Happy Birthday, Alana!

Today, my oldest child turns 5!

I know, right? It seems like just yesterday--ok, not really. It actually feels like so long ago. It's hard to remember life before kids. The kids are sucking out my brain!!!!

Okay, I'm better now.

As I was saying, Alana is 5 today! I remember it all very clearly (except for about 12 hours during/after delivery). We had just moved to Fort Hood. We'd been in temporary housing for 3 weeks and had JUST got our house. It went like this: Friday, sign for housing; Monday, household goods arrived; Tuesday, go in for blood pressure check and get admitted to the hospital immediately.

Yeah, you can imagine the thoughts zooming through my head as the nurse wheeled me (in a wheelchair--as if I couldn't walk!) from the Women's Care Clinic upstairs to Labor and Delivery. I finally called my husband and somehow amidst my blubbering, he figured out that he needed to get to the hospital ASAP! Talk about freaked out! I could hardly think straight. It was my first child, we were on a new post where we knew no one, we had just got a house and nothing was unpacked.

Then my doctor comes and tells us that they aren't going to induce labor right now, but they are admitting me to the hospital, hopefully for two and a half weeks. Um...but my house isn't unpacked!

Well, that didn't last. Two days later, due to complications, they induced labor.

I won't go into the horrors of the labor/delivery, it might scare some people. Let's just say 21 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing, Alana finally made her appearance! At 5 lbs 11 oz, she was a tiny bundle of joy!

Groggy mommy didn't notice much for the next few hours as she came off of some meds and some shock effects to her body.

Today, she is a super smart pre-schooler who loves to learn and draw. When she's not curled up with her pencils/crayons, she likes to play dressup with her sister and running around outside!

Happy Birthday, Alley Cat! (it's what my dad nicknamed her b/c of how she sounded when she was born)

Anticipation

The long awaited day arrives tomorrow.

My family finally gets to move into our very own house!

I cannot tell you how we have counted down the days, hours, and minutes. It has been a long, frustrating road. Let me give you just a peek at the past few months.

On December 6th, 2010, movers came to pack our stuff up and haul it off to be shipped to Hawaii.

On December 13th, hubby and I dropped the van off in St. Louis for it's long trip overseas. Then proceeded to take our 30 day vacation (a little less than 30 days).

On January 9th, we began the 14 hour trip from St. Louis, to LAX, and finally to our home state for the next few years...Hawaii. We check into the nice little inn on post.

February 8th was our original move in date, but due to circumstances beyond our control, we lost the house. A new move-in date was set for a different house--March 4th. Did that happen? Nope.

Here it is--tomorrow is March 8th and we'll finally be in our new digs.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




On just as happy of a note, my youngest daughter celebrates her 4th birthday today! Unfortunately, we don't get to celebrate quite as fully as we normally like to, as we are hurriedly packing up the room so we can move tomorrow. However, we plan to throw a family party on Tuesday evening.

Four years ago, I lay in hospital room surrounded by my mom and two sisters (husband was deployed at the time...he has a knack for arranging that when I'm pregnant). Labor was induced at about 8 in the morning, and Kyra arrived 8 1/2 hours later with only a few issues.

Today, she is a excitable drama queen with lots of energy. She's rarely without a smile and she loves to be the center of attention. Her favorite color is pink and she is obsessed with princesses. That's what she is...our lil' princess.

Happy Birthday, darling!

Hello, December!

Hello, December! Oh how I've missed you. So glad you've come around again.


Now, for all of my faithful readers, picture this:

Wet snow perfect for sledding and building snowmen

Hot chocolate (or coffee)

Crackling fireplace with a stack of books and that perfect throw

A bare Christmas tree just begging to be decorated

A nativity scene with a missing baby Jesus (yes, I hide mine until Christmas morning)


This is my time of the year!

This year is a little different for us though. We didn't get to put up a tree and decorate the house. We'll be having Christmas "on the road" this year. As we prepare for our transition to Hawaii, we are taking four weeks to visit family (who knows when we'll see them again!).

That's what I'm looking forward to most this year. Spending time with our families. Being military, we very rarely live anywhere close to family. Right now, my family is in Virginia and my husband's family is in Kentucky--we're in Kansas (soon to be Hawaii). Family get togethers only happen a couple of times a year.

This year will be extra special.

What are you looking forward to this Christmas season? Anything special or different? Or are you reveling in the gift of a "normal" Christmas celebrating the birth of Christ?

Farewell November

Wow! Who can believe it is the last day of November already? It just seemed to fly by for me--so much to do, so little time.

This month is all about Thanksgiving.

You know, I think we learn (or are reminded of) something when we reflect on what we are most thankful for. Sometimes we are reminded of just how lucky we are. Sometimes we learn that good things come to those who work hard. Sometimes we learn that while the day to day is important, nothing compares to time shared with family. Sometimes we learn something completely off the wall!

So before we enter a season of sparkling snow, blinking lights, carols, and a special birthday celebration...let's consider what we learned.

I learned that even in the midst of chaos and craziness when you can't celebrate holidays with traditions, just being with your family can fill you with that special holiday spirit.

What did you learn?

To Kick off the Christmas Season...

It’s official folks! We have entered into my favorite time of the year. Christmas. I look forward to December from the moment we flip over into the new year all the way until the day after Thanksgiving (which is when I am able to convince hubby to finally pull out the Christmas decorations). I am one of those weird people that would let my house look like Christmas all year long if my husband didn’t threaten to chuck all of the decorations. Hehehe…

My favorite part, though, is definitely the aspect that has diminished over the years. I love celebrating the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. That’s the whole reason for the holiday, right? My girls are getting old enough to start understanding what Christmas is all about, and I so look forward to imparting this bit of good news to them.

Know what else? I love Christmas music.

Yep, that’s right. I would also listen to Christmas music all year long if…well, you know. My favorite Christmas song is “Mary, Did You Know?”

As parents, from the time we know we are expecting, we dream of what our children will be when they grow up. We have lofty aspirations for them and try our best to equip them to be the best person that they can be. I’m sure Mary and Joseph were no different.

In the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, an angel comes to Mary and relates to her God’s will for her. “But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Now, talk about some lofty aspirations. I wonder how hard it would be to grasp that kind of news. Never mind the part about being a virgin and giving birth, but to know that your son is meant to be THE king in the house of Jacob, or as the angel says in his next line, the Son of God.

When Mary gave birth in a stable and laid her son in a manger, how hard was it to comprehend how this lowly birth would rise to the right hand of God? How would we even know how to train our child for something like that?

One other thing that I love about the song, “Mary, Did You Know?” is that it does a wonderful job of displaying both the deity and the humanity in Jesus. I can’t listen to that song without tearing up each time. Just imagining myself in Mary’s place is enough to humble me.

I have been blessed beyond belief with two daughters and a son. Of course, I dream of what my children will be when they grow up. My biggest hope is that they will be compassionate, God-fearing people who aren’t afraid to make a difference.

Mama's Holiday Wish List

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?

That we will have a safe and smooth transition from Kansas to Hawaii (yes, we’re moving over the holidays).

2. What is your Christmas morning tradition?

We get up when the girls do, open presents, read the Christmas story while monkey bread bakes in the oven.

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?

A new laptop! Mine is 2 ½ years old and, as much as I use it, has started overheating (even with one of those air fans), and sometimes the internet freezes for no particular reason that I can tell.

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?

Remembering that Jesus was all about helping others, it’s fun to find ways to help friends and neighbors. We also make time for family night with special dinners and Christmas movies.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?

Oh we are a big game family and played lots of different board/card games. Our favorite was Scrabble for many years, but Cranium may have taken over.

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?

Opening one present on Christmas Eve, and monkey bread for breakfast on Christmas Day.

7. Where would you go for a Christmas-away-from-home trip?

To visit family, of course! Or somewhere that really goes all out for celebrating Christmas.

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?

1. Nintendo DS
2. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (for hubby)
3. Zumba Fitness for Wii

Let's Share! -- Thanksgiving Traditions

As a child, I always looked forward to Thanksgiving. Most years my family headed out to my grandmothers for the weekend. Now, this may not sound too exciting, but you'd have to know my family. Here are some important stats:

1. My grandmother had 9 kids--all married--all with at least 2 kids of their own. Talk about a full house!

2. My family is VERY big on board/card games, and people are always bringing new games to try out.

3. One of the favorite things for the kids was BINGO. The parents collected little prizes throughout the year and put them in a big box. Yay!

4. BIG family means LOTS of food. I mean TONS! (And not just for the actual Thanksgiving Day event)

5. My grandmother lives in the middle of nowhere. This means all kinds of things for kids to do outside. Dig holes. Play ball. Walk the creek. Go deer hunting. Play with electric cattle fences.

6. Nothing compares to the wonderful feeling of togetherness when surrounded by family.

Now that most of the grandkids are grown and having kids of their own, Thanksgiving isn't quite the same. Not everyone makes it out anymore. A lot of the family has diabetes, so the food has changed as well. Still, I retain those fond memories from childhood of a true Thanksgiving complete with all the trimmings of family.

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? Memories?

Christmas Spectacular Blog Tour!

Christmas is just around the corner! What fun! How exciting!

I am in the beginning stages of planning a blog tour for Christmas—a chance for all of us to share our thoughts and memories of the holiday season.

The tour will last for four weeks—each week with a theme. All of it leading up to the big party on Christmas Eve Day on my blog. The themes are:

The Holidays are Here!—a survival guide and why the holidays are so exciting.

Holiday How-Tos—anything from tying a bow around a Christmas present to avoiding scary extended family to more serious subjects like keeping Christ in Christmas.

A Treasure of Traditions and Memories—Self-explanatory. What are your favorite Christmas traditions? Or what are some unique ones you’ve heard of? What are your favorite memories?

The Reason for the Season—Thoughts and reflections on what makes this season so special

What I need now is blogs!

Each volunteer will pick a day of the week (hopefully there will be a few each day) to create a post around the theme of the week. I’ll organize the days and keep everyone up to date. The posts can be funny or serious, long or short (but not too long…), whatever your feeling for the week—as long as you are uplifting, encouraging, and celebrating—avoid blatant negativity. Every day on my blog, I will post the blogs that are featured that day, and I invite everyone else to do the same.

If you can commit to one post a week between Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) until Christmas Eve Day, leave a comment on this post!

If you don’t want to participate (or even if you do), and would still like to help, I am looking for festive gifts for the big party on Christmas Eve Day. Books, baskets of goodies, ornaments…use your imagination. You won’t have to send it to me, I’ll send you the winner’s information (which will be in the US). If this sounds like a wonderful opportunity to give back this holiday season, leave a comment below.

I am hoping this will be a fantabulous party that we can all enjoy, as well as entertain our followers. In case you can’t tell—I love Christmas!

Happy Earth Day!

In recent years, "Going Green" has become a hot topic. We're in a rush to save our planet...and ourselves. But what happened to all the "easy" stuff they taught us back in elementary school? Sheesh! Going Green really seems like a full time job...not that I don't...um...try. Really I do.

Now, as a writer, there are several items that I use that often go to waste. So, here is a list of ways we writers can pitch in to SAVE THE PLANET!

1. Keep my laptop/desktop off when not in use. This lets the smoke clear, the generator cool...and keeps me from returning to my computer for "just a few more minutes".

2. Recycle soda cans. I have discovered a new way to relieve stress and cure writer's block! Tin Can Toss: build a pyramid of cans and throw random stuff from your desk at it in an attempt to knock over all the cans. When you succeed in knocking over all the cans in ONE shot...your writer's block will be cured. Really. DO IT!

3. Reuse old pens/pencils. Decorate the tips of old pens and pencils with little felt people that represent your characters. In addition, use one of the cardboard boxes that housed your bulk paper and create a stage. A great way to reinact scenes to make sure they are realistic and plausible.

4. Finally, our most important resource...PAPER! With all the paper we use, we probably should each be responsible for planting a small forest each year...but instead, let's be creative.

* Wrap presents. Hey, if people can use newspaper to wrap gifts, we can use our old drafts. After all, our novels are much more interesting than last month's political upheaval.

* Make sure to use front and back. Done with first draft? Print the second draft on the back of the first. No...it won't get confusing. Use a different font/different colored ink. It's THAT easy.

* We've all heard about people wallpapering their office with their rejection letters. DO IT! Motivation and fashion decor rolled into one.

* Never underestimate the adrenaline rush in a good game of trashcan basketball. Just make sure to reuse the "balls".

* One word: BONFIRE!!!

So, now that you've got a plethora of ideas to put all that waste to better use. I expect that we'll be using less trees, less electricity, and to all become the next Broadway designers.

Oh, and anything else that you may "think" is trash, ie used ink cartriges, notebooks, broken CDs or other media storage, use to create ART that will drive your inspiration right into the next novel.

What are your tips for Earth Day?

Happy Belated Father's Day!

Yesterday, my family and I enjoyed a day of fun and sun. We went to an outdoor mall and walked around, played in a fountain, and ate at a children's dinosaur themed restaurant (hubby's choice...he's such a kid). We had fun celebrating the fact that my kids have a wonderful father. It was also our sixth anniversary. It was nice...

My friend, Jeannie Campbell, had a wonderful post about father's on her blog. Stop by and leave her a note! http://www.mindhealingfiction.blogspot.com