It's Been Way Too Long!

Wow! I knew it had been a long time since I had blogged, but I had no idea it had been such a long time! I really do want to get back into blogging, although I'm sure I will never be able to keep up with it the way I want to. I am barely able to keep up with Facebook, and it requires little to no time or thought. =)

So much has happened since the last time I blogged. I won't try to write everything here. I'll just post the highlights for anybody who is interested. I really do want to be more consistent in blogging, so keep me accountable.


***We started our 3rd year of homeschooling in August. How can that be?? It is going great, and as of this week we are half-way through the school year. Tyler consistently makes A's and B's on all of his tests and quizzes. He seems to do especially well in math. Jackson is doing well in K4 as well. He is working mostly on his fine motor skills, which seems to be a weakness for him. He does very well with letter sounds and recognition, as well as counting and number recognition. He is even learning to sound out easy words such as cat, dog, bat, etc.


***My mom's husband passed away suddenly in early September. It was a very hard time for her, but thankfully the boys and I were able to travel to Tennessee and stay with her for about 6 weeks. I am so thankful that we were able to be there with her! She is doing ok, just taking each day as it comes. Some days are harder than others, of course.

***When Keith came to pick us up to bring us back from TN, we took a quick 2-day trip to Huntsville, AL to check out the area and look at houses. As of right now, that is where we feel led to retire. It is not definite yet, but we are certainly praying about it and both have complete peace about it if it is the Lord's will for us.

***In December, Keith had rotator cuff surgery and 3 days later we were on the road again to Tennessee. It was a quick trip to see our families for Christmas and then to bring my mom back out here with us for a few weeks.

***Speaking of retiring, Keith "pushed the button" this week and officially requested retirement from the Air Force effective 1 October. He should be through working in early June, and we expect to be leaving Missouri around that time.


We are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us in 2013. It is already looking to be a very busy year!

October Review

I know October isn't completely over yet, but it feels like it should be. This month has worn me out! And honestly, I am ready for it to be over with. I have some birthday pictures to post later (when I have time to download them), but for now here is a recap of our busy month.

-Prepare for trip to TN
-10 day trip to TN (4 days driving)
-2 Birthdays
-2 Birthday parties
-Missions conference
-Base Exercise (12 hour shifts, no off days)
-Stomach bug x 4
-Cold/cough/fever/congestion/headache x 5
-Minor surgery

Yeah, that about sums it up. Except for the usual...cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, church, family time, etc. Those were in there too. =)

I am also soooo looking forward to my neighbors removing their less-than-innocent Hallowevil decorations.

Hurry, November.

When the Sun Goes Down

I mentioned in my last post that I have been dealing with insomnia lately. Since that post, it has only gotten worse. In the past three weeks I have only been to bed before 2:00 a.m. one night. I am sooooo exhausted during the day, but come bedtime I am wide awake. I am still tired, I just can not for the life of me go to sleep. The first few nights I was okay with it because I was getting some stuff done that I never had any other time to do. But at this point I am just really tired and would take a good night of sleep over projects any day.

Here is a little recap of my after dark madness.

-Sorted, washed, and organized all baby clothes through size 2T

-Packed away maternity clothes

-Washed all window coverings

-Spray painted air duct covers

- Changed man room/study to homeschool room

-Listed  unused items on Craigslist (made about $75 so far)

-Took every single thing out of my kitchen cabinets, cleaned them, and then rearranged

-Wrote cards and letters to family members

-Caulked, Puttied, and Painted all the trim on my kitchen cabinets

-Reworked our budget and hopefully found a way to start saving a good amount each month for our mini-farm dream

- Researched prospective churches in areas we would like to live after retirement

-Watched Andy Griffith on Netflix

- Baked

-Cleaned

-Prayed

-Wasted time on the internet

-and on and on and on

But alas, I am running out of stuff to do...and sleeping pills. ;o)

Worth Mentioning

Life seems to have kicked into high gear for us lately. I guess warmer weather is to thank for that. We have been on the go almost non stop for almost the past 3 weeks. Most of it isn't worth mentioning, but here is the part that is:

- Jack fell outside (while picking me flowers) and busted his chin, which required 7 stitches. Poor little man!

- We had a fairly major scare with a tornado last week. We were driving to a neighboring town when we heard the sirens going off and had to quickly take shelter in a church basement until it passed. The tornado ended up destroying several homes and businesses. It was a little scary, but I am so thankful that the Lord gave us shelter from the storm.

- We are almost done with our home renovations. We decided to hire somebody to finish most of the work that needed to be done. There was just no way we were going to be able to finish it with a new baby and Keith's work schedule. When he is done, we will be about 90% complete and the rest will be things we can finish as we get the time. Soooo glad to be wrapping up this chapter of our lives.

- We took a little day trip to Missouri Town 1855 last week. It was a really neat place, and we all enjoyed it. Unfortunately it is all outdoors and it was cold and raining. I would like to go back and visit again when the weather is nicer.

- I had a major scare with my neighbor on Monday. To make a really long story short, she fell and broke her leg in 3 places and completely tore the ligament in her other knee. I had to rush over there with all 3 littles in tow and try to help her. Scary!

- The boys now have a trampoline. They love it! I am praying that no serious injuries come as a result.

- Cole is very, very colicky. Bless his heart (and mine too)! He screams every night starting between 7 and 8 and lasts for anywhere from 1 to 5 hours. I am desperate to find something to help. I feel like I have tried pretty much everything at this point. Colic is very heartbreaking and frustrating. I feel like I am being sanctified via a crying baby. =)

Well, I guess that's about it. At least that's all I can think of right now. I will have lots of pictures to share soon. =)

It's a Blizzard---and Not the Ice Cream Kind

Over the next few days we are forecasted to get almost 2 feet of snow and ice, and 40 mph winds on top of that. Can you say FUN?? This is one pregnant lady that is not super excited right now. =) We have already had almost two whole weeks of being stuck inside either due to the weather or sickness. Now, with this storm that is coming in I am having visions of being stuck inside for two more weeks without power or human contact.

My kids are about the burst at the seams with all their pent up energy as it is. I can only imagine the "fun" that will ensue if there is no electricity to watch Wall-E or Toy Story for a few days.

We have been to the store for all the necessities like water, cookies, medicine, and bread. I have hauled in some firewood, although I should probably bring in more. The blankets are all easily accessible. My biggest problem now is what am I going to do to NOT LOSE MY MIND?!?!? Any suggestions??

Did I mention my husband is gone again? Yeah!

I think I'll look online for houses in Florida! =)

Christmas Videos 2010

Christmas Fun!

Work, work, work!

All this week, my husband has taken leave in order to work here around the house. There is still so much that needs to be done, and it seems like our time to get it all complete may be getting a little shorter (more on that later). We have a whole page full of projects that we would like to complete by the end of the week. It's a big goal, but Lord willing we will be able to accomplish much of it.

I will try to take some pictures to post later in the week. It has been so long since I have posted any. The boys are growing like weeds, and one of them has a birthday later in the week. =)

For now, I'm off to help in whatever way I can. See you on the flip side.

Talking

My hubby has today off and is in KC with his friends looking at cars and doing man stuff.

I am happy for him.

He needs a little "man time" every once in a while.

He is going to the Habitat for Humanity Restore and I am jealous! ha!

I just got a call from the computer repair center.

It is going to cost $225 to repair my laptop. =(

I'm thinking about not having it repaired.

I didn't go to sleep until after 4:00 this morning.

I took a sleeping pill around 1:00 and it didn't help.

I felt like poo.

I still feel like poo.

I am thankful that my kids are late sleepers.

I have been at home all day pretty much all week.

It has been nice.

The more I stay home, the more work I find that needs to be done around here.

It helps me save money though.

Why is it that even when I have no intentions of buying anything, I always end up finding something I "need"?

I have come to the conclusion that water guns are the best thing ever!

My kids are entertained for hours with them.

The little one runs around hollering "AMMO" when he needs a refill.

His daddy thinks that's hillarious.

I think it's pretty stinkin cute too.

I will miss being able to send my kids outside to shoot each other soon.

I am also thinking I would like a super soaker for my birthday this year. *grin*

One of my best friends moved away on Tuesday.

I am not usually a crier, but I cried! A Lot!

My other really close friend is moving away in September.

I am sad.

That's military life.

I am praying that God will send new families to build our church back up.

I have a lot more to share, but at this point I am wondering if anybody is still reading this.

I will have to do a second installment soon.

n="center">Have a great weekend.

No Computer=No New Updates

For the second time in two months, I have managed to kill a computer. =( The first to go was the desktop. I guess I can't complain, the thing survived 8 years and several moves. I am thankful for that. Most recently to go was the laptop. It, too, survived probably longer than it should have after being dropped countless times. But now, that leaves me without my favorite connection to the world. I don't do TV, radio, newspaper, or any other media outlet. I hope I survive my little unplanned media fast. =)

Until the next time...

Liz

25 Random Things About Me

I was recently tagged on Facebook to do one of those 25 Random Things posts. I thought it would be fun to share on here too, since I don't have anything else to write about today. =)

Here goes.

1. Everything about me seems to be random, so this shouldn't be too hard.
2. I love to look at catalogs. Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware are my favorites. I like to find looks I like and then recreate them for less.
3. I used to want to be a lawyer--business law.
4. I had my life all mapped out and was on the fast track to getting there when God stepped in and changed my plans. I'm soooo glad He did!
5. I am very clumsy.
6. I use ellipses (...) the wrong way all the time, and yet I cannot stop myself. =)
7. I don't pick on people's vocabulary or use of proper English, except for journalists and news anchors. Then I get really perturbed when they use words incorrectly or pronounce them the wrong way.
8. I have a Wiccan, a Muslim, and a Satanist for neighbors. I need to move.
9. I graduated from high school in 3 years, not 4. Not because I was super intelligent. I hated school and was motivated to get out.
10. I can remember numbers for years. Any kind of number. But ask me the name of the person I just met 30 seconds ago and it's not going to happen.
11. Some girls like shoes, clothes, and makeup. I like paint, trim, and tools.
12. God has blessed me in ways that I could have never imagined. He is AMAZING!
13. I have started noticing several gray hairs lately. How am I old enough to have gray hairs?
14. I prayed for a boy both times I was pregnant because I was afraid of having a girl. I am not so afraid of that anymore.
15. I am a minimalist married to a pack rat. It's fun!
16. I will begin homeschooling Tyler this year. I am excited and nervous.
17. Secretly, I really miss accounting and wish I could find a way to do it from home part-time. {Geek}
18. Missouri is growing on me. It only took 3 years.
19. I am not a fan of cold weather AT ALL.
20. I do not enjoy talking on the phone.
21. Communication is not my strong point.
22. I love giving people gifts.
23. I had never been on a plane before moving to Japan. My first experience was 40 hours long. What a way to break yourself in.
24. I dream of having a house with a big front porch.
25. Between Google and Youtube I can learn to do just about anything.

R&R, Cleaning Up, Hair Cuts, and Cooking Out

The hubby's R&R began yesterday. He is supposed to get two weeks off. So far, we have been keeping very busy with working on projects around the house and trying to have a little fun too.

Today:

I got a haircut. I need to get some highlights still.

Hubby cleaned out his closet

And the boys had some man time in the back yard...hot dogs and marshmallows included =)

We will be busy for the rest of the week. Tomorrow we have several more projects to complete. Thursday we have a military function to attend, and Friday we will be at a friend's house for a 4th of July celebration.

Next week we will hopefully be taking a short trip somewhere. We have 3 or 4 different places we would like to go, but we will see what happens.

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Long or Short??

I am going to try to get my hair done before the hubby returns. I am trying to decide if I should cut it short or let it grow long again. Help me decide...

Long
Short

Warm Weather Fun

Splashing in the pool

Getting ice cream

Feeding the ducks

No Time

It's been a while since I have posted anything here. Life is just busy right now. When your husband is gone, you are no longer just a wife and mother (and we all know how busy those roles are). You are also the full time referee, disciplinarian, handy man, trash taker outer, bill payer, problem resolver, and everything else.

There is so much I would like to share, like the big changes that are in store for our family once my honey returns or the many pictures I've taken of our ever-growing boys. But for now, everyday life calls and that all must wait.

Hope to be back soon!

Day Dreaming

I wish I had time to write a real post, but I'm too busy trying to figure out how to get myself one of these.

Be back with a vacation recap real soon!

Welcome Spring!

Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

Yesterday's Fun

I am sitting in my bedroom with the door shut trying to keep the boys contained. We have workers here working on the kitchen cabinets, and I am trying to stay out of their way.

While I'm waiting, I thought I'd share my little project from yesterday with you.

For some reason, I have trouble tackling one project at a time. Right now we are still in the middle of the kitchen remodel, painting the master bedroom, painting all the trim and doors in the house, and now I have decided to gut the master bathroom.

Yesterday afternoon, I took the boys over to my friends house and then got to work on a few projects around the house.

The first thing I did was make sure everything was in place for the cabinet door installation, then I went to work on the bathroom.

I removed the horrible, nasty, smelly carpet that was in the vanity area. I really don't know why anybody would want carpet in the bathroom. Yuck! The linoleum wasn't any better, so out it came too. And the toilet went with it.

I was quite the sight dragging a commode through the house, down the stairs, and out to the curb. I'm glad today was trash day. I'm sure all my neighbors are glad too. =)

After I picked the boys up, we went to Lowe's to buy replacements for all the stuff I had just destroyed. For about $300 I was able to get tile and all the extra stuff I need for that, as well as a new commode and all the stuff I need for that as well. I am hoping to be able to do the work mostly by myself, but we shall see.

So yeah, fun times! I think once these projects are done, I might take a little break from remodeling.

Welcome Back, Mr. Sunshine. We've Missed You!

We have had some really nice days here lately. It has been wonderful!! We have been taking walks, playing outside, and I have been working very hard on cleaning and organizing the garage.

LOL at Tyler and his outfit. He wanted to wear shorts and snow boots. =)

Little Jack on his "motorcycle"

Side note: Does anybody know why I randomly get lines through my pictures?

Do You Know Today Is?

March 3rd? 11 days til Daylight Savings Time? 17 days til Spring? Well, yes. All that is true. But most importantly, today is...

My Daddy's Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to the best daddy in the whole world!!

Our Day in Pictures

Today we:

-hid our lunch from Mommy (Jackson) ;p
-played hopscotch/obstacle course with a birthday banner

-opened the door and let the sunshine in (Heavenly Sunlight!)

-posed for the camera

-played Bob the Builder with Daddy's tools

-partook in a little Sonic happy hour

-dropped off a trunk full of donations to Airmen's Attic

-took a little drive in the country

-ate peanut butter from the jar

Sounds like a fun Wednesday, huh?