Tooth Fairy

My kids are loosing teeth like there is no tomorrow. Daniel started off the streak a couple of weeks ago and Donte was soon to follow. I think he lost it either the day after or the 2nd day after Daniel lost his. Then he lost another one a few days later and today at their Soccer game I see Donnie on the field blood pouring out of his mouth. My first instinct was to run out there but I stayed put.....hardest thing I have had to do in a while. Finally he makes his way to me and proudly hands me his tooth. A baby one....THANK GOD!!! Unfortunatly his Jersey is white and there was blood on the front of it. Of course today was the day that I didn't take my camera. Thank God for the Clorox Bleach Pen that got everything out. If you dont have one run out and get one they come in handy for EVERYTHING. Clothing, grout, you name it. Well with all that tooth fairy money the boys were more than ready to go shopping. They pooled their money and bought another Wii game. They have been content for hours playing it. I am so glad that God blessed me with such great boys. They listen and love each other and their parents. Of course they act up every once in awhile but for the most part they really are great. They always get complimented on their manners and I have one straight A and one A, B student. They do their sports, afterschool clubs, keep great grades, help me around the house with everything, and of course get into everything and anything that they can. I may be biased but they are also the most handsome kids out there. They have big hearts too......they still give me a kiss in front of all of their friends!!! I love those little farts and thank God for them everyday!! So heres to the tooth fairy.....I'm off to play the Wii with my little darlings.

90 Days

Well time seems to be flying now. I swear it was just Monday morning and now here we are Thursday afternoon. We are in the midst of yet another lovely winter storm....check out the map above. It started snowing here at around 6 AM and is due to keep snowing until 7 pm tomorow. I have heard that we may get anywhere fom 4 inches to a foot!!!! Wow I should be in swimsuit shape by the end of the weekend because of all the shoveling that I am going to have in front of me. Wishfull thinking I know but hey I have to motivate mself somehow. When I talked to Donte he said it was nice weather in GA......Gee thanks hon thats just what I want to hear......you enjoy the lovely weather and I will start shoveling the million mile driveway....OK well it's not a million miles long but I need sympathy darn it. It's cold and yucky out there!!!! :0) Well Daniel is hoping for a snow day and Donnie wants to go to school so he wont have to make it up in the summer....I have to say that I can go either way. If it's a snow day I will snuggle deeper into my big fluffy bed for a few more hours......if we have to go in at least it's Friday!!

95 Days To Go

Well We have almost made it through the first week. The first week is always the hardest so I was glad to put it behind us because the first week is always the hardest. Donnie was gloomy for the first few days but has settled into his new role as the "Man of the House". This is a job that he takes very seriously. He even tried to mop the kitchen floor yesterday when I was upstairs putting the clothes away. He knows how much I hate doing the floors and even though I had to redo them after he was out of sight it was the sweetest bit of help that I have ever had. Dannie isn't gloomy but he sure is sensitive. I suppose it effects us all differently when 1/4 of the family is gone.
I let them have a buddy spend the night last night and they took full advantage. I made a huge pot of Chicken and Dumplings and some sweet tea. The boys tore into it and spent the night drawing and playing Wii. They even camped out in the game room. At 2 AM I had to tell them to go to sleep. I fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 7. They were up 20 min later.......READY TO GO. Man I wish that I had their energy. They filled up with waffles and jumped straight into round 2 of playing the Wii. Their buddy went home and now they are vegging out in the living room, watching "We are Marshall".
I on the other hand have 1001 things that I should be doing but am blogging instead. I'm dreading 6 AM.....it comes so fast!!! This week should fly by. I swear I have full days just about everyday this week. I think I'll join the boys with the whole vegging out program!

BRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr

With the windchill we hit -30. Now I like the Midwest and all but the cold is awful. I have shoveled snow everyday this week. Long johns and my big fuzzy boots are my new favorite things.....yes even more than Twix......and my dogs look at me like I have 1001 heads when I open the door for them to go out. I literally just let them out for them to do their business and let them back in. Murphy dives into his big blue pillow like he is parachuting from a million feet above. Then the topper, this morning Donnie, Dannie, and I walk into school......I give Donnie a kiss and go to give Dannie loving and he looks a bit weird......luckily I was carrying my big green cup......and all of a sudden I see him lurch......I automatically put the cup to his mouth as he hurls. I get him to the nurse and he washes his mouth out and she takes his temp. Perfectly normal......????? We agree that he can lay down for a couple of minutes to see what happens. He swears that he is fine and is practically begging me to go to class. I tell him that I can take him home and that he can rest. Nope he says he haaaaaas to go to class. So 15 min later with the nurses blessing he gets his backpack and trudges off to class. I settle into a day of work. Around 1100 L tells me to go down to Dannies class. I just about took off in a sprint......no easy task in heels on a slick floor. When I get there Dannies buddy says "SHHHHHHHH he's sleeping" There was my baby fast asleep at his desk. His teacher says that they were in the middle of reading and she looked back and Daniel was knocked out. I gathered all his things and got his report card. Woke him up to take him home and he says....very groggily.....I have to stay in school. Then puts his head back down. I finally got him home and found out why he was so adamant on going to school today. Report Cards. The little button wanted his report card....well I would too if I got straight A's. My neighbor America took Dannie in and he slept the rest of the afternoon. He never got sick again but he slept the rest of the day until 30 min before I got home. He ate and apple and was content in front of the TV. He ate pizza and chicken soup and drank a ton of water and went to bed. Thank goodness he feels better!!! Donnie did great on his report card too all A's and a couple of B's. I am so very proud of my to young men.

Counting Down

Well Donte left yesterday for ANOC and made it to GA last night. It was harder this time to see him go. It's funny how you get used to them being home. I think that the last two years we were at Bragg he was only home for maybe 6 months. Between Iraq and all the schools he was always gone. Now it was nice that he came home on the weekends when he was at school and the boys and I only had to count down the weekdays.......this time he's roughly 888 miles away so there will be no driving home for the weekends. Donnie always takes it really hard when Donte leaves. He is truly such a loving child and his Daddy is his world. I was just the incubater that child eats, sleeps, and walks like his Dad. Dannie looks at it as Dad will be home soon and as long as he's not in Iraq and can talk to him everyday then it's OK. I am so used to Donte being home now.....heck for the past eight months he has been home. Sure the days are long sometimes but he comes home every night and we have had so much fun as a family. It's nice not to have to rush everything into one weekend because he is leaving again. I am grateful that he is not overseas and that we will be going to visit during spring break.....it's something that has to be done and at least we are counting down now...1 day down......100 to go! It's nice that we will go down to two digits. I will take 101 days over 365 anyday!! Oh and by the way my Old Man turned 34 the day before he left :0) We were all so glad that we were able to spend it together.

ANOC

Well with becoming an Sergeant First Class comes ANOC. ANOC = Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course. So for the first time Donte is leaving for almost four months and the boys and I will be here......in a non military surrounding. Now dont get me wrong Donte has gone many places in the past where we are home without him but we always had a huge military surrounding. The Hospital on post, an FRG (Family Readiness Group)that was always at hand, plenty of other wives and kids that were going through the exact same thing. I am sure that everything will be fine and that we will cope I'm just a little nervous I guess. It should be interesting to say the least. The boys have made great friends here and so have I. The boys are also playing indoor Soccer so we will be extremly busy with that. In fact they had their first game today. They tied 2 / 2 and had a blast. The coach is nice and the kids are great. I also met some really nice parents. The Soccer facility is nice. It sure beats having to play in the freezing rain on a fied outside. It's nice and comfy and........no stains. Thank God for astroturf!!!

Happy New Year

I still can't believe that it's 2008. Time is already flying by. We are back to school on Monday and boy is it going to be hard. The boys and I have been staying up late and sleeping in. I am going to set my alarm for tomorrow morning so we can get used to getting up and back on a normal schedule again. I am excited to go back and see everyone and knowing that the sooner we go back the sooner summer comes helps. We had a really good snow storm come through a few days back and it was so pretty outside. There s just something about everything glistening that makes it magical even when you are in your 30's. The dogs of course have another perspective on it.....they like to eat the snow......that equals letting them out every 5 seconds. Whats a girl to do?

The boys had a sleepover night before last and they requested hot wings and pizza. The pizza was store bought but I decided to make the hot wings at home. I figured while I was at it I might as well make plenty and few some for later nights. I was making hot wings for three hours......but on the plus side I have three huge baggies of hot wings in the freezer. Anyway the kids tore into the 4th bag and needless to say those are all history. In fact I did a lot of cooking over the holidays and was able to make extra of just about everything to freeze for a later date. Thank goodness because I have those lazy days that I just don't want to cook so I can just defrost and serve it up. I am supposed to make some Tilapia tonight but I am having trouble getting motivated.....speaking of fish......We are watching Happy Feet for the 50 millionth time. That movie just doesn't get old. It has to be one of the cutest movies ever. Even though the boys are getting older they still love to watch it.

Well I better get off my hiney and get to cooking......oh the joys :0)

One smal victory for WOMANKIND

First of all can I say that working at a school has its perks. My last day of work was December 21st and I return on January 7th. It is so nice not to have to dread going back to work. Everyone was so excited as the school day creeped to an end and we all wished each other a great Christmas and a safe New Year....boy what a change from "not everyone gets to take leave".....I have to admit that every time I took leave at my last job I cringed because I knew that I would get the cold shoulder when I returned and the not so discrete.....we are soooooo behind comments. Even though I earned the leave I never got to completely relax. Thank you God for giving us orders here and helping me land the perfect job that lets me balance being a Mom and going to work.
The days before Christmas were spent with Jenn, Brian and the boys. I am so glad that our families mesh so well. We did some shopping, a little cooking and a whole lot of laughing. Jenn and I even got Donte and Brian the same shirts that said "your roof or mine?" The kids of course had a blast together doing a whole lot of everything. We also got to spend some time with Jenn's Dad Ron who is just as sweet as he wants to be....makes me super excited for the day that My parents will be back to spend time with all of us.
Christmas was a blast. It was just the four of us this year and we totally took advantage of a PJ day. Donte and I did most of the cooking the day before so we had minimal cooking and cleaning to do. The boys were totally spoiled and haven't given the Wii a rest yet.....I have to admit that I like Guitar hero......ummm yup I've been playing right along with them as has Donte. If you have a Wii I suggest the game called playground. Dodge ball is a great game and you will be falling dowm laughing while playing it. It was really nice having Donte home this year too. We have spent many Christmas' without him. Once in Kosovo and another in Iraq. It was a blessing to say the least to have him home safe with us.
So on to my one small victory......Donte no longer has a game room....since he has taken over the plasma he never uses it....soooooo I now have a craft room. I am in heaven I tell you. I am almost done getting it together. We bought a 6 foot table and some storage drawers and I cannot wait to get started. I will take pictures when its done and show you all. I feel like a kid in a candy store.
As for the snow it's been coming down and in fact it is snowing right now. The kids and the dogs have been having a blast in it.

Pictures.....Posts to follow later

Oh the weather outside is frightful….

It was 5 degrees outside this morning. I park in the garage so I knew by the chill that it was chillier than usual but when we got to the school and had to go from the car to the door I could have died!!!! My eyes even started to tear.
It has been years since we lived in Germany and I have a feeling that I am going to take longer than I thought to get used to It. However the boys are just waiting for the snow.....what they don't realize is that it will take about 10 feet to make the schools close for a snow day. Oh to be a kid again.
Usually I have my tree up and decorated on Thanksgiving Day. I feel like I need a whole month to have it up because I am the type of person that needs to have it taken down no later than the 2nd of January. Well I guess I have been bitten by the lazy bug!! We put the tree itself up and it has been sitting in that lovely corner in my living room totally bare except for the lights…..only because it is pre lit for a week now. I had Donte bring up the decorations and they are sitting pretty in the formal living room completely untouched. Well now it’s Thursday and Donnies birthday party is tomorrow so I have all of a few hours tonight to go to the store, bake brownies, and make some pico for his party. Did I tell ya’ll that he wants Mexican food….yummy yummy!! Donte is going to pick up these huge burritos at this authentic Mexican place and I am going to make some home made pico and get some of those addictive lime tortilla chips. He also would rather have brownies than a cake.
Most of the Christmas shopping is completed. I need to get a few last minute things and get the boxes off. Which I am planning on doing tomorrow during my lunch. I am dreading the shipping bill. Boy do I miss MPS. For those of you that don’t know it’s the Military Postal System and if you were sending stuff from an overseas address to another it was free. It took a little longer but I would rather spend he money on the gifts rather than the postage.
I have started a bit of baking. Donte and the kids are loving it because I don’t bake any other time of the year. I do enjoy it however it is way too tempting to nibble here and there. I just made a batch of butterscotch, white chocolate, milk chocolate chip cookies. I have to say I love them…..I make them chewy because none of us are crispy cookie people…..nope nice and chewy and perfect if you warm em up for about 5 seconds in the microwave.
In fact that’s what I am gonna do……eat a nice warm, gooey cookie!!

LMC

Do you ever have those memories that you try to keep away the ones that hurt you like nothing can? I lost my Best Friend today, 7 years ago. I truly miss her more and more and even though time has passed and closure has come it’s still a very hard day for me. It tore me into pieces when it happened and the circumstances were awful. I always light a candle for her on the 27th and remember the good times that we had, the secrets, the parties and even the tears. She was the closest thing that I had to a sister and I forever will miss our 3 am phone calls and inside jokes. RIP L I love ya and one day….hopefully a long time from now…..I know that she will be there to welcome me when my time comes.

ATC Cont.

After coming back from the outlets it was time to get ready for the ball. The boys were already over with the older kids and having a blast. They could care less about the ball. I was totally excited because it has been so long since we bothered with a ball. I had found a new dress and Donte looked mighty fine in his blues. We walked downstairs in the hopes that we could get our pictures done early and enjoy the rest of the evening. We got in line and we were about the 5th couple in line…..I thought how wonderful. This should go fast…WRONG!!!! There was one lonely photographer and no assistant. The poor guy was obviously wearing three hats and having a bit of trouble getting it all done. We waited for about an hour…..and yes I kicked my shoes off. …..no way was I going to suffer. We got our pics done and met up with the rest of the station. The guys had to go in early because they were doing the arch with the sabers. So we had to wait and wait and wait……finally one of the other guys escorted me through the receiving line and we finally got in. We tried to get a table that would seat all of us. Since we are such a small station we thought that it would be really easy but we were one short so T had to sit at the table next to us. Never the less the night was spent laughing and talking. Donte even met a guy that went to basic with him. Said that he had gotten out of the ARMY and was a civilian now. What a small world that was 14 years ago. Donte’s station won another award and his station commander won the station commander award. It was more than well deserved; he is a great team builder and has some great values to his practices. The awards took hours and after it was said and done we all went back up to change.
The resort had a club in it and we decided to meet up there. Now I used to love going to the club……heck Donte and I met at the club…….I was so ready to leave because the smoke was so thick you could barely see through it. So we went back down to where the ball was. The DJ was there but they closed the bar so there were literally 4 people there. Common sense should tell you that if the equation reads (soldiers + their spouses) + a formal ball + a full bar= FUN if you take away the full bar it ='s over. What a mess. They should have hired the DJ from the night before. He was great the DJ for the ball……for lack of better words sucked!!!! There were 6 of us so we went in and sat and talked we even danced a little. By then it was approaching 2 AM and time to settle in.
After getting back to the room and getting the kids settled in we crashed! We had to leave the next morning and hadn’t packed a stitch.
The next morning we got up and packed. Donte went downstairs for yet another meeting. We loaded the car and all headed down to the conference room. They had many speakers that came in and we all sat patiently and listened to them……OK not really Donnie and I played the make the squares game for what seemed like hours. Donte and Daniel sat right in front of us so Donnie and I were covered. I saw that one of the speakers was the nice guy from the university that I had gotten info from for DONTE. He was a great speaker and imagine my surprise when he says that he has even known SFC Slade for 14 years…….OMG how funny... I had spoken to him about Donte and that he and Donte had spoken and he was Dontes friend from basic. Not only did they have to go all the way to Wisconsin to meet but he lives right by where we do and attends the same YMCA. Boy life is strange at times.
After all was said and done we settled into the ride back home. I slept. I think I was out for a good 2 of the 3 hours. We got home, unloaded the car and headed off to pick up Diggy and Murphy. Pet smart is only about 15 min away and I was ready to see my little stinkers.
The dogs had a blast and were very happy to see us. They had been groomed and Murphy had been shaved. They were so cuddly and were jumping all over the place.
After tons of laundry and putting everything away I had just enough time to catch a few hours of sleep until I had to wake up and go back to the grind of everyday life.

Happy 10th Birthday Donte Jr. (Thanksgiving)

It is so hard for me to believe that my sweet little angel is now 10 years old. He came into our lives just as sweet and peaceful as could be. Always happy and content. He was such a joy as a baby. So cuddly and sweet. He has grown into such a great human being. His manners are impeccable and he is always there to lend a helping hand whenever anyone needs it. From picking up something that someone may drop to taking up for his friend, our neighbor who was the new kid in class last year. Now here he is 10 years old. His feet are the same size as mine and I know it wont be long until he is taller than me. I know that soon he wont be able to fit in my lap and that he wont run to me when he gets a boo boo, but I also know that if I have a boo boo or need a hug he's the kind of kid that will be there for me....even when his friends are around. He is doing great in school and has joined many of the clubs that are offered. He is content with what he has and is headed down the right path. He is the greatest older brother and is always there to help Daniel in any way that he can....but he also picks on him a little....that's the perks of being the older brother right. I thank God for him everyday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SON. I LOVE YOU

ATC

Wow what a weekend. We had a BLAST!

We started out at Dennys where we all met up. Breakfast was full of laughs and eagerness to get on the road. The boys were so excited that they could barely contain themselves.
The whole journey took about 3 hours and we were more than ready to get there. Dontes section were going to be presented with Sabers so we were all there a day ahead. Some other folks were there as well and we ALL had the IMPRESSION that the rooms were going to be paid for. At east that's the info that was given out. Imagine our surprise when the rooms were not paid for and on top of that our lovely battalion didn't update my hubbys Government card info so we couldn't use that. He submitted the changes as soon as we got here ......over 6 months ago. Thankfully the lady at the resort was fabulous. We paid for our room and one of the other soldiers rooms and Faye made sure that we were all near each other on the same floor. It took a while but it was well worth the wait. Not only did she get our rooms together but we were all upgraded, we didn't have rooms we had suites. Whirlpool tubs, full kitchens, living rooms with fireplaces, and a huge king size bed. A little slice of heaven!
The first night we unpacked and P (Famous Daves wife) and I headed out to Wally World and stocked up on frozen pizza, drinks, snacks for the kids, and some fried chicken dinners for the room. Dinner was held in our room and was a blast. It was nice just to hang out and spend some time with some of the people that Donte had been working with for the past 6 months.
The kids were ecstatic because Gary (Famous Daves(FD) son) was there for the weekend as well......all three of the boys share a deep love for anything that has to do with a gaming system. FD has two daughters as well that were there and bless them both for putting up with three boys that love to drive everyone a little nuts.
The next morning Donte was off early to do some training and the boys and I were up getting ready for the day. The boys went across the hall to hang with Gary and the girls while P and I headed off to "sign in and get our packets". Donte had warned me but it was still annoying to see that they had misspelled my name. In fact they had misspelled a lot of names....hmmmmmmmm don't these people have access to DEERS?.....isn't it quite simple to see the correct spelling of names? Whats a girl to do. My badge read Sahnez Slade....sooooo Donte found this the prime opportunity to pick on me......my new IRAQI name is SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhnez. HA HA Donte very funny :0).
P and I gathered lots of info about Tricare, Dental, and all that good stuff. They even had different colleges set up so I decide that I would pick up some info for Donte. I spoke to the college guy for awhile and found out that he actually attends the same YMCA that we go to and that he lives in the same town as us. Small world isn't it.....keep that in mind.....you will see why later. We also found the room that the guys were having their Sabre ceremony that was all very hush hush and we couldn't attend. They didn't account for the peep hole in the door....too bad the ceremony was over and we didn't see a thing....DARN...my timing just sucks :0)
We then met up with D (Mere's very preggo wife) and took all the kids down to the worlds largest indoor water park.....OMG what a blast we did the lazy river, the boys had the time of their lives on the slides and I settled in nicely to the huge hot tub with the waterfall. We had a SPLASH!!! We were not quite ready to go but we had the company party to go to.
We went back to the room and to tell you the truth I really could have used a nap but no such luck we had to get ready. We got dressed and everyone met back in our room again. It was nice to share a few drinks and a tom of laughs before the party even began. I got some great pics of everyone. It's so nice to see that our little station was so well bonded. It actually reminded me of the units in Germany where everybody got along so well. It was like family.
Our company party theme was a luau. We went in and grabbed a table for us and a table for the kids. How nice that they are all old enough to be at their own table.....for them and for us. They started out with the awards and Donte had a clean sweep. The first award that he received was an AAM for getting a 319 on his PT test (they grade on a sliding scale so you can go far beyond what the norm is) you know how physically fit Donte is so this was an achievement that had been a long time coming, he also received an Eagle statue for the best PT score, then he received the MVP award and statue for everything that he has done since he has been here and finally his whole station received the top station award for being as good as they are.....can you tell I'm bursting with pride. We then ate and danced the night away. Daniel as usual was the first one on the dance floor and shook his groove thing until he couldn't anymore. He even dance with his Mama. Donnie had nothing to do with all of that except for the cha cha slide, then it was off to play with the other kids. One of the soldiers that work with Donte....we will call him M had us laughing all night long. I swear this guy should be a comedian. He had us rolling.
The next morning we woke up to snow. Oh glorious snow. It had been so long since we had seen that. I hurriedly started the fireplace and started breakfast. It was so nice and cozy. Donte had to run off to training again so P and I made sure that the kids were settled and headed off to the Tanger outlets. I love to shop and just don't get to it often enough these days. After shopping we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the Ball..........

I will finish later that was a lot to post and I have one more post to do....about something so much more precious to me. Here are a few pics in random order...ENJOY

Our ATC Adventure is About to Begin.

We are busy getting the last minute things together. One last minute trip to the mall, dinner out......who wants left overs when I have four glorious days of not cooking ahead of me.....and two young boys haircuts behind us......we are on our way. I am tired but excited. I still have a little bit of packing to do....OK a lot of packing to do but I think that it can wait until the morning and we are off. I will fill you in when we get back. :0)

Dinner Date....Recruiting Style

Last Thursday my husband calls me at around lunch time and says "can you get Jenn to watch the boys? ....and can you go home as soon as the last bell rings?...Make sure to get ready to go out....you know shave your legs and all that fun stuff you do." I was mute for a min because uhhhhhhhh where are we going? We have a dinner to say bye to the commander is my husbands response. We have to leave at 5....does he not realize that I get home at 4 and that I just took my nail polish off this morning because it chipped and that alone would take 30 min to redo? So I hurry and call Jenn about the boys and inform my co-workers that I will be running out as fast as I can this afternoon. They by the way are great and say go home now if you want...but the boys don't release until 1530 so I may as well wait for them.

I finally get home the boys let the dogs out and feed them as I rush to get ready and I think I am doing pretty good. I am dressed, hair done, make up done and its 445. Donte is home getting ready himself. I start to repaint my nails and realize that they will have to dry in the car. I run the boys over to Jenns at 1700 and bless her, she says they can just spend the night if your going to run late. I run back home....in heels and holler up to Donte that I am ready and he says "we can leave at 1730"......are you kidding me? Does he realize how much I rushed?

We finally get in the car and get going. We get to the restauant and go in and there are all of 4 other people there....everyone else is late. WOW I am so used to the military being sticklers about time....I guess in the recruiting world on time is showing up a hour late. That was actually OK with me since we were 15 minutes late anyway.

We had a blast. It was so much fun. It was actually the first of these functions that I didn't leave feeling as if I wanted to never go back. It was at a little cozy chop house that served great drinks. Even though the food left a lot to be desired it didn't make much of a difference at all. We got home a bit late and I had a lttle bit of trouble getting up the next morning but oh was it worth it.

I only hope that ATC goes as well.

This recruiting life is starting to grow on us. It's really not that bad. In the past there was always a worry about is he going to deploy? When is the company going to the field? You all that live the military life know exactly what I am talking about. Yes the hours are long at times but I warm my feet on his feet every night with no looming thoughts of when hes going to deploy. Now I don't think that we could have survived 10 years ago in the recruiting lifestyle but we are definitely a stronger couple and can deal with the issues that arise. I am growing accoustom to the civilian surroundings that we have. No PX, Commissary or fellow spouse right at hand but I have met some really great people here and we are all starting to feel like we are at home. ATC is coming up and it should be a fun experience. I haven't bothered with a ball in years. The great news is that Dontes Company had the most recruits so they will be presented with sabers at ATC. They are really a good bunch of people that have blended into a well oiled machine. I consider us lucky because I have heard horror stories about some of the companies and the situations that have arisen.

I finally have some spare time today. The boys and I are off and just having one of those lazy days. Its FREEZING outside 34 degrees to be exact. We are still in our PJ's and enjoying every moment of it. The boys are down the hall playing and I am back in bed under my down comforter "catching" up on the 1001 tasks that I have been neglecting.......ummmm yes this blog is one of those tasks. So lets see what have we been up too.

The boys got their report cards last week and I am happy to report that Daniel got straight A's and Donnie got 2 B's and the rest A's. I am so proud of my little men. They have phenomenal teachers and the school is great!! It's such a difference from any school that they have gone to before. Remember that there is only a handful of military around here so essentially we are in the civilian world and I love it. They have so many resources at their finger tips. The teachers are the greatest asset. What a great group of people. I am so blessed to work with them.

We are gearing up for ATC. We will be gone for about 5 days. I am looking forward to this in a strange way. I will keep you posted.

Halloween was a blast. I am so used to trick or treating at around 6 but here it starts at 4.....It was strange to do it all with the sun shining on you but it was chilly and I was glad to go in when it was all said and done. This year the boys wanted to be scary. I miss my little pea in the pod and rubber ducky. They grow up so fast. They did ride their scooters though. I am dreading the day that they say "I'm too old to trick or treat" although I do realize that it is coming up fast.

Along with the cold weather comes comfort food. Yup tis the season to eat right? Well I have been working out and changing my habits. I have lost 40 lbs and am enjoying life so much more. I still eat the same things but in a different way. I am still sticking to it and plan to through the holidays. It's just harder because I am cooking so many sinful delights for everyone else. I made an awesome pot of homemade chicken and dumplings the night before last....ummmm ummmmm good. I froze some of the broth before I thickened it so if one of us gets sick we can have some good wholesome soup. I am going to bake cookies with the boys today as soon as I get up and get us bundled up enough to go to the store and get all the ingredients. I do love to cook and am so glad that I have the schedule that allows me to do so again. Not only does cooking act as a stress reliever for me but we are eating so much better than we were. I don't care what anyone says eating out is just plain bad to do when you are doing it all the time. We go about once a week. I should start posting my recipes.....let me know if you want me to. Most of the things that I make are from scratch but none are very hard to do.

New Season

I am hooked.....COMPLETELY on CSI, Grays,......etc. I DVR them and then Donte and I spend our evenings fast forwarding through the commercials and enjoying all the new shows. I swear I love the DVR, what a GREAT invention. Who would have thunk it. Everyting else is pretty much the same except for the fact that it is getting colder and winter is around the corner. Today one of the people at work said "I don't mind the snow, I just don't like when it goes below 0" OMG HEEEELP :0)

A Song.....This Womans Work

Every once in awhile a song comes along that wraps itself around your heart. For all of those who have lost a friend, a loved one or just seen the sadness that comes with the final chapter of life.....this song sums it up. I heard it on Daniels fav movie and then it came on a commercial for CSI...it has been on mind since and I had to go out and find it.

Donnie lost his student teacher last week in a car accident. He was 46 years old....he was prior service and had decided that teaching was his calling. He was a sweet man that always had time for a child. Donnie always said how fair he was and how he could explain things to him when no one else could. The whole class and school felt his death. May he rest in peace....may they all until the day that we meet them again.
For my Small Grandpa, My Big Granny, Lisa, Pena, and all the others......

Pray God you can cope.
I'll stand outside
This woman's work,
This woman's world.
Ooh, it's hard on the man.
Now his part is over.
Now starts the craft of the father.

I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking:
All the things I should have said, but I never said.
All the things we should have done, but we never did.
All the things I should have given, but I didn't.
Oh, darling, make it go,
Make it go away!

Give me these moments.
Give them back to me.
Give me that little kiss.
Give me your, give me your hand babe.
give me your pretty hand

(I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.
I know you have a little life in you yet.
I know you have a lot of strength left.)

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show.
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking
Of all the things I should have said, but I never said.
All the things we should have done, but we never did.
All the things that you needed from me.
All the things that you wanted for me.
All the things that I should have given, but I didn't.
Oh, darling, make it go away.
Just make it go away now.

I know it's been awhile since I posted but life happens and time flys by and its been weeks before you even know it. The boys are doing great in school and have settled in really nicely to their routines. I am truely loving working at the school. My stress level is nill and I absolutly love the people that I work with. For those of you that are close to me you know that's quite the change from my previous job.

Donte has thrown himself fully into recruiting again. He has a knack for it and is doing well. I hate him being gone in the evenings but it sure beats being deployed. There was a BBq a couple of weekends ago....a battalion BBQ...I am still not sure what to make of it. Like I have said befor its just different. I remember in Germany and NC having BBQ's and it being cold. We would bundle the kids up and be out there for hours. Pleanty of beer, laughs and good times that would surely be remembered and laughed about for years to come. The BBQ here was blaaaah...People were just sitting there and no matter how hard you tried they just sat there.....like lumps on a log....there was no real mingling and no comraderie. No happiness being spread, no laughter weaving its way through. If you know me you know that I am no where near shy and even I was ready to get outta there. I was the only wife there from our station because everyone else was out of town so I was kinda on my own.I guess the best way to explain it is that it's station to station. If you a from a different station you don't mingle......I FIND THAT SOOOOO STRANGE. We are headed for ATC in November and thank goodness I know that we will all be there.....and dang it I am gonna have FUN. I will have a few drinks and hopefully have a fist full of laughs that will create great memories.

Daniels birthday party was great. He didn't want a cake, he wanted a Krispy Kreme cake so 6 dozen donuts later he had one. All the kids had a blast and we were pooped by the end so you can calol it a success.

We had spirit week last week at school and the boys and I got into it. They needed haircuts so I took some liberties for crazy hair day.....it was a hit in school and Daniel begged to keep his mohawk....uhhhhh NO WAY LOL. Friday night was the dance and boy did they have a blast. The DJ was great and over 500 kids showed up. Then Saturday we marched in the homecoming parade. It was a busy week to say the least but well worth it. The PTO here does a lot and is in no way a gossip club. They raise tons of money and do great things for the kids and staff. They sponsored the dance and the admission was a canned good to donate to a shelter....it really doesn't get any better than that.

The doggies are getting bigger and are driving me nuts.......thats what they do best :0)

Pictures.....posts to follow

Busy as a Bee

We have been busier than ever lately. With school in full swing and all the other events going on it feels like the days all run into each other. We have a fun filled weekend last weekend. Daniel turned 8 on Friday and thelast kid went home at 6 on Saturday......I had a headache from you know where....but it was worth it to see the boys have such a great time. I still have to download the pics but as soon as I do I will post them. Well I have to run again but promise I wont wait this long again to blog :)

Lazy Days

This weekend has been absolutely beautiful. Sunny sky's with highs in the low 80's and high 70's. We were going to go to the city but we had a lot we needed to get done at home so home we stayed. I am glad that we did. I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing weekend. The windows wide open and the breeze is just right. I wish everyday could be like this. A slice of heaven right here on earth.

Army Wives

I got asked the question today.....Are you Army Wives like the girls on the show? Now people ask me this with a certain tone in their voice....almost like they are not sure if its OK to ask such a thing. I am a proud Army Wife but living away from a post is so different. What are the chances of someone asking you that in Ft. Stewart or Ft. Bragg...the answer is slim to none. However here in the burbs of Chi town its fair game as an Active Duty soldier is rare. People will come up to you and give you a hug or just shake a soldiers hand to say thank you. It's a nice change because you see that people do appreciate the military. But back to the question at hand. I am sure that many people have different opinions on this but I will share mine as candidly as I can. First by posing another question...Do you thing the surgeons on Grey's Anatomy reflect the real doctors in a major hospital? The answer is no. Not all of us cheat and have so much drama going on. Yes there are the ones that do but that is a fact in military and civilian life. It's a life you cant begin to understand unless you have lived it. There is a big difference between your husband going on a business trip and your husband boarding a plane with a rucksack on his back and a gun slung on his shoulder. Can you really project on a TV screen the emotions you feel as you watch the one you love disappear into a plane or bus.....knowing darn well that that may be the very last time you will ever see them. I remember Donte's last deployment to IRAQ....You hold onto every second like its forever, you take pictures and videos, I remember closing my eyes as he gave me my last hug goodbye and trying to etch the smell, the feeling into my brain......just in case. I remember holding the tears back to be strong for my boys to assure them that Daddy knows what he is doing and he will come back to us. I also remember looking him dead in the eyes and telling him "if its you or them you KILL them before they can harm you!" I remember the first night of the many to come when sleep was hard to find. I remember us going home and calling Kimmie. Then like a net they are there my fellow Army and Air Force wives. We have many different backgrounds but no matter what the background when the bonds are formed they are there and they are stronger than most could imagine. It's like your family away from home. They know your ups and downs and how to help. They know when to back off and when to push. Donte was gone when I was involved in a horrible accident. My girlfriends were there. Nikky sat by my bedside until they released me from the hospital and another girlfriend brought her kids and stayed at my house until Donte's flight came in. They held my hand made sure my babies were OK and that I wouldn't have any additional stress. I made it through with the support of my family and my friends. The Army life is not for all but for those of us that love our men we make it the best that we can. Through the moves, the separations and all the trials of military life it's worth it. There is no way that a TV sitcom could ever define what a true Army Wife is. It's easy to see....shes the one that is washing the cars in the driveway, the one that is toting her kids to all the appointments that come up,the one that juggles her job with her home...making sure that her home ALWAYS comes out on top, she is the one that smiles with a deep sadness that is left in her eyes, she is the one that has bags under her eyes because for the last year her other half has been gone and she just tosses and turns at night, shes the one that stays strong for her other girlfriends that are going through the same thing, shes the one that organizes 1001 events to make it through that year with out needing a straight jacket, she is the one that has as much grace as any woman can possibly have and in the same moment be able to put someone in their place if they step out of line and she is the one that starts crying as soon as she sees the wheels of the plane that is carrying her husband touch ground on the flight line. Just don't be so soon to judge her because of what you see on a program, take the time and listen and you will be able to understand what an ARMY WIFE is really all about.

Puppy Doggggie

My husband, the tough as steel, buff, hardcore soldier taught our sweet little puppy how to SPEAK!! Why oh why oh why.......It's not bad enough that we have two Jack Russells but now we have one that thinks if he barks and sits he will get a treat. Lord help me get through this!!!

Michelle.....This ones for YOU!!

Michelle I FEEL YOUR PAIN, I UNDERSTAND, I SYMPATHIZE.....wanna go get a drink? Michelle is one of the sweetest, caring, fun to be around people that I have ever met. She is also the assistant principal at the boys old school in NC. In our years there I was solely a MOM. I didn't work in the school system, in fact I worked eons away on a post called Fort Bragg. I honestly didn't realize the impact that parents have on the staff that take care of their children for the majority of a school day. Now before I get hate mail I understand that every child and every teacher is different. I have had my share of teachers that should have chosen a different path.....one that had them sit in a chair ALONE with no contact with kids. I also understand that some kids are a bit more difficult to work with but when you choose to teach you should choose to have compassion, love, understanding and most of all patience. I'm in the office so I don't get the wrath of Mom and Dad directly on me but WHOooooooaaaa Nelly can they get feisty. Its funny you see if you ask any kid in the school they will tell you that Michelle will get you if you mess up...they usually say this with fear in their eyes and a funny little twitch that goes down to their toes. I have never once seen her raise her voice in an ugly way, be mean or demeaning to child but I have however watched her tell a child that THIS is what needs to be done so they better get to it. I have seen her talk to children...not talk down to them. RESPECT is what she commands and RESPECT she has. Ms. AF is the AP here in the school I work at and guess what, same attitude. I LOVE IT. Its so nice that with all the new aged do this, try that and whatever you do BE AFRAID to tell the child what they need to do, that there are still people out there like Michelle that have a knack and are honest and treat kids and people alike with Respect and in turn she gets the respect that she deserves. So to Michelle, and all the other staff that work at any school, anywhere...THANK YOU for being patient, caring and loving, for returning calls instead of running from them, having the guts to steer kids in a path that is less chosen, that may be a longer harder path to follow, but is the right one for that child, for having the love to console a child until they are OK and pushing them ever so lightly that they may stand on their own feet with the knowledge that someone is there to catch them if need be, to show parents that it's OK to get emotional over their kids because for every ounce of love they have for their kids you have the same for your own, for having the sound mind not to reach across the desk and put your hands around someones throat and squeeze...they know they deserve it sometimes, and for me I thank you for being you, that even if my family wasn't born and raised with yours, that your family always had open arms for us as Donte, I, Donnie and Dannie have for all of you. We miss you and your family a lot!!! I think Donte is still having withdrawals from being away from your Mom and he refuses to coach here...what would a ball team be without Donnie, Dannie, Charlie, Jacob, Jaggir and Taylor? OK I gotta quit before I get sappy! When we come visit we will have to go and grab that drink!!

My Baby

He's no so much a baby anymore but to me he will always be my sweet darling Chubba Bubba. You couldn't tell now back when he was just a little pip squeak he was chubby little thing. He will be 8 in 10 days. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around it, that he no longer needs me to kiss his boo boos and pick out his clothes....where do they get off doing all that growing up. INDEPENDENT has a whole new meaning when it's your child wanting to be free of you. OK so hes not wanting to be completely free of me just a little bit free of me. Is there any difference in that last sentence??? Oh well, on with my story. As I said before I work in the Front Office of the boys elementary school. I have two co-workers that sit in the same area as I do. I have mention L before, she is sweet and kind and just a good soul. A is a hoot, I love her, shes funny and could literally juggle a boatload of monkeys on her toes. A also has a jar on her desk.....C....A.......N.......D.........Y. Why oh why. I asked her to put fat free taste nasty candy in there but she aims to please the chocolate lovers and jolly rancher lovers in the world. This would include both of my kids. Now there are rules in a school and one of the rules state that when you walk in the hallways you have to be quiet. So as I sit at my desk plugging away on the computer I notice that it's time for my little one to come in from recess. I see his class coming in and there he is. L points him out and by the look on his face I could tell that he was up to something. I don't know why but when your a Mom you learn to read the slightest looks and hone in on them like a sniper with a target. He is smiling just a bit too wide and his eyes are dancing a jig. I take a deep breathe and brace myself.....meanwhile all the kids are very quietly walking back to the classroom and then Daniel walks in front of the office door and God bless him he just couldn't hold it in....."MOM AFTER SCHOOL CAN I HAVE A PIECE OF CANDY OFF OF MS. A'S DESK?" with that I put my finger to my lips and stifle my laughter which is more than I can say for L and A who laughed out loud. Thank goodness he has a great teacher who understands that kids just sometimes have to be kids.

My little CHUBBA BUBBA...don't you just want to cuddle that sweet angel of a baby?


There he is a few weeks ago in the white shirt, at Six Flags leaving poor Mom behind. At least he looked back to make sure I was in his sights.

Mission Box!!

Donte's station made mission box!!! WOOOOOO HOOOOOO. This means that they recruited enough recruits for the year. The Army states that they should get XXXX amount of soldiers to sign up for the year. If they dont get their numbers they are in big trouble but if they make it they get an atta boy. So Donte is actually home this weekend. I am down with a bug but Donte and the boys are outside fishing. I am actually sitting on the couch looking out of the window at them. I thank God for my three men. The boys were too cute this weekend. They hate when I get sick. Usually they can climb into bed with us and get their cuddle time but when I am sick I keep them at arms length. I dont want them to catch what I have. They absolutly hate this. Especially Daniel he was standing at the door to my bedroom, quiet as a mouse. The conversation went like this.
"Daniel, whacha doing?"
"nothing"
"Dannie"
"can I come in"
"no honey Im sick and I dont want you to get sick"
"ok" (he says this in an itty bitty voice that just makes my heart melt)
"Mom"
"yes"
"I love you"
"I love you too baby boy"
"see you later"

He is off and I can hear him running down the stairs. Oh to be a little kid again.

Tornado Drill....Ooops I mean TORNADO THE REAL THING

School started Thursday before last and the day started out busy as ever. New kids coming in. Parents crying at the thought of their kids entering kindergarten. Me misting up a bit because I now have a 3rd and 4Th grader. The energy was great. The staff had been busy getting ready and were more than ready. The kids were a buzz, new teachers, old friends, new friends and of course showing off the new school clothes, backpacks and shoes. We settled into the day and to tell you the truth I was feeling pretty good. The school day ends here at 330 and around 230 we get a fax in about a storm coming our way. I had watched the news and knew that there was going to be rain and a storm. clouds were forming and the sky started to grow a bit darker but hey its just a storm right........WRONG. We kept getting more in for about the storm and then we got the news that a tornado was spotted. I swear what was five minutes felt like three days. Parents were calling and the switch board lit up like a Christmas tree, at the same time parents were coming in signing their kids out. Then the police dept called and NO ONE, absolutely no one was supposed to leave the building. By now its pretty dark and the wind is going the rain is pelting down and we have a school filled to the rafters with scared kids and worried parents. The Principal and Assistant Principal are out in the lobby as are the teachers and they are making order out of a very chaotic situation. We are checking Id's and getting everything as orderly as we can in the office. I am calling the police department every 15 min to get updates and to tell you the truth I am a bit scared because my kids are in the school too. They just aren't with me. But L advises me that they are safe and in the best place that they can be in. I finally get the all clear that the tornado would not be hitting us and that the parents can get the kids and go. It was roughly 445. So about 1 1/2 hours had gone by and we did it, we made order out if chaos. We worked together as a team and not one little hair on any ones head was out of place. Not bad for the first day of school huh. Who said that working in a school was boring?

Turning 32 a New Job and Getting Sick

I was called in early to start my new job. I was hired at the local elementary school to work in the front office. I had often played with the idea in NC but never acted on it.....I really wish that I would have. I absolutely love my job, love the kids, and love the people that I work with. The hours are perfect and my kids get to hang out in the office before and after school so I don't have to worry about daycare. Their homework is done before we leave and we are home at the very latest by 430. One of the nicest parts is that we truly work as a team. It's nice to work hard and actually get credit, at my last job I would work hard and our psycho leader would gobble the credit up like she did something special. She had a knack of causing rifts between the workforce and somewhere inside she loved drama because if there was drama to be had she made sure that it was in our section. It's funny how when you are in the middle of something detrimental you don't see it, but when you leave its clear as crystal. Don't get me wrong the job itself was not bad, it was doable but the people you work with make a huge difference. Lets just say my morals are good and so are my intentions. I do not believe in stabbing people in the back and I do unto others as I would want done unto me. I believe other than one other person in the office I was the only one that lived like that. I guess I was a little hesitant when I went into my new job here but after the first few minutes I saw that the school was a whole different ball game. A good one. The ladies in the office are great and we work great together. It gets hectic at times, like the tornado the first day of school (coming in a new post), but we worked together and came out unscratched. The principal and the Assistant Principal are two of the best people to work with. Their attitudes are great and they have an appreciation for people period. Their is no animosity between the ranks and everyone is respected for what their speciality is. From the janitor to the head of the school everyone works as a team. The only thing I didn't take into account was the fact that kids harbor germs...lots of them!!! My poor immune system was in for a shock. I went to work Thursday feeling great, by lunch I felt a little funny and by 3 I was ready to crawl into bed. I spent yesterday in bed with Gatorade, theraflu and Tylenol. I swear I have used at least a box and half of tissue and my nose feels like sandpaper. My dear hubby went out and bought me some Vick's and cough drops. I hate being sick. I haven't been sick in a very long time and since it came out of the blue it really knocked me on my hiney. Of course this weekend is perfect. Highs in the low 80's and sunshine everywhere. Oh boy....yup.....I'm feeling pretty sorry for myself. I turned 32 on Thursday and was so looking forward to celebrating with Donte and the boys but my date was with my bed and a box of puffs. I actually can breathe out of at least one nostril now and hope that by tomorrow I can breathe out of both. I know TMI......but it's my blog and I'll tell all if I want to!

It's Raining it's Pouring the Old Man is Snoring

Its been raining for what seems like forever. Our cute pond in the backyard looks like it could hold Noah's Ark. aaaaahhhhhh and every morning when I leave for work its as if the Gods say "OK that's our signal, shes going to work, let it start to pour". I made a deal with my friend Angie today, shes in Orlando and they need rain and we need their sunshine....so we are gonna swap!!! Aren't we brilliant? THE ANSWER IS YES. Well not only is it raining....this girl is yawning and my bed is calling.

Battalion Organizational Day

Well life has been busy with the kids getting ready for school. They called me in a week early so everything has been smashed together. Friday we had our battalion organizational day. We were off to Six Flags Great America. We were supposed to meet at the entrance of the park at 10 in the morning. We were there and ready at 9:30 and waited until 10:45 for everyone else to get there. If your military you are used to the hurry up and wait but never have I had to wait that long....again another joy of the recruiting lifestyle. We got into the park and started enjoying ourselves. Now I am a big chicken!!! No way was I getting on those roller coasters, uh uh, NO WAY. So I waited in line and then gracefully stepped aside and went to the exit of the ride. The kids were having a blast to say the least. Daniel had never met the height requirements so he was more than ready to give the roller coasters a try. They have their Dads stomach for that and truly enjoyed themselves. The battalion had a picnic lunch set up for us. The times were from 1300 to 1430. Not bad I thought as I figured that this would be a perfect way to meet some of the other spouses and relax a bit. Well I did meet some nice spouses but it wasn't the same. There was no familiar family feel and again I am an Army Brat and have been a Army Spouse for over 11 years now. It was alien to me the way some of these women acted...I know you get the good and bad in every situation but seriously I felt embarrassed for them and their family members. The food was good and the kids were more than ready to head back to the rides but yet another surprise came up. The higher ups felt that it was necessary for everyone to hang around so they could give some awards out...OK that's nice to recognize people that do above and beyond. Dontes station even got recognized for closest to year end mission, they were only one away and of course we were all very proud. So I figure 30 minutes top and these awards would be done....15 min.....20 min.....35 min.....come on people, its hot out here (did I mention that we were in the sun)...finally a hour later we were released. One of the veteran spouses said that they usually wait until ATC to do that and that she had never seen it take so long. I just politely smiled and nodded. You see I vent here, I let the steam pour out of my ears here because frankly I don't know what this life is supposed to be like. Are we supposed to be happy that everything is late and that we are made to bake in the sun on our family togetherness day....perhaps the reasoning is that we should be happy that our soldiers are actually able to spend some special time with us...I don't know, this is all new and I am still trying to get used to this. Now I am not ungrateful that my husband is here on US soil with us I thank God that Donte isn't deployed, its a been there done that many times situation for us and I am thankful that he is here with us. We had a good afternoon and I even went on the water ride where I got completely soaked. We went home tired and eagerly welcomed the softness of our pillows under our heads.

Saturday we were finally able to have Dontes promotion BBQ. It was great. His stationed showed up with their significant others in tow. Donte worked the grill like he always does and I swear that man knows magic to make the food taste like it does. The kids were having a blast and all scurried upstairs to play. We honestly didn't hear a peep out of them until it came time to eat or come down to snack. Towards the end the older girls came to the living room as well. I don't blame them. Hanging out with younger boys can drive you crazy. The guys were in the kitchen playing dominoes and talking......well I say talking but it usually resorts to jokes and picking on each other....I don't know something about smelling like BBQ is better than smelling like wet dog or bologna. Finally.....this felt right. We all had a great time and there was that old feeling of settling in coming back. Its hard to pack up and move but I have always made the transition easily....maybe this time it was just going to take a little bit longer.

The rest of the weekend was spent picking up the last few things for school and getting the kids shoes. They both picked out two pairs and of course in the same line as their clothes none of them matched each other. They are really growing up on me. They have their own sense of style and know what they want. I guess I can officially look back on the days where they would dress alike. **Sigh**

Starting From the Beginning

I remember when Donte came home and told me that he had been selected to be a recruiter. I was shocked to say the least and had heard numerous horror stories about being a recruiters wife. So I did what any smart Army wife would do.....I called my friend Melody because her husband had been a recruiter. Mel said they "loved it", hmmmm loved it huh....OK my nerves are relaxing a bit. She basically told me that they work a lot and that there are some long nights and some weekends where they work but over all its not that bad. There is no CQ or Staff Duty (soldier has to sit at desk and log phone calls and barracks checks for 24 hours, no field problems and no deployments. Essentially its as close to living the civilian life as you can get while still active duty in the Army. OK I am feeling better....

Fast forward to right before we leave Bragg....

Donte went to recruiting school, we had our house packed, painted, found a property manager, put the house up for rent, rented the house, had going away parties (sniff, sniff), and said our goodbyes.

We decided that we would drive both cars from Fort Bragg all the way to Chicago. We left after the boys got out of school and drove an hour to Greensboro (hubbys hometown) where we attended a family members high school graduation...it was very special as this beautiful high school senior that I had known since she was 8 was dying of a Brain Tumor. After numerous treatments and years of fighting the tumor had taken over. She was in a wheel chair and spoke with a slur that made her embarrassed to speak. We had just seen her a few months before and you couldn't tell that anything was wrong with her. She was her spunky little self and I am so glad that we had the chance to know her and love her. She lost that battle a few weeks after the last time we saw her. We then attended her graduation party that was hosted by the Make a Wish foundation. We spent time with family and friends before we headed to Waynes house. Wayne is Dontes best friend, he was our best man and is a huge part of our family. We spent some time laughing and reminiscing about all the good times and of course we got some much humored slack about moving to Chicago.

I went to sleep that night with a heavy heart and butterflies in my tummy. Chicago here we come...you cant get more exciting than that...on the other hand we were leaving our home that we had planted solid roots in.

We left a little late the next morning. The minivan packed to the rafters and the back seat of the Honda packed tight as well. Daniel rode with me and Donnie with Donte......with the assurance that they could switch off and on. They were so worried about getting equal time with both of us. It was like a game to them. I was so relieved to see that they were excited and had embraced this crazy Army life.

we drove through many states and a heck of a lot of rain and 10 hours later we were in Indianapolis. I called Embassy Suites from my cell and got us reservations for the night. We only had a few more hours to go until we got there so we decided to take it easy and even agreed that there was no need to set the alarm that night.

The next day we took off with the knowledge that this long car trip was almost over. We drove right by Chicago. I was so excited and then I realized that I needed Gas. So I call Donte and we take the next exit and land smack in the middle of a not so nice part of Chicago. We get the gas and take off. I am a little bit worried what if he has to recruit in an area like that? We continued on to Great Lakes Naval Base I tried to soak it all in. I do this whenever we move. I look at the buildings and the roads and imagine that in a few weeks it will all be second nature to me. It makes me feel better as if this new place will soon feel warm and comfortable....it would feel like home.

We checked into the hotel on post and unloaded the necessities. Donte hooked up the lap top so we could go online whenever we wanted. We all showered and got ready to go explore. Well we get to the minivan and my battery is dead!!! Oh Fun, at least it didn't die when we were getting gas! I had the battery replaced and prayed that this wasn't a sign of things to come.

Over the next few days we were visited by Dontes Station Commander, we will call him Famous Daves, he told us that the station was great and how great life was going to be. Hardly any long nights or weekends. After we went to the room I expressed how great this was going to be...Donte looked at me and said "don't count on it....I have heard different"...I should have listened to my hubby but I shook it off and went on with the tasks of getting a realtor and finding a place to live. Great Lakes was not only too far but they wanted to put us in tiny housing because the new housing was for people who had lived there for at least a year....sore subject.

We found a great house in the suburbs, 2500 square feet, two car garage, pond in the backyard with a fountain and a school that was located in the subdivision itself. We registered the boys for school (NC would not promote them because they still had 4 weeks of school left there, even though they could have made straight F's and still passed) and set up delivery dates for our household goods (HHG).

The boys were excited and scarred about going to a new school and to tell you the truth I was a little nervous myself. We were out here by ourselves, no other military families to lean on. No Army Brats for the boys to connect with......Please God let this go smoothly.

We walk into the school and are greeted warmly. Both boys teachers have their desks set up with their names and books ready. The other kids come up and welcome them and I can breathe a big sigh of relief. Donte and I decided to speak with the principal and the assistant principal. I was still a little nervous and wanted to make sure that they knew the situation in case the boys were to get upset or start feeling sad. I also had to speak to them about the boys missing the last two weeks of school so that they could go to Sri Lanka for their Uncle Adams wedding. They were both great and as we sat there talking I mentioned that I was looking for a job. They had a position open in the front office and explained to me how to go online and apply. I did apply and two interviews later I received my job offer and was all to ready to enjoy my summer with my family....because he wouldn't be working late nights and weekends....RIGHT??

more to follow....

GO ARMY......Recruiting

Well as most of you know my darling hubby is now an Army Recruiter. He was selected by the Department of he Army for this.......so NO WE DIDN'T ASK FOR IT. So I thought it would be fun to share my perspective on this. Army life has basically been the same from post to post....but this assignment is NOTHING like regular Army life. I am an Army brat myself so you would think after growing up Army and being married into the Army for almost 11 years I would know what to expect. I am as green as a cucumber when it come to this. Please buckle up and hold on tight. You will be tuning into a whole new way of life.