D-Day Pictures

The night Daddy left. These pix were taken at around 2:45AM, yes you read that right AM! He left in the middle of the night again. For those of you who are thinkin' crazy thoughts, those are IBC Cream Sodas... not beer. He got several strange looks that night from junior Marines, but once they realized it was cream soda they all laughed. He can't get cream soda in Iraq so he had to drink several bottles before he left. I love you Mark... God Speed and come home safe.

D-Day...and a Give Away!

Today marks the day that Dad left again. So in honor of that a fellow military spouse blogger of mine (I know her in the blogger world only) is having a give away.

Just click on this Trying Our Best, and you can register for this beautiful Give Away on My D-Day! FYI: contest is open until Friday, September 18Th at noon EST!

Here is a picture of what you can win... I love it, and her mother made it! Won't it look beautiful in my home! So if you win, please give it to me.... or not.

The death of an old friend...

I am so sad to report the death of a very close and protective friend. I've had this friend for something like 27 years. He's been through the winds and the rain with me, never failing me... it's my rain suit. Many of you will remember me in my bright blue rain coat and pants set. One time I recall someone nicknaming me the new blue Gumby, "always flexible even in the rain." I got this lovely name probably from life-guarding in the pouring rain wearing my blue suit (with my Speedo underneath!)

We've had a lot of rain in North Carolina this summer (which is very unusual) and one Sunday, I pulled out my trusty rain suit so Mark could stay dry ushering at church. And NO we do not have an outdoor church but the men of the church do "fetch" cars and escort members to their vehicles on rainy days. We've had soooooo many rainy Sundays that Mark was tired of being soaked to the bone, and isn't it obvious that he would NOT be allowed to wear his all weather gear issued by the Corps. Yeah, not so much. So he pulled out my trusty rain suit... sadly it wasn't trusty anymore. He got just as wet wearing my jacket as if he hadn't worn anything at all. He threw it away... do you believe it? Don't worry he got the stink eye, the ugly eye and possibly even "the look!"

So many memories in that suit, I remember kissing a boy (I won't mention any names!) in the rain at camp wearing my Gumby suit. There was the time I built a fire in the pouring rain wearing my suit, gosh darn it if I didn't get that log cabin fire going too. And that time I fell in a hugely gigantically enormous mud puddle in my blue suit, my clothes stayed dry but I still wasn't allowed in the dining hall. And let us not forget the numerous times walking across campus in my blue suit headed to yet another class in the rain! I miss my blue suit. I think I'll buy another one... look what I found! Think they make it in my size? It's PINK! I love it, if I ever get to be a camp counselor again I am buying one... promise!

Good Bye Rain Suit... I'll miss you..... hello stupid umbrella that flies away in the wind!

Summer Time Laundry

one of the hardest decisions ever

Today I am faced with one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make. I am thankful that Mark is in the states, just not available by phone, to help me make the decision. Please pray for us as a family today for grace and mercy, it's a hard one to make.

Happy Birthday America! As we celebrate with you today let us remember the sacrifices of so many before us that have made this day possible... We are the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave because in God We Trust.

Picture of June 2009

I love summer and I love summer pictures even more, seems like personalities really shine through in the summer months. Here are a few of my fav's from June 2009.

The first one is of Katie (she's on the left) and her friend from church on the world's longest slip and slide. The next picture is Mark driving the 4-wheeler pulling the kids down that slip and slide.














Katie was attacked by the Nerf gun... nothing more can be explained in this photo.

Caleb and Seth are riding down one of the water-slides at church during XKidz, wild water day.















This last photo is of my two boys just about too big now to share a chair at the Cub Scout Crossover Campfire. I guess next year I have to buy another chair so they don't have to share.