Out and About

 Today was warm...

In addition to going out and about I also did laundry and packed and sorted for the AL trip not to mention I did get up and walk this morning. Since we did church last night we did not have that this a.m. We also made a commissary run in between laundry loads.

 Shreveport Veteran's Memorial

We found a new way to the downtown area and on our way we stopped to look at the Veteran's memorial which was kind of neat. We also checked out the outlet mall area (via drive by since it was waaaaay too warm to get out and shop in this outdoor venue, maybe this fall when the weather cools). We also drove by MiBs elementary school, it's pretty much how he remembered it. There is a new addition but it's still the same overall.

We went for an early dinner since we had a light lunch of hummus and veggies with a bit of cheese. We tried a new place that will NOT BE A KEEPER. This is unfortunate since we had high hopes but I guess it wasn't meant to be. It's our second attempt to find a good Mexican restaurant, we have had no joy! Today's was on a recommendation of more then one...great place they said. Hmmmm, not so much in our opinion, though the two surfboards used in  the decor got high marks from MiB the food, very specifically, the fajitas did not. I was not so shocked since he had the same experience at the last place we tried.

FAJITAS 101 - Saute the veggies, they taste better that way and by veggies I mean more then just a couple green pepper slices and a few onions. Use onions, red and yellow peppers and plenty of them. Toss all this with the meat and bring it out on a platter that is hot and sizzling.  Please do not bring a cold sliced chicken breast placed on 9 slices of firm onion with two slightly limp slices of green pepper. THIS IS NOT FAJITAS, trust me it's NOT. Then also please do not give me unheated tortilla's that are not even homemade, it's just not right people! In addition if you are going to serve rice, flavor it please, that way it taste better! 

You see we love our Mexican food, we had some awesome Mexican food in TX and OK on our travels and if we can't get it here in LA we will be going across the borders. There are still a few other options out there to try and we will, but it's got to get better then this. The fajita's at both places we have tried have not been like any we can say we have ever tried. Now lest you think we are totally sunk, we are not, cause once we get settled and get our things we will be having our own made at home fajita's but there is still something to be said for having a favorite Mexican place to go out and get some too! So I will remain hopeful :)

Our soon to be new home :)

Yep, it's true we are going to be moving into this home as soon as our things arrive from FL. While it is not at all my ideal house it will serve us well for our time here I'm sure! We will have to get used to some things as it has a very different set up then we've had and are used to and some things at first glance I really disliked but in the big scheme of things will not matter as they are my personal preferences. So there you are that's been my day, nothing too earth shattering just ordinary stuff. Hope your day was good and that you feel accomplished or content with whatever you tackled. I'm looking forward to being amongst our things again and in our own four walls...the good thing is, is that day is sooner rather then later now that we know where we are going to live!!! So start planning your visits, we will be ready to receive guest soon :o)

The Maggie Brigade!

I would not have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes....there were 17 wonderful women who came to the aid of another AF spouse in a difficult situation. We wore rubber gloves, knee pads (go, JH!) and had our big girl panties on as we tackled a mess. In the end it looked umpteen times better then when we arrived. We had clean linens on all beds, freshly washed floors, a sparkly clean bathroom (thanks AV!), a shiny kitchen, a less cluttered garage, an organized craft room...the list goes on and on. This was an amazing accomplishment and I was in utter disbelief upon arrival, I was really not even sure we would be able to make a difference. Boy was I wrong, we definitely made a difference. 


I did not know really what I was getting myself into, all I knew is that MiB needed to work at the office and my Saturday options consisted of hanging out in the TLF by myself doing laundry or exploring on my own, neither of which really had much appeal. I got this email soliciting help for the "Maggie Brigade" and thought, why not? You know I should have known it was a little more then routine helping since the email suggested you to bring your own cleaning supplies and rubber gloves!

I wish you could see the knee pads, JH is wearing in her skirt no less! It was adorable and what a floor cleaner she is, she did the dining room, living room, entryway, halls and kitchen all on her knees, she may have done more then that but those areas I am sure of.

We arrived at 10:00ish, took a pizza lunch break and at 4:30 p.m. there was a major definite difference in this place. The amount of rubbish we hauled to the curb was lots and lots!

 

The PRES and the rubbish! 

I would ask your prayers for this young one whose home we overtook to help. She needs more then just her home tidied. She needs to learn priorities. She will need to employ better organizational skills, she is going to need accountability, she will benefit from a refresher in basic life skills in daily living. She could take parenting classes to assist with issues that are common but sometimes need a little help in dealing with. She should seek to receive the wonderful services our own organizations offer to help with all these things and more. 

I do not want to scrutinize the situation too much since one is never certain the circumstances they could find their own self in and wake up and wonder how did this happen. However, I think this one is going to have to take a more active role in life. This is not an acceptable way to live, period. She will need to be active in maintaining her home, her life. This is not just about her, she has three little ones, and getting a do-over is not an option, they need a mom to be a mom now, today, tomorrow and forever. She will have to step up, this is not about her. If you know me you know I am not the most compassionate person, I have very little patience or tolerance for those who do not take responsibility for their life. You have to be your own life advocate, that's the facts, no one is or should be working harder on your life situation then you. 

For me the plus in this was getting to know the ladies I had already met better; and meeting even more of the amazing BAFB gals! It was a definite bonding time and I will not soon forget this experience! My takeaway is to continue to get out of my comfort zone (and this certainly was for me!!!!) and live a little on the edge!

MONEY

I guess it never hit me so hard how many people focus on money...yeah, I know, it's part of everyday life but I don't give it much thought. It's a necessity and all but I see it as part of the big picture not the picture, ya know??

So anyway I have many thoughts on and about money but it's not a topic of conversation for me, usually, but lately it's been in the topics of conversations I have been on the fringe of...I am just going to tell you right now we are a one income family BY CHOICE, we are not in debt, we buy cars without a payment plan, we have retirement accounts, we do not live paycheck to paycheck, we tithe, we save and we are by no means destitute but we are not what I would consider wealthy. I like to think we do all right. How much we make is no secret, it is readily available published information, my husband is in the military and that's just how that works. We have always tried to live within our means, we budget, we save, we do without, we have had PBJ months so that we can do other things, it's never been a problem, I think we managed well. 

Anyway, I am hearing about people who are struggling, who are losing their homes, who are losing their cars...I'm blown away by the number of folks who are walking away from "things" they cannot afford that I consider basic necessities (homes). They don't even look back...there are a couple things I "notice" about the ones sharing this...

WARNING: THESE NEXT FEW STATEMENTS COULD BE CONSIDERED JUDGMENTAL...continue reading at your own risk.

So you are losing your house and you still have a state of the art cell phone...yeah, okay.
You are letting your house go back and you have acrylic/gel nails and you just had a pedicure...
You are going to walk away from a home that was too expensive to begin with...
Your house is being foreclosed on and you just spent $400.00 on a COACH bag...

Are you getting the picture? It's crystal clear to me and yet the ones in this situation seem to want sympathy...no, I don't think so. I'm old school, I think you tighten your belt and take care of your business. Give up some of your "necessities" to take care of the real bills, get rid of extras to take care of basics.

It was only nearly three years ago that we have switched from prepaid (read that TRACFONE) cell phones to contract phones and that was only due to some unique aspects and giving up the landline that we decided to do that. We do not and have not had cable TV since we have been married with the exception of our stint in COS, CO when we lived at the base of the mountains and could not get rabbit ear reception. We had dial up internet until we lived in Italy and only DSL was available. We don't eat steak at home and rarely out either, we drive new to us cars and we pay cash for them. I am not bragging here, I am telling you that this is how we roll, we don't buy it if we can't afford it, we don't have the latest gadgets nor do we long for them. Living is not about having stuff and having stuff is not living in our world. We are pleased with our life, it works for us. 

Find out what works for you and start making changes to have more money then month, to be free to help others, to find happiness not in a dollar figure. I think everyone has dreams, I do, I dream of a simpler life with less. I want less stuff, less distraction, less busyness and the sad thing is I already have less of each of these things if you compare me to someone else in my socioeconomic situation and that is scary! 

When MiB retires we are considering lots of options, one of those is a nomadic lifestyle. Sounds nuts and somewhat off the wall but if you know us very well that's not so hard to picture us doing it and I think we could do it, seriously! We have a while to decide but with careful planning and not having the debt monster eating at our heels and if we really think it's what we are supposed to do we know it's possible.

I hope if you have financial issues you are taking an active role in figuring ways to solve them, that you are seeking guidance and making a way to get into a better place. I like this guy and I think he gives solid advice if you are needing/wanting some direction.

My personal favorites on being better with your money are 

• Have goals! 
• Live below your means...always!
• Save and pay cash, it's very rewarding!!!!
• FREE is good, do free things and be happy about it!
• Eat meatless one or more nights per week (or try the vegetarian lifestyle)
• Shop as a necessity not for recreation; don't shop with friends, you spend more!

You can make it work, don't give up, tomorrow is a new day and everyday can be a fresh start, aim for better, try never to do worse!

Another good read and I try to get this into the hands of young people is The Wealthy Barber. It's a really, solid easy to understand book. I snag copies on ebay and half.com fairly cheaply and have also picked it up in used bookshops. MiB keeps copies in his office to hand, sometimes the copies come back sometimes they don't. It's a good read!

You know you can do it...so save some bucks, pay cash, live large with little it's an amazing thing to do and feel! I know we are truly blessed, we have abundantly more then we need, we are wealthy beyond understanding; it's a contentment that we found not in the monetary system of our society but in an eternity system within our beliefs. God is good and he is the source of our true wealth and everlasting life that he freely gave to us and we accepted it. Wow, what more could one really ask for?

Thoughts on Thursday...

My thoughts today are cheerless...if you came looking for a funny story or a laugh you will not find in today.

Another BIG D has hit our family. I have to say in all honesty I had a feeling this day was going to come, in fact, I am surprised that the marriage lasted as long as it did. I recall perfectly the night we got the phone call letting us know that he was getting married...MiB and I both looked at each other and said many prayers that night before going to bed. Honestly, we prayed for something to prevent it from happening cause we both felt it wasn't right.

It was a "rush job" in our opinion (and NO there was not a baby on the way, that's a whole other issue), a decision being made on not such good reasoning. I won't go into that, it's not really my story to tell, but suffice to say MiB and I had our doubts. It's never good to have the "I told you so" card on your side, but there was a solid talk before the wedding took place, he knew he should have never walked the aisle that afternoon and he did it anyway. So here we are some nearly 14 years later and he is walking down the aisle again today! Only this time it is to the judges bench in a courtroom where the gavel will bang down and what was will no longer be. A shame really, due to many, many reasons, many reasons if I so wanted I could probably make a case for ending my very own marriage..if I wanted to be that selfish. Yes, seriously, I think I could have a case for divorcing if I had that mindset. My MiB takes after his dad and some of those characteristics aren't that flattering and we live a military life of lots of stress and separation but thankfully, we worked through this, we come up with ways to love each other unconditionally, to think positive, to not dwell on all the negative. I have my own set of faults in this too! People, there are NO PERFECT PEOPLE, well, excuse me, there was one...you do know what happened to him? Yeah, it wasn't pretty...

So anyway I could go on and on and on, on this, but let me start wrapping up by saying this, I mean if you are still reading to this point I want to say something more encouraging on marriage! Your marriage should be NUMBER ONE! It should be your primary area of concerns, you should be focusing on it ALWAYS. Guard it with your life, make it your goal to make good decisions regarding your marriage, your home. There are people out there who would love to be in your shoes, they will do for your spouse what you do not, they will gladly step in so guard your marriage with your life! If you have children, they are very important but your marriage is more important. I believe the greatest thing we have given LilBlue is our example of marriage and while not perfect she has witnessed give and take, unconditional love between us, working out issues and romance.

As I said I could sooooo go on and on and say sooooo many more things, not even it was his fault, it was her fault things, they both had faults! Trust ME on this one!!! However, the nuts and bolts of it are this: a marriage is over, and like I said they both had their shortcomings, we all do, but seriously there could have been resolution if had been wanted; there could have been happiness many moons ago had there been more of an honest partnership, if you get married it shouldn't be an adversarial atmosphere, your spouse is NOT the enemy. And I think God should play a big role...you should be in it together and for the long haul.

It saddens me to think that people who choose divorce think God is in it and is blessing the mess they made of His holy institution, I mean, really? Are you kidding me? God ain't proud of you...does he still love you? Yes, but he is grieved and unhappy with your choices.

God is not happy about divorce, PERIOD. You can be excited, happy, sad, mad whatever, but rest assured GOD HATES DIVORCE and people who let their marriage go are selfish, self centered, egotistical, disobedient, irresponsible and a whole host of other things that could make your blood pressure rise if it hasn't already... and I hate divorce, too. My parents were divorced, I hated that! I have issues with divorce (not divorced people but divorce, there IS a difference) in case you didn't pick up on that. And if you don't like my stance sorry, it's MY BLOG, I can say pretty much whatever I want cause again, it's my blog to voice my life and things that happen within my life.

My dad did not want a divorce, G did not want a divorce, it stinks to go through this as one of the parties getting the divorce who didn't want it, but let me tell you it royally stunk to be the kid going through it as well. Thankfully, there were no children born into this union; however, their are two that came with the marriage who are now grown and unfortunately screwing up their own lives and those of their children....boundaries people, boundaries. It is my belief that had solid partnership parenting been involved in the rearing of these two you would see a difference in their lives but again that didn't happen and now the result of this is playing out. It isn't pretty from what little I know and the shame of it is the children are now going to be the product of this same type of unhealthy, adversarial environment.

I am going to get off this topic now, it's a downer and again, if I offended you, well...I am sorry for that, I think that stinks, but I make the posts on here and this is how I feel and how I see it and so it is what it is. Tomorrow will be a new day..

GooGone

GooGone - wonder product! Yes, I do think so. I really like GG, have used it for years and I have never had a problem finding it. Well that is until I came to LA! Normally I would not be looking for this while in such a state of transition but we have a need. So we went to get a bottle. Yeah, we went and went.

We started at CVS, went on to Fred's, BigLots, Michael's and Albertson's before we finally scored at K-Mart. And it was in a spray bottle. And it was $5.99! I was stunned for many reasons.

Michael's usually has the small bottle which last a long time. They didn't even have a place on the shelf for it. To BigLots credit they had "Goof Off" but I just wasn't sure...the other stores didn't have it nor did their help have any idea what it was or where to find it!

Maybe people here in LA don't have sticky situations...maybe they leave their sticky things alone or maybe they use some other wonderful product to take care of their sticky issues. I really don't know but I do know I am a GooGone fan and glad we finally found it!

Enjoy your day and don't take GooGone availability for granted it's not just everywhere you know!!!

Hey there!

Just wanted to check in and let you know all is well in LA. We are settling in, busy and hoping to have a home by the end of the day... I'll let ya know how that goes!

The first week has been a wide spectrum of events, thoughts and experiences. From a memorial service to a impromptu dinner with the boss and leadership, it's been ALL GOOD. The 2nd seems happy to have us and we are definitely happy to be here. The leadership team is a good group and at first look we will mesh well. that is a great feeling!

We are still in billeting and will be for several weeks to come as we work out the housing and wait to receive our household goods, which have been in storage for, oh say the past 16 months. I have to admit I am getting a little excited to get "our stuff" and get in a house and get settled in. I wasn't really feeling like I had missed my things until MiB returned. Now I have him I am also ready to have our things and get back into the swing of living together amongst our stuff!!! 

It has been great to have a kitchenette and actually fix meals this past week. And while they have not been elaborate meals they are still "real food" as MiB puts it and he has enjoyed my cooking...I laugh cause I have definitely put food on the table so to speak but don't at all feel like I am "cooking" for him. I have very limited supplies to work with both food wise and dish/serving/prep/cooking ware. It's laughable really, but fun!

Hope your week is going good, life is good here and we are living the dream in LA!

Thursday Thoughts!

And we off to a busy start...as I transition back into life in the Blue it's amazing what I have forgotten. WOW, a year is a while to be out of the loop and who knew I would lose some of my Blue ways...I am finding the recovery amazingly quick though! It's good to be beside my MiBs side, it's good to be back serving alongside the most amazing people in the world. Our USAF have the best!

This morning I went to PWOC...it's been awhile since I have been involved with PWOC but that didn't change the fact that we were all military spouses who find having a relationship with Christ makes our life more complete. I immediately felt at home and even though I hung back and didn't jump right in on the study discussion I could have! Next week a potluck :) 

Thoughts:

• Being new, is never easy...
• A smiling face is ALWAYS welcome!
• Farmer's Market on Saturday, woohoo!
• It's real hot here in LA, like REAL H.O.T!

Not a lot to write...well, there is but it's not blog writable, so that's all ya get today :D

Right Start/Hard Start

Today we attended RIGHT START. This is a mandatory brief for all active duty when they arrive at a new duty station, spouses are encouraged to attend. It was nice to see several spouses there with their AD member. The room was FULL, in fact the host for the brief was surprised at the number in attendance. The new Command here has added many people and this is high PCS season, so I was not that surprised myself. We were in good company. It was neat that one of our table mates just arrived from Aviano AND he lived in Maniago. Small world. We also had lunch at the club after wards and ran into a fellow PAFBer. Lunch was on the Club and not bad, transferring our club membership garnered us the free lunch :) Soup, salad and a vegetable plate made for a happy Mrs Blue!

Hard Start followed the morning of briefings as we attended the funeral for a young Airmen this afternoon. Airman Kyle Schunk lost his life a few days back in a motorcycle accident. It is never easy to attend events like this especially when it is a young person. I do not know all the details surrounding the event and I do not need to know them; what I do know is that it is a tragedy for this family. They are grieving, they are still in disbelief. The Barksdale family has done an excellent job of reaching out to this family. The service was well attended and thoughtfully done, it honored as well as celebrated the life of Amn Schunk. His family was thankful for those who came to the memorial service, they were grateful for the reception held after wards, they were glad that their son's life was recognized and celebrated.

Amn Shunk was just a couple years older then our own LilBlue...it makes me even more thankful for my own when I attend events like this. In an instant this young man is no longer with us, we do not understand it but I trust that He who created me and this young man does. I know that I trust in the one with the master plan, to that I cling...

Back on the job!

So today was the first day for MiB to be back on the job. He started in blues...

Then went into real work mode getting down to business in his ABUs with his CrackBerry in hand! Life is good!

 

Newest Dueces are in the house!

Arrival in LA this evening, long drive, typical AR roads, curvy, hilly and towns every 7-11 miles so you go from 55 to 45 to 40 to 35 then back up to 55 then repeat the process, it's maddening. It's the only way to really get where we needed to go, I love travel but I think when I want to get somewhere I like interstates, not two lane roads that go through little towns. I am not against off interstate travel but today I would have preferred a more direct route without the continual slow downs for the small towns.

What I did enjoy was seeing all the fresh produce stands and had I been going to a place where I could use it I would have had me some fresh produce. What I didn't enjoy was the incredible range of gasoline prices. It was really odd and made no sense. In MO where we started out it was $3.50, just south was 3.59 which was unusual because usually it is cheaper south of us. Then at the state line of AR and MO it dropped to $3.43 (we gassed up!), further into AR it got up to 3.84 a gallon :( Here in LA it is $3.55 but it was cheaper before we got into the Shreveport area. I tell you it is weird!!!!

So we have driven the base with what daylight we had, it's pretty neat, lots of history, a great airpark, lots of neat stuff to look at. We think we found the house we will live in, it is East of the main base so there is a commute involved even though it is base housing. There is a shopette out there along with tennis courts and a pool so it will be nice. I'm not really sure when we will know what the dealio is but hopefully we will be in something by Labor Day!

It will be a full day tomorrow so I'm signing off...

Horses

Well today we had a very happy LilBlue but also a frustrated LilBlue. She was thrilled to be able to get down to the farm and be able to mess with the horses, however, she was frustrated because no one ever messes with the horses. She enjoys the horses, but she sees that they need more then they are getting in the the way of attention and training. It is so sad for her and she so wishes she could be around to take care of them, ride them, train them. It's a pretty big bummer for her. Ahhh, maybe someday she will have horses of her own!

Dakota and Lil'Blue

After messing around in the heat, we were all hungry so off to town in search of food we went. Blue Iguana got our business and it was tasty, I ate too much but man it was really good! Everyone enjoyed a little ride before heading back to the farm. After a a quick 35 minute power nap we were all ready to go to the livestock sale at the VCYF. We had hoped to bring home a goat, but the one we wanted was not for sale...probably best, we didn't really need a goat anyway!

Ummm, I hate to admit it but we went for ice cream AGAIN. Yes, my 6#s are back with a vengeance...I just pray that when we get to LA I can get back into the exercise routine and get back on track with eating healthy. It's really been a challenge with all the traveling, but I just keep thinking I will not be traveling that much longer! Some of us did not have have ice cream, some had apple pies, some had cheeseburger and fries...hmmmm, at least I didn't do that...I only had ice cream : )

Tomorrow it is our last day in MO. We are having a "winner, winner chicken dinner" with the family and we will finish packing up all our stuff and pray it fits in the vehicles we are driving. I really don't think there is a worry there but I guess it depends on how much we decide to take with us!!!

It's FRIDAY!

We have had another BIG day in MO, it's great to be a family again and with family. We have been on the go and it doesn't look like it is letting up anytime soon...today we hung out and then had a fabulous dinner before heading to the beef show at the VCYF.

Our DeLiCiOuS dinner

Grilled steak, fried zucchini sticks, french fries, corn on the cob, fresh tomatoes...yeah it was superdeduper good!

It's been soooo hot, we also had ice cream on our way home. Uncle G joined us for that since he arrived in town for the weekend to spend some time with all of us before we go to LA. It is always a good thing to get to spend time with LilBlue and Uncle G; sweet times for all. Tomorrow the plan is to go to the farm for the day and mess with the horses. Since the horses haven't been "messed" with in a while I hope we do not end up in the ER...but LilBlue really wants to ride so we will see what we can do!

Thursday Thoughts and the VCYF

Oh my what a night...I had an extra bedmate last night...quite an experience.  Good to know I am so able to sleep on such a small amount of bed! In all honestly I felt very special that she would choose to sleep with me! I am so going to miss both of the Littles, oh my, we just won’t think about that right now!

 I was on the right side, the "little" side...

We had both Littles for the overnight since the SHAM Sisters were having a little cousin trip. And once everyone was up and around this morning we headed to the VCYF for breakfast, and then did a little barn visiting.  It was hot, really hot but we still had fun. The Littles had a grand time getting to be a little bit country! Cause let me tell you these two city kids were really digging all the dirt and stink of all the country we were experiencing. We saw lots and lots of sheep, goats, horses, and cows, rabbits, pigs and chickens!

Petting a goat!

 The kids in front of the "official sign"

After our fair visit we went on down to see the Sheldon grands and then back to town for Mickey D's and a nap. We enjoyed it and the Littles were wore out for sure, they took very good naps!


Thoughts:

• Reunion time is nearly over!!
• Family is family, you love them.
• Finally, FRESH maters and melon :)
• This is some super duper HOT weather!

Busy time, very little access, but trying to update when I can!

New Wheels...YIPPIE!!!

So the long awaited for find has been found...thank you Craigslist and God!

While we would have liked to have found LilBlue a replacement vehicle first we could not pass up this one. It was the right price for our budget (PTL!!!) and we definitely wanted to get back into a Honda. Score.

Our newest Lil Red CeCe

We are still in the market for our LilBlue a new to us Honda Accord and we know it's out there we just have to find it...all prayers for this matter appreciated! LilBlue would like it to be blue with gray interior, just sayin'! Tomorrow we are back on the road as a three car caravan as we head to MO and then to LA. It will be a quick visit with the family and then on to our new location. 

Neat news on the LA front is that I already have a "friend" :) A neat family we knew in AL has a daughter there and we met her once and we know her other two sisters as well, isn't that cool? It is such a small world...I love when little things like this happen! Makes me a little more excited about arriving, I will already "know" someone! Now if we get the housing situation squared away it will all be good!

Weekend Update!

It's been a blast hanging out with our daughter! Soooo good to see her and get to be with her. We miss that girl. We are just having a good time being together. Life is good. I am so sorry I have not taken any pictures. We are doing lots, I just haven't been thinking about getting pictures...bad, I know. But I am so full of joy just being able to be us as a family again it's unbelievable. So taking pictures has just totally slipped my mind!

We have car shopped for LilBlue with no success, we have shared meals, hung out, done laundry, drove around, and just goofed off. We've hung out in the rooms, hers and ours! Ate w/the Bud and his family (Olive Garden, Pete the waiter was the best!) as well, life IS good. Looking forward to being in MO together for a few days this week too.

Until I write again, enjoy life today, it is too short not too!

Oh, and we did have some vehicle success. More on that later :) PTL!

Ahhhh

Seeing our girl!!!

We are visiting LilBlue and it's been awesome already! We went to Kahn's one of our ALL TIME favorite eateries and it was sooooo good. I got the platter, I am the only one! LOL Then we spent the evening visiting the local car lots. Got some good leads and will continue tomorrow with that process. It's crazy to car shop and I absolutely do not like it but it is a necessary so we are doing it.

Looking forward to a few days in the area and hoping to spend a little time visiting a few friends and spoiling the girl. Even if she has to work throughout the visit there will be time to hang out, then we will all head to MO where she will take a SHAM sister adventure and we will see the family for a few days. Our quick stop through last night and this morning just won't do...

The SHAM sister adventure is a little trip for that the girl cousins are taking. They have now all graduated from high school and hope to make this an annual tradition to get together at least once a year for a few days to hang out together. I think it is a fabulous idea and hope they make it happen!

Waiting on a load of clothes in the dryer then it is off to bed, love to be able to do laundry at no charge when we stay in military billeting, love that perk and the cost of the room!

Stay tuned NE adventure reports will be coming up!

Thursday Thoughts~

Good day, traveled north safely and we are seeing the family. Stopped at the farm and then had dinner with MiBs momma at the Blue Iguana. Love their taco salads!

Still uncertain on next few days as the flooding on I-29 have our trip to the Big O in a big detour. The way to get there is not really the way and a lot more miles, Lil Blue is supposed to be coming to MO next week, not sure how she will come down either. Such decisions, we would love to go up and get to see her and the Bud there and spend some time in there but what to do, what to do!

I'm still not feeling the love on the LA move...still no house. That just makes a girl a bit blue. We'll see, surely something's gonna give!

Thoughts!

• Divorce stinks...
• Family makes it worth it all!
• Life is good, sometimes you have to make it better!

I'm enjoying life, hope you are are making things happen so you enjoy life too...I've seen that play out recently and while it's not been easy or pretty it's going to work out, in the end you have to be happy and only you are responsible for your own happiness. If you think someone (usually your spouse) or something (money, possessions, ??) is going to make you happy, you have it all wrong. Really wrong, only you can make you happy.  One of the choices I personally chose to be happy was to be in a relationship with Christ. It works for me. I still have failings (really I am a failure) but Jesus loves me, he made me and he loves me. He knows I mess up and he loves me, I am glad for this.

ANOTHER Great Day!

This has been one of those days where we have accomplished much but I feel like we got very little done...

We had to change rooms today, which means pack up, check out, haul it all around (think surfboard here) and then recheck in, bag drag and get back at our other tasks! We had many, lots of little things to get done and accomplish before the day was done!

We piddled this morning, then did a drop in visit at our former church and since it was a workday we got to see lots of the men folk! Fun! Then we did a lunch bunch with our good educational friend. She took us to a little Greek place, she always knows the BEST places to eat. I thought the hummus was some of the best I have EVER had, seriously, it was that good! It had a bit of olive oil drizzled on it and a few fresh chopped tomatoes as well and was served with warm, yes I know warm pita wedges, it was heaven!!!!

Our afternoon was packed with getting those little things done...sewing our roof rack (don't ask!!), more OU goodie requests gathering, Sonic stops (yes, multiple stops, it's hotter then blue blazes here and a drink with good ice is a necessity), dessert shopping :) and putting finishing touches on our "bomb" project!

 Twins being "boys" and playing while we were supposed to be shopping!

 

OU goodie shopping...

Lots of possibilities when it comes to OU stuff in this town. SO much to choose from and yet such specific request. Grief it was hard to pick out things. Actually today we did not buy any more t-shirts, but I did make another find, but the recipient will not know what it is til a much later date! HA :)

Then there was the bomb project. This all started so innocently and then sort of took off on it's own journey, but a cool thing nonetheless. MiB originally sent "bomb pictures" to a couple nephews and niece, then other nieces were a bit jealous and so were the Littles, so request for more bomb pictures was made and in that request, a special request for a friend of Twin 2 was also made. It took awhile but we finally got bomb pictures for all...WOOHOO, then an idea formed and another very special request went out. The result of that request was presented tonight...

 

Twin 2 makes the presentation...

 

Group Shot with the very touched VFW guys!

It was a neat thing and it worked out that we were here when they presented them, how cool, I am already tremendously proud of MiB and it makes me even more proud when we are able to do neat things like this. This is an incredible thing, and a good group of people working to help those who have served. They give a lot to others, they also gave a lot to their country, they get practically nothing in return, they are good people. I am proud to have met them and know that we share a common love of the military and our country.

Tomorrow we bid farewell to OKC and head on north and a bit east to the Show Me State! It will be tough to go, we have such deep roots here, not to mention we will leave Twin 2, it's a tough time for us as well as him...prayers are very welcome as we all travel a new road. There are some new journey's to be taken, an unwanted journey, but what seems to be a necessary journey. He will be wading through some murky water; he has been in some deep muddy water for quite some time; we tell him fresh springs will come forth, waterfalls will wash away the hurt, pain, bitterness...we are praying for all things and we know God will honor those prayers and life will be good, it will, maybe not today, probably not even tomorrow, but there will be a day and life will be good!

Terrific Tuesday

Another HOT day in OKC...but a fun day, lots of good conversations, friends and family in the day, and while I am very tired it was a good day. We did some car looking, OU shopping via telephone (right LilBlue?), running around and dinner with friends.

It's always fun to catch up with those we have known and tonight was no exception. We are so thankful for our OKC friends and love to spend time with them.

Dinner at Ted's

So after this dinner, I know I have gained poundage and will be needing to really get back on the bandwagon of better eating choices...I am going to be so needing to be in my running shoes! Ugh I already dread it.

Happy Birthday!

It's the best country in the world's birthday...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!!

I think I should have birthday cake today to honor the birthday of America, it's definitely a thought I am considering :) I hope whatever it is you are doing today you will be in thought about our nation and those who serve and have served, who have given and made the sacrifices to make and keep our nation free. I hope you will also pray for our nation, we are a great nation but we have many issues that need to be addressed. I pray for our leaders and our future.

God Bless America!

P.S. There may be pool time in my future if this heat keeps up! Also watermelon :)

Japanese Steak House

We arrived OKC this afternoon, went car shopping and found a Japanese Steak House all in less then 4 hours of arrival. Yeah, we don't let the grass grow under our feet!

So for the steak house we hooked up with Twin 2, it was an unknown for all of us as I found it on my iPhone through a restaurants app. I am going to write my own review for submission cause I think some of the "great" reviews that got this place a top notch rating did not eat at the same place we did. There is no question the food was good...my cucumber/avocado rolls were nice, the wrap was a bit more tough then what I am used to but still the filling was good. The twins steaks were very nice, the vegetables were really tasty, the salad was acceptable. The big disappointment I had was with the fried rice. It was okay fried rice, but we were eating at a Japanese steak house and the first bite of rice made me think we were dining on Indian cuisine. The flavor of curry was so heavy and overdone it made it hard to get past that. I would not in any way be able to go here again because I wanted Asian fried rice and that it was definitely NOT. Now to address the portions...either I was really, really hungry or the portions were chintzy. I know I was hungry, but I was not starving, so I think their portions were lacking in size and that especially rang true when the check arrived. I am not a total cheapskate, but I like to feel like I got my money's worth when the bill arrives, I did not. Needless to say, I will not go back. Not only for the overpriced portion but I won't bore you with the neglect our table got. This sentiment was shared by not only us but the other four diners at our grill.

I guess the meal was secondary the conversation rocked it was great to be with MiB and have dinner with Twin 2; those are good times even if were eating dirt! It is awesome to get to spend time together with family and we enjoy every minute, this is what memories are made of and you are going to have them so why not make them good. Living life this year on the road so to speak has really brought to life making memories and making them good.

A day with the RRRs

Oh what a day, we awoke to FABULOUS coffee and donuts from the Round Rock Donut Shop...we are spoiled I know! It gets better...

 We played games with the kids...CatchPhrase and Wii

I'm not bragging or anything, but I was on the winning team EVERY time...oh, so maybe I am bragging..LOL And as far as Wii I was downstairs enjoying tea and I hear the kids put MiB to shame...after all that hard work we needed nourishment so we headed out for lunch. We thought we were doing Chick-fil-a however, can you say Mexican? You even mention Mexican food and MiB is all over it so off we went! It was a new little place not too far away that was not really fast food but not really full service either, it was good eats. 

 

 Lunch at Rosa's

 MiB took OR for a ride in the SMARTie and to get her washed. That was an all smiles moment for the boy!

As if we had not eat enough all ready, dinner was served, over fried chicken and roasted veggies. These were no ordinary roasted veggies, they were roasted and then tossed with a bag of fresh spinach and balsamic, then baby mozzarella balls were added...ummm, yeah, pretty much heaven for me, I think I might have had three helpings! 

 

  Roasted Veggies, YUMMERS!!

 

Then it was off to view the local bat community, that is something to watch, just not so great to smell. Who knew the smell was sooooo bad, trust me it is. Watching them leave the bridge was cool though and I am amazed at the number. 

 Waiting for the bats to fly!

The exodus of the bats from under the bridge.

After a little windshield tour and stopping off in the park for a little local concert it was back to the house to...wait for it...more food! I am going to need a bigger vehicle to get to our next stop if this eating frenzy doesn't stop. However, dessert was good and a first, it was an strawberry shortcake ice cream cake. I loved the white cake on the bottom and the ice cream wasn't bad either. 

So now it is time for bed, what an awesome fun day with the RRRs. Tomorrow we get to do it again! Oh lest I should forget we also went by the "round rock" the town is named after! This is first class treatment we are getting and it doesn't get any better then this, we may just move in and never even show up in LA...it's tempting I'm tellin' ya, we like this place, it's just awfully darn hot though!