Small Town MOM Living in a BIG City

Santa 2011

2011-12-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is. The photo with Santa for the year. We had to wait nearly 2 hours to get this picture. The kids were all starving. Then the picture they printed cut 1/2 Ashley off so we had to go back and have them reprinted. Oh, and I attempted to get them to all wear a red/green type outfit that was holiday-ish. Guess Kiley didn't get the memo.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

So, VOILA! Here ya go!

Backyard Fun Holiday Sweepstakes

2011-12-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

I actually stumbled upon this giveaway on twitter! You can find the link HERE to try and win! You could win a playhouse or swingset! Wouldn't that make the holidays BRIGHT?! I know I WOULD LOVE to be able to give one of these amazing gifts to my children! You can check out the website for the company HERE
GOOD LUCK!

Christmas Through the Years

2011-11-21T12:50:00.000-08:00

With the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to share with all of you the photos of my children with Santa Claus. I am wondering where some of my photos are and I am thinking I am going to have to dive in to the umpteen thousand boxes of photos out in my laundry room to search for the missing ones. I know I have done the photo every single year but I am thinking that in 2002 there is a chance I did not get one due to traveling for the holidays. So, here are the beloved photos with Santa. I am also missing 2004 but I know we have one because that was when I was in the hospital waiting for Kiley to arrive and her having her very 1st Christmas in the NICU.

Bring on the Holidays!

2000

2001

2003

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

34 Years Old With a Curfew

2011-11-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well, not really a curfew but it certainly can feel like it. See, recently we moved to this very large military base and we were lucky enough to be able to get in to housing within a couple of days of moving here. It was a great thing too because the kiddos started school the monday after we moved here. We have now officially been living in our new home for exactly 3 months today. Like I have mentioned previously in this blog, we have moved to one of the biggest cities in the USA. In terms of population. Area, it is quite big but not in the sense of GIANT tall skyscrapers. So, after living in smaller places in Connecticut and Florida, we were quite shell shocked moving here. Hubby was really like a fish without water coming from a very small, isolated island in the middle of nowhere. Our housing is at the very north of the military base and we have a gate to get in to our housing area separate from the main base. Once we leave our housing area, we have to enter another gate to get on the main post. But, at night, things are much different. On our very first weekend living in our new home and being surrounded by mountains of boxes and not knowing where my cooking gear was, I took the girls out to Denny's for dinner because it was about one of the only places I knew how to get to. Little did I know, I was in for a huge surprise when I returned to the gate located near our new home. It was locked. Oh my gosh. How do I get HOME?! I had not ventured on to main post at all. HOW do I get to the gate ON the MAIN POST? How do I find my way HOME once I get on the main post? So, I decided I would follow the perimeter fence of the base and hope I would accidentally bump in to another new gate. Several miles down the road I did manage to find a gate. Now, mind you, it is only 10pm. Another new thing I learned rather quickly was that my Garmin did not know much about the roads on the military base. It kept telling me to make a U turn. OR, to turn on a road that didn't exist. It had no clue where I lived. It wanted me to go back to the closed gate. You are not allowed to use cell phones on base so I could not call my husband on his cell phone and hope it is charged or that he can hear it through the cardboard mountains all over our house. I was LOST. There is one huge building down in the main city and I tried to use that to navigate and find my way back to our housing area but that was not working in my favor. I turned left, I turned right. No luck. Still not even CLOSE to being near our new home. So, eventually I did accidentally find a road that was familiar enough to me to manage to find my way to our new home. Through the 2 gates near our home that were now desolate at 10pm. It was frightening. To be in a new place and have no way to know how to navigate home and a totally useless GPS.
Now, flash forward. We have been here 3 months and I can most definitely navigate my way through the base and the surrounding areas without an issue. After I while I had figured out a different building to look for to help me navigate my way around but I also no longer need that. But. 10pm. That is when the gate closes near our home. So, that is what time we would have to travel several miles south and then back north just to get home. The whole time literally passing the BACKYARDS of some of our neighbors. MILES. Out of the way. That has to be one of the hugest pains about where we live.
For Example, tonight I wanted to run to Sonic for an ice cream and I had promised CJ earlier in the day I would get him some ice cream. It was 930pm. I assumed I had enough time to get out the gate, get to Sonic, and get home. Once I got in my van, the gas light was on. OK, I should still have time to get home. I roll up to the gate at 957pm. Gate. Closed. HA! So, I have to make sure to be there WELL before 10. So I start heading towards one of the main gates and the little voice in the back of my van says to me "Mommy, is the gate closed?" So, I of course reply to my son that it is in fact closed. And what do you think he replied? "Oh, Shit." Seriously. HAHA! I then had enough time to have a conversation with my nearly 4 year old about how that was a bad word and that if Mommy says it, I should have to wash my mouth out with soap. He then proceeds to tell me, "No, Daddy says it" HAHA! I reminded him to once again tell daddy that if he says words like that, he should wash his mouth out with soap. It is a dirty word and we should not be saying it. Out of the mouths of babes.
Now, don't get me wrong. I LOVE our house and our neighborhood. I love how convenient the schools are for me. I love being behind a gate. I love that people have to show who they are to get in here. I love being a part of a military community. But, I have a curfew. It is 10pm. I have learned that others also feel the same way because they close the gate closest to our community. It isn't so bad. I certainly do schedule my nights according to the gate closing. It is just our new way of life. And I wouldn't change it for anything right now.

5 Question Friday

2011-11-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

I have not participated in this blog hop in well over a year now. Last year I was committed to blogging every day for my husband while he was deployed and that blog ended up being private so I did not participate in anything like this.
My blog does not have direction really yet and I am still trying to get used to our new place. Even though we are getting accustomed to being here, my routine kind of stinks. So, this is what I will do for today. I am going to participate on the blog hop Five Question Friday over at My Little Life
So, here it goes....

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood? I honestly do not think I pay enough attention to what songs put my in a good mood. I notice when songs can put me in a funk. And some help motivate me more during my workouts. And some songs are downright ANNOYING! I guess some crazy old Cyndi Lauper, Madonna or some other 80's music could get me in a good mood though!

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?

I love real trees but they are a pain in the butt. Also, I get kind of freaked out by what could be living in there. Especially last year in Florida and knowing my tree in my yard had brown widows in it. Yeah. Not cool. So, we have a very pitiful white fake tree the kids wanted to get so badly. Not my favorite.

3. What are you thankful for?

I am thankful for my husband having a stable career. I am thankful for him being home from deployment for the year. I am thankful for our health. For having a roof over our head and food on the tail. For my children. I could go on and on.

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?

I am not a fashionista by any means. I guess I just think it is great to see my kiddos wearing the neon colored clothing and some of the 80's stuff. It reminds me of the days I grew up in.

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank? My light usually does come on before I go back to the gas station to refuel.

If you want to participate, hop on over and join in the fun!

Hope you all have a great week and Thanksgiving!

Learning to Love where we Live

2011-11-16T19:02:00.000-08:00

So, we have lived in this great state for almost exactly 3 months now. I have noticed I have been going through the emotions I always encounter when moving to a new place. Things are not always easy and of course with this move we have had to learn to live with my husband being home from deployment. Add on top of that, we live on an unfamiliar base with a different branch of the military. Actually, all different branches. But, it is not a Navy base. We are landlocked which is not something we typically deal with either. We have lived for almost 1 year in another landlocked area but this one could be for the long haul. When we first moved here, everything was brown and dead. We have since had 2 decent downpours (in 3 months) and the green has been shining through which has made it a lot better. It is now the middle of November. I have made some new friends and I am getting more involved in community activities. We are still wearing shorts almost every day. The nights are much cooler and just amazing. Living here has been a shock because I was not prepared for everything I have seen. I am embracing everything. Or trying to. The kids have made friends and soon we will be starting basketball again. I just can't wait for softball to start. The girls really want to get back in to that.
The other day on the way to the mailbox I got this overwhelming sense of "I really like it here" which is something that normally takes a while to come or, doesn't happen at all. I am really just content with everything right now. Soon I should be starting college again to get my nursing degree as we prepare for the hubby's retirement in less than 3 years! EEEK!
So, I am Learning to Love where I Live and I hope the feeling continues.

National Night Out and my Birthday

2011-10-07T07:42:00.000-07:00

Did you know October 4, 2011 was National Night Out here in our Housing community on base? I honestly had never heard of it until we got a flier in our door telling us about a gathering they were having at the community center for National Night Out. This is where I had gotten the information regarding the baking contest they were going to be happening. The 4th also happened to be my 34th birthday. This gave us something to do for the evening which was great because the hubby had not been feeling well for several days. The kids were so excited when they got home from school because they had all made me a card when I had gone to the commissary they other day. Ashley was not in the photo because she was the one taking it. Hence, only 3/4 of my children posing with me and their super awesome handmade card.

Because Friday is Homecoming here at the high school they had spirit week in the middle and high school. They don't play when it comes to Football around here. Looking forward to all the festivities with homecoming and supporting our local high school sports program this weekend. Tuesday was the day thay you dressed weird or Wacky Tacky I think is what they called it. Ashley is pretty reserved so she didnt go all out like some kids did but she did enjoy wearing a bunch of mismatched clothing and her and one of her good friends swapped a shoe.

The event at our community center had bounce houses, free popcorn, the baking contest, door prizes, slushies and a pot luck. They also did tattoos and face painting and some coloring pages for the kids. Kiley's best friend from class was at the event so she was thrilled with that. I love that they are all making new friends even thought we have not lived here very long.

The fire department showed up to help celebrate National Night Out and they brought the mascots along with them. They were so loud but it definitely caught the attention of all the kiddos. Police and Fire crews came to the event and met with all the kids.

The Police and Fire workers were the ones who judged the baking contest. This plate of peanut butter eyeballs ended up winning. I think presentation had a lot to do with it. ;) Anyways. You can see the Berry pie behind the eyeballs which was also in the contest. I may not have won but I loved being able to participate . My plate of cookies were the first ones gone out of all the desserts. And that made me happy.

Sparky the fire dog was with the crew!

There is nothing like having your hubby home and being able to attend these events as an entire family. And to have him home on my birthday was super special. The things people take for granted sometimes.

AND the National Night Out Mascot (Superhero!)

Of course we had to go and check out the fire truck!

and McGruff came too!

Kiley spilled her popcorn but like a good little kidlet, she cleaned up her mess.

And I won a door prize! On my birthday, I went home with a gift. It is really cute and the kids have already set them up on my table for the fall. IT will be nice to have a bit of decorations considering we will be having company here at our house for Thanksgiving!

Does your town or community do anything like a National Night Out program for families? I thought it was a great event and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be reading more about the program so I can get more of an understanding of what it is all about.
Next week we will be going to the firehouse for a tour for Fire Safety Awareness Week. Will you be participating in any events in your community for this cause?

Fattening up the Hubby

2011-10-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

Well, my hubby is now home from the middle of nowhere and it is so much nicer now to be able to cook for the family and know that I won't be the only one enjoying the meal! One of my hubby's favorite meals has been what he likes to call "Pussie Chicken" like... PUS. Not like the slang for a cat or a females private business. Get your minds out of the gutter. I was introduced to this recipe several years ago from a dear friend I met on an old AOL Message board back when I was pregnant with #3. I just had to give it a whirl and see what the fuss was about. And well... it was a hit and has remained on a regular rotation of meals in our household.
I usually serve it over egg noodles and with a veggie side. Its awesome even if it doesn't look beautiful and looks a bit more like Pus.
So, here is the recipe. It is from Allrecipes.com and is called "No time to Cook Chicken"
What is your favorite crock pot dinner that your whole family enjoys? Any suggestions will most likely be attempted!
OFF to finish up the sides. My house smells DELICIOUS!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies-UPDATE

2011-10-04T12:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight there is an event going on here in our military housing that people can enter in to a baking competition. Anyone who knows me knows that I can NOT bake. I am trying to get in the spirit of the fall here in our new town but it is difficult when temperatures still spike up to at least 100 degrees every couple of days with little relief in between. I had stumbled on a recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies while browsing the internet but the directions seemed a bit off and the ingredients were not listed exactly how they should be in my opinion. Because of that, I decided to do a little bit of research to find a recipe that seemed correct and worth the effort. I may not be quite the baker but I know there is a difference between a recipe having just "Butter" or needing "Unsalted Butter".
Bring on the Recipe from The Food Network for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
While baking these cookies, I had a little helper. He is about 41 inches tall and did most of the talking. I think he thought we were making cupcakes though!
Since the cookies have finished baking I was able to try them out. I wish my palate was a bit more sensitive because from what I can tell I think I could have used a bit more of the pumpkin in the recipe. Or maybe one of the spices. Once they have set a bit I will try them out again and see if they are worth dropping off for the contest (recipe will be included with the entry with full credit being given to The Food Network) If I can figure out which part of the recipe could use a little tweaking to my taste, I will update everyone. For now, they were worth the time and effort to make. It definitely has made the house smell warm and festive. The spices smelled amazing and I might just be able to feel like it is fall even though the sun is BLARING outside.
Let me know if you have a favorite fall recipe that has helped you get in to the spirit of fall! HAPPY AUTUMN!
***UPDATE***
NOTHING needs to be changed in this recipe! They are DELICIOUS! All of my children THOROUGHLY enjoyed them as did my husband. Once the settled a bit they were AMAZING! I brought them to the contest and even though they did not win, they were the first plate of desserts cleared. The winner was some peanut butter eyeball chocolates. The people who selected the winner were the local fire and police department here on base. Maybe I should drop a batch off for them!

Welcome to my New Blog

2011-09-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

WELCOME! Many of you probably know me from my adventures of being a "single mom" while my husband was deployed overseas for a little more than a year. I have finally caved and started a new blog to document our new adventures. On this blog I might share things that have to do with cooking and things our family of 6 enjoy for meals and then of course the new things we encounter in our lives!
As a mom of 4 children between the ages of almost 4 and 11 we surely have a lot going on. We recently had a PCS (Permanent change of station) with the military since my husband has returned from his deployment. We have pretty much been a small town family living a life in the suburbs of the USA. Now, we are currently located in one of the biggest cities in the USA!
Sit tight and be patient as I figure out the path my blog will be taking!