Cleaning spree!

I am on a cleaning kick. My hubby's birthday is today, and he has chosen to go play a game at a store that is well-equipped for the siege that will ensue!! :P He and his friend don't get to meet up too often for this, and our poor ole dining room table just doesn't give them enough room.

Anywho. While he is gone, the kids are having a sleepover with a friend from church- they have been begging for weeks! I've gotten dishes and laundry finished, picked up millions of random things and put them away, now I am going to start the beginnings of packing for our trip next month. We will be gone for a month, and possibly heading out of the country for our next posting. :) Soooo... while I wait for news of our command sponsorship (and please, pray for me, I am not waiting very patiently), I am going through my entire house and either selling or giving away the extra junk that seems to pile up. And some of the things that we have that we can't take, and don't see the reason for putting it into storage for three years.

Have to tackle the bathrooms, and give them a thorough scrub again, clean out all the excess clothing we all have, go through the toys one last time, and start the menial little tasks of cleaning this.entire.house.

Wish me luck!

A New Year, a new me!

Along with several other blogs I have been following, my goal is just this.

Simplify.

I'm doing the same as Tiffany, decluttering and getting rid of all the unneccessary THINGS we have around the house. How many sippy cups do we NEED? How many cups and plates and bowls do my three kids (one of whom doesn't eat much yet) NEED? There are so many people out there right now who are struggling to even have one set of dishes for their kids, and mine have like, four, I think. Or used to. :P We also decided not to take all of our decorations to Korea with us when we go. We will be sparingly buying a couple of new things, and when we get back, will be donating what we really did not miss. This is mostly because our tastes have changed from the colored lights we chose for our pre-lit tree, and some of the decor from years ago. Added to that, it will be slightly hard to store it all if we end up with a small apartment.

Anyhow, I would love to hear how others are clearing out and starting into their New Year. Myself, I am going to be working on yes, spending less money on STUFF, and losing a bit of the weight I gained from all three kiddos. I only have about another 5 pounds to go until I am at my pre-Jamie weight. But that still leaves me with 20 pounds of pre-Cait and Jacob weight... I will get there, I know I can do it. My self-discipline must get better first!!

Decluttering the New Year

I am challenging myself to a few things this year. One is to stop needless spending and the other is to declutter my home!

The money is difficult as it is soooo easy to run out to eat lol! But I am working on it! Doing better, only ate out once in a week and did so cheaply, only purchased things absolutely necessary and have been a good girl lol!

The decluttering is easier because I am having to go through everything for the upcoming move to Europe anyways, so why not get rid of the things that tend to pile up and look junky? Do I really need to keep over 300 books? Do my children need a million toys? Clothes- I have entirely too many! Things we havent touched in years? Gone. Hope someone out there has a need for the things we will be discarding!

Finding Me... something i have been working on

Prologue

                How do you define the chapters in your life? I once heard that everyone has a Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter of their lives. But what happens if your season is cut short? Do you go back to the beginning? Or is it more like chapters in a book, and each new chapter is a miniature new beginning? Perhaps it is a bit of both, but I do know one thing, there can always be more than one ending, and many, many new beginnings.

Part One- The End.

Chapter 1

                Laughter floated through the tiny apartment, the high pitched  peals of a child's joy mingled with the deeper chuckle of a man. It was nice to hear happiness, the past week had been a flurry of preparations and stress at the upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. The children still did not fully understand the difference between daddy going to work and daddy going to work in a dangerous place for a long time. Trina turned towards the sound of footsteps approaching just in time to have her legs attacked by a speeding toddler. The girls were still in their pajamas, it was only 2am- why the Army chose to have people leave at ungodly hours is a mystery. Right behind the girls was Matthew in his uniform with his duffle bag slung over one shoulder and his boots in one hand. It was easy to see him in the children, Kirstin had his eyes and mouth and hair while Abby had his facial shape, ears and smile. Kirstin, 5 years old, was dragging his carry-on bag behind her and her eyes were all red and puffy- she was old enough to understand that Daddy was not coming home for a long time and she wouldn't be able to talk to him very much. Abby was younger, only 3, and while she felt the tension she didn't understand it. 

                "Do you have everything ready baby?" Trina asked as she stroked Abby's head resting against her knees. "Did you pack the picture album the girls made for you?"

                "Yes, I just double checked and I think I have everything. Are you ready to go? We have to be there in 30 minutes," replied Matt as he took his carry-on from Kirstin and walked to the door to place it with the rest of his luggage.

               

                They quickly loaded the van with bags and kids, and on the way Trina and Matthew held hands and said little. They had been through this before in the 11 years they had been married, but both worried how the girls would handle it now that they weren't babies. At the designated field they unloaded the bags and stood with all the other tearful families as they waited for the final call to load up the buses. Matt held the girls, hugging and kissing them over and over as he told them that he would miss them, and that he loved them more than anything.

                "Are you going to bring me home presents?" Kirstin asked, a typical girl who loved new things. Then more quietly she asked "Will you come home soon Daddy?" The only reply she received was a hug and a murmured "As soon as possible princess."

                Then the voice called "Load up!" and final kisses and hugs were exchanged, promises to call or email as soon as possible were made as the troops grabbed their bags and started walking away. Trina gathered her girls and had them wave bye-bye until Matt was on the bus. They watched the buses pull away then walked to the van in silence. It was going to be a long deployment.

Chapter 2- (2 months later)

                "Girls! Daddy is on the phone! Come say hi!" Trina yelled to get the girls attention. They came running into the room, excited to talk to him. The connection wasn't the best, but they loved these phone calls. After a brief conversation with each girl Matt had to get off the phone, and as always he said "I love you, forever and ever, amen." The girls were so excited from talking to Daddy that it took a moment to get them to calm down enough to get dressed and ready for dance practice. As they got their bags ready they played their favorite game of "When Daddy comes home we are going to...".

               

                "When Daddy gets home me and him are going to go to the park and fly kites," Kirstin announced as she pulled her leotard on.

                "When Daddy gets home we are going to make cake!" Abby sang as Trina helped her into her clothes.

                "When Daddy gets home we are going to the moon!" Kirstin joked back, making her mother smile and then it was time to run out the door.            

                 Dance practice was adorable as always and afterwards Trina treated them to a fast food dinner and a stop at the local park. When they were done playing  they went home and had a loud, splashy bath and then settled down to sing songs and read books before bedtime. Kirstin was excited to be the one to say the 'daddy prayer' tonight. She squeezed her eyes closed and put her hands together. Her little voice was slightly lisped from just having lost her bottom teeth and she sounded so cute saying "Dear God, bless my family. Keep my Daddy safe and bring him home soon. Thank you for letting us have a good day. Amen." After many kisses and hugs Trina shut off the light and went to lay in bed and write an email to Matt before getting started on her college work for the night. Tomorrow was a big day, the girls had their Dance Recital and Trina had a coffee date planned with a few other wives.  Christmas was right around the corner, Kirstin's birthday was the following weekend. With a sigh Trina checked her cell phones signal, made sure the home phone was by the bed and settled into bed with her books and computer to finish the essay due tomorrow.

Chapter 3- (3 months later)

                Trina was cleaning the kitchen after coming home from dropping the girls off at school and preschool for the morning. She made sure her cell phone had full signal, it had been 6 days since Matt last called or email and she was getting anxious to hear from him. As she wiped off the counter and hung the towel over the cabinet door she heard a knock at the door. The apartments in Germany were so small it only took a dozen steps to reach the door and open it. When she did she wanted to close it again and deny what she already knew. Two men in uniform and another with a chaplains patch stood there, all looking solemn and official.

                "Are you Mrs. Wickersham?" One soldier asked, and when Trina nodded he took a deep breath and said "Ma'am I regret to inform you that your husband was killed in action 4 days ago. He died honorably in service to his country."

                Trina 's eyes filled with tears and she shook her head as if to deny what they were telling her. One man led her to her sofa and she sat there not hearing anything they were saying. How could Matt be gone? They had been though deployments before, he always came home. The girls needed him, she needed him.  In the past 11 years he was gone often and she had come to expect  that he would always come home. What would she tell the girls? At the thought of the girls she looked p franticly and said "What do I tell my girls? My babies? How do I tell them their Daddy is never coming home? They are at school... I need to go get them... I don't know what to do." Tears streamed down her cheeks and the chaplain took her hands and asked if there was someone he could call to come stay with her. She mumbled "my neighbor" and one of the men walked out the door and returned moments later with the neighbor. They handed her a folder full of papers and cards with phone numbers to call if she needed anything. Trina watched them walk out the door and then stood up, wiped off her cheeks, and gathered her purse and announced "I need my girls, can you take me to get them?"

                At the school Trina quickly collected her daughters and took them home. She sat Kirstin on the couch next to her and held Abby on her lap. Kirstin had already been asking what was wrong, and now Tara took a deep breath and said the words she had hoped to never say in her lifetime, "Daddy is gone babies, he went to Heaven to be with God. "

                Kirstin quickly asked, "So when is he coming home?"

                "He isn't coming home, Daddy died honey, do you know what that means? It means his spirit went to heaven, and you won't ever see him again, but you can still talk to him in Heaven like you do God," Trina tried to explain while thinking 'God help me, what do I tell these perfect babies? How do I explain that a good man died because bad men caused a war?' Kirstin grasped that she would never see her Daddy again and started sobbing and Trina gathered her in her arms as Abby started crying as well. She didn't know what else to do.

               

                As she held her girls, all three of them crying she thought back to the day he asked her to marry him, the first time he deployed and came home, the days her daughters were born, all the nights they cuddled in bed and talked and planned for the future. This had never been in the plans. They were supposed to grow old together, watch their grandbabies grow up, sit on the porch swing and talk about how wonderful their lives had been. Now it was over, and she couldn't see any future because he wasn't there to be part of it.  After a long while and many questions she wiped her face off, handed the girls tissues and knelt in front of them and said "I am so sorry, but a lot of things are going to happen now, and I just want you to know that I love you so much. Your Daddy loved you more than anything in the world and he would want you to know that. Always remember that he loved you and he is watching over you now, okay?" They both nodded and after hugs they laid on the couch and stared at the tv while Trina picked up the phone to start the phone calls.

                She walked into her room as the phone rang, she knew it was late at night in Texas and just kept calling until it was answered by a sleepy voice, then she said "Mom... Mom, I don't know what to do. Matt died Mom, he's gone. He died 4 days ago, my babies are crying for him, I am trying to hold it together. Mom, I hurt so bad... How can it hurt this bad? What do I tell the girls? Mom, how can he be gone?"

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                The girls wore tiny pink and black dresses, new black dress shoes and black and pink ribbons in their hair. They were both pale, red eyed and tired looking; the last 2 weeks had been a whirlwind of activity- the movers picking up all their stuff, flying from Germany to Texas, preparing for the funeral, family coming in from all over to pay their respects, and now they were standing on a faded green mat next to a flag covered casket. The crack of rifle shots filled the air and everyone in attendance felt tears come to their eyes, and as Taps was played everyone cried. The funeral service had been earlier, and now they all watched in silence as the preacher said the final words and Trina was presented with the flag and purple heart which was something she had never wanted. Her parents were there, her mother beside her with her arm around her and her father standing beside Kirstin holding Abby in his arms. Amazing grace played on bagpipes and the mourners filed past the coffin to leave flowers and drifted away to drive to the wake. Trina stood there silently, reaching out her hands for her daughters to hold. They were the last to leave and they walked to the coffin and all laid pink roses on top. Trina laid her hand on the casket and said "I will never let them forget you, I won't make a saint of you, I will keep you real in their hearts, and I will always, always tell them that you loved them more than life itself... I love you, forever and ever... Amen." And as she finished saying their good night ritual of "I love you forever and ever amen" she fought to hold it together. This was the last time she would ever be this close to him, and she looked down at the girls and saw Kirstin crying so hard she was shaking and she was saying "I love you Daddy, I don't want you to be gone" over and over. Abby was just saying "Daddy I love you."

 

lots n lots of roses!!!

my final cake for class!

cheap/easy/cute project for xmas

costs:
walmart frame- $2.00
Spray adhesive-$5.00
Heavy duty glue-$4.00
Sand- free if you are by a beach (5 at walmart)
shells- free id by a beach (5 at walmart)

I used gel glue and black sand to outline the words, then sprayed adhesive to the whole page and sifted regular tan sand over the whole page. Glued shells to frame. Viola!

seasonal magnet board, napkin coaster and fall frame

I found an idea for a seasonal magnet board here-http://sumossweetstuff.blogspot.com/2009/10/tutorial-tuesday-seasonal-wood-board.html
and this is my take on it. 
Paint your piece of wood (any color, I chose black because it will go with anything).

Trace magnets onto wood, then hot glue down. 

Create the image you want for the magnet, hot glue magnet to the back of it.  Voila!

Mine isn't quite finished, I want to add a bow to the tree, and make the gingerbread man cute.  

I also attempted to make a coaster with a cute fall napkin.

It was a pain.

And I surprised myself by making a fall themed piece of art.

I started with one of the napkins seen above, a piece of gold cardstock, mod podge and some stickers. Carefully unfold the napkin, then refold it so that the stalk of leaves on each side are curved in opposite directions.  And be really careful when you mod podge the napkin, it will shred if you aren't easy on it.  I just did a thin layer on the cardstock, and smoothed the napkin over it.  I also lightly mp'd just the edges of the napkin.

I let that dry, and then went back and MP'd under the top layer (see at the bottom of the napkin, where it bubbled a little)?  I ran my brush really lightly underneath and pressed it back down.  Then I added my stickers and trimmed the excess from around the edges.  Popped it into the frame, and ta-da!

So what are you working on lately?