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  • 7 Quick Takes Friday ~ Home Sweet Home Edition

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    ~1~

    We are home again after traveling over 5200 miles in 30 days.  Whew!  My back and legs are a bit sore.  I drive with one hand on the wheel and it made the left side of my back ache like crazy.  I tried to apply some heat using my seat warmer, but the seat warmer has been broken since winter.  

    ~2~

    The kids all mentioned how much they missed having Daddy home.  Then they said, "He'd be unloading the car."  Sorry, hon!

    ~3~

    My mother was at the house when we arrived.  The kids were absolutely thrilled.  They missed their Halmoni.  She also cooked a fabulous Korean meal for us.  Brother was in heaven.  He really missed his rice and kimchi.  

    ~4~

    I was so happy to be on vacation.  It was hard to drive all those hours by myself and to have the kids by myself in those bathrooms.  However, I didn't have a big schedule to keep.  I wasn't on the go all the time.  I had leisurely mornings.  I had fun things to do with the children.  It was grand.  I'm tired but rejuvenated in spirit.  Everyone we stayed with was so hospitable.  My MIL had us for almost 2 weeks.  We even had to boil water for the last five days.  She was a trooper.  I have lots and lots of pictures and things to share.  This was an epic trip.

    ~5~

    The suburban is a disaster.  There are crumbs everywhere.  And, sand.  And, junk.  And, trash.

    ~6~

    Ben will be home in less than 30 days.  He has a bead on a job on Fort Hood that's just come up.  Please pray that he gets it.  Things are not falling into place as well as we'd like in the job department.  We were thinking DC, but things aren't working the way we'd need them to.  

    ~7~

    I'm trying to take it slow.  I can feel all the things I need to do start to descend on my shoulders like planning for the school year.  I'm trying to keep this even keel going as long as I can.

    I'm happy to be home.  It's nice to put the kids to bed at their normal bedtime.  Did you know the sun starts to rise at 4:30 on the Cape?  It makes for an early morning.  

    Please go to Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes. 

  • Another Birthday on the Road

    We celebrated on the road last year.  Once again, we're celebrating while traveling.

    Happy birthday to my sweet Honey.  You are such a fascinating little girl. 

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  • Spotty Internet and This…

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    The reasons why I have been so quiet here.  We're still on vacation but will be home too.  

    PS  To my bestest knitting friend, Ben has lost your son's phone number.  Can you email it to me (still having trouble sending emails) or a way to contact him?

     

  • Email Issues

    I can read emails via my iPhone but I can’t seem to send. I can read and respond to facebook but all else has failed. So, if you have facebook that is the best way for me to respond. If you have emailed me please know I am not ignoring you. I don’t have Internet access beyond my iPhone.

    Ms. Sissie, I sent you a message via facebook regarding camp.

  • Memorial Day at Arlington

    After the wedding (pictures of kids to come later), we drove up to Northern Virginia for a visit with family.  On Memorial Day, we drove to visit Uncle David in Arlington.  After sitting in traffic for over an hour, we were just about to drive onto Arlington when the guards started diverting the traffic away.  Since David is buried there, we had a pass to drive onto the cemetery so we could visit.  I thought they should've let us on.  It's not about not having to walk to see David, it's about visiting David.  They should not have kept family members from visiting their loved ones especially on this day.  Every day tourists, I can understand.  I don't care if the Vice President is speaking (although it should've been the President).  But, that's just my opinion.

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    We saw a widow riding in a cab to visit her husband.  She was an elderly lady who looked so dignified sitting in the back of the cab with the parking pass sitting on the dash of the cab.

    We also drove by the newest section which houses the war dead from Iraq and Afghanistan.  This area was very, very busy with family members.  It was sad.

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    We miss you, David.
      
     

  • Some Gave All

    Please remember all who lost their lives in the defense of this great country especially my dear friends, Major David G Taylor, Jr. and Major Edward J Murphy.  And, please pray for the families left behind.

  • Finally Pool Time

    The kids finally got their pool time.  It's an outdoor pool so we are at the whims of nature.  It was breezy and COLD.  However, the kids were determined to swim around.  They did until I pulled them out.  Their lips were blue by that point.

    Driving on I-64 brought back many memories.  I last drove here in 2004 when we left our posting at Fort Eustis.  I was thinking back to all that has happened since then.

    We had a new baby (Pumpkin) not one year after leaving.

    Brother was diagnosed with autism.

    Ben has been deployed twice.

    We lost our dear friend, Dave Taylor.

    The girls have flourished in a wonderful gem of a ballet school in the neighboring small town.

    I met so many wonderful friends IRL (in real life) and in cyber space (some whom I've met in real life).

    There are also many memories of this place but they're tinged with a bit of sadness as they involve Dave.  He was stationed in nearby Fort Monroe so we were often all together.  

  • Almost There

    I feel we've been on the road forever.  

    It's only been two days.

    I think we'll arrive at a reasonable hour tomorrow afternoon.  I hope so.  The hotel we're staying in today has a pool, but it's not open until after this weekend.  Sigh.

    The kids were going to mutiny.  

    So, we need to get in at a reasonable hour so we will have some pool time tomorrow.

    The kids extrapolated and have decided to blame the Army.  I mentioned that it was hard for me to find a good hotel since Dad usually takes care of it while I drive.  I can't do all the searching and calling while driving.  So, they decided that since he's in Afghanistan because of the Army, it's the Army's fault.  I agree.

  • 7 Quick Takes Friday ~ Volume 81 aka Ballet Edition

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    ~1~

    The girls have their spring performance this weekend.  There are two shows.  Tonight we had our dress rehearsal.

    Jordan

    ~2~

    Pumpkin performs as a purple butterfly fairy.  Her class will take turns with the next level class so she will perform only once; on Sunday.

    Emma 

    ~3~

    Honey plays a star.  As she likes to say, “She’s a star of the show.”

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    ~4~

    Sister plays several roles.  She’s a pixie in the above picture minus the wings.  She’ll also be an ice crystal fairy, a star and a wood nymph in her duet.  

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    ~5~

    It took me 2 1/2 hours to get all three girls ready.  Whew!  My shoulders are aching from the effort.  I’ll have to relax them when I put their makeup on.  I’ve finally, after 5 years, gotten the hair thing down.

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    ~6~

    This is completely now ballet related, but Brother decided to attend the Squire’s event tonight.  I’m sitting up late waiting for the phone call to tell me that they’re ready.  He could spend the night, but I don’t think he’d sleep.  It would take him forever to wind down and then he just wouldn’t be able to.  So, I’m staying up.  I’ll need a serious dose of caffeine tomorrow.

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    Sister is on the left.

    ~7~

    My brain is mush.  I’ll just leave you with more gratuitous pictures of my ballerinas.

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  • Happy Birthday, Sweet Pumpkin

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    Happy 5th Birthday, my sweet girl!  Where has the time gone?