The Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman's Daybook

 
FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it's cold, gray and raining.
I am thinking...about Christmas.
I am thankful for...God's grace.
From the kitchen...hot coffee and yummy oatmeal.
I am wearing...pj bottoms and a blue t-shirt.
I am creating...Plan B.
I am going...to run errands.
I am reading...a book about tea plants. Weird, I know, but so interesting!
I am hoping...that Plan B does not have to be executed.
I am hearing...Kate yell "Dada!".
Around the house...are Christmas decorations and lights, so pretty!
One of my favorite things...is chocolate.
A few plans for the rest of the week: Christmas shopping.
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...my family of stars.

I *heart* Christmas #3

8:42 pm - Pizza has been delivered and gobbled, 2nd tree is up, kids are in bed and hubs is watching college football (and by "watching", I mean snoring). I am watching the pretty twinkling lights and contemplating tomorrow's adventures. I think hanging lights in the windows is in order and possibly, finding a LIVE tree to set out on the porch! I love Christmas so much! This year is the first in a series of different scenarios in celebrating, I guess, with older kids and changing traditions and it is good. I am finally content.

I *heart* Christmas #2

5:14 pm - Tree is up! So pretty! Only one case of running away crying (me) because my kiddos are getting older and don't have the same ideas about decorating and celebrating as I do anymore. Big sad face!! They wanted to go out and play with their friends instead of hang ornaments - that is why it took like 40 million hours to do it, but Kate and I got a nap and I never nap, so all is grand. I resist them growing up because it happens way too fast and I like things to just stay the same, *them* to stay the same! I also found out that J doesn't believe in Santa anymore. UGH! Can you hear my heart crumbling?? So we will keep some old things and add some new things to our annual activities. They have even talked me into ordering pizza and wings for dinner to celebrate changing traditions! *sob*

Currently listening to Kate screaming over some injustice, the boys playing PS3 and Lu playing princess school.

*Stay tuned for more... ;)

I *heart* Christmas! Post #1

I LOOOOOOVVVVEEEEEE Christmas!! Absolutely love all the noise and chaos. The decorating and baking and visiting and gift-giving. I thrive in the craziness of it all! If I had my way, I would have a Christmas tree in every single room. I am of the Griswald mentality - the brighter, the better! There cannot be too much of anything! 


If you are like my hubs, though, you may want to forgo my postings for the next month. Where I am alive in all the celebrating, he is tired. He is the BAH in my HUMBUG! The man just does not get excited about Christmas like I do. Party pooper. 


Most of the kids take after me and get very excited about doing everything and anything associated with Christmas, but I have one tiny man that is much like his father. My JP doesn't really enjoy the wildness fun of our Christmas cheer. He gets overwhelmed with the business. Because he is my child however, I force him to do whatever the rest of us are doing so I can get super cute pictures because he is a member of the family and families stick together. Yeah, whatever, he'll appreciate it someday when he is grown and has a family of his own. Or he will talk about it with his therapist.


Anyhoo, this morning I am trying to convince everyone to get in the mood to put up the tree. It's not that they don't want to, really, they like decorating, but with four children competing to do well, everything, someone will inevitably wind up in tears and running away. Or someone else will end up getting mad because they are not doing it the "right" way (me) and declare that I'm doing it myself. Gah! Shush! You know it's not just in my family!! At the end we will come together and sip hot chocolate or alcohol (Daddy) and maybe some hot chocolate AND alcohol (Me. Have you ever had Chambord in hot chocolate?) and gather around our pretty tree and be happy!


I am going to do a little bloggy experiment and instead of going through the day and at the end, making a big old post of the events, I am going to post through out the day as the events unfold. 


This is what is happening currently:


9:30 am - Kate is crying because I won't let her tear her dipes apart. Daddy is going for a run. Jay and Lu are playing "school". Josh is sleeping and I am making announcements about the day and blogging. And drinking coffee. The pre-teen is still sleeping. Kate is now crying because I took the remote away from her - she has a knack for reprogramming the TV....


*Stay tuned......*

Five Question Friday

Rules for Five Question Friday:  Copy and paste the following questions into a blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky and link up! 

1.  What is your favorite part of a Thanksgiving meal?
Cranberry sauce, not the canned kind, ew! The real, chunky, full of yummo cranberries kind! 
2.  Are you a host or a guest for Thanksgiving this year
Host to my immediate family. The middle son has an identified rash on his neck and we could not go to our friends' house as planned. Stupid rash, I almost escaped.
3.  When you think of one Thanksgiving tradition, what comes to mind?
We try and do a new dish that we have never tried before each year. This year we were going to have a few new dishes with our friends, but, um, the rash.
4.  You have two pieces of pie in front of you and you HAVE to eat one...do you choose pumpkin or pecan?
Pecan, with homemade whipped cream!!
5. There was no #5 on my link...LOL

I am Thankful

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 107:1

I am thankful that the Lord is sovereign and that I can freely speak of His love, grace and glory.

I am thankful for my family! They may not be close in distance, but they are always close to my heart!
I am thankful that all my children are home with us this year and they are all healthy and happy.
I am thankful for my husband. He stays with me, in spite of me! And for his unending love and commitment to our life together.
I am thankful for his service to our country.
I am thankful for my dear friends, old and new, near and far. I have THE MOST amazing, beautiful group of ladies in my life!
I am thankful for the trials; they grow my faith and shape my character.
I am thankful for my job. It allows me to be creative, work with amazing people and participate in projects that benefit others!
There are so many other things that I am thankful for; I am blessed to live the life I have been given!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Weirdday Randomness....New baby, rashes and an angry little boy.

Firstly, please allow me to introduce my new baby: The Journey to Katelyn. It's the story of our daughter Kate and how she became a member of our family. I would love it if you join me on the journey! And I will also shamelessly ask you to follow me so that I can make the narcissistic egotistical part of my psyche relax and go to sleep at night. Thank you in advance!   I owe ya one. Ahem....

Next, I think the poles have changed because it has been warm and rainy in the East and cold and snowy in the West lately. I'm being robbed of the white holiday season that I was looking forward to. It'll be the last one for us as the next three years will be spent in Guam and on the beach....poor me! *wink*

Jason woke up this morning with icky bumps on his neck and back. Yes, icky bumps is medical terminology, thank you very much. So I took him in and after the doc put on her hazmat suit to examine him (ok, I'm exaggerating, but gloves AND a mask???) she had no clue what they were but decided that we should act as though they are contagious until we figure out that they're not. MMMHHHMMMM. Heeeellllloooo, Thanksgiving?!? I'm using my MMD (Mother Medical Degree) and a turtleneck to fix it so that we can still have our Thanksgiving celebration. Don't judge me. It's that or copious amounts of wine and fat consumption to maintain my sanity.

We also had Kate's two year well baby check and she is doing amazing! She has gained a whopping 7 pounds in the last year and is on track developmentally (except verbal skills)! She was awful to the doctor, screaming at him (not crying), pushing him away, and throwing in a kick to his, uh, chops for good measure. He announced that she is strong and healthy and that we don't have to come back until she is school-age. YAY!

Lu has been a super sassy girl for the last few days and has been referring to me as "moth-er". She rolls her eyes and sighs when I say ridiculous things like, "Please come to the table for dinner.". She is 5 years old and I am beginning to understand the term "attitude problem'. In addition, she has been very serious about fashion lately and will not listen to anything I have to say about it. This morning she left the house to go to a friends' wearing a turquoise shirt, a black skirt and bubble gum pink tights. Whatever. I have bigger fish to fry right now. If she wants to be a walking rainbow, so be it.

Josh has been such an angry little thing lately but he really can't express why. That's ok, I know why. It's called hormones racing through your blood and being 11 going on 12. Angst is thy anthem, I suppose. Nothing is ever right in his world. Not the crust on his bread, the socks on his feet or his lame-o parental units. *sigh* Someday he will discuss all this in therapy I'm sure.

Other than the above randomness there is not much else happening unless you count planning a move to Guam, finalizing an adoption and the impending Holiday Season. I love my life! La!

Simple Woman's Daybook #2

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Here's how to take part:


1. Write up and publish your journal page using the questions/picture ideas I have listed below into your blog entry. Be as descriptive as you can! (You may cut and paste them for the purpose to participate in The Simple Woman's Daybook.) Please add your "picture thought" photo at the end of your daybook entry because we all love pictures!


FOR TODAY
Outside my window...it's wet from ran, pretty leaves sticking to the brown grass. Sun is starting to peek through the clouds.

I am thinking...about so many things....

I am thankful for...my life and the place I am in today.

From the kitchen...Cran-raspberry cheescake! Divine!

I am wearing...brown tank and pj bottoms.

I am creating...a plan! :)

I am going...to my hubs Thanksgiving celebration later today.

I am reading... recipes for Thanksgiving.
 
I am hoping...to hear from someone.

I am hearing...Kate whining, Luke slobbering and Dora the Explorer. UGH.

Around the house...I have cookbooks everywhere.

One of my favorite things...is coffee with a splash of eggnog - indulgent!

A few plans for the rest of the week: cooking, relaxing (uh huh) and enjoying friends.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Seoul, Korea - where we were this time last year

A Few Days Late, But I Love This!!

A Simple Womans Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...it's dark and starry.

I am thinking...of what I was doing this time a year ago.
I am thankful for...lessons I have learned.
From the kitchen...oven-fried pork chops, saffron rice and black beans.
I am wearing...jeans, brown boat-neck shirt and striped socks.
I am creating...my sisters' wedding album.
I am going...to stay up late.
I am reading...lots of blogs!
I am hoping...for a little peace.
I am hearing...football, the dishwasher running and kids chattering.
Around the house...socks and blankets are laying about.
One of my favorite things...is scrapbooking, it's been a long time since I've felt this creative.
A few plans for the rest of the week: church, Thanksgiving menu planning, grocery shopping....
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...crazy Lu! I "discovered" this picture on my computer very recently - one from her many self-portraits! LOL!

Jason - The Middle Child

My friend KO and I have a theory about our middle children (both boys, age 9) and it is this: they are often overlooked by demanding elder siblings and needy younger siblings so they create their own little worlds in which they amuse themselves and are generally involved in some type of imaginary happenings. This year for Jason, these happenings consisted of two things - football plays and wars. If he was not sleeping, he was involved in some circumstance that required him to pretend to catch, throw or intercept an imaginary football or flail about in some epic battle with no one that we could see. His tendency to do these things forced me to continuously utter things like, "Jason! Stop that! We are IN CHURCH! No shooting the enemy now!" or "I am not, I repeat NOT the quarterback! You don't need to sack me, go sack your father!" and so on.

My theory also explains my boys' occasional dominant behaviors such as always sitting "on a perch" at dinner to raise himself above the level of everyone else or peeing off the trampoline in the backyard. He feels the need for power! In this sea of children we have (only four, but still), he needs to enforce his presence! I dunno, maybe I'm just making excuses for him, but isn't he darling?

He was bringing me the tiniest flower he could find!

So lately Jason has been giving us a few lessons in history. This began when his class was studying figures from the Civil War. He came home and asked me if I knew who "Useless S. Grant" was. I was like, "Do you mean Ulysses? Jason (looking at me as though I've just grown a horn): "Uh, I guess so. Why is he famous?". A few weeks earlier it was this: Josh to me: "Did you know that there is a part in the Constitution that says you don't have to answer questions no matter who asks?" Me: "Do you mean that you can "plead the 5th?"" Jay from the backseat of the car: "Um, hellllooooo, it's called the CONSTIPATION!!!!" Well, I didn't know THAT! 

Then tonight at bedtime Jason declares that he knows who killed Martin Luther King, Jr! It was Bootstrap Bill! You know, the Bootstrap NOT from Pirates of The Caribbean? Mmmmhhhhmmm, him! 

I love this boy so much and he is growing just way too fast - he is all rough and tumble, trash-talking, growling football player 

and then my sweet "Oprah" (opera) singing ham!

A super scary "red phantom" one minute

and then a sweet love the next!

Jay and Zaya - BFF's

He will always be my baby boy, no matter what! My blonde, blue-eyed, "um, are you sure he's ours", 8 lb 15oz baby boy! I love you Jay!

The REAL Friday Fun - Fill-In's

Thank you again to Wifey for taking the time to think up these a-mazing questions! I do love her blog so very much! Here's how to play: "Each week, I’ll post a list of questions on Thursday (so you can have your blog ready on Friday). Come back here on Friday and enter your blog post into Mr. Linky so others know who else participated and we can all visit other blogs." ~ Wifey

And now for my thought-provoking, brain-stimulating answers...

If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs – such as food and water – were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you? My laptop and my Bible, not necessarily in that order. Wait, should I have said my kids? Well, I couldn't because there are four kids and only two items. That would be breaking the rules. AND they are not "items" anyway. Please....*sigh*

If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have? I would like to be something bold and sassy that looked amazing and tasted even better. But alas, I am probably plain old Ranch.

If you had to live on a ranch, what kind of animals would you raise/own? I would raise cows, chickens, and maybe a horse, but only one because I don’t like their attitudes. Definitely NOT goats – have you ever seen their eyes?  Creepy. And absolutely NO monkeys, no way, now how, sir! 

If your life was was portrayed as a movie, who would you choose to play you and your significant other? I have no idea. Who in Hollywood is frumpy, over-tired, saggy, wrinkly AND employed? That’s her. That’s who would play me. For the hubs, a young Clint Eastwood. Please don’t ask.

What was the last thing you put a stamp on (envelope, duh, but what was in the envelope)? A Happy Thanksgiving card to my mom because I am her best, most well–trained,  daughter and I love her so!

Friday Fun - The Adventure of D and Me!

Hi guys! So many of you know that we have lots of  'happenings' in the Caffee house. They are funny, insane and sometimes, simply unbelievable. What you may not know though, is some of the very funniest stuff occurs outside the walls with my friends! I am going to share some of these stories with you here, so friends, if you want to chime in and blab about something that happened when my magnificence was in your presence, just email me the story - I'm not scared!!

This is today's story:

I met "D" way back in 1999. Josh was still a baby and her hubs, Tim was the only guy the unit that volunteered to help us move. And he worked his behind off with Brian so that I could stay with Josh. D's family was in town and she was annoyed that Tim had stayed so long (I would have been too) because they were waiting for him to come home for dinner. Embarrassed because I had not met her in any way, shape or form before that phone call, I introduced myself and we kind of mumbled niceties to each other and said goodbye. I sent T home very quickly, as I wanted no further  trouble, but made him swear an oath that he would come back with his family at some later date and let me cook for them.

About 2 weeks later, we arraigned a dinner with our families and I made lasagna, bread, salad and some kind of dessert. There were introductions and small talk and we seemed to get along fine. There was nothing significant that stands out in my brain about the evening except this: at one point in the evening some food was dropped on the floor. I bent over and wiped it up with my dish sponge. No big deal, right? So D says to me after watching what I had done, "I know this women that cleans her floors with the same sponge she uses to wash her dishes. SO. GROSS!". I wasn't really even aware that I had done what I did, it was sort of a mindless act and not something I typically did, so I was thinking that that was kind of an odd statement for her to make, but whatever, and continued on with the conversation. Tim and Brian had hit it off and so I sort of thought that this might become a regular "hang out" family. And they did. D and I are sisters now, seriously, there is about no one that knows me as well as she does. We have been through some big time stuff together. We are going through some big time stuff together right now. I love her dearly, more than I could express to her in words, she is the real deal when it comes to having a loyal friend!

Fast forward a few years and picture us sitting around a huge dining room table (hers) in Germany either feasting on some delicious creation we have concocted or scrapbooking and we started talking about that dinner. And it occurred to me that she had been talking about ME with her whole "I knew a friend...." business. If there is one thing you should know upfront about D, it's that she has a quick wit and a faster tongue! She is so freakin' funny! So I asked her outright if she had, in fact, been talking about me. Her response, "Probably. I don't really remember for sure though." See, she's a sly fox!! Love you, D!! Do you remember this?

I have soooo many more, too!

I think I'm ready.

I think I am. *deep breath*  I think I am ready to start sharing my experience with adoption. With our adoption. MY experience. I am only speaking for myself here, not for the hubs or the other children that live in my home. This is mine and I own every single bit of it. I'm not going to color it all rosey for you, if you want a story that is all happy and rainbows and sunshine then you may want to go elsewhere because while some of it is, a lot of it is not.

I do love my daughter very much, let's just be clear on that. I do. It has just taken me a moment to get there. I am still getting there. I'm not the perfect example of mothering an adopted child, but I'm real and that is what I will be sharing with you. I do hope you'll walk along side me as I begin.....

Tiny Talk Tuesday - Jason Paul & the "Cafeterian"

So last night at dinner, Jason (age 9) says " Mama, the cafeterian says something really funny everyday. She says "get yo feets off the table"!". I was like "the what says what"? And he says, "You know, (rolls eyes) THE CAFETERIAN? The lady that works in the cafeteria every day?"

Ok, so 1. I adore that he still calls me mama. 2. It's very clever that he added the 'an' to the end to make a noun. 3. I love that he acted as if I should just know what a cafeterian is!

Ahhhh, my melting heart! *sigh*

Meet & Greet Monday - Jennifer Theis

Hey guys ~

Happy Monday, meh! I want to introduce you to one of my most amazing friends, Jennifer Theis. She is quite literally my mommy mentor as the mother of soon-to-be 8 children, she is calm, controlled and knows what to do in just about any situation! She is a retired 1SG in the Army, 20 years of service and married to a retired military man - talk about knowing how to balance - she handles her life with grace, love and tons of silliness! Jennifer has a (HUGE) heart for adoption and orphans and guided us through our adoption with Kate. She is dear to me and I wish I could hug her neck right now, but she is on the other side of the country, so I will just have to be happy with a virtual hug! Love you, Jennifer!

1.Tell us about yourself and your family. Be sure to include your own hobbies and interests as well as information about your kids and hubby: 
My name is Jennifer and I am a retired USA 1SG, as well as a wife of a retired USA MSG. We spent 20 plus years in the military raising our four kids at the time. Upon retirement we had our fifth child. Since then we have adopted 2 more children and will have a third added in the Spring:) I'll tell you more about that later:) Our kids range in age from 1 to 22 yrs old. I don't really have any specific hobbies because I like doing anything, especially if other people are involved. I am very much a people person! I spend most of my time hanging out with my family and church friends.

2. Tell us about your blog. What do you tend to write about? I have had several blogs, all themed around our adoptions. 
My blog tends to be focused on the steps involved in the process, the pains and frustrations of the system but eventually the overwhelming joy of meeting and bringing our children home to their forever family. See her latest blog at The Race To China. 


3. What are some of your favorite posts/topics? 
My favorite posts are the ones where we get a peak at our children through photos, letters etc.


4. What is something we won't find on your blog about yourself? 
Well I think I have said I am retired military but I have become such a sissy..actually I have finally realized its okay to be girly:) So you wouldn't know that I jumped out of airplanes, helicopters, rucked sack road marched many miles and was a mean 1SG when I was in the Army:)

5. How did you manage “life” with a military spouse? Any tips on relaxing? 
Now that I am retired and can look back I would say the best way to relax or survive having a military spouse, or being one is to not take everything so serious. The military is important but sometimes I think we forget that its a job and its okay to leave it at work when we are home with our family. Famliy should always be #1.

6. Military wives often have to step up and take on the role of both parents when TDY’s, long hours or deployments occur. How does this affect the way you parent? The way you relate to your spouse?
You really appreciated your spouse so much more when they are not around. I have seen my older kids who were true military kids during our active duty times be more responsible. They had to take care of themselves on many occasions. I was a tougher parent when I was in the military. I think you have to be to survive.

7. Please share with us your passion for adoption/orphans: 
Our passion as a family now is to bring attention to the plight of the over 143,000,000 orphans worldwide. We didn't pay atttention to this need until a family memnber adopted from China. We followed suit by adopting 2 amazing boys, one from China and one from Ethiopia. We are in our third adoption from China. An amazing teen boy with albinism. It breaks my heart to know there are still millions of kids that need homes and since I can't adopt them all, I advocate for them. If its on your heart, do it! If it isn;t support them in other ways. Through sponsorship, helping other families adopt, etc. Did you know that if only 7% of Christians adopted one child, there would be no orphans. And it is a mandate in the Bible that we care for the orphan.




Thanks, Jennifer! <3

A Few of My Not-So-Favorite Things

Why? Because I like things even - steven. If I gave you things I like, I must give you things I do not like. This is how nature is balanced and the poles remain aligned in my world. Ahem.

1. Vomit. I can handle snot, pee, poop, blood, drool and ABC food like a champ. Want to undo me, just vomit. I am a sypathy-vomiter. If you vomit, I will vomit FOR you. Case and point - child #2 throws up hot dogs and pepto, child #1 starts to gag, mother throws up INSIDE her own T-shirt and all over her own belly. It really happened. Tonight, child #3 threw up chili all over my couch and then asked, "Mama? How come when I ate it it was chili and when it came out it was pasta?"

2. Dog hair. On my floors. On my pillow. In my washing machine. On my clothes. In my mouth. Love (a slight exageration) the dog, HATE the hair.

3. Dirty cars. This does not, by any stretch of the imagination, mean that my car is clean. I mean, I have four kids, c'mon. I just don't like it.

4. Finding surprises. Like super old sippies with last years weeks milk in them that nobody knows where they came from but suddenly show up in the kitchen sink for washing and an unprepared mother opens them, surprises. Or, "what is that in the toilet and why didn't you flush it" surprises. Or things that fall from the ceiling and into my hair first thing in the morning surprises. Not good, not good at all.

5. Raw chicken. I don't really need to explain this, do I?

6. Mustaches. Uh, yeah, no. They do zero for me, except maybe remind me of caterpillars.

7. Farts. I get sooo mad!! I hate when people just let them rip where ever, whenever. Especially at the dinner table. HEEEELLLLOOOO, ever hear of poop particles? Well, now they are in my meal, thank you very much.

8. Creepy crawlies. Snakes, bugs, spiders, lizards, slime, worms, slugs, maggots, etc. fall into this category. I really don't like it when someone catches one and shows me....really close to my face, shows me. I don't like it when they fall into the surprise category either. When I was in TX, I had a flying cockroach fly into my hair. I thought it was a bat. This has scarred me so badly, I can still feel it's legs crawling on my scalp when I think about it. And now I'm thinking about it.

9. Birds. They creep me out, all pointy-beaky and beady-eyed like they are figuring out a way to kill you so that they can eat your innards. One time, my cat smuggled one into my pillow case which made for a very lovely evening. Not. even. kidding.

*Side bar* Maybe I should just say that I don't like nature, but I DO like nature as long as it's not on me or my belongings. See the aforementioned experiences and add to them; a snake dangling from a ceiling vent during a baby shower, smashing into a cow on a very dark road, deer smashing into me on a very dark road, stepping into (yep, INto) a turtle carcass barefoot, and I'm sure there are more, anyway.....

10. Tiny little noises and super loud noises such as, someone snapping their gum or my kids running herd-like down the stairs. When it comes to someone eating something crunchy with their mouth open and a neighbors' thumping base, OMG! just commit me! I have a very low tolerance for sensory disturbances.

So I just noticed that my "unlike" list is much longer than my "like" list....hhhhmmmm. I do not like that.

A Few of My Favorite Things

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for no good reason tonight. It's late and it's quiet and we had a really fun game night with new friends and yummy food - homemade chili, cornbread casserole, chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin pie - I love to bless people in my life with good food and I love to cook, so getting to do both in one evening is perfect! One of my favorite things!

Kissing my babies' (all of them) sweet, softer than silk, all slumbery warm, pink cheeks. I love to nuzzle them when they are sleeping! It is an evening ritual on my way to bed, I peek in at them and just whisper prayers and love over each of them. One of my favorite things!

I love the holiday season. Absolutely love it! I adore the smells, sounds, busy-ness, the cooking, the togetherness, the family time! I love carefully choosing menus and gifts and decorations and wrapping presents with flair and with the recipient in mind. I love the colors and cool weather and the slower pace of daily life as the days grow shorter. One of my favorite things!

My husband's laugh - it's deep and loud and comes from his belly - he fills the room with his laughter! He was being especially silly with the kids today and they were all acting like crazy heads, running around and playing odd games that they invented. I love when he smiles, all toothy and sparkly-eyed. Lately these days are fleeting so I try to cherish when they come. One of my favorite things!

A great cup of coffee! I have come to savor the way my mug sits in my hands, warming them. I like the very first sip in the morning, sweet and creamy and bitter the best. My latest love is Ethiopian coffee. It's rich in a way that reminds me of the Earth and soil and plants from which it came. As I grow older, I think I experience  the small things in life differently, more profoundly even. Time is so fleeting, I want to soak up every minute! One of my favorite things!

An engulfing book! One that stays with me for a long time after I'm done reading it. One that takes me only a day to read because I am that captivated. One that challenges my traditional way of thinking and changes me. One of my favorite things!

Great music that makes me want to jump around and dance or that brings back a lovely memory! I love to sing loudly when I am in the car by myself, volume cranked, wiggling in my seat! I don't care who sees it, either! It's a major stress relief for me, too. One of my favorite things!

And this, my chronicles of me and my life, shared with you! I want you to know me and share time with me! Definitely one of my favorite things! :)

Friday Fill-In #21

I just luurrve Fridays, don't you? What a FUN day, at the end you get to kick back, have some wine and let the kids stay up late to get them to sleep in in the morning enjoy their company! Join me again this Friday while I talk about me, me, me! And then you can share with your friends and be a big gossip-er! I'm kidding! I really do like the connections that are made from joining the Fill-Ins and once again, thank you,

Wifey! :)

Were you named after anyone?

Not that I am aware of. Although, I think my Mom wasn't exactly in on naming me Kelly Marie. I believe it was all my Dad's idea. Mom, if I'm wrong you probably should have told me this by now.

What color, if any, are your toenails usually painted?

They are usually painted. And it's almost always a darker color like reds, purples, blue or even black.

How do you flush a public toilet? Hands? Feet? Something else?

I try to avoid them, but if it's a dire situation like Lu needs to go (she is our "BI" = bathroom inspector) I will go. I usually just flush because I wash my hands after. I will not ever touch the door handle because some people fail to wash and it is disgusting. There I will use paper towels or my elbow.

When you were a little kid, which TV character did you have a crush on?

Who remembers "Chachi" from Happy Days? O.M.G! I think I wrote (yes, with a pencil, paper and an actual stamp)him 4 bajillion fan letters. I had posters in my room of Corey Haim, I just adored his dorky, crooked grin! Ahh, young love!

Let's say you had to lose one of your five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell).  Which one would you choose? Why?

Wow! I think I'd have to go with smell because while it can come in handy (like during a fire or when there are brownies around), I think it would affect me the least. Plus, I am super sensitive to smells, especially bad ones. AND I'm a hyper-vomiter. So sometimes, smelling isn't my friend.

Happy Veteran's Day!

I just want to say thank you to all military members, past and present for your service. 

I know about hardships and sacrifices, but my heart is especially heavy for the spouses and children of  those lost OEF and OIF. Blessings and prayers over each of you and thank you for giving the ultimate sacrifce. 

1SG Caffee - my love

PFC Me - 1997 with Daisy

Pinning on his 1SG!

I Got an Award!!

Thank you, Sierra over at The Tervo Times! This is my very first award!! *takes a bow* And now, my desire for awards will be out of control! I am a girl that loves to be noticed!! Kidding, kidding, well, no I'm not, but whatev!


Anyway, here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass it along to 7 blogs you've recently discovered and enjoy.
4. Leave the recipients a note telling them about the award.

Seven things about me: (meh! only seven?)


1. I have four kids! They are ages 11, 9, 5 and 2. One of them was adopted from Korea! Read about that here - Adoption story.

2. I was born with 12 fingers. Just joking, I was born with 14. Ok, Ok, I'll stop. My kids laugh at me because when I am annoyed that their things are lying all about, I'll walk around picking up toys with my toes and lecturing about taking care of your belongings. Sometimes, I don't even realize I'm doing it until they are all in a heap laughing hysterically.

3. I see all kinds of crazy things at Walmart. See Oh My Gosh! What is that Smell  and The Walmart Phenomena .

4. I am consistently awed by my hubs. We've been together for 13 years and his ability to do the right thing, always, not matter what, dumbfounds me. And makes me look bad, sometimes. Dear love, please for once, make a bad choice! Geesh! He is also super bad-a$$, which is hot!

5. I am an Army wife and have been on the military train in one form or another for 18 years. We are currently on assignment to Guam and will probably get out of dodge in mid-May. See ya, Fort Campbell!

6. I have a sick fascination with all thinks medical. The grosser, the better. I also like to pick at things like zits or ingrown hairs. My friend AB told me that I have a condition called Dermotillomania. Yeah, go figure.

7. I own a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad dog named Luke. He broke my fingers last year and he still resides here. I have a few posts about him so feel free to browse!


And now for the 7 recently discovered blogs:

1. Meet Jess from Just A Geek Named Jess. She is lovely. And funny. And does super cool things with post cards!

2. Go say hello to Ashley from Just Another Mom of 2! She is clever, witty and a whip when it comes to all things techie. And we work together at AboutOne.com. She ROCKS!


3. This guy cracks.me.up! He blogs about his beautiful twins, failstaches and duck butts! Go laugh at with him at Beta Dad.


4. And speaking of funny, you MUST check out Kristine at Wait in The Van. You will a) pee your pants, b) spew something out of your nose or c) have a seizure and injure yourself laughing! I love this blog!!


5. I love Nikki because she comments on my blog. Also because she likes a thug-life. She just happens to be a brilliant blogger as well! Check her out at Such Is The Life of an Army wife and show her some love!


6. Beneath The Acacia Tree is a beautiful blog with gorgeous pictures and even lovelier children! Jamie has a huge heart for children, too!


7. Last, but definitely not least is Not Before 7! We recently found out that we know each other in "real" life, but have been following each others blogs in "cyber" life! Mary is an amazing, clever, smart, super-duper, homeschooler with children that say the darnedest thinks! Love her!!

And there you have it! Please grab some coffee or whatever and go see these bloggers! They will bless your day! :)