The tale of a refrigerator

So, I have been told recently I have the "emptiest fridge" considering we are a family of five. I just want to clarify that I do indeed feed my family...um look at my husband. But I am very careful as to what I put in my fridge and what stays there. A couple of reasonings behind this. One, my mother, God rest her soul kept a very clean house, but she tended to be a pack rat when it came to food. Who knows why...maybe it was because he parents went through the depression and had the keep everything mentality. Maybe it was just a quirk my mother had. But the fridge was packed...and I mean PACKED with all kinds of food...and a lot of it wasn't even recognizable after a while. I made a vow my fridge would never look like that. The second reason is I try to eat as clean as possible? Clean as in my slight OCD issues..no. Clean as in whole food and very little processed things. My kids do eat cereal, and pasta (mainly because those are safe foods for Joe), and dairy. So we aren't complete Paleo fanatics, but we do try to eat as healthy/clean as possible. So here is a picture of my fridge after it is stocked from the grocery store The pie is a chicken pot pie made without chicken broth and as low fat as it can possibly be. Next is a picture just before I go back to the store. Most of the veggies that were in the drawers are gone. And when the apple juice for the younger kids is gone they sure let me know! One thing you will rarely see in my fridge is any kind of coke. I hate drinking calories, except for a protein shake. I have even cut down on my milk consumption considerably. Now I am drinking unsweetened cocunut milk. So see, I don't think it's THAT empty.

Ankle deep in number four....

So you might be wondering why I haven't posted in a while...I said might lol. Things have been beyond wild here the past few months. Joe and I successfully ran our first 1/2 marathon and we did great! Ran great and raised $1000 for a great cause. It was just before the race that we got some news.....Joe would deploy to Afghanistan in the spring. Things went into hyper drive very quickly. We visited family and more family visited us. And before we knew it April was here and Joe was gone. I have to admit I did not prep well for this deployment. Emotionally, it has not been good. I have been plagued with nightmares and even thoughts during the day that my hubby will not return home. Three other times, Joe has gone overseas to serve our country and these thoughts didn't haunt me like they do this time. I am chalking it up to either God is trying to teach me sacrifice...even more so than just living without him for a year...or the devil is trying to do whatever he can to hurt my marriage. So I pray...a lot. And I am relying heavily on my faith. Big Joe is doing well. He is very busy. I get to talk to him pretty regularly when he's not working 20 hour days, or the Internet connection isn't bad. He feels he's in a job that's making a difference which is most important. He has his own, although tiny, room. And today, despite being in the desert he complained his AC needed to be turned down lol. So I think overall he's doing well. The kids and I have settled into our deployment routines. Little Joe is out of school for the summer and he helps me run errands and we go to the barn when we can. The younger kids are in a summer preschool 3x a week which allows me to run errands with one child instead of three..woohooo! We've gone tubing on a local lake, swimming several times at Callaway Gardens, and played laser tag and putt putt. It's been emotional with our animals. Zhuk, our devoted yet not too bright lab mix had to be put down. He had gone blind in November and over time his digestive system started to weaken, he was "wall pressing", as well as getting aggressive. I made the difficult choice, and a friend went with me to do the deed. It was awful. We have gotten a new puppy, named Marshall. He is a Weimaraner. Very sweet, smart, and thankfully Garrett, who was very much bonded with Zhuk has taken to Marshall like a fly to honey. Needless to say it's been a roller coaster. We pray that this sudden deployment brings great things to Joe's career in the future, and us closer together as a family unit even while he's away. So here we go....deployment number four. Today is one day closer til we are together again.

Fun in the Fall

So my sweet husband who happens to work very hard and sometimes falls asleep on the couch within minutes of sitting down ordered me a Christmas gift. The only thing was is he used my computer on my amazon account. You can imagine my suprise as the email came through on my phone while he stood up from the computer! LOL His first words were.."Dang it!" The he said, "Oh well, we can use it for Christmas cards." It was a new Cannon Rebel camera!! I have been wanting a nice camera for a long time and was super excited to get it a few days later!! Needless to say I've been playing with my new toy! So here are some new and improved pictures of my cute kiddos :)

One of the first pics we took with the camera. How can you not love that kid?!

Playing the Papa's (my Dad) creek.The boys love Papa's hay barn!And many rounds of hide and seek were played!

Told him to say "Daddy's stinky!" LOL

Why I run.

So running is the type activity that you either love or hate...sometimes it's even a love/hate all in one. I am currently training for a half marathon in January with my sweet hubby. When people find out I can get some odd looks...like a I just bit into a lemon look. They say things like "I've never gotten the running high," or "I get so bored!" And I can tell you every run I make is not a perfect experience. I have to mentally and physically challenge myself to go farther or faster. But there are several reasons why I run. I run to clear my head. It's easy to get in a zone when I run. I can smell the air and listen to the sounds of nature (if I'm outside) and just take in the beautiful world around me which is much more difficult to do in a car. I can think. I think about God. I think about my week...about the world around me. I run because it's an accomplishment. I think to myself "How many other people ran 9 miles this morning?" And no one can take those 9 miles away. I did it. And it's done.

But mostly I run because I can. If you knew me as a teenager there were a couple of years where walking wasn't even in the picture. Due to a degenerative bone disease I had two spinal fusions (one with hardware) which landed me in a wheelchair and a hard plastic brace that went from my chest to my tailbone. I was a swimmer at the time. I remember telling my doctor in tears how the water was my life and I love to compete. And I will never forget his words. "There will be other things," he told me as tear ran down my face. Once I got over my own pity party I bucked up. Have you ever had one of those times where you want to do something even more because someone says you can't? Yea, this was one of those times. I refused to have help in school as I pushed myself campus. I drug books out of my locker and put them on the back of the chair. I even went to PE and worked my upper body. I was stubborn...still am. Almost two years later I was in the clear I went back to the pool...and I joined the cross country team just to prove to people I could do this. And I did. My senior year I was co-captain of that team. And although I was never fantastic or truly talented I was competing again..in two sports.

I am still not super fast..gotta remember I am barely 5'2, not exactly built to run. I still have days where I drag. In fact just yesterday I fell flat on my face while running (my nerves in my right leg still aren't exactly firing on all 8 cylinders). Thank goodness I live in the country and the road I run on has very little traffic so no one saw my graceful act. The key is that I got up, dusted myself off, and told myself, "OK let's go." I do this because I can. And now that I am able to run I don't want to waste it by not doing it.

Now I have a child that has been told "There will be other things." So I run for him. I run to raise money so that maybe one day he will enjoy some wedding cake or Thanksgiving supper. The Disney World Half Marathon and CURED (http://www.curedfoundation.org/) will help me do that.

So if you live in Georgia and see some little thing trucking down the road singing the chant in Finding Nemo where Nemo passes to through Mount Wannahacaloogi (oo ee oo ah oo oo oo oo) to the beat of my feet hitting the pavement...it's just me, running because someone once told me "There will be other things."

Georgia on my mind

It's been a bit since I've posted, sorry, it's been chaotic around here. We have moved to Georgia, school started, and everyday life has just taken it's toll.

I can finally say, though, that we are settled. I can now get to various areas around town without staring at my GPS every 4 seconds. We found a church we like. Little Joe has a new doctor in Atlanta. And the little kids are in PRESCHOOL two days a week. Y'all I have freedom!! Someone might need to pull out the fainting salts. LOL

Little Joe turned 8 since my last post. He had some friends over and they had a great time with movies, video games, and silly string. He has settled into 3rd grade really well. Still bringing home great grades and even reading on a 5th grade level!! How can I not be proud of this kid?!

In honor of his belated birthday (sorry Bud) I will list my 8 things I love about Joe.

1. His mind. I love the way he thinks and he is so smart. I can't wait to find out what the future holds for him.

2. Joe's heart. He is a caring and compassionate kid. Be it a dog, a squirrel in the road, or his younger sibling crying he always shows concern.

3. He is so helpful. Joe loves to help, whether it's holding the door or getting the mail he is so willing and it takes a load of of Mama!!

4. His smile. You can't help but smile back.

5. His old man personality. The kid loves weather and the history channel. It cracks everybody up.

6. His eyes. I see his Dad in those eyes.

7. His bravery. The kids is tough. For all that he's been through nothing stops him. He never lets anything medical keep him from doing what he wants.

8. You never forget Joe :). I love the fact that he always leaves an impression with people. We go random places and kids and sometime adults will call "Hey! Joe!" Most people love him and it is easy to see why.

Garrett and Katie are cute and playful and everything a Mama could want. Garrett can stay this age forever!! He is so sweet and still loves his Mama so much I don't ever want him to grow up. Although he is a bit shy in school, he is fitting in really well. He is really enjoying the other kids in his class. And Bug has turned to Miss Independent Diva. She has hit the "princess this and princess that" and "I do it myself" phase. She totally has Big Joe wrapped. He will randomly say "She is the cutest thing ever!" on a daily basis.

Our house in Georgia is fabulous! I have to say it's my favorite thing about living here. It's quiet, spacious, and without plumbing issues ;). We are in the country where I feel most at home, but yet it is a quick drive to the interstate where Joe can get to work fast (too fast actually...already had one speeding ticket since we've been here ...wink wink). We are about 15 minutes to town which surprisingly has a lot to offer. I have found lots of places I want to explore and shop! We are also very near several parks and lakes so needless to say when the temperature cools down (it's HOT) we are headed out there! The only down side is the bugs. Holy moly at the bugs. The day we moved here I was stung by a wasp (in Kentucky) and I am highly allergic (like gasping for air allergic), so when we got here Joe was very aware of the 8 wasp nests hanging from our new home. Ants are everywhere...including my truck (grr) and I killed a scorpion!!! The bugs....are crazy.
Life is just rolling along though. We are so blessed. Although it may have taken a bit longer and had it's frustrations we have settled. I was reminded in a Bible Study this morning of the verse Proverbs 24:16 that says "for a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again." Enjoy your holiday weekend! And stay safe!

Church Signs

I have loved reading church signs for years. It's something I actually look forward to when we move and settle into a new place. I love to see what they come up with. Some of my favorite quotes have come from church signs like "Fall on your knees and grow there." The signs can also be humorous. I saw one that said "Sign is broken. Please come inside for message," and "Our church is prayer conditioned," and "Under same management for 2000 years." Of course this one was discounted on Snopes but I still got a good laugh http://http//www.ourrisingsound.com/2008/08/19/presbyterian-vs-catholic-church-sign-debate/

And some signs will even make you think like the one I passed the other day "Fear not tomorrow for God is already there." I love that!

I passed one though in town last month that bothered me a bit though. Being near Memorial Day it read "Every Sunday is Memorial Day here." Now don't get me wrong I am strong in my faith and strong in my patriotism. I honor those men and women who gave their all for this country. And Memorial Day is a day for BBQs and family time but it is also a time to remember those who have given their lives. Now I don't see Jesus in this light. Yes He died, but the good news is is that Jesus rose!!! I serve a living God!! I am saddened when I think of the soldiers. Proud, but sad, for they left families...wives and babies..kids and mothers. When I think of Jesus I am in awe, grateful, and HAPPY! I don't think what happened on Easter morning should be considered the same as Memorial Day. Ok...there I said my peace. Thanks for listening to me :o) Here now...have a cute picture :o) Not a true cowboy unless you wear your boots over your footed pjs :o) Y'all have a great week!

Horsing Around

We have had a fun couple of weeks around here. The kids are getting to ages where they tell they want to go or do certain things. They are cooperating in public, just overall pretty sweet. Now if only I could get them to leave me alone when I am on the phone ;).

On Mother's Day the whole family went to the barn and tried out my new riding buddy. Little Joe was the first one to join me, but we had some strap issues. Poor kid was completely cockeyed by the time he got down. After a little adjusting things were much better. Garrett rode next and loved it, then Katie sat up front with me. I think she is still too little to ride behind. The funny thing about Bug is she insisted on wearing her jockey goggles. She was cracking me up! I also have plenty of help in the stall now as well. :)

We've also just been goofing around. I am trying to get Katie completely potty trained by the time we move in July. So she spends a lot of time downstairs messing around...again with camera unnoticed by Mama. She has also given herself her first haircut. Luckily with the curls it is hard to tell unless you pick up individual curls.

Counting down the days until school ends and of course the move! We are grateful to have signed a lease on a beautiful house in Georgia with a great school right down the street. It's gonna be a good and exciting summer :o)