25 Things About Me

Originally posted on my Facebook Page.

Okay, I'm being difficult and changing the rules!! I keep seeing everyone being "tagged" in notes and then you have to do it and send it out to 25 people. What a CROCK OF CRAP! If you read this... Great. If you decide to do this... Good on Ya! You don't have to do it though. I honestly just want to see if I can think of 25 things to say about myself.

1. I hate spam email and Chain Letters!
2. I love going to the gym with my friends.
3. I love teaching Jazzercise.
4. I miss my hubby. He is my world and inspiration.
5. My 3 girls drive me crazy, but I wouldn't have them any other way.
6. I actually like to watch the Disney Channel with my kids. 
7. I never want to get old. (It's a State of Mind, not a number!)
8. I'm 36 years old, and damn proud of being my age. 
9. I hate being late for things. (15 minutes early is on time, and "on time" is late.)
10. I love learning about digital photography and would love to take some "official" classes.
11. I hate cold weather!!
12. I am anxiously awaiting my move to Florida!
13. I would only change one thing about my past. I would not have stopped exercising during my first pregnancy and I would have eaten better. Is that 2 things??
14. I'm a seriously BIG FLIRT!
15. I enjoy the "eye candy" at the gym. Great motivation!! (And hubby understands this because he likes his eye candy too. LOL!)
16. I love to go out dancing!
17. I could, literally, spend all night on a dance floor.
18. Give me some 80's music anytime!
19. I used to be in the Army National Guard. (I joined my Junior Year of HS, and I actually wore my uniform to school a time or two.)
20. I spend too much time sitting at my computer
21. I need a job (beside teaching Jazzercise), but I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.
22. I love being a Navy Wife... but the women who whine about can get on my nerves sometimes. I love you, but... Put on your Big Girl Panties and get over it already!! (Okay, let me clarify something: I'm not talking about the ones that have problems and need help. I'm talking about the "Negative Nelly's" who can't find anything positive in a situation.)
23. I'm not much of a "phone person". I don't understand why. I spent most of my teen years with a phone attached to my ear. Did I get overloaded??
24. I was a drama-geek in school. I started acting in Kindergarten and loved it!
25. I am scared of roaches and death-by-volcano/lava. Maybe I was a victim of Mt Vesuvius in a past life? 
26. Yes, I believe in past lives, spirits, astral projection, aliens, and lots of other things.

Well, would you look at that! I actually got 26 things, and to be honest I could probably keep going, but i don't want to bore anyone. If you made it all the way to the bottom of this list: Thanks for taking an interest. Now back to your regularly scheduled browsing!

Winter Moon

The January "Winter Moon". The moon was, visually, the biggest it will appear all year. So after bundling myself up in 3 pairs of socks, long johns, jeans, 2 shirts, coat, hat, gloves, and boots, I headed out to Bailey Island to see the moon rise. Unfortunately, I was about 10 minutes too late to see the actual "rising", but it was beautiful none the less. Oh well. One of these years I'll get my "dream" moon shot: a shot of the moon, in all it's gigantic glory, rising out of the ocean. I saw this exact thing as a child one summer while I was on vacation at the beach with my grandma and cousin. I really want to capture my memory on film. 

Princess Ari - My little girly-girl and Princess of Pink, even when she's dressed all in blue!  LOL!!

(Digi Kit from Microferk:  "Princess Hearts" Kit from www.scrapbook-elements.com) 

My latest scrapbook LO.  My uncle and cousin made these cute mice as a sweet treat for Christmas.  Supplies from Microferk's "Winter Sparkle" Kit at Scrapbook-Elements.com

Day 143

I's been a fairly uneventful week.  No Drama.  Nothing news-worthy to report.  The most exciting thing that happened this week was the snow-day we had on Wednesday because of icy road conditions.  It was a good day, but I didn't get to teach Jazzercise because we decided it wasn't safe to hold class.  We didn't want anyone out driving around in the muck and yuck.  But I'm scheduled to teach tomorrow, and I'm teaching lots of new routines for my class.

Also, I've been doing a "Project 365" on Flickr.  It's a picture a day of me or something about me and my life.  You can check it out at:  www.flickr.com/photos/scrpnmama-exposed 

Caio for now!

Day 150...

The countdown continues...  we are now at day #150, aka - Tiffany's 12th birthday!  Life is back to normal here, sort of.  I still have to bag up the small xmas tree and put it back in the back-shed.  Maybe Tomorrow.  Today we are going shopping.

Look Deep Into My Eye...

I couldn't resist this unexpected shot I got of Ari when we were opening gifts Wednesday morning.  I'm not exactly sure what she was doing, but I'm so glad I got this capture!

Day 175... a funny for you

Forget Rednecks ......here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about New Englanders...


If your local Dairy Queen is closed from October through April , you live in New England.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in New England.

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in New England.

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you live in New England.

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of New York City for the weekend, you live in New England.

If you measure distance in hours, you live in New England.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in New England.

If you have switched from 'heat ' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you live in New England.

If you can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in New England.

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you live in New England.

If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you live in New England.

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you live in New England.

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 70 and everybody is passing you, you live in New England .

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you live in New England. 

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you live in New England.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in New England.

If you find 20 degrees 'a little chilly', you live in New England.

If there's a Dunkin Donuts on every corner, you live in New England.

Day 176...

Oy!!  I'm really P.O.'ed right now!  Our street is a giant sheet of ice.  I wouldn't be so mad if all the other streets in our neighborhood were also icy, but it's only our street. Everybody else's streets are clear.  WTF is up with that??  Our street isn't "worthy" enough for plowing and salting?  Grr!!!  Idiots!!!

Okay... now that that is off my chest.  All in all, things are pretty quiet here on the homefront.  I need to re-shovel the driveway and sidewalk, and then I'm going to lay down a layer of salt.  After that, my butt is staying in the house.  I will not drive anywhere today.  Maybe I'll make a couple of batches of sugar cookie dough.  Hmmm...  maybe some "flavored" sugar cookies this year??  Amaretto or Orange?  I also need to make a couple of batches of mint brownies.

179...

Day #179 that is...

Mike left me a gift when he went on deployment... his germs.  Now, I've got a cold and it must be a whopper, because I usually don't get sick.  I'm just veggin' at home today and saving my energies for teaching class in the morning.  And I'm thinking that a pot of chicken noodle soup sounds like dinner.  Yup... a quiet Friday.

Here's a pic of Ari with Mike's tie.  It was on the sofa and when I asked her to take it upstairs for me, she put it on and said.... "Look Mommy! I look like Daddy!"  

More old email stuff...

Here's some more poems:

The Silent Ranks
Author Unknown

I wear no uniforms, no blues or whites,
But I am in the Navy cause I am his wife.
I'm in the ranks that are rarely seen,
I have no rank upon my shoulders.
Salutes I do not give.
But the military world is the place where I live.
I'm not in the chain of command, Orders I do not get.
But my husband is the one who does, this I can not forget.
I'm not the one who fires the weapon, who puts my life on the line.
But my job is just as tough. I'm the one who's left behind. 
My husband is a patriot, a brave and prideful man. 
And the call to serve his country not all can understand.
Behind the lines I see the things needed to keep this country free.
My husband makes the sacrifice, but so do our kids and me.
I love the man I married. Soldiering is his life.
But I stand among the silent ranks known as the Navy Wife.

 If Daddy Says Goodbye
By Kathleen Iversen 

All daddies are special in their own way. 

Some daddies ride tractors and work on a farm. 
Some daddies drive fire trucks and sound the alarm. 
Some daddies are great chefs and can make dessert. 
Some daddies play the bagpipes and wear a plaid skirt! 

Daddies can do a lot of things. 

What does your daddy do? 

Some daddies drive noisy tanks that growl and grumble. 
Some daddies fly jet planes that roar and rumble. 
Some daddies hike in forests that are dark and damp. 

Some daddies march in boots that stomp and stamp. 

These daddies wear green and are in the Army or Marines. 
There are daddies in the Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force too. 
They fly planes and sail across the oceans and skies of blue. 
They all work hard keeping our great country safe and serene. 

Daddies can do a lot of things. 

Some daddies have to leave home and go far away. 
That's how they care for you, in their own special way. 
If your daddy leaves and he kisses you goodbye, 
remember these words and dry the tears from your eyes. 

When your daddy leaves and the two of you are apart
He places a tiny little picture of you in his heart. 
Everyday no matter where he is, 
His soul will whisper these words to the wind. 

I will always love you no matter where I go. 
I am part of you and you are part of me. 

That's something I'll always know. 
Try not to worry, don't be sad. 
You'll always be my baby 
And I'l always be your dad.

Day 181 - You might be military if...

1. <----  (Excuse this stupid #1, I can't seem to make it go away...)    So, I was going through some of my old (like from 2004-2005) emails in my yahoo acct and came across these.  Enjoy!

1. You know you're a military wife if...... You call your husband by his rank, not his name.
   
2. You know you're a military wife if you call the local food stores commissaries instead of grocery stores.
3. You know you're a military wife if you keep the original cartons for all appliances and electronics safely stored for the next move.
4. You know you're a military wife if you talk about the new home you are going to have in three years.
5. You know you'er a military wife if you recall your kids milestones by where you were stationed at the time.
6. You know you're a military wife if you can set the table in three time zones with the same pattern.
7. You know you are a Military Wive if you recall the tough times you overcame by relating them to which deployment they occurred during.
8. You know you're a Military Wife if you call your pay stub an LES.
9. You know your a military wife if you only know your husband's friends by their last names.
10. You know you're a Military Wife if your luggage is all OD Green
11. You know you're a Military Wife when you know DEERS has nothing to do with Bambi.
12. You know you are a military wife when you children are each born in a different country or state.
13. You know you are a military wife when you have boxes from 2 moves ago that you haven't unpacked.
14. You know you are a military wife when you chase your husband out the door saying, "Honey, don't forget your Kevlar!"
15. You know you are a military wife when you can't recognize your spouse's co-workers out of uniform.
16. You know you're a Military wife if TAPs is a song, not a dance.
17. You know you are a military wife when you whip out your ID card everytime someone wants your drivers license.
18. You know you are a military wife when you pay $50 to have a baby. And you are offered a payment plan to pay it off.
19. You know you're a military wife when you can quote army regulations.
20. You know you are a military wife if you catch yourself humming cadence.
21. You know your a military wife if Tricare knows you by name.
22. You know your a military wife when you know your spouses SSN better than your own!
23. You know you are a military wife if you can tell when your husband's hair is "out of regs"
24. You know you're a military wife if you can cuss your husband out in three different languages.

You might have been moved by the Military if:

1. You move all trash cans out of the house to keep them from being packed. 
2. if you have to store boxes to be use for safe moving 
3. You set aside a room or space that's marked "Do Not Enter". 
4. You label bedrooms by numbers instead of words so the non-English speaking movers can mark the boxes easily 
5. You learn how to write "Keep Out" or "Do Not Enter" in the native language. 
6. You identify how long something has been packed by the name of the moving company on the box 
7. You have a variety of packing stickers in various colors and languages on your furniture. 
8. Your HHG's get here on the same day or before your unaccompanied baggage. 
9. You know what unaccompanied baggage means! 
10.Your kids friends are always excited to color at your house because you have huge pieces of packing paper and black markers.Furthermore; every drawing is held up by left over packing tape.

11. You've gotten used to having lawnchairs, boxes for tables, and sleeping bags as furniture a full month before you PCS.

OPSEC side note about the Countdown...

I just wanted to post that my countdown to Florida is in NO WAY, I repeat NO WAY indicative of when Mike will be coming home.  Due to operational security concerns, I will NEVER post any dates, times, or locations of anything Mike happens to be doing.  His (and his squadron's) safety is extremely important to me!!

The countdown is just a countdown to June 1st (for now... it could change), which is when I'll feel like I'm in the "home stretch" of our prep to move.

Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging... 

Countdown to Florida!!!

Well, the time has begun... Mike is now deployed and we are doing our final coutdown to Florida. I'm hoping to chart our day-to-day stuff on here. Not that it'll be very "interesting" stuff, but maybe pics and our daily life. Stay tuned if you wish...

update time...

Okay, so it's been a while since I updated this piece of the web.  Sorry.  I've gotten into using Facebook, so you can find me on there most of the time.  

What's new with us...  

Amanda and I got haircuts.  My hair is now 6 inches shorter.  (Back up to neck level and layered.)  I like it.  Pics are on Facebook.  The kids are doing good.  Report cards just came out for Tiff and amanda.  Tiff is A/B honor roll.  Amanda needs to bring up a few of her grades.  Ari should get her report card soon.  She's loving 1st grade.  Mike's getting ready for his upcoming deployment.  We're gonna miss him so much.  The only nice thing about his leaving... no one snoring as I'm trying to go to sleep.  LOL!!  But I would gladly keep him home and deal with the snores if I could.  Can't fight the military about deployments.

That's all for now.  Short and Sweet... just like me!  (YEAH RIGHT!!)

  Just a few more LOs:

Hugs - The girls being nice to each other (without being asked!!) while we were at the air show.

1st Day of School - The girls on the 1st day of school

Remember - A LO in honor of POWs & MIAs

9/1/08

Some LOs that I did today:  I took these pictures this morning.  (I'm definitely going to ask Santa for an early X-mas present because I NEED a tripod!!!)  About half of the pics I took this morning were blurry because I had to adjust the shutter speed to compensate for the lighting.  You just can't hand-hold the camera when the shutter is that slow.

Credits: 

Rina Kroes: Almost Midnight bkgrd ppr, Bling on Strings, Glass Pebbles
Miki Ferkel: Princess Hearts ppr and hearts and Peace on Earth ppr
April Rieff: Word Art Quote (recolored)

Just a quick update...

We are all doing good here for the most part.  Fran, Charlie, and G.G. Sichko left yesterday from their weekend visit to soggy Maine.  Thankfully we had a nice weekend, without too much rain.  We took them to the Portland Head Light and to Bailey Island.  They also went exploring Freeport, but I Mike and I weren't able to go with them due to other commitments.

Mike is back in school again.  He's got a lot of reading to do, but I think he's happy to be back in school and working toward his degree.  He only needs a few more classes to get his Associates.  Yeah!!  

I'm looking forward to the kids going back to school in a few weeks.  Ari will be gone all day!  YEAH!!  It will be so nice for her to be there.  She loves school!  Tiff starts Jr High and Amanda starts HS this year.  Oy!  3 kids in 3 different schools.  

Another nice thing about school starting back up is more free time for me.  I'm thinking about going back to school or working on a new fitness certification, like ACE, AFAA, or ACSM.  I would also like to get a part time job working at the gym on base, but that may not be feasible because of Mike's schedule.  We'll just have to wait and see what comes up.

Well, that's all that's going on here for now.  I'll post some pics and stuff later!  

Brewing Pgs 3 & 4