Tatoos????

After posting Dontes tatoo I have gotten a lot of traffic on where's the picture of mine?.......well I have to admit it....I AM A CHICKEN!!!! BOCK BOCK!! I was there when Donte got his and he did fine, the three of us, the artist, Donte, and I had a great conversation about Germany and a slew of other topics. Donte seemed to enjoy it actually. Maybe one day I will build up the courage but for now I am scaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrred.

AMEN!!!!

One of my girlfriends had this on her site and wow this letter to the stars and stripes blew me away!! Good for her for bringing a voice to all of us that have been thinking it. She is a Marine spouse but this applies to all services!!!!


Give spouses more credit

Ugh, if I read one more letter belittling military spouses, I’m going to scream.
I’m so sick of hearing that caveman mentality quote of “If the Corps wanted you to have a wife/family, they would have issued you one.” What a slap in the face to those of us who have supported our loved one’s career, have dealt with numerous moves, even more deployments, raised our children alone and still manage to love the service our spouse serves. I’m not complaining, because this is what I chose — but no matter our choice, we still deserve respect.
I’ve been a military dependent almost my entire life, so that means two things: I knew exactly what I was getting into and I have earned the right to enlighten you ignorant folks about the life of a military spouse. So for those of you who don’t know, the wives don’t turn into Polly Pornstar when our husbands deploy, nor do we have a secret calendar counting down to Year 10 and Day 1 of their time in the Corps just so we can be entitled to half of their retirement. Usually we turn into supermom and are using the calendar for useful things, such as remembering which kid has an upcoming doctor’s appointment.
So the next time one of you single Marines starts to grumble about “those damn wives” who are on the gym treadmill or are whining about another holiday duty (and, for the record, married Marines pull Christmas duty too), remember that we feel the same way. Like when the base is locked down and a curfew is issued because a Marine assaulted or vandalized another Okinawan or their property while on a drunken spree. Or one of you messed up and the whole office is kept after hours.
We open our homes to you on holidays, offer you rides, sometimes even a place to sleep, and I’ve fed so many of you I should start accepting meal cards.
So when you return from deployment and find a goody bag containing cookies and phone cards, then climb into a bed with fresh sheets, remember to thank a spouse. Because while she was raising her children, running her house and worrying about her deployed husband, she still found time to think of you.
Was I issued? No, but I should have been. Spouses like me are the single greatest “pieces of gear” a Marine will ever have.

Erin M. Pacheco
Okinawa

Donte's new tatoo

Donte just had to get one when he came home for R&R.

A few pictures of us.

Here's Donte coaching the boys Basketball team. He is truly great with kids.


Donte Hanging out with his brother after the Fall Festival.


The day Donte got back from Iraq at Green Ramp. You can see the exhaustion and joy in his eyes.


Daniel wondering why I am taking pictures of him just laying on the couch.....Dont I know that he has to pose for the pics.


Donte and I right before we took him back to the airport after his two week R&R.

Jordan, Donte, and Yvonne

Here's a picture of the crew...as usual Donnies is caught clowning around. :)

Ok I Know It's Been Awhile....

Well what can I say but "life is hectic" I had gotten on the blogger a few times here and there but couldn't really get started. I feel like I have done 1001 things since the last post and if I made a list I would probably overload my blog :).

I went on a field trip with Donnie to San-Lee park about a week and a half ago. I was told that there would be paddle boats and swings and a wildlife center that we would explore. Donnie has two buddies in class that he is close with, Jordan a fun loving old soul (I swear he's Eight on the outside and 55 on the inside) and Yvonne, One of the sweetest little girls I have ever met. Well Deb (Jordans Mom) and Yvonnes Grandma were going as well so we all decided to car pool. I had never met Yvonnes Grandma and was a bit nervous because she speaks no English at all just Italian...but my reasoning was well she should know some German or French....WRONG!!! but we made do and she was a lot of fun. Anyway I met her and Deb at the principals office and we were off to the park. Mind you I didn't for once think that I needed to dress like I was going on a camping trip. I wore Jeans a blouse and some slip on sneakers. Well the classes were split into groups and they proceeded to tell us that we would be doing the nature walk first (still no alarm going off) Well we get to the lake that has this old wooden bridge an I see a sign that says "DON'T FEED THE TICKS"....are they being funny? Well....No....they weren't....We start on the trail and we walk up and down and all around through it all. There was a point that the there were so many leaves on the ground that people were slipping and sliding like they were on ice.....now remember I have my slip on sneakers on and am pretty sure that if anyone is gonna fall in the middle of the woods its gonna be me. So we walk, and walk, and walk...............what seemes like 10 hours later we make it back to civilization and its lunch time. By the time we get there all the other kids are sitting and eating. There are about six tables full of overly excited eight year olds and another table with teachers and parents.....well to be honest the teachers are nice and so are the other parents but I really wanted to sit with Donnie but at the same time held back from saying anything because I didn't want to make him feel like he was obligated to sit with me. So we went and got our lunches and Donnie says "come on Mom there's an empty table over there (you guys know that I was beaming from head to toe)Deb and Jordan Joined us as did Yvonnes Grandma and a few other kids and parents. The rest of the day was spent learning about animals and plants and all the fun stuff....they even had a display of live snakes that they had caught there.....they were lucky that I didn't know that before the hike....Donnie and I wouldn't have gone on the hike we would have been swinging on the playground. Well anyway it really touched my heart that my big boy still has a soft spot for his Mom.

Big Donte ran track all this week and is feeling mighty young. He won 2nd place in the 100 His best time was 9.75 and his relay team won the Gold. The boys had a blast sitting on the back of his truck cheering him on. My friend Tracy brought Baby Taylor and came out there one day too so Donte had his own personal cheering squad.

You see North Carolina has its good and bad, there's nothing like sitting on the back of a truck with the sun beating down cheering and acting like you are 18 again but on the flip side I could do without the snakes and all the buuuuuuuuuuuuugs.

???? Still trying to figure it all out.

OK....I tried to post the translate my page thing days ago and I kept getting a message saying that the font was not right. So I figured I had tried it enough and that there would always be another time.....but lo and behold it posted yesterday. Vonn you will have to school me big time.......

Check it out

Check it out and have a good laugh....

Tranzliate this Shiznit ta Jizzy! Click tha Spinn'n Rim Beotch!   www.myYearbizzle-- Created by 2 high schoo` students ta kick myspace's ass Add tha Tranzizzle-izzle ta Yo Site!

Out with the girls.....

Last night was "girls night". We try to get out at least once a month to chat and laugh and catch up. Olive Garden seems to draw us like magnets....not really the main course but the salad and the breadsticks and now thanks to Lydia we tried the alfredo dipping sauce for the breadsticks and are addicted to that too. Unfortunately we had the worst waiter in the town of Fayetteville. He kept saying the dipping sauce is extra and I will have to charge it....NO you don't say...but Vokie got him good. You see Vokie is the kindest most loving person. She is genuine in everything that she does but if you mess with her food she will have to put you in your place. Anyway the night was good and I was able to get a glass of peach Sangria.......I love that stuff.

Speaking about girls I have to admit that I am hooked on the simple life.....I know, I know I should have better stuff to watch or do but it cracks me up. Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie keep Donte and I in stitches......are people really that clueless? I am sure that most of it is made up but if you ever need a good laugh tune in.

I was surprised that so many people checked out our blog...but I am so happy that I have found a way to keep in touch with all of you. However I am still clueless about spiffing this blog up but I swear I will get it one day.......hehehe when I can get Angie or Yvonne online.

Hope you all have a great weekend. :)

Kids say the darndest things.

For all of you who know my boys you know that Donnie is my calm, wise son and that Daniel is my free spirit who can never sit still. It's funny how two kids that come from the same two people can be night and day. Sunday night was awful in NC, the rain was pelting down, the winds were strong and it seemed like the house would blow away. Well Bedtime was coming up and the boys were getting ready for bed. Even though Daniel is the tough spitfire that he is, he loathes the dark and doesn't care for the thunder and lightning on top of having to turn the lights off. So I try to let him handle it and holler down the hallway that it's time for bed, Mommy will be there in 5 min to give kisses and say prayers. Then the conversation began, it went kinda like this......
Daniel says "Donnie you can sleep with me"
Donnie sys "I wanna sleep in my room stop being a chicken"
Daniel says "I'll buy you snack"
(yes I am trying not to bust out laughing)
Donnie says "Daniel QUIT!!!"
I decide time for Mommy to step in, so I say hey Donnie why don't you sleep in Daniels room tonight? I got the look and the shrug and the "OK Mom". Thank God for the child that helps his Mom.....Meanwhile Daniels breathing a HUGE sigh of relief. So I get them in Bed and give them kisses and assure them that the thunder is just God and his Angels bowling and that the lightning is the Angels looking for toys under their beds. As I pull the covers up ........BOOM a huge clap of thunder erupts, Daniel jumps his face is etched with fear and he states "GOD MUST HAVE GOT A STRIKE MOM" Donnie giggles and says yup and I smile and give them kisses.

Thank God for children for when you look through there eyes the world is a better place!!! I am so glad though that they compliment each other so well. I am also so very proud of them. They brought home their report cards yesterday and they got the equivalent of straight A's (k-2nd grade get 1,2 and 3's instead of A, B, and C's). You should have seen their faces....grinning like the Cheshire cat.

Thanks you guys

Even though I got some really good advice I still cant figure how to add other blogs and the cool stuff. I will just have to wait and catch you guys online. I am sure that its one of those things that I will look at later and say "OOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooh I get it".......like I always do.

I talked to one of my closest friends Jeanine last night. She is stationed in Nebraska.......I know WAY to far away. You see we met when we were 11 and have been the closest of friends ever since. We were the only two flute players in beginning band in the 7th grade (spare me the "one time when I was in band camp") My Dad had orders for Fort Stewart and of course we moved from Germany over the Christmas holidays and she was one of the first people that I met. She moved away for a few years in High School and we lost touch except for one phone call.....dont ask me when or where but I remember that call. Then I show up for band camp and there she was. We picked up where we left off. Of course after Graduation she was off to college in Greenboro NC and I was off to college in GA as well. We kept in touch this time and have seen each other through the good times and bad. In fact I can honestly say that shes my sister, my soul friend and I just wanted her to know that I miss her and love her and that she NEEDS TO BRING HER YOU KNOW WHAT BACK TO THE EAST COAST!!!!!

A little bit of help from my friends.....please :)

Ok so I'm not a computer smartie pants......enough said. After looking at numerous blogs this afternoon I decide to try and spiff mine up. First of all I need a manual!!! How do you add your friends blogs and the neat little banners and all the snappy stuff? I get how to post a pic (see left...heheh had to show you guys) but have no clue how to add a link. STOP LAUGHING Yvonne. Here's a pic of my two little men. This was taken last September....I just love it. Well this time change is kicking my butt so I am gonna run. Any help would be greatly appreciated.......

I FEEL LIKE A KID WITH A NEW TOY!!

HEHEHEHE......I feel like a kid. I really do. But now where do I start? We left Vilseck in 2003 and came to wonderful Fort Bragg. I remember when we got orders here I was ready to CRY!!! in the Ugly Cry sense. I had heard nothing but watch out for Fayettenam and it's the old Army there so watch your back. I was also nervous because Donte was switching from being a life long Tanker to Signal. Well we actually built a house in Sanford, about 20 minutes from Bragg and we LOVE it. Yes Bragg has it's bad points but it has its good points too. I actually have worked on Bragg since Dec of 2003. At first I thought that the 20 minute commute would kill me but it's really not that bad. I guess I was so spoiled in Vilseck I mean come on From where I lived to the CDC and then to ACS was probably less than 3 miles. I MISS THAT! I have a group of gals here to that were my life line for a lot of the deployment and we try to get together once a month to go to dinner...usually Olive Garden....that salad and breadsticks has us all addicted. I wish I could get you all in one place. I have told the girls here about the Bayrish Irish (Thank you Gabi and Boyd for taking me there on one of my last nights in Germany, I will never forget it.) Like I said I am horrible at keeping in touch but I remember everything :)

The boys are growing up fast...too fast. Donte (formerly known as Donnie until he informed us that his name was Donte) is in the second grade and Dannie is in the first. They are both doing great in school and love sports. Donte (Big one) is actually coaching their Baseball team with Tom (a friend of ours that is military too) we set it up like this incase one of them deploys or has duty the kids are taken care of. Jennifer (Toms wife) and I are like two giddy girls watching the men take charge. Donte often asks me "do you wanna coach?" and I had to bust out laughing while we were all out yesterday when Tom said the same thing to Jennifer. But you know how us wives are we are the planners, organizers.....medics :)

Gabi please tell BOYD a big CONGRATS on his retirement. I wish that we could have been there and we think of you guys often.

Gotta run Desperate Housewives is coming on and I cant miss it.

Getting on the Band Wagon

Ok so i decide to jump on the bandwagon and try this Blog thing out.....seemed so simple until I got to the Name your Blog. Are you Kidding me!!!! You all would be laughing hard at me if you knew how many times I had to delete and retype. I have to admit that I am addicted to reading my friends blogs and often get a good laugh and sometimes a good cry out of them. Angie, Congrats on Baby Fred, he is so adorable and Yvonne you always put a smile on my face. It seems like we are all so busy and that life is so hectic and I really hope that this is a good way for all of us to feel a little closer.....Not to mention that I totally SUCK at writing and emailing and all that good stuff so here goes