Now That's An Idea....

So, last night we really looked into Zachary's fish tank and realized that his goldfish have some how over night grew to proportions that makes me wonder what Zachary is feeding them. They have completely outgrown the 20 gallon tank they are in. Rick suggested I cruise Craigslist to see if anyone was selling a larger tank.

So, this afternoon I cruised through the different headings looking for either a free or reasonable fish tank. When I stumbled across coin operated washing machines and dryers.....those of you who know me, also know that the first thing that crossed my mind was that I should buy them and install them in the garage for the kids to use.

Think of the benefits....they would have to budget and schedule accordingly.....paying their own way. I would love nothing more for them to realize the value of the Almighty dollar.....they have no concept of money. I spent close to $600 on groceries this past weekend and they still want to go to McDonald's on the way home.....how about you have a McPeanut Butter Sandwich...would you like some milk with that?

And let me give you my opinion on public school...which I thought was suppose to be FREE......I have written more checks to the public schools for this and that in the last couple of weeks than I did when they were in private school....dang you even have to pay to ride the school bus here.
We pay lab fees, lunch fees,picture fees, football uniform fees....and I pay $6 a piece for us to get into the football games to watch my money run up and down the field getting jumped on. At Brittany's alma mater....they are so broke the athletes have to pay to get into their own game....that is crazy. The sad thing is that the athletic departments in schools in Hawaii are fighting to keep their programs alive for the kids.

So.....that brings me back to the coin operated washing machines and dryers...maybe I could open it up to the public and use the funds to help the local high schools pay for sports.....

Time Flies

Well.... as you can see I have been neglient in posting once again. I don't know where all my time goes.....

Things around here have been interesting......

Rick started shore duty at the beginning of August....after a few Griswold moments:

First because he was waiting for orders before he re-enlisted they almost didn't let him re-enlist. Yes, that's right if PSD had their way he would be a civilian as I type. But thankfully, the Captain, XO, and the detailer put their foots on some rear ends and he was able to re-enlist on July 28th.....his contract expired on August 1...talk about cutting it close.

Since he waited so long to re-enlist our ID's were due to expire...in two days. So I took the whole day off to get our ID's and new stickers for the truck. The kids and I head down to the PSD nice and early in the morning for our appointments. When we arrive we are told that the Deers system is down world wide. I tried to explain to the nice boy sitting behind the counter that, that would not do at all because our ID's expired THAT day.

Now, let me interject here....I have had my ID for 20 years...I have spent more time with that card than I have my husband in our 20 year marriage...it lets me buy food, gas, whatever I need at a reasonable price. It is my ticket to the doctors, to get on base.....what am I going to do with out my ID.?!?!?!?!?!

I called Rick on the boat and his solution was...for him to come down there....dude they don't give a rip what your rank is they cannot make the system work based on that...it is a WORLD WIDE problem!!!!

So, at church a friend of ours told me to come to the Army office and Monday and he would do it without an appointment....which he did. I walked in and there were 20 people waiting...he told all them that I was important and he had to take care of me immediately...coolness!

So, Rick and I have ID's...the kids have an appointment to get theirs Friday..Rick is taking them. He is not happy about it, but I have already wasted a day with his Navy system...now its his turn!

So back to the transition to shore duty.....

Three teens
One tween
One Senior Chief...who deals with men who act like children all day
One mom who has a plan that keeps everything afloat.....

Its not priceless my friends...it is a hot mess. The first week was a nightmare. Rick really has never lived with teens and all that comes with it. The drama, the laziness, the constant having to remind them, the constant out stretched hand asking for money. But, I think things have settled down some...so hopefully I will have more time to write:)

I'm Alive:)

As you can see I finally have made time to get Britts graduation pictures uploaded. June 6th has came and went...and we all survived!

My parents had a nice relaxing visit, my Dad did end up spraining his ankle, at the stadium for Britt's Grad. So he spent the last couple of days on Brittany's crutches. But it was good having them here.

Soon after my parents left, we jumped right into our yearly Vacation Bible School preparations...even Rick went all out:) We had 76 volunteers and 99 children.
It was an amazing time of fellowship where God was lifted up. Forty-five children gave their lives to Christ on Thursday evening!

Unfortunately half way through the week this icky virus started sweeping through. My whole family ended up with it...except Brittany of course because she was not risking missing her trip to Virginia. We had it so bad we did not get dressed all of 4th of July weekend....we just showered and put clean pj's on:)

Next came Brittany's Grad/Birthday party..yes she turned 18 on me...and yes there were more tears:) But we had a nice party at the pool and she enjoyed herself. She left the next day for Virginia to spend time with her other family.....The Browns:)

Zachary has also started playing Flag football. He is pretty good and spends most of his time trying to convince us to let him play tackle....the jury is still out on that one! So we spend our Sunday afternoons at the football field:)

Becca is anxiously awaiting the beginning of her freshman year, and enjoying dance and cheerleading.

Joshua is still going to football practice everyday and his diligence has paid off, he will be playing first string wide receiver....this has me a little nervous, but I will leave him in God's hands.

I have a new job...I just have no idea when I will start:) I will be a Training Curriculum Specialist for the Army at one of their CDC's. I am really excited. I love training and mentoring...and now I will be getting paid to do it all day long:) I will miss PATCH and the staff there but I am grateful for the opportunity God is giving me to use the gifts and talents He has given me!

Drum roll pleassssseeeeeee....Wednesday Rick will re-enlist and then check off the boat, drive back to subase and check in at SUBPAC. I will tell you that this past three years of sea duty have been the longest of my life and when I say I thank God that we made it through them I say it with all sincerity and a multitude of gratitude!

Thankfully, the raise I get from my new position will make up for the fond farewell to sea pay and sub pay...plus around another 10k a year.I am thankful I serve a God of addition and multiplication instead of subtraction and division!

Finally, I am registered for school....I start my Masters in Educational Psychology on Sept 9th, Britt starts her classes on Sept 8 and Rick the first week of October:)

I believe that I am also going to write a devotional book for mom's....let me rephrase that for "real moms." You know who you are....you don't wear an apron....probably don't even own one, you ask God for strength to deal with your children more than once a day.....and you really want a devotion that will deal with the real issues of motherhood...like who are these aliens people keep referring to as my children?

This devotional will hopefully be step one ...ok the blog was step one, step two in my writing career...its all about taking baby steps!

Catching up...AGAIN!!!

Ok, since I haven't blogged since Britt's graduation I reallllyyyy need to catch up!

Let's start with me forgetting my parents at the airport!!! Well, I didn't really forget them...I just didn't think they were coming in on Wednesday....we all thought they were coming in on Thursday, including my brother who made the reservations for them.

So here it is Wednesday evening and I am finishing up some last minute details, like cleaning my bathroom, and washing the sheets for the bed my parents are going to sleep in...when the phone rings and its my dad. I ask him where he is and he tells me, "The airport." So I ask, "Daddy why are you at the airport at midnight? Your plane does not leave until 8am?" He replies, " I am at the Honolulu Airport!" Ooooppppppssss!!! So I instruct my children to finish all the jobs I hadn't and jumped into the truck to go get my parents. I was bummed because I though they were flying in on Thursday evening, so I had just decided to work until they got there, so I had to go to work the next day. They just chilled out at home!

Then came the mad dash to pick Rick up because the boat did a personal transfer and he was coming in late Friday afternoon. he had just enough time to rush home shower, change and head out the door...to Alycea's graduation. It was beautiful and I pretty much cried from the time we got in the car until I went to bed that night.

The next day saw us running around for lei's and other items for the graduation ceremony, painting the windows on the truck, and juggling all those people into the cars.....

I will stop here because Britt's graduation deserves a post all of its own.....so stay tuned...I'll be back by this weekend!

I Don't Think I Can Do This....

I can't breathe...I can't do this.

How am I suppose to sit in the stands and listen to them call her name next Saturday, listing all her accomplishments, and watch her walk across the stage and accept her diploma? How am I suppose to sit there and watch her?

I remember like it was yesterday....searching for the right school for her, teaching her to write her name, shopping for her first school back pack, first lunch box.....dressing her for the first day of school.... I remember 9 years later laying in my bed crying and praying about her starting public high school....and now I have blinked and it is over...she will graduate.

The past couple of months...well actually since OJ and Darius (get back to Darius in a minute) graduated last year Britt has been able to take me to levels of frustration that have mostly (smile) kept the unbreathable moments that I have experienced this week at bay. The lack of energy put into applying for scholarships, her dogged determination to decline the full ride scholarship, the lack of mathematical abilities when considering her future...and lets not even go into the 7 months it has taken her to get her room clean.

But today as I am planning out what I have to do this week to get ready for my parents arrival and the graduation I can no longer put off the onslaught of emotions that I am feeling...what really doesn't help is that Rick is not here to hold me through it.

Darius....yes...he is not helping me any either....you see he is going into the Air Force and I have to say good bye to him tomorrow.....so if you pass me on the street and I am crying uncontrollably anytime in the next two weeks....you will know why!

AHAHAHAHAH Attack of the CheerQueen

OK....friends...those of you who have been following along for a while know that I have not been particularly fond of cheerleaders...since high school....and that both of my daughters are cheerleaders....and that I call Britt's the CheerQueen.

Well I thought the cheerness would come down several notches when Britt graduated from high school and was no longer on the cheer squad. However, she has just accepted a job as an assistant Cheerleading coach for her old high school..so the cheerness will continue on....

Superfriend.....

I have been listening to the Mary Mary Mary The Sound CD and there is a song that has really ministered to me on there. Superfriend. It talks about how friends will always let you down...well....lets face it because we are human:) But there is one friend who will never let you down and He has already paid the price for your freedom....that's what I call a SUPERFRIEND.

I want to clarify that some of our friends don't let us down on purpose...because real friends don't do it as a conscious thought...and sometime they don't even know they have done it. You may realllllyyyyy need a friend, so you call them up...and maybe themselves are having a bad day...so when they respond to you they are responding from their current position or funk....without thinking that you may reallllyyyy need them right then. This doesn't make them a bad friend....it makes them human.

So this is what happened to me this week. I got some news that I didn't want to hear ....news I was hoping would be other than it was and there are few people outside of my husband I would have shared the news with. So I called one and for whatever reason she was funky and busy so I just told her to call me when she had a chance....then I cried and talked to Jesus all the way home in rush hour traffic.

So here's the deal.....and I am not saying we should have low standards concerning our friends or that we should expect the worse from them. But when they don't meet the friendship need for that moment we need to remember that our friends here on earth are human and have bad days. We need to remember that we have a friend that is better than anyone here on earth...one who has given more than humanly possible...

My Crown....

The way my day has gone....or rather part of my week.....causes me to think that God has a super crown for me in heaven. This crown will be so large and ginormous that when it is placed on my head that I need someones help hold it on my head...kind of like they did for Moses arms during battle......

Let us begin....let's see....last week when the brakes went out on my truck AGAIN!!! I completely bi passed the service department and asked for a manager when the customer service rep answered the phone. I figured that I would just cut to the chase and talk to them, since that's where I was going to end up in the long run anyway.

I have to give a shout out to James at Tony Nissan...because he has taken pretty good care of me and my brake issue. He is smart enough (unlike the other customer service people) to look and see if I had an extended warranty. So my truck has been in the shop since last Monday. James called me Friday afternoon to tell me that they parts weren't in yet so they would have to keep it through weekend. My first thought was....no biggie...Rick is gone and I'll just drive his car...me and the kids fit. WRONG I forgot Sheila and Obie are out of town and Jojo is staying with us. After a few trips with all the darlings I called Sheila and got her truck.

Here it is Wednesday and I still don't have my truck...hopefully tomorrow.;

Did I mention Rick is gone? Yes, he is and we are praying he will be here graduation day...praying hard. Anyway he is gone and I stuck driving the short bus of people who live/are staying with us. I am the one soley responsible for making sure that Princess has all of her pictures and invitations, I am the one responsible for making sure they get to the people they are intended for, for finding princess a white dress for grad day, for getting the parking passes, for making sure the mess in the girls rooms and bathroom finally get cleaned up, making sure Zachary, Becca, Josiah, Joshua, and Princesses final projects are all finally completed and handed in......that my friends is a small glimpse into what i am responsible for this week....

Now let me get to the jewels that will be in my crown......


Josiah first of all "forgetting"to wear deodorant to the church picnic Monday and then coming to me Tuesday morning, asking me where "the"deodorant was. Dude its not like the toothpaste we DON"T share deodorant.....

Then Jojo coming to me ten minutes before we are suppose to walk out the door this morning asking me, "What am I suppose to wear?" Ummmm...clothes...his response, "They are all dirty!" I told him he better dig around in Joshua's drawers and find something....otherwise he would be wearing a cute pair of my capri's or a dress!!!

Today Becca and Jojo make cookies for Jojo's final project....and them coming out thinner than toilet paper..and tasting much like used toilet paper. So Josh and Jojo start over and make another batch...which Jojo just informed us he would not eat if it was the last food on earth.

Oh,but wait there's more....Joshua asking me to take his uniform to the cleaners....three times...and never bringing it to me....

Zach getting sick Friday at school and Josh being sick since Sunday morning....

To top it all off....I am totally bummed because I called the Director at the job I wanted and she told me that she was really really sorry, she wanted to hire me but she had to choose the internal employee. She did say that she flagged my resume and sent it to the other directors for positions that will becoming available very soon because I would be an asset to the organization...sigh... I cannot tell a lie I cried all the way home... I really wanted that job. I told God that I was being a brat crying about it because for all I know He could have a much better position waiting for me.....but that I just needed to cry.

I think I needed to cry to let off some of the pressure building inside. I reminded myself all day that God has already made a way, and that I should Fear not, only believe. In my heart I do.....I just needed to let go of some of the gaseous emotional built up inside of myself.

I am thankful for my friends who were there for me today ( I only told two people...but some others were there for me without even knowing what was going on) and I pray for their crowns and promise to help them hold them up if need be:)

God appointment.....

Have you ever had one of those times when you knew at that exact moment you were at the exact place where God had ordained you to be?

I had one of those moments today, while working on the Navy Respite Care project. I went to the home of a wonderful young women who is full or strength and faith. She has two beautiful little boys who are both children with exceptional needs...which really is ok... because she is an EXCEPTIONAL mom...ordained by God to minister to His two angels here on earth.

She went into the meeting with the thought that the whole respite care process was going to be lengthy and it would be some time before she would be able to receive in home care....and be able to take a break and pour back into herself...because as a Navy spouse and a mom she quite often pours out more than is even physically possible to ever pour back in. (can I get an amen on that one...we are all guilty of doing that).

However, after the meeting she was amazed that she would be able to receive care immediately and at that moment she was able to release all the stress and pent up emotion of her children's medical struggles and diagnosis, as well as, the strain of being a military spouse. I was able to (hopefully) encourage her and let her,let it out.

I am thankful to God for allowing me to be the vessel that brought such a blessing into her life and I pray that this project is able to help many more like her.

Practicing What You Preach

I’m trying to practice what I preach… I REALLY am:)


Here’s the deal I am speaking this Saturday at our church’s annual Mothers Day conference. I had my outline all finished and handed in, the title “Being a Women of Godly Influence”. That’s a pretty solid and interesting topic and I thought I was ready.

So Monday and Tuesday morning I woke up crying and praying. I knew I was off somewhere in my walk with God I just couldn’t figure it out. So I was ironing Tuesday morning and it hit me….I had lost my trust in God. How did that happen? How does someone who has been walking with God for as many years as I have lose their trust in God?

Well, it was one of those slow processes…so slow that you don’t even realize and would never imagine it happening. I could see how it could happen if suffered a devastating loss or disappointment. But it was not that. It seems that over the past several years I have allowed the small disappointments to pull me away from trusting God and pushed me to relying on my own understanding…..yes you all know where that got me…..further away from God.

At some point fear and anxiety replaced trust and faith. I have spent the last two years waking up with my heart beating a mile a minute with fear of what disappointment would come my way. The disappointments I faced were not huge…the GeoBatch tour was awful, but we survived. The adjustable mortgage which almost caused us to lose our house was painful, but God fixed it and make it affixed rate and is working on getting us a lower rate.

The hysterectomy was no biggie, I was just disappointed that my husband had to leave less than two weeks afterwards. AND that my business partner did not take into consideration the fact that I had just had major life changing surgery when we went to work at the preschool.

I think the preschool process is what did it to me….beginning in 2005 we stumbled and fumbled through one faith test after another, until we finally opened in 2008. Had I stayed at my job where I was making good money I would not have gone through the financial difficulties I did…but I left in what I thought was faith.

From the time we opened there was strain and stress over the finances of the school. And today over a year later the school is still struggling. Even in this God made a way for me to leave and He gave me a job that pays well and that I really enjoy. He is an awesome God!!!

So, you see I allowed the disappointments of life to wear at my faith and trust in God until it was so weak that I allowed it to fail at every turn…I did not trust God completely as I should have. Instead I relied on my own methods of economics and math, I relied on what I thought I had to get our family out of the financial mess we were in…EVEN though I had seen God destroy the debt in our lives before…I chose to rely on my own understanding because of fear and doubt.

I had to change my message to “Misplaced Distrust” What happens when distrust becomes part of your relationship with God?

So….I am trying to practice what I preach…I have applied for four jobs in the past week (I love my current job….but I can make so much more and be in a position where advancement is available, unlike my current job) I have to trust that if God has designed for me to have these positions, the door will be wide open and I will walk through.

For those of you who won’t be there Saturday….you just received an over view of my message…..for those of you who will….pray for me and make sure you come hear what God has done in meJ

30 days.....720 hours

I am a wreck.....in 30 days ....almost exactly 720 hours from this very moment I will be sitting in Aloha Stadium crying my eyes out as my oldest takes that walk from her seat, across the stage, and accepts her high school diploma. I am crying right now...how am I going to pull this off without being a blubbering fool?

Where is the baby girl I brought home? She has turned into an amazing woman...who will go to her senior prom this Saturday, and has accepted the full ride Presidential Scholarship from Hawaii Pacific University. I cannot believe it.

Two days later my youngest daughter will graduate from 8th grade and move on to high school....where does time go? She is unbelievable...a treasure.

Joshua is going to his first high school sports banquet and has been at practice faithfully since February for the fall season. His determination is to be respected and recognized.

Zach will graduate from 6th grade next year...and move on to Middle School......but he promises he will live with me forever.....

Six Favorite Things

These are the rules:
1. Mentioned who tagged you.2.
List six unimportant things that make you happy.
3. Tag six more blogs, then go and comment on their blogs. Let them know that have been challenged, and invite them to play along.


Shari mentioned me in her six favorite things and tagged me:)

Six of my Favorite Things:

1. The comfortable silence of dawn...when it's just me and God.

2. Camping....waking up to the sound of the ocean.

3. My husband

4. My "family" natural, spiritual, and military.

5. I LOVE to read....I read so much I forget what books I have read and sometimes buy the same one without realizing it:)

6. GOOD chocolate.


That's my six favorite things...now here are the 6 blogs I choose:)

My Family http://thekriegerfamilylegacy.blogspot.com/
Melissa http://lifeinterruptedbutnotdisrupted.blogspot.com/
Lea http://fairlystraightfoward.blogspot.com/
Roni http://ricknroni.blogspot.com/
ElMay http://ellegourmet.blogspot.com/?zx=7247805bee9e50
Gwendolyn http://butterflykiss004.blogspot.com/

Sneak Peak at Britts Senior Portraits

Sounds of Silence

So, I am sitting here in my house by MYSELF!!! The kids are all at school and Rick has duty. I was suppose to go to work today for three hours because i worked 13 hours yesterday (check out the article about the project I am working on http://www.hawaiinavynews.com/node/408 )BUT when I woke up my foot, eye lids, and fingers were swollen from a bug bite...so I took another benedryl and went back to sleep.

I am waiting for the appliance delivery people to bring me my new fridge.....its times like this when I miss living in quarters and having Uncle Sam pick up the tab. So I have to wait for them to come between 11am and 1:30 pm....which is cool with me..there is nobody here to bother me.

I should be cleaning my house....but I don't feel like it. After working on school work for the last couple of years I am enjoying doing nothing. I FINALLY finished my last class....with an 80...I don't even care....I'm just glad to have it all behind me....finally!

We are waiting for orders AGAIN STILL...whatever! I have two that need new id's but don't want to get them until he reenlists because I will just have to re-do them again. So we wait and we wait and we wait....

The good news is that we have campsite reservations for 4th of July weekend.....that is what will be keeping me going through...May, Mothers Day, graduations, my parents visiting, and VBS.....the light at the end of my tunnel.

Moments....

I believe that as a family we have entered a season of moments......

Saturday, we bought Britt's prom dress, today she picked up her cap, gown, and graduation announcements, and tonight she is having her senior portraits done. I cried a little bit last week when I picked up some items that the party store had in stock, so of course I called Fran my "moment partner." Then Sunday, as Alycea took her senior portraits Fran called me crying. We are a pitiful pair!

But it doesn't end with Britt because Joshua and Becca will both be in high school this year. They asked Josh to move up to Varsity...his reply...no way I want to stay where I will see some serious playing time! Becca will begin her freshman year....and someday they will all graduate and leave home:( :) I don't know whether to be happy or sad about that!

Our Sub Ball Photo

109th Submarine Birthday Ball

I have to say I haven't enjoyed a sub ball in several years...so last night was a pleasant surprise. I had a really good time. We have been stationed in Hawaii for almost 20 years, so after about the first 10 years I moved from having strickely boat friends to military friends....to just plain friends. So when we go to these functions I usually don't have anyone to talk to. But last night I ran into some ladies that i know from church, SWC, and I got to know some new people that Rick introduced me to...

So, the day started with Rick oversleeping and running out the door to Pearl side. Me I stayed in bed and relaxed for a few moments. Then I jumped out of bed and headed down the road. First I went to get gas and coffee, then I went to get my nails done. Of course, she asked acrylic or gel....gel last longer,dryer faster...lol so I went with gel...and they do dry faster! The foot lady had to do my toes over twice because the first time she put red flowers...on gold toes, I told her no red...so she put green ones....ugly green flowers on gold toes....heeeelllllloooo> Finally, I told her...white little flowers...nothing else.

After that I went to get my eyebrows and hair done....I was so proud of myself...I made her fix it until it was exactly what I wanted. Then, I came home to wait for Brandi to come do my make-up, but she had to cancel because she was having a bad asthma attack. I went upstairs and layered and layered the foundation and cover-up, and did my thing....I was happy with the results.

Next, came the dress...or should I say the underclothes and the dress. Rick helped me jump on into my fat sucker, Britt put on my jewelry, shoes, and dress. She also helped her dad put all of his medals and uniform on. As she was helping him I realized that I had a one piece fatsucker on...which meant I would have to take my dress completely off every time I had to go to the bathroom. Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I use the bathroom more than the average bear.....four kids will do that to your bladder! What had I been thinking?

At this point, Rick is starting to stress getting there on time...it was 3pm.....but he was stressing it. We dropped Zach and Brittany off in Halsey Terr and jumped on Nimitz Hwy. As we drove down the road we hear a horn....Rick unrolls the window and starts talking to this guy from his first boat...he is a civilian now and is out here as a contractor. Only Rick could find someone he knows driving in downtown Waikiki traffic!

We got there at 4:30...with plenty of time to spare. We took pictures and found our seats. Of course Rick knew everyone there, so he was chit chatting. We scoped out the bathroom, because we knew that I was going to have to go once dinner started. I had him unhook and unzip the top part of my dress and I ran into the bathroom....then I came out and had him rehook and zip me.
Luckily, I met a women chief who Rick has gotten to know along with her husband a master chief...and she helped me undo my dress so I could go to the bathroom.

Rick did a great job with the invocation, and once it was over he was able to relax and have some fun.

Overall, we had a really great time. I got to talk to and meet several women who I had only known up until last night as screen names on submarine wives boards. I got to know some new ladies at our command, and some new spouses of friends Rick has picked up through the years.

Of course, Rick got a hundred and one pieces of advice of what orders he should take...so now he is contemplating which ones he should take .....I'll leave that in the hands of God:)

I took my camera to church today and I left it in my office...so I will post pictures tomorrow after church.

The Sub Ball Invocation

Here is Rick's invocation for the 109th Submarine Birthday Ball:

-The world is yours Lord, and of this, let us be ever mindful. To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. Tonight, we ask that you bless us as we use this time for relaxation, for enriching fast friendships and for making new ones. We pray that this night be one of good cheer, celebration and reflection.
-We pray for those currently deployed and the families that support them. We pray for our families as they continue to support us. Keep and protect them, watch over them, and be ever mindful of them. We thank and praise you for giving us so many gifts over these one hundred and nine years - more than we can mention. But, especially we praise you for all your gifts tonight - for the food, the drink, and those who prepared them, for health and contentment, for challenges and opportunities, and above all, peace.
-Bless those in leadership over our nation, local governments, and our armed services. Give them Wisdom and Knowledge to lead and make decisions that are pleasing to you.
-We are grateful, Father, that you created us in your image. We recognize our responsibility to use our intelligence, talents, and energies in ways that honor you. On this occasion, we remember gratefully those whose sacrifices have made possible this laboratory of freedom, the United States of America.
-We are deeply grateful for those who lived and died to preserve this land in which liberty and justice are the birthright of all. Remembering their example of sacrifice, may such memories deepen our motivation to be citizens and sailor’s devoted to the ideals of freedom and equal opportunity for all. Grant us the wisdom to discover the physical and spiritual strengths necessary to maintain peace in this changing world and the resolve to pursue these strengths. Shelter us with the canopy of your grace and pour out your blessing upon us this night, as we reflect on our mighty submarine force, those whom have sacrificed for it, those whom currently serve in it, and those whom have yet to join it. Watch over us now and when depart this place, but never your presence. In Christ’s name we pray. And everyone say, “AMEN”

SHHHHHh

It's Friday morning at 7:55 am and my house is completely silent....even the neighbors dog has fallen silent in honor of my morning off...God is GOOD!

So I stayed up late last night with Rick and Britt. He was writing his prayer for the Sub Ball tonight (which I will post here later after the Ball) and Britt and I were creating a facebook group titled "What Out For That Tree" It all started with a picture that Rick took of a tree in Okinawa and has now made it his wall paper on his lap top and the profile picture on his facebook. Britt and I are sick of looking at it and have been harassing him about taking it off.....so we started a facebook group to gain supporters of this movement. He's now made it a war of sorts...I am afraid that we will be looking at that tree for many years. But it was nice to just lay in the bed with them and the lap tops last night giggling:) O, I hope that girl doesn't leave me soon......

Anyway i told Rick that I was sleeping in today so he had to get the kids up at 4:30am to catch the bus...he said NO Problem! So I roll over this morning and see him still in the bed...with the sun shining through the windows...he overslept! So he had to hustle and get everyone out the door:)

Now I am laying in bed typing and surfing. He bought me to coolest little lap top...it matches my phone. I told him they could be friends.....and he said that he could hook it up so they talk to each other. My response was, "No they may talk about me....and there are already enough people who do that:):

So I have to get up now and make a program for a luncheon tomorrow and start getting ready for the Sub Ball...yes it will take me that long:)

I am finished

I can't even think of a title for this post.........lol

I finished my last class for my BS this week. I only took it three times. It wasn't a hard class...especially the second and third times because i just cut and pasted all my work:) But every time it came down to the last week something happened (I believe a broken nose and pneumonia) and I couldn't get the final paper done. So, I wrote it and went to hand it in Monday....and I couldn't access the class online for some reason. So I panicked for a couple of minutes and then realized I had the instructors email address...so I emailed it....there was no way I was taking that class again!

The paper was an argumentative paper....Women on United States Submarines. Of course I argued against it. Not because I don't trust my husband.....mainly because of the lifestyle it requires and the danger of the females not being able to receive medical care quick enough if they were on mission....because on surface ships women have to be transported off the ships for medical reasons at rates more than double of men. Sometimes on mission you make do with what ya got and I don't think we should put the health of our service women at risk just to say they have equal rights. My other strong argument was the right now the sub force is operating as a dysfunctional family and adding women to the picture is like a couple contemplating divorce having a baby....

So, tonight I have found myself at odds without the pressure of homework needing to be done...for the first time in two years.....I am thinking about going for my masters in educational psychology. I really like to learn....I just hate taking nonsense courses that have no bearing on my degree. We will see if I can get Rick to re-enlist for 4 years instead of 3 years so I can use his GI Bill.

Oh yeah...Hope you will love this one....we had orders but they may change....that is all I am going to say.

Britt seems to have listened to the voice of reason...and of God:) and is at least considering going to HPU on her full ride scholarship. If God opens the door for her to have a full ride somewhere else, I will send her off with my blessing.....or if God says she needs to go somewhere else...of course it will be with my blessing.

Today I had to go to Party City for some things and I walked down the Graduation Aisle and picked some things up for her party...and started to cry...sigh...she is a grown up now and if she wanted to could leave my house very soon...and there would be nothing I could do about it. I have to believe that God's Word is true....Train a child up in the way he should go and he will not depart from it.

Her cap and gown will be in Tuesday...right on time for her Senior pictures Tuesday afternoon. Saturday we have to go shopping for a prom dress......

Tomorrow night is the Sub Ball. My dress is hanging upstairs and I have appointments all day tomorrow to hook me up. Then we will sit in traffic for a bajillion years...to eat yicky food:) I am praying we don't have to sit at the command table...I want to have some fun.

Joshua is turning 15 Saturday...wow he is right behind Britt....my baby boy will be 15...I think I may cry myself to sleep tonight.

On that note I am finished.....

Catching up....

Well, here it is Good Friday morning and I am crashed on the couch in my pj's trying to put off writing my last paper:( I am also doing a load or two of laundry, running the dishwasher and directing children here and there....



So what is going on around here?



Well, we finally got Rick's orders and while they are not the exact orders he wanted (the orders he wanted were not in his rate which at this point in the ANAV world is impossible) they are not bad orders. A E9 billet at Subpac with no sea time.....which is what we were really trying to avoid. So now he can head over to Navy campus and get registered for the class and preparing himself to retire:)

Britt is still wrestling with where to go to school, but all I can do is pray.

We went to an awards ceremony for the Presidential Scholarship Monday evening and on the way over there I thought I was going to explode!!! Here I was sitting with Rick and Brittany driving down the highway with both of them asking me questions about what they were going to do with their future. Each time I gave an answer BOTH of them had a but what if, maybe, I don't know response. I have been going through this with the two of them for 6 months and I was at my breaking point. I told them that they were driving me crazy and that they were so much alike I was going to start calling both of them Rickany (Rick and Brittany combined) Now, that the Rick part of Rickany has made some progress I need to work on the other one. Dude....I have to do this with three more kids....they better remember me on Mothers Day!!!

I am loving my job, although I did apply for the same job with the Army making $10000 more a year. Not because I don't like my job...because it pays more money. We will see how it pans out. I don't want to leave my job....but we need to do all we can to prepare for retirement.

This weekend I am finishing the final paper of my BS and then I am taking six months off before I start my Masters in Educational Psychology. I need a break from writing papers and all that comes with going to school.



I am also getting ready to speak at the church's Mothers day conference. I have my topic and I am working on it. But really gets me is all the junk that the devil tries to throw the in my face.......



First this week my daughter tells me she is getting collection calls from Menehune water.....apparently the account that the school (the preschool I worked at and helped open) opened in her name had not been paid since July......so I called the water people to get to the bottom of the whole thing. Then I text my old partner, because to be honest I really don't want to have anything to do with her.....I forgive her, I just don't want to have anything to do with her and because calling her would have an open invitation for her to argue with me....something I do not plan on engaging in. So I sent the text telling her that I closed the account and they would be coming to pick up the water cooler and asking when this matter would be resolved. She responded....Thanks for the Call...the matter has been resolved. Why can she not understand that I am done, and don't want anything to do with her? I mourn the passing of our friendship, but I cannot resurrect the friendship because it would not be a healthy thing for me. I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO HER!!!!



Now I am dealing with people who think that they are better than others and that the rest of us are morons....be real people....don't you get a nose bleed sitting up on your high horse? When you have to get off and deal with the rest of the commoners do you feel like you are dealing with people beneath you? I'm just asking?!?!

So that's what's going on around here in a nutshell.

I am about to be invaded....

By teenagers....yes, they are arriving by the droves through out the day. I already called Rick and told him to stop at the commi and pick up more food because we are going to need it!!!

The joke is on him though........because I have a VBS event in the morning, so he will be here with all of them tomorrow morning:)

There will be plenty of eating, Wii playing, and giggling..and ssshhhhhing. I will post pictures I am sure..and save them for bribing.

Rambling

So, today is Prince Kuhio Day here in Hawaii...which means of course a day off:)

Mine started first thing this morning, with a conference call in my jammies, because of course the mainland does not recognize our Hawaiian holidays:) I tried to go back to sleep after the call but my children were not cooperating......so I did the next best thing...I cracked the whip and got them cleaning....now maybe they will let me sleep in tomorrow morning...because if they wake me up I may find something for them to clean.

I still feel like I got hit by a mac truck hauling massive amounts of snot...it may be tmi for some of you...sorry. I tried to get up this morning and be all peppy and accomplish the long list of things I set out for myself today....but it didn't work. I managed to clean part of my bathroom, all of the closet, and do everything but dust my bedroom. I had such high hopes for the next two days...but I guess I will spend them resting. I may sit pool side for a while tomorrow with a good book, while the washing machine churns away with my clothes.

Fiona has yet to make her college decision...I am trusting God that she will not depart from the Godly training we have been doing all these years and make the right choice. I can do nothing but pray about this..because no matter what I say she doesn't listen....

Speaking of prayer....that brings us to orders....Now, I know we are leaving Hawaii, so moving isn't a concern. the concern is the type of orders....if he gets a shore billet that requires sea time or a lot of traveling he will not be able to finish his degree. This means that he will have to do at least another 6 years in...3 more sea and 3 more shore...so he can finish the degree. I just want to know what we are doing....

The good news is that I have settled on a topic for my message at the Woman's Conference...and no, I am not telling you right now:)

I am off to watch my dvr'd shows for the week...so I will be ready to watch Grey's when it comes on:)

Update...

What's going on around here...complete and utter chaos of course.....

Rick is in for a couple of months so we are all adjusting to that and getting ready for shore duty. Of course we have no orders...but am I worried...no....because regardless of whether or not I stress and worry about it the Navy will have their way...and I just refuse to get my panties in a bunch about it this time. After much debate and in the end being voluntold...we are going to the sub ball...The Deacon/Senior Chief dude I am married to will be giving the invocation.

Diva is still applying to colleges....none of which are giving her the full ride that HPU is offering AND she claims she is not going to take out loans. Me, as far as I am concerned God has made a way for her to go to college and not have to pay a dime....so I believe the matter settled. She asked me a few minutes ago why we never started a college fund for her.....it took all that was in me not to throw the laptop at her....... She has major PMS and hates all of us...we are bad people for requiring her to have a clean room and be civil to her brothers and sisters...bad bad people!



Joshua is into football practice and weight training. His grades are improving...however I really wish that I could scrub his mouth out with Clorox bleach....he is so negative and has something to say about everything.......it must be tough to have all those hormones bouncing around inside and have no way to release them.... How do I know he is not releasing them? Well, a friend of ours who is younger than us took Josh and his nephew out a couple of weeks ago and talked to them about "guy stuff" SEX came up and Josh's answer was...No way man my dad would kill me. What he doesn't know is that i would kill HIM and HER.



Becca is starting tryouts for JV Football cheer leading...You all know how I feel about cheerleaders...... Anyway, she must be worried about grades because she tackles me everyday to see if her report card came in...can't be good when the honors student is worried about grades.



Zach apparently had some time on his hands and decided it would be a grand idea to shave his eye brows...I blame my sister Amy and her boyfriend...hopefully someday fiance and then husband Ben really.... he has a strange idea in his head that he is going to be the best man in their wedding and is going to get a Mohawk which he will dye blue for the occasion.

I love my job...it is crazy busy, but its all good. I would rather be busy than have to fake being busy. I only have to work three days this week....I am suppose to be off Thursday and Friday...but I have to take a conference call Thursday in the morning...so I will be doing that. I believe we will be heading to the beach and chilling on Friday night because Rick has a dining in.

So that is an update on what's going on around here...I will be back more often...:) Now Amy and Mellie leave me alone

Feeling A LIttle Crusty Today:(

OK...so its Friday and I am so glad the weekend is finally here....but I'm feeling out of sorts....kind of.

So, last night I had to go to a mandatory senior parent night where such chaos reigned that I cannot even begin to describe the madness... but that's not the point the point is this....OMG my baby will be graduating in 3 months. Of course I cried at the meeting...and at home after the meeting. She very well may get off her duff and actually leave the island.....I of course will be devastated. Rick concurred last night that he will also be sad...but that it was ok, because he would be sad four times and then we would be free! It's the beginning of the end of an era of our lives.

Last night as we tried to get to bed our room was like a three ringed circus...Zach coming in and asking questions, and the rest of them had to do this and ask that. They were all crawling all over the bed (this is when I made the decision to go from a king to a queen size bed)...they were everywhere. I kept trying to get away from them but every where I turned there they were! The straw that broke the camels back was when Zach pulled down his pants and asked me to look at his butt..because there was a scratch. How am I supposed to go from all of that to complete quietness? STOP...yes peace and quiet will be a dream come true....but I cannot imagine such a shift in ones life so suddenly being easy...I don't care how much I am looking forward to it:)

What else...yeah I am struggling with unorganized, undisciplined people in a certain area of my life.....besides my children:) I did something this week that will either have me coming out smelling pleasant or...not so pleasant. Either way people are not going to be happy with me...worst case scenario I will not be happy. Is it life threatening or super huge.....not in my personal life.....but in another area it causes me great frustration....so I wait for the decision to be made and the chips to fall where they may.....

Rick is "visiting" us for the weekend:) We are having a family dinner at California Pizza Kitchen tonight. Tomorrow he has to work most the day and I have a marriage ministry thingy:) We will probably just chill tomorrow evening...same thing Sunday...church and chill, he has to work.

This whole Navy thing is another source of my out of sortness (Mel...its my blog can make up words if I want to) We are waiting for orders again...it seems like we just did this. They SAY he can have the orders he wants...but only time and the hand of God will show us if that is to be. Depending on the direction that the wind is blowing he could be getting out after this shore tour...or not. I just want him to be happy. You must be thinking well...wouldn't getting out make him happy? Well, on one level it would...because he could be with all the time and he would be able to be a bigger part of the children's lives and the ministry.

But of course...there are two sides to every story. He wonders if he will fit in to the civilian community...will he miss his fellow chiefs and the bonds and perks that come from belonging to the goat locker? He wonders how it will feel to be stuck here on the island...without traveling and getting a break. How will it all pan out? Of course we look in the natural to the cut in pay we may have to take...hey, living in paradise is not free. We both fully understand that God is our source...but its scary stuff.

So that is where I am at today....this mid-life stuff is heavy dude!

Can You Guess Where I Spent Most of My Day???

Well, it wasn't my nice quiet mostly kid free office...I'll tell you that:)

No I spent it at....Tripler...no surprise there.

I woke up and called the appointment line and in my half asleep state (for real I was in the bed, under the covers, with the phone on speaker) made an appointment for 2pm. After I hung up, I realized that 2pm was wayyyy to late. So I called back and changed it to 9am. Look at the clock and it read....7am. I shot up out of bed, ate breakfast, got ready, and had Britt out the door by 8:25...plenty of time right? WRONG as I got on the highway I saw that traffic was at a standstill...at 8:40 in the morning.

So needless to say we got to Tripler late....at 9:10. I then did something I have never done before...I used the valet parking. I have been in protest of the whole valet idea because I think it is ridiculous that I should have to pay for parking because they cannot manage their hospital right...but anyway. I drove up and handed them my keys...and walked my happy butt right into the hospital....and now that is my favorite thing to do:)

So we go in and see Dr. Green who has seen all of my three older ones for various, sprains, fractures,and one concussion:) He wasn't surprised to see us back..he understands that cheer leading is dangerous...lol Rearranged Britt's knee for about 15 minutes, and sends us off to our good friends down at xray. Once we return to the clinic we find that she has sprained her knee and has some patella syndrome....back to the brace and maybe physical therapy...no cheer leading or dancing for two weeks.

So that is what I did today...as for what I am doing tonight...it includes my husband as the only one on duty in the goatlocker after a month deployment..and that is all I am giving you!

MY DAY.....

So my day started out pretty good. Stopped and picked up the keys for the class I had to teach tonight on my way to work. Did a few interviews in the morning, worked on a few things in the afternoon and did another interview. At about 4:30 pm they inform me that I need to pick up a tv so that I can play the video needed for my presentation tonight.....before I go to class.

OK, so I jump in the car and head out. The phone rings....its Zach's Babysitter telling my that she had to go stay in Waikiki for the night because something happened to her house...did I want to come pick him up in Waikiki after my class.....ummmm not really:) So I called and asked Shalei if she could watch him...she said yes. Ok minor disaster avoided.

The phone rings again.....its Becca..."Where's Britt," she asks. At a game....why...."I don't have a house key." Go to the babysitters house and get Zach's garage door opener...she goes to the house...and guess what? Zach doesn't have his garage door opener. So then I have to call around to try and find somewhere for the little darlings to go...because Shalei cannot watch them at our house...because they can't get in.

So I call over to Sheila and Obie's...Uncle Obie is home...so they can go there:) They feed them and when Josh gets home they all walk home together.....another disaster avoided.

But wait there is more...I walk in the door and Britt is in tears and her swollen knee is sitting under an ice pack. You all know where this is leading, don't you. You guessed it...a ride up the hill tomorrow morning to the big pink hospital on the mountain.

I am so tired, it's 10:27 pm and I have just finished my extremely healthy dinner of pop corn and grape soda...its time to end my day!

Thanks Ms Hope:)

So, Ms Hope gave me an award:) Thanks Hope. As I have just started my blogging journey and I read most of the blogs Hope listed...my award list is a tad shorter...drum roll please....






"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find friends and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships will be propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly- written text into the body of their award."
I'd love to share this award with the following:


Life Interrupted but not DiSrUpTeD http://lifeinterruptedbutnotdisrupted.blogspot.com/

SUNDAY SUNDAY

*Sigh* When your husband is gone Sunday is the absoulte worst day ever. Well it is for me...You see Sunday is church and family day. Church is something that I associate with my husband...he knows Whose he is, Who he is called to serve, and how he is called to serve. He walks in his calling with assurity and confidence....the Lord's:) So being at church is uplifting and sad all at the same time.

It is uplifting because my family is there...and they love me....and they take really good care of me. Its also uplifting because I also know Whose I am, and Who I am called to serve, and how I am called to serve. So even when I have trying days like I did today...when it seems that there is resistence at every turn and there is a line of people waiting to talk to me for assurance, counsel, or to share a concern out the door after service...I'm good. I'm good because I know I am where I am suppose to be. I know each trial and thing before me has been ordained....and I can rest in knowing that I am where I am suppose to be.

It's sad because Rick is such a part of the ministry and has such a connection with the annointing there...that its hard for him not to be there. Then to come home without him kinda bums me out:( So today, I went to Costco (and boy did someone open a can of stupid in that place today....) with Shalei,and came home and cleaned...now I am just biding my time until bedtime...so this Sunday will be over and I can start another week that will bring me closer to Rick:)

I really want to....

Say something deep or comical...at this point I believe I would settle for something that made sense. But I am so tired...in two days I have already worked 24 hours and tomorrow will be at least another ten hours. BUT there is a light at the end of the tunnel...I only have to work 2 hours Friday:) I am going to get my hair, cut colored, and highlighted. Maybe then I will feel witty and funny...then I'll write something memorable:)

Tripler....

Tripler at times to my home away from home...lol For those of you who don't know.....Tripler is the military hospital here in Hawaii. I should be thankful that there has never been a life threatening issue that has kept us going back for more:)

Today Britt and I made our trek up the hill because she has an awful cold and was having trouble breathing. Because of her asthma, we taking not being able to breath pretty seriously:) They did a chest xray, gave her a breathing treatment, and diagnosed her with bronchitis.

She is now resting in her bed...and I am planning on finding my own bed and doing the same:)

Thankful Thursday....

I am thankful that in a few short hours...all my kids will be asleep...lol

Today I am thankful for my friends....they come in all different shapes, sizes, and ages. They have different strengths, weaknesses, gifts, talents, backgrounds, education, spiritual walks, needs, and personalities.

There are those whose children I have taught, as I have taught theirs. There are those whose children I held as babies, those whose pregnant tummies I am now rubbing, and those whose children I have met as elementary students, junior high, and high school students.

There are my children's ministry friends...as awesome group of friends who have been knit together by the Lord himself to serve with excellence, purpose and passion. This group of friends carries each other with prayer, compassion, and truth. We have seen each other through some of life's biggest challenges and come together every week with joined hands, hearts, and prayer.

There are my submarine wife friends...these are a unique breed of woman, who roll with each wave that the sea sends our way. They understand the tears I cry and the pain I feel for my husband as he serves in the deep, and my children as they attempt to push me off the deep end.

Then there are my soul sisters...those who minister to me in my deepest places to my hurts, fears,and struggles...they know me like no others. As we pour into each others lives...we are lifted and taken higher and higher in the Lord. We are bound together by the Holy Spirit, who has us so in tune that we can feel each others anguish and joy.

Then there are those who I love like my own daughters...those who no matter their choices and path I love them unconditionally...and that's why they love me:)

Then there are those friends that God has given to me as family...my daughters Brittany and Becca...even though they don't know it yet....they are my friends...bound to me as only daughters can be. My sisters Cole and Amy....even though they tell people I left them at 2 and 3 (it was really 9 and 10)....I am sorry I missed your proms and graduations.....I promise to never miss anything like that again:) Cole thanks for my Nino and Amster thanks for those babies to come. To my sisters in law Jenn and Tina.....Jenn you are the woman God meant for my brother and I am thankful that you love us like we love you:) Thanks for Cassidy and Kendall...they are beautiful. T....you and I both know that I AM the woman meant for your brother:) Through thick and thin...kids or no kids...you get me:) Ladies we are bound by love, legacy, honor, and the fact that we all have to put up with the same crazy family members...Griswolds:) Then there is my mom....mom I understand so much more now than I did then..what you are tried to tell me...I am sorry I wouldn't listen and had a hard head...I love you:)

I am thankful for my friends...some of them overlap into several categories....Thank you God!

In Honor of the Upcoming Anniversary of My Hysterectomy.....

This is an actual letter from an Austin woman sent to American company > Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph...


Dear Mr. Thatcher,I have been a loyal user of your 'Always'maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features.Why, without the Leak Guard Coreor Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never gohorseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear ofrunning up and down thebeach in tight, white shorts..

But my favorite feature has to be yourrevolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smartenough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. Ican't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's alittle F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr.Thatcher? Ever suffered from 'the curse'? I'm guessing you haven't.Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I canalready feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just afew minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed intowhat my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.'Isn't the human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-HygieneDivision, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactlyhappens during your customers monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'.Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping weendure, and about our intense mood swings, crying, jags, andout-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for mostwomen. In fact, only last week, my friend Jennifer fought the violenturge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grilljust because he told her he thought Grey's Anatomy was written bydrunken chimps.Crazy!

The point is, sir, you of all people mustrealize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capripants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter.Last month, while in the throes of cramping sopainful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, Iopened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing,were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'
Are you freaking kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness- actual smiling, laughing happiness is possible during a menstrualperiod? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable?Well, did it, James?FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freakgirl, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which youhave to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with ahunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man!If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't itmake more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Putdown the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong', or are you just picking on us?

Sir, please inform your Accounting Departmentthat, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthlyprofits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere.And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for oneminute miss your brand of condescending bull sh*t. And that's a promiseI will keep.

Always.Best,
Wendi AaronsAustin,
T XPC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for bestwebmail-award- winning letter

This is not for the weak at heart....

Ok....this is not for the mothers that are weak at heart or live in some surreal world where your children are perfect angels and never do anything that makes you gag....I am just warning you now.....

I was sleeping in my bed nice and cozy Tuesday morning at 4:45 am when Becca came in to use my bathroom..I asked her what she was doing and she said that her toilet was clogged. I asked her who clogged it...of course her response was...Not me Brittany. Of course Brittany said that she did not do it...Becca did it. So I told them to knock it off, figure it out,and unclog the dang thing.

So this morning I walked past their bathroom(something I rarely do because it just makes me crazy)...and see that the toilet seat is down and that they have covered it with a towel...like it was a dead body...which it may have been for all I know...how do you just cover something like that up? Like covering it up makes it go away?

So, when they came home tonight I made them unclog it and clean it...how gross can you be? Becca unclogged it and cleaned it and Britt is suppose to clean the rest of the bathroom...we will see how that goes....as if I need a crystal ball to see how that will be playing out!

Speaking of gross....their bedrooms are another thing that are icky. Brittany's room requires you to step up into it, and Becca's smells like a boys gym locker room.....its quite frightening:(

So the deal is that they cannot get their new phones(which they really need,the ones they have just randomly fall apart...while they are talking on them...and yes they need phones, because they take public transportation to and from school...sometimes leaving early in the morning and if they have practice later in the afternoon/evening. At this point the phone is more for my piece of mind than for them.) until they clean their rooms.....so not happening.

Today they both got their panties in a wad because I had to go get Josh a new phone because his got stolen a couple of months ago. I was so mad that I wasn't getting him one for a while. But then the football team started weight training and he is having to ride the bus home later in the afternoon again....so I need to know how to find him and make sure he is safe. So, I got him a phone....much to the girls dismay...but I have to give them kudos...they didn't ask me why they didn't get one.....

Where Do I Begin?

I guess I should begin by apologising for not keeping up to date on my blogging....but for the last two weeks life seems to have been stuck on fast forward:)

Zach is now better and back to school...phew! The poor guy lost 6 pounds while he was sick. But he is back in the saddle again and riding on my last nerve sometimes..lol The boy has to know where I am every second, where I am going, where I might go and where I have thought of going....I think it all has to do with dad being gone so much. He also has nagging down to a fine art...ignoring it doesn't work....believe me....I do it....and he keeps asking....even when he is sleeping!

Becca, well Becca is just...I don't even have words. How do you lose a $20 bus pass in January, two days after I give it to you...and turn around and do the same thing in February...at least this month she found it. She also has this unique gift for doing everything half way....washing the dishes, doing her laundry, cleaning the kitchen....none of it is ever completely done. It a bit maddening. What makes it even worse is that as I fuss and fuss...she just looks at me and has no idea what I am talking about.

Now Josh.....he doesn't even attempt to do what I have asked....oh wait let me take that back....he just pretends he did it. Perfect example....Saturday morning I told him to take all the snacks I bought for Children's Ministry out of the Jag and put them in the truck. Then I told him to vacuum the truck and clean it out. This morning a friend called to get a ride to church for herself and her two kids. So I sent Becca out ( I took a risk here first of all) to check if when Josh put the stuff in the truck he had to put the back seat down. If he did she needed to rearrange everything and put the seat up so that we had enough room for everyone. She comes in and I ask her if she took care of it...she said...well I put the seat up, but underneath it was all the stuff that was in the truck that Josh was suppose to clean out and he didn't vacuum it. So I went down stairs and got him out of bed and told him that if he did not get that truck cleaned and vacuumed before I was ready for church he wasn't going to the probowl. Of course he's all about anything football....so it got done.

Britt...well I don't have words. She was told by HPU that they would give her 80-100% worth of scholarships. She doesn't want it. I am at the point that if she doesn't get this much aid from another school...then she will be paying for it. Her dad forbid me to buy them new phones like I had planned to until they cleaned their rooms.....well you all know how likely it is that this has occurred....so she is really angry at the injustice of it all. Never mind that I forked out I don't know how much for her probowl weekend, picked her up at practice at 10pm every night, and the fact that she did not do a flippin thing she was suppose to do around here....but I am suppose to run out and get her what she wants...............................................she must think I am as brain damaged as she is!

Rick is gone:(

Work is great....but to borrow a term from my husband...I am busier than a one legged man in a butt whopping contest:)

I have so much more to say...but I am too tired:)

It's Not Hard.....

I know today is suppose to be walk it out Wednesday....but I have creative rights here:) Besides the topic today is my children...and if they don't keep me on my knees before the Lord...nothing does.

So you see...I teach a class until 9pm on Tuesday evening, a class that pays me very well...I make almost as much as I do in 8 hours in those three hours of teaching. So it makes sense to me that the whole family benefits (by whole family I mean those cell phone, clothes/sneaker/make-up wearing fools who do not do have JOBS) by me taking this class:)

So I try to go in later in on Wednesday's because I am tired, this means that I don't have time to get back to the house before I have to be at church. So the kids either get a ride with Shalei or catch the bus.

All they have to do is eat, bathe, get dressed, and get in the freakn car...ITS NOT HARD!!!!! But can they handle it? NOOOOOO They have to fight over what they are going to eat(even thought I tell them what to eat), who is going to cook it(tell them that too), if they are suppose to play the wii (they know they are not suppose to), and then finally who is going to sit where in Shalei's car.

So all the way ...I mean allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll the way home from church I had to hear about what they argued about all afternoon...and on top of that none of them ate dinner!!! How hard is it to wash your butt, feed your face, and dress the butt?

I will tell you it is much harder for them to do those things than it is for them to walk around with their hands out like I owe them something. You know what I do owe them something......A BIG FAT NOTHING SANDWICH!!!!!!


Ugh! I cannot wait for shore duty....its going to be like boot camp around here for them!

I'm So tired and its only Tuesday.....

So Rick tried to leave yesterday...but didn't...they left today:)

I went back to work yesterday after being off for almost a week and a half with Zach. I was greeted with 38 phone messages and 57 emails....took me all day just to deal with those:) Today had me working on the respite care contract and pulling my hair out trying to get state and federal agencies to play nice and share.....need I tell you how that worked out?

Tonight I taught a class that almost revolted on me when I told them I may not be their instructor next week....I have a respite meeting to be at. Oh! how I could clone myself so that I could be in two places at once. So it is 9:45 and I am jut getting home from work.

What did I come home to you ask? Well...a dirty kitchen and four children who wanted to share the injustices imposed on them by their siblings, a request for money, and news that a bomb blew up at one their high schools today. Pretty typical Cr**

Let me run this by you...Britt received an offer for a full ride scholarship to HPU here in Hawaii...but she doesn't want to go to that school...nor does she want the new car that comes with going to school on the island (hey...we figure a new car payment is cheaper than living expenses in another state).

Me, well I am 38 trying to decide what to get my master degree in for two reasons.....one I like school (I'm a knowledge junkie) and two if I am in school I do not have to pay back my student loans yet....at this rate I figure I will have a doctorates degree before I want to pay them off. I have two car payments, a mortgage, and a host of other bills.....how about if someone gives me a full ride scholarship and a free car!

Unexpected Happiness....

Well, I have been burning the midnight oil with Zachary being sick and last night I planned to go to bed at 7pm....for real Zachary was tired and I was tired...so my plans were to go to bed EARLY:)

So as I prepared to get ready to head upstairs for the evening when I decided to check my email one more time and to send Rick an email with the updates of the day. As I log in I see an email from the ombudsman....that said the boat was pulling in...NOW:)

So I scratched the whole going to bed thing, got things ready to drop off at church so I would be able to spend today with my husband, and headed out the door.

The email did not have a pier or a time....so that meant I had to drive around the waterfront to find the boat. Have you ever driven around looking for a large black submarine at night? Not such an easy task, I'll tell you! So I finally find them, and they look like they are offloading a bunch of stuff, so rather than take Zach out into the wind, I sit in the truck and read while he watches a movies.

After about an hour I got in touch with Rick and we headed home.....I was ok with not getting to bed at 7:)

I DO Have My Big Girl Panties on...I DO

I have never been what the Sub force calls a "My wife she problem", I have never whined and complained about DH's line of work, and I ALWAYS have my big girl panties on....I think they just might be giving me a wedgie today:)

If you read several of the prior posts you know that Zach has been sick and that I took him to the ER in the wee hours of Monday morning. They looked at him(barely) and declared that he had a virus and sent us home with Motrin and Tylenol. Only they didn't work and he continued to have a fever, refused to eat, and has been lethargic (so unlike him).

So, I tried to make an appointment for today, yesterday (did you get that?) They told me that I had to call back this morning and ask for a same day appointment. Which I did at 630 this morning and God had mercy on me because I did not have to wait on hold at all...that is a miracle my friends. I got him an appointment at 1120.

Let me back track a bit and say that my three other children all had brain cramps this morning....all three of them and the bus. I told Becca three times that there was two dollars in my wallet for her to take the bus. Why doesn't she just use her bus pass you ask? Well because she lost it less than 24 hours after I bought it. So about 520am she calls me to ask me if I can get out of bed after being up with her sick brother all night and bring her bus money because I forgot to give it to her...ummmm NO! So she had to run all the way back to the house to get bus money and by some miracle of miracles they made it school in time.

Next comes Britt. She comes and asks if I have a dollar because she missed her bus and she needs to take the city bus...ummm NO your sister took all the ones I had in my purse! I told her she needed to wait until I got up and got ready to take her brother to the doctor. So we dropped her off on our way.

We get to Tripler and drive around for 45 minutes...to find a parking spot...45 minutes. So we get in there and get in to see the doctor right away...another miracle. She listens to his lungs and asks me why the ER did not do a chest xray...ummm don't know...you should ask them. So she sends us down to have a chest xray and said she would call me with the results at home later.

Let me jut say at this point I knew he had pneumonia...don't ask me how...I just knew. Just like I knew Britts nose was broken, her knee was fractured, and Becca's numerous fractures and sprains were real.

So when she called me and told me that it was pneumonia I almost cried...you see I have been well aware of the fact that today is Rick's Birthday and I was cool with it...but then when she told me he had pneumonia I kind of wavered...I cannot tell a lie I had a tiny pitty party...

Enough of a pitty party that when the pharmacy clerk at Makalpa tried to tell me that she couldn't find his prescription after I drove all the way from Ewa to Pearl...that I pulled the myhusbandisdeployedIhavebeenupfordaysandifyoudon'tfindtheprescriptionaseniorchiefswifewillmaterializebeforeyoureyes fit! I am not proud of it...but like I said I think my big girl panties were giving me a wedgie!

Traveling Tuesday...

So the only place I went yesterday was to teach my class, because Zach was sick and I couldn't go to work during the day.

Not much was going on, on the road yesterday at 9pm when I came home. But today, I had to run out and get him more medicine because the poor guy is as sick as a dog still, if he doesn't get better I will have to take him into peds tomorrow.

Anyway, there is construction on Fort Weaver Road. Now for those of you who have never been to Hawaii or have never ventured out that far in Hawaii...Ft Weaver Road is the one road in and out of Ewa Beach...one way in and one way out. They are currently working on other ways in and out, but for the most part this is our only option. So we start at the off ramp to the hwy with four lanes, one of those lanes goes back on the hwy, and another is an exit to get off Fort Weaver. So as you come over the bridge there are two lanes, just pass the bridge it looks like it opens up to four lanes...but they trick you...it really doesn't. One of those lanes turns right into the hospital, and the other one merges into the lane next to it.

So...I come over the bridge and they are merging all the lanes into one lane...except the hospital lane....how come some of the donkeys who drive out here think it is ok to turn right into the hospital, turn around in the middle of the road (blocking those coming out of the hospital) and then turn right back onto Ft Weaver, by passing all the traffic?

Who do they think they are that they should be given an express lane and permission to do what ever they please? So, of course that lane that they turn into has to merge into the lane of people that just waited patiently for their turn to come across the intersection..do you think that there is a snowballs chance in hell that they are going to let those special people who just cut in front of everyone into their lane.....you guessed it...NO WAY!!!

So it makes for very entertaining driving to see these hot shots try to cut into the lane of law abiding citizens who have been waiting their turn. I mean can they really think that they are entitled to special treatment while the rest of us have to wait? What makes them so special that they should not have to wait in line?