I'm feeling...

much better, thank you. I really must have had an allergic reaction to something (I doubted the doctor). I wonder what would have made me feel that horrible? Still resting and catching up on school work, but at least I don't have the weepy, runny eyes and sneezing. Wow! I hope this means a turn for the better. :) T-minus 5 days and counting.... :)

I do promise this...

That I will only wear a face mask when I absolutely KNOW I need to wear one!!! I walked into my doctor's office today because I felt tightness in my chest and knew that wasn't good. I also know that since I was walking in, I would be seen by whoever wasn't busy and I would probably wait. I knew that tomorrow they wouldn't be open and I knew that if I didn't get over this things soon I was going to be banished to the outer unknowns by my family who has had to deal with one crabby momma! Anyway... I walk in and hit triage. The nurse (err... Medical assistant) was really nice and we talked about nursing classes and such. But the "new" doctor came in, and I was WAY less then impressed. He immediately put on a mask even though nothing in my vitals suggested that I might have TB or flu or anything else. He even diagnosed me with a severe allergic reaction and a beginning infection. So why the mask Mr. Doctor??? I have never felt more uncomfortable in the room and it spooked me like maybe I did have something completely scary. I get the swine flu scare, but really??? You have all of my records right there including the swine flu and seasonal flu shots I received... I mean this man was freaked out with this mask on... Then I listen to a battery of questions about hypertension.... I wanted to scream, "YOU HAVE MY RECORDS IN FRONT OF YOU!!! CAN YOU NOT SEE THE RECORDS???? YOU TELL ME!" Ugh!

I did walk out with and antibiotic, prednisone and allergy medicine.... Sigh, I hope this works. Playing Frontierville on Facebook is starting to get a little boring, and I am so blah it's hard to focus on my homework!

Do nurses make the worse patients or what??? :(

Friday Fragments

I'm joining Mrs. 4444 at Half Past Kissin' Time in my Friday Fragments. Stop by and visit other Fragmenters because our daily lives are comedy enough!

I have this blasted cold!!! A cold in the summer is no fun. It is also no fun when you are planning a vacation, have two active kids, school work and a million things to do. I refuse medication since antihistamines will make me sleepy (not a bad thing if DH were home to help out). I did take my Vitamin C, and I feel better... I guess it invoked an immune response... Yeah me! :)

Good news on the school front... I got an A on my first Pharmacology test!! I am so glad too, becasue our second test is during the time we are on vacation and I wrote the professor to let her know about it an tooted my own horn a little telling her I was a good student. Nothing like a good A right off the bat to let her know I wasn't lying. I really find this class fascinating. Yes, there are endless drugs to know and understand which goes with what and overdose symptoms, administering, etc. I think it is cool actually, but then again I want to be a nurse... Key word: WANT, so that makes it better.

We are at T-minus less than a week for Hawaii!!! I am both nervous and excited!! Nervous in that I have been sick and there are a million things to to; excited in the fact that it is some place different! Although I am thinking that it might be competing with Malta which was just AWESOME!

I love Vacation Bible School!!! The kids come home every day singing these wonderful songs!!! I can't help but feel the praise in the car! It's a great feeling! :) I find myself singing them with the boys. I have to admit Mrs. H is a wonderful director and music is her specialty... I cannot wait for the closing prayers!! :)

Have a wonderful weekend, Fragmenters!!! Hopefully I will see you next week from a tropical location! ;)

Meet my friend, Mike

Okay, so I don't ordinarily do this, and quite frankly I hope Mike doesn't get mad at me for doing this, but meet my friend, Mike. I have known Mike for almost 20 years (good grief it doesn't seem that long), and in that time, I have known Mike to have a few passions... Off road bike riding and beer. Ha Ha Ha... I'm kidding! Well, about the beer part kind of. Anyway, he's picked up a recent passion thanks to the new love of his life, Megan. He is now a very avid runner and an inspiration to me! He even manages two blogs A Beginning Runner's Experience and RASTRO! so check them out!

Anyway, this past weekend Mike and Megan along with "their team" completed an 8K run for the Children for Kings Daughters Children's Hospital in Norfolk, Virgina. CHKD is held very dear to many of us who live in and around the Tidewater area as this hospital is one of the major children's hospitals on the East Coast. Seriously sick children are seen at this hospital, and most of us in the area know someone who has had a child seen there or one of our own children has been seen there. Mike is no different. His niece was diagnosed with tumor in her arm at the age of 8, and had to have major surgery and radiation. WOW! Being a nursing student myself and taking care of my Mom after radiation therapy, I can tell you NO ONE should go through that especially not little people! So what did Mike do? He ran!!! Not just Mike ran... Mike had a team! Several of Mike's friend's joined him in the race to help raise $1,000  for the 'Kids' and their families! Take a look!!! This is how he did.

So why did I blog today about my friend, Mike? Because I am SUPER proud of him and his team! Keep up the good work Mike and Megan!!! I am certainly cheering you and team RASTRO! from down here in Texas!!! I know you guys will be awesome in the Mud Run!

Do Frogs Poop?

Okay, yes I know... Gross! But this is the question I got a few days ago from my dear boys. Why would they ask??? Well you see, C has the duty of keeping the porch swept. After several days of sweeping he kept telling me there was puppy poo in the door way. I was a bit confused???? Until I saw this:

Sorry I know the picture is bad...

It does look like puppy poop, but we have no puppies around our house?!

The other night, M walked out and said he might have found our culprit. I thought he had found our iguana friend from last week, but he found a rather rotund toad in our doorway.

He was munching on all those brown beetles that seem to magnetize to the porch light during the summer.  So I wondered, do frogs poop? I asked this question to M who gave me rolled eyes and said, " Do you think they are different from us? What goes it must come out." You know, I try not to picture anything "Pooping" if I can avoid it. I guess I just never thought about frog's relieving themselves. The next time you walk along the lake or in your yard... Just remember that might not be a little stick floating because apparently frogs poop and so do lizards and you might walking on it. :)

Have a great day!!!

Friday Fragments

This week has kinda been a "blah" week for me. I've had a lot on my mind and plate this week from missing my Mom something fierce to having a disagreement with a friend that I feel has gone WAY too far. Here are my Friday Fragments... Want a little more??? Join Mrs. 4444 at Half-Past Kissin' Time. She is sure to put a smile on your face!!!

* Like I mentioned above, I really miss my Mom this week. I feel envious of those that still have their Moms and do things regularly with them... Or family for that matter. My family is all gone. :( I long to go hang out with family at the beach or sight see or just watch movies together or share in the boys' activities. My Mom was great for that! She never missed a minute until she became so sick with cancer. Even then she pushed because she loved being together. I miss that!!! No one has been able to fill her shoes. No one has even come close either. I just hope she is looking down from above and sharing with us with a smile.

* I also had a disagreement with a friend. I hate disagreements! Can't we all just get along? Ha Ha Ha... This one started out separate from the two of us, and has just exploded into something that is WAY more than it should be. It affects my kiddo, so it makes it even more sad for me. What turned out to be something small has blow up and dragged in innocents. And that sucks! I'm equally guilty... I stood my ground because I felt like I was right. I guess she was right too. Rather than agreeing to disagree we've decided to hurt each other (and others). Slights at each other back and forth until someone gives and there is a "winner." The truth is there will never be a "winner" just two (and more) losers. And that makes me sad.

* On a better note, the boys passed Level 1 swimming! I am very proud of both of them! They will begin Level 2 in July which is exciting! I really enjoy watching them swim and watching their confidence build. Thanks to my friend, Renee who last year patiently took C under her wing and began shaping his love of the water one tread at a time! This year he is WAY more confident in the water and loves to swim laps and dive for the dive sticks. B has given up his life vest. He too can swim the length of the pool. Only when he is tired does he ask for the life vest (can't say that I blame him as it is like being in the "deep end" for him even in the 4 foot water). His objective this weekend is to jump off the diving board! (We will see about that!)

C is ready! Bring it on! (In level 1 swimming, life vests must be worn when going off the diving board).B does not look so confident! Ha Ha Ha!!!!

All of the Little Fish are in a Row! Thank you Ms. Shelby for being such a great teacher!!!

* I am continuing the count down to Hawaii! T-minus less than a month! Woo Hoo! I am really excited about the history and the water and maybe a little relaxing! So excited!!!

* I am also loving my new laptop battery! Why am I loving that? Well, we are a mobile Army family! And now I can go further than where a plug can take me! Thank you Battery Technology, Inc. You guys are amazing!!!

* Gotta save the best for last.... How do you know when a.) It's hot as Texas$ outside? b.) You take good care of  your pets?

Well when this happens of course!

Okay, yes that is a Spiny Texas Lizard (from what I have been told). Doesn't he look like a dog or a cat waiting to be let in the front door? Well perhaps he was?! I don't know, but he stalled the boys and I from going inside for awhile. I don't do lizards or snakes... They just creep me out a little. Cute? Bug eating? Well maybe, but certainly not coming inside! We have enough to take care of inside! I do hope he hangs around the front door... We certainly have Texas sized bugs in the evening when the porch light comes on!

Have a great week my blog friends and family! :)

A Need to Call in the Cavalry!

Last week was cub scout camp. I am very proud of my scout as he qualified for the Junior Shooter Patch through NSSF. (You have to shoot a certain number of points on the bulls eye to get this patch, so it is pretty special). The night of qualification was a windy one! This meant that the boys had to compete with the wind for a good aim. All of the boys in my den that attended the camp qualified! I am so proud of the boys!

C is the one with the yellow goggles on. Do you think he was distracted by the photo?

The week was long full of many exciting events... Archery, crafts, swimming (yes even more swimming) and the planetarium. The nights were packed with events for the boys!!!

By the end, it was time to call in the Cavalry... Literally!  The boys were given the opportunity to witness the CAV charge and to tour the horse barn. If you are wondering what a CAV Charge is ...  It is the sound of cannons complete with pistols blaring and the senior officers start all of this with sabers held high and cry, "CHARGE!" It is really something to see. Here are some pictures, but if you can ever witness this it is pure joy!

These are REAL active duty soldiers that are trained like and wear the original cavalry uniforms. They make their own boots, belts, tops, saddles, horse shoes, bullets, etc.



























The cub scouts learned that their BB gun skills, leathering skills and sounding like wild Indians could actually come in handy when they get older. ;) What do you think?

This is how you load, cock and eventually shoot a rifle.

And this is how you make a Western Saddle. The picture is of a raw hide mold the Cavalry Scouts use to fashion their own Western Saddle. The hole in the middle is to let the horse release heat during the warmer weather. In cooler weather CAV scouts could lay extra blankets over the hole to keep the heat in.  

Doesn't M just look like a natural with that saddle? I really think he should try out and be the new Commander of this unit!!  (He's actually leaning on the saddle because of a foot injury he obtained during a road march on Friday morning.)

This is how you make a boot. The boot has not been soled yet. ( ha ha ha get it soled/ sold... Okay...)

Can anyone tell me why CAV horses do not wear copper horse shoes???? If you answered because they make sparks you are CORRECT! Horses wearing copper shoes make sparks where are not conducive when you are carrying gun powder.

These soldiers are not in traditional Cavalry uniforms because they are "trying out" to be part of the 1st Team. They are demonstrating how to make bullets.... Lovely, right? LOL

This is B's horse. Or that is what B told us. LOL... I can't remember the horse's name, but he nuzzled on B for a little bit. Oops... She is one of the CAV horses at the Barn.

Hey! Fancy meeting you here!!! This is one of M's soldiers from a previous unit. They served together in OIF 2009-2010. Thank you, T, for taking on a Cavalry of cub scouts!!! You all did an AWESOME job!!!

Happy Birthday Army!

235!!!! Wow!!! Now that is a big number!!! Today is the US Army's 235th Birthday!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARMY!!!

All around the world soldiers and their families as well as civilians will honor the Army by participating in the number of events scheduled around the globe!!! I feel honored to be part of this military family. I married into it and have worked for it and while it has its pros and cons I love being a part of it!

I do wish I were back in DC to see the re-enlistments, talk with the wounded warriors, eat the yummy cake that is so large that it has to use a specially designed elevator in the Pentagon to get out to the cake cutting.... The atmosphere today will most definitely be "HOOAH!"

Happy Birthday Army!!! Thank you, M for the sacrifices you make for our country! Thank you soldiers for being part of the Army!!! Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed!!!

Please join me in singing the “The Army Goes Rolling Along”

First to fight for the right,

And to build the Nation’s might,

And The Army Goes Rolling Along

Proud of all we have done,

Fighting till the battle’s won,

And the Army Goes Rolling Along.

Refrain: Then it’s Hi! Hi! Hey!

The Army’s on its way.

Count off the cadence loud and strong (TWO! THREE!)

For where e’er we go,

You will always know

That The Army Goes Rolling Along.

Friday Fragments

Hurray!!! It is finally Friday!!! Woo Hoo! We made it through the first week of summer vacation unscathed. Well, most of us anyway! I'm joining Mrs. 444 at Half Past Kissin's Time and sharing my Friday fragments. If you get a chance stop by... She likes the company!

I think it is officially time to start counting down until we leave for Hawaii! I am ready for a little bit of a tropical retreat even if it is only for a few days! I'm ready for some green scenery, cool breezes and waves!!!

I did manage to double book this week... I will NOT do that again! Swim lessons in the morning and scout camp in the evenings makes for a long day (even if there is about 4 hours between the two). The boys are enjoying it though! C and B both went off the diving board today! I am so proud of their confidence the last two weeks. Oh, did I mention they did it without their goggles or nose plugs? Such super awesome boys I have!!! Check it out:

This is B... He was ready! C was having a second thought.

These were taken on Tuesday, and by today they were doing it on their own without needing any encouragement! Go coach Shelby!

I think Pharmacology may kill me! Not because of everything you need to know. That I love! But the sheer pace of going through 2-3 chapters a night/ day is very fast pace especially when you are volunteering at cub scout camp! I'm treading water... I think! :)

I have missed M this week. I think we truly under appreciate our significant others when we don't have them with you especially when you are not thinking and double book.... M has been working "in the field" this week so when we did see him it was only passing. :( I really missed my partner in crime this week, and hopefully will get a little time with him this weekend! Maybe even fish (I'll spare you those details, because if you are reading this, you probably already read the blog about the cows and the fishing from last weekend).

Well, that is about all I have. Now to jump off this computer and do a little reading for my Pharm class. Wish me luck and have a great week!

Fishing....

I'm back... For 5 minutes anyway ( I should be reading my Pharmacology, but between being a taxi Mom and that class my head is screaming, "Finish the blog you started on Sunday!!!")... So here it is!!!

So, living in Texas is very different than living back East! It's hot in the summer, warm in the winter. The grass grows green and just as you are getting excited, it either turns brown and dies or your water bill is outrageous! Texas is also know for it's cattle. I know,  er, think it is called the Long Horn state, but I haven't taken Texas history yet so I can't be fore sure. I can be assured of one thing though... Nothing in Texas (so far as we've been here) has surprised me. So why would going fishing... in a pond... on the Army installation be any different right????

Ta Da!!!! Those are cows... Long Horns to be exact!

Now, let me swing around and give you the family perspective... Are you ready?

Yes, that is the pond we were happily fishing in before I heard. "Mooing" which I thought was from the cows in the pasture about a mile down the road in the farmer's yard! Nope... You see, cows are "free roaming" on our military base. No, no... You can't find them wondering the parking lot of the nearby Post Exchange, or the grocery store, but apparently in the training fields it is okay for the cows to wander around eating grass, talking to locals who fish the nearby watering holes. Oh and it is okay for them to stay in the middle of the road that takes you through the military reservation. Don't even think these cows can be moved either... They are NOT to be messed with or they will show you who is boss... Just ask my husband, M who told me a story about an encounter one one night while in the field. Let's just say, you back away slowly and let them have their peace.

Did we catch any fish??? Why yes, yes we did... After the cows almost pushed us into the water (no pictures of that because I was trying to keep the boys away from the cows while grabbing fishing gear), we moved to another spot, and while this fish wasn't the "BIG ONE," it was big enough for my son C who caught the fish without a pole! I'm convinced that if we were ever on a deserted island, I would choose him. If he can catch this... I am sure he would be an excellent spear fisherman!!!

Just for the record... He did fish using a pole... But when the fish aren't biting, you make other provisions. Here he is learning how to cast with Dad.

No... No, I didn't get pictures of him baiting the hook. Partly because part of the worm fell off and I was so grossed out that I jumped. This let BOTH of my children know of my weakness and started endless harassment and chasing with worms. Some people hate snakes... I hate crickets and worms!

This is B... Don't let this bother you... He was holding his own when it came to worms. I  definitely have boys! He's a bit young to cast on his own, but he can reel them in like the best of them. :)

I think this is bliss for M! He didn't catch anything, but it confirmed his desire to get a boat. Oh, not a John boat... A real big boat! Yeah!!! We live in Texas.... Remember, Hun? :) Keep that dream, and one day after we retire and pay for colleges and pay off the cars we can buy a boat! Ahh... Wouldn't that be the life!!! :)

Do not kill me for not blogging...

I think this week is my busiest week all summer. Some how I managed to triple book us this week, so I am shuttling kids to swim lessons, golf lessons and cub scout camp. Did I mention that I am supervising the "Tot Lot"? That is 15 adorable, lovely children under the age of 6 from 2:30 to 9 PM? Yep that means many of these kids have not had naps AND they are staying up super late... I'm also trying to squeeze in a class I have to take... Busy Busy!!!

I do have a great blog in the works... It deals with a bit of scouting, cows, fish, and being a Mobile Army Family. :) Stay tuned...

Friday Fragments

Hurray!!!It's the end of the school year!!! I say this both with glee and sadness as I am in my final 15 minutes of peace, and I probably should be reading my Pharmacology Book and NOT blogging, but hey... 15 minutes is just perfect to reflect, right? :)  So I'm joining Mrs.4444 this week in Friday Fragments... If you get a chance, stop on by and say hello. :)

*** I started my Pharmacology class last night. I think this is the class that might rock my world! I took the pre-test (which I was told to do before even thinking about reading the chapter) and failed... Miserably. NOT a good way to start off a class. :( MY hope is to ROCK the Post test though AND the REAL test in 2 weeks! My saving grace was the math calculations... I must say that at this point I would dose you accurately, but providing you FDA regulations... I would be no so good at. :)

*** C received a year of all A's! I am so proud of that boy!!! He is one smart boy! Of course now M gets to take the boys out and let them pick their "toy." Oh yes, C will get $70 and B gets half. B is only in pre-K so they don't get grades just yet... We will see how this goes...

*** I subbed as a teacher this week. Not bad for not doing it in almost a year. I have always enjoyed teaching and wonder sometimes if God isn't trying to tell me that is where I am supposed to be. Maybe the failed Pharm pre-test was my sign... I hope not. :) It was great fun though!!

*** I'm starting Cross Fit tomorrow. Well I take the Foundations class to learn the moves. I am VERY nervous and very out of shape, but I HAVE TO do something! Walking just isn't cutting it for me and running outside is out with high temps and the the treadmill is boring. I'm hoping while challenging this will be a good thing for me. Even if I will be working out with muscle machines. Hopefully this will make me stronger physically and mentally!

Well, I must go pick up the munchkins... It's about that time. Hope you all have a WONDERFUL weekend! Send a whispered prayer my way as I navigate both scouts, school and summer vacation in the coming days! :)

Happy Post Memorial Day!

I know I'm a little late, but I was spending much needed time with my family this Memorial Day. You see, I've learned over the years that when you are a military family, time is precious and seconds count.

I am proud to be an Army wife. Sometimes it really sucks, but I'm still very proud of my husband and what he does. So many people say he is nuts! Heck, sometimes I think he is nuts, but I understand that my husband has come to grips with what he may be dealt. He is probably far more comfortable than you and I with what can happen in the combat zone, and for that he is my hero.

I remember going to DC with my Mom when I was little; maybe 7-8 years old. She took me and the neighbor up to tour the monuments. I remember seeing Lincoln Memorial and I think I probably have a dozen or so Polaroids of my friend A and I at the Washington Zoo, but more importantly I remember visiting "the wall." I didn't understand it at the time and I must have asked my Mom a dozen or more stupid questions about "the wall." I just didn't understand. I remember my Mom saying she hoped I never had to understand. I think my Mom kept me naive about the Vietnam Memorial for many years and I don't think we ever really talked about it. I would understand in about 20 years though. I would understand so clearly that I share her same feelings... I hope that my children NEVER have to know a person on a Memorial Wall.

It wasn't until the War in Iraq that I truly understood the loss of a soldier. I mean you are bound to know someone in the population of 600,000. That seems like a large number to so many yet in the military community it is so small. I remember my husband's first deployment, and I remember the call that told me one of M's friends was coming home. I didn't know Scott Sather, but my husband did. They were close and they grew up not too far away from each other. M really cared about Scott and his death rattled M. Not rattled enough to scare M out of the military, but enough that he knew what could happen in the battlefield. To this day M wears a bracelet that bears Scott's name, and I received several e-mails while M was deployed about the airfield that bears Scott's name. I wish Scott had been the only one to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country, but several others would also give that sacrifice ( Bob Horrigan, Andy Fernandez, Kelly Hornbeck) in such a small window of time. I mourned for the families of these soldiers each one knowing what their fate may be... It wasn't until it touched someone close to me that my heart sank and I understood my husband's strength and understanding of military life.

We were stationed in DC, and M called my office and asked if I was sitting down. He told me that Ivica had been killed while in Iraq. During M's first deployment Ivica was on Rear Detachment and took most of my frantic crazy woman first time Mom calls... Like the time I forgot to close the door all the way and the door blew open so I was afraid to go in with my brand new baby or the time I packed batteries in a care package and it ticked so they were just a tad concerned about what was in the box. And of course he was the one who helped me get the expedited passport in case something should happen to M and I needed to get to Germany.  He was also the one that called me to let me know that M was coming home. I remember threatening him within an inch of his life if he was telling a lie. But most of all, I enjoyed his story about overcoming hardships to be a part of a country that was free. He truly KNEW what sacrifice was about on multiple levels. It hit me hard that Ivica was killed. I think I sat there in shock for a minute before I bombarded M with a million questions about what went wrong.

I wish I could say that these men are the only ones that have given their lives that I knew, but I can't. It seems like ions ago when this all started... But this Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom War(s) has continued to take great people.  Joseph Fortin and Mark Stratton are newest people added to the list of lost soldiers I knew. Two great men taken too early.

So you can see... I take Memorial Day to heart, and I cherish the time I have with my hero. Life is way too short not to laugh out loud, try something different, and enjoy our friends and family especially those who serve; for they know the ultimate sacrifice.