WW- Tastes like rain

WW- Safe in daddy's arms

Audrey


Luke

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I don't know who I stole this from

But I am a big, fat copycat.

Mama TaderDoodles tagged me for a memories of 2007 post. However, that would require deep thought and much contemplation, and as I've just returned from a long weekend alone with my hubby (no kids!!!), I am exhausted.

I'll just let you read into that whatever you will.

Anyway, on someone's blog, and at this point I have no idea whose, I saw a post where you write the first sentence of the first post from each month. So that will be my year-in-review.

That's right, if you're looking for deep insights, lessons learned and lofty aspirations, you've come to the wrong blog.

Lazy cut-and-pasting?

Read on, my friend.

January

I've had a few questions about why I had a baby attached to me for five hours straight on Christmas Eve.

February

It is a sad fact of my life today that if I am not at home (and I usually am) then I am at Target.

March

Dora-Let my people go!

April

It seems my life has become one big paper trail.

May

We had some terrible, terrible news today.

June

So today Isaac was watching "Future Weapons" on the Discovery Channel.

July

I can't even begin to tell you all how much you have encouraged me over the past weeks as my husband has been deployed.

August

Today we are potty training Luke.

September

So my break is over and here is some of the excitement of our day today...

October

We had a day full of errands and are almost ready to go tomorrow.

November

And no, I don't mean for the year.

December

If you get a wireless internet connection, your husband will want you to make it secure.

If you decide to do the same, leave a comment and I'll come see! And if I stole this from you, please don't hate me.

The meme that almost wasn't

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away...also known as 6 months ago when I still lived in Maryland, Bethany tagged me for Theme Songs: The Meme.

And I didn't do it.

However, four full days of driving gave me time to listen to all the songs on my ipod.

Multiple times.

The first day was great. The nappers napped peacefully, all the kids watched tv, no one fought, and mommy got to relax and listen to my own music and I lifted my voice and was praising the Lord in song, ya'll.

The other three days of driving I lifted my voice for slightly less holy reasons.

Anyway, all that time made me think of the meme, so here goes!

1. If you could pick your own theme song, what would it be?

Lead of Love by Caedmon's Call

Looking back at the road so far
The journey's left its share of scars
Mostly from leaving the narrow and straight
Looking back it is clear to me
That a man is more than the sum of his deeds
And how you make good of this mess I've made
Is a profound mystery
Looking back you knowYou had to bring me through
All that I was so afraid of
Though I questioned the sky now I see why
Had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view
Looking back I see the lead of love
Looking back I can finally see
How failures bring humility(I'd rather have wisdom and pain)
Brings me to my knees(Than be a comfortable old fool)
Helps me see my need for thee
Looking back you knowYou had to bring me through
All that I was so afraid of
Though I questioned the sky now I see why
Had to walk the rocks
to see the mountain view
Looking back I see the lead of love

2. Now be honest…if others had to pick a song that described you, what would they choose?

I have no idea!!! Anyone have any thoughts for me?

3. What song would be/was the first dance at your wedding?

I'll Give by Smalltown Poets

Yesterday I lived for me
And I was so alone as I could be
Then I saw You and how You give Yourself away
And I want to live for You today
(chorus)I'll give; I'll hold nothing
I'll give and I'll hold nothing back
My love is a lot like me
Wanting nothing less than everything
But I know You're the only love that's true
And only giving makes makes me close to You
(chorus)I'll give; I'll hold nothing
I'll give and I'll hold nothing back
My hands are open, so take what You see
And I'll keep nothing, hold nothing back from me
(chorus)I'll give; I'll hold nothing
I'll give and I'll hold nothing back

And yes, in that song they are singing to God and not a person, but it's also the attitude we try to bring to our marriage.

4. What song gets stuck in your head most often?
Unfortunately for the last few years it has been the theme song to Dora the Explorer. It's painful.

5. What song would you want played at your funeral?

That's a hard one. I have a hard time choosing from It Is Well With My Soul, Better is One Day and Be Thou My Vision. I guess I'd let my husband pick since I wouldn't really care at that point. If my husband died I'd play That's What Soldiers Do by Monk and Neagle at his funeral.

Come and walk with me, my son
I need to share my heart
Tomorrow when the morning comes

I’m headed off to war
Take care of your mother
And your little brother, too
I’m praying that I’ll be home soon
So I can be with you
I know you’re only 10 years old
I know that you’re afraid

But I need you to be brave for me
And for the family
I know it’s hard to see me cry
But put your mind at ease
God is watching over us
So we can be at peace
With all my heart
I can’t wait to tuck you in
And sing a song to you
Son, stand strong
Love is the reason I would give myself for you
‘Cause that’s what soldiers do
Remember what I taught you now
About how to be a man
Talk with God throughout the day
He will help you stand
With faith to see, hope to believe
And love for everyone
Know that I’m so proud of you
And I will always love you, son
With all my heart
I want to take you to our favorite place
And catch a fish or two
Son, stand strong
Love is the reason I would give myself for you
‘Cause that’s what soldiers do
And as I go, I want you to know if I
Don’t make it home
You are gonna be alright
I’m telling you, son,

You’re gonna touch the sky
Don’t lose hope, just lift your eyes
We’ll be together again some day
So with all my heart
Hold on to Jesus, son
And He will lead you through
Son, stand strong
You may never go to war
But you’re a soldier, too
And when you have a son like you
Teach him to fight for what is true
‘Cause that’s what soldiers do

I won't tag anyone to do this, but if you decide to, leave me a comment so I can come check out your choices!

Wordless Wednesday- Fireworks

Wordless Wednesday- Chloe at 2

My Blogging Story

Chilihead is hosting a carnival today about our blogging stories. It's realy interesting seeing how some people got into blogging!



How did you start blogging?

My friend Joy has a blog that she uses to keep family and friends informed. I thought it was a good idea, and signed up for a blogger account. And then didn't do anything with it. I was completely uninspired. So then I signed up for Yahoo360. Same thing. Then I signed up for a HomeschoolBlogger account and was inspired with the "After a cup of coffee" idea. I figured it would be just homeschool stuff, but it quickly became an outlet for me, and I saw all of the friendships to be made. Then I got tired of thier limitations and entertained the idea of trying to sell scrapbook items, and moved to blogger.



Did you intend to be a blog w/a big following? If so, how did you go about it?

Nope. I thought I'd use it to keep in touch with friends and family. But then I started thinking that maybe I wanted it for me, to be an outlet and to develop new relationships- always a plus when you're a military family and move a lot, so while it's not a secret, I also haven't told a lot of people about it. Then I added a little map statcounter to my site and LOVED seeing how people were reading my blog from all over the world. I got hooked on comments and reading other blogs, and started thinking maybe I wanted to try and make some money off it, and I ended up joining several blog rings and participating in the 5 Minutes for Mom Ultimate Blog Party. I definitely don't have a large following, but I really love getting comments from people, especially new readers!



What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? If not, do you have a plan to achieve those goals?

My main intent is for it to be an outlet for me, and also to build some new relationships. Both have been accomplished! I even had a friend from blogdom, Bethany, in my city when I moved. I am so thankful for her! I might use ads at some point, but I don't know yet.



Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?

It's changed a couple times! I originally thought it would be for family and friends specifically, then about homeschool specifically.



What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?

I thought I was protecting my privacy, but at some point I relaized that it would be pretty easy for someone to figure out where we live if they read closely enough. I would have been even more careful than I was.



Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why?

My husband knows and supports me, but rarely reads unless I happen to leave the browser open to my blog. The rest of my family doesn't know about this one, yet, but it's not a secret. I send them the posts that I think would interet them, mostly about the kids.



What two pieces of advice would you give to a new blogger?

Don't use your full name or last name on your site, or even in the email address that you use on your blog.


Also, don't be afraid to leave comments, even if you don't know the blogger at all. I think we all love them!



So that's it! That's my blogging story. Head on over to Chilihead's to read more or leave a link to your own!

My 100 Things

Ok, so this is actually like my 120th post or something, but see #39.


1. I have been to 11 different countries (12 if you count airports).

2. I once drove through three countries in one day, just for the experience!

3. I got caught in a military coup in Cambodia one summer while on summer missions.

4. I am very proud of my husband and the fact that he serves our country in the Navy.

5. I hate, hate, hate it when he is deployed.

6. I am and will always be a California girl at heart.

7. I once had a pet cow.

8. Her name was Rosie.

9. She had a friend next door named T-Bone.

10. We just bought our first house.

11. They are predicting a bad hurricane season this year.

12. I will be alone in our first house during a bad hurricane season because my husband will be deployed.

13. He is deploying within weeks of us moving into our new house.

14. I went on summer missions three times.

15. I worked as a campus minister for 2 years.

16. I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Linguistics...Psycholinguistics.

17. Really. It's really called that.

18. I have a master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

19. I taught English in Cambodia, San Diego and Japan.

20. I loved teaching the classes and the interaction with the students, but I hated grading papers and giving grades.

21. I am boderline introverted/extroverted.

22. My dh is very introverted.

23. We met in college in a Christian Fellowship.

24. I became a Christian my freshman year of college.

25. I went to USC.

26. That's Southern California, not Carolina.

27. The real USC :)

28. Trojan football is the only sport I like to watch on TV!

29. We got married three days after I finished my master's degree.

30. We lived in Japan for over three years.

31. Two of my children were born in Japan.

32. I still sometimes get confused about what side of the road to drive on.

33. I don't want to be pregnant again, but we hope to adopt one day.

34. I broke my ankle when I was 6 months pregnant with Audrey.

35. It was the first broken bone I've had in my life!

36. I did have one possible chipped bone.

37. I stepped on a lime and fell and banged my elbow.

38. My roommate at the time laughed hysterically when she saw me fall on a lime.

39. I am a procrastinator.

40. This is evidenced by the fact that this was supposed to be my 100th post and will instead be somewhere around 125.

41. My first job was at KFC.

42. I worked at Chuck E Cheese's for a summer.

43. I was an event planner in college.

44. I skipped my senior year of high school.

45. I was 16 when I started college.

46. I became a Christian in my freshman year of college.

47. I had believed in God my entire life.

48. I didn't realzie until college that it is a relationship with God, not just believeing the facts about him.

49. I have never dyed or highlighted my hair.

50. I figure I have plenty of time to do that when I start turning gray.

51. I plan to fight old age with every cosmetic product I can.

52. I am 5'8.

53. I am trying to lose 65 pounds.

54. My husband has to try and gain weight.

55. I am only a little bitter about that.

56. Ok, maybe more than a little.

57. He's also a really fast runner.

58. I guess that wasn't about me, was it?

59. But the next one is.

60. I abhor running.

61. I just bought a treadmill.

62. I am going to take up running.

63. Or at least jogging.

64. I homeschool my kids.

65. I am lazy and undisciplined at heart.

66. This worries me.

67. I like coffee.

68. I love my Keurig.

69. I really hate sleeping alone at night when my husband is gone.

70. Every night he's gone I will be convinced someone is trying to break in or is skulking in our yard.

71. I love to read.

72. I scrapbook.

73. I love to take pictures.

74. One day I'd like to take a photography class.

75. I am afraid of garbage disposals.

76. I can use one.

77. But I will not stick my hand in one to retrieve anything.

78. I make my husband do it.

79. But I can't look when he does.

80. I also can't watch really scary movies.

81. They give me nightmares.

82. I still have dreams about The Ring and The Grudge when I am alone at night.

83. I read books really fast when they interest me.

84. This makes it really expensive to buy books.

85. One of my biggest spirtual struggles is consistency.

86. I also tend to avoid God when I am emotional over something.

87. I tend to fill up my time and thoughts with shallow things like TV and chick lit.

88. This will be a constant struggle for me while my husband is deployed.

89. I don't really fear for him while he is in war zones.

90. I believe God already knows how many days we will all live.

91. That means he is just as safe in Iraq or Afghanistan as he is in the US if he is in God's will.

92. My heart still skipped a beat every time the phone rang at odd times when he was in Afghanistan.

93. I had a miscarriage on Christmas day, 2005.

94. I have absolute confidence that my baby is in heaven and that I will meet her there one day.

95. I once knew how to play guitar.

96. I have forgotten how.

97. I can't hold a grudge.

98. Sometimes I really wish I could so that I could really let my husband have it when he makes me mad.

99. I can't imagine anyone being more suited for me than my husband.

100. I feel absolutely blessed to have the husband and children that I do.

8 Things

I got tagged (kind of ) by Mikki for the 8 things meme, and since I haven't done one in awhile, here goes!

First, the rules:
1. each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves
2. the rules of the game are posted at the beginning before the 8 facts/habits are listed
3. at the end of the post, the player tags 8 people…posts their names…then goes to their blog and leaves a comment letting them know they have been tagged…and asking them to read your blog

Now for the facts/habits:
1. I hate humidity
2. I recently moved to the South
3. I am a procrastinator
4. When I am struggling emotionally I tend to avoid God
5. I fill up my time with things like TV or books instead of Him
6. I could spend hours browsing Barnes and Noble or Borders
7. I never learned to type
8. If I had unlimited money I would have one room completely filled with books and scrapbook supplies

Wordless Wednesdays- Nighttime Snow

Wordless Wednesdays- Baby Mohawk

Menu Plan Monday

Brrr...it's cold here! We need soup this week!

Monday- Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
Tuesday- Fiesta Stuffed Peppers
Wednesday- Cheeseburgers
Thursday- Chicken and Rice Soup
Friday- Teriyaki Roast, Teriyaki Brown Rice

Head over to Laura's to see more menu plans and make your own!

Wordless Wednesdays- Happy Valentine's Day

Menu Plan Monday

Ok, late in the day on Monday, but hey, I'm still planning!

Today- Leftovers!
Tuesday- Beef n Broccoli, Rice (I have the meat already cut and marinaded in the freezer from last week!)
Wednesday- BBQ Pork Sandwiches
Thursday- Chicken Pot Pie
Friday- Pork Chops with Apples (still need to find a recipe for this, though!)

I was flipping through channels while nursing this week, and discovered Quick Fix Meals on food Network. Have you seen this? She makes one meal, and then uses some of the ingredients in other meals throughout the week. I am definitely going to try some of her recipes after my next big grocery trip!

Oh, and don't forget to head over to Laura's to see more menu plans!

Wordless Wednesdays- Sleepy Kids

A yummy cheap date

I agree with Shalee that my favorite restaurants are the Japanese ones where they cook right in front of you (which, incidentally, we only went to one of when we were in Japan, and they don't do all the fun showy stuff!) but they are too expensive for our current budget!

My favorite cheap date since college has been dessert and coffee. It's not free, but we like to go to a nice restaurant and share one dessert and get some coffee.

You'll get free refills (On the coffee, not the dessert. Can you imagine dessert refills? "Waitress, please refill the lava in the my molten chocolate lava cake...") and if you go late enough it won't be too crowded and you won't feel pressured to leave. You get all the feeling and atmosphere of an expensive restaurant for a fraction of the price!

Check out other ideas or share your own at Shalee's!

Menu Plan Monday

Ok, still trying to keep things simple this week, so here goes!

Monday- Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Tuesday- Pork Chops and Orange Rice, Salad
Wednesday- Tuna Melts, Salad
Thursday- Crockpot Chicken Soft Tacos, Refried Beans
Friday- Beef and Broccoli, Rice

Head over to orgjunkie's to see more menu plans or make your own!

Wordless Wednesdays- Muddy Boy

Go over to 5 Minutes for Mom for more Wordless Wednesday!

Because my husband is gone...

And all my kids are sleeping and I don't want to do the dishes...or the laundry...or go to bed alone...

My Fortune Cookie told me: Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense. http://www.masquerademaskarts.com/memes/thefortunecookie.php">Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

Menu Plan Monday

I'm still trying to learn how to organize my day with three kids, so I'm going to try and keep it a little bit simple this week!

Monday- Ham and Cheese Quiche
Tuesday- Steak, Rice and Veggie
Wednesday- Slowcooker Chicken Soft Tacos
Thursday- Slowcooker Oriental Chicken and Rice
Friday- Fajitas

Hopefully some of those meals work out and we don't end up eating cereal or pizza every day :)

Don't forget to head over to orgjunkie's to check out other plans!