snapshots.......

Just some fun snapshots.........


Here I am with Jayce and Addison...it's my birthday selfphoto " ) I'm not too good at those as you can probably tell - lol

Addison and Tyler strike a pose......













What a goofball.....

our first 4th of July celebration

We were invited to join some of the other spouses and their families to join the Navy base for their 4th of July celebration. There was food and tons of games and jumpy things for the kids. Unfortunately for us and our kids, they weren't able to go on any of the "rides" or play any of the games -- we stood in line for shaved ice too long!! But they were ok with that......being right on the beach the kids had more fun looking for hermit crabs and running around " )
It was a great night, though! We sat right by the d.j. who spun some of the best American music ever! And the music didn't stop when the fireworks began......the music was almost tearful as fellow soldiers yelled out things like, "Hell, yeah!" when they would hear lyrics like "Thank God for the USA" while we watched the most beautiful fireworks display. It was awesome!







Here is the Navy's Color Guard marching to the flagpole to present the American Flag.









The d.j. had lots of cool prizes for those brave enough to get up and dance in front of the crowd. Unfortunately for me (or fortunately for the crowd) I missed out on this one! I borrowed the visor for the pic!









Jim sings along to one of the songs for Addison.

my birthday surprise

These pictures don't do the crime justice, but just imagine waking up to kids screaming, "Mom come and look outside!"

My friends decided to vandalize my house with streamers, ballons, and banners - all in good fun to wish me a Happy Birthday. It was the best birthday morning ever!


Jim also had a part in this.......making sure that everywhere I drove on my special day, everyone knew it was my birthday! It was bit embarassing, but still fun.

say a prayer for me....please

Sorry for the delay in the update, but it's been a long week and weekend. I went to see my ob on Thursday for my post op visit. I was given my third shot in my butt that day...... and I want nothing more than for needles to stay away from my bum from this point forward!! The doc and I talked about my depo shot and how it will prevent my ovaries from producing hormones and the side effects that come along with that. I'm worried for my sanity and the sanity of those who live with me after the shot begins to take full effect...... so I just ask that (for now) you all say a little prayer for me....I'm not asking to be cured of anything, just asking to be able to deal with life through this period of my life.
I will also keep you updated on how things progress through this issue. Depending on how I can deal with this shot, I may end up with a hysterectomy.......

strep throat - are you serious??

So, its been just over a week since Jim's left for Vegas and I start to feel this lump on the right side of my throat. I just pass it off as a sore throat, no biggie...... Well, come Sunday I am really feeling awful! When I fall asleep in the recliner while the kids are running the house ragged, you know something is really wrong! : ) Later, Sunday night my temp raises from 99 to 100, to 101.... I honestly can't remember the last time I had a temp over 99. Monday morning I woke up to a 102 degree temp, a throat so swollen I can't swallow my own spit (gross, I know), and my body covered in goose bumps and sweat. I thought I was going to die.... I had to call my GREAT friend Susie to come pick up my kids because I couldn't take care of them! I felt so helpless. I went into the hospital and got a throat culture.....then I found out today that, sure enough, I have strep. So I went in today to get my antibiotics....two healthy shots of penicillian in the butt! Can you say, "Ouch, I want my mommy?" Those are the worst shots to get EVER!

The last time Jim was gone TDY I lost my voice (literally...lost ALL of my voice) for 5 of the 7 days he was gone.........

If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all " )

sigh

I woke up today with a renewed sense of faith...faith that my kids would listen to me and we'd be able to make a trip to the beach. I had plans to take them to the beach yesterday but they were just acting like uncaged animals all morning and afternoon. They eventually got them selves grounded. After a few hours of being punished, they seemed to be on much better behavior and I decided to take them to the good ole Chuck E Cheese (they have to run out energy...right?). It was a good night last night, too. They all went to bed great.....and me, too " )

I wanted to badly so take the kids to the beach today..... after laying in bed for a little while I decided to give the kids another chance at it. I told them that I would take them to the beach but they had to make sure that the house wasn't a mess before I got up. They know what they should and shouldn't do and what they should and shouldn't play with..... to my surprise the house was a huge mess! So...they are grounded again. I have to put my foot down at some point, right? Augh...it doesn't make it any easier. I was going to take pictures of the big mess today, but figured, "who would want to see that?" lol I know I don't!

I'm missing you all!

Florida wildlife

I am still amazed at the wildlife here. It's so different than Michigan and Texas. Of course we still see deer, and that's not amazing......

........neither is this picture of Tyler and the ugly ducks, but it was a photo opportunity.......




Anyone who's been to Florida knows about the lizards that crawl around EVERYWHERE. Well, my kids love to try to catch them. This past weekend Jayce found one and tried to catch it. Well, my friend tells him to wait and go ask her husband if it's a dangerous lizard. So Jayce goes and grabs her husband and has him catch it. Sure enough these little things have a mouth full of tiny little razor sharp teeth! The good news is that Jayce now knows that these "animals" are not always safe to catch. Oh, we also found out that their tails come off quite easily, and when they do come off, they wriggle on the ground without their bodies for like 5 mintues. The tails do grow back........

I've been bugging Jim to take me out on the shop's "mule" (it's like a John Deer four wheeler/golf cart thingy) and show me around the site, back in the woods, near the beach, etc....I've been told there are snakes galore and even alligators that hang around out there. Well, he finally took me out and we went to this lake/pond type thing where Jim has seen alligators (we had the kids with us, too...they wanted to see also!). At first we didn't see anything and we were a little discouraged but as we began our venture back to civilization Jim stops the mule and says he thinks he sees it. Sure enough, we see an alligator! As you can see it is pretty little....maybe three feet total in length. He sees us and begins to swim closer and closer. He was checking us out as much as we were checking him out! It was like this thing had no fear. Any ways...I'm still amazed to see this stuff in the wild and not behind a glass wall or something.




......just another lizard picture.....this one is chilling on Tyler's bicycle seat.