How do I prepare???

So, September 6th is still like 5 months and about one week away still but I'm seriously freaking out already. I just don't know how to prepare myself or my girls for daddy being gone for an entire year! We have really been trying to spend every last minute together lately (and will continue doing so until he leaves), but I find myself fighting back the tears late at night or when I have a quiet moment to myself.





On Saturday we spent the day at a local theme park (so gross will blog about that later), had lunch together, then did the grocery shopping and watched some TV that night. I was running on only 4 hours of sleep since I had worked the night before, but I know in a year from now... or in even six months from now I will wish we had taken full advantage of the time. So, I sucked it up...had a coke, and pressed on!





On Sunday... well this is where I should be saying we got up and went to church. But, the girls were so good (and quiet) that we over slept!! Well... I woke up at 1130 (not enough time to get all of us ready). Cut me some slack though...see the 4 hour sleep thing from Saturday, I was really tired.





Plus, I couldn't pull myself out of bed and away from Brent because I know soon enough he will not be there (for a while) and I know that I will want nothing to do with my lonely bed. Not to mention we will need so many blessings (and good karma) during that time, you may find me floating around during the other ward services just to make sure I'm squared away, you know-- for the extra brownie points (ha ha).





Last night I couldn't sleep for anything! I usually have absolutely no problem sleeping either, so I was quite frustrated. I kept letting my mind wander which leads to my reoccurring nightmares (of him being gone). So, for a little security I would move my foot closer to his just so I knew he was there. Good for me, but bad for him since my feet are always like ICE! Oh well, he fell back asleep w/o any problems.





I know 5 months seems like a long time from now, but as our schedules are right now we only have one weekend a month where we are both completely off work, and the ARMY is enjoying taking him for three full days a month rather than the normal two. In July he has two week Annual Training (hmmm... odd since he will be doing it real time for a year, but whatever). They usually have August off since it is so hot but not this year, and then on September 6th he heads to NJ for two months for mobilization training. But they are being nice and planning to let them come home for FOUR DAYS in November before they leave for Kuwait (then into Baghdad from there). The way these days fall kind of stink for us!! He will miss my birthday this year (and next), our anniversary (this year and next), Reilly & Lyndsey's Bdays this year and of course the holidays between Sept 6th 2009 & 2010.





Geez, what a long rambling session huh!? Just trying to get all of these things off my chest to hopefully help me have a better, more positive type of day.


I just miss him already, and he is still here!

Avery Nicole

My sister Jenny and Bro in law Jason were chosen to adopt another baby!!! Miss Avery entered this world on March 16th and was born 10 weeks early! She weighed in at a Whopping 2 pounds 4 ounces and is 15 inches long. Since she will be in the NICU for about 10 weeks, they are MOVING to Iowa to be closer to her.

The sad part is that I'm very close w/ them and will miss hanging out w/ Jenny and Shaylen pretty much 1/2 of my days off during the week. Not to mention, when I have called her lately she is acting too busy for me??? I'm so confused by this... like having a new baby (that came super early) in the NICU in a different state and packing up an entire family (in only four days) to move away for three months is really that much to do! I mean really... sit down, kick up your feet and chat w/ your sister for cryin' out loud!! Just kidding... I know things are really chaotic, I just miss them already.

On the bright side... when they come back she will have another baby for me to hold!

We are super happy that Avery is doing as well as she is, and will continue to pray for her health.

Sick of being sick!!!

I think the title of this blog sums it up really. I'm so tired of pass the germ game!! So in the last 5 weeks, Reilly has vomited at least one day each week. She got really sick w/ bronchitis while in Colorado for spring break (I was home she was with my mom...I was FREAKING out to say the least) but on Sunday she spiked a fever of 104.5 H-E-L-L-O!!! Really I totally know that kids get sick etc, but I'm starting to think people don't believe me anymore. She doesn't go to daycare, school, play groups or anything like that and my house is clean so where is she getting all of these germs from? And why can't her body fight them off?? In the last month I have missed out on so many things it isn't even funny. Work, sewing/crafting, and visiting teaching just to name a few. Not to mention just hanging out w/ friends like I normally do on my days off (or seeing Jenny before she leaves for three months or my friend who just had her baby yesterday). So...if you are reading this and I have flaked out on you, I'm super sorry and I hope you understand... but me being stuck in the house for days on end is punishment enough, so please put away your voodoo dolls!!

Juice anyone?

So... I think everyone knows I love baking and making new things, well here is the latest.
JUICE! Sounds silly I know, but it is seriously it is the easiest way to trick your kids into eating veggies. In this glass there is a little SWEET POTATO, CARROT, apples,oranges and grapes. Reilly watched me make it all (I told her the sweet potato was to make it taste like candy). It is great because there is no added sugar!! Just straight veggies/fruit and the juicer.
I'm actually not a fan of carrots... but I will put them in juice any day of the week.

*Yes... to the right of the juicer that is my monkey child Reilly who climbed on the counter to grab a fresh from the oven pumpkin muffin. Please forgive the cell phone pics again...I will eventually break out the ancient camera that I hate using so much.

Sweet potato on the bottom, apples,oranges & grapes.

**I will blog about Reilly's surgery soon.**

The creative side of Jill!

Okay...so really I'm not that creative, I do however enjoy "borrowing" ideas from friends, sometimes I throw my own little twist on things, but normally that is because I can't figure out how the original person made a particular look. So... here are a few of my favorite things I've made. Please, forgive the quality of pics, you will soon come to find out that I ALWAYS forget my camera so these are taken with my handy dandy Samsung pic phone!!

#1. Aaah.. BOWS! These are my favorite things to make. One of the coolest girls ever happens to be my friend... she is seriously sooo creative. She taught us how to make all kinds of bows, and now I'm totally in debt and have thousands of yards of ribbon. Okay... kidding about the debt, but I do have a lot of ribbon. The girls love wearing bows...and it is awesome because you can create them to match any outfit. These are two of the first ones I made solo...and I have found if you use different shades of the same color they are more versatile. AND... if you make two of the same, you can do pigtails, or you can quickly settle a fight if you have two Princesses insisting on wearing the same bow!!

#2. I made these burp cloths for my cousin... No pattern, no help...just me and the old trusty Singer Sewing machine. I used an absorbent soft Terri cloth material on one side, and then a super soft flannel print on the other side. I was pretty stinkin' proud of this project. I also made him a camouflage baby blanket w/ hunter orange fuzzy side on it, but I forgot to snap a pic of that. Seriously, the coolest blanket I have ever seen and that was all my idea!! WOW! Maybe I am creative??







#3 My first project with a pattern, this is an apron in the making... My friend Renae (my first follower on this blog...YEAH), has an awesome mom who is taking the time to teach three of us to sew using a pattern. It isn't as hard as I thought it would be, but it is somewhat intimidating (especially since I check and re-check all the time) so I'm looking forward to the other things I will be able to sew soon!!










On a side note... we did get some good news today. The ARMY FINALLY got the control numbers for Brent's new contract and he is signing the official one tomorrow. Orders still stand, and we are sad about that... especially since dang Obama just ordered 17k more troops into Afghanistan just over a week ago (hmmm I wondered why news wasn't reporting on that too...don't worry). But with the control numbers in place that means the bonus is for sure. The $$ doesn't make it any easier to send him off...but at least we know he gets the same perks as everyone else in his unit.

**Just another little side note, it is a good thing they FINALLY got it fixed, because there are no more bonuses after March 1st, we heard Obama say they were cutting troop funding in an attempt to recover for the stimulus package.. but he didn't waste ANY time at all did he!?!?

WE HAVE A BLOG!!

Okay, so really I'm addicted to the blog idea...and well everyone elses blogs for that matter. I find myself surfing my friend's blogs (and their friends, and their friends and so on). But I have never created my own...UNTIL TODAY. So I hope you all enjoy reading OUR blog as much as I have enjoyed reading yours. And well... now I won't feel "stalkerish" since you can read mine now too. YEAH!!