28 August 2008
computer is down
just wanted to get on here real quick and let everyone know that we are having computer problems at home.....we think that we are going to have to buy a new computer.....so for now we will have no computer or phone at home.......we will both still have access to the internet through work, and will do our best to keep everyone updated through emails......sorry, hopefully we will be able to fix it soon and will be up and running again....until then, know that we love and miss everyone!!!
27 August 2008
new job...again
well, i took a temporary job demotion so that i could have better hours and a future promotion......i still work for aafes, but i am no longer in the px, but rather, i am now at the school.....i work in the school lunch room.....yes, i know, i have turned into the old, saggy apron hair net wearin lunch lady.......
its a cool job because i am off work at 3 by the latest.......i work with some great people, i see the kids everyday....i dont work when they are out of school and i have the summers off.......its also cool because, i have been there for three days and they are already beginning to train me for the supervisor/manager position......with that comes extra responsibility but a big pay raise also......that is projected to happen sometime around nov......
the only down side of this job is that because i am still an aafes employee, they are trying to figure out a way to have me working both the px and the school......i wouldnt mind working at the px stocking, but i DO NOT want to go back to customer service again, because then i will be working every weekend again and that is not something that i want.......
the kids are doing great, boo is loving school......she has a male teacher this year....she came home shocked saying, "mom.....my teacher is a Boy"....it was as if she thought that teachers could only be women or something......keegan is still doing really well in her daycare.......i have never met a child that loves daycare as much as she does.......her social skills are growing tremendously and she doesnt seem to be such a hand full anymore.....she still has attitude, but maybe just maybe being around other kids and the group environment has helped her to control it some.....stephen, he is doing good.....still having hard time of adjusting at times.....but he is fine......
its a cool job because i am off work at 3 by the latest.......i work with some great people, i see the kids everyday....i dont work when they are out of school and i have the summers off.......its also cool because, i have been there for three days and they are already beginning to train me for the supervisor/manager position......with that comes extra responsibility but a big pay raise also......that is projected to happen sometime around nov......
the only down side of this job is that because i am still an aafes employee, they are trying to figure out a way to have me working both the px and the school......i wouldnt mind working at the px stocking, but i DO NOT want to go back to customer service again, because then i will be working every weekend again and that is not something that i want.......
the kids are doing great, boo is loving school......she has a male teacher this year....she came home shocked saying, "mom.....my teacher is a Boy"....it was as if she thought that teachers could only be women or something......keegan is still doing really well in her daycare.......i have never met a child that loves daycare as much as she does.......her social skills are growing tremendously and she doesnt seem to be such a hand full anymore.....she still has attitude, but maybe just maybe being around other kids and the group environment has helped her to control it some.....stephen, he is doing good.....still having hard time of adjusting at times.....but he is fine......
24 August 2008
feeling homesick
todays post will probably be sad and sappy because i am feeling kinda homesick right about now.......
i miss soooo many people and so many things that it unreal.....i feel like i am losing touch with people and i dont really have any new friends here.....the few people that i met that were cool, have already moved to some new place.....
i know that jeremiah is coming soon and that my parents will be coming over for christmas, but it doesnt seem to help the mood im in now.....
i miss wal-mart, i miss shopping on sundays (not that we did it that much, but could have if we wanted to)....i miss waffle house.....i miss my family....i miss my friends, i miss my job.....i miss a normal functioning military post......i miss getting mail.....
i know that this will pass and that i shouldnt complain because italy is a beautiful country and we were really blessed to be stationed here for many reasons, but i cant help but to be home sick......i think the one thing that i miss the most is my mama's bisquits and gravy!!!!
i miss soooo many people and so many things that it unreal.....i feel like i am losing touch with people and i dont really have any new friends here.....the few people that i met that were cool, have already moved to some new place.....
i know that jeremiah is coming soon and that my parents will be coming over for christmas, but it doesnt seem to help the mood im in now.....
i miss wal-mart, i miss shopping on sundays (not that we did it that much, but could have if we wanted to)....i miss waffle house.....i miss my family....i miss my friends, i miss my job.....i miss a normal functioning military post......i miss getting mail.....
i know that this will pass and that i shouldnt complain because italy is a beautiful country and we were really blessed to be stationed here for many reasons, but i cant help but to be home sick......i think the one thing that i miss the most is my mama's bisquits and gravy!!!!
15 August 2008
argggg matey
a pirate, a pirate, a pirate's life for me me me me....(in sing song of course)....
thursday night, after a LONG day of work, elizabeth reminds me that she is having pirate's day....and of course it was the VERY next day....i couldnt let her be the only kid not dressed up as a pirate.....so i went through my mental checklist of everything that a pirate should wear and everything that a pirate should have......after that, i went on a semi-mad race through the house and the craft boxes to see what all i had that could be used to make her a pirate.......
needless to say that at about 11:30 or so, when we were way worn out and tired, i finally finished.....i thought that she was the cutest little pirate girl that i have ever seen and just had to share this with you......
my little pirate, with bird on shoulder to boot!!!
her mean pirate face....
so here is what we did and a list of stuff needed for any other parents that are faced with coming up with a very last min pirate costume.....
old white shirt borrowed from daddy
old red shirt borrowed from mommy
black slip, reluctantly given by mommy
black and white polka dot short given by sister (yes i know it is sad that my 7 yr old can wear my 3 yr old's clothes)
black felt
red yarn
scissors
safety pins (cause i cant sew)
magic markers
stuffed toy bird
colored beads
white nail polish
tin foil
tape
borrowed necklaces and bracelets from mom's jewelry box
1. we cut the neck, arm, and bottom hem out of both shirts.
2. we draped the white shirt over her shoulder, then cut it down the back just long enough for us to have something to tie the thing on her.
3. we cut the red shirt in half, measured how much would be needed to fit around her waist, pinned it in place, then cut "jagged" edges all around it to allow the white to show through.
4. we cut the bottom of my slip, about 4 inches wide and used that to tie the belt.
5. the remaining red shirt was cut and used to tie a scarf on her head.
6. cut the bottom hem out of her sisters capris
7. used black felt and red yarn to make an eye patch.
8. used nail polish to "paint" the skull and cross bones on it.
9. magic marker-ed a "mom" tattoo on her arm.
10. safety pinned the toy bird on her shoulder.
11. braided a few strands of her hair, put beads on them and tied them with left over red yarn.
12. made a make shift pirate's hook out of tin foil and tape.
13. topped her off with some jewelry and arggg arggg arggg matey she was a pirate!!!
im proud to say that she brought home the "perfect pirate" award
thursday night, after a LONG day of work, elizabeth reminds me that she is having pirate's day....and of course it was the VERY next day....i couldnt let her be the only kid not dressed up as a pirate.....so i went through my mental checklist of everything that a pirate should wear and everything that a pirate should have......after that, i went on a semi-mad race through the house and the craft boxes to see what all i had that could be used to make her a pirate.......
needless to say that at about 11:30 or so, when we were way worn out and tired, i finally finished.....i thought that she was the cutest little pirate girl that i have ever seen and just had to share this with you......
my little pirate, with bird on shoulder to boot!!!
her mean pirate face....
so here is what we did and a list of stuff needed for any other parents that are faced with coming up with a very last min pirate costume.....
old white shirt borrowed from daddy
old red shirt borrowed from mommy
black slip, reluctantly given by mommy
black and white polka dot short given by sister (yes i know it is sad that my 7 yr old can wear my 3 yr old's clothes)
black felt
red yarn
scissors
safety pins (cause i cant sew)
magic markers
stuffed toy bird
colored beads
white nail polish
tin foil
tape
borrowed necklaces and bracelets from mom's jewelry box
1. we cut the neck, arm, and bottom hem out of both shirts.
2. we draped the white shirt over her shoulder, then cut it down the back just long enough for us to have something to tie the thing on her.
3. we cut the red shirt in half, measured how much would be needed to fit around her waist, pinned it in place, then cut "jagged" edges all around it to allow the white to show through.
4. we cut the bottom of my slip, about 4 inches wide and used that to tie the belt.
5. the remaining red shirt was cut and used to tie a scarf on her head.
6. cut the bottom hem out of her sisters capris
7. used black felt and red yarn to make an eye patch.
8. used nail polish to "paint" the skull and cross bones on it.
9. magic marker-ed a "mom" tattoo on her arm.
10. safety pinned the toy bird on her shoulder.
11. braided a few strands of her hair, put beads on them and tied them with left over red yarn.
12. made a make shift pirate's hook out of tin foil and tape.
13. topped her off with some jewelry and arggg arggg arggg matey she was a pirate!!!
im proud to say that she brought home the "perfect pirate" award
11 August 2008
battle of the babies
ok, so its not really a battle, rather just a constant topic of discussion.....it seems that everywhere i turn, everywhere i look someone is either having a baby or just had a baby.....i turn on the tv and there are babies......even this morning when i logged into blogger, there were babies pasted all over my dashboard......
stephen doesnt help the situation either.....he will make comments like, " lets have a baby" and then in the same breath, say "im sorry, im just having a moment".....we have four kids already.....would it be nice to have a baby with my husband, yeah, but im not trying to be the brady bunch.....
so here is the real battle.....i think about, actually, i think about it alot.....but i am sure that for me, it is just that biological clock ticking away.....well, it more like pounds away, and with every passing second it seems to be screaming to me that my time is running, you arent getting any younger and you need to have babies.....and then sometimes i feel as though my ovaries are yelling about how they want to be used up before all their eggs dry up into little hard crusty raisins......
is it just because i am getting older....because next year i will be 30 and i see all these other women having babies and being happy about being pregnant at 35 or even 40.......or is it just that i really want another baby but am just simply to afraid to do it again.........
the battle of buldge was easier than this battle of the babies!!!!
stephen doesnt help the situation either.....he will make comments like, " lets have a baby" and then in the same breath, say "im sorry, im just having a moment".....we have four kids already.....would it be nice to have a baby with my husband, yeah, but im not trying to be the brady bunch.....
so here is the real battle.....i think about, actually, i think about it alot.....but i am sure that for me, it is just that biological clock ticking away.....well, it more like pounds away, and with every passing second it seems to be screaming to me that my time is running, you arent getting any younger and you need to have babies.....and then sometimes i feel as though my ovaries are yelling about how they want to be used up before all their eggs dry up into little hard crusty raisins......
is it just because i am getting older....because next year i will be 30 and i see all these other women having babies and being happy about being pregnant at 35 or even 40.......or is it just that i really want another baby but am just simply to afraid to do it again.........
the battle of buldge was easier than this battle of the babies!!!!
07 August 2008
here goes....
ok, so leah tagged me to do this meme......i dont really know 6 other bloggers, so that is one of the rules that i will be breaking (sorry)....but here goes anyways,
Here are the rules.
Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
Let your tagger know when your blog entry is up
1. i love to bake, and do it all the time (when the weather is not soooooo hot)....things like cakes, cookies, breads, muffins, pies....whatever, you name it, i bake it....BUT, the crazy thing is that i rarely ever eat any of it...
2. i love having a yard full of flowers and plants, but i kill them....they never look good for very long after i get them in the planters......i have taken the advice from all the neighbors that have beautiful yards, but mine still looks like nc in the middle of a drought.
3. i secretly enjoy reading raunchy romance novels....
4. i have been in italy for five months now, but sometimes, as i drive by the leaning tower to get back and forth to work, i look at it and cant believe that i am really here.....
5. i have a bathroom drawer full of wigs that i will wear sometimes when i am in between hairstyles, like i am currently(havent gotten to the wig wearin point yet though)
6. i wake up everyday to a loving husband, beautiful children, an overall great family and can do nothing more than thank God for all of it because i know that without Him i am not special enough or deserving enough to have any of it......
Here are the rules.
Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
Let your tagger know when your blog entry is up
1. i love to bake, and do it all the time (when the weather is not soooooo hot)....things like cakes, cookies, breads, muffins, pies....whatever, you name it, i bake it....BUT, the crazy thing is that i rarely ever eat any of it...
2. i love having a yard full of flowers and plants, but i kill them....they never look good for very long after i get them in the planters......i have taken the advice from all the neighbors that have beautiful yards, but mine still looks like nc in the middle of a drought.
3. i secretly enjoy reading raunchy romance novels....
4. i have been in italy for five months now, but sometimes, as i drive by the leaning tower to get back and forth to work, i look at it and cant believe that i am really here.....
5. i have a bathroom drawer full of wigs that i will wear sometimes when i am in between hairstyles, like i am currently(havent gotten to the wig wearin point yet though)
6. i wake up everyday to a loving husband, beautiful children, an overall great family and can do nothing more than thank God for all of it because i know that without Him i am not special enough or deserving enough to have any of it......
03 August 2008
our happenings
i havent posted in awhile, because we have been busy......the kids got sick so with that, missing work, and getting ready for stephen to go tdy, i havent had much time to post.......
there's not much new to tell, but we are all doing good now....no more being sick and i am back at work....stephen is gone for a week......we are burning up though......it has been record breaking hot over here this summer and it is definately something that takes getting used to......i promised the kids that we will have ac next summer......i will put them on layaway way before it gets hot that way we will be good when it does......
i do have a few days off this week and i have a few projects that i want to be able to get done.....hopefully i can being that the girls will still be going to daycare/camp......
i bought this old bedroom suit for 75 bucks.....there is nothing majorly wrong with it, the family was pcsing and were over their weight allowance so they needed to get rid of it fast......the only thing that is wrong with it is that it didnt all fit in their bedroom so they had it on a balcony.....it is not water damaged, but the sun did fade the color.....so i am going to sand it down and re-do it in a smooth black and give it new knobs......ill try to post a pic when i am done.......
thats about it for now.....im off to pay bills....love, peace, and happiness
there's not much new to tell, but we are all doing good now....no more being sick and i am back at work....stephen is gone for a week......we are burning up though......it has been record breaking hot over here this summer and it is definately something that takes getting used to......i promised the kids that we will have ac next summer......i will put them on layaway way before it gets hot that way we will be good when it does......
i do have a few days off this week and i have a few projects that i want to be able to get done.....hopefully i can being that the girls will still be going to daycare/camp......
i bought this old bedroom suit for 75 bucks.....there is nothing majorly wrong with it, the family was pcsing and were over their weight allowance so they needed to get rid of it fast......the only thing that is wrong with it is that it didnt all fit in their bedroom so they had it on a balcony.....it is not water damaged, but the sun did fade the color.....so i am going to sand it down and re-do it in a smooth black and give it new knobs......ill try to post a pic when i am done.......
thats about it for now.....im off to pay bills....love, peace, and happiness
25 July 2008
first week of work
it feels like i have been away forever.....i know it has only been about a week since i last posted, but my work schedule has been absolutely insane......i made through the first week.....today i had a half day and i am off tomorrow......but then it starts all over on sunday......i work from 9:30-6:30 and though that doesnt seem bad, it makes normal life crazy.......
we all get up at 6 or 6:30, get dressed, eat and leave by 7:30.....we drop stephen off at 8 and then i drop off the girls at their daycare centers.....im done with that around 8:15.....to begin with i was going to the gym for an hour, showering and then going to work at 10, which was great......now, i dont get the time to go to the gym.....tony, my boss, decided that i will open in the morning so i have to be there at 9:30...no more gym for me, so now i normally eat my breakfast and read for those 45 mins......
stephen comes and picks up the car on his lunch so that when he gets off at 4:30, he can go pick up the kids......they go to the park for awhile then they come over and get me at 6:30.....it takes us atleast 30 mins to get home.....once there, we cook diner, eat, clean the kitchen and everyone starts getting showers and reay for bed.....by 10 i am soooo ready to pass out......
so needless to say, i have not had the time to clean my house properly or wash all the laundry and it piles up quick.....so my first day off is going to be spent, for the most part, cleaning the house.....yippie
im not complaining tooo much though.....i like my job.....i like the people that i work with and it gets me out of the house and some extra money too......
we all get up at 6 or 6:30, get dressed, eat and leave by 7:30.....we drop stephen off at 8 and then i drop off the girls at their daycare centers.....im done with that around 8:15.....to begin with i was going to the gym for an hour, showering and then going to work at 10, which was great......now, i dont get the time to go to the gym.....tony, my boss, decided that i will open in the morning so i have to be there at 9:30...no more gym for me, so now i normally eat my breakfast and read for those 45 mins......
stephen comes and picks up the car on his lunch so that when he gets off at 4:30, he can go pick up the kids......they go to the park for awhile then they come over and get me at 6:30.....it takes us atleast 30 mins to get home.....once there, we cook diner, eat, clean the kitchen and everyone starts getting showers and reay for bed.....by 10 i am soooo ready to pass out......
so needless to say, i have not had the time to clean my house properly or wash all the laundry and it piles up quick.....so my first day off is going to be spent, for the most part, cleaning the house.....yippie
im not complaining tooo much though.....i like my job.....i like the people that i work with and it gets me out of the house and some extra money too......
20 July 2008
being that we had a "family" tragedy this week, combined with my starting to work....meals this week will be interesting.....my lovely hubby will end up being the one that is solely responsible for the shopping and the majority of the cooking.....he's not a bad cook, but a horrid shopper....so i am going to make it as easy as possible for him by using the things that are left in the freezer, that way he only has to buy a very minimal amount of stuff.....
MONDAY: spaghetti in "pomodore"(italian for tomato)sauce with sauteed mushrooms and peppers, garlic bread and left over salad from last night
TUESDAY: bbq pork shoulder(pulled) for sandwiches, mac-n-cheese and corn on the cob or fruit salad
WEDNESDAY: baked raviolis, steamed broccoli, and garlic bread
THURSDAY: strawberry pancakes, bacon, eggs and toast, with some fruit on the side
FRIDAY: again, we will do what the kids want to do for "friday night diner"
SATURDAY: grilled chops, mashed garlic potatoes, fresh grilled green beans
SUNDAY: stephen makes this grilled sausage and onion thats mixed with mac-n-cheese and then baked thing that is really good, so that and mixed veggies
BREAKFASTS: cereal, muffins, oatmeal
LUNCH: kids will eat a daycare/camp so stephen and i will probably try to finish up the last of the deli meats with sandwiches and of course some left overs
SNACKS: snacks, who has time for snacks this week....
17 July 2008
when the army messes up, sometimes they fix it
just a small piece of information that i thought i would share about carl.....after i finally got to talk to his wife and everyone else back in the states to get all the details of what was happening and what went on that night, i found out that carl was suffering badly from ptsd......post traumatic stress disorder, for anyone who doesnt know.......carl had to deal with some pretty awful things on both of tours to iraq and was having a hard time adjusting to normal life again......the time that it takes a soldier to re-integrate can range from 6 month to 18 months......they have been home for roughly 7......
carl and his wife were having a few problems and were in counseling.....he knew that he had a problem himself and went to seek help for it.....on thursday july 11th, he went to the medical professionals to get some help dealing with it......instead of being treated, he was sent away......the doctor had his own family emergency......carl shot himself the next day.......being that we are an army that is trying publicly to encourage our soldiers to seek the help they need to get through ptsd without it leaving any "marks" on their records, that is what he tried to do......
i am not blaming the doctor, we all have families and all have our own emergencies, but, the hospital could have referred carl out to some other doctor.....that is why tricare(our insurance) has a whole network of civilian doctors.....carl was given no other options, just simply told that the doctor could not see him, and to schedule another appointment......
the army, realizing their error, is giving him a full military honors funeral and have decided to promote him to e5 posthumously(he was supposed to be getting promoted soon).......though this may be something that alot of people dont agree with,i do and i am glad that they arent taking it away from him.......he was a good soldier.....he fought for our country twice, gave it his all and came home messed up.....he couldnt help that......
carl and his wife were having a few problems and were in counseling.....he knew that he had a problem himself and went to seek help for it.....on thursday july 11th, he went to the medical professionals to get some help dealing with it......instead of being treated, he was sent away......the doctor had his own family emergency......carl shot himself the next day.......being that we are an army that is trying publicly to encourage our soldiers to seek the help they need to get through ptsd without it leaving any "marks" on their records, that is what he tried to do......
i am not blaming the doctor, we all have families and all have our own emergencies, but, the hospital could have referred carl out to some other doctor.....that is why tricare(our insurance) has a whole network of civilian doctors.....carl was given no other options, just simply told that the doctor could not see him, and to schedule another appointment......
the army, realizing their error, is giving him a full military honors funeral and have decided to promote him to e5 posthumously(he was supposed to be getting promoted soon).......though this may be something that alot of people dont agree with,i do and i am glad that they arent taking it away from him.......he was a good soldier.....he fought for our country twice, gave it his all and came home messed up.....he couldnt help that......
16 July 2008
lost in life....lost in death
grey skies fill my sunny day today.....this morning was supposed to be the beginning of a good thing, i started work today, but instead it has quickly turned into a very sad day for me....and my family......and the family of so many others......
we received news this morning that a very dear friend of ours has died......he was a good kid, i say kid cause i loved like a little brother, but he was a young man....he was a ball of energy and at times had a love for life so strong that it was contagious.....dont get me wrong, he had his issues and demons just like the rest of us.....the only difference is that he wasnt always able to stop them from controlling his life.....when they would take over, he would become a person that i did not know....he would be full of anger, hate and rage.......
he was raised to believe in certain things but in "growing up" he had began to leave some of that behind him and look to believing in God.....he wasnt all the way there yet, but he was working on it......he was lost somewhere in the middle of what he knew and where he knew he needed to be......
he was a very loved friend.....i feed him, was at his side through many loves and heartbreaks.....by his side while he found his true love.....he came to our house for an escape cause he knew it was always there......he was like family......the kids loved him and he loved them......
when they left for iraq, i made him promise me to take care of stephen, and he did.....the night before we left fayetteville, he hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head.....he told me thank you for always being there for him and for everything that i had done for him.....then he made me promise to take care of his "brother".....as we said our goodbyes, i PROMISED him that i would always be there for him and that i would stay in touch.......
right now i have this overwhelming feeling of pain and quilt.....maybe if i would have made better efforts to stay in touch, maybe just maybe this tragedy would not have had to happen.......i feel that i let him down and that i did not fulfill my promise to him......that is something that i will have to deal with for the rest of my life.....
he was also a loving and dedicated daddy....he fought for his son with everything that he had in him......was still in the fight up till the time he died......he leaves behind a loving wife of only a few short months and a baby that he didnt even know that he had......his wife/widow just found out that she is pregnant.....
it is a shame that he was taken before his time......he could have been great in this world once he finally got "all the way" there......i say that it was not his time because unfortunately, he took his own life on the 12th of july......my prayers now will be that his soul will be able to find some kind of peace outside of heaven.....i pray that his wife will be able to continue to be strong and raise their baby by herself and that she will one day be able to forgive him for leaving them sooooo early so that when their baby grows up, she can tell them all the good things that there were to know about their daddy.......i pray that as she is now solely responsible for the cost of his burial(suicide is not covered by the army)that she will be blessed and that God will make a way for her.....
today, i must say goodbye to a close friend, to a brother........Carl Benjamin Lennis McCoy, you will be deeply and truly missed.....today i promise you that i will do my absolute best to keep up with your family and make sure that they are ok for you........i will always love you kid
we received news this morning that a very dear friend of ours has died......he was a good kid, i say kid cause i loved like a little brother, but he was a young man....he was a ball of energy and at times had a love for life so strong that it was contagious.....dont get me wrong, he had his issues and demons just like the rest of us.....the only difference is that he wasnt always able to stop them from controlling his life.....when they would take over, he would become a person that i did not know....he would be full of anger, hate and rage.......
he was raised to believe in certain things but in "growing up" he had began to leave some of that behind him and look to believing in God.....he wasnt all the way there yet, but he was working on it......he was lost somewhere in the middle of what he knew and where he knew he needed to be......
he was a very loved friend.....i feed him, was at his side through many loves and heartbreaks.....by his side while he found his true love.....he came to our house for an escape cause he knew it was always there......he was like family......the kids loved him and he loved them......
when they left for iraq, i made him promise me to take care of stephen, and he did.....the night before we left fayetteville, he hugged me tight and kissed the top of my head.....he told me thank you for always being there for him and for everything that i had done for him.....then he made me promise to take care of his "brother".....as we said our goodbyes, i PROMISED him that i would always be there for him and that i would stay in touch.......
right now i have this overwhelming feeling of pain and quilt.....maybe if i would have made better efforts to stay in touch, maybe just maybe this tragedy would not have had to happen.......i feel that i let him down and that i did not fulfill my promise to him......that is something that i will have to deal with for the rest of my life.....
he was also a loving and dedicated daddy....he fought for his son with everything that he had in him......was still in the fight up till the time he died......he leaves behind a loving wife of only a few short months and a baby that he didnt even know that he had......his wife/widow just found out that she is pregnant.....
it is a shame that he was taken before his time......he could have been great in this world once he finally got "all the way" there......i say that it was not his time because unfortunately, he took his own life on the 12th of july......my prayers now will be that his soul will be able to find some kind of peace outside of heaven.....i pray that his wife will be able to continue to be strong and raise their baby by herself and that she will one day be able to forgive him for leaving them sooooo early so that when their baby grows up, she can tell them all the good things that there were to know about their daddy.......i pray that as she is now solely responsible for the cost of his burial(suicide is not covered by the army)that she will be blessed and that God will make a way for her.....
today, i must say goodbye to a close friend, to a brother........Carl Benjamin Lennis McCoy, you will be deeply and truly missed.....today i promise you that i will do my absolute best to keep up with your family and make sure that they are ok for you........i will always love you kid
14 July 2008
menu plan monday
ok, so i have never taken part in menu plan monday, but my best friend leah does and it seems like it might be fun, and also a way to share some really good recipes.....so here goes...
MONDAY: burgers, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob (all grilled, of course, its too hot to cook in the house!!!)
TUESDAY: chicken wraps on spinach tortillas
WEDNESDAY: grilled prosciutto and cheese on ciaccino bread (awesome italian bread) with a side of fresh fruit salad
THURSDAY: cheese raviolis with sauteed fresh veggies in a light sauce made from olive oil and fresh herbs(my one splurge at the commissary sometimes)and of course some garlic bread
FRIDAY: we have a tradition of having "friday night dinner"(goes all the way back to me growing up) and that will be the one night that we let the kids pick were we go out to eat at, so most likely it will be some kind of pasta
SATURDAY: grilled lemon chicken salad in efforts to use up all the rest of the fresh veggies before they all go bad
SUNDAY: smoked sausage and peppers kabobs with rice and grilled Green beans
BREAKFASTS: breakfasts are normally oatmeal or cereal, till the weekends(thats when stephen does his cooking) then we will have pancakes
LUNCHES: are light, normally sandwiches or leftovers if stephen doesnt take them all for his lunch
SNACKS: snacks in our house have and will always be things like crackers and cheese, animal cookies, fresh fruit, salt free pretzel sticks, sugar free pudding
13 July 2008
insomnia is back!!!!!
yes, unfortunately, insomnia is back for me tonight.....as i sit here and write this tonight at almost one in the morning, i am wondering why now????
it has been a REALLY long time since i have not been able to sleep.....and its not because i am stressed out or anything.....i have nothing on my mind......because, in fact, i have great news.....jeremiah has been cleared through efmp for his asthma and can now come to live with us.....so within the next few months he will be here, of course after we take that 12 hour trip back to get him and then the 12 hours back here.....so i have no stress......im super happy......i cant wait till he is here.....i have had his room waiting for him almost since we got here.....alex's too for that matter.....and i am sure that he is going to love it here.....our neighborhood is full of little kids his age that he can run and play with.....the only thing that he is not going like is that there is no karate here, but im sure that he will find something else to take part in....
i also have a great chance at getting a job soon....which that is a major task in its self here.....very few jobs as is, and none paying all that great....plus, once people get jobs here, they normally dont leave them till they pcs.....so when the px said they were hiring, i applied for all the positions that they had.....i have been called for one so far and am supposed to be getting a call from the store manager this week.....its not going to be a great paying job, but it will be something for me to do being that we do not have our own dentist that i could assist for!!!
the one and only thing that i can even think of that might(and that is a very tiny might)be keeping me from sleeping is that i do have to make the trip to germany to face david for the first time in over three years......im not really worried about it, because i believe that this is going to be a good trip.....the adoption paperwork will be getting signed and the girls will be taking stephens name soon.....david and i have been able to have decent conversations lately, so im not worried.....i guess that the only thing about this trip that is worrying me(and possibly hiding out in my subconscious) is what am i going to do or how am i going to feel if he really does want to see the kids and spend time with them......
and the kids are doing great.....boo just bought her own bike with her very own money.....we would have bought it for her but she told us, so matter of factly, that a bike cost alot of money and that she wanted to earn it herself.....so she did small jobs around the house and yard to earn 45 dollars......it only took her a little over a month to get it all.....she makes me sooo proud sometimes......
kee is still a little rotten monster......but she is doing good.....she is turning out to be a very good little helper(in her own ways).....everyday at lunch, she helps me get stuff from the frig and the cabinets.....she thinks that we have to have pb&j sandwiches everyday......she likes to help, or tries to help wash dishes.....that normally leads to having to mop the floor, but she tries.....and she loves to put away her clothes.....which is good being that she also loves to play dress up and will change her clothes about 100 times a day......her new favorite thing to tell everyone is that "i good helper" or "i do it all byyyyy myself"....
well, this was just supposed to be a short post to mention that i have started, or seem to have started the path back to insomnia, but it has turned into an update of the fam......we love and miss all of you......i will be emailing some new photos soon, so keep a look out......
love, peace and blessings to all!!
it has been a REALLY long time since i have not been able to sleep.....and its not because i am stressed out or anything.....i have nothing on my mind......because, in fact, i have great news.....jeremiah has been cleared through efmp for his asthma and can now come to live with us.....so within the next few months he will be here, of course after we take that 12 hour trip back to get him and then the 12 hours back here.....so i have no stress......im super happy......i cant wait till he is here.....i have had his room waiting for him almost since we got here.....alex's too for that matter.....and i am sure that he is going to love it here.....our neighborhood is full of little kids his age that he can run and play with.....the only thing that he is not going like is that there is no karate here, but im sure that he will find something else to take part in....
i also have a great chance at getting a job soon....which that is a major task in its self here.....very few jobs as is, and none paying all that great....plus, once people get jobs here, they normally dont leave them till they pcs.....so when the px said they were hiring, i applied for all the positions that they had.....i have been called for one so far and am supposed to be getting a call from the store manager this week.....its not going to be a great paying job, but it will be something for me to do being that we do not have our own dentist that i could assist for!!!
the one and only thing that i can even think of that might(and that is a very tiny might)be keeping me from sleeping is that i do have to make the trip to germany to face david for the first time in over three years......im not really worried about it, because i believe that this is going to be a good trip.....the adoption paperwork will be getting signed and the girls will be taking stephens name soon.....david and i have been able to have decent conversations lately, so im not worried.....i guess that the only thing about this trip that is worrying me(and possibly hiding out in my subconscious) is what am i going to do or how am i going to feel if he really does want to see the kids and spend time with them......
and the kids are doing great.....boo just bought her own bike with her very own money.....we would have bought it for her but she told us, so matter of factly, that a bike cost alot of money and that she wanted to earn it herself.....so she did small jobs around the house and yard to earn 45 dollars......it only took her a little over a month to get it all.....she makes me sooo proud sometimes......
kee is still a little rotten monster......but she is doing good.....she is turning out to be a very good little helper(in her own ways).....everyday at lunch, she helps me get stuff from the frig and the cabinets.....she thinks that we have to have pb&j sandwiches everyday......she likes to help, or tries to help wash dishes.....that normally leads to having to mop the floor, but she tries.....and she loves to put away her clothes.....which is good being that she also loves to play dress up and will change her clothes about 100 times a day......her new favorite thing to tell everyone is that "i good helper" or "i do it all byyyyy myself"....
well, this was just supposed to be a short post to mention that i have started, or seem to have started the path back to insomnia, but it has turned into an update of the fam......we love and miss all of you......i will be emailing some new photos soon, so keep a look out......
love, peace and blessings to all!!
10 July 2008
weirdness surrounds me
ok, seriously.....everything and everyone around me today has been acting completely nuts, including the kids, which says alot in its self cause they are nuts all the time......
it started with weird dreams last of baby boys and what i am calling the david monster....i mean in this dream i was/had a little boy--shocker there, everyone knows that all i had was girls till i got re-married.....and then somehow david came into the dream all nice and normal, but started morphing into this funky demonic like man that ATE, i repeat, ate my son......what was that all about?????
then weirdness with the kids throughout the day like the apple pie leftovers being eaten and thrown in the trash before anyone was awake(kee did it, though she said she didnt) mixed with weird phone calls that i really didnt need/want to have, but that all ended well....
weird little odd ball fees on my bank account that dont even equal a dollar for some kind of international fee, we live in italy for the love of God, alot of transactions are international(most ask the bank tomorrow)!!!!!!!
very weird dinner conversations, not the normal "how was your day" stuff but rather a very slow motioned version....weird crap on the t.v, this cartoon had a jellyfish looking thing growing out of his head and it wasnt sponge bob!!!.......
weirdness with the t.v. itself such as, if i take the t.v. from the living room to any one of the other rooms in the house, the channels are all different, if they come in at all.....
i am hoping that tomorrow brings about some kind of a normal day, otherwise i might just pull my hair out!!
it started with weird dreams last of baby boys and what i am calling the david monster....i mean in this dream i was/had a little boy--shocker there, everyone knows that all i had was girls till i got re-married.....and then somehow david came into the dream all nice and normal, but started morphing into this funky demonic like man that ATE, i repeat, ate my son......what was that all about?????
then weirdness with the kids throughout the day like the apple pie leftovers being eaten and thrown in the trash before anyone was awake(kee did it, though she said she didnt) mixed with weird phone calls that i really didnt need/want to have, but that all ended well....
weird little odd ball fees on my bank account that dont even equal a dollar for some kind of international fee, we live in italy for the love of God, alot of transactions are international(most ask the bank tomorrow)!!!!!!!
very weird dinner conversations, not the normal "how was your day" stuff but rather a very slow motioned version....weird crap on the t.v, this cartoon had a jellyfish looking thing growing out of his head and it wasnt sponge bob!!!.......
weirdness with the t.v. itself such as, if i take the t.v. from the living room to any one of the other rooms in the house, the channels are all different, if they come in at all.....
i am hoping that tomorrow brings about some kind of a normal day, otherwise i might just pull my hair out!!
09 July 2008
20 dollar car
yes, that right i did say a 20 dollar car......when we first got here, a captain in stephen's unit had three cars and was trying to get rid of one of them.....he was trying desperately to give it away for free, but because it needed a new windshield nobody would take it......until of course, we came a long......for 20 bucks we bought what i think was once a very nice and shiny blue 1988 honda civic.....it is currently a dull grayish color......that 20 year old car had no radio, the heat barely worked(good thing it is summer), the air stoped working probably 10 years ago, the back passenger side door would get stuck and you would have to bump it to make it open......the power windows still worked, at their own pace, of course and screamed out this painful whinny noise in the process......the seat covers are so thin at this point that it doesnt take much to tear them......the power mirrors need alittle bit of help to get into place and the rearview mirror will never stay where you put it.....but it had over 300,000 miles on it and mechanically it was still fighting the good fight......everyone likes to laugh at our 20 dollar car and joking says that they are going to call X from mtv to Pimp My Ride, especially when they see me at the commissary and i have to use a prop stick to keep the trunk open.......we have been driving it since april now and unfortunately,we now must get rid of it......yesterday, everything electrical went out.....no brake lightss, no turn signals, dashboard readings, even the headlights dont come on anymore........stephen said that it is not worth the cost to repair the electrical stuff so we have found it a new home in a junk yard.....it is sad, but i have to admit that i am going to miss the 20 dollar hooptie, and so today i say goodbye.....
p.s. you have to admit though, that hondas really are built to last, being that everything under the hood still ran perfect.....the poor car just couldnt hold up any longer!!!
p.s. you have to admit though, that hondas really are built to last, being that everything under the hood still ran perfect.....the poor car just couldnt hold up any longer!!!
06 July 2008
how we spent the fourth!
ok, so what makes the fourth the fourth???
backyard cookouts
family
friends
cakes and goodies
kids laughing
games being played
fireworks
apple pie
fun
we learned that it doesnt take all that to celebrate the fourth.....not cause we didnt want to have all that, in fact, we had planned on attending a huge 4th of july beach blowout that would end with fireworks......the only thing that would have been missing was the family......but come to find out the fireworks were cancelled.....at first i felt like it wasnt even worth going for because there was going to be no fireworks, but after a conversation with elizabeth, i changed my mind.....
she thought, at first, that the fourth was just a day that the army got off work.....poor kid didnt realize that it was the birthday of our country.....and i guess as her mama thats my fault because it never dawned on me that she didnt know, it was the biggest birthday party of the year......so, anyways, we explained it to her and decided that we would go out to the beach for the rest of the day to hang out and say happy birthday USA!!!
keegan stops playing longing enough for a quick pic
no time to look at you mammy, im having too much fun
elizabeth takes a break from sand digging
back to digging and playing
sunset over the american beach in tirrenia
backyard cookouts
family
friends
cakes and goodies
kids laughing
games being played
fireworks
apple pie
fun
we learned that it doesnt take all that to celebrate the fourth.....not cause we didnt want to have all that, in fact, we had planned on attending a huge 4th of july beach blowout that would end with fireworks......the only thing that would have been missing was the family......but come to find out the fireworks were cancelled.....at first i felt like it wasnt even worth going for because there was going to be no fireworks, but after a conversation with elizabeth, i changed my mind.....
she thought, at first, that the fourth was just a day that the army got off work.....poor kid didnt realize that it was the birthday of our country.....and i guess as her mama thats my fault because it never dawned on me that she didnt know, it was the biggest birthday party of the year......so, anyways, we explained it to her and decided that we would go out to the beach for the rest of the day to hang out and say happy birthday USA!!!
keegan stops playing longing enough for a quick pic
no time to look at you mammy, im having too much fun
elizabeth takes a break from sand digging
back to digging and playing
sunset over the american beach in tirrenia
04 July 2008
happy of july!!!!
4th of July Graphic Comments
happy birthday usa!!!
everyone else, i hopw that you have a great, wonderful, and safe fourth of july......i am not real sure what we are doing today.....this will be our first holiday away from family and friends.....so i will post tomorrow with all the details of what/how we spent the fourth.......in the meantime, i hope you all enjoy yours.....love, peace, and blessings!!
29 June 2008
"it really does lean"
ok, so i know that i said i would post more once my computer was all setup and that i would have new pics for everyone to see, but, dude.....i have been way busy.......jennifer, trellis, and elienai, my sister, niece and nephew came to visit and we have been busy....but i thought i would take a few mins to share a funny story with you....>
so here is a brief history of the tower:
The Tower of Pisa is the bell tower of the Cathedral. Its construction began in the august of 1173 and continued (with two long interruptions) for about two hundred years, in full fidelity to the original project, whose architect is still uncertain.
In the past it was widely believed that the inclination of the Tower was part of the project ever since its beginning, but now we know that it is not so. The Tower was designed to be "vertical" (and even if it did not lean it would still be one of the most remarkable bell towers in Europe), and started to incline during its construction.
Both because of its inclination, and its beauty, from 1173 up to the present the Tower has been the object of very special attention. During its construction efforts were made to halt the incipient inclination through the use of special construction devices; later columns and other damaged parts were substituted in more than one occasion; today, interventions are being carried out within the sub-soil in order to significantly reduce the inclination and to make sure that Tower will have a long life.
In all this story it is possible to find a meaningful constant, the "genetic code" of the Tower: its continual interaction with the soil on which it was built. Today's (1999) works for the safeguard and the conservation of the Tower with very advanced methodologies are designed to fully respect this constant.
hope you all enjoyed my short story for today.....i will be posting again soon....love, peace and blessings to everyone
jennifer, love her dearly, but she's a nut job too, wanted to see the leaning tower......she said that if she went to the tower, florence and had some gelato while she was here she would be happy......i explained to her that she would be seeing the tower on the drive to our house and everyday there after as went to post.......she took a ton of pics from the road.....i asked if she thought that i wasnt going to actually take her down there........her reply, " no, but i want to capture every part of this trip".......ok, i understand that so i let it go.......
within the next few days, i took her down to the tower.....we park the car, get out and start to walk toward the tower.....her excitement begins to build.....as we get closer, she can see the top of the other two buildings, but not the tower quit yet because there is a huge brick wall built all the way around it..........so as we turn the corner and enter into the wall, actually in the plaza now, her excitement over comes her as she smacks my arm repeatedly and pointing aimlessly........after a few gasps, she manages to say, "wow, it really does lean".........
so here is a brief history of the tower:
The Tower of Pisa is the bell tower of the Cathedral. Its construction began in the august of 1173 and continued (with two long interruptions) for about two hundred years, in full fidelity to the original project, whose architect is still uncertain.
In the past it was widely believed that the inclination of the Tower was part of the project ever since its beginning, but now we know that it is not so. The Tower was designed to be "vertical" (and even if it did not lean it would still be one of the most remarkable bell towers in Europe), and started to incline during its construction.
Both because of its inclination, and its beauty, from 1173 up to the present the Tower has been the object of very special attention. During its construction efforts were made to halt the incipient inclination through the use of special construction devices; later columns and other damaged parts were substituted in more than one occasion; today, interventions are being carried out within the sub-soil in order to significantly reduce the inclination and to make sure that Tower will have a long life.
In all this story it is possible to find a meaningful constant, the "genetic code" of the Tower: its continual interaction with the soil on which it was built. Today's (1999) works for the safeguard and the conservation of the Tower with very advanced methodologies are designed to fully respect this constant.
hope you all enjoyed my short story for today.....i will be posting again soon....love, peace and blessings to everyone
16 June 2008
meme time
I was tagged by my IRL friend leah to participate in this meme! Here are the rules:
1. Link your tagger and list the rules on the blog.
2. Share 7 facts about your kiddos on your blog…random, weird, funny…whatever you want!
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post
4. Don’t forget to let the tagged people know!
seven things about my kids....wow....where to start....
1. keegan, my crazy, attitude filled three year old who once was potty trained for a long time, has now decided to stop using the potty and pees on herself all the time.....dont know how to make this stop.....have been told it is because of the move to itlay, but we have been here for about three months now, shouldnt be time for her to start using the potty again....
2. boo, who used to think that she was supossed to be a boy, has now decided to be a "girl" and has joined the girl scouts.....
3. boo learned to ride a bike and didnt even crash once in the process...way to go girl...
4. kee loves to swim, with or without her swimmies, she is in the water.....without she kinda sinks though which you would think would stop her from jumping in without them....
5. alex starts her highschool/college fast track program on the 6th of aug.....not much of a summer break there....
6. jeremiah, is ten and wants a summer job so he can go to the pool everyday.......
7. all of my kids are crazy and their favorite new thing to say to each other is to call themselves "nut jobs"....
well i dont know anyone in the blogging world except for leah....hoping to change that soon......so i cant really tag anyone else.......if anyone comes across me in their search, i hope you enjoy my little tid bits on my kids and join the fun!!!
1. Link your tagger and list the rules on the blog.
2. Share 7 facts about your kiddos on your blog…random, weird, funny…whatever you want!
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post
4. Don’t forget to let the tagged people know!
seven things about my kids....wow....where to start....
1. keegan, my crazy, attitude filled three year old who once was potty trained for a long time, has now decided to stop using the potty and pees on herself all the time.....dont know how to make this stop.....have been told it is because of the move to itlay, but we have been here for about three months now, shouldnt be time for her to start using the potty again....
2. boo, who used to think that she was supossed to be a boy, has now decided to be a "girl" and has joined the girl scouts.....
3. boo learned to ride a bike and didnt even crash once in the process...way to go girl...
4. kee loves to swim, with or without her swimmies, she is in the water.....without she kinda sinks though which you would think would stop her from jumping in without them....
5. alex starts her highschool/college fast track program on the 6th of aug.....not much of a summer break there....
6. jeremiah, is ten and wants a summer job so he can go to the pool everyday.......
7. all of my kids are crazy and their favorite new thing to say to each other is to call themselves "nut jobs"....
well i dont know anyone in the blogging world except for leah....hoping to change that soon......so i cant really tag anyone else.......if anyone comes across me in their search, i hope you enjoy my little tid bits on my kids and join the fun!!!
12 June 2008
hello hello hello
hey everyone, or leah (being that she is really the only one that reads this)....we FINALLY have the computer and phone hooked up.....let me just say that it was very interesting and probably very funny to watch, as it took four hours to set this crap up......picture it.....me, the computer, the italian modem, phone stuff, two screaming kids, a major headache, and an italian to english dictionary......all in the middle of the floor.....simplicity....it is sooooooo much something that i seriously miss from being back home in the good ole USA......
anyways, i am up and running now.....i will hopefully be adding some new pics of the house, the kids and some of the places we have been in a few days.....
we love and miss everyone very much......
leah, i hope you got my message and that you had a good b-day......oh and by the way, according to my kids we only have one more year before we are considered old......thought that you might get a kick out of that one too......
anyways, i am up and running now.....i will hopefully be adding some new pics of the house, the kids and some of the places we have been in a few days.....
we love and miss everyone very much......
leah, i hope you got my message and that you had a good b-day......oh and by the way, according to my kids we only have one more year before we are considered old......thought that you might get a kick out of that one too......
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