Just What the Dr. Ordered!

I told you guys earlier this week that I had not had much free time to blog but I think I'm on the way to "blogger-rehab".

The biggest reason for my sudden withdrawl happened unintentionally. I mentioned in my last post that I was offered a postion at First Baptist Church of Colorado Springs in March of 2011. I started on April Fool's day and before I knew it, it was time for my 90 do evaluation. Time was flying. Ministry was happening in full force. Easter was here, school ended, summer came and went, school started, Fall Festival has come and gone and now I'm one worn out little lady. I absolutely love my job but as any one in ministry can tell you, there comes a time when a time of refreshment is much needed. I am thankful that my co-workers have recognized this and have given me the oppurtunity to have some time off. So in order for me to get some down time, I have flown to Alabama with my 2 Breezy Boys, from our home in Colorado to spend 16 days with our families. I'll spend 10 days with my parents and 6 days wtih Breezy's. He's planning to join us in Florida this weekend. YAY!!!!!

I'm breaking the ice now by telling you all that once again my dear Breezy is heading back overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He is scheduled to leave early in the New Year. Unfortunately, because we are avaiation we will not make the 9 month cut off. He will be away for 12 months. We are both in pre-deployment mode and are trying to prepare ourselves for what the next 13 months will hold for us. I hope that you will join me in our journey. I will be blogging just like I did the last go round.

I'm out of time. My sweet boys and I are heading to Krispey Kreme in our jammies for some donuts and chocolate milk! They both decided that 6 a.m. was a good wake up time today. Nap time won't come quick enough.


Here's some pictures of the boys. They've both grown so much since March.

It's Been a Long Time...But It's Time

Friends,Friends,Friends.....

I have thought for weeks that I would find the time to start blogging again about the craziness that I like to call my life. Unfortunately, due to just that, I have not had time until now to sit down and really wrap my mind around all of the things that were/are going on.

I think I'll bring you up to speed from March 2011:

March: Wes was working alot already. We still did not have our household goods but we were slowly making our house a home. I interviewed and was hired for a job as the Children's Ministry Coordinator at FBC Colorado Springs. Clark started preschool at 1st Presbyterian Church and began to make new friends.

April: On April Fool's day I started my new job at FBC. Just in time for the Easter busyness. Carsen started Mother's Morning out at 1st Pres. 2 days a week. My parents were able to come for a 10 day visit. Our household goods arrived. We visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Dinosaur Resource Center. Registered Clark for Kindergarten. Clark can tell the Easter Story from beginning to end and it just thrills my heart. He is insistent that he has asked Jesus to live in his heart and we believe that he has. We will begin working with him on the aspects of that and lead him slowly in the next steps of baptisim.

May: Carsen Lee turned 1 years old. We celebrated with a Goldfish birthday party. Clark graduted from preschool. Carsen is still staying very sick so we spent many days and evenings in the Drs. office trying to figure out the cause for his consistent cold/diarreah. We have a new Nanny and my boys love her. Carsen calls her JuJu!

June: I was consummed in June with VBS. We had an amazing turn out. I was well pleased with the VBS materials that were chosen for 2011. I work 80 hours a month, this month I worked close to 150. I know I was ready for a break when June was finally over. I'm already in a VBS way of thinking and it's only November.

July: I fell down the stairs of our basement and broke my right arm. Lucky Me! Sista,Sista came for a vist. It had been WAY TO LONG since we had last seen here. My boys wrapped around her finger very quick! We visited Garden of the Gods. Me and the little Breezy's went to camp in Woodland Park. We had 8 children and youth from FBC attend. Several decisions were made by our Kids and it thrilled my heart. Clark absolutely loved camp and is already looking forward to going back in 2012.

August: We began test this month to find out what Carsen's allergies are; dairy, pet dander, dust mites, nicotine and strawberries. We are still discovering other things that his little tummy can not tolerate. School started for Clark and Mommy this month.We love Clark's Kindergarten teacher. She is my age and LOVES books and music! My kind of teacher. I am attending classes at PPCC, hoping to finish this degree in Early Childhood Education.

September: Clark is the big 5.He is 60 pds and bright as he's always been! School is going well for both of us. I am doing my practicum in 2 different schools and staying very busy! On 9-11 we voted to begin a process in our churh called BridgeBuilding. It's been tough but it'll either make us or break us. Fall Festival Planning is in full force. More testing for Little boy.

October: Clark is playing soccer and is doing a fantastic job. I love to watch him interact with his buddies. Family photos and fall festival happened before Halloween. I was told by older congregation member's that this was the biggest Fall Festival that has taken place at FBC in many years. Sista,Sista has come for another visit and it was a total surprise. LOVE YOU SISTA. Thank JuJu and Wes for making everything fall into place. We are all so busy.

November: We're on a short vacation. Spending some time in AL and FL with our families. It's Military Family Appreciation Month and Veterans Day. Carsen is going to get his first haircut with Auntie G today and then Grammy is taking the boys to get their photos made today. Best event of all besides getting to fly home to see our families..My very best, childhood friend married her prince charming tonight! Beautiful ceremony and tons of fun reception. I'll have photos to share soon.

I hate that I have had to take some time away but it is time for me to come back in full force. Our lives will be changing again very soon and I know that you guys are always such an amazing support and are always curious as to what is going on with The Breezy's.

I'll be back soon!

Let's Keep it Simple!

Our family eats "Tex-Mex" of some kind at least once a week. I'd love to broaden the meat intake of my boys but unfortunately, for the most part, they'll only eat boneless chicken/turkey breast, ground beef/turkey and on occasion steak. Since they are so selective our menu options are also somewhat limited. I try not to make the same meal more than once in a month. Therefore, I am constantly searching for new, simple, quick and wallet friendly recipes. Here are two that we've had this week that you are sure to enjoy...WARNING: They are not very healthy but with a few minor changes they could be.

Doritos Casserole with Garlic Rice
From the Kitchen of Kasi Sellers (Best Neighbor and Friend our family has ever had)

1 family size bag Doritos
1-2 pounds ground beef or turkey
2 Cans Enchilada Sauce
Velveeta Cheese

Grease 9x13 pan and layer with crushed Doritos. Brown and drain ground meat. Layer on top of Doritos. Pour enchilada sauce over meat and Doritos. Cube Velveeta and spread evenly over Casserole. Bake on 350 20-30 minutes or until Velveeta is melted.

Garlic Rice
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic (I buy mine in a jar)
1-2 Tablespoons EVOO
1 Cup Jasmine or Minute Rice (Minute cooks faster)
Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Cups Water (or more)

In a skillet brown garlic in EVOO. Add Rice, garlic salt and pepper and continue to "brown/sautee". When rice has reached desired color add 2 cups water (you will have to add more for rice to completely cook). Allow rice to boil and then reduce heat. Cook until FLUFFY!

Crock Pot Chicken and Salsa
from Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup salsa (I measured mine in the soup can)
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream

Place chicken, soup, and salsa in the crock pot. Pour taco seasoning on top (I mixed mine all together). Cook on low for 6 hours. Pull the chicken out and shred and return to the crock pot. Stir in sour cream and heat until ingredients are combined. Serve with Rice and/or on a flour tortilla as a soft taco.

*Serve with these optional ingredients; Guacamole,lettuce, Sour Cream and Cheese*

Enjoy!

Delightful....Enough Said!

Creamy Italian Chicken w/ Rice or Egg Noodles
from: Jenna's Journey

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pkt. Italian seasoning (I used Italian Dressing Seasoning Packet)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can (soup can) water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 pkg. cream cheese
Sliced Shrooms
Green Onions (Optional)

Mix all together in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Serve with Jasmine Rice or Egg noodles.

Beef/Turkey Taco Casserole

Beef Taco Casserolé
from: Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour

1 lb. ground beef/turkey
1 Small Yellow Onion
1 can (16 oz.)refried beans {we used Rosarita}
1 (16 oz.)jar salsa/picante sauce {we used Market Street}
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
2 ½ cups tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
4 medium green onions, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 ½ cups shredded cheese {we used Colby & Monterrey Jack}
1 cup shredded lettuce
Sour Cream

Brown meat and yellow onion and drain. Return to skillet and add refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning. Heat to boiling and make sure to occasionally stir! Coarsely crush your chips and place two cups on the bottom of a "Sprayed" 2-qt. casserole dish. Top evenly with the beef mixture and cover with green onions, 1 cup of the tomatoes, and the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered on 350 for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is all hot and bubbly! Top with lettuce, remaining 1/2 cup of tomato, & half cup of chopped tortilla chip.

*We left out the tomatoes since Breezy and Big Boy both hate them*

Enjoy...We surely did!

Big Boy Drew the Names and Then Winners Are.......

Sonia Boukaia Photography Photo Shoot Winner- Heather Basset

Snatches of Time Photography Photo Shoot Winner- Talisa Hatcher


You will be contacted by your photographer to set up a date, time and location! I can't wait to see photos of your beautiful families!

A Month Later....

We've been in our new home for just over a month and we're still trying to get settled in. In a month we've done a few things but not much.....

We finally received our unaccompanied baggage last week, but seriously all we sent was our clothes and Brudder's bed...what were we thinking? We're hoping that our main shipment will arrive soon. I'm ready to sleep in my bed and not on an air mattress. I'm sick of sitting on the floor, or in baskets of laundry.

Big Boy has been sleeping on a "camp-out" but he hasn't complained one bit. We're going to be painting his "Toy Story" room this week so that it's all ready when our things get here! He's super excited about his new room. He suckered me into painting his room "To Inifity and Beyond Green" (he made that color up). On another note, we found out today that the cut-off for Kindergarten here on post is 1 October..Big Boy makes the cut off by about 4 days and will be going to FULL DAY Kindergarten next school year...Tear! We're so glad he won't have to go to Part Day Preschool again.

We've really had a time with Brudder staying sick since he was born. Since he was 3 mos old we've been told that he was lactose intolerant. We could never understand why he was spitting up,having diarrhea, staying so ill and keeping a diaper rash until we saw the pediatrician last week. Brudder has a MILK PROTEIN allergy instead. This is much worse than your typical lactose sensitivity. Since our visit we've eliminated ALL dairy from his diet, changed him to a hypoallergenic formula and you'd never know he was the same child...HE'S EVEN SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT NOW :-). Now we're working to adjust our ways of eating so that we can feed him the right way. This change will be alot of work but totally worth keeping him well.

Boy Jack, the newest addition to our family is growing and driving me crazy. Potty training is "going". I think in another week we'll finally have this pee'ing and pooping outside thing down pat. Jack is still very hyper and jumps on the boys and they both hate it. We're working on obedience and I see "school" in Jack's future.

We bought a "new to us" car. I told Wes I wasn't going to be stranded at home everyday when he went to work :-). Being stuck in Germany was one thing but there's WAY to much that I can get done here to be stuck. Plus I'm hoping to get a part time job very soon!

We finally bought a washer and dryer. I love being able to just walk down to the basement inside my house to get my laundry done anytime I want AND I don't have to share them with anyone. I could do my laundry naked and nobody would ever know :-).

My momma and daddy are coming to visit very soon and Clark and I are very ready to see them. Clark asked me if his BoBo was gonna bring him a swing set and toys in his suitcase...had to tell him nope. BoBo does plan on doing some fun things with his boys while he's here and maybe even taking them to the toy store..why? Because ever kid needs toys. That's what BoBo says!

I'm sorry for the lack of photos but I can't find my camera cord. I think I packed it in our HHG shipment. I'll post some as soon as I can! I must go for now, Brudder is waking up from his nap and will be ready for some lunch!

Spring Fever Give-A-Away

*Photo by Sonia Boukaia*

I'm so very excited about this week's give-a-way. I've partnered up with two of my dearest friends and favorite photographers, to bring an offer to you that you will not want to miss. This week, March 7th thru March 13th, you all will be commenting to win the following;

For my friends in Germany;
A 1 Hour (on Location) photo session with Mrs. Sonia Boukaia with Sonia Boukaia Photography.

About Sonia:
Sonia has always had a passion for photography. That passion became an obsession and eventually a business, when she had her first child. Sonia does not consider herself a professional or being in the photography business. She's in the business of capturing emotions, spirits, special moments and expressions. Sonia's photography is about being as natural as possible, so she utilizes the natural light of the world we all live in. Her goal is to create beautiful portraits in a comfortable,relaxed environment!

For my friends from the "Wiregrass";
A 1 Hour photo session at the Dothan Botanical Gardens with Miss Amanda Hatcher from Snatches of Time Photography.

About Amanda:
I am Amanda Hatcher...from the small town of Headland, AL. My sister and I recently started a photography business called "Snatches of Time Photography"...because we believe that a good picture is a all about capturing that special moment in time, those priceless moments in life that take our breathe away! While we specialize in children and families, wedding and engagements, events, and photogenic head shots; we do our best to meet any and all needs!

These gals take AMAZING photographs..TRUST ME! They both work hard and do a fantastic job capturing the realness of your family, which I believe is the most important part of their jobs. My walls adorn work from both of these gals and I am always so proud to show them off. Take a few minutes and visit their websites and then be sure to comment for your chance at a free photo session

Sonia's Website: http://www.soniaboukaia.com/
Amanda's Website: http://www.snatchesoftime.com/

To enter all I need is for you to comment on this post with;
1. Your Name
2. Your Location
3. Your E-Mail address

Happy Commenting!

A Little Piece of Home > Papa's Chicken and Dumplin's

More food, more food...Yes, I'm gonna blog about more food!
(yes I left the "g" out of dumplings on purpose)

*Picture courtesy of Food Network*
(since I failed to take a photo of mine...they looked similar though!)

For weeks I have been craving homemade Chicken and Dumplin's so on Wednesday of last week I called my Papa and asked him for the run down. This task, that I thought would be so difficult turned out to be a synch. Let me tell you, 2 bowls later and a phone call back to my Papa on Friday, I am proud to say my Dumplings were FANTASTIC and tasted just like Papa's do! Let me tell you how I did it.....

Papa's Chicken and Dumplin's

Step 1:
Cover with water and boil together in a large pot;
1 Pack (8-10 pcs) Chicken Thighs
2-4 Stalks of Celery (Washed and diced)
1 Onion
Salt and Pepper
Step 2:
Remove Chicken from Stock, allow to cool, de-bone.
Step 3:
Add the following to your pot of Stock and bring to a low boil
1 Can Cream of Mushroom
1 Can Cream of Celery
1 Can Cream of Chicken
Step 4:
Return Chicken to pot of "Creamy Stock" and bring to a rolling boil
Step 5:
Take 4 cans regular refrigerator biscuits and cut each biscuit into 4 smaller pieces.
Add 1/2 of biscuits to "Creamy Stock" and allow to simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on the pot. (Do not take the lid off). Biscuits will rise to top and become very fluffy.
Step 6:
Serve up your bowls and allow to cool!
Add the remaining 1/2 of biscuits to your "Creamy Stock", replace lid and allow to simmer while you enjoy your 1st bowl. This portion should be ready in time for 2nds or for leftovers...which by the way these are excellent the very next day.

Delish Food....PCS Style :-)

When your stuck in the house all day long with 2 children what do YOU do? There has to be an escape of some kind whether it be sewing, scrap booking, reading, etc.

My escape has become cooking during Brudder's afternoon nap. It seems to be very good stress relief and makes for a home that smells fantastic when Breezy comes in from his long day at the Hangar.

There are many meals that I know Breezy loves and I have always wanted to make them for him. In Germany I had a kitchen FULL of cookware, etc. and never seemed to find the time (or maybe the guts) to prepare them and now were in our new home, with NOTHING (but 1 pot, 1 cake pan, 1 cookie sheet and 1 skillet) and I've managed to make a dish that I know is one of his favorites (and didn't get the look) so far. It was so simple and easy that I decided to share it with you here. I took the recipe from The Pioneer Women and made it fit my cooking needs! I'm going to tell you how I did it and you can decide which way is easier.

Beef Drip/French Dip

4-5 pd Chuck Roast
1 Can Beef Consomme
1 (16 oz) jar sliced Pepper Rings
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Salt and Powder
Pepper
Shredded Carrots (optional)
1-2 Red Onions
EVOO or Butter for Sauteing Onions
Brotchen/Fresh Rolls
Provolone Cheese

Season Chuck Roast with Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder and Pepper and place in large pot. To your pot add consomme, 1/2 jar (or more) of peppers and 1/2 jar (or more) of pepper juice. In a skillet saute' onions and carrots until onions are slightly translucent and add to roast pot. Bring juices to a rolling boil. (I boiled mine for 15 minuted and then flipped my roast over, allowing for both sides to be slightly browned.) Reduce heat to medium/low heat (make sure you keep a simmer going) and place lid on pot. Allow to cook, untouched for 3-5 hours. Once meat is done/falling apart, shred with fork and return to juice for 5-10 minutes for added moisture. In a large bowl strain meat from juice, reserving juice for dipping. Slice rolls cover each side with butter and a little garlic powder, add meat mixture (I spooned a little juice over the top of the meat to keep from getting too dry in the oven), top with Provolone cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted.

*You can do this in your crock pot also and cook ALL day on low*

Here is the original recipe that I worked off of from The Pioneer Women;
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/drip-beef-two-ways/

Gold Pot Give-Away

Do you like to dress your kiddos for all of those Special Occasions (Valentines, St. Patty's, Easter, Mardi Gras, Birthday,Turkey Day,Christmas)? Most of you know that I do. Since before Big Boy was born I was/still always looking for Monogrammed, Appliqued, Custom-made items that were made especially for him. I think it became an obsession...really! Now I have 2 boys to dress and the obsession just continues. Ask Breezy, it makes him NUTS!!!!

Today marks the first Special Occasion that Big Boy isn't wearing a custom designed shirt (in his 4 1/2 years here on Earth) and the same goes for Brudder in his mere 9 months. This PCS really did a work on us and to be quiet honest Valentines Day just plain slipped up. So, to make up for my lack of planning I've already gone on over to my "Go To Girl"; Kristen's blog Pretty Pretty Baby @ www.prettyprettybabycouture.blogspot.com and ordered this;

Pretty Lucky Leprechaun Hat Letter Shirt

Together, Kristen and I will be doing a St.Patty's Day giveaway. The give-away will begin today, 14 February and will be open until 11:59 p.m. on 27 February. One lucky winner will win a custom designed shirt similar to the one pictured above. In order to qualify please post a comment with your name and e-mail. On the 1st of March I will draw from my "Gold Pot" 1 lucky winner. Kristen will then contact you for the information she needs in order to prepare your Grand Prize.

In case you might want to know a little more about my friend, this is what Kristen has to say about herself;

I am a work at home mommy, I have a 14 mos old baby girl. When I found out I was having a girl, I started making hair bows and had an overwhelming need to be creative. Once she was born, I started hand-sewing number appliques on her onesies to take her pictures each month to chart her growth. I loved it, got an embroidery machine a few months later, and grew my business from just hair bows to custom shirts for little ones. I was able to quit my part time job in October to focus on just pretty pretty baby. I use high quality materials to create quality products. And I love what I do! I get to be creative and spend time with my sweet baby girl :)

PLEASE visit her Facebook (and be sure to "Like" it) and also her Etsy site at the following links;

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/etsyprettyprettybaby
http://www.etsy.com/shop/prettyprettybaby

Good Luck and lets see LOTS of comments!!!!

*my links aren't working for some reason..I apologize*

It's Real Wild Ride

Jan 19th marked the beginning of chaos for Breezy and I. It seems like the 19th was yesterday not almost a month ago.

The packers came on the 25th and 26th to pick up our Household Goods(HHG)and both of those days were a mess in themselves. The 25th was our big pick up of around 7000 lbs. They sent ONE packer and a truck to hold 4500 lbs. Needless to say at 2:00 p.m. they realized they needed 3 packers and another truck. The packers finally left our house at 10:00 p.m. On the 26th they were suppose to come pick up our unaccompanied items between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. and guess when they showed up...7:30 p.m. YUCK! On the 27th we spent all day cleaning the apartment and moving our luggage to the Heeter's and on the 28th we cleared our apartment with the housing office at 12:30 p.m. What a busy week.

On the 25th I attended PWOC in Germany for the last time and it made me very sad. I had to say goodbye to many, but the final goodbye's didn't happen until the 30th, our last Sunday in Chapel. On the 31st, 5 of my best girlfriends came over to the Heeter's for Coffee and Cake and we said our goodbye's. It truly broke my heart. *Chelsea, Latrise, Iris, Jeanette and Rita thank you for your friendship and love.*

We flew from Germany on the 1st at 1:15 p.m. and finally made it to our new home in CO around 9:30 p.m. (8 hours difference in the time). We were whopped. We stayed with our old neighbors from Germany for 2 nights and since then we've been in our new house and getting adjusted.

I've got alot to write about but since we still do not have any furniture I'm sitting on the floors and my tailbone has no more life left in it. I'll post again soon...with photos :-)

Blessings are abounding!

In The Middle of the Night.....

I'm singing songs in my head at 4:45 a.m. I'm up, not by choice, but because sweet Brudder has decided he does NOT want to sleep. He's had his bottle (for the 2nd time tonight) and now he's back in his crib deciding whether or not he wants to fuss, sleep, or play. I'm hoping for SLEEP soon. Breezy will be up in 10 minutes for PT and friends, hes oblivious to the fact that we're not sleeping! I'm thankful one of us sleeps good at night, or solid I should say.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we were able to get more things checked off of our "CLEARING" list. I'm pleased that we're actually ahead of the game now. I am planning to sit down with the list this morning to figure out just how much we can get done in the next 72 hours. The biggest thing we've accomplished this week is, we headed up (or down) the road to another Installation for our POV inpsection and shipment. We passed with flying colors and now our car is headed to Dallas, TX. We'll have to drive or fly to pick it up which is going to be a chore in itself. I'm sure when we get the notification to come pick it up it will be a happy, happy day! Oh,PCS'ing how you are literally consuming my life. I'm ready to put you behind me.

Tonight I was laying in bed when a FLOOD of emotion took me over. All I could think about was my precious Aunt who went on to Glory only days ago. I realized that in the chaos of all that has wound me up in the last 3 weeks, I had not mourned like necessary. I'm a lot like my mother when it comes to this, but I never realized it until now. Oh, how I wish that I could have had one last visit. One more chance to tell her how much I love her. I have a special bond with most all of my Aunts and Uncles but for some reason the bond I share/shared with my mom's sister's over the years are a little different. I have wonderful memories of my Aunt Carol. I could go on for days sharing them with you, but that could take hours. I'm taking all of my memories in and sealing them forever!

The alarm clock sounded and Breezy isn't budging. Guess I'll go play mom and run him out of bed!

Weekend Round Up & Bringing Up Boys (2 for 1)

Friends, its been a busy, productive and FUN weekend. Breezy and I have been getting things done and it feels GOOD. Let me just give you a short summary of our last 4 day weekend in Germany....It should have been spent traveling.
Thursday night after all the Chaos was over we had Pizza for dinner and spent the evening de-stressing. :-)
Friday- Me and the boys ran around taking care of business. Had lunch at Subway and then did a little shopping for some odds and eds at the PX. We had a quick and easy dinner and again spent the evening just hanging out at home.
Saturday- We packed a little and mostly just stayed around the house for the most part. In the evening the boys and I spent some time with my dear German friend Mrs.H while our husbands and her older children went to see Narnia at the theater.
Sunday- EUCOM Chaplain, Ray Bailey came to be apart of our worship service. He spoke on "Being Nice" which is another post in itself. We had a pot luck that was pretty much a joke since the DFAC (Dining Facility)forgot to cook some of our food. In the evening we had several good friends over for Fried Pickles, Chili, Cornbread and Alabama sweet tea. First night of fun since before my surgery.
TODAY- We cleaned out the car and spent the morning in our jammies playing old school Mario! Today is also Mrs. H's birthday so we spent the afternoon celebrating with cake and coffee at her house!

NOTHING exciting but with the craziness that is going to begin in the next 48 hours I needed to relax a little. Breezy even let me sleep in this morning and Saturday night Brudder FINALLY slept through the nights.

On two my 2nd "Thought"
In all the books I've read on Bringing Up Boys, nowhere has it said that my son would be infatuated with pee'ing on things in public. Here's an example;

1. right before my surgery Big Boy RAN out of the Sanctuary through the side doors. I went after him only to find him pee'ing on the side of the church building.
2. 3 weeks ago I got out of the car at church and Big Boy got out in a hurry, took off running across the lawn (I thought he was headed to the door...NO, he was headed to the tree...He had to pee and couldn't go a few feet further to the bathroom right inside the church
3. YESTERDAY we had a pot luck after church. As I was cleaning up Mrs. H hollers across the fellowship hall..."Mrs. B look out the window." I did and so did everyone else, only to find Clark pee'ing on the tree AGAIN.
4. THEN again yesterday we were cleaning and Big Boy was playing outside on the porch. He comes running in the house....MOM I pee'd through the fence.
5. Lastly today we were out cleaning out our car and I look and he's by the building in the backyard pee'ing down the drain...wonder where the water/urine really goes. Picture this...little boy in his flannel Pj's with his pants tucked into his rain boots with his Spiderman jacket on.
Let me say this, he hasn't figured out that he does not have to pull his pants all the way down so every time he's pee'ing in public hes got his pants around his ankels and his cute little white hiney flashed for the world to see.

Another note about pee'ing.
We've been working with Big Boy in the evenings so he doesn't wet the bed in the night. On Friday night about 11:45 p.m. Breezy and I were laying in bed when I heard Big Boy get out of his bed and start towards the bathroom. I was THRILLED. I layed there thinking he'll potty and go right back to bed. The longer I listened the more I realized that he was indeed going potty but his urine was NOT going into the toilet. I jumped up and found Big Boy standing at the bathroom door, facing into the bathroom, going potty right in the floor...YUCK. After I finished laughing I asked him what he was doing and so innocently he said "Momma I'm just going peepee on the potty." Isn't that what we've been begging him to do. I just wish he would have walked about a foot further and actually made it into the toilet.

The joys of being a mother to boy. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Its 10:15 and Breezy and I are watching the re-play of the Golden Globes. He's snoring already so I guess that means it's time for us to get to bed. 5:30 a.m. will come early for Breezy.

Tomorrow is my very last PWOC meeting. It's going to be bittersweet.

And The Army Goes Rolling Along.....

So we OFFICIALLY have orders to our next Duty Station....18 days out. I'm sure you all could tell by my tone that I was beginning to freak out just a little bit.Breezy keeps asking me if I am stressing less now that we have papers..WELL NO, I've only got something on my calendar everyday for the rest of the month. WHOA take a nerve tablet and BREATHE! We received the Orders via email around 4:00 p.m. yesterday and Breezy and I have been non-stop since then. In less than 24 hours we have;

1. Made arrangements for our household goods to be picked up along with our unaccompanied baggage.
2. Made an appointment to clear our apartment.
3. Booked our plane tickets.
4. Packed up our collection of over 300 DVD's.
5. Packed up Breezy's "Army" things.
6. Sorted and Organized all of our personal documents.
7. Breezy cleared about 6 check marks in his clearing packet and made a few other appointments for next week.
8. We de-registered the 525 BMW and made an appointment to pick up shipping tags for the KIA next week.
9. Made an appointment to ship our POV to Dallas, TX (12 hours from where we will live).
10. I booked Breezy a massage for the 24th :-).
11. AND been Mommy and Daddy to our 2 precious boys :-).

I'm thrilled that the Army finally decided that it was necessary to get things rolling along. They did some-what drop the ball, but heck I'm sure we're not the only ones this has happened to. We are just grateful that we'll be in our new home SOON.

ALSO...big news from Brudder. We have 2 teeth now and today we officially switched to Cloth diapers. They will take some getting used to but I believe they will be worth it in the long run. I have some photos of his "Happy Heiney" wearing self and I'll share those with you in a few days.

My brain can not think anymore. I must go to bed. Brudder will be up between 1 and 3 I'm sure for his nightly feeding. Goodnight!

We've Made Our List(s).....We're Marking Things Off

Holy Moly friends the last few days have been like a time bomb. I last blogged on Saturday and Breezy and I have been in a mad rush to get things taken care of. PCS'ing is beginning to suck me in and boy will I be ready to get out in a few weeks. I believe when you PCS it's much different from a regular move. The Army has very high standards you are expected to abide by. Of course for us we've not really had any issues because we take care of the things we've been blessed to have.

Let me just share with you a few things that we've already done in the last 5 days, and a few things that we still need to do...

DONE:
1. We've packed our entire basement (baby clothes,toys,110 Appliances, Christmas Goodies, Other holiday Goodies, linens, etc.)
2. Cleaned out and sorted Big Boy's room.
3. Moved all of Brudder's things from our room to Big Boys room to be packed.
4. Cleaned out and pre-packed/sorted Breezy's closet.
5. Brought the suitcases from the basement so we can start packing the things we will need to keep when our Household Goods are picked up.
6. Cleaned the stove/oven to Inspection Standards.
7. Cleaned the house last night and this morning to prep for our pre-inspection.
8. PASSED our pre-inspection with only a few items to work on.
9. Took our limit of 20 items to the thrift store for consignment in December. We're taking another 20 items on Thursday. (Received a check for 48.00)
10. WE HAVE A HOUSE ON POST!!!!!!! 1740 sq ft/3 bd/1 ba :-( basement, fenced yard. We couldn't be more blessed.

TO DO:
1. FINALLY get Breezy's orders.
2. Go to the USAG up the road and pick up Out Processing information
3. Book plane tickets to America and make arrangements for Rental Car/Lodging/ Airport Pick up.
5. Turn off Cell's/Home Phone/Internet, Close bank account
4. Arrange for our car to be shipped/clean car to Army standards/take car 45 minutes away and drop it off/find car to drive until we leave.
6. Arrange for our HHG's to be picked up
7. Arrange for our unaccompanied baggage to be picked up.
8. Schedule Final Inspection
9. Make arrangements for lodging after Final Inspection
10. Pack/Re-Pack our 8 bags (we'll have on bag full of toys for the boys!)
11. FINAL OUT OF GERMANY!!!!


There's another to do list for Breezy and another to do list once we get to America

A few other important events;
My dear friends from our Battalion are having a Farewell Lunch for another dear friend; Leslie and I. We'll both be leaving around the same time. We're going to be going to one of my favorite Greek restaurants in Germany! It will be hard to say goodbye to some of the grandest friends I've made in all of my lifetime.

Lastly, I will have to say my final farewell to the ladies of PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel)and to our Church Family/my Kid's Worship Kiddo's. Going to be a very very sad day for me but I know that the ministry's are both being left in good hands!

I'm off to catch a cat nap while Brudder naps his little heart away. I'll have one eye open watching Big Boy play his new Wii game :-).

PCS'in with a 4 Year Old

Momma, I don't want to leave here just yet, "I just love all the people." He's so tenderhearted. My response was, Buddy, Momma loves the people too but it's time for us to find more people to love.

That was Big Boy's response to us telling him that pretty soon we wouldn't live in Germany anymore. He's VERY confused and trying to make him understand is just making it harder. This house(and my parents for a year)is the only home he has ever known and in a few days his whole world is going to be rocked. We moved here when he was merely 7 weeks old. This is going to be the 1st life changing event, besides welcoming Brudder into the family,that he will experience.

He has his mind made up that we're packing up our belongings to go back to Grammy's world in America. He's going to be very disappointed when we get off the airplane in CO and Gram's not there waiting for us at the luggage belt. He "knows" that we're headed to Colorado but he's not grasping the concept at all. I keep explaining to him that when we get to America we can drive to Grammy's house and we won't have to wait so long to visit and no more really long airplane rides.

He doesn't want a new room. He asked if he could take his room with him. He's worried he'll never see his toys again. We've told him that they're going to go across the ocean just like we are and will meet us at our new house...SOONER than LATER.

He wants to make sure that Dadda and Brudder are coming along. "Remember,you and Brudder are going to share a new sleeping room."

We look at photos of houses and he thinks they are all perfect, especially the apartments with pools and playgrounds. He wants a dog named Jack, a black one with white spots, as soon as we get to America. He wants a house with stairs, just like at Gram's house. He wants to have a sleeping room with Brudder and a play room. He's got high expectations! I just want a place that we can call "home" and maybe a fireplace too.

I think we will take pictures of this house so he'll always remember his first home. I want to make Germany a memory he'll never,ever forget. Of course we'll come back when the boys are older and can understand and share with them more about our time here. Our time here has been so very precious.

This is an adventure,that's for sure! I'm sure I'll have more stories to share. Until then,please pray for a since of understanding and peace for our sweet boy. He's having HORRIBLE night mares. He keeps waking up screaming for us not to leave him here. It breaks my heart because I would never ever do such a thing.

Until tomorrow...I'm going back to bed :-) it's 1:30 a.m.

What is PCS'ing?

In the United States Armed Forces, a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) is the official relocation of an Active Duty military service member, along with any family members living with her or him to a different duty location.

On January 1, 2011 this became the next phase of our lives. Now, we are 25 days away from leaving Europe and we have a HUGE to-do list to accomplish before we can leave.

Here's just a LITTLE of how the process works....

1. You receive your assignment/next duty location on you AKO/ASK (Army Website).
2. Your solider will attend a Levy Brief that will help him to understand the all aspects of a PCS move.
3. Orders SHOULD be received.
4. Appointments begin; Set up the moving of your household goods, ship your vehicle, have your house pre-inspected/final inspection, arrange your flight, arrange for housing once you have "cleared" your house.
5. Your soldier will begins the official out-processing from your current assignment approximately 10 business days prior to flying. Get on a housin wait list only to find out there is a 3-6 month wait....start looking for a house/apartment that is within the rate of your BAH (Basic Housing Allowance).
6. You pre-pack before the movers/packers come (this usually makes for a few trips to the dump and or thrift store), you clean before your pre-inspection, you clean after the movers come.
7. Unaccompanied baggage (if you have time) is packed and picked up.
8. Clear housing and stay with friends for a few night before you head out.

Are you tired yet?

I am. I'm more stressed than anything BECAUSE...
We just got our assignment last TUESDAY and Breezy has NOTHING on his AKO/ASK. Therefore he can not go to a Levy Brief. Therefore he can not get his orders. Therefore we can not make any appointments. Therefore we leave in 25 days and we are already WAY behind. I'm ready to get this show on the road people! Understand this, the Army works on THEIR time not yours/ours.

We did spend most of the morning sorting/repacking/cleaning out our storage unit. All of the boys outgrown/do not fit just yet clothes have been sorted and put into Tupperware, all of our linens (sheets, towels, blankets,rugs, curtains) are washed and packed. Some of Big Boy's toys are packed (puzzles, games). Christmas Decorations are all ready to go.

There is still a lot left to do but I can only do so much in one day. It's especially hard since I am not allowed to lift anything more than 10 pounds (I do hold Brudder..he's 18). I want things packs so-so. I want to be able to locate all of my items. I'm sure I'll be going behind the packers labeling all of the boxes. I'm anal about that kind of stuff unfortunately. We'll see if they are as tolerable as the movers were when we PCS'd from Ft. Rucker in 2006.

Until Tomorrow....Mrs. .B
*We'll be having a Guest Blogger VERY soon...This will be a read you do not want to miss!*

Sweet Memories...They Never Fade

It is with a very very sad heart that I share with you all that my Aunt did pass on to her final resting place in Heaven in the early morning hours. My mom was by her side and they shared some very precious minutes together before she passed. Although she may be gone, her legacy and the memories that we all have of her will live on. We love you Auntie Carol and will miss you more than you'll ever know.

Carolyn Rae Gauthier
12/03/1938 - 01/05/2011

My Heart and Flesh Cry Out

Its 1:41 a.m. and posting in the middle of the night seems to be becoming a habit.

I am awake for a few reason....
1. Brudder thinks he HAS to get up between 1-3 every night for a feeding. I think this too is a habit. When we move to our new home I will give him the opportunity to cry it out and see if we can't get him sleeping through the night. For now though, he shares a room with Mom and Dad and his fits of crying will wake Dad and Big Boy, which could be BAD!
2. PAIN- will it ever go away? Once I'm up my bodies realizes that it's been resting and it's time to kick my guts up to my throat once again. I'm going back for my 2 week apt. today so I'm hoping that we'll figure this out.
3. My mind is like a Tornado...there is so much going on. Today we found out that we will be moving to Colorado, in 27 days. I knew that this was going to happen. We wanted to move to Savannah, 6 hours from home, but unfortunately they do not have a place for us there. Colorado, which is 23 hours from home, was our 2nd option and we are looking forward to our new adventure. I'm going to blog tomorrow on the PROCESS of PCS'ing (Permanent Change of Station)and you'll understand my stress.

And lastly, I spoke with my Mom today from Virgina where she is with my Aunt and her family, and things are drawing to an end. My precious Aunt is still holding on for some reason, as she has been for many many years, but she is beginning to let go. She's been sick with Cancer for as long as I can remember, first breast cancer and for the last several years Lymphoma, her body just can not take anymore.She's a fighter friends and I know now where my mom get's her resiliency from. I hope I'm just half the women these 2 and my Aunt Jackie are. My heart cry's out because I am not there for my mom. I last Auntie C in February, when I was pregnant with my sweet Brudder and covered from head to toe in PUPPP. She was in the hospital and we had just been from MD to say our final goodbye's to my Grandfather. I never imagined that in all reality that this was my final goodbye, I'll never see her again. I have always had a very special relationship with both my Auntie C and my mom's youngest sister so loosing this piece of me my life is hard....especially on the other side of the world. I can only pray from here for peace from the suffering that her body is experiencing and for my precious Uncle to be comforted as he has not left her side...never. Where God is "their" strong tower, he is her strong tower. It's a beautiful picture of how Christ loves us. She also has 2 daughters, a son, 4 grandchildren (all whom have significant others) and 1 precious Great Grand Boy :-), who you can imagine love her just as much. I am also praying for my mom and Aunt Jackie. They lost their Father in February and now they are losing their sister/mom/best friend. Would you join me in praying for them all as well?

I must get back to bed as I know that morning will come quickly. Rest my friends!

Manic Monday (3)

Since I'm still not allowed to lift much, cleaning Big Boy's room was more than a chore today. I was trying to do the cleaning and BOTH boys are pulling things out as fast as I can put them away. Believe it or not Brudder is the biggest mess maker and he's not even 8 months old.

I won't write much tonight because there's not alot to share. You all know how Monday's are. They never get better. I do want you to see this photo. Brudder worked for about 10 minutes to pull everything out of this bed stand and then proceeded to get inside. Once inside he realized that he didn't like it at all and decided he needed to make a quick escape...NOT SO MUCH. He finally got so ticked off that he began to scream, Big Boy came to the rescue real quick.

My last PWOC Kick-Off here in Germany is tomorrow. I'm sad. I've been a part of the PWOC here since 2007 and it will definitely be one of the things I miss the most about being here.

Goodnight Moon!

First "Firsts" of the New Year! (2)

Today we had a much needed family day. We slowly took down all the Christmas decorations this morning and then spent the afternoon just being lazy while Brudder was napping.

After nap time we headed on to post to see the movie Tangled! This was the first movie we'll see in the theater in 2011 but it was also Brudder's first time to head to the movie theater with the family. He was a champ, not a single cry or fuss out of him. Big Boy absolutely loves going to the theater. It's not often that we get a Children's film here so when we do it's really a treat. You get to the theater and you see everyone you know. Big Boy and his best brown from Kinks saw this movie together and they were hilarious. Kinks doesn't like anyone around him to make a peep while he's watching the film and Big Boy, our talker, never shuts up. They love each other though.

After the movie we enjoyed a nice dinner out, probably for the last time until we move to America, at our favorite Chinese restaurant; The Mandarin. The last time we were there I was supposedly a month away from delivery but little did we know that Brudder would come a week later. We've eaten take out a time or two but this was Brudder's first time at the restaurant and he was such a good boy. Big Boy loves the Sweet and Sour Chicken with NO SAUCE and will eat until he is stuffed. He's such a picky eater that it's nice to see him eat more than a few pieces of his dinner.

My Breezy will head back to work, back to a regular schedule tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to it at all. I'm still having some pain, and not "allowed" to bend or lift much at all so this should be interesting. Thankfully Big Boy is an amazing helper. He and I are going to Clean the Kitchen in the morning and then do some crafting in the afternoon. The week with pass with no time.

I've asked you to join us on our journey back to America and we hope that process will begin for us on Tuesday. As of right now, we do not know where we will be moving. Somehow the Army "forgot" we were leaving, so now we're down to our last 30 days in country and we're not even prepared to leave. On Tuesday we hope to have an "On Assinment" and shortly after "Paper Orders." We're crossing our fingers for Savannah, but our best bet is going to be Colorado. Only time will tell!!

My parents are traveling north tonight to be with my Aunt who is slowly fading away from us. She's been sick for a very long time and only time will tell how much longer she will be here with us. My Auntie C is the strongest, most determined woman I have ever met in my entire life. Even through many battles of Cancer she has continued to truck on, mostly winning the fight for her life. I'd ask that you'd continue to pray for her family and my parents as time is so precious.

Welcome 2011 (1)

Today our family will start "Project 365"! Looking forward to sharing our "New Journey" into 2011. Here's a brief run-down of 2010;

January- Rang in 2010 with our Germany Friends. Traditional NYE dinner and tons of fireworks. 4 1/2 Months Pregnant with Brudder!

February- Breezy turned 27 and we celebrated the month of Love. We made an emergency trip to MD/AL to be with my Grandfather during his last days here on earth. Unfortunately, we didn't make it in time. Spent time with family and made some decisions while we were home that were for the good of our family. Had a 3-D ultrasound and saw Brudder growing like a weed.

March and April- Very slow, tired months. St. Patty's Day, preparations for Easter, taught Clark the meaning of Easter and to this day he still remembers. Brudder is so close to delivery by end of April but we have 4 weeks left to go. I was miserable. Clark loves Preschool. Baby Shower given by some of my closest friends.

May- Brudder made his appearance 3 1/2 weeks early and I learned what it was like to be a mom to 2 beautiful boys who quickly completed our family. We struggled with breast-feeding only to learn that Brudder has a very sensitive tummy. Preschool is over and Clark is home with mom now during the days. He loves his brother and is such a big helper.

June- SUMMER TIME!!!!! I turned 27! Said goodbye to our friends to Rodriguez Family.

July- Brudder's first 4th of July Celebration. We welcomed the Camp Adventure interns into our family until September. They quickly became a fixture in our home.
We welcomed home many soliders from Iraq during this month. It was such a precious time. We also celebrated Baby Brennon and Kayla's 1st birthdays!

August- Breezy went away for training and left me and the boys to fend for ourselves. We were fine. Had a lot of help from our excellent neighbors and the Camp A gals!! We had a ton of "Girls Nights" while Wes away. Lifetime friendships were made during this time! Catrina and Antonia we Breezy's miss you a ton!

September- Gabe and Clark celebrate #4 together with a party at the brand new park on post. The next week Me and the little boys flew to America to spend a few weeks with the Grandparents while Daddy had more training to do. He joined us for 3 weeks and we all flew home together. Clark had 2 more birthday parties; one at Grammy and Bobo's and one at Mema and Papa's! We introduced Brudder to lots of our family and friends. AUBURN/GATOR football!!!!

October- Fall Festival!!! Mommy worked like crazy with Mrs. Jenn. Everything was great. Over 500 in attendance. A record high for Storck Chapel. More Football. AUBURN is undefeated!

November- Thanksgiving and lots of meetings to prepare for 2011. We spent thanksgiving in the Alps with our friends. Enjoyed our time at "The Apartment" we stayed in during Christmas 2011. Clark has a new love for the snow! He's gonna be just like his Papa and love the outdoors. Watched the AL/AU Iron Bowl game via the internet with our Friend Jessica who is an AL fan. We had a ton of fun! Baby Noah turned one!

December- Christmas GALORE! Clark learned the Christmas Story and it's so sweet to hear him try to retell it, with help from Mom of course. He loves our Willow Tree Nativity. Started some new traditions as a family. Baby Kasen was born on the 19th of December to our favorite "Brown Friends". Brady Babi, our best friends son, turned one! Due to complications from my pregnancy and delivery with Brudder, we decided to "Complete" our family. I had to have a hysterectomy on the 21st of December. Christmas/New Years has been really layed back and relaxed for us!!!

P.S. On 1 Jan the Florida Gators won an we said Goodbye to an amazing couch.

NOW...Join us in 2011 as we'll journey back to America to find our new home and start our life over fresh and new as a completed family of 4!

*Brudder is Germany for brother. That's what Big Boy calls his brother MOST of the time!*

Blessings,
The Breezy's