I'm sorry, hurry up and WHAT NOW?!?!

I love being married to my soldier.  He is everything I could want in a man and everything the Army could want in a soldier.  He is a phenomenal husband, father, friend, and soldier.  But I HATE waiting for him to come home from deployment.

These last 8 months have been hard.  The kids are getting older and they are understanding more of why Daddy isn't home and that he won't be home for a long time.  They know that Mom is in charge now, she's good cop and bad cop, but more often then not, they see the bad cop.  It is difficult to find that balance between good cop and bad cop.  I try every day to see things from a different perspective, especially when the littles act out.  I try to look at the situation and think, "It's because they miss Daddy.  They are testing their boundaries, they are seeing how far they can push me."  But I hate that that is the excuse.  I miss Daddy too, but I'm not going around acting like a crazy mad woman, hitting people, throwing tantrums and being rude to every one.

Thankfully, this deployment is coming to an end and very soon at that.  These last 8 months went by very fast, but these last couple of weeks have been dragging on and on and on.  It is so hard to sit back and wait. This last week I was busy every day.  We had the Holiday Shoppe at the school where the kids all came and shopped for gifts for their family.  It is a really fun time for them and they all loved it.  At the end of each day I was so exhausted I ended up falling asleep super early.  But now, I have nothing to do! What do I do?  I could clean the house and do the laundry, but that only takes so long and then after that I've got nothing left.  I've got lunch with some girlfriends on Monday, but after that, nothing.  NOTHING!

Needless to say, I'm getting restless and I just want my husband home.  It will be a weight lifted off my shoulders and the littles will (crossing my fingers) go back to being themselves again.   Plus, I could totally use a Mommy's Night Out.  I've been missing my Mommy time for the last 8 months.  Don't get me wrong, I've been missing my Husband time too.  Lord knows I could go for an all day cuddle-fest.  But Mommy needs some adult interaction, preferably with some wine in the mix.

Okay, now that I have ranted, I will go back to watching my awesome reality television!

Goodnight all!

It's December and that means...

Time for Fancy Projects!

Last night I was up late creating a cute advent calendar for the kids.  I got the idea from iHeartOrganizing!  I love the website. Jen always has some great ideas for organizing and family fun!  I used her idea for a holiday countdown, and created a variation of my own. 

First, I went to Hobby Lobby.  By the way, do not go there on a Friday (it was also payday), after school (which is 3:30), and expect it to be not crowded.  Holy CRAP!  There were so many people there.  I suspect it was because there was a 50% off sale on all Christmas decor.  I was nuts to think it would be slow there. 

I got a cute wooden box.

You can find these online here. 

First I painted it all white.  A little accident happened after it dried.  Oops! I forgot to leave the top propped open a little so it wouldn't stick to the box.  When I went to pry it open I ended up ripping off the top, the front edge and side edge.  Thankfully there was a part still attached to the hinges and one of the other sides.  So I scrambled through the house to find some Krazy glue.  When I found it 10 expletives and 20 minutes later,  I was able to glue it all back together. YAY!

After the scary party was over, I then painted on red stripes to the top of the box.  I just used regular scotch tape to tape off the lines.  No, I did not measure, I did it all by eye. 

After that was dry I tried to use a stencil and paint on letters that spelled "Advent Calendar"  Unfortunately, that did not work out as I had hoped.  Grr.  So I had to hand paint the rest of it on.  Yes, the A looks funny.  Sue me!

This is what it looks like when I finished it.  I think it looks cute no matter how cracked out the letters look.  ;)

From there I made cards for each day and wrote down activities for the littles to do each day.  

I used a lot of the ideas from iHeartOrganizing, but I added in a few of my own.  One, in particular, is my favorite.  

They don't know when Daddy is going to be home.  All they know is that he is coming home this month.  We have talked about different scenarios to surprise them.  

1. Surprise them at school during class. (that can only happen if he gets home during school hours)

2. Surprise them at the park after school. (again depends on the time he gets home)

3. Waking them up super early and having them see what Santa brought them for an early Christmas present. 

4. Having them see this card before knowing Daddy is home. 

Any of these will be great, I'm just hoping we can pull it off.  Thankfully I have amazing friends that are willing to help out with each scenario.  

The other project I did turned out fantastic.  I LOVE IT! I have seen it about a billion and 13 times on Pinterest, so I thought I would finally do it. 

Super cute Wreath wrapped in red and ivory yarn with cute felt rosettes and holly!

It is now hanging on our front door. We have never had a hanging wreath on our front door. I am loving this one! 

One last thing the littles and I did for a few good times and a bunch of laughs was made chocolate mustaches on a stick!

Needless to say it was a lot of fun!  And they tasted delish! I love dark chocolate mustaches in the evening! tee hee.

I hope everyone is having a great December so far.  I know it has only just begun, but it's never too late to have a great time!

When Christmas Comes to Town

Before I get into anything regarding Christmas, first I must reflect on Thanksgiving.  At first the littles and I were a little sad because Daddy wasn't here for yet another holiday.  But, we have the BEST friends here and the day before Thanksgiving we got a phone call from our BEST friends asking if we would like to join them.   Immediately, my eyes welt up with tears, but I held back a sob and graciously accepted the invitation.

The littles and I were so excited to be going over to our friends to spend the holiday with them, laughing, playing, and eating some darn good food. And boy was the food GOOD!

If it was not for friends like these, we would have been home alone, moping about Daddy not being here again.  We truly do have some of the best friends anyone could ask for.  They opened their hearts and home to us and I could not be more appreciative. Thank you very much!


NOW... on to the next holiday!  Someone stopped by in the middle of the night and greeted the kids this morning.  Can you guess who?

The Elf on the Shelf has made an appearance people!  The littles and I decided to name him Elfred! Get it!  It's like Alfred, but since he's an Elf... HA HA HA!  Okay, sorry.  I guess I got a little carried away with the name. But I just think it's too darn cute!

The littles have already told them what they want for Christmas and have filled out their Letter to Santa.  I made these up last night on Microsoft PowerPoint.  I told them that they came with the Elf and that Santa wanted each of them to fill it out and Elfred would bring it back to Santa tonight when he goes back to the North Pole to give his Daily Report.

I love how they turned out.  So super cute! I love reading what they wrote down.  Here is what Little Man wrote down for what his Christmas Wishes are...

He just wants Daddy to come home.  I have to admit, I cried like a baby just out of the womb.  Hard sobs.  This kid knows how to make the flood gates open.

I'm going to let you all in on a little secret.  The kids do not know when exactly he is coming home... but I do!  We are not telling them because we want to surprise them either at school or however we can.  They know he is coming back in Dec, but not the date.  Tee Hee.. I'm so mean.  I LOVE IT!

Do not worry though fellow friendlies, I will post pictures of the awesomely, tearful reunion.  None of you will be left out of knowing how it all turned out.

Lastly, tomorrow is the last day of my 24-Day Challenge!! WOOT!  So far I have lost 5 pounds and 7 inches!! Mostly from my thighs and hips.  On an even MORE awesome note,  I have dropped a pant size!! YAY!  Instead of being in a size 6 I am now in a 4!! WOO HOO!  For the last 6 years I was in a size 7 and while that was all fine and dandy ( I started off at a size 0 before having kids), I am just so pleased as punch to be in a 4!!!

If any of you would like to see results like mine or better, please contact me and we can get you started on a 24-Day Challenge as well.  Those who do the Challenge will be entered to win a Coach Purse!  WOOT! COACH! Who doesn't want a Coach Purse?  This lady does, but I already completed (or just about to complete) my challenge.

Well, that is all for my verbalage (is that a word, oh well I'm making it one) for today.  I hope you all had a wonderful and full of Thanks-giving! Ha, see what I did there? Yea, I'm pretty cool like that.  I also hope you all have a magical and festive holiday!

I haven't lost my mind, but I have lost...

4 pounds!!!  

I cannot believe how much I have lost and it's only been 5 days.  I have been feeling on top of the world with my energy levels, I feel healthier now that I've been eating better, and I feel like I could take on the world!

Over the last few weeks I had been so busy that things just sort of fell by the wayside.  Laundry piled up a bit (a lot), and clean dishes were disappearing on a few occasions, but with the break in events going on in my busy life, I finally had a day of nothing but cleaning.  My house is CLEAN!!

Before taking AdvoCare products I would not have been able to get as much done as I did today.  My husband can totally vouch for that.  I would get tired easily and I would get distracted or unmotivated.  Essentially, I would just give up and the house would still look like the aftermath of a tornado/nuclear explosion test site.  However, today I was able to do so much and I didn't get tired, distracted, or unmotivated.  I got 5 loads of laundry done, all the dishes, swept, mopped, counters, stove, oven, threw away old papers, and even had enough time left over to do the main bathroom before I had to pick up my kids.

I owe all of that to AdvoCare!  It has changed my life and now I want it to change yours.

If you would like to start on a 24 Day Challenge, or even gain a little insight into some of the products, please do not hesitate to ask.

Choose The Challenge

My AdvoCare Website

24 Day Challenge

Hello friendlies,

As you know from my last post I have started selling and using AdvoCare products.  And let me just say, WOW!  I am in love with just the few products I have started taking.

Friday morning I started with the Herbal Cleanse.  That first day I was rewarded with so much energy, and let me tell you, I needed it.  The day started off early in the am with an early morning wake up from my two lovies (my children).  I started with the Fiber Drink in Peaches and Cream, (yummy!) and a healthy breakfast of scrambled eggs and fresh fruit. Then I made a Spark drink in Pink Lemonade (my fave!).  Then it was off to the lovies school to get things started for Fall Fest!  Once we had the last few things done and done, a few of us headed off to the FRC (Family Readiness Center) for a Spouse Event.  It was AWESOME! Lots of activities, information, good conversations, oh and did I mention FREE SWAG?  Yep, there were giveaways.  Sadly I did not win the one thing I went there for, the iPad. *sad face*  Then it was back to the school to start on decorations for Fall Fest.  Lots of signs were hung, an outside display of hay bails, pumpkins, mums, and Scarecrows.  The evening felt long, but I had the energy to spare and finally at 8pm it was all over and we were on our way home at 8:15pm.  When we got back home I had remembered that I had math homework to do. Oops! I'm a bit of a slacker (don't tell my mom).  At the end of the day I rolled into bed by 11:30pm and ready for Mr. Sandman to bring me a dream.

But the moral of the story is... AdvoCare is AWESOME!  I was able to get through this long and hectic day without feeling tired or run down at all.  Before I used to feel exhausted by noon and need a nap before picking up the kids from school and another when we got home.  But not Friday! It was amazing.  I love feeling like I have energy to spare.  I have been able to get so much done over the last few days, it is incredible.

If you would like to feel like me and also lose pounds and inches... ask me about the 24 Day Challenge!  I am only at the beginning but I can feel the changes being made already and I am loving it.  I want all of you to feel this way too.

Are you ready for a new, more energized and slimmer you?  Contact me today!

Starting a New Adventure

Over the weekend I started a new adventure.  I signed up to become a distributor for AdvoCare.  This company provides overwhelming results in weight loss, energy supplements, and fitness and wellness aids.

I have taken the first step into providing more for my family. I have been a stay-at-home mother and wife for the last 7 and a half years.  I started online college last year and have also been volunteering at my children's school as the PTO Vice President.  I didn't think I could fit any more on my plate, but my sister-in-law told me that because I am involved in so much, it will only help my business!

So here I am! I am excited for the possibilities!

Soon I will start recruiting people to take on the 24-Day Challenge.

Stay tuned for more information!

Popularity Contest?

When I was younger I had a small group of friends.  We were inseparable, we did everything together.  But there were times when I would not be invited to things. I felt left out, like they were mad at me or just didn't like me any more. When I grew up I thought to myself, I want my kids to someday have a group of friends that will love to be around them. I want them to have play dates and go to each other's birthday parties. I want them to feel included. 

Sometimes, you don't always get what you wish for.  I find myself feeling awful for them when they don't get invited to play dates or birthday parties.  They see what is going on and they know when they are not invited, they then cry to me about it and my heart breaks.
What am I supposed to say to them? How do I ease that hurt that they feel? I sometimes just do not have the words to make them feel better.  All I can do is simply cuddle with them and let them know everything will be okay.  Sometimes I cry with them.  It brings me right back.

Yes, that was in my past, but when you have children, you want everything for them. You want them to be happy and loved.

Today my heart aches because it has turned into another one of those days.  Though in a strange way I feel like it's been a slow process in the making.  It's strange to say, but I feel like I've seen it coming.

I just hope that my kids will bounce back from this, myself included.  I want nothing more than my kids to be happy and love life and the ones in their lives.