Phew! Can we have a break now?

Well, Christmas is over now. We are celbrating BD's birthday tonight, then New Year's in a few days. Boy things have been crazy! I need to write a paper and take a final for one class before I go back to work on Wednesday. The boys go back to daycare then as well.

Now we get to spend the next five months being broke : ( Oh well. We will survive. It's not the frirst time. The cost of living, the drive, and the number of people we support makes it more expensive. I think the cost of living is one of the biggest things throwing us off, but I will get used to it in another month or two.

Lots going n and I will try to sit down and write it out for you. For now, know we are thinking of you and wishing you well.

Oops, didn't post this

OK, at some point the grocery bill needs to mellow out. This last one was HUGE. Part of that, I think, was due to the move, but more so because of the holidays coming up. I am grateful that we won’t have that again for a while. We are going to smoke our turkey, whose name is Bocephus (sorry Hank). Ms. Lala and Bubbles got the girls into naming their turkey’s, so we decided we would have a redneck turkey. No real reason why, but it was kind of funny to listen to the naming process. Do you know how many hick names for guys start with a B? It’s weird. Try to think of a non B hick name for a guy. If you come up with a good one, let me know.
We are also going to do the ham (which is especially important in case Bocephus doesn’t turn out well). Along with the standard holiday fare, I expect to have a nice meal. We are hosting one of the single people from work also, so that will add some variety. Unfortunately, he has no idea how crazy it will be. Oh well, I expect it will be fun. We will break out the board games and the Wii and stay up late. Of course, the kids will have their new toys and stuff, so they will be in hog heaven I imagine. I have the week off as well, so I intend to use it to work on a paper for class, and to work on getting the house cleaned up. I need to find a place to stash my photo albums as well. I have a LOT of photo albums.

I have completed most all of the requirements so far for the online instructor course. I am hopeful that I will be teaching by May, if not sooner. I expect to be graduating with my Master’s in Security Management in March, so that will bolster my prospects as well. I also found out that Derek can take classes at the school for a reduced rate if I am accepted. He even mentioned the possibility of working on a Master’s. No, he hadn’t been drinking. I can also pursue another degree, if I choose, for reduced rates. I am waiting to find out if that also applies to my children. That might be a good way for the kids to get some college done. It would allow them to work and take classes at home, though I am not sure I want them to stick around forever. Still, it would be nice, and so much cheaper. (Note – family also get the reduced rate).

We went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks this weekend. The girls, Derek and I wanted to see I am Legend, but that wasn’t a good one for Mercedes so we compromised. I was not disappointed. It was a cute movie and I laughed a lot. I want the soundtrack too. It was a definitely worth going to see in the theater, especially for the kids. We also went out to eat at IHOP which most of us were happy with. Mason was flirting (outrageously) with a little girl who came in. It was adorable. Micah got to eat grits, which was not my first choice for him, but he seemed to be alright with that, oh and the pancakes I let him have. It was how we spent our Christmas money from Grandpa. We thought that would be the best way to do t. We all got something out of it and it got us out of the house. Right now, that is a big deal.

We saw a play at church yesterday morning. Christmas According to Scrooge. It was pretty well done, though there were the usual problems. Overall though it was a good message and made the sermon so much easier to listen too. I think, overall, we are still feeling this church out; however, it’s got some nice amenities like children’s church and a nursery for the little people. If we keep going, I am going to have to volunteer in the nursery to help with the little ones since I have two in there. I think I can deal with that though. I don’t mind holding babies, or playing with little people. I am just too busy or tired most of the time to enjoy it.

I now have a pretty good idea of what I need to do to pass my PT test. I need to add another 10 crunches, 5 pushups, and take 2 ½ minutes off of my run time. After the first of the year, I will be getting up two mornings a week to get on the treadmill and work on the run part of it. I also have PT 3 days a week with the squadron, so that should help also. The situps, I think I can work those in before bed or before I take a shower in the morning. It’s not going to be fun, but it’s necessary to get where I need to be. It would be stupid of me to screw my career up because I didn’t do something relatively simple. Granted with all of the other things going on its not going to be easy, but I will just have to make sure I do it.

We went to Alexis’ band concert recently. She really hates the uniforms. It would be funny if I thought they weren’t too bad, but, well, they are awful. It would be alright if it at least fitted her, but it doesn’t, and that just makes it worse. She’s saying that next year she would like to be in jazz band, which I think would be great. She also wants to be on the newspaper staff, so we will see how that goes. I think it would be neat for her, but I want to know what the outside commitment will be. Everything here requires a LOT of time on our part, and we just don’t have that much.

I think we are doing alright overall. I think the Christmas holiday will give us a chance to unwind a bit and enjoy some family time (I hope).

Getting Promoted

I MADE MAJOR!!!!!! I MADE MAJOR!!!!!!
I MADE MAJOR!!!!!! I MADE MAJOR!!!!!!
I MADE MAJOR!!!!!! I MADE MAJOR!!!!!!
I MADE MAJOR!!!!!! I MADE MAJOR!!!!!!
I MADE MAJOR!!!!!! I MADE MAJOR!!!!!!
I MADE MAJOR!!!!!! I MADE MAJOR!!!!!!
I MADE MAJOR!!!!!! I MADE MAJOR!!!!!!

This week in the news

OK, we finally got our XMAS lights up. It wasn’t so bad, but then again, Derek and Alexis did all of the work with Mercedes supervising. That’s the way to do it. Next year, I imagine we will have more “stuff” to put up. It’s not so bad putting lights up here since it’s not terribly cold. However, I am not sure that I am willing to make a major display of my house. I heard someone say they had lights into the hundreds of thousands or something like that. I don’t think that’s me. Then again, it might be Derek. He’s been wanting to put lights up for years. I just wanted a white Christmas tree. Of course, I wanted to decorate it in one color, which hasn’t happened yet. Next year we are getting a palm tree Christmas tree. Won’t that be fun?

With the boys in daycare now, Derek is finishing getting the house in order and starting to job hunt. He is finding a lot of helping agencies to provide conduits to jobs, but he is not very confident which tears it all down. I am very stressed about money because this move has really killed us financially. Plus adding Brittney to the household has also changed things along with gas prices. It costs a lot more for gas when you have to travel 45 minutes one way than if you go 5. We will survive though. We have food to eat and a roof over our head. I have a steady paycheck, so I don’t have to worry along those lines either. Yes, it would be A LOT easier if Derek were working, but if he doesn’t he will get plenty of bonding time with the boys.

I am now working regular hours though we are waiting on some paperwork before I can start the actual job. Yep, typical military hurry up and wait. I am going to PT three days a week which is not too bad. I am formulating a plan to get in shape which is what I need. I don’t particularly LIKE to work out, but I know I have too. I lost some weight during the move but it didn’t come from any of the areas where the fat was hanging out so I need to work on that. Derek says he is going to start working out too, but I’ve heard that before (I’ve said that before {snicker}). I guess we are going to have to accept that we are getting older and our bodies aren’t going to return to the “perfection” we enjoyed 15 years ago. I think I can live with that. Honestly, I don’t really mind getting older. Yes, I miss the lean 20 year old body I had, but this 34 year old body I’m sporting now is not bad.

I am now down to my last class for my Security Management degree. Then I take the comprehensive final and I’m done (as long as I pass). I will know by then whether or not I made Major. If I do make it then its Air Command and Staff College for me, otherwise, I will do the correspondence course for ASCS, and possibly get the Master’s they offer. Hey, why not? It doesn’t cost me anything, right? Oh, results for Major come out next Tuesday (11th). Everyone seems to think I am a shoe-in, but until I have it in my record, I won’t believe it. Even then, I will have to wait 9 months or so to pin it on. Of course that is a NICE pay raise. I definitely will be looking at a new vehicle (Saturn Vue) if I get promoted. Something that gets much better gas mileage. We don’t need a family vehicle, we have the Durango, so I can choose something that I like (though it won’t be what I WANT) that can get me back and forth from work. As far as this class goes, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too difficult. I have a paper to do, which is ALWAYS fun – not! But the actually class is interesting and I only have one test. The discussion questions are every other week also, which is also good. In fact, I already took care of the ones for next week. I also think I will try to do my report on cyber terrorism. Even though I can’t find the paper I wrote previously, I have a good idea of what is available and I can use that as a foundation to the rest. It shouldn’t take as long if I do that. Of course, that’s if the instructor is OK with it.

I think all of the kids are settling in. Brittney had her first run in with us as authority figures yesterday and I think we did alright, though I am not sure about her. She was saying she wants to stay with us, but we are not taking it as a given until after the first of the year. That gives her a chance to get used to everything and figure out where she wants to be. I know her Dad is having his own issues as is her Mom so we aren’t going to jump into anything. We are just trying to be supportive while enforcing rules and structure. It’s hard since neither of us like to be the bad guy. Plus having five kids to worry about wears us down pretty fast.

Derek is not doing so well physically. He definitely needs to have the neck surgery though he really doesn’t want too. I can’t really blame him, but it’s got to be done. He gets debilitating pain in his neck and back that is not good. It’s hard on everyone when it happens, and I know it scares the little ones. I find that more and more falls on me these days and I am not always graceful about accepting the responsibility. I get tired and cranky and I know I take it out on Derek and the kids. I am hoping as we get settled in that things will get better. Unfortunately since we found out about this assignment, things have been fluctuating. We had the baby, we had to prepare for the move to Italy, then we had to prepare for the move to Florida, we added Brittney, and then we actually moved. That’s a lot for anyone (family) to deal with. It could be worse though, it could always be worse.

We really miss our friends in Ohio. I know Alexis really misses her friends but I miss mine too. I really enjoyed having Laura and Melanie next door so I could just run over and talk to them, or they would drop in to chat. I miss that – a lot. Especially when I need something : ) (You know I’m kidding, right, Laura?) Anyways, I don’t make friends so easily and it’s even harder for Derek and Alexis. Mercedes I don’t worry about since everyone is her friend. Mason and Micah aren’t an issue either. Brittney has done well, though I think she is finding that she needs to branch out a little more. For me, I am still that weird, little kid who no one liked in school. At least that’s how I feel around people I don’t know. I hate to push myself on people too, though I know I do that sometimes. I am hoping that over time I can build some friendships. I know I was starting to with Julie when I left, so that’s another one gone.

Political Thought

Watching the news today made me shake my head and wonder, “Don’t we have better things to worry about?” And you ask, why do you say this? Well, one of the Presidential Candidates is being forced to justify his religion. I personally am a Protestant, which makes me part of a large percentage in the United States. However, being Protestant has not stopped me from making friends of other religions or other versions of my religion. Being a Protestant has not made me make decisions, but it has given me a context in which to direct my acts and choices towards what is good/right. I expect anyone who embraces a religion to depend on that religion for guidance. However, only religious zealots or fanatics try to justify all of their decisions and actions with their religious beliefs. I think the majority of people who believe in a God or Gods does not advocate that all people believe as they do. Nor do I believe that the majority of those with religious beliefs feel compelled to let their religion be their sole guiding principle in all actions. I do think that the religion we believe in has helped mold us. Almost all religions teach good concepts that are not a threat to the population as a whole. I definitely do not understand why one man’s religion justify’s an attack on him as a person or his candidacy. If I feel so threatened by his beliefs then I am not very solid in my own. If nothing else, he can’t do that much damage in four years. If he does show signs of making decisions based on what his religious leaders expect or want, we have checks and balances in place to control him, as well as the ability to NOT vote for him in the future. What really scares me is a candidate that is not honest, hardworking, or morally upright. I would rather have a person of a different color or religion that someone who can be blown by the winds of change and will lie to your face.