80 degrees already!!!!!!!

I thought that letting the boys stay up late last night would encourage them to sleep late this morning. Boy was I wrong. They were both up and in my bed picking on each other before 7AM. We played around the house for a while and had breakfast. After Lane's morning nap we headed off to Walmart. I was planning to buy this storage bench but after looking at it again I wasn't sure. So we headed off to a few more places to see what they had. I found one that I really liked at Home Depot but of course they were out of it. So I came home with nothing. I still want to get something because I really want the boys to have somewhere to keep their outside toys other than just scattered on the porch looking trashy! I would love to buy some patio furniture but I think we should wait until we move. I don't want to have to leave it out in the horrible cold weather we have here and it's looking more and more like we will be here at least for one more winter.

When we got home I went straight out to set up the trampoline. Outside was beautiful today. We were all in shorts and short sleeves and sandals. The trampoline was easier to set up than I thought it was going to be. I did it all by myself...I'm so proud! Logan jumped for a while with the little girls next door. I set Lane on it but he wasn't too sure about it...he was also really tired and cranky though. When I came inside to look in the fridge for something to cook for dinner...I realized I was completely give out. So we ordered Chinese. After dinner the boys had baths and so did I. Now we are sitting around watching CSI. It is still really warm outside. The windows are open and the fan is going. I am enjoying every second of this warmth!!!!

While we were outside a few airplanes and helicopters went over which is pretty normal...I live directly next an Army post! Well Lane who has lived here his whole life was scared of both of them. Grant it they are loud but he should be use to it. But he's not. He did a little better by the time the third one went over but he gave it a good stare down. This picture is him watching the plane until it was completely out of sight!!!!

This is just a shot of the trampoline and my tiki torch. I bought the little stands for them today. So far it's working pretty good. We had a little trouble getting them to stay standing last summer so I thought I would try these. They were pretty I thought! I can't wait to have my own house to fix up!!!!

Lane woke up when I did this morning and he was the most loving little thing. We ended up laying in bed for 30 minutes. He just kept snuggling his little head up to my shoulder. It pushed me a little behind my normal schedule but times like those are worth being a little late. Work was fairly easy today. We stayed steady but not the normal crazy, exhausting Wednesday. I had the boys picked up and at home by 5. The weather was awesome...77 degrees when I left work! We played outside for about an hour and then came inside for dinner. After that we were back out for more playtime. Logan played with the little girls next door and Lane literally just ran. We got some bubbles out to. Lane didn't know what to think about those and Logan just ran after them. They were little dirt balls when we came inside. So it was straight to the bath and then snack time. Right now they are both still up and of course they are picking on each other. Lane keeps screaming at Logan because Logan is messing with him.

Tomorrow we are planning to put the trampoline back up. It's just the mat and net but I saw how hard it was to get those springs off...and Aaron did that! Arm strength is not my strong point! So wish me luck. This weather has really brighten all of our spirits. I know I certainly feel like a much better mom and I have a ton more energy...even thought I'm still sick with this cold...or allergies...or what ever it is that I have! It's amazing what a little sun and heat can do for this little southern girl!

Well I'm off to be lazy.

Spring is finally here

The weather has been so nice the last few days. Logan comes straight outside everyday and it's like pulling teeth trying to get him back inside. Yesterday we went outside after we got home and Logan played with the neighbor kids. Lane wondered around again searching for every puddle he could find. The sun had dried up a lot of the snow just in one day...it's pretty amazing...but he still managed to find water! We had dinner with our neighbors...they grilled some awesome burgers for me and I fixed Logan some fish sticks. (That's what he wanted...he missed out!) We ate outside and enjoyed the sun. It felt wonderful. When I finally dragged them in we were all beyond tired.

Aaron got on the webcam around 9:30 and not long after Logan woke up asking for him. So it was prefect because he got to see his Daddy. He didn't have much to say but it made him feel better just to see his dad. After talking to Aaron for a while we said goodnight and headed to bed.

After having a wonderful yet very real feeling dream that Aaron was home with us...I woke up looking for him. Not the best way to start the day but good at the same time because I'm less than 5 months away from having him home for good. I normally laze around in the bed as long as I can but this morning I was up and ready pretty early. The boys had their breakfast and we headed out. I stopped by Walmart before work to pick up a headlamp for Aaron and some allergy medicine for myself. This morning I started thinking that maybe I've developed allergies and this might be the cause of my stuffy head. This morning my eyes were burning and my nose doesn't seem any better. Well the allergy stuff helped my eyes throughout the day but now they are on fire again and I can't take any more of the meds until tomorrow morning. How crazy would it be if I've lived my whole life in Alabama where cars turn yellow with pollen and I never had any allergy problems. Yet living in Alaska where I haven't seen even on flake of pollen yet...I'm having symptoms that I've never had before! One of the girls at work mentioned the birch trees here. There are tons but they haven't bothered me any other year that I've lived here but I guess something could be different this year. I don't know...I just know my head feels has heavy as a bowling ball and my nose is holding about 40 lbs of nastiness! Ugggg...yeah I know that's really gross. I feel horrible because Logan is begging me to put up the trampoline but today I just could not get motivated. I just want to sit and do nothing!

Well I'm off to put Logan in bed and lay down myself. I don't think I could look at this computer screen for another minute...these eyes are killing me!

Weird dreams, country cooking, and warm days

I had a strange dream last night. Maybe I've been watching too much HGTV but I had a dream about rearranging my living room. Now I KNOW that my couch will not fit in my living room any other way...believe me I tried when we first got it. When we bought this couch the plan was to put it against the opposite wall and move the TV but when the couch arrived...it was too big to fit any other way than the way it sits now. (Have I mentioned how ready I am to move and get a nice house!!!!) But in my dream it worked...the couch was sitting in the one way that I had never tried...so I woke up determined to change the living room. Well this couch isn't exactly light weight but I did it. I push and scooted all three pieces until I had it the way it was in my dream...well it didn't work. There was barely any room to walk. So I moved it back to the way it was. The good thing about this whole deal was that I did some major cleaning. The boys found toys under the couch that they had completely forgotten they had and I vacuumed crumbs that have probably been there since Aaron left...gross!!!! At least now I can say the living room has really had a deep cleaning!

We headed off to the grocery store and picked up a few more things for Aaron. He's going to have some good food once these boxes get to him. I bought him a small crock pot so I hoping that he will be able to pour in one of his canned soups in the morning and then have a hot meal waiting on him when he comes home!

When we got home I got started cooking a yummy dinner. There is nothing better than country cooking and I've been missing Grandmother's cooking for far to long. Mine just never tastes as good as hers. I did manage to cook a pretty tasty meal tonight. We had country fried steak, fried squash, turnip greens, and a salad. Believe it or not I got Logan to try it all except the turnip greens. He sniffed those and stuck it to his tongue and then put it back on his plate. Lane made a huge mess and I'm not sure how much he really ate but I'm pretty sure he did eat some. For dessert we had some strawberry shortcake which the boys loved. Lane was really upset when it was all gone.

Logan got invited to play outside with our neighbor, Wyatt. So he headed out while I cleaned up and then Lane and I went out ourselves. It was about 61 degrees...so nice. The snow is still melting so the backyard was full of water and snow and ice. Logan played some tball and Lane explored. Little Lane was not at all afraid of a little water. He waded right through it and ended up going in early because his pants and shoes were soaking wet. Logan had a blast and was so glad to be outside. I'm so glad the weather is better. In just about a month all this snow should be gone and the ground should be dry. I'm not sure I'll ever get these boys to stay in the house!!!!

Lovely Saturday

The boys and I were fairly lazy today. This morning Lane and I still had our runny noses. We were both feeling lazy and ended up taking an early morning nap while Logan watched cartoons. Throughout the day the boys managed to pull out every toy they could find and completely covered the living room floor with toys! After the boys had lunch I tossed them both in the bath. Lane had fed himself his macaroni and cheese so you can imagine just how orange his face was! Once bathed and lotioned up I laid them both down for an afternoon nap which allowed for some nice quiet time for me.

When the boys got up, we got dressed and headed off to Walmart. Aaron had made a few request so we were picking up stuff for him plus some of the basics for us. The boys were in good moods and it turned out to be a nice outing. We picked out some good food for Daddy and Logan picked him out some snacks and grabbed some strawberries for himself. While we were shopping Logan informed me of some new plans he has made for when Daddy gets home. We have to go to Taco Bell because "Daddy will want to eat there." I hope Aaron doesn't mind following Logan list because Logan just about has every day planned out. I know it's going to make him mad when I steal Daddy away for a romantic dinner but we have an anniversary to celebrate when he gets home!

On the ride home the boys and I had a blast. Logan had a few song request so we turned the music up and we all danced and sang along. Logan is just like me when it comes to singing in the car...which means you sing at the top of your lungs and completely ignore the strange looks you get from other drivers! Lane wasn't quiet sure about us and he was looking at us a little funny...maybe he will take after his dad and just hide his face when we act like that!!!!!

While putting the groceries away Aaron called. Logan was all wound up and was talking so fast Aaron couldn't understand him. He was doing good. He had just got up and was getting his day started. After we finished talking to him we sat down for some TV time. Logan wanted to watch Cops. He loves that show and will run around singing "bad boys bad boys, watcha gonna do, bad boys bad boys!" He even dances a little! He is pretty fascinated by police and had his little police car out to play with while he watched the show. Lane was running around putting on every one's shoes and playing with his glow worm. He has figured out how to climb off the couch so now he wants to get on the couch just so he can get off the couch. I let the boys stay up a little later tonight. They were in good moods and were laughing and playing pretty well together. They even helped me clean up!!!! Now Lane is in bed and Logan is sleeping on the couch.

Two months from now I should be sitting on the couch with my handsome lover! I get butterflies just thinking about it!!!!!!! I love you honey. More than you will ever know!

Sniffle, sniffle

If I had a quarter for every time I had to blow my nose today I would almost be rich! But I have felt a lot better so I really shouldn't be complaining. Work wasn't too bad but I didn't get out of there until almost 5. I picked up the boys and then some KFC. After dinner the boys and I have just been sitting around. Lane threw his first tantrum. I really don't know what got it started but he was crying and next thing I know he throws himself on the floor and just cries and kicks his feet. I was in shock but I just walked away and continued about my business like I had never noticed him. He did it twice and I don't know what started it either time. He eventually stopped both times without any attention from me or Logan so hopefully he will learn real fast that doesn't work with me! I just can't believe this little guy sometimes!

I need to take his pacifier away but right now my patience is way to thin to deal with that. I keep his passy in his crib and it doesn't leave the house with us unless we are going to church. But he always manages to find one. It's like he has a stash somewhere that I don't know about. Today he had one in his mouth and I told him to bring it to me. So he did. He bent his head down and put the passy in my hand while it was still in his mouth. As he started to stand back up I pulled it out of his mouth. Well he though it was so funny. So I had to stop. With Logan taking his passy away wasn't a big deal. I just stopped letting him have it. But I also was living with my mom at the time (Aaron was deployed then) so I had a little help when I got overwhelmed. Also Lane is way more attached to his passy than Logan ever was. It's a battle I'm going to have to fight...I've just got to get my battle plan ready!

Well I'm going to get off here. Lane is crying because he's extremely tired and Logan is picking on Lane which of course makes the crying worse. Tonight on the way home Lane started calling me, "Moooommmmaaaaaa," with a whine to it. Well Logan joined in so they both called, "Mooommmmaaaaaa," over and over for no reason at all. I have to admit it was a bit funny in the beginning but after 5 minutes of hearing it I was going nuts. Thankfully the ride home isn't too long! Well time for little boys to head to bed. It's going to be an early night for us!

Sick Day...ugggg

This morning just started off rough. First of all when I first woke up Lane was in bed with me and was sleeping face down. I am one of those parents that still checks both of my kids to make sure they are breathing so I automatically reach out to touch his back to "feel" him breath. Well I don't feel anything so I panic and shake (not enough to harm him!) him. Of course he was perfectly fine and I scared the crap out of him. Poor boy starts crying and literally jumps up. I felt so bad but I was scared! My alarm must have woke Logan up because he comes trotting in before I even get out of bed. So instead of my normal 30 minutes of peace in the morning I get zero! Lane decided to pull out everything in my cabinets and Logan proceeded to tell on Lane with every move that he made. So on top of all this my throat was killing me and my sinuses were all stopped up...and running. I swear my nose would run but when I would blow it nothing came out! Very irritating!

By the time I got to work I was already exhausted. By 12:00 I just felt horrible. I ate some lunch thinking that might help but it made it worse. My stomach would just not settle and all I wanted to do was climb in bed and close my eyes. Work was rather slow today so I headed out around 1 and came straight home. I think I was already asleep before my head hit the pillow. I woke up a few time but I was up for good at 4:30. I had a ceremony I was suppose to go to tonight and I was debating on whether I should go or not. I wanted to but just didn't feel like going. I ended up throwing a skirt on and grabbed the boys. (At which time I realized it had started raining. Lovely! )They were providing free child care and I knew I would just be sitting so I thought I would survive. Half way through I was wishing I was still at home in my bed. But I was nominated as Volunteer of the Year by my FRG (Family Readiness Group...it an Army thing...we provide support to the families of all the soldiers. My job is to support the families of all the single soldiers in our troop...so I have about 30 families that I get to help and answer questions for...I love what I do!). I have to admit it did feel good to get nominated and not for any special recognition but that just lets me know that I'm doing a good job for my families and that they feel like they are getting the attention and dedication to the job that they deserve. Even more exciting is that our unit FRG was recognized as the FRG that logged the most volunteer hours this year post wide. So basically that means that our group works super hard and has spent more time than any other FRG at Ft. Wainwright. We were pretty honored!

The boys and I got home and finally ate the dinner that I had bought before the ceremony. The boys were fed snacks while in the child care there so they didn't get to eat their Burger King. They didn't seem to care that it was cold and refused to wait for me to heat it up. As soon as we were all changed and dinner was done I plopped myself down on the couch with a Theraflu in hand. Lane just went to bed and Logan will be heading that way in about 6 minutes! Then I'm off to bed myself. Hopefully tomorrow I will be felling a lot better. I want to go to work...I've kind of missed that place this week!

Tonight was the first night I wore my new shirt so I had to get a picture.

Wednesday

Aaron called this morning to tell us good morning...or good evening for him...while we were getting ready to head off to work and school. We didn't get to chat long but a simple hello can mean so much when you are this far away. Just to know he's ok and thinking about me is enough to brighten my day.

Lane stayed at Heather's today and Logan went to school. Heather's husband is home on R & R and I hated asking her to watch him but she and Josh wanted Lane to come over. Josh and Aaron grew up together so he's a bit closer to our boys. Josh did agree with me that Lane acts a LOT like his father!

When I got off work I picked up Logan but Heather and Josh were out and about so they asked if they could keep him longer. So Logan and I came home and I cooked dinner. We even had some ice cream together and watched cartoons...as if anything else comes on our TV. When Lane got home the boys were making up for time apart. They were rough housing so bad. I'm trying to not let it bother me but Logan is rather rough with Lane but Lane doesn't seem to mind. In fact Logan just pulled on Lane and Lane fell straight back on his head. He made this "owww" sounding noise and then started laughing. So I guess it looked and sounded worse than it was.

Logan however is mad at me right now because I won't give him ANOTHER snack. Remember we had ice cream after dinner. He barely ate any of his dinner so the ice cream was probably not what he needed in the first place. This kid would eat nothing but junk food all day if I would let him. I was taking a picture of Lane but ended up getting the greatest picture of Logan. Check out his face...this is him being mad at me! Lane is in the background climbing...imagine that...on his car seat. It's flipped over on it's back and he's standing on it. He's already fallen face first out of it but after a minute of crying he was right back to climbing.

One thing I forgot to mention in one of my post earlier in the week is that Lane had another checkup on his collar bone. It is healing great and he is not scheduled for anymore checkups. So we've made it through our first broken bone. I really wish I could say it was the last...but my gut tells me otherwise!

More cleaning!

My plans changed a little from what I thought I was going to do today. I decided to go through our storage/coat closet. The closet the goes under the stairs wraps all the way around so we use that for our storage plus it hold shoes and coats...and lately whatever else didn't have a home! Lane and I went to Walmart after dropping Logan off at school and got some organizational tools. I needed some boxes to store stuff in and to organize everything so I could find it. I ended up pulling some of the stuff out of storage and going through it and throwing some away. I found myself wondering why we moved some of that junk into this house instead of just throwing it away then. I couldn't tell you why we saved it! So now it's in the trash and everything is put back where I know where it is. If you want to know where our family videos are...I know where they are! If you want to know where my cross stitching stuff is...I can get right to it!!! If you want to know where my Kate Spade purse is that I forgot I had...I can find it!

After picking Logan up we headed back to Walmart for a few more things. I needed some of those little plastic drawers to finish up the closet. We needed somewhere to put our hats, gloves, and scarfs. I needed a place to put some of my crafty stuff that I use regularly...like stuff to wrap gifts and markers and paper for Logan to draw with, and glue, and my glue gun. You get the point. We also needed something to put keep sake stuff in. I got a box for each of the boys and one for Aaron and I. Now I have somewhere to put all those birthday cards I've been saving. Everything is now stored away and LABELED! Got to love a label maker.

So once again, before and after pics. Remember though it is a storage closet so it can't be all perfectly decorated!

Logan wants to keep his shoes all the way in the back so that he has a reason to walk in there. He thinks it's so neat for some reason. Both of the boys decided this was a fun play area. I had to boot them both out before they started pulling stuff out of the drawers!

Well I'm off to get ready for bed. Back to work tomorrow so all this cleaning will have to go on hold. I'm motivated though...it will get done!!!!

Welcome baby Liam!!!!!!!!

I am so excited to announce the arrival of our nephew Liam Thomas. Aaron's oldest brother Art has just added a new addition to his beautiful family. After two precious girls he now has the little boy he's always wanted!

Liam arrived early this morning around 10:30 AM eastern time. I was lucky enough to talk with the proud Daddy this morning. Both baby and mommy are doing great. Liam is a healthy 8 lb 9 oz and 20 inches long.

Oh how I wish I was within driving distance. Logan keeps asking me about his "new cousin." Hopefully we will get to see him before too long. I just can't wait to get closer so that we can drive to see family on long weekends. I miss those days!

Congratulations Art and Amber. We are so happy for you both.

A little different Monday

Well I sort of feel like I've taken a mini vacation. I haven't worked since last Wednesday so by the time I go back it will have been a whole week. I have decided to take advantage of this time and do a little spring cleaning. Granted I'm not making myself sweat with serious working...but I'm giving myself about two month to get it all done!!! (Meaning by the time Aaron gets home!!!!) I plan to get rid of a lot of junk. I want to clean out a lot of the boys toys and get rid of the "baby" toys because Lane doesn't play with them anymore. Also I have all my baby stuff, like the swing, bassinet, bouncy seat, that I want to get rid of. Unless God has other plans there will be no more little ones running around this house! You know it's amazing how much junk you accumulate over the years. The Army moves us based on weight so in order not to go over our allotted weight (if we go over the weight we pay the difference) I need to rid our self of the stuff we never use. And hopefully this winter we will be moving!!!!!

One thing I notice I accumulate a lot of is paper. Everywhere I turn I see paper. Whether it's drawings that Logan has done, or bills, or magazines. There is always some kind of paper in my way. So yesterday I rid myself of a lot of that. I'm having a really hard time deciding what to do with all Logan's "art" work. Some of it I just can't keep. Everyday he comes home with two or three half pieces of construction paper and it has maybe one crayon mark on it. Some people may think I'm mean but if I saved every one of those we would be swimming in paper! So I've made a rule. If it comes home with a date and a description (sometimes they write what it is or what they were doing when he drew it) then those will be kept. Believe me, I'm still keeping a ton of stuff!!! Now I've got to get something to keep it in. I have these little keep sake boxes for both of them but they are both already full.

So in the attempt of not getting discouraged in my spring cleaning, I'm starting small. I decided yesterday to clean the counter. I have this counter that really serves no other purpose other than to hold my junk. If my table wasn't so big I guess I could put bar stools up there but since it's big...the counter has become my catch all. And do mean catch ALL! I'm really embarrassed to put this picture up but I'm pretty proud of the job I've done so I will. Some people have a catch all drawer...I had a catch all counter!

Yes I know it's horrible. So yesterday I put most of this in the trash and found homes for the rest. Now that looks like this!Now I'm working on the kitchen which really just needed a deep cleaning although I do plan to organize the pantry a little better and then comes the living room and the boy's playroom. I'm kind of waiting for Lane to get a little better at going down the stairs so that I can leave the gate off the stairs. My plan is to move ALL the boys toys up to the playroom and reclaim my living room. Right now it's over run with toys!

Yesterday afternoon Logan wanted to go for a walk. So we did. The sun was out but there was still a chill in the air. My hands were pretty cold by the time we got back. We did walk behind our house...and this is what my backyard looks like!

Still way to white for my taste! Well I'm about to get busy with my cleaning. Wish me luck!

7 months down!

I just got off a great webcam visit with the love of my life. Lane was already in bed but Logan got to chat with Daddy. They had a lot of fun picking on each other and making their plans for when Aaron gets home on RnR. Logan is so excited. Only about two more months!!!!

Yesterday we all laid around and had a lazy day. Logan had a birthday party to go to so we went to that and then headed back home. Lane was super tired and cranky so he took a good nap while I cooked dinner. I was shocked that the boys actually ate some of it. But I guess mac and cheese will win over any kid!

Here are a few pictures from the party. These were Logan's light sabers!

Jumping in the bounce house!
He was nervous about popping the balloon.
I wore my "skinny" jeans yesterday. Logan took a picture so I could show Daddy. It's a little crooked!

This morning we headed off to church. Cassie and I tried a different one but the kids were working against us. Lane and Tristan did not want to stay quiet and we all ended up sitting in the nursery rather than listening to the sermon. Afterwards we all had lunch at McDonald's. Logan's idea of course! Then me and the boys headed home to take a much needed nap. When we got up Logan wanted to play the Wii. Well he ended up playing the Wii Fit and doing some Yoga. Lane was on mission to mess him up! But it was really cute and I snapped some cute pictures.

As you can tell...Logan didn't appreciate Lane's help!

If you look hard...you can see that Lane is laughing...Logan however is not!!! Got to love little brothers!

Lane was pushing Logan off the board!

Finally Lane stopped and Logan got started on his Yoga! Lane is in his own little world blowing a whistle!

He's working on his abs here!! At least now Lane's cheering him on!

After this excitement Lane decided to learn how to walk down the stairs. My nerves were going crazy. This little boy is way to brave and he is VERY determined. He started out by holding my hand, then when he had that down he held onto the wall, and he didn't stop until he could do it without holding onto anything. He did fall a few times but nothing to crazy and nothing scared him. If he fell he would march right back up to the stair he just fell on and do it again without falling. He wouldn't stop until he came down them all by himself without falling. I've got it on video but once again I can't get the video to load. I don't get it. I'm going to play around with it and hopefully it will work. If so I'll post it later.

This next week is going to be a bit different. Lane sitter has taken a vacation so instead of working Mon-Wed I'm going to be working Wed-Fri. Lane heads back to the doctor to have his collarbone rechecked tomorrow. So I'll be sure to let you know how that goes! Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Wed, Thur, and Today

So I know I've been slacking the last few days but I've been busy and when I'm not busy I've got two boys who are driving me crazy. Wednesday night was a fairly good day at work. I got off by 4, picked the boys up and fed them all before 6. Both boys were pushing my buttons all night. Neither would listen, both were whining, and I was losing my mind. They were in bed by 8:30 just not asleep. Lane fell asleep fairly quickly and Logan ended up waking him up. I tried to ignore it but that is next to impossible with these two. Both of them screamed for me and I couldn't console either of them...they were just too tired. When I finally went to bed I was completely stressed.

This was the face he gave me pretty much all Wednesday night!

Thursday started off a lot better. Logan stayed home with Lane and I. Once we were all dressed we headed off to do a lot of running around. I went to two different places to get estimates to get my car fixed...remember the Walmart carts! I was pretty surprised that it was going to cost a lot more than I expected to fix it. Both places told me that it could not be completely buffed out and that the whole bumper would have to be repainted. I'm so thankful that I walked out when I did because if not I would be stuck paying to fix it myself.

Next we got Logan signed up for baseball. The league he is old enough for is just for beginners and it teaches them all the basics which is good. I think he will learn a lot. I'm just glad they finally got something for him. Usually all the sports are for 5 and up so he hasn't gotten to play yet. He doesn't start until the first of May though. The lady at the place gave both the boys some candy. Lane got a sucker which he loved! It was his first. He was covered with red sticky! He enjoyed every minute of it.I'm completely confused as to why this picture is sideways. It's not turned this way until I upload it...I don't know! But you get the idea...he was trying to share!Logan was being cute...he wanted his picture taken too!

We then dropped Aaron's computer off to be fixed...not sure if I told but his gun managed to break his computer screen on his laptop. So he sent it home with a friend. And for our last stop of the day we headed to Walmart to get the oil changed in my car. We walked around there forever and got a few groceries. I bought a few things for Aaron and a present for the birthday party that Logan got invited to. After all this we headed home. Lane was pooped and fell asleep in the car...the whole 5 minutes it takes to get from Walmart to our house! He slept in the floor for about 15 minutes while I cooked dinner. We had fried catfish, hush puppies, coleslaw, and roasted potatoes....oh and sweet tea...I thought it was a wonderful dinner...one of the best we have had in while...but of course the boys didn't eat. Logan ate a few bites of catfish and half of a hush puppy. Lane ate a few bites of his hush puppy and threw the rest. I just don't get it. I got it all out and I even let Logan do a little helping while I was getting stuff prepared to cook. But nothing helped. Once I told him he had to taste everything he helped cook then his helping ended. I just don't get it. How can you not like HOMEMADE catfish and hush puppies. My boys have been to far from the south for way to long.

Last night the boys went right to sleep and I got to enjoy a great phone call from Aaron. He is working on reenlistment papers. We are doing everything we can to get back close to family but the Army is not really working with us right now. Nothing is official yet so I will wait until we know more to share. But overall Aaron is doing good. He sounded good and we laughed together. I love his laugh!

Logan went to school today and Lane and I did some shopping. Well we looked anyway. One of the big stores around here is closing and I keep seeing advertising for a the HUGE sales they are having. Well I wasn't too impressed. I've seen better sales when I was in there in the past. Next we went to the "mall" that is around here. It really isn't even big enough to be called a mall but around here they call it that. There wasn't anything to exciting there either. I did manage a pair of "skinny" jeans. I really liked them which was surprising because I haven't exactly embraced the "skinny" jean yet but these were really cute and I really liked how they fit. I'll have to get some pictures. My new wardrobe is coming together and I can't wait to show it off for Aaron. There are few pieces that I am saving to wear out to dinner with him. I can't wait to see him.

The computer people called today to tell me that Aaron's computer was ready. I was shocked...that was super fast. Logan was so excited when I picked him up because he was going to get to go home and watch a movie on Daddy's computer. I don't know why he thinks that is so cool but he loves it. Right now the boys are running around. Lane is getting more and more brave. He is climbing even more. You would think that a child who has already fallen and broken a collarbone would be more careful...but no...he's worse than Logan ever was. He scares me. He has been pulling chairs and stools up to the couch so that he can climb up on the couch...and then starts walking across the pillows or whatever is in his way. And the starts to fall. Lucky for him I've been right there every time so I've saved him but I don't know how to stop this. Yesterday he stood up in the highchair. I even called my mom to ask if she EVER remembered Logan doing that. No...he never did. This child is going to frazzle all my nerves. I just spanked his hand and he laughed at me. Aaron you are going to have to be in charge of his discipline.

In this picture he is trying to climb on the couch. He brought this chair over all by himself. And this passy....before I get an ear full over it!!!!...he found it in the toy basket...it is way to small for his mouth...it's for a baby age 0-3 months. He has to hold it in his mouth with his teeth because it's not long enough for him to suck on. He thinks it's so funny when I try to pull it out of his mouth so I figure better to let him play with it than to make a game out of taking it away!In closing I wanted to let Aaron know that I received a lovely gift in the mail yesterday. It's very pretty and something that I've wanted...but couldn't bring myself to spend that much on myself. So thank you babe...you are the best!

Relaxing time

It is 8:30 and the boys are in bed. Those boys have been pushing my buttons as much as they can the past two days. They were in bed last night at 8:30 too. Aaron called around 9 and was shocked that both boys were already asleep. Usually Logan is still fighting me at that time but this week I have been making them both go to bed at the same time. It's pretty nice because I then have a whole hour to myself to just have some peace and quiet. It will be even nicer when Aaron is home because that will be our time together. I can't wait!

Today and yesterday were pretty much the same. Nothing new to report. Just the same ole work and school routine. Work has been pretty busy this week and I feel like I'm running like a mad woman sometimes but it helps the days to pass so I'm not complaining. I keep saying that when we finished early one day I'm going to give myself a microderm but I've yet to do it. I'm going to have to beg one of the girls to do it for me so that I can be pampered a bit. Maybe someone will want to trade off. Have I mentioned I love my job!!!!

So I'm about to dry my hair and then stretch out on the couch with my heating pad and relax for a bit. Then I'm off to bed. Maybe I will be lucky enough to get a sweet phone call from my lover boy tonight!!!! What better way to start my dreams!

I'm going to leave you with a picture I took on Sunday but never posted. I took if after I had already taken the others off my camera but it's just too funny not to share. So I've mentioned how Lane likes to wear shoes. Well he brings me one of my heels the other night and holds his foot up for me to put it on. So I did and he took off. He was walking pretty good in it but when it came off he was just as mad as usual. These boys of mine are just too funny sometimes!

Happy Easter

The boys and I had a wonderful Easter today. The boys were super excited when they got up but not over their gifts from the Easter Bunny but from finding the eggs that the Easter Bunny hid for him. Even Lane got into looking for them. I bet a whole 5 minutes went by before they even noticed they had gifts and candy. Lane did not quite understand that throwing the eggs was not good. Good think you boil the eggs first because when Lane would find one he would stand in the kitchen entrance and throw the egg like it was a ball. He thought it was so funny. He was also excited about the candy. He was trying to eat it with the paper still on!
They were looking for more eggs!After checking out their stuff we had breakfast and then headed upstairs to get dressed. They looked so cute in their Easter outfits.
Out of five pictures this was the only one where both of them were looking!

Cassie and I met up and went to Friends church again. It was a little different this time because they held church at the local civic center. There are always a lot of people at this church but they had done a lot of promoting in hopes of having a huge turnout. Well they did a great job. I'm not sure how many but there were a ton of people there. This place was packed. How amazing that in a place that held a country concert two nights before...was filled with people who were there to worship God.

The message was pretty amazing and the whole service I could feel the spirit of God. He was really touching my heart. I wanted to share a few of the verses that were talked about today. The message was about the power of lasting friendships and how God commanded that we "love each other in the same way" that he loves us. (John 15:12 (NLT)) Eph. 4:2 (NLT) says, "Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." But my favorite of all is one that we have all heard, 1 Cor. 13:7, "Love always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres." For me the most touching part of the service was at the very end when I was brought to tears. One by one someone walked up and hung up their troubles on the cross. Pride. Fear. Addiction. Sorrow. Lust. Greed.

All of our sins were washed away because:I can't thank God enough for sending his son to die for my sins. Because God loves a sinner like me, I am forgiven. And all I had to do was ask him to forgive me and believe. How amazing is that!

After church we all went to eat. I had a really good steak which I have to admit is possibly the best meal I've have had since Aaron left. Maybe it's because I was so hungry but it was really good. Then the boys and I came home to take a nap. Lane didn't quite make it til home!

When we got up we headed to Walmart. The Easter Bunny had gotten the wrong light saber for Logan so we switched it out. The Easter Bunny is super busy so sometimes even SHE messes up! But no harm done they had the right one and Logan was super excited to play with it. When we walked out of Walmart there were some cart guys pushing a huge line of carts past my car. Well they started to curve...then curve some more...well instead of stopping they kept going and hit my car! They acted like they had not hit it and only gotten EXTREMELY close when they realized it was MY car and I just watched them do it. But sure enough when I looked there were marks. I drove up to the guys and told them I wanted a manager to look at my car. Granted it was not terrible and there were not dents but the marks would have to be buffed out and I wasn't going to do it nor was I going to pay for it. They were not happy with me and I explained that I knew it was an accident but accident or not...it was their problem to fix. Management didn't exactly come out apologizing. In fact no one has told me they are sorry for what happy. They did fill out an accident report and told me that their insurance company should be contacting me tomorrow and they would pay to have it fixed. Like I said, it's not that bad and simple buff job should take care of it. But it still irritated me all the same. My car is super dirty so please look past that! It is breakup and the roads are covered with water, dirt, and rocks. So washing my car right now would be pointless. But in this picture you can see the 3 little scuff marks along the bumper.
But anyway, at least they are going to take care of it...and I might get a wash job out of the deal! Goodness knows I need it! Just didn't want to do it yet because it will look like this two days afterwards! Well the boys are in bed and I'm about to kick back watch some TV. Only about 10 more weeks til Aaron gets home!!!!

Easter Eve

Today's post is going to be pretty short. We didn't do much of anything today so I really don't have anything to thrilling to write about. The best part of the day came at 8:00 AM when I got a wake up call from Aaron. He told me he had a headset and he was waiting for me on Skype. That meant that we could see each other on the webcam and talk and hear each other at the same time! Yay!!! We talked for a while and he got to watch the boys run around. I'm getting spoiled with the webcam...two days in a row! I'm one lucky girl! Seeing him is so refreshing. You can always make your voice sound happy on the phone but for me...I can read someone like a book as long as I can look at them. Aaron of course thinks he's great at hiding all emotion from me but he knows can I always tell his mood just by taking one look at him. His sly little smile gets him in more trouble than anything else! I love that sneaking little grin. In fact that same grin is partly what wins me over when we argue. How on earth can I be mad at him when looks so dang hot! Anyway, I'm rambling.

The boys and I threw on sweats and headed off to exchange Logan's shoes that he's wearing tomorrow to church. The ones I bought were to big. I was going to switch Lane's outfit to a different color but Logan INSISTED on matching Lane. If I was going to dress Lane in gray he wanted the gray outfit. As long as Lane was wearing the blue one then Logan wanted to wear that. So since I had only brought Lane's outfit to exchange we decided to keep the blue and just wear that. No need in spending extra money when the boys were content with what they already had. Afterward we just rode around with the windows cracked and enjoyed the 46 degree weather. Logan wanted to listen to Brittany Spears so we danced and sang as we rode. We didn't do anything but just being out of the house and feeling the warm sun was just what we all needed. After riding around for about 30 minutes the boys started getting droopy eyes so we headed home and we all enjoyed a nap. Logan protest but he ended up sleeping longer than Lane and I. I made fajitas for me and Logan but as I started cooking them Logan refused to even try them. So I just fixed him some of the Beefaroni that I warmed up for Lane. Logan still refused to eat that so Lane ate his and half of Logan's. I don't get it...one of my kids doesn't want to touch anything I put in front of him and the other one just can't get enough to eat.

Of course after dinner Lane was in desperate need of a bath so I cleaned them both and jumped in the shower myself. I've given up on having any privacy until Aaron comes home. Both boys do not understand that I would like to take a warm shower which would include having the door closed. In the moments where I feel the breeze I don't care whether they are in or out...just leave the door closed. When I turned the water off I realized I was talking to myself and the door was wide open. They were in the playroom. Logan had plugged in the fan and both were seeing what they could stick in it. I had already checked and knew that no fingers could get in and hurt but I see my one year old finding every toy he can and sticking it in and laughing. That boy! When he finally got something in there it of course made that horrible noise and scared him really bad. He came running to me with that terrified look on his face. I wish I could say that deterred him from doing it again but it didn't. When I turned around he started trying again. I had to move the fan and threaten both not to touch it before it got left alone. I think one of the reasons I don't go much of anywhere is because I pretty much have my house Lane proofed. I at least know that for the most part he can't severely hurt himself...but he can tear up plenty of stuff. Or so he's proving! I had to put locks on the cabinets today because he kept getting under the sink and in the cleaning supplies. He got so mad when he tried to open it and couldn't.

Well I'm off to bed. The Easter bunny has already stopped by and I know one little boy who is very excited to hunt his eggs in the morning. So I better get to sleep because I know I will be up way before I want to! Goodnight!

Getting ready for Easter

Thursdays are always a day I look forward to. Well mostly. It means I get to sleep late...later...as long the boys allow. Yesterday they let me sleep until 8...which for my early risers is fairly late! It started off as any normal day. Logan wanted to stay with me so I let him. We did a little shopping which started with Barnes & Noble. I bought two Nicholas Sparks books. I started reading Dear John. So far I'm really enjoying it mainly because so far it's made me think back and remember every detail of when I met Aaron. All those feelings of young first love just all come back to me and I fall more in love with him than ever. So much about the way the couple in the book meets makes me think of when I met Aaron. And the fact that "John" is in the Army helps. I'm not sure most of you know about how I met Aaron. It was truly love at first sight which I know most people don't believe in. But to give you a little timeline, we had declared our love for each other less than 2 weeks after we met. We had met each other's family in less than a month and married in less than two month. Everyone thought we were completely insane but we knew what we felt and we knew it was something we would never find with anyone else. We wanted to be together...what can I say! He captured my heart and refuses to give it back...and to be honest...I don't want it!

Back to our shopping trip. I was looking for something for the boys to wear to church on Easter. I looked and looked and but couldn't find anything until today. I ended up buying them matching outfits which Aaron thinks is crazy but I love dressing them alike. As long as Logan doesn't mind anyway. I ended up getting them shorts which is not really what I wanted but there wasn't much to choose from. They got blue plaid shorts with matching shoes and blue polos. Even Aaron admitted it "wasn't that bad!" I do dress them a little preppy or GQ as some would call it but I love it and they just look like little men. Logan likes it too. He's gotten more into what he wears and often picks out his shirt for the days. He likes wearing his little polos and will often ask me if he can wear one instead of a tshirt. So he likes looking good! Some clothes that I ordered for me a while back finally came in so the shirt I'm wearing is one of those new shirts. It's pretty springy looking. It's not warm enough here for me to wear a dress. The boys shorts are rather long so their legs are mostly covered. Even if it was warm enough, I haven't seen one I would be caught in. Shopping here is horrible.

Last night I watched Amy's kids for her while she went to school. We had an FRG meeting so I manned 4 kiddos while I was there. Can't say that I want to do that again though. When we got back to the house Amy showed up not too long after and then I got the boys ready for bed. They had been quite the handful most of the day yesterday so I needed the relaxing time. Of course that is when I dived into my book!

Today Logan went to school and I was back on my Easter clothes shopping quest. Aaron called and I got to talk to him for a while. He promised to call back later so he could talk to Logan. I ran in at work for a while and ended up having to get a TB test. That was loads of fun. Afterwards Lane and I picked Logan up and then headed home. Just in time to grab a phone call from Aaron. We also ended up getting to see him on the webcam so it was a great day. Both the boys were so excited to see him and Lane was getting mad because I wouldn't let him press buttons on the computer. He was quite the whiner tonight. He has developed a love for shoes. Lately he is always wanting me to put shoes on him. Anyone's shoes...my shoes, Logan shoes, and sometimes even his own shoes. Of course mine and Logan shoes come off him and he has trouble walking in them but he gets SO mad when that happens. Here's a picture from yesterday when he was trying to wear my shoe:And then one from today. He was wearing one of his shoes but trying to wear one of Logan's to. Of course Logan's was falling off. He was mad!

Logan dyed his Easter eggs tonight. He had a lot of fun. We made tie-dyed Easter eggs. They were pretty neat and easy for Logan to do. We also dyed a couple of solid ones to add stickers to. Yes Aaron I know I said I didn't have any stickers but one of the dying kits came with some. So Logan is excited to add the stickers after they dry...like his Daddy said to do!!! Here are a few pictures:

This was how you tie-dyed the eggs. You added the color and then put them in the bags and rubbed the egg until you had it like you wanted.He thinks this is so funny!

These are our master pieces! The little basket and teal/green egg that has the LP on it, Logan did at school. We still have two eggs in the dye...we are seeing just how pink and blue we can get them. Logan keeps asking me if Easter is tomorrow. He's so ready!Logan was pretty proud of his work. His hands are dyed for the next week I'm sure but oh well. It was fun. Lane however did this while we did the eggs.

He had fun to! Well I've got one boy in bed and the other has very heavy eyes. I'm going to watch the shows I recorded tonight and then head to bed to read my book. Nighty, night!!!