One of Jennifer's projects

I've been super busy over the last few months with projects around the house, either sewing or sorting, or setting stuff up... but when I'm trying to enjoy some down time and need to unwind enough to get to sleep, I feel totally useless just sitting and doing nothing while Jason and I are watching TV or a movie, or Jason's play a game, or working on his computer. SO-- when there are those times I really couldn't be bothered to pay attention to what' on, or he's enjoying his video game, I LOVE to sit and cross stitch (among other projects, but this is the current top choice). As much as I love projects that reach completion quickly, I also love the look of large, detailed projects.

Even if not a single soul found a reason to stop by my blog, just posting this will make me feel like I got to show it off. Hey, with ALL the hours it took to create this -- I want to show it off at least a little, because I seriously doubt many people will be IN our house to see it. Okay, the kids friends love it, and I will certainly enjoy their "oh cool"s as often as I can get them. Anyway - here he is... King Tut is done, and I just LOVE how it turned out.

One of the great side effects to killing time and creating at the same time, the kids all got curious. So, we invested in some simple designs for them to test it out a little and see if they like it. We will ALL enjoy their interest in x-stitching more ~> when they learn to keep better track of their needles -- Ouch. The other nice thing is that we actually have something else I've made that is going to STAY. Normally I make stuff for other people. I'm kinda happy to know this is going UP on the wall in OUR HOUSE :O). We already bought the frame for it even. Yippie yeah!!

Hope life is being good to one and all, and you get to enjoy some down time of your own, what ever it is you do to relax and reclaim a moment for yourself.

Fast Forward to 2008

All righty, I tried to blog on another site a couple years ago (tried and flopped), and totally forgot that I even had THIS blog page. One of my many brothers is VERY technologically savy, and so of course, keeps a blog. Sorry, ......TWO - because I definately want to be informed on the rare Occasion I get to go to the Movies. Reading his blog(s) has become one of my favorite early morning pasttimes while trying to let my brain wake up after(uh, I mean - Before) driving my oldest son to early morning seminary. If Steve hasn't updated his blog, I wander the web. I've been COMPLETELY enjoying reading the blogs of SO many old friends we grew up with and seeing their families.

So much has happened that should have filled a book or 2 over the last year and a half, but instead I got totally Lost in the Sauce of taking care of the kids and keeping moving forward. The photo I posted was taken just before Jase left for Iraq. We were living in Okinawa, Japan at the time, and did our best to continue to enjoy the Island instead of dwelling on the total feeling of claustrophobia that would set in. I grew up with our family "car trippin." and have done the same with my kids. If you drive less then 9-14 hours to get somewhere, it was an EASY trip. If you get in the car in Okinaw and drive for 9 hours, you've gone to the top, back down, and bounced around a couple times on your way back up and down again. Want to know the fastest way to kill time when a spouse is deployed - have a kid break a bone. Try a femur! Yikes. We made it thru the holidays, and just as we were relaxing in the mid-January "slow down and breath", poor Randy took a different route home from school on his bike in light rain. He was totally used to riding in the rain, but this way home, turning a corner that was a bit steeper then he anticipated in the slick conditions, he slid and wiped out. The bar on his bike hit just right to snap his left femur in half. He was super brave laying on the road in the rain - and THIS folks, is why I got him a cell phone for emergencies. He was only 12 houses away, and I was there in a heartbeat. Luckily, we were ON base at this time, and had quite a few wonderful people stop and help - Randy to stay dry, and me to stay sane - while we waited for the ambulance. After surgery, a couple of very small rods, months of healing and physical therapy, he had the rods removed from his bone just prior to leaving Okinawa. Yup, tending to him ate up alot of time I could have spent feeling sorry for my stint of single parenting, or worrying about what situation my husband was in this day or that. I'm glad my son is healed, and that my husband is home. I told the kids, next deployment, large distractions are NOT necessary, but thanks for the thought.

Jase returned to us last April (not even a full year home yet) and then we started the final countdown of the kids school year, as well as our time in Okinawa. Cleaning, sorting, off to sell stuff at the flea market, and more cleaning.

Now we are stationed here in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
---- Oh wait, have I mentioned we are in the Marine Corps? 12+ years and headed for many many more. :O) !!
We have 5 children ranging from 5 and a half (don't forget the half) all the way up to nearly 15 (and he's got a couple inches up on Mom now.) 4 Boys and 1 girls smack dab in the middle. Don't feel sorry for her, she definately holds her own. Besides, I was #5 with 6 brothers until I was 13 and 'finally' got a little sister. Dare I point out that said sister is the same age as my oldest niece on my husbands side of the family, and only 2 years older then Jase's oldest daugher. So, my 'poor daughter' doesn't get any sympathy from me. If the good lord wanted her to have a sister in the same house, then he'd have given me another 4 sons just to balance things out. ;o) So, a half sister living in England is better then no sister at all. We've convinced her of that, let's not spoil the illusion.
After enjoying 3 years as a full time stay at home mom, I am back in the states, and back to the grind. Luckily, will all the kids in school now, I was blessed with the opportunity to get a job that allows me to be gone after the kids leave, and home before they are - most days anyway. Saturdays they hang out with dad during my 5 hour shift, and for the most part, noone ever remembers my schedule, nor do they miss me. AND I get to get to bed at a descent hour. I spent many years closing at either Movie Gallery, or Golden Corral - when I would go to work after the youngest were in bed, and got home in the midnight to 1 am range. That worked at the time, and I loved naptime. Now -- I've progressed -- and It's time for seminary to kick my sleep schedule the Other direction. he he.

So, now that I've been reminded that I have this blog to post on, I guess I'll go ahead and add "figuring this whole thing out" to my ~ to do while waking up in the wee hours of the day~ list.

Wish me luck, I just might need it.