Happy New Year's Eve!

Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's Eve! 

Stay safe and no drinking and driving! 

We are welcoming the new year 

with a new addition 

to our family! 

Born at 7:24am weighing 5.8lbs, measuring 17 3/4in.

Isn't he tiny!? 

I haven't thought of a code name for him yet...

but I'll update this when I do. 

It's UN-Necessary...

Life is pretty UN-eventful since 

Christmas is over. But I will re-cap a 

conversation I had with J the other day.

Christmas Day: The "boys" get remote-controlled mini-helicopters for Christmas. They wait until dark to try flying them outside. It has snowed and it is really cold. The boys take Tim's helicopter outside and get it stuck in a pine tree in less than 15 minutes. They can't get it down. J tries climbing they pine tree and scratches the front of his leg pretty badly. It's bleeding all over the place.

Helicopter blinks all night long.

December 26th: J gets the helicopter down by throwing a pine cone at it.

December 28th: The scratch on J's leg looks irritated and red. I try to doctor it up with some peroxide and antibiotic ointment. 

J: (puts on jacket and heads for the door.)My leg is fine. It doesn't need to be cleaned.

Me: (heading towards bathroom to get peroxide, ointment and cotton balls)Please let me at least clean it and put some antibiotic ointment on it. You don't want to get an infection. It looks sore.

Mom: (mockingly quotes old men from western movies that have been shot)"It's just a flesh wound."

J: (returns from a smoke break...aka escaping from me.) I told you it's fine. I don't need you to clean it. I washed it off the other day when it happened. You don't even have any gauze. This is so UN-necessary.

Mom: You don't need any gauze. It needs to breathe. It looks infected.

Me: (kneeling in front of J to clean his scratch) Yeah. It looks infected. I'm just gonna clean it and put this stuff on it. (pouring peroxide on his leg) It's all germy. Look at the bubbles!

J: It would bubble if you put it on the back of my hand too. It's just skin germs.

Me: That's gross. And no it wouldn't.

J: This is so UN-necessary!! Now I'm gonna have to walk around with my pants-leg up....(rolls eyes)

Me: (also rolling eyes) Fine! I hope your leg falls off!(stomping down the hall to put up the peroxide and ointment.)


J: (yelling down the hall) And don't blog about this or whatever it is you do. I don't want everyone to know about it too. Like you blogged about me running into that helicopter and stuff.


Me: (all innocent-like) No I didn't. What are you talking about? 


J: You had to have blogged about it or posted something on Facebook. 'Cuz everyone in my unit knew about that. 'Cuz you told all their wives! 

Me: No I didn't....

Update: J's leg is still red...because I'm pretty sure he rubbed off the ointment later. And he hasn't let me clean it again.

Is it a "man-thing" to pretend to be fine when you've got a bad scratch you're practically dying? And to act like someone is chopping your limbs off one by one you're dying when you only have a cold?

Merry Christmas Y'all!

Mama and I are cooking

  and J is still asleep. 

We hope y'all have a Merry Christmas and 

remember why this season, we keep.

Jesus is the reason 

for this special Day.

We're celebrating His birth,

Let's keep it that way!

~Whitney C. Oaks~

 Merry Christmas from the Oaks!

"There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries." ~W.J. Cameron

 

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."  ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

 

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." - Luke 2:11-(KJV)

Christmas Eve Eve

I can't believe it's almost Christmas! I'm completely ready for Christmas to come and go. Don't get me wrong...I love Christmas. I'm just tired of all the stress and trying to make plans with three different families. Phew...

Thursdays are so boring in blogging world. {Someone really should create a Thursday meme! *hint hint*} I thought it would be interesting to give y'all a couple of

facts from Today in Rotten History:

December 23, 1888

After an argument with fellow painter Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh takes a razor and removes a portion of his left ear. Their quarrel regarded the prostitutes in Arles who seemed to prefer Gauguin over Van Gogh; the painter delivered his ear to one Rachel, who preferred Van Gogh. She fainted. 

 

December 23, 1995

Bodies of 16 members of the Solar Temple cult who had committed suicide are found on a plateau in the French Alps. Their bodies are charred and arranged in a star formation. Causes of death included stabbing, asphyxiation, gunshot, and poisoning. In 1994, 53 other members had committed suicide in similar fashion. 

 

Interesting, right? People are crazy. 

But God is Great all the time! 

Has everyone gotten all of their shopping done? I 

finished last night. I only had to buy a few stocking-

stuffers and I was done. No surprise that Wally World

was really busy when we checked out. My sister

and I stood in line for about 25 minutes. 

Thank God the guys had the babies. I don't 

think we could have made it. LOL. 

J and I met up with his parents, sister and brother-in-law

at Applebee's last night. It was a great meal and it was

good to see his parents. It's been awhile since we've

seen them since they do live in Florida. {They brought J's

dog, Sabrina, up with them. She's staying at my sister's 

house.}

Sabrina in front of Amanda's 

Christmas tree. She looks a little bit evil.

 

Today, J and I are having his family over to Mom's house,

so we can exchange gifts. I hope they like what

we got them. :)

For Jeremy's parents, I got a Boyd's Bears figurine:

Rooney...Proud to be an American

For his Dad, we got a Coat-of-Arms & Family History

from Family Crest in Ober-Gatlinburg:

This is just one of their samples. "Oaks" looks 

a lot different. {We also got one for ourselves, 

since they were BOGO half-off!}

 

For Miranda (J's sister), from Willow Tree® 

by DEMDACO- Child of My Heart:

She should be having her baby boy in 5-1/2 weeks!

For John, J bought a gift card to Academy. LOL. Men are so hard

to buy for! I also got Miranda a scrapbook for 

the baby and a few small things for everyone else.

I hope they will like these gifts. I know I do! :) 

What are y'all buying for your family members? Or 

In-laws, friends, neighbors, etc?

Wordless Wednesday

What...is....THAT???

 It's already Tuesday again?? I LOVE Tuesday! The only thing that EVER happens on Tuesday is Random Tuesday Thoughts; brought to you by The Un-Mom! 

How's this for Random?...

I was stumbling the other day and came across Exteme Repurposing.
(Since you are probably too lazy to follow the link busy to follow the link, I'll recap for you...extreme repurposing is reusing everyday items as something else...) I was reading the comments section below the pictures, I read someone's comment that the funnel hook was "obviously a menstrual cup"...Whoa. 

What the heck is that? So I googled it.....

Wow.

Where do I start...

Apparently it's going to replace Tampons and Pads...

Here is a site about one brand: Fleurcup.

And here is a sample of the product:

I'll let y'all conclude your own opinions. Feel free to comment about it. In fact...I implore you to do so...NAOW!

For more less-disturbing, interesting, randomness...visit Keely at The Un-Mom.
 

Happy Birthday to Daddy in Heaven

Me and Daddy in the hotel room in Niagara Falls, Canada 2000

Today is your birthday Daddy. You would have been 47-years-old. 

I miss you so much. It doesn't seem like it has been almost 5 years since you went to Heaven. 

I wish you were here this year. Christmas will 

never be the same without you. 

I know you're having a wonderful birthday in 

Heaven with our other family members and friends. 

I hope you know how much you're thought of all through the year and especially today. 

I love you forever and always Daddy-O. 

Happy Birthday.

12/18/63-12/28/05

 

Note: Not sure why this wasn't posted on the 18th. My bad.

MilSpouse Friday Fill-In #25

 It's been awhile since I've done a Milspouse Friday Fill-In. This is a great one to start back up with. LOL. Don't forget...if you're a military spouse or if you just want to participate...Go and visit Wifey @ Wife of a Sailor. Leave a comment and link up! :) 



 1. What is the best gift you have ever received or given?  
 I think the best gift I've ever gotten was Simba (stuffed Lion), from "Santa" when I was 7 or 8. The best gift I've ever given was actually  3 gifts (all the same) to my Mom and Sister (The year after my Dad died.)and Grandmother (The year PawPaw died). It was a Christmas ornament from Hallmark. It came in a velvet-lined box with a poem on a card. The ornament said, "I Love You All Dearly, Now Don't Shed A Tear, I'm Spending My Christmas, With Jesus This Year." They all cried...not my intentions. But I know it means a lot to them. 

 2. Do you celebrate holidays differently when your loved one is deployed/ gone or do you keep tradition?
I've only been through one deployment and he came home during Christmas for his 2 week R&R. So, I can't really answer this question. LOL.

 3. If you celebrate Christmas, do you put an angel, star or something else on top of your tree?
We most definitely celebrate Christmas! Our tree has a star on top. My Mom's has a big ribbon...and my Sister used to use an angel that I bought her...but she's switched to an all white and blue tree and the angel doesn't match...We all use something different. LOL.

 4.What are your three favorite websites?
They change quite frequently...lol. But at the moment:
 1. Facebook
 2. OMGPOP.com
 3. Blogger
 
 5.On your man...do you prefer boxers, briefs, or boxer-briefs? Or commando?
I like boxer-briefs because he likes them...but boxers are fine too. c(=






 

Because I have lots of free time on my hands.....

...I'm going to make one of these...
 

And you're all going to be jealous that my clothes are all folded perfectly and you'll all beg me to make you one and I'll refuse... because I'll be too busy folding all of mine and J's shirts to bother with making you your very own shirt-folding device....

*rolls eyes*

*sigh*.... 

Wordless Wednesday

Random Tuesday Thoughts: Can Cats Take Over the World?

If they can't...I won't be

the only one

surprised.

How's this for random??

This poor baby girl can't even have her own bed

to herself...lol. Sassy-kitty and Callie have invaded!!

*Note how clever they are...they make themselves out to be adorable! *gasp*

I'm sure they're plotting some sort of mischief...

For more randomness...head on over to The Un-Mom!

Be sure to write your own randomness and link up!

New blog layout...

I stayed up all night trying to find a new blog layout, but ended up making my own. I like the background, but I don't like the title background. I'll probably change it again before the week is over. LOL. All my favorite sites are saved on my laptop and I'm using J's. His is MUCH faster! :) Let me know what you think if you have time!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season! I know I'm excited about Christmas. :) I actually finished filling out almost all of my Christmas cards...Now I just have to wait 'til Monday to get some stamps. (=

A Soldier's Silent Night

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU THIS NIGHT."

This poem was written by a Marine stationed in Okinawa Japan. The
following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.

Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Potty-training: Random Tuesday Thoughts

Tuesday again? This year is almost over. Can't believe there's only a month left....Anywho..since it's Tuesday again...

Today my sister and I started [trying] to potty-train my 2-year-old nephew, Boog. (He turned 2 in August.) We started out by placing him on the potty as soon as he woke up this morning. He screamed bloody murder and wouldn't do anything. As soon as we put the pull-up on him...he peed. Then we asked him every 30 minutes if he wanted to go pee-pee. He said no. Then just before naptime we took him again and he screamed bloody-murder again. It was definitely naptime. Then about an hour ago, my sister tried for 30 minutes to get him to pee-pee in the "big-boy potty" again and he wouldn't go. Less than a minute after he got off the potty he ran to the couch, naked and peed on it....

I asked him if he went pee-pee in the potty and he said, "No...I pee-pee" and then he pointed at the couch. SMH....

Any ideas on how to potty-train a two-year old? {Read as: Any ideas that work to potty-train a very stubborn two-year-old?}

LOL. I hope everyone is having a great week! Tomorrow is December!!!!

For more Random Thoughts...head on over to The Un-Mom and join in!

Love,
The Boog's Aunt "Bit-Bit"

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from the Oaks family to your family! May you be truly thankful for all your blessings!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." --Psalms 100:4

Thursday's Quote...

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."


— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wordless Wednesday

RTT: Grocery Shopping @ the last minute!!!

Including myself...why do we always wait til the last minute to shop for groceries for Thanksgiving, when it's the same day every year? Seriously....Wal-mart on Tuesday is way over-crowded...Yet that's the day I've chosen to get all the stuff my sister listed
for me to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. Did I mention I have to make 4 dozen stuffed-eggs? Because not only is Thanksgiving this Thursday, but my Husband's side of the family is having their Family Reunion this weekend... Although, I do make the best stuffed-eggs if I do say so myself. ;)
Pray for me!

I Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."-Colossians 3:17


For more Randomness go visit The Un-Mom! Be sure to link up your random thoughts!

Sunday Catch-Up

I love Sundays...it's so quiet and peaceful. I love going to church and seeing the rest of the "family"... I can't wait until I'm feeling better so I can get to church. I'm sure they think I've fallen off the face of the planet. LOL. Especially since J didn't get to go to church today either.

Yesterday, his cousin Stacy's car broke down in Union, AL. She was driving behind a flatbed semi and a tire on it blew and went up under her car and busted the radiator. The truck didn't stop, but thankfully she made it to the side of the road safely and another vehicle that was behind her stopped to help. They pulled her with a rope to the closest exit...Union and left her at a gas station. Because she didn't have very much money, she had no way to tow her car back to Springville. So, Jeremy and I went to get her. (It was my first time out of the house since my surgery...but I actually did well! :)

Then today, Jeremy and Stacy went back to Union with his truck and a tow-dolly rented from U-haul. Hopefully she'll be able to get her car fixed soon. I know she needs it to get to work. Thankfully she has a co-worker that has already offered to take her to work for the next week.

That's pretty much all that's going on right now. :) I'm feeling much better today...just really tired. I can't wait for Thanksgiving! I hope I'll be able to eat some of everything. LOL.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday!

Love,


P.S. I forgot to tell you that on Friday morning (I think) I went to lay down in bed and I swallowed w/o drinking anything...and my throat started bleeding. I swallowed a few more times b/c I didn't know what was happening, then I ran to wake up Mom and then ran to her bathroom. I had a steady stream of blood flowing for at least 10 mins. Mom ended up calling 911! The paramedics and an ambulance came to check me out. Thankfully, the bleeding stopped on it's own. Mom called the Dr. and his nurse told her that my scab had probably fallen off and it shouldn't happen again. And so far, it hasn't.  

Wordless Wednesday

Tonsillectomy Update

As you know...or should know, since I did mention it last month...I had my tonsils taken out on the 10th; one week ago. I'm doing ok. My throat still hurts some, especially when I swallow. And now my tongue looks really gross. My mom says she thinks I have Thrush from the antibiotic, but the pics online look nothing like my tongue. I won't describe it, because even when I look it, it makes me feel sick. :{

I still can't eat solid foods all that well. I had some cornbread and buttermilk last night for dinner and today my throat feels horrible, so I'm sticking to liquidy foods and drinks today. Thankfully I'm not feeling any nausea today.

Hopefully I'll be able to blog again tomorrow. Hope everyone is doing well!

Oppressive October

 On the 13th of October, a dear friend of mine was murdered at his apartment in Montgomery. He was coming home from work when two men confronted him at gunpoint. He sprayed one with mace and was then shot. You can read about it in the Birmingham News here.
Just the previous week, on Oct. 7th, he had been robbed at gunpoint at the hotel he had been staying at while working in Montgomery. He was only supposed to be there 2 months, and was supposed to come home on Nov. 5th.

Update: They have now arrested three suspects and have charged them with Capital murder. You can read about it here.

Stephen was a great friend to everyone. He lived life to the fullest, was always smiling and could cheer anyone up. He was only 24 and had a long life before him. I really can't believe he's gone.

March 20, 1986- October 13, 2010

Stephen, you were a great friend to many. You will be greatly missed.

October 16 also marked the two-year anniversary of the death of Brandon Allen Koch, another former classmate, who was killed in a car accident in 2008.

So, needless to say, October was very sad indeed.

Catching Up

I know...it's been forever since I've posted. Can you blame me though? Life is so much better now that my Soldier is home!

We had a great time in Florida with Jeremy's parents...BUT, I got sick the second week we were down there. I had a horrible sore throat and just felt awful. I'm almost positive it was strep throat, but the doctor I saw didn't even swab my throat. He prescribed me a Z-pack, which took forever to make me feel better.

We came back home to Alabama on Friday, the 18th. We spent the night Friday and Saturday night and left out for Tennessee on the 19th. We got to our cabin a little after 4:30 and unpacked the car. Our cabin was so cute! (I will try to get the pics off of my phone when I get a chance.) Then we headed to Wally World for groceries.

We spent most of the week in and around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Monday we went to the Ripley's Aquarium and bought the military package (at a 90% discount!)that included the 2 put-put courses, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, World Records Museum, Mirror Maze/Candy Factory, Ripley's Haunted Adventure, the Moving Theatre and of course, the Aquarium. It was a great deal! We did all of the museums and the Aquarium the first day and one of the put-puts.
 Then Tuesday we finished the rest. We had a great time too! After playing the last put-put Tuesday, we went and played Hillbilly Golf! We love put-put!
  We went to Ober Gatlinburg on Wednesday and Jeremy dropped his brand-new phone while we were on the Sky Lift. It fell about 20-25 feet and landed in the concrete slide. Then some guy hit it on his way down. Thankfully the attendant saw it and retrieved it for us. And amazingly, the phone is fine. It works and the only damages it endured are the scratches on the back plate!

 Thursday we spent most of the day in Gatlinburg just walking around and shopping and planning our hiking trip.

 We went hiking on Friday, and even though it almost killed me to hike 5 miles, the view at the top was totally worth it!

Saturday we slept in and watched tv most of the day. Then J decided he was hungry and didn't want anything that we had at the cabin, so we got dressed and left the cabin. J decided we would take a road we didn't know, so we ended up driving for over an hour until we finally ended up near the interstate. We passed the Bush's Baked Beans factory on the road we took too. LOL. It was really the only interesting thing we saw. When we got back to town, we ate and then went to watch a movie. We saw The Town...which really wasn't all it was made out to be. I recommend waiting for it to hit the redbox.

When we got back to the cabin, we packed up everything and loaded the car. Then we crashed because it was REALLY late. We got up early Sunday and finished cleaning up and packing. To check out of the cabin, all we had to do was call the office and let them know. We drove into Pigeon Forge for breakfast. It took FOREVER to find somewhere that wasn't completely packed! Apparently everyone gets up at the same time on Sundays. LOL.

After eating breakfast, we went to find a hotel room since we didn't want to drive home on Sunday and it was raining. We drove around to a few different hotels until we found the Clarion Inn. It was super-nice! It had an indoor pool and hot-tub AND an outdoor lazy-river, slide with mini-pool and another hot-tub! Plus a splash-pad. The water was really cold, but we got in the water anyway. Inside was a lot better though. We swam some, then got dressed and went out to eat. When we got back, we changed clothes and went to the MagiQuest down the street. J thought it would be dorky, but we ended up having a LOT of fun! It's kind of like being in a video game/ scavenger hunt. After our time was up there, because they were closing, we went back to the hotel and swam. When we got hungry, we ordered Papa John's and went up to the room. Our room had a jacuzzi and a fireplace. It was very cozy and relaxing! 

Monday morning, we packed up and checked out. Then went down the street to the MagiQuest to finish playing the game we started the night before. We also did the laser maze, mirror maze and pirate black light golf. :) Afterwards we headed for home.

It rained most of the way home, which was awful. People forget how to drive when it rains. Thankfully, we didn't get caught in too much traffic, so we made good time getting home.

Since being home, we've just been spending time with our family and friends.

Last weekend, including Friday, we went camping. We also had the Yellow Ribbon Program meetings to attend Saturday and Sunday. I don't know why J thought it would be a good idea to go camping with his sister and brother-in-law on the same weekend we had other plans. But it all worked out ok. I was supposed to go with him on Saturday to the meetings, but when we got to his sister's house to shower, she had changed the locks and forgotten to tell us, so we couldn't get in. He had to take me back to the campsite and drop me off. I ended up showering at the camp facilities and spending the day with his sister. When he got back that afternoon, I was putting up the tent and other camping stuff. Apparently we had a room at the Winfrey for the YRP that we didn't know about. So instead of camping again Sat. night, we spent the night in a nice hotel room. (Which was fine with me, since we weren't prepared enough for the cold night outside!) Sunday, after the meetings were over, we grabbed some lunch at McD's and then watched a movie; Wall Street. It was too long and really boring. I was hoping it would be a great movie since it had Michael Douglas and Shia LeBeouf. But, it wasn't.

About half-way through Sunday, I started feeling really awful. By the time the movie was over, I was running a fever. We went home so I could change clothes and grab Tim's b'day present. I checked my temperature and it was 99.7. Then we headed over to Amanda and Tim's house. I felt even worse. So when Mom left, I left with her and came home and went to bed. I slept from 6:30pm until about 9:30am.

Monday morning I made an appt with my Dr. That afternoon we went for my appt at 2:45, sat there for 2 hours before we saw him, and we were there almost 4 1/2 hours! He tested me for strep and it came out positive. I told him I wanted a referral for an ENT. He made me an appt for Friday with an ENT. 

When I got to the appt Friday, I was in and out in less than 30 mins. The Dr. told me I could have my tonsils out, but he made it sound like he was trying to talk me out of it. But no way! I'm tired of being sick, so I'm definitely getting them taken out!

My surgery will be on Nov. 10. I'm nervous, but I know that after I have my tonsils out, I won't be getting strep throat every month anymore! Woot!!!

Sorry it took me so long to catch up with what's been going on. Hopefully now I can get back into blogging regularly. I hope everyone has been doing well! Please forgive me, but it may take a few weeks to catch up on all of your blogs!

Love, Whit

Wordless Wednesday

"Honey, can you take off your underwear for me?":Random Tuesday Thoughts

I can't believe it's already Tuesday again...but it is! I've been busy...just got back from PCB Sunday around 2100 and thankfully had a restful Monday. Pretty much all I did was laundry...and speaking of laundry...

Why is it when you're trying to wash EVERYTHING that is dirty,
your husband (or children, if you have them) is
always wearing something that needs
to be washed. For example: When I did laundry Monday,
I took all the colored clothes and separated
them into dark colors and light colors.
I even went so far as to take off my undies
to add to the first load of light clothes.
Then, since it was time for a shower anyway,
I added my dark dress to the dark clothes for
the next load and my white camisole to the whites.
Then I took a shower which meant everything I put
on afterwards was clean... and the only thing that
remained dirty when I was done with laundry was
what J was wearing. How annoying...I wanted
ALL of our dirty clothes to be cleaned
at the same time. Now I'm going to have
two white socks, a pair of white boxer shorts
and a dark tank-top and light shorts...
Which means they'll remain dirty until we've
accumulated enough whites, light colors, and dark
colors for three loads...*sigh*.
I DO LOVE having his laundry to wash again though. LOL.
Sorry if this is not random enough, I haven't had
time to think much about blogging. :)
Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

For more randomness, head on over to The Un-Mom, link up
and join in on the randomness! :)

Wordless Wednesday

Dolly say what?:Random Tuesday Thoughts

Is it Tuesday already? Seems like J got home only yesterday...but it's already been 4 days! I'm enjoying every second! Anywho...on with the randomness:

I was listening to music videos today

and one that I'd never heard came on.

It was Dolly Parton. I didn't even know she

still came out with new songs...let alone videos.

And then...I started actually watching the video.

NO really...look at this:

Dolly...what were you thinking? This is
HORRIBLE! The song might not be that bad.
But I couldn't even pay attention to the
song because of the awful video!

Please tell me that she has better videos than this
one out there...eww.

Anywho...for more randomness...go visit The Un-Mom. Read hers,
and if you so wish, write your own and link up! Be sure
 to check out other people's blogs too! Have fun!
Happy Tuesday! :)

I love having my Soldier home!

Not having to worry about him anymore is such a relief! I'm sure there are many of you who know exactly what I'm talking about. I have a few minutes to type out this blog post since J is working on his truck with his Dad. That's right, we're in Florida at his parents' house. It's so nice to finally be able to relax and not have to worry about what to pack and whether I got everything or not. Haha. *FYI: I didn't forget anything...:)* Hopefully they'll finish working on the truck this week so we can get back home to Alabama to spend some time with my family before we head off on our own vacation by ourselves. *I'm most excited about that trip!*

Since we don't really have a whole lot of time to get online while we're down here, I may not be posting for awhile. Bare with me please. :) Hope y'all had a great Labor Day weekend with your families and friends. Have a great week!

Love, Whit

A Friday to Remember....

Even though this post has been scheduled to appear at this time...I know exactly where I am when it appears. :) 

That's because what I've been keeping inside this entire past week, is about to make me burst!.... 

Don't you want to know what it is? I'm sure if you haven't guessed already, you're starting to get a little anxious to find out...

The moment you've all been waiting for, but not nearly as long as I have...366 days to be exact.....Well...here it is:

He's HOME! Not only is he safely in the USA, he's HOME! And in my arms, as you are reading this! 

I couldn't be any happier than I am right now. Thanks so much for all of your support and prayers. Your support means so much to me!!

Now if you don't mind...I think I'll go make up for the past year...

God Bless Our Troops!

Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-In #6

Note: As I said before, this post is scheduled since I am...busy. :)

This is probably only the second time I've gotten the Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-In done before Friday. HA! And it's all thanks to Wife of a Sailor who hosts the Friday Fill-Ins and who emailed me this week's questions a day earlier than normal so that I could participate. Without further ado:

1. What is a weird/funny superstition that you have? From A{muse}ing Mommy on a Pink Park Bench
I'm not really sure what would be considered a weird/funny superstition...I have to say though that thinking there's something watching me is probably weird.

2. What are your hopes and dreams AFTER the military? After all, we aren't in it forever! From Stetsons, Spurs and Stilettos

I haven't really thought about it much. It's still all pretty new to me, even after almost 3 years of being with my Husband. I won't think about it now, I'll think about that tomorrow. HA!
3. Since [this] month is National Apple Month (no, really!), I'd probably ask: What is your yummiest apple recipe? From NH Girl Displaced
I don't cook. So I really don't have a recipe. But one of my favorite apple recipes that my MOM makes is to core the apple, fill full of brown sugar and cinnamon. Put a pat of butter on top, place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 6-8 minutes or until tender. It was the best after-school snack, especially in the fall. :)
4. How long have you gone, as a military spouse without talking to your husband during service? From A Navy Princess and Her Little Sailors 
The longest I've gone is probably two weeks. It was horrible. 
5. I occasionally watch "When I was 17..." on MTV. So, what was significant about your 17th year of life? From Ashley Amazing
I really couldn't tell you anything significant that would interest you...I got my license when I was 17 and had my first and only wreck, so far *knock on wood*. That's about it...

That's it for this week's questions. I hope everyone has an awesome Friday and an awesome weekend! Happy Labor Day and all that jazz! For more Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-Ins and to participate, head on over to wifeofasailor.com and link up!
 

Plans gone awry: Update

Note: All posts this week are scheduled due to the mass load of laundry and tasks I have yet to finish...

Tuesday was a busy, busy day. I had so many errands to run, I never thought I'd finish. As I posted last Friday, my car had to be taken to the shop to find out why exactly, Wally World couldn't do my oil change. 

So this morning, bright and early, Mom followed me down to drop my car off. I went in, told the guy my supposed problem and left him the key. Took all of 3 minutes. 

We left there and headed to The Pinnacle. I had to pick up an order that the Hubby placed for me. I got there and tried on the intimate apparel and they were...not what I consider...me. So, I tried on LOTS of different items and finally settled on a few of them. After we left that store, Mom and went to Claire's and I got some accessories to wear with my outfit for tomorrow. 

Then we had to go to Mom's eye-doctor appointment. They checked the pressure in her eyes and it was still high, so they wanted to run some more tests. Unfortunately, we had already set up a lunch date with Suzette (a fellow army wife) for 1:15 so they had to cancel the tests and set up a new appointment for Mom. 

Of course, after we left there, we met up with Suzette and had an awesome lunch at Chick-fil-A. It was so yummy! We talked for over an hour. I'm surprised we even finished eating! 

Then we went over to the shopping center and I got my hair cut and eyebrows waxed. Lemme tell you...that was PAINFUL! But completely necessary! HA! 

And, because no outfit is complete without the perfect pair of shoes, we went to Kohl's. I found the cutest Mudd shoes! They were only $9.99! I saved $40! What do you think?

After we finally left there, I called to check on my car since no one had called me yet. The guy who answered was surprised when I told him that no one had called. He then told me that there was absolutely no problem with my oil pan or the plug. There was no reason Wally World should have declined to change my oil. All it needed was a proper mechanic apparently. He did replace the gasket while he was at it. 

Lesson learned: Don't go to Wally World to have your oil changed. 

We had a great day, but it was VERY exhausting. So glad I got all that accomplished though. :)

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday

RTT: I often think about reading the dictionary...

just for fun.
 Random right? That's because it's Random Tuesday Thoughts! Hosted by Keely at The Un-Mom, RTT is a way for you to dump out whatever you're thinking and call it a post! 

So here are my Random Thoughts:


I get on Facebook, that's most likely the problem, and I'm reading other people's updates or comments and all I see are the mistakes. Am I OCD? But seriously, how do you not know the difference between your and you're? I understand typos...and I'm usually okay with a second comment where you fix your spelling error...

I know, I know...it makes me seem stuck-up. I promise I'm not. My Mom has always drilled into my brain the differences between words and the fact that spelling well is always beneficial in life. Therefore, I can't help it and I'm blaming it on her. I don't think less of people because they must have just missed learning that in like...second grade? I just want to reach out and help them. 

I'm not the only one either. There's even a facebook page dedicated to it. Look here.

Unfortunately, only 34 people, so far, have "liked" it. I suppose there are more people that don't know the difference than there are those of us who do....oh well.

I think my teachers would be proud though...just saying. =) 

That's all I have for this week's Random Tuesday Thoughts. Head on over to The Un-Mom, see what Keely has done to the page and read everyone else's random thoughts. Don't forget to link up and write your own random thoughts! 

*Editor's Note: Sorry if this offends anyone. I didn't intend for it to be mean. :)

It won't be long yeah...yeah...yeah...

..It won't be long yeah..yeah..yeah...It won't be long til I belong to you...Since you left me..I'm so alone...Now you're coming...you're coming on home...I'll be good like I know I should, You're coming home...You're coming home!...

I love that movie...Across the Universe, if you're wondering which movie I'm referring to. ;) 

I finally got to hear the 2nd greatest sound in the world today! The sound of my Husband's voice being the first, of course! My Husband's ringtone!! ("Our Song"-Taylor Swift) I was so excited! I started squealing in Cato's. LOL. I'm sure the rest of the people in there were looking at me funny, but I really didn't care. This deployment is almost over!! Hallelujah! Thank you Lord, for keeping my Soldier safe!

That's all the news I have for today...Mondays are always so boring.

The Boog

So, as I mention before,  Boog and I met up with Audrey to do a photo session. We had a lot of fun! Even though it was 90 degrees outside, Boog was very cooperative and I think he had a blast! 

We met Audrey at the park and took a few pics: (These are only some of the 200+ pics she took!)

Boog with the "Uncle J" doll.

Oh duck!

Then we went to the old rock school:

After knocking on the "door".

Another door to knock on. I love this one!

Then we went downtown behind the older buildings:

Oh What?

 I love the way the colors POP in this one!

I'm also glad I put these red "flop-flops",

(as he calls them) on him. They look super-cute!

 You want me to what?

He told Audrey to "Get up!" 

and he offered to lend her a hand. =)

Running beside me...and looking over at me. =)

 He looks all boy in this one! 

 Such a cutie!! 

 This one is one of my favorites! No shoes!

And last, but certainly not least, my favorites, 

In the creek at the park:

 He can't believe I'm letting him play in the water...

fully-clothed! LOL. His expression is priceless!

He kept saying, "It's cold water. It's cold cold."

 This one, so far, is my ABSOLUTE favorite!

 I love this one too! :) 

I really recommend Audrey. She is an awesome photographer! She's great with kids and she's really sweet. =) I can't wait to see the rest of these pics! 

After Audrey left us at the park, Boog and I played in the water some more. He didn't want to leave until he saw something in the water and it scared him. He was practically climbing my leg to get out. Silly boy. It was just a seed pod. :P He had chill bumps, it was so cold in the water! We're probably going back today or Saturday. lol. 

Hope y'all have a great weekend!