What Matters Most To Me

Moved!!

I've moved to a new blog,

Under The Old Sycamore Tree

The new blog is still a work in progress, but I love how I can post larger pictures.

Please update your bookmarks soon. I will be closing this blog in one week.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy!

I was getting my camera bag and gear ready to leave for a senior session, when I walked into the kitchen to grab my car keys. You can imagine my surprise when Katie was looking at me and saying, "Mommy, there is soap all over the kitchen!". She wasn't kidding. What I couldn't believe is that this actually happened while Jerome was home.....that never happens, usually stuff like this happens when he leaves. I ran outside, motioned to Jerome who was on the lawnmower cutting our much needed to be cut grass, to come in side and hurry. We grabbed a bucket and mop and started cleaning up some of the water and suds that were ALL OVER the kitchen floor.

I had to leave for the session and I didn't want to be late. Jerome however, he got to stay home and clean all the suds in the kitchen up while I was gone. We asked Natalie (who's chore today was to load the dishwasher) how much soap she used. Then that is when she looked at us and said, "OOPS, I used Joy instead of Cascade!".

Jerome - Did you fill both cups up?

Natalie - Yes.

Jerome - There sure is a lot of soap suds.

Natalie - Well, I filled the cups up and started the dishwasher and then went to Robert and Kathy's (our neighbors house). And then I got to thinking that maybe I didn't put enough soap in there, so I came back home and added more soap.

I think she filled it up plenty, don't you?

When I came home from the senior session Jerome was in the kitchen with a beach towel in front of the dishwasher and a bucket, still pulling out suds from the dishwasher. He looked up at me and smiled and said, "I don't think these dishes have ever been this clean".

He had to run the dishwasher several times until the soap suds would build up and then he would have to scoop them out. I laughed when he told me that the kitchen floor needed mopped anyway.

What an evening, I'm just glad that for once something happened while he was here (and kind of glad that I had a session to escape too, lol!).

Football Favorites.

Spencer #53 and his friend Adam #72 at the football game the night before last.

It was hot, very hot sitting on the bleachers, I can't  imagine how hot the boys playing football were. They played good, we didn't win, but that isn't what it is always about......at least not in our book. Spencer was disappointed they didn't win. He was dreading waking up yesterday morning and going to school because the coach would work them even harder than usual. We told him to just push through it, he's strong and we know he can do it. Then reminded him when/if it gets hard to think of the sign he has in his room that he wanted, it says, "3 Best Words of Advice- WALK IT OFF".

I hope he does good at practice, even if the coach pushes him harder than usual, that Spencer will just push through it and show them what he is made of.

 

These are just a few favorites from the football game Tuesday night. I would love to post more but I have way to much on my "To Do" list to even think about sitting down today!

Game: Home

B. - 0   Winfield - 32

Game Day - August 31st

 

The Expensive Side of Football Games.

Two bored little girls.

Hot from the 93 degree temperature and begging for a drink,

(from the concession stands of course).

Two little girls that don't want to watch the game, simply because they don't understand it.

Two little girls that know mom and dad WANT to watch the game.

Two little girls that know if they pester enough, mom and dad will hand them a few dollars to get something from the concession stands just to watch the game for 10 minutes in quiet.

The down side of all of this-

getting home and realizing how much cash you ended up handing over to those two little girls!

And just so that you know, the candy in Katie's hand was not just for her, I couldn't fathom putting her in sugar overload so that we could watch the game.

~Amber Hope

Homeschooling?

That is what Natalie came home begging me to do. She was crying when she got off the school bus yesterday and begging and pleading me to home school her. She had an awful day and did not want to ever go back to that school (in her words).

You see, it all revolves around a little boy, a big crush and a teacher that took a note from her.

Natalie has liked this little boy in her class for quite a while now. In fact she liked him all last school year too. A little girl who sits beside Natalie in class, that is very bossy to her, told her that if she didn't write a note to this little boy telling him that she liked him, that she was going to tell him herself. Why Natalie decided to write the note, I don't know, but she did (I wish she would have just stood up to the little girl and told her to leave her alone).

She wrote the note. The teacher saw the note, then took it from Natalie in class.

The teacher read the note, then gave Natalie an evil eye (Natalie's exact words) and laid the note down on her desk. She however didn't fold the note, she left it laying open for all the kids to see as they lined up.

A lot of kids read the note, and started teasing Natalie about liking this little boy.

My poor little girl came home heartbroken and in tears.

This is the very first time she has ever written a note to a little boy.

I sure hope he doesn't break her heart more by teasing her.

I hugged her as she cried and cried yesterday after school. I told her a story about when I was little and had a big crush on a boy in class. I didn't write him a note, but a mean girl in class told him and I had my heart broken too. I told her that even though it hurts this is all a part of growing up and that someday when she is older and has babies of her own that someday, someday she will look back and laugh at this. And even as much as it hurts, she still has to go to school, and that she will have to learn to stand up for herself when the mean girl is pressuring her to do something she doesn't want to do.

She painted her toes this morning before school.

It made my heart melt seeing her nail polish sitting on her shelf in her room.

To me it shows that she is growing up. She is wanting to feel pretty. Pretty for a little boy in her class, that may have read the note she wrote yesterday that the teacher took away. Pretty in hopes that this little boy won't break her heart.

I hope she has a better day in school today. I hope she doesn't get her heart broken anymore than it already is. I love my little girl and it just makes my heart break to see hers break.

Game Night.

Tonight is Spencer's first middle school football game.

He is pretty confident, which makes me happy.

He had his first scrimmage game last week..........

Then after playing a hard game I got a few of these.......

That's Spencer and his best friend Adam. They played a good game and were pretty proud.

Yeah, he was a little stinky and sweaty.

 

I don't know what you think, but I think Spencer is going to out grow his dad.

Spencer : just turned 13

Jerome : age 34

He still has a lot more growing to do, I'm sure he will soon be taller than Jerome.

He is a LOT taller than I am. He makes me feel short.

 

The girls after the game. They are both wearing Spencer's football jersey's from previous years of youth league football.

Spencer is very excited that a lot of family, Jerome's parents, my parent's, my sister and her husband and cousin are coming to see him play this evening.

We were driving home yesterday from football practice. We were flipping through stations and this song came on the radio............(I think it will be a favorite song around here, at least during football season)

Proud.

I'm thrilled I caught this video of Spencer at his first scrimmage game this year. He did great. The whole team did great. His scrimmage jersey number is #41. (you will want to pause the music...over on the right.

Can I just say how much I LOOOOVE my new camera, the Canon 5D Mark II......it is GREAT to have at games like this. I like having the option to video, take pictures or both at the same time.

Shhhh.....it's a surprise I'm working on.

The girls came running to me asking "What's the Halloween stuff for?". They had just gotten off the school bus and saw the Halloween stuff sitting out on the dining room table and were very excited.

I would love to say more, but it is a surprise I am working on for my photography business. Details to come soon! Until then, the girls have been asking me if we can have another Halloween party this year. I think it's a great idea. We had a  Halloween party and also a Pumpkin Carving party a few years ago, and every year that is all they talk about. Honestly, in our schedule I don't even know when I could have a Halloween party, but I think I'll try to fit it in. They won't be this little long, and the days of wanting to dress up as their favorite character I know will be over sooner than I want it to be.

I found all this great Halloween stuff at Hobby Lobby today after my doctor's appointment. I was given a cortisone steroid shot in the hip and was pretty sore from it so I decided to try to walk it out while I looked at the new stuff that Hobby Lobby is putting out. I love that store, could spend a fortune in there.....but I refrain from spending and do a lot of window shopping.

I wish I could say more about the surprise, but I have to wait a few more days to announce it.

Spencer's first scrimmage is this evening. He plays center and nose guard. He is really excited that his dad is going to be able to make it. Jerome told him this morning, "I wouldn't miss your game, ever."

I'll post some football game pictures tomorrow. Until then, I need to go try and find a red shirt to wear and leave for the game!

First Day of School.

Spencer is the first one to catch the bus in the morning, 6:20am. This was his last first day of middle school. I can't believe this time next year he will be in high school. Time really does fly. I wish I would have been a little more prepared for pictures (like had batteries in the flash and my 85mm lens on), but I wasn't so a few of his are a bit grainy.....but at least I have them to remember.

He just looks so grown up to me.

He is playing football this year. The practices have kept him very busy, but he is loving it. His first scrimmage game is Monday. He plays center and nose guard. They don't have their lockers for the locker room so everyday he (and the rest of the football team) has quite a load to carry to school.

I had to take a picture of this.......

It is what "13" looks like.

He was texting all of his friends to let them know what team at school he was on (Team A). He was glad he was put on Team A, he told me all the good teachers are on Team A.

Natalie and Katie catch the bus after he leaves. Thank goodness we have more time for them to get ready in the morning. Katie wanted her hair straightened, it took quite a while too because her hair is getting so long. They both wanted to give their teacher an apple on the first day of school. While we were at the grocery store the day before school started they both were looking for the "perfect" apple.

Natalie is in fourth grade this year. She is getting ready to get braces put on in the next few weeks. She is also getting so tall, she will be as tall as I am soon. She already wears the same size shoe that I do. I can't believe how fast they are all growing up.

 

Katie is going into third grade this year. She has quite the personality. She is 8 going on 13.......always on the phone with her friends at home, always asking to wear my make-up (even though she knows I will say no) and is very particular about her clothes. I think she is always trying to play "catch up" to her sister.....even though they are only 15 months apart.

  

I love that as much as she is wanting to grow up fast, there are still things that she wants that make me feel she isn't growing up to fast. Such as her backpack and matching lunchbox......Natalie wanted the one she picked out at Abercrombie Kids but Katie, she wanted a matching backpack and lunchbox.

A small phone call.

After writing last night, I climbed into bed and started filling all the school papers for my kids that needed turned in this morning.

Jerome called.

It was nice to get to talk to him. Even more better to find out that he gets to come home today.

Spencer was excited this morning when I told him that his dad would probably be out in enough time to come and see him at football practice.

I'm still overwhelmed from everything there is still left to do. But for now, for right now I am dropping it all. I am putting my tennis shoes on, grabbing my Ipod and going outside for a nice morning walk. It feels wonderful outside this morning.

It's funny how just a small phone call from him, getting to hear his voice and talk to him makes all the difference in the world.

This to shall pass.

I've had that saying going round and round in my mind the past few days.

The past few weeks have been difficult. Jerome was selected for Chief, which we are all very happy for, but little did we know our lives would spin so out of control. He has been going through a lot of tests and training.....a lot of stress and pressure. It is stressful for him, but also hard and very stressful on us as a family. I think if you added up all the minutes of conversation that Jerome and I have been able to have with each other since he was selected, I don't even think it would add up to even an hour. They have kept him very busy, and even when he is here at home, it is like he isn't here because he is so busy getting all the tasks completed that he needs to or he is on the telephone that never seems to stop ringing with one person or another from the military.

We miss him.

And like all the times that he has ever gone away......if anything is EVER going to break, it waits until the second his boots step out the door.

At first it was just the dishwasher. But then the dryer broke. Then the air conditioning went out in his truck. Then the computer broke. Then the lawnmower broke. Then, then I had a breakdown of my own.

I feel like I am spinning in circles trying to accomplish everything on my own. And all while trying to be strong, keep our schedule going and not have another break down. I can't sleep. I have no appetite. I'm exhausted. I'm stressed out. I feel alone. I never imagined this training he is going through right now would have such an impact on us, his family. And still at the end of the day, I have a list a mile long of things I didn't get accomplished that day.

The kids miss him. Katie still has a little bit of separation anxiety from when he was deployed to Afghanistan. Every time he leaves to go away for any type of military drill she gets very upset. She is old enough to know that when he tells her he will only be gone for one week, she is old enough that she should understand that a week is only seven days. But still, she cries her heart out every time he leaves as if he is leaving again for another two years.

Spencer missed getting to see Jerome the other evening. They let Jerome come home for a bit. A bit meaning long enough to come home, pack some more things he needed, give us all a kiss and leave again. Spencer was very upset that he didn't even get to see him. He was at football practice. When Spencer found out he had missed seeing his Dad, he dropped his football gear and got upset, I gave him a hug and even though he is now half a foot taller than I am he leaned his head over on my shoulder and gave me a hug and told me how much he missed his dad.

Spencer is wanting so bad for his dad to see him playing football.

Natalie cried the other night going to bed. She was missing her daddy.

So until all this testing and training is over for Jerome, I guess we will just have to learn how to live without him again. I forgot what it was like when he was in Afghanistan, these past few weeks have been nothing but a huge reminder of how hard it was.

We made it through then. We can make it through now. It doesn't mean it is any less difficult, it just means we will have to take it day by day, be strong, remember that "this to will pass" and hope and pray nothing else breaks.

I think tomorrow morning after I take the kids to school, I am going to go walking. The four miles I walked the other day really seemed to clear my mind. I did a lot of thinking, a lot of praying and let all my stress and frustration out in my walk. At this point however, the stress and frustration I have, I think I would need to run a marathon to get it all out.

I know it will all be worth it in the end. He has worked very hard to get to this point in the Navy. He has put a lot of years in the Navy, he has also put his heart and soul into it. I know he will be good at this. I just have to remember to keep my chin up in the mean time.

Until then, I'll keep reminding myself that "this to shall pass".

I'm off to bed now to fill out three folders of papers that the kids need for school in the morning and hopefully get some sleep tonight.

Accomplished.

This morning I woke up somewhat early, early for a Saturday morning. I set a goal for myself to try to walk four miles today.

I'm proud to say I accomplished it.

I clocked our road last week to see how many times I needed to walk it to make a mile.

Seven times makes a mile. I walked it the other evening but lost track of how many times I had walked it. So this morning I used the girl's sidewalk chalk and each lap I would make the marks I needed to keep track of my distance. I even put the time so that I could see how long it takes me to walk the four miles.

I started the first two miles at 8:37 and ended at 9:09, came in and drank a glass of ice cold water I had in the freezer and switched out loads of laundry then headed back out for another two miles.

I started the other two miles at 9:26 and finished at 10:09. I think that is pretty good. I'm not sure what minute mile I should be walking, I just kept the fast music playing on my Ipod and walked to the beat. The last mile I felt like I was dragging, but I wanted to be able to see the sidewalk chalk marks on the road showing that I walked four miles. I set a goal and I wanted to finish it.

I can't wait until I can run it someday.

Thank you to my best friend Mariah for the motivation and inspiration.

~Amber Hope

52 Home

6:38pm

Keeping it real.

What started out as a busy day, turned into an even more busy day than planned.

Jerome has been very busy working on all of his Chief  stuff he has to have finished soon. In his "free" time he has been trying to help fix everything here at home that decided to break on us last week while he was in Williamsburg for military. If it is going to break, it doesn't happen until he packs his bags and his boots leave the house for the military.

Last week one of the things that broke was Spencer's closet. Not just the one bar holding the shelf up but all three.....they just came out of the wall, and his freshly cleaned, wrinkle free clothes weren't so wrinkle free anymore. The boys have had football practice every morning starting this week. Jerome needed to make a trip to Home Depot to get a new drill and some closet parts, Jerome and the girls and I got dressed and all went out to pick the boys up.

After picking the boys up, Jerome received a call from his Chief. While I was driving I could here him on his cell phone, "What are we doing this evening? Oh....OK.".

Then he looked at me and asked, "What are we doing this evening? Chief wants to stop by and visit." 

I looked at Jerome like he was crazy and said, "I don't think we have anything planned". But shortly before that I silently mouthed to him, "Are you crazy!!". He smiled back at me kind of laughing and asked me, "Is 6:00 good?".  Sure. 6:00 is good. As soon as he hung up the phone with the Chief, I looked at him, then looked at all the kids in the rear view mirror, who I might add have been enjoying their summer being very lazy and said, "As soon as we get home from Home Depot, everyone....and I mean EVERYONE is helping pick up the house."   You can imagine the excitement I received from the children who don't like to pick up after themselves, sitting in the seats directly behind me. Oh yeah, they were real excited.

We grabbed lunch at Penn Station while we were out and to save time I stayed in the van with the kids while Jerome ran in Home Depot to pick up what he needed. The boys were stinky from football practice, the girls kept reminding them how much they stunk. And the boys kept telling the girls to be quiet. And the girls, because they like to pester the boys, just like the boys like to pester the girls....the girls started singing.....loudly.

I couldn't wait to get home.

Miraculously all the kids helped with the house, with no arguements. I think they were a little excited about a Chief coming over to visit.  I was impressed. There was only a few things left to finish, but we had forgotten to stop at the store to pick up some drinks (I haven't been to the grocery store in a while, I've just been to busy). The only things left to finish was to sweep the main rooms, mop and then spray the front porch down (the neighbors dog along with mine decided to play in a dirt pile down the road and then come and sit on our porch).  Jerome told me to go ahead and run to the store, "We've got it, we'll get everything finished....don't worry."

As I was leaving Jerome received another phone call about his Chief stuff. The endless phone calls have become a common thing around here lately since he was selected for Chief. I didn't think to much of it and went ahead and left for the grocery store just to pick up some drinks.

When I came home, Jerome was still on the same phone call while sweeping the dining room floor. It was crunch time. The girls had gotten all dressed up, in their first day of school outfit I might add. The boys got dressed up to, but not so much as the girls did.

I noticed the front porch hadn't been cleaned so I quickly got busy on it. Unfortunately the water hose had a few (well, actually several) holes in it and while cleaning off the porch I, needless to say, got wet from the water hose. I finished the porch, then rushed inside to get ready. I looked at the clock, I still had 30 minutes to get ready.

Or so I thought. I heard the kids running down the hall screaming, "He's here! The Chief is here!". I had enough time to wipe the water off my face, arms and legs, brush my hair....and that was it. My clothes were still soaking wet. Jerome introduced us all to him, he shook hands with all of us and talked to the kids a little and then turned to Jerome and said, "I need to talk to just your wife." So Jerome went to go outside with the kids and the Chief and I sat down at the dining room table and talked. He explained a little about what all Jerome is going through, how they are testing him and that it is only temporary. He asked if I had any questions and then gave me a book that was given to his wife when he became Chief. The girls kept waving through the dining room window, along with the neighbor kids and smooshing their faces against the window. I didn't really have any questions to ask him and I told him I understood what Jerome has to go through. When we were finished talking we went out on the front porch where Jerome was chasing a bee away from the kids. Jerome had a few questions for him and they started walking to his truck. I went back in the house, along with the kids who couldn't wait to go put some play clothes on and go back outside to play.

I sat down on the couch.....thinking.....just thinking. How all the deep cleaning to the house we did, and he didn't go any further than the dining room (which is now the front room of the house). "Oh well", I thought, "at least I have a spotless house now". The kids all came in and plopped down on the couch, "Whew....that was fun.". 

The kids went outside to play a bit and Jerome started back working on his Chief stuff and I had several clients I needed to return emails and phone calls to. While updating my calendar I realized today was the 12th.....the last day of the Allegiant Air flight ticket sale to Orlando, Florida. I reminded Jerome so then we got to work finding and booking our hotel for Disney and booking our flights. The kids started coming in and asking what we were having for dinner. Jerome was on the phone with the resort we had thought we were going to stay at but they ended up not having enough rooms that are suited for a family of five. So we spent a good bit of time trying to get everything booked before the sale ended.

We noticed the kids had stopped asking what was for dinner. Spencer and Adam had gotten into a box of MRE's that Jerome had brought home. The kids were all going through them, calling out which one they wanted. They think MRE's are wonderful. Crazy. I looked at Jerome and he looked at me and we both shrugged our shoulders, I guess if that is what they want to eat for dinner that's fine with me. I looked at him and said, "I REALLY need to go to the grocery store tomorrow", and laughed.

Jerome even decided to eat one. Not me and Natalie, we fixed us a sandwich and ravioli.

This is what our breakfast area table looks like permanently (minus the MRE he was working on eating for dinner) now, Jerome's notes, book, laptop, papers.....you get the idea.

Tomorrow I am making a big grocery store trip to Sam's Club to get stocked back up on everything we need and a trip to the grocery store. No more MRE dinner nights.....although the kids wouldn't object......they LOVE the MRE's.

Somehow I find the book that I put on the table in the kitchen kind of funny. There it was, sitting there among all the MRE stuff the kids had gotten into. I don't think the book "Guidlines for the Spouses of Chief Petty Officers" has any recommendation for letting the kids and husband have MRE's for dinner on nights that you find yourself to busy to cook dinner. 

I'm going to bed now. Jerome is finally finishing up his Chief stuff for the evening/night. I just hope that I can get the song "Anchor's Aweigh" out of my head before falling asleep. Jerome has to memorize several songs, Anchor's Aweigh being one of them. So to help with the memorization he has played the video below over, and over, and over, and over, and over......until eventually putting on his noise cancelling headphones on. I need to remind him though that just because the headphones cancel out the noise he hears from us, doesn't mean it cancels out his singing of the song Anchor's Aweigh. He's been singing it, with headphones on his head while working on his book for the past two hours now.

Jerome- I love you. I love your singing too;)

Vermont.

We have been back from our trip from Vermont for a while now. It seems the minute we landed our schedule went back into overdrive as it has been for the past few months now. We had a wonderful time in Vermont together. I think the Returning Warriors weekend that the military offers is priceless. We met a lot of new people and shared stories that mirrored other deployment stories. It felt good to be in a place that everyone there seemed to understand.

We almost didn't go. They did Jerome's orders before setting up my travel arrangements and unfortunately they put us on complete different flights with complete different airlines. I have a fear of flying. Simply put....I HATE FLYING. Jerome struggled all evening trying to get us on the same flight, knowing that I didn't want to fly alone. We were going to purchase our own tickets, there was one spot available to fly together but we were advised by his command not to. We had been so excited about this trip, until they booked us on different flights. I begged him to drive up there, we weren't packed all the way but if we could pack our stuff, get the kids packed up and dropped off at my sister's we "might" be able to make it. Driving wasn't an option at that time, we would have been driving non-stop to make it there on time. I cried and cried because I wanted to go, but was terrified to fly. He held my face, looked at me in the eyes and said softly to me, "I know you can do it. Look at all you have accomplished on your own." I hesitated but knew we had been looking forward to this all summer long. And I knew it would be good for him to attend. So I agreed to be brave and fly on my own.

I took my camera along to keep my mind off of flying. It didn't leave my camera bag the whole time I was on the plane. I wish I wasn't afraid to fly, I didn't use to be, but for some reason I am terrified of it now. I did pull my camera out at the airport in Detroit while I was waiting on my next flight.

We both landed safely in Vermont and rode the shuttle to the hotel together. They put us up in the Hilton there in Burlington, Vermont. It was a beautiful hotel. We checked in but our room wasn't ready so we left our luggage with the hotel and then went walking to get some lunch together and do a little shopping. We went to several shops on Church Street. Jerome needed some new pants (the ones he was going to pack for the trip at home he has had since we were married, lol). We found him some at Banana Republic and then went to Macy's to get a dress shirt and tie for the banquet they were having Saturday evening for everyone.

Then we ate a wonderful lunch at a restaurant called The Farm House. It was delicious.

We were going to save room for their famous Blueberry Pie but we were both so full from lunch that we had to pass.

After lunch we walked back to our hotel, picked up our luggage, and checked in with the people in charge of the Returning Warriors Retreat. We received a large packet of papers for the weekend, a book and a care package from the USO.

All of the other couples at our round table were all from Jerome's reserve center. It was nice getting to meet other couples from the center and even after the evening session at the retreat was over we sat out in the lobby with one of the couples from our table and talked and laughed until we realized how late it was and how sleepy we were all getting.

The next morning we had a wonderful breakfast and then were introduced to our facilitator that was sitting with us at the table. He was a very nice man, served the military and retired and had so much valuable information to offer/help us. As the session began the servers started walking around placing Kleenex boxes at each of the tables. Jerome kind of laughed and said to the woman who had just set a box down at our table, "Are you trying to tell us something?". She smiled and shrugged her shoulders and then walked away. Well, they knew what they were doing placing a box of Kleenex's at the tables. Our first question the facilitator asked us was, "What is one thing that brings a smile to your face when he was deployed." Then the second question was, "What is one thing you wish you could just leave in the sand? Something that happened while you/he was gone that you wish hadn't." The first question brought a few laughs and smiles but the second.......the second brought many tears. The Kleenex box was well used by everyone.

After the morning session they fed us a large lunch. The food they had was amazing. We were all talking about how well they were feeding us and that we were probably all going to weigh ten pounds heavier when we go back home, lol. After lunch Jerome and I walked down to the boardwalk at Lake Champlain. I set my camera up on timer to get a picture of us. Unfortunately I think I need a little more practice at using the timer. The focus fell off of us, but I don't care. There are very few pictures of us together and this is a weekend I wanted to look back at and see a picture of us together.

Then we went back to our hotel room to get dressed up and ready for the banquet that evening.

It was a very nice banquet. They weren't ready for everyone at the time the banquet was to begin, so we all waited outside the banquet room, socialized and had a drink. When they opened the banquet doors the room was dark and all the staff and facilitators were clapping their hands for everyone. We took our seat and they gave a toast. It was a POW/MIA toast, with an empty table sitting at the front of the room.

The dinner was amazing. Our facilitator at one time was a science teacher and as they served us the lobster bisque he went to tell us what was in the soup, but then said, "Nevermind. Remind me later and I will tell you."

We never did ask him but it still has me wondering what the mysterious ingredient in the lobster bisque is.

The next morning we finished up our classes and sessions and then packed up and headed to the airport. After about five attempts at changing our flights to be on the same one, we thankfully were able to get on the same flight home. They closed Washington/Dulles airport down for a while, one of Jerome's friends forgot his backpack at the hotel and a whole lot of airplane confusion later (due to Washington Dulles closing for a while from a storm) and at least a three hour lunch with his Master Chief and his wife while waiting on our flight.....we were on our flight back home.

At one point in the flight it was a little bumpy, I got a little nervous and Jerome told me to look at the drink. He said if the drink isn't sloshing around I had nothing to worry about, lol.

Then he went back to reading his book I gave him for Father's Day.

And I played around with the little point and shoot camera I had in my carry on, that was until the battery went dead.

So here we are back home. Back to our hectic, crazy schedule. It was a nice weekend getaway for the both of us.

It was a weekend I know I would have regretted not going if I wouldn't have let my feet off the ground. I'm glad I decided to fly rather than not go because of a fear. I'm glad Jerome talked me into getting on that plane. However.....next time we will be driving.

The Girl's Room

We have been so busy lately.

I have so much I could put on here, so many things have happened, but I just haven't had the time.

We've been enjoying our summer, keeping busy, but enjoying it all the same.

A friend of mine was asking to see the girl's room I am working on so I thought I would do a quick post about their room.

Katie's bunny she still sleeps with. She also sleeps with Toto, a stuffed dog she has slept with since she was two. The bunny and Toto look worn out, but that is what makes them special.

I took these the other night before bed. I'll have to take more when their room is completely finished.

This is what you see walking into their room, the "Sister's Room".....

 

I painted their matching beds a vintage green. They also have an antique vanity that I will be painting this vintage green color as well. Their walls are painted a simple white. I found the letters on their wall that spells "SISTERS" at Hobby Lobby, they were an ugly gold color. I primed them and then painted them with a metalic silver spray paint. It is one of my favorite parts of their room.

Their bedding is Rachel Ashwell, Shabby Chic from Target. They each picked out the ruffled comforter and pink ruffled sheets. I had a lot of their "pink" stuff already, like their pink velvet Shabby Chic curtains that are hanging up in their window.

My dad hung up their little chandeliers for me about a week ago. (Thanks Dad!)

I have had them in a box for a long time now (except Katie's it was in her old room). I found them at Hobby Lobby for half price.

The girls love having them above their bed. They use these as their reading light at night time. I had my dad hang them directly above where they sleep at. This is what they see at night going to sleep and reading in bed......

I think it is perfect for their room.

I am glad my dad was able to hang them, we (me and the girls) couldn't wait to see them hanging up in their room. Jerome would have hung them......if he had time. He was selected for Chief in the U.S. Navy and has been going through a grueling workload they are putting on him before he is pinned as Chief. It is something that belongs in a post all in its self.

We are VERY PROUD of him for this accomplishment, he has worked hard for it and deserves it.

We just need a little patience and prayers for this next 6 weeks while he completes everything he is expected to do. I don't think the Navy realizes how grueling it is for the family during this time as well. But, we'll get through it......we always have.