Back to the new normal

We are back from our 2008 summer road trip. We are definitely feeling the double edged sword of vacation. It's that thing that happens when you are waiting so long to see people you love dearly and then the time comes and you have so much fun and then it's over too quickly and it's kind of depressing to think that you won't see them again for a whole year. And on top of that you have to go home and unpack, catch up on laundry, get your house back in order and go back to work. We are certainly thankful for the opportunity we had to see our friends and family, but it really felt way too short! So I had an idea, I'm going to try to convince Bob to start working on inventing the Star Trek Transporter so we can see our friends and family any time we want!!!

So Bob is back to work and I am gearing up for my job teaching 4th grade. I am pretty excited now that it's getting so close. But it will definitely take some getting used to for the entire family. I haven't worked outside the home since Abigail was a baby so we'll be trying to figure out how to keep the house running in an orderly fashion and juggle 3 different Little League teams and piano lessons. I'm guessing that it's going to be a circus for a few months but I suppose we'll get it figured out and get into a groove...I hope.

As soon as Bob gets the pictures from vacation on the computer I'll throw some up for your viewing pleasure. :)

Not good bye...just see you later!

Summer is a time filled with lots of fun activities but when you live on a military base it's also a time when the streets are filled with moving trucks. This summer is no exception. My good friend April and her family left recently and my friend Krystal is leaving in about a week. I have a special friendship with these women because our husbands were all deployed at the same time and it was such a blessing to have other women around who knew exactly how I felt. We had many play dates, dinners together with all the kiddos, girls nights out with no kiddos, babysitting swaps and much more...so it's hard to see these friends leave. However, I have learned that I'm not really saying good-bye...just see you later. One way to look at military life is that it provides you with friends across the country, or even the world. And when you've really become close with people you know that you'll make the effort to keep in touch. So here's to good friends, good times, and seeing each other again!

The pictures below were taken at the Botanical Garden. It was our last outing all together.

I never thought I'd do it...

I've been battling diaper rash for 7 years now. Some times I feel as if I'm winning the battle and other days I feel defeated. I have tried most of the products out there for a long time I was satisfied with Balmex but I felt so bad when I would rub it on some very red and sore buns and my Little would cry from the pain of the zinc oxide. It was almost too much for a mama to bear. So then I'd switch over to the brown and greasy A&D which has a funny smell but doesn't make them cry. I've been a user of powder and even used plain old corn starch a time or two.
Recently we were out to dinner with some friends and somehow our dinner conversation turned to diaper rash cream and we got to talking about "Boudreaux's Butt Paste" (honestly I can't remember how 4 adults out to dinner with no kids got to talking about this issue). I've just never tried it because it's called Butt Paste, it was a matter of principal, especially now that I have readers in the house who will get great joy out of saying the name of the product over and over again. But my friend pointed out that this particular product was French. He admitted that they had never actually used the product either but he personally thought it was cool. The conversation convinced me to try it on some sore buns that showed up recently at our house and let me tell you...it's not stinky or sticky and IT WORKS! I love it. Except for the fact that you only get a tiny tube for same price as the big tube of Balmex if it clears up red buns and doesn't make anyone cry I'm going to keep buying it. Now I just have to figure out how to keep my big kids from seeing it!

31 years and counting

Today is my 31st birthday. It was a good day. It started with a morning run, followed by play time and lunch with friends, more play time this afternoon, family time at the playground, Bob grilled up some yummy dinner and he and the kids made me a cake. On top of that Bob decided that I needed my favorite concoction at Cold Stone (can you guess what's in it?). After getting home and putting the kiddos to bed we spent time sitting outside talking and watching lighting strike over the mountains. Yes, it was a good day!
During my run this morning and I was thinking about the many ways I've been blessed over my 31 years.

• Wonderful parents who love me
  
• my big brother, who I still wrestle with when we're together
  
• my big sister...all I can say is shenanigans live on
• so many friends who have been rock stars in so many ways
• awesome church families wherever we go
• a husband who loves God and loves me
• 4 children who brighten each day and present me with challenges that I never imagined

I could go on and on and still not recognize all the ways that God has filled my life with joy and gladness. I know that there is so much more to come and it's always exciting to see what will be next. :)

STAPLES--if only we had the easy button

This afternoon was supposed to be fun time with Mrs. Margaret. We started off at McD's playland and we were going to go to Hobby Lobby and a playground after that but our plans were suddenly changed when a boy pushed Chloe and she fell and hit her head on a bench. She got a good gash and there was a lot of blood. YIKERS! We scooted out of there so fast we forgot Chloe's shoes. I was so thankful that Margaret was with us. I dropped her and the other kiddos off at home and took Chloe to Urgent Care. After it was cleaned out and numbed up Chloe received 2 staples. She cried but was still super brave! We stopped on the way home and got some Tylenol for her head and candy for her bravery. :) We have an appointment in a week to get the staples out. For now she's doing fine...but no swimming. Good thing we took this session off from lessons. We're just really thankful that she's okay. Oh and we did go back to McD's and her shoes were still there. :)

Made me chuckle

This morning I ran to the commissary with an extra kiddo in tow. It was just for a few things but I did have a 7 year old, 5 year old, 4 year old, and two 2 year olds so we attracted a few stares. The thing that makes me laugh is that when I went to check out the first thing the cashier said to me was, "Do you have any food stamps?" It just made me laugh. They way our kiddos go through food there are times I wish we qualified!

You want S'more?

Okay we all know that I have an addiction to marshmellows and since it is that time of year when we enjoy the puffy white balls of sugar with chocolate and graham crackers I thought I'd share these little tidbits with you all.
This first one I saw on a Paula Dean cooking show...I just love her. So you take a sheet of tin foil and lay it out. Place a full graham cracker down. Cover that with a chocolate bar, followed by several large mellows and top it off with another cracker. Wrap up the yummy goodness with your tin foil and throw it on the grill for a few minutes. Open it up and wha-la you have an ooey gooey dessert.
In my Family Fun magazine they gave a recipe for what they claim to be a less mess S'more. I haven't tried it yet but I think my kiddos will probably get just as messy regardless. So they suggest that you use a flour tortilla instead of graham crackers. Just wrap a handfull of chocolate chips and a handfull of mini-mellows in your tortilla and then wrap the tortilla in tin foil and put it on the grill. After it cools for a few minutes you can just tear away the top half of the foil and let them have at it.
We'll be enjoying both of these methods this summer...I hope you will too! Maybe we could try a taste test. Try both and let us know which you think is better!
Oh and if you have any fabulous ideas for a summer treat (especially if it includes chocolate, peanut butter or marshmellows) please share!!!