Happy New Years!

As 2007 is ending tonight I thought I would write a post about what we’ve done this year.

Nothing big happened at the beginning of the year, in March we packed up and moved down here to San Diego. It took the boys and me 19 hours to drive! It was long and pretty much uneventful! Ethan did wake up in the wee hours of the morning and saw the moon setting while the sun was raising and he still talks about it today. We entertained ourselves by playing all the car games you can think of, but the boys favorite was picking a color of car or truck and trying to be the first to find one. When I wanted a quiet moment I would pick some odd color like orange and they would stare out their windows forever.

Brandon transferred in April and we spent a good amount of time trying to set up house; while Brandon was trying to figure out which boat he was going to since they decided to change it at the last minute. He ended up going back to the USS Topeka and I don’t think (I know) he wasn’t so excited about that. When he left the Topeka in 2004 he had some very choice words that I won’t repeat on here! I truly thought we had seen out last days of all the drama that comes along with the Topeka, but to our surprise Brandon was given a second chance to change his feelings about the boat. So far I think they have worsened!

June was a crazy month, Amya came for her summer visit and then my sister April and her son Caleb came out for a week or so. We stayed busy the whole time by going to Legoland, San Diego Zoo, the pool, the beach, hiking, and I don’t even remember what else. When I think back about it all I remember was how sore I was! While she was here, my father-in-law Tom and his wife Kathe came for a night. They were in Arizona and thought since they were that close they would drive over for a day. We had a blast at the San Diego Zoo with them. After April and Caleb left my mom and sister Hannah came for a night. Hannah had a softball tournament in Vegas and I played the guilt with my mom and said if Tom and Kathe were willing to drive to see us she had to as well! It worked and they made the 5 hour drive to go out to dinner, stop at the beach (weather was crappy) and go home sleep, and then turn around and get up early the next morning to drive back!

In August mom and the kids were going to come down here for a week but plans fell through, so the boys and I drove up to Washington. We stayed a week or so because Brandon was out to sea for some of it. While I was there I finished sanding mom’s cabinet and we stained them in hopes that the kitchen remodel would finally be finished! (After I left Jeremy hung them for her) To thank me mom was going to send me to get a massage, but me being me thought I hadn’t had my hair done in a long time and would go that route instead. Should have listened to mom! I thought its summer and I’ll go blond! I ended up frying my hair and burning my scalp! My hair was falling out in chunks! It’s still jacked up! Brandon thought he would make a joke out of it and started calling me oozing scalp!



In September the kids started school. Ethan couldn’t wait and Gavin had mixed feeling, one day he wanted to go and the next he wasn’t even hearing it! I also went back to school. I’m trying my best to get my entire prerequisites done before Brandon goes to shore duty, so that way he can help with the boys while I fully focus on nursing school.

In October Brandon left for his deployment and we are missing him like crazy! November and December have gone by fast because we been busy with school and now we are starting tee-ball. We're almost half way done with the deployment and we can’t wait to have daddy back home.

As for having a new year’s resolution mine is to not to go to bed with a messy house. That means that if anyone of you were to knock on my door I wouldn’t be embarrassed to let you in and see any room in my house. Let’s hope that this is the year that I follow through and stick with it. I hope y’all have a very safe and happy new year!

Christmas fun!

Sorry about the ads, but it was the only way to use it for free! Hope you enjoy!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

What's going on...

Today is the day that I’m finally going to write the letter to the San Diego Parking Idiots! I really don’t want to, but I am going to suck it up and just write the darn thing, even though I feel I shouldn’t have to explain myself AGAIN!

Other than that drama, Brandon is in port! Woohoo! Even though it is on the other side of the world at least we get to finally talk to him, it has been a few weeks without any communication. I told him about this blog, maybe if I can get him in a good mood I can even get him to post a hello to y’all!

I’m taking a 4 week speed course during the break between semesters and I already had to start writing my first paper. I really wished I would have had at least a few days off. I’m going to try to reschedule my classes again so I’m able to take the summer off. But as of right now the biology class I needed for this semester was full, so it looks like I won’t have a break then either. Say a pray for me, cause the last thing I need or want is to get burnt out on school already!

Nothing else new going on here! Hope y’all have a safe and happy new year!

Remember when little things excited you this much!

Thank the NEX for the great hair cut!

Sweet boys

Merry Christmas!

I found out yesterday that I passed my final English Essay! Woohoo! I can’t believe it! I was for sure that I failed and had already rearranged my classes so I can repeat the course! This is the best Christmas gift this year!!!

We woke up and did the bright and early unwrapping (I surprisingly woke up before the kids). We did the web cam for the family we couldn’t be with. Had a bit of technical problems with the sound, but it was nice to see loved ones! We’re going to the movies later and that will pretty much wrap up our Christmas this year. Pretty uneventful! Merry Christmas to all, and have a very blessed holiday!

lifeguard bathroom break

If you need a laugh, watch!

Conclusion

Just wanted to fill in the blanks, with the freezing…The guy finally came out Tuesday, but left saying he had to order parts and had no idea when they would come in especially this close to the holidays. I had finally had enough and called maintenance and said they needed to do something! I have 2 sick kids and winter break is fixing to start and this is not how I planned on spending my 2 weeks off of school. They said they would give me a couple space heaters and I'm thinking okay I remember growing up using them, so I was okay with it. When I went to their office they were the size of Ethan’s head (sad comparison, but true) I was thinking how are these going to heat up my 2000 sq. ft home?! I plugged them in and within 15-20 minutes our rooms were so hot, I contemplated turning on the fan to not only create a breeze but to circulate the air and spread the warmth throughout the house. So I must “man up” and say I was in the wrong and should had trusted them when they said those little heater could work wonders.


And then finals…I finished all my finals and only have a bad feeling about the writing essay, but we’re not going to go there again. I am totally stoked that I’m finish and we’re celebrating this Sunday by having cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and then my girlfriends and I are taking the kids to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, where they are having the Festival of Lights. This year they added a snow hill!!! Can you believe snow in southern California, fake or not I can’t wait to see the kids in it!

Hooray for me! :)

Even with all this crappy weather, the gray clouds have parted way and the sun has shown its light on me! Not only was I able to find a parking spot along with managing to not get a ticket this time, I made it to my final on time and ROCKED IT! (at least I think I did, the final grades haven’t posted yet) As such as I would like to say it was a moment of brightness for me, in reality I actually study a bit each night and didn’t try to do it all in a cram session the night before. Plus I prayed to not have all the stress that I have been putting on myself! So thank you God! For the first time I’m not hating school!

FREEZING!

Yesterday I called maintenance to have them tell me how to work my heater, and I did exactly what they told me to do, which turned out to be a no go! It’s freezing in our house! So I called them again today and after 6 hours of waiting for them to “come right over” the guy finally should up just to tell me what I already knew, that it’s broke. And guess what; he says well maybe he’ll come back today but for sure by Monday. I already had to keep the boys home Friday because they had the runny nose for a few days and started with the cough. Now it’s Saturday night and Ethan has no voice and Gavin isn’t far behind. I NEED HEAT!! I can’t believe I’m saying that, especially for those who know me well, I always keep the A/C on but it is unbelievably cold these last few nights and mornings. I need my bed back and am sick of having frozen feet touch me in the middle of the night and wake me up. So pray for us that we don’t freeze to death between now and whenever they decide to show up!

A wise man once said.....

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

English Final (I know it's long, but I need to vent)

First let me give you a little perspective so you understand where I’m coming from, my midterm was a nightmare and full of drama! I couldn’t find a parking spot and ending up having to hike it to the building and ended up being late; which threw me off completely! I felt rushed and my essay paid for it! Thankfully we were able to make at home revisions and I was able to pull off a passing grade. So knowing that, I left at 10:30 this morning for my final that was to start at noon. (It is a 10 minute drive at most) I wanted to make sure that I had enough time to find a parking spot and be able to walk to class. The parking gods must have felt bad for last time, because as soon as I turned into the school there was a spot! I pulled in and had a good 45+ minute wait before I wanted to start heading over to class. I was sitting in my car talking on the phone and getting my backpack together when the parking lady pulls up and all commando style walks right up and starts giving me a ticket! I very politely ask her what she is doing, can’t she see I’m trying to get out of my car. She barks at me to step back and gave me a fricking $30 ticket!!! This is when my heart starts racing and I starting to get pissed! I tried my best to plan ahead and make it an easy trip just to get to my final! She wouldn’t even hand me the ticket! She places it on my window and pulls off in her little scooter! There goes my whole theory on the parking gods looking out for me! So from there, I take the ticket and little envelope that came with it to mail in a check and sit in my car. (After I put money in the parking meter) The more I stare at the ticket the more I’m starting to feel mad and then I feel tears starting to fall down my face! I’m not much of a crier, but this is my first ticket of any kind and I was pissed that it was over something that I didn’t even do wrong! I found the number on the back of the ticket and called customer service. The poor guy who answered, he very polite and told me to appeal the ticket and that I shouldn’t have gotten a one. Now I have to write a letter and go through the process of telling the courts how they hired an idiot!
Onto my finals, now that I’m in a GREAT mood, I have to run over to class because I was on the phone too long and when I get there I’m out of breath and feel the exact way I did during my midterms. The professor gives us our topic for the essay and it was either you felt one way or the other. 20 minutes into it I think I should change my view and start over. Knowing that this is a 90 minute timed essay I thought I was in the clear, so I delete my essay and start over. I type as fast as my little fingers know how to, and of course my computer starts messing up! Every time I go back to add or delete anything the computer starts deleting the next letter, it was like every time I added one it took away two! And then if things couldn’t get any worse my professor says, “You have 15 minutes left, you should be on your editing” WHAT?! I wasn’t even halfway done and I still had 45 minutes, or so I thought. I call her over and she proceeds to tell me that the extra 30 minutes are for waiting in line to print! Now I have 10 minutes to finish the 2 paragraphs and a conclusion to write! There is NO WAY that I passed and as I said before you have to pass this essay to pass the class. So lucky old me gets to take English AGAIN!

Pictures of kids

I know it's been awhile since some of you have seen the kids, these are recent

Where to start?

I’m not much of a writer, but I love reading other people’s blogs and thought it was about time I returned the favor! Plus having family and friends spread throughout the U.S. I thought this would be a great way to keep updated on everyone.
What’s going on with us, Brandon is currently on a mission and were supposed to be unable to have any contact. I hate when we are unable to get at least just a quick email that say hello! But Brandon being Brandon found a way to send a message and give hints that we won’t hear from him again till after the holidays! In this deployment he will miss every birthday of ours and all the major holidays, but thankfully he’ll come home days before our anniversary! Woohoo for me!!
The kids have 2 more weeks of school before winter break. Ethan goes to year round school and doesn’t have to be back till January 22, but Gavin is through the Navy and only has 2 weeks off. So Ethan and I get some alone time; which will be nice since he has taken on the role of Daddy to Gavin since Brandon left. It’s the cutest thing ever, but he’s only 5 and I don’t want him to grow up yet! The boys are very much like me and overly independent. Every night Gavin likes to start his own bath water and they both must wash their own hair and bodies. (I supervise and they actually do a really good job) This is where Ethan steps in and gets Gavin’s PJ’s and will get his tooth brush out and put the tooth paste on it for him, and even comb Gavin’s hair. After the 5 minutes of brotherly love its back to frick and frack! The new thing is where they are going to sleep. You would think that their beds might be the spot, but no it couldn’t be that simple! It’s either in Amya’s room or down stairs and the latest is in their closet. They have a walk in and there is room for them, but it freaked me out the first time. I went in their room to check on them and they were nowhere to be found! I went running back and forth from upstairs to downstairs and panic started to sit in, finally Ethan woke up to me yelling for them and all sleepy eyed comes down stairs and says, “What Mom, I’m right here.” BOYS!!!
As for me I have my English final tomorrow and if I don’t pass the final I can’t pass the class, even though the final doesn’t count as any points towards my final grade. After the fires down here it really threw my Prof. off and I don’t think she has gotten back on track yet. She sent out all the assignments that should had been done and turned in and there is a weeks worth of work that I had no idea we had to do. Hopefully she fixes it and that I’m not in the wrong. I thought all assignments were pushed back or dismissed due to school being canceled. I guess that is what I get for assuming, huh? On Monday is my math final and I just found out that I can’t use a calculator on it. I use on every test and again assumed that I could on the final, but NO. Wish me luck. I should be on the same school schedule as Ethan, but I thought with Brandon gone and that I really want to get my degree ASAP that I would take a speed course during the break, so I’ll have 2 weeks off and then back to school.
Because of that class and me being a tight wad, we are staying here for the holidays. I was going to go home and stay for a few weeks and have Hannah’s baby shower, but the timing isn’t right. Plus now we are going for spring break and will do the shower then. We will be able to extend our stay and be there for the birth. I am so excited for that! I truly thought that I was going to miss the birth because Hannah’s due date is the same day Brandon pulls back into port. Brandon told me very sternly if I wasn’t on the pier, then I might as well not come home. He wasn’t serious, well maybe he was :) but I don’t blame him after 6 months of being away from your family I would want them there when I got back.
Okay I’m rambling, I’ll stop. I didn’t think that I would have much to say, but this is a good start, don’t you think?
Here is some pictures of Brandon's battle group, I think they are awesome!