Saw this poem last night and found myself nodding in agreement (and laughing) as I read it, so I wanted to share in case some of you may not have read it yet.

If You Give Mom A Muffin
Author: Beth Brubaker
If you give a mom a muffin, She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer, She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook ("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").
The cookbook is setting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two-year-old's diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. And chances are...If she has a cup of coffee, Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

The Day Has Arrived

The day has arrived...

J left for WOC (warrant officer candidate) school early this morning (after a late night at all-stars tournament)

To say I have a lump in my throat would be an understatement. I am so proud of J...but I miss him terribly already...here's to hoping that this school goes quickly so we can have our soldier home :)

Having Fun

Even though our summer is very busy with All-star baseball, we are finding time to have a little fun. I am trying to come up with a different outing each for us to do. During one of our "off" days from ball, we took the kids to a local bike park. They love this park. The kids rode their bikes for a little while then played on the playground. After playing and riding for a little while we went for a walk on the path....well I walked....Madeline chased squirrels (nothing new) We ended the day with treats from Sonic.

  Here are the kids ready to take off on their bikes:


What do you do in the summer to keep kids busy and having fun?

Happy Anniversary

Today J and I celebrate 11 years of wedded bliss!



So thankful we are able to spend our anniversary together this year...way too many anniversaries have been spent apart.

This year we are at the ball park for an all star tournament. It may not be the most romantic place, but we are together (which I am so thankful for) and we are watching our son play his favorite sport.
How much better can it get???

Jack Update

As you may know, our son has an eye condition known as Amblyopia. I have shared often about our journey with this eye condition. Amblyopia is also known as "lazy eye" (you can read more about amblyopia by clicking HERE)

Jack was officially diagnosed with Amblyopia when he was about 4 years old. It was a long journey to get the diagnosis...one that took 2 years and 3 doctors. By the time we finally found the dr. who knew what was going on, Jack's vision in his "lazy eye" was really bad. We knew it was going to be a task getting his vision restored and eye strengthened, but we knew we could do it. It has taken nearly 4 years, 4 years of eye patching and multiple trips to the eye dr and lots of prayers, but it has been worth every bit of it. It was not always fun (or easy) .... I remember those days when Jack had to wear his patch over his "good eye" for 10 hours per day. I remember him having such a hard time seeing and needing me to hold his hand so he could walk. I remember the stares he would get when we were out in public (the momma in me would get so annoyed by people who stared....now the momma in me has tougher skin, but I do get annoyed when I see people take those goofy pictures crossing their eyes-do they not realize there are really people who suffer from a condition that they can not help or that so often when I take my sons picture, his eyes come out looking crossed-and not because he does it intentionally-I need to get tougher skin about this too, I know-but if you take these type of pictures, please stop because it hurts.) (:

About a month ago, Jack had his follow up appointment at the eye doctor. At Jack's previous appt. we received a GREAT report! You can read that post by clicking HERE We followed the dr.'s orders. We patched the eye for a couple months then no patching at all for a couple months. During those few months I watched Jack's eye. I did not notice any increase in turning in and never saw the eye turn in while Jack wore his glasses (this is VERY important, because if his eye turned in while wearing the glasses, he would need surgery) I also prayed a lot during this time. Praying specifically over his eye that God would continue to be faithful to heal Jack's eye. I was really looking forward to seeing our dr. and getting an update on the eye. The news was WONDERFUL! The vision in Jack's eye had stayed exactly the same! YAY! This was such great news especially since we had gone for so long with no patching. The best news of all....the dr. did not want to see us again for a year...a year! This is a huge accomplishment considering how often we were traveling to see him. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness.

Does this mean Jack is healed? No. His eye still turns in. Often. Especially if he is tired or focusing on something. But he does not have to wear an eye patch any longer. The dr. did say to continue watching his eye and if it appears worse to give him a call OR if his eye begins turning in while wearing his glasses then we are to call as well. If none of that happens...we return in a year. :) So, my prayer continues to be that Jack's eye will not get worse and his vision will maintain (or get better) and praises of thankfulness for the improvements we have seen take place.

Is It Already Time?

I CAN NOT believe it is already time for my baby girl to go to "big" school.


A little while back I registered Madeline for kindergarten

How did she go from this curly headed, chubby cheek baby:



To this 5 year old princess who is ready for school?


It is crazy to me... Both of my "babies" are now going to be at school..sigh...

I am excited though to watch them both move on to this next chapter in their lives. Madeline is so very excited to go to school. She would start today if she could. Good thing we have a couple more months because I do not think this momma is ready for that.

  As you know, I am a stay at home mom. Lately, I have been asked quite frequently what I am going to do now that both of my kids are going to be at school and I am "just" a stay at home mom. (yes, some people do put an emphasis on the "just" part) It is hard not to get on the defensive, but I have to remember that some people just do not understand and that is not their fault. Not only that but my conviction to stay at home is not everyone else's conviction. I try to explain that my role is no different. My children need me just as much now as they did before...just in a different capacity. No, they do not need me to feed, hold, clothe, change, etc them; but they still have needs. I can honestly say I am more busy now than I ever imagined I would be. I naively thought (daydreamed) in the toddler years that the school years were going to be so calm and easy...hehe....but I would not change it for anything.

This year I became certified by our state to be a sub teacher. I subbed a lot at the my sons school and I loved it. I enjoyed being in different classes. I enjoyed meeting the teachers and getting to know them better. I loved seeing Jack at school. It was a great experience and I have a whole new appreciation for the staff and teachers at school. I am very glad I got certified and look forward to being at the kids school again this school year. I am praying about what direction our family is heading in next....so many changes are taking place...both kids will be at school and J is gearing up to leave for schools (read that post HERE). One thing I do not want to change is that I am home with my children. It is very important to me and J that I am home when the kids are home. I have so much on my mind (and heart) right now. I am really praying for guidance and instruction and that God will close the door on some things if it is not meant to happen. We shall see...I know that is so vague, but I hope to share more soon (:

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Winners Announced

Thanks to all who entered to win the "Act of Valor" dvd

The winners are:
1. Alicia at Life In Progress
2. Jenifer at Parris Ponderings

Ladies, please email me your shipping information so those dvds can be sent to you.

Have a great weekend!

Act of Valor

Have you heard of the movie "Act of Valor" ???

It is being released TODAY! And to mark the release of this movie Twentieth Century Fox is giving me the opportunity to give away 2 copies of the DVD!!
Whether for yourself, a family member, a friend, or to stick in your next care package to your service member, this DVD is a must-have!

How do win a copy of this movie??? Simply leave a comment below! That's it...just leave a comment and 2 lucky readers will be chosen (randomly) on Friday so get your comment in soon

IF YOU’RE NOT READY TO GIVE UP EVERYTHING, YOU’VE ALREADY LOST

The only easy day was yesterday.  In the Bandito Brothers’ ACT OF VALOR, an elite military force, portrayed by active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs, carries out an impossible mission with insane courage and incredible teamwork in one of the most gripping and emotionally charged movies of the year.  A fictionalized account of real life Navy SEAL operation, ACT OF VALOR features a riveting story that takes audiences on an adrenaline-fueled, edge-of-their-seat journey. When a mission to recover a kidnapped CIA operative unexpectedly results in the discovery of an imminent, terrifying global threat, an elite team of highly trained Navy SEALs must immediately embark on a heart-stopping secret operation, the outcome of which will determine the fate of us all.

In ACT OF VALOR, the audience gets to witness the heroism of a group of active-duty U.S. Navy Seals.  Though the film is a work of fiction, it allows the audience to take a peek into the risks and sacrifices these men and women do for their country and their family. To celebrate the DVD and Blu-ray release of ACT OF VALOR and to help honor current US Navy Seals, we will offer some tips on crafts you can make to give as presents to the officer in your life including a “Welcome Home” banner and photo frame.

WELCOME HOME BANNER

KKnow an officer who’s coming home from doing a term?  Surprise him or her with a patriotic “Welcome Home” banner to go with that surprise party you’ve been planning.  Invite his friends and family and it’ll be a coming home he or she will never forget. 

PATRIOTIC PHOTO FRAME

TThis easy to make photo-frame will be just the thing to give your beloved officer.  Kids can easily make it with a few colored construction paper, glue, markers and a scissor.  For the finishing touches, add a memorable photo in the frame and give it to your favorite Seal member before they go back on their next mission. 

DEPLOYMENT MAP

Your US Navy Seal may have been deployed to many places around the world and/our country.  Print out a Black and White map and color in the places he’s been deployed at to help depict all the countries and locations he’s been able to travel to. 

KNITTED BLANKET

 

Should you have knitting skills, a knitted patriotic blanket would make the perfect give to that U.S. Navy Seal member you know to help him or her stay warm at night or in cold locations.  Though DIY project may take longer than the others, they’ll be sure to appreciate your time and effort into crafting this. 

Have fun trying out some of these great crafts! 

Good luck and Have a great day!

O So Very Proud

I am o so very proud...

O so very proud of my soldier:


Pardon me while I brag on my soldier for a moment. He would never brag on himself, so I am going to do it for him ;)

My favorite soldier has been accepted into the Warrant Officer Candidate school! YAY!! What a huge accomplishment and honor! (We have known about this for a little while and most of our family and friends already know about it, but I am just a little bit behind on the blog...)

So what does this mean for our family? Lots of things... I have been asked several questions about it and so I thought I would try to answer those to the best of my ability;

1. "Will J have to leave for school?"
Yes. This is a 2 part school for J. Part 1 consisting of a basic course that is about 6 weeks long. We hear that the basic portion is much like boot camp. Of course it has been 11 years since J was in boot camp so this should be fun, right??? I have no doubt in my mind that he will do great during this portion. What is going to stink for me and the kids is being away from J (we will not be allowed to travel with him to school) We will also have to wait until he "earns" privileges before we will be able to talk to him. That is going to stink, but hey, we will make it. We have survived 3 very long deployments where we went may days and weeks without any contact so I know we will make it. The 2nd portion of the schooling is a little longer. Nearly 6 months or so. We have the dates for that as well. He will leave in 2013. We hear this is not as strict as the basic portion-meaning he will be able to call us and may even get some weekends off. The kids and I are already planning to travel to see him during spring break.

The question that always follows that statement:
2. "Isn't it going to be hard for him to be gone nearly 6 months?"
Absolutely it is. But we have conquered 3 deployments that were over one year long each. We can handle 6 months. Plus it is stateside.

3. "Do the kids know?"
Yes, they do. They are handling it just fine. I am always amazed at their strength. It is almost as if they (like me) are so use to daddy going off so much that they expect it. That is kinda sad huh? As a matter of fact a little while back Jack and I were riding in the car and he had been sitting quiet for a little while then out of nowhere he asked "Mommy, when will Daddy have to leave to protect our country again?" CRUSHING huh? But it is the life he has grown to know.

4. "When will J leave?"
Soon. Very soon. This month actually. But on a positive note, he will be here for most of Jack's all-star ball games. Oh and we will be together on our anniversary! Which will be so nice since we missed last year (and countless others too) We were joking last night that our anniversary will likely be spent at the ball park. I told him to buy me a hot dog at the concession stand and I will get him a nacho. ;) Sounds like the perfect date huh? :)

5. "Will J still be in the reserves?" Yes. He is still in the reserves.

  Those are the most common questions. If you have any other questions about it, just let us know.


I hope you have a wonderful day!

 

Jack's Graduation

Jack has completed first grade! Last week, the first graders put on an end of the year program complete with some cute songs and funny jokes. They did such a great job! After their little performance, all the students were awarded certificates of completion, yay! Jack had a great school year! He loved his teacher (as did I). He made lots of new friends. And completely amazed me with all the knowledge he gained...seriously I do not think I knew that much in first grade. He loves reading....and jumped ahead to grade levels with his reading. But I think math is going to be his favorite subject...he is always solving math problems. He had me stumped when he started adding double and triple digits...now he is multiplying double digits. Yes, I often get out the calculator to make sure the answer is right. ;) Every time we get in the car, he asks me to give him problems to do...maybe I should just print off some worksheets??? I can only come up with so much, ha!

Seriously though, he makes me very proud and absolutely amazes me with not only his knowledge, but his love of learning, his love of sports, and his love of others.

Here are a few pictures from Jack's graduation:

Jack receiving his certificate from the principal:

Jack and his wonderful teacher, Mrs. Young:

Jack and daddy:

Jack and mommy:

Our new 2nd grader:

Goodness...how can it even be possible that I am going to have a 2nd grader??? Well, I am off to enjoy the day with the kids :) Hope everyone is having a great summer!