Air Force Man Returns

This past week we have been enjoying the company of TJ.  He came home for a visit from the Albuquerque where he is stationed in the AIR FORCE.  He hasn't seen these two jokers in over two years...They welcomed him home with a sign and to give him a hard time they put National Guard...Check out those patriotic socks and pink shoes.  That kids a hoot.

When TJ lived at home he worked at Little Caesars.  He couldn't even make it home before stopping for some pizza.  I swear this kid eats like 4,000 calories a day.  He is constantly eating.  

It has been fun for him to reconnect with his friends and amazing for us to have him home.  Today we put him back on an air plane.  It is never easy watching your kids leave.  

Pervert in the Parking Lot

Last week found my husband and I sitting in Tucano's.  He took a half day off of work to spend with me and to use my free birthday meal from said restaurant.  It would be such a waste not to use it, wouldn't you think?  After a lovely, VERY filling meal, we were headed home when KT received a phone call from Ladybug's high school.  The attendance secretary was concerned because she received a suspicious sounding phone call from someone claiming to be Ladybug's father trying to have her released early from school.  The attendance secretary wanted to confirm that KT had indeed made that call.  We informed her that we did not make the call and to not release Ladybug from class.  We told her we were on our way, and that we wanted to see who was waiting for her in the parking lot.

All kinds of scary thoughts raced through my mama head.  A pervert she met online, fishing for information and baiting her out of school.  In those panicked moments, the traffic could not have moved slower.  Everyone was going five miles under the speed limit.  I wanted to roar at them to move it, out of the way! As we finally reached the school, my husband wanted to peruse the parking lot before actually running inside.  This is who we found....

The pervert wasn't actually a pervert at all, but my Air Force son, TJ, home for the weekend for a surprise.  We ruined his surprise with our paranoia, but whatever...

A mother couldn't have been more relieved and excited at the same time.  He drove up from New Mexico to spend about 48 hours at home.  He said it was a late birthday present for his mama.  He brought his sweet girlfriend and we had all kinds of fun.

Have you ever gotten a call like that at school?  

What would you do?  

Grateful for Facebook

I'm grateful for Facebook.  There's that word again:  Grateful, Gratitude, Thankful, Thanksgiving.  I know you are wondering, what the heck?  Yes, I am grateful for Facebook and their gentle reminder that my Military Man's 21st birthday was yesterday and Ladybug's 15th birthday is today.  I am forgetful in my old age.  They say a mom might forget the pain of child birth, but what they don't tell you is that the mom's might forget the birthday's if it weren't for the kindness of the good people at Facebook.

Actually, I could never forget my kids birthday's.  I'm just being funny here.  Happy birthday to my TJ, it was just yesterday you looked like this..

And Ladybug...

I still remember when TJ asked if we could put you back, that he wanted a brother.  

Sibling rivalry!  Yeah, that stuff starts early!  

I'm grateful for the opportunity to be your mother.  

BSU or Air Force

I was in a quandary the other night.  We went to a BSU basketball game and I wondered should I wear my BSU sweatshirt or my Air Force sweatshirt?  My oldest is in the Air Force.  Would it be utter betrayal of a mother if I wore the wrong sweatshirt?  Oh, the dilemmas of a mother!

In the end, I went with the Boise State sweatshirt...I rationalized it saying "Well Military Man isn't actually attending the Air Force Academy".  So there you have it, the flimsy excuse of a mother not supporting her son.

This is Miguel's best friend BLT.  Even though Miguel is on a Church Mission, BLT still goes everywhere with us like he's another son.

By the way...we won.

Football for Christmas

Yeah, It's true!  It's almost February, and I am going to make a Christmas post.  That is because I have had creativity blockage.  Back in December I posted about some Flexibility having to do with the Holidays, because I'm pretty much a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas.  But, by the kindness of a friend, we were in possession of 5 free tickets to the Maaco Bowl in Las Vegas to see our favorite BSU play some football the Saturday before Christmas....a 12 hour drive.  Christmas in Vegas?  I wasn't so sure, but the promise of seeing my Grandmother in California the day after the game had me consenting.  Besides, I came to the realization that I was probably the only one who cared about those silly traditions.  We were to drive home on Christmas Eve.

As it turns out a major storm watch was in effect for Utah (our route home) on Christmas Eve.  So, (more flexibility here), we packed up a day early without seeing grandma to make it safely home.  We still hit 2 hours of blizzard, but that was far better than twelve.

I really should get some kind of award here.  But, time with KT, Air Force Man, Ladybug and BLT was time well spent.

FYI, BSU won!  So worth the trip...

New Years Eve and in Reflection

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Before children, New Years Eve was an evening to go out dancing or out to eat with my sweetie and a much anticipated kiss at midnight.  Once the children came along New Years Eve became a night of movies, games and finger foods.  It was tradition.  As my kids are moving on, my Eldest in the Air Force, my Missionary Son in Georgia and Ladybug spending her New Years Eve at a Church dance, KT and I will be left alone.  We are now the old people barely able to stay awake until midnight.  Well, provided I have enough caffeine from my diet Cherry Coke, I can make it.  I reflect on the past, our life, accomplishments, experiences, the children.  Of course, it is not the end, but the beginning of anew.

As I am reflecting, let me tell you some of my favorite posts of 2012....Let me know if you liked them, too.

I Pressed Submit
Thirty-Two Steps
Thirty-Two Steps...continued
Karma
It's All Good
Minimalism and Christmas

 

On Vacay...

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Hey!  Long time no see!  If you've wondered where I am, wonder no further.  I have been on Vacay.  Not in the physical sense for the most part, but in the mental sense.  Things got pretty busy around here with Christmas and Military Man home for the Holiday.  I'll resume blogging really soon.  Just wanted to check in...

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

♥♥♥

31 Days of Faith #30 and a Story

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Ladybug is the perfect example to me of someone with pure faith, nothing wavering.    If only my faith could be as strong as hers.  Ladybug has an iPod touch of which she has kept very good care.  She recently switched schools and one of the hardest adjustments was her experiences with language and vulgarities on the bus.  I could pick her up every day from school, and as a mom I want to, but I also want to instill in her the ability to cope with things that are uncomfortable.  So, her solution has been to bring her iPod to school to listen to on the bus to and fro in order to drown out conversations and language that are upsetting to her.  She has such a sweet and sensitive spirit.

Last week, she used her iPod at lunch, then didn't have time to put it back in her locker.  She put it in the pocket of her hoodie and went to class.  By the last class of the day, she realized that her iPod was missing.  It just so happens that I was picking her up that day for an appointment, and she came to the car sobbing.  I thought someone had harmed her somehow!  She was devastated that she lost something that was so precious to her.  Yes, it is just a thing, but this thing helps her cope in an increasingly vulgar world.  I wanted to run right out and buy her another, but told her she would have to save her money for a time.  She retraced her steps that afternoon to no avail, then went to the main office to file a "missing iPod report".

A little background...her older brother TJ had THREE iPods stolen at this school, none of which were EVER recovered and each one he replaced with his own money.  So, Ladybug knew her chances weren't good, and so I told her that we needed to pray together.  For several days over our meal prayers and before she left for school every morning, we prayed that someone's heart would be softened and that they would turn in her missing iPod.  We prayed that someone would be honest and it would be recovered.  Two days later, in the same class that she realized her iPod was missing, she received a notice to come down to the office.  There they had her missing iPod.  Someone HAD turned it in.  Ladybug had so much faith, she knew that if she prayed her Heavenly Father would come through for her.  We don't know who turned it in.  We wish we did because we would like to thank them personally, but we know that we can thank them through our Heavenly Father, and believe me, we have been.

31 Days of Faith {We Believe 12...}

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"We believe in being subject to kings, president, rulers, magistrates in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law."

We are counseled to be law abiding citizens in our own respective countries.  I can speak for myself and say that I am very Patriotic and take very seriously my right to vote as I take part in the political process.  But, to make things clear, my Church stays politically neutral and does not tell us how to vote.  We are only counseled to pray about candidates and take note of moral issues.

With a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints seeking the highest office in the land, it is important for others to understand our Church's political neutrality.  Despite popular headlines, the leaders of the LDS Church will not be telling Mitt Romney how to run the country should he get elected just as the Vatican did not counsel with Kennedy.

On a different note, a celebrity recently insinuated that we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are not permitted by our religion to serve in the military.  This is completely FALSE.  There are many faithful Latter Day Saints serving in the US Armed Forces and other military forces around the world.  My oldest son is serving in the US Air Force.  We are just as proud and pleased with him as we are with our Missionary serving son.

We even have a Military Relations Department within our Church.

Don't forget about my free offer here

**I am not a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  

If you would like to read up on the Church's Political Neutrality, you can go here.**

Serving God and Country

No words can describe the pride and happiness these two sons bring me.

Miguel is Serving God through serving his fellow citizens in Atlanta.

Military Man is Serving his Country in the United States Air Force.

I love my boys. 

Dear Teenage Girl

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Dear Teenage Girl outside my bedroom window, As you loudly whisper after 12:30 am when TJ was home for a visit, it was not his bedroom it was mine.  As you peered through my living room window, you quickly attained creeper status.

Dear Teenage Girl's Mother, who drove her teenage daughter over to my house after midnight to peer in my windows and call to TJ outside my bedroom trying to get the attention of my 20 year old Air Force son,

What the heck were you thinking??!!

I quickly texted TJ letting him know he had visitors since I was not necessarily dressed to receive company and with eyes looking in the windows a text seemed most discreet.  He said that he was in bed and trying to sleep and to tell them to go away.  With a sigh, I just ignored them, climbed back in bed and eventually I heard the engine rev and mama in her SUV with her 15 and 17 year old daughters sped away.  

No Joke, this really happened.  You would not believe the peace and quiet that has prevailed at my home and the solid nights sleep I have had since my sons have left.  In two years Ladybug can date, then it will be teenage boys peering in my windows.  But, then I'll send her daddy...

Hospital Swag

I mentioned that my mom was going through a fairly serious surgery.  On the way to the hospital, she got a call postponing it for a week.  It was rescheduled for the day before Miguel's mission departure.  We loaded up the kids to go visit her in the hospital.  The boys wrote some goals on her white board...

1.  Don't Die and
2.  Get out of here.  

I hear it made quite the impression on the nurses and doctors.

Bryce (aka BLT) and Miguel thought it would be fun to don some hospital swag...

Then all three boys wore that swag home in the car.  Windows down, they were trying to speak in British accents to the other drivers with their hospital swag.  They had me laughing so hard....

I'm going to miss this...

Cliff Jumping

While boating about the lake, Military Man pulled up near the side of some cliffs and stopped the boat.  Then, he dove off.  Yes, you read that right, he dove off the boat, swam to shore and proceeded to climb the cliff barefoot in a swim suit.  Once he reached the top, he jumped.  There isn't too much counsel you can give a 20 year old who doesn't want to listen.  So, I pulled out the camera determined to document either a successful jump or his death.  He is certainly addicted to the "rush" and that scares me.  I only raise them slightly psychotic.  As you can see...his jump was successful.

Boise Aquarium, What?

Happy 4th of July!  It is my most favorite holiday of the year.  It truly is!  Anyway, I made a post on Sunday in tribute to the 4th.  The following is something entirely different.  Catching up with the fam...

Yes, it's true!  Boise has an Aquarium, and if you are asking yourself, what?  Don't worry, I was like "What?", too.  I mean we are 12 hours from the Pacific ocean logistically it just doesn't make sense!  It is small, but still a fun place to wander around and feed the fish

and spend an afternoon with the kids.  

Then afterwards, we went to the mall and I found my FAVORITE frozen hot chocolate mix from Serendipty at William Sonoma.  Oh my!  Guess what we had that afternoon? And we didn't even have to go to Vegas to get one!

He Came Home

The beginning of my marathon week included welcoming Military Man home.  I have decided that welcoming a son home is a little like what Heavenly Father must feel when he welcomes us home with open arms.  I was so excited I was jumping out of my skin.  When I saw TJ, I ran to him and gave him the biggest hug.  It is so difficult to send your children out into the world as adults, but so satisfying when they come home.