Fireteam Echo

A Little Bit of Christmas

2012-01-04T23:46:00.000-10:00

Merry Christmas from our family to Yours!!!

Someone is not very patient!!! He was a little upset that we were taking so long to open presents--we were waiting on Binx to wake up!

SHE"S UP!!!! That means we can open presents!!!!

That is one heck of a big bone! It took him two days to eat it!

Magic Slushy---Santa brought this and YES it actually works! It is the coolest thing ever! I think we need to order more. It is so awesome!

One thing she has been asking for was a "Big Girl" Bible. She said she was old enough to have one now. We agreed and got it for Christmas this year.

She got her first American Girl Doll. I can totally see my mother buying this for her if she was here!!

GREAT E-Mail!!!

2011-11-09T22:59:00.000-10:00

I got an awesome email today!!! Details will soon follow....can't say anymore than that right now but YAY!!! It is great news!!!

It Still Hurts

2011-10-23T22:00:00.000-10:00

I don't talk much about my dad. Mostly, because I am too hurt by what he has done. I guess by me not talking about it I am trying to ignore that it all really happened. I have not spoken to my father in almost 2 years (exept for a few brief and very hurtful conversations we had last year when he has double bypass surgery---I asked that he and his wife come visit me in Hawaii and he told me no.) I have not seen him in this period of time either. I used to talk to him all the time. We talked almost every day and he would spend atleast 2 weeks every summer and a week during the holidays with me and my family. Now, he wants nothing to do with us. Why??? Because he has chosen his wife over his family. I don't think I will ever understand his reason for this but that is something that he has to live with. The worst part of all of this is that Bianca doesn't have a grandfather. Mike's dad hasn't bothered to contact us since Mike left for Afghanistan. Thankfully, she has Papa Bill. He has become a grandfather to her and I am so thankful for he and Aunt Jeanie. They have really stepped in and become grandparents to my sweet little girl. (While they are this way for Alex, he has his father's parents and they are wonderful grandparents so he isn't missing out like Bianca is.) I have often asked if it was something I did and now was being punished, but it isn't me. It is the choice that my father and my father in law have made. Unfortunately, they will never know what an amazing family they are missing out on.

Manawili Falls

2011-10-12T19:16:00.000-10:00

While Bianca was at Vacation Bible School at church Alex and I decided to hike Manawili Falls. It a a VERY muddy hike to get to the falls but once there it is beautiful! It is one of the waterfalls you can actually swim in!

Alex took a picture of me on the way up.

The lower part of the falls...unfortunately I had the wrong setting on the camera so you can't see them!!!!

After going to the falls we saw another trail so we started hiking up to see where it would go....turns out it goes to the Pali Lookout!!! We are doing that hike the next time he is here!

A few of the valley below...it was a cloudy, rainy day!

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

2011-10-07T21:19:00.000-10:00

After the day of kayaking we I took the kids to the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. Alex totally loves planes and anything to do with military history and Bianca just loves being with her brother! The museum is housed in the original hangers from when Pearl Harbor was attacked. It was awesome!!!

Alex told me the history of each of the planes as we walked through the hanger....I don't recall what it is now.

She can never pass up a chance to strike a pose!

One of the things Alex wanted to do was fly in the flight simulator. He loved it. It simulates what it was like to fly during the time of the attack! You actually have to take off, fight the enemy, and land without crashing! He did it!!!!

They have tried to keep the integrity of the old hangers....such a cool place to visit!

Kayaking Day

2011-10-06T23:33:00.000-10:00

One of the days Alex was here we went Kayaking. Our friends, the Chapman's, have two kayaks so they let me borrow them. We loaded them in the truck and headed out to Secret Beach. Secret Beach is perfect for kayaking because their is a reef a ways out and it breaks the waves so it is pretty smooth.

Alex and I trying not to run into each other!

I am pretty sure he was laughing at me....it was a major workout!

While Alex and I kayaked, Bianca hung out on the beach with our neighbors!

After Alex and I finished Jenn went out with me...those teeny tiny little black specks were us. We made it out to the reef break and almost turned over because the waves hit us. Kayaking was SOOOO much fun! I am ready for Mike to get home so we can buy some kayaks and start going more often!

Family Photos

2011-10-04T13:53:00.000-10:00

When Alex is here we always try to do family photos. Well, this year we were missing Daddy. So we decided to do photos with the Daddy Doll instead! It's just our little way of making sure he is included in everything we do.

I LOVE this picture of them!!!

We had to include a goofy one too!

The look on her face says it all........We Miss You Daddy!!!

Bellows...4th of July Beach Day

2011-10-04T13:42:00.000-10:00

On 4th of July we went to Bellows Beach with our neighbors. We hauled all kinds of stuff to the beach and spent the day there!

The day started with the adults blowing up all of the rafts that we took!

The kids had such a good time playing in the ocean!

These two girls have some great big brothers! They took the girls out to ride the waves!!!

Bianca definately had fun with Alex!

Such a beautiful beach!!!

My handsome son enjoying the Pacific Oean! We ended the day with grilling hot dogs and going to watch the fireworks from Kailua on the base beach! I love having Alex here for holidays. It makes them that much more special!

Super Duper Water Slide

2011-10-02T13:13:00.000-10:00

On July 2 we had a get together with our neighbors. We all chipped in an rented a super water slide! We had soooooo much fun on it! The kids and the adults all had a ball!! We played on that thing until midnight! Unfortunately, we couldn't walk the next day! You know you are worn out when even the kids are too sore to walk!

So Fun!

Magnus wanted to join in soooooo bad, but I was afraid that his claws would rip the slide...and that we would never be able to get him off of it!

I Keep Thinking It Will Slow Down

2011-09-26T22:11:00.000-10:00

I really keep thinking that our life will slow down. Unfortunately, it has not done that since this summer. The good news is that it makes the deployment go by faster. The bad news is that I have totally and completely neglected this blog. I am coaching cheerleading for Bianca's age group (31 5-8 year olds), she is taking Hula lessons, in choir, Awana, doctor appointments ever week, and I am busy with my Scentsy business. I have so many things to update and have not found the time to do it. I promise I have not forgotten the blog!!! Please be patient and I promise it will get updated eventually!

Crazy Busy Summer

2011-08-07T21:03:00.000-10:00

We have had the craziest, busiest summer I can possibly imagine. I have been horrible about getting the blog updated. I will work on getting it done this week, I promise!!! Here is the short version...Alex was here for 6 weeks and we did so many things during the time together. Bianca started school last week, Alex starts school on Monday, and Mike is keeping very busy with his "work" overseas! I will go more into detail later. Hope everyone had a great summer!!

Manoa Falls

2011-07-05T18:40:00.000-10:00

On the 26th we went hiking at Manoa Falls. It was absolutely breath taking--and also very muddy. Bianca was a trooper and hiked it too.

That is a really big tree!

First views of the waterfall.

The three of us at the fall! All that we are missing is daddy!!!

Did I mention it was muddy????

Makapuu Lighthouse Trail & the Blowhole

2011-06-23T22:18:00.000-10:00

After recovering from jetlag Alex was ready to get busy with exploring Hawaii. Since he was only here for a week in November we have lots to see and do! Today, we hiked the Makapuu Lighthouse Trail. It is about a mile and a half up a mountain to the lookout point and then that far back down to the truck! Bianca was not feeling it and made Alex carry her about half the way! He is such a good brother to her.

First lookout point!

You can see the lighthouse in the distance (unlike other lighthouse, you can't go in this one.) Bianca is already teaching her brother how to throw the shaka!

These are some of the "little islands" as Binx calls them. They are not inhabited and I am not sure if they serve a purpose other than to look pretty.

We are above the lighthouse here!

We made it to the top!

He had to get this picture after climbing out to this rock on the side of the mountain!

After the Lighthouse hike we went to see the famous blowhole. It is a natural blowhole made by the rock formation.

There she blows...or atleast is starting to...

there it goes!

First Luau

2011-06-23T19:29:00.000-10:00

What is a trip to Hawaii without a Luau??? I took the kids last night with my neighbors and we had a blast!! It was a beautiful setting and the entertainment was awesome!!!

Before it started, by the beach!

These girls know how to throw the Shaka!

Ceremonial part...king and queen

Learning the Hula

We even made Alex get on Stage!!

My great neighbors Jen and Susie! I don't know how I would get through this deployment without them! Also, Bianca's bff Regann....those two girls are together ALL the time!

Airline Drama

2011-06-23T19:16:00.000-10:00

Alex flew in on Monday and boy was it drama!!! He boarded his plane in Jackson, MS. Just before he boarded I got a call (recorded call) from the airline saying that his flight from Houston to San Francisco was delayed and he would be rescheduled on the flight the next day from SF to Honolulu. Well I paniced!! I could not imagine my child having to spend the night in the airport in California by himself!! I called the airline and by the time he landed we had finally gotten his flight information changed. They put him on a flight from Houston to LAX and LAX to Honolulu. Needless to say, I didn't get any sleep that night/morning!!! He finally arrived in Honolulu an hour and a half earlier than he was originally scheduled to get here. I am SOOOO happy to have my baby with me for the summer! I don't know that this boy will ever know how much his mama loves him!!

Latest Update

2011-06-13T23:41:00.000-10:00

Here is the latest update with our family....

Bianca: We made yet another trip to the doctor today. GOOD News is that she is not wheezing anymore! We are so excited about this. This means that we can (hopefully) begin allergy shots on Wednesday. The bad news, her allergies are not causing her eyes to itch uncontrollably and they have added another medication to her regiment (we are now up to 5 medications a day). This time it is an eye drop to help with the itch and pain that she is having. She is taking it like a trooper though! She only cried for a few minutes when I put in the drop. I can't imagine how painful it is for her to have to sit through all of this.

Mike: He is doing really well. It is HOT where he is...130's most days! They have had some good things happening and once I get the all clear from him I will share it with all of you. He is finally receiving his care packages on a regular basis and really appreciates everyone that is sending them to him!

Alex: arrives on Monday! I can't wait to see him! 6 weeks in Hawaii...rough way to spend the summer huh?!?!? He is super excited and we have lots of fun activities planned so be watching for the updates on what we are doing.

Me: Well, between doctor visits, dealing with the mongoose that decided to move into my house, and the other creatures of Hawaii that have decided now is the perfect time to come visit me I may just loose my mind! How much longer is this deployment???? I am ready for my hubby to get home!!!!!! Single parenting is for the birds!

Yes, We are Back to Asthma Issues

2011-06-09T09:44:00.000-10:00

On Monday I took Bianca to the doctor (I actually called at 7am and they had us in the office by 745!!!). The doctor said she was wheezing REALLY bad. They added albuterol and singulair to her medication regiment. She is taking the alubterol 4 puffs every 4 hours. We went back to the doctor yesterday and she is STILL wheezing. Because she has allergy induced asthma she needs her allergy shots. Her serum has finally come in but we can't start the shots until she gets the asthma under control! We go back to the doctor on Monday to see how she is doing.

the Law of Deployment has HiT!!!!!

2011-06-05T22:30:00.000-10:00

Oh my gosh!!! This weekend is one for the record books! We have had torential rains accompanied by severe thunderstorms (I normally love this but 3 days of straight lightening is enough). Then we had an infestation of bugs that I played wak-a-mole with all day Saturday. Then Sunday I discovered that apparently some LARGE rodent has decided to live in the walls of my house and maintenance can't get here until Monday. To top off everything, Bianca is having breathing difficulties again. We almost made a trip to the ER this evening because she was wheezing. But after having her do some different breathing tests I decided it wasn't to that point yet (she wasn't retracting in the ribcage, only the neck). I gave her a dose of albuterol and will be calling the doctor as soon as we get up in the morning. So between the doctor's office and waiting on maintenance I have no idea how I will make it to the gym. Can the gym come to me???

On the upside, Mike has been in a location that he had access to the internet this weekend so we have been able to chat SEVERAL times. That is such a blessing from God! Of all weekends for him to have internet access, this was the best time for him to have it!

US Military Tribute - Far Away - Nickleback

2011-06-02T20:49:00.000-10:00

I would love for you to take time to read the words written on each slide of this video. They are so true for the military members. Can you imagine your husband being away from you and your kids for 7-9 months or even longer? This is part of our reality...and he is also in danger during that time. Some of the pictures from this video are from Mike's first deployment to Iraq in 2003. These are not just images to use. These are people we know. Please continue to pray for Mike and his Marines during the months ahead. It has been a very stressful week for us.

Fun, Fun Day!!

2011-05-29T23:18:00.000-10:00

Today was such an awesome day! It started with getting to talk to Mike. That in itself makes the day wonderful. I love hearing his voice and knowing that he is well. It really is crazy how you can love someone so much!

Then Binx and I went to a great service at church. The Chaplain was preaching on John chapter 5....who knew verse 4 was left out of most translations?!?!? I never noticed that!! (Now, go check your Bible to see if you have John 5:4 in your translation...I want to see if anyone has it. It was an awesome sermon and we always have fabulous music--I love our praise band!

After church, we came home and had some friends from CROSSETT come over. We are blessed to have friends that I went to high school and church with be stationed on the same island as us. They are in the Army so it is extremely rare for us to be within a 45 minute drive of an Army base, much less 20 minutes away! We have been trying to get together for several weeks now and our schedules were always busy. But today we finally all got together. Jimmy was in charge of grilling burgers and hot dogs--I miss grilled food when Mike is gone. (I am pretty good at the it's broke now let me take it apart and fix it thing, but grilling is one that I just can't master. I can build a fence and take apart my washer and dryer and fix them, but not use a grill!) Then Tasha and I decided we wanted to go see Bridesmaids. Jimmy offered to keep all FIVE girls (they have 4...2 are twin babies. Their 2 oldest are 9 and 5 so Bianca has a ball when they come over). So we jumped at the chance to go. My neighbor's husband is deployed too so she joined us for dinner and came to the movie too, so we had a girls night! Icees were the "drink of choice" so you can see how crazy our girls nights are. :) The movie was absolutely hilarious!!! I am pretty sure I peed my pants and one point during the movie! We decided to make girl movie night a monthly thing--considering we can talk Jimmy into keeping all 5 each month.

Thank you God for giving me a loving husband that brightens my day even when he is 8,000 miles away. Thank you for wonderful neighbors that have become such great friends. Thank you for giving me a piece of "home" no matter where I am and friends that are priceless! You continue to bless my life and the lives of my family each and every day.

End of Kindergarten

2011-05-25T22:11:00.000-10:00

I don't know where the time has gone. Bianca has her last day of Kindergarten tomorrow. It seems like just the other day Mike was in Iraq and I was giving brith to her. Now, she is finishing Kindergarten. She has learned so much this past year and has grown into such a smart little girl. She can tell you all about the phases of the moon...some of them I didn't know and had to go look up! She has made some awesome friends and had GREAT teachers. We will really miss the teaching team that she had! This mommy is not ready for her to start 1st grade, but she is so excited about the new challenge. In fact, she has already started her "summer homework" even though she isn't finished with school until tomorrow!

Sesame Street/USO Experience

2011-05-20T23:57:00.000-10:00

This week Sesame Street came to our base thanks to their partnership with the USO. I had debated on taking Bianca thinking maybe she was too old for it. But some friends of ours were taking their girls and they asked if we were going. We decided to join them...atleast it was out of the house and doing something!

Kiera, Devin, and Bianca enjoying the Elmo spinners that were given to them from the staff of Sesame Street.

Elmo and friends

Doesn't everyone love Elmo....Bianca was bumbed because Big Bird was not there!

Wearing their USO bandanas that were also given to the kids.

Daddy's Girls! We are definately missing daddy, but trying to stay busy with activities! If you ever get to go to one of the USO shows I would totally recommend it. We had a great time!!!

Our God is Greater - Chris Tomlin

2011-05-15T20:41:00.001-10:00

Another one that she requests to listen to atleast once a day!

Oh, Happy Day! Tim Hughes

2011-05-15T20:33:00.000-10:00

One of Bianca's FAVORITE songs that we sing at church! What an awesome song to have as a favorite!!

Waipahu Cultural Garden Park

2011-05-13T09:47:00.001-10:00

One of the advantages to not having a conventional career is that I get to go on all of the fieldtrips with Bianca. Yesterday we went to the Waipahu Cultural Garden Park. It is set up to look like an old Hawaiian village some 200 years ago. A definate advantage to being a military family is that we get to see some of the coolest stuff! I could have only dreamed of taking some of the fieldtrips that she has taken!

Enjoying the picnic tables before we entered the "time tunnel" which took us over 200 years into history.

Replicas of the different types of buildings the different cultures had.

Learning about the general store, the sugar plantation, and the different types of clothing the workers wore.

I-3 (her class) dressed as chinese immigrants, portugese immigrants, and field workers!

Bianca was dressed as a chinese immigrant on a "Saturday Night" ready for the plantation party....the girl can work a fan! She knows all about batting eyelashes and fluttering that fan!

Then they learned what the Chinese children did for entertainment. This is them learning the ribbon dancing.

Learning how papaya stems can be used to blow bubbles!

This pretty much sums up their class!

We have been blessed with a wonderful kindergarten class. I am very nervous about 1st grade and going to miss our Kindergarten friends. I hope she is in class with some of them next year!!

Homemade Cakes Served Fresh...next month

2011-05-10T20:48:00.000-10:00

Since Mike is not exactly living in the Hilton and doesn't exactly have access to Paula Dean's restaurants I made a little bit of home and sent to him. I made homemade cakes and CANNED them! To make them all you do is get 16 oz wide mouth Mason/Ball Canning Jars and a boxed cake mix.

Mix your batter according to directions on the box.

Boil your jars for about 5-10 minutes to make sure there are no germs in them. Then fill each jar with about 3/4 cup of batter (just to the bottom of the B on the Ball jars). Place the jars in a caserole dish or baking dish so they won't fall during baking. Place dish in oven and bake at the same temperature you normally bake. The time will be different so you just have to watch and test them to see when they are done.

AS SOON as you pull them from the oven place the lid on the jar (I had to smush a few cakes because they rose a little too high). Then tighten the ring on the jar. As the cake cools you will hear the lid pop which means they are now sealed. Once they have completely cooled label the jars and wrap them in bubble wrap. Then they are all ready to ship! One box mix makes 5 "cakes". You can also do this with brownie mix but just use the 8 oz jar instead! I sent the first batch of yesterday and I can't wait to hear how they like them. (This batch was Funfetti!!!)

Just Some Fun

2011-05-07T21:00:00.000-10:00

So I normally send care packages full of things that I know he "needs" (snacks, food, socks, bug spray, etc) but I was ast the hardware store looking for canning jars (more on that to come) and saw this table top air hockey game. It was on sale so I couldn't resist getting one to send to him. I figure with all of the patrolling and stress they have to deal with, this would be a little bit of fun for them! It runs off of AA batteries so no generator necessary! I hope they like it!

Cooking Dinner

2011-05-06T20:51:00.000-10:00

Cooking dinner for two is pretty boring and pretty difficult. Bianca has always like to be in the kitchen helping, but even more so now. The other night I was making dinner for us and our neighbors (her husband is gone to, so we try to swap out cooking once a week or so). Bianca was the best helper!

Getting out the supplies

Pouring in the noodles

Done!

We made Talaranea-one of my favorite dishes my mom made growing up! If anyone would like me to start posting some recipes let me know....

The Law of Deployment

2011-05-05T22:18:00.000-10:00

You have heard of Newton's Laws right? Well, have you heard of the Law of Deployment? Probably not so let me educate you. Historically within a month (normally the first few weeks) of a deployment everything seems to break, get sick, stop working, or just go totally wrong. I do not know one single military spouse that this has NOT happened to! Well, guess what?!?!? We have had it happen here! Let me tell you what has transpired in the last few weeks.

First, Magnus has been beyond hyper. We have some friends that come by a few times a week and take him on a run. This has been a huge help. I can always tell when it is time for his run because he is to the point that I just want to open the gate to the yard and "accidently" lose him. Danny and Cynthia are lifesavers for taking Mag on nice long runs!!

Bianca had to go to the hospital for an allergy appointment. It resulted in her being tested again and now they determined that she is allergic to cats as well as the original diagnosis of dust mites. The doctor said that most people who move to Hawaii get relief from their allergies. Well, most people except the ones with dust mite allergies. Those seem to get worse here. So they have put her on a nose spray, a pill at bedtime, and we will begin another four years (minimum) of shots. Last night she started running fever and was throwing up. Yay! Thank goodness no fever today and no vomit since last night!

The computer has just died. The desktop computer for some reason won't come on. My laptop won't wirelessly connect to the internet so I am stuck to a cord. Thank goodness my neighbor's husband will be home in a few weeks and he is a computer dude. He is already on standby to fix them both!

Bianca's TV is literally on it's last leg. I noticed today that the screen is now green. Everyone on the Disney Channel looks like they are Martans! Guess I will be looking for a new tv pretty soon!!!

I don't mean to complain, but I swear every single time he leaves this happens!!!

Emotional Stages of Deployment-Part 2

2011-05-05T21:41:00.000-10:00

My appologies for taking so long to get back to this but it has been crazy around here...more on that later.

The next stage of deployment is Sustainment. This is the stage where we start to establish a new routine, feel more in control of our emotions, and are confident in the fact that we are single parenting for the next several months. We hit the point where we feel pretty good that we can handle what comes. If the car breaks, we fix it. If the dryer stops working, we take it apart and get it running again. We have established with the kids the new routine of how things will be working. During this time we also have to negotiate the emotions of always being near the phone or computer just incase they call or get online and having a life outside of the house. We still participate in school functions, go to the commissary, take the kids to do activities all while trying to make sure we are available to talk if that call comes in. This stage last the majority of the deployment.

Toward the end of the deployment we move into re-deployment. This is where we begin to anticpate the homecoming. We start nesting and getting all of those projects that needed to get done but never did done. We are also nervous. He has been involved in a war during this time. Is what he seen changed him? Will he still love me? Will he like what I have done with the (house, hair, etc)?

Then there is the homecoming. This is what every military spouse lives for. I don't think there is any way possible to explain the feeling you get when you wake up that morning knowing you are going to pick up your Marine. The thrill of seeing those buses pull up or plane land. We have even had them walk into the quad in formation. There is nothing like it in thiss world! It is pure joy knowing that in just moments you will be holding that man in your arms. The man you have cried for, longed for, and prayed for wil be right there with you holding you.

After the homecoming there is the post deployment. This runs from honeymoon to I need my space. I know that seems crazy, but we go from being very independent and making every decision for the family to having our partner there with us and having to get used to discussion decisions again.

Right now I am going between stages 2 and 3. Some days I feel ready to conqure this and other days I feel like crawling in bed and not coming out.

More Requests for Care Packages

2011-05-02T21:24:00.000-10:00

I have spoken with Mike and he and his guys have a few more requests for care packages. They need the following:

trash bags---you don't even want to know what they are used for and I am sure you could never guess in a million years, but they need them (kitchen size and 55 gallon size please)
bug zappers! Solar powered would be best since they only have so many generators, but they won't be picky-bugs out there are the size of Lucie! Mosquitoes are the size of small birds!
fly traps/fly tape---did I mention the bugs are beyond nasty out there!

Well, that is all for now. I am sure they will have more as the days come and they learn the area and figure out exactly what they need. The items listed above are a NEED NOW situation so if anyone can find any of these items and get them sent soon let me know. Thanks again for all the love, prayers, and support you are giving us during this deployment.

Emotional Stages of Deployment---Part 1

2011-04-27T20:17:00.000-10:00

Yes, there are emotional stages we go through that are associated to the deployment cycle. So, to give you a little idea, here we go...

Pre-Deployment: before they leave we have to get our affairs in order (make sure our wills are up to date, do we have a current in loco parentis, when will the power of attorney expire, are the dependent id's good through the deployment). Other than that, we have the honey-do list that needs to get taken care of. Now don't get me wrong, most stuff I can handle on my own but there are some things that I need him to take care of for me. There is usually a huge argument before the deployment too. Now I am sure you don't understand how we can possibly argue just before they leave but we do. It is just part of it and we are both adult enough to know it is going to happen. Life at this point is super stressful so we just accept the argument will happen and work through it. We have our argument then we take some time to stop and deal with the real issue (the fight is normally about something stupid and never about the real issue---the stress of the deployment).

Deployment: They actually leave. Well, now a there is a whole new set of emotions! The spouse (me) is normally disfunctional for about the first week or two. I can't seem to get into a routine and I am in survival mode. I am just trying to make sure the clothes are washed, kids are fed, and dogs are not destroying anything. On the outside we look like we have it all together, but on the inside we are just falling apart. We can't sleep so that makes everything even worse! Only those that are around us on a daily basis can tell that we are just not all there at this point. Then after about a week or two we get just plain weepy. Everything makes us emotional and all we think about is our hubby who is thousands and thousands of miles away! After weepy we become angry. Angry because he forgot to do something, something broke, or the kids are screaming at each other or at the dog. Whatever it is we just become angry! Once we work through all of this then we can move on!

You have no idea how hard it is to admit this deployment stage to the "public". We are supposed to be the rocks that keep the family going. We should be the picture of perfection. After all, that is what is expected of us. It is hard to admit that we are human!

There is more to this, but honestly I am in the weepy stage and still exhausted from not having slept a full night in 2 weeks! I will try and finish this in the next day or two....

Daddy Doll

2011-04-24T09:45:00.001-10:00

We will do just about anything to help us get through the long deployments that we go through. One thing we found before our 3rd deployment to Iraq (2006) was Daddy Dolls. We ordered a smaller one for her to have then. She took it everywhere. Well, she has gotten bigger and daddy has gotten less hair (shhh don't tell him) so it was time for a new Daddy Doll. We ordered her new doll just before daddy left. It came in yesterday and she is in love! These are such a great way to help her with daddy being gone. She has been having trouble at school and we started putting "Daddy" in her backpack. That totally took care of the problem. Now when she starts having a moment she remembers he is in her bag and she feels better. She doesn't even have to take it out. Just knowing it is there is all she needs. Now we can have one for home (the big one) and one for school (the little one).

She loves it.

She sleeps this way every night!!!

Do you need to know how to get your own??? Go to www.daddydolls.com . They make a 3ft tall one--I have seriously considered ordering that for Magnus! I think Mike may draw the line there!

Eggs n Candy

2011-04-24T09:34:00.000-10:00

Saturday night we dyed Easter eggs with our neighbor. It was nice to do this with them because something would have just been missing if it was only Bianca and I.

Alec, Bianca, and Regann

The stash left by the Bunny!

She was super excited to get the Princess Celestia My Little Pony. More pictures from today to come on a later post....we love and miss you Mike!

How Many Kids...

2011-04-23T09:40:00.000-10:00

...can you fit into one little pool?!?!? Well apparently 10. (2 are not in the picture but we had 10 at one point.) After the Easter Party we played in the "quad" with the kids on our block! Anything to wear these kids out!!!

Easter Party

2011-04-23T09:34:00.000-10:00

Yesterday we had the battalion Easter Party. It was perfect timing because the kids were out of school and Bianca is in the entertain me all the time stage. We had a great time visiting with the other families and letting the kids all play together. It is nice to be able to sit with other wives who are all going through the same struggles you are.

We started by drawing an Easter picture for daddy.

Then it was time to hunt the eggs! She was on a mission.

We had to stop for a second and get a picture with the Bunny!

Daddy's Girls! We Miss You!

After egg hunting it was time to bounce and bounce and bounce.

What else would you expect from a Battalion Easter Party----ALL of the eggs were Camo!!!

New Recipe

2011-04-20T19:24:00.000-10:00

I need your help! I am trying to find some kid friendly recipes. I have a hard time cooking dinner for 1 1/2 people. Bianca does not eat enough to count as one person...hers is half or less. So, can someone please help me come up with some ideas for dinner?!?!?!

Almost There....

2011-04-19T20:08:00.000-10:00

Today was a blessed day! I got to talk to Mike via Skype (can I just say that I absolutely LOVE Skype!!!!). We didn't get to talk a super long time, but a little is better than nothing! He has been to 3 countries, 4 airports, and has had no sleep. That means no sleep for atleast 48 hours....this girl could not do that! They are still not at their final destination and have a few more airports and different countries to visit before they get there. (I will update the countries once he is at his final location.) But I am just so excited that I got to see his handsome face and hear his voice. Bianca was at school so of course she was bumbed but excited to hear daddy had called. Magnus got to "see" daddy too. I am not sure which one was more excited...Mike or Magnus! Magnus' tail (well nub) was going 90 to nothing. That boy was so happy to see his daddy.

Time to Go

2011-04-18T11:30:00.000-10:00

It was not just our Marine that was leaving, but lots of Marines! It looks like total chaos but I promise they have this down to a T and know exactly what they are doing. After watching them come and go enough...I now know what they are doing!

Staging gear and weapons.

First of several formations that morning.

Supervising somone.....

That is a lot of gear that has to go. Each bag was packed by a hero!

The buses arrive...emotions are HIGH at this point.

Gotta get that gear loaded into the trucks.

It looks like mass confusion

He's gotta check the log and roster one more time....I am sure there was another change that had to be made!

Can I snag one more hug while we are waiting?

Loading up!

There go the buses. Taking our hero off to defend our freedom. I don't think it is possible to love my husband more than I do, but I love him more each day. I am so proud that he is MY husband and my hero! I am honored to call myself a Marine Wife, and even more honored to call myself HIS Wife!

So Hard to Say Good-bye

2011-04-18T09:53:00.000-10:00

Our day was finally here. We needed to say good-bye to Daddy. How do you give that last hug and kiss? You just do! You fight back tears and know that this is part of our life. This is part of our sacrifice for freedom.

Such a brave girl!

A few more pictures...

My handsome man and beautiful girl.

Doesn't want to let go. One little girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Even though she doesn't want to let him leave, she does. Why? Because she knows that is why we have freedom--Because of her daddy!

Mike gave her an extra set of his dog tags to hold on to until he gets home.

My Love. This man is everything to me. I could not be more proud of him and the job he does. I hate being away from him for months at a time. But, he loves the job he does and that is part of what makes him who he is. I never knew it was possible to love someone more every day until him.

Our prayer for him is this: "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will life you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11-12

Pups Even Miss Dad

2011-04-18T09:11:00.004-10:00

Yes, even the pups miss daddy when he is gone. Even before he leaves they know what is going on. It is heartbreaking to see them so depressed when Daddy gets out his gear and starts packing.

These faces could just make you cry!

Early Easter

2011-04-18T09:05:00.004-10:00

Part of being a military family is that daddy has to go away even though there are holidays and events that he will miss. So, we sometimes celebrate holidays not on that exact holiday. (Once he had a Happy Birthday-Thanksgiving-Valentines and Merry New Years celebration...daddy was gone 9 1/2 months!) Well, Daddy is going to for sure miss Easter this year and Bianca loves to hunt EAster eggs with her Daddy. So before he left we did just that! He hid eggs and she hunted! It was already dark outside so we did the hunt in the house.

Lots and Lots of Kisses

2011-04-17T16:56:00.000-10:00

As most of you know, Mike does "kisses" with Bianca before each time he leaves. The night before he leaves they count out the number of kisses he will be gone...and he usually adds about 10-15 for safe measure. The purpose of the kisses is that Bianca gets a kiss each morning when daddy is gone. That is how we count down the days until daddy returns. When there are no kisses left...Daddy is coming home that day! Last night was our time to count the kisses.

100, 101, 102, 103, 104,

209, 210, 211, 212.....

Done-kisses are counted. She didn't like the number but she knows it is part of our life.

It is LOTS and LOTS of kisses.....over 225 kisses!!! That is missed holidays, last day of school, first day of school, report cards, play days...lots of days.

Family Walks

2011-04-17T16:33:00.000-10:00

One of our favorite things to do in the evening when it cools down is to take a walk as a family. Bianca usually rides her bike or scooter, I walk Lucie, and Mike walks Magnus. The dogs love getting out and getting exercise and we enjoy getting to spend time together.

Sitting very patiently to get his leash on.

See, I am such a pretty boy, I will be very good on the walk daddy!

My turn, My turn, My turn...she is not the most patient of pups. She LOVES her walks!!!

BOB Books

2011-04-17T16:24:00.002-10:00

Bianca is steadily working on her reading and these BOB books are awesome! She LOVES reading them!

Bowling Fun

2011-04-17T16:11:00.000-10:00

We had a bowling day with daddy. This is one of Bianca and Alex's favorite activities! I love going bowling on the base no matter what town we are in, we know it is clean and nice on base!

Daddy is such a good coach!

Pretty good bowler!

I love this man!!!

Bowling shoes are not the perfect accessory but that's ok--it's fun!

She loves her daddy!!!

Update to the List

2011-04-15T08:55:00.000-10:00

One thing that would be great for the bomb dogs is tennis balls...the dogs are labs so you know how much they love to run and play fetch. So, we are requesting tennis balls for the dogs to play with during their "down time".

Not Supposed to Cry

2011-04-14T09:04:00.000-10:00

Part of being a "strong" wife is that you don't cry when your hubby leaves. That is just the rule. You are the picture of perfection until that bus pulls away. No matter how hard the kids are crying (they are allowed), we bite our lip and remain strong not shedding a tear. It's not because it will make us look weak or mess up our make-up. It is because our husbands are the strongest men we know and we should be strong like they are. It is already hard enough on everyone because the kids are crying and clinging to daddy. So, it is best not to add fuel to the fire and start it yourself. You have to be strong for your husband and your kids. Crying just makes it more tough on him and makes the kids even more emotional (if that is possible).

So what do we do??? We usually allow ourselves one night to cry and wallow in our own tears and misery. This is best done when daddy is still home and he is doing an activity with the kids. After all, we can't let anyone see us break. Well, last night was my night. Mike gave B a bath and took her downstairs to play and have a snack before bed and I took a bowl of Cookies N Cream ice cream and went to my bed. I ate entirely too much for that late at night, cried my eyes out, and just prayed for his safety. But, before Mike and B came upstairs I dried my eyes and was back to my usual self. Now, Mike knows that I am doing this but we keep this ritual away from B. She doesn't need to see mommy upset. Now let's hope I can make it through the good-bye like I am supposed to!!!!

What a Week

2011-04-10T09:01:00.000-10:00

We have had a great week. We have spent some much needed time as a family and as a couple. This lifestyle is full of ups and downs and if we focus on the downs we will never make it. While we know that we live most of our life apart, we try not to think about that. Instead we choose to focus on the reunions and the time we have together. We make the moments we have together count. So after a week of beach days, movies, bowling, and just good fun we have to return to "work" and get ready....

Magic in Paradise

2011-04-07T21:07:00.001-10:00

On Wednesday we had a Daddy Day. Bianca got to spend all day with daddy! We went to Waikiki and at lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, we walked through the shops and went to Ala Moana Mall looking for a certain pair of shoes. Then we went to the Hilton Hawaiian Village and saw the flamingos and penguins.

The Flamingos

There is a Penguin in the background...

After the walking we suprised her with a dinner show at the Hale Koa Hotel. We went to Magic in Paradise. Mike and I both thought this would be a bit cheesy. But, we were totally suprised with how great it was!

Bianca got selected to go on stage and "assist" in one of the magic tricks!

She LOVED it!!

We snapped a picture after the show with the Magician, his assistant (his wife) and his two kids.

Magnus as a Puppy at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-04-05T17:45:00.001-10:00

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

Who's Having More Fun???

2011-04-05T08:44:00.000-10:00

Magnus and Mike have discovered that Bianca's bicycle is a great toy! Thank goodness we have a tile floor downstairs!

I think it is hilarious watching these two!!!

Beach Day

2011-04-05T08:27:00.000-10:00

Sunday was a beach day for us. We went to one of the beaches here on the base and spent the afternoon playing in the water and sand. The humpback whales were putting on a show too! I tried to get a picture of them but never managed to.

Getting ready to boogie board.

So beautiful!

Daddy is always there to help!

She's doing it!

Time to come in...

and build a Sand Castle. Bianca would fill the buckets and daddy would make the "castle".

Ice Palace

2011-04-03T12:29:00.000-10:00

This week Mike is on pre-deployment leave. We have a list of things to do this week and the majority of them have to do with family time. Yesterday we did some shopping and went to Ice Palace for a birthday party. Bianca loves Ice Palace and it was on our list of things to do, so we knocked out two birds with one stone!

She loves skating with her daddy.

She is getting pretty good at this.

I love him so much and hate that he is gone for work so often!

On the way home there was a beautiful, bright rainbow!

Do You Want On The List???

2011-03-28T10:29:00.000-10:00

I am working on the list of people to send Mike's mailing address to. If you would like his deployed mailing address please leave me a comment, send me a message, or somehow let me know. I will not be posting his mailing address on facebook or anything of that sort. I will not be emailing it either. It will be mailed to you via snail mail! I will include a list of things that work well for care packages too! So....let me know if you want on the list!

Laundry Detergent

2011-03-25T17:19:00.001-10:00

Since EVERYTHING in Hawaii is expensive I have tried to find some cost cutting ideas. One was making homemade laundry detergent. I was very skeptical of this when I first heard about it. A friend of mine swears by it and honestly I thought there was no way possible it would really work or smell good! I finally decided to give it a try. I figured the worst was that I was out about $15.00 and 15 minutes (the $15.00 is actually more material than you need for one batch...it is more like many, many batches)! So, I made my first batch of homemade laundry detergent. I am in love!!! It works so much better than detergent in the store, smells awesome, and was WAY cheap!

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html This is where I got the recipe. But I will put it here just so you have it...

(all from the Dugger website...)

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax
- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)
*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

TIPS FOR LAUNDRY SOAP: We use Fels-Naptha bar soap in the homemade soap recipes, but you can use Ivory, Sunlight, Kirk's Hardwater Castile or Zote bars. Don't use heavily perfumed soaps. We buy Fels-Naptha by the case from our local grocer or online. Washing Soda and Borax can often be found on the laundry or cleaning aisle. Recipe cost approx. $2 per batch.

Marine Mike--most don't see this guy...

2011-03-24T16:19:00.000-10:00

Most people don't see Mike when he is working. If our family sees him in uniform it is usually in a dress uniform for a wedding or funeral. Well, here are some pictures of him doing what he really does! These were taken by a combat photographer during their last training exercise in California. This is the Marine I know!! I love my Grunt!!!

Care Packages

2011-03-20T09:40:00.000-10:00

Care packages are the life line between the theater and the real world. (Theater means a region in which active military operations are underway). It's not like they can pop into Target and grab some snacks or run by Walgreens and pick up some Advil. Care packages are critical to the moral of the platoon. I try to send a package atleast every other week but for the most part, every week. It is my hope that our friends and family send packages too. Mike doesn't keep the package all for himself, but shares with his Marines. He has to make sure they are well taken care of and they are all in a good state-mentally...care packages help this part. Over the course of this next year I will post ideas for care packages. I hope you will get some ideas from this and maybe share some of your own. There are some awesome websites that offer care package ideas for theme packages if you search the internet. I also think it is important for kids to participate in packing and sending the packages. For my kids, they feel like they are "taking care of daddy". But, for other kids, they get to feel like they are doing something to help our military and teaching them about the sacrifices that are made for their freedom.

p.s. I have a list of items Mike likes. If you would like it let me know and I will pass it on. If you have ideas for care packages leave a comment to share with the rest of us!

Tsunami Emotions

2011-03-14T21:40:00.000-10:00

Where do you start with the emotions??? At first it was fear. Fear that there was a BIG wave headed toward us. Was this wave going to hit our island with force? Was it going to take out my house? After all, I live a few hundred yards from the water. Then there was panic. Did I have enough packed? Could I and should I take the dogs too? What if it hits early or bigger than predicted. Then there was loneliness. I was handling this crisis by myself. My partner for life was not with me. He was in California and I was in Hawaii. Could I handle this by myself? Was I strong enough? These emotions lasted throughout the night.

Once morning broke and we got the all clear a new set of emotions hit. Relief that it was over. Thankfulness that we were safe as was our house. Love from my husband who had just received word that all of this was happening (he was in the middle of the desert with no cell phone reception). He immediately called when he got the news. He was in a panic himself making sure his girls were ok. The love from all of our friends and family that called, texted, and sent messages via facebook to make sure we were all ok.

Then there was anger. I was angry that my own father never bothered to see how we were. I was also angry that my father-in-law never tried to contact us. How could these two men not want to check and see how the only granddaughter they have was after a HUGE tsunami was headed for her? I don't get it and I never will. I am your only child and you can't bother to see if I am still alive and in one piece?!?!?! On a side note, my father-in-law finally called Saturday. Yeah, thanks we had been home for awhile at that point. It's a bit late! And to ask "How was the tsunami?" Gee, how do you think? Let me just blow that air mattress that I took to sleep on up and ride that wave! Really?!?!? How was the tsunami? WOW!!!

First Tsunami

2011-03-11T21:34:00.000-10:00

What a suprise it was for us last night!!! I had a meeting about 6 last night so Bianca stayed with Melissa. After the meeting I went to pick her up. While Melissa and I were chatting we saw the news that we were under a Tsunami Watch. We didn't think too much of it. After all, we had been living on the East Coast for so long and Tsunamis where something we never even fathomed. Once we decided that we should probably get busy packing a few things I got Bianca and headed to the house.

I loaded our air mattresses, pillows, blankets, canned food, water and juice drinks, crackers, clothes, toiletries, my computer, toys, and dog food in the car. Then I gave Bianca a bath, finished watching the news, took the pups outside, and attempted to make a few calls. Cell phones were not working for making calls and texting took about 4 tries before it would go through. I sent Melissa a text and told her I would be there shortly (she lives further from the water than we do, so that was going to be our meeting point.).

After getting everything loaded and making a last pass through the house I found Bianca asleep on the couch. She finally wore herself out. She was very upset when we were packing. I tried to assure her that everything would be fine but she was still upset. I had contemplated leaving the dogs at the house not knowing where we were really going. I had thought I would just put them upstairs in my bedroom and leave food and water for them. But, Bianca was horribly upset by this thought and I decided I couldn't let them stay at the house knowing how close we were to the waters edge. So, I loaded Bianca in her carseat (still sleeping), put Magnus and Lucie in the backseat and left our home.

I got to Melissa's and the MP's had started circling her housing area with the bullhorns blaring warnings. (They had done this at my house an hour before. Since we are closest to the water, we are the first to be evacuated.) Melissa loaded her boys and her dog, and Brandi and Alan loaded their son and we took off! Up the mountain the the Officer/Staff Club on the base. This was one of the designated points for evacuation. Once there, we hung out in the parking lot for a little bit letting the dogs and kids sleep in the car. At this point we were waiting on more detailed word from the military as to what we were supposed to do. I sent out text messages to our friends and family letting them know what was going on. Then we loaded up our arms with kids and went inside. We found a corner and made pallets for the kids to sleep.

Once we left the house, she slept through the entire thing.

It was great to be there with friends!

Melissa chillin with the kids!

The best part of this very scarey experience was having great friends to be with. While none of us could "lose it" in front of the kids, we all were emotional. Once inside we started the waiting game. Thanks to my brother I have a thing on my laptop where I can watch his cable trough the internet. I turned on my laptop and got the cable going and we had about 20 people surrounding my laptop watching CNN and Fox News. This continued until we left about 6 am. I will write another post about the emotions of the day once I get some sleep!

Apache Belle Babes at OneTrueMedia.com

2011-03-09T21:37:00.001-10:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

My Reality--The Fear

2011-03-09T09:10:00.000-10:00

Part of the reality of my life is fear. I can't let this fear consume me or I would never get out of bed. But, it does exist! I have a constant fear that Mike will be injured or worse (I can't bring myself to say those words). Everytime I hear of a casualty on the news I imediately check the area where it occured. I ususally know the region pretty well by the time we are finished with the first deployment to a country. (To this day I can point out cities in Iraq that most people have never heard of!)

I have a fear of explaining to our children in the event of "worse". I have a fear of living my life alone. But, how do I get through this? I pray!!! I pray constantly! When I start to have a knot in my stomach, I pray. My prayer is that God would dispatch Angels to hover about Mike. That they would protect him from any harm that comes his way, and that he returns safely. This is not a once a day prayer. There are days where I pray over and over and over. I also pray that God will give me peace and help me to help the kids deal with the issues that they deal with. After all, it is not just my emotions that I have to deal with, but the kids as well.

I ask that you also pray for the safety of Mike and all the other service members who are serving our country.

808 Bounce

2011-03-07T11:43:00.000-10:00

After the basketball game, we had a birthday party at 808 Bounce for Bianca to attend. Her friend Devin was turning 6. The girls love 808 Bounce (it is full of bouncy houses!!!). We had a great time and she got to run off lots of energy.

After the birthday party we went walking around the mall and saw the new train that has been put in. She of course just had to rid it. So, we stood in line --forever-- and finally got to ride the train through the mall. It actually goes all over the mall! What a perfect way to spend a rainy Saturday!!!

Last Cheerleading Event

2011-03-07T11:03:00.000-10:00

Saturday was Bianca's last Cheerleading event for this year. You can tell it was an 8am game. The girls were half asleep during the game. But, they were all sad when the game was over. They have had a great time this season. Bianca LOVES cheering and is so ready for next year!

My Reality-Single Parenting

2011-03-06T12:03:00.000-10:00

Over the last eight years I have had numerous people ask me "how I do it" being married to a Marine. Well, I thought I would write a series of posts on this subject. Maybe it will give you a better understanding of what the life of the military family is like. Our life is definately different!

Let's start with the subject of single parenting. Yes, that is basically what I am. A single parent. I love my husband more than anything, but trute be told, he is gone on a mission more than he is home. I don't get to rely on dad coming home at night to help with bedtime routine, melt downs, or this is broken-can you fix it. If I don't do it, it doesn't get done! I have to make sure that I am the one available for everyone's schedule. Mine, the kid's, the dog's, and the husband's. They all revolve around one thing--ME! If Bianca has a field trip, appointment, playdate, or sickness I am the one that makes sure everything is done on time. I make sure the dogs get their meds, food, walk, bath, and vet appointment. I am the one that makes sure Mike has plenty of care packages sent to him, finds the gear that the movers put in the wrong boxes, and runs errands because his Marines are having issues and he can't leave. Now, don't misunderstand what I am writing here~ I am not trying to make this a "oh poor me" or "look at me I am a Super Woman" thing. I just want you know get an understanding of military life. It is not just me that does this, but EVERY military spouse!!!

A military spouse doesn't just run errands and cook and clean, but we have to be the one that mowes the lawn, fixes the fence that the dog broke, changes the tire because it is flat, and puts together the new barbie house. We are the one that sits and holds the kids at night while they cry because they miss daddy. We pray with our kids each night to protect daddy and explain to them that yes, he may get hurt while he is there, but we pray that God witll protect him. We set our routine and dig in! That means getting up an hour before the kids so we can get a shower ourselves, lunches made for school, breakfast made for that morning, and backpacks packed. Then get the kids up, ready, and fed. Then out the door so we can walk to school and actually get there on time! Then there is the houshold chores, the outdoor chores, and anything else that happens to come up that day. There are meetings with the Family Readiness Team to make sure we are prepared for anything that may come up, and checking the news to see if there was vilolence in the area where hubby is. Think about all the daily/weekly chores that your spouse does for the family. Then think what your life would be like if everything relied on you and you had no one to call. You can't call family because they live too far away. You can't call friends because they are in the same boat you are in. You can't call your spouse because~~well frankly they don't get to talk to you except maybe once a month if you are lucky! That is the relaity of single parenting when you are married to a Marine.

HPFL

2011-02-27T22:14:00.000-10:00

One of Bianca's Kindergarten teachers, Mr. Pa'aga, is playing in the Hawaii Professional Football League. Last night was their first preseason game. I took Bianca and we went with our friends, the French family. The game was at Aloha Stadium and we got to sit on the 45 yard line right behind the team! Mr. Pa'aga made a point to come talk to the girls several times during the evening. We also met up one of her other teachers Mrs. Liang and her husband. We all sat together and can't wait for next week's game. (Mr. Pa'aga's teammates don't know he teaches Kindergarten during the week...I have a feeling they will know the next game!)

Devin and Kiera French, Mr. Pa'aga, and Bianca just before the 3rd qtr started!

Living Room/Dining Room/Kitchen

2011-02-24T11:13:00.000-10:00

Our living room, dining room, and kitchen are all connected. Now this room is NOT completed. There are still things to be put on the walls, curtains to be hung and rugs to be bought. I will update again once it is finished.

Bianca's Room

2011-02-23T19:15:00.000-10:00

So, can anyone else tell that I didn't like the other house...hmmm there were no pictures of it once we moved it! Well, I like this house a bit more so in the tradition of previous houses...here are some of the rooms. As they get completed I will share more.

Scentsy

2011-02-20T17:22:00.000-10:00

I have finally taken the plung after many months of mulling it over. I am now selling Scentsy! Have you heard of Scentsy?? Well, let me give you a little bit of info...It is flameless candles that are heated with a lightbulb instead of a flame. It also is a cool burning wax so there is no risk of children or pets burning themselves if they knock it over! There is so much more I can tell you. If you are interested in purchasing or hosting a party (you can still host even if you don't live close to me) let me know. My website is http://www.michelleeuler.scentsy.us/ I can't wait to share this amazing product with you!!!

Last Day of Maui

2011-02-20T11:47:00.000-10:00

On the last day Bianca and I spent in Maui we went shopping...I mean really what is a trip with me, my aunt, and my cousin without shopping being involved?!?!? We also stopped at a local farmers market looking for sugar cane but didn't find any.

We had an awesome lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise. Yes, these are the BEST burgers on the planet and lets not even mention how good their sweet potato fries are! For dinner we went to Hula Grill in Whalers Village. Yummy!

Jeanie and Papa Bill--I can't tell you what a blessing they are to us.

Me and my cousin Melissa (but more importantly my best friend.)

Bianca and Jeanie-she has such a wonderful relationship with her since my mom is not here. Thank you Jeanie for being the best!!

Melissa and John-such and amazing couple of people!!!

Maui Trip-North Shore

2011-02-20T11:25:00.000-10:00

After whale watching and super bowl watching, Jeanie or Bill--not sure which one--suggested we drive to the North Shore. Now, me being from Oahu thought oh cool, lets go. WRONG!!!! I swear I thought we were going to DIE!

Now on the way up--when we still had atleast two lanes for vehicles to travel on--we did get to see some awesome surfing action and beautiful sceenery

See the blowhole!!!

Melissa and Ruth

Bianca and Melissa

Now, notice after the two lanes end there are no outside shots. That is because I am pretty sure my knuckles were white from the deathgrip I had going on. It is a ONE lane highway up a VERY steep mountain. When you look over the edge there is a straight drop down...very very far down! Never again will I go up there!!!!

Maui Trip-Super Bowl

2011-02-20T11:11:00.000-10:00

While we were in Maui it was Super Bowl Sunday. Of course the men had to watch the big game!

Mike crashed on the floor to watch.

Bianca said to heck with it...I am going play my DS where the guys won't bother me!

Maui Trip-Whale Watching

2011-02-20T11:02:00.000-10:00

On Sunday morning we got up and went to Church. We went to a beautiful catholic church and were probably the only Baptists in the place. But God doesn't care right?!?! As long as you go, that's what matters! After church we went to Cool Cats (or something like that...I don't remember exactly) and oh my...the best burger!

Before getting on the boat to whale watch we ran into this guy with a ribbon fish. I thought it was very strange but very cool!

Once on the boat we went out past a cruise ship and into the channel where the humpback whales are. They are such beautiful creatures. And did I mention they are huge!!!

Mike got some awesome tale shots!

They are splashing each other here!

This is what it looks like when they jump out of the water....a BIG splash!

Maui Trip--Haleakala

2011-02-20T10:29:00.000-10:00

The week before our move we flew to Maui for the weekend. My Aunt Jeanie, Uncle Bill, Cousin Melissa, her husband John, and his parents Ruth and Warren were all coming to Maui for the week. I was SO excited to see family!!! Bianca is just the little world traveler so she is always ready for a trip!

Since we knew Mike's time was going to be limited (he was headed back to Oahu 2 days before us) we wanted to get there early and get some touring done before the Texas crew landed. Our first stop of the trip was Haleakala. Haleakala is a very large dormant volcano on Maui. It is huge!

Our first stop on the mountain was the visitors center. This is where we saw the Nene Goose. This is Bianca's favorite bird in Hawaii. (I have no idea why---I personally think it is rather ugly.) It is also the state bird of Hawaii.

I just love this picture of these two. They are above the clouds!!!

We are not even that high at this point and yet we are still above the clouds.

It almost looks like the moon up here!

Yes, at the summit we are 10,023 feet above sea level! Way high!!!!

Breathtaking to be that high and see what God has created!

I love how the clouds would drift by us.

SHE MOVES....

2011-02-14T11:34:00.000-10:00

SHE MOVES

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house; Moving curtains that won't fit; Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.
Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!

They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS; Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.
Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them
Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands; his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed; the glue that holds them together
A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.
Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has a HEART and a love for her husband,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband, She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way.

--Author Unknown

Sorry!

2011-02-12T20:19:00.000-10:00

The last week has been super busy for our family! My appologies for not updating sooner. But, I promise once we get organized I will update. Breifly--we have been to Maui, seen family, went whale watching, and moved! On top of all of that I now have laryngitis. This last detail pleases my husband to no end I am sure!! I promise to post more very soon!

To Sell or Not to Sell

2011-02-02T16:53:00.000-10:00

I have been thinking about selling Scentsy for a while now. I am not sure if I should and am looking for some opinions. I am trying to find out if I would have a client base within my friends and family to get me started. So....I need your opinions!!!!

Fax Machines

2011-01-31T15:49:00.000-10:00

I spent nearly 3 hours trying to find a fax machine today! When we were stationed at Parris Island and at Camp Lejeune both base libraries offered fax services. Well, NOT Hawaii!!! Hawaii apparently does not believe in Fax machines. First I went to the public library in Kaneohe. They didn't have one. Then I went to the library on the base. They don't have a fax. Then I went to the battalion office. They didn't have a fax. How does anyone run an office around here??? I ended up at the UPS store and paid nearly $2.25 to have ONE page faxed! This is just a bit nuts!

Play 60

2011-01-30T09:43:00.000-10:00

The Pro Bowl is held about 15 minutes from our house. On Thursday the NFL held Play 60 events at the area bases. This was a chance for the kids to meet the players and cheerleaders. Also it emphasized playing outside for 60 minutes. (The NFL is trying to fight child hood obesity.) I was pretty disappointed the way the NFL handled the event. They only allowed 150 kids on the field with the players. They cancelled the meet and greet with the players and had the cheerleaders "walk the fence". Bianca had absolutely no interest in what was going on on the field. She wanted to meet the cheerleaders. What else would you expect from a future professional cheerleader?!?!? So we stood at the fence and waited our turn. A friend from her class and her mom joined us as well. As annoyed as I was, Bianca had a good time and that is all that matters!!

Meeting the Redskins Cheerleader

Meeting the Vikings Cheerleader

Meeting the 49ers Cheerleader

Meeting the Saints Cheerleader (she let them hold the pom poms that she used in the Super Bowl last year...they were so excited!)

Meeting the Cardinals Cheerleader!

The also had one of the cowboy cheerleaders there, but the stupid single marines that had absolutely no children with them too up her time and the girls didn't get to meet her! The girls got autographs from them which daddy will be so excited to see when he gets back!

Getting Ready

2011-01-29T19:00:00.000-10:00

We are getting ready for another deployment. I am trying to come up with some creative ideas for things to help Bianca get through the deployment and things to send to Mike. I have ordered a comfort quilt for Bianca and of course we will be doing the Kisses jar. But, that is about it. For Mike, I am trying to think of some creative themed care packages. When he is gone it is my hope that he gets atleast one care package a week. He ususally passes stuff out to the guys that don't have stuff. He also will let me know when they get there if there are guys not getting mail/packages so we can get some things sent to them too! If you would like to be on the "we want to send him letters/packages so give us his address" list please let me know. I don't make is address known for obvious reasons so I will only send them to people who request it. Let me know what ideas you have!

Parris Island, Motivational Run Family Day Oct 4, 2007

2011-01-23T22:03:00.000-10:00

This was Mike's First graduation/Motivational Run

Boot Camp Parris Island

2011-01-23T21:51:00.000-10:00

Tired....

2011-01-23T21:27:00.000-10:00

Have you ever been so tired that you can't think straight? That is how I have been this week! I don't know if it is Mike being gone and me single parenting or if it is the move or if it the combination of everything. Regardless, I am just tired!! I keep hoping for a day to sleep in, but I have no idea when that will happen. I would say Saturday but every Saturday is cheerleading mornings and Sunday is church so yeah...when can I sleep in? Bianca and I were actually walking through Target this afternoon and it hit me. My eyes started to hurt, my head hurt, and I knew I just needed sleep. Unfortunately, it is not going to happen anytime soon.

It's That Time Again

2011-01-22T18:32:00.000-10:00

Yes, we are moving again!!! This time it is not across the world. It is just across the way....to the base. We were finally offered a house on the base--the moment Mike was getting on a bus to leave for a month. We are all very excited. The house is .2 miles to the beach, .7 miles to our church, .5 miles to Mike's office, and .9 miles to B's school. But, guess what this move means....I get to do it AGAIN by myself! Mike gets home just a few days before the move.

Kisses Jar

2011-01-17T11:12:00.003-10:00

With Mike's schedule he is usually gone alot. In order to help Bianca process how long he is gone, when he will get back, etc we have come up with the Kisses From Daddy Jar. The day before Mike leaves he gets Hershey's Kisses and brings Bianca to the table. Together count out enough kisses for her to have one each day while he is gone. (The jar is really big because at times it needs to hold over 215 kisses.) Then each morning he is gone Bianca gets up and gets a kiss out of the jar. This way she gets to watch the kisses disappear and get closer to the time when Daddy gets home. When she gets the last kiss out of the jar, she knows daddy will be home the next day. (Ok, so sometimes I have to add one or two when the schedule changes, but we usually know roughly the days.) Just a little something to help get through the deployments.

6th Birthday Party!! Pool Party in January!

2011-01-15T18:52:00.001-10:00

For Bianca's birthday party she chose to have a pool party. Yep, pool party in January! We had 16 kids there and they all had such a good time!

The Birthday Girl!

They had such a good time swimming!

Of course a pool party has to have a flip flop themed cake!

Blowing out the candles

That was some yummy cake.

The pinata finally let out some candy

Sorry, these got out of order...just strting to hit the pinata

Daddy helping out the kiddos...I love this man!

I Promise We Are Cold!

2011-01-08T22:26:00.000-10:00

We have both posted on Facebook about the cold weather here lately. I am sure all of our friends and family back home are ready to strangle us! But I promise, for us, this is cold! We have totally gotten used to the warm temperatures of Hawaii. Our house does not have a heater in it. (It also has no air conditioning.) We leave our sliding doors and windows open 24/7. (Seriously, our windows and doors are all on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the house. It's not like anyone is coming in!) We do have 3 window units but have only turned them on a few times and that was when we first moved here and were getting used to living without air. This last week the temps have gotten down into the 60's at night. During the day it has been warm with the exception of a couple of days that were in the 70's, most days are in the upper 80's. I wore a sweatshirt for the first time yesterday! Mike wears a sweatshirt most mornings but then again he is driving through the mountains in a Jeep with no roof or doors on. But the one morning it was super chilly he even complained about the weather (he NEVER complains about the weather). So, yeah go ahead and get mad at us. But we are officially used to Hawaii weather! Anything below 75 and we start looking for the hoodie!

To Our Neighbors

2011-01-01T21:09:00.000-10:00

To our dear neighbors:

I understand that fireworks are part of your culture. I agree that they are beautiful. However....they are loud. Your homemade fireworks are extremely loud! To be honest they sound like some sort of bomb going off. My husband suffers from PTSD and I would appreciate it if you would not set them off all night again! He tends to be a little "active" when he sleeps if he has to deal with these sorts of sounds. Also, my daughter is now sleeping in my bedroom because it is so loud that it scares her. We would all appreciate a silent night.

Thanks,

Wife That Can't Sleep

A Look Back

2010-12-30T23:22:00.000-10:00

What a year! This has been an amazing year for our family! We have grown as a family and as a couple. We have been blessed with friends who were so amazing and we miss terribly. We made new friends with our new move. We went on some amazing adventures when driving across the country and moving to Hawaii.

As we look toward the new year we hope and pray for several things. We pray that Mike is safe during his travels around the world this upcoming year. We pray for the recovery of my father who had open heart surgery in November. We pray for the continued health and well-being of our children. We pray for 0hearts to be softened and loved ones to be part of our lives. We pray that as a family we always remember the quote on our "travel rings" which reads "God Be With Us Together and Apart".

May you all be blessed during the new year.

8 Years

2010-12-27T10:41:00.000-10:00

8 years ago Mike and I were married. Who would have thought we would have made it this far. (We are both completely certain that his family was taking bets on how long we would actually stay married.) Well, I believe it is safe to say we outlasted all of the bets!

During the past 8 years we have been through SOOO much! 3 deployments to Iraq, Drill Instructor School, Infantry Unit Leaders Course, more work-ups than either of us can count, 3 years as a Drill Instructor, a move to South Carolina, a move to Hawaii, 5 years of living in a 702 sq ft house, and issues with PTSD and PMS! But, there is so much that we have gained. A cross country trip (literally Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean) in our VW Passat with the kids and dogs, a drive from North Carolina to Chicago to Arkansas, more drives back and forth from either North or South Carolina to Arkansas, exploring North Carolina-South Carolina-Georgia-and Hawaii. We have had so many adventures together. We have learned what it is really like to know when you kiss someone good bye they may not return, so NEVER taken them forgranted. We know the difficulties of working through PTSD (and Mommy's PMS). But we love stronger, are more protective of each other, and lean on each other when we need it!

I love him more each day. How do you put into words how you love someone? I still haven't figured that out. When we look back 8 years will seem like such a short time. I love you Mike. You are my love and my hero. I am so thankful for you!

Bless You Skype

2010-12-26T09:55:00.000-10:00

When we moved to Hawaii we knew that it was going to be way too expensive to fly us back and forth or Alex back and forth very often. We knew it was going to be a once or twice a year deal and that was it. Mike and I had webcams on our computers for when he is gone so Bianca could talk to him. We decided to get Alex one for his birthday. He has LOVED it! Since he was here at Thanksgiving he stayed at his dad's for Christmas. But what fun is it to buy gifts if you can't see them open it? We skyped with Alex Christmas Eve so he could open his presents from us (incase he was too busy Christmas day).

Showing off his presents...he really liked this sherpa lined hoodie.

No matter how far apart we are, NOTHING can keep me from my children!

Since we are a military family we don't get home that often to visit family either. We got to skype with my brother and his family so they could watch B open her gifts from them. We got to skype with Mike's brothers family so we could watch them open their gifts and B open hers. We got to skype with my cousin and her family (the kids LOVE talking to each other on it and will talk for hours if we let them). We also got to skype with my aunt and uncle and wish them Merry Christmas. Thank you inventers of skype for allowing me to be connected with all of my family around the world (well, we are the ones around the world, they are all in the same places). No, we don't just skype on Christmas. Most of us skype atleast once a week. It is a great way for B to get to know her family that she otherwise would not see that often.

My Montage 12/24/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-12-24T22:01:00.001-10:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Santa Clause is Coming To Town at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-12-24T21:50:00.001-10:00

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

Tree Lighting On Base

2010-12-24T21:49:00.000-10:00

Ooops! I meant to post this at the beginning of the month and I forgot! We had our tree lighting on the base December 5. As you can see, it REALLY IS warm here!

Daddy and Binks watching the performers that sang before the tree lighting.

Mag got a little tuckered out. (We try and take him out in public anytime we can so we can socialize him.)

The Official Base Tree...surrounded with Palm trees and people in shorts! Gotta love Hawaii!

1st Christmas Present

2010-12-22T21:16:00.000-10:00

Bianca got a Christmas present tonight in the mail. Actually it was delivered to our neighbor and she brought it over to us. The postal lady put it in the wrong box. We decided to go ahead and let her open her present since it was from two very special people to us. It was a package from Tony and Pam Blann. They have been very special to us for a long time. (I think I have known them since I was born. I literally grew up with their kids.) We are so blessed to have them in our lives.

She had a little bit of trouble getting the tape off.

She was still struggling with the wrapper.

Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center. (They have no idea how perfect this for her. She absolutely LOVES anything to do with art. She has an easle in her room that is dry erase but nothing to carry around with her.)

Imediately she had it opened and started drawing.

And continued (even as I type she is still drawing. That is 3 straight hours of drawing.) Such a perfect gift!

Thank you Pam and Tony for being such a blessing to our family. We love you!

Not Your Crossett Christmas Parade

2010-12-18T21:33:00.000-10:00

We discovered that Christmas Parades in Hawaii are not exactly like the ones back home. First of all we wear tanks and flip-flops. Next, the floats are just really different. Here is the parade from Kaneohe.

There are two staging areas. Walkers are in the Safeway parking lot while floats are in the mall parking lot (across the street).

I can't even pronounce the grand marshall's name.

The girls watching the parade...notice their clothes. Not exactly bundled up.

It is safe to say this was Mike's favorite float.

The mayor of Honolulu (we only have one mayor per island...another weird thing here).

Mag didn't know what to think about all of this.

Lots of rainbow stuff out here.

Lots of REAL greenery and flowers used on floats.

They DO support the troops which was nice to see.

Santa came on a boat (an he looks like he is a bit worse for the wear).

My Father

2010-12-17T12:55:00.000-10:00

As you all know, my dad and I have not spoken since September 2009 (really since April 2009 but we had one conversation in September). I had hoped that my dad would come to his senses and see that he had lost his family. The family he had for over 30 years. But it wasn't to be. He refused to be adult about the situation.

Well, the Friday before Thanksgiving this year my dad was put into the hospital with plans to do double bypass surgery on him sometime that weekend. Of course I didn't find this out from him. (God has blessed me with wonderful friends who called to let me know.) I am pretty sure it was a shock to him and Rosa to find out that they could not keep me in the dark. I called the hospital myself to find out what was going on. After all, I am his child. I do have rights! Well, she finally called me the next day and then called a few times after. I actually spoke to my dad a few times after his surgery too! I was hopeful that this was the beginning of him coming around and wanting to be part of my life again. I WAS WRONG! I have called a few times in the last couple of weeks and guess what? They don't answer or return the messages that I have left.

So, I am back to square one with him. No relationship with my father. It is really sad that he chooses a woman who has not even been in his life for 2 years over the daughter that he has had for 33 years. I just don't understand how someone-a parent- can do that. I don't care what my children do in the future. I can never treat them the way my father has treated me.

Where Did Customer Service Go???

2010-12-14T22:10:00.000-10:00

Tonight I had a melt down. I am really trying to get in the Christmas Spirit---Bianca has to have 2 dozen cookies for school this week. I had the bright idea to make tea cakes read: The Absolute BEST Cookie Ever Created!!! for her class. Well, tea cakes require chilling the dough then rolling them out and using a cookie cutter. That works great when you are not in a 100% humidity/85 degree weather! The dough just fell apart and I could not keep it cold enough to work with.

I decided I needed a cookie press to get these cookies done. Take a note here: We live on the side of the island that has NO major stores like Target or Walmart--We only have Macy's and Sears. So off to the mall I went. I first stopped at Sears thinking this would be the most likely choice for a cookie press. Nothing, nada, zip, zero! The guy didn't even know what I was talking about. Next stop, the party supply store. My hope was that they sold Wilton products. Nope! After that was Macy's, we will come back to this. Then to Maksuba or something like that...all I know is everything in the store was written in Japanese so I had no idea what anything was. After all of this I came home and finally got the dough to work enough to get her cookies cut for school. The rest will have to wait till tomorrow!

Now, Back to Macy's-----I thought Macy's was the store of stores. The store I grew up going to when we were in Houston with Melissa and Jeanie. I remember it being this amazing place with lights and glitter. Ok, back to tonight. I went into the housewear section and began looking. I thought for sure Martha would help a girl out cause you know Martha (Stewart) makes everything. Well, I couldn't find a press to save my life. So I went to find the lady that worked in the area. She was helping a customer check out. I waited in line for my turn (I was the last in the line). I asked if she could help me and she sent me to the children's department, I have no clue why she thought the children's department could help with a houseware item. So I go there and they send me back. I then find her again and ask specifically if they carried a cookie press, explained what it was, and who usually made them. She looked it up in the computer-finally. Then said yes, it is made by Cuisinart---great, this thing is going to cost me like $500! So I asked where it was. Notice she was so ~~helpful that she offered information to me~~. UGH do I have to ask for each specific step here?!?! She says yeah and starts ~~amlessly wandering~~ walking around looking for the item. Then she vanishes. I look up and she if off helping other customers check out. Ok, I totally get that the other people needed assistance. But would it have taken so much of her time to say, hey I need to check these customers out. I will be right back to finish helping you. I mean really! I would have been totally ok with that, but no she just walks off. Where did GOOD customer service go?

Really Trying to Get Motivated!

2010-12-13T20:17:00.000-10:00

I promise we are trying to get motivated! We have finished Alex's Christmas shopping. I have it all packaged and ready to head to the mainland tomorrow. Now all I need to do is finish Bianca and Mike and I will be done. We did venture out Sunday afternoon to do a bit of shopping. Mike took Bianca and I went my own way. I managed to get some of her stuff out of the way and ran to the car to hid it before meeting up with them in the food court.

As Alicia says, this lack of motivation is probably due to the fact that it is a constant 83 degrees here! My sister-in-law reminds me of this fact everytime I talk to her (she lives in Chicago...lots of snow there!). Yeah, it is December 13th and I am sporting flip-flops, shorts, and a spaghetti strap tank top. Not to mention my hair was pulled up in my clip today cause it was a warm one! While we are on the weather--I have been trying to find night gowns for Bianca. The girl does not like to sleep in pants or shorts only gowns. Well, all that is in the stores is fleece and flannel. REALLY???? What marketing genius put fleece and flannel in all of the stores in Hawaii? Where does this make sense??? Not just like a few items in that material for those that need to make a purchase for their trip to the mainland, but like all the stores have are fleece and flannel. Guess I need to stock up when it comes around to spring/summer!

White Christmas by Bing Crosby

2010-12-09T17:22:00.000-10:00

This song and movie remind me SO much of my mom! We used to watch it and wrap presents every year!!