs, and great friends. I will bring you on those journeys when I return.

Accomplishments...

2009-05-11T10:08:00.002-05:00

are something I strive for while Pat is gone. I love to prove to him and myself that I can do anything I need to do on my own. So this is the list that I have set for myself:

pack up some of the house, for moving
get the trailer out of storage, and hook up batteries
dewinterize the trailer
use the charcoal grill
possible, if time, go camping

This is not a big list but they are really big accomplishments for me. I know that I can handle it all, on top of all the other things that need to be done like, doing my school work, throwing a party for 100 people at my house, take the kids on a trip, and so on and so on.

Mother's Day...

2009-05-11T09:58:00.003-05:00

was very busy and good, just like every other day. Our family lives a life of separations sometimes and very much togetherness when able. This is a time of separation and we deal with it, but that means SPECIAL days are not really special they are just the same as the day before. I love my life and my family, we enjoy the time that we have together and that makes everyday Mother's Day here. My kids are no different on Mother's Day then any other day and I love that about them. They are the good, the bad, and the crazy everyday and it is my job to relish every minute of it, not just one day a year! So on these days when my husband can not be here to pamper me, I realize that Mother's Day is more then my family appreciating me, it is also about me appreciate all they allow me to be a part of.

On a side note, Pat sent me flowers and the kids made me all kinds of wonderful homemade things. Also, since we were at the TKD tournament all day Saturday that meant we had to clean up the yard on Sunday. So the boys helped mow, weed eat, clean the flower beds, clean up the outside furniture, and clean up the back patio. Sami got to clean the kitchen.

My kids...

2009-05-10T17:54:00.003-05:00

I got a new camera and I am having a blast using it! Here is a few photos from the weekend.

AXE TKD Tournament!

2009-05-09T20:16:00.010-05:00

Toay we spent the entire day at the Youth Center for a TKD Tournament. This was Jonathan's first tournament, Sami and Patrick are ready for this because they have done many. We were very excited to get there and show off their stuff! I will split up the kids into paragraphs and go from youngest to oldest.

Jonathan: He started out with a team pattern, a few of them put together this team last night and added a friend that moved away but was coming in for the tournament. They didn't stick together but they were very cute and placed third. He did his individual pattern and kind of added a few moves and ended up in the worng direction but he didn't notice, again CUTE! Last but not least was sparring, and boy was he not happy when this was over. He didn't want to spar to begin with but after borrowing a Dad for a pep talk he went in there ready to go. He then ended up sparring three matches in a row and lost all three. He was really cute after they annouced who won he looked up to the referee, who he knows really well, and look at her like "What is going on?" After the last match he came out of the ring and started crying saying, "I just wanted to win!" He almost made Mom cry! Of course he was fine when they gave out the medals and he cheered the loudest for his friends!

Patrick: He participated in a black belt team pattern and they made a few mistakes but placed third place. He was in a huge group of black belts and didn't place for individual patterns but he did really good, not many mistakes but they were all doing really well. This is the first time that Patrick has particiapted with the black belts and it was very challenging. He was in a group of boys that ranged from 9(which is Patrick's age)through 15. He was in the first match and was paired with a 12 year old from our school, very good friends of ours, so he wasn't not real mean to Patrick. Patrick did lose but he tried. The best part for him was being able to help out in the rings, score keeper, scorer, and just helping out the higher ranking black belts.

Sami: She was a busy girl during this tournament! She started out in the color belt team patterns with Jonathan's group. She corraled one 5 year old and 2 six year olds to get a 3rd place finish. Then she moved on to the black belt team pattern with her brother and scored 3rd place again. Individual patterns was next and she did really good and placed 2nd! She really likes this part and has a good time keeping those patterns sharp and powerful. Next was sparring, and after three matches and lots of her Mom freaking out during them (yelling, cheering, nausea, and shortness of breath all from Mom) she ended up in the 3rd place. She did some breaking in there somewhere but I didn't catch any of that on camera. The breaking was great and she placed 2nd!

Over all we had a blast and came home with lots of learning experiences. The instructor will make sure that they are always supposed to walk away from tournaments knowing what you learned not how many medals you won. Everyone can always improve and if you don't keep trying then someone will pass you up!

Dealin'...

2009-05-03T10:52:00.002-05:00

while Pat gone is a well planned out state of mind. I can get through anything while he is gone and I know that because I keep telling myself. Birthdays, planning and throwing a promotion party at my house for 100 people (when he flies in for the party and then leaves), black belt test, tkd tournament, basement flooding, looking for a house to rent or buy, dealing with all Pat's PTA stuff, plan/pack/take kids on a trip to VA & DC(with help from Mom), end of the year parties, going away parties for friends that are moving this summer, help plan and execute a show of self defense for the kids talent show at school, and normal things that come with three kids. None of that is out of the ordinary and not too hard, all I can deal with on my own because I am ready for it, this is what I married into. Now here is the one thing I can not do while he is gone.....kill a wasp!

How pathetic but I have trapped a wasp in a window sill and I will leave it there until it dies or someone is here that can take care of it. I will not call someone to deal with something so stupid but if they happen to be in my house at the time then I will ask one favor of them!

This is the one thing I can not deal with, wasps and bees, now you all know and I will never live it down! Enjoy thinking of ways to mess with me, those of you who call yourselves my friends but will chase me with frogs and things!

Thoughtfulness...

2009-04-29T16:17:00.004-05:00

If you have talked to us, Pat or I, for a few times then you probably know that we are the birth parents to a 15 year old girl. It was a decision made many years ago and before we were married. At 19 and pregnant I knew I was not ready to be a parent so we made the decision that could be the hardest one we have every made. It was a great decision for all involved, we have never looked back. Every year during this time I always stop and think what it would be like if we had kept our baby girl, but I never regret. She is with an amazing family who adore her and give her as much love as we could. That is all we asked for, that she was taken care of and loved. She knows about us and her siblings, she also knows that when she is 18 she is more then welcome to visit or not, whatever her preference is. We send photos and cards every year and we got pictures of her for a few years with big long letters telling us about her, it was so wonderful to hear about her and to know what she looked like. As the years have passed things have changed, I don't ache every year on her birth day, the day sometimes even passes and we don't remember until a few days later. Like this year, we have so much going on that I didn't remember until we got home today and found these, the annual reminder of how much we have blessed another family.
I may not always make the right choices in life but I know that this choice we made many years ago was a good one. That little girl is forever loved by two families, one she knows and has lived with and one that she doesn't know but is always connected to. I want to Thank those parents for wanting her so much and for always being there for her. These wonderful people have always thanked us for this precious gift we gave them but I think we truly gave each other something! I would not be the same person today without them in my life.

Finally a black BELT...

2009-04-24T00:06:00.004-05:00

Here is the result of all the hard work!

A First...

2009-04-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

This is Jonathan's first time sparring and he had a blast. He sparred with a little girl he has been sitting on the side of TKD, waiting to start, for two years. They are finally old enough and are really excited to be doing this together, not always listening but always trying! Jonathan is in the red helmet.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

More...

2009-04-18T22:46:00.003-05:00

photos of Patrick breaking his boards, thanks to a friend from class that took photos! Thanks David!

Testing....

2009-04-18T12:40:00.003-05:00

was awesome, nerves, sickness, terrifying, amazing, joyful, and every emotion you can possible wrap into three hours of your life. I could not imagine what it is like to watch your child work for three years toward a goal and then to be there and watch him accomplish that goal is completely horrible on a Mom! He did amazing and I am so proud of him.
This is the photo from Patrick trying his two boards side piercing kick, there is video of all the trys but this photo is when he actually broke it!

Here is the video clip of the breaking. Enjoy, I certainly did!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This week...

2009-04-17T14:34:00.003-05:00

has been crazy.
Sunday: Easter, had a great time with the kids and hanging out with the neighbor, then Sami puked all over my kitchen floor.

Monday: Quiet day, hung out, had a babysitter, went to a PTA meeting then to a movie with a friend. Jonathan puked all over his bed that night.

Tuesday: Jonathan is fine but stays home from school because you have to be puke free for 24 hours before returning to school, and we get some running around done. TKD that night and everyone is fine.

Wednesday: Everyone back to school and I go shopping for PTA stuff for the rest of the year, plan out some other things for PTA, decorate the teacher's lounge that night for Principal's day on Thursday.

Thursday: Pass out yearbooks at school, present the Principal with the gift from the students, help in the library at school, get some laundry done at home, get a call from school, Sami has jammed her finger and it is the one she broke a few years ago. Run up to the school to check it out, talk to Pat, try to get her an appt. but the hospital has a training day, figure we will see how it is tomorrow. Get all the kids home, feed them, get ready for a PTA dinner, Jonathan complains about his stomach, he ends up in the bathroom with the runs. Leave Sami and Jonathan home and take Patrick to TKD, go to my dinner, pick up Patrick get home and get everyone to bed. Jonathan wakes up in the middle of the night with a fever that shoots to 103 in twenty minutes, motrin and then a restless night.

Friday: Two kids stay home, one kid goes to school, make doctor appts for the two home. Get the other child to school, get some PTA stuff done and then come back and cancel the get together that I was going to have that night after TKD testing. Go to two doctors appt and find out that we are going to try different things until something works to help Jonathan out with his persistent sickness since December. We find out Sami's Finger is not broken and she will be fine, then off to get a few things at the store and lunch. Then off to Sami's appt for her braces to get the wire that popped out back into place. Pick up Patrick from school, home to cook dinner, go over patterns for TKD, get dressed and off to testing. Patrick tests for his black belt and then off to get ice cream to celebrate with the rest of the group! Now I can breathe and go to bed!

Always making me smile...

2009-04-13T14:36:00.002-05:00

This blog makes me smile all the time and the person behind the blog is amazing! Go check out her post from Easter Sunday, take the time to watch the video, really it is worth it.

Happy Easter..

2009-04-12T17:28:00.002-05:00

We all wish you an amazing day, from our family to yours! Here are our photos that we took this morning minus Pat!

Garden...

2009-04-11T22:33:00.002-05:00

This is beginning of our vegetable garden. The kids did most of the work and they were awesome! Turning up all the soil, sifting through the soil to get all roots and grass out, planting the marigolds around the outside to help keep out the rabbits, and we cleaned up the yard at the same time! I will post pictures of the garden when it is in full bloom.

Easter Eggs...

2009-04-10T12:27:00.002-05:00

We went a friend's house for an Easter tradition! Coloring Easter Eggs with the kids is always a blast and a big mess. We colored eggs, played games, had dinner, and of course I got some adult conversation. It was a great night and we all enjoyed the great company even Sami who was with all boys! She is going to grow up and be one tough cookie. Watch out boys, you will not get one over on her!

School Concert

2009-04-09T11:57:00.003-05:00

Jonathan had his school concert this week and boy was he a cute little man! He was a little distracted during the songs but it was fun to watch!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Not ready...

2009-04-07T13:48:00.002-05:00

for many things that I have to buy for my kids. One of them is buying Sami a strapless dress and the undergarment for it. She is too young for these things right? My brother is getting married this summer and Sami is in the wedding. The bride picked three style of dresses but is being very kind to let us pick whatever dress we wanted. I did feel that we will pick one of the dresses she likes it because it is her wedding. So I did pull the Mom card and told Sami that she was only picking out of two because one was a little more adult then I would like. Last night I took Sami out to try on the dresses and she of course picked the strapless one, but it comes with spaghetti straps we can snap on, so she will wear those and then I am going to buy her a matching shawl. One the list of things I have to get her I thought these things were a little bit further down the road. My 12 year old is not supposed to have anything to hold up a strapless dress, right?????

This is just the beginning.......

Proud...

2009-04-07T13:35:00.004-05:00

Well, here is the photos from the not so formal pin on. Pat rescheduled his pin on for 2:00pm on Friday, but canceled it because we hadn't heard anything about the Senate approving the list. Then at 5:00pm on Friday we found out the Senate approved it and Pat was finally a LT Col! YEAH! So we had all the food and a little ceremony at home for the kids, well the two that were here, to put his rank on him. They of course were not the Col that was supposed to but they were just as important!

Then on Saturday we packed up the van and sent Pat out for a TDY! So now I am single Momin' it here. It has been been almost three years since he left last time and the kids took it pretty hard, it didn't help that they only had three days notice either. We are planning a family trip out to visit him and see some amazing tourist attractions when school gets out. I now have date nights all to myself and boy am I going to enjoy those moments.

Moving On...

2009-04-02T10:59:00.002-05:00

Pat is still a Major and we are hopeful that the Senate will sign off on the list today and we will have a pin on tomorrow. Pat was also notified that he had a chance to go to a class that will last 2 1/2 months, and it starts on Monday. So he will be off to a class somewhere else for a few months starting Sat. So the kids and I will be hangin' here and planning trips for him to come home once a month and for the kids and I to go there when school gets out! Lots of plans going on around here and we are dealin', that is what we do, roll with the punches!

ENT said that I should be good soon but here is some more antibiotics, schedule a hearing test, schedule a balance test, come back in a few weeks and lets look again to make sure everything is doing good.

Having a great time and thanking God that I got the ability to deal with things as they come from my Mom! In the first two minutes of learning that Pat had a chance to go to this class I was already thinking about the good things that will come out of this trip and how to deal with the other stuff. Like I said...moving on and dealin'!

Good Times....

2009-03-30T10:37:00.002-05:00

So I was sick with fever, aches, ear infection, cough and the other general stuff with a cold. Then the ear infection blows my ear drum, again, no big deal I can just get some antibiotics and be fine. Wrong! I have taken all of my antibiotics and I feel only a little relief but I now am dizzy when I stand up, can't do much around the house because it all involves standing up, can't make dinner very well (short spurts of standing and we eat eventually), I can drive places because the dizziness only effects me standing up but when I get to where I am going I have problems because again I have to stand to walk, can't move my head very fast so keeping track of all three kids while out is not as easy as it used to be, and I am also very tired these days and don't feel rested ever. To top it off Pat is supposed to pin on LT Col tomorrow but I can't stand up. We have his parents and cousins coming into town tonight and I can't clean my house or cook for them. I have to go and pick up all the trays of food and cake tomorrow and I can't stand up. Plus, we have planned all of this but the pin on might have to be postponed anyway. The way this stuff works is...the Air Force selects the group to be promoted and then they send the list off to be approved by the President and the Senate. You will not move up in rank until those people sign off on it. So it is sitting waiting to be signed by the Senate right now and until it is signed we will have to wait to do Pat's promotion, which means we will have to try and fit it into the Col's schedule that will perform the pin on. Plus, I have to still go get a dress just in case, Patrick needs shoes, and I have to do all of this with a smile on my face. Wish me luck, I may need it!

oh yeah....

2009-03-26T15:12:00.000-05:00

Total pounds lost is 62 and still counting! It sure is fun to watch the pounds come off. I would not recommend getting sick to lose some but it sure helps the numbers. I am doing good at watching how much I eat and that seems to be working really well. One day I will start exercising daily and probably lose more. For now though I get to out for a girls night with my daughter and buy some new clothes!

Better...

2009-03-25T11:56:00.000-05:00

I am feeling better. I was in bed for four days and now I am just trying to feel normal again. I did end up having an ear infection and then my ear drum burst but I will heal eventually and Jonathan was home a few days but he is back to school also.

A few weeks ago I got a new phone, the Palm Treo, and I LOVE it. I can update my blog from anywhere and check anything on the internet! YEAH! I am off to go searching the internet for an outfit for Pat's pin on! Wish me lots of luck.

Sick....

2009-03-22T15:07:00.000-05:00

The kids shared their fever, stuffiness, and coughing. So I have spent three days wishing it would go away. I even tried to ignore it and went out yesterday to get some stuff done for Pat's pin on done. Then came home and sat outside wrapped in a blanket while it was 70 degrees outside to watch the kids play. Came in and crashed for the night. Today I am taking it a little easier but I have things to get done for PTA and make invites for Pat promotion. Thankfully we have decided to put off the party until May or June so I can rest easy that I don't have to do things for that yet.

Lots of things happening...

2009-03-19T14:19:00.002-05:00

This week we had conferences, book fair, feed the teachers night, tkd, and a project for Sami.

Conferences...awesome! Kids did great, no behavior problems, grade improvements, and even some things that we can work on to get better. Love it! It is nice to hear that the teachers don't have anything negative to say about your kids.

Book fair...stressful and tiring, but the kids love it!

Feed the teachers...piece of cake with all the help from parents willing to help out and give the teachers a nice meal while they are at the school forever for conferences. It is great when you have a lot of parents who take the time to help out their children's teachers.

TKD...always fun. Sami, Patrick, and Pat took a referee course this weekend and we had friends come into to town for it. So we got to out to dinner and hang out with them, totally a blast, but makes us miss them even more when they leave.

Project...from the University of Northern Iowa for Sami to complete and send it back. She is part of a trial project. She loves math so we signed up to do a study for them.

That has been our week in a nutshell, except for a trip to the doc this morning to find out I have tendonitis in my right hand. I am now in a splint and have to wear it for a few days. YEAH! Did I mention that I am right handed and I now can not use that hand?

My kid....

2009-03-19T14:16:00.002-05:00

On our way home from dinner and getting me a new phone, I told the kids to sit back and relax, maybe rest their eyes. Jonathan pipes up with, "My eyes don't need a rest, they took a nap during dinner."

How do you argue with him when you are laughing?

Exercise!

2009-03-10T10:49:00.002-05:00

Since I am sitting home with two sick children I think I will relieve some stress and work out on the treadmill! Maybe I can even lose more pounds, the forty so far isn't enough maybe another twenty would be good! Can't you just feel that positive mood coming off of me through the computer?

Are you....

2009-03-08T16:56:00.002-05:00

a person people want to surround themselves with???

I hope I am!

Failed

2009-03-08T16:10:00.002-05:00

I have failed at my attempt to give up soda for Lent. I went nine days and I could not go any longer. I was fine not having the caffine, no headaches but I craved being able to drink an ice cold drink! I found myself trying to find something to fix my craving but nothing could do the trick and I was beginning to think I would gain weight. So I gave up and drank a soda and now I am just fine. I am going to give up complaining now. We will see how that goes!

Good Weekend!

2009-03-08T15:59:00.002-05:00

We had a nice weekend, busy, but lots of fun! Pat went out with a friend to the club and then ended up drinking with a bunch of people from the base at one of their houses. I drove him there and picked them up, so they could drink and not worry about driving home, and it felt like I was dropping one of my kids off somewhere and telling them to call when they were ready to come home. Have I mentioned how nice it is to have a babysitter living in the house so I can make a run to pick up their drunk Dad? :)

Saturday we had TKD class for few hours, shopping for Sami to spend her birthday $, and then we had the black stripes and above from TKD over for an educational video. The instructors found a video that they like and wanted the group to see it so we were volun-told the availability of our house. We had a great time talking and then watching a video with the group.

Today, this is relaxing and hanging out time. We are watching the Nascar race and getting a few things done, like the school yearbook, laundry, haircuts, and picking up from the party. While watching the race we are enjoying the new surround sound that we have and understanding just how bad the previous one was! I really do like a good sound system!

We are looking forward to the next week, dinner out for Sami's birthday, friends from out of town here, dinner out with said friends and TKD family, going to see Race to Witch Mountain for Sami's birthday, Sami's band concert, Referee course for TKD, Sami's stepper's show, and all the normal things we have going on!

PHEW

2009-03-06T07:15:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a long day. The kids and I went to school, they went to class while I went to the teachers lounge and made copies and had a few good laughs with some of the staff. I have a great time with the staff at the school, we all have a sense of humor and it is great fun to mess with each other, plus I learn more about the teachers that doesn't have anything to do with my kids and how they are doing in school.

After copying things for the school, I got Jonathan and we went to the doctors to find out if he has asthma. After two hours, two xrays, one pulmonary function test, and a through check up we are still not sure if he is having a problem because of asthma or just a very slow recovery from the pneumonia because of other colds entering his system. So a quick trip to MCd's for lunch he was back at school and I was off to a friends house to get started on the school yearbook.

After school we helped out at Kindergarten Round Up and handed out flyers and more laughs with the staff! Admired the Kindergarten Teachers for their stamina, being there and having a good time with kids after spending all day in a classroom with kids! They have amazing patience.

Final thing we were off to TKD, spent the entire night there and had some laughs with friends and made plans for this weekend and next. TKD friends/family are coming into town next weekend and we are all planning on trying to get together with them! YEAH! We miss them very much!

So now maybe you understand why I am ready to go back to bed right now!

YUCK!

2009-03-05T07:04:00.002-06:00

We all have colds that won't go away! Pat brought it home and it hasn't left yet. I have had a cough and running nose for about three weeks now. The kids all have some thing going on and now it is causing other problems. Jonathan hasn't really kicked his stuff from Christmas. Patrick has always had a hard time with drainage, he ends up throwing up because of it, which in turns causes him to miss school. We are off to a Pulmonary Function Test for Jonathan to see what might be causing his Pneumonia every year, and a follow up for the sinusitis they think he has. I would be really happy if we could just move on from all the cold stuff. Spring needs to arrive soon! My hands can't take much more of this hand washing every five minutes, they are starting to look like the hands of a ninety year old and I use lotion after every hand wash!

Happy 12th Birthday Sami

2009-03-03T06:53:00.003-06:00

How on earth did the time go by so fast that Sami can all ready be twelve? She has started going out with friends without me and even calling boys to join her and her friends. She has gone to her first boys birthday party! Of course Pat and I went also to hangout with the parents! She is becoming a teenager when I blink and I don't think I am ready for it! She is learning to grow up with dignity and grace but I am scared for her, all the things to come that will crush her and she will learn to bounce back from! She is quickly entering that age that brings many ups and downs, that she will have choices to make that she is not ready for but we are preparing her for! Thank goodness for friends because they are helping me along the way! Sami, you are my little girl and always will be but I wish you many happy birthday wishes! Thank you so much for letting us enjoy life with you instead of always having to be on the outside of what is going on with you!

Highs and Lows2/27/09

2009-02-27T06:08:00.003-06:00

Low: Just an all around bad week, too much crying and too much frustration because of stress! Moving on.......

High: I have awesome friends to make me laugh at the most needed times! Thanks, Amy, Amy, Stephanie, and of course Pat! Oh, I have to say Thanks to Lily who makes me laugh the most! Thanks Stephanie for bringing her over at the right time!

Just a moment

2009-02-24T14:59:00.002-06:00

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Wait, one wasn't enough!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Ok, ever feel like you need to just scream! It has been one of those weeks already and we are not even done with Tuesday! This is looking to be a stress filled week.

I think it might get even worse because Pat and I are giving up soda for Lent! No caffeine in my system for six weeks! Oh boy, if I bite your head off it is because I gave up my main vise and I am really stressed out. Sorry in advance!

Oh boy!

2009-02-23T11:44:00.002-06:00

Note to self...do not let Jonathan put Rice Krispy cereal in a bag to eat, then let him roam the house getting his stuff together for school, all the while telling him to hurry and eat or he will be late for school. That all equals many pieces of cereal all over the floor, ALL OVER THE HOUSE!!! Oh boy, do I love my kids!

Musings....

2009-02-22T21:00:00.002-06:00

I have had many thoughts running through my head this week and I figured that I would put down. I have friends who go out at night with friends and often want to know if I want to go. I have gone on occasion and I have even tried to set up a monthly girls night out. The things is, I have things at home that I want to be at more then any where else. My best friend is at home and there is some days I feel like we have no time to talk because we are so busy with the kids and our other commitments. I married my best friend and he is the one that I can't wait to talk to, share everything with, the one who helps me work out my problems, and anything else I that I need him for. I make time for my friends during the day, while I am at the kids activities I talk to my friends, and on the rare occasions I will go out at night. I get flack from friends and guilt trips for not going out weekly or when ever they feel like it but I only have a few precious years before my kids don't want to be hanging out with Mom and Dad. I am going to take full advantage of the time I have and not worry about what a few girlfriends have to say about it.

The other thing that has been on my mind is the tired line that I get from friends saying that I don't have to be at ALL my kids activities, Pat can go to a few with out me, he can take care of them just fine without me, and so on and so on. All I have to say is, if you have been to one of your kids activities when they look at you right after they do something really good, or have accomplished something they have worked really hard for, or were just proud of themselves for doing something, then you know why I go to all of my kids activities. That look they give that says look at that, I can do it Mom, I worked my rear off and it paid off, and all they want is someone to look right back at them like they are the rock star they feel like! That is my job, to make them feel like that rock star, and it feels good to be that person for them no matter what! Yes, Pat can be there and Pat can take care of the kids just fine, I trust him completely, but I am the Mom and Pat can't be that! I know that sometimes I need a break but I don't work so I have a break 8 hours a day during the week so I don't think that is a good reason either! Oh, and one more reason that will not get me to give up this time with my kids....I love it! I have a blast seeing them fight through fears, pain, and frustration to achieve their goals no matter how small other people think they are!

So everyone, please don't give me a hard time for not giving up my family time to hang out with friends. If you want to have lunch with me I will be glad to do that any day during the week but when my kids and husband are home then so am I. If you have small kids then I am glad to hang out at your house, even bring you lunch, and play with the kids and just chat in between the interruptions, I have been there, I don't mind. Lunch at Burger King or Mcd's play land is not a problem either! Just give me a call and we will figure something out!

Highs and Lows 2/22/09

2009-02-22T20:57:00.002-06:00

High: Watching two of my children, Sami and Jonathan, test for their next rank in TKD. Sami is now a black stripe and can official test, if ready, for black belt in six months. Jonathan is now a yellow stripe and he was hilarious to watch during his testing but he is all pumped up now for the next rank!

Low: Pat being gone for the weekend! We all miss him terribly!

Doctors!

2009-02-17T15:20:00.002-06:00

It has been said many times over that the military should be happy with their FREE medical care and I agree I am happy that I don't pay for it in the sense that we don't lose money out of our paycheck for it. I do however think that we do pay for it, in many ways. Jonathan has been treated for pneumonia since the end of December and he has seen four different doctors, with four different ways to treat it, and four different times that I have had to explain what has happened. We are going on our fifth doctor this week because he still is hacking through the night and day. No fever but I know how this works, if the stuff in his lungs doesn't come up it will become infected again! We made the appointment last Monday and the soonest they could get him in was Friday but because we live in NE and they don't know how to drive in the snow the appt was canceled and now the earliest they can get him in is Thursday, which is leaving all the time in the world for the infection to set in. We are checking his temperature every few hours and I am listening all night for the coughing because I know that if the coughing stops that is really bad! The reason we can't get into the doc sooner is because they are classifying this as a follow up appt and when you call the service to make an appt they only have so many appt for same day, follow ups, well baby, and recurring appts. That means that when you call for an appt you tell them what is wrong and they classify it and tell you when that appt is open so they could have four well baby checks open today but I can't get one of those because I am not coming in for that. Do you see how irritating that is for the patients? So you tell me do we pay? I have contemplated many times should we pay the money to be able to see any doctor we want off base and I have to say if they screw with me at this appt then we will be forking over the money to pay to have my child taken care of properly. To make matters worse the doctor we get to see this time is the same doc we saw two years ago that decided they were going to treat him for acid reflux because he has been coughing for over a month and once he coughed stuff up. I argued with her and told her that I wanted a chest xray because he has had pneumonia before I wanted to be sure. She finally agreed to do the xray even though she didn't think it was anything but acid reflux, and it turned out she was wrong and if I hadn't insisted we would have been back that week or a few weeks later with a worse infection!

Day off!

2009-02-16T17:52:00.003-06:00

It is not normal for a stay at home mom to have a day off and yet I got one today! I got to sleep in, watch Becoming Jane and Pride and Prejudice, sit in my pj's most of the day, and now to top it off I get a night out with my husband! YEAH! I did do a little bit of laundry and helped with some of dinner but that is considered a really light day of house work! What a way to spend a day off!

Beautiful Day!

2009-02-15T21:19:00.002-06:00

Today was great, it was the day for the Daytona 500! I love this race, the beginning of the year with so much promise for all the drivers. The best part was sitting down watching the race with Jonathan and having him tell me about what was happening on the tv. He is hysterical to listen to because he has a mind of his own and has no problem sharing his views!

Highs and Lows 2/14/09

2009-02-14T07:42:00.001-06:00

I have many things so I am picking more then one for each!

Lows:
1. The school Sami got information from was an accident and now they are saying she is going to have to go to the school I don't want her to go to. The school system has open enrollment so we are trying to get her into the other school but they are not sure. I have decided that if we have to I will move to another house inside the school lines so that they don't have a choice but to let her in, that is how strongly I feel about her NOT going to that other school. We have many friends whose kids have already been through junior high and after listening to the stories I would be fine at either of the other two schools but that ONE!

2. After having the satelite people out to install HD we did not have tv for two days and I missed the nascar duel races at Daytona. The company said they wouldn't be able to send out anyone until Sunday afternoon and then I would miss the Nascar race at Daytona but due to my husbands persistence we were able to get it fixed!

3. We got about five inches of snow here and the whole city shut down! Sami's babysitting course, Patrick's youth party, Jonathan's appt and TKD testing was all canceled because the base shut down! It will now be incredible difficult to try and factor all this into our schedule again when everything is rescheduled. AAAGGGHHH! It is a little snow and they way they were acting you would have thought they were getting the storm of the century!

HIGHS:

1. Today is Valentine's Day and we are spending it together as a family watching Madagascar 1 & 2, having steak and shrimp for dinner and just having a quiet night!

2. This is Jonathan's last game so I don't have to sit through any more basketball practices!

3. Pat is going to run for PTA president again next year but he is going to have a co president so I won't have all the extra stuff to do by myself and the high is that I am ok with it because I think next year will be different. I am thinking that we won't have as many issues as this year, it may be wishful thinking but I am going to try it and see if it works!

Ok, I think that I am done and please leave your highs and lows, it is always fun to hear how everyone else's week went.

Take me as I am!

2009-02-11T08:49:00.002-06:00

I love this song because it is totally me, I make no excuses and I try not to claim I am any one thing! I make mistakes and I try to be perfect, which I frequently fall short of. I am lucky to have a wonderful husband, a close family, and many really good true friends, that all accept me for my accomplishments but also my faults! So, if you hear me singing along to my song join in because I think we are all a lot like this song! No one is perfect and it would be great fun to admit it together!

B**** by Meredith Brooks
I hate the world today
Your so good to me, I know
But I can't change
Tried to tell you but you looked at me like maybe I'm an angel underneath
Innocent and sweet

Yesterday I cried
You must have been relieved to see the softer side
I can understand how you'd be so confused
I dont envy you
I'm a little bit of everything
All rolled into one

I'm a b****
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm you dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

So take me as I am
This may mean you'll have to be a stronger man
Rest assured that when I start to make you nervous
And I'm going to extremes
Tomorrow I will change
And today won't mean a thing

I'm a b****
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm you dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

Just when you think you got me figured out
The seasons already changin
I think its cool you do whatcha do
And don't try to save me

I'm a b****
I'm a lover
I'm a child
I'm a mother
I'm a sinner
I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
I'm your hell
I'm you dream
I'm nothing in between
You know you wouldn't want it any other way

When you're hurt
When you suffer
I'm your angel undercover
I've been numb
I'm revived
Can't say I'm not alive
You know I wouldn't want it any other way

Highs and Lows 2/8/09

2009-02-08T06:39:00.002-06:00

High: Finding out that the school district redid the lines and now Sami falls into the Junior High that I wanted her to go to originally. It made no sense that most her friends that she hangs out with from her school were going to one school while a hand full of kids would go to another. Now we don't have to worry about fighting the school district to let her in the other school I can just let her catch the bus! I love it and it is a huge weight off of my shoulders. I did not like that other school.

Low: Learning to smile and nod while in the face of rude, immature, and disrespectfully people. I have been lucky, Pat has not really asked me to be a part of the wives group on the bases we have been to so I have not really had to deal with the backstabbing, gossipy, rude, insulting, and sometimes down right mean groups. Unfortunately they are all over the place when you are in the military and you have to deal with them every where so I have learned to smile and nod anyway and know that one day it will end because it is a military base and everyone moves at some point. I pray everyday for the patience to smile and be nice whenever confronted, I am hoping it continues to work. I am also having a hard time not voicing my opinion or gossiping but I also pray that I can keep up the strength to not vent to someone who has nothing to do with it and should not be forced to be involved! Still working on being the better person but I think that is always a work in progress!

How....

2009-02-05T16:39:00.003-06:00

am I supposed to cut down my grocery bill when my kids go through this....

in a week?

Don't get me wrong, I love that they will eat fruit over candy but I also have fresh veggies to this because they will suck those down also! The lunches I make for them consist of a sandwich, fresh fruit, and fresh veggies because that is what they ask for. I have a strike when we run out of the fresh stuff and they eat all the prepackaged stuff. Oh well, I should be happy right?