Fall

These are some pics from this past weekend in Charleston.

Ok- I have not blogged in a long time. My preacher asked me the other day why I stopped, and I really just forgot about it. I always get on here and read other people's blogs, but never get on to write my own. What has been going on here. Hummmm....my family came to visit in Sept, and we had so much fun while they were here. They were here for 6 days, and it went by way TOO fast. We will be heading to Texas for Christmas, and I can't wait to be home. My sister is due with her first baby, Conlie Ann, on Jan. 7th, and I hope that she has her while we are there!! Bella has been busy with school and soccer, and Parker - well, he has been busy getting into everything and making messes! :) We went to Charleston last weekend to the Boone Hall Plantation an to the USS Yorktown. It was alot of fun. I love Charleston!! I know that there is so much histoy here in this part of the states, and I would love to explore more of it. The Marine Corp Ball is coming up in Nov, and I can not wait to go!! It is in Savannah, GA this year. Rob and I got a hotel room and will have a whole evening of dressing up, dinner, dancing, (me in my ball gown and him in his blues) and having fun with friends!!! Halloween is also around the corner. Bella is going to be an angel this year, and Parker is going to be a devil. I will try and post some pics!! That is about all that is going on here. Until next time......HAPPY FALL!

4th of July Weekend

So Patriotic!

Parker at the 4th of July festivities!

Bella Grace ready for the 4th!

Parker and his friend, Justin.

Bella and her best friends, Trinity.

We had a great weekend!!! It was a busy, busy one, but we got to be around so many friends!! Friday night, we had friends over to visit, snack, and let the kids do sparklers and make smores. We had a great time and stayed up late. There are pics above of Friday night. I can't figure out how to put them under the text on here.

Anyways, Saturday, we went to Parris Island to watch the fireworks. They had alot of things for the kids to do and free hamburgers and hot dogs. There were so many people there, but the kids had fun. Well, the kids had fun until the fireworks started. Parker HATED them and kept his face covered the entire time!!! I posted some pics of Saturday too!

Sunday, we went to church, then off to Ethan's birthday party and then to our preacher's wife's birthday! The kids were worn out by the time that we got home! It was great weekend!!!

Great Few Days

These are pics from the dinner last night.

Well, the last few days have just been great! Rob has been home alot, and we have been able to spend alot of time together as a family. Last night, Rob and I went to a dinner for "The Dinner of Champion." This was a benefit to help provide funds for free sports camps for the youth. There were alot of pro athletes there, and the key speaker was track and field hall of fame, Jim Ryun. He gave his testimony, and it was AWESOME! We also got to watch the clip of him break the world record when it showed on ABC World Wide of Sports in black and white. It was so neat! Today, we all went to the beach and had a great time! Both of my kiddos love to play in the water and be outside. Rob has to work tomorrow, but then he is off Fri and Sat!! YAY!!!

Good Sunday

Awwww.....what a good day today. We went to church, did some grocery shopping, and then took a nap (3 hours!) It was awesome! To top it all off- we had pb&j sandwiches for dinner! There is nothing like pb&j with the kids for supper!!! Lovin' my family and my God!! Good Sunday to you all!

Marriage

It is SO hard sometimes!!! Today has been a really hard day - this is Rob's long week at work, meaning we will only see him Tuesday and Thursday this ENTIRE week. 2 out of 7 days is not alot. Sometimes I feel like I am doing everything on my own, and it is sooooo...hard to not get discouraged. All day I have been feeling bummed out about being here in SC and feeling so alone. I always thought that my husband and I would have dinners together with our family in the evenings and tuck the kids into bed together and then have time alone- just one on one adult time. That is very rare here these days. It seems like he is always at work. I know that it is not his fault, and I always seem to take it out on him. Well, I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself and reading someone elses blog when the song "How Great is Our God" started playing. Wow!!! I felt like He was telling me to hang in there - that I need to show Rob the love that He has shown us and continues to show us. Pray - all I need to do is pray, and He will give me the strength. I'm not alone - He is here with me all of the time! Isn't it great - how God talks to us and WAKES us up - reminds us that He is here!!?! "How Great is Our God?" There are no words to describe how great He is!!!! I feel the love! :)

Still Raining

It is still raining here, so we couldn't go to the pool or the beach again today. Sooo...we went bowling with some friends and to the drive-in to see the movie "Up." It was so cute!!!!!! It highly recommend it!!! :)

Raining again!

Well, we were going to go to the pool today, but it started to rain again this afternoon. We have been getting these storms in the afternoons a lot lately. I love a good rain, but I would also like to get these kids out of the house today!!! :) Oh well- I'll just open the windows and enjoy the sounds and the smells of the storm!!!

June ALREADY!!!

Bella's 7th Birthday Party - 50's theme bowling party.

I was trying to get a pic of the kids together at the beach- Parker wouldn't sit still though.

My family plus one at the air show.

Parker, Rob, and the Jacksonville Jaguar cheerleaders.

The plane that Rob got to fly on.

Where has this year gone? I haven't posted in awhile. Let's see.....We got back home to SC, and 5 days later, I had to turn around and go back to Texas for my grandmother's funeral. We knew that it was coming, but that never really makes it easier when the time for them to go does actually happen. She had so many friends and family at the visitation and at her funeral. I got to hear so many great stories about her that I had never heard before. I wish that I had more time to sit and listen to these stories! I will remembe them always!!

I flew back to SC, and life has been busy, busy since then. The weather has been pretty good, so we have gotten to enjoy the beach a few times. We went to the Blue Angels air show. Rob got to ride in the Blue Angels C130 plane "Fat Albert." He was so super excited about that. Bella finished softball- YAY!!! I have decided I am not a BIG fan of softball, and either is Bella! I think that we may just stick to soccer and basketball for now. Nothing else has really happeend. Rob applied for the MECEP program again this year. He has his interview board yesterday, so we are praying that he gets thru! I'll post a few pics of what has been going on here lately!

SAD

It is Tuesday, and we are leaving. Texas to head back to SC on Saturday! I don't want to go!!!! I hate being away from all of my family and friends. We have been in SC for 2 years, and I am still not use to it. I still don't like it at all! I keep thinking that it is going to get better, but it's not. I want to be here where my family is. My grandmother is not doing good at all. Hospice is with her everyday now, and I don't think that she will be with us much longer. It is so sad, and I don't want her to be in any pain......I wish that I was here to spend EVERY last day with her!
On a happier note, we went to Sea World this weekend. It was SO much fun!!!!! I will post pics later! It was the first time that my mom and my sister and the kids and myself had been somewhere like that together. We had a great time and made some great memories!!!
Parker had to go to the e.r. today. He had gotten into some benadryl that was in my mom's room. We were unsure how much he had taken, so we had to go to the e.r. Thwy gave him charcoal to absorb it in his stomach and we were there for 6 hours. He gave us a BIG scare, but he was ok. Thank goodness!!!

Texas

We are here!!! We made it to Texas on Saturday afternoon. It was quite an experience with me and the kids by myself. Parker was crazy in the airport in between flights, but he wore himself out and slept the whole second flight! We made it to Austin to find that they lost a piece of my luggage. No worries though - they found it and flew it to my hometown Sat night! We have been here 4 days now, and I LOVE being home! There is no place like home! :)

I saw my grandmother today, and she does not look too good. It makes me very sad to see her like this. She was suppose to start chemo on Friday, but I don't know if that is going to happen or not. She was unable to get her port in today, so I don't know if they will do it this week or not. Please keep her in your prayers.

Rob will be flying in on Friday, and I can't wait to see him. I forget how much of a help he is until he is gone for a few days. I miss his smile and sweet kisses! ;)

I will post some pics of our trip once I get home!

Rain, Rain

Bella's 2009 school picture

It is raining and raining today! We were going to go to the drive-in tonight, but it may have to wait until tomorrow night (Bella doesn't have school Monday.) The rain did pause long enough for her to have her first softball game. She did sooooo....good!!! :)

Update

He could barely hold his head up with this hat on

Season kick-off for softball

Parker looking at his loot after the egg hunt

It had been awhile since I posted on here, so I thought that I would catch everyone up. I have not had a good day today AT ALL!! Rob was told that he was going to a class in San Angelo (my hometown) for three weeks in April, so we bought plane tickets to go. Today, eight days before we are to leave, they tell him that he is not going. Someone did not do their job, and the paperwork did not get turned in on time. So.......he is going to take leave and come 6 days after the kids and I leave. Therefore, I am going to be on an airplane alone with the kids - Parker is my main concern. He is sucha a handfull! it seems like the marine corp has become very good at letting us down. Also, I got a phone call that they found cancer in my grandmother's lung, neck, chest, and pancreas. Without treatment, she has 6 months to live. With treatment, she has 1-2 years. Chemo is so harsh though, I don't know if she will make it thru that. I hate that I am not there to help her and be close to her during this time. I don't like the idea of her being in pain during her last months of life, but then again, I am not ready for her to die either. i plan to spend as much time with her on my trip home as I can. This may be the last time that I get to be with her.

On a happier note, Bella has started softball and is loving it. She has her first game tomorrow, and I will post pics soon. Parker had an easter egg hunt this past Tuesday, and he was so funny to watch! i can't wait for the whole family to see him and Bella hunting eggs!

Please keep my family in your prayers these next few weeks, and I will try to be better at posting more frequent updates!

Flowers

Yesterday, Rob brought me home a dozen red roses! They are so pretty!

Valentines

My hubby really shocked me this year with his creativity in preparing for valentines. It started 12 days before, and here is what I got on each day:
1 balloon that said I Have Always Loved You
2 laminated coupons. One for 2 childless nights out on the town with my hubby and 5 - 30 min massages. There were hershey kisses laid all around these.
3 Bible verses on Love printed out on pretty paper surround by gummy candy hearts
4 love poems all printed on pretty paper
5 candy hearts with 5 of the reasons that he loves me
6 chocolates in a heart shaped box and he planned a Sunday afternoon with just the two of us. He had the babysitter all planned out and everything, so after church we went to lunch and a movie! It was GREAT!
7 letters in my name and next to each letter was a word that he thinks describes me
8 hershey kisses in the shape of a J (for Jessica)
9 valentines cookies that he had someone bake for me with a note that said "A treat for my sweet"
10 ways to say I love you in 10 different languages printed on really pretty paper and hanging in my bathroom
11 reasons why he loves me
12 cokes - ok - this one was kind of funny. He had ordered 12 red roses from a place here on base, but when he went to pick them up, they were out. He couldn't find any decent ones in town and he wanted to give me something red to represent love, so I got 12 cokes!!! :)

He did REALLY good. We spent valentines in the house watching movies. It was cold and raining and it was just perfect! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful hubby!!!

Fun weekend

We spent this last weekend with some friends of ours at their beach house on Fripp Island. It was alot of fun, and it was great to be away from the house for a weekend. It was REALLY cold there, but we rode around on the golf cart, fed some deer, went down to the beach for a few minutes, and had alot of fun talking and being lazy!! It was great! The kids had a blast.

Bella told me on Tuesday that 2 amazing things had happened today, "One, it is snowing here, and two, the first african american became president." Yes- it snowed here, and yes - it was cool to be living during a history making moment. I pray that the Lord will be with our country thru this transition.

Back in Texas

Well, we got back to SC this past Sunday. It was hard to leave Texas, but we had a great time while we were there. We rented a limo to go and look at Christmas lights, and Bella thought that was the coolest thing ever! We are so blessed to have such an awesome family, and it was great to see all of them!
Rob and I talked alot about whether or not he should stay in the marine corp or get out. We are making plans to get out, but we are not closing the door on staying in either. If we are financially ready to get out in two years, then that is the plan. It is so hard being far away from family, and we don't want the kids to have to move and make new friends every few years. It's not really fair to them. Plus, we would like to buy a house and live in it for more than three years. So, please keep us in your prayers thru this decision making process.
Right before we left, we found out that Bella was accepted into the gifted and talented program at her school. We are really excited for her. This will be a great opportunity for her learn while using creativity.
Parker is still into everything. He drank some carpet cleaner while we were home in Texas. We had to call poision control. He threw up once, but was ok afterwards. Mom quickly learned that all of her cabinets need child proof locks on them.
That is all of the updates that I have at this time. Until next time...God bless!