news from the home front

well I kind of forgot about this blog, since my last post alot has changed for us Seamus turned out to be Colleen. She was born March 26Th the dad after he dad and 11 days after her brother. colleen was baptized on May 24Th and now we are getting ready for yet another move. Home really is where the navy takes us.


Last week I realized after another death in the family that I no longer feel like I belong to that family. i found a few of my cousins online and they feel like complete strangers. i have found my Sib's that are complete strangers to me too. Many find it odd that I have more friends that have become my extend family. I have friends that are more like brothers and sisters to us then my own. Trust me when I say it is for the best with all the drama that the blood relatives brings to the table I could do with out. well I shall return soon to keep those posted

Free time Well sort of

Well it has been awhile since I posted anything here. As most know life has been crazy around here for the last three months or so. Once we got through the holidays it seems that everyone starting getting sick. So over it, As we are in mid March it seems that we have now been hit hard with the spring time allergy crud. The joys. Counting down the days to our little boy will join us and yet still debating over a name. Hope he will have a name by the time he is 18 LOL.

With spring here and the weather is crazy with 80 degree days 1 day and then it drops down to 30 the next. no time to take the kids out to play, the last week it has either rained or been over cast. It feels like Washington all over again. Don't get me wrong i loved Washington weather. I hate the change of weather we get here, hello either stay in the 70s or stay in the 40s.

Well the husband made it home from deployment on the 15Th. In time for the birth of our newest. However the return will be short lived. By summers end he will be returning to the middle East and we got the news that his Job has reached a stop loss. So retirement can be years away. With 15 years in the navy as of now, we had started preparing for that lovely well deserved retirement. Who knows when it will come now, the way things look now it is possible that father and son can serve together won't that be fun. Not, sure we have friends who had children very young and now with 19 years in the service there oldest child is serving. But in our case Hubby already had five years in the navy when we night and at a six year mark we welcomed are oldest. So sorry he isn't going to do 26 years in the navy just to serve along the side of his son.


Enough of that rant, So as we waiting for the arrival of child to be named later at this rate the lovely husband has decided to order all new furniture for the house, new flooring and yep he has become quit the shopper. Then he decides to have the stuffed delivered while at work so I have the joys of chasing the two Little's around the house and direct people as where to put furniture. So yesterday I snapped him and told him he can only have delivery's if he was hope to accept. He has the nerve to look at me and ask how hard is it to sign for a piece of furniture. Well he is about to find out when i snap again and pack up and leave him with all the kids and all the joys of the house. Well it is that time of the morning were I have to take the olders to school and wake the Little's to go. Why is it the navy sends a guy home to be here for the birth of a child yet they expect him to work 18 hour days. So really no help with him home, he leaves for work at 4 am and gets home from work by 8pm. So again still doing everything on my own.

wordless day

Wordless day

So glad it is over

Well with Christmas over the house can finally get back in order. The plan is for the tree to come down over the weekend and all the lights to be taken down. Kids are busy playing with all the gifts Santa brung. Christmas Eve is now a blur between Three masses and a stocking hunt with friends I could have used a nap. I took the kids to a family mass where the older three did a play of the nativity story. J got the part of Joseph, Rae was in the choir and played the part of a townsmen or women. Car made a very cute Sheep and A got to sit with me and watch. A very cute play all the kids did a great job. After the family mass we met up with another family and took the kids to the local park since it seems we are in a heat wave with temps getting close to 70. This year we tried what will now become a family tradition. We had gone to the dollar store and bought the simple red stocking that were five for a dollar. Between the two families we had 200 stocking. Each stocking had a number in it along with some penny candy . We hid the stockings like you would eggs and let the kids set out. All 10 kids had a great time. After all the stockings were found the kids turned the number in for prizes. Prizes ran from dollar store toys to DVDs and a few gift cards to the kids favorite places. Can't wait to do it again next year the kids all had a blast even the tiny 1s. After that we had spread a blanket out on the ground and the Kids had a Mary Joseph Lunch of some sort. We had bakery bread, sliced cheese and some thin sliced beef stake to add to the bread to make a sandwich. The kids had a blast drinking cider from what looked like a wine bottle. After dinner we cleaned up and headed home to do the children's Christmas mass so it was a mad dash to get all the kids showered and dressed for service. Each kid had to make a card for baby Jesus and each family was asked to bring a new baby item to donate to our new program at church. I guess you can say we went a little out this year with each kid bringing a gift bag full of blankets,diapers and a new outfit. The kids did enjoy shopping for the gifts and it helped them realize that they can help the poorest baby's born.

Not to sure what was going through A's head. He kept taking his snotty blanket up to the nativity and leaving it on the baby Jesus. Fr just left and said that the baby was cold and A's was helping. Still gross, I carry around with us a receiving blanket to wipe A's nose and face with Asthma and allergies being bad we always need 1 and it is alot easier to remember then tissue plus a little cleaner. The end of the day we wash a few extra blankets instead of through out a few boxes of tissue. Never fails someone at the church always seems to give the kids a cookie or piece of candy. So I am always wiping up a kid. The service was great the kids sat on the floor with all there friends sung happy birthday to Jesus and the nativity story was read to them. They all got to sing carols then Fr took the children over to the bingo hall where the sung to the seniors and had cookies and punch with them. Then it was back home while the kids rested I finished the last min holiday things in the house, kid played and actually stayed clean. With all that was going on I got lazy and we order our Christmas eve pizza. usually i bake a pizza and the kids pick the toppings but once again I was alone with the troops so we ordered. J did make a really good salad. So around 9 it was back 10 kids into a car and we headed to the holiday lights. Relax it wasn't a car but a SUV that sits 15 so all the Little's were safe in a car seat and the older's all in there own seat belts. we played Christmas music while the kids looked at the light. With both mom being from MI it wasn't the same to see the lights without snow. Kids liked them, the boys favorite was a shark that came up on the beach and looked like it was going to bite your car. After the lights it was time to head to our midnight mass. The church was packed so we sat in the back with a few other military wives and there families. Then Fr announced that we have a military family support group in the back for those spouse interested. Did he just volunteer us for something, boy I hope not because I already have a full plate. After mass ended I took the sleepy children home and everyone went to bed. Santa came and filled the stockings and left the toys. Then i passed out, around 7am I could hear the pitter patter of little feet sneaking down the stairs so our day started.

Boy what a morning the kids got tons of stuff,J's favorite was his DS of course Car was happy with tons of Thomas trains, Rae was happy with the new doll house and Aidan loved the MP3 player he got. Yes the baby got a MP3 player, a few new fire trucks to add to the collection. The kids had a blast playing with all the toys Santa brung and I had a blast putting together all the toys Santa brong. Car got the Rose petal cottage that Aidan seems to enjoy more than her. That thing took three hours to put together yet it has brung hours of the kids playing in it. J spotted a pack of toy army soldiers that have now became his favorite. who would have thought a dollar store toy would have brought such joy to that kid.

we had a large Christmas dinner and then everyone went to sleep only to start the next day early again.

The joys of children

Well since it was a four day weekend and of course it had to rain for half of it. Today was the day we picked to try and get organized for up and coming trip to New York City. Yes Christmas is usually spent in MI with my sister but last year wasn't so good. This year we are going to visit my grandfather and for the first time we will be able to try and hold Aidan. Lets face it Aidan has a case of the wiggle worms. So as I pulled clothing out of closets and drawers and tried to make a list of what I still had to buy, I had my two little helpers putting other stuff in the bag or putting what I had out back in the closet. Then the older two playing the favorite game of 1 million questions. How will Santa find us? does Me Pa have Internet? Does he have a fire place and where are we going came up about thousand times. The joys of holiday travel without a spouse home to help, with so much to do and to get ready for yes it is truly going to take me 20 days to be ready for the trip. We leave on Dec 19Th and since Airlines now charge a arm and leg for baggage Christmas presents have to be wrapped and fed ex ed early. I had to order extra car seats have them shipped and lets not forget the pack and play extra med's for Aidan.

This will be our first trip with kids to New York so I am a little nervous to see how they do. My Grandfather place isn't really set up for children since he doesn't have any but it is large and it does over look Central Park another place i can't wait to take the kids. I only wish we were making the trip in the summer months so I could take the kids to a ball game and grab a hot dog. So as I try and pack four kids for the snow cold state, they don't make it easy. Ticket have already been bought and to make Caroline's day we are taking a train ride while there. The others are looking forward to cab rides and the subway. I am just happy to be back at my home away from home. So since we are not putting a tree up at home the kids have to make sure we will have a tree in New York.

now the crew is driving me crazy so i must run

A true steal

With having the four kids here and being alone find a good baby sitter is hard. So no surprise that i had no plans to hit the stores for Fridays sales. However i did take a peek online at my fav places to get the kids stuff. What did i find but the pea coats I have been debating about buying the boys half off. So the coats that retailed for 50 for A's size and 60 For J's were now 25 and 30. So I debated for a little about buying the boys the boys such expensive jackets. Decided to check my emails and there it was a coupon for 50% of your purchase from gap,oldnavy online only. Could it really be i would get the boys jackets for 12.50 and 15 bucks. Now how could you pass that up. So i went back online and got what has to be the last two jackets in the boys sizes. I found the girls sweaters for 3.00 a piece and got the whole family jeans for under 5 a pair. So with 53 items in my cart i thought I was well over 300. But actually only spent 125.00 and i got free shipping. What a steal, since the stores here usually don't have the sizes I need here. My total purchase retailed for about 1200 and i walked off only paying 125.00 what a steal.

Since I had such great luck with old navy and I had received two coupons from gymboree I decided to take a peek and see what was on my wish list. Since gymboree is my sin store and I can easily drop a grand buying the kids clothing from there. I figured I wasn't going to buy anything. Well my list was over 3000.00 (see just a wish list) and with all there sales and my coupons I got the complete wish list along with a few other items for 350.00 another steal. Yes most of what I bought is for next year and a few gifts to stick under the tree but i truly made out this year. Next shopping trip is for the toys the kids ask Santa for. With money being tight and with four kids and another on the way we only planned on spending X amount on each well if i keep hit these sales the kids are truly making out this year.

So note to those of you out there sign up for email coupons and flyers because they do pay off in the end. Happy Holidays

History

I guess to truly understand someone you need to walk a mile in their shoes. The things that happen in our lives are what shape us and create us into the person we are. As for me most people know of my past and what lead to who I am. Other don't know the story so they question more than they need.



Many people don't seem to understand why I don't drink alchol. Most assume it is for religious reasons and are very surprised when the find out it has nothing to do with religion. It can all be summed up with Conner. Conner is the son we lost due to a drunk driver in 04. I was 20 weeks pregnant and was driving home from work when my life would change forever. It was March 15th and I had just finished my last shift at the fire station. That night I said good bye to my crew, the next day I was suppose to start what we call basket duty until after i delivered the baby. So I would spend the next 20 weeks giving tours answering questions and giving training. That night the station had a BBQ and I stayed after my shift. Goofed around with my crew had the family up at the station along with my crews family. Got a few baby gifts and around 2am I headed home.

I took the usual route home from work the main gate of the naval base. About two Min's from my station things changed. Within a blink of of eye I was hit by a drunk driver. Being a EMT my first reaction was to give any needed aid to the car that had hit me. So I checked on the driver and I realized he was totally drunk and he wasn't hurt I felt fine. The station had heard the crash and were already in route so no need to call 911. Within Min's my coworkers were on the sene along with the police. It was my Battalion chief that asked if I was OK, I rolled my eyes and told him I was fine. He took 1 look at me and said no your not, it was then I realized my water had broke. My own coworkers rushed my to U of Wash medical center and within a hour of my arrival i gave birth to my son Conner Aidan. Born 20 weeks to soon we had a false hope when we heard him give a weak cry for a second we thought he was going to make it. Then the docs tolds us there is nothing they could do for him but offer comfort care. A few hours for us to say good bye. By this time everyone from work knew what had happened and were at the hospital waiting for news. I told my friend Carrie that Conner wasn't going to make it so she rushed off and got our son a baptismal gown. The station Chaplin arrived and Conner was baptised. On March 17th 2004 Conner went to be with god. We were left to make sense of what happened. To this day we still don't understand and never will.

Six weeks after that night I returned to work or should I say tried. I could no longer stand to be around the crew that I once loved and thought of as family. it was too hard to hear them say how sorry they were. As for the drunk who killed Conner he was turned over to his command, yep I was hit by a navy officer. His punishment for Conner's death was being restricted to the ship for 30 days. My punishment was grieving for the son we lost. Later we learned it was his fifth DUI but no one seemed to care he was a naval officer. Since Conner's death we have been blessed with two other children and a third on his way. The naval officer is still serving and still getting DUI's. We have moved to Virginia and are getting on with life without Conner. Not a day goes by were he isn't in our thoughts. We wonder if he would be like his brother in love with fire trucks and hyper like his Sib's.

So now that those of you know the truth maybe you won't push so hard for us to go out drinking with you. Before Conner we didn't drink much maybe a glass of wine with dinner or a beer/wine cooler while watching a game on TV. About twice a year we went out with friends and had a shot or two. Since Conner things changed drinking just brings back bad memories. Well off to care for the fearsome foursome. Yup that his what I call the children in a few months I will have to referr to them as the fearsome five some