comments for people in my life....

first, to Audra...look I updated my blog!! Isn't it great! Now you can read something new from me! =)

monty.... the pictures on your page were really hard to see. It was hard to see what you do on film as I try really, really hard each night to not picture you doing that, but rather....living a relatively safe life on the FOB (not out and about in the cities and countrysides-) until you can come home.

In your case, I exercise great effort to avoid reality, I just like to pretend that you are not doing anything at all and that the military is wasting our time by keeping you there.

Guess not.

to my dad, Leo, who will probably never read this page as he doesn't own a computer, but I love you and you are so great for listening to me while I talk about all the things that are happening to me. You are one of my best friends. Thanks for always being there and never letting me down! Thank you for always holding me to higher standards and supporting me in getting there.

Also, to my friends that despite the things that they are going through, continue to inspire me to greater things...Ramie, Charlene and of course my mother-Mimi! (If I didn't list your name it doesn't mean that you aren't great or that you don't inspire me to greater things! It's just not your turn yet =).)

a couple of pictures...

this is what monty thinks his daughter should wear.....when they go hunting together.

something for monty

My darling husband (dh) has viewed the blog here and said that he wasn't even on it (which is a lie since I specifically mention all the love letters and shells from Thailand in my first blog posted...) In order to make sure that he is always seen when someone is viewing my blog I added a top ten songs for Monty list. These are songs that when played I think of Monty. For example, the "waiting on a woman" song by Brad Paisley, is completely apparent....I am always late and he is always waiting for me. (Well, most of the time, otherwise he is slowing me down and throwing my precious time schedule into disrepair!) Echos of Eden (Chapman) is one of my favorite songs about us and if I ever actually have an "official first dance" with Monty that would be the song I would want to hear. And the Kenny Chesney song is just funny because he (monty) is a country boy and wants to live on a farm someday...while I am a city girl and have no intention of living in such place (you'd figure after 8 years of marriage he'd come to realize that.) However, I could totally see him driving a tractor!
So, Monty, all these songs are for you! Enjoy!

Guiros for everyone!!

It was a grand day at the hispanic heritage festival on Ft. Stewart. A little background....for my music genre presentation (for music and movement class) the type of music that the group selected was Latin music, namely Salsa. Since one of the group members is a salsa dancer and her husband is part of a salsa band! (The band even played a show in Iraq when they were deployed!) So, "Susie" tried to teach me how to salsa...so, you can imagine how horribly butchered my salsa was! Anyway, she invited us (me and the kids) to see the band perform at the Hispanic Heritage Festival. Which was a lot of fun!
The food was fanastic, the music was very upbeat and the dancing was super (and no I did not get up and 'show off' my moves.)
However, I did spend 7$(a piece) on Guiro (two dots are supposed to be over the u.) for the kids. And they love them...me not so much.

I didn't have a camera at the festival, but here are the kids playing them in the yard. It was a long day and we all took very good naps!!

Notes to self for 16 September

Howdy!

Just thought I'd post a couple of my "notes to self"-or things that I have "learned through experience." as we say.

First...note to self...when mowing the yard on a riding mower...do not attempt to do a "donut" in the grass (where tree roots might be) the only thing that will happen is that you pull the tire off the rim...not a good thing!

Note to self....remember that professors have lives too. They do not solely exist to grade papers, projects and "resource/collection finals" and immediately report the grade to you. Patience young grasshopper!

Note to self...never let your 22 month old daughter have a glue stick because she might confuse it with chapstick or decide that your dog isn't colorful enough and glue paper to it. oooopppps!

I think that's about it for me. It's been a very bitter sweet week, while I am very glad the summer quarter is over, I had to say goodbye to my most favorite instructor, as she took a new job at a college far, far away from us!
With the exception of the kids playing and Between the Lions theme music going nonstop, it's pretty quiet around here.

hurricanes and special things

While Hanna has passed us by...Ike looms in the Atlantic. One thing that I gained from this experience I had to figure out what things really matter to me, at least when it comes to earthly possessions. As I was preparing for a possible evacuation, space in our tiny RAV4 was limited...after two kids, two suitcases, and a dog there wasn't much left. I really had to think about if I had to leave right now...what would I take. And of course I have to take all the paperwork (POAs, life and homeowners insurance, orders, birth and blessing records etc) my love letters from Monty, all the photos I could load up. However, a few things surprised me.I had to take my wooden jewelry box that my sister gave to me after she returned from her 18 month mission to the DR (Dominican Republic.) It meant the world to me, mostly because despite the greatness of my two other sisters, she has always been the one that I admire the most.The marbles, there was no way I could leave any of the 219 marbles behind. Those of you, not in the know, every week (a full seven days) that my husband has been deployed, at schools and various training, field exercises or on duty I add one marble to a tall glass vase. Why torture myself knowing that for half of my married life he hasn't been here? It's not torture it's motivation. It's 219 marbles of strength and proof that I made it through all those other weeks and I can and will make it through this one.One other item...a necklace that my Mimi gave me on the day I was baptized. It's a little wooden girl painted with a white dress and pink wooden beads on each side of her. It had to come. I placed it along side my Grandmother Cleo's pearl necklace and my father's cuff links, and the seashells Monty gave me after his return from Thailand. I can't tell you why I had to dig that necklace out of the hope chest...but I did.The short of it is...even though I can not take any of this stuff with me to Heaven...if I have to leave for a hurricane and I have the time it's coming too.