Vacation

Today is our very last day of our Christmas vacation. Tomorrow we get on a plane for a TEN HOUR direct flight back to our temporary place of residence (I refuse to call it home) in Hawaii. It was so nice to just get away. I wish with ALL of my heart that we could stay in the states, but duty calls, so back we go. Maybe God will smile on us and we will find a way to leave sooner. At least we have made some new friends who make Hawaii a less bleak and terrible place. None of us have been happy there. But to get to come home... ah, that was like a breath of fresh air. We have been so happy the past couple of weeks. It has been wonderful to see everyone and just be at ease. I have taken a ton of pictures, but it will have to wait until I get back for me to put them up. I hope that everyone has been enjoying the holiday season. I will try and post again soon. God bless!

Twilight

Okay, I admit that I am an avid reader. I love to just sit and read an interesting book more than watching TV. I have been addicted to a few series; Harry Potter, Great and Terrible Beauty, the Inheritance series, and James Pattersons' Alex Cross and Women's Murder Club. I read several other books as well. But NONE have grabbed me like the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. For those of you who have never heard of it, it is a series about peaceful vampires who live like humans. It is an amazing series. While it was intended for young adults, it is captivating for any age. I find myself caught up in this mysterious and wonderous world that Meyer created. Be forewarned: You may as well buy all the books because you will not want to put any of them down. You will find a need to keep reading them all well into the night! I am so pleased that Meyer created a world that was captivating for the content, not for foul language, violence, or sex. These books are so ROMANTIC. Every woman deserves to be loved like Bella. I highly recommend them ALL. Even the partial draft of Midnight Sun. Link is here http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/pdf/midnightsun_partialdraft3.pdf







So I would say go and pick up a copy today. Also the movie is out next month. We will see if it lives up to her books.

October

I have done a terrible job of keeping the blog updated as of late. For that, I apologize. I have been busy with school, taking care of my family, being sick, and writing my book. Yes, I have found the inspiration to start writing again. It is a slow process since my days are filled with distractions and other responsibilities, but I am writing a little at a time. Things haven't changed much around here. We are all still wishing and praying for a way to get out of this place. Matty is getting over a sinus infection on top of having had a nasty cold two weeks ago. We just can't seem to stay healthy lately. James is still dealing with the same grueling schedule he has had for over a year. I am rather irritated that they have kept him on nights this long. Hopefully things will change soon. We took Matty to a Halloween party and we also went to the pumpkin patch. We had a blast! It was a great family weekend, something that is rare in our house. I finally had the chance to sit down and sort through our pictures. I split them into three montages since there are so many. We aren't sure which ones we like best out of his 18 month pictures, so please give us your opinions. Thanks!

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Exhausted!

I wish that I had more time and energy to blog. I am stretching myself a little thin these days. School is going... okay. I am doing well in three of my classes, but I am screwing up in chemistry. I am trying though... Oh well. Matty is doing good. He is finally getting over his cold. James is working a lot. He has been really tired. I have been really tired. Next semester I am not taking more than two classes. I just have too many things on my plate. Besides, if I want to be able to get the job that I want when we get back home, then I need to find the time to volunteer at the animal parks here. I can't pass up the opportunity. So there hasn't been too much going on to report. I will try and post some videos and pictures soon.

First Zoo Day!

Today we took Matty to the zoo for the very first time! We had planned to go to the Children's Discovery Center, but found out it is closed on Mondays. So we decided to try the Honolulu Zoo out, especially since they have a kid friendly area. It was awesome! Matty had a blast. We discovered that he can now make elephant sounds and did so when we first saw the elephants. He really seemed to enjoy running around seeing all of the different animals. His favorites were the elephants, monkeys, cheetah, tortoises, fish, goats, guinea pigs, and the little antelopes. The kid play area and petting zoo was great. They had a jungle gym for him to play on and then in the zoo area he could go through all of these little tunnels in the different exhibits. Of course Mommy got to go with him! They had a guinea pig tunnel and a fish tunnel. We also went inside the goat enclosure and he petted a few goats. We had a really wonderful day together as a family. It was just really nice. We will definitely take him back in the future! I am posting some pictures below. Thank you for checking in with us!

Look at all the fishies!

Climbing the rope ladder at the goat enclosure.
Meeting new friends!
Where's the tiger?

Being the "guinea pigs" in the tunnels.

Crawling out of the guinea pig tunnels.

Looking at the guinea pigs.

Hi Daddy! We swimming with the fishies!

See the giraffes and zebras?


Cheetah!

Waving at the monkeys.

Sh! The monkeys are sleeping.

Playing the piano toy at the playground.

Flamingos!

I can push it by myself!

The Hamiltons and the elephants.

Standing on the tortoise bench with Daddy.

Let me go! I wanna play with the peacock!

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month

So now the total of children that I know personally to have lost their lives to cancer is two. It is all just so tragic and awful. I believe that it is important to raise awareness and support for the research to help slow and eventually stop cancer. It is devastating to contract cancer when you are older, but to get sick before you even have a chance to live is heartbreaking. This link http://www.faithfulfroggers.blogspot.com/ will take you to my cousin Heather's website. She has all of the links you need to donate, if you so choose. I would like to take a moment and share about Jacob. Keep in mind that this is from my point of view and I still carry a lot of remorse that I was not there during his final years.

Ever since I can remember I idolized Heather. She was everything that I wanted to be. She was beautiful, popular, kind. Everyone loved her. Then she got married to Donnie and they were the quintessential all-American couple; good-looking, blonde, blue-eyed. And just the best people that you could ever meet. They had Kyle, whom I adore, and a few years later they had the triplets, Brandon, Jacob, and Devin. I was so honored to be able to be their mother's helper for the summer when the triplets were 13 months old. I love those boys like they were my own. It was so much fun to watch them learn and grow during that time. Then I went back home and due to my own follies and paths, have not really seen them much since then. It is hard to live so far away from family that I love so much. When Jacob got sick, my heart broke. I could not be there with him or Heather. My husband can tell you that when the doctors said that Jacob did not have much time left, I locked myself in the bathroom and nearly broke my wrist from beating on the sink so hard. It just seemed so totally unfair. But then he pulled through and we all felt hope again. When Jacob passed away, I was unable to attend the funeral because James was home on R&R and we were in Texas. We did pray and release balloons though. I doubt that I would have been able to handle going to the funeral. I don't do well at funerals. Through all of the pain and grief, I did feel that Jacob was blessed because he got to go home to be with the Lord. In the end, that is what we all want. Losing Jacob has taught me to appreciate my own son so much more. Every hug, kiss, cuddle, giggle, every anything is so very cherished. I still remember my dream of Jacob in heaven kissing a baby boy on the cheek and smiling. It was after that dream that I felt lead to name Matty for Jacob. And Matty has a dimple on the cheek that Jacob kissed in my dream. Sometimes things that Matty does reminds me of Jacob. Especially those beautiful blue eyes. And to me, it feels like there is still a part of Jacob in our lives.

Okay, well that is enough sadness tonight. Please visit Heather's site and donate to this worthy cause. Thank you.

New Pictures!

So I have to apologize for not updating sooner. Things have been a little hectic. We have been trying to get James' points in for his SGT and that has been a nightmare. Then school started for me and I didn't even know it. So I have been scrambling trying to make sure that all of my loans are set up and books are here. I am taking 4 classes online and none of them are easy. I am taking Humanities, Children's Literature, Science of Nutrition, and Chemistry. I think that I may end up pulling out all of my hair. They are 12 weeks long so I will be done before Thanksgiving. I just have to find the time to do all of my work and still keep up with Matty and my other responsibilties. James is at a conference in Kauai for the weekend. He says that it is BEAUTIFUL!!! He wants us to go there for a few days, just the two of us. I guess that means that we are going to be trying to save up for it. It would be nice. James and I have never gone away anywhere together on our own. It would be like the honeymoon we never had. Anyways, I am going to try my best to keep this updated, but I am making no guarantees. It takes awhile to get things uploaded and all. I will try and put up some new videos, but they take a VERY long time to load. I hope that you like the pictures below. They are Matty at his finest. :)

Words!

Here is some more video of Matty. The last bit is him saying apple, cake, ice cream, and cupcake. We are trying to catch him saying please, thank you, welcome, and duck. Those are his newest words. He is growing up so fast! Enjoy!

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We are so slack!

So James and I finally got around to deciding on who should be Matty's godfather. We are thrilled to announce that James' best friend Jeff will be taking that honor. Jeff is a great guy and I know that he will make the best role model for Matty that we could find. Thanks Jeff! We love you! And of course Matty's godmother is my best friend Michelle. I think that it is appropriate that each of our best friends have an honored spot in our lives. I know that my child will be blessed to have them in his life. I can think of no two better people. Yay! Now we just have to get Matty baptized!

Life and Friendship

I am amazed at how much I have grown over the last few years of my life. I used to be extremely short tempered and immature about so many things. I know that wisdom comes with age, but it has only been recently that I have realised I am slowly becoming wiser. I no longer have the energy nor the inclination to be as petty as I once was. There are more important things in my life now. I know that the friends that I have now, I will always have. There are a few that have been around since childhood while some are more recently, yet they will all be in my life just the same. It is said that if you can count the number of close friends on one hand then you are truly blessed. I know that I am truly blessed. I am friends with some of the most amazing men and women that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. They are people whom I would be there for in a heartbeat if they needed me and I know the reverse is true as well. To these special friends and family, I would like to say thank you. I am so very blessed to have each of you in my life. I am also undeniably blessed to have found a man who is there for me on every level. He is my best friend, my knight in shining kevlar, my hero, father to my son, and love of my life. He stands up for me without being asked and is there to hold me when it feels like the world is crashing down. This man has seen me at my highest and lowest points and weathers all of our storms. There was a time that I could never imagine such a person coming into my life. I have never had anyone care as much about me as my husband. And I want to thank him for everything that he has done, does, and will do for me. And I also want to thank God for bestowing upon me such a wonderful man. There has never been anyone in my past who has even come close to my husband. And I want the world to know that I love James with every fiber of my being in a way that I can never describe. I am an unbelievably blessed woman to have such amazing people in my life.

So terribly sad....

I just got this update from a friend.

Makayla passed away this morning from complications from a staph infection that her body couldn't fight off. Please hold and sort all cards. There is a small chance that they will be coming back to Hawaii. If you want to send your "Thinking of You" cards or anything similar which are still appropriate, you can send them to the Dexter's address here and they will either get them when they return or they will be forwarded to them. We are going ahead with the fundraisers as the family is more than ever in need of support. Thank you for everything you ladies have done. Sorry, I'm not very organized today.

*** I decided to take down their address. If you would like to send something, please leave a comment for me and I will get you their address.

Please everyone pray for this young couple. Makayla was their only child and I know that this is just devastating for them.

Finally feeling like me again

*****PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT OR PRAYER REQUEST ON THE BRAVENET LINK ON THIS PAGE. THANK YOU!******

So I have been feeling off kilter for a LONG time now. But it finally seems like things are looking up. Now that I am done nursing, I can take my Weight Smart vitamins again. They give me that extra little oomph I need to get moving. I have been cleaning and organizing like a madwoman! And that makes me pretty darn happy. I am no longer just sitting on my butt feeling down and useless. I am starting to feel like I am accomplishing something. I have registered for my classes and will be starting next month. I am actively trying to find new play groups for Matty to join. And I am determined to make it back to church. Things are starting to look up. I am really trying to make a home here until we have to leave again. I am just trying very hard to focus on the positive aspects of life. Matty is sick this week. He has come down with the same cold his daddy had. And he is cutting his bottom molars now. Poor little guy. But he tries to stay pretty happy too, so that is a good thing. I am just really trying to make the best out of what life is giving us these days.

As for Makayla, I have not heard anything from ShaLana yet. I am assuming that they are just trying to get a plan together and get settled. I am not sure when we will hear anything. I do know that the donation account will be set up on Wednesday and it will be called Friends of Makayla. I will post those details has soon as I get them. For anyone in the Oahu area, they are having a few rummage sales to raise funds so please check them out. Again, I will post that information as I get it. For now I would just ask everyone to keep the Dexters in your prayers. And if you would like, you could send cards or notes of encouragement to Makayla Dexter c/o St Jude's Hospital. If I get a more specific address, I will post it. Thank you everyone.

Tired of the Apathy

One of the greatest evils is when good people stand idly by and do nothing. I refuse to be one of those people. Childhood cancer is a big issue in this country that people just don't want to deal with. I know that it is hard to face it. I know that it is the most heartbreaking thing to look at a child who is dying and feel helpless. But we are not helpless. The more we raise awareness, the more we fund the research, the more we donate to the cause, the more we can help. There are very few programs set up in America for childhood cancer awareness. One of the best is Alex's Lemonade Stand www.alexslemonade.org. Another is Candlelighters http://www.candlelighters.org/. They are amazing organizations and I urge you to check it out. I have heard of other countries raising so much money, getting so many donations, that they don't even have room for all of the equipment that they get. In Canada, the have a great nationwide race to raise funds. It is called the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride http://www.nationalkidscancerride.com/. Why am I posting this blog now? Because I am realizing how badly people will turn a blind eye to something that they deem too difficult to handle. I have tried to get people involved for Makayla's family, but no one seems to care that much. Just words of support can mean so much to the families that are suffering. My cousin Heather has a prayer request page that she asks people to post to so that we may all pray for and support each other. Here it is http://pub38.bravenet.com/guestbook/3232230877 and I am also going to list it on our favorite pages. So I urge you to take a moment and help, whether it be through words of encouragement, through signing a petion like this one http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/CureChildhoodCancer, or even donating to causes or families who truly need our help. Here is a site with ideas to help raise funds http://www.crmagazine.org/home/magazine/summer-2008.aspx?d=778. Remember, you CAN do something! Just take the time to stand up and help! Thank you.

Pictures of Matty

Matty playing on the dog pillow.

Giving Daddy kisses.

A tupperware drum kit!

Drawing his first picture on our anniversary.

A genuine masterpiece!

Donation Information

Here is the PayPal information. The paypal account is jeepchickhawaii78@yahoo.com

Please contact me for more information or if you have any questions



Hopefully we can start to get through to people and start giving ShaLana and Mark the support that they need.








On a happier note, I am posting some more video of Matty. He is the delight of my life and can cheer me up instantly. I love my son so much! He has started saying "Ni-ni" for night-night. And he is getting much better at saying thank you. We are still working on please. James is finally starting to understand Matty's words now. Matty has also learned how to throw things. He isn't mean, he is just figuring out how to throw. He is such a mess maker! Well, you'll see in the video. :)

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Cancer is Evil!!!

I feel the need to post this. Yet another child in my life has been touched by cancer. This time it is a friend's little girl. Makayla is just a few months older than my own son. I got this information from another friend today.

About seven weeks ago she started getting random pains in her legs. Her mother took her to Makalapa and they started testing her for bone and joint problems, arthritis, leukemia, etc.
About four weeks ago, she started throwing up. At first it was about once a day. Finally, on the 26th, her mother and I took her to the Tripler ER. At that point she hadn't been keeping any food or liquid down.
The ER staff thought that she was constipated and that her digestive system was out of kilter from it. They treated her for that and sent her home.
On the 28th--one week ago--we took her back to the ER and they admitted her for tests. On Friday, the 1st, two days after her dad got home off his ship, an MRI showed cancerous tumors in her brain. Another MRI showed that the cancer had metastasized down her spine.
Tripler is setting up a transfer to St. Jude's hospital in Memphis, as they feel that she will get the best treatment there.
Her parents, Mark and Shalana Dexter, are a very young couple and she is their first and only child. Needless to say, this is a very unexpected and heartbreaking development.

I can only imagine the pain and fear that they are going through right now. So I am asking that you all keep them in your thoughts and prayers. They are hoping to leave tomorrow for St. Jude's, but TriCare has been difficult to get to approve the transfer. I will continue to post updates on her condition as I know them myself. We are currently trying to get together a donation account for the family. Once I have that information, I will post it as well. If anyone has any suggestions on how to raise money for them, we would truly appreciate hearing them. So far we are trying to get some raffles and maybe a rummage sale together. Please keep this young family in your prayers. Thank you.

Our Anniversary

James and I has such a wonderful time Saturday! It was the first time that we have ever really been able to celebrate our marriage properly. It was so much fun to get all dressed up and really feel elegant for one night. It has been a very long time since I felt pretty and Saturday, I really felt beautiful. First we went to this charming little outdoor restaurant called Hau Tree Lanai. It was perfect! We sat under this beautiful old gnarly tree and looked out over Waikiki. While we were there, the sunset and it was absolutely gorgeous. I had escargot for the very first time and actually loved it! The food was delicious and the service was great. I had requested an out of the way table for our anniversary. Well, they surprised us with a yummy dessert, complete with a candle. It was so lovely! I was tickled pink!! I actually almost cried because I was so touched. It was very sweet of them to do that for us. After dinner, James and I went to see Cirque Hawaii. I don't care what anyone says, we really enjoyed the show. The beginning was so funny that I almost started crying. Some of the performances, wow, I do not know how they are so strong. It was amazing! We had such a great time. It isn't easy for us to go out and have one on one time with each other. His work schedule is so crazy and I hate changing the baby's routine too often since Matty is pretty set in his ways. And now I will be starting school next month so time is going to get even more scarce. But for one magical night, we got to be with each other and not worry about anything in the world. I love my husband so very much. I hate that it took him going away to war for that point to be hit home to me, but it did. James is the most wonderful man I could have ever ended up with. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined someone like him. That doesn't mean that we don't fight, because we have some horrible arguments sometimes, but it does mean that we work through it and grow from it. Marriage is not easy, however, it is incredibly worth going through the tough stuff to go through life's journey hand in hand with your best friend. James can drive me crazy, but he can also make me laugh, feel loved, feel beautiful, feel treasured. And I know that I make him insane, but I also know that he would never walk away from me. He always says that we are the only ones that can stand each other. In a way that is true. Only I think that we are the only ones meant for the other. James is definitely the only man for me. When I am having a terrible day, he can hug me and make it all better. I do believe that God truly put the perfect man for me in my life. People ask me how I know that. And here is my answer: I know deep in my soul that James is right for me. I have never wanted to stay committed to something more than I want to stay committed to him. I never cheated on him while he was at war, even though the majority of our relationship was over emails and the occassional phone call. I knew that I wanted to marry him and I actually followed through. And we had Matty. I had been told since I was 16 that I would have a very diificult time getting pregnant, if I ever did, because of various medical reasons. Yet, with my husband I had no trouble at all. Say what you want, but in my heart I know that all of these reasons are proof that God put James in my life and that he is my soulmate. And I am so grateful for that. I feel so very blessed to have ended up with such a good man. And I love him with all of my heart.

Our Wild Man

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Life's seasons

Today I read Heather's blog about life's seasons. It got me thinking about the different seasons of my life. I haven't been around as long as some, yet I have been around longer than others. First, there was the season of CHILDHOOD. I loved that time! Nothing to worry about but the weather or your friends not being able to play. What a great time in life. Of course it doesn't last and it gives way to the season of ADOLESENCE. What a horrible time that was!!! I hear people say that they would love to go back and be in high school again. Not me, not in a million years! But I did learn a lot during that time. I made some mistakes in life and love that helped me to grow and become stronger. From there came the season of COLLEGE. I had a good time then. I met some amazing people and had some interesting experiences. For the first time, I had a taste of freedom and independence. I had a few boyfriends and really discovered for the first time that I could be considered very attractive. I went a little overboard after I realized that, but I got over it. College didn't last long for me. The summer after I helped Heather with the boys, I dropped out of school. I should have never done that, but at the time I thought that it would be the best thing. I thought that I could work and earn enough money to move up to Virginia with the guy I was dating at the time. That didn't happen and I moved into the season of INDEPENDANCE. This was me getting my first real full time job and trying to earn money to support myself. During this time I left home and moved in with a guy I was dating. I learned so much about how to run a household and pay bills. I learned so much about responisbility. I no longer had my parents to always fall back on. It was an extremely trying experience that ultimately helped me become who I am now. It helped me to realize that I really could stand on my own and make it in the world. And it was during this time that I met my husband. And so came the season of MILITARY WIFE. Wow, was I completely unprepared for this one!!! Without a doubt, it has been the hardest part of my life thus far. To someone outside of this life, it is extremely difficult to explain the pain that comes with sending the person you love most in this world off to war. For an entire year, I barely slept, had constant nightmares, was attached to my cell phone 24/7, and was glued to the computer whenever I got the chance. It was during this time that I learned to stop watching the news. I lived with a constant ache in my heart and an intense fear in my soul. I really felt my faith get tested during this time. It helped me to become closer to God. Maybe I didn't attend church every Sunday, but that is not what it is all about. I had many long talks with God and still do. I know that He protected my husband and brought him home to me safely. There were a few times that were to close to even think about now. I thank God constantly for bringing James home to me. And it was also during this time that I came into the season of MOTHERHOOD. After being told for years that I would not have children from various medical issues, I got pregnant with our beautiful son Matthew. I cannot express in words what a joy that sweet baby boy is to us. I thank God for him everyday. Sometimes Matty drives me nuts, but I have never been happier or prouder than I am now. My whole life, all I ever wanted was to be a wife and mother. And now I am. More than anything else, this is what I wanted. And it is what I am best at. So whatever life may bring my way now, I know that this is where I belong and I am very blessed to be here.

Things are getting back to normal...

but we have also had some ups and downs the past week and a half. It was sad to say good bye to our friend David last week. He headed home to Texas to join his wife Aideen. They are expecting their first child in late September. We are hoping to get a chance to go out and visit around then, but you never know if it will be possible. We are praying that it will be. It would also give us a chance to visit family and friends whom we haven't seen in quite some time. Saturday was a bad day for me. Actually, every day up until today has been painful because of it. I had a dentist's appointment to fill a very bad cavitity. Since it was so awful, my gums are swollen and inflamed and extremely painful. It has been trying. Yesterday was a horrible day. I had to wait around all day for the movers to come and pick up David's belongings. The army messed up and couldn't give him a moving date until AFTER he went home. Whatever. So that took until about 2:30pm. Then as I am unwinding from the stress of having movers traipse dirt through my house and almost wake up my napping son, I hear the most horrifying screaming noises coming from my backyard. I run out to find my dogs locked together. They had been fighting and Sienna had managed to get Milo's spiked collar (put on him to stop her from pulling on it) wrapped around her lower jaw. Thankfully for her, she had only managed to wrap the leather part around herself. But the screams were coming from Milo who she was slowly strangling to death. I was not prepared for that and had nothing to cut them apart. I started screaming for help as I am holding the collar away from his neck, trying to undo it. Thank the Lord that I have amazing neighbors!!! Several of them came running and a few jumped over our fence without hestitation. They held the dogs so I could get something to cut them apart. Thankfully, everyone is okay. Milo is no longer wearing a collar though. And Sienna is going to get some serious obedience training after this. I am still upset by what happened. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love my dogs dearly. The fact that I haven't gotten rid of our problem child Sienna after the hell she has put us through, constantly running away, digging, fighting with Milo, etc., shows how much I love them. I was so scared that Milo was going to die and I couldn't help him. I can't understand why people would have dog fights. They are absolutely horrifying. The only shining lights this week have been James and Matty. My angel son has been super sweet and cuddly. He is learning what I am asking for when I ask him for kisses and hugs and he gives them quite happily. He is such a delight!! I am so blessed to have such an amazingly wonderful baby boy. I love to watch him learn and explore, dance and babble. He gets so excited about everything. He is my sweetheart and I love him so very much. And James has been on days this week. It has been so great to have my husband home with me at night. It is our time to just be together and relax since Matty is in bed. And Saturday is our second anniversary. We are not big on going out to fancy places, but this year we made an exception. It will be the first time that we have ever really celebrated it and I wanted to to be special. I am really looking forward to it. Oh! A quick YEA!!!! Matty has FINALLY quits nursing!!!!!!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was hard to break, but now we are done. YIPEE!!!! Well, I hope that you enjoy our little video of Matty. I just got a Flip and we are just getting used to it. I figured that it was yet another way everyone could see how Matty has grown.

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Loves of my life

My husband and son are the ones for whom I live and breathe. There is nothing better for me than getting to be with them, no matter what we are doing. I adore them so much. James and I are getting ready to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary on August 2nd. Or rather our marriage anniversary. We did not get married in a normal way whatsoever. We did a double proxy wedding since he was still in Iraq and I was in Georgia. What is a double proxy wedding? Well, it is when you fill out all of these forms and pay a certain amount to have two people stand in for you in front of a judge and say that you wish to get married. The only state where this is legal is Montana. Single proxy weddings are much more common. Why did we do it this way? Because we were pregnant. We were already engaged, but Tricare would pay for everything so we decided to move up our wedding. We actually did not find out we were married until I received our marriage license 5 days later. So we have not really ever felt like August 2nd was a very special day for us. But this year I felt determined to change that. I really want us to celebrate our marriage and anniversary for the wonderful thing that it is. So we are going to a nice restaurant and a Cirque de Soleil type show. I am actually looking forward to it. And we have found a wonderful babysitter to boot. One day we will have our actual wedding. We really want to wait until we have all of our children with us. Maybe our 5th or 10th. We'll see. Matty is a tempermental child these days. He is 16 months and getting into that very defiant stage where he is testing his limits. His personality is a lot like mine. I guess my mother's wish came true after all. He is very stubborn and dramatic and moody. But he is also very cuddly and sweet and intelligent. And curious about everything!!! He wants to know what everything is and how it works. It is a good thing though. I take it as a sign of intelligence and I encourage it. We are slowly getting him weaned from nursing. Hopefully in the next week or two he will be done. YAY! It would be nice for me. You know, I have spent my whole life trying to figure out what I want to be. And I have discovered that the best and most rewarding career for me is to be a wife and mother. Yes, I will get my degree and hopefully work one day, but I really don't want to miss my children's lives. I LOVE being able to be there with Matty. I get to see it all. I treasure that more than anything else. I have spent a lot of money on equipment to help me capture and hold on to these moments in my son's life. I would not trade this life for anything in the world. Some days my husband and son may get on my nerves, but there is not a day that goes by where I can imagine my life without them. Everything happens for a reason and I am glad that James and Matty happened to me. I am so very blessed.

Real Heroes

I got this in an email the other day and wanted to share. These are the true heroes in our world. So I just want to take a moment and say THANK YOU to all of those who serve our country. Our military, our police, our firemen, you all put your lives on the line for us and we should do more to thank you all for all that you do.

We truly take a lot for granted. Forget the football "heroes" and movie "stars". Pass this on so that all may know the price of freedom.Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American Soldier One died for your soul; the other for your freedom.

Crazy summer days

So I know that it has been awhile since I last added an entry. For those of you that actually read this blog, I apologize. It has been a hectic and sad time for us. We have been helping some of our close friends pack up and move away from us. It has been very difficult to say goodbye. Military life can be so hard sometimes. Just when you make a connection with people, you or they have to pack it up and move out. It just sucks. Hopefully we will be able to stay in touch. I am still waiting for school to start, so in the meantime I have been organizing and decorating the house the way I want it. We also have a new dog. He is a Catahoula hound and Whippet mix. We have named him Milo, but originally his name was Kimo, which means James in Hawaiian. Milo is very sweet natured and loves Matty. And Matty just loves him too! They are so cute together! Sienna needed a friend and so I felt that Milo would be a good fit for us. He is and we love him. James would be happy without either dog, but he is outnumbered because Matty and I love them. James is still working the crazy night shift ICU schedule. I wish that they would change him back to days. Things were better then. Matty is still as silly and fun as ever. It seems like every day he learns something new. Like yesterday he learned to blow out like he is blowing out candles. He is so much fun! I feel completely blessed to be able to stay at home with my son. I could not imagine how hard it would be for me to have to leave him every day. I am loving that Matty is still so attached to me and loves to cuddle. Sometimes it can be a bit much, but mostly I realize that it won't always be this way and I just enjoy it while I can. I will try and post some pictures shortly, but tonight I have a bad headache and it is all that I can do to post this. Good night and God bless!

Happy Belated Father's Day

I apologize for the late Father's Day greetings. It has been busy for the past few days. I just wanted to say Happy Father's Day to the special men in our lives. James, you are an amazing father. You are so gentle and sweet with our son. Matty just adores you. It is no wonder that Daddy was his first word. Happy Father's Day. I also want to wish the grandfathers and uncles Happy Father's Day. My dad (Poppie), my father-in-law (Pops), my brother Jason, and my brother-in-law John. Thank you for everything that you do for us and for being the wonderful people that you are. We love you all!

Final Decisions

I know that I haven't updated in a few weeks and I apologize. I had intended to be better about keeping everyone informed. Life has a way of distracting you though. Well, we have made a final decision about what we are going to do as far as our future is concerned. We have decided to leave the military after this tour. There have been many discussions and revelations that have brought us to this decision and it is the best one for our family. And that is all that I will say about it. James and I are both going to get our degrees while we are still in Hawaii so that we can get jobs when we get out. Whether or not I will have to work still remains to be seen. I have decided against going to GCU and getting my education degree. Something struck me as not being quite right about that school or it's price so I withdrew before I owed anything. My gut told me that it wasn't right. So James and I will be attending a school that has a good reputation and that the Army has approved as being accredited. I am going to get my degree in Biology (I just can't bring myself to teach these days) and later will get my Masters in a more specialized field. James has decided that a Business degree is what he wants to go for and he will get a more specialized Masters later on as well. Both degrees will give us more flexibility in searching for a job we like. We are not sure where we will live yet, but we have awhile to figure that out. The Army will send us back to our home of record which is Texas. But who knows where we will end up? Wherever James can find a job. And we are going to hold off on our adoption plans until we get everything settled. We are still planning on adopting, just not right away. Well, that is the news for today!

As promised

Here are some pictures of the little man! An update on how we are all doing... Well, Matty is entering the tantrum phase of his life. Fabulous. We are working through it. With a LOT of patience and headaches. We will make it. I swear we will! As for James, he is on the day shift for the next few weeks. I know that he hates all of the politics, but it is actually nice to get to go to sleep with him every night. And then when he has days off, he doesn't have to waste the day away sleeping because he worked the night before. But it is what happens so I will enjoy each day that I can with him until the next shift change. He is going to apply for school shortly and hopefully by this time next year we will be heading off to Austin, TX. Yay! And now for me... I got into school!!! YAY!!!! I will be starting classes June 30. I am really looking forward to getting my degree finally. So that is the quick and short of it. And now onto the pictures!