What are you THANKFUL for....

As thanksgiving approaches us this upcoming week, I find myself looking back over the course of the last year. What do I have to be thankful for? Well the answer to that question is an obvious one. ALOT! The last couple of weeks have been rough on me, I find myself reflecting on alot of things that I am still not happy with in regards to me. But if I stop for just a moment, I realize that not only am I lucky, but I am blessed too.
People are so funny sometimes, no matter how much you think they have changed, they manage to prove to you in one way or another, just how they really haven't. I have a true servant heart, and you will never find a more devoted and loyal friend, yet those qualities always seem to get me hurt, or get taken advantage of.
I look back over the last 12 months and I am so thankful that God has blessed this family with health, I look at the blessing of my Nick, and him being able to start his life. No one could have told me then, that things would have worked out the way that they did, and turned out soooooooooo good.
I am thankful that I have a man who loves me, no matter how I look and no matter what the circumstance. And even though we have been struggling with finances, I am thankful that God has provided a way, always......
Jesus has blessed this family, beyond words, beyond explanation, and sometimes beyond reason.
I have stood firmly on Christ the solid rock, I have kept the faith, and I have wethered the storm.
Wet,cold, beaten down, or just plain tired of it all, I am still standing.....
And that this Thanksgiving is what I am most thankful for.......

Until next time.....

To Nick and all service members and their families.

Today is veterans day and I just wanted to say "THANK YOU". To those who have fought and left us only with their memories of service, and to those who are currently fighting each day to keep us free, and to their families, Thank you!

And to all those young men and women who freely volunteered to serve this country with pride, I thank you.

I am proud to have also served this country so many years ago, but I am even prouder to be the mother of someone currently serving.

May God Bless all of you, and keep you and your families safe.

Happy Birthday Dante

Dearest Dante,
Its hard to believe that you are 3 already, it seems like only yesterday you were so tiny, (well not that tiny). Sweet, and Innocent, and now you are rolling your eyes at me, telling me NO, and most of the time you are the poster boy for "domestic terrorism" in this house.

"ah the memories", Thanks for making me so proud, for getting into anything and everything, and for showing me you could cause me more grey hair than your Big Brother Nicholas...........

Love your exhausted mother

The last couple of days

The last couple of days have just sucked!! Royally, I have been trying to put my finger on what has been wrong and pin it down. I really shouldn't complain because aside from the crap about myself that I do battle with, my weight, my need and desire to do something I have always wanted to do. Our financial worries, My constant battle with trying to do it all and really never stopping.
I really do have so so much to be thankful for, because God has certianly provided the way for us.
I know that there are people out there who have faced extraordinary odds and beaten them, and people who are facing tragedy and illness and so many other things. Where do I get off, whining about my crap?
My kids are healthy, my son is in the military, happy and doing well. I have a good husband, who loves me, (apparently regardless of how big my ass is) :) More money would make things a little easier. But do I really have a reason to complain? NO!
So I need to go back to finding the simple joy, that I have missed in all the little things in my life.
I guess the rest will just fall into place......

thanks for reading.... until next time.

Simply Pure Heaven

You know its so funny sometimes, you think that when they turn 18, they go off and join the military, tackling manhood with all the energy of the 3 year old that you take care of daily. You think that your job may be done, in some small way. But the truth is, your job really is never done. My phone rang at 4:45 am this morning, and it was my son. He was putting on his Class A's and getting ready for flag detail. I was half awake, but he took the time to pick up the phone, because he just wanted to chat with me.
There is no way to describe what that feels like. Yesterday he surprised me on the computer, with a web cam chat that he paid for, we couldnt hear each other, but what pure bliss it was to see him smile and see him laugh, when I typed somthing silly or stupid.
This child, that 2 years ago, I thought I had lost all contact with, that we would never have any type of relationship ever, has suddenly been reborn. God gave me back my son, and I so cherish each and every day that passes. We are going to see him at christmas and our plan is to throw a big christmas open house for everyone to come and see him.
We are first and foremost moms, no matter how much we think the apron strings need to be cut, even when we cut them, they are attached to us in so many other ways.
I am so proud to be his mother, he even asked if I could come to his tech school graduation. I am going to start now to raise the money to take the trip, I am hoping it will be possible.

anyway..thats all for now.

The middle of October already!!!

Here it is, the middle of october and Nick is into his 3rd month of being in the military. Where has the time gone. He sent me the pic you see, of him and his CQ group pulling duty at 1am. I have been told how happy he looks. And he does!





I do miss him alot, but I am always happy to hear about the new and exciting things that are going on with him. My hubby and I were watching a special on HBO a couple of nights ago, about Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetary. You see all soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanastain are eligible for burial there. Not to bring this blog down, but we both looked at each other and said, that if somthing happened to Nick, it would be hard to have him so far away from us.
It was a somber moment, and I guess we have never thought of it that way. My heart just went out to the moms they were showing on the show. I hope that we are never in that position.

Anyway, the time is just going by so fast, and we are now looking forward to christmas, when he comes home to visit. Hopefully those plans wont change. The two little ones are doing most excellent, and we are getting ready for halloween.

thats all for now, I needed to update, or Susan was going to give me 50 lashings... :)

until next time

Time to say goodbye

So here we are on the last day, time to say goodbye. It was a quiet day, we had to stay on base, and we had lunch together. Walked about the BX, and just spent time together. I can look back now and say that it was an amazing reunification of this family. He had spent more time with us and his brother and sister than he had ever in the last couple of years. I got my son back, and now I longed for more and more of that. But at least it was a glimpse to what the future would bring.

The end of the day came so quickly, and it was time for all of us to say goodby. I gave him one of my dogtags to wear with his. Arianna cried, and we all cried except for Nick. It was a glorious 4 days, to see him grown up in so many ways, a man now. My job finished. I know that I have done a good job, that was pretty evident. We hugged what seemed like a million times, and we needed to get on the road for home.

I watched as my son took all of the things that I had brought from home for him, turned and walked off. Off he went to start a new life and a new adventure in life, my heart could not contain itself as I remembered that day in March, 1990. When he came into this world, and they put him into my arms. And now 18 years later, the man he has become, but my baby boy he will always be.....



until next time.........