Five Months Down, Six More to Go

Obviously it has been a LONG time since I have blogged, but it is either dinner on the table and a semi clean house, or an updated blog.  If you miss my boring life updates that much, cook me dinner and clean my house, and I will blog, blog, blog!  Otherwise here is a super condensed version of our life the last five months!

June-Schools out, and summer begins!  We also spent two weeks in Utah, visiting my sister.  However, on the first morning of our trip, my mother tripped down the stairs and broke her ankle in three places, spent four days in the hospital, and the next eight weeks in a wheelchair.  Imagine how awesome that was!!  For the record, I did make it home from Utah with four kids and a completely immobile mother in 10 1/2 hours with 5 stops.  Someone was watching over us that day!

The kids and cousins at Hogle Zoo, which we all got in for free, since it was Military Appreciation days, thankful for that small blessing!

July-Jr. Giants, and becoming a chaffeur to my gimp mother, although my arms did get buff carting her up and down my front steps twice a day for eight weeks, and I am now a master of wheelchair maneuvers, add that to my resume!

I am not really sure which one is up to bat, but you get the idea, a bunch of kids playing t-ball, aka a great way to burn through a month with twice a week games and practices, and a super fun end of the season bbq.  As a side note, it did make the Giants winning the World Series so much more exciting for the boys, because I think they secretly thought they were part of the team, wearing their jerseys and hats every night!!

August-Ryans graduation from bootcamp, and my trip to South Carolina (see above posting), and then three weeks of total depression.  I seriously cried the whole way home, I think the poor flight attendants thought I was either coming from or going to a funeral, it kind of felt that way, and still does.  Oh, and Adelines 3rd birthday, which I threw together at the last minute, as an attempt to pull me out of the trenches, parties are a great distraction, so I throw alot of them.  A reason to be creative and clean the house!

Have you ever seen anything cuter?  I think not!!

September-Back to School, a quick visit home from the hubby, a new job, and a Pirate Party!  I was super excited to have the boys in 1st grade, they are doing quite well, and I love their teacher.  I also am doing Joy School again with Ashden, and I love it.  Daddys visit was super short, but totally worth it!  I started back at work for a good friend of mine that is an Insurance Agent, super low key, and the few hours a week is just enough to pay for those outrageous airplane tickets to bring Ryan home for holiday visits!  Last but not least, our little man turned five in style with a Pirate Party, aaaargh!

October-The start of my favorite time of year, fall!  We had soccer times two, and Halloween parties galore.  Family pictures minus Ryan, and some news.  This is the first season of soccer that Ryan hasn't coached any of the kids.  The twins ended up on a fabulous team, and although we don't keep score, they won 7 out of 8 games, and had 3 shut-outs.  The teamed scored 76 goals, and only allowed 17.  It was so much fun to see them learn positions, and to play as a team!  Ashden played kindersoccer, which was a slow go at the beginning, but he really excelled at the end.  The first few games were more running than actually playing, but once he kicked the ball and scored his first goal, he was hooked!  Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, so we had to throw a Joy School party, and an after-school party, plus the school class party and carnival, the trunk or treat, and then the actual Halloween.  Despite all of that fun, we found out that Ryan has an additional three months of training, and instead of coming home at the end of January, he won't be home until the end of April.

 Little Kid Party, Mummy Wrap!

 Big Kid Party

Trick or Treating at the Neighbors

There you go, my life in a nutshell, someday I will blog each event in detail, so my kids have proof that life still goes on, even when daddy is gone.  So what will the next six months have instore for us?  Only time can tell.  Things I have learned: I am stronger than most, I have the most amazing kids, I can get through anything with my husband by my side, and a true friend sees the sadness behind the smile.  The Lord will bless me in His time, and I have faith that He will, until then I will continue on, or as I like to tell my children, 'suck it up soldier'!

New Year's Resolutions (a month late)!

So it seems that in my busy and hectic life, that I can't even find time to fit in my new years resolutions on time!  I had this great brain child to help fill our 'no school' Mondays!  I thought it would be fun to study the 50 states.  Starting in Alphabetical order, one each week.  I bought the map, hung it in the playroom, borrowed Alaska stuff from a friend, googled Alabama.  I was ready.  We would make a fun treat from each state to eat for family night, learn fun facts, and dream about the things we would do if we ever went to visit that location, and now it is the second week in February and here I sit, stateless. 

I also had made a pack with my friend Tee to stop complaining, she even bought the book, and read it!  She so graciously printed me off the '20 tips for a Positive New Year', and I was excited to 1. Stay Positive, and 2. Read more books,  or 3. Learn from past mistakes, you get the idea.  And then life happens, and you lose your way two days (ok, one day) into your life changing ways.  You see, the last year was a hard year for me personally, my life hasn't really played out the way I envisioned, and I think it finally sunk in, that the road was going to be much longer than expected, and here I sit trying to stay positive, and see life as a serious of events that are there to teach you something, to learn and to grow.  I realized that I was spending a lot of energy on insignifacant things and activities because I needed friendships more than they needed mine. 

So my resolve is to stay postive, and to fill my days with people and activites that enrich my life, as well as the lives of my husband and children.  To continue to serve, at home, and in the community.  To raise children that are respectful and understand the importance of hard work and integrity.  To finally lose that last 10 pounds (I know, it really is more like 15, but who am I kidding, 10 is much more realistic), and to apply to graduate school.  My life is significant, and I have a lot to offer the world, I just need to stop having a pity party for myself and 'just do it' already!  So bring it on 2010, I can take whatever you have to offer, the good, the bad, and the oh so ugly!

Oh, and stay tuned for my cupcake blog, because the world is a much better place with delectable cupcakes in it!  Thanks Martha!