Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-In #51

Friday already? 
Wifey over at Wife of a Sailor is changing it up this week. It's all about the "or's" this week. If you're going to particpate, be sure to explain why! And link up with Wifey! 

1. Facebook or Twitter?
Facebook. I don't even have a Twitter account. I like Facebook and don't feel the need to change to Twitter. FB just works for me. :)

2. Hard Tacos or Soft Tacos?
Soft. I don't like how the hard ones crack and fall apart when you bite into them. 

3. Gardening or Crafting?
Crafting! I love paper and scissors and glue and glitter. {I kow there's too many and's.} Everything that has to do with crafting. :) Gardening is okay, but I would much rather have clean hands.

4. Fruit or vegetables?
Everyone knows I have a sweet-tooth, so fruits. Love them! I like everything that is normal except kiwis. I ♥ papayas and mangos. But bananas and peaches are my favorites. :)

5. Motorcycle or bicycle?
I've never ridden a motorcycle by myself. Only a couple of times with my Daddy when I was little. So, I guess bicycle. I was a pro-cyclist when I was little. My sister and I would be outside ALL day riding our bikes and pretending. Mainly cops and robbers. We used leaves as "stolen money". LOL. Those were the good ole days. :P

You don't have to be a mil-spouse to participate in Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-Ins, so feel free to answer the questions on your own blog and link up here or with wifey! :) 

Wordless Wednesday

RTT

Randomness...GO! 

Keely still doesn't want to take over her Random Throne, so Stacy is still holding down the fort for her. Be sure to check out her blog, leave a comment, and link up to RTT. Grab a picket sign too. We have to make this Random Rebellion look official, you know! 

• Seeing as I spent most of last week sick, I don't have a whole lot of randomness to go around. 
• I finished re-reading the first 3 books of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Now I have to read the 4th before I can get the new one. 
• I had Anita Shreve's, Light on Snow on my to-read list because goodreads.com recommended it to me. It was not what I expected, but still a good quick-read. I read it in just a few hours. 
• J and I finally saw The Deathly Hallows Part II on Friday! It was AWESOME! I cried, as predicted. I really can't believe it's over. J.K. Rowling needs to get busy with a new series or something. 
• The movie theater gave us 3D glasses that look like Harry Potter's glasses. They're so cute. 
• The Princess' birthday party was Saturday. I felt awful, but we still went. I had a pretty good time just sitting there talking to Jaybee. My camera wouldn't work right, so I didn't get any pictures. :( It's really depressing because y'all know how much I love to take pics. But I'll borrow one from Amanda, so you can see how cute The Princess and Boog are. :)

• The Princess' cake was purple and pink. Not a great combination in my opinion.

• It dyed her face purple!! Luckily, it did come off eventually.
• While we were in the mall Friday, we shopped around for a little while. It was so hot in there! We spent a lot of time in Spencer's just because it was cooler in there. We didn't even buy anything!
• I got The Princess some really pretty flower earrings for her birthday. Currently she is wearing a pair of mine. :P 
• Why is it when you sleep too much, you get a headache?
• I know y'all have seen Old Navy's polo/khaki sale commercial... what's up with that? Seriously, who wears a sweater over their shoulders in elementary school?? 
•  I have Google+...anyone else? Look me up.
• J and I were standing outside the front door watching the rain last night and lightning struck a tree behind the apartment buildings across from us. Scared me to death; Sabrina and  I bolted inside.

This is all the random I can think of today. I promise, next week's will be a lot more interesting. And hopefully, I'll be posting the Giveaway tomorrow. We'll see. :) Be sure to link up here or over with Stacy! 

Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-In #50

1. Do you eat raw cookie dough?
Yes! I love it! I have bought cookie dough with the sole intent of eating it straight from the tube.


2. When you get online for the first time of the day, what is the first site you visit?
Facebook. :) I usually check it from my phone to see if I have an notifications and messages and then when I get on the laptop, I check to see what my friends are up to. 


3. What was your favorite pet as a child and why?
Gretah, a German Shepherd. She was so loyal to us kids, but mainly to me. Even though I would yell at her to quit following me around, she never wanted to leave my side. She was the sweetest dog. I think about her a lot.


4. If you had a snail that could magically grant wishes, what would you name it?
Marcel




5. How many licks does it take to get to the center of  a Tootsie Roll Pop? 
3,000

RTT: Temporarily re-named Random Thursday Thoughts...

Randomness was postponed til today due to the fact that I was in the doctor's office yet again, on Tuesday. I hope everyone linked up with Stacy at Stacy Uncorked. 

I will still post the linky thing at the bottom of this post just in case anyone wants to be even more rebellious and post on Thursday, like I did. Ahem... 

• A friend of mine posted this on Facebook the other day and it was too cute not to share:

 

• Who wants to buy me these so I can cook pretty breakfasts?

 

• Facebook is being stupid lately. It won't let me post links to the blog on my FB Honey Bunches of "Oaks" page. Hopefully everyone is finding the new posts anyway.
• Finally, justification for still sleeping with a teddy bear...and/or lion, such is the case with me:

• Apparently, I have a viral infection in my lymph nodes and that is why I am currently sick. I went back to the doctor Tuesday because Monday, my neck started hurting and it spread to my shoulders and then to my back. Even the back of my head was hurting; sore really. J took me to a different doctor because I'm pretty sure the other doctor was slightly incompetent. The doctor I saw at C.A.R.E.S was really nice and so were all the nurses. Thankfully, I'm feeling a lot better; only now, I have new symptoms...
• Our new neighbors are horrible. Last night they stayed up til past one, and were on the outside stairs making all kinds of racket. Thankfully, I think, they took home some of their guests this morning. I haven't heard a peep since this morning. They woke me up at 0630 and didn't leave until after 8. J went and talked to the apartment manager this afternoon and I suggested that she send out a flyer to all the tenants, reminding them that even though it is summer, people have to work. And that they should try to be quiet after 10pm. J said she would be sending it out in a week or so. I'm such a genius...*ahem*.
• I'm re-reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, so I can read Ann Brashares newest book, The Last Summer. 
• Hopefully, I will be feeling well enough to go to The Princess' first birthday party this weekend. Afterward, J is going to take me to BAM so I can pick out a couple of books for the giveaway! Aren't y'all excited!?!
• J says that the Wendy's commercial for the new wildberry frosty sounds dirty. "Hey Wendy. I'd love a cold frosty on the beach..." *Snicker*
• I can't believe it's almost August. I'm actually excited. For no reason really.
• We are planning on going on a mini-vacay at the end of August; that could be what I'm looking forward to. 
• There are lots of babies sick lately. Even The Princess; she had an upset tummy the other day. I hope everyone gets well soon!
• How precious is this!?

• I just got stuck stumbling for 15 minutes before I remembered I was blogging.
• Just ate a ding-dong. I wasn't impressed; J was. Somehow, that just sounded wrong. Swiss Rolls are way better, but then, I am partial to Little Debbie. :) Love you Mama!
• I'm tired of sitting here, so I'm going to cut Random Thursday's thoughts short.

I hope everyone had a great week! I didn't, but that's besides the point. Link up, if you think you're random enough! ;)

No Time for Sergeants

Unless you're married to one!

And it just so happens, that I am!

That's right y'all, J finally has some stripes! 

I'm proud as punch!

Unfortunately I didn't get to be there since 

they gave him his new rank while he is at drill

today.

But he sent me a photo anyway. 

I can't decide if he's more handsome, since

he only sent me a picture of his chest. 

He's no photographer!

I'm so proud of you SGT OAKS! 

**Note: Remember the exciting news J wouldn't let me announce a few weeks
ago?? This is it by the way! LOL. We just had to wait for paperwork to go through.** 

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved Jacob from the get-go and I don't understand how so many people can give this book a bad review. I didn't notice that there were too many characters or mind that the chapters sometimes went back and forth between past and present-tense. I actually liked that most about the book as a whole.

Normally I don't do book reviews. Mainly because the most popular books or authors have already been reviewed within an inch of their bindings. And how will people who read reviews before actually reading the book, ever form their own opinions if they're already skeptical? But, seeing as this particular book has been down-played even after hitting the best-seller list, I thought it deserved a little reprieve from all the browbeaters.

I only added it to my to-read list because so many other people had said what a great book it was and the movie as well. Apart from that, I knew nothing about it and dove into it as soon as finishing my latest "familiar author". I can honestly say, should another Gruen book be placed before me, I would read it without apprehension.

I read this book in less than 6 hours and will probably re-read it if given the chance.



View all my reviews

Six Word Saturday

Sick; curled up

with a book. 

It's going to be a long weekend without J here.

He's only gone today and tomorrow, but

since I'm sick, it just makes me more 

miserable. :(

If you're feeling up to it, visit Cate at Show My Face, link up

and join in on this Saturday meme. It'll give you an excuse to just

blog 6 words. You don't even have to explain yourself!

Best day of the week in my opinion. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Mil-Spouse Friday Fill-In #48 and #49

I didn't get to participate in last week's Mil-Spouse Friday, so I decided to just combine lat week's and this week's. Hope no one minds.

If you're a Mil-Spouse (military husband/wife) or if you just like to answer some of the questions, feel free to join in every friday! I'm sure Wifey at Wife of a Sailor would love to have you! So, visit her blog, link up and be sure to leave a comment! 

Fill-In #48:

1. Does your Significant Other read your blog?  Why is this a good or a bad thing? submitted by Mrs. Alana’s Miscellany
No. I doubt if he's ever read it to be honest. LOL. I don't think he'd even know how to find it if he wanted to read it. And he'd probably be irritated at some of the stuff I write about him. Haha! 
  

2. What is one item in your house that holds the most sentimental value and why? submitted by The Albrecht Squad

Wow, that's a tough one. I have lots of different items that mean more to me because of who gave them to me. I have Simba (a stuffed lion I've had since I was 7) that I got for Christmas when I was little. Photos that, in some cases, are irreplaceable. Cooter, the stuffed animal from BABW that J gave me on our first Christmas together. I think if there were a fire, I'd grab Simba, Cooter and my Passport (holds all of my photos).

3. When it comes to water fun in the summer do you prefer the beach, the pool, a lake, or the sprinklers? submitted by The Turvo Times
I really like the beach, but I can only handle so much heat. I prefer the pool. I can see the bottom and it doesn't freak me out when I can't touch bottom. lol. 

4. What is the one special thing that you do for yourself to get you through the first week of a deployment/separation? submitted by A Creed and a Psalm
I honestly don't even remember the first week of J's deployment. LOL. I think I was just too miserable. J will be going away again for schooling next month, so I'll probably do something special for myself then. 

5. What is your biggest guilty pleasure website? submitted by Christine’s Little Blog

 I love reading crafting blogs, does that count? Also, People of Wal-mart and Goodreads.com.

Fill-In #49:

1. If you could have a private concert with any singer, who would it be? submitted by An Air Force Wife's Blog

George Strait. Hands down! :)

2. Is there anything you do to supplement your family's income? submitted by Our Life, One Adventure at a Time

Not at the moment. But hopefully soon, I'll be getting at least a part-time job.

3. During your pregnancy (whether past, present, or future), what did you nickname your unborn baby before you knew the sex? submitted by Explosions of Love
I haven't had any kids yet. 

4. Have you ever won a blog giveaway?  If so what did you win? submitted by Mrs. O's Life
Yes! I won a giveaway on my friend Holly's co-blog, The Mom-tage during a chat with an author. I won a Bible (Which I gave to J) and the publisher included 2 other books as well! And the other giveaway I won, was on Chantal's Blog, B + C & Baby (Which used to be, A Blog A Day While You're Away, but her Hubby is home now!). I won another book, Alice Bliss.

 

5. If I looked into your refrigerator right now, what would I find? submitted by Married to the Army

I thought it would just be easier to take a few pics instead of trying to remember everything in the fridge. LOL.  It also gave me a great excuse to throw out the 11-day-old bucket of fried chicken from the 3rd of July... And the old bag of carrots, moldy bacon, out-of-date Sunny D and a pack of pita bread that I have no clue how long has been in there..

Top Shelf:

On the left side starting in the back:

O'Charley's Honey-mustard dipping sauce (clearly this is J's)

Great Value Ranch dressing

Kraft Italian dressing and marinade

Kraft Catalina dressing and dip

2nd Row:

Kraft BBQ sauce

Dale's Marinade

Kraft BBQ Sauce

3rd Row:

GV Parmesian Cheese

Kraft Parmesian Cheese

Kraft Mustard

4th Row:

Ortega Taco Sauce (J's--he doesn't like chunky)

Kraft Tartar Sauce (mine)

La Choy sweet and sour sauce

5th Row:

Smucker's Grape squeeze jelly

Smucker's Strawberry squeeze jelly

Bama Peach Preserves

6th Row:

Vlasic Bread and Butter Spears

Kraft Mayo (which I'm almost out of...)

7th Row:

Mott's for Tots Apple Juice (bought for The Princess)

Aunt Nellie's Pickled Beets (YUM!)

Heinz 57 Ketchup

2nd Shelf:

In the drawer:

50 million different types of cheese...

One pack of Turkey lunch meat

On the shelf:

Country Crock Calcium "buttter"

Blue Bonnett stick butter

GV Sour Cream

GV Strawberry cream cheese

Hawaiian Punch LemonBerry Squeeze

Reddi Whip

Home-made Country Time Pink Lemonade

V-8 Splash Mango something-or-another

Bottom Shelf:

Pack of weenies that go out of date today

Lloyd's Chicken BBQ

Lloyd's Pork BBQ

One bottle of Bud Light

One can of Bud Light

3 containers of home-made pickled cucumbers

(that I haven't even tried yet...)

Bottom drawers:

1st drawer:

One bag of almost-wilted salad mix

One bag of baby carrots

2nd drawer:

Mixed fruit

One container of pudding

One roll of croissants

One roll of Grands biscuits

One container of Yoplait yogurt

One out-of-date container of lunch meat

(which was never even opened...)

Door:

Top door/shelf:

packets from Taco Bell and Chinese restaurants

Lemon juice

Eggs

2nd Shelf:

Bottled water

3rd Shelf Door:

Arm and Hammer Fridge de-odorizer

Seneca Apple Juice

Winn-Dixie 2% Milk

Milo's Splenda-sweetened tea

Hershey's chocolate syrup

J's BBQ Sauce

I thought y'all might enjoy the pics and so you could see how badly I need to go shopping. LOL.

Hope everyone has a great Friday and a great weekend! :)

Dr. Visit #2

Well...
Dr. Brown prescribed me a Z-pack (Azithromycin) while I was at the doctor's on Tuesday.
Yesterday, several hours after taking the first dose, I broke out in a heat flush all over my face, jaw, neck and chest and then it spread to the rest of my body. I checked my temperature several times and it was 97.4° every time, which is normal for me. But my face was on FIRE!!! So I called the after-hours answering service and they told me to call the after-hours clinic. I called and they told me to go ahead and come in. 

I was bored.

When I got there, I had to check in with a nurse like normal to check BP, Temp, O2 sat, and to take my history (since I had never been to the after-hours clinic). Then just a few minutes after going into the room, the doctor came in to see what was going on. She said I was definitely having an allergic reaction to the medicine. 
She ordered a nurse to give me a steroid shot in my hip; it hurt so bad! It's still sore! About 20 minutes later another nurse brought me a double-dose of Children's Benadryl and the doctor prescribed me a round of steroids instead of another antibiotic. She said since I wasn't feeling better after Tuesday, that I probably have a virus instead of a bacterial infection.

I hate sitting on the table. J gave me his chair.

So, on the way home, J stopped at Walgreen's to see if the pharmacy was still open. They weren't; it was after 9 pm. Instead, he got a new oscillating fan on a stand so I could sleep in the spare bedroom; I don't want to get him more sick. When we got home, I went straight to bed while J was putting my fan together. I slept straight through from 10-6:30. Since I got up a couple of times to go to the bathroom, I got about 8 hours of sleep! The doctor told me to keep taking the Benadryl, so hopefully I'll get some more sleep later on in the day. 

He looks thrilled to be spending the another night at the Dr.

I already feel a little better after finally getting some rest. Keep praying that J doesn't get worse y'all! :)

*Cough, Cough*....DIE. (Or at least lose a lung.)

I'm sure you're all wondering about the post from Wordless Wednesday. So instead of replying to everyone individually, I'll just recap Tuesday. 

I woke up sounding and feeling worse than the day before and I'd only started feeling bad Sunday. 

J insisted that he take me to the doctor. So, when he got home from work, we headed to the doctor he had just seen last week. 

I got there and signed in and around 3 and less than 10 minutes later, we were called to the back. The nurse, who has the bedside manner of a crocodile, weighed me, took my BP and O2 sat and temperature. I really despise this nurse because she is so cold and never smiles. When she was done, I gave a urine sample and another nurse took me to have x-rays. Then I went to the patient room and the same nurse who does x-rays came to take my blood. She couldn't find a vein and poked and prodded me for several minutes before trying the vein on the top of my arm. She moved the needle around several times and said that the vein was rolling. She left the room and went to get another nurse. By then, I was feeling nauseous probably because I had only eaten a pop-tart at 12:30. 

The nurse who took my BP (the one with the horrible bedside manners) came to try the other arm. She got the needle in but couldn't get any blood out and by then I was sweating profusely and feeling like throwing up more than ever. Another nurse came in then to help me lay down and she wiped my face with a cool rag. Then she checked my hands to find a vein. After trying both hands, she decided to call the doctor in to confirm that I needed an IV drip because I was overly dehydrated. The doctor came in and confirmed and the nurse, Melinda (who is super-sweet btw) put a butterfly IV in my left hand. A butterfly IV is used in infants because they have tiny veins, which I apparently have as well.

After she got the butterfly in, she left and came back with the Saline drip. She hooked me up to it and then left the room so I could rest; which was impossible since the examination table was so short and narrow. Later, she came back and injected the Saline bag with an antibiotic.

I had a headache so she came and gave me a shot in the hip when it didn't go away after an hour. Then, about 30 minutes before we left, the doctor came in and injected the IV port with a steroid shot. By the time we left, I was feeling a lot better so we went ahead to dinner for our date night. I ate half a basket of chips with dip at Mexico Lindo and then our food came. I ate the rice and some of the beans and a few bites of my chicken enchiladas before I started feeling sick again. We got our food to-go and headed to Walgreen's to pick up my Z-pack and a movie. But by the time we got home, I was feeling so awful, I couldn't watch the movie. I ended up "sleeping" on the couch since J can't afford to miss any more work from being sick. I couldn't go to sleep no matter how hard I tried, so I watched tv until about 2 am. Then I tossed and turned until 3. J got up to leave for work and woke me up at 5:45, so I got less than 3 hours. :( 
I tried sleeping after he left but, I felt so awful I couldn't. Hopefully this Z-pack will help me get better ASAP.
I'm supposed to go to my Sister's house this Friday to go with her to a dr. appt to find out what the sex of the new baby will be. I don't think I'm going to make it. She surely doesn't need to get whatever I have. Especially since she can't take anything while she's pregnant and the babies don't need to get sick at all. 

Left hand

Right arm stick.

Left arm stick.

 Pray for me y'all. And pray J doesn't get sick again.

Wordless Wednesday

RTT: Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts!

 Ahh Random Tuesdays.
Keely officially hates us, so this random rebellion continues. Be sure to link up at the bottom of this post or with Stacy Uncorked.

• Can you believe that on the 15th, the Harry Potter/ Voldemort battle will come to an end!?!? I think I'm going to cry...
• J said we can't have an HP marathon since we just had one before the first half of the Deathly Hallows came out. Booooo, you suck!
• Did you know that Harry Potter {Jr.} existed in Troll before the Harry Potter of the Wizarding world came to be? LOL

• Mine and J's 3rd anniversary was Wednesday. 
• Do any of you know where I can find free blogger templates? I can't find a good site other than LeeLou's. And I can't afford to pay for a custom-made one. 
• Last Tuesday (27th of June), after searching for over 2 hours to find the Facebook Profile of the girl who took our wedding photos, I finally found her here. I contacted her when J was deployed last year and she didn't reply to me. She took our wedding pictures and she sent us 7 of them about a month after the wedding. Then, I didn't hear anything from her for months and months. I had to contact her. She said she was working on a book for us or something. Then I didn't hear anything for over half a year until I messaged her again. She said she had sent us a DVD of the pics, but it must have gotten lost in the mail. I took her word for it, but we never got the pictures and I haven't heard from her since. But not from a lack of trying. 
• Amanda messaged her today and this is what she replied with: "Sweetie I wish I could say I still had them. My place was robbed sometime ago. I lost prety much anything that had value... Including my laptops, external hard drives that had years of pictures on them. I'm so so sorry. "
• She could have just told me that when I asked her for them. She probably just deleted them. It seems that everytime I asked her for them, she had a different excuse. 
• I'm stepping off of my soap-box now...
• J said that we will have some new pics taken of us soon. I can't wait! ♥
• As you may or may not have noticed, I completely missed posting my RTT last week. After such a long and eventful Independence Day weekend, I didn't much feel like posting on Tuesday or the rest of the week. 
• I will be posting my giveaway sometime later this week, hopefully. I took J to the doctor Thursday and he was diagnosed via x-rays with a sinus infection. WTH? That's almost completely impossible seeing as now I am sick too. I don't think we'll be going back to that doctor again.
• For some reason, my Independence Day post didn't post as scheduled. I finally got it posted though, so check it out if you're interested. :)
• I'm glad the 4th of July is behind us, I was getting tired of our neighbors shooting fireworks off at 11 at night for almost two weeks...
• Three times so far this month, I have forgotten that I washed a load of clothes and left them overnight in the washer. The next day, I wash them again because they already smell putrid. What is wrong with me??
• J and I played 007 on the Wii together Friday. It was fun, but I didn't like the split-screen. 
• I tried to beat J at Monopoly last week, but I failed miserably. I think I owed him something like $9 million. I tried to offer him favors, but he wanted the money. I ended up just quiting after knocking all of the houses and hotels off of the board...
• The fair was in town for Independence Day:
  

• Amanda and the babies stayed with us last Monday night (the 4th). Amanda was supposed to take Tim to the bus station in Birmingham to go to Georgia for his new job. When they got down there, they told him that only his first bag would be free, the next bag would be $25, then $50 and so on. They told him his pillow would count as one bag, his sleeping bag as one bag and even his small lunch bag would count. So, instead of paying over $125 for his luggage, they decided to drive to ATL. Amanda called and asked if we would mind watching the babies while she took Tim. I said yes and a few hours later, she dropped the babies off. Right before they got here, it started pouring down rain. Then again, after they left, it got bad. So bad, that the power went off. Grrrreat! Two babies, and no power. We managed somehow. I had everyone asleep by 10 and Amanda got in close to midnight, so she just stayed with us. Here's a pic of the babies playing "poker":

 

• We've been getting so much rain here lately, that I haven't been in the pool very much this month. I'm never going to get my tan evened out. lol.
• Is it mean that I don't want the apartment above us to be rented out?? I've gotten too used to the quiet, I don't think I could get used to people stomping over our heads again.
• We really need more seating in the living room. I'm thinking of getting a love seat or a big fluffy chair...
• Bina looking so forlorn...

• My sweet Hubby. Even when he's sick, he still looks so handsome. :)

• When we went to the grocery store Saturday, J had just gotten in the car and we were backing out. I told him to wait because a woman was walking behind the car. We waited, for her to walk from the cart-return to a vehicle on the other side of our car that had already backed out of it's parking space. Then, they went past us and cut across the parking lot, whereas, we went up the aisle and turned right. J said, and I quote: "Stupid people are funny to watch on tv, but in real life, they're just annoying." {FYI, we've been watching World's Dumbest and that's why he said that.}
• J's medicine says to not be in the sun, so we can't swim during the day. :( Plus he sounds like he's hacking up a lung when he puts his chest underwater...

I think that's enough random. Besides...I have to go play Gardens of Time...
If you think you can handle the random, link up here or over with Stacy. :) 

"Talk about your revolution, It's Independence Day!"

Who doesn't love that song?? Of course, it's not about Independence Day. But, these quotes certainly are! Do you know what Independence Day stands for? Or why we celebrate it?

Most people celebrate the 4th of July by shooting fireworks, attending a parade, or having a BBQ with family and friends. But do you stop to think why we celebrate or why we have the opportunity to celebrate??

Independence Day is "a federal holiday in the United States, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain." Yeah, the US was like a bunch of teenagers who were tired of being told what to do, so they made up their own rules. Seems to be working pretty well so far!

"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."  ~Thomas Paine

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave."  ~Elmer Davis

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."  ~Erma Bombeck

"Liberty is the breath of life to nations."  ~George Bernard Shaw

"My God!  How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy!"  ~Thomas Jefferson

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.  I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."  ~Abraham Lincoln

 "My patriotic heart beats red, white, and blue."  ~Author Unknown

The men and women who sacrifice so much to keep our country and it's citizens safe, should not be forgotten on the day Freedom is celebrated! So thank a Soldier this weekend, and pray for them always! I am so proud of my Soldier and just seeing him in his uniform makes my heart melt all over again! 

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"  ~Maya Angelou

"No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others.  The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude."  ~Author Unknown

"Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone."  ~G.B. Stern

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful 4th of July! Happy Independence Day!!!

Thank you to all of our Soldiers! May you all have a wonderful weekend wherever you are!

**All quotes from Quote Garden.**