Roses

This is a closeup of one of the roses hubby gave me for Valentine's Day.

Legoland

This past Tuesday, Veteran's Day, the girls had off from school. Since hubby was able to get the day off as well, we decided to go to Legoland. We had never been before, and the oldest was on the cusp of really being too old to enjoy it. It really is a park for little kids.


There was this one ride near the beginning of the park that the youngest REALLY wanted to go on. But here's the thing, you might get wet. Hubby and I were NOT in the mood to get wet that day, so the youngest and the oldest were able to go on this ride together. They had a blast with it!

And yet, here's another ride for them to go on, just the two of them. Hmmmm......wow, this might not be a bad thing. Hubby and I get to sit and watch the girls stand in line to go on a ride?? That was nice! Now, don't get me wrong, hubby and I LOVE to go on the rides. We love Disneyland, we love roller coasters, etc. It's just the waiting in line and having to deal with rude people that's the pits. Plus these lines here at Legoland were NOT long at all.

Oh, and yet ANOTHER ride that we got to watch them.....

Oh, and at Legoland, they have a parking area that is a "Reserved" parking area, and Volvo sponsors it. So they have this little display right next to it and so, of course, the girls had to pose with it. Yes, the woman and baby are made out of Legos!

There were Lego displays all over the park (hence the "Legoland" name...) that were just so cute!

Then there was this car ride that the girls got to go on where the cars are NOT on a track and they can drive them all by themselves! There were stop signs and stoplights as well! (I worry about my oldest when she DOES start driving because she paid no attention to the stop signs, yikes!!) Oh, and don't worry, I think the cars go MAYBE 5 mph at the most? Hubby said that the oldest looked like she was riding in a rollerskate because she was so big for it. LOL!!

This was a ride that only the youngest could go on. The horse just rides around a little track and goes slow around it. It was VERY cute!

Now, there were a few roller coasters there too that we all could go on and that was fun. The youngest, at first did not want to go on them, but then after she was on them, she was like, "That was fun!!" Ahhhhhh....we love it!!

Now, back to the Lego displays they had there......

Elvis, baby, uh-huh! (We took this one for grandma, she loves Elvis)

And hubby had to get his picture taken with "Darth Vadar"

Now, the oldest likes to take goofy pictures with displays........

SpongeBob!!!!!

Another goofy pic with the oldest.....

Mount Rushmore.......

San Francisco.......

Oh, no!!! It's attack of the Killer Birds!!!!! (yes that is a real bird invading the display)

Window Washers in NYC....

Vegas Baby!!

We had a good time there, definitely a park you can do it one day, but I don't really see us going back there again. I would HIGHLY recommend it if you lived nearby and had little ones though!! If you do, get a season pass and go there all the time, the kids would LOVE it!!!

Next stop....Disneyland in a week and a half......

Blast From The Past

Living in Southern California often means that you make a trip down to Tijuana at least once in your life. (Some a LOT more than others).

In 1993 friends of ours came down and we went down to TJ to party. This was my one and only time I ever went there. And for some reason you have to take these group shots while you're down there.
Yes, I had an absolute blast down there, but that was 15 years ago. I have no desire to go back now...

And apparently going down to TJ is something my family does, because here is a picture of my grandma and my grandpa John down there in 1946.......



My grandma went back down there again in 1959, to marry her 2nd husband.

Then my mom went down there to marry my father in 1967.

At least hubby and I stayed up here to get married.............

A Moment In Time

Hubby is learning to play the guitar and the youngest wanted to "play" with daddy.

Counting Down...............

Soon hubby will be off the ship.

Less than a week left.

Finally we will all be together again.

And then we are going to shoo the kids somewhere so WE can be alone. :::::::::::smile:::::::::::::

I Got My Present

Okay, so today is a much better day, starting off. :)

The girls made a Happy Birthday sign and blew up balloons for around the house. My eldest made me breakfast and got all my stuff together. Isn't she so sweet!!!

Then I stopped by the post office this morning, hoping that they hadn't taken my package out for delivery yet, and it was there!!! So when we got to the girls' school, I opened it up, and this is what was inside for my birthday.....

And here's the box that was inside the bag.....

And here's what was inside the box......

I had told hubby that I wanted a bracelet like this and to have the girls' names and birthdates engraved on it. I read about it in a magazine just a couple of months prior of how this woman decided to to get herself a bracelet for herself for her 40th birthday. Well, hubby said that he wanted to do that for me.

Thank you SO much my wonderful husband!!! Even though you can't be here with me on this day right now, you are with me and I got your present on my birthday and that's the next best thing.

Happy Valentine's Day

Yes, I know I'm a few hours early when I posted this, but where hubby is, it's Valentine's Day now. :)

Oh, and by the way, I didn't make this. My eldest did. She made it for her friends tomorrow. How stinkin' cute is this???!!! That girl has got some talent!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all and may it be a true Love Thursday!!

Looking For The Positive

I am one of those people who tried to look for the positive.

For example, if the eldest comes home and tells me about how one girl was acting at school, whether it be bitchy or mean or whatever, I listen, comfort her and then tell her, "Well, maybe she is just having a hard day, or problems at home or something else that's making her be this way". Because I KNOW that my eldest can certainly not have the nicest demeanor at times, and it's usually because she's hurting or upset or something to that nature.

Hubby is gone now for 4 months. It sucks. Let me tell you, it's NEVER a good thing when he goes out to sea because we miss him terribly. And I KNOW he misses us terribly too. I mean, I don't think I could EVER do that, be away from our girls for that long and home and everything else. A positive note? It helps us to appreciate each other so much more during these times.

Now that's not to say that I'm one of those people who always has a cheery disposition and in "la-la" land or one of those TV shows from the 50's.

I can be a downright bitch at times too.

And then there are the times when there is absolutely no way to find a positive in certain situations. Sometimes things happen and it sucks and it hurts. Like when my mom died over 3 years ago, 6 days before Christmas. There is no positive in that. It was awful. It was painful and it took me a VERY long time to get to a place in my life of now. That's not to say that I constantly miss her. I do, all the time. I went through major anxiety attacks and the fear that I was going to end up just like her and die and leave my girls and my hubby without me. It took therapy and a conversation with my aunt to get past that. After talking with my aunt, she helped me to see a different side of my mom who was most likely depressed and lonely and who chose not to take her medication. And after she said those words, it was amazing how my view of the whole situation turned. It made me look back at her life in a totally different way. She was lonely. She did have a hard life, raising 3 girls all by herself. The fact that she probably never got over her father's death when she was 13. The fact that her mother, my grandmother, made her go to a home for unwed mothers when she was about 18 or 19 and forced her to give up the baby, and another baby after that, but before me. She was always looking for that love that she lost when she lost her dad.

I certainly do not want to end up like that. I make sure I take my medication. I don't drink. I don't smoke and I exercise. I've already changed the course somewhat by doing these things that my mom didn't do. Maybe you could say that the positive in that is that I now take better care of myself.

See, there I go again, trying to find a positive somewhere.

I had a miscarriage before I was blessed with my eldest. It was such a devastating thing for me to go through. I don't wish that on anyone. And while it was an awful thing, if I had not had that miscarriage, I wouldn't have my eldest. I do mourn for that little one lost, but I have to realize that I have my eldest and I wouldn't trade her for anything. Or my little one for that matter.

I've also been one who hasn't had to have the most expensive stuff, or the biggest house. All I have ever wanted in life was to be married to a wonderful man, have children and a house. And I got what I wanted, thanks to my hubby. There have been times when he would say, "I wish I could give you more, or a bigger diamond, etc." and I tell him that while that would be nice, you have already given me my dream come true.

So, after all this rambling, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I do look for the positive, at least over 1/2 the time. It may not be right away, or sometimes it may not even be there during a situation, but it's life. And you might as well go through life with a good outlook. It's the only life you're going to get.

Sports...

We are knee deep in sports around this house these days.

The eldest just finished playing soccer a few weeks ago, and now she's juggling basketball and softball.

The youngest had her first t-ball practice too just the other day. She enjoyed it, but I think she has more fun just running.

And me? Well, I guess I needed to be involved too, so I'm on the softball board for the organization the girls are playing in.

I think we will be eating, drinking and sleeping softball for the next few months.

This evening when we got home and after the eldest and I watched our General Hospital (yes, we watch it and we love it!) I was flipping through the channels and came across a hockey game. The Los Angeles Kings v. New York Rangers. Oh, how I used to LOVE to watch hockey. There was at time where I watched almost every game of a Los Angeles Kings season. I even went to a few hockey games too. Weird, huh, to think of me as a hockey fan. And it's a hard sport to watch too. That hockey puck whizzes by so fast it's hard to keep up at times. I was such a hockey fan that I even collected hockey sports trading cards at one time. And I still have them in storage. Luc Robitaille was by far, my most favorite player. And one of the cutest as well.

Hubby loves to watch football and baseball games too. I enjoy watching football as well. In high school when everyone went to the football games to socialize, I would enjoy watching the game itself as well.

Hubby and I used to watch baseball games together and I would come up with nicknames for the guys on the field. Hubby still watches baseball games though. Every once in a great while I'll sit down for a spell and watch it with him.

Now we just watch our children play sports. I know hubby is so upset that he isn't going to be able to watch the girls play softball. That's one of his favorite sports to watch too. So I'm going to have to tape a couple of their games and send the tapes to him.

Ahhh....I'm tired. Tomorrow is Wednesday and thank goodness we don't have any sports practices to go to. It will be nice to be at home all evening.

A Juggling Act

I've got so many things going on right now.

It's good and it's bad.

It's good because it keeps me busy so I don't think too much about hubby going out to sea again.

It's bad because I don't want to overwhelm myself.

It's good because I'm working on myself and making sure that even with all I've got going on, I'm remembering to remember myself.

It's also bad because I do worry about myself.

It's good because just about everything I do have got going on, is something I am passionate about.

It's bad because sometimes I don't feel I have enough hours in the day.

It's good because I'm helping to celebrate one of my oldest and dearest friends bring a new life into the world. One she has been wanting for a long time, and has taken such a long journey to get to.

It's also good because I'm helping to make a softball season a good one for my girls and the rest of the girls.

It's good because I'm also creating a book of memories for a school.

It's bad though because not that many parents seem willing to want to participate in it, thus having me make a decision that this will be my last year doing it.

Now that is also a good thing because it will free up my time to spend more with my girls, sharing gardening with them, and sewing and crocheting.

And I just have to remember.

To take it one day at a time.

To write down my lists so I don't get that overwhelmed feeling.

To remember to check in with myself.

And when the juggling act is all over with, hubby will be home.

And that is DEFINITELY a good thing.

{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Hugs are the best.

Even cyber-hugs rock.

I've always been a "hugger".

I love to hug, and I love to be hugged.

Having my hubby home to hug me every day, there's just nothing like it.

Not even the hugs I get from my girls.

The hugs I get from my girls are wonderful, don't get me wrong, but the hugs I get from hubby make me feel safe and secure and loved.

The hugs I get from my girls definitely make me feel loved.

And hugs from friends?

They rock too.

The hugs from friends are the ones that you know care and are right there for you too.

Hugs from hubby still rock though.

Have I mentioned how happy I am to have him home?

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs to you all!!!!}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Homecoming

Hubby is home!

We are all very happy that he's back home with us.

And his homecoming was, as always, wonderful.

The girls and I got to the Navy base at around 7:30 a.m. and found a parking spot. We took the shuttle to the pier where his ship was going to be pulling in, where we met up with his parents, who were also there to see him come home.

So many people were there to see their loved ones come home, after being gone for six long months. Many had signs welcoming them back. The military had MANY booths there for the families and friends to visit, get a drink, buy t-shirts, and make signs to welcome them back.

My girls wanted to make signs to welcome back Daddy. The eldest made her sign, and I helped the youngest with her sign. All I had to do with her sign though, was to tell her how things were spelled. She knew exactly what she wanted to put on there and she just needed to know how to spell "Welcome Home". She already knew how to spell Daddy.

At around 9:30, we saw the top of the ship's mast moving behind the other ship that was already docked at the pier. The crowd was cheering immensely! At last, he was coming home.

Hubby and I had already decided via e-mail that he would call me on my cell phone as soon as he was able to when the ship was pulling into port. I checked my cell phone to see the time and I saw that I had a message from him. He must have called while the crowd was cheering and I didn't hear it. He said that they were pulling alongside the other ship and were coming around the corner.

Then we saw the bow of the ship, and all the sailors lined up around the top of the ship. If you have never seen that, it is an amazing sight. It makes you so proud to be an American and so proud that you have a loved one on that ship and they are coming home to you. Once I saw that sight, I had a flood of emotions overcome me. So proud, so happy and so relieved that he was home again.

He was on that ship. He was coming home to me and his daughters.

The ship slowly pulled forward and lined up parallel to the pier. Then the tugboats slowly pushed the ship toward the pier (it's such a large ship, it's not like they can just parallel park, you know).

It is such a wonderful experience to be there, seeing your loved one come home, but it does definitely take a while. Once the ship is docked, then they have to put the ramps and stairs up to the ship so they can depart the ship. From the time they pulled in, to the time they got off the boat, it's easily a 1/2 hour or longer.

When they lowered the bays, hubby called me and I told him where I was on the pier. He told me where he was on the ship. We were able to see each other and wave madly to each other.

The first ones that get to get off the ship are the new daddies. The ones whose wives' had babies while they were out to sea. We have been very lucky in which hubby has been able to be home for both of his daughter's births.

The next ones off are the officers and senior enlisted. Then the junior sailors. I have been on both ends of that spectrum. On our first deployment apart, he was one of the junior sailors so it definitely took a while for him to get off. Now he's a senior enlisted sailor so he gets to get off sooner.

Hubby called me to tell me he was about 5 minutes away from getting off the ship. Then when he was off the ship, he called again so we were on the lookout for him throughout the crowd.

I spotted him and I told my girls that I saw him and pointed to where he was walking towards us. The eldest saw him and took off for him and the youngest followed.

They found their daddy and they hugged each other so tight. This was the eldest's fourth time being away from Daddy, but really the 2nd time she remembers it. As for the youngest, this was her 2nd time, but she was just a baby the first time. She went running up to Daddy too and they hugged each other too.

I sat back and watched happily, tears in my eyes. My girls had their Daddy back. My mother-in-law stood behind me and put her arms around my shoulders and we watched together. She said, "You need to go up there too", but I declined. This was their moment with their daddy and they needed to have that time for their special reunion. I could wait a few seconds longer.

Then they walked over to where we were and hubby and I hugged and kissed each other (not too passionate though, the in-laws were watching.....) and hugged and kissed and held hands.

I just love the youngest's expression in this picture. :)

I have my hubby home again.

Daddy's Coming Home Tomorrow!

This is what my youngest is saying over and over today.

Oh, and she's been watching her "United Through Reading" DVD's over and over. (United Through Reading came out to the ship in April and the Daddies (and Mommmies, too, I'm sure) read books to their children via the camera and they mailed them back home so the kids could have their parents read to them. Isn't that neat??!!!)

What a long trip this has been.

Less Than A Week Left!

Until hubby is back home with us!

I got to talk with him this past weekend. It will be so good to have him back home!

So much has happened in six months!

My eldest started junior high and my youngest started kindergarten.

My youngest started playing soccer.

The hamster died.

Most of our fish died.

Our dog had ear surgery.

Our cat is about to have surgery.

I started having anxiety again.

I'm now getting that under control again.

My friend had a baby.

I found out that my BIL and SIL are having a baby.

My sister got a teaching job.

Our 15th wedding anniversary was in July.

My aunt got married to a really great guy!

My cousin had twins (a boy and a girl).

I joined a softball board as uniform coordinator.

I'm no longer allowed near my eldest while in school. (It's not "cool", you know....).

But at least she still talks to me!

Still counting down the days until we see him this weekend.

Single Digits

NINE...................................MORE......................................DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hubby will be home in NINE MORE DAYS!

We are in single digits now! I love it when we get into single digits. It makes it that much more exciting!

We went from 180 days to 9 days left.

Some people say "boy that sure went fast".

But not for us.

I'm just happy to be in the single digits "zone"

I'm also happy that he'll be pulling into a port where he can use his cell phone to call me too.

Then he'll be home.

And we'll be complete again.

Happy Anniversary

Today is mine and my husband's 15th wedding anniversary. That's right, 15 years. Wow.

It's a bummer though that we are not together on this day. He is still out to sea. He did call me this morning though and that was a WONDERFUL treat for me. :)

Fifteen years ago we got married in a little church that barely held 75 people. Afterwards we had the reception in my grandma's backyard. Nothing fancy at all. We just wanted everyone to have a good time.

On the way to my grandma's from the church, my mom asked us to stop by the nursing home so that my grandma could see us. She was unable to make it to the wedding, as she was still recovering from a stroke. So as much as I didn't want to go, I did. And I'm so glad I did. It was not only a treat for my grandma, but everyone in the nursing home, because they got to see us all dressed up. When I walked into my grandma's room, she immediately started crying. Which caused me to cry too. I wanted her there so much for the wedding, but at least we did get to see each other on my wedding day. That was a very special moment in my life for me and lucky me, it was on my wedding day.

Five years ago, on our 10th wedding anniversary, I was almost 8 months pregnant with my youngest. We went out to dinner to a fancy steak house that promoted the best steak around here. Sadly, neither hubby nor I thought that way. But we had a nice time anyway. It's not that often that we do get to go out on our own, so we do enjoy it when we get the opportunity, and we make time to make that opportunity on our anniversary. So we'll just have to celebrate it a few months late when he comes home.

Over 1/2 Way There!

This is what's left of a chain hubby and our two girls made before he left to go out to sea.

It had 3 more colors, representing the months on it.

Even though the red looks long, there's only a little over half of the colors left.

And it's fitting that the chain is centered around hubby's "shelf", which includes a picture of him and his great-uncle in their uniforms together when hubby made chief (great-uncle wasn't in the Navy anymore, but still had his uniform and so they posed together), a picture of hubby holding a fish to our oldest (in which she has an "icky" expression - I'll have to showcase that picture later), a ship that hubby made, and a fishing reel that was my grandpa's that hubby wanted.

I'll be SO happy when we are on the last color, Pink, and especially on the last day because that means I get my husband back and the girls get their dad back.

Anyone want a truck that doesn't work?

Because that's what I have in my driveway.

Shortly before hubby went out to sea, he was starting up his truck and it made a very LOUD noise when the engine was running. So he's thinking it "threw a rod".

Whatever that means. All I know is that it has something to do with the engine. Which is not a good thing.

So he's out to sea now and so I have it towed to the repair shop (because you are NOT to drive a car when it has "thrown a rod". See, you learn something new every day) and this morning they give me an estimate.

Over FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!

Okay, the truck isn't even worth that much when it was running!

Yea, no, don't think so. Sorry, not going to happen.

So I have them tow it back to my house to put it in my driveway.

Well, the tow truck has to position the truck in a perpendicular way to the street so as to put the truck back in the drivway. So of course this blocks traffic.

And it just happens to be during the time of day when people are coming home from work. Most people are fine with it, some able to squeeze around. One guy who does manage to squeeze around starts yelling at me and the tow truck driver that we're blocking traffic.

Really.

Like we didn't know that.

He starts spouting off as to why don't we just park it on the street.

Yea bud, like I'm going to park a truck that DOESN'T WORK on the street for four months when I have a driveway to put it in.

So I start yelling at him, almost to the point of screaming because I am so pissed off at him that the truck doesn't run and then he takes off and I flip him off.

It's a good thing he did take off because I would have continued to yell at him and curse him out and give him holy hell. And come back with some GOOD comebacks. Of course I think of all of this AFTER he drives off.

I guess I freaked out my eldest because I was yelling at him. I told her it was okay, I was just yelling at him, I certainly wasn't afraid of him.

Then it got me mad that there are people like this in the world, who don't care about waiting for other people, or even think what people's situations are. All they think about is them, and how they are inconvenienced.

So now when hubby gets back home, he will be getting a new truck about a year earlier than we had planned, but again, that seems to be our life this year.

Memorial Day 2007

Okay, it's not even 9:00 a.m. and already I have things to write about!

This morning I was laying in bed with my girls (they get to sleep in my bed on the weekends when daddy's gone) awake and playing with the cat when the phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and it said "unknown number" and had some freaky phone number that I did not even recognize. For a second there, I thought about not answering it, but then I figured I probably should. And also, in the back of my mind, I remembered that hubby was pulling into a port on the other side of the world.

Yes, it was hubby! He was so happy to be on land! They had spent almost two months out to sea with no port visit. They even got a "beer day" for being out so long (they get two beers each, so it's not like it was a drunk fest out there, hell it probably wasn't even a "buss fest" out there for most of them).

We talked for a little while and then I handed the phone over to the eldest and she got to talk with her Daddy for a while. I always love watching them talk with their Daddy. Sometimes I can hear his voice too on the phone while they're talking. Then the youngest got to talk to Daddy and her telephone skills are much more concise than the eldest. I've got to figure out questions to have Daddy ask her next time where she will answer them and not have to think too much. That's when it gets her, when you ask her questions that she actually has to think to answer. She becomes silent................... If it was night, you could probably hear the crickets it would be so silent on her end.

So we got our morning call from him and I showed the girls where Daddy was. He's in a place called Dubai, that's in the United Arab Emerites. The eldest says, "Dubai? Is that where you got "do buy" things?" ............smart ass................................

Then some sad news. The eldest came out to the family room to see the hamster and the hamster wasn't moving. That always sucks. Being the one that finds the deceased pet. My youngest sister found my grandma's dog, Lady, when Lady passed away. I was so heartbroken then. So it was up to me to get rid of the hamster. Now, if you know me, I'm NOT one to have to deal with dead animals. I had to get rid of a dead fish (it was one of those sucker fishes and man when they are dead they are hard as a rock) and I had to scoop it up to flush it down and so I used the fish net, put it in a cup and it went THUD. :::::::::::::::shudder::::::::::::::::: Blech!!

So now we are one less pet in our house (okay, why is hubby always away when an pet in our house dies? He was away when I had to get rid of that fish, and now the hamster), and we are not replacing it. Dr. Doolittle has one less pet to worry about. Oh, don't get me wrong, I LOVE our dog and cat, and even enjoy the fish. The hamster was one thing thought that didn't rock my world. But I never hated it. Rest in Peace Jackie The Hamster.

Today the eldest has an indoor soccer game and then we are off to our friend's house for a dip in the pool and bbq.

United Through Reading

Have you ever heard of this program?

I had, a while back, something that I tucked away back in my brain.

United Through Reading, is a program that brings together moms and dads to their children when they are apart. The mom or dad reads children's books to a video camera, thus to their children, and the DVD is sent back home, so that the children can "see" their parent, even if they are far away.

This program has been on hubby's ship. We just got the 2nd DVD from him this past week. My youngest has been SO entranced by them. She likes seeing Daddy on TV reading and talking to her. The first one he sent, he was growing a moustache (hey, sometimes they get creative in their "trying to entertain" themselves when they are on a ship). The 2nd one, he had shaven it (thank goodness! He got bored with it and it was bothering him anyway) and my youngest said,

"Daddy doesn't have that hair on his face anymore!"

Too cute.

He read 4 books to her, two of which were Dr. Seuss. When my oldest was a wee one, I got just about every Dr. Seuss book they had (I'm sure there are a few I don't have). Well, I still have them and I pulled out the two that Daddy was reading to her and she was so happy that we have a couple of the books that Daddy was reading to her.

What a wonderful program, I tell you! For my girls to be able to see their Daddy on TV talking to them, while he is away.

Oh, I love that we have e-mail now, as when he first went out, almost 15 years ago, e-mail wasn't around then. Sometimes it would be 3 weeks before I got a letter from him because of the mail. Now I get an e-mail every day or every other day.

And when he's in port, he can call us too.

But having that video is just another good thing that is out there for my girls.