Parks, Swans, and Automobiles

THANKSGIVING 09


I Never did get this posted... I think it was because I never got the pictures. Oh well hope you enjoy.

How I Made It Home For The Holiday
I was just over 600 miles away from my wife and children with no way to reach them. I could always fly, I thought. No, I would never be able to justify the cost of the ticket, after all I did just fly up to see Tamy and the kids in OK during ASBC in August. A rather useful skill of mine is the ability to get what I want. In the past this has been useful in getting the same schedule as my friend in middle school, tricking my wife into marriage, and manipulating others around me into buying products I really enjoy: like a $50.00 computer game, or $100.00 in video games. But lest my talent diminish, I have been at hard work developing it this year. Now I can include a coworker giving me their X-Box 360 and hitching a ride to South Carolina to the list.


There were 2 people that I knew of that I could ask for a ride over Thanksgiving. One was single so his "home" was not SC. The other had decided it wasn't worth it to go down over the holidays. Here is where I come in. You see the Air Force has strict rules about how far you can travel in a single day before you need to stop and rest. Doing a 12 hour drive by yourself doesn't fit under those rules. But, driving "600 miles" with 2 drivers changes everything. What before would have been a 2 day journey now was possible in one night. With that it was a done deal. The other guy was just as anxious as I was to get home and be with his family.


It was my intention to not say anything to Tamy and just surprise her on Thanksgiving, but what works in the movies doesn't translate to reality very well. If I left Wednesday afternoon then I would arrive at home sometime after midnight and I didn't have a key... Who then, would let me in? That was a problem, the 2nd issue a ran into was my independent wife was making plans that didn't include me for Thanksgiving- awkward. So I decided it was in my best interest to let Tamy know I would be coming down. I kept her in the dark for almost a week, and on Wednesday before she asked with a sigh, "Is there any hope of you coming to see us?" I skillfully replied, "Nope, the other guy was having Thanksgiving in another state." Ha, I fooled her! Well, come the Friday before Thanksgiving the gig was up, I let her in on my secret. I never could keep secrets from her.


Home
I LOVED being home. Sitting on my new couch with my speakers and TV/PS3... I mean being able to hug my kids and kiss my wife was great! Joseph is so much fun to hold and play with, he always has such a big grin on. Evie is just adorable and very independent, her smile just makes you melt, and then its off to play with her plates and cups and ponies etc... But I cannot tell a lie, I must of all love basking in the presence of my wife. Just touching her makes all my troubles melt away. O.K. I'm getting a bit sappy. One thing I can say with assurance and experience, if you have a strong relationship then absence does make the heart grow fonder. But you know what happens to that "fondness" when you met up again? It comes crashing back down to reality:)


I spent my first morning waking up to my children on the bed, there is absolutely no better way to wake up! As Tamy explained we had a great Thanksgiving at a friend's house and played one of our "games" for the first time since last Christmas. I even pulled off an hour Thanksgiving nap.


The Hidden Park
The day after Thanksgiving I located a park that had eluded my industrious wife. How did I accomplish such a feat in a single swoop? One word: iphone. Yep that's right the modern day swiss army knife. Didn't you know, there is an app for everything. Have a friend that likes guns try the gun app, want to play Russian Roulette without killing yourself, there is an app for that too. Lose a wedding band? Don't worry there is a metal detector app as well. Need to find a magically hidden park? Look no further than your iphone- it only does everything!


And find a park it did! The kids had a great time. Evie dominated the playground and it was so funny to watch Joseph get on all fours when he crossed over a platform with holes- fraidy cat. He even is going down the slide all by himself. Evie is in the process of learning how to "pump" her legs when she swings. My personal goal is to have her swinging by herself before Summer. Anytime Evie sees a new tool or apparatus in a park she is immediately drawn to it like a moth to the flame, especially if there are big kids playing on it already. Man she is in a hurry to grow up. Her favorite line is "When a get older I'll be big and strong so I can go down the big blue slide!" Slow down kiddo. It sure is fun to watch her experiment though.


We ended that day by ditching the kids and hitting the cinema. The cool thing about ditching the kids was it was the first time we had ever had a babysitter come to our house to watch the kids! This time I was the one who said you can use "my" Directv and Netflix along with "my" stereo and speakers. It felt great! Too bad watching a movie here is more like an event! The nicest theater is an hour away! Probably wont be seeing many movies on the big screen over here. That or our babysitter will love us.


So I did my husbandly duty and took my wife to see the new Twilight movie so she wouldn't be the only woman on the planet who hadn't seen it. I will say that although the movie is very much a love story the fighting scenes of vampires and werewolves is pretty cool. It is definitely a unique take on an old idea.


Swan Lake
The next day we went to Swan Lake, Evie got to feed ducks, geese, and swans. She was fearless, probably would have let them eat right off her hand if I hadn't wisely interjected. We had a great mile long walk around this area and then the kids got play at another park! Again they had a great time. I think I slept 3 separate times that day. My beautiful tenderhearted wife called me a wuss. I told her that is not what that word meant but she was having none of that.


On Sunday Tamy gave a beautiful talk in church on how much I rocked, oh and on families and how to keep them strong. Being a military wife definitely comes with some heavy commitments and I am grateful for a firm and assertive wife who can handle anything that is thrown at her (literally too). Once 11:00 am hit the golden carriage turned back into a pumpkin (at least for a few more days) and I hastily returned for another week or so of training.

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Remember: Dottie Nix passed away November 30 around 1:00 am

Great Grandmother to Evie & Joseph, Grandmother to Tamy, Daughter to Pam Morris, and Beloved to Henry Nix

A Great Weekend! (Week #4)

I have always enjoyed the Thanksgiving weekend. When I was in school, I got a four day weekend, enough said. When I got married, my husband got the day off. Now being a mom and wife, I have the fun opportunity of seeing old traditions passed down and new ones created right at my very own table. It makes me so happy and grateful to be here at this time.

We had a special treat this Thanksgiving. At the last minute my sweet husband found a ride from Mississippi all the way home to Sumter, SC. He arrived late Wed night and left this afternoon. It was so nice to see him, to be with him, just to hear him sleeping next to me. The kids loved it. Evie wanted every scrap of attention she could get, while JC just wanted to be held 24/7. It was great to see how much they loved and missed their daddy. I try very hard to keep him at the head of the family when he's not around. We talk about him, draw pictures for him, think about him, and of course, pray for him. That way he's never forgotten or overlooked. It can happen - I have seen the fallout here of what it looks like for a family to sidestep the father. Thankfully, I am an observational learner and don't need to experience the consequences of such choices to know I don't want to go that way.

We sure enjoyed having our family all together. We were really grateful for the invite by our home teacher and his wife to share the holiday with them. They are young and without children as yet, but they were kind and gracious and so good with little ones terrorizing their home for a couple hours. It relieved my stress of trying to make Thanksgiving good for the kids by having one made for us and it brightened my outlook to feel like I have a friend here in Sumter to a point. We still have lots of things to do together to begin to feel like real friends, but I am excited for the open invitation to begin.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving yourselves and I pray with all my heart that you remember how loved you all are to our family. Being grateful is easy when each day is full of those who love and care for you. Loves to all!

Only Two Weeks to go!

What a turn around! It's like Chris and I always talk about: the pendulum. If you have a really bad day, you're bound to have a better one the next time. If you had a rough week, then a good one is on it's way. Thank goodness it's true!

This last week (week#3) was great! I accomplished so much. With the help of a kind yard person from the ward who didn't even wait to let me thank him let alone pay him my yard is no longer an embarrasment. I keep looking at it and wishing we had some better weather to go outside and play. It's fun. I also hosted my HT, Seth and his wife, Amanda. They are such nice people. We found we had a lot in common and not only did they set up the baby's crib (which was much more complicated than it seemed it would be) they brought dinner and invited our family to their home for Thanksgiving. It will be fun, I hope.

I was also able to get the house cleaned and relatively more organized. I think my biggest

accomplishment was getting the office back. Since we moved in September the office has held unpacked boxes and a zillion papers used for packing. The kids loved jumping in the pile and making tunnels, but I hated having to work around it or go through it. It was so annoying and took several days (due to an energy issue on my part), but they are gone. They are packed up in the garage ready for anyone who wants them. I've already used them severall times for sending packages!

I think the best part of the week was actually getting our doctor appts finished. I've been without an OB for 3mos. and I'm due in a little over a month. It was a bit frustrating, but once I got in it was great. Both baby and I are doing well. I have finally reached my pre-pregnancy weight and the baby is growing just fine. JC and EV also got their updated immunizations including the dreaded H1N1 vaccine. They did great and JC looks to be on a track to seriously overtaking EV in the growth department. He's huge and looks like he'll be tall to boot. Reminds me a bit of my brother Jim. He's a big guy and JC is totally headed that way. Yes, most of the dads have decided he'll be a lineman. Men and football, what can I say.

Overall the week was great! We did a lot, had some fun, progressed in lots of things, with only a slight draw back. JC got sick on Wednesday with a fever of 102.6 and it held for a day and a half. Then EV got a runny nose and an old man's cough. Of course, JC quickly let go of the fever and it's not showed up with anyone else, but we all caught the yucky nose, the cough, and the throat issues. I am the only one who ended up mute. What I mean is, if you've been trying to call, I have purposly not been talking on the phone. You wouldn't be able to hear me anyway and honestly, any voice I do happen to have I save for Chris' phone call. Sorry, but try email or just be patient. I'm hoping it will all be gone soon, especially since it's been several days.

Other than that, I got one more surprise. Guess what? I won't be alone for Thanksgiving. I

know what you're thinking: I know that. She's going to her HT's house. But it's even better: Chris found a ride home and he'll be here for the whole of Thanksgiving weekend! He's even promised to take me to the "New Moon" movie I can't wait to see. (I know, but I really liked the books. I even reread them. That rarely happens for me.) It will be a really great week. Hopefully this sick part goes so we can really enjoy the time together.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! We love you bunches and hope you all feel the love we are constantly sending your way.

The Monkey and the Princess

Halloween 09
Well, Thanksgiving is right around the corner so I thought it would be the perfect time to post pictures of our first Halloween in SC.

All and all it was an interesting day. Of course I worked that night, and Tamy had her hands full with the kids, costumes, and making sure that everything that needed to be done before I left for training, was done. Much to Tamy's delight I managed to take off that night from work so I could be part of Joseph's first Halloween and Evie's third.

We always start with high ambitions to 'deck out' the yard with cool Halloween props and wear cool costumes, but then Oct 31st hits and we find ourselves scrabbling for a trash bag to put over our heads. This year it appears Tamy & I got caught. Tamy & I didn't even bother dressing up. We counted ourselves lucky just to make it out of the house! Joseph wore a cool Monkey costume that looked like a lion, and Evie was... a Princess!

With our kids ready to go we left for our Church that was hosting a dinner and 'trunk or treat'. For those of you not familiar with a trunk or treat, it is simply a trick or treat for small kids in a safe environment, where they collect candy from the trunks of cars rather than at different houses. The trunks are manned by our friends at church. It cuts down on time, provides a safe haven, and most importantly, maximizes your candy stock. Oops, I meant our kids candy stock.

The weather that evening was fantastic, try trick or treating in 80 degree weather!!! Better rethink your costume. Joseph and Tamy (in her long sleeve shirt and sweater) were sweating bullets in their clothes. After dinner we had a pumpkin competition and Evie got to have her face painted. After some good food and conversation we took the kids outside. One of the members of our church brought a tractor with cars attached to it like a train. For 2 plus hours he drove around the kids in 10 minute rides.

By the time we got outside, the rides were almost done, in hopes that we could catch one more ride we raced over to the 'train man' with Joseph & Evie. (Do your best British accent) "Please Sir, just one more ride."

The Train man nodded and I swiftly lifted Evelynn into one of the seats. Then I notice a problem, how would Joseph ride? He was too small to go alone and Evie wasn't able to help him out. I looked at those tiny seats, made only for small children and came up with a brilliant idea. "I'll beat I could fit in one of those seats," I said. With that I hopped into a very cramped and unwelcoming seat, but I was in. I picked Joseph up and sat him in between my two knees, which were sticking straight up in that tiny cart. The ride was a little bumpy for my taste but Evelynn was having the time of her life, as she sat next to her new best friend Emily, they laughed together the whole time. Joseph had a big ol' grin on his face too. He just loved it!

After the ride was all over we went Trick or Treating in the trunks. Evie met many couples all dressed up and their trunks 'decked out' with cool, or scary props. Evie still has a way to go before she figures out this whole 'trick or treat' thing, but she loved what went in her bag. Joseph got to hold a green glowing stick and had a big smile as we took him around with his big sister. Evie had a pink glow stick that she cleverly attached to her dress as a neckless.

It is absolutely priceless to watch the Princess and the Monkey together. Evelynn (Princess) loves doing things with Joseph (Monkey), and Joseph just stares at his amazing sister and gets so proud when he can do something she does.

Doing Halloween with just Evelynn was an awesome time, doing it with a Monkey and a Princess was even better. I can't wait to see what it will be like with 3! Maybe next time mom and dad will be ready.

Another Week Down!!

So week two was definately not what I thought it might be. I learned several things:

1. No matter how reliable a person is there is always room for disappointments. It doesn't mean they are a bad person, it simply means that you need to adjust.

2. Your children are always aware how you're really feeling and will act accordingly. They don't listen to words, they listen to tone, body language, and facial expression. Be prepared.

3. When one thing is going wrong it is a high possibility that other things will go wrong as well. It's not karma, bad timing, or divine chastisement. It's attitude. It is hard to turn things around when something goes wrong, but it's important if you want to stop the cascade.

All of this adds up to a good learning experience, but the most important lesson I learned this week was this: your spouse becomes your best friend because when you are learning the lessons above, it is he/she that helps you gain perspective, feel better, and give you the encouragement you need to step up and try again. Thank goodness for my husband!!!

On a lighter note, though the week was one of the not so happy ones, it does mean that Chris only has three weeks left!!! What a great thing. At least something wonderful came out of it!

Have a good week everyone.

Gone Again

So, we have been left to our own devices yet again! Chris has been gone a full week now to train in Mississippi. He will be back just after his birthday in December. Thankfully, this time is going so much smoother than the last time he left us. I have amazing resources in both the military and in the church and we are already in "dad is gone" mode with the kids. Chris calls at least once a day to say hi and keep us posted on what he's doing and we get to share all the funny stories that have occurred that day.

You wouldn't believe how much I got done this week! With a deadline like Chris' homecoming, it has really helped to motivate me in my home-projects list. I am almost done with both of the bathroom overhauls. The kids have a frog pond in theirs and we have a more sophisticated gold/wine theme in ours. It's really exciting to finally decorate things the way I want them. I had so much fun painting. Being 8mos. pregnant wasn't one of the perks, but it went smoothly and we've gotten several compliments from our realtor. It really helped to add some life to the rooms. I'll post pix of the rooms as they get finished.

This week it looks like I'll get some help with our yard (it hasn't been mowed since we moved in. No lawnmower!) and some help setting up the new crib that Chris got for me. It's beautiful, but quite large and heavy. I'm so excited to finally have a crib. We've never had a home big enough for one! So those are two projects that will hopefully get done. I finally put child locks on our bath/kitchen cabinets so I can finish unpacking all the stuff in those boxes. I also finally broke down and hauled out the unpacked boxes so they're not sitting in our office anymore. It's been a busy week, but I took it lightly.

The first week Chris is gone is always the hardest. It's the same when he comes home. The adjustment period is interesting. The kids are in the flow now and I'm getting better at managing my time. The fact that I have the car whenever I want now helps a bit. I've also set up babysitting at least once a week so that I can schedule dr. appts, base appts, and do the shopping or research that I need to. I also try to do one fun thing during those times as well. This last week I got our finances fixed on base, met with a dr., and bought some little home improvement items to finish the small projects I'd set for myself.

This Tuesday I have a budgeting consult on base to consolidate loans, figure out our expenses and get a system that works for our family. Instead of knowing where it went, I want to know where it will go! I also have a rep from family support coming out to meet with me to address some single-parenting concerns (with Chris gone) and help prepare me for our next baby. The AF is so supportive of their service member's families!

Cute moment of the week: Evie asked me to sing her a song I didn't know at bedtime. I had heard the melody, but I didn't know the words. She looked at me with her most patient and loving face, put her hand on my cheek, and said in the most grown up way, "Just do your best mommy, it will be okay."