efoodalerts

With so many recalls out there I thought this site might be of interest to some of you. I just bought jalapenos the other day and now there is a recall. A lot of recalls on ground beef too. I check this site frequently along with the FDA site and pass the info. along to everyone I can, but this site has a lot of good information so you can't go wrong. It's good to check it the day before grocery shopping too.

Haven't blogged in awhile but was going through some old pics and found one of hubby in his launcher from years ago. I think this was White Sands Missile Range. Now he is an MP serving in Afghanistan. My kids could not believe this was there dad. They only remember him as an MP. It was funny their reaction to the MLRS. I had to show them the launch on youtube and they were like "why did he want to be an MP when he can shoot rockets all day" Too funny. I said "working on the launcher is a young persons job."

Stumbled upon a lovely new blog

I just wanted to share this blog I stumbled upon. The pictures are amazing, their story is amazing, and I just found this blog very comforting so I wanted to share. Love the pics of their meal. Let me know if you like it? It's called: Roost a simple life

Heaven is Here

I'm so glad Stephanie's new book is finally ready for pre order. I can only imagine the impact this book will have. I read the preview and it was amazing. You can read all about it here: Heaven is Here I can only imagine what it would be like to start my life over after a plane crash. Stephanie is an amazing woman and her family is just as amazing. Can't wait to read her book. I prayed for her since the day of her crash and it looks like the prayers from her family, friends, and bloggers around the world were answered.

For our vets

The Day of the Dead {El Día de los Muertos}

My husband is Mexican so that makes my kids a mixed breed. Here is one Mexican day I would not want to celebrate although the cookies look delicious and a bit frightening. Cookies made from this blog and many other good things

WOW

Designed by Emmanuel Combarel Dominique Marrec. Beautiful except I would be afraid to sleep suspended over the rest of my house. I don't like heights. And what if you are a sleep walker? If I could get over my fears I think this would be an awesome idea especially for someone looking to save space.

Kids reaction....too funny

Amazing love

I shared this on my facebook and then thought why not share it here. To me this is what every military wife prays never happens and mourns when it happens to her neighbor. So sad.

How crazy does this look? I hate heights so the first thing I thought when I saw this picture was "no way will I ever try this. How about the waiter? I wonder how much they pay him for this job. I can only imagine that he would not work for tips alone. What kind of insurance do they have, just in case. See I'm neurotic and I am keeping my feet firmly planted on the ground.

Brave Girls Club

http://www.bravegirlsclub.com/dailytruths/oct0611.htm I had to share this from a website called Brave Girls Club. This is what the Brave Girls Club is about: Brave Girls Club is a worldwide community of women who want to live the best, happiest, most productive and fabulously brave life they can possibly live…and that means something different to every single one of us.

Brave Girls Club is an online community, a portal for amazing connections, a news source for everyday heroes, a resource for great ideas, amazing endeavors, everyday problem solving, realistic recipes and unforgettable get-togethers. Brave Girls Club is a place to feel free, to feel peace, and to feel brave. Brave Girls Club is not an exclusive club…every woman is invited. Brave Girls Club is life-changing fun, life-changing truths, and life-changing friendships…
Go on over and check this out. It's an amazing site with many things on it to enjoy.

Chocolate chip cheesecake dip

Who invented this stuff? OMG, how do you ever stop eating it once you start, I found the recipe over at Taste Of Home here. Beware, dip looks addicting and fattening.

books

I stumbled upon (stumbleupon)this bookcase. Wow would I love to have this in my house. So for all you readers out there I thought I would share this picture. There are books going up the stairs, books going down the stairs, and books all over the place. What more can someone ask for?

Nie Nie

I have to share my absolute favorite blog with you all. Nie NIe Dialogues Stephanie Nielson is the author of Nie Nie Dialogues.Her husband and her were in a plane crash in 2008 and they spent a long time in the hospital. You may have seen them on tv. They do quite a few interviews. I am always inspired when I read this blog and I know I can do all things when I see the things she has accomplished after going through so much. She will be adding to her family soon, Stephanie is pregnant. If you ever get a chance to stop by her blog, do it, its' amazing. I never go a day without thinking of Stephanie. If she could come through this with joy then I know I can get through anything with Joy too.

Food Matters

Food Matters. Thanks to my friend, The Not So Perfect Housewife, I am able to share this clip with you. If you care anything about our food supply or the foods we eat then sign up to see the whole movie free between Oct.2nd. to the 8th.

Luckily Pamela hooked me up with this fabulous Fall blog challenge or else my blog would never get the boost it needs. If you want to participate go on over here. Today is day 1 and you have to list some of your favorite Fall traditions. so here are mine:

Dallas Cowboys!!!!! I love the Cowboys, probably because of all the years I lived in OK but I love the Fall because it is the start of the NFL and for me it's all about the Cowboys.

I like that the leaves turn colors and I love sweatshirt weather. Although I spent 9 years living in HI and can't wait to be back, I am enjoying the Fall for now.

pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies.....and on and on and on.

The kids love their church activity that is their version of trick or treating. Although the costumes are always religious. They have a lot of fun.

Middle school football. Both my boys are playing this year and I can't wait to see the kids games. I love football of any kind and It's fun to watch the kids especially. My oldest plays for Greenville Christian college in Illinois but sadly I have to miss those games.

Outlander.....

This is not my usual genre of book I read, and I have tried reading this at least 4 times over the years, but after watching "Camelot" on Starz, I got hooked on knights and castles. So I picked this book up once again and I will tell you by page 300 I was so hooked that I went on to read the second book "Drangonflies in Amber" and am now going to the library to grab the 3rd "Voyager." Now I know why these books are so popular. There are 7 in the series and I am on number 3. Who want's to bet I will read all 7 in a row lol!

9/11

Happy birthday to my daughter Kira 9/11/83 and happy birthday to my son Josh 9/11/85. Pray for our soldiers. Things are crazy right now over in A-stan and I kind of wished the US would of held off on all these memorial things until the war was over and our men and women were on safer ground. If you ask me and you read the news today, this is a recipe for disaster. I'm not trying to offend anyone, but if you have a loved one deployed right now you would know that 9/11 is not done and that all of these things are really making it hard for the soldiers over there. So sad. Praying for the US and our safety today.

School begins again

Well summer is coming to an end and it's back to school on Wednesday. I will miss the boys. They have had a lot of fun at the new park pictured above. We don't have long summers here in WA like we did in HI so we enjoy every day. I can't wait to get back to HI because summer is my favorite. Dominic is doing well in Afghanistan and we are doing well here but time is moving slowly. I'm sure once school starts it will be back to business. I volunteer at their school so that keeps me well occupied. Is everyone ready for the school year??

busy blogger

I have been so busy with getting the three boys ready for school. Supplies, clothes, shoes, sports equipment, etc. It's been crazy so no blogging for awhile. Also there has been an injury in my husbands unit so prayer's are needed. The soldier is doing well so that is the good news. We have been set up to make meals for the family. Any good ideas. I am going to make a chicken cordon bleu casserole!

Christian Cinema

There is a wonderful Christian movie rental web site that rents out only Christian movies and shows. It is called Christiancinema.com. Years ago it fell under a different name, but it is still an awesome company. If you like to rent Christian movies from new realeases like Soul Surfer and Grace Card, or Christian documentaries, Animated, Biblical drama, family, holiday, home school, this is the place for you. I am a member and it works exactly like Netflix yet everything on the site is Christian, period. No garbage. Check it out.

Getting ready for school

It's soon time for the kids to go back to school. They will go back by Sept. 7. They are used to Hawaii school's that have a year round modified approach so this has been the longest break they have had. They are ready to begin the year. I can't believe all the school supplies we have needed and all the physicals for sports. It's just crazy but slowly we are getting things done. I am looking forward to our lives back in Hawaii where it seems the year runs more smoothly with frequent breaks every 3 months. This schedule I just can't get used too. How about you all. What is your school year like? How about supplies, do you need many?

Sonic...what can I say....Yumm-O!!!

Going to go here tonight for a chili dog. I have not been to a Sonic since 1996. I have not lived anywhere near one since then. I was so excited to find out we had Sonic here. I guess that's Army life...even a Sonic can excite you....when you haven't been to one in 15 years !!!!!!!

I am trying to learn to speak Spanish from this book. Don't ask me how that's going!

Hillsboro fair

We spent this past weekend with my daughter Kira and her family at the Washington County fair in Hillsboro OR. We had fun and the kids got their fill of rides and deep fried foods....twinkies, snickers, oreos, etc. One night we all had dinner at PF Changs. It was so good. They have family style food so you get to share and try all the dishes. The younger kids chowed down on the lo mein. If you have one of these restaurants nearby you should try it. It was inexpensive, classy, and best of all YUMMY!!!!

Vacation time...

Darrian playing magic quest hotel interactive game

Water park
In room bunk beds
We went to this great indoor water park hotel called Great Wolf Lodge last weekend. The kids had a blast and it took their minds off of their dad going back to Afghanistan. The water park was amazing, the room with the separate bunk bed kids area was amazing, and even the magic quest hotel interactive game was amazing. All in all we had a great time. There are a few of these hotels in the US so if you ever get the chance to go to one it is a great experience. I can tell you though after that I was totally worn out. I have recovered and now will be headed to my daughter's house in Oregon to go to the Hillsboro carnival. I will let you all know how that turns out. The only one getting worn out this summer seems to be mom.

Faith Deployed Again

I am reading a wonderful book that one of my new blog friend's Tonya is featured in. It is becoming my favorite morning read with a cup of coffee in hand and a moment of time devoted to God. It is a book of devotions and I can tell you it is something really special. I think you could use this book even if your husband was not deployed, but since mine is, and this is the focus of the book, it has been a God send to me. I hope you will go over to Tonya's blog, which is awesome too, and check out the post she wrote about Faith Deployed Again. I know many people that this book could be a comfort too. I am even going to recommend it to my FRG at the meeting next month. I wish you the best with this book Tonya and I know it will do well and that God will use it to help many.

Busy

Since Dominic has been home for 2 weeks R&R, Vanessa has been in from Hawaii, and Brandon is home for the summer from college, we have been pretty busy. By Next week everyone will be gone except Brandon and the other 3 boys. I will be able to relax and get back to blogging and reading. For now, things are crazy, but fun. Hope everyone else is enjoying their summer.

Northwest Trek

Last week we visited a place called Northwest Trek. It was pretty cool. We got to ride on a tram that cruises you through a wildlife park that contains animals from the North West. We had a good day and got to see many animals. The kids loves it because the animals came right up to the windows of the Tram so we could get a good look at them. After our day we enjoyed dinner at Olive Garden, which was awesome, as always.

Darrin is very technical. He likes to fix things and do things like this (see pic above). I think he was a little bored the other day, with school just ending on the 27th, and waiting for summer school to begin on July 5th, he found something to occupy his time...this was it.

Dominic is due into the SeaTac tonight at 8:45pm and my son is due in from Hawaii tonight at 8:45pm, nice coincidence for them. They will take the shuttle home and be here around 10:45. Hopefully there are not glitches and Dominic will finally be able to start his leave.

Homecoming

Well Dominic is supposed to be home by July 1 for 2 weeks R&R but he and 2 other guys have not been able to get flights out of Afghanistan for the past 5 days because of weather, sand storms and all that. He was supposed to get a flight out last night for the first leg of his trip but so far I am not sure how that went. He won't make it home by July 1st but luckily his leave won't start until the day he signs in here. I am praying he gets home soon. It is hard for the guys to be waiting for flights all the time.

Happy Birthday Stephanie

I just wanted to wish my little sister a Happy Birthday. she blogs at: Stephanie's written word. Her blog is a book blog and she does a good job with it, so if you are a reader you might want to check it out.

Darrian fooling around in his older brother's hat, doesn't he think he's the big shot!
So what is everyone doing for the 4th of July? My daughter wants me to come down to Oregon for a picnic but since falling down the stairs and cracking my tail bone (butt!!!) I have not found driving very comfortable, so unless it starts healing quickly then I don't think I will be making any big trips for the 4th of July. I have been using a dohnut, you know those things they give you after you have a baby to sit on, but after awhile even that doesn't seem to cut the mustard. My Dr. says it takes about 6 weeks. 6 weeks, it he nuts? It's not his fault, but for one tiny crack you'd think it would heal a little faster or maybe feel a little better a little sooner. So far though that hasn't happened.

Church Day

Off to the house of the Lord soon and am happy for it. I always love starting off my week by going to church on Sunday and then going out for an inexpensive bite to eat. Whenever I miss church it makes me sad and somehow I don't feel like the week has a good beginning. It helps that I love my church. We have been blessed since coming to WA that God has led us to the perfect church for our family. I miss my church in Hawaii but since we will most likely retire there I will be able to go back so for every season there is a time. Hope you all have a great week out there and enjoy it.

Well the Army ditches the beret for the patrol cap. I'm glad. My hubby says the beret was a pain in the you know what. I think the patrol cap is sexy. Personally the beret did nothing for me. I can't wait to see my soldier back in his cap next month. Seems like someone has been away too long. lol! Here is the story

We saw Soul Surfer last Saturday and it was really good. I remember when this happened to Bethany because I lived on Oahu at the time and it was all over the news. My daughter told me that the movie people wanted to take some of the Christian parts out of the film, but her dad said "no" so they went ahead with it the way the story actually unfolded. For once, a clean, Christian, movie the whole family can enjoy. Even my 7 year old, who loves to refill my coke for me, would not leave his seat, not even for 1 moment. He was glued to the screen and so were the rest of us.

Thanks to my dear friend Mikki, and also the writer of one of my favorite blogs, The Not So Perfect Housewife, I am bestowed with this fun award. If you have not read Mikki's blog, I can assure you that you do not know what you are missing. So go on over and check her blog out, it's awesome. Anyway here goes, I have to share 7 things about myself and then pass the award on to 15 bloggers. I think I am pretty much an open book but here goes.

1. Like Mikki I grew up on the upper East coast, but in NJ not Maryland, and I absolutely do not like the cold, no not one bit. I wish I lived in Florida like her, but for now we are stuck going wherever the military sends us. We are going to try for a tour back to Hawaii so that will surely fit the bill.

2. I have Bieber Fever. My grandaughter Kai'lie gave it to me. I can't help it, I love his music and have 3 CD's. Of course it was going to Justin's movie with the grandkids that really hooked me.

3. I have ADHD. Anyone who is around me can tell you that this is true. I sleep maybe 4 hours a night and am as hyperactive as can be, but if you give me 16 oz of coffee 20 minutes before bed I will be out like a light in no time.

4. I always have a house full of kids. It sounds crazy but most of the time it is fun getting to know them all, even the crazy teenagers and I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact the other day I was watching ice road truckers on line with my son's 7 year old friend while my son and his other friend were off in the living room playing Quibits. I think there was another kid playing Wii upstairs but I am not completely sure because me and Ellie were so engrossed in truckers sliding off the road. Like Mikki and her show I am not sure why I love this one so much, but I do.

5. I like beer. I don't drink but once in a blue moon I will have a few glasses when out to eat with my husband. I mean very few so basically I don't drink.

6. I love Hot Buffalo Wing pretzels, which I hide from the kids, and am never found without. Same with French Vanilla creamer.

7. I love tv. I read a lot but I also watch a lot of mindless tv late at night when the kids are in bed. I practically watch anything. Love crazy haunted shows, and I can't help myself. Ghost Adventures is a pleasure of mine that I just can't resist.

Well that's it so I am just going to say that any of my blog friends who read this can participate if they want to. I hope some of you will because it was great fun. Maybe that will make 15 but I'm not sure.

The boys are really enjoying having their older brother home from college. They shoot hoops every day....Oh my, what will they do in August when he goes back to Greenville?

Just got finished reading Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. Another amazing book with an ending that blew me away. If you are believers in romance and everything happens for a reason, then this book is for you. It's about a woman named Katie who moves to North Carolina to hide from her past. She then meets a very sweet friend and a man with two kids whom she can see spending her future with. All I can say is there are many surprises in this story. I totally enjoyed this book, as I do all of Nicholas Sparks books, who didn't love "A Walk to Remember?" So chalk up another one for Nicholas Sparks and let's hope he never quits his day job.

Kira's new blog

My daughter finally started a blog. Even though we keep in touch on Facebook, and even though she only lives 2 1/2 hours away in Oregon, we don't get to see each other much and I told her blogging is a way to share pictures with family, and they don't have to belong to blogspot like you have to belong to FB. Also it is a great way to meet friends. I have met many through my blog and all of them are special to me. So if you want to welcome Kira to the blog world go on over to her blog All under one roof.

Darrian and his little friend Ellie play together every day. I think they are adorable. He said to me the other day "mom, I'm going to miss it when we leave WA." I asked why and he said "I will miss my girlfriend." He has no idea that this might only be the first of a few broken hearts for him along the way.

Vanessa's birthday

Today is my daughter Vanessa's 21st birthday. My how time flies. She is living in Hawaii but will be coming home for a visit in June. We are looking forward to it. Anyway I just wanted to wish her a Happy Birthday and let her know we are proud of her and are thinking of her on her special day.

Homecoming

Brandon will be home from his first year of college. I know he won't be here for long but we will enjoy him while he is at home. Vanessa is supposed to be coming in from Hawaii for a few weeks soon and Dominic will be on 2 weeks R&R in July. So our house will be full once again. My daughter Kira and her husband and my 3 grandkids are in Oregon so that is nice. We are going to visit her this weekend. It's a 2 1/2 hour ride to her house so we don't go all the time, but we are going to bring her brother down so that they can spend time with each other. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Club Penguin

The kids love to play the online game Club Penguin. I like it because it is an innocent kid's game that is monitored. It actually suits kids of all ages although the older one's would never admit it. They just sit at the computer with the younger kids and pretend like they are helping them. Does it look like the big kids are helping....more like the big kid is playing.

Then Sings My Soul Saturdays

I am posting this song because it's just one that I love.
For more Then Sings Your Soul Saturdays go on over to Amy's blog: Signs, Miracles, and Wonders.

Darrian and Julian enjoying Easter candy.
The girls.
Damian playing with his nieces.
Easter was fun. We went to my daughter's house in Oregon. The kids enjoyed their baskets and Easter egg hunt. In the middle pic, Kai'lie is smiling, this is the little one my son Darrian whose 7 calls "the girl who looks like Dora."

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In

This week’s questions are:

1. How many pets do you have? And what type? submitted by Life and Times of a Displaced Jersey Girl
None. We want to get a dog but since we plan on moving back to Hawaii for retirement we are nervous about bringing one over. You cannot fly with an animal in the storage compartment when it gets too hot and it's hot a lot on the way to HI.



2. What are your favorite projects to do while hubby is away? submitted by my-inspired-nest
Reading and chatting with hubby whenever he is on line. Also I take a lot of pictures to share with him so this is kind of fun.

3. What are the must-haves in your deployment care packages? submitted by Christine’s Little Blog
Trader Joe's blueberry scones and vegan chocolate chip cookies. We eat pretty healthy and although there is a good chow hall where he is at it's not totally a health food fest.

4. If you could star in any TV show, which would it be? submitted by Just a Girl
I have no idea. Although it may be Fringe. I'd love to play Olivia.

5. What was the biggest hurdle that you faced during your/your significant other’s first deployment? submitted by The Pavlik Perspective
I was 09 months pregnant and basically on bed rest with 5 other kids to take care of. It was a close knit post in Germany and my husbands commander let him stay home for 2 weeks and then head on to Albania. That was a plus of being in an MLRS unit in Babenhausen. It was very cohesive.

For more Friday Fill-Ins go on over to Wife of a Sailor

Bible Code III

I read Bible Code I and II by Michael Drosnin and now I'm reading number III. So far so good. A little scary but truly a book that I find good to have in my Christian library. Has anyone else read any of these books?

Besides that, today is Sunday, The Lord's Day, and we are headed off to church in a few minutes.

Next week we are thinking of driving to Oregon to visit my daughter and her family. She usually makes the 2 1/2 hour trek up here on Friday night after her work and then makes it back down on Sunday, she knows I have trouble with driving. My eyesite is pretty good except at night and when it rains, and it rains a lot in WA and OR so she makes the trip up here instead. If next weekend is as sunny as this one I will probably visit her. So that's my plan. Anyone else have any awesome Easter plans for next Sunday?

Darrian's new biker chick. Just kidding. My 7 year old has the worst crush on this little neighbor girl. He says he is going to marry her, she says she's just getting a ride from him. He rides her around every day after school, I taught him well.

I can't help it. My granddaughter gave me Bieber Fever. I remember years ago when my kids got me hooked on Hannah Montana, I thought I was over that, I thought wrong. I am now the proud owner of a Justin Bieber CD. I better go now...I need to get a Bieber Fever T-shirt.

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

It's been awhile since I have participated in Then Sings My Soul Saturday, but it used to be one of my favorite posts of the week. After all the ups and downs today with the possibility of a government shutdown and not getting paid I thought it appropriate that I post the song that has been running through my head for most of the day. For more Then Sings My Soul Saturday go on over to Amy's blog Signs, Miracles, and Wonders.

Government shutdown and the Military

I can't believe that our gov't cannot come up with some sort of plan to avoid a complete shutdown. I feel very sorry for all of the people who will be affected but especially the men and women fighting overseas. By the Grace of God, my husband and I, have been able to keep a savings account that would tie us over in case of no pay or limited pay, but my heart breaks for the young soldiers deployed, who because of rank and being newly in the Military, may not have this buffer. I feel President Obama, who claims the military will only be paid for one week instead of two, aught to think very carefully before he goes with this plan. What will this do to the men and women who defend the US and their Commander in Chief. Imagine being in a war zone, worried about your family, and on top of all this stress having the added benefit of worrying about how your family will pay the bills for basic necessities...food...dental...housing....etc. Like I said there are many soldiers just starting out, living pay check to pay check, where will this leave their moral. Shame on you President Obama for laying this at the deployed men and woman's feet. What are you thinking? With the number of suicides being so high, and the military being shot at on a continual basis, how the heck do you think this is going to work.

If you are a fan of American Idol you will know who Chris Medina is. He is the guy who after 6 years proposed to his girlfriend Juliana Ramos in the Starbucks they both worked at. 2 months before they were to be married Juliana was in a horrific car accident that left her severely brain damaged. Chris is her primary caregiver and works round the clock to take care of her. He didn't make it all the way in American Idol but he made it all the way into America's heart and the heart of Producer Rodney Jerkins who wrote a song for Chris to record with the proceeds going to a fund to take care of Juliana. It is available on itunes.

Once again Army Wives was hard to watch on Sunday. I thought the death and funeral for Jeremy Sherwood was excruciating, but the fallout is just as bad. It really showed how the death of one soldier affects so many. The few scenes that broke my heart were Roland breaking down when he saw his 2 year old daughter in her mom's beret, when Denise and Frank got Jeremy's effects, and Chase's reaction to the news that Jeremy was KIA. I don't know how much more of this season I can take but I guess that is why the show is so compelling.

On a lighter note, maybe, I watched Camelot and enjoyed this quite a bit. Love seeing the history from a Fiction point of view. It was a little graphic and very violent but done well. Starz has created this one and I think it will be a great series.

Anyone else watching anything good? Or reading anything good? I am reading "The Walk" by Richard Paul Evans, and so far I am enjoying it, but once again it is a tearjerker.

Little Critters

My son Dominic Jr, who is very creative always finds something on the computer he wants to make. For awhile it was origami boxes, then it was duct tape wallets, and now it's these. They are called Little Critters and the one on the right is the one Dominic made of my 7 year old Darrian. I think they are cute and the good news is that he will have a bunch of neighborhood teens in here making them this week as he always does. It's like an art class which is much better then them hanging out in front of video games all afternoon.

My daughter Kira, with her kids, pictured above, came up from Oregon this weekend and we had a great time. We went to Whole Foods to get some organic items I just can't get here. For instance my kids love Stoneyfield Farms Blueberry yogurt and I can never seem to find it in WA except at the Whole Foods. They have every other flavor known to man in the commissary, but blueberry, no way. Then it was off to IKEA where my daughter wanted to purchase shelves. That turned into quite a fiasco but nonetheless we had fun. We didn't come home with the shelves mind you, but we had fun. For some reason the shelves rung up wrong and the customer service in Renton was terrible. It ended up with the little girls saying I'm tired and melting down, and my daughter and I swearing never to return to this IKEA. Well that's a bunch of hooey. Like it's IKEA. Like I'm not going to return. In fact today I'm thinking, maybe we should go back to IKEA and get some other type of shelves. I don't know though because yesterday my daughter said "I'm all over finding shelves." I'll bet when she gets up this morning she will be ready for round 2.

We do have a knew church we found a few months ago that I want to take her too, but after, you never know, it could be IKEA or bust.

Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend too. God Bless.

Mil-Spouse Friday Fill- In

1. What romance movie scene reminds you of your s/o or spouse and the LOVE you share? submitted by Simply Sunshine and Daisy’s Kind of a lot of scenes from the movie You've got Mail. Don't ask me why because we didn't meet this way but the two character have very similar personalities to us and the end scene at the Empire State building reminds me how they got together almost under impossible odds. Like what are the odds. That's how it was for us. We came together like it was fate. We sure had a lot of obstacles but for some reason it all worked out.
2. If you were allowed to deploy with your husband to a war zone would you and why? submitted by I & J Yes Possibly Iraq. It seems like these people will need a lot of help in rebuilding. Although I am not sure if it is considered a war zone anymore. Maybe then Afghanistan. I think the women and children there need to be protected from the Taliban. I would love to work in an orphanage in a place like this trying to make a difference.
3. Have you ever done anything (intentionally, or unintentionally) to embarrass your spouse/significant other in front of his military cohorts? submitted by Marrying the Navy No.
4. What is your most irrational fear? submitted by Eights on the Move I hate to park in certain parking spaces. I don't like 3, 5, 8, I won't usually park in spaces with these numbers attached to them. For instance I love the number 7 but would not park in a space marked 37. I have lot's of fears when I'm in the car and someone else is driving, the parking space thing is the least of them.
5. If you could only live in one kind of climate for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? submitted by Many Waters The climate we lived in for 8 1/2 years in Hawaii and the place we plan on retiring in. It's always perfect and rarely changes. I can't ask for more.

For more Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-in head on over to Wife of a Sailor

Jiffy pop the magical treat as much fun to make as it is to eat

Sometimes the Commissary carries Jiffy pop. What is it about this stuff that kids love. I remember liking to make this too and then it seemed to disappear. All of sudden it reappeared and now the kids like to make it as much as I did. I wonder if it's the fact that this small plate of popcorn turns into a big ball of tin foil. I will admit it's not my favorite tasting popcorn, we already have a carnival sized popper, but it is the most fun to make.

On a more idiotic note the Army has blocked my hubby and all his peeps from viewing any blogs over in Afghanistan so I will be posting more pics on FB. I prefer this format so I will continue to blog, but as of now I will be jamming up my FB with pics of every little thing we are doing. As my friend Pamela said "the Army is blocking blogs but not Facebook?" Go figure.

Darrian fell asleep with his deployment doll last night. I think these are a great idea. If you don't already have one, and are in the Army, you can suggest the deployment doll to your FRG and they can try to locate them. I am not sure if they have them for the other services, but I don't see why not. You can put a picture of your loved one in the face and it is just something a little extra to hang onto while daddy or mommy are away. We have 2 because I got one when my husband last went to Iraq and then they gave them out here. So I put one in my older boys room and my younger one sleeps with his, and me of course. He has stolen daddies spot since dad has been gone. He tells me he doesn't want me to be lonely. I tell him that when dad get's back he get's his spot back. I know this is probably not a good habit in the normal world, but he no longer lives in the normal world. In the normal world dad's don't go to war. So sometimes living the military life you make exceptions. Not many, but some. Anyway I thought some of you might like to know about these if you have kids.

Happy Birthday Raya

My grandaughter Rielyn (Raya for short) had a birthday on March 20, the day before my son Brandon. So we had a birthday party for her at her second Mama Rachael's house last Saturday. There she is in the middle with the right sided pony tale enjoying her pizza. We had a lot of fun and the kids enjoyed it.

Today I got an e-mail from Dominic so at least for now I know he's safe.

Goodye Jeremy Sherwood

Yesterday a soldier on Army Wives was killed in action. The episode was heart breaking yet so well done. Normally I would not watch something like this with my husband being deployed, but I've watched the show since day one and I wasn't going to miss this episode. Apparently in the following weeks the death of Jeremy will cause the wives to question everything they believe in. I think this has to be done. In fact since I have been at Ft. Lewis there have been many of us wives in my neighborhood and their kids who have questioned their beliefs. You see there is a lady around the corner from me who lost her first husband in Iraq. My son's play with her daughter. Her daughter is only 13 and an Atheist. She told me she lost her faith when her dad was killed. IT saddens me when I pass her SUV parked in front of her house all the time and on the back is a magnet that says "we love our hero Sgt. So and so," that was her dad There isn't a day that this doesn't impact me. Then their is my sons friend who lives next door. His dad was wounded in Iraq and has very little use of his arms. We have become friends with both families. Both families go to our church. What they have gone through is more then anyone should have to. My hat goes off to Army Wives for not only portraying the death of Jeremy accurately, but of following up on the impact of his death in weeks to come. Was anyone else affected by this show, especially this episode? I know my friend Sandra (Diary of a stay at home mom) was because the episode barely ended and we were chatting about it on facebook. I could tell that it was heart wrenching for her too. She is also a military wife and Knows many others in the military. So I think for us it was just a little too close to home. So with tears in my eyes I will finish this post.

Congratulations Darrian

Yesterday Darrian got an award for Student of the month for responsibility. He struggles a little in school so he was very happy to get this award. There he is scratching his head as his principal looks on.

Everyone who knows me knows I love the cooking show Extra Virgin. I act like I know Debi and Gabriele personally. Last night I sat with the boys until 10:30 pm catching up on the episodes I missed. Today I made Gabriele's Bruschetta Pizzaiola. It was delicious and so easy to make. I gathered all the ingredients, went to work chopping and mixing and then put the mixture on sliced Italian bread that had been toasted. Popped them in to the oven for 10 minutes and the next thing you know we were eating Bruschetta to die for. There will be many recipes over the next few months I make after watching Debi and Gabriele. I will share them with you. In the meantime check out Extra Virgin if you like cooking shows. It think it's one of the best for authentic Italian food. After all Gabriele is from Tuscany.

MilSpouse Friday Fill in

There is a wonderful blog out there called Wife of a Sailor and she has this Fill-in so that Military spouses can get to know each other better. The questions could pertain to people outside the military also. So if anyone wants to participate I would go on over to her blog Thursday and get the questions and answer them for Fridays blog. I'm finding this to be great fun. I love reading the other spouses answers. Here goes: 1. What is your must have gadget? submitted by Flying High With My Flyboy: Cell phone with a qwerty keyboard. I love being able to text my husband and friends all day and I especially like knowing the kid's and their school can get in touch with me at any time. Also my Kitchen Aid blender, is this a gadget? DVR, can't forget this one.
2. How does your adulthood compare to what you imagined it would be like when you were a little kid? submitted by L to the Third: I think it's better then I imagined. I always thought I would work in the Medical field and have a family. I ended up volunteering at my kid's school and having 7 children. I still love anything Medical, but my heart lies in working with kids. I found my soul mate and nothing could have prepared me for this. This has been the best thing that ever happened to me. I always imagined a white knight marrying me and I got one. So my adulthood definitely is better then I could of ever imagined. Also being able to travel all over the place: Germany, Spain, France, Hawaii, doesn't hurt either.
3. What is your favorite chocolate recipe? submitted by Our First Deployment: Brownies, brownies, and brownies.
4. How do you deal with military life when it gets to be to much or to hard? submitted by Combat Boots And Pointe Shoes: I watch mindless tv, or lose myself in a book, or just imagine what it would be like if I couldn't show my kids their is a whole world out there that the Army is enabling us to experience.
5. What piece of advice would you give a new Military spouse facing their first deployment? submitted by The Albrecht Squad: You don't need to go home. Staying close to the base and helping the FRG is a lot of fun and who else can support you better then the spouses going through the deployment at this moment. In fact that is what I am doing right now, Immersing myself in the FRG. Blog, there are spouses out there who can give you a world of info. Have a life of your own. Whether that's work, volunteering, anything. Hobbies help too. I scrapbook and blog when my husband is gone so he can feel connected. Can you tell this is old hat for me.

Can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with tomorrow!