Getting ready for Christmas

Here are some pics of the kids getting ready for Christmas. Making cookies, wearing their Santa hats, and running around the house naked. Not sure what that had to do with getting ready for Christmas, but he was cute. He did have the roll from the wrapping paper so I guess it fits the profile.

Seeing Santa

Yes, once again I am behind on pictures. Maybe you can forgive since we are moving. Here are the pics from seeing Santa. We went to breakfast with Santa at Fort Leavenworth. They had breakfast and Santa, of course, but also tons of crafts for the kids to do. Gabby loved doing all the crafts. Sam wanted to get into all of them but couldn't. His favorite was the decorate the cookie table. We were pulling him away from that when it was our turn to get pictures. Maybe one reason he wasn't so happy to see Santa....

Blogger Dashboard, Part 2

So after complaining about it last night, today when I logged in ALL of my saved blogs had disappeared from the Dashboard! Not good. I'm hoping this is a glitch that will be worked out but I haven't checked into it. Maybe they got me after I said something about it....

Blogger Dashboard...

is evil. Every time I sign on to update my own blog I end up spending all my time reading everyone else's blog to see what you all are up to. So that's why mine never gets updated anymore. I discovered Blogger Dashboard.
Oh, and we're homeless. That could have something to do with it. We packed up our house on the 11th, Robert graduated on the 12th, we moved to the guest house on the 15th, Gabby finished school on the 19th, we arrived in Jackson on the 20th (about 2 AM), had a great Christmas on the 25th, 26th and 27th, and here we sit on the 28th with everything we have kept with us plus everything we got for Christmas crammed into a 12 x 12 room at my mother's house where Robert, Sam and I are all sleeping. Poor Jordan can't even lie down in there so she's sleeping elsewhere.
We'll be here till the 4th when we return to Leavenworth for one day. On the 6th we will start our six day drive to Fort Lewis. Then we just have to find a place to live, get Gabby enrolled back in school and get all our stuff back and settle in. Who needs New Year's resolutions when you have so much to look forward to???

Poor Jordan

For those of you who know our big dog Jordan, this will be a surprise. Jordan is our big hairy monster. If you're counting, she turned 11 in August and this will be her 6th move with us. She is all hair and bark. Jordan's one character flaw is that she barks. A lot. At everyone but us. Loudly. It takes her a while to warm up to someone and is usually has to be a neighbor that she sees often or someone who spends the night. The rest of the time, she barks. Because of that, we have always had to confine her during moves - in a room, outside, in the car, whatever works for us all. Well yesterday was packers. Three strangers in our house all day. Now, it was snowing and windy and the temp dropping all day - a nsaty day. Jordan was put in the bedroom for a while and then outside for a while. Finally, she just gave up and curled up on the couch and watched them pack. No barking no jumping up and down. Poor Jordan.

Odds and Ends

I confess these pics are all from Oct. I loaded a few from Nov onto my computer and filled up the hard drive. Now this computer will be packed up by Thurs so it will be a while before I get any more pics loaded. Hopefully our laptop has some room on it and I can do some over Christmas. But anyway, here are some from Oct - Gabby and her pumpkin, Gabby picking her tomatoes, Sam playing in the yard and sickly Sam who fell asleep on the arm of the couch one afternoon. We'll try to keep up as we move, but I make no promises! You may get Christmas pics in July!

Alpha and Omega

"God is the Alpha and Omega and in every Omega, there is always another Alpha. Anytime he brings us to the end of anything, there is always a beginning." Beth Moore (from session 10 video of "The Patriarchs").

I wrote this quote down last year as I watched this video. We had gotten orders to move that we didn't expect and things were crazy. But this struck a chord with me then. Now, here we are 10 months later and moving at Christmas again. Gabby's in school this year and has to move in the middle and Christmas is going to be spent homeless and in transition. Robert's going back to a tactical unit that already has deployment orders. There is a lot going on. I got a letter from a dear friend with a similar crazy time of transition - moving overseas, sending her oldest to college, trying to coordinate a mission trip with her youngest, etc. Life is scary, changes are scary. Isn't it great that God always has a new beginning for us? We don't have to worry about coming to the end of anything, because the beginning is just around the corner.

The Move has Officially Begun!

We had pre-packing today, an entirely new thing to me (believe it or not) that turned out very good. We had three packers for three hours who almost got our basement entirely packed. That means next week we'll be a little ahead. The other nice thing about it was that I only had to worry about preparing my basement for today. But now that part is done. Everything we wanted to keep to carry with us and everything down there we had intended to get rid of has been done. I now have a week until the real packing and loading starts up and my basement is already done! Now to focus on the rest of the house...

Being Behind

I am in a constant state of being behind, I think, and this blog is no exception. So I am way behind and I know it. Things have been moving at break-neck speed around here lately and, once again, my hard-drive is full and I can't upload any more pics. Does that keep me from taking them?? NO! So I am trying to clean off some space while I am still doing all that I do. I have lots to post so I promise to work on it bit by bit. But, for now, off to work on Gabby's Tinkerbell Birthday Party tomorrow (yes, it's early - we're moving right before her birthday again.) Someday I'll get pics posted...

Red Barn Farm, part two

Gabby's class went on a field trip to the Red Barn Farm and it was a much nicer day than for the Daisy Troop. They had a tour of all the animals and a hayride at the Farm. We then went to Weston Bend State Park and had a picnic lunch. We took a little hike there and played on the playground. Sam enjoyed chasing big sissy and her friends around. He has no idea he is not five.

Halloween

Hope everyone had a great Halloween. Ours was good in a very crazy sort of way. We left Thurs night and drove to St Louis, making the rest of the drive to Nashville on Halloween. After checking into a hotel, we went to my grandparents' house where the kids put on their costumes. Gabby was Pocahontas and Sam was a frog. Then we went to my cousin's house to trick or treat. Their neighbor made a hayride out of their trailer and the kids all rode for a while and walked for a while. Sam really enjoyed the houses with lights and decorations. He went at it hard and was a tired little frog at the end of the night.

Camping with the Girl Scouts

Ahhh, camping with the Daisy Girl Scouts! For those not yet schooled on Girl Scouts, these are Kindergarteners and First Graders. So five and six years old. We took 13 of them camping a few weeks ago. My thanks goes out to the troop leader, who was gung-ho and really made it a great weekend. We did get to sleep inside a lodge, thank goodness, since this was our first really cold weekend. But we cooked outside and spent the day Saturday outside playing parachute games, fishing, doing crafts, and finishing it off with s'mores around the campfire with the whole group of Girl Scouts from the Fort Leavenworth area. Gabby enjoyed herself and was not ready to leave. I discovered the adults have a secret stash of chocolate and Excedrine handy. Was it like that when you took us, Mom? I left with no speaking voice but also really enjoyed myself. I hope we can find such a good troop at Fort Lewis.

Election Day

Hope everyone has already voted or is on their way. Please vote! We have the honor of voting that many around the world still do not have. Enjoy your freedom today!

Robert's trip to France

Robert returned last Saturday night from a two-week exchange to France. A group of majors from CSGC went to work with the French military at their equivalent school. They spent the first week in Paris working with the team there. They then spent the weekend exploring Normandy before going to Compeigne to do a training excercise with the French team. They had one day at the end to enjoy Paris before coming home.

While we had been to Paris and Normandy when we lived in Germany, he managed to see some things we didn't have time to see, such as a World War I museum at the Chemin des Dames. It was a neat opportunity and they had a good trip.

Red Barn Farm

So Gabby's Daisy Scout troop planned a trip to the Red Barn Farm in Weston, MO for a

hayride and hot dog cookout. We were supposed to go last week but it was rained out and postponed until this week. The big rain blob was on its way but we thought we could make it before it got here. Of course we were wrong. About the time we took off in the hayride, it started to rain. We took a quick circle and then went back to the barn. The girls (and Sam) did have a chance to see the farm animals and run around before the rain came. And they sang some songs and had some fun in the barn while waiting for the rain to slack up. So I still don't have any great shots of my kids at the pumpkin patch this year!

Sticker shock!

But in a good way! I bought gas yesterday for $2.55/gallon! I couldn't believe it! I don't usually pump the gas when Robert is around. Ever since he returned from Iraq in 2004 and I told him my grandmother never pumped gas in her life, he has been committed to doing the pumping for me. I have done it a few times since then, when he has been gone, but not many. So I don't pay much attention to the price any more. I just see the totals that run through the checkbook. He filled up the van before he left for France but my light came on yesterday (almost made it!) I ran over the bridge to Missouri (where the tax is cheaper) and there it was: $2.55. I thought it was a mistake! Needless to say, everyone at the gas station was in a much happier mood than usual. People were smiling and talking to each other. Funny how it lightened the mood! Don't know how long it will last since OPEC is meeting in Nov but I am certainly happy to see it right now.

Deanna Rose Farmstead

Monday was a holiday so we headed down to the Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park. They have farm animals, playgrounds, historic buildings, pony rides, a fishing pond and all kinds of fun for kids. Sam found some slides that were just his size and Gabby loved riding the pony. It started to rain at the end but we had a good day.

Shoal Creek Fall County Fair

Last Saturday we went to the Shoal Creek Living History Museum to their Fall County Fair.

Shoal Creek has a bunch of historical buildings from the area that have all been moved together to make a museum. They had all the buildings open along with a Army encampment, old fashioned toys, a puppet show, and county fair games. We enjoyed playing and looking at all the houses. We saw people cooking over a fire and in a wood-stove, ladies making bobbin lace, and a shoot-out in the street.

A Trip to the Firestation

Gabby's class took a trip to the firestation last week. Sam and I went with them. Of course, Sam would not sleep that morning so he fell asleep on the way to the school (which is less than 5 minutes away). But he woke up before we got to the part with the trucks so that was good. They got to see where the firemen live, how they receive and make calls, the gear and the trucks. They simulated a smoky room for them to crawl through with a geared up fireman on the other end. It was fun!

Gabby's Artwork

Gabby loves to do artwork. Color, paint, draw, sticker, make things. She loves it all. Here is a painting she did at school a couple of weeks ago. I think it is beautiful! I am a bit partial but I really love the colors and everything about it. Just wanted to share her work.

Another reason to love my van...

Did I mention I love my new van? I know, I know, many of you have loved your vans for years. I have always known I would have one, just waiting on the right time. Anyway, a new reason to love my van emerged - Elvis Radio! We get Sirius radio (only for a year, of course) and it has an All-Elvis, all the time station. I love it!

Yes, I love Elvis! I grew up in Memphis, I have to love Elvis! My family was less than enthusiastic. But then one day Gabby said "I like that song" and the next day Sam was just dancing to beat the band. And then poor Robert said "If I listen to this long enough, I might like it." That is all part of my plan....

My Little Daisy Scout

Gabby had her investiture ceremony for Daisy Scouts this week. She really loves going. I think its partly b/c there are no boys allowed. But that is ok by me. She's having a great time and learning all kinds of things. And she wants patches.

Of course I love it since it brings back all kinds of memories for me. I wasn't a Daisy but was a Brownie and loved it. Stay tuned for posts on going on a hayride, camping, the Veterans' Day Parade and all sorts of other fun things we have planned with the Daisies.

Fishing

Two weekends ago was the Fort Leavenworth Fishing Derby. Gabby has been wanting to fish so it gave us a good reason to go. She did pretty well learning how to cast. She

didn't catch a fish but had a good time trying. Maybe next time we'll get a fish!

More pics from July

So now I know just how behind I got back in the summer. So here are some pics from our trip to Nashville in July to drop Gabby and Sam off with Robert's parents. Those are my grandparents with the kids.