Happy Birthday to You!

Yes, indeed. Happy Birthday Baby Jesus! Merry Christmas to everyone!

We have had a wonderful, calm Christmas Day here at our home. While we missed being around our family on this special day, the simplicity of being in our home, on our own schedule, was priceless. The girls have hung out in jammies all day long and been thrilled to play endlessly with their new gifts.

We truly appreciate all the blessings we have had bestowed on us, and are so fortunate to have all that we do. Even more than the shiny new gifts that were under the tree, though, we thank God for each other and all the loved ones far and near that we hold dear, for our health, our happiness, and the most precious gift of all, His Son.

Merry Christmas and may God Bless each one of you.

Three Furballs = Lots of Hairballs!

I apologize for having been out of the posting loop for quite some time. Morgan frequently asks me when I'm going to post again as she enjoys reading both my blog and James'. Yesterday I showed her a posting on a friend's blog (Melissa in AL) where her pets were introduced to readers and became a post all of their own. Morgan really enjoyed reading that posting so I offered to let her do the same kind of entry on my blog since I've been in a dry spell of my own when it comes to writing. So, without any further back-story, here is Morgan's guest-blogger posting introducing you to our funny furballs.

Our family lives around pets. We need pets. And so that’s why I’m going to blog about our furry friends today.


This is Paddy. She’s 12 years old, and she is the smallest of all our cats. As are all our other cats, she’s a Maine Coon Tabby mix. You could describe Paddy as sweet and gentle, but she is also sensitive. She cannot stand being brushed! Paddy will “talk” to us more than the others, because if we look down and say something, she will go, “Meooooowwww.” She usually keeps to herself but has been known to chase her brother on more than one occasion, which is so funny to see! She loves to sleep on top of people during the night and will usually stay in my Mom and Dad's bed, often on Mom's back or legs.


This is Seamus. He’s Paddy’s brother. He is a very dark color. Seamus could be described as unpredictable. One minute he’ll be purring in your lap, licking you, and the next whacking you in your face, like he just did to me earlier today! However, he’s our only cat that actually stays still and likes being brushed. He was chased by, Kooshie, our youngest cat in the “earlier days,” and so now he will go right up to that cat and whack him. Revenge. He has a battle scar on one ear to prove that he picks fights with Kooshie. He'll usually start the fight but then get scared and he "screams" like a little girl! Really, his shrieks are so hilarious because they sound funny coming out of a boy cat! Seamus loves to steal the warm spots on a couch or a chair, meaning if you get up from your seat for a moment when you come back Seamus will be in that spot! It's like he has a heat sensor in him!


This is Shakoosh, or Kooshie, the youngest addition to our family. The name comes from the Iraqi name for the Army base Daddy was at when he was deployed for “the Surge” of OIF5. Kooshie is 2 years old. We got him when we went to the Humane Society to take donations. He had been rescued from a kill shelter on his last day. It was probably his personality that saved him. While we were in the cat room, Mommy saw him and noticed how he looked like Paddy. Soon his sweet personality had us captured and we adopted him, that skinny thing. Now he is a whopping 16.5 pounds, making him by far our heaviest cat. He is tiger-striped and could be described as wild, playful, and full of energy. Kooshie is a true family cat. He is very dog-like, however, and enjoys rolling in dirt, chasing toys, and drinking out of toilets! Kooshie likes to be wherever we are and he will follow us around the house, just like a dog! Maybe he's just really grateful that his life was spared and he wants to show us how much he loves us for that.

Our seniors, Paddy and Seamus, were raised together as brother and sister. The thought that they ruled our house had entered their minds, but when Kooshie came, he decided they were just too old! Now, over 1 ½ years later, they have learned to tolerate each other, but we'd never go so far as to say they are all friends yet! Maybe one day they'll get there. They make pretty good friends to us, though!

Such a long hiatus

I apologize for taking such a very long break from blog-land. I don't really have a very good reason for being gone other than to say I've been busy lately, but then haven't most people? I hardly think my life is that much busier than most, and if it is then I should definitely slow down. That's not the case. I'm slow enough.

Yes, I wrote those very words and meant every bit of it, sadly. I am slow. Too slow. If only I were faster my long runs wouldn't last so dreadfully long. I can't even call them "runs" because they truly aren't. They're jogs and they are pitifully slow for me, at around a 10-12 minute per mile pace. At my current rate, it takes me about 2 hours to complete 9-10 miles. And when my hubby comes home from a 9 or 10 mile run in a little over an hour, well, I should just hang my head in shame, shouldn't I?

But yet I still get out there and plug away at it once per week. I usually hit the track on Tuesday's for a long session. This past Tuesday found me needing to get 11 miles again. I had done it the week prior and wanted to repeat it this week. So, despite the fact that I had several good reasons to NOT go jog (girls were out of school, James was home, it was my birthday!) I hit the track for a goal of 11 miles. I wanted to quit at six due to some serious hip flexor pain. I stretched and muddled through for three more miles before finally calling it good enough. I felt quite disappointed in myself and the outcome, but when you're hurting you're hurting, ya know?

So, I'm trying to figure out the hip thing, hoping I can ease the tightness out enough that it won't bother me during the half-marathon, which is less than 2 months away now. I've got an easier training week coming up with about 6-8 miles planned on Tuesday. I might re-evaluate that as Tuesday approaches and aim a little higher, like 8-10, but that's just crazy talkin', not really seriousness.

In other news, Morgan had her birthday in late October and has now turned 11. What a big girl! And where did the time go? It's amazing, remarkable, sad, unbelievable, fantastic, and shocking all at once. My baby girl, how proud I am of her, how sad to think of the years gone by, how in awe of what those years have brought. I can only Thank God for the most precious gift ever and ask for nothing but another day.

My parents came down for a visit in early October. It had been nearly four years since my Mom had been down here and I was thrilled to have her back. Her work schedule has just kept her too busy at home to allow for a trip to see us, so our visits have always been with her in Missouri for the last few years. It was great to have her back down here (thanks for all the sewing you do, Mom!). I hope we don't have to wait four more years for another visit.

While they were down here, Dad built a bunk bed for Bethy. He and James worked like madmen on that thing, building it entirely from scratch. Dad has a wonder assortment of tools and he brought a fair share of them down here to work with. Between the two guys and about 24 hours of building crammed into two days they got the bed built. Over the next week James and I drove ourselves nuts sanding the bed, priming, and painting it. We've still got a bit more touching up to do on it, needing to get a third shade of pink applied for some pretty contrast. We'll get to that one of these days. In the meantime, Bethy uses it and loves it despite the fact that it looks like Pepto-Bismol has been poured all over her room. Her room, literally, gives off a pink glow out into the halls. Yep, that's our princess for ya!

As I said earlier in this post, I had a birthday this past week. I'm now 34 and happy to be an "even" age again. I don't know why but odd numbers have always bugged me. I didn't like 31, and despised 33, but 34 is just fine. Having recently had the gray in my hair colored helps "34" be an easier pill to swallow, too.

James has found out he'll be reassigned to a different unit on post which will mean no deployments for him for at least a couple years. We share mixed emotions about this as he will not enjoy the new job nearly as much, but at the same time he'll be home most every night. I know everything rests in God's Hands and so I know that his new job will bring with it a blessing of some sort. It may be hard to find the joy in the orders right now, but time will eventually show us what the reason was for being in this position. The glass needs to be half-full, right? That's the best way to live life.

And on that note I'll end this post. May you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy all the blessings that have been bestowed on each of you.

New to Running?

What do you do when someone asks you for advice on how to begin running, how to turn themselves into a runner, when you yourself feel completely inadequate and ill-prepared to provide an answer?

Well, if you're like me you look at that email in your inbox every day for weeks and contemplate what to say, never quite finding the right words to use, or the right advice to give.

After thinking this over for so long I've finally decided rather than reply directly to the person who asked me for this advice, I would blog about it in case anyone else out there is interested in the same info or would like to offer other suggestions or comments.

OK, so let me preface all this by saying I don't consider myself a runner yet. I'm not sure what criteria I'll use to determine when or if I get there, but right now I don't feel I'm 'there' yet. I read something a while back, nothing official, just some specualtion and ramblings, where someone made a distinction between running and jogging by using a 10 minute mile pace. If you are faster than a 10 minute mile you're running, slower than that and you're jogging. So I would fall into the jogger category as it takes me about 10 minutes to do one mile. Hence, I don't consider myself a runner.

Anyway, how did I begin learning to jog? I set my mind to it. That was the first step.

After I'd made my mind up that I wanted to embark on this new form of activity I hopped on the treadmill with a goal to jog for 5 minutes and then walk for 5 minutes, alternating until I'd been on the treadmill 30 minutes. This is how I began, but I'm used to daily exercise so I thought this starting level would be alright for me. Someone who isn't used to daily activity would need to start out at lower intervals and for less total time. But for simplicity in this post I'll just cover what I did and assume that anyone reading this will know to adjust their needs based on what they know to be true for themselves.

I hopped on the treadmill three days/week. That first week was at 5 minute intervals. The next week was 10 minutes of jogging/5 minutes walking. The third week was 15 minutes jogging/5 min walking. The fourth week was 20 minutes of jogging and a 5 minute walk to cooldown. The next week was 25 minutes of jogging and the 5 minute cooldown walk. Then a week of 30 minutes of jogging with a 5 minute cooldown. Then I think I might have changed the pattern so I went back to a 20 minute jog/5 min walk/another 20 min jog, so my time on the treadmill increased.

Basically, I just kept gradually adding on the time spent jogging until I could go at a solid stretch for quite awhile.

And I was pretty happy with how I was doing.

Until I tried to jog outside with a friend.

I'd worked up to jogging about 5 or 6 miles straight on the treadmill, but when I went outside to jog on the track this past February I only made it 1/4 of a mile. Talk about shock!!!!

I got some advice from a running pro I know (love ya, James!) who told me that running outside takes more effort because you are propelling yourself forward whereas on the treadmill you're letting a machine work for you. So from that moment on I abandoned the treadmill.

I'd also developed issues with my feet which required some time away from jogging so the break was both welcome and cursed.

When I got back into jogging I headed straight for the track and used the same technique as I had on the treadmill to train myself to jog outside. Only this time I didn't use time as my milestone to dictate when I moved onto another level. I used mileage.

I started with a goal to run 1 mile and then walk however many more my training plan needed me to. Then the next time I hit the track my goal was to run just a little more than I had the last time, whether that be 1/4 mile longer, 1/2 mile, or more. Each time I tried for a little further and was thrilled with whatever I got because it showed improvement.

And step by step I'm getting there. And so can you.

Lessons I've learned along the way, music can motivate you tremendously so use it if you need it. Also, for me, the first 1/2 mile is a bear ALWAYS! I have come to accept that the first mile will be evil and my legs will revolt against what I'm asking them to do for about 1/2 mile until they finally ease into it and meet the demands I'm putting on them. But that first 1/2 mile is always ugly for me. If I can bear with it, though, it does get better. And lastly, I've learned that not every jog will be good. Some days my legs feel heavier, some days I feel I'm floating. Some days my breathing is more controlled, some days the breathing isn't right and the side stitches creep up on me. It's always different. Don't expect perfection. Just go.

If anyone would like to offer their thoughts or comments or advice, please feel free to write what you know in the comment section. Love to hear from ya!

My Playlist

A few posts ago I rambled on about how the songs I was listening to while running helped motivate me on my journey. I mentioned how much music touches me and speaks to my heart. But what do the songs on my blog's playlist mean to me? Why are they important? What makes them so special? I thought I'd use this post to share with you why I love these particular songs the way I do.

Kokomo by the Beach Boys--Nothing too deep here. I love the upbeat sound of the song, the beach-y theme, and it's from one of my favorite movies Cocktail. Just good fun.

Little Wonders by Rob Thomas--I adore the message in this song about how the real beauty in life is in the little moments, the every day stuff. It's in those moments that you really do your living and loving.

No Place That Far by Sara Evans--I used to sing this song to Morgan as a baby, telling her with every lyric that I would go to the ends of the Earth for her, because even that would not be too far. Love has no limits.

I Swear by John Michael Montgomery--This song was quite popular on country radio back in 1994. James and I chose it for our wedding song but it was so new to radio at the time that we couldn't find sheet music for it for our pianist and singers to sing at the wedding. We chose a different song for the actual ceremony but had this song for our first dance. We still consider it "our song" and sometimes reference it in notes to each other, such as "I love you, I swear."

The Search Is Over by Survivor--What a great, classic 80's song! And what a beautiful story about finding that one special person who was there all along. It just takes opening your eyes to see what is right under your nose.

I Would've Loved You Anyway by Trisha Yearwood--Amazing song sung by an extremely powerful voice. What an unbelievable message about loving someone so completely despite the tragic ending. Isn't that a lesson for us all? Love with all you have and to the fullest. The message in this song has always reminded me of the Poison song Every Rose Has Its Thorn when the verse says, "It's better to have lost at love than never to have loved at all." Amen to that.

I Loved Her First by Heartland--No doubt about it, for any future son-in-law of mine, don't ever doubt that I loved these girls long before they took their first breath, long before you came into their orbit. I will forever look out for them and do my best to protect them, and without any question I will forever love them. Hold her heart gently. I'll be watching.

Above the Clouds by Amber--This is a more recent song I stumbled across and found I truly enjoy. I think what gets me most about this song is when it talks about "If we had known it would be so hard would we have set out on this road together?" Isn't that so true? A weaker person might walk away before things get tough. But for those that are willing to stick it out and risk it all, well, the payoff is magnificent!

That's My Job by Conway Twitty--Again, I like a song that speaks to me, that has a message, that pulls at my heart. This one delivers all that. It reminds me of my own Dad. It's kind of his motto with me whether I ask him to build a toybox for the girls or whatever, he'll oftentimes answer, "That's my job." This was the 2nd song I had played at James and my wedding, for the father-daughter dance. It will always hold a special place in my heart, even more so now that I'm a parent. Taking care of my girls, that's my job.

I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe--It's impossible to know and humbling to imagine what that moment will be like when we meet Jesus. We truly can only imagine.

Lady in Red by Chris de Burgh--Another fantastic 80's tune. I melt when I hear this. Maybe it's the woman in me that wants to be swept off her feet, I'm not sure. I just know when he sings, "when you turned to me and smiled, it took my breath away, I have never had such a feeling, such a feeling of complete and utter love" I swoon. What woman wouldn't?

I'll Stand By You by the Pretenders--I love this song! Carrie Underwood remade it recently and her version is just as lovely as the original. I adore the message about standing by your loved one no matter what. My favorite parts of this song are "Nothing you confess could make me love you less" and "When you're standing at a crossroads and don't know which path to choose, let me come along cause even if you're wrong I'll stand by you." Ahhhh....

Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton--Oh, to tell a woman how beautiful and wonderful she is...how could she not fall in love with you? Nice.

Good Riddance by Green Day--I've really liked this song since I first heard it on the final episode of Seinfeld. Excellent message about hoping you lived each day to the fullest. I hope all of you are having the time of your lives.

Nobody Loves Me Like You Do by Whitney Houston--This ended up being the song that was sung at our wedding when we couldn't find the sheet music to our first choice of songs. I'd always liked this song since Whitney Houston sang it on my soap opera back in the early or mid 80's for a soap marriage. Yep, that's right. I'm such a sucker for a sappy song that when I heard this ballad as a young girl of probably no more than ten years old it made such an impression on me that nearly ten years later I would use it at my own wedding. And you all wonder what good comes from watching a soap opera all these years???

Forrest Gump music--There's not much to say about this except it is one of James' and my favorite movies. Hearing this melody reminds me of all the good times we've spent watching this movie, over and over. We've shared tears, we've shared laughs, we've loved it all, and we're sharing the film with our girls. It's really an awesome flick, isn't it?

Faithfully by Journey--This song has always been a good song in my opinion, but it wasn't until fairly recently that I really decided it was speaking to me. During the summer of 2007, with James deployed to Iraq, the girls and I took a road trip to Disney World. On that drive I pulled out a cd that James had in the car, a mix of tunes he'd made and left in there for who knows how long. I popped it in the player expecting a lot of metal and hard rock, the kind of stuff he loves. I was surprised to find this song in his mix and really listened to the words. When it talks about being away from home so much, and "being apart ain't easy on this love affair" I realized how much the lyrics resonated with our situation. Now it is in my list of favorite love songs.

Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers--For those of us that grew up in the 80's we know this song from the movie Ghost. It's as synonymous with that movie as is "Ditto." Those of you who love this film like I do know what I mean. It's probably the melody of the song I love most. It's very soothing and makes me feel like slow-dancin'.

After All These Years by Journey--My newest favorite song! I love everything, EVERYTHING, about this song. The words seem like they were written for James and I, about our time apart, our children growing up, overcoming our hardships. It's a fabulous song that I haven't tired of hearing yet.

My Little Girl by Tim McGraw--My girls are growing up on me and sometimes it breaks my heart to think how their baby days are long gone. But they are amazing young girls and will be incredible little women. I am as much in love with them as any mother possibly could be. No matter how grown they become, they will always remain my little girls. And I will love them forever, for always, no matter what.

Through The Years by Kenny Rogers--I picture James and I as old people in this song, rocking in our rockin' chairs and as gray as gray can be. And I picture us sittin' side by side holding hands, happy to have been with each other through all these years. And if he wants to sing me this song that'll be just fine and dandy with me!

Ready, Set, Don't Go by Billy Ray Cyrus--This song is for every parent who has a child growing up much quicker than the parent would like. Get ready, get set, please don't go....oh yeah, I completely get that! When the time comes, will I be ready to let my girls go? I'm quite certain my heart won't be, but I know I will have to let them fly and soar where their hearts need to go. I can't and won't hold them back. I'll help them find their wings and I'll cheer for them as they spread those wings to take flight. But I won't promise not to cry. My heart will surely be as broken into bits as it will be bursting with pride.

So there you have it, an explanation of all the songs on my blog and why they mean what they do to me. And with all that you have probably come to know me a little better, too.

Oh My Stars

I'm so tired I can barely think right now. Thank goodness bedtime is a mere 4 hours away from now!

Today I hit the track for another long training day. My goal was nine miles. I wasn't really picky about how I accomplished those nine miles just so long as I finished them. I did want to run at least three of them straight but other than that I was content just to have nine at the end.

And nine I did!

Here is the rough breakdown of what I did...

Mile 1 fast walked
Miles 2, 3 and 4 jogged
Miles 5, 6, 7, and 8 alternated 1/4 mile jog with 1/4 mile walk
Mile 9 fast walked

The final tally had me at nine miles in 1 hour and 55 minutes. That breaks down to an average of a 12.78 minute mile, well ahead of the 16 minute mile pace that is required for the Half-Marathon.

I'm on my way!

Injury report: I felt a nagging ache in my right knee today while training, and still feel it now. My feet are also hurting from the plantar fascitis, but that's a given after such a long run. Hopefully they'll be fine, or at least better, in a couple more days. I took some Tylenol when I got home from the track so that should help keep the minor aches from becoming major pains.

Oh yeah, and did I mention I taught a one hour aqua class immediately following my two-hour track stint?

Yep, I'm tired!

Momma's aren't allowed to be sick, are they?

What happens when the person responsible for making sure everyone in the household is fed and clothed in clean laundry, chauffeured to school and activities on time, and the all around finder-of-lost-things gets sick? Does the world come to a screeching halt? Does the laundry pile up in heaps? Do the children take a hiatus from school? Does no one get fed?

Or does the Momma carry on as best she can because she's needed and Momma's aren't allowed to take sick time.

I've been very blessed over the last few years not to get sick very often. Sure, I have all the sports injuries I've described over several posts but that's of my own making. But I've been very lucky not to get really sick over the last several years, ever since I began focusing on my health and learning to live better. But sometimes the illness just finds you.

I came down with a bout of 'it' Tuesday evening, whatever 'it' is. I'd just finished a hard workout day complete with a 4 mile run/walk, an hour aqua class, and then an hour step class. I'd been home from step class long enough to shower and get my jammies on and eat a light dinner of a veggie burger and an apple when I immediately got nauseous and had horrible stomach cramps.

The pain lasted the entire night, where I was awake so much I was just praying for daylight so the night would end. I still had the trouble all day yesterday, barely able to do much at all with the peeps in my circuit class. Today I'm feeling some better but the discomfort is still present.

I'm not sure what brought it on. James first thought it might be dehydration, but I don't think the symptoms would've lasted this long if that was what it was. And I'm not throwing up so it's not a normal stomach bug or the flu. My best guess is it is an irritation in the lining of my stomach (possible ulcer???) from ibuprofen usage. My podiatrist had had me taking the stuff daily for months to help with the foot pain but when I began complaining to him of stomach pain a few months ago he took me off it, concerned I was developing ulcer issues. I hadn't taken the stuff since except for maybe a couple times for knee pain or whatnot. But Tuesday afternoon I'd taken one dose of it to combat some aches I was having that day. Maybe it was just enough to irritate my tummy all over again and bring on the pain. Who knows?

What I do know is that our world didn't stop here and that's because I've got a good man for a husband who took care of me while I was ill. He was truly worried about me as I lay moaning in pain on the bathroom floor in the middle of the night. He asked about me countless times yesterday to see if I was doing better. He helped out when I needed him and really made me feel cared for and loved.

You know how when you're a child and you're sick you just want your Mommy to take care of you? Well, this Momma is truly grateful that I had my daughters' Daddy taking care of me. Thank you babe.

You make one great Baby Daddy!

Music to my....Feet????

Yesterday was my long run/walk day and I intended to type up this post right after coming home from the excursion while all my thoughts were still fresh in my head, but alas, the day got so busy that I didn't have time to work the post up until now. So here's the recap with a little background first.

Those of you who know me well know that I am a musical girl. That's not to say I'm a musically gifted or talented girl, just that I adore music. It speaks to me. It inspires and moves me. It courses through me. I love to sing outloud though I will admit I am probably off-tune more than I'm on. But that really isn't the purpose for me. I just love music. Probably even more than the music, I love lyrics. Again, if you know me well you know that I'm a word person, too. I love to read and write and edit. I love the written and spoken word. Put a melody behind some stirring words and I'm in heaven! Truthfully, the lyrics of a song are more important to me than the actual tune. If the song has a great sound but the words don't mean much to me then I don't really care that much about it. But give a ho-hum melody some sensational lyrics, something that speaks to me, and it's my new favorite song.

All that leads into my run yesterday. In order for me to jog/walk around a track for upwards of two hours, round and round the track I go, I have GOT to have some music in my ears. I couldn't imagine going long-distance without it. It's the distraction I need to keep me from giving up too soon.

I began yesterday's walk with the intention of completing 7 miles as I did last week, or possibly going for 8 if I felt I still had the energy left for that one additional mile. So I set out walking. I walked the first mile quickly to warm-up. Then I jogged the next two miles. Then I alternated jogging with walking for another four miles. For the last mile I speed walked to the finish for a total of 8 miles. And throughout those miles it was the music that filled my head and the thoughts that the music stirred up that kept my feet going.

Isn't it wonderful how the perfect song can come on at just the right time to spur you on? Eight miles is the longest I've ever gone and there were times I thought I might call it quits and head home. But I didn't.

Bon Jovi came on around mile 3, at which point I was still running, to the tune of "Runaway." Again, if you know much of anything about me you know I love Bon Jovi!! I grinned to myself thinking I was a little runaway at that moment.

A song that used to play in the daycare I worked at back in 2000 while I was an OSU student and Morgan was a toddler came on some time later. It was a beautiful song about "every time you smile, each time you look my way, with every little kiss you steal my heart away." I loved the music so much I bought the cd and this particular song found its way to my mp3 player. It brought back memories of my little girl and how much I adored her then and how much more I adore her now.

I had come to point in the run where I was getting really hot and cursing the Georgia heat and humidity when a Disney song came on, reminding me what I'm training for in the first place. And the song was perfect--from the movie Mulan, it was a song about making you strong and fit to fight. It's one of my favorite Disney songs. The chorus part of it sings, "We must be swift as the coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the
dark side of the moon." It pushed me to go further and be stronger than I had felt like being in the moments before the song came on.

At about mile 6 1/2 Kiss began playing "Beth." Just hearing my little girl's name being sung put a smile on my face and I began thinking of the example I'm trying to set for my children. I want the to be proud of their Momma, and I want them to grow into strong, confident, healthy and most of all, happy young women.

I think it was in mile 7 when I heard Hooked on a Feeling and the line in there about "keep it up girl." I focused on those words and told myself I absolutely could keep it up. I was going to finish what I started today. I refused to quit early at this point.

It was the final mile, though, where I really battled and needed the most help from my music to take my mind into another place. At mile 7 1/2 I got a dreaded side stitch and tried harder to control my breathing to get rid of it. I heard shots being fired from a nearby range and knew James was probably on that exact range firing his rifle with his guys as that's what they've been doing this week. Playing on my mp3 at the very moment I was hearing the range shots was Billy Dean's You Don't Count the Cost and the lyrics about a soldier fighting for his home. I burst with pride from all that my husband has endured over these past several years of war, and all that he sacrifices along with thousands of other soldiers, so that we can be free. I never forget, though, that freedom isn't free. But as the song says, "you don't count the cost."

My eight miles ended with me feeling an enormous sense of pride and a gratitude to God that I'm healthy and able-bodied enough to do what I'd just done. My time on the track was done just as Billy Dean's song was finishing, having reminded us all that "if you ever doubt it just think about the Cross, because when it comes to love you don't count the cost."

Final report, eight miles in 1 hour, 43 minutes. Completed with the help of a lot of music, thoughts of those I love, and pride to be who and what I am in America.

For my James

Babe,

This post is for you, the one who is my best friend, my love, my all. You inspire me everyday. For all we've built, for all still to come, you're still the one.

Journey--After All These Years

A faded wedding photograph
You and me in our first dance
Our eyes are closed
We're lost in one sweet embrace
Since those days the world has changed
But our love remains the same
God knows we've had our share of saving grace

And I'm proud of all the blessings
You have given me
The mountains we have climbed to get this far
You've learned to take the laughter with the tears
After all these years

You make it feel brand new
After the fires that we walked through
Against the odds we never lost our faith

In our house we've made our home
Where our children all have grown
Precious moments time cannot erase

Make a living up and down the gypsy highways
Seasons that we've had to share apart
Somehow in my heart I always keep you near me
After all these years

After all these years
You stood by me
The days and nights that I was gone
After all these years
You sacrificed, believed in me
And you stood strong
Cause with our love there's nothing left to fear
After all these years

After all these years
You stood by me
The days and nights that I was gone
After all these years
You've sacrificed, believed in me
And you stood strong
Cause with our love there's nothing left to fear
After all these years

(This song is in my playlist at the bottom of this page. Scroll down and click on the song to hear it if it's not currently playing on my blog.)

Quick update

We spent the Labor Day weekend at the beach in Destin, Florida, trying to get down there and back before Gustav reared his ugly head. I'll post more on that another time, along with some pictures from the trip. It was great to be back on the sand and enjoying the family time. We are definitely beach people!

I worked on tearing the wall down a little more today but am suffering for it a bit tonight. I walked an easy 1 mile with Beth this morning at her school before hitting the track on my own for 7 miles. I walked more than jogged, but I did do a fair amount of jogging in there if I do say so myself. I finished the 7 mile trek in 1 hour, 33 minutes. I haven't decided if I will up the mileage to 8 next week or repeat the 7 hoping for a better time. Either way, I'm pleased that I'm completing the tasks I set for myself. Oh yeah, I also taught an aqua class today.

Tonight my feet are aching from the plantar fascitis, and one toenail is really sore which James says is a common runner's injury (called "runner's toe," I guess). I plan to ice the feet and elevate them after I get the kids in bed. A good deal of stretching will probably help, too.

As James put it to me today when describing his own injuries, "you gotta know when to work through the pain and when to stop from the pain," or something to that effect. I'm working through the pain right now as it's tolerable and I'm feeling confident that I can keep this up. And if I have to stop at some point, well, that'll just be one more brick wall I'll have to battle down like the ones before.

Just a little more than 4 months left until the marathon. Hip hip horray!

I've never liked Pink Floyd anyway

"Just another brick in the wall," he says?

YEAH, RIGHT!

Someone ought to tell him I'm taking those bricks out of the wall.

Remember the post not too far back where I mentioned all the brick walls I was running into with my training and how I wasn't certain I could make it through to the marathon but I was going to try my hardest and push through those walls to show how badly I wanted this? Well, I'm pushing, and I do believe some bricks are coming out of the walls. Little by little the walls are crumbling and I'm feeling more confident that I can and will finish that half-marathon in January.

Last Tuesday I did five miles on the track but struggled with a bit of foot pain while doing them. My schedule didn't allow me time to get back to the track again until today, where I upped the laps to 6 miles. I alternated jogging with walking and accomplished the mission in 1 hour, 17 minutes.

And miraculously my feet didn't hurt one bit while on the track! Now that I'm home I can feel them starting to ache a bit but I'll ice them and stretch them well to keep them from screaming at me.

I need to leave in a little bit to teach my aqua class and then this evening I have a step class to teach. Of all days, one would think I must be insane to plan my biggest walk of the week on the same day I double up on my class teachings, but this was the only day I could fit the training in.

But I'm feeling pretty proud that what I'm aiming for is within sight and my body isn't rebelling like it had a while back.

So take that Pink Floyd!

School is going to be the death of me

I know there are parents out there who relish sending their kids back to school because it frees up their day and gives them more time to themselves. Truthfully, I'd like to meet 'these parents' and find out if they're full of hogwash or not. My life has never simplified when school is back in session.

Never.

It's as if I'm back in school in a way. One challenge comes from helping my first-grader, who has never had homework before, get used to doing daily homework. This is so new to Bethany that she's been quite the little pain in the rear about doing it. She whines about it, or just gets irritated that she's having to do it, or gets lazy and would rather squirm or try to defy me. I'm doing my best to set the tone that schoolwork is non-negotiable and whining will not be tolerated. She has already lost certain priveledges over the homework battle so I'm hoping that the worst is over. But it ain't no picnic for either of us even on the best of days.

Then we have Morgan, my dear Morgan. I spend an enormous amount of time every day asking her questions about what homework she has, whether the books are being brought home, reading through her agenda to know what teachers assigned what, trying to keep her focused during the acutal homework, and then reviewing her schoolwork for accuracy. Middle school is a hellacious change from elementary school and poor Morgan and I are still trying to adjust.

From the time they get home from school we are so busy with after-school snacks and talking about the day, and then getting the homework done, that dinnertime rolls around so quickly and following that is bath and bedtime in order to start the whole process tomorrow. My goodness, I hardly get to just be with my children anymore.

Cuddling on the couch, laughing at a joke, reading a great book together, smiling in secrecy, just being with the girls...I think I actually learn more in those moments that I ever did in school.

Loopy, lazy, listening, or livin' la vida loco?

All of these adjectives ran through my brain today as I attempted to label what I was feeling in regards to my days' workout.

As I woke this morning I was a bit unsure of what all I would do for exercise today. I really wanted to get 4 miles of training in and I knew I had an hour aqua class to teach at noon. Other possibilities included walking with Bethany at morning PE before school and attending a spin class. All these workout plans must mean I'm a little loopy, eh?

With a drizzle coming down the morning PE was out. No big deal as that's just a mile of light walking anyway. Due to the drizzle, though, I crossed off the 4 miles of training since that would be at the one mile track and I wasn't interested in doing that in the rain.

So I came home. Hence the laziness.

Then I told myself that I really, truly was still groggy from not sleeping well last night so I aimed to take a little nap. That's where the listening part comes in. I reasoned with myself that I was listening to my body and trying to give it what it really needed which was a little break rather than a day full of exhaustion. After lying in bed for about half an hour and not being able to sleep I gave up on the nap notion and formulated a new plan.

The time was now about 10am, with spin class scheduled to start at 10:30. I could grab a quick snack and get out the door in time to spin, but more than spinning I really wanted to log 4 miles today. The rain had stopped so my outdoor mileage was now back on the agenda.

I made it to the track, stretched, and began walking at 10:40. I had one hour until I needed to get inside to prepare for my aqua class. After 3 miles of walking it was now 11:25. I didn't have quite enough time to walk another mile, finish more stretching, and get to class on time. But I really, really wanted that fourth mile. So I made my mind up to jog/walk that last mile. I haven't really jogged in months due to the previously mentioned foot/knee/hip problems, but I gave it a shot today and finished the mile in 11 minutes. A few minutes to stretch, my laps were complete, and I was off to aqua.

Such is my crazy life. Gotta keep flexible, right? We're all livin' la vida loco. Better enjoy the ride.

Left foot, right foot, feet, feet, feet

Taking a quick hiatus from the cruise reporting, I thought I'd share something non-vacation related.

As I was walking this morning I had this particular Dr. Suess book title running through my head. People who know me well know that I am no Dr. Suess fan. Not in the least. I've never cared for the nonsensical rhyming type books. They just make no sense to me. I understand they are great for teaching children because of the rhyming and lilting tone of voice used to read them, and the repetition is good to help little ones start to read. But I don't like 'em.

Because of my aversion to Dr. Suess books it is beyond understanding how we ended up buying the Left foot, Right foot book before Morgan was born. I'm sure it was not my idea so it must've been James who put it in our shopping cart, probably despite my protests. I do recall we used to read the book to my expanding belly while waiting on Morgan to arrive. And no matter how I try, the crazy rhymes just won't escape my head.

Which is what was going through my brain today as I plodded along on a 2 mile walk at the track this morning. I had just finished up an hour and a half of teaching aerobics this morning and wanted to hit the track for some marathon training. I've been away from the training for the past two weeks as I'd started experiencing hip pain and didn't want to exaserbate the injury by pushing through the pain. But today things were feeling well enough to begin with that I decided to give it another go.

And when the pain started to come back in a less sharp/more nagging type of way, I heard Dr. Suess inside my head, chanting "Left foot, right foot, feet, feet, feet." I tried to hush him up but he kept chanting despite my mp3 trying to drown him out with some great 80's tunes. So I just went with the Suess non-sense and told myself that that was exactly how I was going to accumulate the mileage I need to complete this half-marathon I've registered for.

Despite all the roadblocks I've had along the way (and there have been many!) I'm still trying to follow through with the promise I made to myself back on January 1st of this year. And I remind myself of some powerful words that never fail to inspire me~~The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are there to keep "the others" out. The brick walls are there to test how badly we want something.

I have run into so many brick walls over the last few months with my feet issues (plantar fascitis), a knee problem, and then the most recent hip problem. I've considered that these are all signs from God that I'm not meant to be in this marathon. And then I reconsider that maybe these are all brick walls God is placing before me to see how badly I want to keep the promise I made to myself, how badly I want to prove to myself that I can accomplish this, how badly I want to drown out the high-school teasing that still echoes in my head.

I pushed through the brick walls today and want to keep pushing ahead, one foot at a time. The left foot, and then the right foot. Feet, feet, feet.

Day Two, Nassau, Bahamas PICTURES ADDED

I've let way too much time pass since our cruise ended, and sadly I'm sure some of my memories are not as fresh and clear as they would've been had I written these notes much sooner. Regardless, here I am now, retelling our adventure in the Bahamas.

We awoke early to the sound of room service knocking on our door with our breakfast which was devoured on our balcony as the ship pulled into port. It was not the best of breakfasts as Carnival doesn't offer anything hot on their breakfast room service menu, but we made do with some fruit, pastries, and of course the hot tea and coffee. I could've been eating cat food and not cared that much as the novelty of eating on our very own balcony as we neared Nassau was just too remarkable to sour. It was a great moment. If we'd had any doubts about whether the price for a balcony cabin was "worth it" they quickly faded. Having the balcony was definitely the way to go!



Our ship was to dock at 7am and it was my goal to have us off the ship ASAP, and that I did! As we exited there was not one other soul on the street ahead of us. As we left the port area and walked through the gates that opened to the city of Nassau, again, there were no other cruise passengers in front of us. I'm pretty darn sure by all of this that we were the first people off the ship that day. Not sure if that speaks to my compulsive over-planning or not, you be the judge.

Anyway, we arranged a cab to take us across the bridge to Paradise Island, where we'd ferry to Blue Lagoon Island for our dolphin swim. This was a special treat for Morgan, our future dolphin trainer/marine biologist. I thought this might make a strong impression on her and if it helped confirm her career path wishes then all the better. If not, we'd have terrific memories. And that we did!

The ferry ride to the island lasted about half an hour each way, taking us by some gorgeous mansions on the waterfront. The water was as clear and tourquiose as any postcard you'd fine would depict. The only sad point was that we never saw any wild dolphins, try as we might.

When we got to Dolphin Encounters James and I split up with the girls. I took Morgan to the "swim" area while he took Bethany to the "encounter" area. We had chosen not to have Bethany do the swim as she often gets very shy in new enviornments and will not interact with humans, let alone big animals. She did the exact thing here, even with just sitting on the side of the dolphin encounter exhibit. She clung to James and cried, hardly looking at the dolphin, nevermind even touching it. We could've gotten by with only paying $20 for her to be an "observer" had we known she'd react this way. Instead we'd paid over $100 for her to be able to touch and be close to the dolphin and that proved a waste of money.



All the while this drama was going on with James and Bethy, Morgan and I were in our area swimming with the creatures, holding onto them, getting and giving kisses, and finally having a swim moment for each of us where the dolphin pushed us by our feet through the water! It was exhilarating and awesome! We purchased the dvd of our interaction and some photos so we have some footage to help us remember the day.



We were back onboard the ship around noon, had some lunch, then relaxed for a while at the pool. We made it a priority to try out the water slide but it wasn't as much fun as we thought it would be due to the incredibily hot board floor on the Lido Deck. In order to walk up to the entrance to the slide we had to cross the very, very hot boards which burned the bottoms of our feet and discouraged us from doing it more than a couple times. It was fun the two times we did it, though, except for the rush of saltwater up your nose at the finish.



Dinner that night was the first of two formal nights and we all four dressed up nice and spiffy. James looked quite dashing in his uniform and the girls looked like the precious young ladies they are. I was so proud to be walking around with my three most favorite people in the world. I must have been beaming all night long!





We posed for a couple photos which we ended up buying to have as momentos of that great night.



The show that night was filled with dancers and costumes and singing. You know Bethany was lovin' it! She admired the dancers so much and wished that she could dance like that some day. It was a very well done show with top quality entertainment. We loved it all!

Our night ended with us going to sleep again to the sounds of the seas. Delightful!

Cruising....it's addictive! NOW WITH PICTURES

It may not be for everyone, and it may not be the type of vacation some would want to take over and over again. But for our family this was a fantastic vacation, one we could definitely repeat time and again.

Our Sunday morning began waking early enough at the hotel to fit in a workout prior to getting ready to head to the port. First James went for a run in the downtown Miami streets (YIKES!). When he returned to the hotel room I headed downstairs to the fitness center and got in a good sweat, all the while telling myself that in just a few more hours I'd be on a cruise ship where I would be facing all kinds of yummy goodies every which way I looked. Best try to keep in shape as much as I can to help avoid the pounds that seem to find their way onto most people's shapes while cruising.

Anyway, after getting ready at the hotel, and happy-dancin' a little bit about going on a cruise, we took off for the port of Miami, just a short 10 minute drive from our hotel. In port we saw OUR ship parked between two others, the massive Royal Carribean Freedom of the Seas and another Carnival ship, the Triumph. We parked our van in the parking garage, loaded our luggage onto the shuttle bus, and made our way through the crowds of people exiting the ship. Finally we found the inside of the terminal, had our bags scanned, and entered the line of people waiting to check-in. It wasn't a long line at all, mostly because we had chosen to arrive pretty early, about 11am. The cruise lines advise you to arrive around 1 or 2 but it is common knowledge among the cruise message boards I frequent that the ships begin checking people in around 11 and begin boarding very shortly after that. If you arrive at the terminal about the time we did you will likely be on the ship by noon and able to start your week long gorge-fest with a lunch time meal right after embarkation. And that proved true for us this time as was the case the last time we cruised in 2004.

We were on the Valor by noon, carry-on bags and kids in tow. Morgan's first impression of the ship had her jaw nearly touching the floor. She was astounded by the size and beauty of the ship and so completely grateful for the opportunity to cruise! We're certainly lucky to have a daughter who shows her gratitude and counts her blessings.


Our cabin was not ready for us yet, so we took our carry-ons with us as we made our way to the buffet area for lunch. I don't recall what any of us ate at the meal, or much about any of our buffet meals at any time during the cruise, but I do recall where we sat. The area we sat during that first meal came to be "our area," that which we found ourselves going back to most every meal in the buffet for the duration of the trip. James and I seemed to pair off with the girls, he taking one while I took the other, loading their plates, and having an understanding that we'd meet back at "our area" when the food for the assigned child had been gathered. It worked out reasonably well. Not as easy as eating in the dining room where we were waited on hand and foot, but for a buffet meal when we needed one (breakfasts and lunches) our system worked.


Moving on, when our cabin was finally ready about 1:30pm we made our way there and relished what would be our "home" for the next week. On our previous cruise James and I had booked an ocean view room, one with just a window to look out. This time we decided we wanted a balcony room to have the extra space and the view and fresh air. It was a fantastic choice! This room was perfect for us, although with children you can never have too much space, but we made do. The girls loved the balcony and abided by our ground rules all week long, remembering the safety briefings Mom and Dad had given them. Probably didn't hurt that we told them the balcony door had an alarm attached to it that would sound if they were to open the door without their parents' knowledge. Hee hee hee!!!!

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the ship, trying to get our bearings, marveling at the beauty, and thanking God that we were together as a family again embarking on such a great journey together.

Around 4:30pm or so the muster drill signal told us it was time to don our neon orange vests and proceed to our assigned station.

After standing there forever, crammed into the space like sardines, and hearing the lady behind me say, "I think I'm gonna pass out!", we saw the horizon starting to change. Morgan noticed it first telling us she thought the ship was now moving. Yes indeed it was! We were sailing away! It irks me to no end that Carnival sometimes does this. Why not wait until the muster drill is over so people can put away their life jackets and then make their way to the decks to enjoy sail away? What harm is there in waiting an additional five or ten minutes to depart? Regardless, we were on our way. As soon as we were released from our lifeboat stations we put the vests back in our cabin and made our way to higher ground to watch Miami growing smaller in the distance.


While sailing away we met a family from Ohio who told us they would be on the same dolphin swim excursion as us the next day, and they had a daughter somewhat close to Bethy's size. We'd hoped Bethy would make friends with her but after having swum in the ships' salt water pools earlier that day and the bright sunshine beating down on us during sail-away, Bethy's eyes were beet red and burning, so she was a little anti-social. We would see this family many times throughout the week and they always appeared to be having a ball!



It was time to get ready for dinner in the dining room, something we'd tried to prepare the kids for. They were excited to dress up and were on their best behavior. Again, I don't recall what we ate that first night but I do recall that our first impression was not terrific. Our waiter confused our order a couple times. I'm not sure if it was a communication issue due to him not understanding us well, or if he was overworked, or what. This was the only night we encountered errors in our meals, but the entire week we were a little bit dismayed at how our service (and the other tables of our server) was taking two hours or more when other tables around us handled by different servers were finishing their dessert before we'd even received our entrees. We didn't complain to the Maitre 'd about it, though, and just let it be. Our waiter did seem to be working very hard and we wouldn't want him to get in trouble for doing his best. Harris was very polite and it was a pleasure to meet him. We found nothing else negative to say about our dining experience so why not let the small stuff go, right?

After dinner we took the kids to their Camp Carnival meet-n-greet party. They danced in the club, sometimes dragging us out there with them and sometimes not. Bethy made a friend while dancing, someone she would hang out in the camp with over the next week. Morgan seemed to have a great time, too, and ended up making a couple friends with whom she exchanged addresses with on our final day.

Soon we retired to bed and enjoyed the wonder of being on such a massive ship, in the middle of the ocean, and going to sleep to the sound of the water rushing by outside. We had a big day to look forward to tomorrow, in Nassau, Bahamas, and we needed our energy for that.

Our Trip, Days 1-3, Tampa and Busch Gardens

Let the vacation begin...

Our vacation journey first led us to Tampa where we enjoyed a day at Busch Gardens compliments of Anheiser-Busch. We take advantage of their free military offer every year, usually going to Sea World. However, to break up the monotony we decided to visit the Gardens instead.

Upon arriving in Tampa we checked into our hotel, got settled, and had hoped to visit the pool but the story weather outside interfered with our plans. Instead of swimming we went to the local (ghetto) Wal-Mart for some items we'd forgotten to get prior to leaving home. We also grabbed some frozen, microwavable dinners to eat that night.

The rain never let up so our evening was spent in the hotel room, lounging around, and finding Mr. Been's Holiday Vacation on TV. I promise you, I have never seen a dumber movie than that one. I apologize if any of you love this film, but I couldn't stand it one single bit. It was as stupid as stupid can be.

The next morning we shuttled ourselves over to Busch Gardens and found the first ride of the day for our amusement park loving selves. James and Morgan rode a wooden roller coaster twice while I took Bethany to a tamer ride made for her age group. Then Morgan found me and asked if I'd like to ride the coaster with her. I oblighed while James stayed with Beth on the kid stuff.


I was quickly reminded that I don't like roller coasters when just a few seconds into this ride it stole my hat! Yep, it surely did! My blue ball cap was seized by the Gwazi gods to meet the same fate that James's Bubba Gump ball cap met a couple years ago by the Disney Splash Mountain gnomes.

So what does a girl with very thinning hair in the bright Florida sun do? Well, first she checks out the nearest souvenier stand for suitable replacement hats but finds that spending over $20 on a ballcap that she doesn't even really like won't do. Then she asks her dear hubby if he'd allow her to wear his for the day as he doesn't really have to worry about hat hair, thanks to the ever present flattop military cut he sports. Good and decent fellow that he is, he surrenders his hat to his bride and goes without for the whole day. Big time points scored on that one!

The rest of the day had us riding this and that, seeking shelter during this rainstorm and that, looking at this critter and that, and James drinking a little of this free beer and then that. It was a good family fun day.



After shuttling back to the hotel we went right next door to McAlister's Deli for a quick bite to eat before turning in for the night. We really enjoyed our quick meal and don't know why we've never tried this restaurant before as we do have one in our town. We'll definitely have to hit them up again sometime as they hit the spot for quick sandwiches.

The next morning was bright and sunny so we finally let the girls swim in the hotel pool for a little while before hitting the road for Miami. It was a great energy release for them before the upcoming 5 hour drive. The drive wasn't bad except for the heebie-jeebies I had the entire stretch of Alligator Alley, of which one alligator was spotted by none other than yours truly, the reptile-o-phobe that I am!

Finally, I'll end this post tonight with a picture of Bethany beside a statue of a Clydesdale at Busch Gardens in honor of the truly American beer company that will soon be no more. May they rest in Dutch peace....

Off to the Midwest

We're getting ready to leave this morning to head first to Indianapolis to visit my brother, and then to St Louis to visit my parents, sister, and neice and nephew. James hasn't seen them since Christmas 2006 so I think he's really looking forward to it all (except the drive). The girls are most looking forward to fishing with my brother (that's something they don't get anywhere else as I am NOT a fishing kind of gal) and playing with their cousins (the only 2 they have).

On a side note, I was back to teaching on Wed and Thurs after having been off for about 2 weeks. It felt SOOO good to be back at it! On the cruise I did work out, and we stuck to our pact to not use the elevators which was a tremendous help, I'm sure, in keeping the weight relatively down. I know I gained something but I'm hoping it wasn't too bad. Anyway, I really missed teaching while I was gone and feel bad that I only returned for 2 days before taking off again. I'm anxious to get back to a routine where I'm back for good. I miss the ladies, the workouts, and the predictability.

Oh, and I HAVE to get into a marathon training groove when we get home. Due to my aching feet (plantar fascitis) and a bum knee I am having to reformulate my approach to tackling the marathon. Instead of jogging it like I'd planned I'm going to go wit a training plan that has me walking it. Not what I wanted but based on my injuries it's obviously what my body is telling me I need. Sometimes we finally have to listen to what our bodies are saying or risk further injury.

So, come July 7th when we return, it is GAME ON with the training schedule!

A few photos to share

Time is short as we're only home for a couple days before heading out for some more vacationing. We're going to the Midwest to visit family~~fun in its own right, but it certainly doesn't compare to the Caribbean!!!

Anyway, here are just a few photos from our trip. More will be coming later.

Beginning our trip in Tampa, where we went to Busch Gardens. Hooray for the Hero Salute promotion that let's us into the park for free! Love that! Let's hope the Dutch don't buy out Anheiser-Busch because I doubt the Dutch would continue supporting our troops with free theme park tickets if they acquired all the parks that A/B owns.


Our family in Trunk Bay on St. John Island in the US Virgin Islands. This is by far the most beautiful place we've ever seen. The island is a US National Park which has kept it very well cared for and extremely pristine. We could definitely see ourselves returning here for a future visit. It was gorgeous. Sure didn't hurt that this day was our anniversary. What better way to celebrate 14 years together than on a gorgeous beach like this?!


Here is me, doing exactly what I'd said I'd be doing, soaking up some sun!


After leaving St. John via ferry to head back to our port island, St Thomas, we stopped to take this picture with our ship in the background. We were on the Carnival Valor.


Back on the ship, we relaxed and savored the view of St. Thomas in the background. This turned out to be my favorite night of the cruise. Every other night we spent time getting ready for a formal dinner, two hours or more eating the dinner, and missed every sunset. This particular night, our anniversary, we decided to forego the fancy-schmancy dining room and just eat casually from the buffet, me still in my swim attire! As we ate we watched the sun disappear behind the mountains of the island, and then were in awe of all the twinkling lights of the city. It was breath-taking and the most perfect way to toast 14 years together.

I'm Gonna Soak up the Sun

I've got Shreyl Crow's voice ringing in my ears now, letting me know that my vacation is about to start. Like the song says, I'm gonna soak up the sun, and boy, will I love it!

We're leaving in the morning for our long awaited family vacation--a true reminder that this deployment has ended, our family time has arrived, and the rest of the world will still be waiting for us when we get home.

We're heading to Tampa for a couple days to see Busch Gardens. After that we'll drive to Miami to board the Carnival Valor for our 7 night cruise. We can't wait to set sail (with Captain Morgan, lol) and watch the excitement on the girls' faces as the experience their first cruise. We'll get to spend our 14th anniversary in a tropical paradise. Does it get much better than that? When the cruise ends we'll head to Orlando to spend a day at one of Disney's waterparks to finish off our water and sun-filled vacation.

We'll arrive home for a couple days, just long enough to do some laundry, before taking off for the midwest to visit my brother and his wife, and then on to St. Louis to visit my parents, sister, nephew and neice.

We've got a lot planned over the next few weeks, and our gas bills will prove it, I'm sure! But I'll not think of that right now. I'll just focus on getting a good night's sleep and welcome the morning with a cheery face and an eager anticipation for all the fun that's in store.

Vacation, HERE WE COME!!!

Beach-Lovin' Family

For Memorial Weekend our family journeyed down to Panama City Beach, Florida for some sun and fun. This trip was spur-of-the-moment, sort of. To me spur-of-the-moment usually means less than a week or two of planning. In actuality, we made our reservations on a Wednesday and headed down there on Saturday morning. Not as much planning time as I like but still enough to pull together what needed done.

We elected to keep the trip a secret from the girls so they didn't know anything was up. Saturday morning I taught my usual class then came home to clean up. When that was done we told the girls to get in the van because we had some things to do. They obeyed and off we went. After a while they began asking where we were going and we just said we had some friends we were off to visit and left it at that. After about three hours Morgan finally began complaining about why we had to drive so far to see friends. We were within about 10 miles of the beach when she finally put it together and it made for the best surprise we could've asked for! The girls were thrilled to get to go to the beach and have all weekend to enjoy it!

During OIF 1 I got to know the wife and children of James' platoon sergeant fairly well. They moved away from here back in November 2003 in favor of returning to their hometown~~Panama City. Whenever we head down there we try to look them up for a quick visit to keep in touch. James and Freddie have a great time remembering "old times" and Darlus and I enjoy chatting while the four girls we have between us all play well together. It makes for some terrific memories.


This visit was different, however, in that Freddie and Darlus had just purchased their own boat a few weeks before and invited us to join them on it. They picked us up (in their boat) at the lagoon by our hotel and off we went across the gulf waters. We were on the lookout for dolphins the whole time but they stayed out of sight until later that night when one lonely dolphin jumped in front of our boat, giving Morgan a thrill!

Freddie drove us out to Shell Island which is only accessible by boats. It's uninhabited and beautiful. The water threat level was at two red flags which meant no one should be in the water swimming due to the waves and danger so we didn't stay long. Mostly we just held onto the kids and let some waves knock them over a few times and then allowed them to dig in the sand as the sun set behind us. We then hopped back on the boat and Freddie drove us across the bay back to our hotel.


The next day we headed to St. Andrews State Park for some simple beach time in some very shallow water. Darlus and her girls met us there for an hour or so which gave the kids more time to play together. After a few hours of swimming and sand-castle building we heard thunder rolling and decided (along with the throngs of other beach-goers) that it was time to pack up and leave before the storm was on top of us. We went back to the hotel to clean up and rest a bit before going out to dinner.



Dinner was delicious--how can you go wrong with fresh seafood??? I thoroughly enjoyed my crab leg feast while James devoured his shrimp. The girls ate whatever it was they ordered and then kept occupied watching for dolphins again as we were eating outdoors right on the water. It was a yummy meal!


Our last morning we headed to a bakery that we've always wanted to try but had never seen open before. This time it was open, and BUSY, so we popped in to grab some pastries before heading back to the beach for a final hour or so of water time before cleaning up and heading home. Or so we thought.

Breakfast was peaceful and relaxing sitting by the water. The girls found several hermit crabs after they'd eaten and decided to have a hermit crab race with them. They gave them names and rooted for their favorites. I'm pretty sure it's a memory we'll all carry with us for quite some time.



The plan was to clean up now, grab a quick bite on the way out of town (even though we weren't hungry yet) and hit the road for the 3 1/2 hour drive home. However, because we weren't hungry yet but we couldn't see leaving town without one more seafood meal, we decided to kill a little time with another tourist-y attraction. We took in the Ripley's Believe it or Not! museum. Morgan has always wanted to go to one of these as she gets such a kick out of stuff like that so we obliged. It was interesting to say the least.

After the museum we were ready for lunch so we drove around looking for something that would meet our needs and after a while we found what we wanted. After a final seafood meal we were ready to hit the road home. Everyone was tanned (and then some!), fed, happy, and exhausted.

One of my favorite memories will be discovering what Morgan had written in the sand while she was off by herself. It says, "I love my Momma."


We had had a great Memorial Weekend that came only one week after James returned home. We found ourselves frequently saying how interesting it was that he had still been in Iraq barely 8 days before and suddenly, here he was, sitting on the beach, watching for dolphins, hanging in a boat with his old buddy, watching his daughters race hermit crabs, and so on. Quite a culture shock. And yet, so very right and real and restful.

How happy and complete we feel to have Daddy home. It doesn't get much better.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Enough said.

T-minus 5 hours

Isn't that what mission control uses to countdown until liftoff? Well, it is now "T- minus 5 hours" here meaning it is about 5 hours from when James should be landing. Unbelievable that this day has finally arrived. I'm in shock and dumbfounded, thrilled beyond words, and nauseous.

Yep. That's right. I'm sick to my stomach. I'm certain it is mostly nerves and anxiousness. I wasn't even able to give it my all in class this morning because my stomach was churning so much. I wonder if other ladies go through these same emotions or if I'm the only silly one that gets this feeling in her stomach like a giddy bride on her wedding day. Jeesh, we've been married almost 14 years. I guess it's a good thing, though, to still feel butterflies after all this time. It means the spark is still there and the absence certainly made the heart grow fonder.

The wait will end soon enough. Until then I have oodles to finish up around the house. My next post will be after he's made it home!!!!

A great Mother's Day

Even without my daughters' father here to share in the day, it still turned out to be a great Mother's Day. I mean, really, isn't every day Mother's Day when you get to share in all the hugs and kisses from your very special angels sent from God to teach you how to be a better person?

My day began with two little voices telling me to wake up. They had slept in the living room so they could wake early and prepare a breakfast for me. I was greeted in bed by two slices of bread slathered in butter, a cut up orange, a whole apple, a huge glass of OJ, a vase of flowers (the same ones Bethy was given for her recital yesterday) and a parfait. Not just any parfait, mind you. This parfait was created by children after my sugar-addicted heart. It was layered in a glass as follows; cinnamon flavored choc. chips, semi-sweet choc. chips, sprinkles, cinnamon chips, choc. chips, sprinkles, and topped with thin mint cookies. Oh dear Heavens!!! What would the ladies at the gym think of this????

After enjoying what I could eat of the breakfast the girls had prepared for me we ventured downstairs where I was (finally!) greeted by an email card from James. He's still alright and his redeployment is inching ever so closer day by day.

The girls have been fantastic helpers to me all day long. I'd told them that what I wanted more than anything today was lots of help getting the house in order for Daddy's return. I wanted a more thorough cleaning than just our normal weekend tidying up. Everything I've asked the girls to do they have done, not always happily and cheerfully but still willingly. We've washed all the curtains, vacuumed out the crunchies under the couch cushions, scrubbed litterboxes, chased away dustbunnies, and all kinds of other little chores that pile up when you're busy living your day to day life.

I'm not finished with all that I need to do. Goodness knows I've put off a lot today in favor of that 30 minute nap on the couch, a little TV watching (we borrowed the Indiana Jones series from the library so Morgan could see what it's all about before going to the theater with her Daddy to see the newest release once he's home), and a few other lazy moments. But together the girls and I have accomplished a lot and I feel very happy about how the day has gone.

And to top off this most wonderful day, the Survivor finale is on tonight. That means 3 hours of Survivor for me tonight. Again, another thank you to James for getting me hooked on this show. I do believe I would make a great contestant. Hmmm....maybe James will help me get a video application ready???

Tomorrow is the last Monday of the school year as the girls have the 19th off for a teacher work day, and the 26th off for Memorial Day. Maybe after tomorrow we'll only have one more link to take off our paper chain we made when James left. We made it the day after he left home. When we made it I felt like one link for every day he'd be gone would make way too long of a chain and it would feel too overwhelming. So instead we made one link for each week he'd be gone, and Monday became our day for removing each week's link as it just felt like that was the day the week started for us. So tomorrow we'll remove one link and then by the next Monday we hope to know for certain that he'll be home before another week passes. Crossing fingers.....

What a blessing each day is, and all the sweeter because someone calls me "Momma."