Simply Blessed

Changes...

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

I've noticed a few changes in my redheads over the last couple of days.

Allison can't remind me enough how she 'feels' like a big girl.

She has been taking her time while talking to me, to explain in full detail, just what happened, why it happened, and what I should do to fix it.

*gulp*

Her stories come well equipped with eye flutters, intense stares, hands on her hips, popping of hip and a few eye rolls.

DRAMATIC! :)

I can't help but giggle when Alyssa talks. She too is going into full detail, but unlike her sister, requires 100% eye contact until she is finished saying what she has to say.

Anytime I tell them that they can't do something, they each have three ideas on how they think it would work...and I must hear each idea.

I am constantly being told, 'MOM! I wanted to do that. That was mine. I don't need any help. Can I help? I want to do it myself.' along with every other independent saying a 4 year old can think of.

I have basically mastered the art of giving directions and sitting back to watch them trial/error. Of course I am there and ready if they ever decide I am needed, but only to TELL them what to do. It would be a shame if I tried to do it for them. :)

Whoever said that a four year old asks 500 questions a day was not only on to something, but could have seriously UNDER estimated that count. haha. To top it all off, I have two four year olds.

*sigh*

Mommy what letter says 'insert sound'?

How do you spell 'random word'?

What is that?

Why did he do/say that?

What is this used for?

What comes after this?

Do you remember that time that we 'yadda yadda yadda'?

Can we do that again?

Why are you doing that?

Can I do that?

Get the idea?

This little girl, my Maddie Jane, melts my heart a little more each and everyday.

I just count my blessing each day that I wake up to her in my life. She has given me something that I never knew was missing. She makes me smile, laugh and simply enjoy life.

I am so in love with each of my girls. They are my entire life and everything that I dreamed of. I think back to the exact moments that I learned each of them would be a girl and THIS is what I thought it would be. It's amazing.

Don't get me wrong, we have our issues and stomping of the feet followed by a 10 minute (earned) time-out. We have messes, spills and broken glass. We lose our tempers and apologizes are needed.

But at the end of the day, I wouldn't have it any other way.

xoxo

2012-02-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

Alyssa had a special day with her Grandma a couple of afternoons ago. I was able to take my other two little ladies out for the day.

We started with a trip to the plastic surgeons office to get Allison's stitches removed.

Except they weren't. He said to rub her birthmark each morning and they would go away.

Umm, okay then.

We went shopping.

Had a late breakfast at the Target deli.

We even dropped by my grandma's house on our way home.

Allison played games on the computer with Uncle Joey.

Madelynn carried around her current best friend, Dora.

She even took a second to pose with her great-grandma!!

Then we headed into town and had lunch with Nana.

I picked my niece, Emma, up from school.

Look at that smile. Can you tell that she is 7 and loosing a different tooth everyday?!

It was a great day.

Madelynn's Big Girl Bedroom

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

As I type this Alyssa is braiding my hair.

Priceless!

Anyway, I've been busy planning what I want to do with Madelynn's big girl bedroom when we move this Summer and I think I have got a good idea.

1. I am in love with the quilt in this picture. I was looking for something yellow and I love how it is reversible and the other side has so many colors to pull from.

2. Instead of a headboard, I think we will do curtains at the head of her bed. It's the perfect combination of headboard/canopy.

3. I love the 'S', but obviously an 'M', and even the boxes on either side. The dresser is cute too. :)

4. I just couldn't do her room without a few ruffles and I found a tutorial on how to make a ruffle throw to place at the foot of her bed, mainly for looks. I'm thinking of making the ruffles

As long as I can find the right font for my Cricut, I want to put this saying above her bed between the curtains. It is exactly like our bedtime routine with her, except I sometimes sing instead of read. I love those 15 minutes I get with just her each night.

1. I plan on making a ribbon wreath for both Madelynn's bedroom door as well as for her big sisters. The ribbon colors will match her bedding.

2. I found this gem on Amazon.com and instantly fell in love.

3. Madelynn's bed will be full of fun pillows like this one. I love this color!!

4. Also above her bed, in the center of the curtains, will be these pom poms hung at different heights.

Again, all pictures are from Pinterest and you can find the original links there, none are my own.

I'm pretty excited to start this new journey.

It seems to be what I look forward to and helps to make the days go by a little faster.

Illinois Apartment: Bathroom

2012-02-08T19:24:00.000-06:00

Now that we officially know where we are going and when, I figured it was finally time to share a few pictures of where we have been living for the past year or so. When I said recently that it was the size of a sardine can, I wasn't lying. It's a 2 bedroom/1 bathroom apartment with an average sized living room and tiny kitchen.

Why did I choose this place if it is so small?

With what was available at the time, this was the best for us. It has a garage where I could store my extra belongings and my own laundry room. Those were two deal breakers for me!!

Keep in mind while looking at the pictures that I have always known this was going to be a temporary living situation and never fully decorated or unpacked. :)

Here is my bathroom...

This is one view from the hallway. You can see ONE of the girls' hairbow holders in this one. I took a simple frame that I found at a thrift store and painted it light blue. Then I took chicken wire and stapled it to the back of the frame. Now we can stick their bows anywhere on the frame!! This is about 1/4 of their bows...sad, I know!

This is the other view from the hallway. In this photo you can see the shelves above the toilet. This is just something simple that I bought at Wal-Mart shortly after I moved it. It came with doors, but I chose not to use them.

My shower curtain is from Target. It looks hideous in the package and I looked over it countless times, but when I saw it hanging up in the store I knew it was perfect. I love it!!

Note: I did NOT clean my mirrors for these pictures. Don't judge! :)

I bought this star at a garage sale a few years ago for $1.

The purple basket on top of my white shelves is where I keep the girls' bath toys and the tub next to it is where I stash new bows that I make when I want to keep them nice or save them for a special occasion/picture.

The next shelf is where I keep things that I do not want the girls to get into. It's also the only place where I can keep my tall items, like hairspray.

The third shelf is my shelf. I keep some of my hair items and seldomly used items in that tan carrying case. My make-up and bobby pins are kept in the little organzing thing, also from Target.

The bottom shelf is mainly where I keep the girls' other hair supplies. The pink sparkly case is where they keep their make-up (aka: clear mascara, clear lip gloss, pale pink eye shadow).

Allison snuck in while I was taking the pictures. So silly!

Behing the door is where I keep the girls' hooded towels. They each have their own (Madelynn's was getting washed at the time.) and they are placed on Command hooks. I have fallen head-over-heals in love wiht Command hooks since Christmas. I use them for EVERYTHING!!

Well, that's it for the bathroom!

I hope you all enjoyed a glimps inside of my home.

VLOG

2012-02-03T23:12:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure what has gotten into me, but I attempted my very first VLOG tonight. All three girls are gone and the house is quiet so I figured it was the perfect time. It's about 9 minutes long so hang in there...

I can't believe how much I look like I am twelve!!

Let me know what you think.

Love it?

Hate it?

Want to see more?

xoxo

Outtakes

2012-02-03T10:47:00.000-06:00

Today, while playing outside with the girls, I asked them to stand together so I could get a quick simple picture for their dad.

This is what I got...

Picture #1

Picture #2

Picture #3

Picture #4

Picture #5

With three such little girls, it's very difficult to get a good picture. I'm lucky if they all have their eyes open and no one is picking their nose. :)

The girls finally got to ride on their scooters that Santa brought them for Christmas.

Alyssa

Madelynn

I'm thinking of adding a FAQs page to my blog and I need your help!!

What are some questions that you had about my blog, my family, twins, our military lifestyle or anything at all when you first started reading?

Or maybe you have a question now that you haven't had the time or courage to ask. I love your input and I would your help with this.

You can comment on here...

email me at simplyblessedwithchaos.gmail.com

comment on my facebook page

PCS Orders

2012-02-01T23:18:00.001-06:00

Well, it's official!!

I received an email from Johnathon today letting me know that we did indeed get new orders. This has been an exhausting and stressful time in our lives and I am very happy to put it all behind us.

For our own reasons, we chose to keep all of our options to ourselves until we got confirmation on a specific location. Without going into much detail, we thought Japan was our only option for a long time. After a few phone calls and waiting patiently (or as patiently as I could stand) for months, our next duty station is...

Are you ready?

Sure you want to know?

It's...

SAN DIEGO!

Yep, we are headed back to sunny San Diego this Summer.

At first I was bummed. I really hated that we would be moving back to the same place we just spent the last 5 years (7 for Johnathon) and we would be so far away from our friends and family. I guess I always thought that part of being in the military was moving around and getting to see different places. We've had our fair share of moves, but all in the same area of California.

Except the government had other plans.

After thinking about it a little further, I am pretty excited. I didn't realize how much I truly enjoyed living there until I went back to visit Johnathon in October. Leaving the airport and seeing the bay, driving down the interstate and feeling the sun on my face...it's our home.

One of the best perks about moving back to San Diego is that instead of staying in a hotel during Johnathon's homecoming, he will be walking off of the ship and going to our HOME. What a huge difference that will make!

I look forward to afternoon cookouts with friends and once again being able to attend the most amazing church. Above all else, I look forward to simply being a family again and watching my husband with our three daughters each and every day. Words cannot express my excitement for what is to come.

*Note to any family/friends who are attending Johnathon's homecoming: We kindly ask that you still find lodging at a nearby hotel as we try to make a smooth transition into living as a family after 18 months apart. Of course we still expect to see you every morning for breakfast and spend every moment possible with you. We genuinely thank you for making the trip out to California and spending this precious time with us.

. . . . . . . .

On a side note, I was able to find two old shutters at an antique mall the other day that will be used as headboards in Alyssa & Allison's bedroom. I also decided against all three bedding options from my previous post and went for a solid white for each of them. (Option B was my favorite by the way.) It's not as boring as it sounds! It's part of Target's 'Simply Shabby Chic' collection and is full of different textures and ruffles. In the end, I think it is a better fit with the other elements in the room. Unfortunately, I am saving it all for our new house in San Diego so I won't be able to share pictures until then. It's going to kill me to wait that long! :)

xoxo

Future Learning Room

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

With me no longer working afternoons, I have plenty of time on my hands. That's not always a good thing when your husband is halfway around the world in unknown waters doing things that he can't discuss. So...I've been trying to stay busy planning the decor, organization and DIY projects for our new house we will be moving into this Summer.

Can you blame me?!

I showed you all a few ideas that I have for Alyssa & Allison bedroom and now I am working on our learning room. I went back and forth with this debating whether or not I should make our 4th bedroom a learning room or toy/guest room.

My first reaction was LEARNING ROOM!! I hate the fact that my dining room always falls victim to such chaos. Johnathon and I are pretty firm with the whole 'eating dinner at the table as a family' (when he's home and we don't live in a sardine can sized apartment!) and I can't stand the

countless colorful pictures and broken crayons everywhere as I am trying to eat.

BUT, I also can't stand the constant picking up of toys and childish clutter that quickly accumulates when you have three small children. The mess this last week alone has been enough to make me want to pull my hair out. The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of being able to shut the door and company not being able to see the mess that often takes over my living room.

I finally decided that as awesome as having a full 100% learning room would be, my sanity is more important to me. :)

The tricky part, for me anyway, is how I now try to keep my dining room a true dining room without sacrificing my children's enjoyment of school. Are you understanding any of this?

#1 Goal:

Create a CLASSY homeschool room that can quickly be converted into a dining room on a moments notice.

*all ideas and pictures are from pinterest and you can find the links to all websites by going there.*

This is calendar #1. My plan is to create a ledge on the wall where I can prop up this cork board (other side will be a white board) and I will then frame out the area. It will be as easy as taking the board down when guests are there and I can then hang some sort of art in the framed area and viola! The calendar will be a huge focal point when I need it to be and gone when I need it to be...plus no holes in the wall to hang it.

Calendar #2...I love how this mom used rings to keep all of the options together. No using rubber bands to keep them together and finding a place to store them.

I fell in love with this way to organize my construction paper. The bulk of my homeschool storage will be upstairs and this is a perfect way to get it off of a shelf and easy to get to.

I am just tickled with this find. It's not really a find as much as it is an inspiration. The girls do a lot of worksheets each day and I can't get over the fact that I never thought to combine all of their worksheets and put them on their own individual clip boards. This way they can take the worksheets anywhere throughout the house and do them at their own pace. It helps me out a lot actually. With two girls doing the exact same worksheets, this will hopefully prevent them from cheating.

This sign just says it all.

Plus I can hang it in my dining room without it looking like a preschool.

The one thing that I am most excited about trying out are these seat sacks. I plan on using a fabric that matches my dining room curtains and attaching one to each of the girls' seats, including Madelynn's. Of course hers will probably just hold coloring pages and a small box of crayons, this is a great place to store Alyssa and Allison's worksheet clip boards and other books that we are reading. I have even thought about making one for myself and storing my teacher manuals in there. This will get the books off of the table without making it necessary for a bookshelf in the room.

So there you have it, my plans for our future learning room. I am pretty excited to move and get started on all of my pinterest finds. It just seems pointless to start any of them now, it would just be more things to pack and unpack.

We should be hearing something about new orders by the end of next week. I am a nervous wreck! Please continue to keep us in your prayers as this is a big deal for our young family.

Even though communication is very little right now, Johnathon sends his love to everyone and says that he is safe. Regardless of what he says, as his wife, I still worry about him constantly. We are 2 1/2 months into this deployment already.

Can you believe it is February?!

Surprise In The Mail

2012-01-30T17:56:00.000-06:00

I checked the mail today to find a video from Johnathon to the girls.

It was him reading them a story and talking to them. Of course they loved it and watched it a few times. They were talking to him, asking him questions and trying to show him things. I haven't seen them smile like that in a long time.

Here is our video to him.

*Please don't mind my horrible singing voice...

Just A Few Photos...and some words.

2012-01-30T12:44:00.002-06:00

I had a few random pictures that I figured I would share with everyone. They are 100% straight from my camera where they were taken from my basement apartment with horrible lighting...so be nice! :)

I just had to show everyone how insanely crazy I am.

I paid $13 to send my husband a box of CHIPS.

Yes, I love him that much.

This was the other box that I sent that day, minus the huge stack of pictures and letters from the girls. It was this particular box that kept me in the post office so long that I got a parking ticket. I was trying to be super wife and surprise Johnathon with some Mt. Dew, only I didn't have it properly wrapped. If I hadn't opened my mouth and asked (my package was already sealed shut) then no one would have been the wiser and my package would have been sent. It also would have exploded and ruined the rest of the food/snacks in the box.

I try to make sure they are fully stocked on Pixy Stix and gum with each box and the rest is just what I grab as I am shopping. I sent plastic spoons with the pudding and I always try to put in something that I know Johnathon doesn't like so I know he is sharing with everyone.

*sneaky sneaky*

This is the fabulous shirt that I made for Madelynn a few weeks ago.

Johnathon has yet to really see the doll house that Santa brought the girls for Christmas. I think it's safe to say that it was their favorite gift. It stays in the living room as does all of the little pieces that go with it. ~~They~~ We have done a great job as keeping them picked up each night.

This is my usual view each night...all three girls lined up at the tiny TV.

*If you haven't heard the story about the TV, Johnathon sold our when I moved to Illinois. My wonderful mother offered her bedroom TV for us to use. It's a 13in flat screen and we don't mind. I'm not about to buy a big TV without Johnathon. My luck I would buy the wrong size or brand.

As you can tell by her diaperless bottom, Madelynn has been going around each night without a diaper. We have had very few accidents and she is getting better at letting me know when she needs help. On a side note, look at how long her hair is getting!!

Here are all three of my little ladies one morning.

Allison, Alyssa & Madelynn

And we are ending this with a picture of little Maddie Jane.

Life has been a little rocky as of late.

*Communication with Johnathon was nonexistent last weekend for about 5 days. I know that sounds silly, but an email every other day is really what keeps me going.

*I just can't seem to keep up with the house work. We are always sleeping in and getting home late. The girls are at the age where they can help, but only when told exactly what to do. I'm just exhausted and sick of cleaning.

*Alyssa, who has gotten better since, has quite the mouth on her. It just so happens that her mouth is accompanied by a diva attitude. Last week was a nightmare for me and I thought I was at my breaking point. There was a lot of No, Why, I don't want to, and I don't have to's on her part and a lot of time-out giving, DS removals, and early bedtimes on my part. It was rough, to put it lightly.

*My mom got good news at the doctor and a surgery will hopefully get scheduled soon. I am happy for her, but it's bringing back a lot of bad memories for me and my emotions are crazy.

*I just miss my husband.

I know everyone misses him, but he is my husband. He is the father to my beautiful daughters who ask about him everyday. He is my partner in this life and he isn't here. I have my good days. I have my bad days. Most days are a combination of both. A little bit of lonely is okay, but this is ridiculous. I can't even remember the number of times that he has called and two minutes (literally) into our conversation, the phone goes out.

I received a care package from him today. He bought me a new set of my favorite knives. I received my first set of them as a wedding gift and fell in love with them. That was over 5 1/2 years ago. The knives are still great, but with all of our moves, some have gone missing over time. He knows me too well.

*Madelynn is sick.

Our Brave Girl

2012-01-27T16:41:00.000-06:00

On Monday I took Allison to the hospital for the first of two surgeries to remove the birthmark on her right arm.

I chose not to discuss this with her ahead of time. Of course she knew that the birthmark was coming off, but she knew nothing of what was expected of her or what would happen. I think this had a lot to do with why she handled the entire situation like such a big brave girl.

Here she is right before her surgery.

They spoke to her slowly and explained things to her in a way that even she would understand. I even got to carry her back to surgery.

Here she is immediately after waking up.

One of the first things she told me was that she didn't cry a single tear after I left her. She even told me how they gave her an IV while she was still awake and she not only let them, but didn't cry then either.

She really showed me how grown up she is getting.

It makes this momma a little sad.

Here I am with my gal.

She took her little stuff cow which she properly named, 'Cowey'.

And here she is after getting dressed and eating her two cherry Popsicles.

We were in the car and on our way home by 9:30am.

So proud of her.

Decisions Decisions

2012-01-27T06:28:00.000-06:00

In an effort to keep my mind off of this darn deployment, I have been trying to put together my ideas for Alyssa & Allison's bedroom. When we move this Summer, they will each be getting a new twin size bed along with a new shabby chic bedroom theme. Here are a few of my ideas...

Top Left: I'm not sure about the mirror (only because I have already purchased a huge mirror to put in their room.), but I love this dresser. Their dresser will be going into Madelynn's room.

Top Middle: This picture doesn't do this shabby chic twin bedroom justice. This was my main inspiration!

Top Right: Completely in love with this color!!

Bottom Left: I will be putting up some empty painted frames and filling them with cute little finds that I have in mind. Adorable.

Bottom Middle: This is the headboard that I am going to talk my wonderful husband into helping me build (two of them obviously!!). I plan on painting them and sanding them down to make the perfect shabby chic look. So excited for this one!!

Bottom Right: I'm not sure if I will actually be making this one or now, but I found this pillow on Pinterest and I just love all of the colors and textures.

So, my dear readers, I have a job for you.

PLEASE. PLEASE PLEASE.

Help me pick the perfect bedding!!

These are each from PBKids so they are a tad pricey, but I am ready and willing to make the purchase.

Option: A

Option B

Option C

I think I know which is my favorite, but then I start doubting myself.

I'm only purchasing these now because I know I will be plenty busy with other things this Spring/Summer and there will be a lot of purchases then too. I would like to pace myself and get a few things out of the way if I can.

Thanks.

Watch Week

2012-01-26T22:58:00.001-06:00

Alyssa & Allison had a 'watch week' at dance on Thursday.

I get such a giggle out of watching them.

They are so precious and getting so big.

Today is day 4 of trying to get the girls to clean their own room...still no luck. It's also their 4th day with no DS either. The rule is, as soon as I can vacuum their floor they can each have their DS back. Until that happens, I have no guilt over keeping them hidden. :)

I paid my first parking ticket today.

The lady laughed when I said "Thanks a bunch, hopefully I never see you again."

At least one of us was laughing.

I got to talk to Johnathon after a few days of no communication. He's safe.

My mom had a GREAT appointment today and hopefully there will be a surgery scheduled soon.

\Your prayers are always appreciated.

500

2012-01-22T20:32:00.000-06:00

This is officially my 500th post!! I can still remember setting up this blog and uploading my first pictures. At first, it was just something I did to pass the time while Alyssa and Allison were sleeping. Slowly our friends and family started to read and it became my way of updating everyone while we lived thousands of miles away raising twin girls. Now it is my way to record everything that happens in our lives. I know one day my little ladies will want to look back and read about everything we were up to and the funny little things that they did.

I've been trying to get a few things checked off of my to-do list and the other day I went and bought a few supplies to make our upcoming move a little easier. If you know anything about me, then you know I tend to over-plan and I like things ORGANIZED!!

I got a new binder, a few dividers, and paper to keep everything together and at my finger tips. That will hold all phone numbers, addresses, important papers and a list of what is in each box. I also got a pack of large index cards to place on each box detailing what is in that particular box. Along with that will be a post-it. Each room in the new house will have a different color post-it so it will make unloading a breeze.

It's not an rare scene to have multiple flat rate boxes sitting in my living room on a daily basis. On Tuesday I will be shipping out my 5th care package to Johnathon in the two months he has been out to sea. I figure it's the least I could do.

You can also find piles of cards laying around my house too. They are for the days when I just don't have the time to write another letter, but I still want to have something to put in the mail. Every card is usually accompanied by a beautiful colored picture that one of the girls colored for him.

Tomorrow Allison will get her birthmark removed. We have to be at the hospital early in the morning and I am a nervous wreck. She knows very little of what will go on, just as much as she needs to know. Johnathon was supposed to call and talk to her today, but I guess the phones were shut down.

Allison and I are getting ready to make a few smoothies and cuddle on the couch for awhile.

xoxo

Just Another Post...

2012-01-17T10:51:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure how or when it happened, but when I looked at these pictures I about started crying. Where have my little girls gone? And when did they become these adorable little ladies?

Just look at how grown-up they have become!

More and more frequently I am getting asked if the girls are triplets. I think everyone is crazy, but at one point I was also asked if the girls were boy/girls twins so I guess I'll get used to this too. At least people have stopped assuming that it's their business to know the details of their birth. I do not miss playing the 10,000 question game with a stranger. :)

I'm hoping Johnathon is able to call today. It's been about a week since we talked last and it would be nice to hear his voice. The girls haven't talked to him in about month because they are always in bed when he calls, so it would be nice for them to talk to him as well. They sure do miss their daddy.

I know, it's a tad pathetic, but I have had my eye on a few items that I re pinned on Pinterest. Well, yesterday I made a trip to Hobby Lobby with the intent to buy a few things for my laundry room. I found EVERYTHING I was looking for. It was insane! To top it all off, every single item I purchased was at least 50% OFF.

SCORE!

One of my favorite things to do with the girls, especially Alyssa, is to talk about our new house this Summer, having daddy home, the things that we will do. The future is very important to her and she likes to know that things will soon be back to the way they were. She tells me the things that she misses the most about daddy and what she hopes to have in her new bedroom. She tells me where she wants to go on field trips and what characters she wants on her swimsuits. We talk about going to the ocean, whatever ocean they send us to, and building sand castles.

I can't help but smile when Alyssa and Allison come up to me and start having a very serious conversation. The look on their faces and the tone in their voice lets me know to acknowledge them and hide the huge smile that is starting to surface on my face. They won't find it funny that I think they are simply precious and blooming into beautiful young ladies.

Unload

2012-01-15T23:08:00.001-06:00

I got the girls a new kindergarten computer program tonight and I am in love with it. We do our school work at the table, we read books, we flip through flash cards...WE did a lot of things. I was really looking for something that the girls could each do 100% by themselves while I worked with her sister. Right now, that meant coloring right next to us and giving her opinion every .5 seconds. This program allowed me to put head phones on one child and lay them on the floor with the computer for 45 minutes of uninterrupted individual teaching time with the other child. PERFECTION!

We are a little off the curriculum course right now, but that's okay too. We are spending a whole week on reviewing all the letters of the alphabet and their sounds, how to say, spell and write their WHOLE names properly, how to address an envelope, and the days of the week. It doesn't seem like much, but when you've got two little girls who learn in completely different ways, it takes time.

It's taken awhile to bust down all of my public school takes on things. I'm sure it will continue to be a work in progress. For instance, the girls are currently working through a kindergarten curriculum (that I love) but we needed to take a short break before/during the holiday season when they got glasses and we were very busy. This put us a little behind and that bugged me for a little while. I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that we may not always be on the same schedule as public schools and THAT IS OKAY! We may also start a school year at a random time and THAT IS OKAY also. The girls are only 4 and if we need a few extra months to finish kindergarten then THAT IS OKAY. When we are done and I think that they are ready, we will continue on to first grade. *gulp* Yes, first grade. I shutter at the thought of having TWO first graders. Good thing that won't be happening anytime soon. :)

I think the thing that I am most excited about when we move is being able to have a whole room solely for homeschooling the girls. Like it or not, I will soon have three little ones in school so we definitely need the space. I am also looking forward to being a stay-at-home mom again and being able to focus on my girls what exciting new things we will be doing each day. Living in Illinois around family and working part-time makes it a little difficult to put forth the time and effort to plan crafts and field trips like I used to.

I'm enjoying blogging like I used to. It is just as much a part of who I am as being a wife and mother. It's my main way to focus and clear my mind. I enjoy updating everyone (now Johnathon as well) on the girls and what we have been up to. I don't always have the time to keep in touch with everyone as much as I would like.

My mom is doing well. She has had a few doctors appointments over the last few week and a few tests as well. I hope we get some real answers soon as to what is going on with her. I would love it if she were able to have surgery and be healthy before I have to move away. I hate thinking about her being in Illinois and going through all of this without me. It's going to be hard.

I can't say much about Johnathon, but he is also doing well. Thanks again for your continued prayer on his safe homecoming.

How am I doing? It's so nice of you ask! :) It feels great to say that for the first time in MONTHS, I am going as well as can be expected. I say that because of course I have my moments. I am raising three little girls by myself and that alone could drive a person insane. What I mean is that, other than the obvious, I am doing great. I get frustrated about orders and cry, I get angry with the Navy for taking my husband away, I get a short fuse and raise my voice with the girls...I have moments. My mental health though, my sanity, my spirit...it's doing great. The new year kind of brought with it a sense of freshness and hope. I am able to look past the negatives in my life and look forward to what is to come.

Thanks for letting me unload my mind.

God Bless. xoxo

Lazy Sunday

2012-01-15T15:34:00.001-06:00

I am having the best Sunday afternoon with my little ladies.

They just came home from Johnathon's parents house where they spent two days resting and getting better while I worked. Each of them seems to be 100 times better than the last time I saw them, which makes this momma very happy.

Alyssa

I just had to explain to my 4 year old daughter (ahem, ALLISON) that I would not apologize for 'asking her to do things'.

Me: Alyssa, will you hand me my phone off of the couch please?

(I was holding a basket full of laundry that I needed to take to the garage, where our laundry room is, and I have learned the hard way not to walk out of the door without my cell phone because there is a LARGE chance I may get locked out by my kids!)

Allison: No. Why do you always ask us to do stuff for you?

(Notice how I asked Alyssa and it was Allison who gave me her opinion?)

Me: Allison Leanne! Did mommy ask you to help me fill this laundry basket?

Allison: No.

Me: Did I ask you to help me take it to the laundry room? Switch laundry over? Fold Laundry? Clean the living room? Do the dishes? Change your sisters diaper? Make my bed? Vacuum? Or cook? I didn't think so.

Allison: But you made me put my shoes away and hang my coat up. You also told me to put my sock with my shoes and take my toys to my room.

Me: Hahaha. Get used to it sweetheart. I don't raise lazy slobs and you WILL pick up after yourself. I will not apologize for not wanting to clean up your messes and asking you to do it yourself.

Some life lessons were learned today!!

We are going to see Beauty and the Beast in theaters tomorrow and I think I am more excited than the girls!

Allison

I love the ages of my girls and I am so glad that we had them so close together. They play so well and I never feel like one girl is left out too often.

xoxo

Who I Am

2012-01-14T23:51:00.000-06:00

I'm sure everyone is bored with all of my military talk lately, but it's my life and always on my mind.

On one hand I am constantly thinking of Johnathon's homecoming and the excitement that we will feel to be a family again. And then there is the stress and anxiety of picking new orders. I often feel like I live a double life. I have my military, stay-at-home mom life; then I have my single parent, civilian life. Regardless of where I am living or how many miles there are separating me from my husband, there are a few things that stay the same...

1. I still have numerous colorful moving tags on much of my furniture even though I moved a year ago.

2. In 6 months I will be moving again. It will be my 4th move and 4th house in 6 short years....which doesn't even seem possible.

3. I've learned that a month long separation is short and no matter how often women complain about missing their boyfriends every other weekend, they could never walk in my shoes.

4. I think back to all the welcome home banners I would see in our neighborhood and wonder, 'What will ours say?'

5. When my old cell phone broke (thanks Madelynn), it wasn't the pictures, videos or contacts that I was upset about losing. It was my saved voicemail from Johnathon that said but four words, "I love you, beautiful.' Now I have nothing to listen to when it's been weeks since I have heard his voice.

6. I've learned the hard way that nothing is final until it is happening.

7. I can spit out Johnathon's SNN, date of birth, and all other important information in an instant, but I often have to write down my own before making an important call or else I will either forget or mix-up the two.

8. Despite the number of moves we have made over the years, there still seems to be three boxes that NEVER get unpacked.

9. Those three boxes mainly consist of childhood yearbooks and countless curtains that have accumulated over the years and fit a wide span if window sizes.

10. I still refer to all of Johnathon's friends by there last name...and no one holds it against me when I don't know their first name.

11. I still cannot sit through the playing of our National Anthem without crying.

12. The doctor who a) told me I was pregnant, b) seen me throughout my pregnancy, c) monitored me during my bed rest in the hospital, and d) delivered my twins were FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE and I never flinched.
*If you want to get really technical, two different doctors delivered each of the twins making it a total of 5 different doctors!!

13. I wasn't the least bit freaked out when my OBGYN came in the room wearing her NWU's and said 'relax your knees'. :) And when she literally yelled at me for the way I sat up (at 7 months pregnant with twins, yes, that matters!) I quickly said, 'Yes, M'am. I'm sorry.'

14. I keep my phone with me at all times and when it rings from across the room, you better stand clear or prepare to be tackled. No one stands in the way of me talking to my man!! :)

15. I look forward to spending my anniversary with my husband this Summer for the second time in our 6 year marriage.

Each of these things makes me who I am and is a large part of my life.

I will be looking into purchasing a banner for Johnathon's homecoming. I've gotten a few recomindations already, but if you have any input/advice for where to buy one then please let me know!

Military Wife Questionnaire

2012-01-13T00:47:00.000-06:00

I am a Military Wife!

Believe it or not, it took me a long time to be able to say that and really feel that way. In a perfect world I could sit here and tell you that all military wives are friendly and welcoming, but what I have learned from my experience is that it is often a nasty case of who's moved more, been enlisted longer, survived more deployments and so on. It was because of this that I always felt inferior to other military wives and felt as if I knew less-than and was inexperienced.

The truth is, I may never experience the same things that other wives do, but that does not make me less of a military wife. Everyone's experiences are different and very important! I thought I would fill out this little questionnaire and play along with Show Us Your Life: Military Families over at Kelly's Korner.

Enjoy...

1. How did you and your spouse meet?
We had mutual friends in high school and one of my best friends actually dated his best friend.

2. How old were you when you two met?
I was 14 and he was 16 (and had a car! *gasp).

3. How long have you been together?
We started dating on July 25th, 2004 (7.5 years ago). He proposed on March 15th, 2005 (almost 7 years ago). We got married on July 22nd, 2006 (5.5 years ago).

4. Where are you and your spouse originally from?
Central Illinois.

5. How did you feel about him joining the military?
This is complicated. I knew he was joining before we were even friends. I actually sat him down and explained that I would NEVER date him because it was my goal in life to NEVER be a military wife. I'm pretty sure I told him that if he ever got out, to call me! haha. That plan obviously fell through. When we got married, the plan was that he was getting out soon. A sailor of the quarter, sailor of the year, #1 EP, and quick advancement changed those plans as well. I've since accepted that we are a military family.

6. Where did your spouse go to Basic Training?
Great Lakes, Illinois

7. Has your spouse ever been deployed?
We are currently going through our first actual deployment. I want to add that he did sail around the tip of South America when I was pregnant with our youngest and that was a few months long.

8. Ever been to his promotion ceremony?
No. I was present for one of his re-enlistment ceremonies, but have yet to attend a promotion ceremony.

9. How long have you been a military wife?
Since he was in before we got married, 5.5 years. I would also like to take credit for the 1.5 years that I was a Navy GIRLFRIEND!! :)

10. Did you marry him before or after he joined?
After

11. How did your husband propose?
On the white beaches of Destin, Florida while wearing his dress whites. It was after hurricane Katrina and there was an old wooden bench that had washed ashore and someone had turned it over so people could sit on it. We had just walked along the beach and sat down to talk when he asked.

12. Where did you get married?
We were married in my hometown church where I was baptized and my parent's were married 25 years prior.

13. How old were you two when you got married?
I was 18 and he was 20.

(Sounds ridiculously young now when I think about it.)

14. Did he wear his uniform on his wedding day?
No. Looking back, I wish he would have.
He did wear his working blues to my senior prom.

15. Where are you and your spouse currently stationed?
Technically he is attached to the USS Makin Island who's port is in San Diego, California. I, however, moved with the girls to our hometown during deployment.

16. Do you live on base?
We have never lived on base, but did enjoy our time in off-base military housing.

17. How long were you married when you had to go through your first separation?
Haha...our entire engagement and before we were separated. We had few solid years together (shore duty) before we had to deal with the constant separation that sea duty brings. At this point, we have been together about as long as we have been separated.

18. What is your favorite base so far?
I didn't get to see much of Great Lakes and never lived there. Pensacola was nice, but also never lived there. I have been lucky enough to only live in San Diego, but out of those multiple bases, I prefer NASNI Coronado.

19. Do you think your spouse looks good in his uniform?
Umm...YES! Why do you think we have three children.

Hehe...just kidding!

20. Do you think military life is more advanced than civilian life?
Advanced? I by no means feel superior to civilian wives, but I do feel like our lives are vastly different and that should be acknowledged at times.

21. Do you like the benefits you receive as a military dependent?
Yes, I just wish places (military especially) would respect us as spouses a little more. 9 times out of 10 you can't sign up for things, change things, approve things, etc. without your active duty spouse there or a power of attorney.

22. Do you have a lot of military wife friends?
No! The majority of my military friends were my friends before any of us married our men.

23. What is the hardest part of the military life?
Where do I start?

Being away from family and friends/your spouse. (It's always one or the other.) Meeting other military wives and making friends is not as easy as it seems and things can get very lonely. Nothing is ever in your control!!

24. Do you own military wife stuff?
No. I have a Navy wife thing around my license plate and maybe a mug. Actually, I think the mug says girlfriend. Oh, Johnathon got me a 'Navy Wife' sweater two years ago.

25. Do you support your spouse as a member of the military? As hard as it is, yes!

I want to thank everyone for the amazing support as we continue through this deployment. You'll never know how much it means to me.

Late Night Talking

2012-01-12T01:03:00.000-06:00

I posted this picture on Facebook the other day and had to share it with you too.

You can't really tell, but Allison was just beginning to get a 24 hour stomach bug when this picture was taken. It was the longest 24 hours of my life in a long time. My poor baby had a temperature, was getting sick every hour, and got little rest between trips to the restroom. It was torture watching her be so miserable and not being able to fix it for her.

I got a phone call from Johnathon the other night. It was amazing to hear his voice. An email is great, but to actually hear his voice for the first time in two weeks just allowed me to let out a huge sigh of relief and let all of my stresses slip away. He does that for me, relaxes me.

He is safe. He can't give me too much information, but if you are curious and would like to keep track of his ship on your own then you might try THIS website or you can follow the USS MAKIN ISLAND on Facebook. Both places will give you what information they can.

Still nothing to update on new orders. :( Believe me, I will keep everyone posted on what we learn, when we learn it.

I was browsing Pinterest the other day, like I do on most days, and came across this quote,

"Loving a military man is not hard. The distance is hard, the worry is hard, the sacrifices are hard. But loving him...that's the easiest thing I've ever done."

That's pretty much the story of my life at the moment.

Updates for Daddy

2012-01-10T20:15:00.001-06:00

It's been a few months since Johnathon has seen his girls so I thought I would take a second to post a few stats about each of the girls.

Madelynn is growing up so quickly. Not just in size, but maturity. She is saying so many new words each day and acting like such a big girl. Keeping up with her sisters is no issue for her and she loves to be in the middle of all the action. She is my little snuggle bunny and still climbs into my bed each night. (I know, shame on me!! haha) She enjoys nothing more than a sippy of cold milk and she looks forward to her jar of baby food each day. (I give her a jar of stage 3 fruits everyday as a snack.)

Alyssa is still just as outgoing and outspoken as she has always been. She isn't afraid to say how she feels and what she thinks even if she is the only one that feels that way. She will correct you in a heart beat if she thinks you are wrong. She never forgets a thing, so you better be on your toes and remember what you say...she'll hold you to it. Her favorite thing is to search my purse for loose change and hide it in her pocket until she sees her Nana, then they go together to get ice cream. She picks chocolate 9 times out of 10. She is passionate about EVERYTHING and wears her heart on her sleeve.

Allison, Allison, Allison! Where to begin? She is so much like her dad that I sometimes have a hard time keeping a straight face when she does something ornery, sweet, secretive, or silly. She is mellow and usually go-with-the-flow about most things. She is sensitive and always looking out for those that she loves. She is a nurturer by nature and constantly 'mothering' Madelynn, praising her good behavior and helping her when needed. I have seen quite an improvement in her schooling since she got her glasses. At 4, both girls can say their full names and spell/write their first names without any help. That's a big deal when your name is seven letters long. :)

I'm not sure how Johnathon does it being away from these darling little girls and quite frankly I never want to find out. My heart aches for him and all that he is missing, but I am doing my best to journal it for him and keep posts like this coming. I know it's difficult, but he does his best to read my blog whenever possible. I want him to see his girls grow and change as it happens, not all at once this Summer. It's my goal to make sure that he feels like he has been here the entire time.

The girls and I talk about his all day everyday and our favorite thing to do each night is talk about the things we look forward to doing when we are a family again. We take turns saying one thing we want to do the most with daddy. It's very sweet to hear what they have to say and what they come up with. Sometimes it's going to the park, seeing a movie in theaters while eating popcorn, or playing on the floor. Other times it's something creative like taking the car to a car wash, teaching daddy how to play Mario on the DS, or having daddy teach them their homeschool, all of which would be adorable to watch!!

Allison is sick. :(

Hopefully this isn't something that lasts too long.

Oh, Madelynn!

2012-01-09T19:07:00.000-06:00

I was feeling a little selfish as I was editing my pictures tonight.

I mean, have you ever seen such a cute little pair of chubby delicious cheeks?

I didn't think so.

She is such a doll and is always posing for the camera! She's mastered her best smile and a million different funny faces.

She's been helping me pick out her clothes each morning (I give her two options to choose from) and she always requests a matching bow for the day.

Out of all three girls, she is the best to cuddle/snuggle with. She seems to know just the right way to wiggle her face right into my neck as she wraps her around me.

She talks and asks about her daddy everyday and even sleeps with his picture by her side.

She's my baby, even if she isn't such a baby anymore!

Thursday

2012-01-05T20:28:00.003-06:00

The girls had dance tonight. That always makes the day go by so fast. I dropped them off at the studio and hurried off to meet my mom for dinner. We really look forward to those 60 minutes of peace where we are able to talk and just unwind. According to their dance teacher, who I am sure was being a little nice, the girls were somewhat behaved today. That always makes me feel better seeing as how I know just how ornery they can be.

. . . . .

Just when I think that I am doing good and handling the deployment well, I get into these ruts of sadness. Don't worry, I'm not sitting here writing through my tears or anything. :) It just gets overwhelming. On most days I think to myself, "How will I make it through the day without him?" and then I realize I have months left and I get sad. Johnathon and I have literally been apart the same amount of time that we have been together.

I like to think that we have mastered the whole long-distance thing, but it's not really something I like to brag about. I mean, who wants to have mastered that? It's been over a week since I had an actual conversation with him and even that was short and all business. The girls sleep with his picture each night and still get a 'kiss from Daddy' (Hershey kiss) before bed.

. . . . .

I'm addicted to Pintereset. I can't resist.

It gives me so many ideas. I only wish I had the time to do most of them.

I work with a girl who everyone claims is my long lost twin, or my older sister at the very least. Here is a picture of us at our Christmas party this year...you be the judge!

xoxo

My {not so} Little Ladies

2012-01-04T21:21:00.003-06:00

I can't get over how grown up my little ladies are starting to look.

Aren't their new glasses just adorable on them?

If you can't tell, wearing their hair down is the new 'thing' this month!

Madelynn is still rockin' her big bows. I actually made her a shirt yesterday that says,

'The BIGGER the BOW

the BETTER the MOMMA!'

I thought it was fabulous and I plan on pairing with a huge bow made of 3inch ribbon!! :)

I am stressed to the max just thinking about picking new orders. You see, you are only given so many months to pick your orders and each month there are only so many options to choose from. It then becomes a battle of 'do we pick these orders because we don't want to be stuck with those orders.' Or do we hold out and wait for the perfect orders and risk being stuck with something over seas? It's a challenge and one that I do not take lightly. This is our life...four long years of our life actually and I just want to be happy. There are so many variables and steps along the way. I feel like it's always hurry up and wait. Hurry up to think of all your options and make a decision just to wait forever for someone to respond back and turn you down.

Are you exhausted too just hearing about it? Imagine how I feel.

Especially since the communication between my husband and I is few and far between.

Sisters

2012-01-04T17:00:00.000-06:00

We went to look at wedding dressing for my sisters wedding...

here I am with her.

She even ended up finding her dress that day!

Embracing the Changes

2012-01-04T06:30:00.000-06:00

In October, after weeks of chemo, my mom made the brave (and much needed) decision to shave her head.

Isn't she stunning?

{Nana & Alyssa}

Halloween & Randomness

2012-01-03T23:38:00.000-06:00

I have never been so happy to see a year end and a new one begin. 2011 was a hard year for me and even though 2012 isn't starting out a whole lot better, I see the potential.

I know that when everything is said and done, 2012 will a new move, new town, new community, Johnathon's safe return, being a family again...I could go on for hours.

I just need to stay focused and remember that it will all be worth it.

I'm not going to lie, this deployment is probably the single most difficult thing I have done in my entire life. I catch myself crying at random moments throughout the day for only a few seconds at a time. I can't even bring myself to look at pictures of Johnathon or us as a family, it's too sad. I'm exhausted everyday and don't see that changing anytime soon.

I think the worst part is just being sick and tired of being alone. I just want to scream at the top of my lungs and wake up from this horrible nightmare. I hate that I am not in control of when I see him. Someone else is keeping him away and deciding when he comes home.

It's hard.

We started back up with our homeschooling. I decided to take a break when we found out that both girls needed glasses. I wanted to give them each enough time to get adjusted to their glasses and let them focus on one thing at a time. On top of everything else, it was the holiday season and we were busy enough already.

The girls were thrilled to be back in their books. I did make a few changes to our learning room/ over crowded dining room. I took their beloved desks to the garage and moved the girls back to the dining table to do their work. I know it's the boring option and not as much fun as their own individual desks, but it's what made the most sense with our current living situation. The desks will remain safe in our garage until we move this Summer.

I was shocked as I started to review with the girls and Madelynn decided to chime in. I asked Allison what letter I wrote on the white board and Madelynn said 'F'. I then asked Allison what sound it made and Madelynn continued with 'fffff'. I am one proud Momma!!

Johnathon was PTS approved last month!

That means it's time to start looking at new orders. The problem? They all seem to be over seas orders. :(

Please wish us luck and keep us in your prayers as we attempt to make this huge decision for our family.

{*The pictures are from Halloween. Alyssa was Strawberry Shortcake; Madelynn was her little sister, Apple Dumplin'; Allison was Fancy Nancy*}

M-Squad Mini Clinic

2012-01-03T16:13:00.000-06:00

The girls took part in the M-Squad Mini Clinic this last September and 'baby, baby, baby' it was a Justin Bieber hit!!

The girls from our local high school dance team got girls K-5th grade together to perform dances at halftime during a football game. This year, all of the songs were by Justin Bieber, who until that very moment my girls knew nothing about.

Here are the twins with their big cousins, Emma and Breanna.

Madelynn and I sat in the stands and watched her big sisters perform.

By the way, she's upset because her hood isn't up. Oye...

It was a great night for everyone!

Madelynn Jane

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000-06:00

Is she not the cutest most adorable little squeezable cupcake of a girl?

I thought so!

Dance! Dance!

2012-01-02T17:18:00.002-06:00

I wrote about it when it happened and now I am happy to show pictures of Alyssa and Allison on their first day of dance class. Alyssa is in the pink and Allison is in the purple (typical of them).

They love going to dance. They go one day a week and attend a combo class of jazz, tap and ballet with other little girls their age. It's been a huge blessing and I have seen such a difference in their attitudes, behavior and imaginations.

Aren't my girls so silly?!

In case you are wondering...

Yes, I bought a new computer!! Let the blogging begin. :)

Lately

2011-11-28T10:01:00.001-06:00

I can't help but notice the number of people who have suddenly become interested, worried and/or active in Johnathon's 'deployment'. It's like all of a sudden people are asking how he is doing, where he is, how long he will be gone, what his address is and if they can send him care packages. Don't get me wrong, for all of these things I am grateful.

As hard as I try to contain them, my emotions often get the best of me. Where was everyone this time last year when he was gone for a month, home for 5 days, then gone for another 3 weeks, home for a week, then gone for 27 days...etc. And when he was home, he was gone by the time we woke and home long after dinner was eaten. On occasion he would come home just long enough to eat dinner and then spend the night on the ship so he could leave the next morning.

It's not so much that I want acknowledgment of these many times apart, but more so I want acknowledgment that this is something that we have been dealing with since before Madelynn was born. I just find it interesting that everyone cares so much now when they should have been caring this whole time.

. . . . . . . . .

On a lighter note, Johnathon was in port over a week ago and I was able to talk to him daily for three days. He also called us on Thanksgiving and was able to talk to each of the girls for a few seconds. He is doing good and looks forward to it all being over.

xoxo

I'm Dancing!!

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-06:00

"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

-Anonymous

I think over the last few years I have come to realize that my life will never be without storm, so I may as well get used to dancing.

481

2011-11-20T22:19:00.001-06:00

This will be my 481st blog post over the last 4 years. I'm not sure what I could have possibly found to write about that much...oh wait, I have three little ladies who have me running around in circles all day long. :)
I last saw my husband 3 weeks ago and it feels like an eternity until I see him again.
My mom and three sisters baked around 300 cookies today...chocolate chip (with and without nuts), no-bake, peanut butter, sugar, white chocolate macadamia nut, and oatmeal. 250 of which will be mailed to the USS Makin Island tomorrow afternoon.
Alyssa and Allison watch Snow White every time they spend the night at their Nana's house...it's a tradition!
Allison makes me smile in a way I never thought possible.
Madelynn is an ornery little thing with a pistol attitude. She is singing her full Alphabet and a few nursery rhymes...amazing me more and more everyday.
Alyssa is the most feisty, opinionated, in-your-face little girl I have ever met...with the biggest heart (that she wears on her sleeve).
Despite my over-the-top planning and list making, I have seemed to yet again go overboard with my Christmas shopping. I don't want the girls to be too spoiled or worry about material things, it's just too hard not to buy them everything they want/need. I'm a softy.
The thought of waiting 4 more days to decorate for Christmas is KILLING me!! I will, however, stand strong and wait until after Thanksgiving...or at least after my nap on Thanksgiving. :)
Even though Johnathon will be gone for Christmas, he will have wrapped gifts waiting for him when he gets home.
I am not just a mother, going through the motions of raising her children. A mother is what I am. Through and through, to the bottom of my heart.
I have so much to be thankful this year for Thanksgiving that I don't even know where to start or how to explain what I am feeling. Life is good!
Even with 7 years as a Navy wife/girlfriend under my belt, I still feel like other wives know more about the Navy and everything that goes along with it more than I do. I still feel like that scared 18 year old girl who moved 3000 miles away from her friends and family all of those years ago. I am hoping that with our next duty move I am able to embrace this lifestyle and become more of a leader/teacher for those other scared young wives who know very little about the new life that they have been thrust in to.
My mom is doing fabulous and is totally rocking her short black buzz cut. She seems to be fully embracing what is happening in her life and you can tell by the look on her face that she is ready for whatever God throws her way next.

"One day at a time. One deployment at a time. One deep breath at a time." -Me

Guess who is...

2011-11-16T20:46:00.001-06:00

getting glasses??

Both Alyssa and Allison!!

Yep, both of my baby girls will be getting fitted for their first pair of glasses next week. I originally made their appointments simply because they were born so premature and hadn't had an exam in so long. Well, that on top of the fact that Allison was started to show signs of a 'lazy eye'. I had fully expected to hear that Allison would be getting glasses but had assumed that Alyssa would pass with flying colors.

WRONG!

Where Allison does have the beginning onset of a 'lazy eye', it was Alyssa who needed the glasses more. The doctor said that it is unknown why some children react differently and why only some children develop a 'lazy eye'.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I received the most amazing surprise call the other night...from Johnathon! I was shocked to hear his voice on the other end of the phone and was slightly annoyed with the 10 second delay (which made our conversation very tricky) but it was amazing nonetheless. I was able to tell him about the girls needing glasses and how well everything went when I picked up the Jeep. He is doing great and has a great attitude about everything.

I got my Jeep!! I love it and couldn't be happier.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

I've somehow managed to get quite a bit of Christmas shopping done over the last few weeks. I am nowhere near finished, but off to a great start. I am so excited for Thanksgiving next week, but probably only so I can decorate afterward. I am a Christmas girl at heart and it is something that I look forward to all year long. I HAVE to get my computer fixed (or buy a new one) by Christmas just so I can post pictures of the house. :)

Our Christmas Elf comes Thanksgiving night and all three girls are full of excitement and anticipation!!

The twins have dance class tomorrow, but that is about it. I am looking forward to catching up on laundry and spending come quality time with my little ladies.

The Last Few Weeks

2011-11-13T19:02:00.001-06:00

I must be the worst mommy blogger ever considering it has been ages since my last blog post. At least my reasons for it also make me the best mommy ever. Let me explain!

The last month has been a whirlwind of craziness, traveling, emotions and good-byes.

In the middle of October, I took two weeks off of work and flew, by myself, to California to spend 7 days with Johnathon. We stayed in a friend's guest house the majority of the time and spent our evenings doing all kinds of unplanned activities. We spent the weekend in LA and I took Johnathon to Six Flags for the first time in his adult life. We had a blast making plans in a split second and must have seen a different movie every day. The weather was nice and I felt right at home among the palm trees. :)

It was a long drive home that included being caught in one of the scariest storms of my life. We were passing through the state of Oklahoma when the skies went from nothing by sun to pure darkness in a matter of seconds. It was a challenge to see even a few yards in front of the vehicle. We hadn't even begun to think of what to do or where to stop when it started to hail. 3.75 inch hail to be exact and it didn't let up for nearly 45 minutes. Long story short, we literally thought the car was going to blow away and it was by far the scariest moment of my life so far.

Shortly after arriving in Illinois we celebrated Madelynn's 2nd birthday with a Mickey Mouse themed party. We waited two weeks to have her party so that her daddy could attend and it was well worth the wait.

Johnathon only had three days in Illinois so we did our best to make the days as long and enjoyable as possible but that is nearly impossible when you know what is coming. He and I left for the airport while the girls were still sleeping to try and make it easier on everyone. The girls seemed somewhat untroubled by his sudden departure. We had talked to them daily and they knew that it was coming so it was no shock.

Since he has been gone the twins' have had their well-child check-ups and they are weighing in at 29 and 30 pounds. (Madelynn was close behind at 27 pounds.) All three girls (Madelynn had her appointment while Johnathon was home) received 5-6 shots (including their flu shot) plus had blood drawn. That was an experience of a lifetime. The older girls were literally hiding under chairs and screaming by the time we went to get their blood drawn. There is a HUGE negative with the fact that they must always watch each other get shots before getting their own.

-We met with a plastic surgeon to see about getting Allison's birthmark removed from her arm.
-Tomorrow the girls will get their eyes checked and Allison will more than likely be getting an eye patch or glasses.
-Next week both girls are getting their ear cleaned out and their hearing checked.

Anyone exhausted yet? I sure am!

On top of everything else, the heat went out in my truck. YIKES! That made driving in the recent 40 degree weather with three children very difficult. I took the Explorer in to get fixed when they informed me it would cost almost $1,200 to get it fixed. Well, that on top of the new tires I was needing to get put on, the oil that needed changed and a few other little things that needed to be done. I didn't care enough to worry about it all so I made a few phone calls and my amazing husband (from 3000 miles away) worked everything out so I could go test drive a few vehicles. That was on Friday. Tomorrow (Monday) I will be heading to the dealership to pick up my *new to me* 07 Jeep Liberty. I am so excited and just hope that everything goes smoothly considering Johnathon won't be there with me and he leaves for deployment first thing in the morning.

Yep, he leaves in the morning. I am upset, but for me, the deployment started a few weeks ago when we said good-bye at the airport. I am just 100% ready for this deployment to be over and for him to be home again.

The girls are still doing well at dance class and they are as ornery as ever. Madelynn is singing and talking so much lately and I love her so much!!

I have decided to slow down and stop doing so much of our schooling from our curriculum books and instead learn some life lessons and basics. I have noticed that one child is clearly learning at a must quickly rate than her sister and considering how young they are, we have no reason to continue at such a speed. My plan is to take our time and work at our own pace...one of the many perks of homeschooling!!

My computer is still broken so please do not hold your breath until the next post, you may be sorry!! xoxo

Alive and Well

2011-10-05T21:40:00.003-05:00

i just wanted to say that yes, i am alive and doing well. my computer is broken and to be quite honest, it is low on my list of priorities at the moment. i am posting this from my parent's house, who just so happen to have a broken key board...oh the story of my life. haha

homeschool is going fabulous and i hope to write more about that when i get my computer fixed. they continue to love their dance class and are learning so much. i worry about allison, she is constantly off in her own little world and as i noticed last week during 'watch week', she doesn't always obey her dance teacher. i've talked to her, but i doubt she took me all that serious.

madelynn is amazing and changing in every way possible. her second birthday is this friday and i'm having a mix of emotions about it. how can my baby possibly be two already. [fyi...my question mark doesn't work] i am happy to see her maturing and learning so much every day, but with her daddy gone, i hate that she is changing and growing so much.

speaking of johnathon, he will be home in a few weeks and i am so excited. the girls miss him so much that my heart aches every time that they bring up his name. alyssa told me tonight that she doesn't believe me when i say that he will be home soon. she thinks that he has been gone so long and that he isn't coming back. it breaks my heart. last week at 'watch week' for the girls' dance class, allison asked me where her daddy was. when i explained that he was at work, she asked me why everyone else's daddy was there to watch them. she went on to ask if their daddy's worked and if they did, why did they get off in time to watch the class. those are hard questions to answer and explain to two four year old girls who miss their daddy so much.

my mom's second round of chemo was cancelled and her surgeon has decided that she wants a few tests to be done so they can determine whether or not they want to proceed with surgery. it's scary and i think that i am so numb to my feelings at this point that i am unsure how i feel about it all. i'm sure one day soon the reality will hit me, but until then i will continue to be her rock.

xoxo

Rambles

2011-09-14T21:52:00.000-05:00

i am at my mom's on my lunch break and just laid all three girls down for their nap. i figured it was a good time to update everyone and what we have been doing to stay busy.

first, though, i must point out that water was spilt on the keyboard last week and i am unable to use the 'shift' key. that means no capitalization or question marks.

my mom finished her chemo on the 3rd of June just to find out that she starts her second round of chemo on the 27th. that was a hard thing to swallow after everything that she has been through. we were excited to put this chapter behind us and be able to say that 'we beat chemo'. she had made it through with flying colors and handled it very well. now she must put on her brave face and start the process all over again. my heart aches for her.

i guess if you're trying to look on the bright side of things then you will like to know that the medicine this time around is a little more mild than the first and will only last 1-2 hours each session. BUT...she will now need to go in weekly for her treatments instead of once every 3 weeks. that will be a huge adjustment. her hair is nearly completely gone, but she had been bold in deciding not to cut it. i think it's a mental thing for her and i support her with every decision that she makes. i told her a few weeks ago that i only want what makes her happy and if that means her sporting a semi-bald head around town than so be it. i personally don't care what anyone has to say on the matter. i am here to support my mom and if someone has a problem with it or a statement about the way that she looks or the choices she is making then i would like for them to spend one day in her shoes and then they can tell me how they feel. i think we are getting to the point now where she is considering shaving the rest off. she has scarves, hats, wigs, you name it...it's just a matter of her being ready to make the jump.

. . . . . . . . . . .

how is homeschool going...

AMAZING. we are in our 4th week now and learning about the letter T. of course we learn about other things too, but at the end of the day my number one goal this year is to get the girls reading. if that is all we can accomplish by may, i will be thrilled. i am anxious to see how they do in math, but we won't start that for a few more weeks. i must say, i am very happy with the math program that we will be using. i have hard only wonderful things about it and while looking it over, i was impressed.

i must admit that we spend a large portion of our days just browsing through animal encyclopedias and books about butterflies, frogs, lions, whales...everything. i really love how i can take what is in the curriculum and alter it to fit our days needs and schedule. i can skip some topics and go over them in a few weeks. i can come up with new topics on my own and include them in our days work. it's been such a blessing.

i hate to sound snotty, but i just can't imagine NOT doing homeschool. the idea of sending my kids to public school seems so foreign to me even after only 4 weeks. i know the day will come when we may need to send them to a public or private school, and that will be okay, but i am so in love with our choice to homeschool our children.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

My mother-in-law called and got me side tracked for a bit and then I had to head to work so this post is a little late...oops!

It's currently Wednesday night and I just put Madelynn to bed. The twins are coloring quietly in the learning room before we start their bedtime routine. Tomorrow is their second day of dance class and I can't even explain the excitement that is happening in our house. The girls' dance teacher, Ms. Kim, is just fabulous with the girls and Alyssa and Allison have been non-stop about her since we left the studio.

Not being able to call or talk to Johnathon is starting to take it's toll on me. My days seem to be getting longer and truly exciting moments are coming few and far in between. I understand that I need to pull myself together and get over it...there are many more months ahead of us, but it's hard. I am entitled to that, right? I am going to do my best not to complain and whine constantly over the next few months, I just need to acknowledge the way that I am feeling sometimes.

Well, the girls are in the other room talking about liking boys and the names of their boyfriends. That is my que to go....

xoxo

Learning Room 2011-2012

2011-09-08T00:05:00.000-05:00

I figured that it was long over due to share pictures of our learning room. It's not huge...or anything special, but it's OUR learning room and I am thankful that I am even able to homeschool my girls. Our little space is more than enough for what we need.

So...here it is!

These are the posters that hang above where the girls sit. It's a quick reference when needed and they love to practice their sign language when we are switching subjects.

Here are a few of our school books that came with the curriculum. The majority of the larger books (example: encyclapedia) are over on my desk (aka: kitchen table) because we use them on a daily basis.

The girls' desks fit perfectly in the space between our fridge and the wall. There is even a ledge along the wall that I use for storage...coloring books, crayons, math shapes, fun tale books, school books and radio. Our reading program has me teaching the girls one letter a week for six weeks before we review. I put each letter (both capital and lower case) on a blue star and placed them right where the girls could see them.

Allison is on the left and Alyssa is on the right.

(that is what they chose)

We don't keep much in their desks at this point. We mainly only use their dry erase boards anyway so it's not a big deal.

A few of my other pictures wouldn't upload correctly so I am a little bummed, but you get the idea.

We are at the end of our 3rd week and everything is going fabulously.

We have learned the letters Ff, Bb, and Mm so far along with many many other things about the weather, animals, living long ago, days of the week, months of the year and days in the month.

It's definetly a lot and more than I would think a child their age could understand, but they are doing amazing and picking up on everything very quickly.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Tomorrow is a big day!!

The girls will be attending their first dance class in the evening and they are both very excited. We went tonight to get them fitted for new ballet and tap shoes (they will be doing jazz in their ballet shoes this year). It was a ver exciting moment for them and they sat on the little bench with their arms around each other. They even told the lady that they were each others best friend. When the lady asked them who was older they each gave her a puzzled look and said, 'You silly goose, we are twins! We came out at the same time.' :)

While we were there, I let the girls pick out a second leotard for class since I thought one a piece just wouldn't be enough considering how much they love their first one and never want to take it off. After begging them to get the simple black one that we could accessorize with a skirt, shorts or nothing at all, they settled on the pink/purple leotards with the big tu-tu attached. Don't get me wrong, they are adorable!! I just think that they are going to be sersiously over-the-top. haha. I figure, they are only 4 years old and I want to make this fun for them. Why not?!

As the girls were getting fitted, Alyssa wouldn't stop telling me how much she didn't like her new tap shoes. She was basically begging me to take them off of her and trying to explain that she didn't want to take tap anymore. The lady told me to have her walk into the bathroom and see how much she didn't want to take tap. After one step on the bathroom floor, Alyssa's feet went crazy as she yelled out how much fun tomorrow was going to be. Those are now the shoes that she is looking forward to using the most.

The Best Thing About Deployment...

2011-09-04T17:12:00.000-05:00

Along with all of the horrible things that deployment brings, there is one perk...

SAVING MONEY!!

I bought a blue mason jar lamp a few months back and have been using it as my piggy bank.

I love it!

It let's me see the money and keeps me motivated to spend less and save more.

It's even become a game for myself to see just how much I can save each week. Once I get to a certain amount, I take it out and put it in the bank.

It also helps that I am a waitress and am able to put my nightly tips in there so I see the fast results.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

On another note, I just had to share my little trick to making any deployment that much easier...

What you will need:

2 Small Pocket Planners

1 Ink Pen

1 Creative Mind/Dictionary

(or in my case, two 4-year old girls who love shouting out random words)

That's it!! I took two small pocket planners and wrote a random word on every. single. day for 7-9 months. It was a challenge to not use the same word twice, but I finally did it. Then I wrote down a list of ports that I knew he would be visiting along the way and gave it a random word too.

Viola!

Now, when I get the surprise email once a week, we are able to share information without upsetting OPSEC or getting into any trouble. It's genius!!

I hope I helped at least one other military family when I shared this today. We military wives need to stick together!!

Happy Deployments!! :)

Bwahaha...

2011-09-01T05:31:00.000-05:00

I couldn't NOT share this video with you.

Are you literally rolling on the floor laughing?

Good...I was too the first time that I saw this.

It gives me a small glimpse into what Johnathon's life will be like in the years to come. Bwahaha!!

The post about nothing.

2011-08-31T23:18:00.001-05:00

I'm still slacking in the whole picture department lately. I opted for two pictures from last year at this exact time. I love going back and seeing just how much my babies have grown.

sniff. sniff.

I also want to talk a little about Facebook.

It's my goal to make MY personal Facebook page 100% private in the near future, meaning for only family and close friends. If you aren't currently aware, I do have a Facebook page just for the blog and you are more than welcome to 'like' the page and stay updated on all the blog posts. I even try to update on the redheads every once and awhile.

It's nothing personal so please don't get offended, it's just a privacy thing and I only feel comfortable making what I have on my blog, public with the world.

I guess I am just trying to say that you must draw the line somewhere and this is where my line is currently at. :)

I've officially started Operation: Get It Together.

I've been throwing far too many pity parties lately and I'm so over it. Let's put on our big girl panties and get ready for this deployment. The sooner he leaves the better!!

I've broken this deployment down into paydays. I have x amount of paydays and then he is home for good. I can handle this!!

I've also set a goal for myself to save as much money as possible. My goal is an easy $10,000... which is on my 101 in 1001 list.

Speaking of that darn list...

It may just get changed to a 30 before 30 or something. Coming up with 101 things to do is for the birds.

I read three chapters of the Boxcar Children to the girls tonight before bed. They love it!

I'm not sure what we are going to do when we finish the book. We have others lined up to be read, but I think we may read the whole series of Boxcar Children too. What is a few extra chapter books on my already jam packed life?? haha

I'm hoping to have a few more nights off every week to spend with the girls and focus on school and all things other than missing Daddy.

We plan on making him lots of cards and sending a care package just about every other week. I've been buying and stocking up on greeting cards for quite some time now. I'd like to send one out with a picture at least once a week. I know I put a lot on my plate, but it's important to me that Johnathon knows how much he is loved and missed and never forgets any of the details on his daughters' faces.

Johnathon's E-6 test is tomorrow.

Good luck! I know you will do great!

Read. Now. Pleaseandthankyou!

2011-08-30T23:01:00.002-05:00

Disclaimer: The countdown at the top of the blog is a vague idea of how long we have left until Johnathon is home. Because I not only have no idea when his ship will actually pull in and the fact that I couldn't share that information regardless, I used Alyssa and Allison's birthday as a reference point. So, my friends, that countdown is indeed a countdown for the twins' 5th birthday that we are using as a guide for when we expect Daddy to make his appearance next Summer. I would appreciate it if no one shoved OPSEC in my face...we're good! :)

*sigh

Now that we got that out of the way. :) My mom agreed to keep Madelynn tonight so I could spend a little extra time with my big 4 year old princesses. We busted out the sleeping bags and popped a bag of popcorn as we watched our rented MaryKate and Ashley movies together. The girls took a 30 minute bath followed by brushing their own hair and even brushing their teeth with their new 'big girl' toothbrushes. They are currently watching the Lion King and eating a bednight snack so we can head to bed and snuggle...they are sleeping with me tonight...for the second time EVER...wish me luck. haha.

I'm on a roll with blogging lately and I really hope that I can keep up with it like I used to. I miss my daily unwind and journaling of our life. I know that Johnathon is able to read my posts while he is out to sea and I love that this is a way that I can keep him updated on his little ladies.

xoxo

Counting the Days

2011-08-30T11:30:00.000-05:00

I feel as though I am always counting the days...

...until Johnathon leaves for deployment.

...until he is able to call from his first port.

...until the deployment is over.

...until we are a family again.

...until we find out where we will be relocated to.

...until moving day.

...until this.

...until that.

It's just frustrating and I have a hard time living in the moment. My mind is always on what is next and not what is happening right now!! My goal while Johnathon is away: learn to not put so much attention on what is yet to be and learn to live in the moment. I want to enjoy this chapter of our lives and remember all of the fun moments.

Madelynn is sitting next to me eating a rice krispy treat (aka: mommy snack) and I can't help but think about how in just over a month she will be 2. What?! I know parents say it all the time, but I feel like it was just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. The last two years have gone by incredibly too fast.

I opted to not do any school this morning and wait until later this evening. I think we all needed a little change at this point...to keep it fresh and exciting. I don't want the girls (or I) to get too bored.

Prayer Requests

2011-08-30T07:37:00.000-05:00

My computer has been on the fritz and stubbornly decides when it does and does not want to turn on. *eye roll*

It was a twist of fate that I even got it to cooperate long enough to write this post. Here's hoping it plays nice until I finish. :)

I have a few prayer requests for you all...

My mom has her last round of Chemotherapy on Friday. Not only is it physically draining, but emotionally. Please pray for her the strength to get through this, the ability to look beyond the pain and be thankful for what she has been given, the courage to face the next step of her battle with her head held high and a smile on her face, and most importantly that her spirit continue to shine bright through such a dark time and she find a way to laugh away the tears.

Johnathon's E-6 test is this week and I would so appreciate it if you could keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Johnathon also heads out to sea again this week and I just ask that we pray for his safety as well as the safety of those around him.

It will soon be time to pick new orders and I kindly ask everyone to pray that God may lead us in the direction that I know he wants for us. It's always such a bittersweet moment when we learn of where our new home will be and think of not only the friends that we will be making, but those that we will be leaving behind. Wherever it is that we get stationed next, I pray that it be somewhere with amazing opportunities for both Johnathon and our precious girls.

-If anyone has any special prayer requests that they would like me share, please feel free to email me with them and I will do my best to spread the word and bring prayer your way.

I have tonight off, my only night off this week, and I plan on spending every available second with my girls. I think there may be a little dancing, baking, movie watching, popcorn, coloring and maybe even a slumber party in my room when it is all over....maybe! ;)

xoxo

Hello, remember me?!

2011-08-29T23:24:00.002-05:00

Today was day one of our second week of homeschooling. Yay!! Here is a little of what we will be doing this week...

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." Acts 16:31

Boxcar Children (chapters 6-10) I was originally worried that this book was a little too advanced for the girls but boy was I proven to be wrong. By Wednesday night they were begging me to continue reading and not to stop. It felt great to know that they were understanding the story enough to want to continue.

The letter 'B'
Doing one letter a week seems to be a bit on the boring side. I've thought about speeding this process up a bit, but instead I may try to just be a little more creative in researching fun activities for each letter. By Thursday the girls seem to be a little burnt out on our letter worksheets because they are simply too easy. Just a minor adjustment in our journey.

Family Names, Alphabet, Writing an Invitation

Tadpoles and Frogs, Living Long Ago

Climate, Water Cycle

...and that is to just name a few of our topics.

The girls spend most of their free time writing their name or different letters on their small dry erase boards ($1 at Target). They are also really into books on CD. They love turning the pages on their own and listening to the story.

I'm not sure how I envisioned our days to go while homeschooling, but I know it couldn't have gone any better in my head. The girls are doing fabulous and I am so proud of them. I will post later in the week about a few changes I made in my organizing and a little more detailed idea of what we do each day.

First Day of School

2011-08-22T14:19:00.003-05:00

The girls woke me around 6am begging me to start school. Of course that put a smile on my face, but I was determined to get another hour of sleep.

Fast forward to 8:15am when I woke up to Madelynn placing her soft hand on my cheek and saying, 'Mommy, wake up' very quietly. I knew it was bound to be a good day.

I got all three girls dressed and fed before turning on an episode of Dora for Madelynn (yes, I am THAT kind of mom) and getting to work with the twins.

We started with writing their names and drawing a self portrait. That was interesting.

We said our pledge, went over our bible verse, talked about what day it was, discussed the weather, did worksheets on the letter Ff, learned about dinosaurs, read a few poems, colored, used scissors...and all before 10am. We were on a roll!

Nana picked up the girls around 10:15 so they could go with her to Bloomington while I went to work.

Tonight we will review what we did today and read chapter 1 of The Boxcar Children.

I'm so happy with how today went and I can't wait to do it all over again tomorrow.

One down side?...forgetting my camera at my parent's house so I was unable to capture this moment in their lives. Oh well, life goes on.

:) Happy Homeschooling!!

First Day Jitters

2011-08-21T22:37:00.002-05:00

Posters have been hung.

Desks have been organized.

Pencils have been sharpened.

Backpacks are ready to be filled.

I just got done reading 'T'was The Night Before Kindergarten' to the girls as I tucked them into bed. They are very excited to wake up tomorrow and see what I have in store for them. I sure hope I don't let them down.

Honestly, I have no doubt that they will love it.

. . . . . .

I got a strange phone call around midnight last night. The worst thing someone can do when they call me is to question me or start off with a question.

My hello was quickly followed by 'Mrs. Stone?'

I responded with, 'Yeah, you called ME...you should know that.'

Then I got the second most annoying thing someone can do while on the phone, 'Ummm, please hold.'

Grrrr! He was pushing all of the right buttons to get hung up on.

45 seconds passed and I seriously thought about hanging up and crawling back into bed when I heard a wonderfully familiar voice...it was Johnathon.

I was able to talk to him for about 20 minutes and it was amazing.

. . . . . .

Random...

My mom is doing well. She is very tired, has decided to keep what little hair she has left, goes to Bloomington daily for a shot, and is the most amazing person I know.

I worked just shy of 42 hours last week. :( Not sure if this is exactly what I want. I miss my kids way too much for everything to continue at such a fast pace.

This Saturday is my 5 year High School reunion and one of my best friends will be in town. Yay!! :)

I signed the girls up for jazz, ballet and tap dance lessons last week. It's a combo class for 4-5 year olds. We got their leotards, tights and some of their shoes today. $$$ Yikes!

The thought of Johnathon's upcoming deployment is too much to think about...so I don't. I try to only think about what I need to worry about for the next day/week and nothing more. When I think of how much time he will be away, it's overwhelming.

I love my husband. I love my children. I love my family. I love my life. ♥

Indianapolis Children's Museum

2011-08-15T15:55:00.002-05:00

I have somehow finally found five free minutes to update everyone on our trip to Indiana and the Indianapolis Children's Museum. After a field trip to the museum myself in the 5th grade, I knew it was somewhere I would one day take my own children. I decided it was the perfect place for our 'start of the year field trip' as the girls are starting kindergarten next week.

We were up and on the road by 8am and made our way to Indiana. Here are the girls and I in front of the Indiana state sign. Alyssa is in the blue and Allison is in the purple.

We arrived at the perfect moment and scored ourselves the last few tickets to the Elmo & Big Bird's 'One World One Sky' in the planetarium. It worked out amazingly because we were offered first seating options due to my mom being in a wheel chair. It all worked out so well.

The girls loved it and talked about it for the rest of the day.

We dug around like archaeologists.

We stopped for lunch in their food court. Can I just say 'WOW'!! Their selection of healthy food was astounding!! Both of my girls know exactly what they want to eat and it always seems to be completely different. We were able to find everything they wanted and didn't break the bank because of it.

By far the biggest hit of the day was the Barbie area. There were so many dolls to look at and we were even lucky enough to be a part of their amazing fashion show. If you were able to score tickets, they were letting the little girls try on extravagant outfits, apply make-up and do up their hair. They got classes on how to walk the runway and then they showed us all their skills. It was just darling and we had the best time. I'm sure this is something that we will be talking about for years.

Work it, girls!!

I have more pictures to share, but not enough time. More later.

xoxo

Indiana

2011-08-07T22:40:00.002-05:00

We woke up bright an early this morning to make the drive to Indiana so my mom and I could take the twins and two of my nieces to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Here are Alyssa and Allison with Dora and Boots.

After we left the museum, we drove until we saw a hotel that we liked and stopped. I love that we planned very little of this trip. It has made for a fun and relaxing time with the girls that I love the most.

We ordered pizza to our hotel room (which the girls thought was awesome) and finished the night off by swimming.

*A little off topic, but Alyssa is seriously a great swimmer. She still wears a vest and arm floats, but she is putting her whole head under water and swimming long distances. I'm so proud of her!!

Everyone is just settling into bed while I edit our photos and enjoy a nice cup of hot tea in a quiet room.

Tomorrow we are eating breakfast and doing a little shopping before we head for home. Lunch will probably be wherever we want, whenever we think it is time. :)

G'night.

Being 'Fabulous'

2011-08-05T22:53:00.002-05:00

I just had to share some of our latest pictures with you all. They were just too precious not to.

While taking the girls' picture, I normally say 'be fabulous' as I am snapping away and the girls will smile and pose for me. Lately, however, they are really getting into it. See...

This is my little Allison in her mini skirt and cowboy boots. This is her outfit of choice on most days. Please ignore their messy faces. These were taken in the afternoon after a night of trying on mommy's make-up and pizza for lunch.
Then we have little miss Alyssa. She is a tad more dramatic than her sister, but just as adorable!!

Yes, they picked out their own clothes, shoes and hair styles (done by Emma).

I think they are both so used to me asking for a 'kiss picture' that they now do it on their own.

love it!

Best Friends!!

Sisters♥

And we HAD to do a picture with Emma who is basically their big sister as of late.

Couldn't you just gobble them all up?

Typical

2011-08-04T08:37:00.003-05:00

Madelynn typically wakes up around 8-8:30am wanting a sippy refill and cereal. I have waited so long for this little monster to sleep in past 6am. On top of getting some extra sleep, she places her head on my pillow so our noses touch and puts both of her hands on my cheeks while she screams into my face and starts to giggle.

Almost as fast as I can change her diaper, she runs to the girls' bedroom door and knocks to her hearts content. She sure loves them!!

Depending on what day it is and when I have to work, we either start coloring, cooking, cleaning, and playing....or we head to Nana's. Today we head to Nana's!!

After work I go to Nana's too and we all swim.

Yesterday Alyssa was unstoppable. She was jumping in, swimming and putting her whole head under the water while blowing out of her nose.

After swimming and a quick shower, it's to our house we go!!

Dinner, jammies, bed night snacks and hugs take longer than you think with three kids so it's early to bed!!

Madelynn sleeps in her own little toddler bed in my bedroom....unless I am a softy and let her sleep with me. It really is a 50/50 on that.

Who could seriously turn down the opportunity to snuggle with her?

I am about 90% finished with Alyssa's Halloween costume, 50% with Madelynn's and I haven't even started on Allison's.

I WILL get them finished by Halloween! I WILL get them finished by Halloween. I WILL get them finished by Halloween.

I hope! :)

Happy Thursday, ya'll.

Little Ladies

2011-08-03T22:21:00.003-05:00

It melts my heart to see my little girls wanting to help me so much in the kitchen and around the house. They ask me daily what we are having for dinner and if they can help cook/prepare it. If my reply is no, then they immediately follow up with "Well, how old do I have to be before I can help you with that?".

Love it!

I'm also so in love with Allison and her posing lately. It's either a pop of the hip or a cross of the leg. And is it just me or are these girls looking more and more like their Daddy everyday?

We've been chowing down on these bad boys for the last two days.

Yummm!

I'm getting a little anxious. We should find out where Johnathon's next duty station will be in the next few months. This is HUGE for us. Will we be close to family? Thousands of miles away? Will it be somewhere where Johnathon can get assigned to a ship next so we can eliminate another move? Will I have friends near by?

As much as these thoughts fill my mind, I just can't get over the fact that we will be a family again. That is what makes all of this worth it.

Myself Again

2011-08-02T20:45:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I am living a double life.

I have my life in California where I am nothing more than a stay-at-home mom to my beautiful girls. I cook, clean and plan fun outings for our family. I am my husbands number one supporter and I spend a huge chunk of my day taking the kids to the park and playing outside.

As fabulous as that life is, it gives me a lot of down time to miss my family and friends in Illinois.

Then I have my Illinois life. It's a fast pace life where I hardly have time to sit down, let alone clean or cook a meal for my family. My husband is gone so I am not only missing him, but picking up his normal duties in our family. I am no longer a stay-at-home mom, but working 5 days of the week. I have family dinners, school recitals, and everything else under the moon.

I feel like I live a double life and want nothing more than to have my two lives combine. It's been a rough journey of finding myself and my new role as a single working parent while Johnathon is away.

After work today, I really focused on my girls and some housework. I had a few family members over for dinner and finished up with homemade rice krispy treats. It was wonderful!!

I really feel like I am gaining a little bit of my 'California life' back. I feel as though I am making things work and figuring out our new 'normal'.

I am feeling like myself again.

Stream of Consciousness

2011-07-28T21:22:00.004-05:00

Just a warning ahead of time, there will be no pictures in this post. Sometimes I feel as though a post just isn't interesting without pictures so I choose not to post that day. Then before I know it, it's been a week since I took a single picture.

*sigh*

It's a never ending cycle!!

We are all doing fabulous! I'm staying busy at work, prepping for our first year of homeschool, hand sewing three Halloween costumes, planning a second birthday party and getting giddy over the fact that Johnathon gets a few days leave this Fall!!

Yep, we just found out that everyone aboard the USS Makin Island will be given a few days of leave at some point before the deployment. I'm excited for a few reasons...

1. I will be flying out to California to spend a few alone days with him before we drive back to Illinois.

2. While I am in California, one of my friends will either be about to pop or have just given birth to her first child, a beautiful little girl!!

3. Because we are driving back, I will FINALLY have my car!

4. Obviously I am over the moon that Johnathon will get to see his girls one last time. They miss him dearly.

Breaking the news to them that he was coming home was amazing. They gave me a funny look at first as if I was playing a mean trick and then almost at the same time, Alyssa and Allison threw their arms around my neck and squealed!! Madelynn still doesn't completely understand, but I know she will be thrilled.

You are hearing it here first, folks...my kids are growing gills. Yep, they must be! They spend every waking moment in the pool. Alyssa likes to swim forward while Allison likes to lay on her back and kick. I just love watching them learn and grow. This is what I always dreamed motherhood would be like.

I watch as the girls are spreading their wings and branching out as young ladies, and yet my heart melts when they come crying to me with a scratch that only mommy's kiss can heal. It's wonderful!!

For those of you who are wondering, my mom is doing quite well. She again shows her amazing strength and ability to look at the positive in every situation. The time has come for her to make a decision about her hair and it's rapid loss. Another post. Another day.

I would love to continue my ramblings, but duty calls. My particular duty tonight: LAUNDRY!

Homeschool

2011-07-23T13:33:00.003-05:00

As we begin this fabulous homeschool journey, I wanted to take a moment to share my feelings on why we chose to be a homeschooling family, what curriculum we chose to use and countless other topics on the subject.

If you are anything like I was a few years ago, then you are seriously uneducated on the whole idea of homeschooling. For me, it was intimidating to even think of such an idea. It wasn't until I noticed a few friends of mine starting to speak out about their decision to homeschool that I realized...this may be the best idea yet!!

It's very important to me that I start off by saying that we are in no way 'anti-public school'. Johnathon and I both attended public school and turned out just fine. Our decision mainly stems from the fact that we are (and will continue to be) a military family. That unfortunately means lots of moving and new schools. I knew that is not what I wanted for my children. It was also about this time when my niece, Emma, was caught kissing a boy in kindergarten. I suddenly had flashbacks to the conversations and stories that were told at school and on the bus. That was my moment! The moment that I knew we would homeschool the girls until we felt they had strong enough morals to not be swayed in a negative direction.

At the time I was a stay-at-home mom anyway, so the decision was an easy one to make. The idea that Johnathon and I would solely be accountable for molding our little ladies into young intelligent women was such a thrill. I dove into researching different methods and to be quite honest, it was too much information for me to take in so quickly. I decided that I wanted a very structured curriculum and ordered catalogs from websites that offered such. I know that may not be what's best for most families and they prefer a more laid back attitude, but that is just how I am. I needed schedule, detail and projects planned to the exact day that they would be done!! I know that life happens and not everything goes as planned so please save the lecture on how I need to relax. :) Thanks.

I finally settled on Sonlight. It's a christian based curriculum that includes Bible, History, Science, Reading, Writing, Math and so much more. All of the books have been carefully chosen to teach good morals and life lessons. It's fabulous.

I did buy our curriculum brand new and I know that is not an option for some families...we did so at tax time, 6 months early!!

Our already tiny dinning room has been transformed into our 'learning room' and each of the girls has their own desk. My plan occupy Madelynn with a fun game at the table while I go through the days lessons with the twins. It's going to be a challenge, but one that I am so excited for.

I have also added a new tab at the top of the page for those of you interested in knowing what we are up to week-by-week. We don't start for a few weeks, but week one is already posted!!

Would You? Could You?

2011-07-19T08:23:00.000-05:00

Has anyone else seen that documentary, "8 Boys and Wanting a Girl"?

It follows a few women who want so badly to have a baby of a certain sex after only having the opposite.

So I ask you this...

Would you? Could you?

Assuming you have the money to do so and you already have at least one child of the opposite sex, would you go through a round of IVF to have that other child?

Many refer to it as 'family balancing', other claim that it's 'playing God' and I would love to hear what everyone has to say on the matter.

Miss Audrinna is ONE!!

2011-07-18T19:48:00.000-05:00

It feels like just yesterday I was at the hospital watching this little girl being born. Seeing her adorably dark hair and button nose...

on the 15th, she turned ONE!!

Nana & Madelynn...

There is something so sweet about the two of them. Something that is very hard to put into words. They are two people with the same spirit and soul. They are one in the same and I am so thankful for that. I know that when Madelynn is older, we will have a friendship like my mother and I do now. It gives me peace that I will still have a little piece of my mom in Madelynn.

I just love this picture of Audrinna and Madelynn.

I can't help but think of our little ladies in 16 years when they are getting ready for prom or going on double dates. They are only 9 months apart, much like my sister and I, and I know they will be great friends.

Can we just take a moment and acknowledge how big Alyssa & Allison are getting.

And how beautifully they are being big girls.

On a side note...I think my foot may be broken.

Or it was broken.

Or something is wrong!!

My husband and I were lifting 4 pieces of plywood a few weeks ago and I tripped over a box of screws (let's not go into detail. haha) and all 4 pieces of plywood crashed down on the top of my foot.

I brushed it off and excused the pain over the next few days as I just didn't give it time to rest.

You see, the problem now is that after a long shift at work, I can hardly put pressure on my foot. It's noticeably swollen and you can feel that something is just 'off'.

Busy

2011-07-18T15:20:00.004-05:00

We've sure been busy lately!!

I'm working 5 days a week, getting our homeschool stuff organized, planning a 2nd birthday party for my littlest love and taking the girls swimming almost daily!!

I'm exhausted.

Alyssa, Madelynn & Allison at the splash park.

Emma has been spending the night so much that we now refer to her as my fourth child. She likes to come over and play house with the girls. She does their hair and gets them to follow her around the house...she loves it!!

Madelynn is still as ornery as ever.

She is the creator of madness and the destructor of everything around her.

She's my precious baby!!

My mom has started to lose her hair. It's been a slow journey that seems to by picking up pace as each day passes. She seems to be okay with this change and is embracing it as well as could be expected. For me, it's hard to watch.

It's something that we all knew was coming, but now that it is here, it all seems so unreal.

Her second round of chemo is this Friday.

Alyssa and Allison have been soaking up every second of Summer by spending their days in my parent's pool. It's a little bitter sweet for me though. I love seeing them so independent and watching them grow right in front of my eyes, but it's hard to see them beginning to not need me as much. They wear a life vest with an extra strap between their legs along with arm floaties and they are able to kick their feet and swim all on their own. They love it!!

Breathing

2011-07-03T09:49:00.002-05:00

Thanks for all of the support over the last week. It's been a rough journey this far and it's is a breath of fresh air to know that everyone is so supportive and kind. Ya'll mean the world to me.

Mom's chemo went very well on Friday and she is still going strong. The chemo center is set up a lot like her dialysis unit and people come in shifts. Four people at 8:15, four more at 10...and so on. The nurses were very friendly and made the whole experience a good one. They answered all of our questions and ensured us that they were there for us and that they were ready to fight right alone with my mom. It was sweet.

The first hour and a half was all pre-medication for the nausea. After that, they gave her the chemo medicine, Adriamycin and Cytoxan. My mom handled it like a champ. In fact, I was the baby that day. When they sat down to talk about the side effects they said very matter of factly, "You WILL love your hair". Obviously I spoke up and asked when they thought that might happen. Her response was that the medication was so aggressive that my mom's hair should start falling out as soon as one week from that day. I lost it.

I had my weak moment.

I pulled myself together.

I was strong for my mom.

Today, my mom and I are taking the kids to the local splash park here in town. I'm sure we'll grab Subway or something for lunch and just enjoy this beautiful Summer afternoon.

No appointments for two whole days. No dialysis. No chemo.

We are finally able to breathe.

The girls are coping pretty well about Johnathon being gone. They tell me everyday that they miss him, but they seem to understand why he is gone...or as much as a 4 year old can.

Last night Alyssa asked me why her Daddy was always at work, but the other little girls at the fireworks had their dad's with them. It was hard to hear and my throat formed a lump before I answered, "Sweetheart, this holiday is EXACTLY why your daddy can't be here with you ALL of the time."

I know she doesn't understand what that means, but it was a huge eye opener for me.

Madelynn is officially sleeping in my bed. I can 100% look back and remember the EXACT moment that she refused to sleep in her own bed...the day her Daddy came home to visit.

Now here I am, stuck with a 19 month old who refuses to sleep anywhere but in my bed.

It's alright for the moment. I kind of enjoy the company.

As soon as things slow down a little we will be starting a little sleep training. I'm thinking a toddler bed in my bedroom may be our best bet at this time seeing as how she knows how to climb out of her crib. We'll see.

Not Okay

2011-06-29T16:24:00.003-05:00

I am typically very strong and quiet when it comes to my emotions and my typical response to someone is always..."I'm good" or "I'm okay"

My mom starts chemotherapy on Friday for an unknown amount of time...
I'm NOT okay

My husband recently left for over a year and even if I were to see him again soon, it would be for a day or two and only once...
I'm NOT okay

My 19 month old will not sleep in her own bed and knows how to both climb out of her bed and open doors. I'm exhausted...
I'm NOT okay

Our bank decided to stop letting their customers use our debit cards in the state of California. Umm, my husband lives there temporarily and is now without access to any money. Somehow I am supposed to find a single spare moment to switch banks, all of our automatic payments and whatever else...
I'm NOT okay

I am in extreme pain anytime I am on my period or ovulate. This has been going on for months and I put it off assuming it was just a cyst and would go away. To my defense, I had other things going on. Now it is so bad that it takes me to the floor and puts me in tears every two weeks. I'm getting scared but simply don't have the time to find a new PCM in my po-dunk area and get seen...
I'm NOT okay

I'm having a week moment...err, MONTH...and I feel like the walls around me are caving in, and quick! I'm tired, stressed and feel so alone. I know I am loved and there are people all around me, but there is just one person who could make me feel better and he is 2000 miles away. I'm spinning and can't stop.

For just a second I would like to get off of this roller coaster and forget about everything that is going on around me.

How dare I complain? I'm not the one with cancer...I am not heading out to sea for months...my problems seem so small compared to what those around me are dealing with. I feel like a horrible person to complain at all.

I'm NOT okay.

Happy Wednesday

2011-06-29T09:14:00.002-05:00

I started this post last night, but stopped midway to rock Madelynn to sleep. When duty calls, nothing else matters but my babies!!

I've posted pictures of the girls on their last two days of Vacation Bible School...even though that was over a week ago. My bad.

I caught Alyssa on the top bunk last night. She had used her night stand as a step and then had Allison help her. She thought it was awesome...I was less than thrilled.

Maybe this weekend we will try out them sleeping on the top bunk. It all just scares me a little.

Alyssa is mad at the Navy. She claims that she called her, (yes, she thinks the Navy is a female) and that the Navy said that Daddy could stay with us forever. She's upset!

Madelynn thinks that anyone who pulls into the driveway is her Daddy. It's sad to see her face when she realizes that it isn't.

Allison pretty much plays off of my emotions. If I can hold it together, then she is fine!

Mom Update:

Wednesday-oncologist appointment.

Thursday-PET scan.

Friday-PFT.

She keeps me busy, huh?!

Needed to Write...

2011-06-28T15:39:00.003-05:00

I've noticed myself writing blog posts in my head during my rare quiet moments. Writing calms me and helps me clear my head of the thousands of thoughts. The problem is that as soon as I sit down to journal it all, my mind goes blank. I guess that's a good thing, right?

My mom has her appointment with her oncologist tomorrow and I will be going with her. I'm nervous to hear what they have to say and what they will want her to do, but I am ready to get started. Something just doesn't feel right about sitting back and waiting while we figure things out. And that is exactly why we are having this appointment. Maybe we can get some sort of treatment started to stop the spread and shrink the cancer until my mom is ready for surgery again. Please pray that whatever their decision may be, it is one with minimal pain and maximum change!!

Two days down since Johnathon left and my house is only barely back to normal. I still have two loads of laundry and a sink full of dishes, but we are getting somewhere. My garage also looks 100 times better than it did just last week. I'm thinking that a garage sale is in the near future or maybe a HUGE trip to Goodwill. Regardless, this Momma is getting rid of a ton of junk!!

I've really been feeling my heart being pulled in the direction of volunteering. Maybe for church, or just something around town. I just feel like I need to, like I am being called to. We'll see what turns up with that.

Alyssa and Allison are so dramatic lately...in a good way. Everything is very, totally, forever, of course, fabulous...they are having a vocabulary boom in such an amazing way. They are so descriptive and detailed. I love it! Coloring is their activity of choice and they are getting so good at staying in the lines. They still like to use 10 colors for a simple shirt, but it's inside the lines nonetheless. I also can't get them off of their bikes. They still ride with training wheels of course, but they go around and around in circles in the garage while I clean and organize.

For the first time in my motherhood, I am separating and packing away the girls' Winter clothes. I've only lived in California while I've had children and we have only used Summer clothing. I noticed something was off when I could no longer fit anything in their closet. This is something new to me. I will have two huge tubs full of clothing to put away in the garage tonight. With any luck, the girls will still be able to fit most of it this Fall.

I think that's about it for now...

Knowing the way I feel, don't be surprised if there is another post later tonight. If you're lucky, I'll post pictures!! :)

Finding Normal

2011-06-28T09:52:00.002-05:00

I'm doing my best to adjust now that Johnathon has left, but I guess it will always be a work in progress. I don't think anyone could ever like having their husband away for so long, but I have somehow learned to accept it. It is our life and this is how it must me. I am needed here and as hard as it is, I couldn't live with myself if I wasn't here at this moment. My light at the end of the tunnel is knowing that as soon as this deployment is over we will be a family again.

Madelynn had a rough time falling asleep last night. On my last attempt to lay her down, I quietly gave her a kiss and shut the door. A few minutes later I decided I should crack the door and check on her...now that she knows how to climb out of her crib. That when I heard the snoring as the door wouldn't open more than an inch. My baby had climbed out of her crib and fallen asleep in front of the door. I tried to snooze a little on the couch, but at 2am I woke her up and took her to bed with me. Getting her back on track will be a challenge, but nothing I can't handle.

It was a fabulous 8:30am wake-up this morning. I loved it!! We had breakfast and even got to visit with Aunt Becka and Uncle Josh before they headed home.

I work in an hour and the girls are headed to my mom's house for the afternoon. They really look forward to that and their time with their cousins!!

I know, I'm a total slacker with taking pictures lately. It is what it is. :)

Everything

2011-06-27T20:16:00.002-05:00

Johnathon left yesterday after a fabulous 12 day stay here in Illinois. I have so many emotions that it is hard to organize them all into a sentence so I will leave it at...I'm sad. Very, very sad.

More importantly, today we celebrated Alyssa & Allison's 4th birthday!! We did cake both on father's day and last Friday. We were able to not only celebrate with both sides of the family, but with Daddy too!! We opted to get the girls a set of bunk beds for their birthday and so far they are a HIT!! We make them both sleep on the bottom for now, but they are very anxious to try out the top.

Madelynn's sleep schedule is O-F-F....enough said.

I've been working a lot lately and I am loving it. It's usually just a few hours in the afternoon and I'm able to have a little money in my pocket everyday when I leave. What's better than that? I thought that it would be harder on me to leave the girls, but surprisingly there is no guilt.

I spent the majority of my day outside with the girls. They were able to play while I unpacked more boxes and organized the zillions on piles of crap that we do not need. It's my plan to sort through it all, get rid of half and organize the rest. I'm sure this will keep me busy and my mind clear while Johnathon is away.

I'm glad July is a slow and easy month...I need that.

My mom is doing good. We went to Chicago and they want her to get a PET scan done, MRI of the brain, pulmonary function test, and wear her new cpap machine for at least 2-4 weeks before we schedule anything further. They are even throwing around the idea of chemotherapy. I'll do my best to continue to write about her journey, after all, it's sure to be a long one.

I'm exhausted and I have a 19 month old who refuses to sleep without her Daddy around.

G'night!

VBS and Working Again

2011-06-15T21:31:00.004-05:00

Yes, you read that correctly...I started my job this week!!

I was a little nervous to be honest, but it's been great. I'm a little bummed that I had to start while Johnathon is home (yep, he's here!!) but it's been a fabulous step in the right direction.

My little ladies have also been going to Vacation Bible School all week. I was originally supposed to help, but that's another thing that was affected with my going back to work. The girls are having a great time and making so many new friends.

Here they are on Monday.

Allison & Alyssa

Big hugs.

My loves on Tuesday.
Allison & Alyssa

Again on Wednesday.

Alyssa & Allison

More hugs.

Alyssa & Allison

I feel so blessed to have such wonderful little girls.

Alyssa & Allison

Their 4th birthday is coming up very quickly and I am NOT ready.

I've planned nearly NOTHING and I may end up boycotting it all together!!

It's very hard for me to accept that they will be four. Wasn't I just pregnant? Didn't I just have them 10 weeks early? Weren't we just in the NICU everyday cradling their itty bitty bodies?

It's been a journey, to say the least, and it makes me so proud to look back on the last four years with my ladies. They are everything I ever asked for!!

. . . . . . . .

My mom heads to Chicago on Wednesday of next week to consult with the doctors at NorthWestern. Wish us luck!!

Just Another Tuesday

2011-06-07T09:12:00.003-05:00

No, Johnathon isn't home. This random picture was from his last trip to Illinois. I just thought I would show proof that I do in fact have a husband. ;)

I'm pretty sure I'm over this whole 'We're strong, we can handle being long distance' thing. Don't get me wrong, it's soooo much better than a few months ago when the girls and I were in California and only seeing him once or twice a week, but this sucks too.

I'm just a cry baby, huh?

I suppose I am just ready to be a family again and actually be able see, touch and be with the man that I married. Long distance is a challenge, but if two people can do it, it's us. We seriously should write a book on the subject because we are able to maintain such a great relationship while doing it...minus the little tiff last night over Facebook. tehehe!!

My mom is still in the hospital but doing fabulously!! She is getting her temporary chest catheter placed today at 1pm and then we will figure out when she can go home. Hopefully that will be soon.

Johnathon will be here exactly one week from today and I couldn't be happier. The girls ask me 'How much longer, Mommy?' every.single.night.

The girls? Oh, they are great. After a few rough nights, Madelynn slept 11 straight hours last night and only woke because Allison was yelling 'Mooooooooooommy, where arrrrrrrrrrrrre you?' at 7am this morning. Thanks Allie-gator!!

The twins only seem to want to color lately. Their other toys seem boring, I guess. My little Madster is like my shadow and just enjoys following me around and doing what I do. I pulled up a chair the other day and let her help me with the dishes, AKA: play in the bubbles and splash me!! She loved it.

I broke my favorite serving tray. :( It was this dark plum purple and I used it for everything. I'm currently on the hunt to replace it. It's depressing!

I've been making hair bows like a crazy person. I currently have almost 200 of every size and color you could imagine. I just haven't had the time to photograph them all and put them up on Facebook yet. Sorry! I did add a link to the Facebook page under the header. If you ever need a cute and cheap bow...you know where to go! :)

I think making the bows was the only way to keep my mind clear while everything was going on with my mom. It really helped to have something to focus on.

Homeschooling starts in a few weeks and I am starting to FREAK OUT! I've always had a fear that I would be inadequate at teaching my children. I'll be pulling out the curriculum soon and making copies of our worksheets, pre-reading some of the books, figuring out coordinating craft projects and preparing myself for this next chapter in our lives. I pray it all works out. I'm really looking forward to this.

I've asked my dad to build us a set of 3 little lockers and I am very excited about that. Each girl will have their own little cubby to place their backpacks, which will be full of current projects that they are working on and any color pages (or the like) that I give them for 'homework'. The girls see their cousins going to school and wearing backpacks, getting homework and riding the bus. They keep asking me when they will get to do all of that and I feel bad every time I say, 'Sweetie, you aren't going to public school. Remember, Mommy will be your teacher.' It's important to me to make sure that they don't grow up resenting me or wishing that they had gotten to experience certain things.

I can give them backpacks, no matter how unnecessary they are. I can give them homework, no matter how redundant that may seem. I even told them that one year they may be able to ride the bus to vacation bible school just for fun!! It seems to be working for the moment.

I bought a new book the other day, Married to the Military. It's a fantastic book for anyone who is dating or married to a man in the military. It's for all branches so it is very general and touches base on everything. A lot of it I knew, a lot of it I didn't know. It's educational, easy to read and sometimes it's just nice to see and hear someone acknowledge what you do for your husband/family.

Enough for now. xoxo

May Days

2011-06-04T14:52:00.004-05:00

My hometown holds a carnival every year, May Days. Lucky for us, Johnathon was here to go with us and see the girls ride their first rides as big girls.

Here are my little ladies on our way to the carnival.

{Allison & Alyssa}

Madelynn was a little less than thrilled to be sitting in the stroller while her sisters got to play, but she was a trooper.

The first ride was a series of race cars that whirled around a track. They chose to sit together and looooved it!

Can you believe they will be 4 in a few weeks?

My daring little ones then decided to talk me into letting them ride the 'bus ride'...I, of course, said yes.

Imagine my shock when it started to go very high and my girls decided to look over the side.

Up and up they went.

This momma was F.R.E.A.K.I.N.G out at this point in the ride.

I kept yelling at them to sit down and hold on tight. They must have thought I was crazy.

Aren't I though? :p

We had a blast as a family and I know the girls were thrilled that their daddy was able to be there.

Here We Go Again

2011-06-02T10:05:00.002-05:00

It was my intention to post an update on my mom's last surgery so you could all understand the details of what happened. That never happened. Instead, life happened!

Johnathon came home the Sunday that my mom's tube was removed. She then spent 8 more days in the hospital only to be discharged the day that Johnathon flew back to California. Having him here was a huge blessing. She had two fractured ribs and a scratchy throat, but appeared to be fine and strong. She also came home on oxygen for a little extra help. She was doing great.

Over the next week and half we had numerous lunch dates and she even attended my little sisters graduation. We shared many long talks about what could have happened that day and the possibilities of what the future could bring. We were emotional babies and cried at the drop of a hat, but we also learned to keep our sense of humor and do our best to make each other laugh.

They scheduled my mom's second surgery for Wednesday, June 1st. It was another early morning followed by the same tests and needle pokes. This time, however, they inserted a central line in her neck and an art line in her wrist. The art line would be her lifesaver in surgery as it was able to inform the doctors that her blood pressure was dropping before it was too late. Unlike last time, they were able to fix the problem before she coded, resulting in no additional cracked ribs...the silver lining? The art line is able to record a persons blood pressure with every beat of the heart. It is also able to show how wet or dry her vessels are...a dialysis thing. All of these factors are they assumed was the problem last time.

Being informed that the doctor wants a consult is now my number one fear. So many thoughts run around your head and you can't help but think of all the possibilities. It's hard.

I found that this time around was much harder than the last for the simple fact that I don't feel like I fully recovered emotionally from the last surgery. Just seeing her laying on the bed fully sedated with a breathing tube was enough to put me over the edge. I guess the fact that I had been sick with the stomach flu the 24 hours leading up to the surgery didn't help either. I wanted to scream when I saw her. I wanted to get mad and throw a fit. Instead all I could do was remain numb. Numb to all feelings.

I've said it before, but I often feel like I am on the verge of a serious mental breakdown. It's like the tears are just waiting to be let out of the flood gates. My emotions are sky high and I simply can't take one more second. You see, that's how I feel on the inside, but instead everyone sees a strong and even mannered face on the outside; someone who can handle anything and make things happen. I hear it all the time, 'you are so strong' or 'I don't know how you do it'. Well, I don't know how I do it either and I am not nearly as strong as everything thinks. It's just as if how I am feeling and how I am acting aren't the same. My only option is to be strong. I have to be strong for my mom who can't be right now. She needs to rest and focus on getting better so I will be her strength. I hold all of her information in my head and act like a computer spitting out details of her medical history to anyone who needs to know. I will make the phone calls to her loved ones and keep them updated. I will be at her bedside when she opens her eyes. And I will be there to answer any and all of her questions when she is ready to ask. Most importantly, I will be there to support her when the doctors say it's time to go at it again. I will be her rock!

We aren't 100% sure what our next step will be with the cancer. The bottom line is that we need to get it out of her, and soon. Now we just have the problem of how to do it. A lot of options have been floating around. Do we give her chemo before surgery hoping that it will shrink them enough to do a lumpectomy on all three spots? Will she then also have to do a series of radiation just to be on the safe side? Or will she even need a second dose of chemo? What if the cancer has spread? What then? There are just so many unknowns.

To make matters worse, we found out today that her dialysis graft has clotted and she will be receiving a temporary catheter until a new graft can be put in. The only problem with that is I am not sure where they will put it. We also learned that she has pneumonia. :( *sigh*

Sometimes I just sit back and wonder why? Why would God put her through all of this? Is there a reason? I would sure like to know what that is. Are we supposed to be learning something from all of this? Then what? Because all I feel is fear. All I know is that every time my mom goes into a hospital for a routine surgery, it ends in a few week stay and many other problems than before. I can't help but feel angry and I know I shouldn't feel that way. It's just I feel like I pray every second of every day and things like this still happen. I know there is a reason for everything, but when is enough, enough? I guess I am just dealing with a little bit of doubt here. Don't get me wrong, I believe in God with all of my heart. However, it's only after someone goes through everything that I have experienced with my mom over the years that I start to ask 'why'?

I guess in a twisted way I should be thankful that she made it through, right? I suppose she could have died, but instead He let her live. Am I then selfish to say that I would rather Him do this to her a million more time than to take her from me? It is selfish, right?

All I do know is that this has been very hard on me and I'm not sure how much more I can take emotionally. If that is how I feel, imagine how my mom will feel when they wake her up and take out her breathing tube this afternoon.

Tomorrow

2011-05-31T16:06:00.003-05:00

My mom's surgery is tomorrow and I can't help but be completely nervous. The realization of how close we were to losing her last time is almost too much to think about. The doctors are taking certain measures to watch her more closely, but there is nothing to prevent her from coding again. It's hard.

My mind instantly goes to the 'what if's and possibilities. I'm hoping that after a nice talk with my mom and a restful nights sleep, I will be ready in the morning.

Once again, your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated at this time. If not only for her making it safely through her surgery tomorrow, but also that the cancer has not spread.

It is often hard to remember that she does still have cancer. After everything we have been through this month, I keep forgetting that it was cancer that got us here in the first place.

My grandma and I...love her.

Here is also a picture of my sister at her graduation.

The girls and I had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend and hope you all did as well.

I will do my best to keep everyone updated tomorrow.

Guess Who Surprised Us??

2011-05-30T07:01:00.000-05:00

A few Sundays ago, as my mom was still in the hospital, I headed to a bridal shower for my sister-in-law. It was a hard day for me as it was also the day that they doctors removed my mom's breathing tube and started to lower her sedation. It had been an emotionally draining week and someone picked up on my feelings.

Without saying a word to anyone...ANYONE at all...my husband arranged emergency leave and secretly flew into Chicago where he got a rental car and drove the last 3 hours home and walked into the shower to surprise everyone.

Do I know how to pick them or what? :)

He was able to spend 10 long days with us and be there for me when I needed him the most. He is such an amazing husband and father.

Graduation Day

2011-05-29T07:52:00.000-05:00

Today I will watch my youngest sister, Susan, graduate from High School.

This is her two weeks ago at her senior prom...

I first met Susan when she was 5 years old and she has been my baby ever since. We don't talk much anymore because I am often many miles away. She is an amazing aunt to my girls and they love her sooo much!

Susan clearly is not my biological sister, but God had other plans and gracefully placed her in my life. I thank him everyday for that!!

Congratulations, Susan!!

I am so proud of you! xoxo

Gazing...

2011-05-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

...at the stars with Papa.

We're making so many memories in Illinois!

Breanna's Concert

2011-05-28T17:13:00.002-05:00

Thankyou.Thankyou.Thankyou.

Your prayers and concern have been extremely appreciated over the last few weeks as my mom has healed and returned home from the hospital. Her surgery has been rescheduled for Wednesday, June 1st...more on that later.

. . . . . . . . .

This post is a little late, but I just had to share and brag about my adorable niece, Breanna.

She is ending her year in the 2nd grade and her school put on a Spring concert.

She's the cute cabbage in the middle!

My parents came to support!!

Me too!

This is Breanna's little sister, Emma.

♥her

She did a fantastic job and we are all so proud of the little lady she is becoming.

She Coded

2011-05-13T14:31:00.003-05:00

I've watched so many cars come and go today as I've sat looking out of my mom's ICU hospital room window. A person's experience at the hospital can be so vastly different from the person standing next to them. Someone could be having a baby while someone else is here to say good-bye to a dieing grandparent. Someone could simply be getting some blood drawn while someone else is in the fourth month of their long hospital stay. Unfortunately, I have endured most of the above with my mother. To explain to you her medical history would take a whole afternoon, so instead I will jump to her bilateral mastectomy that was scheduled for Thursday, May 12th.

It was an early morning for us as 5:45am came a little early and we had a groggy start. I drove to the hospital with my mom, knowing she was anxious about this life changing surgery. Would it be successful? Would we find out today that she was only beginning her battle with cancer? I did my best to talk non-stop and keep her mind busy on silly things, like the upcoming bridal shower I was planning or what silly gift I would get my daughters for their 4th birthday next month. She saw right past my little scheme, but allowed me to babble anyway.

The process of getting her ready for surgery moved along pretty quickly. They got her in a gown and we sat in the surgical staging unit Kent, the minister of pastoral care at our church, arrived to pray with us. It was a wonderful morning and my mom was in great spirits, keeping us laughing the entire time. From there we headed down to nuclear medicine, a typical procedure for anyone having a mastectomy (or even a lumpectomy). Piece of cake!!

It wasn't long before they wheeled her up to the operating room. This is where we said our well wishes and promised her that all would be okay and that we would be waiting for her when she woke up. Luckily for my dad, a surgical technician at the same hospital, he was allowed to follow my mom back and hold her hand until the last minute. As soon as he walked into the waiting room, the phone rang. They had gotten my mom to sleep and everything was looking perfect.

We were a little surprised when the phone rang again 10 minutes later. Had they gotten the results of the sentinel node biopsy already? They were quick! My dad and I walked into the other room and began discussing what they could possibly be telling us. What if it has spread? Surely they wouldn't come out this soon if everything looked good. This must be bad news, I had convinced myself.

Dr. W walked in and sat down. The look on her face was one of fear and her eyes told a story of someone who had bad news to deliver. "Frank" she said to my dad, "I just want you to know that we got her stats back up and she is doing fine."

There was a small silence for a moment. What did she mean that they got her stats BACK up?

"Frank" she said again with sorrow in her eyes, "She coded."

Anything after that is much of a blurr for me. The floor I had been standing on, the couch I had been sitting on...all of it, was ripped out from under me and my chest got heavy.

'They got her stats back up. They revived her. She is alive.' I kept repeating those three little sentences over and over again in my mind.

Without going into too much detail, they ran some tests, checked her heart for damages, ran CT scans of her head and chest...all came back normal. They moved her to the ICU where she is still, after 24 hours, heavily sedated and intubated. She wakes up occasionally and quickly gets angered by her arm restraints that are keeping her from ripping out her breathing tube. the medicine is making her groggy and she unable to remember anything when she wakes. For her, every time she opens her eyes is the first time and she expects to see a flat chest and hear the news of her cancer. It is my job to calm her and reassure her that it will all be okay. I rub her arm and smooth her hair as I look into her eyes. She wants so badly to talk and ask questions, I know this is a challenge for her.

I can only hope that the sight of me brings her a little piece as she lays in that bed unable to move, talk or communicate in any way.

She is doing dialysis right now, in her room, and sometime tonight they should begin to extubate her. With any luck, she will be awake and talking to us at this time tomorrow.

I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who have been praying over my mother today. We feel your love and thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. A special thanks to my mom's best friend, Lu, who sat with us all day yesterday and offered to get us whatever was needed. You were our angel. To my in-laws who are braving the task of watching my three little ones while I am at the hospital. You have been nothing short of a blessing in my life. Thank you.

I will update whenever possible, please feel free to ask questions as I am sure I left something out.

New Furniture

2011-05-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

I am so in love with my new furniture and I just had to share it with you all.

Here is my new 'chair and a half'.

My couch and ottoman.

Perfection, huh?!

I know...my walls are bare and there is no other furniture. I know! Hopefully it will be arriving any day now.

I'm so anxious to show everyone pictures of my apartment, but I just can't bring myself to do that without the rest of my stuff here first. Hang with me and I promise not to disappoint.

xoxo

Royalty

2011-05-07T08:50:00.002-05:00

This, my friends, is how I spent my day watching the royal wedding last week.

Of course, Alyssa was the princess and Allison was the 'king' as they said.

Bedroom Ideas

2011-04-30T11:51:00.003-05:00

As much as I hate to admit it, my babies are growing up and they keep asking me when they are going to get 'big girl beds' like their cousins.

{sigh}

Their cribs turn into full size beds, but we obviously don't have room for that at the moment so two ideas are running through my head.

Either a bed with a trundle (my original idea) or bunk beds.

After thinking about it for a few weeks, I'm starting to wonder if a bed with a trundle is even a good idea. We would have to pull the bed out everyday for nap and then again for bed at night...more work for an already stressed out momma. Please don't even suggest that I leave the trundle out all day long...not going to happen.

Soooo...here are the bunk beds that I like.

via walmart.com

They are from Wal-Mart online and only cost $249. I've read the reviews and it looks like 90% of the people are really happy with their purchase.

I also love that we can separate the beds when we move into a larger house next year.

Thoughts?

Ideas?

. . . . . . .

I bought the most perfect mirror at a rummage sale yesterday and I can't wait to show you the before/after pictures of what I have planned.

Good and fun things are happening!

Mommy Moment...and a few other things.

2011-04-26T18:48:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday was an amazing day.

The twins wanted to spend the night with their Nana and my niece Emma, having the next day off of school, wanted to spend the night with me.

Perfect!!

I only had an 18 month old and a well-behaved 6 year old. SCORE!

By the time Friday afternoon arrived I made the mistake of assuming it was okay to lay down on the couch and 'rest my eyes'.

I sat up suddenly after a few minutes and decided I should probably call and check-up on my girls. That's when it happened.

I couldn't find me phone.

I went crazy and turned my entire house upside down. Cushions were thrown, toys were scattered, my voice was raised. My ONLY phone was missing.

Getting a little burnt out on searching for a tiny phone, I decided I would take a break and use the restroom.

There, in the toilet, was my new pack of bobby pins. WONDERFUL, I thought. Emma had used the restroom and not only did she not shut the bathroom door, but she didn't flush. Even more wonderful! I reluctantly reached down and grabbed the bobby pins...

That when I saw it.

My phone.

My phone...in the toilet...an unflushed toilet...for over an hour.

Madelynn has stolen my phone and thrown it in the toilet in the few minutes that I had closed my eyes.

My phone has yet to turn back on.

WARNING: This is the part where I complain. :p

I am officially boycotting any teeth brushing that is not my own. Twice a day, everyday I brush 4 sets of teeth. That's 8 times a day!! It's exhausting and annoying! I would love to go one day without tooth paste on my shoulder/chest from holding the girls in such a way to get their back teeth. Just thinking of our bedtime routine tonight makes me want to SCREAM!

In case I haven't mentioned it before, my laundry room is in my garage. No problem, right? WRONG! To get to my garage I have to walk outside because there is no door connecting my house to my garage. When you have three small children, one of whom screams if I leave the room, it's a challenge.

My furniture is STILL in California. Enough said.

Thank you so much for all of the comments and emails about my mom's cancer. I really appreciate all of the kind words and you will never know the amount of hope it gives me.

It still seems so unreal.

As much as I think that I am handling it well, the "what if"s are starting to sink it. Is the unknown harder to handle than knowing? At least then we will have a game plan. I feel as if we are wasting time and it would do wonders to know if I was worrying for a reason or not.

A double mastectomy is scary, but the thought of the cancer spreading is just too much to bare.

Please continue to pray as the next two week are sure to be hard and full of needed information.

xoxo

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T10:07:00.005-05:00

The girls and I had a fabulous Easter this year.

This is what they woke up to that morning.

And this is what quickly happened!!

They were very excited...especially this little lady!

Church was amazing and the message really hit home. It was all about doubt and they even brought out the 'C' word...cancer. It was emotional and much needed.

I hid a few eggs in my back yard and let the girls go crazy.

We had our fair share of meltdowns. You know, the usual 'You stole my candy'...'No, it's my candy'.

I did manage to capture this great shot of my mom and Alyssa.

xoxo

It Is What It Is...

2011-04-22T06:02:00.001-05:00

I've sat here staring at a blank screen for almost 15 minutes now. Unsure on what to say and how to say it, so I just will...

My mom has breast cancer.

Let me start from the beginning. About a week after I arrived in Illinois, my mom starting mentioning a sharp pain in her left breast. She would chalk it up as a simple pain caused by her many grandchildren climbing up and down her all day long. I urged her to schedule a mammogram. To be honest, it took her a week or two to make the call, but it was finally done.

Wednesday, April 6th was the day. No big deal.

On Friday, April 8th we heard from the doctor. They had found a few calcium deposits, but that is normal for a dialysis patient like herself. However, they also found 4 'suspicious' lumps on her left breast and they referred her to a surgeon right away.

The afternoon of Monday, April 11th had us in Dr. Kathy Widerborg's office. She explained a few possibilities, took a small sample of tissue from the largest lump and made us an appointment for an ultrasound guided biopsy on Wednesday. Things were moving quickly.

Wednesday, April 13th was a long day. My mom had blood drawn at the lab to check her levels (she takes blood thinners for dialysis) and then it was off to her appointment. There must have been a miscommunication somewhere because this office only had her down for an ultrasound and nothing more. A little irritated, we rescheduled for Friday.

We traveled to Morton on Thursday, April 14th for a minor surgery on my mom's arm...unrelated, but still important.

Friday, April 15th my mom had a second mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy of 3 out of 4 lumps in her left breast.

Four days later on April 19th, we went back to Dr. Widerborg's office (the surgeon) where we were sat down and informed that not only did my mom have cancer, but ALL her 'suspicious' areas were indeed cancer.

We learned a lot of other things that day. Things that I am not ready to announce to the world. Things that are going to take time to sink in.

I'm very much still in shock!

We won't know until her surgery if the cancer has spread and it won't be until then that we will know exactly what this journey will be like.

I'm pretty quiet about my feelings on this, but they are there. I AM upset. I AM scared. I even feel sick to my stomach on most days. I'm handling it. I may not cry on the shoulder of everyone I see or know, but this is my way of dealing with it.

It's not just my mom that has cancer...it's my best friend. She's my first call in the morning and {usually} my last call before bed. She the one I call first when something big happens or when I need advice. She's the one I ask for opinions before I make an important decision. She knows my good, my bad and my very ugly! It's not the journey of fighting the cancer that scares me, it's the thought of living one single day without my mom.

I cannot imagine not being able to pick up the phone and hearing her voice. I cannot imagine a day without seeing her face. I cannot imagine my babies growing up without her in their lives.

For years I have lived with the fear that my mom will die young and far too early. With her polycystic kidneys, I've known the fear of having a sick mom my whole life. I've learned to live with these feelings and it became my new 'normal'. I guess with her diagnosis last week, all of those emotions have made their way back. I'm now more scared than I have been in years.

Everyday I tell my mom...It is what it is. Let's not live for yesterday, but for today. One test at a time, one day at a time, one breath at a time. We will fight this. We will destroy this.

My mom has breast cancer.

Many of you probably remember me mentioning breast cancer just a few months back when my mother-in-law was diagnosed. Yes, both my mother and my husbands mother were diagnosed within 4 months of each other. I am so happy to announce that she had her last day of radiation yesterday and has beat this battle!!

We are just one big family full of 'boobie cancer', as the twins call it!!

Mommy Moment

2011-04-18T10:07:00.001-05:00

I just spent the last hour trying to figure out why my bathroom reeked of urine.

I scrubbed the toilet.

I scrubbed the floor around the toilet.

I lit candles.

I sprayed air freshener.

Finally stumped, I shut the door and sat down putting my head in my hands.

Great! Now I'm going to forever be known to my family and friends as the weirdo with the stinky bathroom!

That's when I noticed it.

The diaper.

The nasty {probably week old} diaper that has been hiding behind my bathroom door.

I'm seriously disgusted with myself.

HOW could I have let this happen?

I will be living with my consequences until I can find away to remove the stench!! :(

Oops...mommy moment!

Oh, Madelynn!

2011-04-18T08:16:00.000-05:00

Madelynn, you are something else!

You hardly ever stop smiling and you have mastered climbing up things that are 4 times your size and then JUMPING off.

You keep me on my toes and force me to be an active, always evolving parent with a clean house. If I wasn't all of these things, you would terrorize me!

The fact of the matter is, I just can't get enough of your silly laughs and chubby cheeks.

Darlin', I love you so much I could just eat you with a spoon.

So it comes as no surprise that when these two little girls took your spot on the couch and wouldn't let you see what they were doing on Zoodles, you freaked!

I'm starting to see this more and more lately.

One minute you're my happy babe and next,

you are this.

And this. Sometimes this.

But usually this.

I don't mind.

I learn to live with it.

You see, I'm smart enough to know that it won't last long and soon my little Maddie Jane, girl with the constant smile, will be back soon.

And she always is!

I love you, Madelynn!

Just...

2011-04-16T19:56:00.001-05:00

...an average

fun & chaotic

evening in the

Stone house.

I can never know what our day will be like from one moment to the next.

What I DO know is...

If you can't have fun and make a mess when your little,

then when can you?

xoxo

Weekend Updates

2011-04-16T11:17:00.002-05:00

I was bored for about .5 seconds and decided to changes things up.

You like the new look?

It's been a busy week, to say the very least. Things went from fast paced to crazy in one phone call. I'm hoping to share more with you on why my life is so chaotic, but unfortunately it's not my story to tell. With any luck, you should know more by next week.

My family may need some serious prayers so I appreciate your patience.

In other news, my mom had a minor surgery on her arm this week, it went great.

My little ladies spent three straight nights with my in-laws. They loved it and I know that they are always showered with love while they are there. It makes for a happy mom who can focus on the tasks at hand while her kids are away. Thanks again, guys!! I hope you know how thankful I am and how much you are needed and loved.

After a week out to sea, Johnathon is on land and I got to talk to him. It was amazing and much needed. He is doing great and even staying in a friends guest house for free.

I just have to say how lucky we are to have such wonderful people in our lives.

The reality is starting to set in that our new apartment is 'home' for awhile. I just can't help but feel like I am staying in someone else's home. I guess it's only natural considering it technically IS someone else's house and 90% of the furniture is simply being borrowed until ours arrives from California...don't even get me started on that!! I have yet to make an emotional connection here and I am hoping that it happens soon. I feel a little lost in this place and I miss our house in California. I guess this is just another thing that all military wives must deal with and get used to.

It's an adjustment!

I am taking the girls to get their picture taken this week. Wish me luck!

Hopefully I will have something to pass out by Easter.

I recently picked up a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More and I can't even explain to you how nice it would have been to be able to read it BEFORE the twins were born. Unfortunately, it only came out in 2009.

My niece, Emma, spent the night with us last night. She is becoming such best friends with Alyssa and Allison. It just tickles me to watch them play.

As you've probably noticed, I've gone back to watermarking my pictures. I got lazy for awhile and when I didn't have time to add one, I posted the pictures anyway. It is my goal to not let that happen again. I need to protect my girls' privacy.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Just Your Usual Wednesday

2011-04-06T20:56:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday from central Illinois ya'll!!

It's been your typical Wednesday around here today. We started our day with a nice 7am wake-up call from Madelynn. I couldn't be too angry, she did sleep the whole night through. 20 minutes later my parents stopped by with breakfast {love them}.

Fast forward to lunch...Monicals with my mom and little ladies.

For those of you NOT from central Illinois, Monicals is only the most amazing pizza place EVER!

Somehow I talked my mom into going to a movie with me. We took my niece with us while my sister watched my girls. We saw Source Code...it was fabulous!!

After running to the store for a few groceries, I spent a little while outside playing with the girls. They were thrilled to bust out a new pack of sidewalk chalk and fresh bubbles.

As soon as we made our way inside, Madelynn began her word explosion. You know, where your child just starts saying new words and won't stop talking. It's like all of a sudden she had a new full vocabulary that I knew nothing about. I loved it.

Oh, and let's not forget the almost 3 loads of dishes that I did today and the laundry as well.

Same old stuff, different day!!

My mom will kill me for posting this picture, but I just can't resist!

She and Madelynn are like two peas in a pod. Yes, my mom is making a goofy face, but I personally think she looks great.

{FYI: this was taken on my mom's birthday}

Healthy = Great in my books!!

More pictures tomorrow, I was having a hard time uploading them tonight.

Disneyland

2011-04-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

In early February, Johnathon and I took our little ladies to Disneyland for a last minute 'vacation' before we headed to Illinois. We had a blast!!

We slept in that morning and got on the road around 10am. Since it's only an hour trip, we weren't in any rush to arrive. We checked into out hotel less than a block away and walked to the park.

{Alyssa, Allison}

It was a beautiful day and I couldn't have planned it any better. All three girls were in great moods and the lines weren't too horrible. Every Disneyland worker really went out of their way to make our experience on to remember. The girls were treated like princesses and they loved it.

We spent the bulk of our day in Toon Town walking through the homes of Mickey and Minnie. We were even lucky enough to pump into them numerous times. By the 5th time of seeing them (in yet another outfit) I told the girls that we didn't have time to wait in line AGAIN and that we were going to keep walking...mean mommy moment! They cried!

oops!

{Allison, Alyssa, Johnathon, Madelynn}

We decided to go ahead and have lunch at the park. It was a little pricey, but totally worth it.

I hate to admit it, but I think we got a little special attention for the simple fact that we had twins. Anymore, people do not gawk at us in public, but who could blame them for noticing two just beautiful little redheads? :) There were a few awkward moments where a Disneyland worker gave the girls a special button or balloon and completely ignored the few little girls behind us. I felt horrible and even spoke up once.

Of course I love when people notice my girls, but it really puts me in an uncomfortable position when people are just rude.

{Alyssa, Madelynn, Allison} Madelynn was a hoot! She was making friends everywhere we went. Her smile is contagious.

She laughed on every ride and ran around like there was no tomorrow. She even loved all of the characters!!

{Johnathon's legs, Madelynn, Alyssa, Allison}

We got Madelynn her first set of Mickey ears...the same pink ones that Alyssa and Allison got on their first trip. The older girls got Minnie ears with a bow this time. They loved them and wore them throughout the rest of the park. {Alyssa, Allison} {Allison, Alyssa} We got very lucky while entering the park and were the first ones to spot Minnie Mouse coming our from behind the gate. We were the first in line and got to spend a decent amount of time with her. {Allison} Alyssa was the first to walk up to her and was just smitten. {Minnie, Alyssa, Allison} Allison was lucky enough to get a kiss on the forehead. She still talks about it and remembers it clearly...ask her!

It was still early in the evening when we decided to head back to our hotel.

{Johnathon, Allison}

We ordered pizza, watched the Super Bowl and then headed to bed.

It was a blast!

Home

2011-04-04T21:03:00.001-05:00

The girls and I are officially moved into our new place. Well, as moved in as we can be with all of our stuff still in California.

=( There was an issue with Johnathon's orders because his ship was a pre-com {aka: new and not yet commissioned into the Navy.} and after the ship was commissioned, his orders didn't show his time in Mississippi in 2009. That's he needed to get the move paid for by the Navy...I wasn't about to spend $4000 on it.

So...now we play the waiting game as Johnathon gets new orders written up and verified by a few of the higher ups. Fun!

Here is the last picture I took of Madelynn in California. It's a little blurry, but you'll manage!

The girls and I are adjusting well. Yesterday was our first official day alone in the house and it was so refreshing. For the first time in a few months I had some 'me time' and a little quiet.

I was even able to sleep in until 9am...so no complaining here!!

In the next few posts I will be slowly updating everyone on a months worth of photos. Hang in there...we'll be caught up in no time.

I hope.

All three girls have adjusted very well to our new place and love showing their cousins their bedroom. It is, afterall, the first time they have been able to share their toys and show family their belongings. It's sweet! Johnathon called me tonight to inform that he won a Visa gift card drawing from our bank. Lucky duck...he wins everything. This is actually the second drawing he has won from them. The first was a DVD player...now money!! Here is a picture of my mom and I the morning we went to Oprah. It was a late night, early morning and VERY cold!! I still can't believe that we went. It was amazing and something that I will always remember. We were even on TV!!! I am so in love with my life right now. The last 18 months have been the hardest for me and it is nice to have things slow down and be consistant. We sure are missing our sailor a lot though. He is the glue that holds us all together. Thank goodness for free long distance and Skype!! xoxo

One week from today...

2011-03-24T11:22:00.003-05:00

In exactly one week the girls and I will be getting the keys to our new apartment. I'm having a weird mix of emotions about it. As happy as I am to be getting my own place and having some privacy, a huge part of myself is finding it hard to set up a home without Johnathon. I know it's all part of the job, but that doesn't mean that I have to like it or be happy about it.

He's our rock! Our everything. It's really hitting me hard that he isn't a part of this process.

Oh well! Like always, life will go on and I will handle it. This is, after all, what we chose to do.

I know that with all of the recent devastation in Japan and the drama in Libya, many of you are worried about how that will effect Johnathon. Clearly all information cannot be shared, but I can tell everyone that as of right now, he is safe and still in San Diego Bay. He is currently going through a few tough inspections which is taking up most of his time and adding a fair share of stress to his life. Other than that, he seems to be clear as far as deploying early. If and when that were to change, I will update everyone. Nonetheless, prayers are always appreciated for our military men and women.

I received the most amazing email this morning...

MY LAPTOP IS FIXED!! It's currently waiting for me to pay and pick it up. Yay!! When I will find the time to do that is beyond me, but I am just relieved to know that everything was fixable!!

Now on to more important matters...Madelynn and her bottle!!

I took the bottle away from the twins when they were 12 months (corrected age). It took 24 hours of crying and no sleep for them to agree to the sippy and there was never a word about bottles again.

Things are a little different with Madelynn. For starters, she's my baby! I knew that another baby would be coming along shortly when I was going through this with her older sisters so it was important to me to get her off of it. With her, however, I just want to make her happy and I know she falls to sleep so much better after a bottle opposed to a sippy of milk. Say/think what you want, I don't care. I have a soft spot for Madelynn that I can't control!!

That, along with all of the other big changes in our lives recently, I wasn't ready to go there with Madelynn. I needed to give her (or me, rather) time to adjust to our new life in Illinois first. All of this said, I am so happy to announce that it's been almost a week of NO BOTTLES and she is managing just fine. She doesn't ask for one and seems excited to see her sippy. I'm so relieved to have this behind us and am so proud of her.

Project 365:
I've been thinking a lot about my Project 365 blog that has been seriously messed up with the problems I've had with my laptop. I think I'm going to just post a random picture for everyday that was missed regardless of the day it was taken. I will then continue taking a picture a day for the rest of the year starting from that day. Make sense? Okay then! :)

xoxo

Numb3rs

2011-03-22T10:32:00.003-05:00

2...number of little girls in my bed this morning that weren't there last night.

8:30am wake-up call {thanks, Madelynn}

4...bowls of cereal that were made for breakfast.

2...loads of laundry have been started.

6...number of times I have watched Dora the Explorer this morning.

50...feels like the number of times I have asked Maddie what she has in her mouth.

1 seventeen month old

2 three year olds

1 five year old

5...sadly is the number of juice/milk/water spills that I have cleaned up this morning

10...number of days until I move into my apartment

12...number of books that I have been FORCED to read. :)

1 tired and stressed out mom/aunt

Today is our last calm day before we begin the chaos of parent/teacher conferences and spring break for the older kids...aka: my nieces and nephew. My baby sister also turns 18 this weekend...yikes! Hopefully I will stay busy enough to make this last week go by quickly so I can move into my apartment. I'm getting very excited and if you know anything about me at all, then you know I am 100% ready and waiting. I have bought a ton of cleaning supplies and magic erasers and I am ready to get scrubbing on floors and cabinets. Curtains and furniture have been purchased and the twins ask me everyday when we are moving.

Let's do this!!

Madelynn definitely caught up on her sleep last night. I put her down for what I thought would be an hour nap last night around 6pm and other than waking up for a bottle around 2am, she slept until 8:30 this morning. This momma was VERY happy.

We haven't done anything too crazy lately, just hanging out with family and playing outside...what I like best. I've been doing my best to plan a 4th birthday party for my little ladies...along with the 6 other parties we have going on in the next few months. Even so, it will be fabulous...it's just what I do!!

xoxo

Is it Monday already?

2011-03-21T09:20:00.002-05:00

Every week it seems as if the weekend goes by quicker and quicker. It's just unfair!

This was the third weekend in a row that I have mixed up dates of birthday parties, a high school play or a wedding. I feel like I can't keep anything straight anymore.

On the plus side, I was able to spend a few extra hours with my in-laws, who I feel like I never see anymore. Becky's wedding is only a few months away...this weekend we did the invitations.

Madelynn spiked a sudden temperature late Saturday night. My little lady had a hard time sleeping and around 2:30 I asked my mom to please take over for me because I also had a niece who wanted to sleep with me, a 3 year old with a cough and a nephew who wouldn't stay in bed. Oye! I got all the kiddos back in their beds and assumed my mom had gotten the Madster back to bed as well. Nope, she slept in the rocking chair while holding my baby. I did feel a little guilty as that was not what I had intended for her to do, but she got some serious one-on-one time with her name sake!! :)

I also worked on a little project on Sunday!!
While packing up our house, I opted to throw out our old night stands knowing that I would need to replace them once I found a place in Illinois. A few weeks ago I decided to stop by a local thrift store to see if they had any finds...I love before/after projects. That's where I found and fell in love with a beautiful mirrored medicine cabinet. A few days later, while helping my dad clean his basement, I found a stool that he was going to get rid of. I don't think so!! So that is how we spent our Sunday...cutting, sanding, painting and making me a beautiful new night stand. Pictures to come!!

Speaking of pictures. I received a call about my laptop. $360 to fix it. {sigh} :( Hopefully I should have it back in a week or two. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Alyssa and Allison had their first bite of watermelon for the Summer and it's started again...their crazy addiction!! I'm afraid the grocery store just can't keep them stocked enough to curb their hunger for it! :)

xoxo