April becomes May

It is May already.  It is hard to believe we are already into the fifth month of the year.

So many things are happening just this month.  There is the end of the school year. There will be parties and field trips and goodbyes. For our niece, the end of high school and her birthday.  For our "baby" girl, her second birthday.  For Michael, nights have become days again. And we can't forget that his birthday is coming quickly too. For friends, this is the beginning of transfer season.  Already we have seen the trucks in our neighborhood, estimating, packing, and loading.  Wednesday night is the last night for AWANA.  The girls have loved participating.  I have enjoyed having a semi regular date night with Michael and the Duchess.  And then of course, there is Mother's Day.  My girls keep asking about and reminding me that Mother's Day is coming soon.  Lady A and Miss E have both decided to make cards for me and that I need to have a scavenger hunt to find all of them.  Perhaps I will take a nap while they set it up... Michael works tomorrow so Princess N has offered to assist.  There is more, much more, going on, but what happened to April?

April was a blur.  It was a challenge.  When you have 6 people sharing germs, it generally takes 6 weeks for those germs to go away.  There was someone sick pretty much every week in April.  I'm not sure if it was all the same virus because we all had different symptoms and we were each out of commission for different lengths of time.  Princess N had fever for a day and was fine.  Miss E had fever for 5 days, but was back to normal otherwise after 3 days.  Michael was sick for three days while whatever got me knocked me out for almost two full weeks.  Lady A and the Duchess seemed to escape unscathed.

I am hoping May slows down a bit so we can enjoy it.

Year in Review - Mid Year Edition

January:

• January saw the beginning of the craziness.  We knew we were moving.  We just didn't know where.  The countdown was on and we had about six months to finish everything we needed to finish before Moving Day.  Michael also started an intense travel schedule again in January.  I had only one class for the Spring semester and absolutely no motivation to work on it.

February/ March:

• While Michael was traveling, we received word that our orders had come in.  He had been interviewed by a unit in Florida and it looked as though that would be where we would be heading.  Instead, we ended up going in the opposite direction! Alaska would be our new home for a few years at least. The Overseas Screening was supposed to be completed within ten (10) days of the receipt of orders.  Michael arrived back home ten days after he received the orders so we tried to finish the screening as quickly as we could.  A round of doctor appointments and dentist visits later and we handed everything in.  We were then told that the paperwork was incomplete as it needed signatures on another form in the packet.  I went back to the doctors and the dentist for signatures.  As my doctor was only part time, it ended up being a week before we were able to send the packet back in.  Again we were told it was missing a signature.  (and we were told the forms were self-explanatory - I disagree) Since it was again my doctor who needed to sign, it took almost another week to return the forms.  By this time we were into the middle of March.  

April:

• By the time April rolled around, we were beginning to get concerned about whether or not we were approved to move to Alaska.  We discovered the official approval came on March 29th.  We were going to Alaska!  Almost immediately I began to wonder if we made a mistake or if this was truly where God wanted us.  After all, we'd hit nothing but roadblocks up until this point.  At the end of the month, we began the process of setting up our household goods shipment. 

May:

• I finally finished my class.  It took a lot of work but it was mostly because I was so focused on trying to sort out all the details for the move that I didn't want to waste time on classwork.  I still passed with an 'A', but just barely.
• We took a short trip to Florida to visit family before we moved to Alaska.  It was a sweet time and we really enjoyed being able to see not only Michael's family, but part of my family as well.  We may not be officially related to the McQuearys, but they are officially part of our family. The girls had a great time playing with their cousins and all of us enjoyed celebrating lots of birthdays. 

June:

• June is where things really got interesting.  The girls finished their last week of school while the movers packed and loaded our belongings.  On June 8, we headed out of the Houston area.  I'll be writing more detailed posts about our trip.  Stay tuned for some beautiful scenery!!

Birthday!

Lady A turned 9 today.  We had a great time celebrating her and being able to give her a very special surprise.

Michael and I have been plotting for a couple of months now about Lady A's birthday.  The gift I planned to get her for Christmas, he planned to get for her birthday.  Since they are so close and since the weather has been beautiful, we went ahead with his plan.

The actual purchase was supposed to happen yesterday, but a series of events derailed the plan.  This morning, Michael had plans to meet with a friend of ours and so we decided he would make the purchase on his way home.  While he was gone, I decided it would be great if we could give it to her right away, so I took some note cards and the scavenger hunt was created.  

Michael called to let me know he was heading home and we discussed the plan for when he arrived.  I asked Lady A to help me with sorting laundry in my bedroom.  She didn't know that I was hiding the clues to her gift.

After Michael came in, he gave her the first clue.  She was able to read, or sound out, most of the words.  We had to help her a bit, but once she understood, Lady A was off!

Reading the clues

She eventually made her way out to the driveway where the truck and motorcycle were parked.  

 Lady A searched the motorcycle first.  She thought she was getting a motorcycle ride.  I reminded her what the clue said, so she wandered around the truck for a minute.  Finally, I told her the last part again and instead of going to the back like I expected, she opened the side door.  I tried to get a picture of her face when she saw her gift, but it was a bit difficult.

Think she is excited??

She rode for most of the early afternoon before I took her on a shopping trip.  She found a pretty pink skirt, a headband, and a scarf that she liked.  The shirt she liked didn't fit well so we will be trying another store to see if they have one that fits better.  

After the shopping trip, we finished the cupcakes.  They were made to some demanding specifications. Well, maybe not too demanding, but the day was filled with lots of rainbows.

Rainbow cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles added to the colored batter with rainbow swirled icing on top

I think it was a good day.  I know I enjoyed it quite a bit.  Michael asked Lady A several times if she thought we needed to return the bicycle.  Lady A insisted that she would keep it.  It brought a huge smile to her face and had the rest of us laughing and smiling at the pleasure she took from riding up and down the street.

Nifty little app and website

One early morning, while feeding Duchess L and looking up something else on my phone, I stumbled across this neat app called Instructables.  They also have a website which is just as fun.

On this app, people post (occasionally) complete "How To's."  They include things like "How to maintain your lawnmower" and "How to easily use key rings."  The app has several categories including food... which is quickly becoming my favorite for new desserts to try for our Bible study group.

I have tried the Independence Day Surprise Cake, known here as the "Captain America" cake.  I made a few slight decor changes to these Rainbow Cupcakes for Miss E's birthday.  I made Slider Cakes for our group last week and this week I am trying the Summertime Cheesecake.

Here are a few pictures for you to drool over enjoy!

Slider Cakes

Rainbow Cupcakes (ready to bake)

Rainbow Cupcakes (finished - on left) and "Captain America Cake" (on right)

Kids these days...

Dear Grandy and Aunt Sarah,

GRRRRRR! 

That is all.

Love,
Me


Now for the rest of the story (as Paul Harvey would say):

We were discussing the merits of having a sleepover in a tent in the yard in almost 100 degree temps versus sleeping in the living room.

Lady A said there might be a lot of creatures in the yard that would be curious about a tent.  I mentioned the squirrels that we see on occasion.

Princess N breaks into song.  What song you ask?  Just click on Read more and play the video.

Another Birthday!

Mr McQ, who has been a wonderful part of our lives, has a birthday today.  Last time we discussed birthdays, I believe he was turning 47.  Not sure what number it will be today. 

So many of my good childhood memories include the McQs.  From boating to borrowing an absolutely amazing camera to just stopping by to chat.  They have been and continue to be great friends.

I am so blessed to have them as a part of my life AND that my children also know, and love, them as well. 

So, happy birthday Mr McQ and a belated happy birthday to Mrs McQ.  We love you very much!

Photo Roundup

A had her 1st soccer game this past Saturday. She did much better than we expected, but she still had her moments. Like this one...drawing in the sand while the rest of her team was off chasing the ball.

The windup.

Her 1st goal kick in the game.

1st corner kick

Before the 1st game. (they played 2 games on Saturday)

My birthday celebration was small considering all of the sick kiddos in the house.

N sat down one afternoon and read a book to Miss E.

Snow day! N was packing snow for their "snow princess" as A called it.

We don't usually see this much snow. Two years in a row was somewhat amazing.

A was ready for her 1st practice. All dressed up and ready to play some soccer!

Miss E didn't think too much of her first bite of cereal. But she has eaten well and very quickly figured out how to protest when she thinks I am not feeding her quickly enough.

Admiring her Daddy.

Hope you have enjoyed the photo round up from the past few weeks!

Recent Happenings

Let's see...

We had some friends come for dinner on Feb 18th. Their daughter had just started showing signs of a cold that afternoon. The little girl was playing with a microphone clock that N has. She was putting her mouth all over it as she talked and sang. After they left, I walked back into the house to find A talking and singing with her mouth on the microphone too. Which of course, led to the transfer of germs and A getting sick over the weekend.

N had her final Quiz Meet for Bible Quizzing on the 20th. We were supposed to travel to a town about 4 hours from here, but we were able to arrange to hold a separate meet at our church. N is in the more difficult group. They have 2 or 3 rounds of 20 questions. N only missed one question out of all of them. She also was able to say all of her Bible verses correctly. So, the next step is the Quizzing Finals in March. If she continues to do as well as she has been, she will be on track to attend the Regional Meet in April.

N has also had some pretty bad headaches over the last month. We are not sure if they are from allergies, eye issues or something else. Right now, she is taking allergy meds to see if they help. We are also taking her for an eye exam even though the screening shows that she is only slightly nearsighted. As the doctor said, she doesn't think N is nearsighted enough to cause the headaches.

Michael is getting excited about the move. I am not sure if it is because we will be moving away from this duty station, though he wishes he could take the church with us, or if it is because he has been told that Galveston has been the best duty station his soon to be boss has ever been at. I'm just excited that I'll get to hang out with my sister on a more regular basis.

As for Miss E... well, she is growing up. It is hard to believe that she will be turning 6 months old tomorrow. She has discovered her toys, her toes and people's faces. She has also decided that she really likes eating "big girl" food. So far, she has enjoyed oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and peas. Since A is staying home from school today, she will be getting to help me feed Miss E. A is practically insisting that Miss E eat pears for lunch today. I'm thinking we will just stick with the peas for today.

I am planning a meal for 15 adults, 8 children, and 1 baby. Every year that we have lived here I have tried to get some friends together for a meal and fellowship for my birthday. I didn't want a party, but I just wanted to have a good time with friends & my family. It looks as though this year we might actually be able to pull it off! I have wanted to provide a dinner for Michael's Bible study group for some time now but it has not ever worked out. So, I decided that since his group meets on Mondays and my birthday is a Monday this year, maybe I would be able to combine a birthday get together and a dinner for the guys into one event. I am really excited about this. Except for the part about figuring out how to make Pastichio for 23. No worries though... it should be fun!

Oh yes, pictures to come...

Time for an update....

First off, happy birthday to my wonderful husband, Michael.


Then on a sad note, N's best friend & her family move today. They are leaving us for a much colder part of the US. Think summertime highs in the 60s.... Please pray for the Pike family as they travel.

N is looking forward to getting out of school soon. Just a few more days! She continues to grow and is just learning so much. I took her out early so that she could say good bye to her friend. If you have ever seen the movie "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore, let's just say that N was crying like the Spanish princess. It was sad but hilarious at the same time.


A is getting bigger all the time. We have somewhat moved her out of her toddler bed into a twin bed. I say somewhat because she slept in the twin for one night before we had a guest. N shared the room with A while our guest slept in N's room. The night our guest headed home, N went into her room to close the blinds and they promptly broke. So, N & A are currently sharing a room until we measure her window and buy another set of blinds. The girls are doing fairly well with sharing. We have not had too many fights over the twin bed.


Our smallest one is trying to keep the doctors on their toes. At my OB appointment on May 11th, the doctor measured the fundal height. I measured a week behind. At my appointment this past Wednesday, I measured 4 weeks ahead. So, I get another ultrasound next Wednesday, June 3rd, to try to find out what is going on. But the baby's heart rate looks really good.


On Wednesday night I ended up making a quick trip to Labor & Delivery. I was leaking some sort of fluid and with the few contractions I was having, I figured it would be best to check things out. It turned out to be a false alarm. The doctor who checked me also looked at the baby's heart rate. He said he would have expected a much more mature baby just from the heart rate and the variations in the rate. His guess was 32 weeks. Right now I am only 26 weeks. So his thought about the baby being more mature also lines up with my thoughts for where I should be.

Michael is doing well. He is back to work and as of Wednesday was given a clean bill of health to return to full duty. We are still in the process of looking for another motorcycle to replace the other one. Please pray for us as we decide what to do.

And Sarah... This is my 100th post as well.

After almost 12 years of marriage...

Michael (and the girls) got me the 2nd best birthday gift EVER!! Last year took the #1 spot with Michael giving me the "go ahead" to buy my digital camera.


So, may I introduce my new toys?

Not only is it a blender, it also has the food processor attachment as well. I have been requesting a blender & food processor for about 10 years now...





And after dinner, Michael made dessert. It was very yummy, but I couldn't finish, so I made popsicles with the leftover smoothies!

We went to Olive Garden for lunch after church. The timing really worked well. We live about half an hour from Olive Garden and we left the church at 11am. We arrived just in time. There were about 3-4 families and couples waiting ahead of us. About 5 minutes after we were seated, the wait time jumped from 10 minutes to about half an hour and it just kept growing. After a very filling lunch, we headed over to Best Buy to look for a macro lens for my camera. They did not have the one I was looking for, but I do know of a more specialized camera shop in the next town over that would carry it.

Anyway, we came home after the stop at Best Buy and I was able to take a nice long nap and then fix a yummy steak dinner. (If you have never tried the Angel Food ministries, let me know & I will tell you all about it!) After that came the smoothies Michael made. Then, hugs & kisses and bedtime for 2 very well behaved girls.

I love my Michael & my girls!!! They really made it a very special day for me.

I'm getting old

Or as N likes to remind me, I'm turning 31 this year because SARAH"S BIRTHDAY IS TODAY AND SHE IS GONNA BE 21!!!!!!!!!!

Of course, our dear, sweet brother used to tease her that we could not celebrate her birthday until the time of her birth. And because she was born at 11:59 pm, we couldn't celebrate later than the time of her birth because it would be the next day and therefore, no longer her birthday.

So, Sarah, I will wish you a happy birthday now, instead of waiting as Andrew has suggested many times over the years!

I love ya! And I really enjoyed talking with you the other day.

Birthdays

I was talking with N tonight about different things and one of her questions was if we finally had one due date for the baby or if it was going to continue to change. Then we talked about the possibility of the baby being born on her birthday. I shared several birthday stories, including the one from College Station where the server didn't really think we were celebrating 10 (or was it 12) birthdays. She laughed and laughed!

One of my most favorite things about our birthdays was each of us had our own celebration. Even with a whole string of birthdays lasting from Dec 31st to Mar 1st. (5 total in that time, not to mention the extended family) So, even though I think it would be neat to have the same birthday as a child or sibling, I am praying that our little one does not make their entrance on N's birthday. I want her to have her special day just like each of us had as we grew up. Just like I want our little one to have his (I hope) or her special day as well.

So, Mom, thank you for making our day special. I love you!

Groundhog Day

Why anyone thought it would make a good holiday is beyond my comprehension...

However, 2 special events in my family occured on the 2nd of February.

Way back in 1976, my big brother made his entrance into the world.

Then, because my brother has this thing for numbers (he's an engineer), he married a wonderful (and beautiful) girl named Shery. They married on 02/02 at 2pm. I am sure Andrew would have preferred the ceremony to take place at 0200 (also known as 2 in the morning), but this is one person who would have really struggled to stay awake at that hour.

So... Happy birthday to Andrew and happy anniversary to Andrew & Shery. Hoping this year brings more joy than pain, more laughter than tears, and more of God than anything!

Love ya!

Gifts from a very special Grammy!

A received her gift from Grammy on Monday after her birthday. She was very excited about opening it.
I loved the look on her face when she first peeked inside. Unfortunately, her expression changed just as I took the photo. Here she is exclaiming, "SHOES!!!!!"

Still talking about her shoes...

Looking at Flat Stanley. (I would underline the title of the book as that was what I was taught to do. However, for some reason I only have choices to use bold or italics...)

Wearing her pretty slippers. She had to go show her Sunday School teacher yesterday. Today we went out for "coffee" with some friends. One of A's friends was there and she had to show off her slippers again.

And just so no one passes out from shock...I did NOT drink coffee. I went out with some friends and THEY drank coffee. I had sweet tea.

Close up

Finger licking good. Just not sure anyone else wants some now... :D

Birthday pics

At the playground. Sassy and sweet princess.

Happy Birthday. Notice the grubby finger in the icing...

Loving that strawberry cake!

Sleeping Beauty dress up clothes. Crown included. There goes my Christmas gift idea...(but that is okay, she likes other princesses too)

THE pink poodle...I think she has been asking for this since May??

Face first into the bag...

What a beautiful gift from a special aunt & uncle!

She is so excited about her dress!!

Thank you to everyone who was able to come. For those who could not be here, we love you. Thank you for all of the wonderful gifts.