Good-bye, Hello

Well, I can finally say good-bye to an old chapter in our lives. Wes came home this morning from being attached to the USS Hawaii (SSN 776) for 4.5 years. A huge sigh of relief came over me when he walked in the door. The girls went crazy after they finally realized who he was. (I hadn't told them he was coming home. Didn't want to jinx it.)

While I am completely, utterly excited about this, I am reminded that there are friends and family still attached to the boat. I will never forget these ladies for their support, friendship and sisterly love. Not matter what, we ARE a family. I will pray for each of these families daily as they face deployment head-on. I can only hope that they know I am here for them and will always support them.

That being said, I can now breathe. I even mentioned to Wes this evening, "It's going to take me a while to come to terms that you are home now. You're not going back out to sea again for a while." I can feel a weight lifted.

Mourning the Loss of a Loved One

And the time has finally come to say good bye. It deeply saddens my heart to see such a tragedy occur. My heart aches, my sanity suffers.

So long, NAP TIME. You were my best friend, my solace, my brief moment of sanity in the middle of the day. You will be sorely missed. Oh, how I remember the days when we would gather together to breathe and enjoy peacefulness. Left behind are future days of activities, energetic girls running about (driving me mad....LOL), and errands that never were accomplished during the morning. May you never be forgotten.

And now onto other things....

Soon to come: The Untold Story of Packing for the Mega-Mainland Trip

Picture This!

One thing about being married to someone in the Navy is learning to be flexible. Flexible with your plans, with your time, with your opinions. Today has been one of those days where you just have to "roll with the punches."

Picture this... it's about three in the afternoon. Gwyn is downstairs in the living room playing with a giant floor puzzle (and doing quite well at it, I must say). I am in the kitchen, baking of course. I had been hearing Brooke playing in her room, but not really paying attention to my motherly instincts.

Shame on me!!!

I sent Gwyn up the stairs to get her sister. No problem. She comes down the stairs and this is how I am greeted:

And before you flood my email/facebook/comment section with questions.... NO, that is not chocolate on her face and nose. No. I couldn't be so lucky.

And yes, it is POO.

I frowned, walked up the stairs, and faced the unknown of her bedroom. I do have to admit that it was mostly contained in one place - my glider rocker's seat. Thank the heavens it is removable and washable, which is where it is as I am writing.

Remember the "flexibility" I was referring to earlier? Well, baths are supposed to be for nighttime. But today, they are for "just after waking up from a pseudo-nap". When today is not usually laundry day, this day it is.

I love how my family keeps me on my toes, makes my life spontaneous, and puts a smile on my face.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

It's been a very long 4 and a half years.... And I can finally say that there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel for us. We are closing a chapter only to begin a new one.

Wes is leaving soon for his final underway on the USS Hawaii. It's bittersweet for me because of all that we have been through while attached to this command. There have been many friends, many hurdles and many, many memories. From the beginning, a miscarriage, appointment to Ombudsman, having Gwyn, Homeport change, having Brooke, our deployment and several other significant moments have changed our lives forever. We have grown as individuals and as a family.

For Wes, he will be transferring soon to a shore-duty command. For those not familiar with the Navy, that means he will be home to see his girls. We are staying here in Hawaii for the next three years. Yippeee!!!! (Anyone need a vacation? We have a perfect spare bedroom or pull-out couch.)

Feeding My Pinterest Addiction

I "joined" an online program called Pinterest about 6 months or so ago. It's quite addicting in the sense that you see all this stuff you want to do/make/cook/try. From cupcake ideas to crafting projects to photography advice, I am completely hooked.

So, I thought I would share with you a craft project I decided to try. It's making glass tile pendants. I saw these glass tiles on sale in the craft store's advertisement, and it seemed like a great and fun project. I am attempting to be more creative and crafty - because we all know I have tons of time on my hands for new things. Here's an example of the finished product:

One of these is a gift (the "E" one) for a friend who had a miscarriage. My heart goes out to them during this time of recovery. I have been praying for them for quite a while and will continue to do so.

You're probably wondering why on earth I am posting this on my blog. Well, I need your feedback. I am thinking about selling these at an Arts and Crafts show in May. Would you buy one for yourself or a loved one? About how much would you pay for one of these? Ultimately, would you wear a pendant like this?

Ringing in the New Year

While I do believe that I am still young enough to stay awake to see the ball drop, I had a hard time accomplishing this last night. My excuse? I have 8. That is, 8 dozen cupcakes. The largest order I believe I have completed thus far - a 6-dozen order for a New Year's Eve party. And then, two sweet little ones turned one today, which prompted two more dozen (oh, and 4 pounds of oreo fudge to boot). Needless to say, I am pooped with a capital P.

Here's a picture of the boys heading out for their party.

Tonight, the family and I camped out in the living room and had dessert. My girls will never be able to say that we didn't spoil them. We roughed it under the "tent" all the while eating chocolate mousse. See the mustaches and goatees?

What are they all staring at? Why, Strawberry Shortcake, of course!! Daddy's such a trooper - in a house full of girls. Even the dog is female.