Stacia has a new Mommy.....

We enjoyed the volunteer dinner. We realized that our youngest to Zander (6) and Stacia (2) have never been to a babysitter. Poor Doug and Deja. When we arrived Stacia was calling Deja Mommy. At bed time she looked at me and said, "That lady is not my mommy. You are my mommy." ::snort:: I assured her I was still her mommy.

Deja, Zander is convinced that you have better milk than I do. ::snort::

Mike is back out at the trailer. He thinks he'll be ready to take another test on Thursday. I pray so.

Fatal Deduction Giveaway Winner

Theresa has won a copy of Fatal Deduction. I don't have any new books waiting to be reviewed...how strange...

For those who are local and entered....I do have a copy I can loan out and then post on Paperback Swap. LOL

I'm really hoping for some more offers to review books. I've loved the chance to meet new authors and I have MORE time to read in the summer. LOL

Lazy Saturday

Since we had visitors last night all my Saturday chores are done. ::snort:: We may need to do this more often - though Friday is our "family night". Josiah is having to work so many Friday nights that maybe we should rethink a "family night" night....I also worry that people won't like our food....and that my home is too small to add extra people to - but we always manage.

Josiah went to work sometime this a.m. - not sure when.

I took Jared to a big CAP shindig. I'm not sure what it is but it involves hiking, water, saftey gear, water guns, BBQ.... He'll go home with a friend and then to a football game tonight.

I ran by the Arts & Hobby shop to pick up some "mementos" for tonight's chapel volunteer appreciation dinner. While there I noticed a GINORMOUS printer! HUGE. I asked "can that do 12 x 12 prints? ::snort:: It appears it can but he isn't sure they WILL. I am going to call on Monday and try to pitch the idea that they could print out digital layouts for scrappers. I'm also going to begin to see if *I* can BUY matte photo paper that size for them to print out.... Sherri had contacted a local scrapbook store and they are about to put a machne in....Unique Scrapbooking or something like that for any locals. I contacted Scrapbook University and the one who would know wasn't in. Just maybe there are some local options for printing digital lay outs.....Smile box has a new Father's Day design out..."My Hero" I plan to put Mike's photos from Kuwait on those pages.....but.....I should do something else today. I'm still so thankful Cindy mentioned the Teacher's Toolbox to me - yes - a free year to play with this.

I went to the commissary and priced some things I'm looking at from United...and bought milk, grapes, potatoes, onions and artichokes.

I've been looking at the tutorial for CM's Storybook software. I thought it was just for making books. I'm really thinking that it may be the software for me to get....my friends Sherri and Mary have both talked to me about it. Mary has it and loves it. She sent me a link for a kitty book she put together and I pounced on her to ask the "do you LIKE this program" questions. ::snort:: I really don't think I want my main photos to be in "books" - I like albums....but this software looks great. I think there are pre-made templates, but you can also move text blocks around, use your own fonts etc. It looks fairly easy to use to learn. I think. I'm still watching the tutorials. I need to contemplate cost and then budget.....ah the double whammy.

We have a couple of hours until Mike comes in from the trailer park. We have a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner tonight. Deja graciously agreed to watch the younger 4 children so that they don't have to sit through the dinner. The older boys are working and Jared will be at a football game. I'd forgotten to put the game on my calendar. Oops.

I think I'll go try to make some yogurt pretzels before we go tonight. And work on my United order some more....

Trust all are enjoying their weekends. Mine is incredibly QUIET. LOL

THIS is the most memorable moment of my day. I'm not sure I got the tank FULL - they shut it off when I reached this amount. ::snort::

TGIF

We had produce co-op today.

We had company over for dinner. I think I thawed about twice the steaks we needed and after THAT experience decided that I may want to be vegetarian afterall. We had the Worship Team over from chapel contemporary service. What fun.

Mike came home for dinner and is back out in his cave studying for, are you ready? I think I have it ::drum roll:: Air Command Staff College.

If you don't live my life you would not begin to understand why I'm up at 2 a.m.

I'm not sure what else we did today. We were busy.....but once again I can't remember what kept us so busy.

Some Pool Shots from the Day....

I finished 3 pages for the scrapbook from yesterday and today - all pool shots. ::snort::

The first page talks about Stacia's experience at the end of last swimming season. I share how yesterday she was very timid in the pool. Today she was still timid but would paddle around the pool, as long as someone was nearby.


Page 2

Page 3 - has 9 photos....they don't show real big on the screen. I keep wondering if they'll be bigger on a 12x12 page. I really need to print some of these pages out. I do have two more local leads for printing....anyway.....here are a few of my favorite photos from the third page:

I'm so thankful for Mike's allowing me to stay home and have time to PLAY with the children while they are young. It truly is a precious time of their life...and I cringe when I think of how I wished it away as a much younger mom. ::sigh:: I play more these days.

Nolan and Zander with their new swim noodles....

It didn't take long for them to discover that you can shoot water at each other with them....I made them shoot out the back for the photo.

A man has his priorities!


Now, I must decide if I want to read or do a couple of traditional naked album pages....hmmm....tough call....not sure.....I do have to get up early and make it to the gym before produce......hmmm.....

Surprise!

My routine got thrown off today in a rather delightful way. I knew that Central Region of PWOC was having Leadership Weekend in July. This is an event for all the "exec board" positions - a retreat/workshop/seminar if you will. I knew that as a President/Financial/Spirital Life chair I was welcome to attend. I have never attended one, but I have no new baby this year, I'm not pregant, Mike's not deployed and can stay home with the children...it seemed like a good year to go ahead and do some of these PWOC things. I decided to attend when I heard of it.
A few months back, I volunteered to help get info for local installations on to the national website. I did not realize (because I was not paying close attention?) that this was a board position. I thought I was simply "helping out". At Traveling Training, I was told that I could attend Fall Focus and the region would pay. What a thoughtful region - then I asked why and discovered I was on the board.

STILL I didn't make the connection and began to budget a trip to Leadership Weekend in July. Today I got a call from a new phone/internet friend, who will become a real life friend in July, asking if we could arrange our flights so that we could meet in Dallas and fly the rest of the way together. Imagine my surprise when I found out the region will buy my air ticket to ::drum roll:: Kansas City, MO. It will be a full weekend. I'm excited.

THEN Mike has a sort of strange schedule going the next few days. He was given today and tomorrow off (except he has chapel things to do both days) to go off in the trailer and continue to study for ACSC (I honestly don't know what this means as I shared previously - Air College - Staff College maybe?). He also has the weekend to study - but has a dinner on Saturday night and service on Sunday. Then he'll work Monday and go out again Tues and Wed to study. I hope it works. The kids were excited to see the trailer and not so excited to see that Dad was going off alone again. ::snort::

Another out-of-the-ordinary-routine event today involved two - well - delightful women, Rosie and Hollie. They came over to the house and I showed them how to compile their United orders. I am enjoying the opportunity to visit with others through co-op "stuff".

Doug (Deja's husband) dropped by. Since he and Mike were both here, and since DEJA started this whole pool thing ::snort::, the men went out and inspected our leaning pool. The general consensus is we'll keep enjoying it and see what happens.

This photo is solely for the purpose of showing Doug and Deja that "WE have astro turf!" ::snort::

This is my latest attempt to deal with the muddy back yard we have....I considered sand, Mike suggested astro turf...much nicer than mud.

THIS photo is to illustrate when I say we have a small yard and that this bigger-than-expected pool takes up our whole yard....

it does. This is the edge of our patio....the near fence is our back fence. ::snort::

Now, I'm going to do a quick couple of scrapbook pages from the past two days. Since the older boys are at work, Jared is at CAP, the youngers are in bed, Mike isn't home tonight.....I think I'll pull out the traditional scrapbooks and work on those naked albums a bit more.

PRECIOUS MOMENTS


Every morning, Stacia, runs out and finds me and says, "Good Morning Mommy, I'm AWAKE!" I strive to face each day with HER zeal for the day.

This a.m. she told me, "Arielle keeps breathing at me like this .." {snoring}. ::snort::