2010....

It's the last day of the year....and what a year it was!

I finished up my BSN... and even managed to graduate with Honors! This took up the majority of the first 6 months of the year!

After a year of going back and forth to the doctor's and multiple ER visits, we finally discovered it was a kidney stone that was causing Russell to have pain. He was successfully treated with lithotripsy and hasn't has a problem since.

Mark received PCS orders to Florida. We were hoping to get Hawaii but unfortunately the "powers that be" wouldn't go for it and cut those orders...lol!

The doctors tell me I have Fibromyalgia...eh...whatever....

I successfully managed to gain all the weight back that I lost....(have to give it a positive spin or I'll cry!)

Sebastian managed to stay approximately the same size over the last year and a half....at least I didn't have to spend a bunch of money on new clothes for him!

I decided to give direct sales a try to help supplement our income. It's been a little slow going. Not sure if that's proof that I'm not a good sales person or just evidence of the slow economy....

We had to put my cat down.

Mark moved to Florida while I stayed behind with the kids waiting on the house to sell.

We had plenty of ups and a lot of downs. We managed to get through them without too many tears. Hopefully this upcoming year will bring lots of smiles and more ups than downs!

Beyond reach.....

Watching.....

Waiting...........

The unattainable......

Christmas is over...so, now what????

All the presents have been opened and the kids have tried out all their new toys. We took down the christmas tree and packed away all the decorations. So, now what?

This week we still have Eric's birthday to celebrate. And then it's time to usher in the new year.

As we say goodbye to 2010 and welcome to 2011, I've been trying to take some time to reflect over the past year and look forward into the next.

This year hasn't been easy on us. As I look back over it, I hope to learn from my mistakes and gain strength from the disappointments. I will treasure the good memories and hope for many more to come.

 I will not make any New Years resolutions for the upcoming year. After the first month they seem to get pushed to the wayside and then I usually feel guilty for not succeeding. As I plan for all the changes that will be coming in the next year, I will make the effort to keep my heart open to new experiences and people. I will try to see the lesson in everything I encounter and embrace the beauty that surrounds me. I know I need to be patient and good things will happen.

Gingerbread house....well, kind of.....

With Christmas right around the corner I thought it would be fun to do some different crafts with the kids to get us in the spirit of the season.

First up was making a gift for daddy. I will write about that in a future post because I know my husband will probably read this and I don't want to give away the kid's surprise!

Second was a gingerbread house. All my boys wanted to help with this so we waited for a day when Russell didn't have to work and everyone would be home.  I decided it would be best not to try baking my own so I bought a pre-fab house!

I pulled out the instructions and got the icing mixed up. According to the instructions when assembling the house you need to join the walls together with icing and wait and hour for it to set. Then you attach the roof and wait an additional 2-3 hours before decorating!

Well, let me tell you, this is not what happened in my house. We (but if you ask my kids they will say it was all me) were eager to get the decorating going. So we decided it wasn't really necessary to wait the full time for the sides and roof to set.


With Russell's help, I joined the sides together first. After waiting what seemed an eternity...maybe 15 minutes....I set the roof on. So far, so good.

Then we waited some more.

But we got a little too eager and decided to try and start the decorating...

I guess there is a very good reason why the instructions state to wait 2-3 hours. Unfortunately, since we didn't, our house came tumbling down! 

Trying to make the best out of the situation, we all took a side of the house and decorated it.

Even though we didn't get our gingerbread house, we had a lot of fun and we all got our own giant gingerbread cookie!

We still have another Christmas craft to get done. I think with this one,  I'll  we'll need to be a bit more patient with the process!!!!!

An exceptionally down day...

I've been trying to remain cheery and optimistic. I should be happy. Mark will be home in a few days, Christmas is next week, and Eric's birthday is a few days after that. Lots of fun and exciting things to plan for. Unfortunately, I think the stress of the situation is catching up with me.

I want my family back together. I'm ready for this to be done. I miss my husband. The kids miss their dad. The financial burden of our situation is also starting to weigh heavily on my mind. I feel like I have no one to rely on, to turn to.

I really wish we could just walk away from the house. That is not an option. Doing so could impact Mark's job and that is not something we can do.

I hate complaining about it. I don't want to bother people with my problems. But sometimes it gets to be too much to keep all inside.

I can't wait for this to be over.

Snow!!!!

Snow is falling

 Snow is falling 

    From the sky above 

    Snow is falling 

Put on scarf and glove

Snow is falling 

Go look outside

Snow is falling

The old landscape it hide

Snow is falling

What a beautiful sight

Snow is falling

It sparkles in the light

Snow is falling

Soft cotton wool flakes

Snow is falling

A white blanket it makes

Snow is falling 

Short flowers disappear

Snow is falling

The cold is here

Snow is falling

Its time to play

Snow is falling

Lets make snowmen today :) 

                                           Micron

Naptime

It's about 2:25 in the afternoon. Sebastian is ready for a nap. I lay down with him in my bed. He cuddles up into me and happily nurses himself into a slumber. Noodle, our cocker spaniel, and Spidey, our cat, are also curled up on my bed asleep. Dottie, our other dog, is asleep in Eric's bed which is right beside ours. The house is quiet....for a few more minutes anyway. All I hear is Noodle snoring quietly in his sleep. Ahhhhh!

Our Anniversary

Today is our anniversary. We've been married for 6 wonderful years. There have been lots of ups and downs but it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change it for the world.

I wish we could celebrate today together but since that is not possible, you will be in my thoughts as always!

I love you so much!

First snowfall of the season

Today, we had the first bit of snow of the season. It wasn't much, just barely a dusting but it seemed fitting that it was on the first day of December. Kind of like Mother Nature's way of saying Thanksgiving is over, time to get ready for Christmas.

Even though I am not a big fan of snow and the cold, it kind of helped me get a little bit more into the holiday spirit. I usually love christmas time and getting ready for the holiday, but this year, I'm just not really into it. I think it's because Mark is in Florida and we're here. The stress of that situation is taking it's toll on my mood.

The christmas tree is up, I've started my shopping, and the christmas cards are almost ready to be sent out but I'm just not excited for it all. I still have things to get done and I need to get motivated to do it. It's just no fun without Mark.

I'm trying to keep in mind that it's for the kids and that I need to make it fun for them, but it isn't easy when you just don't "feel" it.

Today, with the cold and the snow, it helped to make things feel more like the christmas season. I'm still not quite ready for christmas, but I'm sure as the time gets closer, I'll get more excited for it. One day at a time.