Terrific Tuesday

We got a lot done. We are exhausted (all except Stacia that is). Michael worked.... Josiah worked. I worked out - but I seem to be allergic to Michael, I gain 10 lbs every time he returns home from a deployment.

Jamin and I created a lesson planner that will work for him. Jared fine tuned the lesson planner he created last week. He's down to 10 credits but I think we need to eliminate a few more things. It's TOUGH because for instance he has 3 writing credits - but that's his passion! It's also the place we could cut as he already had 7 English credits at the end of his Sophomore year. LOL

The younger ones and I continued to read our Egyptian books. We talked about finally making a salt map - it has to happen ONE of these years......

We got a lot of packages today. Email was down so I couldn't email anyone to let them know...maybe tomorrow. Two more came after this....
The Turbo Three and I sneaked out after lunch to buy school supplies while Stacia napped.

Tonight was our first Bible Study of the season. We'll be studying friendship for the next 6 weeks. I think it's safe to say that "ready or not" the race is back on. ::snort::

Maybe tomorrow?

Marvelous Monday

I KNOW it's Tuesday - but there you have it. LOL

Debbie and the boys came over to celebrate Labor Day with us yesterday. A hem - I came up with yet another creative, easy, hospitality idea. I made a salad. Debbie and I ran to the deli and picked up chicken, salads, rolls, french bread, and desserts. ::snort::

If that weren't bad enough I roped her into helping me make two slides to be used on base and in our contemporary service advertising women's ministry (PWOC). I also had her help me find the "official" word on "See Ya at the Flagpole".

The older boys played games.....Scottie and Cy were the last ones standing....

Jared and Mikey played Mill Bournes with the younger three - so nice of them to do that.
Later, Mike kept the Turbo Three occupied while the boys played Monopoly...

And I trimmed Stacia's bangs, while Debbie captured it on film. The only thing missing was STEVE - but he's close in our thoughts, hearts, and prayers.

Reading and Freezer Challenges

I'm a bit behind schedule but promise to draw winners for the gift certificates for both the reading and freezer challenges by this weekend.

The entries for the Reading challenge are closed.

If you've participated in the Freezer challenge and not left a comment; click here and let me know you participated. If you still want to participate - that's fine with me.

Winners will be randomly drawn by the first volunteer that walks by when I have a spare moment.

TWO YEARS

It's been two years since I began blogging. The very first post I wrote was on Labor Day. I was on bed rest after having had Stacia. I posted Stacia's birth story and photos that day. To see a very blimpish pregnant me - click on the birth story link. ::snort::

Our blog started as a way for our daughters to continue experiencing every day life with us as they left home. It has been a surprise how many others drop in to see a daily slice of chaos. ::snort::

I should say something profound - but it's been a long day. We didn't sleep well last night...thinking of Stacia's swimming escapade. Two years.....everyone but Michael and I have aged, Michael has deployed (and loved the blog), the girls have left home, Josiah has graduated, I lost 30 lbs and gained 10 of it back, I've gotten pregnant and miscarried, we've finished two years of school...I'm glad to be able to look back and see where we have been. God has been faithful - so very faithful.

Technical Question

Does anyone know how I could keep the post of Destinee at the top of my blog - without having to change the post options every day to do so?

Praise God

We are praising God tonight! Our evening could have been so different. After second service, we decided to go the Rec pool for one last fling before the season ends.

They were out of children's life vests. We got in and commenced playing. At one point I took Stacia and decided we'd go see if we could make one of the bigger life vests work. I reached up to grab the vest, turned around, and she was gone. The life guards that were not in the tower were dealing with a little one who had picked up a mesquite thorn. I said, "Where's my baby?" when I couldn't find her.

I scanned the pool deck and she wasn't there. I noticed Mike swimming rather purposefully and FAST from the deep end. I continued to look for Stacia. Mike came up for breath and yelled, "grab the baby," and went back down. He kept this up from the deep end to the shallow end. I ran for the pool. One of the young men (a lifeguard) ran for the pool. Stacia was under water. We both jumped in. The lifeguard reached her a second before I did. She was spurting water and shaken. After he determined she was o.k. the lifeguard collapsed on the side of the pool. He said, "I'll just lay her a minute if that's o.k." It was his first save. I was very thankful and proud of him.

God was so gracious. Mike is the human hero of this story - and the lifeguard. IF Mike hadn't seen Stacia slip into the pool, he wouldn't have raised the alarm and the guard and I would have taken longer to find her. She had been treading water the whole time - but her head was under water.

There were some frustrating things about this - when the shock eased up. The lifeguard in the tower SAT THERE AND WATCHED THE WHOLE THING! She watched Mike swim across the pool, yelling to grab the baby at each breath, she watched the lifeguard and I run for the pool and jump in....she watched.

There were SEVERAL adults an arm's length away from Stacia - they all watched too. I even heard one lady say "Look at that baby treading water," and not one of them moved to help - even with Mike and I yelling "grab the baby" and the lifeguard and I sprinting across the deck.

I pray that if I'm ever in a similar situation where a child needs help, that I will think quicker on my feet. One of them DID give me a child's sized life vest to wear (see photo above).

Here are a couple more photos of our last day of the season at the pool...it WILL be open tomorrow, but my family seriously seems to be phobic of big crowds.

I Like Daddy


Last Sunday when Michael got up in the service, Stacia began to say, "I Like Daddy". She says this with a variety of intonations. She says this with glee....loud and soft. All week she's been telling us, "I LIKE Daddy". Today in church she began again. Cute, huh?


What makes it really special is that she didn't know Daddy when he got home from his deployment. It's taken 5 months, but she has decided that she LIKES Daddy. I told Mike it would come - and now she runs to meet him when he comes home, cries if she can't go with him, and declares to all that SHE LIKES DADDY! It's a turning point for our family. I think it means the deployment is over. ::snort::


She's been running around all night saying, "I like Daddy, Jamin do you like Daddy".....She is asking this question of the older three boys - the big guys in her life until "Daddy" came home. It's late and I realized I could capture it on video - so she isn't fresh but this is her little voice. And of course, when the camera starts, Zander starts....and this was the 5th try so you hear us telling Alex to hush. ::blush:: but WE LIKE DADDY!