Driving

I took my test today and passed! LOL  There were only 5 of us who took the test and all of us but 1 passed, the 5th wasn't there this morning during the review, so that could have been her reasons, since nearly everything we reviewed was on the test.

Late this afternoon we went to Kaufland's, which is a little like Super WalMart, but definately more grocery's than anything else. We drove downtown to the Baumhof  (bus/train station) and went to the ECenter, which is a little mall. Walked around in there for a bit, and came home to make dinner and work on the house. I'm taking a break right now! :)

Tomorrow our household goods arrives! I'm excited. We need to get some more things finished and get most of the furniture out of the way. I'm anxious to get our things here, get them organized, etc. It's going to be so nice to have our belongings and have this place truly feel like HOME! For those who really know me, know that my favorite thing about "unpacking" is actually hanging the pictures and decorating our home and making it feel like home!

Have a great day today and tomorrow! :)

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I just got a call a few minutes ago and it was transportation saying our Household goods are here!! YEAH! They'll be delivering it on Tuesday! I'm so happy...our own furniture, kitchen appliances, the boys toys, everything will be here! Chad's picking up our van as I write this too! It's great!

God is good! We're wanting to go on a nice vacation and with everything arriving now, this will let that happen!!!  I can't wait to sleep on MY MATTRESS! To have our couch and chairs to lounge in! All my kitchen stuff will be great too. I have of course more than I want to weed through and get rid of,  I think we'll probably have a garage sale in a couple of weeks.

Monday when I get home from taking my driver's test, (say a prayer that I pass this on the first try!) Chad and I will be working to push all the borrowed furniture to the side so that as the movers bring in and unpack our items we'll be able to have things placed where we want them, to make things less of a hassle!

I'm hoping Chad will be home with me, it just makes things easier, especially since both the boys will be home.  I'm going to have the movers take as much of the boxes and packing as possible! There will be things we will want to go through later and the movers will come back and get the rest of the packing and boxes!

I'm so excited!! LOL

Ok, I'll stop now! :)

Weekend Assignment #76

I'm on a roll...3 posts in 1 day! So I actually got this from Kelly....but the real question comes from John Scalzi.... Weekend Assignment #76: I (Heart) The South  so here's this week's question:

The American South -- particularly Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama -- were hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. But the American South has also responded to the tragedy with strength and generosity as well, opening cities and homes to those displaced in Katrina's wake. So this week's Weekend Assignment travels below the Mason-Dixon line for its topic:

Weekend Assignment #76: Tell us something you love about or from the American South. From sweet tea to Lynyrd Skynyrd, William Faulkner to the French Quarter, whatever makes you heart long for southern skies belongs right here.

Extra credit: In your opinion, which Southern state has the best barbeque?

Tha accent is actually my favorite thing about the South. My maternal grandfather is from Arkansas, which brings me back to my 2nd favorite thing is...home made biscuits...oh I can still taste them even though only one of my Great Aunts is left alive and she's not the best of the cooks out of my 4 Great Aunts, but she can still cook...she is after all a Southern Lady!

 

As far as BBQ, well I'm a Kansas girl, and my grandpa lived in Kansas City for nearly all my childhood...so with Mo literally being next door..I'll go with Missouri being the best for BBQ! :)

Mmmm...I think we'll be BBQ'ing this weekend!!

Ok, Kelly brought me to reality...MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE SOUTH: KENNY CHESNEY! YUMMY GOOD TN COUNTRY BOY, who loves the Beach! We're meant to be, I'm telling you! LOL Country music in general too..lol...

 

 

Hair Removal 101 or as I like to call it: Lesson's Learned for all women

Robin shared this with me last night. I read this last yr I think so as soon as I started reading it I remembered..be prepared it's a gut buster! :) Feel free to share the laughter!

Hair removal 101... God love the woman who shared this.

All hair removal methods have tricked us with their promises of
easy, painless removal - The epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and
now...the wax.

My night began as any other normal weekday night. Come home fix
dinner,played with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring
painfully in my mind for the next few hours: Maybe I should pull the
wax
out of the medicine cabinet. So I headed to the site of my demise; the
bathroom. It was one of those cold wax kits. No melting a clump of hot
wax, you just rub the strips together in your hand and then they get
warm and you
peel them apart press it to your leg (or wherever else) and hair comes
right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean I'm no girly,
girl but I am mechanically inclined enough that I can figure it out.
*YA THINK!!!*

So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each other
stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, I get out the hair
dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. Cold wax my rear end (Oh how this
phrase haunts me!)

I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and
pull. OK so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I can
do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-ra, fighter of all
wayward body hair and smooth skin extraordinaire. With my next wax
strip
I move north. After checking on the kids I sneak back into the
bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship. I drop my
panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same procedure I
apply the was strip across the right side of bikini line, covering the
right half of my vagina and stretching down to the inside of my butt
cheek (Yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace myself.
RRRRIIIPPP!!!!
I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!

Vision returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half of
the strip. S&%T!!! Another deep breath and RRIIPP. Everything is swirly
and spotted. Do I hear crashing drums??? OK, back to normal. I want to
see my trophy - A wax covered strip with my
hairy pelt, that has caused me so much pain, sticking to it. I want to
revel in the glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the
strip!
There's no hair on it.

Where is the hair. WHERE IS THE WAX??? Slowly I ease my head down, foot
still perched on the toilet. I see the hair..The hair that should be on
the strip. I touch. I am touching wax. S&%T I run my fingers over the
most sensitive part of my body, which is now covered in cold wax and
matted hair. Then I make the next BIG
mistake...................remember
my foot is still propped up on the toilet. I know I need to do
something. So I put my foot down.

DAMN!!!!!!!! I hear the slamming of the cell door.
Vagina? Sealed shut. Butt?? Sealed shut.

I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to
figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the
urge to poop. My head may pop off" Hot water!! Hot water melts wax!!
I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in,
immerse
the wax covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe it
off right???

*WRONG!!!!!!!*

I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than then that used to
torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit. Now,
the only thing worse that having your nether businesses glued together
is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the tub.
In scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax. So,
now
I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub!! God bless the man that convinced
me I should have a phone in the bathroom!!!!! I call my friend thinking
surely she's waxed before and has some secret of how to get me undone.

It's a very good conversation starter "So, my butt and who-ha are stuck
to the bottom of the tub!" There is a slight pause. She doesn't have a
secret trick but does try to hide the laughter from me. She wants to
know exactly where the wax is located on bottom "Are we talking cheeks
or hole or what?" She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I
give her the rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of
the box.

YEAH!!!!! Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night. While
we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax off with
a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies covered
in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in superhot water and then
dry
shaving the sticky wax off!! By now the brain is not working, dignity
has taken a major hike and I slip into glazed donut land. My friend is
still talking with me and my hand reaches towards the saving
grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I
really have to lose at this point.

I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!! The scream probably woke the kids,
scared the dickens out of my friend, but I really don't care.

"IT WORKS!! It works!! I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and
she hangs up. I successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then
notice to my grief and despair..................................

THE HAIR IS STILLTHERE.......................ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

So I shaved it off. Heck, I'm numb at this point.
Next week I'm going to try hair color......

 

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Well I've not done this for a while so I figured I better get back at it!!  :)

Kelly asks

EASY - like Sunday Morning!

Here's my question of the week.  Answer it in your journal and come back here and leave me a link in the comments.  I'll post your links on Saturday and we'll start over again next week :-)

Tell me.....

"Are you having nice weather for Labor Day Weekend?"

Here in Germany it was GORGOUS on Labor Day.  We got here it was hot, then got pretty chilly, and now it's back to just gorgous. We are able to go outside everyday and play at the park, go on walks, and just enjoy the day! The great thing is we've had a few days where the allergens have been high, but lately they have been low to non-existance, which is great for Jacob and me.

 

 

Growing Up Is Hard To Do

Today we got up and we were having an ok morning. Jackson took the new dvd that I bought 2 days ago, out of the case and stuck it into the VCR side (we have a combo vcr/dvd player), it doesn't seem to be scratched. I know it's just a dvd, but well they still cost money and there's no reason to ruin things. So that was how our morning started and it just seemed like every other moment one of the boys was doing something and it was not good. So at 9 am back to bed we all went (I admit freely I was happy to have an excuse to get to go lay back down). Jackson fell asleep fairly quickly, Jacob never did. So at 10:30 Jack woke up, Jacob and I were at this point dressed (we got out of bed at 10). I dressed Jackson and off we left for our ultimate arrival at church. We stopped by the shoppette and dropped off the movie I still had out "Faith of Our Father's" by John McCain (It was pretty good, I think I expected a little more though). After that off to church we went. Jackson went quietly to the nursery (I actually left him still sitting in his stroller, but huge accomplishment...NO TEARS! WHEW-HOO!! :)

Jacob and I headed to the sanctuary, which started off good. Now a little bit of info, we got to an on post Chaple and it's the ONLY chaple on post. So many different denominations have services there. Jewish, Catholic, Full Gospel, Luthern, and Protestant...we go to the Protestant. Jacob feels the need to pull down the "thing" ( sorry I can't think of the correct word) that during the Catholic service they kneel down and rest their knee's on while in prayer. The last 2 Sunday's I've told Jacob this is NOT a toy, it's a place for prayer, and to leave it alone. Last week, we had some minor attitude about it, but today it was 100 TIMES worse. It's amazing how your children can completely humiliate you. He had started trying to pull it down while we were singing. I told him no and to either stand beside me or have a seat, instead he stood by the wall to show his defiance for me. ( so nice to feel hatred from your child) Then we did the meet and greet, he got worse, I don't think I actually said hello to anyone, because he started stomping around acting just plain rediculous. Let me say that I was starting to get beyond feeling a minor upset to full blown angry with him. I took his hand and told him to have a seat, he let out a wail like I was beating him. That was the final straw. We have a quiet room, so I decided 1 more chance. I took him in there while he threw his fit, and he let out the loudest SCREECH/Scream. Imagine 4 yr old boy, screaming at the highest octave possible...I'm sure dogs from miles away heard him. People from the chaple turned around. I was 100% humiliated and pretty well FUMING! They dimissed for children's church and TADAAA Jacob was in a "much better mood". No way was I allowing him to go to Children's church, so he could watch Veggie Tales. (Summer months they just have the kids watch a short video, I guess because so many people move and take leave during the summer it's easier, but not really sure) Instead I told him we were going home. We headed back to the nursery to get Jack, he kept stopping and just standing there in defiance. A young man stopped (a kid about 12 or 13 who was helping with Children's church) to talk to him, Jacob wouldn't even look at him. (I think embarrassment had finally hit him). I went and got Jackson, who was THRILLED to see me. :) He was sitting in there playing with a farm! I got Jack and all his things and got him loaded into the stroller and had to drag Jacob out. Ahhhh!

So we started on our way home, and all the way Jacob keeps yelling "I WANT TO GO TO CHURCH". He was truly lucky we were outside in public viewing, because I had lost ALL patience and tolerance for him. Pure fury had taken hold of this Momma and it was good that I had a little bit of a walk still ahead of me. We got back to the apartment building, which the whole way Jacob had been crying all the way. I put the stroller up in the basement and told Jacob to get up to the apartment. He knew he was in trouble and didn't want to go! (LOL, defiant he is, but not stupid, he knew a spanking was waiting for him...yes I spank when the time calls for it) Jacob said he was going back to church, when we got up to the apartment. I had called Chad to see if he could talk to Jacob. Jacob opened up the door and took off downstairs. (He was NOT helping his situation). So here I was standing with Jackson who keeps asking "where Jacob?" and Jacob heading off to go back to church, or so he thinks. He was able to run away from TWO of our neighbors, and I had left Jack upstairs in our apt so I could run after Jacob. Let me tell you I DO NOT like that and other than the fact that I was afraid Jacob would do something foolish, and run into the street I WOULD NEVER leave my 2 yr old for a moment. My neighbor knew Jack was in the apt and said he'd get him for me and I was off. I ran as fast as my fat butt would allow and caught him at the road, the road is a decent distance away too. I was out of breath and just plain angry at Jacob. My downstairs neighbor had Jacob, while my upstairs neighbors were standing beside our other neighbor just watching...she's pregnant! ROFL! Ah...a possible glimpse of her future (for her sake I hope not!). So I CARRIED BOTH boys upstairs. Jacob got his spanking and put into his room for the rest of the day. He's sleeping now and will be allowed to come out at dinner time. (I did keep my wits about me btw when he got his spanking...I took a moment and prayed first and God calmed me down A LOT...prob. very lucky for Jacob). Jackson had lunch and he's down for a nap too. I sat down and had a good cry.

Being parents is not easy, then add into that equation of being a military family, and the fact that we're going to soon be facing another deployment, I truly am starting to dread this deployment. I know GOD will take care of Chad. I know he will take care of the boys and me, yet it's still hard for little boys to understand why Daddy isn't coming home every night. Heck it's hard for me to get the grasp at times.

So it's now 1:23 pm and that's been my day so far! So much for going to the park again today. :( Chad and I talked and he doesn't feel that I should take Jacob to the park, which in reality punish's me and Jack (since the park wears the boys out), but I do agree at the same time he shouldn't get a treat of the park.

So, if you are reading this, please say a pray for Jacob. I know he's really missing Daddy right now, who's just gone for some training and will be back soon. Pray for Jackson that he doesn't see this bad behavior and think he can do it too, and for me to parent in a Godly manner. I am tired and frustrated, and the day in a lot of ways has just begun!

Somewhere I'm failing my children and I'm not sure how to fix this. I'm about to start a bible study and have been in prayer over which one to do and am pretty sure that I need to do the parenting one. It was my initial thought to do, but as the week went on, I thought maybe I should do something else that made me focus more on me as a woman, vs just as a mother...but today has pretty well made me see I need to hone in on parenting and see if there's something different I can do with these boys. Our lives are hard enough being a military family, they don't need anymore knocks against them from a mom who can't keep things going as smoothly as possible.

 

I hope everyone else's day goes MUCH better than mine.

Putting things in perspective

I've had the tv on at different times today, right now The Today Show is on and a bit ago they showed families searching for loved ones. I sat her weeping. Weeping knowing that a good deal of these people are dead or dying. I weep for the daughter who tried her best to hold it together while urging her dad if he was watching to contact SOMEONE, anyone just so they'd know he was alright.

Last night I was all upset over something that in the realm of life, doesn't matter. I've read over and over people talking and yes just right out complaining about the gas prices (which yes they're high and going up), but they are not just complaining about the gas price today, but what it's possibly going to be and forgetting that as much as it stinks, there are people right now living in indoor football fields, because their homes are gone, much less their cars that are floating away. I'm going out on a limb to think they'd do anything right now to pay $4.00 a gallon for gas, because then they'd be safe and away from all this madness.

I read on another place of someone asking for prayers for all the people being bussed to Houston, and another responded "hey now you guys will have all the looters, they're all addicts looking for their next hit". I was stunned. This is a normally very wonderful Christian lady, yet in all of us there's ugliness, I know I definately have it, we all do, yet that just really took me off guard. Now I'm not saying people should be looting, it's stealing and we shouldn't steal..saying that IS very simple. I truly get that some people couldn't afford to get a hotel, and horrifyingly had to "ride it out". I watched the news as a woman talked about how she wished she could somehow give someone money for the food and necessities she was taking, but of course there was no one. I also know there are just some out there stealing, to steal, not because they NEED the things (no ONE needs tvs, dvd players, stereo's ) especially when there's no electricity. To see people though who are just trying to feed their families and diaper their babies, I can't say I blame them. I ache for them. I pray for them. I hope most of all they get out of there, because it's just not safe in New Orleans or Gulf Port or the many other area's that got hit.

I know I'm quite self-centered and it's hard when we get slapped in the face at just how self-centered we are. I hope that everyday I can learn something and better myself to be more like Christ. Everyday someone is suffereing a tragedy that for them is "Katrina", I know I've faced mine, and I ache for those who are hurting and suffering because of things out of their control.

I have the Today show back on again, and they have a family on here not only has their house literally been flattened, but the husband had lost his job recently and the new job he was supposed to start next Monday, was in New Orleans. People have lost their homes, vehicles, and jobs. Those things are material, and the important thing is their family is together and safe...yet now what. They have no home and job (this particular family has their vehicle). It's just astounding and terrifying to me as I am able to sit here on my computer with the tv on. How blessed am I and so many others who are sitting here horrified, but for a large part not effected, I hope everyone is praying for everyone who's effected and realizes that so many things we get worked up about really just don't matter so much.