Saturday, January 31, 2009

Much Better...

Today was much better than yesterday. The girls were up at 6am but they let me sleep in. The living room was a complete disaster though. This morning we ran some errands and while we were out, I got a call from Jeff!! It was great to talk to him. He left on January 16th for a very stressful time at sea - TRE, two bosses (current CO and new CO) plus lots of work to do. He sounded good and he is looking forward to coming home. They were doing an unassisted landing and since I knew they were currently docked, we drove by to see the sub. Jeff was down inside so we didn't see him though. The CO saw me drive by and called to see if I had my camera. He wanted a picture of the sub in front of the USS Missouri and the Arizona Memorial. Someone was supposed to go out on the tug but didn't show up. So I ran home and got the camera and the big lens! We made it back to base just in time to get some great pictures. I was a little worried that some base police would pull up and yell at me. There was no way to hid my massive lens so I just hoped for the best!! There is a big sign at the base entrance that says "No Photography" but you always see lots of homecoming pictures. There must be some exceptions. The rest of the day was uneventful. The girls played outside and got very hot!

Friday, January 30, 2009

You know you're a submariner's wife if...

I got this in my email today. I modified it a little bit :)

You know you're a submariner's wife if....

1. You use the words poopie suit, duty, head, cover, O dark thirty and field day in a non perverse way on a daily basis.

2. You lost count of the number of times you've been on board "The world's most powerful warship"

3. You've super glued, ironed on, or velcroed a patch onto a uniform.(or conned the local seamstress to make it right by tomorrow and she gets double the price)

4. You've lived in any or all of the following cities; Norfolk,Va Kingsland, GA, Groton, CT, Bangor, WA, Saratoga, NY.

5. You think day after duty is a special holiday.

6. You know the difference between a mini day, liberty after field day and fast cruise.

7. You're husband has ever uttered the words "I'm not at liberty to say".

8. You can pack a sea bag in under 10 minutes.

9. You know what a TLD, LES, and TVQ are, but you don't know what the letters stand for.

10. You've stood on the beach/pier despite snow, rain, or sand gnats to watch the boat pull in.

11. Anything less than 30 days doesn't really count as a patrol.

12. The other crew/division always get the better deal.

13. You know at least 10 guys you would consider friends of the family and yet you still don't know their first name.

14. You send emails religiously to a system you know is broken.

15. You expect an email everyday from a system you know is broken.

16. You've spent more months of your marriage apart than you have together.

17. You've actually grown to like sleeping alone despite the fact you know you are married and he will possibly share that bed 110 days of 365.

18. You use a phone tree.

19. You have your ombudsman's number programmed into your phone only because “something might happen and she is your only contact that can successfully reach the captain”

20. You know what "boat smell" is and like it!

21. You give him a kiss and a smile when you drop him off at the turn styles (and then cry the rest of the way home)

22. You know what it means when your child says “daddy has duty ..again?? and proceed to take all their frustrations out on you”.

23. You’re strong enough to say ‘No honey, go out in port , enjoy yourself, you deserve it" and patiently wait thru the 20 hour difference in time zones to tell him your child puked all over you during the 10 hr wait in the naval hospital emergency room.

24. You can honestly accept phone calls, snail mail and web-cams are purely a surface fleet luxury.

25. You’ve listened to a surface fleet wife say “it’s been 2 days and I haven’t heard anything from him” and you wanted to punch her.

26. You have asked the toilet “Why do you do this every time he leaves”(and the air conditioner, the garage door opener, and the dryer......etc.)

27. You check your email every 10 minutes by hitting the send and receive button convincing yourself it has to be the server.

28.You continue to miss and love the absent best friend and husband you know that endures the bare minimum of life’s luxuries to keep his family and this country safe.

29. You have accepted the fact that no one will ever understand the loneliness, pain and suffering your heart endures no matter how much they say “ I can imagine what it must feel like”

30. Your husband/mate keeps a watch that counts down his time until shore duty.

31. You spend a majority of the time answering “ I don’t know” to the following questions “when will he be home” Will you make it for the wedding” Can we book the hotel rooms for you now? ”Will you be here for the family reunion” “Will you make it to see us this year”??

32. You know the homecoming in a submariner’s life is the one thing that makes it justified. And for me, no matter how much I may curse the sight of that boat or hate the smell, when I see it coming up the river or smell my husband home from sea....there is nothing sweeter.

Tenderheart...

At Madalyn's preschool graduation from Happy Apple Academy, the teacher gave her the "Tenderheart" award. How fitting! She is very sensitive. It can be overwhelming at times. The day we told her we were moving to Hawaii was horrible. She cried and cried. Everytime I looked at her she would start crying again. Today she got off the bus and was crying. She wouldn't tell Amelia what was wrong and wouldn't talk. I finally got her to tell me what was wrong. Her class has had a student teacher for the past few weeks and today was her last day. Madalyn was crying because she didn't get to tell her goodbye. Poor girl! She feels better now and is going to write her a letter. I see an Oscar for "Best Actress in a Drama" in her future. Let's hope I survive the teenage years!!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

hmmm...

Another unexciting day - worked out, cleaned the girls' club house, worked on pictures, waiting for the USPS to deliver my package (will be waiting again tomorrow). So I thought I would share a few pictures!
Here is Amelia being cool with her new sunglasses.


Madalyn went outside and picked some flowers for me.
She wanted me to take a picture of them (and Amelia wanted in on it too).


Aren't they pretty!!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Midway...

Midway through the week. A not so gentle reminder of all the stuff I need to get done by Saturday. Of course, I'm waiting for USPS to deliver something before I can get started.

Today was paddling. Got to love Hawaii! I got a call from school at 1:30pm (school gets out at 1:15 on Wednesdays). Anyways, the girls missed the bus. Last Wednesday, they had a visual arts class after school. Apparently they really liked it because they thought it was every Wednesday. So they stayed after school to go to the class! After homework, they were back outside to play with friends.

I thought I would share a recipe for Peach Salsa from my friend Kate. It is so good!! I'm making it next week for the hail and farewell party.

Kate's Peach Salsa
16 oz canned peaches-chopped
4 plum tomatoes-chopped
4 green onions-chopped
1 tbs. chopped cilantro
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. lime juice
1 ts. honey
salt/pepper to taste

I always double the recipe b/c one batch is NEVER enough! I would make it early in the day or even the night before so all the flavors marry together.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Sweet baby!

I posted more of the proofs on my photography blog - but I just had to share a couple here too.

Proofing the pictures took most of my day. I did go to the gym this morning to workout. Maddie and Elle came down to play after school. I need to wear ear plugs when they are all playing! At least they were having fun. I'm looking forward to watching Biggest Loser tonight. Hoping Joelle goes home tonight. She drives me crazy!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Just another Monday...

After the sleepover and the pupus last night, the girls were exhausted and nobody was moving too fast this morning. Luckily, we made it to the bus stop in time! :) I went paddling this morning. Loved it although I'm def'initely feeling it since I missed a few weeks!! We'll see how my arms feel in the morning. After paddling, I rushed home to get showered before maintenance showed up. They were scheduled to come between 11-1pm. They always come early - great, except when you are rushing to get home on time. He got here at 10:30am and I had just finished getting ready! So now our air conditioning works again. The girls got home and had to do their homework. It was a beautiful afternoon so they played outside till it rained. The best part of the day was getting to "borrow" JoAnne's baby Gigi to take pictures. Such fun! I tried out a bunch of new hats, some new blankets and some poses that I wanted to try. What a trooper! I'll post some of them tomorrow :) She's beautiful!!!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Paddling...

Here are some picture from a day of paddling. I'm in seat 3 with the blue tank top. The first picture was taken by my mom when they were visiting. You can see the USS Missouri and the base of the Arizona Memorial in the background.






Pupus on the Driveway...

I'll get to the title in a bit...

I picked the girls up at 10am from the sleep over. They had a great time! Pool, ice cream truck, games, movies, cookies, pizza, karaoke - what more could you ask for?!?! The girls spent the afternoon playing outside. Amelia borrowed a light saber (shh...don't tell dad). She really wants one but dad said no. Before Christmas, she asked what would happen if Santa brought her one!! Anyways, there are plenty of boys in the neighborhood and she ended up with one today. I saw her playing and she is pretty good at swinging it around! She is definitely a tomboy. She is proud of every bruise and scratch. You should see her legs! Madalyn prefers to play calmer games.

Tonight Julie & Stacy hosted "Pupus on the driveway". Everyone brings an appetizer to share and we sit around and chat. It is great! The adults get to meet new people and have a real conversation. The kids get to play and there are enough kids that everyone can find something to do. Amelia was playing football with all the boys. She even got tackled! It was a pretty good hit and she didn't even cry (now if her sister would have tackled her there would have been serious tears!!). Madalyn was busy playing with Stewart and Grace. Her big thing now is making fairy houses out of coconuts, moss and whatever else she can find.

Now it is time for everyone to go to bed. They should be exhausted!!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Saturday Sleep Over...

The girls were up at 6am today getting ready for the birthday party and sleep over. It didn't start till 2pm. Made for a long morning, but it also gave Madalyn a little extra motivation to clean her room. They were so excited for the party. I drove by the pool and saw them all playing. Hopefully they have a good night there too. The party is about 3 houses away, so I can go get them if I need to. All I did today was run some errands - very exciting stuff. Now I'm watching "Hairspray". The excitement will never end...

Friday, January 23, 2009

The rest of the day...

After the Chinese New Year celebration, I went to the hospital to visit JoAnne and baby Gigi. She is gorgeous and makes the cutest little faces when she stretches. I'm going to borrow her soon to take some pictures. I bought some new blankets and baby hats to use. Can't wait!

After school, we went in search of a couple birthday presents. We could really use an AC Moore or Michaels on the island. We were looking for a crafty kit but didn't find much. I guess we will go to Walmart tomorrow to pick up something. Here are some pictures of the girls after baths tonight. They were full of giggles!




"Xin nian kuai le"

Happy Chinese New Year - well, technically it is not till Monday - but today the girls had a Chinese New Years celebration at school. Madalyn's class made manapuas (basically, biscuits with pork, char sui mix, onion, and water chestnuts inside then rolled in sugar. A red spot of food coloring on the top). She actually liked it too.

Here is Madalyn with her friend Madison :)

Madalyn's class made their own Chinese New Year Lion. Here are a couple pictures of them dancing to the drums. She is the "tail" of the dragon.

Here is Amelia touching the lion.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

School Pictures...

My friend JoAnne had her baby this morning. Welcome to the world Gigi!! I'm going to go visit her tomorrow. Can't wait!

Today was otherwise very boring. I worked on some boat related stuff and cleaned some. Since I don't have much to write today, here are the girls' school pictures.





(Check out the blue mohawk - his name is Blaze)

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wednesday fun..

Well, I started out today by getting locked out when I took the girls to the bus stop. Luckily, I still had the kitchen window open. I climbed in with very little grace - at least I didn't break anything. Then I picked up Yoko and we went to go paddling. It was my first time back since the girls got out of school in December. I ended up steering, which is not my favorite. I prefer paddling because it is a good workout and very relaxing. Something about the rhythm of the paddling is very soothing. The girls stayed after school today for a "Reflections Workshop" where they got to create their own artwork. They painted and took pictures. They loved it!! They get the pictures back later this week and they get to pick one to enter in a contest. I'll post some of their artwork when they bring it home. Tonight I worked on finishing up some orders and finally updated by photography blog.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Just another day...

Just another day... girls went to school, I did more laundry, cleaned my desk off and did some work. Very boring... The girls came home, did homework and played outside till the babysitter came. They had a new babysitter tonight and they must have liked her because they wanted to know when she could come again. Good sign :) I went to the Ombudsman Assembly meeting - oh yeah, fun. I came home to a bag on the porch full of blankets for the NICU! Such great neighbors!! She also brought over a CD from the group "The Katinas". www.thekatinas.com I'm looking forward to listening to their music. It's a beautiful evening and I have all the windows open. It is almost a little cool in here. I love Hawaii :) Tomorrow I get to go paddling!! It has been over a month since I have been able to go. Can't wait!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Sara...

Today was the funeral for Sara Olson. She was my preschool Sunday school teacher. Amazing woman. She was 106 years old and never missed a beat. When I saw her last summer, she still remembered my name, my husband and my kids! Sara had a wonderful personality and will be missed by everyone. God bless you Sara.

Our day... I woke up to Madalyn crying. The "Funky Owl" toy she bought last night broke. The head broke right off. She was devastated. She said that the store only had one and she wanted me to fix it. No amount of hot glue was going to keep that head on. After many tears and lots of "but it's my favorite toy", I finally convinced her that we could return it and find something different. She did cut out a picture of it and put it on a piece of paper with it's date and name. Kind of looked like a head stone. Poor girl. So we went back to Toys R Us and got a replacement animal - this time a dog and cat. The girls spent the afternoon playing outside. Boy I do love Hawaii. I spent the afternoon cleaning the bathrooms and doing laundry. We had pancakes with cooked apples for dinner. Madalyn really wanted pancakes for breakfast, but we got up a little late so I promised we would have them for dinner. The girls took a bath and are ready to go back to school tomorrow! Yeah :)

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Sunday...

I actually set the alarm clock so we wouldn't have to rush to get ready for church. My normal weekend alarm clock (Jeff) isn't here so I knew I would sleep in. Today we took Maddie and Elle to church with us. Their mom is pregnant and uncomfortable. I predict the baby will arrive on Tuesday. Anyways, church with 4 kids is interesting. Lots of giggles, saying hi to friends 5 rows away during communion, fixing each others hair, etc... They are like sisters (except less fighting...lol) and it is fun to see them together.

This afternoon we went to do some errands. I discovered the craft stores on island are dismal. Ughh - I guess I will have to resort to searching the internet. My newest project is making bracelets for NILMDTS babies. Now I'm searching for a tiny heart charm to put on the bracelet. Once again, my wonderful neighbors have come through for me. The hospital is in need of hats and blankets to give to the parents. I sent out a message thru our yahoo group and I already have a couple ladies that volunteered to make some!

We finished our unsuccessful shopping trip at Toys R Us (mainly as a reward for the girls - they could look at toys all day long!!). I was walking thru an aisle and heard my name. There was Dawn Snedecker! We went to the same high school in Alcester, South Dakota a million years ago! It was great to catch up with her and hear about her family. It is a small world!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Blessings...

Today started with a call from the Tripler NICU. A 13 ounce baby boy passed away this morning and his mother was interested in getting some pictures taken. Thanks again to my wonerful neighbors who were able to watch my girls!! It was a hard session, but definitely worth while. Please pray for baby Nicholas and his mom. (I'm a volunteer photographer for an organization, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep - http://www.nilmdts.org/)

I came home and picked up the girls. We decided to go to the outlet mall. They were having some sort of Chinese New Year blessing of the stores? Not sure what it was called, but there were drums and Chinese dragons. The girls really enjoyed watching them until the dragons got a little too close!

We came home and the girls spent the entire afternoon outside playing with Maddie and Elle. It was a beautiful day - even a bit chilly at times. Not South Dakota chilly, but the coolest I have experienced since moving here!!

Friday, January 16, 2009

The Day of the Big Storm....

The Day of the Big Storm....that never came. Some rain, some wind... but nothing major on this side of the island.

Jeff finally got out to sea with his sub. After many delays, he finally got underway this afternoon. Our bigs plans of watching him leave went out the window - too many changes to the time and the unpredictable weather ended that. So the girls spent the day playing outside in between the rain. They took a break to come in and dance. Madalyn decided she needed her Hannah Montana costume to dance properly. Here is a picture of the two dancers :)

Tonight we got a ride to base to pick up Jeff's car again. Then we went to Pizza Hut to use the girls' Book It coupons. They were thrilled.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

What a day...

Today did not go exactly as planned. Jeff got up at 3:30am to go the boat. They were leaving today. I had a SOWC meeting this morning. I caught a ride with a friend so I could drive Jeff's car home. Got home and did some work while waiting for the girls to get home from school. About 2:30pm, I started to wonder why the bus was late. A few minutes later my neighbor calls to tell me the girls went to her house. I normally leave the front door open, but the flies have been bad so I shut it today. It was still unlocked though. The girls saw the door shut - didn't try the door, ring the door bell, or knock. They just went to Yuno's house. They love to go there so I think they jumped at the chance. So they finally get home and we run out to Hickam to watch Jeff's boat leave. The girls had a great time watching the crabs climb on the wall. Then we finally see the submarine come out of West Loch. Then it turns back towards Pearl Harbor (not the way out to sea!). So we go home and find out the boat will be here for another day. I checked my facebook account and people are talking about school being cancelled. I'm like "What the heck!". The forecast is predicting heavy winds and rain. "Predicting" being the operative word. It's a little windy now, but nothing major. They cancelled all public schools on 5 of the Hawaiian islands! Tomorrow was going to be first chance to go paddling in almost a month. So now the girls have another 4 day weekend. Keep in mind, they have only had one and half days of school since December 19th! One good thing came of today - we got to go to the Mongolian BBQ with JoAnne and the kids tonight. The girls love it there just because they get to run around and play with all the kids on the grassy areas. So they were sweaty and tired by the time we got home. Hopefully they sleep in a little tomorrow!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Woohoo! Back to School!

The kids didn't complain when I woke them up at 6am. They got dressed quickly (a small miracle for Madalyn who gets easily distracted by books) and were ready to go to the bus stop 20 minutes early!!

I enjoyed my freedom and went to get my hair done - color, highlight, haircut, eyebrow wax (1st time...ouch!!) and Jeff didn't notice!! It's not like she trimmed my hair. I got a lot of cut off and my hair is much darker now. He is just in his own world. I'll give him a break since he did have a 13 hour day at work. {But I reserve the right to hold it against him later if need be} :) Amelia noticed my hair within seconds of walking in the front door. She is a detail orientated kid. If I can't find something, I just ask Amelia and she usually knows where it is at!

The kids got home early today (they get out early every Wednesday - it's like they never go to school...LOL). Once their homework was done, they were back outside finding friends to play with. Amelia was worn out by dinner time. I think Madalyn must have been tired too because she didn't make her normal 10 trips downstairs to delay going to bed. We'll see how fast they get up tomorrow morning!

Here is a picture of the girls with their friend Emma. (Notice that Madalyn & Emma are almost the same heighth - Emma turns 11 next week!) Madalyn is wearing one of her favorite shirts. She would wear her soccer uniform everyday if it was clean! Amelia is wearing her favorite white skirt. It is almost too small and not quite as white as it used to be (red dirt is not nice to white clothing). She loves it though. I need to find a replacement!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Back to school tomorrow!

I'll admit that I'm excited for the girls to go back to school. They are ready too. Most schools started today so there were no kids for them to play with this morning. It was excruciatingly tough for Madalyn to wait till Grace & Stewart got done with their homework. She ran for the door when they came down to tell her they were done.

I spent the morning working on the claim form for the damages to our stuff during the move. The movers put Jeff's sword in a box and it ended up bent. Very expensive mistake they made! I hate paperwork so I have been putting it off. Try remembering when you bought something and how much you paid! Such fun. I think I'm done with this step (please let this be the end...lol).

Anyone else happy that Jen & Ben finally announced the name of their baby! Oh the power of celebrity...

Monday, January 12, 2009

PJs and Peace...

We had pjs and peace till 10:30am. The girls got up and played so nicely that I didn't want to break up the peace by making them get dressed. The peace ended with a supposedly "accidental" kick which left Amelia crying. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

Jeff's captain is leaving next month and the wardroom decided they wanted to get him a print of a submarine on a chart with Pearl Harbor in the background. Easier said than done. Of course, with the guys leaving soon, the task has fallen to me. I've searched the internet with every possible wording combination that I could think of! I have an email sent to Dan Price in Connecticut. I like his work so hopefully we will be able to get this all together before the Hail and Farewell party.

Now we are watching a tivo'd episode of Pusing Daisies. We both like this show. I think it has been cancelled though :(

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Typical Sunday...

Sleep in too long, wake up and hurry to get ready for church, go to church, girls get cookies and Tang, they go to CCD while we go grocery shopping, pick the girls up and go back home :)

This afternoon we all went to the pool. It was a little cool for the girls when they got out of the pool and the sun went behind the clouds, but they still had fun. Tonight I went to a White Elephant Auction for the Submarine Officers Wives Club. It was fun and I almost ended up with a statue of the virgin Mary and a red lace teddy stocking! Ying and Yang! Thankfully, I ended up with a jar of apple butter!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Two Day Update

Oops - missed a day. Yesterday was super busy. Jeff forgot his ID on the boat so we all got up at 6:30am to take him to work. I tried to go back to bed, but the girls were up for the day. They came in about 7am with a sign...

In case you can't read it, it says "Out of order downstairs bathroom. No using 14 squares only 3. It was not us." Haha!! Now, how did they know that someone used 14 squares?? Hmmm... and notice they are quick to say it wasn't them.

We were busy cleaning and cooking for the baby shower and farewell I had today. Madalyn loves to cook so she helped out too. Amelia was a great help cleaning. She takes after her father. I don't know where Madalyn got her love of cooking - definitely not from me! To add to everything else I needed to do, the full jug of milk sprang a leak. Luckily, I had not mopped the floor yet. I didn't plan on cleaning the frig though. It did cheer me up to get a call from NFCU. They agreed to correct the error caused by their representative (they suggested and opened an account that the girls didn't qualify for...duh!) Anyways, I'm glad it is resolved. Last night, we went to the airport to pick up a lei for the guest of honor. I'm still not sure which lei stand to go to. There are like 10 of them all in a row and they all look the same - big signs with little ladies sitting putting together leis!

Today we were up early to get everything ready for the party. Here is what I served - cucumber sandwiches, fruit salad, lemon poppy seed muffins, mini quiches, mushroom turnovers, cranberry chicken salad with mini croissants, cottage cheese dip (very yummy) with veggies and crackers, and a homemade strawberry cheesecake! The girls were thrilled that there were leftovers. JoAnne got some great gifts. One that I hadn't seen before was called a bottle buddy. It was a sea turtle too- perfect for Hawaii (http://www.uncommongifts.com/ - if you are interested). She also got matching outfits for all her girls. Nice idea!

The rest of today was spent relaxing while the girls played with friends. Amelia got caught out in the rain a couple times (maybe on purpose, you never know with her). Jeff went for a run. Now, Madalyn is busy finishing up her Sunday School homework. I'm looking forward to going to bed!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Great day..

Today was a great day! My wonderful neighbor watched the girls so I could go to Kaneohe for a book club meeting. The hostess had a house with a beautiful view of the ocean, beach and mountains. We were hoping to see some whales, but they didn't cooperate. It was still wonderful! This month we read the first half of "Forever Amber". Here is a link if you want to learn about the book. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Forever_Amber_(novel)&oldid=262894660

Tonight we picked up Jeff at work and went to the Mongolian BBQ at the Hickam O Club with some friends from the boat. It was so nice to sit, chat and laugh with friends. The sunset was beautiful and the food is always good. Plus $23 to feed the family is great. Of course, the girls always have chicken strips and fries. They don't know what they are missing! They love to go there just to run around the banyan tree with friends and get a fortune cookie :)

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The Never Ending School Break...

Why didn't we have school breaks that lasted almost a month!??! The girls got out of school on December 19th. They don't go back till January 14th! I'm ready for them to go back now!! :) I think they are ready too. The neighbor boys (that they always play with) went back to school today. So I got a lot of "we're bored" comments. Even more of those comments while waiting at the NFCU to fix a problem with the girls' cd. Very aggravating. They couldn't fix it and it was **their** error. I emailed them and hopefully someone there can fix it.

Jeff just walked in the door! 6:30pm!! First time that he has seen the kids since Sunday :)

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Kids Play...

Today was a good day. The girls played outside with friends and then this afternoon a bunch of their friends came inside. Seven kids running around as I chased them being the "cracker monster". I was even chasing them around with the vacuum for awhile. They were screaming, laughing, running around - all around chaos - but the smiles were definitely worth it!

Jeff is working late again tonight. I took advantage of it and made an easy dinner. We went for a walk before it got too dark and the girls were happy we got home early enough to watch a little tv :)

Monday, January 5, 2009

Favorite Blogs...

Jeff is back at work today. (Since it is the first day after standdown for the crew, he said it will be a long day. AKA - he is not going to be in a good mood when he gets home!!) The girls have spent almost all day playing with friends. Love this neighborhood!

Since nothing really happened today, I figured I would share my favorites blogs.

http://www.mattlogelin.com/ - I love this blog. Read under "Pages", the "About", "A Warning" and "If you haven't been here before" to get the background info. Get a box of tissues before you start!!

http://www.blunoz.blogspot.com/ - I started reading this blog when he lived in McGrew Point. He has since moved away, but I still read it everyday! Very funny! If you live in Hawaii, check out the "Hawaii Gouge" pages. He gives lots of great information about places to visit etc. I check it to find new places to go on the island!

http://www.passthechopsticks.blogspot.com/ - This blog is my an internet friend. I've "known" her for years but we have yet to meet. It seems to be that I follow her around the country, but we are never in the same place at the same time...hmm, maybe she is trying to tell me something...lol! Anyways, her blog is great. She is a military wife and they are now stationed in Japan. Her blog has great pictures of their adventures. And if you ever think you "can't handle" something the Navy throws at you, just read her blog and you will be inspired!!

http://dispatchesfromtheisland.blogspot.com/ - This blog belongs to Jorge Garcia (from Lost). I love checking this blog. He has a great sense of humor and seems like a very down to earth guy.

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ - She just finished her 365 days of cooking with a crockpot! Now that is dedication!! The great thing about her blog is that she gives you the recipe with pictures, information, a review and how she would change things the next time she makes it.

That is it for now. Have a great Monday!!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Drama Queen in the House!

Jeff decided to bribe Madalyn with some time on Webkinz if she rode her bike around the neighborhood without whining/crying (she always rides her scooter). I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant. Madalyn is pure drama and Jeff wasn't in the best mood since he had to go into work this morning. The first round was lots of tears. We got home and she agreed that she didn't live up to her part of the bargain. So Jeff gave her another try. The second time around was much better (and faster!). So she happily got to play Webkinz and we are, hopefully, a step closer to her improving her confidence in riding the bike. We shall see....

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Wii...

We got a Wii and a Wii Fit for Christmas. Lots of fun! Even Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed it! Grandpa was pretty good at the ski jump and golfing. Today we went and got a new game - Outdoor Challenge. We only played a couple games but I think the kids (and us) are going to enjoy it. There is a mat that you stand on so it is more active than some other games. I'm thinking it will be great on rainy days!

The kids and I made Indian Spiced Chickpeas this morning while Jeff was at work. Madalyn loved making them, but didn't like the taste. Amelia ate one, but didn't ask for more. I liked them though :) I guess my treat is safe!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Cabbage Rolls

At least that is what we called them. Not until I searched for a recipe did I realize that they were in fact not cabbage rolls at all. The recipe I used today called them "Bierocks". Anyways, my Grandma Wilmot used to make these for me every Christmas. We'd drive all night from South Dakota to Casper, Wyoming and usually arrived around 1am. She would have them ready for us, still warm from the oven. The ones I made tonight were not quite that good, but they were still good and even the girls liked them. A little miracle since Amelia was not happy that she had to eat cabbage and black eyed peas last night. The neighbor girls that had dinner with us were very happy that they didn't have to follow our family tradition!!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!!

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Welcome to our family blog! This is my attempt to keep everyone updated on what is going on in our family. The good, the bad, the funny, etc!

About today - Madalyn made New Year's Day breakfast! Fruit on a stick - she was so proud. The rest of the day was spent relaxing while the girls played with friends.