Another month is over!

Most Alaskans are mourning the end of July because it means summer is pretty much at an end. I on the other hand am celebrating with Krispy Kreme donuts that our troop had flown up from Anchorage (yes you read correctly, we had to fly them in because we don't get those luxuries!) for a fund raiser! Yummy! I worked today and then after picking up the boys and having dinner I headed off for a meeting to finalize our plans for the single soldier's rooms. We pretty much have all our idea compiled so hopefully everything will fall into place from here. It's going to be a ton of work but it will keep me super busy during the month of August and hopefully before I know it September will have arrived. Wahoo!!!!

Now for the smoke update...I think it's worse...at least tonight. I have all the windows closed and it's still seeping in. My eyes are burning. The boys are already in bed but I've got their rooms rigged so it's not smokey in there. As long as the fan blows in there it seems to help. We are suppose to do a car wash fundraiser tomorrow but I won't be helping if the smoke is like this. Logan's soccer practice was canceled yesterday because of the smoke. I was talking with one of my friends about how we have definitely experience ALL Alaska has to offer...wild fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, rain, unusually high summer temps with no ACs, and -50 degrees for 3 weeks straight. Yes Alaska shared it all with me! So please say a prayer with us for rain...and lots of it. Yes I know that when it's raining for a week straight I will be complaining but something has to be done about this smoke so remind me of that when I complain of rain!!!

Well I'm off to get myself in bed. I was so touched today when I received a message from my friend Brooke who was told my an old friend that she enjoys reading my blog and was praying for my husband's safe return. Melissa if your reading this, thank you. That really touched me and was just the encouragement I needed today. You are too sweet! Well everyone...enjoy your weekend!

The Stroller is Here!!!

This morning I got up early and got ready for work. As soon as I woke up Logan I noticed his eye. I dosed him up on Zyrtec and held a warm rag over his eye for a while. I know some people would look at him and say "oh he has pink eye" but I promise that's not what it is. He has horrible allergies. He's been on Zyrtec since he was 16 months old. When we were still in the south he had to take it every day but after moving here it only seems to act up in the summer so he only has to take the meds when things flare up. This smoke has blown in all kinds of things with the ash and I think it's blowing in something Logan is allergic to. His poor eye was pitiful. My mom gets the same reaction and even after going to a ton of doctors they can't find a way to stop it. Poor little guy will probably have to always deal with this.

When we got home this afternoon the stroller had arrived (Thanks amazing hubby!). I barely got it out of the box before Lane had climbed in and made himself comfy! They both LOVED it. Once I got the wheels on we set out for a stroll. I ran a little but in order to really run you have to lock the front wheel. Well the trails around the complex are really curvy and bumpy so steering was a little complicated! It wasn't the stroller at all though. It was working just like it was suppose to. We just need a different place to go jogging!

When I ordered the stroller I thought it was black/grey and baby blue. When I got it I was even happier! Brown and baby blue! My favorite color combo!

They couldn't get in the stroller fast enough. They were ready to go! Logan's going to have to slow down on the growing! He's going to be too big for it before I know it!

I love this picture! Lane all kicked back and ready for the ride!

This was after we got back. I didn't hear a peep out of Lane the whole ride and he refused to get out. I ended up carrying him in while he was screaming and crying. At least he enjoyed it!!!

So now we are off to bed. I'm super tired not to mention my legs are soooo sore! I'm positive I'm walking funny especially after this afternoon's walk/run! Love you babe...we shall see you soon!

Me...jogging????

Yep you read it right. I worked out for the first time in FOREVER! This morning after dropping the boys off I debated going home and crawling back in bed. Falling asleep is soooo hard some nights and once I get to sleep the boys take turns waking me up. Logan even fell out of bed last night. I woke up to him crying and when I went in there I almost tripped over him. He was fine it just scared him! I talked myself out of sleeping the day away and headed off to tan. I've never been this pale in my life! Alaska is killing me! While tanning the thought popped in my head. I've been wanting to run even tossing around the idea of running a marathon but I've not motivated myself to really RUN! So today I ran for the first time in YEARS! I was so proud of myself. I ran around our housing complex. I thought it was a half mile or so. My mom (who has walked that same trail when she visited) said she thinks its well over a mile. So I'm going to go with her estimate!!!! When I told Aaron his reply was "how many times did you run it!" Are you kidding me! I was barely breathing after running it once...how on earth was I going to make it a second time! Of course this coming from the man who can run 3 miles without breathing hard! Don't worry though...I enjoyed it so I will be doing it more. As long as this smoke goes away. Aaron better watch it...it would be horrible to be shown up by your wife!!!! (Yeah right!!) The smoke is usually worse in the afternoons so running this morning was perfect. I work the rest of this week so no morning runs. Hopefully my stroller will be here tomorrow so maybe we can test it out...if the smoke stays away. So far 1.5 million acres have burned this summer.

After picking Logan up we headed off to get "light up shoes." He has been begging for shoes that light up for the longest. Aaron and I have been trying to talk him out of getting them but it wasn't working. He found some Transformer light up shoes the other day and I told him we would talk to Daddy. Well Daddy finally said yes. I told him that if they were on sale we would get them today. So in we go and they were on sale. I whole $4 off!!! Guess I should have specified how big of a sale! So he's the happiest little boy in the world right now with his new "cool" light up shoes!

Mr. Lane was in a very talkative mood tonight on the phone with Grammy and Papaw. He is always talking my ears off but he's normally quiet on the phone. Not tonight. He had a lot to say. He was laughing and just jabbering away. This is a picture of him while he was talking to Papaw. The other picture of him is from the other day. He LOVES to climb on the oven. He stands on the warmer handle and holds on to the oven handle. He will stand there while I'm doing the dishes or cleaning. I have to put the gate up while I'm cooking cause he will try to do this then. I've gotten on to him and tried to make him stop but he doesn't listen too well some times!

Smokiness

We have had a ton of forest fires burning in the area and they seem to be getting closer and closer. This has been going on since before Aaron came home. Most of today wasn't too bad but after I picked the boys up from daycare I noticed a smoke cloud rolling in. The boys were upset because I wouldn't let them go outside but after I put them in bed I walked out to check the mail and I was sooooo glad that I had made them stay in. This is a picture of Aaron's car...

Keep in mind that there are no trees anywhere near where we park our cars. This is a picture of my car. I had just driven it about 4 hours before and none of this was on there.

Aaron has been telling me that I need to get out of here but as bad as the smoke is I really don't want to leave. This is my home no matter how bad I hate it! According to everything I've read, as long as we stay in and don't breath the ash we should be ok. Just imagine smelling a campfire as it's going out. But it doesn't go out!

Well Aaron I know I told you I was working on something for you and I am but this computer keeps acting up more and more as the days go on. I'm going to have to go get it checked it out before it crashes and I lose all my pictures! So I'll get it posted...just might take longer than I planned. Oh and I made it to the post office...so the disc is in the mail! Well I'm off to bed. Nighty, Night!!!

He makes me smile!

Today was a good day. We stayed home most of the day because my new fridge was being delievered. It arrived this afternoon. It's still all boxed up. I wanted it that way so that when we move it will be better protected. It didn't fit in the garage quite like I was hoping it would so when Aaron gets home we might have to push it around because right now there is no way I'm getting my car in there! After getting the fridge I headed out to check the mail. And there it was...a surprise for me! Aaron bought me an iPod Touch!!!!! Isn't he just the best...how did I get sooooo lucky! I've been playing with it since I opened it. It didn't come with a screen protecter so we headed straight to Walmart to pick one up and a little case for it. I can't have the boys dropping it and messing it up. I added a little music to it and Logan is already trying to stake his claim on it! After he started to figure out he could play games on it and listen to music it took all I had to get it back from him. Yes I'm being stingy! The boys all have their own electronic toys...THIS ONE IS MOMMY'S! HAHA! Thank you Aaron so much! I love it. You really are the greatest!

I talked with Grandmother and Aunt Phyllis today. They were doing good. Grandmother is still doing good with her chemo treatments. I'm going to have to tie her down though. She told me she mowed her yard the other day! I could have reached through the phone and pinched her! Her neighbor has been mowing it for her but she just felt like she was able. I'm very thankful that she is able but I still don't want her to do it! She will be starting the second kind of chemo on Monday. I just pray that she will handle this one as well as she has handle this first kind. She will take this new one every two weeks so please keep her in your prayers.

Logan has had a runny nose all day and I can hear his little voice starting to crack a little. I just hope he's not getting too sick. I think it might just be from all this smoke we have been breathing in. He's been outside all day yesterday and today. But my friend's little boy who Logan goes to school with just came down with strep. So I'm crossing my fingers that he doesn't have that. Well I'm going to leave you tonight with a new pic of me and boys. Trying to get a good one of both of them and me at the same time is REALLY hard. So until next time...goodnight!

New cut and stroller!

Today was a "Mommy regains her sanity day!" I dropped the boys off this morning and headed straight to the salon. 3 hours later I emerged with a slightly lighter color (I can tell, you probably can't!) and a new cut. The picture that I'm showing really doesn't show the cut to well. Taking pictures of yourself is rather hard when your trying to capture your hair just right! In the sunlight it shimmers red. I love it! When I went in I was just planning to get a trim and I was going to lighten up my hair. Aaron wasn't thrilled with the new darker color so I was going to go a few shades lighter. Weeeeelllll....that's easier said than done. Since reds and really dark browns are the hardest colors to get out and I have both...it didn't prove to be to easy. After rinsing off the color I had auburn roots and dark brown ends. It was rather funny to see. Yes some girls would cry but it's hair...color can always be fixed...so I thought it was rather funny. But not funny enough to live with! So I told her to keep the ends the dark color and fix the roots. She did and I think I might keep this color. It's a shade...maybe two...lighter than before but the red is so much more noticeable in the sunlight. Which was what I wanted before. I'll have to get a picture in the sun at some point. But anyway, enough about my hair. I got a lot of paper work and phone calls finished up today. Talked to the mortgage company...anytime I get to talk about our house I get all giddy! Everything is still a go and falling right into place!!!!!! I'm still amazed at how easy this whole process has been. Which is why I feel that we are doing the right thing! I stopped by Home Depot...I'm becoming a regular...and checked out the cabinets and counter tops. I fell in love! I'm so ready to get to the point where I start picking colors and flooring. I can't wait to live in our new house!!!!
Logan had soccer practice tonight. My camera battery was dead so I didn't get any pictures. My friend Mel snapped a few so I'll try to steal some from her. He did good just didn't want to do what the coach wanted him to do. He just wanted to kick the ball around instead of learning how to "kick" it with his knee and head. He had fun though. When we got home Aaron called. The boys both talked to him a little and then it was my turn. Those two wild animals didn't want to leave me alone. Lane found my belly button to be the funniest thing ever. The they both decided to smack my belly and laugh and laugh even harder when I said awe! Of course Aaron thought it was funny! After I put the boys in bed Aaron called back to tell me to get online and order myself a jogging stroller. He had gone online to order me one and found a few but wanted my approval. He know how picky I am and he wanted to make sure it had everything I wanted! I've been looking for one and just can't find one around here that I like. I was informed that I was to order one tonight! I just love him! Being ordered to shop is something you won't have to tell me twice! So I found one and hopefully it will be here early next week. Once it's here my goal is to get myself ready to run in the Equinox which is a marathon that will be held here on September 19. If I do the relay part I will have to run 8 miles. We will see how I do! So next week I plan to be pushing this beauty around!

I had to share these pics. Lane's new favorite toys are his tools. He will sit in the floor for the longest time playing with his tools. This morning he was carrying around his tool box! Last night he tried to put these "safety goggles" on. The first pic was when he tried to do it...the second is when I adjusted them for him. This little boy always makes my heart smile!

New countdown

This weekend was a busy one for us. Which was great! We need lots to do to pass the time. Sunday we went to a couple of stores (with no luck finding good stuff) and then off to the park to play. The boys had a blast. I forgot the camera at home so no pictures to share of that...sorry. Today was back to work. Our schedule is going to be a bit different in the coming week. We have a few OR cases and then our doctor is out of town a few days next week. I think I will switch my days so that I can earn a few extra pennies to help decorate my new house!

The boys were wild tonight...not that is any different from any other night. Fighting, running, screaming...the usual. Lane slammed the door and made Logan hit his mouth on the screen door. Logan cried because he was hurt...Lane cried because his brother cried! It was a mess. They both went to bed around 8:30 but Logan came downstairs about 15 minutes later to remind me that we "forgot to switch Daddy's day." Meaning we forgot to switch the countdown days. So we did "Daddy's day" and then he headed back to bed. Below is a picture of our new countdown. Logan is having a hard time understanding how long Daddy will be gone this time. Little ones just can't understand what two months means. So I came up with this idea which shows how many days we have left and it also shows how many days we have passed. All the red, white, and blue strips represents a day (I'm sure you figured that out) and all the empty clothes pins represents the days that have passed (you don't see the empty ones in the picture but they go to the left of #59). The current day is clothes pinned to the poster. Each night we switch the day and Logan will count the days that have passed. It seems to help and he seems to feel like days are passing and we are getting closer!

Buckaroo Spur Ride

Today was the kiddo's Buckaroo Spur Ride. Aaron is a Cavalry Scout in the Army...his "MOS" or job as they call it. Part of the Cavalry tradition is to hold a "Spur Ride." To Aaron this brings about horrible memories including walking about 12 miles with a 90 lb ruck and 3 PT test in 1 day which all lead to hernia surgery not long after. To me it brings about great memories of the wives' spur ride where I got to shot an M4 and the 250 Bravo. Awesome times! And now Logan has his own memories. He had so much fun today and did a great job in all the activities. After all the fun we had a big cookout and then they handed out the kid's certificates. By that time both of my boys were tired and had completely turned their ears off. If I let Lane down he was running off everywhere and when I strapped him in his stroller he cried and cried. I ended up holding him for about 5 minutes with him crying like crazy and then he finally fell asleep for his first nap...at 2:30. We stopped by McDonald's afterwards for some ice cream to cool us down. The kids had lot of fun. When we got home the boys played outside for a while but that ended when Logan took a hard fall off the scooter. There was BLOOD! So of course his leg was falling off! We had to take to a picture for Daddy. He even had to eat some candy before bed so that it would make his "booboo feel better!" Oh and we were talking about our up coming move and he asked where we would be living. So for the 900th time I told him Tennessee. Then he looked at me and said, "but mom I don't want to live at KFC!" Tennessee...KFC...sure it all sounds the same!

Well I'm off to bed. Busy days mean tired boys and a very tired mom!!!! Enjoy the pics!

The yummy dessert I made for the cookout! Getting ready to start the obstacle course.

Again my picture's being weird. Not sure why it is turned!

He had to rake the ball between the cones

At the "Range"...throwing water balloons at the Captain.

Shooting balloons with the water guns.

Learning how to spell his name at the "Commo" station...Lima, Oscar, Golf, Alpha, November

Reading off his name so they could guess what it was on the other radio.

Waiting to do the next station.

Lane was restrained to this....

To keep him from doing this!
Getting ready to read maps at the "Land Navigation" station.

Lane working on the 2 and under obstacle course!

Doing a little PT

He was suppose to be doing flutter kicks...I think he was just being lazy though!

Doing a little run!

Push up time!

Moose Platoon with Platoon leader Jodi

All the buckaroos....Lane was sooo tired and whinny and he DID NOT want to be in the picture...next to the end...bottom left!

All the buckaroo's minus Lane!

Logan getting his certificate from the SGM. He was tired and being shy! Lane wouldn't let me put him down to take a picture when he got his.

The boys being boys!

Logan and Abby being cute at McDonald's...in a few years her Daddy won't think this is so cute! Abby loves those Potter boys!!!

His "awful" scratch!

This is one dirty and tired little boy!

Soccer Practice and Deployment pictures

So on Thursday I got up and took the boys to school. I had planned to do lots of cleaning but I have to admit that it didn't get it done. After I got back from dropping the boys off I ended up falling back to sleep. I was exhausted. Falling asleep when it's still bright outside is hard in itself but I just started getting use to having Aaron in the bed with me and then he's gone again. So I've been having trouble going to sleep. I had gone to bed between 12:30 and 1 every night and then up at 5:30 to get ready for work...so I have to admit I needed the rest. When I got up I headed off to do some grocery shopping. After that I picked the boys up early and then we headed home. I cooked an early dinner so that we could eat before Logan's soccer practice. Logan did so good at his practice. He practiced his kicks and even scored a few times when they played the two on two. The shin guards they were given were too big for him. They kept turning to the side the whole practice and I could tell they were bothering him. So we headed to Walmart to try to find some new ones. We got two different kinds so hopefully one will work just right...or maybe both! I've been wanting to make something to help Logan understand how much longer Aaron has before he is home. So I picked up the stuff to do that. I have a really cute idea in my head so hopefully it turns out just right. I worked on it last night after I put the boys in bed. I realized I forgot a few things so we are going to head out to get those today. I'll post a picture when it's done. I talked with Aaron when we got home. He is still trying to get back with the rest of his unit. He was stuck at one place for a while and now he's stuck at another. I kind of like that he's stuck but it's driving him crazy. He needs to be busy. I finally talked him into reading one of "my" kind of books. I love mystery books. He finally found one and admitted that so far it was good so at least that will keep him busy for a bit. Another soldier posted some pictures on his facebook and I stole a few of Aaron. So I'm going to post those pictures as well as some from Logan's soccer practice. Enjoy!

Iraq sunset

3rd Platoon...Aaron is on the far right

This picture just makes me laugh so hard every time I see it....He just looks like he's up to something!

Hernandez, Aaron, and Sibley

Playing Army

Aaron and Johnny...up to no good I'm sure!

Logan working on his kicks

I had to strap Lane in to keep him off the field!

He shoots...

He scores!!!!

So much fun!