I went to wake up Ethan for school and I found them in Amya's bed. It's missing it's sheets cause they are in the wash to get ready for her to come. I was lost for words when I walked in and saw them!
It's almost as cute as the boys sleeping the other night at Angie's
I couldn't wait for Brandon to come home, so yesterday I went and picked up the TV and stand. I drove my beast and it wasn't tall enough to fit the TV. So I took the stand and went home to get the truck. On the way back I realized that it was in desperate need of some gas. Luckily the truck will tell you how many miles until empty and it said I had 5 miles. I knew that there was a gas station next to the store, so I passed all the others on the way. Once I pulled up to the gas station it was one of those dumb ones that only expect cash or debt. I only use a debt card but run it as credit, so it wouldn't work. I go and pick up the TV and pray that I'll make it to another gas station. Once I drive out into the road the TV tips over and is now hanging over the edge and looks like any bump will make it flip out of the truck. I then look at how many miles and it changes to 0! I start to freak out, but the fear of having the TV flip out of the truck overwhelms me. I turn into another gas station and the TV flips over to the other side of the back of the truck, but this time it falls below the edge so I know it won't fall out. Later last night I took it in with my trusted dolly (aka the kids wagon) and I carry the stand in piece by piece. Here is what it looks like and old vs. new and the mess it made!
nice commercial, huh? :-)
Law and Order
sorry for the flashes!
slim and sleek vs. beast
wanna clean it for me :-)
Our TV finally bit the dust. It has been going in and out on us ever since Brandon came back from deployment, but now it does it every other second and it will stay black for a good length of time. A couple weeks back we had it looked at and we were told that we would have to replace the server board becasue it rusted. We checked around to see what it would be to replace it, but everyone told us it would be a better investment to replace the TV. With the Memorial Day sales we found an awesome deal and saved $850 on the TV and another $25 on the stand. Not a great deal with the stand and sadly I'm not in love with it, but it was a decent deal. Now our problem is Brandon is leaving in a few hours to sea for a short period and we were unable to pick it up in time before he left. So it will be staying at the store until Brandon comes back. I'll post some pictures once we get it all set up, but until then here is the web picture of our new TV.
Not sure what they were trying to sell in the picture ;) but ain't she purdy?
After reading more reviews than I wanted to and going over and over and over the compares I have decided to go with Canon. I am currently a Canon user, but that did not come into play. I gave Nikon a fair shot. They are pretty much similar, but I need the most idiot proof one cause I am NOT DSLR capable at the moment and need one that is easier to handle. Once the pickles are gone, I will be making a jar to save up for my camera. Here's to nickle and diming myself to a beautiful new camera
This is by far one of the funniest videos I've seen in some time, hope y'all get a laugh out of it too!
We always talk about Brandon going to school as well, but he always says he never has enough time. I completely understand cause we NEVER see him much. But the other day I asked in hopes he would say yes if I can enroll him for the fall semester so he can have all the basic classes done by shore duty so he can focus on his bachelors while he has more time and he said YES! He'll have to take classes online, but since I've been doing it for the last year we know it is manageable. I enrolled him, filed for financial aid, and tonight we sent off for his transcripts.
The goal right now is for me to get my Nursing degree while Brandon will get his BA in Management. After I get my degree and work for awhile I will go back to school to get my master's to become a nurse practitioner and once Brandon gets out of the Navy he will be going to a golf academy (yes there is a golf school) to become a golf director. Hopefully I can talk Brandon into going back to school during another shore duty to get his MBA.
Three cheers for teaching our childern the importance of a college degree!
Yesterday we went to Angie and Keith's to watch the UFC fights and eat. They smoked chicken, ribs, and brisket. I have always been a border line vegetarian, but this almost put me over the top (that was until I tasted it)This poor little guy looked as if he did while he was alive minus the head and a tad bit more color
Isn't it sad? But he did taste SO good!
Here is a picture of my wedding set...
It's a 2.0 t.c.w. platinum wedding set; which I love BUT have had a few problems with. Every time I had the ring cleaned it would make the diamonds loose so I had to send it in to be tightened up. The actually band had caused the most problems, to even where one of the diamonds fell out and I had to send it off to be replaced.
Here's what happened, we were over at a friends house and I noticed that one of the diamonds in the band was really loose. Not wanting to lose the diamond I asked Brandon to hold it. He put it in his wallet, so there wouldn't be any way it would fall out of his pocket.
Once we get home I asked him for it and he jokingly said what you think I would lose it? He opens up his wallet to find no ring! We look all over and it is no where to be found! I have a mini panic attack and hours later finally fall asleep.
I wake up and start bugging Brandon to call his friend so we can go over and look for it. But they don't answer. You should know that we had a long night over there and we didn't get home till 5am or so. But I didn't care, I wanted my ring so I made Brandon get up so we could drive over and look for it.
We go over to their house around lunch time, but they don't answer the door. We go eat lunch and all this time I have made Brandon call every hour to get a hold of them. After lunch we go back over and still no answer, so I figure we will go and look at the jewelry store to see how much a replacement would be.
Make a guess how much just the band would be? Brandon again jokingly said it will be $2000 and he was right! I didn't want to spend that kind of money for a ring that we already paid for once before. So we leave and try to call again.
Finally around dinner time we get a call back and we head over to look, but with no luck! FYI for the next few days I stay in bed and Brandon keeps telling me to get over it and stop slugging around. I didn't know that losing it would throw me into such a funk.
Brandon tried to make up for it by buying the mother's day ring, but as I wrote already it wasn't meant to be. Last week I went to a different store and they offered us the same ring for half the price. I didn't want to, but I wanted out of my funk so I went ahead and bought it. Here's a picture of it...
But now here is a new problem, it is bigger than the last one so the diamonds don't line up. I know I know, always complaining huh? Well I want my ring perfect! So this is what I have came up with. Once I pay of the band, the store will give me credit for the engagement ring (same price we paid for it) and I will use it as a credit to buy a matching one. Well actually I'm not going match-e match-e, I'm going for a solitaire that I thought I didn't want. Here is a picture of it...
What do y'all think?
Summer time is almost here and that means Amya will be flying out in 3 weeks, but this time the sundae is coming with whip cream and a cherry on top! Hannah and Hailey are flying out with her! Since Amya is flying to Oregon for a visit with Great Grandma before she comes here, Hannah has the opportunity to fly down here with her. I am so stoked! I get to get my baby fix again! Even though I have to take a few classes this summer I still get to have family fun by having my girls here! Now I just need to figure out a way to get my mom to fly down so I can get all the girls together!
The dilemma that has been bugging me for awhile now, Canon VS. Nikon! I have used the compare button many times, but since I don't know too much about SLR's at the moment, I'm lost for which one I should be saving for. It will be some time before I actually am able to get a SLR, but when I do I want to make sure and get the right one. So if you have any advice, or have heard anything about either, or even just want to say you like one better than the other for whatever reasons your heart desires PLEASE let me know!
I'm not sure why I'm posting this blog because it has nothing good to say about me, but in keeping it real I thought I would fill y'all in with what happened today...
We were running about 10 minutes behind this morning and those 10 minutes mean being late or making it on time. I rushed Ethan along and he ran to class just in time. Once I got back home I curled up on the couch and ended up dosing off. I woke up a few minutes later to look at the clock; which said 9:30am I figured since Ethan doesn't get out till 2:05pm I was golden.
I head upstairs to wake up to a phone call from Brandon. He simply says, "Why haven't you gotten our son yet?" I reply, it's not time, he then informs me that it is 2:40pm and Ethan is waiting in the office to be picked up. I jump out of bed, throw my hair in a pony tail, and yell for Gavin to come on.
I rush over to the school and Ethan comes running out cry, "What happened?" I now have to tell him that I fell asleep. I broke his little heart. I felt so awful, I can not believe that I was out cold for 5 hours! I need to figure out why I have been so tired lately!
Ethan is now accepting applications for replacement parents to pick him up from school. Only responsible persons please apply!
(You should know that Brandon did this too a few weeks back)
I just wanted to post a huge THANK YOU to Papa Tom, Grandma Cindi, Auntie Hannah, Uncle Steven, Mrs. Norma, Mr. Ben, and of course Gavin for donating to the jog-a-thon. Today Ethan ran his little heart out and did his best. So thanks again for the support! It meant everything to him to pull in a huge amount and win awesome prizes. Once he gets the prizes I will post pictures. Again, Thank you everyone!
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but guess what I did...I pulled a 4.0 this semester! Take that mom, I did it! Thanks for the voices in my head, guess your constant rambling paid off. I thought it would be great news, but boring Brandon could really care less, so I thought I'll call my girls and we can use it as an excuse to get together and have dinner. It has almost become next to impossible to get us together. I really thought it would work out, I did my homework and made sure that none of the hubby's had duty. But once again plans were already made. It's 3 days later now, and I'm over it.
Onto other things going on in my life...Brandon got me a gorgeous anniversary/mother's day ring. It's a past, present, future with smaller diamonds on the sides of those 3 bigger ones. It has become the ring that wasn't meant to be. I have to make it clear that Brandon did pick out a wonderful ring, but it stands up more than my liking and I snagged it on everything, or scraped the kids with it. So I took it back and exchanged it for a true mother's day ring. It is very simple, but I absolutely love it. It is the boys birth stones with some antique accents.
By exchanging the ring I saved a couple grand and was able to get a replacement wedding band that was lost. (A few of you know that story, if you don't and want to put be back into a depression you can call and ask about it) but since I don't feel like thinking about it too much tonight I'm just going to say that it has been replaced and I'm going to keep telling myself happy thoughts about it.
That's my life since I finished classes, entertaining huh? :-) I am taking the boys to Sea World to their member only night. I'll let you know how that turns out. Until then hope y'all are enjoying the heat wave more than we are.
It is now 11:35 pm and I just finished my English papers! I am the BIGGEST procrastinator and that it NO JOKE. I thought it would be great fun to wait until the last day to finish all my work. I only had a test, discussion, final paper, and journal due. Well let me tell you what I have been doing for the past 8 hours....ALL THAT CRAP! And the worst part is that my butt hurts from all this sitting. I asked Brandon if he will rub my buttocks and he keeps saying later with the look as if I'm joking, but I'm not, it HURTS! Eight hours sitting is not what I'm about, now 8 hours laying in bed being lazy I can do, but sitting in the edge of the couch and on the floor, going back and forth is not my cup of tea.
Okay back to the work, I thought it would be quick and easy, the test and discussion took maybe 45 minutes, no biggie and then I start my journal (you should know that I have known all semester that this would be due at the end of class, and my teacher suggested to stay on top of it each week so we wouldn't get behind) Do you think that I would listen to that? All I hear was one less thing I have to do each week :-)
Anyways, so I look at what I need to write about and what I need to write, it is freaking 17 papers! Not 17 pages, each story need to be a proper paper with references and all the crap! I'm thinking what did I just get myself into. Then I think maybe I should just write my final paper first to get it out of the way and since they are both worth 100 points each I should do the sure one just in case I don't finish the journal and never get around to starting the paper. But then I think of my points and I know I can go without the journal and still pull a B in the class. Sad huh? Trying to justify to myself to not have to do that damn journal!
Here is where Mom's voice comes into my head, "I pulled a 4.0 throughout college, being a single mother and all, you should be able to do it." Thanks Mom! I feel the guilt and start with the journal. Dinner time comes and goes and I send Brandon to pick up take out cause there is no stopping me, but then he comes home and I try my best to keep working, but the smells of Applebee's was too much and I had to stop real quick and eat.
After what I thought would be a great meal, (they burnt my stuff) I got back to work. All this time since I started the boys have been acting like fools, asking for this, fighting over that, and guess what Brandon did all day...played damn PS3 Madden! :-) I can't give him that hard of a time though cause it is his last day of stand down and he should spend it doing what he wants. So back to me, After each one I do I am saying a count down out loud and cheerleader Brandon over on the other couch is saying shh, and starts yelling at the game some more. I have to send the boys outside, upsides, and set them up with a game. Once 10:30pm rolls around and I have 7 more to go, I thinking I'm not going to make it. I get that gut feeling, CRAP I won't finish in time!
But then the miracles of all miracle happens the last 6 are poems and they are as short as can be and there is only so much you can write about 5 sentences, ya know? I finish with a little shy of an hour to write my last paper. I start and the fingers go flying. I write that beast in 15 minutes flat! It just flowed out of me and I kept going and going. I don't even do that when I have time to write. I am also the queen of writers block, but not this time!
In closing, thank you God for getting me through this and now I have a month off before my summer semester starts. Anyone up to go play? ;-)
Today must be my day, not only am I finally getting together with Milie and the family tonight, but due to them coming over for dinner we now have a pine-sol smelling house! Those of you who know me well enough know that I will make sink full batches of pine-sol water because I LOVE the smell that much. Sad I know, but while pregnant I would crave it so much that I would wake up in the middle of the night and sniff it. I know that doesn't sound good, but it was my crack! I had to have a whiff of it and guess what that crave is back! Brandon and I have been trying to "mate" a baby and here's to crossing fingers and hoping!
I just finished paper number 4 and now I only have paper 5 and my virtual journal to turn into English and then I'm D-O-N-E! Truth is I'm taking a class this summer so I won't get the break that I wanted and thought that I needed. But it's another semester done with so that is progress, right? :=) So here is what I will be doing vs. what I want to be doing...
Things are pretty much back to normal around here. Brandon is back to work and I'm back to procrastating on doing homework. I only have 3 weeks left and had planned on taking the summer off, but in the end I'm taking one class. I figured since the Ethan has to go to school year round why not me?
Mom's 50th birthday was a hit. I had a great time back home and it went way too fast. I normally go home for a few weeks at a time, and since this time it was only 4 days I cried when it was time to go. I'll post pictures in our family photos.
Other than that nothing new, except I miss my girls! I was going out to Chula Vista at least 3-4 times a week and I haven't seen them for 3 weeks. Text messages and phone calls are only so much. I need a girls get together. Thankfully Sex and the City the movie is coming out and I hope and pray that we can get together for that and spend some time together. As happy and I am for the hubby to be home I miss my girls! So here is my S.O.S. to Milie, Angie & Norma...I'm alive and well but missing you so lets make plans!
