Update...

Hey guys!

It's been a really busy past couple of weeks for us.

First of all, the tooth fairy really worried Gabe because she left an envelope (special fairy stationary) under his pillow and he, not having quite woken up, thought he got gypped. He thought that she only took the tooth (no money!), and left the note that he wrote to her; after I told him to check again because there must be some mistake, he found that indeed, she left him a golden dollar coin. Poor Gabe, he actually had tears in his eyes from the small disappointment!

The tooth fairy must have tapped her magic wand on Sarah's gums after all. But, Sarah is going about this all backwards. The first tooth to break through is actually her top right, instead of a bottom tooth. I think that the other top tooth is going to be the second one to break through, any day now....

Phillip came home on the Monday morning before Christmas. He was able to catch an earlier flight from Atlanta to Lafayette, so we had a good part of the day with him on Monday (which was a freebie on the whole 15 day thing). So far, it's been a fun but very exhausting trip. Our time in Lafayette was filled to the brim with visiting friends and family. We left Lafayette on Saturday, on Sunday we met his sister and her family for lunch at Schoepf's in Belton, on Monday, Phillip had a massage and we left for Dallas soon after that. Yesterday, we did the King Tut exhibit at the Museum of Art and today....we were able to take things at a slow pace. Sushi at Nami is on the agenda for this evening's meal. Yum! Of course, I'll do hibachi because I don't do fish....

(we got a new Tom Tom navigation system and I'm curious about using it for the first time tonight; I wanna see how it gets us to Belton)

Oh, and I must mention that it was so nice to see Mary and Craig while we were in Louisiana. They were passing through Lafayette and stopped by so we could visit. Mary's pregnant! It's time to start your own blog, Mary. We need to see that bump as it grows! It was also nice to visit and catch up with our friend, Reggie. Ahhhhh! I miss being around those people.

That's about all I can think of for now, folks. I'll try to post again soon.

In the meantime, please continue to have a safe holiday. I hope that everyone is doing well. As for me, I am lucky to have Phillip home for the moment. The holidays can be very depressing, and I wish for my friends that their husbands could be home too.

This sucky deployment won't last too much longer guys. We're on the down hill slope....I think.




PS. On the whole don't-like-to-cut-my-hair-while-he's-gone thing...he came home to the same hair a week ago, a few days after that, I chopped off two inches. Gosh Darn, I feel better!!!

A visit from the toothfairy is expected tonight Mi Casa!

Gabe lost his first tooth today at school while eating french fries.

He says it just popped out! No mess and not much blood. A teacher gave him a plastic bag to put it in and at recess, another teacher gave him a nifty little tooth shaped case to wear around his neck.

I'll try to post his toothless smile as soon as I can (gotta charge my darn camera battery).

Hopefully, while the toothfairy is in the house, she'll tap her wand on Sarah's little gums (because we're sick of nursing diaper rash!).

Miracle Sports Bra?

Well, it might be.

Lately, I've been trying to drop some pounds for an elective surgery that I am anticipating in the next year. Heck, I'm trying to just lose weight for the sake of vanity as well! I have two beautiful kids and a pretty cute husband, so I have to look worthy in their presence....

So, I've been working on building my cardiovascular endurance at the gym. I've always wanted to be a runner. I want to eventually build up to the point that I can run distance races (don't really care much about running for time, just distance), so I can start a race t-shirt collection (think of them as my trophies).

Lately, I'm pretty proud of myself for making it to the gym and running just a few more minutes at a time on the treadmill. I have to go slow folks; I've had exercise induced asthma in the past and I don't wanna pass out at the gym. How embarrassing would that be? I try to do at least 45 minutes a day of cardio. I run a few, walk a few. I've been slowly losing inches and a little weight. (must give up raiding the trick or treat bucket)

I've been using other sports bras, but really, I have a problem....So, this morning I remembered I had and decided to look for, the boulder-holding sports bra that I bought, like two years ago, from Victoria's Secret. Found it! Used it this morning. AND, I ran at least 15 minutes straight before I finally gave my mildly aching legs a rest. As for my huge CaChongas...they stayed in place! Yipppeeeee! Maybe it's just coincidence, but that darn bra had some power over me this morning and I felt like Forest Gump for the whole time...I...was...Runnin' (come on, say it with a Forest accent).

So, this post may have been TMI, but I just wanted to let you know that VS does make Miracle Bras...

(the above post was just another attempt at keeping you updated on what I've been up to these days, which is sadly, not much)

Operation Vacation

So, I picked up a copy of Austin Monthly today at Walmart.

Gabe is playing with Zac, and Sarah is trying to join in on their fun. I'm reading my magazine; and I came across this article about Operation Vacation. It seems that I may have to go to Toyota of Killeen to inquire about signing up for this thing....it's worth a shot.

Just wanted to tell you guys about this. Spread the word.

A creative way to say Thanks...

Gabe went to Zac's birthday party last Sunday, and we had lots of fun. The above is a picture that Z's mom gave to us as a Thank You for attending the party.
Kinda Cool! Actually....really cool.

Now don't go stealing the idea. LOL

Does anyone know the going rate for a tooth?

I know it's been a while.

We've been busy doing lots of things over here lately. Keeping busy is, in my opinion, bliss!

Gabe has a loose tooth. And it looks like he'll be losing it in the next couple of weeks. I'm guessing that the tooth fairy should leave a dollar? 50 cents? A new Wii game? Naaaah, just joking.

Sarah had a horrible diaper rash this week. And she' been waking up once in the middle of the night for reassurance that I'm still in the house. I took her to her well-baby appointment yesterday. She is, according to the charts, short and pleasantly plump (20.04 lbs and 27 inches long), AND the doctor saw that she is "erupting" on the top and bottom gums at the same time; which means that she may have one or more teeth, according to Doc, sprouting out in the next couple of weeks. Finally, because those little chiclets have been visible beneath her gums since she's three months old!

AND, in the next couple of weeks, Phillip will be home for Christmas! Yeah! He gets to see some "firsts" in the kids lives!!!

How do you like my use of the word "and" today?

Hope everyone is doing well. And staying safe, healthy, and happy.....

Loves her Toast!

I don't like the mess that it makes because I literally have to wipe her down about 3 times before I get all of the crumbs, but she really doesn't care, because it's so Darn Good!

Our Little Tiger Cub

There's another tiger in this house besides Sassy!

Gabe is really enjoying Cub Scouts. He's learning that it's not all about tying knots and other "boring" stuff.

We went to tour the local fire station last Thursday night. The first picture above is Gabe showing that he will NOT be afraid if he ever sees one of these guys searching for him in a burning building...something I PRAY NEVER HAPPENS!!!

Something I've noticed about myself...

That I don't like to cut my hair while Phillip is gone. I mean, I trim and shape it up when it's needed, but as for the length, I don't cut any off.

And here's why:
My hair grows at an incredibly slow rate. And while Phillip is gone, time goes by at an incredibly slow rate. So, by not cutting my hair, I can look in the mirror and physically SEE how much time has gone by.

It's not something I planned. I didn't cut any length off on the first deployment either. I just have no desire to do it; it's almost like I'm cutting off and making major changes to something that BELONGS to US. Get it? I know it's kind of deep thinking, but...

So the same hair that's there when's he gone, is the same hair that he will come home to.

I do it all in the name of LOVE.

(Now where did I put the phone number to my therapist?)

Not much going on...

Hey there!

I'm writing to tell you that not much is going on over here. I see it's been over a week since I've posted...

Sarah is back to being her old self again. Pulling herself up to get into some kind of trouble is her main thing these days. Poor Gabe, when he's playing with his Wii, she just loves to just stand there and play with the remote wire and he's constantly moving to get away from her, so he can play in peace. Of course, she follows him step for step. And it's kinda depressing to be shopping in the toddler section for 12 month sizes; no more shopping in the baby section.

Oh, and on this past Sunday, we were waiting for a table at a restaurant in Dallas. I hear this noise like some poor animal is killing it's squeaky toy. Gabe tugs on my arm and tells me to look at this little toddler who is wearing these Mary Jane shoes that squeak with every step she takes. Oh, I have to have a pair for Sarah!!! Phil's sister's friend, Toni, said that one brand of this shoe is called Wee Squeaks (some brands can be up to $80), so she'll keep an eye on them for me (she owns a second-hand store for children). But by checking out the Wee Squeaks site, I think I might be able to shell out a few bucks for them. It's a must have, ya'll! And I've never been "cheap" on good quality shoes... wink, wink.

Gabe has been doing so good in school. It amazes me on how much he can read these days and I have to remind myself not to do something stupid like leaving Christmas lists lying around. So long are the days when you spell things that you don't want him to hear! He's also matured quite a bit in the past few months. If it's "babyish", don't bother buying it; that goes for clothes, toys, etc.

I've started on the dreaded Christmas shopping. Not actually purchasing just yet, but plan to start ordering in the next few days. If I can, I'll do most of my shopping via the internet so I can have it shipped to Louisiana; because we're spending Christmas there. I hate to mention it to jinx us, but it looks like Phillip will be able to spend the Christmas holiday with us! We are very excited that Gabe will be out of school while Daddy is home.

That's all for now folks. I hope everyone is doing well.

Wii Fit! Me Fit?

Last night, while I was bathing the kids, my doorbell rang. At almost 7 p.m....gotta love the UPS guy.

For my birthday, on August 20th, Phillip ordered a Wii Fit for me that never came in. So, we called the company that he ordered it from and canceled with them. I was supposed to just go buy it in the local area and take the money out of Phillip's account, but I've been too cheap to do it. So, Phillip took it upon himself to send it to me via BestBuy. I was not expecting it. And this is about the only time in our 9 year marriage that he's been able to surprise me. LOL No...just joking.

I must say...I LOVE IT! I had fun setting it up today and I'm sure that Gabe is chompin' at the bit to try it out himself (we didn't have time to set up last night).

I'll let you know how it goes, because I know that some of you are curious. As for now, I rate it 4 Stars and an A+!

Thanks, baby! I Love You!



PS. I've finished the photo collection and I have our Halloween pictures up. Enjoy!

Update...

Hey guys!

It was a crazy past couple of weeks.

In an earlier post, I mentioned how exhausted I was mentally and physically, and I think my Creator wanted to show me just how bad things could get with Sarah getting sick. And then, to make matters worse on the needing to rest thing, Phil's sister called that Monday after "the post" to ask if she could take Sarah for the week (she swears she did not see the post or talk to Phil's Mom, who I cried to the night before); well, she couldn't have Sarah for the week, because Sarah was so sick. I think Murphey's Law was definetly working on this situation!

Sarah is much better now. She is eating, drinking, and growing like a bad weed. She is even pulling herself into a standing position now! Still no sign of teeth yet...they've been in there since she was 3 months old, but they refuse to come out. My dental hygienist said that once they do decide to come out, they will come out all at once and I'll have some fun times!

I am so very thankful that Phillip's parents could come out to help when Sarah was sick. They truly are wonderful people. With their help, I was able to physically rest, get a little sick myself (ha, ha!), spend some time with friends, get my head on straight, and enjoy my anniversary gift from Phillip with no guilt or fuss with having to find a babysitter (I was treated to a day at the spa, etc.).

And I must give some credit to Gabe. He is such a great kid. He totally understood that I needed to meet Sarah's needs and that I was worn out. He helped whenever he could, and a lot of that help came from just being an all-around awesome little man.

Here's a few other things for ya:

• Thanks to all that called to check on us while Sarah was sick. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and concern.
• Sarah is "gumming" toast and french fries these days! If only she had teeth....she loves table food.
  
• check out Pandora.com. It's an great little music site that I was told about yesterday. You can create your own "station" by typing in the name of your favorite artist.
• I am still working on my photo collection. So, from time to time, visit it to see "new" pics of the Lopez Four.
• We are getting excited about Phillip coming home soon for R&R. We also have some answers, though not concrete, on our future path with the Army. I'll give you details as we feel it is a safe time to give them. It does look like we will be staying here in Texas for a while, I'll give you that much.
• We've decided to not do the combination Disney Cruise/World thing that we were planning on for our post-deployment celebration trip. We'll save the extra thousands and just spend more time in the Orlando area doing Disney World at a slower pace, and maybe check out Universal Studios and NASA, etc.
  
• Because we will most probably be staying here in Texas (and will have what looks like a very busy summer), I think that it will be time for me to start looking at going back to work in the Fall of 2009. I'm anxious to get my hands bloody again.
• You may not know this about me, but I am a STALKER! (tee hee hee, chuckle, chuckle) I bought a map of the sights in Austin. Check out http://www.austinstarmap.com/. For my local gals, if you ever wanna participate in a day of driving around and taking photos, just let me know.
  

I think that's all for now.
You guys take care, and I hope that you are all safe, happy and healthy.

Mrs. Phillip D. blah, blah, blah...

Nine years ago today, at this very moment, at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon, I walked out of a church in Lafayette, Louisiana the happiest woman alive. I had just become his wife.

God, has given me so very much to be thankful for. We have a wonderful home, two beautiful and happy children, and most of all, I have his heart and he has mine.

And there is No One in this world, or beyond, that could ever take his place.

I Love You, Phillip. And I wish that you were here right now. But look at the stars tonight and remember that we are never too far away from each other; I'll be seeing those very same stars later on, thinking of you, missing you, and loving you until death do us part.

Doing Better?

I THINK that Sarah is feeling better.

Yesterday, I tried to give her about 15 cc's of pedialyte and when I tell you that she was MAD at me for doing it, I mean she was thoroughly PISSED! And then, she vomited it all up.

So I called my friend, Karyn, and asked if she could keep Gabe for me for a few hours or maybe all night, and she was more than happy to help...which was a huge relief.

I then brought Sarah to the E.R. as per the advice of the nurse at the pediatric clinic at KDH.
(if they wanted her to wet a diaper by the morning, then force feeding her might not be the way to go about it)

At the hospital, they determined that she was not YET dehydrated (again) and didn't want to keep her there for fear that she may catch something worse in the hospital environment. To make a long and exhausting story short, they gave her some medicine to keep her nausea at bay. And like a good girl (and to make it seem like Mommy was just over-reacting), she wet a diaper and took about 4 ounces of formula in the observation room!

Gabe ended up spending the night at Karyn's house. I got some rest; but my body still hurts from the week of stress. And Sarah has been eating and wetting diapers.

All seems to be going well. Keep your fingers crossed.

Phillip's parents are just a few hours outside of the area and on their way. I'm so thankful that they will be here for a second and third brain, and if anything, a shoulder to cry or sleep on.

And now, I am going to maybe find someone to steam clean my carpet.....

J.Lo

Sick! Part Two...

The doctor just called.

Her blood work came back okay, but with low numbers. If I don't see urine by this afternoon or tomorrow morning, then I am to bring her back in. Meanwhile, I need to try to syringe feed her about every hour so that she gets some fluids.

Pray that I don't have to torture her or myself with the syringe. I hope she takes a bottle on her own.

~J. Lo

Our sweet little lump of sugar is SICK!

Just a little post to let you know what's going on.

I brought Sarah back to the doctor's office on Wednesday because I was afraid that she was dehydrating from all of the vomiting and pooping. The doctor said she was fine and to wait it out.

I brought her back to the doctor today with a dirty diaper safely tucked in a ziploc bag so they could take stool samples. They are testing for rotavirus, along with other nasty parasites. Blood work was also drawn to determine if her electrolytes, etc. are okay. I'm waiting for the results now. Looks like we may have to bring her back to the hospital this afternoon so that they can put her on an I.V. to pump her up with fluids, since she has not wet a diaper since Wednesday (which worries the crap out of ME!). They may keep her overnight.

She will not eat or drink very much, at all. I managed to get an ounce of formula in her about twenty minutes ago. And trying to get her to drink Pedialyte is like medicating a cat!

She's laughing and playing and having a grande olde time; like her brother, you can't tell that she's sick when she is, just by looking at her. Every now and then though, she'll put her cheek to the floor like she's just flat worn out.

This week has been a roller coaster with her doing very good at times, then going back downhill.

Phillip's parents are on alert and will be here tomorrow, if not sooner.
Say a prayer for our little Sarah-Belle, please.

~J. Lo

Watch Out! It may be coming your way....AGAIN!

Just an FYI for my local girls:
Sarah has not kept anything down or up (poops) since yesterday. She started out on Friday with not wanting to eat very much, vomited on Saturday, had a terribly fussy day on Sunday and it got worse yesterday afternoon (after she smiled and cooed at her pediatrician).

I took her to the doc yesterday to rule out an ear infection and he said that all day, he'd seen children with Sarah's symptoms. So watch out, that nasty bug is back and this time it seems like he's pissed!

Hope it doesn't get any worse; I hope Gabe doesn't get it.
And I hope that everyone else stays healthy as well.

J~

I need...

Just two days off. That's all I ask. Just two fricken' days to not have to think, or run around anticipating the needs of this household, myself, and two young kids.

I'm tired of the constant struggle. I want to be able to sit down and enjoy a book, or take a bath without having to worry about how long I have to actually enjoy it before another thing has to be done. My poor son has been so understanding about my having to meet the needs of his sister; I want to be able to play a wii game with him, or build a haunted cookie house with him without having to drop him like a hot potato to run over to do something else.

Both kids deserve a mother who has more patience.

And I seriously want to pop the shit out of the next person I hear with a complaint about anything, if I know that they might have just one opportunity in a 24 hour period to take a crap in peace, without hearing the little voice in their head saying "okay, this is what needs to be done next to remedy this problem" .

Oh, and just to remind some people about the second honeymoon that my husband and I took before deployment: yes, we got the chance to rest and spend time together before he left...
it was very well deserved for busting our asses for only God knows how long, and another one of those vacations will be needed very soon.

Yes, I know that tomorrow, I'll probably post some positive aspect of life around here, but for now, I'm TIRED!

Our Photo Collection

It is a work in progress. I have been working on photos to develop; right now, I have about 525 images to develop and I haven't even finished with 2007. Our 2008 photos are up there in number as well.

If you follow the photo collection link to your left, you will see what I've done so far. I'm a snap happy fool when it comes to documenting our life, and so many of the photos that you are going to see are unedited. I have lots more to add on, but for now, I hope you enjoy.

(friends and family: feel free to develop what you want, because you are a huge part of our life, and the story of it, captured in these images)

Sweet Berry Farm!

We went to the Sweet Berry Farm near Marble Falls, TX yesterday to celebrate our little friend's birthday. All in all, we had a great time. Here's some pics for you to enjoy.

Oh, and the delicious looking cake above was made by our friend, Heather. That woman can bake a cake and make it all prettied up too!!!

Our gift to Zane.

Gabe painted his pumpkin to look like Sarah!

I like that we are getting well into the fall season around here; it gives me hope and proof that time does go by. I've been in a good mood lately, but at times, I still want to scream that this deployment truly does suck!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! J~

He can spell!

I discovered this in his school work last night. He can spell "shit"! He makes a mother proud.

Maybe it's Time to Babyproof

It's probably time to think about babyproofing. I was getting the kids ready for baths last night and Sarah got quiet. And you know what that means! I went to look for her and caught her digging into my sock drawer. I have a video of it down below.

On September 2nd, she turned a whopping 8 months old. Phillip was able to see her pull herself into a sitting position (which she'd only done once on the day before) and take a few crawling steps (she usually just scoots; hence the nickname, Scooter). By scooting, the girl can really get around! Now, I'm sure she'll be a bonafide crawler in just a few short days. As for Phillip witnessing these events, I'm so glad that he was able to see via webcam some of her "firsts".

And this picture (below) was taken this morning.




I will try to get some exclusive video of Gabe for you. But really, all he likes to do is play Flight Sim or Wii...not very interesting, I know. I'll maybe "interview" him on his likes and dislikes. That should be some pure entertainment.

PS. I just realized, while I was on the phone with Phil's mom, that I made a mistake above. We're in October now! So Sarah just made 8 months on OCTOBER 2nd. Hmmmm! Silly me.

Congratulations, Phillip!!!

Today, my husband gets pinned as a CW3! (Chief Warrant Officer III)
Yeah! Yipppppeeeeeeee!!! WaaaaaaaHooooooooooo!!!!!!

Things are starting to look up for him. He recently made PC (Pilot in Command), and is working on more of what happens next along the lines of his career. Hopefully, we will get news soon on that matter. Finally, we see the light at the end of a long tunnel.

Phillip, I love you so much. I'm so very proud of you and happy for you. And I speak for the rest of our family and friends, when I say that they love you and are proud of you too.

I just wish that I was there, or that you were here, so that I or Gabe could do the pinning for you. But, I guess we'll have to leave that job to Mordicah.

CONGRATULATIONS, again, and HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears! Oh, My!!

I woke up yesterday morning feeling like the walls of my house were caving in on me. I needed to get out of town and see something different, so Gabe suggested that we go to Austin. After googling things in Austin that we haven't done yet, I found the Zoo. And I'm glad that we went.

It's a sanctuary, actually. Some of the cages had little bios on each animal, which was really interesting. For example, a buzzard named "Knees" actually looked like he walks on his knees. All the animals seemed to be in good spirits because the weather was not so hot. The tigers were playing in the water, the Lions were basking in the sun, and the Bears were being lazy bears. Gabe got molested by a couple of goats in the petting zoo, but he handled it well. Needless to say, he'd had enough of feeding the animals.

Also on yesterday's agenda: Lunch at P.F. Changs, the Bob Bullock Museum, an Imax movie on the Grand Canyon and the disappearing Colorado River (with music by Dave Matthews Band!), and quality time with friends at J.K.'s house!

Here's another video (enjoy):

Banana Puffs!

I realize it's been a while since family and friends from back home have seen the kids. Here's a video that I filmed a few days ago; it was/is intended for Phillip, but I decided that I'd let ya'll in on the fun too. Enjoy! J~

Twilight and Missing Moles

How do you like my title?

First off, my mood has gotten better. I still wake in the morning with the shakes, not knowing what the day will bring, but I've gotten better at handling my days in general. I guess I really messed myself up by going to Louisiana this past summer, because I didn't give myself the time to adjust like my friends did, but at the same time, I'm glad that I used up three months exploring my home state and being with family. My adjustment period is now, and I'm getting to be okay with it. It helps to have plans with friends on weekends, since weekends can be a nightmare for me if we have no plans. Shoot...any time I have plans to spend time with other adults is good for me. And yes, I know I still have to get in touch with some new friends so that I can spend time with them (J.B.)....I want to, I really do.

I'm getting there. Just be a bit more patient with me.

I've spent a lot of time in the past week reading the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I'd heard about it in the past and I tell ya, I can't put the book down for long. I find myself putting off projects and house work during the day (and especially when Sarah naps) to read this darn book. I'm hooked. I also feel like a traitor to Anne Rice, but hey...Ms. Meyer is a good story teller. I normally can't sit down for long to concentrate on a book before my mind starts to wander in all directions, but this is different. I had fun texting my friend, J.K., this morning over what parts I've read so far. J.K.'s read the series and it's fun to get some teasers from her.

I also went to the dermatologist this morning to get some moles removed. I didn't realize how attached I was, to a mole on the left side of my neck, until I got into my car and looked in the mirror. I feel like a part of me, my character, is gone. Damn! I should've just told the P.A. to leave it alone if she didn't see it as a problem. Otherwise, one mole in particular that has been a literal pain under the bra strap is gone. Yeah for that one! And another on my chest, that can clearly be seen when I wear a v-neck shirt...gone too.

I had to drop Sarah off at daycare on post so that I could go to my appointment, and I was nervous about it. I'd never left her with anyone besides friends or family, and I was curious to see how she and I would both handle it. I'm happy to tell you that we both survived, we have another appointment for next week, and she is exhausted and taking a nap right now in her swing. Oh, and I just love the way some ladies at the center called her "Juicy", obviously referring to her chubbiness. Juicy...funny.

One more day almost gone....and how many more to go?
I hope everyone is doing well.
J~

Ho-hum

Yup, that's the way I feel right now. Sorry.

Here's a few short notes for you:

• I joined the local gym and lost about 5 lbs.
• Sarah must be trying to cut a tooth because she's drooling everywhere, pooping the grossest diapers ever, and biting everything in sight! I was afraid that she was sick, but Phillip reminded me that Gabe's diapers looked like Sarah's do now. Amazing what Dad's remember.
• Gabe is doing well in school. Mr. Popularity can't seem to keep his mouth shut and that gets him into trouble...oh, and his stubbornness does too, but hey, he's learning and that pleases me.
• These days, I check email and don't answer it. I'm a woman of few words these days and so don't get offended if I seem to ignore you. I just don't have much to say. But, I'm trying...
  
• I'm working on all sorts of small projects around the house when I get the motivation. Pictures that need to be developed is number one on my list. I've cleaned out all of the "baby toys" from Gabe's room and plan to donate them soon to a good cause.
• As for the pre-cancerous cells on my cervix, my doctor thinks that she removed the lesion. I'm hoping so. I have yet to hear from her. They always say no news is good news. Still, I'm a little stressed over the situation.
  

Like I've mentioned before, just hang in there folks. My mood WILL get better (because the info. on my happy pills tells me so). LOL

Hopefully soon, I'll have some pictures from this summer to share with you in my photo collection. Hopefully.

Phillip was interviewed...

Hey Guys,

I just wanted to pass this on to you. Phillip was interviewed by a reporter from a San Antonio newspaper. Here is the link:

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/military/2008/09/post_4.html

Hope that everything is going well on your end.

I'll get to posting again soon; I'm just trying to find my head right now. :)

Janet

This sucks!

I'm sorry guys. I'm trying to keep my chin up. It's just not easy.
I miss Lafayette. I miss being around family. I miss the help and daily moral support that I got there. It was a distraction.
Even though we're very busy with life over here, it's just not the same. I understand that we're all in the same boat (other wives of deployed soldiers) and it IS nice to have little snippets of things to look forward to (dinner with a friend, lunch with the group), but really it's just not the same as the excitement of life when Phillip is home.
I wake up in the morning and try to find the strength to get through the day. I run around in the evenings like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to meet the needs of everyone here. And I go to bed exhausted at night. It truly does suck!
I want my husband home!!! I miss that man; I miss talking to him about what's gone on in our day, and about life in general. I miss everything about him.
Now, don't get me wrong and don't drop me like a hot potato because I'm having a pity-party. I do find reasons to smile. I am blessed with two wonderful kids; I am blessed with a whole lot, actually. I guess the perfectionist in me wants everything to just be okay, so that I don't have to be so tired and lonely...and so that I can keep every aspect of life fun for the kids.
Thanks for letting me vent.
J~

To Christie...

I'm sorry.

And you're not invisible. You're a valuable member to this circle of friends.
I just don't have any emails or phone calls to return to you so.....
Don't give me a hard time or I'll get Cousin Vinny to pay you a visit.
Noooooo, just joking. ;)

J~

To my friends...

Hey guys,

I've had a lot on my plate since I got home, but I do think of you often. As soon as things settle down, I'll be more in touch. And then I can fill you in on what's up at our house.

Jenn K.: I'll call you soon and we can plan on visiting and walking.
Jenn B.: Same as above.
Jenn N.: I hope that things are getting better for you. You're on my mind and I do plan on calling to catch up.
Debra: You DO owe me a camera and I demand that it's better than the one you broke! LOL I need to call you because I had a dream about you too, about a week ago.
Beth: What can I say? You are a sweetheart.
Mary: I don't know if I officially thanked you guys for lunch when we went to visit. I planned on sending you a note, but....well, I didn't. I'm so glad we got a chance to visit.
Linda: I've been meaning to call you. Give it some time and I might surprise you!

I know that I'm forgetting to address a few people.

I hope everyone is doing well. And please be patient with me. I'm a busy little momma these days with doc appointments, and just....life. I am very grateful to have a wonderful set of friends.

Later Ya'll,
Janet

Leroi Moore funeral is tomorrow

I know that many of you don't know who Leroi Moore was.

It saddens me that the world lost such talent recently. Without him, the music of Dave Matthews Band might not ever be the same....at least to me. I mean, who will they ever find to replace him?

Anyway, his funeral is scheduled for tomorrow.

So sad. Really, it is.

Uhggg!

Yesterday was not such a good day.

Sarah started vomiting around 2 pm right after I rushed us home from running errands, so that I could visit the bathroom....and we were both sick ALL day. I set up her bassinet in my room last night so that I could hear her if she needed my assistance. Thankfully, the alarm woke us all up at 6 am (meaning she slept through the night...and didn't need me after all).

There's a bug of some sort in the air over here. I'm just happy and praying that Gabe hasn't/doesn't get it. Because cleaning up puke from a 6 year old is a whole lot different that cleaning that of a 6 month old.

I'm happy to report that Sarah and I are both better today.

Sarah's 6 Month Portraits

We went back to Kiddie Kandids in Austin today. While I was gone, a coupon came in the mail that expires tomorrow. So today, we rushed out to take advantage of the savings.

The smiles that you see below are not the result of the photographer(though he was a really cool cat); it's Gabe's doing. Gabe told the photographer that he could make her smile and so the guy told him to "get to it".

I was about to strangle the girl that was working on my proofs, though. Every time she'd do something I liked, she'd change it! I finally had to tell her to stop. Anyway....

Enjoy!
J~

More shorts, Part Two...

Here we go AGAIN:

• Thanks to my wonderful husband for turning me on to Igoogle.com....I now have a fabulous new homepage that I truly love.....I mean LOVE!
• I'm putting Gabe in Cub Scouts. I think he will really enjoy it and I'm excited for him. He loves stuff like that!
• My Beer Fridge kinda went out on me yesterday. At first, I thought it was just a burnt bulb, but this morning, the stuff inside was warm. Thankfully, all I had to do was throw away the bad stuff, and push the reset button on the power jack. Ta Da!!!! All better...
  
• How do you like my use of the word "stuff" today?
• Gabe's new teacher happens to be one of our friends and neighbors. I've given him the talk about how she is his teacher now, and he must give her that respect. I think he got the idea. She was very excited to have him in her class and told him that she is looking forward to having him as a "table leader". He was also so excited to see that his friend, Logan, is in his class that he almost cried! Another friend of theirs is in the same class, so both boys are excited. And Emma, the girl that Gabe "spys on", is not in the class....Gabe is so relieved that he won't have to worry about his crush being in the same room.
• I fired my lawn guy, because he sucks! He was recommended by some friends and maybe he does a great job for them, but when my neighbors call and say that my yard looks like shit and I call him and find out he hasn't cut my grass for a month, because he felt it didn't need it....it's time for him to go! When I canceled services with him, he didn't seem to give a rat's butt!!! I'm relieved that he is out of my life!
• I met my blogger friend, JB, yesterday. It was so nice to meet her, since she seems like a really cool gal. I think we'll start walking soon. She even blogged about our meeting on her blog! And if you like my cool new signature at the bottom; I got it from her blog. Cuz that's how I roll....I steal things that I like. LOL

More shorts...

Here we go:

• We returned to Texas yesterday so that we could home in time for the start of school. I'd have loved to stay in Louisiana with family, but we've got to get back into the groove here. It's nice to be home though; I just wish that Phillip was here with us.
• It was suggested that I move home to Louisiana. I've thought off and on about doing that. It's so tempting, but I have to stay here for many different reasons.
• I've lost about 9 lbs since I had that EVIL Mirena taken out! Okay, so I have lots more to go, but hey....I'm happy!
• Phillip ordered a Wii Fit for my birthday! I can't wait until it comes in; it's on back order, and I should get it in the first week of September. Fun! Fun!!!
  
• I got the results back from my colposcopy and biopsy. The doctor himself called to tell me that I have abnormal cells around and going into my cervix. He says they normally freeze these cells, but he wants me to have a LEEP procedure. I will find out more next week on the diagnosis and further treatment of my little problem.
• LeRoi Moore , the saxophonist for Dave Matthews Band, died yesterday. It's shocking news to me and our future concert experiences will not be the same.
• We saw Phillip briefly on webcam today! It's the first time we see him since he's gone. God, I miss that man!!!
• Sarah is now sitting up if we put her in the sitting position. She has yet to learn how to do it by herself. She also has thing new thing where she scrunches her nose like a little bunny when she smiles. Too cute!
• Gabe has a new game that he plays with Sarah. When she's sitting and balancing, he dangles her Noonie (pacifier) on a string connected to a little pole; she sits there and tries to catch it with her hands or mouth. He calls it "Sarah Fishing" and both love to play the game. I need to take a video of it.
  

I'll get to better posting later. I've got lots to do now that I'm home. Ya'll take care! J~

Shorts...

Our time is short here.
Tomorrow, I pack.
I will have to clean up, and organize, and see if it will all fit in my car.
I hope I don't have to UPS anything home.
I have lots of pictures to show you.
I have lots of videos to post for Phillip.
I have lots to do...period.

I don't want to say goodbye. And I'm not looking forward to the long drive home.
But, I'm looking forward to not living out of a suitcase.

Howdy Ya'll!

Well, we've only got a few days left and then we'll be back in Texas for I don't know how long. I have no idea yet what the plans are for Thanksgiving, but if I have the opportunity, then I'll mosey on down to Acadiana then. So, get ready Texas friends, Momma's coming back to town!

I've got the day to myself today. It's a birthday gift from my in-laws and I'm gonna take advantage of it. This morning, I'm going for my much anticipated massage, I'll lunch with an old school friend, get my toes done, and get the car detailed. Fun, Fun I tell ya. Being the worry-wart that I am, I know that I'll be looking at my watch the whole day thinking that I should relieve them of babysitting duties as soon as possible. They have been a tremendous help to me mentally and physically this summer and I am so grateful that even though I didn't have Phillip here with me, I had the next best thing, and that's the family that he came from. (I think that our being here helped them too, in ways)

I will post pictures soon from our past week. We did go to Deridder, as planned, to see Craig and Mary and yesterday, we went to photograph the Evangeline statue and the Oak in St. Martinville. We also sweated our butts off at the Longfellow-Evangeline State Park. It was a good day. And we ended the day with dinner at one of our favorite places, Prejeans.

Tomorrow, Gabe and I will spend the day doing stuff in New Orleans. Mary told me about the Insectarium and I can't wait to take Gabe to see it. I'll post links to all of these afore mentioned places in future posts.

I hope that everyone is doing well.
J~

PS. I realize that I need to update my photo collection on this blog. It's on my list of things to do when I get home. Peace out, J~ (I'm in kinda a wacky mood today despite having a HUGE crick in my neck...but I'm soon gonna get that fixed!)

Notes...

I realize that I haven't blogged lately (okay, in like, a few days) so I figured that I'd give you an update:

• Gabe is in Gulf Shores with Phillip's parents, his cousins, and one friend. The friend is Jordan, who I'd probably adopt as a little sister for myself if I could, because she is a complete Hoot!
• I talked to Gabe this morning and he is having a great time. Good! The kid deserves it.
  
• Sarah and I have been shopping, napping, and just plain taking it easy...which is a nice.
• The crazy woman in my life has started with her crap again. I pray hard for a solution to the problem.
• Since we are all friends and adults here, I will tell you this: I had to see a doctor over here in Lafayette for a small problem. Basically, I was a lion with a splinter in the paw and could take it no longer; I had the evil Mirena device removed. (it seemed like a good idea at my post-partum visit...come to find out, it wasn't) Well, a routine test came back with some questionable results (high grade squamous epithelial cells), and so on Monday I will have a Colposcopy done. I don't think we have anything to worry about, because this is the second time something this happens to me, but still...
  
• Next week, I plan to visit with our friends Craig and Mary in Deridder, LA. I can't wait to see them and their new house!
• I also plan to sneak off to New Orleans with Gabe, if I can. Even if it is a small day trip, it will still be fun to show him around and do a little more shopping. I want to take him to Cafe Du Monde, ride the riverboat to the zoo, shop in the French Quarter, ride down Canal street on the cable car, etc. Maybe we can even have a quick lunch with one of my dear friends, Holly, if she's not too busy.
  
• Next Friday, Phil's Mom will babysit for me while I treat myself to a massage at one of my favorite places here in Lafayette.
  
• I need to have Sarah's six month portraits done. I can't find a place that I like, to do it over here, so I may have to wait until I can get back to TX. By then, she will be 7 months old. I'm a stickler for accuracy so this is weighing heavily on my mind. Amazing, what I worry myself with!
  
• School starts over here for the kids in Lafayette parish tomorrow. Bummer!
• I learned two things about my Edge this summer: The special sized, 18 inch, tires on it are very hard to find (I got a nail in my tire about a month ago. I was going to be a big girl and handle the problem myself, but with no luck on finding a tire anywhere in the Killeen/Austin area, I called my Dad and he reminded me of something...); thankfully I have Roadside Hazard on it so I didn't have to pay a butt load to replace a tire. And, I was not getting good gas mileage at all. Not like I used to. Come to find out, if you use gas without Techron in it, your gas will burn faster and you are wasting your money. Texaco and Chevron gas is a little more expensive, but saves you in the long run. You can get way more miles to the tank. Just FYI for you.
• Our time is running out here in Louisiana and we got lots of stuff done, but there is still more that I want to do. I'm sure that, if Phillip is going to be away through next summer, we will be spending the summer here again. And maybe next time, Sarah can do more things with us since she won't be such a small fry.
• Oh, and Sarah can flip from her belly to her back now. If she swings her leg over, she can do it! The little Chunky Monkey still can't make it from her back to her belly...kinda reminds me of a turtle on it's back. LOL And we're still practicing the whole sitting up thing.
  

I have given myself the summer to grieve and have my pity-party over Phillip being gone. I am pretty sure that I am ready to face life at home without him, with a better attitude than I had when I went home at the beginning of the summer. School will keep us busy. I plan to organize, clean, and get the house ready to be put on the market. I have my list of to-dos. I also plan on dropping some un-wanted pounds. When Phillip left the first time, I dropped at least 25 lbs and I plan to do that plus more. I just need to learn how to keep it off! Because somehow, when Phil is home, we eat more and exercise less...I just don't get it.

Hope everyone is doing well.
J~

Sarah at the Pool

I just found this on Jenn K.'s myspace. Thanks a whole lot, Jenn, for letting me know that this picture even existed...wink, wink. So, I did what a friend does and I stole it!
Cuz, that's how I roll!

Anyway, I had to brag. God, Phillip makes cute babies! PS. All she needs is a Midori Sour and Cosmo magazine to complete her "coolness".

My Babies...

Sarah is getting soooo big. I think that, with practice, by the end of next week she'll be sitting up like an even bigger girl all by herself!

And Gabe still thinks the world revolves around her. (he got teary eyed last Saturday and said he didn't want to leave her for the weekend!)

Notes

Okay, a super quick version of my weekend so as not to leave you hanging:

• Drove from Lafayette, LA to Flint, TX on Saturday morning.
• Met up with Angie at her house.
• Left shortly after for Dallas.
• Went shopping at the incredible Sam Moon!
• Met up with Angie's friend, Toni, and the rest of the kids (Jordan, Elise, Brigg).
• Ate at Buca di Peppo! (Awesome!)
  
• Shopped again on Sunday.
• Ate at Babe's Chicken House. (again Awesome!!!)
  
• Went to the game to oggle at Mr. Beckham.
  
• Left late Monday afternoon and headed back to Laffy...
  

That's about it folks. Check out the links if ya want! Sam Moon has got to be one of my favorite places to shop...inexpensive and a great selection.

Many, many thanks to Phillip's parents for watching Sarah for the weekend, so that Gabe and I could have some "guy time". I'm so glad that she wasn't at the game with us, because it was freakin' HOT!

Dear Husband, Please Forgive me...

But I drooled over and took lots of great pictures of David Beckham at the FC Dallas/LA Galaxy game on Sunday evening. I can't wait to get home to H.H. to edit them with Picassa.

Jeeeeze, Louise...it was hot out there and I even have a video of Angie, Phil's sister, telling us exactly how hot it was and let me tell you, it sure is candid and to the point (I have yet to decide on whether I'll grace you with it).

I'm speechless, so I'll just post a few pictures for now and tell you guys more about my weekend later.

Hope everyone is doing well. J~

Baby Laughs

Gabe loves to play with Sarah and make her laugh. And her laugh makes all of us happy.

Scaring the snot out of her is a strange way to get a laugh, but hey...whatever works, right?

Just Killin' Time

Hey Ya'll...

• Phillip got a new phone number on Skype, so we can call him in his room from our phone to his computer. Cool!
• Gabe and I are having fun. Gabe's in a day camp in the mornings and we've been swimming in the afternoons. Well, okay, yesterday was our first day...but there will be more to come since the neighborhood pool is around the corner within walking distance. You usually have to buy a membership for the summer, but we were able to get some strings pulled for the last weeks of summer remaining.
  
• I'm addicted to Facebook now. I've been wasting so much time on that.
• Gabe and I are going to Dallas this weekend while the in-laws watch Sarah, so we can go see the incredible David Beckham do his stuff. When we come back from the weekend, I'll be bringing my nephew, Brigg, back with us. Gabe will have him to play with and vice versa.
  
• Sarah may be on a growth spurt. Eating and sleeping is what she does most of these days... oh, and laughing too.
  

Not much else is going on.
I do need to make phone calls, and return phone calls.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PHILLIP!!!

Today is Phillip's birthday.

Yep, he was born a looooonnnnnng time ago. ha ha

And I pray that we will be able to celebrate many, many, many, many, many (do you get it?) more birthdays with him. Even though he is not here with us now, we'll have a piece of cake tonight in his honor. We may even film a video of it.

We Love You, Phillip!!!

I'm back in Louisiana

We got in last night and we'll be here for a while. And when we finally do make it home, we'll be busy preparing for school to start!

When I texted my Dad and brother to let them know that I was on the road and going home, my brother called to say that he was in Houston. Fortunately, we were able to meet up for lunch and follow each other back towards Lafayette. It was nice to have a road companion, and Gabe thought it was so neat that his uncle was in his big truck following us and vice versa.

Here's Gabe jumping off of the diving board on Tuesday. I'm so proud of his courage.

Busy Monday

You will see our day on Monday in reverse, because I'm feeling a little too lazy to organize the uploaded pictures into the actual sequence that they should be in.

Phillip's sister, Angie, and her kids came down from the Tyler area on Friday evening to spend some time with us. On Monday, we all went to play down near and in Austin (Ken met up with us on Sunday).

We started the day at Innerspace Cavern in Georgetown, went on to eat at The Monument Cafe, toured the Capital, had dinner at The Shady Grove, and then went on to see the Austin Bats.

We had a special treat yesterday too; an very unexpected, in the middle of the day, phone call from Phillip.

A very friendly and curious little squirrel had his eye on Sarah on the Capital grounds.

Elise and Sarah

An example of Gabe's Photography.

and another one.

At the cavern...