Updates...

Wow!  Has it really been almost three months since I've posted?!  I guess life got in the way like it always does!  Since I've last posted....

• I graduated and recieved my certificate in phlebotomy (blood drawing) -yay me!
• LKS graduated from her program and recieved her degree - yay LKS!
•  We've had 4 visits from family
• My house got really messy (okay, it's always been messy, lol)



Lots more has happened, but I can't think of it all right now.  The kids and I just returned from a LONG, fun, LONG, exciting, did I mention LONG, weekend in Pennsylvania at Blue Knob State Park on Monday.  Me and my kids; Leah, Gene and Sarah; Matthew, Taya, and their kids; Dad and Kay; Gramma Baldwin; and Mom and Tim all went camping together.  Yup, two sets of divorced and remarried parents who hadn't seen eachother in oh.....eight years or so, and my Dad and Kay, and Gramma, had NEVER met Tim.  Considering that fact (yikes!), it was a really fun time and I'm so glad we went.  The kids all got a chance to hang out together, and mommy had a chance to relax and not worry about both boys 24-7.  Yes, there were many awkward moments, but isn't life all about those awkward moments? 

No??  Oh. 

Oh, well....lol!

So now that I have mountains and MOUNTAINS (there literally is a mountain of clothes right now in my laundry room!) of laundry to do, what did I decide to do instead?  fart around on the computer, yeah!  That's a good idea.  Maybe not.  I hear the laundry calling my name.  I think it's actually starting to creep out of the laundry room, slowly so I won't notice of course, and wind itself around my legs.  Ok, laundry, OK!  I'm COMING!  Sheesh, that laundry is impatient.  Alright, blogging can wait, back to real life. 

No fun.  But here's some fun pictures!  And oh yeah, I turned 29 again-hah!

Just To Warn You.....

....this will be a VERY WHINY post. I have had a crappy day, and I am going to whine about it. For those who dont care/don't want to hear about it, stop now!

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's go. Bring on the whine.

Ok so I had clinicals at the certain local hospital this morning, and a certain person there made me feel certainly very mad.

Ok I'm going to stop right now and just say What The Hell. They are having some sort of hiring day here at the lovely neighborhood McDonalds. So you can imagine the kinds of people who are here. Or maybe you can't.....let me tell you....there are 3 "ladies" sitting in the booth in front of me, one of them eating French fries and telling their little 2 year old to "shut the f*** up".
Across the aisle from them is a guy who is wearing a red t shirt that looks like my youngest took a pair of scissors to it, and is obviously high on SOMEthing.
The poor old people who are always sitting drinking their coffee look appalled at all that is going on. I just have to laugh and shake my head. And NOW it's time to leave, I've had just about all I can take, and the oldest's bus should be at the babysitters by now.

Reflecting.....

http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/?pid=3xoYP_53X3dom11kqRn_gfAfIjHtxTUh

What a sad time for the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), of Fort Campbell, Ky.  They have lost six soldiers in the last week.

http://www.defense.gov/releases/

I am praying for all the families involved, and all the families who still have loved ones in that area.  What a scary thing to know that your soldier is in that type of area.  I'm so glad my hubby is not there right now.

(image taken from Google)

On another note, I read something recently that made me stop and think.  It was something on Facebook (I believe) that someone had posted about how they had been complaining about the fact that their husband was gone all the time (I think they were in the Army).  Then after she had put her kids to bed one night, she sat down, looked around at her house, and saw what she REALLY had. 

Yes, her husband was gone a lot.  Yes, it was extremely hard most of the time.  But she had wonderful (free!) medical care for her and for her children.  She had the promise of her husband's job being secure, a safe comfortable place to live, and she had the incredible support system of other wives whose husbands were also deployed.  There are tons of single mothers who have the same challenges that military wives do, but they don't have that great support system.  It's still hard hearing your children say "I miss daddy...." and see the tears welling up in their eyes.  But I know her husband, as well as mine, does what they do so their family is secure.

Now I will be the FIRST to admit that I have not always looked very positively on the military way of life.  Even now, it depends on the day.  And I still have those days, like all military spouses do, when I think, "Why am I even doing this?  Why am I putting my family through this?  Look at what it's doing to my children, my marriage, my sanity, my LIFE." 

But gradually, over the last month or so, I've tried, REALLY tried, to compare my life right now to what it could be.  And you know what?  I've got it pretty good.  Thanks, honey :)  I love you!

Just look.....

     ....at this picture.  I saw this on Google news with the caption "A Japanese mourner cries for a loved one during a mass funeral in Higashimatsushima...".  This picture makes me so thankful for what I have.  My heart aches for this woman.  Who knows who she is mourning-parent, husband, God forbid child.....but this is the kind of heartwrenching picture that makes me ask "Why, God?  Why would you let this happen?".  Of course, I know God has a plan for all of us.  I just hope my plan never involves standing at a MASS funeral for loved ones.  May God bring her peace, and I wish I could hug her from where I am.  Not that it would do any real good, but she just looks like she needs a hug, and a shoulder to cry on.  And probably food, clothes, a house, and all the other "little" things we in America have, and don't even think about or appreciate. 
     How many of us have felt what the look on her face is feeling?  Hurt, lost, distraught, weak, fearful, pained.  Maybe one or two at some point, but all of them put together.....doubtful.  When I heard about the earthquake, I have to admit, at first, I didn't really think too much about it.  I guess maybe the severity hadn't hit me yet.  It was just another one of those things that had happened in another country, yeah, sucks for them, but glad it's not here!  Now, and especially after seeing this woman's picture, I am filled with so much emotion for people who have lost everything.  I pray that God's plan includes a speedy recovery and some semblance of the people of Japan's lives put back in order.

Re-Usable Lunch Sack!!

Yay!  I finally sewed something that doesn't look like it belongs on a spaceship!  I have been in the worst sewing funk lately.  But this tutorial:

http://alemonsqueezyhome.blogspot.com/2010/08/lunch-sack-tutorial.html

 from A Lemon Squeezy Home was so easy to follow, I had this bad boy:

whipped up in no time at all!  Well, in about an hour and a half, but, whatever.....  I've seen lots of tutorials for this before, but hers was the easiest to follow and she had great pictures.  I feel great that I accomplished something today!