WiNtEr VaCaTiOn

Well winter has hit Michigan!  We have SNOW!!! I didn’t think we would actually have a white CHRISTmas this year…. But we did. It snowed Christmas eve and then the day after Christmas. The girls have had so much fun playing outside and sledding in the backyard.

(insert cool winter pictures here, if I had been a good mom and taken some)

 

It has also been nice to have my hubby home on LEAVE for the last 3 days!  I ACTUALLY have enjoyed having him home. For any of my “followers” that are military may know and understand, you get so used to your marine being GONE. Either on workups, deployments or in and I & I duty, they are gone A LOT for meetings and classes.  So in the 17 + years he has been in the Marine Corps, I have really gotten used to him being GONE and doing things on my own.  Taking care of our girls and the home and all that is included in that. This duty has been so different.  This duty has been more of the REAL WORLD than I care to be a part of.  I have always enjoyed living on a base.  Living in a neighborhood of military families. I don’t really like living in the REAL WORLD.  Honestly I would give up living in our OWN home to live on a base again.  This duty has been a little difficult on my hubby too, I think.  It definitely is NOT like a regular unit. 

Anyways, back to my hubby being on LEAVE. He decided to take leave and enjoy some time OFF while our girls were on Christmas break.  He was on duty the week before Christmas and then started leave the day after Christmas. He doesn’t have to go back until the 7^th of January.  He has helped with the girls, cooked meals and we have been able to enjoy some good quality family time together.  I am lucky to have such amazing kids and a wonderful husband.  I hope that I can enjoy ALL of the vacation and not go CRAZY having everyone home ALL THE TIME!  You know how it is with family???

As 2012 comes to a close, I am looking forward to 2013 and excited to see what it holds for our family.  We have BIG plans for 2013 and NO it DOESN’T include a baby. L

Merry CHRISTmas to all....

 I wanted to wish all my "followers" a very Merry CHRISTmas!  I love this time of year to sit back and reflect on all that I have and have been given.  I saw something on FB today....

I truly am RICH!  I have all that I NEED and more!  A family who loves me.... wonderful parents, great kids and a good husband.  Who could ask for more???

May this season bring you joy and peace..... Pray for all those who are serving our country STILL in harms way.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

For some reason, I have totally gotten into "Celebrating" holidays... even small, silly ones like St. Patrick's Day.  I am NOT one to make Cornbeef & cabbage. (I can't stand the stuff and I am NOT making my family eat it either!)

But I did decorate my house (which I ALWAYS do) and got GREEN shirts for my girls

 oh! and don't forget the mama

, and made GREEN treats for them.

  And tonite I made a GREEN dinner (well as much as I could without totally GROSSING out my marine.  (he said, I like to see GREEN outside, NOT on my plate!)

(this is what you get when you TRY to take a picture of your PRE TEEN!)

Oh! and SHOCKER  or all SHOCKERS... my marine LET me take a picture of him too

I made GREEN mashed potatoes with turkey and gravy over it, GREEN beans, GREEN jello, GREEN salad, Rolls (no I didn't make them green... they came from a can!) and GREEN juice!  My girls absolutely LOVED it all!  They told me I was the BEST Mom! :) That makes it ALL WORTH IT!!!

 I sure hope ya'll had a FUN St. Patrick's Day!  Now we have 2 birthday within the next week and then on to EASTER!!!

Hello November

Hello NOVEMBER!  Hard to believe you are here ALREADY!  I am NOT ready for you to be here.  There is WAY TOO MUCH to do before now and Christmas!  Every year I make BIG plans to be crafty and creative and do so many things.. and here we are. You are here and what have I accomplished? ZIPPO would be the answer to that question.  MAYBE, just maybe I MIGHT check something off my list before December comes to visit me.

Let’s see... My BABY’s birthday ( it's tomorrow- she is turning 2. WOW! Did I just say that?  It can't be. She was JUST born), the Marine Corps Ball in Vegas Nov 8^th, going on vacation to Utah for Thanksgiving. (1^st time spending it in Utah with family since we have been married- 13+ years ago) my birthday (Wow I am gonna be OLD), Thanksgiving, BLACK FRIDAY shopping (I will NEVER miss that! And this year I get to go with 2 sisters and my mom... that is, IF they are UP for it!) and the list goes on and on.  Will I survive November? SURE I will. But it is gonna be a whirlwind of a month.

PS November will you SLOW down a little so I can ENJOY this time of year?

Some of our October FUN

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Last friday,  we went to an OCTOBERFEST on the base put on by MCCS.  Kelsee was sick, so she stayed home with daddy.
Sydney did the Pumpkin walk and won a pumpkin.  We got cotton candy, candy apples, funnel cake, candy and treats GALORE! Plus LOTS of games for the kids to play.... best this was it was all FREE!

 we then went Saturday morning to the pumpkin patch put on by Lincoln Housing.  YES again.... all FREE! We got a FREE pumpkin for all the girls (thank goodness cuz pumpkins are CRAZY expensive this year)
 

Delaney found a pumpkin just her size
 

The girls started out little... but then found ones they liked MORE
 

Then it was on to Tshirt making HALLOWEEN style
My girls LOVE to be crafty... so they made their own Halloween tshirts.
 

 while Delaney read her Elmo book (much better idea than painting)

Kelsee's tshirt
 

Sydney's tshirt
 

Haylee's tshirt

 Then onto the Halloween party at the Naval Hospital (it was a TOTAL BOMB this year!  In years past it has been a blast with LOADS of candy and fun stuff for the kids.... NOT this year)

Carving Pumpkins.... 
(this year we actually used stencils, not just making face pumpkins)
 

daddy helped Delaney get out the yucky!
 

 Sydney LOVED the GUTS

Haylee's moon
 

 Sydney's spiderweb & spider

Kelsee's dracula
 

Daddy carved DORA for Delaney

Trunk or treatin' at the Church (yes they all had different costumes.  They wanted to do something different)

 

I know... hold yourself back "I" am in a couple pictures!  That's what happens when you hand the camera to the marine and say Hey you take pictures this time!

Then it was TRICK or TREATIN' time.....

I'm NOT getting into the candy mom... I am gonna close my eyes so you can't see me.
 

just SOME of the loot the girls got. (this is just Sydney's bucket) 

(sorry for the LONG post!  That's what happens when you wait so long to Blog!)