One Day Closer To You

You may or may not have read my blog from yesterday about my upcoming trip to Florida and all the stress it's causing me. Well I'm stressin' no more. Most everything is worked out now. A few things will probably be tweaked here or there, but for the most part all I have to do now is sit back and relax a few days before the cleaning and packing frenzy ensues. Any volunteers to help clean? Haha, just kidding. I must remember to take out the trash and vacuum my floors before I go and it will all be good. Anything else will magically be cleaned/disappear while I'm gone or it will all be waiting for my return. Oh where's my fairy godmother when I need her? The worst part about a trip is not the packing or saying goodbye when it's time to go home. It's the unpacking and putting away. When I get home from a trip, I usually live out of my suitcase for a day or two (sometimes longer) before anything gets done! Anyway, I'm off to do a laundry shuffle and read my b

So as many of you all know, I'm planning on visiting Florida for a few weeks next month. There are so many friends I want to hang out with and places I want to go, but I am so limited. In time, in transportation, in car seats! I cannot begin to tell you how much stress I am under when trying to fit seeing everyone into my schedule for those two weeks. I've got my list of stuff to pack already written and the ball is rollin! See y'all soon.

There has been a wildfire burning in a nearby county. By nearby, I mean it's about an hour away from us. I don't know which direction the fire is burning in, but the last two days all you can see and smell when you walk outside is smoke. So far it's burned close to 18, 000 acres at last news report. That's a lot of land. Since our area hasn't gotten a whole lot of rain in the last month and a half, everything up here is drying out. There have been air quality issues and in some places voluntary evacuations. Others have had mandatory evacuations I'm sure. It's been moving so fast, and I'm sure all the fire fighters and volunteers who are helping out with this are exhausted from all the effort. I pray every night that they stay safe and that it will rain to help put this wildfire out. This is the first time I've ever been this close to a wildfire. Danny's deployed, we have a house and on top of all that, I'm planning a trip to come see all ya&

I've been truly blessed this week to have been able to talk with Danny several days this week on skype. I know he's not over on this deployment for fun and games. It really means a lot to me that he takes some time out of his night after he's off work to try and get on to talk to me. We both went into this deployment knowing that we probably wouldn't get to talk as much as we did while he was on the MEU in 2009. I've been surprised that I'll have an email every few days just letting me know he's okay, safe and that he misses us and can't wait to come home. Truthfully, I probably spam his email inbox with hundred of letters. Okay maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit, but sometimes I do email him a lot, especially if I'm forgotten to tell him something or he hasn't emailed in a few days. And yes, I can honestly tell you that right now I'm a bit sad and disappointed that it's 4:30 and he's not on skype, but it's okay. He's roug

I've done my research on potty training and my fellow mommy friends have given me tips and tricks to try. Sammy has learned the terms pee pee and poo poo and he knows he has something downstairs. Oh and did I mention that he's stopped wetting his diaper over night? It's been this way for a few months now. I figured I would have a go at seeing if he'll start potty training. I've read that most boys are fully potty trained by 3 and that most don't start that process until their second birthday. Well after several times of him pooping in the tub and a few tinkles on my bathroom floor, I decided to start this morning off with getting him up and sitting him, bare butt, on the potty chair. He cried and kept saying no no no. Sure sign that maybe I should wait a little while longer. No sooner had I turned around to get his diaper then he's peeing on the floor. All I could say was "see you did have to potty." It's all good though because I have to do l

I've had tons of old pictures and videos on my digital camera that I have off loaded to my computer but have never deleted from the camera. I did so today and post a few new pictures to facebook and am in the process of uploading videos to youtube. Be on the lookout for those. (= Anyway, officially halfway through the deployment. YAY! I got to talk with my dear hubby yesterday and he's doing well, aside from the fact that he's hit that middle of deployment slump where he wishes it would hurry up and get over with so he can come home. No doubt he wants to golf with our pastor and go out to eat steaks or baby back ribs every night! I'm still just home, holding down the fort. Speaking of forts, I think tonight Sammy and I will build a fort out of chairs, sheets and couch cushions. I used to love making forts when I was a little girl and now that I have a child of my own, I can pass down some fun traditions! Oh I'm gonna cut this blog entry short, because it is about

So this past week has been the longest and shortest all together in one crazy singing, dancing, running around outside package. That's right. The thing that happens once a year: Vacation Bible School. Our theme this year was "souled out to Jesus" I won't go into a ton of detail, but I for one had a blast. I did find that the kids weren't as excited to dance around this year as they were last year! I mean come on, last year I didn't dance until the last night, but this year I was practically the only one on my side dancing. Well at least in my class of 3. Leilah, Shawn, and Josie. Yes I had the best class. Easiest to keep track of too! Now that VBS is over and I sit back and look at the date, I see that June is HALF OVER! Already! That makes me excited. Two weeks until I come to Florida to visit, so the sunshine state better get ready. It also means our deployment is halfway over. We've made it to the peak of the roller coaster and now we begin our super s

So I decided to make Death By Chocolate for our Youth Sunday Luncheon at church tomorrow. I had the brilliant idea to make them individual servings. I started by making the brownies. After they cooled for an hour or so, I crumbled them up and lined the bottom of my cupcake papers. (You can use this recipe by putting it in a regular sized bowl with a lid. You'll have to repeat the layering once)  Next, I put a layer of chocolate pudding. I always want make them into dirt cups at this point on the sole point of I love gummy worms/bears.  Then I added a layer of cool whip.  I then top this with broken pieces of Heath or Skor bars. Any form of chocolate covered toffee with work. (if you're making this in a regular bowl, this is the point that you will repeat the brownie, pudding cool whip, candy layers) At this point I had to stop and give my 18 month old little boy a bath. See picture below. Here's the story. He was "helping" me eat the leftover brownie pieces

Well y'all, I could start my blog off with the love to hate it song by Rebecca Black about it being Friday, but I will restrain myself for your sanity. I've only heard the song once or twice, so I know it's not easy to stomach. Anyway, I feel I got a lot accomplished today. No strike that, I did get a lot accomplished today. I made breakfast for starters. Sometimes that is so rare around here as we normally get up closer to lunch time anyway. I got a care package put together for my dear hubby. (How do I miss him? Let me count the ways.) I then put said care package, my library books, my fully clothed son, and myself in the car to start our day of errands. The care package got put out in today's mail, and I picked up some stamps while I was at the post office. They have some really cute looking Disney stamps coming out next month. I will be first in line to pick those up! (= I returned my library books and picked up a few they had on hold for me. I was recommended a se

So it's been at least a few days since I've had time to consider sitting down to blog. Hold on, going to get a pair of socks. Alright, I have returned. With socks on my feet. Where was I? Oh yes, how busy it's been lately. Next week our church is having Vacation Bible School, VBS for short. EVERYONE has been so busy gearing up for this. There are skits to be practiced and decorations to make. And that's just the beginning. I've been to the church every day so far this week. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. I'm not so sure if I'll be there today because meeting time happens to coincide with nap time, and Sammy is a really crabby boy when it's nap time. We are all so excited though, and I'll post a few pictures of our hard work after it's all said and done! (on a side note, I will never again enjoying drawing details on instruments. It's wayyyyy too tedious.) I am also mentally preparing my checklist for my trip to Florida next month. Tic

So this week has gone by way faster then I wanted it to. Tomorrow my mother in law leaves to go home. I'm getting sad, but I know it won't be long that I'll be making my way down to Florida for a few weeks myself!! Anyway, we did a lot together this week. Movies, beach, laying around the house watching the cooking channel for hours!  Yes I said beach. We went to the beach. I don't know if you all know how our last trip to the beach ended up playing out, so I'll fill you in. Sammy almost drowned when the tide was coming in. A huge wave washed over him. He was afraid to play in the tub for the longest time after that. Danny and I also got really sunburned because neither of us used our sunblock. (lesson learned) He itched and peeled for weeks after the pain finally subsided. I could barely lift my arms because my shoulders were so burnt. This time was so much more fun. Sammy enjoyed playing in the sand. He liked throwing it at the incoming waves. He did go in the wat