Lil' Update

Wow it's been over a week since I last wrote. Life is just going along, busy to a degree. We finished up baseball with the end of the season party, last Wednesday. We've been going on walks almost everyday and trying to suffer through the heat and humidity that took over at least our area of Germany the past week. On Sunday we went to the pool off post and the kids had a great time. They have a great kiddy pool that Jack and Emma both love. Jacob prefers the bigger pools, the wave pool and another that's connected to the wave pool. He was thrilled to discover that he now can walk flat footed in the other pool, where last year he was going under if flat footed! Starting today it's cooling back down to the 70's and when I looked the other day it's supposed to stay in the 70's for the next week or so, so we are definately going to enjoy the cooler temps!! Lots of time outside walking, going to the parks, etc.

My friend and I are going to hire sisters to watch the kids while we go to the gym 3 days a week. We're going to have them watch the kids at the park so they can burn energy. If it's raining they'll obviously been either here at my place or at hers, but hopefully it'll be nice so the kids can all burn their energy off at the park!!! :) :)

My goal is to have 20 lbs off by the time I go home and I can do it, I figure the 3 days at the gym, plus walking 2 miles a day at least the days in between, and watching what I'm eating I should be able to obtain that goal or very close to it!! My hope is that by Christmas I'll be inching closer to another 30 lbs off if I keep up the diet and excercise. We don't know if Chad will be home over Christmas for R&R, if so I think he'll be very happy with the wife that he comes home to! I'm absolutely determined to get this weight off, get healthy and most importantly STAY HEALTHY.  I'll take any and all prayers and encouragement you have to give!

The boys are doing well. Jacob's school works has went down to about 20 - 30 minutes a day at this point. We're just keeping him sharp on math and reading. I have to make a final decision on the curriculum for next year and get it ordered soon. I want it here before by the time we leave for the states so that when we return once we've recovered from jet lag, we can get a jump on it for both boys and get a schedule going for all of us, including Emma.

Speaking of Miss Emma, she's 10 months old TODAY! I will get a picture taken of her in alittle bit (she's having a late nap) and put it up later. I can't believe she's 10 months old already. It seems like she was just born, yet I can't imagine our lives without her! She's talking more and more, says bubba for the boys (mostly Jacob though), bye-bye, she waves hi and bye, mamma, dadda, meow (for our cat Whiskers). She's cruising the furniture and has been letting go here and there and on Sunday decided to try and take a step, as she stepped she went down, so I do not count it, but I know it's only a matter of time!

I've talked to Chad a few times via phone and IM, hoping he gets to call today or else tomorrow. It's hot there for sure! They've been dealing with 115 degree's give or take a few degree's since arriviving and it's only going to get hotter! They're still not where they will end up for the duration of their deployment, they're doing some training and then will head North, which should be soon. Thank you for the prayers. I am writing on our deployment journal (links on the left) so stop in and read. Hopefully once Chad's up there and in his room, we're hoping they have internet in their rooms and hopefully he can journal some too while deployed and share his thoughts on things.

Oh one thing I've started doing since Chad has left. Cooking breakfast. That's always been Chad's thing. I'm the cereal mom, sometimes toast, etc...but all but 2 mornings since he's left I've made breakfast! I found a wonderful recipe for oatmeal and the boys and I all loved it! Pancakes, Bacon, French Toast and Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, life's been very enjoyable for the kids! I have to say that I've actually enjoyed making it for them too! So I'm now on the search for various breakfast idea's. I am also going to get me a waffle maker. I LOVE homemade waffles, I detest frozen ones. The boys honestly only know frozen, so I want to let them know what TRUE waffles taste like! So I'll be searching for a good waffle maker!!

I'm also in the process of decluttering. That's a much slower process and laziness wins out more than it should. I have Emma's room pretty well done. I still have a couple things to do, but for the most partit's done. My room is my biggest challenge, but the oneI want done the most. The kitchen is the 2nd room I want done the most. I'm going to the PX tomorrow to buy new rubbermaid bowls, a small set and I'm getting rid of all the ones I have right now. That mess will be gone!! I'm going to get rid of a few other pots that I don't use (I have a nice pampered chef set now that I use and LOVE!!). Go through the rest of our small appliances and get rid of what we simply NEVER use. I also am going to go through all the mugs (coffee mugs) and get rid of most of those. We're not coffee drinkers so we just need a few for Hot chocolate and hot tea and the rare occassions we do have a coffee drinker here. I don't need 30 coffee mugs!

I set up a chore chart for the boys and that's going well. Some chores they do because they're part of this family and that's just simply what they do. Some chores they earn an allowance for, some they earn an award (movie and choice of dinner, game night/snacks,etc).

 

 

***The pictures are from the the night/morning Chad left as well as the days after.